Choosing mahogany flooring can be a daunting prospect.
Choosing mahogany flooring can be a daunting prospect. After all, wood flooring can be one of the most important and attractive elements of your home. Besides, mahogany flooring calls to mind certain ideas and thoughts, essentially word associations. In this blog, we’ll show you how to associate your home with a classier feel by choosing mahogany flooring. Which type is right for you and your home?
Different Species of Mahogany From Around the World
Mahogany is a type of wood that is naturally native to the Americas and the New World. But it has also spread out across the world, too. Let’s start by examining the different species of mahogany from around the world:
Honduran Mahogany: As we’ll touch on below, Honduran mahogany is also known as big leaf mahogany. It ranges from Mexico to Brazil (the southern Amazon), and is the one true mahogany.
Caribbean Mahogany: Also called West Indian or Cuban mahogany. This species hails from southern Florida and the Caribbean, hence its name. It is often used for commercial purposes.A related type of mahogany, called Swietenia Humillis is found in the dry forests of pacific coast Central America, though it’s not as prominent.
African Mahogany: Although highly similar to its Caribbean cousin, African mahogany is not considered true mahogany either.
Asian Mahogany: While Asian mahogany visually resembles the others, it is far superior when it comes to workability. Unfortunately, this superior workability comes at a cost: it is more fragile, and thus its inferior durability and higher tendency to splinter means it’s probably not good for use in flooring and furniture.
What Do You Look For When Choosing Mahogany Flooring?
No matter what species of mahogany you settle on, you’ll want to keep a few things in mind. What exactly should you, or do you for that matter, look for when choosing mahogany flooring?
- True mahogany: Honduran mahogany, also called big leaf mahogany, is considered “true mahogany”. However, it has been heavily regulated and jealously guarded for years on end due to over-harvesting. There are only a handful of ways to acquire some through the open market. Your only choice might just be reusing it and recycling it from and older, pre-existing home.
- The best substitute options: The best substitute options include getting plank flooring. Plank flooring uses processed African mahogany. You could also choose higher quality mahogany from Africa, the Caribbean, or Asia. these varieties of mahogany have been processed and engineered to mimic the original through expert techniques.
About Mahogany, Inc.
Mahogany, Inc. is a general contractor specializing in quality construction for projects across a wide range of industries. Located in southwest Baltimore, we employ 100 persons, and are one of the largest minority-owned businesses in the state of Maryland. Make sure to check back with our blog every week for the latest industry related information. For more information, you can contact us at 410.727.0334, or email us. We look forward to hearing from you!