As a product of nature and its variety, wood brings natural beauty into wood floorings. Thus, it offers a luxurious impression for all residential styles.
However, to get the best quality wood floors, you need to know its characteristics, the pros and cons, and the best way to finish it.
Of the many wood floor materials used for house interiors, the Brazilian cherry wood floor is one of the most popular on the market for a good reason.
This type of wood is considered an eco-friendly building material because it can be produced sustainably. Therefore, what can you get from this wood floor?
Characteristics of Brazilian Cherry Wood
The Brazilian cherry wood is beautiful and soft and makes an excellent hardwood floor. When first installed, it has a light pink color that becomes deep red for about 6-24 months, depending on indoor sun exposure.
With the impression of a warm and traditional home combined with this flooring material, red, gold, and green tones and palettes will enhance your Brazilian cherry wood floor.
A Brazilian cherry, also known as Jatoba, is a type of wood suitable for hardwood flooring. Its hardness level is around 2350. The color of this wood is a medium brown with a slight reddish. This wood will take on a nice color when it fades a little.
Furthermore, a Brazilian cherry falls under exotic woods with its rosy undertones, perfect hardness, and interlocking grains.
This hardwood is usually left in its natural form featuring a fine grain. This is the most popular material for flooring choices among exotic wood species.
What Are Stain Options for Brazilian Cherry Wood Floor?
Several stain colors go well with Brazilian cherry wood floors. Either light colors of blue, gray, and green; or dark colors of green, blue, and red will create a large or small amount of contrast.
Although light color stains bring out the natural reddish brown color of the wood, Brazilian cherry wood adapts to most stains.
A Brazilian cherry wood finish’s darker stains stand out sharply against the lighter tones. This stain color draws attention to the wood and is ideal for highlighting a fine piece of home furniture. It must be sanded to prepare the Brazilian cherry wood floor for staining.
Brazilian Cherry Hardwood Flooring Pros and Cons
The Brazilian cherry wood floor has several advantages that differ from other flooring materials. Still, of course, they have some drawbacks as well.
Pros:
- Warm Impression— One of the reasons why this floor is popular is because it looks very natural. It has strong wood elements and exudes a warm atmosphere in the house.
- Durable— In addition to its attractive appearance, this type of wood floor is strong and durable. Its hardness makes Brazilian cherry a good wood for flooring. Unlike any solid wood floor, this wood flooring material can last up to 30 years.
- Aesthetic Pleasure— This type of wooden floor will increase the aesthetic value of a house. From its natural features to the colors and patterns of its fibers will present an elegant, luxurious and comfortable feeling.
- Increase House Value— This wooden floor can increase your home’s value from its aesthetic beauty. Thus, it can increase the selling price of the property.
- Refinishing is Feasible— Basically, hardwood floors cannot be refinished over and over again. However, Brazilian cherry wood flooring can be refinished over its lifespan, especially if the floor has a lot of scratches and damage.
Cons:
- Easily Damaged by Water— Since the material comes from nature, the wood becomes easily damaged when exposed to water. If you leave this wood floor untreated, it will gradually turn gray under sunlight.
- Easily Scratched— The floor surface can easily be scratched. Mainly, if you’re not careful when moving the furniture, you will find some scratches on the floor.
- Expensive Materials and Installation— A Brazilian cherry wood floor is fairly expensive. Since producing a quality hardwood floor requires a high level of techniques. The installation process is also quite expensive because it is difficult and requires additional adjustments.
- It May Not Be Suitable For Every Area— It’s fine to put hardwood floors like Brazilian cherry in a large room because the dark color makes the room look cozy and beautiful. For a small room, though? It’s not a good plan.
Brazilian Cherry Wood Floor Alternatives
Beautiful floors don’t only have to be made of expensive materials. You can also get beautiful floors with an alternative to a Brazilian cherry wood floor at an affordable price, such as:
Malaccan Cherry Wood Floor
Also known as “Taun,” the Malaccan cherry wood flooring can be the best alternative to Brazilian cherry wood flooring. Taun floor is very similar to Brazilian cherry wood floor because it can display the luxurious characteristics of Brazilian cherry wood. The red will stand out even more at a lower price as the wood matures.
American Cherry Wood Floor
Unfinished American cherry hardwood has a light, slightly red tint that most homeowners love. It will also darken naturally over time, but slower than Brazilian cherries. You can help speed up this process by exposing your floors to as much natural sunlight as possible.
Can you bleach Brazilian cherry wood floors?
Bleach doesn’t soak into exotic wood floors like Brazilian cherry and mahogany very well. But people like the color that is already there. Most of the time, they are not bleached because it costs a lot.
Most types of wood floors can be bleached. Some hardwood floors, like white oak, can’t be bleached because the bleach will damage the wood and change its color.
Because they work so well, ash, red oak, and beech floors are the best places to put bleach.
Most people use bleach, oxalic acid, or a kit with two parts that must be mixed to whiten hardwood floors.
One of the most common ways to clean and brighten hardwood floors is to use bleach. Getting rid of stains from drinks, ink, blood, and sauces is easy. For the best results, sand your floor to remove the finish and let the bleach get into the stain.
Oxalic acid is a mild disinfectant for hardwood floors, which makes it a great choice if you want to clean your floors without hurting them. It can also help get rid of rust or water spots.
The two-part bleach kit is the best choice—the highly concentrated mixture of sodium bicarbonate and hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide and ammonia can also be used.
But be careful because this mixture will heat up in a few seconds and start to react. To avoid getting poisoned, put on a mask and thick gloves and ensure the room has good airflow. It’s the worst way to paint wood floors white.
Is there a difference between Brazilian cherry and jatoba hardwood flooring?
The tree that makes Brazilian Cherry wood and jatoba are also called a locust or courbaril.
The Brazilian cherry, called Hymenaea courbaril, is not in the cherry family. Instead, it is a type of legume. The name “Brazilian cherry” comes from the wood’s deep red color, which was used to help sell it.
Brazilian Cherry is most often used outside as decking or siding. Still, it is usually used as flooring inside.
Even though they are all made from the same tree, their prices and ways of drying make it almost impossible to tell them apart as different products.
Are Brazilian cherry floors outdated?
Even though it’s not as popular as it used to be, Brazilian cherry is still a beautiful wood that could be used for flooring.
It comes in many different styles, from solid wood planks to plastic laminates that look like wood.
What are the most popular and long-lasting hardwood floors?
When it comes to wood floors, natural colors are always in style. Most of these colors come from species of hardwood that have been used as flooring for hundreds of years.
For example, cherry wood is known for its red colors. On the other hand, dark, chocolate-colored walnuts have been known for a long time.
On the other hand, ash wood is valued for its light colors, while red oak is known for its deep salmon tones.
- Cherry is a beautiful shade of auburn that gets darker as it ages.
- Different kinds of hickory have many different colors.
- People like birch because it has a golden center and blonde edges.
- Rich shades of gold, amber, and brown give Brow maple its name.
- Red Oak has a unique smell that reminds me of salmon.
- The lighter colors of white maple give it a clean look.
- Walnut is known for its deep chocolate color with a hint of red.
- Even though it’s called “White Oak,” this wood is brown to beige.
Brazilian cherry hardwood flooring prices
The thickness and width of the board affect how much Brazilian Cherry Wood flooring costs. Some flooring manufacturers follow national grading rules, while others have their grading standards. Some flooring styles don’t have a grade at all.
Prices vary based on the size and quality of the wood. It can be made of solid wood or engineered wood. So, looking around for a flooring store you can trust is important.
- Engineered: $4.49 – $6.20 per square foot.
- Prefinished: $2.85 – $4.50 per square foot.
- Unfinished: $4.75 – $5.39 per square foot.
The cost of materials for flooring you put in yourself ranges from $2.50 to $15 per square foot. This does not include the time you spend getting ready or working.
Including labor and materials, hiring a professional flooring contractor near you will cost between $10 and $25 per square foot.
The difference depends on the type of wood you use and how hard it is to put together. The floors are an important part of the value of your property.
Cleaning and maintaining Brazilian cherry flooring
Because it is hard, Brazilian cherry is not easy to break. But it’s important to regularly do preventive maintenance and care to protect and keep the flooring’s beauty.
Preventive maintenance should be the first step in caring for a hardwood floor.
Place a carpet or rug in areas with a lot of use, like entryways and hallways, to keep them from getting damaged. Putting felt pads on the feet of all furniture that is moved often is another important step.
Once the precautions have been taken, it’s time to think about regular cleaning.
We bring small amounts of sand and other grains into our homes daily. If you leave these on a wood floor, they will move around and scratch their surface. This can hurt the wood floor.
Sand grains can be removed by sweeping or vacuuming regularly, which will also cut down on chafing. Also, immediately cleaning up spills is important to avoid damage or stains.
Depending on the type of finish you choose for the wood floor, there may be other cleaning and care instructions that you should also follow carefully.
How to Clean Brazilian Cherry Hardwood Floors
Like any other hardwood, Brazilian cherry needs to be cared for regularly to keep it in good shape and extend its life.
Follow these steps to make your wooden floor last longer and keep its good looks.
1. Dusting And Vacuuming Regularly
One problem with Brazilian cherry wood is that it gets dirty quickly. Clean the wooden floor often to get rid of dirt and keep it looking nice. Use a broom, a dustpan, and even a duster.
You can also pick up dust with a small vacuum cleaner. Your hardwood can be scratched and cut by the blow bar.
Every two to four days, you should vacuum floors made of wood. If dust stays on the floor for a long time, it can damage the wood.
2. Use A Homemade Cleaning Solution
As you move forward, you will need a way to clean. Here are some options from which you can choose.
You could use water and dish soap. Mix a few drops of dish soap into a bucket of warm water. Be careful. Make sure that the mop is neither too wet nor too dry. When you’re done, rinse the mop with water and pat it dry with a towel.
You can also use vinegar. Put about 1/2 cup of white vinegar into a 3.5-liter gallon. The vinegar cleans and doesn’t leave anything behind. To clean the floor, use a damp mop. Dry it.
3. Use commercial cleaning products
Only hardwood floors can be cleaned with commercial floor cleaners. Spray the cleaner on the floor, then wipe up any extra liquid.
If you don’t want to hurt the soil, don’t let the liquid sit for too long. Wipe it off right away.