Technically, Ebony is a very dense black hardwood - it is so dense that it sinks in water. But, generally, when homeowners in Westchester County ask about Ebony hardwood, they really mean dark hardwood flooring, and usually that means oak flooring with an ebony stain.
Real ebony refers to several species of the genus Diospyros. The most common of these are Ceylon ebony (from India and Sri Lanka), Gabon ebony (from Western Africa) and Makassar ebony (from Indonesia). Ebony is the blackest of all known woods. The heartwood is usually the jet black the color we see in ornamental pieces. Very dense and hard with straight to slightly interlocked grain and a very fine even texture.the Janka hardness scale, Ebony is 3220. Generally, real ebony is not used in flooring, but rather is used in small ornamental pieces such as black piano keys, chess board pieces, cutlery as well as violin and other finger boards. It has incredible resilience to termites.
For purposes of dark hardwood floors, the most common approach for homes in Westchester is to stain the oak floors with an ebony stain. This means that you can refinish your hardwood without needing to replace it. Ebony is the darkest stain and it gives you home a modern and sleek look. It's chic, stylish and classy. The darker you go with the stain, the less you see the oak graining and this is another reason that many homeowners love this look. You can use ebony stain on other hardwood species, but it tends to work well with oak which absorbs the stain well and evenly.
For those that like dark hardwood flooring, but feel ebony is too dark, there are two other dark stains you may want to consider - Jacobean and Dark Walnut. These are also striking, but not quite as dark.
Ebony and darker stains do tend to show the dirt and scratches a bit more, so you may want to consider adding an extra coat of polyurethane for some extra protection. Also, we recommend a satin finish with ebony and dark hardwood floors. Satin has some sheen but less than the shiny appearance of semi gloss, so it looks classier and shows the scratches less.
Ebony hardwood floors tend to look great with cool toned paint colors such as ivory, grays and taupes. Some beiges and some blues also look classy and formal. We recommend to our customers that they test the stain color on their own floors before making the final decision on color (and we do this for our customers for no additional charge). We recommend that they do the same with the paint colors.
Dark flooring is fashionable, in fact haute couture, especially in Westchester County. In fact, it's the most popular color, and we have a lot of requests for specifically for ebony hardwood floors. If you're looking for Ebony hardwood flooring for your Westchester home, give The Flooring Girl a call at 914-937-2950. (For out of state customers, please call 914-407-3899.) More information on hardwood flooring and refinishing:
- Water based vs. oil based polyurethane: Which is better for refinishing hardwood floors?
- How long does it take to refinish hardwood floors?
- Dark hardwood flooring (see examples of other stain color options)
Originally posted at Ebony Hardwood flooring - sylish and chic for your Westchester home.
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