Durable, affordable, and distinctive, acacia wood flooring can give any room an air of luxury and character. With its rustic appeal and beautiful color variation, it is quickly becoming a top choice among designers and homeowners. You can choose solid or engineered acacia hardwoods. At our store, we offer problem-free engineered acacia wood flooring that is available in a variety of planks widths, colors, and finishes.
Acacia wood has many great features, but there are some flaws as well. In this article, we’ll talk about acacia flooring problems so you know what to expect when installing it.
Disadvantages of Acacia Wood
Similar to any other flooring option, acacia comes with certain disadvantages. So what are the disadvantages of acacia wood?
Short Planks
Although you can choose from various options of width, color, and finish, you are limited on the length of acacia wood planks. Acacia trees are often more like tall shrubs than typical trees. That’s why planks made from acacia are shorter than those made from more common hardwoods such as maple and oak. Generally, the longest planks are four feet long.
Defects and Variations
Acacia wood often comes with knots and other irregularities. Because acacia is a short, stubby tree, the trunk and branches can get twisted. Since only a limited portion of the trees is available for harvesting, acacia wood with knots and other blemishes is just a part of the package. And while some people feel this adds to the floor’s character, others find it too showy and distracting.
Prone to Buckling
Although acacia usually is hard and not easily damaged, under certain conditions, it can buckle. For example, if it is not correctly dried or acclimated, it could dry out in your home, causing it to shrink and buckle. You can avoid these problems if you make sure the acacia flooring was dried properly during the manufacturing process. You should acclimate your acacia flooring and keep proper levels of humidity in the home.
Still, despite the common problems, solid acacia hardwood and engineered wood flooring will last for many years. It is a very durable flooring material because acacia is naturally hard. It scores 1750 on the Janka hardness scale, and some species have a hardness rating of 2220. That is even higher than popular species like oak and hard maple, and they both are known for their durability.
The alternative choice to save yourself from any acacia wood problems is installing a
luxury vinyl planks with an acacia design.
