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Discover Our Elm Hardwood Flooring
Experience the unique charm of Elm hardwood flooring at Pennington Hardwoods. We offer both 3/4″ thick solid Elm floors and 3/4″ thick engineered Elm floors with a 6mm wear layer. With a range of grades, widths, textures, and finishes, Elm provides a distinctive aesthetic that adds character to any space. Each floor is custom crafted to meet your design goals and performance needs.
Elm is known for its intricate grain patterns and warm color palette, ranging from light tans to deep browns. Its wavy and interlocking grains offer a sense of depth and movement, making each plank uniquely appealing.
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At Pennington Hardwoods, we pride ourselves on providing high-quality lumber, expert craftsmanship, and made-to-order production. When you choose our Elm flooring, you’re investing in enduring beauty and appeal.
Ready to design your space with the timeless beauty of Elm?
Characteristics of Our Elm Hardwood Flooring
Appearance: Elm features distinctive, intricate grain patterns with a warm color palette ranging from light tans to deep browns. The wood’s wavy and interlocking grains offer a sense of depth and movement, creating a vibrant and dynamic visual effect.
Hardness: Elm has a Janka hardness rating ranging from 830 to 1,320 pounds-force, making it durable yet somewhat softer than the hardest domestic woods like maple.
Stability: Elm has good dimensional stability, especially when properly dried. It performs well under normal climatic conditions but, like all woods, is susceptible to changes due to humidity and temperature fluctuations. Proper acclimation, installation, and climate control are crucial to good stability.
Versatility: Elm’s unique grain patterns and warm hues make it suitable for both traditional and modern interiors. Its adaptability allows it to complement a variety of design aesthetics, adding character and timelessness to any space.
Popular Applications for Our Elm Hardwood Flooring
Elm is a versatile choice for various applications, including:
- Residential living areas
- Kitchens and dining rooms
- Home offices and libraries
- Retail and boutique spaces
- Restaurants and cafes
Its unique grain patterns and warm color palette make it a standout choice for those seeking a distinctive and inviting atmosphere.
Let’s talk about how Elm can enhance your next project.
BROWSE ELM HARDWOOD FLOORING PROJECTS
Our Featured Options in ELM Hardwood Flooring
We offer an expansive range of customizable features to create a floor that perfectly matches your project’s design goals and performance needs.
Structure
Our solid Elm hardwood flooring and engineered Elm hardwood flooring are both great options. Depending on your climate, site conditions, species, cut, and width selections, either one could be strongly favored over the other. Neither is always the right answer, and we will help you make this decision based on real data, not common misconceptions.
- 3/4″ Thick Solid Hardwood Flooring
- 3/4″ Thick Engineered Hardwood Flooring with a 6mm wear layer
Grade
We offer a selection of grades to match your desired aesthetic. See our general grading descriptions below. Not all species are graded the same, however. Please inquire for potential differences and details in the grading of Elm hardwood flooring and other species.
- Clear – no knots or other forms of character, and minimal color variation
- Natural – small to medium solid knots, other light character, moderate color variation
- Character – medium to large knots, other moderate character, and more color variation
- Rustic – larger knots, knotholes, other heavy character, and unlimited color variation
Width
We regularly offer widths from 3-1/4″ up to 11-1/4″ in Elm hardwood flooring and most of our other domestic species. You may select any single width or a combination of widths. Other widths such as accent strip and extra wide planks up to 15″ are available on a limited basis. The selections below cover over 97% of what widths we are requested to run.
- 3-1/4″, 4-1/4″, 5-1/4″, 6-1/4″, 7-1/4″
- 8-1/4″, 9-1/4″, 10-1/4″, 11-1/4″, Combined Widths
Texture
We offer a variety of artistic textures to enhance the beauty of our Elm hardwood flooring, and some are quite popular combined. It’s the perfect way to add old world charm to your home while minimizing the appearance of wear or damage over time. Our textures shown below can also be tailored to your preference of light, medium, or heavy. To view texture examples, visit our page here:
- Hand Scraped
- Wire Brushed
- Band Sawn
- Circle Sawn
- Distressed
- Worn edges
COLOR
We have many ways to achieve your desired color of Elm hardwood flooring, ranging from simple staining to special chemical treatments, or even a complex combination of our color services noted below.
- Simple Staining – single application of a transparent stain
- Complex Staining – multiple applications or more opaque stains
- Reactive Staining – combined chemical reaction and pigment in one
- Cerused Grain – color grain pores, often combined with staining
- Bleaching – used to create lighter versions of many species
- Oxidizing – used to create an aged, weathered, or gray look
- Ebonizing – used to create Oak that is dark brown to black
Finish
We provide industry leading finish options applied with a state-of-the-art finishing line, by Amish craftsmen who put great care and pride into their work. Shown below are our essential finishing options that satisfy that vast majority of Elm hardwood flooring that we finish, but please feel welcome to inquire if you have different finishing needs or preferences.
- Rubio Oil – top rated UV cured penetrating oil finish with a flat to matte sheen
- Woca Oil – top rated UV cured penetrating oil finish with a matte to satin sheen
- Urethane – top rated UV cured and enhanced surface finish in a matte to gloss sheen
Get a Quote for Our Elm Hardwood Flooring
Every home and project is unique—which is why each Elm floor we craft is built to match your individual needs and style preferences. Whether you’re designing a rustic lodge with wide, character-grade planks or a family-friendly home with durable engineered flooring, we’ll help you make the right decisions from the ground up.
Start your project today.
Compare with Our Hickory Hardwood Flooring
Trying to decide between Elm and Hickory? While both are durable, American hardwoods with strong visual character, they offer very different looks and performance profiles—each suited to specific design goals and environments.
Elm stands out for its flowing, interlocking grain and rich, organic warmth. Its tones range from light tan to medium brown, and the grain creates a sense of movement across each plank. Elm has a softer, more traditional appearance that feels handcrafted and inviting—perfect for adding texture and character to a space without overwhelming it.
Hickory, by contrast, is one of the hardest domestic hardwoods and features dramatic color variation—from creamy sapwood to deep brown heartwood, often within a single board. Its bold grain patterns and rugged durability make it ideal for rustic, high-traffic environments where both strength and standout visuals are priorities.
Both woods are beautiful and practical, but the choice depends on your aesthetic and performance needs:
Choose Elm for a softer, more fluid look with natural charm.
Choose Hickory for a bold, high-contrast floor with unmatched toughness.
Explore our Hickory Flooring to see if it’s the right fit for your project
Ready to Build Something Timeless?
At Pennington Hardwoods, we believe your floors should do more than just withstand the everyday—they should help shape the story of your space. Our Elm hardwood flooring is designed for beauty, durability, and a lasting impression. With its unique grain patterns and warm, organic tones, Elm adds character and depth to any room, creating a timeless foundation that complements both classic and modern interiors. Every plank of Elm is crafted with expert precision and a commitment to quality, ensuring that your floors not only perform beautifully but also stand out as the centerpiece of your home or project. Let’s get started.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is Elm too soft for residential use?
A: Elm is a durable hardwood, but it’s not as hard as species like Hickory or Oak. With a Janka hardness rating of around 830 to 1,320 pounds-force, it’s suitable for residential use in most areas, including living rooms, bedrooms, and dining rooms. While it may not be ideal for the most high-traffic environments, it offers a perfect balance of strength and elegance for everyday living spaces.
Q: Will Elm’s grain and color variation be too bold for my home?
A: Elm’s distinctive grain and color variation give it a unique, natural charm. However, if you’re looking for a more uniform appearance, we offer a range of grades and custom sorting options. Whether you prefer the more subtle character of Clear Elm or the full-spectrum variety of Rustic Elm, we can help you choose the perfect look to suit your space.
Q: Does Elm take stain well?
A: Elm accepts stain well, though its varying grain patterns may lead to slight differences in absorption. Our finishing process ensures a high-quality, even result that enhances the natural beauty of the wood, whether you’re aiming to celebrate its natural warmth or unify its tones with a specific stain.
Q: Is Elm suitable for radiant heat systems?
A: Yes, Elm is compatible with radiant heat systems. However, we recommend using Engineered Elm flooring for the best results, as it offers improved dimensional stability under fluctuating temperatures. Our team can guide you through the installation process to ensure optimal performance in your space.
Q: Do you offer matching Elm millwork?
A: Absolutely! We offer custom Elm stair treads, vents, thresholds, and trim to match your flooring in species, color, and finish. Everything is crafted to order and finished together for a consistent, seamless look throughout your home or project.
Q: What makes your Elm flooring different from what I might find in a store?
A: Our Elm flooring is custom-made to order, using carefully selected lumber and expert milling techniques. Unlike mass-produced flooring, we focus on quality, precision, and customization to highlight the natural beauty of the wood. Each plank is carefully crafted to meet your exact specifications, ensuring better fit, finish, and longevity than typical retail alternatives.
Q: Still Have Questions?
A: We’re here to help. Reach out today to speak with one of our experts who can guide you through the selection process, answer your questions, or prepare a quote. We’re passionate about what we do, and we believe you’ll love the result.
