My wife and I are closing on our first home this week and we're still learning things about it and making plans for it. The house was built in 1965, and has wood flooring that may well have great potential once the cheap carpet has been removed.

First, we'd like to know what species it is. I'm ashamed to say it, as my grandfather and great grandfather were both master cabinet makers, but I just can't figure out what kind of wood this is. I'm betting a number of you will recognize it immediately.

This photo is from one of the closets where the wood is still exposed.

This is an easy one. It's Northern Red Oak. It's milled in "shorts", or, the installers placed all the shorts in the closet, a common practice. It's also mixed grade, which we don't get much of anymore. It's where the mill blends quarter sawn, rift sawn and plain sawn together. It used to be that way a lot but not much anymore. Looks to be the standard 3/4" x 2&1/4" #1 common or even select in Red Oak. Old finish has ambered over the years. Should look very nice when refinished.

I find that these floors in the Northwest, are often a Red - White mix as well. I usually match with red oak, and it blends well.

Thank you!

I see a near neighbour responded, which is nice. I'm waving in the direction of Yakima as I type!

I guess whether it's a mix or not may be more apparent once some of it has been sanded down. What always throws me when I try to identify a wood species is the finish. I really can't explain it with anything but a lack of experience. I'll have a lot of reading to do and questions to ask in the coming months.

Knowing that matching it may be simpler now is a good thing. There's no telling where I'll have places that need patching. Also, the original two-car attached garage has been converted to living space, and the floor in the converted garage area is still lower than the rest of the living areas and concrete with carpet over the top. My wife has all ready asked that I raise the floor to match the rest of the house and attempt to match the original floors - Thankfully she's a good assistant, because she will be getting her hands dirty in this house.