Lowe’s sells a wide range of hardwood, from 3/4-inch solid oak to click-together engineered planks sold as waterproof. It’s easier to shop once you know what the labels mean and where the fine print hides.
We went through Lowe’s site in November 2026 for this guide. Products and terms change, so treat the examples below as a starting point and confirm the details on the listing you’re buying.
What Lowe’s Carries
Lowe’s hardwood section is split into solid hardwood, engineered hardwood, bamboo, unfinished hardwood and samples. There are also filters for interlocking or floating floors and for waterproof hardwood.
Brands on the main hardwood page include Bruce, allen + roth, SMARTCORE Naturals, CALI and Shaw, and Style Selections shows up in product names. Species include oak, red oak, white oak, hickory and maple, with walnut, Brazilian cherry and acacia in the mix.
Solid vs Engineered at Lowe’s
Solid Hardwood
Solid hardwood is one piece of wood through the whole board. A typical example is Bruce America’s Best Choice, a 3/4-inch solid oak plank with a urethane finish that includes aluminum oxide.
Its listing says it nails down over a wood subfloor, goes on or above ground level and can be refinished later.
That last point is the main reason to buy solid. The National Wood Flooring Association says solid wood can be sanded and refinished many times, so the floor can be renewed instead of replaced. Lowe’s own buying guide adds that solid hardwood installation is best left to the pros unless you’re an experienced DIYer.
Engineered Hardwood
Engineered hardwood has a real wood surface over a layered core. Lowe’s guide says it’s easier to install yourself and can be used with radiant heat or over a concrete slab.
The trade-off is a thinner top layer that can’t be refinished as many times as solid. Look for the wear layer thickness on the listing or spec sheet. Hardwood Floors magazine advises against sanding any wear layer thinner than 3/32 inch.
Waterproof Engineered Hardwood
Lowe’s also sells engineered products marketed as waterproof. One SMARTCORE Naturals listing describes a 1/4-inch click-together plank that’s 100 percent waterproof, suited to kitchens, bathrooms, mudrooms and basements, and installable over existing hard floors with no acclimation time.
It carries a lifetime limited residential warranty and a five-year light commercial warranty. The same product’s title calls it water resistant, though, so read the warranty guide linked on the listing before you put it in a bathroom.
Picking a Species
Species decides how well the floor resists dents. The Janka test measures this, and a higher number means a harder wood.
| Species | Janka rating (lbf) | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Hickory (shagbark) | 1,880 | Very hard, with lots of color variation |
| Hard maple | 1,450 | Hard and smooth, but tricky to stain evenly |
| White oak | 1,350 | Hard, tan to brown, takes stain well |
| Red oak | 1,220 | The classic, with a slightly pink undertone |
| Black walnut | 1,010 | Rich brown and noticeably softer |
The ratings come from The Wood Database. Some flooring references list slightly different figures, so compare species using one source.
Our posts on red oak flooring and hickory flooring go deeper on two of the most common choices.
Width, Finish and Color
Lowe’s sorts planks by width, with narrow planks at 3 to 5 inches and medium planks at 5.1 to 6.9 inches. Its hardwood page calls 7 inches and up wide plank and 8 inches or more extra wide.
Wider boards show off more grain, and they also move more with humidity.
Prefinished boards arrive sanded and finished from the factory. Unfinished boards get sanded, stained and finished after they’re installed, which lets you match any color but adds days and dust to the job.
Sheen matters more than most shoppers expect. Listings mention low-gloss and medium-gloss finishes, and the NWFA says the less sheen a floor has, the less you’ll notice small scratches. Hand-scraped and wire-brushed textures hide everyday wear too.
For color, Lowe’s groups its hardwood into light gray, medium and dark gray, light brown, and medium and dark brown. Order samples and look at them in your own rooms, in the morning and at night.
Reading the Warranty
Warranty terms vary by product, even within the same brand. On Lowe’s site we saw finish warranties ranging from 15 years on a Bruce Frisco product to a lifetime on a Bruce America’s Best Choice plank.
A finish warranty generally covers the finish wearing through under normal use. Scratches, dents, pet damage and water damage are commonly excluded, and most warranties require installing to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Download the warranty guide from the listing and read the exclusions before you buy.
How Lowe’s Installation Works
If you want Lowe’s to install the floor, it starts with a free in-home measure. An independent installer measures the space, you get a quote for product and labor, and then the job is scheduled. Lowe’s installation page lists these details.
- Installers are licensed where applicable, insured and background-checked.
- The flooring must be purchased from Lowe’s.
- Underlayment when needed, a lead assessment if required, light scraping and sweeping for up to a 1/4-inch adjustment, cleanup and a final walk-through are included.
- Furniture moving costs extra with a per-room charge, and dump fees may apply.
- Mileage fees may apply 20 miles or more from a Lowe’s store.
- The installation carries a one-year limited labor warranty, along with the product’s manufacturer warranty.
Lowe’s also advertises a Lowest Install Project Price Guarantee, which matches a qualifying lower estimate from another local retailer on a comparable project.
Before You Check Out
- Round up. Hardwood is sold in full cases, and Lowe’s how-to guide suggests rounding up your order.
- Buy it all at once. Color can vary between production runs, so getting every box in one order gives you the best chance of a match.
- Acclimate it. Let the boards adjust to your home the way the manufacturer directs.
- Mind the humidity. The NWFA recommends keeping your home between 30 and 50 percent humidity year-round.
- Check where it can go. On or above ground level is standard for solid hardwood.
If you’d rather have one local company handle both the material and the installation, here’s how our hardwood flooring installation works. Quality Installs is a family-owned flooring company in Glenview that sources materials from reputable suppliers.