The benchmark of hardwood luxury
If you are looking for a floor that makes a statement the moment someone walks through the door, Brazilian Cherry is the undisputed standard. Known in the industry as Jatoba, this imported exotic hardwood offers a richness and depth that domestic woods simply cannot replicate.
Where it grows, how hard it is, and how it behaves once it is down in a Maryland, DC, or Northern Virginia home.
Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia. Botanically Hymenaea courbaril.
Nearly twice Red Oak at 1,290
Darkens toward burgundy with light exposure
Moves noticeably with DMV humidity swings, so acclimation is not optional
Reduces glare and lets the depth of colour carry the room
The Janka scale measures the pounds of force needed to embed a steel ball halfway into a board. Higher means harder to dent. Everything below is on the same axis, so the bars can be read against each other directly.
Pounds of force (lbf)
At roughly 2,350 pounds of force, Jatoba is nearly twice as hard as Red Oak, the most common flooring wood in America. That density is what resists high heels, pet claws, and dropped cookware.
1 line, 1 colour in brazilian cherry. Click a colour to see the floor installed, not just the swatch, and ask for the sample either way.
1 Colour · Bahia
Also in 3.25" — order-in widths
Brazilian cherry in its natural brown, semi-gloss over a multiply core, with a 3.2mm wear layer and Lauzon’s Titanium and Pure Genius finishes.
Ask about this productThis is a selection, not the whole floor
Our North Bethesda showroom carries hundreds more hardwood samples across a dozen major brands, and we can order well beyond what is on display. If you have a species, width, or finish in mind that is not shown here, ask — there is very likely a sample waiting for you.
Widths, too: most of these lines are milled in more than one, and the width listed on a product is the one we stock and photograph. Where a line offers others they are named on the card, and we order them in — tell us the width you want and we will price it.
Brazilian Cherry is famous for its dramatic colour variation. Freshly milled, it ranges from a warm honey orange to a deep, reddish cinnamon brown. Over time, exposure to natural light deepens this colour into a rich, dark burgundy with striking black streaks and interlocking grain patterns.
It is a lively floor with movement and character that hides the evidence of a busy household beautifully. A floor laid today is not quite the floor you live with in two years, which is part of the appeal, and the reason we lay boards out across the room before a single one is fastened.
Here is where Brazilian Cherry separates itself from almost every domestic species. On the Janka hardness scale, which measures the force required to embed a steel ball into the wood, Brazilian Cherry rates approximately 2,350 pounds of force. For comparison, Red Oak rates 1,290. That means Jatoba is nearly twice as hard as the most common flooring wood in America. This extreme density translates directly into dent resistance from high heels, pet claws, and dropped cookware.
However, density cuts both ways. Brazilian Cherry is highly sensitive to moisture changes. Its dimensional stability coefficient is lower than many domestic species, meaning it will expand and contract noticeably with the humid summers and dry winters we experience in the DMV. If installed without proper acclimation and spacing, you will see gapping or cupping. Our full service approach includes precise moisture metering of both the subfloor and the wood itself before a single plank is nailed down.
Because of its extreme hardness and interlocking grain, Brazilian Cherry dulls standard saw blades and nail guns quickly. We use carbide tipped blades and high pressure pneumatic nailers designed specifically for exotic hardwoods.
Sanding Jatoba requires a methodical sequence of grits because the wood is so dense that aggressive sanding can create deep scratches that are nearly impossible to remove. We also account for the wood’s natural oils by using solvent based sealers or high adhesion water based finishes that prevent peeling. For clients who love the durability but prefer a more contemporary look, we often recommend a matte finish to reduce glare and emphasize the deep colour.
Indoor humidity in the Washington DC area swings from roughly 25 percent in January to 70 percent in August. Brazilian Cherry feels that swing more than oak does, which is why we meter the subfloor and the wood, acclimate for several days in the room it will live in, and set expansion gaps for the widest, not the average, condition.
That protocol is the same whether the floor is going into a Bethesda colonial, a Washington DC rowhouse, or a new build in Arlington. It is described in full on our hardwood installation page.
Every species on this page is sold both ways, and the choice is usually made by the room rather than by the wood. Solid hardwood is 3/4 inch of brazilian cherry through its full thickness, nailed down above grade, and sandable six to eight times over its life. It is the floor you buy once for a main level.
Engineered hardwood puts a real brazilian cherry wear layer over a cross-ply core that holds flat where an exotic solid would move. It goes over concrete, below grade, and over radiant heat, and for imported species with a wide seasonal swing it is very often the more sensible specification in this region. Most of the brazilian cherry we stock is engineered for exactly that reason.
Every Brazilian Cherry floor we sell is installed, run up the stairs, and eventually refinished by our own crews. These are the three pages that describe that work.
Subfloor prep, moisture metering, acclimation, and the fastening schedule we use for brazilian cherry and every other species.
Treads, risers, and railings milled to match the floor, so a brazilian cherry landing does not stop at the top step.
Sanding, sealing, and recoating, including the grit sequences and finishes dense exotic species like brazilian cherry demand.
We are a Maryland showroom serving the whole DMV. Samples come to your house, and the crew that measures is the crew that installs.
Bethesda, Rockville, Potomac, Chevy Chase, Silver Spring, and Gaithersburg, out of our North Bethesda showroom.
Maryland service areas →Northwest DC, Georgetown, Capitol Hill, and the surrounding rowhouse and condo stock, where subfloor prep matters as much as the wood.
Flooring in Washington DC →Arlington, McLean, Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, and Tysons, with the same crews and the same moisture protocol.
Flooring in Northern Virginia →We provide brazilian cherry flooring services throughout the DMV region.
Three imported species, three very different reasons to choose one.
Considerably. Brazilian Cherry rates about 2,350 on the Janka scale against 1,290 for Red Oak and 1,360 for White Oak, so it takes nearly twice the force to dent. It is one of the most dent resistant floors we install in Maryland, DC, and Northern Virginia.
Yes, and it is the single thing homeowners are most surprised by. Boards leave the carton a red tinged honey and deepen over one to two years into the deep russet the species is known for. Area rugs left in place during that period can leave a lighter patch, so move them occasionally for the first year.
It can, and it holds up to sanding well, but it is not a floor for a first-time refinisher. The density means an aggressive grit leaves scratches that are very hard to remove, and the natural oils interfere with some water based finishes. Our refinishing crew steps through the grit sequence methodically and matches the sealer to the wood’s oil content.
Solid Brazilian Cherry is not, because of its sensitivity to moisture. Engineered Brazilian Cherry over a stable multiply core is a much safer below grade choice, and it is what we specify for basements across the DMV.
Cooler weather and lower indoor humidity can reveal gaps, squeaks, and worn finish on hardwood floors across the DMV. A fall inspection helps identify areas that need cleaning, repair, or added protection before holiday traffic and winter salt arrive. Use entry mats and maintain steady indoor humidity to reduce seasonal stress.
Samples are free, always. We bring brazilian cherry to your home so you can hold it against your walls and daylight, which is the only place this decision is ever actually made.
2020 Flooring
5550-F Nicholson Lane, North Bethesda, MD 20852
Mon–Wed 10–7 · Thu–Sat 10–6 · Sun 11–5
We'll bring the showroom to you! Request a free in-home consultation and browse samples in the comfort of your own home.
Request Free In-Home ConsultFor over 25 years, residential and commercial members of the DC, Maryland, and Virginia community have trusted 2020 Flooring. Check out what our customers have to say!
5.0on Google“We had a last minute major issue in the flooring we selected from another flooring installer on our kitchen renovation and addition. We had initially loved another flooring choice that we saw at 2020 Flooring. Unfortunately we found out it had been discontinued. Carol from 2020 Flooring went above and beyond to help us locate the amount of LVP flooring we needed by scouring the country. She found just the right amount and was able to get the order expedited so we could continue on the time schedule with our general contractor. Bobby from 2020 Flooring was great in helping us remedy an issue with the subfloor. We now have the exact flooring we wanted which has made our new kitchen and addition complete. Can't thank them enough!”
“As an architect, from the moment we walked into 2020 Flooring, upon seeing a standout recommendation on NextDoor, I was immediately impressed with Bobby and Carol's technical expertise, friendliness and professionalism. They asked the right questions, took their time to weigh flooring options for us without pressure and worked hard to meet our budget for new floors for our townhome. They committed to a date for installation and made it work. Their crew, led by Mariano, was highly competent, discrete, meticulous and worked long hours to complete the job in time. They stand by their work proudly and their warranty is better than anyone else's. Our new floors are fabulous and we wholeheartedly recommend 2020 Flooring!”
“I spent many hours trying to select a quality vinyl floor with the right color combination for my house and Carol at IDESIGN made the job easy with a great selection that I am very satisfied with. In general IDESIGN carries a good selection of quality floors but the added value of Carol's design expertise made the difference and I greatly benefited from her help. Thanks Carol😊”
Reviews sourced from Google. 2020 Flooring was given permission to publish reviews on this site.
