Timeless sophistication and warmth
For the discerning homeowner in Bethesda, Arlington, or Northwest DC, Mahogany represents the pinnacle of classic interior design. Unlike the loud, rugged character of some hardwoods, Mahogany is prized for its refinement. It is a floor that whispers quality rather than shouting it.
Where it grows, how hard it is, and how it behaves once it is down in a Maryland, DC, or Northern Virginia home.
Santos Mahogany from Central and South America; African Mahogany from West Africa
African Mahogany rates about 1,100, softer than Red Oak
More uniform than Brazilian Cherry, and it patinas with age
Moves very little between a dry DMV January and a humid August
Dark stains bury the red undertones that make the species worth buying
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)
Genuine Santos Mahogany rates around 2,200, close to Brazilian Cherry. African Mahogany rates closer to 1,100, softer than Red Oak. The two are sold under the same word, which is why we name the species and show you the hardness figure before you buy.
1 line, 1 colour in mahogany. Click a colour to see the floor installed, not just the swatch, and ask for the sample either way.
1 Colour · Natural Brown
Also in 3.25" — order-in widths
Santos mahogany in its natural brown, smooth-faced at a 40% 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.
True Mahogany presents a colour palette that shifts from a rich reddish brown to a deep, dark auburn. It is typically more uniform in colour than Brazilian Cherry, offering a cleaner, more formal visual line. The grain is usually straight and fine, occasionally displaying a beautiful ribbon stripe figure that catches the light.
Mahogany darkens with age, developing a patina that adds immense value and character to historic homes and modern luxury builds alike.
Mahogany is often misunderstood by consumers who assume all exotic woods are rock hard. In reality, true Mahogany species used for flooring vary significantly. Genuine Santos Mahogany, often sold simply as Mahogany, rates around 2,200 on the Janka scale, making it comparable to Brazilian Cherry for durability. African Mahogany, however, rates closer to 1,100, which is softer than Red Oak. This is why we always specify the exact species and provide a hardness report before you buy.
The value of genuine Mahogany lies not just in hardness but in stability. Mahogany has an excellent dimensional stability rating, meaning it moves very little with changes in humidity. For the Washington DC area, where our indoor humidity can swing from 25 percent in January to 70 percent in August, this is a massive advantage. A stable wood means fewer gaps in winter and less risk of cupping in summer.
Because Mahogany is relatively easy to work with compared to other exotics, it installs cleanly and quickly when done by professionals. However, the fine grain and natural oils require careful sanding. We use a multi step sanding process with progressively finer grits to avoid burnishing the wood, which can close the pores and prevent stain from penetrating evenly.
For refinishing, we typically avoid dark stains that hide the natural red undertones. Instead, we use a clear or lightly tinted finish that enhances the wood’s depth. If you have an older Mahogany floor that has faded or scratched, our refinishing team can restore the rich colour without sanding through the wear layer.
Mahogany is the exotic we recommend most often for houses that run dry in winter and humid in summer without much help from the HVAC system. Its stability rating means fewer winter gaps and less summer cupping than a comparable Jatoba floor, which matters in older DC and Arlington homes that were never built around a humidifier.
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 mahogany 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 mahogany 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 mahogany we stock is engineered for exactly that reason.
Every Mahogany 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 mahogany and every other species.
Treads, risers, and railings milled to match the floor, so a mahogany landing does not stop at the top step.
Sanding, sealing, and recoating, including the grit sequences and finishes dense exotic species like mahogany 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 mahogany flooring services throughout the DMV region.
Three imported species, three very different reasons to choose one.
Hardness, mostly. Santos Mahogany rates about 2,200 on the Janka scale, roughly twice as hard as Red Oak. African Mahogany rates closer to 1,100, which is softer than Red Oak. Both are sold as Mahogany, so we name the exact species and give you the hardness figure on every quote.
It is one of the most stable species we install. Mahogany moves very little through the swing from a 25 percent humidity January to a 70 percent August, which means fewer gaps in winter and less risk of cupping in summer than most exotics.
We generally advise against a dark stain. The red undertones and ribbon figure are what you are paying for, and a dark stain buries them. A clear or lightly tinted finish keeps the depth and lets the floor patina naturally.
Usually, yes. Fading and light scratching sit in the finish rather than deep in the wood, so a screen and recoat or a light sanding pass restores the colour without taking meaningful thickness off the wear layer.
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 mahogany 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
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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.
