Walk into any recently renovated home in Encino, Calabasas, or Beverly Hills and you’ll see the same thing: wide plank hardwood floors. Planks that are 7 inches, 8 inches, even 10 inches wide have completely replaced the narrow 2¼” and 3¼” strip flooring that dominated for decades. The look is more open, more modern, and more luxurious — but wide planks come with specific engineering requirements that every LA homeowner needs to understand.
At Skyline Flooring, we’ve been installing wide plank hardwood across Los Angeles and Ventura County for over 20 years. Here’s the honest truth about what works, what doesn’t, and what it really costs.
What Counts as “Wide Plank”?
Industry definitions vary, but here’s the practical breakdown:
| Width Category | Plank Width | Visual Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Strip | 2¼” – 3¼” | Traditional, busy, many seam lines |
| Standard plank | 4″ – 5″ | Balanced, classic, still the most common |
| Wide plank | 6″ – 8″ | Open, modern, shows grain beautifully |
| Extra-wide plank | 9″ – 12″ | Statement floor, dramatic, fewer seams |
The sweet spot for most LA homes is 7″ to 8″ wide. It’s wide enough to look distinctly modern and open, but not so wide that stability becomes a major concern on every project.
Why Engineered Hardwood Is Essential for Wide Plank in LA
This is the most important thing in this entire article. If you want wide plank floors in Los Angeles, engineered hardwood isn’t just recommended — it’s essentially the only responsible option.
Here’s why:
The Physics of Wood Movement
Wood expands and contracts across its width as humidity changes. A 2¼” strip might move 1/32″ seasonally. A 7″ plank moves proportionally more — roughly three times as much. A 10″ plank moves even more than that.
Now consider LA’s climate:
- Average indoor humidity: 30-50% most of the year
- During Santa Ana winds: can drop below 15% indoors
- Rainy season: can spike to 60%+
- That’s a 45+ percentage point swing — much wider than most US cities
Solid hardwood in 7″+ widths will gap, cup, and crack in this climate. We’ve been called to repair countless wide-plank solid hardwood floors across the San Fernando Valley that were installed by less experienced contractors. The gaps between planks get wide enough to see the subfloor.
How Engineered Construction Solves This
Engineered hardwood has a real hardwood top layer (veneer) bonded to multiple layers of plywood or HDF arranged in alternating grain directions. This cross-laminated core restricts the natural expansion and contraction of the wood.
A quality engineered plank at 7″ wide might move 1/64″ to 1/32″ seasonally — a fraction of what solid wood would do at the same width. At Skyline Flooring, we exclusively use engineered hardwood with a minimum 4mm wear layer for wide plank installations. This gives you:
- Dimensional stability across LA’s humidity swings
- A real hardwood surface that can be refinished 2-3 times over its lifetime
- Compatibility with concrete slab foundations (most post-1950 LA homes)
- Glue-down installation directly to slab with proper moisture barrier
For a deeper comparison, see our guide on engineered vs. solid hardwood.
Best Species for Wide Plank in Los Angeles
European White Oak: The undisputed champion. Stable, hard (Janka 1360), takes stain consistently, and is available in wide-plank engineered formats from every major manufacturer. About 65% of our wide plank projects use White Oak.
Hickory: Extremely hard (Janka 1820), dramatic grain variation, and handles foot traffic like nothing else. The wild grain pattern actually looks better in wider planks — you get to see the full character of each board. Popular in Thousand Oaks and Calabasas for rustic-modern homes.
Walnut: Softer (Janka 1010) but gorgeous. The rich, chocolate-brown tone and swirling grain are stunning in wide format. We recommend walnut for lower-traffic areas or homes without large dogs.
Maple: Hard (Janka 1450) with a fine, uniform grain. Beautiful for contemporary and minimalist spaces. Wide plank maple in a natural finish creates a clean, gallery-like feel popular in modern Studio City homes.
Rift and quarter-sawn White Oak: Cut to produce straight, parallel grain lines instead of the typical cathedral pattern. In wide planks, this creates a distinctly modern, linear aesthetic. It commands a premium — typically 20-30% more than plain-sawn — but the look is exceptional.
Wide Plank Cost Breakdown
Wide plank flooring costs more than standard-width for several reasons: the logs need to be larger (and are therefore rarer), there’s more waste in milling, and wider boards require higher-quality wood to avoid warping.
| Plank Width | Material Cost | Installed Cost (including labor) |
|---|---|---|
| 3¼” – 5″ standard | $3-$6/sq ft | $7-$12/sq ft |
| 6″ – 7″ wide | $5-$9/sq ft | $9-$14/sq ft |
| 8″ – 10″ extra wide | $7-$13/sq ft | $11-$18/sq ft |
| 10″+ statement width | $10-$18/sq ft | $14-$24/sq ft |
For a typical 1,200 sq ft project in a Sherman Oaks or Encino home with 7″ engineered White Oak:
- Material: $6,000-$10,800
- Installation labor: $3,600-$6,000
- Subfloor prep/leveling: $1,200-$4,800 (if needed)
- Demo of existing flooring: $600-$3,600 (depending on what’s there)
- Total project range: $10,800-$16,800+
Installation Considerations for Wide Plank
Subfloor Flatness Is Critical
Wide planks bridge over subfloor imperfections less easily than narrow strips. A hollow spot that a 3″ strip would bridge might cause a 7″ plank to rock or flex underfoot. We typically require the slab to be flat within 3/16″ over 10 feet for wide plank work — tighter than the industry standard for narrow strip.
This means more floor leveling on many LA projects. Concrete slabs in homes from the 1950s-1970s are rarely flat enough for wide plank without some grinding or self-leveling compound.
Glue-Down Is the Standard
For wide plank on concrete slabs (which is most of LA), full-spread glue-down installation is the best method. It eliminates hollow spots, reduces movement, and creates a solid, quiet floor. Floating wide plank is possible with some products but tends to feel less substantial underfoot and can develop more noticeable gaps over time.
Moisture Management
Every wide plank project on a concrete slab starts with a moisture test. We use both calcium chloride and relative humidity probe testing to ensure the slab is within acceptable limits. If moisture is present, we apply a moisture-mitigating adhesive or membrane before installation.
Mixed-Width Installations
One design option that’s gaining popularity in LA: mixing two or three widths in the same room. For example, alternating 5″ and 7″ planks, or using a random mix of 5″, 7″, and 9″ planks. This creates a more traditional, artisan look while incorporating the open feel of wide plank.
Mixed-width installations do cost more in labor (the installer has to plan the layout carefully to avoid repeating patterns), but the material cost is often lower because the narrower planks are less expensive. It’s a creative option worth considering, especially for craftsman and farmhouse-style homes in Pasadena, South Pasadena, and Glendale.
Will Wide Plank Go Out of Style?
We don’t think so. The trend toward wider planks has been building for 15+ years and has reached a point of maturity, not a peak. Wide plank isn’t a fad like hand-scraped textures or high-gloss finishes — it’s a fundamental shift in proportion that aligns with the open-concept floor plans dominating new construction and major renovations across LA.
That said, “wide” doesn’t mean “widest possible.” The 7-8″ range is classic enough to stand the test of time. Going to 12″+ is more of a design statement that may feel trendy in a decade.
See Wide Plank Samples in Your Home
The only way to judge wide plank flooring is to see full-size samples in your own space, under your lighting. Photos can’t capture the scale difference between a 5″ and 8″ plank. Skyline Flooring provides free in-home consultations across Sherman Oaks, Encino, Beverly Hills, Calabasas, and 50+ other communities. We bring the samples to you. Book your consultation or call (818) 300-2205.