Abstract: The objective of this article was to provide theoretical bases for the value-added processing technology of softwood plantation timbers, as well as to develop innovative wooden flooring materials. Abies nephrolepis sapwood lumbers with thickness of 35 mm was surface-densified to two degrees of compression at 160 ℃ and 180 ℃ by using a wooden composites heated press. The densified specimens were then hydrothermally post-treated at 180 ℃ and 200 ℃. To study the influence of the degree of compression, hot-pressing temperature and high-temperature hydrothermal post-treatment on the set-recovery of surface densified floorings, specimens were subjected to water soaking plus oven-drying cycles. The actual influential mechanisms of these factors over the recovery of surface compressive sets were discussed herein. Under these specified hot-pressing technique parameters, the actual densification areas of Abies nephrolepis sapwood lumbers lies two millimeters below wood surfaces and the densification plus reinforcement of flooring surfaces has been achieved accordingly. Being hydrothermally treated at 200 ℃ for one hour, the deformation recovery ratios of surface-densified specimens was just 28.6% of that of control specimens, highlighting that the hydrothermal post-treatment was a efficient technology, which could improve the deformation stability of surface-densified solid wood.