Wood flooring is available in a number of sizes and make-ups, each offering
its own distinct advantages. People are often surprised by the limitless choices
that wood flooring affords them. Today's wood flooring is right for virtually
every room.
The popular hardwood species are oak, maple, yellow birch, ash, cherry, beech
and walnut.
Their hardness is similar. It is a fact that maple is harder than oak or yellow
birch. But this difference is not significant for normal residential use. Over
the years, there will be no more or less visible marks on a floor of one species
than another.
A. - There are basically four types of wood flooring manufactured for todays market place.
SOLID HARDWOOD
These floors are one solid piece of hardwood from top to bottom. Solid wood floors are the most common in the present marketplace. The traditional installation has been solid hardwood this is the "look" most familiar and offers the the broadest opportunity for unique patterns.HARDWOOD LONGSTRIP PLANK
These floors are a version of the "engineered" product- providing dimensional stability - but carry their own description because they are "long planks" with the top layer comprised of individual fillets/ slats that are glued together to make up the top, visible face of each plank.ENGINEERED HARDWOOD
Refers to products that are layers of wood bonded together to form one board. Three to five layers are bonded in a "cross grain" lamination process resulting in a dimensionally stable plank not affected to the same degree by moisture as solid plank floors. The layers are formed of fingers, veneers or slats creating a very stable, strong floor that does not expand or contract as much as solid wood. These floors can typically be installed above, below or on grade. A floating installation, direct glue down or staple down method may be used depending on the subfloor.PARQUET FLOORING
Flooring often constructed in a similar fashion to the engineered floor. Overall quality can be dramatically different. The fingers/ fillets or slats used are often not of the quality used in other floors. Parquet may come in many patterns and looks the most common is 12"x12" 5 "finger" squares.
A. - Water and wood do not mix. A variation of 6% to 8% between the wood subfloor
and the flooring to be installed is unacceptable. Stacking the flooring in
the area where you plan to install it days even weeks ahead of installation
may be necessary. Acclimation of the wood to the mini-climate of its new home
is critical.
Once stacked/stocked in the area of installation the unfinished solid wood
floor and subfloor should have a moisture content within 4% of each other before
proceeding with installation.
A. - Your beautiful hardwood floor can last you a lifetime if you follow these simple suggestions. Dirt, grit and sand act like sandpaper to scratch, dent and dull hardwood floors. Place floor mats at entrances to trap dirt. Sweep, vacuum or dust mop at least weekly.
SWEEPING - Brooms with fine, exploded ends trap dust and grit effectively.
VACUUMING - Use a brush attachment. Do not a vacuum with beater bars because this can cause dents in your floor's finish. Canister vacuums with special bare floor attachments are the surest way to get rid of all the dirt and dust.
DUST MOPPING - Use a dust mop with a 12-to-18-inch cotton head. Check with the flooring manufacturer if a mop treatment is to be used.
WATER- and other standing liquids can damage a floor's finish. Standing water can warp a finished floor. Starting at the edge and working toward the center, wipe up spills, pet accidents and other mishaps when they happen.
FURNITURE - should be moved by lifting, not dragging. Felt contacts under furniture legs are a good idea to help prevent scratches in routine use.
SUNLIGHT - can cause discoloration over time. Close curtains and blinds or add sheer drapes to protect a hardwood floor from intense UV rays.
SHOES - with exposed nails and heel supports will dent any floor.
A: Wood is a natural resource, renewable and recyclable. Buildings, barns, ships and other structures made of wood often find a second life in wood flooring, cabinets, walls, and ceilings. More and more wood flooring produced today comes from managed forests. Additionally, engineered flooring, which uses only 20-30% as much fine grade wood as a solid floor, now has about 40% of the market. Engineered flooring implies a more ecologically smart use of raw material; by using more than one type of wood, a lesser burden is placed on hardwood trees like oak and maple.
A new wood floor should outlast carpeting by a factor of 3-6 times, i.e. the wood flooring costs less than the cumulative cost of all the carpeting one would have installed, not to mention the pollution from manufacturing carpet.
A: Leading allergists agree that wood floors are the perfect choice for a healthy home. Wood floors are easy to clean and will not harbor dust mites or mold. We spend 90% of our time indoors with our floors. Clean floors are a must because researchers believe a microscopic insect-the dust mite-could be responsible for asthma's rising tide. Wood floors in your bedroom and other main living areas can improve air quality according to the American Lung Association. A large American company that recycles old carpeting has stated that most used carpeting it receives for processing contains at least 35% of its weight in household dirt.
A: There are many different wood floor finishes. The earlier finishes used were wax, lacquer, varnish and "shellac". Although these old methods of stain and coat are still used, they are becoming rarer today because of lower durability and higher maintenance compared to oil-modified urethanes and water-based finishes. Nevertheless, these finishes still have their place. For example, oiled and waxed finishes are durable and more repairable than urethane based finishes, and therefore often used in commercial applications. They need more maintenance and have a fairly low luster. Shellac gives antique flooring a beautiful rich patina and is used both as a sealer coat under certain finishes or as a finish by itself.
Oil modified Urethanes (Polyurethane): -A clear, tough and durable finish that is applied as a wear layer. The application is relatively easy. A common method is to apply three coats allowing each coat to dry overnight with light sanding and vacuuming between coats. The coating has a thick looking appearance and gives the wood an amber color tone. It has great moisture resistance and is also one of the most scratch-resistant finishes available. It can be hard to touch up or re-coat. Oil-based urethanes have a tendency to darken and or yellow with age.
Water based finishes: This blend of synthetic resins, plasticizers and other film-forming ingredients (water based) produces an extremely durable surface that is moisture resistant. Different gloss levels are available, most have a clear finish and are frequently used over white and pastel colored stains. Their drying time is much faster than oil-based urethanes (one to two hours), there is little odor, and clean up is with soap and water. Their application can be difficult due to its quick drying time.
Moisture cured Urethane: Moisture cured urethane is one of the hardest finishes available, but It is also extremely difficult to apply and it has a very unpleasant (toxic) odor. A respirator is a must when applying. Moisture cured urethane dries by pulling moisture from the air, while most other finishes dry through evaporation of the solvents leaving the resins on the floor.
A: Factory pre-finished wood floors have grown tremendously. Today's pre-finished flooring comes with very durable finishes such as oil-modified urethanes and water-based finishes (see above), using several coats of ultraviolet (UV) cured urethane for added protection.
UV cured urethanes can only be properly cured in the presence of UV light, which would be extremely difficult to duplicate on a job site finish, not to mention how many days it would take. These UV cured urethanes create a tough, scratch resistant wear layer and help prevent moisture from penetrating the wood's surface. This means that these floors won't watermark like the old waxed hardwood floors, and the UV cure urethanes do make it easier to maintain the like new appearance than, for example, the old waxed wood floors.
Choosing pre-finished largely boils down to installation, durability and maintenance issues. Instead of taking several days to install and finish a wood floor, a pre-finished wood floor is generally done in one day, hence resulting in substantial time and cost savings. Most do-it-yourselfers can install a pre-finished floor. Because of a high quality and consistent factory application, a pre-finished floor often has a more durable wear layer and lower maintenance than a site finished floor.
A: Thanks to new finishes and floor manufacturing advances, today's wood flooring is quite simple to maintain and care for.
Weekly - Vacuum or sweep your floor. Small stones and gritty dirt will scratch the floor quickly. (Always keep mats or rugs at doorway exteriors and interiors.)
Monthly - Clean the floor with a manufacturer's recommended cleaner on a dampened sponge, and follow up with a dry terry cloth towel.
Yearly or when needed - Re-coat the floor with a surface finish when cleaning no longer restores shine and/or when floors have been heavily used.
General Maintenance - Wipe spills immediately with a damp cloth or paper towel.
A: If the finish manufacturer is known, follow the manufacturer's recommended cleaning procedures and products. However, if the manufacturer is not known:
For surface finishes, including urethanes: Keep grit off the floor, dust mop
or vacuum regularly and keep doormats clean. Wipe up spills promptly with a
dry cloth. Use a slightly dampened cloth for sticky spills.
For general cleaning, there are good generic wood floor cleaners. Alternatively,
use a mild solution of white vinegar and warm water (1/4 cup of vinegar to
1 quart of warm water), and with a spray bottle, spray a small amount on a
mop or cloth and go over a small area with the mop or cloth. Buff dry. Continue
until the entire floor has been cleaned.
When luster does not return to traffic areas, the floor may require re-coating.
Consult us or your installer.
Do not wax a surface finish. Wax will, in most cases, be slippery. If you wax a surface finish, the floor cannot merely be re-coated to rejuvenate it, it will have to continue to be waxed as a maintenance procedure.
Acrylic impregnated floors require a spray and buff system as recommended by the manufacturer.
For waxed floors: Keep grit off the floor, dust mop or vacuum regularly and
keep doormats clean. Wipe up spills promptly with a dry cloth or dry paper
towel, use a slightly dampened cloth for sticky spills and buff with a dry
cloth to restore luster. When the floor looks dull, buff first to see if luster
will be restored before waxing. When areas of heavy use no longer respond to
buffing, wax only those areas and buff all the floor to an even luster.
When the whole floor needs attention, clean the floor with a solvent based
wood floor cleaner and then wax. Your floor should only need to be completely
re-waxed once or twice a year depending on traffic.
A: Grit and dirt - Grit and dirt will eventually
cause scratches and dents, which shortens the lifetime of the floor. Always
use door mats and vacuum/sweep
on a weekly basis.
Water and wet mopping - Any excessive water causes wood grain to raise
and the wood to expand, crack, splinter and possibly, in extreme cases,
to discolor
or mildew.
Oil Soaps and Ammonia Cleaners - There are many over the counter oil soap
based or silicone, wax, or ammonia based cleaning products that will damage
and dull
the finish of your wood floor. The best suggestion is to only use the manufacturers
recommended cleaning products on your wood flooring.
Furniture and High Heel Shoes - Any furniture that rests directly on top
of a wood floor should have felt protectors, or furniture coasters, under
all
its feet. Purchasing chair glides is a very cheap insurance policy for your
wood flooring. For extremely heavy objects such as a piano, use rubber cups.
High heels or shoes with any sharp exposed nail or stone will exert up to
8,000 lbs per square inch of pressure on a floor. That's enough to damage
any type
of floor covering.
Sunlight - Exposure to the sun and its UV rays can cause wood floors to fade,
change color, or experience surface checking, and even cause color changes
in its protective polyurethane finish. To avoid these problems we recommend
using draperies or shades to help block out the sun's harmful rays.
Spills - Spills in general must be wiped up immediately to prevent stains.
Most new finishes, however, prevent spills from affecting the wood if they
are wiped properly.
A: During the last few years alone there's been more development and new features and products than in the past couple of decades. This is largely due to the general growth of hard-surface floorings, which as a whole is expected to be a top-20 growth product or category among non-electronic consumer goods over the next decade or so. That says something about how Americans are beginning to percieve their largely carpeted homes. (Some 60% of all floors are still wall-to-wall carpet, compare to less than 30% in Europe and other parts of the world.)
A: Each have their specific uses and is dictated by your lifestyle and specific needs:
Solid wood flooring can be used on grade and above grade, but not below grade. Solid wood should be in a moisture controlled environment. Solid wood strip or plank is nail down only and requires a wood subfloor. Solid wood parquet can be glued to a variety of subfloor materials.
Engineered can be used on grade, above and below grade. Engineered wood is more dimensionally stable so it can be installed in areas where solid wood is not compatible due to moisture. Engineered strip, plank and parquet are glue down applications over various subfloor materials. Some engineered strip and plank can be nailed down which requires a wood subfloor. Engineered includes floating floors where tongue and grove are glued together, but the floor is not anchored to the subfloor. This is a good choice for going over existing vinyl flooring.
A: Yes, installing a wood floor over radiant heat is not much different from laying a typical wood floor. Most important is good communication with the radiant heat system designer. For solid wood flooring, strips 3" wide or less are recommended. For engineered products, a lower temperature is generally allowed in the system than with a solid wood floor.
A: Wood flooring must be protected from excessive heat. Flooring installed over a heating plant or non-insulated heating ducts may develop cracks unless protection from the heat is provided. Use a double layer of 15 lb., or a single layer of 30 lb. asphalt felt/building paper, or 1/2" standard insulation board between joists under the flooring in these areas.
A: Because wood is a natural product it will react to changes in its environment. Wood flooring is kiln dried from approximately 30% moisture content to between 6-12% at the time of manufacturing. This evens your floor to the standard normal relative humidity level of between 35-55% that normally should be present in your home.
The most common causes of separations are Mother Nature and dryness. The loss of moisture results in the most frequent reason for shrinkage of individual pieces and cracks. Most cracks are seasonal - they appear in dry months, or the cold season -when heating is required, and close during humid periods. This type of movement is considered normal.
Engineered floors are designed to compensate for dimensional changes within the construction itself, and do not move as much as solid floors.
In a solid 2 1/4" wide strip oak floor, dry time cracks may be the width of a dime's thickness (1/16"). Wider boards will have wider cracks and the reverse is true. Cupping might occur as humidity increases.
A: Engineered wood flooring is usually several times more dimensionally stable to cracking and cupping than a solid floor. The engineered construction itself --a cross lamination of plies-- counteracts dimensional movements. Particularly stable is an engineered floor installed with a floating method, which causes movement --or floating-- as a whole if temperature and humidity change.
The cure is to minimize changes by adding moisture to the air space during dry periods, and to reduce humidity in the summer. A constant Relative Humidity (RH) of 50% (minimum 35%, maximum 55%) works in concert with the manufacture of wood floors to provide stability in the floor. You must either live with some cracks, have stable humidity, or chose an engineered floating floor - it's your choice.
We recommend you purchase a small hygrometer that will tell you what the RH is daily. It is especially important during the hot humid summer months to run either an air conditioner or a dehumidifier to remove excess moisture from the air. Remember that maintaining this 35-55% RH year around is not only beneficial for your flooring; it is also good for your own health and comfort.
A: Each have their specific uses and is dictated by your lifestyle and specific needs:
Solid wood flooring can be used on grade and above grade, but not below grade. Solid wood should be in a moisture controlled environment. Solid wood strip or plank is nail down only and requires a wood subfloor. Solid wood parquet can be glued to a variety of subfloor materials.
Engineered can be used on grade, above and below grade. Engineered wood is more dimensionally stable so it can be installed in areas where solid wood is not compatible due to moisture. Engineered strip, plank and parquet are glue down applications over various subfloor materials. Some engineered strip and plank can be nailed down which requires a wood subfloor. Engineered includes floating floors where tongue and grove are glued together, but the floor is not anchored to the subfloor. This is a good choice for going over existing vinyl flooring.
Wood has become extremely popular as homeowners are increasingly drawn to natural materials. It’s also becoming more widely used in kitchens.
Hardwoods are a practical choice for durability as manufacturers are using aluminum oxides to create harder finishes.
The key to a woods durability is its thickness and its polyurethane finish. The typical ¾ - inch-thick flooring contains three to seven layers of wood and the top should be at least 1/8- inch. That’s so the floor can be lightly buffed after loosing its luster, typically in seven to ten years.
Wood is a middle of the road – softer than stone or ceramic tile, harder than vinyl and laminate.
Easy. Grain hides spills and some scuffs.