Wood Flooring Buyers Guide
This guide is designed to
help answer many important questions you should
know regarding the purchase of a hardwood
floor. You will know more about the different
characteristics of different types of products
and will be better prepared to make the right
choice. You will purchase a hardwood floor
perhaps only once in your life, so it’s
important to be well informed.
Why
Choose Hardwood Floors?
Hardwood flooring makes an excellent
flooring choice. It’s a durable material,
available in a vast range of species and
colors. Colors that will compliment most any
furniture or decor. In addition to creating a
warm atmosphere, often times it will add to the
value of your home. Unlike other flooring
types, hardwood flooring is easy to maintain
and provides a healthy, hypoallergenic
environment, and is a recyclable product. Most
hardwood flooring can be refinished to it
original beauty for a modest sum of money.
Hardwood is typically more expensive than most
types of floors, but it service life can easily
exceed fifty years.
Different Types of Hardwood
Flooring
Traditional
Unfinished Flooring
A unfinished or traditional hardwood
floor is made of unfinished hardwood strips
which are sanded, possibly stained, and
polyurethaned on site. The flooring can be
installed by the consumer but the sanding and
finishing typically requires the assistance of
professionals. Unfinished flooring has been in
existence for generations, and sanding and
finishing techniques have evolved greatly over
the years. Its final appearance is smooth and
has no bevel on the sides of the flooring.
There are inconveniences with this type of
flooring. There are great quantities of dust
created during the sanding process. Also the
finishes used on the floors can often times
give off very strong fumes. Which means often
times people have to temporarily move out of
their homes. The time required to do all the
work of the sanding and finishing can easily
exceed a week, depending on the number of coats
of finish applied to the floor (3 to 4). Even
though their drying time is faster than that of
traditional urethanes, water-based finishes are
generally less resistant but have the advantage
of yellow less.
It is also important to consider that the
quality of workmanship of the finish job. Often
times without a professional the end finish
result will be of medium quality. Site
conditions, other s works in progress,
atmospheric and climatic conditions, the
finishers experience, professionalism and
attention to detail, and the quality and
adjustment of the finisher equipment are many
of the factors the will effect the beauty of
your floor.
Another aspect to consider is that urethane
sometimes brings out the natural colors of the
wood that were not apparent prior to the time
of installation. Thus it makes it a little more
difficult to lay out the pattern of the
flooring. After many years have passed , when
the floors finish starts to show signs of wear,
it can be sanded and refinished to its original
state and shine.
The original purchase price of traditional
hardwood flooring is relatively low. But the
cost of the entire project will vary depending
on the fee charged by the finisher. As in any
type of hardwood flooring, traditional hardwood
remains a good choice considering its long
service life. You will enjoy it for many years
to come.
Pre-finished
Flooring
Prefinished, or
factory-finished, hardwood flooring refers to a
floor made of solid hardwood strips that have
been sanded, stained (if desired), and
protected by a finish that is applied and cured
by ultraviolet light in a factory, under ideal
conditions. A finish applied in a factory is
generally more resistant to wear than finish
that is applied to floors in the field. The
finish of factory-finished floors consists of
many coats of urethane containing aluminum
oxide and other anti-abrasive ingredients which
provide the flooring with a finish that is
exceptionally resistant to wear. In addition
most urethanes applied in the factory also
contain ingredients that reduce changes in the
color of the finish as much aspossible. All
there is to installing the floor is carefully
nailing it in, often time very easy for the
consumer to do. Each factory finished strip has
what is called a micro-v (bevels on all four
sides) which allows each strip to stand out in
the floor.
Factory finished floors also have advantage of
allowing you to easily match up natural colors
in the wood strips as you install them. After
several years have passed, when the floors
finish starts to show signs of wear, it can be
sanded and refinished to its original state,
just like a traditional hardwood floor.
Its original purchase price is higher than that
of a unfinished hardwood floor but its overall
cost is generally less, considering the costs
of sanding and finishing a traditional floor.
In addition, a traditional solid hardwood floor
or a prefinished hardwood floor will add value
to your residence. Excellent value for the
money and one of the best selections among
different types of flooring.
Engineered
Hardwood Flooring
An engineered hardwood floor is one whose top
surface is made of hardwood. This solid
hardwood surface layer, whose thickness varies
from one manufacturer to the next, is glued
onto a plywood base to give it greater
stability. These products are generally factory
finished and available in individual strips or
mats made of to or three strips. Being more
stable, engineered floors are often time used
with radiant heat and in areas where the
relative humidity is higher than usual.
Many manufacturers offer this type of flooring.
The quality , number of layers of plywood,
thickness of the solid wood top layer, and the
quality of the finish varies greatly from one
product to the next and the price usually
reflects the quality of the product.
Engineered flooring is often glued onto a sub
floor made of concrete, plywood, and acoustic
underlayements. Some products can be stapled
down to sheets of plywood. Depending on the
thickness of the upper solid hardwood layer,
the floor’s service life will be less than a
unfinished or prefinished hardwood floor. This
is typically because the wear layer of a
engineered floor much thinner and only can be
refinished a few times.
The purchase price of most engineered hardwood
flooring is generally much higher than that of
prefinished solid hardwood flooring. Laminated
flooring is a major investment, given its
service life, and should be installed in areas
where you want to enjoy the warmth of real wood
but limitations make the installation of solid
harwood floor impossible.
Laminated
Flooring
A laminated floor has a printed surface, a
photograph protected by a layer of plastic
polymer which imitates the grain of solid wood.
Since it is a photograph, the wood-imitation
pattern is repeated from one panel to the next.
The base of this flooring consists of MDF (
medium density fibre) HDF (high density fibre)
which are made of a mixture of sawdust and glue
compressed to different levels. The
installation is called floating because no
nails or glue hold the floor to the subfloor. A
sublayer of Styrofoam must be installed between
the subfloor and the product. This is easy to
install, it is matter of putting glue into the
panel mortises and assembling it. Some of
today’s floating floors do not even need glue,
their panels are snapped together. This product
type can be found at most construction material
manufactures and is relatively economical,
depending on the desired quality.
Laminated flooring cannot be restored when worn
outor repaired when damaged. Its service life
is relatively short, which can make it and
expensive flooring option over the long term.
Grades,
Hardness and Widths
Many wood species are available on the
market today. Each one has its own unique
color, grain, hardness and stability
characteristics. Each species of wood is
unique. You must consider your visual
preference first. Species durability and
hardness are two aspects among many to consider
in choosing your floor. However, they are not
the priority in making your decision since all
wood species can be damaged if maintenance is
neglected and certain precautions not taken.
The term grade, or quality, refers to the
natural characteristics of the species. Each
grade displays its distinctive natural color
and typically does not dictate a difference in
quality. Choosing a grade is a matter of
personal taste. A more uniform grade will be
more expensive than a grade with natural color
variations. In the prefinished products
industry, the terms or names used to designate
quality levels are often different from
manufacturer to the next.
The choice of flooring width is a matter of
personal taste and desired appearance. Please
note that narrow strips are more stable in
fluctuating relative humidity conditions. The
wider the floor the more seasonal expansion and
contraction you will get. To avoid flooring
expansion and contraction it is important to
maintain your home’s room temperature between
60 degrees to 72 degrees. And the relative
humidity level between 40%-45%.
Finishes
For prefinished flooring the application of
Ultra Violet Cured polymer urethane coating
that contain aluminum oxide considerably
increases the finishes resistance to wear. Make
sure that the products contains coats of
aluminum oxide. The number of finish coats on
the flooring does not necessarily reflect the
thickness and quality of the urethane applied.
In general the higher the amount of coats the
smoother the finish.
Installation
It is preferable that you entrust the
installation of a solid hardwood floor to a
professional if you do not believe you have the
necessary skills and knowledge. The
professional will guarantee his work which in
turn ensures a quality job. If you decide to do
the installation yourself you will need tools
and preparation. You must ensure that the
temperature and humidity of the room are
controlled, and have a suitable subfloor and
adequate tools. We advise that you carefully
read the manufacturers installation guide
before beginning any job.
Rooms
and Levels in the House
You may install your hardwood floor in all the
rooms of your home with the exception of the
bathroom, laundry room since they have high
levels of humidity. Most solid and engineered
flooring manufacturers recommend that their
products not be installed in the basement of a
house. However some manufactures have developed
glued and floating floor installations
techniques that would allow you to do so under
certain conditions.
Choosing
Your Hardwood Floor
Choosing a hardwood floor is a wise investment.
Hopefully this guide has helped you choose a
floor that is best suitable for you. Please do
not be afraid to ask questions. You may
purchase a hardwood floor perhaps only once in
your life so it is important to be
informed.