Hardwood or laminate?

Laminate floors (Pergo, Wilsonart, etc., etc.) are plastic-covered, fiberboard-based photographs of wood. If you like plastic, buy laminates. If you like wood, buy wood because the laminates do not sound, feel, or even look very much like real wood. They are only meant to be a floor covering (as in "floating"), not a real part of the actual floor, and will therefore, need to be replaced eventually. Wood floors last lifetimes and, with the new finishes, they are very low maintenance. They are natural. They add real value to your home (talk to your banker, real estate appraiser, or or read the real estate ads). They are not much more expensive (if at all) than the better laminates, especially when you consider their value to re-sale and longevity. Wood is good! Top

What are hardwood floors?

Sounds like a silly question, but this term is often misleading. Most people assume a hardwood floor is a hardwood floor, but there can be a huge difference in quality and durability among hardwood flooring products. The products that fall into the category of "hardwood flooring" range from 3/8" thick engineered flooring with a paper thin veneer for the wear layer to a full 3/4" thick solid wood board. Species range from virtually every American hardwood to many options of imported species, offering a myriad of choices for appearance. Also, it is important to note that hardwoods differ in hardness. A hardwood is considered to be any wood that comes from a deciduous tree (they lose their leaves in the fall). Some are relatively soft, such as poplar, but most are harder than the softwoods, which are conifers, or evergreens (pines, etc.) Top

Wide boards or narrow boards?

Wide, or plank flooring boards are usually selected because they allow the grain pattern to develop more completely and offer a prettier, more interesting floor to look at than the narrower strip flooring, in which the grain patterns are interrupted every 1.5" - 2.25". In larger rooms, they can also look more proportionate. Top

One important consideration in choosing wider boards is that of humidity control, which is important in dealing with all wood products and floors of any width, but especially when wide flooring boards are present. Being a dried fibrous product, wood expands and contracts with humidity changes. Increased humidity causes the wood to expand, while drier conditions cause the wood to contract, or shrink. After the wood is finished on one side, expansion tends to cause cupping, or raised edges. Shrinking causes cracks to open between the boards. The wider the board, the more dramatically it responds to humidity changes. This is because the wider the board, the more fibers there are per unit. Top

Some cupping during the humid summer months and some separation between boards in dry winter months is normal. Assuming all other conditions are normal, air conditioning in the summer and an effective humidifier during the winter are adequate measures to control the humidity for normal plank performance. Top

However, during new construction, care must be taken to avoid dramatic moisture-changing conditions after the floor is on site, such as wet basements, drywall mud or masonry applied, plumbing leaks, inadequate weather sealing, wet framing or subflooring due to rain or snow before roofing, etc. which all add inordinate amounts of moisture to the wood. Another problem can be the opposite - extremely dry conditions due to high temperatures without humidity. Some painters like to dry their paint fast this way, which "bakes" the wood and shrinks it. If you like the look of wide plank flooring (as many people do), it is very important to make sure you and your builder are on the same page when it comes to moisture control during construction. Top

The remodeling of existing homes is usually less of a problem because most of the materials in the house have had years to stabilize. Even so, it is still important to control humidity with air conditioning during the humid summer months and humidifiers during the winter, and to eliminate any conditions that might cause damp basements, etc. If you are like millions of other discriminating homeowners who like the special look of wide plank flooring, you can enjoy years of trouble-free beautiful hardwood floors by taking some reasonable, common-sense precautions which will not only stabilize your wood, but make your home more comfortable for you, too! Top

Prefinished or unfinished?

The great advantage of prefinished flooring is convenience. Nail it down and you're ready to use it. No sanding dust, no week's downtime. Virtually any carpenter can install it (with a flooring nailer) and some of the newer products have a polyurethane finish that is initially tougher than the hand-applied oil-based polyurethanes. It is often a good choice when remodeling a house you're living in, especially if it is a high-use area. So why, then, would anyone choose unfinished flooring? Top

Some of the reasons for choosing unfinished flooring are as follows:

• Due to variable subfloors, milling, etc., no wood floor will lay perfectly flat, which leaves sharp, raised edges and corners exposed to excessive wear caused by normal foot traffic. The solution to this in an unfinished floor, of course, is to sand it on site, making the square edges smooth and flat. The solution in a prefinished floor is to bevel, or chamfer, the edges and/or ends, so that foot traffic will contact the "edge" with less force. Although many manufacturers are offering a very small "micro-bevel", a good number of homeowners do not care for this appearance and prefer the square-butt edges and ends of unfinished flooring --- especially new construction, when the mess and downtime are irrelevant to the homeowner. Although a few manufacturers offer square-edge prefinished flooring, the exposed edges tend to get the finish scuffed off sooner than normal.
• The ultraviolet cured polyurethanes with aluminum oxide used by some manufacturers of prefinished flooring is very tough, but it can also be somewhat more difficult to scuff and recoat if it needs it. The oil-based finishes, while not quite as scuff-resistant initially, are very tough finishes and are much easier to renew with a light scuff and recoat.
• In the eyes of many, the oil-based polyurethanes tend to give a deeper, richer, tone to woods, especially those with a distinctive grain, like oak, or colorful woods, like cherry and walnut.
• The choices for color and luster are more limited in some prefinished flooring. Many tend to be shiny, or glossy, which shows more scuffing and looks worn faster than a satin finish. Top

How can I determine the quality of a prefinished floor?

The quality of the prefinished floor can usually be judged by the quality of the finish. It has been our experience that a manufacturer who takes the care to produce a quality finish and apply it generously is just as concerned about the milling and consistency of grading as well. A warranty may be useful comparing various lines of the same brand (15 year vs. 25 year for example), but there may be a noticeable difference in the quality of separate brands with the same warranty (2 companies with 25 year warranties, for example). The composition, thickness (not necessarily just the number of coats), and consistency of surface are good qualities to compare, as well. A good test is to compare finishes by holding boards so that light reflects toward you and check for a smooth, consistent surface. Telltale signs of a skimpy finish are pinholes in the heavy grain of oak or a finish that appears thin on top of the board. Poorly applied finish is sometimes seen with surface defects, such as fish-eye, orange peel, etc. We feel that the Model brand of flooring we sell is superior in quality in every way, including scuff resistance, to any other prefinished product on the market. We stock natural colors in Red Oak, Maple, Birch, and Brazilian Cherry. Natural colors are the most neutral colors to decorate around and normally will highlight, or showcase your cabinetry, especially if in a contrasting color. Stain colors may be ordered. Top

What about warranties?

If you can get a written warranty to read, you will find that the fabulous time warranties advertised for prefinished flooring (25 year, etc.) are know as "wear through warranties", which mean that the manufacturer will guarantee that, with normal use, you will not wear completely through the finish to the wood surface in the time specified. And, if you should happen to wear through to the wood, which is highly unlikely, the manufacturer will replace only the particular board(s) on which this occurs, which would not give you a satisfactory appearance (old and new boards in the same floor). Note that the warranty has nothing to do with scratching, scuffing, milling, general appearance, cupping, etc. It also will include a disclaimer regarding site-related problems. It is highly unlikely, then, that homeowners will ever collect on a flooring warranty, because any significant problems you might ever have with a wood floor will be site-related and not manufacturing related --- that is, something will happen after installation to affect your floor. The most likely problems have to with wood movement due to moisture, or humidity control. Other manufacturing defects that may be covered would be something like delamination of the finish from the wood, or some other defect obviously caused by faulty manufacturing. There is also normally a 5% allowable error for the wood being out of grade or mis-manufactured. So, for example, 5 sq. ft. of a 100 sq. ft. order would not count toward the warranty. Top

How many coats of finish should be applied to an unfinished floor?

The industry standard for unfinished flooring requires 3 coats. Some installers prefer an initial sealer coat, with two more coats of polyurethane. Others put a coat of thinned polyurethane for the first coat, but it is just as effective and more cost-effective if you are a do-it-yourselfer to put three straight coats of polyurethane on (we recommend three coats of satin). An exception to this is, if you use waterborne polyurethane, which goes on about half as thick as the oil. At least four total coats should be used, the first being a special sealer, with three or four coats of poly on top. All quality waterborne finishes require a catalyst, which cross-links the molecules to make the finish more durable. Top

Oil-based or water-based polyurethane?

Our personal preference is high-quality, oil-based polyurethane. The solids content and the quality of the resin used determine the ease of application and durability of this familiar product. There can be a big difference in the quality of these products --- you usually get what you pay for. The oil base produces rich tones in the wood by highlighting the natural color and grain of the species and produces various tones of amber (lighter or darker, depending on the brand) that do not yellow over time, like the old varnishes and shellacs of yesteryear. It is relatively easy to use for the do-it-yourselfer. Top

Water-based polyurethanes require a catalyst have developed into a very durable finish also. They are very scuff resistant (some think more so than oil base). This quality may be a result of the light color produced by these finishes, however. They generally do not change the color of the raw wood much, making them desirable if you desire an especially light finish, such as when "pickling" wood white, or with maple if you want it whiter than with an oil based product. Some of these products have had a color enhancer added to resemble an oil base, but we don't think they enhance the wood color as well as the oil-based urethanes. Quality waterborne urethanes are generally quite a bit more expensive than quality oil-based, also. Top

Whether oil or water based, polyurethane floor finishes are tough finishes that are meant to be low-maintenance. Some years after the initial application, if the surface appears to need renewing, oil based polyurethane may be surface-scuffed and recoated to recolor any scuffs or scratches it may have picked up over the years. We are told by our manufacturers and many installers that water-base finishes require sanding to the bare wood for renewal. This may or may not be the case with all brands. Some water based urethanes can inhibit the natural color change of some photosensitive woods, like American or Brazilian cherry. Top

Never wax your polyurethane floor. Never clean your floor with cleaners that leave residue. Either one of these mistakes will create a potential problem with the adhesion of another coat of polyurethane if it becomes necessary. Never clean your floor with vinegar, as the acetic acid in it will etch, or dull your finish over time, creating the need for buffing or recoating prematurely. Most wood species develop a subtle "patina" (or darkening) over time, which is generally not noticed by the homeowner. Exceptions to this are American and Brazilian Cherry, which darken dramatically relatively quickly with exposure to sunlight. The amount and intensity of the sunlight determines the rate of change. Top