HARDWOOD 101

WHY HARDWOOD IS A GREAT CHOICE

Hardwood flooring can last for decades. It insulates well and improves the frame strength of a house. It helps a home sell faster and can add a spike to its selling price. But for all its substantial benefits, wood flooring is generally chosen for a different reason altogether.
Hardwood floors just make a house feel like home. Regardless of age, species or color of the flooring, the addition of wood adds aesthetic warmth that's hard to beat. Even an old wood floor, long past its prime, has a rustic quality that makes a room feel comfortable and relaxed.

There are many great reasons on why to invest in hardwood flooring for your home. 

• Beauty.  No other flooring offers the warmth and beauty of hardwood.  Hardwood floors define the overall style and décor of any room.
• Value.  Hardwood flooring greatly increases the market value of your home providing you with a great return on your investment.  In fact homes with hardwood flooring sell faster and at a higher price.
• Permanence. A well-maintained hardwood floor lasts a lifetime.  Whereas a carpet would need to be replaced every five to ten years.
• Cleanliness.  Ideal for people with respiratory problems allowing you to create a healthy home. Regular cleaning can consist of simple sweeping and/or vacuuming with the occasional use of the manufacturer’s recommended cleaning product. 

Since hardwood flooring represents a large investment in your home, it is very important to educate yourself about its features and limitations before you make your purchase.     Although it is a lot of information, we want to make sure you are knowledgeable and satisfied with your investment.
 
SUB FLOOR
Before you get your heart set on a particular type of hardwood, please look at the sub-floor, the floor underneath your floor, of your home.  It will steer you towards the right type of flooring for your home.

Solid and various engineered hardwood products require that the wood be nailed or stapled into the sub-floor.  Recommended sub-floors for hardwood flooring are plywood, OSB, and tongue-and-groove decking products.  Sub-floors like concrete, particleboards, or gypcrete will not work unless you float the hardwood floor.  However only certain engineered products can be floated.

MOISTURE
Testing the moisture level of the area of installation is highly important in selecting the right hardwood.  Too much moisture will result in the cupping and warping of your hardwood installation.     Areas of the home are classified as above-grade, on-grade, and below-grade with regard to moisture. 

 

Above-Grade	Refers to the upper levels of the home. They are generally suitable for all hardwood flooring with the right sub-floor.
On-Grade	Means that the floor is level to the ground outside the home.  All hardwood flooring with the right sub-floor will generally work provided that there is proper ventilation.
Below-Grade	Means that the floor is below the ground typically with a concrete sub-floor, thus limiting your hardwood flooring choices.

 

WOOD TYPES

Prefinished vs. Unfinished

Prefinished floors have stains and finishes already applied when they leave the mill.  They are much cleaner and have a more clear finish than unfinished floors because the wood is finished in carefully controlled factory conditions.  Where as unfinished floors must be sanded and finished after installation.  This increases the difficulty of the installation for the installer and may create excessive dust in the home.  Last, prefinished floors come in more styles than unfinished floors, allowing you to choose the wood that best fits your home.

Solid Wood
Solid wood is hardwood flooring that is a solid piece of wood from top to bottom.  It provides excellent insulation and it adds substantial strength to a home’s structure.  One thing to remember about solid wood is that it is very susceptible to temperature and moisture changes.  If there is a high degree of change in temperature and moisture your floor is likely to experience cupping, gapping, and/or warping.     Installation: Nail or Staple down only

Engineered Wood
Engineered wood consists of 3 to 5 layers of wood glued together in a cross-grain laminate resulting in a floor that is more resistant to temperature and moisture changes.  Engineered wood is much more stable and dent resistant than solid wood.  Many engineered wood floors may be installed on-grade or below-grade.  Installation: Floating, glue, nail, or stapled down depending on the sub-floor.

Hardwood Longstrip Planks
Technically an engineered wood, the top layer of the each plank is made of individual slats that are glued together to make up the facing of the planks, creating a unique composition.  Installation:  Floating, glue, staple, or nail down depending on sub-floor.

Hand Scraped Wood
Technically a solid wood, each board is hand altered by a craftsman to give the flooring an overall burnished and time-worn appearance.  The unique markings in the floor are intentional and give the room a more timeless look.  Installation: Nail or Staple down only

Parquet Wood
This floor is a geometrical pattern made up of individual wood slats glued in place or fastened together mechanically.  Generally these fillets or slats are often made of a different quality than what is used in other woods, so the overall quality of the floor can differ dramatically.     Installation method: direct glue-down method.

WOOD SPECIES
Hardwood flooring comes in an endless number of wood species to allow you to create the design you are looking for.  To familiarize you with hardwood species, we have provided a basic description of many species below.

General Species	Picture	Description	Hardness*
Pine		Light yellowish white pattern with a clear to knotty grain.	690
American Cherry		Dark reddish brown with a pinkish tone.  Significant color variation between boards and darkens with age.	950
American Walnut		Deep rich brown to almost black with contrasting tan sapwood.	1000
Hard Pine		More tan or reddish than pine with a curly grain.	1225
Red Oak		Used for 70% of wood floors.  Slightly reddish wood with tight grain pattern.	1290
American Beech		Reddish brown with pale white sapwood.  Straight grain with uniform texture.	1300
Canadian Oak		More durable neighbor of American red and white oak.	1320
Ash		Color variation similar to but slightly more yellow white oak.  Bold grain contrast.	1325
White Oak		Also highly popular.  Lighter than red oak with slightly tannish or grayish look.	1360
European Beech		Slightly lighter but more durable than American Beech.	1450
Maple		Creamy white to reddish color variation.	1520
Bamboo		Environmentally friendly exotic look that takes a manila or tannish color.  Grain pattern shows nodes from bamboo stalks.	1700
Hickory		Reddish exotic look with fine brown lines.	1800
Pecan		Creamy tan look with reddish brown stripes.  Irregular texture.	1800
Kempas		Pinkish to rose coloration with course grain.	1850
Lyptus		Clear grain yellow to reddish wood.  Clean and environmentally friendly hardwood.	1950
Rosewood		Pinkish to purple with wide color variation.	2100
Mahogany		Dark reddish brown with fine texture.	2200
Merbau		Yellow to reddish brown with great variation in color.	2200
Brazilian Cherry		Reddish to orange brown mark with distinctive dark streaks.  High color variation between boards.  Highly exotic look that darkens with age.	2350
Teak		Purple brown with yellow or purple streaks.  Shading mellows as the floor matures.	2400
Brazilian Walnut		Deep brown that darkens over time to almost black.  Irregular grain.	2400

 

Hardness is based on the industry accepted Janka ball test.  The higher the hardness rating, the better the wood species can withstand more denting and wear.  The numbers provided above are approximations because there are many varieties within a species each with a different hardness.  However hardness does not equate with total durability.  It does not address moisture resistance.  Additionally the durability is greatly affected by the type of finish and the gloss level.

WOOD GRADES
Wood is also differentiated by its grade and each grade provides a certain character of how the wood looks.

Clear: Free of defects with minor imperfections.
Select: Almost clear with some natural characteristics such as knots and color variations
Common: Contains more natural characteristics such as knots and color variations than either clear or select grades.

FINISHES AND GLOSS
Hardwood flooring comes in a variety of finishes as well as different gloss levels within each finish.

Finishes:

Polyurethane Finish:  Polyurethane Finish has been the most commonly applied finish until recently when other finishes have become available.  It still is a strong finish that can be stained to give it even more versatility.  It is easy to repair however spots are more noticeable.

Acrylic Impregnated Floor:  This finish is very durable because it goes all the way through the wear surface.  Scratches are easy to repair but most water spots cannot be removed. 

Aluminum Oxide Finish:  This type of finish is extremely tough and abrasion resistant.  It is very easy to maintain, however because the finish is so tough, repairs are quite difficult.

Wax Finish:  This finish gives the floor a spectacular look.  It is hard to maintain day to day, but it is easy to repair.

Many hardwood companies will advertise the strength of finish based on the number of layers used.  However it is the type of finish that matters.

Glosses:
The finish of hardwood floor comes in various levels of gloss.  The gloss level is usually given a percentage such as 85% gloss (extreme high-gloss), 65% gloss (semi-gloss), 35% (satin), and 10% (matte).  High-gloss floors are shiny and may be considered elegant.  However they show wear more easily.  Satin and matte floors contained more organic and muted colors and can withstand more wear and tear.

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