Frequently Asked Questions

See Wood Flood Care

What is the difference between installation and refinishing?

Below is a short list that details what is involved in each process.

Refinishing

Used to beautify existing wood floors.
Involves the removal of the existing stain or coating on the current wood floor by sanding.
Floor must be prepared for staining.
A new coating is applied using either oil or water base urethane.

Installation

Used to completely replace the current flooring system.
Involves the removal of the existing flooring down to the sub-flooring level.
The new wood flooring must be installed using either a nailed or floating floor system.
Depending on the type of flooring being installed (unfinished or pre-finished) the floor may have to be sanded and stained.

Is solid wood flooring more expensive to install than carpet?

If you consider that solid wood floors will last a life time or two and that they will only need to be either refinished once every 8 to 15 years (depending on wear and tear and maintenance) or re-coated every 4 or 5 years (which requires no sanding) hardwood floors are a much better value than carpet, which needs to be replaced every 5 to 7 years. There’s also no cleaning fee every year or two with hardwood floors.

Why have solid wood, pre-finished wood or laminated floors installed rather than carpet?

In addition to their distinctive beauty and lasting value, doctors often recommend hardwood floors because they trap less animal dander, dust, pollen, mites and mold -- all of which can trigger respiratory problems.

An estimated 60 million Americans suffer from allergies. Even in tiny amounts, house dust can set off symptoms. The most serious offenders are dust mites -- microscopic monsters that colonize bedding, curtains and carpets. Even frequent vacuuming won't eliminate dust mites.

Natural hardwood floors make it easier for you to reduce home allergens, while your rooms remain warm and inviting.

Can I have solid wood flooring installed over concrete slabs?

With the right sub-floors, solid hardwood flooring can be installed successfully on either on-grade or above-grade slabs. Below-grade installation is not recommended for solid wood.

The slab must be flat and level with a trowel finish, free of grease, oil, stains and dust. New concrete must be dry before beginning the sub-floor.

Two sub-floors are recommended: either 3/4" thick plywood, or 2" x 4" sleepers. Either system is satisfactory for 3/4 inch flooring up to 4 inches wide. For plank flooring 4 inches and wider must be used with the plywood-on-slab system or a sleeper system with an additional nailing surface.

Concrete slab sub-floor systems require proper vapor barriers of either asphalt felt and mastic or polyethylene.

How do I know when it’s time to refinish my solid or pre-finished wood flooring?

The first thing to do is to determine whether the finish is worn off or just dirty. Go to a high-traffic area, where the finish will be most worn, and pour a tablespoon or two of water onto the floor. If the water forms beads, congratulations! Your floor is properly sealed. Perhaps it needs only some cleaning and stain removal. If the water takes a few minutes to soak in, only darkening the floor slightly, the finish is partially worn. Proceed with caution. If the water soaks right in, leaving a dark spot, the finish is seriously worn and it's probably time to refinish the floors. Note: Pre-finished wood floors can only be re-sanded once or twice. It would be less expensive to re-coat every few years before they need re-sanding.

When do I have the option of re-coating my floors, rather than re-sanding?

You can re-coat your solid or pre-finished wood flooring rather than re-sand when your floors begin to loose their luster. Solid and pre-finished wood floors can’t be re-coated if they have been waxed or oiled (see the Caring for your Floors section). Re-coating is a process that many customers are unaware of. If this process is done every few years before the floor finish has worn through (see above question) then no re-sanding is necessary. The benefits of re-coating are that it takes less time, it’s approximately 1/3 less expensive, and it creates less of a mess than re-sanding.

Why does my floor have cracks in it?

Because wood is a natural product it will react to changes in its environment. Normal cracks are not uncommon if there are separations between individual flooring pieces and are uniform and general throughout the floor.

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 separation and close is considered normal. In solid 2 1/4" wide strip oak floors, dry time cracks may be the width of a dime's thickness (1/32"). Wider boards will have wider cracks and the reverse is true.

The cure is to minimize changes by adding moisture to the air space during dry periods. A constant Relative Humidity (RH) of 50% works in concert with the manufacture of wood floors to provide stability in the floor. You must live with normal cracks or add humidity - it's your choice.

Why do my floors squeak?

Prolonged cycles of contracting in dry winters and expanding in humid summers may cause squeaks in your hardwood floor. Air conditioning in summer and humidifying in winter will prevent extreme cycles.

GLOSSARY

Burl: A swirl or twist of the grain of the wood that usually occurs near a knot, but doesn't contain a knot.

Character Marks: Naturally occurring marks in the wood, such as burls, flags and flecks, that give a unique appearance.

Check: A lengthwise separation of the wood that usually extends across the rings of annual growth and commonly results from stress set up in wood during air or kiln drying.

Crook: The distortion of a board in which there is a deviation, in a direction perpendicular to the edge, from a straight line from end to end of the piece.

Degrades: Wood flooring that is not of the grade being inspected.

Engineered Wood Flooring: An assembly made by bonding layers of veneer or lumber with an adhesive.

Figure: Inherent markings, designs or configurations on the surface of the wood produced by the annual growth rings, rays, knots and deviations from regular grain.

Finish Skip: An interruption in the finish on the wood flooring.

Flag: a heavy dark mineral streak shaped like a banner.

Flag Wormhole: One or more wormholes surrounded by a mineral streak.

Flecks: The wide irregular, conspicuous figure in quater-sawn oak flooring.

Heavy Streaks: Spots and streaks of sufficient size and density to severely mar the appearance of wood.

Honeycombing: Checks often not visible at the surface that occur in the interior of a piece of wood. Usually along the wood rays.

Knot: The portion of a branch or limb that has been surrounded by subsequent growth of the stem. The shape of the knot as it appears on a cut surface depends on the angle of the cut relative to the long axis of the knot. In hardwood strip flooring, small and pin knots aren't more than one-half inch in diameter. A sound knot is a knot cut approximately parallel to its long axis so that the exposed section is definitely elongated.

Medullar Rays: Strips of cells extending radially within a tree and varying in height from a few cells in some species to four or more inches in oak. The rays serve primarily to store food and transport it horizontally in the tree. On quarter-sawn oak, the rays form a conspicuous figure, sometimes referred to as flecks.

Mill Run: Flooring that is milled from one grade of lumber, without being further separated by flooring grades.

Milling Defects: Blemishes produced in milling flooring, such as chipped grain, torn grain, variations in machining, machine burn and mismatching.

Mineral Streak: Wood containing an accumulation of mineral matter introduced by sap flow, causing an unnatural color ranging from greenish brown to black.

Pin Worm Hole: In hardwood flooring, a small round hole not more than 1/16-inch in diameter, made by a small wood-boring insect.

Run/Lot Number: Finish or packaging numbers used to identify wood flooring.

Shake: A separation along the grain, the greater part of which occurs between the annual growth rings.

Split Separations of wood fiber running parallel to the grain.

Sound Wood: Wood that will create a useable floor. And therefore not including soft-wood due to rot, loose pieces that will fall out, or splits throughout the piece.

Wood Floor Care
Preventative Maintenance	Continued Maintenance
Door Mats: Bristol mats placed at all entrances are a necessity. They will prevent fine dirt and sand particles from being carried into the house. When these particles come between the soles of your shoes and the finish on the floor the result is unnecessary wear in high traffic areas. Furniture: Remove any hard rubber or metal protective tabs and replace them with felt or soft rubber. Precut the felt a little larger than the surface to be covered and glue it with a good quality glue. Be careful not to use so much glue that it saturates the felt and becomes hard. After the glue dries trim any excess. Casters on any furniture should be removed since they will permanently damage both the finish and the wood. Potted Plants: Allow breathing space between any potted plants and the floor. Do not allow any water overflows to saturate the wood.	Vacuum or dust mop weekly. Use a damp sponge mop to clean up any spills - do not use any detergents or abrasive cleansers. Washing the floor - damp mop using one cup white vinegar to one gallon warm water. Any streaking can be removed with a dry towel or rag. Never intentionally pour water onto the floor. Excessive amounts of water may seep between the boards and cause them to warp or stain. Wax or oil should not be applied to a polyurethane finish. Try to eliminate the source or cause of any scratches or wear. Wood treatments, spot treatments or sprays should never be used on a polyurethane finish. Always cover the floor in the event of any painting or construction.