Understanding Hardwood Flooring

Introduction

Here at Alite Flooring we know hardwood flooring. We understand the features, advantages and benefits that hardwood flooring offers. As demand for hardwood floors has grown, so has the manufacturer’s ability to produce better quality finishes and milling techniques.

Types of Hardwood Flooring

Solid Wood Flooring is a solid piece of wood that are usually ¾” thick and has a tongue and groove on both sides. Solid wood flooring comes in a variety of widths. Narrow widths (e.g., 2 1/4”) are referred to as “strips” and larger widths are “planks.” Narrow width boards will expand a room, while wider boards work well in larger rooms. Different hardwood floors have different edges. Hardwood floors come in either square edge eased edge or beveled edge. Each edge has specific advantages depending on floor installation. In the solid wood grouping there are (2) types:
1. Unfinished
2. Pre-finished
Unfinished is raw hardwood flooring that after installation must be sanded, stained (optional) and finished.
Pre–finished hardwood flooring is flooring that has been sanded, stained (optional) and finished at the manufacturing facility.

Moisture Issues

Solid hardwood flooring is sensitive to moisture and must be delivered to the job site at least (2) days prior to installation to allow flooring to acclimate to the location. Solid hardwood flooring is not recommended for installation below grade or directly over a concrete slab. Because hardwood flooring is a natural product it will expand and contract during seasonal changes in moisture. In the winter heating months moisture evaporates from the wood flooring causing it to contract, which creates small gaps in between the flooring planks. In the summer months when humidity is higher, the wood flooring will expand and gaps will disappear. If there is too much moisture the wood floors may cup or buckle.

Engineered Hardwood Flooring

Engineered wood flooring are generally manufactured 2, 3, or 5 sheets of wood that are laminated together to form one plank. The sheets are criss-crossed going in opposite directions. This is called cross-ply construction, which creates a wood floor that is dimensionally stable and less affected by moisture than a 3/4” solid wood floor. Most engineered floors can be nailed down, stapled, glued down or floated over a variety of sub floors and underlayments. Engineered flooring range from 1/2” to 9/16” in thickness and vary from 2-1/4” to 7” in width. The lengths will be random and range from 12” to 60” in length. Because engineered wood floors are made up of several layers of wood the top or wear layer can be made from a variety of domestic or exotic wood species.

Finishing of Hardwood Floors

There are different types of finishes depending on whether your hardwood floor is pre-finished or job site finished. In general, lower gloss finishes (e.g. satin) are better suited for high activity rooms. This is because lower gloss or matte finishes minimize the appearance of dirt and scratches. Manufactures of pre-finished hardwood flooring have developed sophisticated techniques to quickly apply stains and hard, durable urethane based finishes at the factory. Many people are inclined to use pre-finished wood flooring instead of taking several days to install and finish a new hardwood floor; a pre-finished wood floor in most cases is done in one day. Job site hardwood flooring is a raw (unfinished) hardwood floor that is installed, sanded, stained (optional) and finished in the home. If you want a custom stain or want to match trim or cabinets unfinished is the way to go. Job site hardwood finishing methods: 1. Water based urethane. 2. Solvent based urethane (oil).

Care and Maintenance of Hardwood Flooring

Wood is a natural, beautiful and timeless design element. Consistent and correct care and maintenance will ensure it remains that way.

Maintaining Your Hardwood Floor
  1. Place walk off mats or area rugs at each entry way to collect dirt and grit that might be tracked in. These tiny particles act like sand paper and will scratch you hardwood floor. Also, place mats in any areas where water might splash.
  2. A daily schedule of vacuuming high traffic areas will minimize dirt build up and scratches.
  3. For hardwood floors an 8” x 12” terrycloth mop with a rotating head is good for picking up dust and getting into hard to reach places.
  4. Manufacturers of pre-finished hardwood flooring recommend their own specific products designed to maintain their floors.
  5. All floors with a urethane finish should never be waxed and require cleaners that won’t leave a film or residue.
  6. Do not use ammonia cleaners or oil soaps on a wood floor, as they will dull the finish and performance of your floor.
  7. Never wet mop a wood floor.
  8. If your floor is showing excessive wear beyond cleaning you should consider screening and recoating.
  9. If the damage is thru the finish coat and stain, then you should consider a complete sanding and refinishing of the wood floor.
  10. All hardwood floors will fade, darken or change shades over time. Exposure to sunlight will greatly increase this process. Window treatments are recommended, as well as, rotating area rugs and furniture regularly.
  11. Cover furniture and table legs with protectors to guard against damage. Take care when moving large heavy pieces to avoid scuffing of the wood floor.
  12. Keep pet nails trim as to avoid scratches to your wood floors
Rating the Hardness of Hardwood Flooring

Below are listed the relative hardness for many hardwood species used in flooring. The higher the rating indicates how well that wood species can withstand indentations and how wear resistant it is.