Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What are the benefits of hardwood flooring?
A. Hardwood flooring is one of
the most popular types of residential flooring. There are several benefits to choosing a hardwood floor:
- Solid hardwood offers a variety of grain patterns, natural color variations, and the beauty of a natural material
- Hardwood floors are easy to clean
- Hardwood floors are ideal for allergy sufferers as they do not promote dust or harbor dust mites
- Hardwood flooring is long lasting
Q. Can I expect my floor to have color variations?
A. Yes. Hardwood flooring
is a natural product. Therefore, you should expect there would be natural color variations in the wood. Although lower grades
of flooring will have a larger number of character blemishes, you can expect color variations in all grades.
Q. Should I use unfinished or pre-finished hardwood?
A. Both choices have their
advantages. If you are trying to match to an existing hardwood floor, you may want to go with an unfinished floor so it can
be stained to match. However, this will mean finishing will be done onsite, resulting in more noise, dust and delays in using
the room. Pre-finished floors, on the other hand, are already finished. This means you will get the convenience of not having
to shut down the room while you finish the floor onsite.
Q. What is the difference between wood grades?
A. The difference between the
various product lines is simply the amount of allowable character. For example, you'll find the most amount of character knots,
mineral streaks, pinholes, etc. in the Good collection. As you step up in grade, the warranties are expanded and grading is
enhanced.
Q. What is the difference between red and white oak?
A. There are two main reasons one would choose red or white is preference to the other. The first reason is virtual appeal.
Some people prefer the pinkish cast of red oak, while others feel the golden hue of white oak is the best background color.
Opinions vary because of personal taste, the rooms color scheme and the species of other prominent woodwork in the room.
The second reason, which should affect your choice, is the amount of traffic the floor will receive. Red oak works well
in many residential areas. However, white oak wins hands down when it comes to the dreaded "heel pecks". Therefore, for high
traffic areas like foyers and rooms for entertaining, choosing white oak may be the better choice.
Q. How may times can a solid wood floor be sanded?
A. Typically when refinishing a wood floor to change the color or to repair a problem finish, 1/64" or less of the wood
material is removed. Thus, even more sanding can be performed on the flooring that does not require the heavy sanding procedures
associated with long term abuse.
If a floor has been abused – scratched, gouged, unleveled, etc – a significant amount of material may have
to be removed to reach a level surface. Replacement of these heavily damaged pieces of wood may be the repair of choice in
order to keep from over sanding undamaged adjacent pieces.
In any case, a ¾" flooring product is considered a lifetime product. Under normal conditions if not abused, this flooring
will last as long as the structure.
Q. What can we use to get the shine back?
A: There are any number of cleaners on the market, found in supermarket that say they are for hardwood floors. Your safest
approach is to purchase a cleaner created by hardwood flooring manufacturers or floor finish manufacturers, like Bona Kemi
or Bruce.
Q: What is the best way to remove paint from my wood floors?
A: If it is latex paint, it may still be possible, with a bit of water and elbow grease and a buffing pad or steel wool
to soften and remove the paint. If it is oil paint, perhaps a hand scraper could remove it.
Q. How do I acclimate my hardwood floor?
A. Let the flooring acclimate for 3
to 5 days, with boxes opened and laid flat in the room where the flooring is to be installed. If you are in an area with high
humidity, you may need to install some humidity controls like a humidifier or dehumidifier.
Q. What are some potential moisture problems I should look out for?
A. Cupping and crowning are caused when water is trapped between the wood floor and the sub-floor. When this imbalance
in moisture occurs, it is essential that the boards dry evenly, if not, cupping or crowning can appear.
Q. What are the different moldings and how are they applied?
A. The Quarter
Round molding is used to hide the expansion gap left around walls during installation.
T molding is used as
a threshold in doorways or as a transition strip where the hardwood flooring meets floor or carpet of similar height. T moldings
can also be used to change the direction in which the floor is laid.
The Reducer molding is used
as a transition from the height of the sub-floor to the height of the hardwood floor.
The Stairnose molding is
used to cover the front edge of a stair tread or step. If used on a stair, flooring is installed behind the stairnose to cover
the horizontal part (the tread) of the stair.
The Stairtread molding is
a one-piece molding used to entirely cover the structural stair tread. 
