Frequently Asked Questions

WHICH FLOORING IS RIGHT FOR ME?

Solid wood flooring is the traditional style of flooring that has been around for centuries. It is milled from a single piece of timber into planks ranging from 3/8" - 3/4" thick. Solid wood floors have a thick wear layer allowing it to be sanded and refinished many times. Solid flooring is generally only installed ON or ABOVE grade wood subfloors.

What is the difference between wood, bamboo, and laminate flooring?

Solid Flooring

Solid Profile

Engineered wood flooring is manufactured by joining three or more layers of solid wood, creating a real wood floor. The layers of wood are laid cross-grain and bonded together using heat and pressure to form a single piece of wood that proves to be more stable than solid wood flooring. With greater stability there is less expansion and contraction during temperature and humidity changes. It is nearly impossible to tell the difference between solid flooring and a quality engineered floor once installed. Since engineered flooring is more dimensionally stable it can typically be installed over an approved concrete, gypcrete, OSB, or plywood substrates.

Engineered Flooring

Engineered Profile

Frequently Asked Questions

WHICH FLOORING IS RIGHT FOR ME? (continued)

Bamboo flooring is an appealing alternative to hardwood flooring. Coming from the grass family, bamboo is processed in a different manner than products processed from timber. Eco-friendly, bamboo is known as a sustainable and renewable version of wood flooring. Bamboo is promoted for its strength, durability, resistance to insects, and unique appearance. Just as hardwoods, bamboo is manufactured in different ways, typically vertical, horizontal, and strand woven. Vertical and horizontal bamboo is produced by slicing the bamboo canes into strips and laminating the pieces together to form solid planks. Strand woven bamboo is much denser than vertical or horizontal bamboo and is manufactured by shredding bamboo canes into fibers and bonding them back together with resin under intense heat and pressure.

Bamboo Flooring

Laminate flooring is an inexpensive alternative to real wood flooring. Contrived by fusing together multiple layers of synthetic materials, such as melamine resin and fiber board, laminate flooring is given the appearance of real wood by placing a photographic appliqué on top of the core. The final layer of laminate is a clear protective coating to help prolong the life span of the product. Laminate flooring has the advantage of being a durable cost effective option and requires less skill to install. Unfortunately the life span is significantly less than that of a real wood floor.

Laminate Flooring

Bamboo Profile

Laminate Profile

Frequently Asked Questions

WHICH FLOORING IS RIGHT FOR ME? (continued)

What are the differences between a pre-finished and unfinished wood floors? Applies to hardwoods only

The finish is a key component to every wood floor that lasts decades. Having a manufacturer apply the stains, sealers, and high quality finishes in a controlled environment will ensure the finish is applied evenly and correctly. Pre-finished floors make the installation quick and easy because the installer will not have to sand and seal the floor in your home after installation. The finish applied by the manufacturer has a durable coating of aluminum oxide and is covered under the manufacturer finish warranty.

Unfinished flooring is raw lumber that has been installed without a finish. After installation, the wood flooring must be sanded smooth, distressed, or hand scraped. The flooring surface is then stained and sealed. This is a technical process and is more time consuming to install than a pre-finished wood floor. These finishes usually do not last as long due to the fact they do not have a durable coating of aluminum oxide to resist wear from everyday traffic.

What are the different textures available?

SM=Smooth: All of the wood flooring planks will have a smooth surface with minimal dents, divots, or bumps. Available in a large spectrum of choices, a smooth hardwood floor can be finished in a matte surface, with very little reflectivity, to a high gloss surface, that is very lustrous. Smooth finished hardwood renders clean lines with a traditional look.

DS=Distressed: Commonly mistaken for hand scraped, distressed finished hardwood reveals light chatter marks, divots, or scrapes. Distressed finishes resembles the effects of every day wear over a long period of time. Similar to hand scraped, distressed finished wood flooring can easily hide every day wear and tear.

HS=Hand Scraped: Each individual plank is hand scraped. Characterized by hills, valleys, and chatter marks giving the floor a rustic, timeless personality. Also referred to as hand sculpting, hand scraping can be very pronounced or subtle. Hand scraped floors tend to show less wear and tear over time making it a good choice for very active families.

WB=Wire Brushed: This very unique method of finishing wood flooring is achieved by briskly rubbing the wood surface with a steel wire brush. Exposing the natural hard grain of wood, wire brushing is a modern technique that removes the young, soft top layer on each plank. What is left behind is a rich, durable texture filling your home with comfort and style.

LE=Light Embossed: This texture is available only for laminate flooring. Embossing is a manufactured process that puts grain and texture directly into the laminate. This gives the flooring a real wood appeal. END