For most people purchasing a new wood floor is something they may do only once.
In knowing this, we believe that we must help you make a well educated purchase.
You must decide what type of product best suits your lifestyle and your budget.
Taking all of this into consideration, we will go over your flooring choices in
order to help inform you the best way we can. AND REMEMBER OUR FLOORING
PROFESSIONALS ARE WILLING TO HELP YOU WITH ANY AND ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS,
WHETHER MENTIONED HERE OR NOT. WE ARE JUST AN EMAIL OR PHONE CALL AWAY.
Hardwood flooring is a beautiful as well as rugged flooring choice for
most consumers. The huge selection of different wood species and color choices
allows you to match your new wood floor to any home style choice. Hardwood
flooring can be selected to accentuate any lifestyle, from country to
contemporary. From rustic to modern urban living, we have wood choices to
match the style of your home.
Unlike other flooring choices such as carpeting, hardwood flooring
is a much cleaner, healthier flooring choice. Hardwood flooring is also
hypoallergenic and easy to maintain.
The purchase of a hardwood floor is something that should last a
lifetime. Solid hardwood flooring can be refinished if your shine eventually
fades. Hardwood flooring may cost more than other flooring such as carpet, but
it will surely outlast these other floors. Your new hardwood floor will easily
pay for itself. Adding a hardwood floor to your home will increase the value of
your home. Homebuyers are always looking for hardwood floors in the homes they
are looking to purchase.
Most of our hardwood lines may be installed by homeowners. If you have the
patience, skill and tools, you may achieve a quality installation. If this is
not an option to you, upon purchasing your new floor from Quality Floors Direct,
we can put you in touch with a quality installer from our installer network in
your area. Just click our installation link or call customer service after your
purchase.
Pre-finished flooring is flooring that is made from the same
unfinished wood planks or strips that the traditional unfinished floors are
made from. The difference here is that they are factory finished by the
manufacturer. Pre-finished floors are made with higher specifications than
unfinished floors are as these planks will be the finished product, so more
times than not the individual strips are straighter, squarer and cleaner than
unfinished flooring. After milling to these higher specifications, the
flooring is then sealed or stained with a color and then finished with
polyurethane. In this finishing process, the factory is able layer and bake many
coats on top of each other. Many manufacturers use between 7-12 coats of poly.
This is 3-4 times as many coats than a traditional sand and finish wood floor
may have. Included in these coats may also be additives such as Aluminum Oxide
or other finish strengtheners that will help prolong the life of your floor.
These finishes may also include additives to stop or reduce color fading or
floor yellowing.
One benefit of using a pre-finished flooring product is the ease of living
during installation. Unlike a traditional unfinished or sand and finish floor,
you can walk on your pre-finished floor right away. Your new floor is already
finished, the minute you are done installing it, move your furniture in and
start enjoying it that day.
After many years of use if your refinished floor loses its shine you can
have it refinished just like a sand and finish floor. If you were to damage
your pre-finished floor, individual boards may be replaced rather than
refinishing your entire floor.
Traditional Sand and Finish (unfinished) Flooring
Traditional unfinished hardwood flooring comes in many species and
sizes just as pre-finished flooring does. It is milled and made by
manufacturers to be installed on at or above grade levels. Meaning first floor
or above. Not below grade or ground. Unfinished flooring must be installed and
finished on site. Unfinished flooring is usually categorized by species then
grade. FOR EXAMPLE Red Oak /Select and Better 2 ¼. Meaning this wood is
manufactured in 2 ¼ inch strips that are near the top of the selection chart
regarding clarity in the graining of the wood. This wood has less variation than
a number 1 or 2 common. A number 1 common would have more variation in shading
and graining where as a number 2 would be categorized as rustic or tavern
grade.
Unfinished wood flooring comes in an array of widths just like
pre-finished flooring. The great selection of species and the ability to stain
these floors during finishing also allowing a great range of styles and choices.
Unfinished flooring should be sanded and finished by a flooring
professional. It takes great experience and skill to properly sand a hardwood
floor. You may try to do it yourself by renting equipment, but in order to have
a professional finish, you should hire a professional. A sand and finish floor
usually can only have 3-4 coats of polyurethane finish applied in a 30 day
period. When having your floors sanded and finished, you must try to keep the
area “sterile”. Meaning free from people , pets, any unnecessary air flow that
may allow sand or dust to settle on your floor. The finish and drying time
should take any where from 3-5 days depending on size and humidity levels in
your home. You may also choose to have your floor refinished using a water based
product. This will reduce the drying time needed, but you may also have to add
more coats in order to achieve the strength of a polyurethane finish.
As with all hardwood flooring, your floor will retain moisture. Upon
delivery of your floor, it must acclimate to the humidity level of your home.
Your flooring must sit in the area you are going to install it in for a period
of time before installation. Some manufacturers differ but most recommend 72
hrs before installation.
Engineered hardwood flooring is very similar to refinished flooring.
This flooring is made to look the same as traditional strip or plank flooring.
It usually looks the same, but is constructed very differently. Engineered
flooring is comprised of a top wear layer that is made of the real wood floor.
Usually 1/8 inch thick or so of actual real wood. This wood is finished much
the same as a normal pre-finished floor. The difference is in the “guts”. The
inner core of the engineered floor is made up of layers of plywood. Depending on
manufacturer anywhere from 3-7 different layers. In doing this, the flooring is
less susceptible to swelling or shrinking like a solid wood floor.
These products may in many cases be installed below grade level. Their
installations vary as well. Some can be glued, stapled, nailed or even floated.
Engineered flooring products are used in many applications including
commercially and over concrete. These products allow you the consumer to have
wood flooring where years ago was not possible. Although these products may fall
into a DIY category, engineered flooring is a little more tricky to work with
than normal solid flooring. There are many different installations methods as
stated above, and it is best to consult one of our flooring professionals
before attempting to install an engineered floor yourself.
Laminate flooring has become very popular over the last 10 or so years.
The manufacturers have greatly increased the quality of construction and ease
of installation in recent years though. A laminate floor consists of a photo of
the real product (usually wood , stone or tile) layered and or sealed in a
transparent plastic like membrane (usually referred to as melamine) and has a
core made of MDF. This is mainly sawdust mixed with glue and compressed
together to give a very dense core. Most laminated again have a plastic like
base which helps sandwich the MDF core.
Laminate floors may be installed in many areas that a solid or engineered
floor may not. In most cases laminate flooring is suitable for on, above and
below grade installations. This floor must be installed over a their
manufacturer’s recommended underlayment. This usually consists of a thin foam
pad that is compressed between 2 layers of plastic. This plastic usually has a
sticky or taped edge that allows for sealing to act as a moisture barrier for
your floor. Some manufacturers offer lines that include the pad built into the
back of the flooring plank. Laminate flooring may be installed over many sub
floors thus reducing the amount of floor prep needed. Meaning because this is a
floating floor, there is more forgiveness than in a glue or nail down floor.
Most laminate floors today are click installs meaning that there is no glue
needed. The planks simply click together and are self squaring. Again before
installing this any of these products you may consult with one of our flooring
professionals. This is a floor that most homeowners may be able to install.