What are considered natural characteristics?
The natural characteristics of wood include the grain pattern, dark gray or black marks and knots of various sizes. They are a result of the growth process of a particular species and are influenced by sunlight, soil and climate. Minerals can appear in several forms such as a light gray streak across a board to black lines in the grain. The same holds true for grain patterns and knots. Lumber is graded based upon the number of these variations.

Will my floor have color variations in it?
Yes. Wood is a natural material with variations from board to board. Each plank will accept stain differently. Lighter stain colors don't hide or mask natural characteristics as much as darker colors.

Will my floor dent?
All species used for hardwood flooring are durable enough to withstand the wear and tear of daily life. This does not mean wood will not dent. As a natural material, wood is made of thousands of cells. When the tree is in the forest, these cells are filled with water. Once that tree becomes lumber, the moisture in those cells is replaced with air. Therefore, if you drop a heavy object on the floor, the floor will compress, forming a dent or gash. In addition, heavy furniture and appliances, over time, could compress the fiber in the wood.

Will my floor be perfectly flat?
Prefinished hardwood flooring is milled to a close tolerance of thickness for a level subfloor. However, when walking across a floor you may feel a slight variation from board to board.

Will my floor age or change color?
Yes. You can see shade differences in your floor over time. The cause is usually from exposure to the ultra-violet rays of the sun, whether direct or indirect. This color change will be more noticeable in lighter colors, which will darken over time. These changes are due to the natural characteristics of wood and are not covered by most manufacturers warranties

Engineered vs. Laminate:

In the mid 1900’s when hardwood flooring manufacturers initiated using multiple layers of wood veneer to produce flooring, the process was called laminating. Therefore, the floors were called laminated wood flooring. The name "laminate wood floors" was prevalent until 1994 when European manufactures introduced, what is known as "laminate floors" today. Since most of the laminated patterns were wood grains, the hardwood flooring industry initiated the term "engineered", so real wood flooring would not be confused with laminate flooring.

Solids vs. Engineered:

Solid wood floors are manufactured as one complete piece of solid wood, generally 3/4" thick and board widths are generally 2 1/4" and 3 1/4" wide. The length of the boards may vary from 9" to 72", with an average of 32" long.

Solid wood floors react to the environment in which it is placed. In the winter heating months, the moisture content of the wood reduces causing the floor to contract or leave gaps between each board. In the summer months when humidity enters the wood, it will cause the wood to expand and if there is too much moisture, it can cause the floor to cup.

Solid wood floors are most commonly installed by nailing down to a wood subfloor.

Engineered wood floors refer to products that have multiple layers of wood veneer glued and pressed together. The Most common Hardwood Flooring thicknesses are 5/16", 3/8" and 1/2" and widths are 2 1/4", 3" and 5". Lengths will vary from 12" upwards.

Engineered wood floors have layers of wood veneer that are cross-laminated for dimensional stability. These floors will be less affected by moisture than solid wood floors. Engineered wood floors can be installed on grade, below grade, or above grade – virtually – any room in the home.

Engineered wood floors have several options of installing; nail down, staple down, glue down, and some can even be floated.

Hardwood vs. softwood:

Nail, Glue or Float?
 

Nail Down Hardwood Floors
A hardwood floor can only be stapled or nailed when it is being applied over a plywood or osb subfloor. A naildown floor can not be used over a concrete subfloor. Nail down hardwood floors should not be used in homes where the climate is not controlled year round sunch as summer homes because extreme changes in temperature and humidity will cause a 3/4" naildown floor to shrink and expand. Shrinking an expanding causes unevenness in the hardwood floor.

Glue Down Hardwood Floors
A glue down floor can be applied over almost any subfloor. Glue down floors come in many different thicknesses. Some glue down floors can be stapled down as well as glued down. Some 1/2" and 9/16" hardwood floors can even be nailed down. Glue down engineered floors are much more stable and dent resistant than 3/4" solid hardwood floors. Some engineered floors warranty against cupping and warping. No 3'4" solid (nail down) floor warranties against cupping or warping. Glue down floors can be refinished more times than a thicker 3/4" nail down floor. This is possible because a 3/4" nail down floor is usually uneven from the cupping and warping and needs to be agresively sanded and refinished. A 3/4" naildown floor can be refinished 2 to 3 times. A glue down floor only needs to be recoated and can be done several times. A glue down floor by lightly screening it and applying the urathane. This is possible because the engineered glue down floor will stay even and not need to be agressively sanded.
 

Floating Floors
A floating floor is typically a laminate such as Pergo, Pickering, Formica, etc. which is installed by glueing the tonge and groove together and floating the planks over a foam pad. Laminate floors are typically 71/2" wide by 48" long. The laminates such as Pergo are not real wood. They are a picture dipped in melamin and applied over a high density fiber board core and have a paper or melamin backing. They are more scratch and dent resistant than real wood. Laminates can NEVER be refinished. Some real wood floating floors do exist such as Universal or Award. They can be refinished.

Compare The Density Of Hardwood

Relative Hardness of Selected Wood Flooring Species* (hardest) 2350  BRAZILIAN CHERRY 2345  MESQUITE 2200  SANTOS MAHOGANY 1925  MERBAU 1910  JARRAH 1860  PURPLEHEART 1820  HICKORY/PECAN 1725  AFRICAN PADAUK 1630  WENGE 1450  HARD MAPLE 1375  AUSTRALIAN CYPRESS 1360  WHITE OAK 1320  ASH 1300  AMERICAN BEECH 1290  RED OAK 1260  YELLOW BIRCH 1225  HEART PINE 1010  BLACK WALNUT 1000  TEAK 950  BLACK CHERRY 870  S.YELLOW PINE (LONGLEAF) 690  S.YELLOW PINE (SHORTLEAF) 660  DOUGLAS FIR

Sawn vs. rotary cut veneer:

Wood flooring comes from the main stem of the tree between the roots and the first limb. The cross grain part of the log tells the history of the tree. The growth rings indicates how old the tree is and what the climate was like during it’s growth. Narrow annual growth rings tell you that there was poor rainfall during the year. From the outside of the log to the inside of the log, there will be many grain variations and colorations. This is what makes hardwood floors so appealing to the consumer because each plank is different.

Sawn Wood – The log is cut lengthwise by a stationary blade. This process is used in the manufacturing of 3/4" solid floors with less grain variation than that of a rotary cut veneer.

Rotary cut veneer – The veneer log is rotated against a stationary knife to produce a sheet of wood. This method is the most economical method of producing veneer. Rotary cut veneer gives more distinctive and varied grain patterns.

Square Edge vs. Eased Edge vs. Kissed Edge profile:

Square edge - Tongue and grooved, strip or plank flooring edges that are not eased or beveled. The surface appears level and smooth, if the subfloor is properly leveled.

Eased edge - Tongue and grooved, strip or plank flooring with surface edges cut at an angle, a very slight bevel. Some consumers prefer this look because each plank is defined. Also helps reduce the high-low boarding effect on an uneven subfloor.

Kissed Edge - The kissed edge was designed to give the same benefit of an eased edge floor, but with the look of a square edge. A kissed edge is approximately 1/2 of what the eased edge will measure.

Strip vs. plank:

Strip flooring - Any hardwood flooring that is up to 2 1/4" wide.

Plank flooring - Any hardwood flooring that is 3" wide or wider.

Job site finish vs. UV cured urethane finish vs. UV cured urethane with Aluminum Oxide:

UV cured factory applied urethane finishes eliminate numerous problems that are prevalent with job site applied finishes. There are two types of job site applied finishes; the penetrating sealer, which leaves practically no surface film, or the heavy solid type finish, which provides high luster and a protective film on the surface. The penetrating finish does not protect the floor from moisture, but does not show wear as quickly as the heavy solid type finish (urethane). The problems with job site finishes are classified in two obvious types; those that occur during application and those that develop after application.

The only solution to any of the above problems which originate with the finishing materials and their application is to sand the floor and apply a new finish correctly, being sure to follow the finish manufacturer's directions.

UV cured urethane finish - UV cured means that each coat of urethane that is applied to the wood flooring is instantly cured when passed under ultra violet lighting. Just like a fine finished automobile that boasts 20 plus coats of lacquer finish, it's not how thick the finish is, but how many thin coats that are cured before you apply the next coat that gives you the durable finish.