| Engineered Hardwood Flooring | | | | is real wood, it can be sanded up to two to three |
| Engineered hardwood flooring is a product made of a | | | | times. |
| core of hardwood, plywood, or high density fiber and | | | | Engineered floors are the ideal solution for hardwood |
| a top layer of hardwood veneer that is glued on the | | | | flooring on concrete. The dimensional stability of the |
| top surface of the core. It is available in almost any | | | | way they are constructed. Each ply layer is pressure |
| hardwood species. The product has the natural | | | | glued and set in the opposite direction. Engineered |
| characteristics of the selected wood species as | | | | hardwood floors expand and contract with high |
| opposed to a photographic layer. The "engineered" | | | | humidity, as opposed to hardwood flooring. The more |
| product has been designed to provide greater | | | | plies the greater stability. |
| stability, particularly where moisture or heat pose | | | | Installation of most engineered hardwood floors are |
| problems for hardwood floors. | | | | done by the glue down or floating floor method. It is |
| Wood floors come in two basic types: | | | | very important to note that not all engineered |
| Solid wood flooring | | | | products have the same type of installation |
| Engineered wood flooring | | | | specifications. Some floors may be floating, glue |
| Solid Wood Fl is fabricated from 3/4" thick solid | | | | direct, or staple only. Maunufacturers specifications |
| wood and tongue and groove sides to join the | | | | should be followed explicitly. The majority of |
| boards. Some manufacturers make a thinner version | | | | prefinished engineered hardwoods have limits on |
| that is 5/16" thick. The main advantage of solid wood | | | | lengths at 42 to 48 inches, opposed to most solid |
| flooring is its ability to be re-sanded and refinished | | | | hardwoods at 72 to 84 inches. Typically, lower end |
| over many years. It is not uncommon for solid wood | | | | flooring will have shorter pieces. Typically, longer |
| floors to last 50 years or more. Solid wood floors | | | | lengths are preferred as they offer a more appealing |
| come unfinished or prefinished in almost any wood | | | | look on completion. |
| species. | | | | What is a floating floor? It is a method of installing a |
| The main issue to consider with solid wood floors is | | | | floor rather than a specific type of flooring material. |
| its susceptibility to expansion and contraction due to | | | | In this method, the individual planks or boards attach |
| humidity changes in the home. To accommodate for | | | | to each other - either by means of gluing or snapping |
| movement, these floors are typically installed with a 5 | | | | together, but do not attach to the sub floor on |
| 8" to 3/4" gap around the perimeter of the floor | | | | which it is being installed. This is in contrast to a solid |
| along the wall. This gap is covered by shoe molding | | | | wood floor which requires nailing down to the sub |
| and baseboards. | | | | floor. A jigsaw puzzle is one great comparison. With a |
| The 3/4" thick floors should not be installed in a | | | | jigsaw puzzle, pieces connect to each other, but not |
| below grade condition, such as a basement. | | | | to the table. A floating floor is like a jigsaw puzzle. An |
| However, the thinner 5/16" wood floors may be used | | | | advantage of the floating floor method of installation |
| in that application. When installing a solid wood floor | | | | is it allows for the floor to move and expand in |
| over new or existing concrete, be sure the | | | | response to changes in the room's humidity. |
| manufacturer's recommendations on limits of | | | | Wood Flooring Hardness Rating |
| moisture in the concrete are followed. | | | | The hardness of wood flooring is measured by |
| Solid wood flooring is available in three main types: | | | | something called the Janka Test. A.444 inch steel ball |
| Strip flooring is denoted by the thickness and | | | | is driven into the wood to half the ball's diameter. |
| width of the wood planks. Strip flooring has a set | | | | The test measures the force needed to embed a |
| width, but the thickness can vary. Strip flooring | | | | steel ballot half of its diameter in the piece of wood |
| ranges in thickness from 5/16" to ¾" wide. It is | | | | being tested, with rating measured in pounds of |
| available only in widths of 1 1/2", 2", and 2 1/4". | | | | force per square inch. So with this rating, the higher |
| Plank flooring comes in two thicknesses, but | | | | the number the harder the wood. |
| unlike strip flooring, the widths can vary. It is available | | | | Wood hardness is important since one of the key |
| only in thicknesses of 1/2" or 3/4" and a range of | | | | considerations in selecting the species of wood floor, |
| widths from 3" to 8". | | | | you should be aware how much resistance the wood |
| Parquet flooring has a very different look from | | | | has to scratches and indentations. For example, if |
| typical hardwoods. They are made up of geometrical | | | | you have a dog with long nails then scratching the |
| patterns composed of individual wood patterns | | | | floor is a consideration and you should select a |
| composed of individual wood slats held in place by | | | | species with a higher rating such as hickory, maple, |
| mechanical fastening or an adhesive. | | | | oak, or ash. |
| Laminate flooring is not real wood, at least not in the | | | | While it may seem logical to pick the hardest wood, |
| way that hardwood and engineered wood are. It is | | | | certain factors should be considered: |
| comprised of a thin top layer of resin-infused paper, | | | | Soft wood can be hardened to some degree by |
| all on top of a wood chip composite. Technically, it is | | | | the application of polyurethane finishes |
| wood. It is an amazing simulation of wood. The resin | | | | Hard wood is nearly always much more |
| layer is essentially a photograph of wood. Laminate | | | | expensive than the softer and medium grade woods. |
| flooring is an alternative to wood flooring. It is scratch | | | | Hard wood is more difficult to saw, drill, and nail |
| resistant and it works well in topically moist | | | | than other woods, requiring more time and labor, |
| environments like bathrooms and kitchens, unlike | | | | therefore more money. |
| hardwood flooring. Additionally, laminate flooring is | | | | Hardwood Floor Appearances Can Differ |
| very easy to install. | | | | Hardwood veneers have the same surface |
| Engineered wood flooring solves a lot of the | | | | appearances as solid hardwood flooring because they |
| problems hardwood and laminate flooring have: | | | | are both natural hardwoods. Different appearances |
| Solid Hardwood does not tolerate moisture well. | | | | result from the different ways the hardwood is |
| Solid Hardwood can have uneven quality | | | | sawn. The different sawing methods are: |
| Laminate Flooring does not tolerate moisture well | | | | Flat Sawn (also referred to as plain sawn) - can |
| Laminate Flooring is fake wood and can not be | | | | be flat grain, which has a cathedral or gothic effect |
| sanded. | | | | or vertical grain which has a radial or edge grain |
| Basics of Engineered Wood Floors | | | | effect. |
| Engineered hardwood floors are constructed similar to | | | | Rotary Cut - method of cutting wood in which |
| that of basic plywood with the top surface being | | | | the hardwood layer is peeled off the log using large |
| actual hardwood. Products come in two to ten ply | | | | wood lathes. This peeling method shows dramatic, |
| construction depending on the manufacturer. Many | | | | wilder graining. |
| manufacturers have increased the surface (also | | | | Off-Set Rotary Cut - method of cutting wood |
| known as veneer or wear layer) layer that will result | | | | which gives a sliced appearance and grain pattern |
| in some engineered floors lasting as long as the | | | | with the added cross grain stability of sliced, without |
| traditional ¾" solid flooring. One of the most | | | | the sliced cost. Hardwoods are more dimensionally |
| important factors contributing to the longevity of any | | | | stable across the grain, and off-set rotary cutting |
| hardwood floor is the amount of refinishable material. | | | | takes advantage of this property. The yield is lower |
| Solid 3/4" hardwoods have approximately 1/4 of an | | | | than a regular rotary cut creating a slight price |
| inch above the tongue and groove construction. Once | | | | increase vs. standard rotary. |
| it is sanded to that level, nails or staples begin to | | | | Sliced Cut - method of cutting wood in which the |
| appear and should be replaced. The better and | | | | hardwood layer is sawn like regular lumber. This |
| thicker engineered hardwood floors have 1/8" to 3 | | | | shows finer graining. |
| 16" above the tongue and groove. Since the veneer | | | | |