Hardwood Flooring Whether you're planning a dramatic entry way or laying the groundwork for an entire home, hardwood is the flexible flooring choice. Unlike other flooring options, a hardwood floor, whether oak, maple or exotic wood, can adapt to be a multitude of colours and styles. With options in construction, hardwood can be installed in virtually any room now, including basements and over concrete.

Questions About Hardwood

Will my floor crack?

If we are asking if the flooring boards will separate from each other in the heating season, then yes. This can be reduced by keeping the humidity levels as even as possible from summer to winter. We know that all wood flooring swells as it picks up moisture, usually in the summer months, and shrinks as it loses moisture, usually in the winter months. This is normal and is to be expected. Engineered hardwood floors are more stable and less subject to this type of movement. However, there is still some growth and shrinkage but it is minimal. There are other reasons for flooring boards to move, but they are almost always due to sub-floor movement in the home.

Why do my flooring boards shrink and expand?

All wood, both hardwood and softwood, are Hydroscopic. This means that they are affected by the seasonal changing humidity levels in our homes. As they pick up moisture in Spring and Summer, they will expand. In the heating season, Fall and Winter, they will lose moisture and shrink. Wood flooring will only expand or shrink noticeably across the face or on the thickness of the piece, rarely in the length.

Will my hardwood floor squeak?

Not unless you have a sub-floor problem. On over 90% of hardwood floors that squeak, it is really the sub-floor that is causing the noise. Paper of any type between your hardwood floor and the sub-floor will not stop squeaks.

Where can I put hardwood flooring in my home?

Anywhere you want. Subject of course to a few common sense rules. Engineered flooring can go on any level of your home. From the basement to the attic. Solid hardwood flooring on the other hand, can only be installed on or above grade, never below. Engineered flooring can be glued, floated or stapled down to your sub-floor. Solid hardwood flooring can only be stapled or nailed, never glued.

What is better - site finished or pre-finished?

There are advantages and disadvantages to both types of flooring. Let's address site finished first. The most important thing is any colour you may want. Next, a choice of gloss levels and last, usually less overwood. Disadvantages - the biggest are sanding marks. Lines, chatter marks, and edger marks are the most common and difficult to avoid completely. Next would be dust and applicator marks on the finish. Unfortunately, the craftsman working on your floor are not in an environment that produced your kitchen cabinets. These marks are also difficult to avoid. Last is the curing time of the finish. Some finishes, oil-based mostly, take as long as 2 months to cure completely. While this is happening there will be an odour in the air. This is normal. Water-based finished on the other hand cure faster and are more odour free. Other than the guarantee offered by the craftsman, there is no other protection.

Pre-finished floors?

No sanding marks. No marks in the finish. These products are produced in a factory environment. Factory finished flooring is tougher than site-finished. You can move in right away. No curing time for the finish. Warrantees and guarantees are offered by the manufacturers. Disadvantages include some overwood. All wood flooring is machined to a tolerance. Pre-finished flooring is usually 12 one-thousandths of an inch, plus or minus. Therefore, there will be always be some boards thicker or thinner than the others. There are, however, some products that are machined to within 2 one-thousandths of an inch. Colour and gloss levels are as sampled.

Can my pet damage my new floor?

Claws and nails that are allowed to grow and remain untrimmed, can dent your floor. The finish that is applied is meant to protect the wood from dirt and scuff damage; it will not prevent your floor from denting. It is important that, if you have a pet, every effort be made to keep these claws and nails trimmed. Pet urine will, if left unattended, stain your floor.

How important is the thickness of my floor?

Many of us think that the thickness of the flooring material used is very important. We forget that what we are paying for is the selection of the pieces used in the flooring, the staining and finishing and the warranties. The old discussion over what is better - thick or thin - really should be revolving around the quality of the machining, the quality of the finish and quality of the installation. These three items are the most important factors in the determination of how our floor will look and perform. The best installers can make an inexpensive floor look very good, but it will still perform as an inexpensive floor. Above all, the quality of machining is the most important factor. Usually the finishing and staining on pre-finished floors is the same, no matter what the grade of flooring is. To sum up, the thickness is not important at all. Quality of machining, finishing and installation is!

What about allergies?

For people with allergies, wood, laminate, cork and tile are the best.