No other flooring offers the warmth, beauty, and value of wood. Wood flooring enhances the decor of any room, and provides timeless beauty that will increase in value throughout the years. In fact, in a national survey of real estate agents, 90 percent said that houses with wood flooring sell faster and for higher prices than houses without wood floors. That’s money in your pocket!
Maintenance of today’s wood floors is easy! New technology in stains and finishes call for regular cleaning that takes little more than sweeping and/or vacuuming, with occasional use of a professional wood floor cleaning product. You will want to use a cleaning product recommended by your flooring manufacturer, installer, or other wood flooring professional. This will ensure that you use the proper cleaner for your type of flooring and finish.
Wood floors are ecologically friendly. Since it is a natural resource, wood is both renewable and recyclable. Many of yesteryears old wood ships , warehouses, barns, and other structures often find a second life in wood flooring. And, because wood does not collect dust and other allergens, many leading health associations agree that wood floors are the perfect choice for a healthy home.
Todays wood floors are affordable. Over time, wood floors maintain their value. When other flooring options are looking tired and worn out, wood floors will still look beautiful and timeless.
Wood floors have come a long way in the past few years. Today, there are more styles, colors and species of Wood Flooring available than ever before. Luxury Vinyl Plank is the latest in Flooring Treads due to its waterproof / durability and great looks, Also Engineered Wood Flooring is quite popular for people who are looking for a real Wood Floor.
Wood, Cork, & Laminate floorings will need to acclimate in the installation area from 3 to 7 days. The room should be conditioned to between 65 and 85 degrees F and 35-55% relative humidity. Maintain these levels. If it is a new construction, HVAC system should be functional and wet trades complete prior to installation. Reschedule wood installation until corrections are made. Poor acclimation can result in excessive board squeaking, gaps and is not manufacturer related.
Possibly the largest reason for floor or adhesive failure. Check moisture content in hardwood, it should be around 6-9% not to exceed 12-14%. Continue the acclimation process until these conditions are met. Be sure to record all moisture measurements. Concrete slab not to exceed 4% (meter Testing required) Excessive moisture can result in board edge cupping and is not manufacturer related.
Keep in mind that wood is a natural product so no two floor boards will be identical. Variations in appearance (grain, color, etc.), are completely normal. Many exotic floors will develop a richer, darker color (patina) as they age. This will develop evenly if you shift rugs and furniture and should be complete within approximately 6 to 8 months. Color change in wood is not manufacturer related.
1. The installer is the final quality inspector.
Defective boards “scrap” should be set aside or relocated to hidden places (such as a closet) by the installer. If a board has an unacceptable defect (hole, split, crack, etc.) the installer should cut it out or set it aside.
i. On average, 5% of any wood floor purchased from any manufacturer may need to be set aside. Some species like Australian Cypress may have a larger expected scrap ratio due to the characteristics of the species. Replace these boards using the added 5 to 10% of material ordered for the job.
ii. If you have a higher than average scrap rate and are unable to complete your installation, take samples to the store nearest you.
iii. The use of stain, touch-up pen or filler stick for correction during installation is accepted as normal procedure.
iv. Generally, a minimum of 5% must be added to the actual square footage needed as allowance for cutting waste for domestic woods and 8-10% for exotics.
2. “Racking Out” the floor or laying out each piece allows the installer to visually inspect the flooring for imperfections that can be cut out or adjustments made before installing.
3. “Repairs” – Always keep a partial box from your initial installation for any future repairs or board replacement.
4. “Touch-up markers” or color filler sticks used for correcting nicks or chips during and after pre-finished wood installation is a normal procedure.
We recommend the selection of one of the more stable species for glue-down applications. Stability is a term that refers to how resistant an installed wood floor is to changes in temperature and humidity. Engineered floors are preferred for cement installations. With good planning many solids will also work.
There are several methods to test the slab for high moisture. Moisture testing only confirms current levels that are currently present and does not forecast future levels…
When installing 3/8″ solid flooring use Bostiks Best Urethane adhesive 1 BBA and their #8 trowel. When installing engineered floor, use Bostiks EFA and their #8 or #9 trowel. When concrete moisture levels are above 5% and/or the slab was poured prior to the 1970s, a moisture vapor protector such as Bostiks MVP applied with their #9 trowel must be used with the adhesive to prevent any potential moisture from being absorbed by the floor. Many solid wood (Shorts) may be appropriate for glue-down as recommended by the adhesive manufacturer. Be sure to have on hand the recommended urethane adhesive remover. Cured adhesive is very difficult to remove from the surface of the floor and may cloud or etch the finish causing permanent damage! Mineral spirits may used to remove wet adhesive. For the best possible warranty, avoid compatibility issues. Do not mismatch adhesive and moisture barriers. Use products from the same adhesive family. Manufactures do not offer warranties for other manufactures products.
Engineered wood is the floor of choice for direct glue-downs. A few adhesive manufacturers are willing to warrant 3/4″ solid wood for these installations. Those that do require the use of shorts or board length sizes under 48″ (such as our Va Millworks).
However, 5/16, 3/8, 1/2 and 5/8 solid flooring may be glued to cement but can be a more difficult installation when compared to engineered. The longer solid boards can be twisted or bowed right out of the box. While this may not be an issue when nailing, these can present problems when gluing down. When working with solid wood it is advisable not to remove the plastic binding straps holding the boards secure until ready to install. Thus ensuring straighter boards. Do not lay out more boards that can be installed the day of installation. Culling or selecting out these boards can produce greater than normal waste that should be accounted for when ordering. Boards with slight bows can be cut in half then used. For these reasons we recommend the use of professional flooring installers for solid wood glue-down installations.
Due to the rigidity of solid wood, these require a flat surface (deflection not to exceed 3/16 in 10ft). Floor flatness issues can be corrected by filling low areas with cement patch and grinding down high spots. Blue painters tape (#2080) can be used to help keep surrounding boards grouped together while the adhesive cures. Some installers use straps in an effort to tighten up their glue-down installations. Caution is needed. Be aware that over-strapping can produce board lifting, peaking, board-edge crushing, or glue-bond failure. We also recommend using a 75lb roller to ensure adhesive transfer and evenness of the board edges.
We Provide the Best Wood & Luxury Vinyl Installations With a 1 Year Warranty.
