Timber Ox Green

Choosing The Right Wood Flooring For Your Application

In the hardwood flooring universe, there exist a multitude of different options for wood floors. Different types of wood and different finishes will allow the finished floor to have the desired results for the specific application. When choosing a hardwood floor, it is crucial to factor in how much traffic your floor will receive. Commercial projects with high-traffic floors are completely different from low-traffic residential floors. Some floors are simply not suited for a lot of foot traffic and are susceptible to scratches, dents, and blemishes. This article will discuss the differences between high-traffic and low-traffic floors, as well as standards and trends in commercial vs. residential wood flooring.

When a customer calls or visits our showroom looking for hardwood flooring, the first question we ask them is whether their project is commercial or residential. Having that one bit of information allows us to narrow the search, and eliminate about 50% of our product line. We explain to them that some floors are just not adequate for commercial settings, and we cannot ethically make a recommendation (or a sale) without knowing this information.

Different species of wood have different properties, and some species are much harder than others. They are rated on a Janka Scale, which measures how hardwood is, and the higher the number, the harder the wood. White Oak, one of the most popular hardwoods used for flooring has a rating of XXXX. On the other hand, walnut (a very beautiful species) is softer, with a rating of XXXX. It is important to understand these differences when deciding the optimal wood floor type to choose. Straight-grain planks, such as rift- or quarter-sawn material will generally hold up better over time as well.

For a residential application, just about any species will be fine. With light traffic, even softer woods will hold up fine, with proper maintenance, and refinishing every 5 – 7 years as needed. For a commercial setting, only the hardest species are recommended, and refinishing should be done every 2 – 3 years as needed. Most exotic species such as Brazilian Cherry, Brazilian Walnut, Wenge, etc. are suitable for commercial use, as well as strand-woven bamboo. Out of the domestic species, Oaks, Maples, and Ash are usually fine for heavy traffic. Be sure to consult with a flooring specialist to be sure which types of wood are preferred for your setting.

Recently, flooring manufacturers have developed a new technology called Acrylic Impregnated material, which has shown to be extremely effective for high-traffic commercial settings. These products (usually engineered, and always prefinished) are made by taking acrylic resins and injecting them into the wood. They will make the wood much more hard and more durable by filling in any air holes and other spaces. The result is a floor that is much harder to dent or damage.

Since commercial floors will have to be refinished more often than residential ones, it is recommended to use either a solid wood floor, which can be sanded up to 4-5 times, or an engineered floor with a thick wear layer (minimum 4mm). Laminate flooring can never be refinished, so once it’s damaged it needs to be completely replaced. Therefore, laminates are never recommended for commercial projects.

Another crucial aspect to consider carefully is the type of finish your wood floor will have. The purpose of a floor finish is to seal the wood from moisture and protect it from scratches and blemishes (as well as give the desired appearance). However, different finishes perform differently. The vast majority of wood flooring is bought unfinished and finished on-site using a polyurethane finish. The standard has been using a sealer and 2-3 coats of an oil-based, or moisture-cured polyurethane. These finishes are extremely durable, as they provide a protective clear plastic coating layer on top of the wood which is resistant to dents and scratches. For example, Fabulon has been manufacturing an oil-based poly for XXX years, which has become the industry standard and gained popularity as a bowling alley finish (those lanes take a beating and remain in perfect condition). The problem with oil-based polyurethanes is that they release a lot of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) when applied, which harm the environment, they are difficult to apply and have a strong, toxic odor in some cases.

Over the years, polyurethane finishes have evolved to create a safer and more environmentally friendly product. Today’s water-based polys are much “greener” than their oil-based counterparts and are almost as hard and durable. However, they are not quite as hard and require 1-2 extra coats. You should consult with the manufacturer of any floor finish and make sure it is suitable for the amount of traffic you expect. Products like Bona’s Traffic and Basic Coatings’ StreetShoe have proven extremely reliable over the years.

Other types of finishes, such as oil or wax are usually recommended more for residential projects, as they are far less durable than polyurethane.

With low-traffic, residential flooring, many more finish options are available. There is a lot of design work, with custom stains, various exotic finishes, multi-color planks, etc. This is usually not done with any high-traffic floor, since these custom finishes are more susceptible to damage and much harder to maintain and refinish. With commercial floors, you rarely see anything except common colors or natural wood.

Choosing the correct type of wood flooring for your application will reduce maintenance costs over the life of the floor, and ensure that your flooring will keep the desired look for many years. Be sure to speak with a flooring professional about all the options available to you, and take your time choosing the best one. Remember, in many cases, additional up-front costs will save a lot of trouble and expense over the life of your floor.

Prefinished Hardwood Flooring

Why are Prefinished Hardwood Floors Superior to Unfinished wood floors?

When choosing a hardwood floor, there is a host of different options to consider. When you have decided on a prefinished wood floor, whether solid or engineered timber flooring, your job is not yet done. Within prefinished flooring, there remain several important decisions to make. Different finishes vary both aesthetically and structurally. The way your floor will look once it is installed will be based on the decisions you make as far as surface, gloss, and type of finish.

To begin, let’s discuss the recent trend of purchasing prefinished flooring.

If using an oil-based polyurethane finish, which is the most popular finish type, you will need to use 1 coat of sealer and at least 2 coats of poly, and sanding or screening in between each coat. You have to deal with the smell of the finish, the dust from the sanding, and the dry times, which can be up to 24 hours for each coat. A factory-finished floor eliminates all these nuisances and gives you peace of mind that what you see is what you get, and your floor will not depend on an installer’s temperament on the installation day.

First, machinery and automation allow companies to create finishes and colors which would be near impossible to do by hand on-site. This is why the selection of color options can be nearly overwhelming. Your floor can be prefinished with just about any color you can imagine, including the natural color of the wood, multiple colors, or a cerused look. Nowadays you can easily request custom colors from many factories, so the possibilities are endless. This will allow you to perfectly match and style the décor of your furnishings.

Timber floors are the most beautiful surfaces that you can lay in your house. While this is the case, they can at times be one of the trickiest. This is simply because wood is considered to be a finicky and unpredictable building material that has to be installed with a lot of keenness and care. When transforming your timber flooring, the options available are endless. However, before you can do any renovations, you need to decide which room needs some hardwood flooring transformations. In addition, you should consider the needs and preferences of your other family members before you can commence the renovation process. Take time to decide what kind of new look you want for the room, what kind of traffic it is likely to get, as well as what type of hardwood flooring will best suit that particular room. Having said this, here are the best home renovations tips for installing hardwood floors.

•Carpeting: In case you want to install hardwood floors that have an endless number of colors and different styling, you should consider carpeting. In case you have an old carpet that makes your hardwood floors look uninviting, consider replacing it with new carpet and padding. Mind you, several carpet stores offer affordable installation prices. However, if you decide on doing the installation yourself, ensure that everything is removed from the room inclusive of the old flooring. Unroll the new carpet and slide it into place. In addition, ensure that the carpet is attached to the edges of the hardwood floors.

•Ceramic Tiling: When installing timber floors. It is recommended to use ceramic tiles as they add class and beauty. Additionally, they make the floors durable and easy to maintain. This home renovation tip is very important especially if you want to keep stains, moisture as well as scratches at bay. Ceramic tile is resistant to fire, mold, and bacteria as well. When doing your renovation, ceramic tile is a very crucial and great material simply because you can as well use it for countertops, backsplashes, or any other region in the room that needs tiling. You can match the hardwood floors and other tile regions to meet your needs and preferences. Ceramic tiling is a good home renovation tip for installing hardwood floors as it gives a shiny and polished finish.

•Lamination: In many homes that are installed with timber floors seem to have a cold look in any room in the house. While this is the case, you can renovate your flooring by laminating them. However, when performing this remodeling, it is imperative to use it on existing flooring that is level and flat. In case the flooring is not level or is uneven, it can easily cause the laminate floor to squeak, especially when being walked on. The best thing about laminate flooring is that you can easily use it in any room in your house beginning from the living and bedrooms, to kitchens as well as bathrooms.

Different Types Of Timber Floor

Timber flooring is bought in 3 predominant types: strip, plank, and parquet. These days, all 3 types are likely to be available in a sizable range, both finished and unfinished. Strip hardwood floors include slim boards nailed aspect by way of side to the subfloor, and it’s what maximum of us consider when we communicate about oak flooring. But plank flooring – essentially much like strip floors, best wider – is making inroads into strip’s dominance. Parquet (and different block hardwood floors) is made in character tiles, frequently with a pattern, that’s nailed or glued to the floor. In my experience, parquet flooring runs third in popularity.

Even if your provider doesn’t inventory it, strip and plank floors are made inside the widths and thicknesses indexed below.

Strip timber floors. Although a great deal of it’s far made from 2 1/4-in. extensive oak, strip floors surely come in some distance greater range than most people realize. Strip hardwood flooring is to be had in 3/4-in., 1 1/4-in., 1 3/4-in., 2 1/four-in. and a couple of 3/four-in. Widths. Thicknesses vary from 5/16 in. To 33/32 in., though 3/4 in. Is via some distance the maximum common? The flooring is sold in bundles of various lengths.

Most modern strip hardwood timber floors are side and stop-matched, this means that both the long edges and the quick ends of each piece are tongue and grooved. When becoming tightly together and nailed firmly to the subfloor, the tongues, and grooves make a stiff meeting that improves the structural integrity of the building. In older homes, you’ll from time to time see square-edged hardwood flooring, without tongues or grooves. Square-edged flooring is still available, however, most humans prefer facet-and-cease-matched flooring.

Strip flooring is quite versatile stuff, making it a good preference for almost any application in which hardwood flooring is wanted. The strip can be nailed to plywood or plank subfloors or screeds over a concrete slab. It’s bought in raw, unfinished timber or in prestained and prefinished inventory that’s ready to go as soon as it’s nailed down.

Plank hardwood flooring. Plank floors also come square-edged or side and stop-matched. It’s available in 3-in., 4-in., 5-in. 6-in. And 7-in. Widths but may be ordered on wider forums. Plank thicknesses typically vary from Vie5/16 in. To 1 1/2 in., although different thicknesses are from time to time available. Like strip flooring, a plank is nailed to the subfloor, either thru the tongues and grooves or via the face of the forums. Because of its width, a plank is frequently screwed to the floor as well (the screw holes may be included with wooden plugs that add a nice decorative touch).

Plank is suitable for any room wherein a strip is probably installed. In the higher grades, the wood is unfastened of character marks and wild grain and because there are fewer, wider forums, the completed ground has a greater homogeneous look than a strip floor in the same species. If the face is nailed or screwed and plugged, plank hardwood flooring has a rustic, casual appearance. Several producers have capitalized on this by making floors from beams salvaged from vintage buildings. The aged wood has an attractive patina that gives the new ground a lived-in look.

Depending on the grade, plank floors are slightly more high-priced than strip. It’s bought prefinished and unfinished.

It is very stressful for a homeowner, especially one who has no experience and doesn’t deal with flooring on a day-to-day basis to choose the right flooring for his home, of course, the homeowner will have tons of questions for the flooring expert, and it is his job to guide and assist the person with etiquette and professionalism, he must be very careful with his choice of words, as to not under mind the struggling homeowner. The saying, it is better to see once than to hear 100 times, is very much true when it comes to an amateur home buyer, a person understands better when the object in question is in plain sight as appose to hearing about it over and over. It is also more beneficial to work with a flooring company that does both the selling of the wood flooring planks, as well as the installation work because a person reacts better to his product, and knows more about it than if that product would have come from an unidentified source.

A typical homeowner’s knowledge of wood flooring is very limited; he may see a particular style or type of flooring in a magazine or at a friend’s house and fall in love right away, without realizing the amount of work and money that went into bringing that wood flooring sample to a showroom for the homeowner’s viewing pleasure. Aiding a homeowner in selecting high-quality flooring at budget-friendly prices is very rewarding for a wood flooring expert; he is the one with an abundance of knowledge and enough experience to professionally match a customer with his flooring of choice. Many times a customer may like a particular style or type of flooring, which may not fit the décor of his house, it is then the job of flooring experts to weigh in and politely attempt to sway the customer in the right direction, for that to happen, the flooring expert may need to visit the homeowner at his house, numerous times to get a better understanding of the environment as a whole, it will also benefit the homeowner because he is in a familiar setting and may talk freely with the flooring expert about his concerns, and voice his questions and/or comments. Catering to the homeowner’s needs on his playing field is always a safer bet and, will always get results. A flooring expert must never pressure a homeowner into any particular choice of flooring but rather guide and consult, to make this, many times unfamiliar process, enjoyable and comforting. Also, a flooring expert may be wise to visit multiple wood flooring stores with the homeowner to ease and make the decision-making process more enjoyable.

A flooring expert may bring with him several samples of wood and may do a test by putting a sample on the floor to match it to the overall decor of the room, it gives both the homeowner and the flooring expert an idea of what may or may not work in each room. A flooring expert may feel the need to visit a couple of showrooms with the customer to give him an abundance of options in beautiful wood flooring.

It is common practice that if a client is satisfied with the level of service brought on by the wood flooring expert, then, he will recommend that person to his friends and family, and the flooring expert is guaranteed a long list of satisfied clientele for years to come.

Getting Wood Floors Online

Buying exceptional quality at reasonable prices is desired by almost every single American today. At a time when a dollar is hard-earned, you will rarely find a person purchasing anything without looking at the price and thinking twice if this purchase is a dire necessity.

A variety of purchasing options are available to the consumer today, the first of which is a physical location, actually having a trusted place to go for all your flooring needs. When you walk in you can rest assured that your questions will be answered by a person with first-hand knowledge of the products and genuine care for the customer. Almost always, he will put himself in the shoes of the customer, and recommend a product that is sure to be found in his own home. Another benefit to purchasing from a physical location is the interaction with a person who spent a lot of time and effort into first learning restlessly about flooring itself and flooring accessories and then delivering all of his knowledge with confidence and pride, unlike purchasing from a website who may have people sitting at an unidentified location and performing such tasks which do not require much thought.

Another way to purchase flooring is through an online site, which is an alternative for people to purchase flooring in the comfort of their own home or office. You can view flooring samples and get questions answered, at the click of a button. Another advantage to online floor purchases is that the customer does not pay tax if a shipment is going out of state. He is also free to compare and contrast different wood samples, both made at different factories from around the world. After an online purchase is made, you can receive it in a matter of days. However, purchasing online can be tricky, you may run into someone who knows how to talk professionally and convincingly but when it comes down to delivering, it may turn out not to be the product you were hoping for, and then it becomes a problem when you want to track down the person, with whom you never met and have never spoken to.

Maintaining Wood Floors Introduction

With proper maintenance and daily care, a homeowner can rest assured his floors will last him a lifetime. At first glance, maintaining wood floors may look simple but in reality, it is an arduous task that takes a lot of hard work and dedication on the part of the homeowner. He must be very careful, and read labels and instructions on the cleaning product bottles, to ensure proper use.

People must use extreme caution when listening to commercials and advertisements on various floor care products, most of which may be construed as false advertisements. Companies who adhere to such practices are wrongfully doing so thus, must be ignored by naïve individuals, who sincerely want the best care for their floors and, who will go to great lengths to achieve their goals.

A licensed wood floor manufacturer owes a duty to the consumer by making sure that he is well educated and knowledgeable about the process of proper floor care, that way, not only will the consumer be left satisfied but, the manufacturer will avoid any chances of a legal proceeding in the event the homeowner causes irreversible damage to his floors simply because the manufacturer filed to educate him properly. A great example of the former would be advising the homeowner that once the wood flooring is purchased and brought into the home, it must be kept under normal living conditions until it is unwrapped and ready for use by the installer. The Equilibrium Moisture Content (EMC) of wood should be 6.9% to ensure exceptional quality of the wood, as such, always make sure to regulate the temperature inside your home especially in the area where wood is kept before and, in all the rooms where wood is intended for installation.

Always remember, proper care of wood flooring starts with the homeowner because, once the installer has diligently done his work, he has left the premises, leaving the care. A couple of handy suggestions, always floor protectors on the legs of all furniture once ample time has passed, and it is permissible to put furniture back in its designated location in the home, never use wet mops to clean floors because water alone can damage the floor, rather than improve its appearance when it dries it can leave a visible residue on the floor making it unprofessionally maintained. Also, make sure to vacuum periodically because dust gathers on the floor and damages its overall quality and outward appearance. It is advised to always place door mats at the entrance of the home to ensure that any dirt or residue on your shoes remains on the mat and, not on your beautiful, properly maintained floors. Never use ammonia as an alternative cleaning product, it will surely leave a negative effect on your floors.

Installing And Finishing Hardwood Floors

After making the wise choice of hardwood flooring, the next step is installation. Putting down a solid, unfinished hardwood floor is a multi-step process. It is recommended to use a professional installer, but for you DYI’ers, here is a step-by-step guide.

Solid hardwood flooring is installed using a nail-down method, fastened to a plywood subfloor. Once the floor planks are in place, the finishing process must begin. The first step is to make sure the surface is flat and level. This is done by sanding the entire room with coarse grit sandpaper. You can use a belt or drum sander and an edger to get the perimeter. This step will ensure that your finished floor will be completely flat, with no protruding pieces sticking out.

Once the floor has been sanded, it is ready to stain. The most popular brands of wood floor stain are MinWax and DuraSeal. The stain is applied with a lambswool applicator. DuraSeal and Minwax can be applied instead of a sealer, as they both “penetrate and seal” the flooring.

The next step in the process is to seal the floor. Sealing wood prevents liquids from penetrating the wood, which causes all sorts of problems like warping and gapping. There are a couple of options for sealing the floor. You can use a universal sealer, a lacquer sealer, or a super speed sealer. Each will cover approximately 300 SF per gallon. Shellac, or universal sealers, such as the kind made by Garco or Dunhams, soaks the wood and is probably the best base. Lacquer sealer is solvent-based, dries faster than shellac, but is much more flammable. Super speed sealer is a much thicker base, recommended mostly for commercial jobs, or dark floors. You want to put one coat of sealer on the hardwood floor using a lambswool applicator, and let it fully dry. This usually takes up to one hour, but you need to make sure the air is at least 20 degrees Celsius.

Once the base is completely dry, you need to screen/polish the entire floor before applying the first coat of polyurethane. An oil-based polyurethane will be thicker than a water-based one, so it is recommended to use two coats for oil-based poly and 3 coats for water-based. Different brands of polyurethane have different dry times, so be sure to consult the technical data sheet. In general, water-based polys dry in approximately 2 hours, while oil-based polys dry overnight. Be sure to screen/polish between all coats.

Important notes:
1) It is recommended to use the same brand of sealer and polyurethane.
2) Some finishes and sealers can be very flammable, so use caution!
3) Primer doesn’t spoil, but Polyurethane should be used right after opening
4) Water-based poly should be continuously stirred after opening (One person stirs, another person applies)

Engineered Vs Solid Hardwood

Your guide to understanding the difference between Engineered vs Solid Hardwood flooring

The process of choosing the right wood flooring product should not be taken lightly. Any professional installer or contractor will tell you that selecting the proper material for your job is essential to achieving the results you want. In today’s market, wood floors are separated into two main categories: Engineered vs Solid Hardwood. Each has distinct advantages and disadvantages over the other, and this article will explain how to select the best option for you.

To begin, let’s Define Engineered Vs Solid Hardwood:

Solid hardwood means each plank is made from a single piece of wood. This type of flooring ranges from about 3/8” thickness to 1”, but the overwhelming majority of solid wood flooring is ¾” thick.
Engineered wood flooring consists of a top layer of solid wood over a multi-layer construction beneath.

Engineered Vs Solid Hardwood – Dimensional Stability:

The engineered construction has several benefits over solid hardwood. The most important one is how the material reacts to temperature and humidity. We know wood is a natural product, and it will expand and contract with changes in temperature and moisture levels.

Engineered wood flooring is less susceptible to these issues, due to the multi-layer construction. Each layer of wood will expand or contract perpendicular to its grain. By adhering several layers of wood together, with alternating grain orientation, you have a plank that is significantly more stable dimensionally, and much less prone to warp. This fact also allows engineered planks to have much wider widths and longer lengths than regular solid boards. With engineered wood, you can feel more comfortable installing long, wide planks in an environment prone to climate change. Please keep in mind that there are still guidelines for temperature and humidity levels that are optimal for engineered wood, but they are far less stringent than those for solids. This is often the main factor when deciding engineered vs solid hardwood.

Installing Engineered Vs Solid Hardwood Flooring:

Engineered wood floors also offer an advantage in the installation methods. In most cases, they are much easier to install than a solid plank. When installing solid hardwood, the process usually requires a plywood subfloor which the wood will be nailed to. This adds a costly, and tedious, step to the installation. Gluing down solid hardwood is usually out of the question since most adhesives are simply not strong enough to grip a ¾” thick, solid hardwood plank, and be flexible enough to expand and contract with it. The adhesives that can do this are much more costly. Engineered wood can be simply glued down over a level concrete subfloor, or in some cases floated using a click-together system where the planks simply “click” to one another, and the boards are simply floated over padding or underlayment, without requiring the use of glue or nails. The ease of installation is a major factor when considering engineered vs solid hardwood.

Maintenance Of Engineered Vs Solid Hardwood:

Depending on the thickness of the wear layer of engineered flooring, they can be sanded and refinished only a small number of times as compared to solid hardwood. This is the main advantage of solid over-engineered: you can prolong the life of your flooring by sanding and refinishing the floor. With an engineered floor, you can do this 1 or 2 times usually, before you completely strip the top layer off. With solid hardwood, you can do this any number of times (until you reach the tongue and grooves).

Generally speaking, solid hardwood floors will tend to last longer than engineered ones with the same levels of care and maintenance. At the same time, engineered floors will react better to seasonal changes. Engineered, prefinished floors also come in a much larger variety of options than solids.