Real Wood Floors

Tour of Real Wood Floors

2011-06-01T08:11:00.000-07:00

Example of Another Happy Customer

2011-05-27T08:34:00.000-07:00

Example of Real Wood Floors Walnut Floor

A customer of ours, www.installyourfloors.com, sent in this picture of a floor they recently did with Real Wood Floors 5" Character Walnut. In addition they used a border installed unfinished and sanded on site. For more information visit there website at www.installyourfloors.com.

Decorating Ideas

2011-05-25T07:43:00.000-07:00

Wood floors with a medium-brown stain are a good neutral choice for most decorating styles. In this room the floor color is integrated into the room's color scheme, repeated in the bamboo blinds at the window and accent pillows on the sofa.

Fix The Squeak

2011-05-23T08:31:00.000-07:00

In most cases, your wood floor squeaking is not caused by a mouse.

Two pieces of wood rubbing together are the cause of most squeaks in wooden floors. There are two reason this happens. In one case the wood floor has pulled away from the sub floor that lies beneath it. Most hard wood floors are installed by nailing the wood floorboards to a plywood sub floor which rests on the support beams underneath. The sub floor can warp or the nails used to secure the floorboards in place come loose. The second reason for squeaks is a gap between the sub floor and the joists. The gaps most likely occur because the sub floor has warped.

Real Wood Floors recommends finding a quality wood floor contractor in your area to evaluate your floor to discover where and why the squeak is occuring. Most likely, it will be something they can fix quickly and easily. Their are several kits a wood floor owner can purchase online, however, most of these kits are not effective or only mask the real problem.

Our Wood Floor Photo Shoot

2011-05-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

Clean Your Hardwood Floor With The Best

2011-05-16T11:01:00.000-07:00

Here at Real Wood Floors we appreciate our customers. So much so, that we want to give back to them the best way we know how. That is why, for the next 7 months, we are giving away one free Bona Hardwood Spray Mop each month to one of our followers on Facebook. It's our way of saying thank you.

The Bona Hardwood Spray Mop is an awesome product that will add years to your hardwood floor by cleaning it with no harsh chemicals and using an industry leading design as to not damage your floor. It uses safe, no residue, environmentally frendly hardwood floor cleaner that will leave your floor clean and fresh without streaking, and it is Bona GREENGUARD certified, meaning it is non-toxic and tested safe for children and schools.

The Microfiber Cleaning Pad is washable and reusable allowing it to last longer than other spray mops, and it attracts and traps dirt that other all purpose mops just push around.

This is the only spray mop Real Wood Floors endorses and should you not want to wait to win the Bona Hardwood Spray Mop, Real Wood Floors recommends getting one today to take care of your hardwood floors.

Our Factory

2011-05-12T09:02:00.000-07:00

Our Facebook Contest!

2011-05-09T11:04:00.000-07:00

We are looking for more Facebook Fans! So, we have decided that we will award one lucky customer or contractor with a Bona Reservoir Hardwood Floor Spray Mop each month for the rest of the year, beginning in May and ending in December. To enter, all you will have to do is access Real Wood Floor’s Facebook page and click the “Like” button. The winners receive a free Bona Hardwood Floor Mop, specially designed to be used with any type of residential wood. But that's not all! Additionally, winners name’s will go into a grand prize drawing for 300sqft of wood flooring to be given away at a year end drawing in December! Real Wood Floors is excited to offer this opportunity to customers and looks forward to future promotions.

Before You Floor

2011-05-02T07:14:00.000-07:00

Hardwood floors are timeless and add character to any home. These classic, attractive floors aren’t to be taken lightly, however. There are a number of variables to consider when deciding what floor is right for you.
Every species used in hardwood flooring has unique properties, but the main aspects you’ll need to judge are color and grain. Different species have different colors, naturally, but the colors from specific parts of the tree tend to vary. How your wood is cut and the species determines the pattern of the grain.
The finish of your floor is another important consideration: pre-finished floors are already sanded, stained, and coated with a protective finish; “finish in place” floors require these techniques after installation, but allow greater customization for your own personal touch. If you don’t like how prefinished floors have beveled edges, a site finished floor is what you’ll want. Having it sanded on site removes the need for the tiny bevels between planks.
As we’ve discussed at length before, one of hardwood flooring’s worst enemies is the moisture. Consider your local climate: Drier locales may want to acquire a humidifier to counteract the climate. Similarly, UV rays can damage your floors, causing fades and discoloration. Window treatments help reduce this effect. Also remember to move furniture and area rugs intermittently to prevent areas of permanent discoloration.
Hardwood floors are a big investment, but they transform any home into something completely different. The classics never go out of style.

The Process of Creating Hardwood Floors

2011-04-28T09:07:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered just how a tree goes from the forest and comes to your floor? It’s more complicated than you might think. There’s three key varieties of hardwood flooring: solid, longstrip, and engineered.
Solid wood floors are typically a single plank of wood, with “tongues” and “grooves” that allow the pieces to connect. Solid floors are extremely moisture sensitive, and generally nailed down to ward off humidity fluctuations. As we’ve discussed before, seasonal moisture shifts cause wood to contract and expand—cold weather causes wood to shrink, while more humid climates cause wood to expand. Because of this, expansion space should be considered when placing your planks.
Longstrip and engineered floors share a key trait: both are composed of multiple sheets (called “plies”) of wood pieced together to create a single plank.
For longstrip flooring, the core of the piece is usually a more pliable, softer wood. The top layer, however, can be any number of hardwood species. Longstrip production creates an interesting effect—a board a few planks wide and many planks long. Each piece resembles a single preassembled chunk of the floor. One advantage of longstrip floors is that they’re easily replaced if they’ve suffered irreparable damage.
Engineered floors are arranged in opposing directions. This is often known as “cross-ply” construction. This method effectively guards the flooring against moisture-related problems. The planks’ arrangement causes the expansions and contractions to counter one another, limiting or reducing the amount of cupping and crowning a floor can exhibit when exposed to differing levels of humidity.
Engineered floors are versatile, allowing them to be installed in any part of the home whether it be the basement or directly on slab. These floors can be stapled, glued, nailed, or even floated over existing subfloors.

Come See Us at the NWFA

2011-04-25T07:33:00.000-07:00

Real Wood Floors will be in San Diego tomorrow for the 2011 NWFA Annual Wood Flooring Convention and Expo, April 27-29, 2011. If the amazing weather and terrific golf courses aren't motivation enough, you can also learn everything their is to know about wood flooring and installation. We will be in booth 1119. We look forward to seeing you there.

Why Water and Vinegar Don’t Work

2011-04-21T09:41:00.000-07:00

Water and vinegar is commonly perceived as a cheap, environmentally friendly option for those looking to keep their hardwood floors sparkling. While you might think you’re keeping both the planet and your wallet safe, you do so at the risk of dulling your floor.
Moisture is a key element to the flooring process—both during installation and regular maintenance. Wood will generally shrink and contract when exposed to low humidity, creating cracks between planks. The opposite is also true: high humidity causes wood to expand. Spilled water or puddles results in wood swelling up and can cause it to become discolored. (This is why specially made cleaners are delivered in misting spray bottles.
Vinegar is an acid—in reality, it won’t clean a messy floor, it will eat away at the finish. Remember, you’re not cleaning the floor itself, you’re working to clean the chemical finish. With its acidic properties, vinegar dulls the floor’s shine. Making matters worse is the water, especially when a mop is used. Traditional mops cause an excess of water, compounding both the effects of moisture and acid.
Don’t rely on this old wives’ tale. Hardwood floor cleaners are made for a reason—keeping your floors looking great with no side effects.

Protecting your hardwood floors from the paws of your furry friends.

2011-03-14T08:28:00.000-07:00

An important, but overlooked consideration when contemplating wood flooring is how well they will hold up under the traffic of your four legged friends. When it comes to pets and your wood floors there are a few things to consider. How well your floors hold up under larger pets will be determined by both the species of wood for your flooring and the type of finish you put on it.

Even the best floor finish manufacturers will tell you that their product will not withstand the punishment provided by large pets. Make sure that you don’t set your expectations too high and be prepared to see some damage. Most pre-finished floor manufacturers will not warrant against damage done by pets, so that is another consideration to keep in mind when buying.

That being said, some types of floor finishes will hold up better than others. Two part water-based finishes that are formulated for high traffic or commercial settings generally perform better than oil-based polyurethane. Make sure you ask your contractor if he is proficient using high traffic residential or commercial finishes that might better withstand abuse from your pets.

You’ll also want to consider the species of wood used for your flooring. Some denser species will do a better job holding up under pets than others. For example, if you put in a yellow pine floor, which is naturally soft wood, even with the best finish, your pet’s weight will probably dent the wood itself. On the other hand if you put Brazilian Cherry floor in your home, your pets’ ability to dent this dense wood will be much less.

Ask your contractor what he or she recommends to withstand abuse from your pets. Be willing to buy a denser species such as hickory, Brazilian Cherry, Santos Mahogany or Maple to withstand the wear and tear and be willing to spend a little more for two-part water-based finishes that will provide more durability under the extra wear and tear. As always, have reasonable expectations as to what will happen to the appearance of the floor with a pet running around on it.

Orange Glo Nightmares

2011-03-07T10:14:00.000-08:00

This week – a great reminder from Kevin over at Heartland Hardwood Flooring about the dangers of Orange Glo. For customers looking to restore shine to their hardwood floors, it’s important to inform them about the dangers of products like Orange Glo. Kevin provides more details here.

An ounce of prevention...

2011-02-28T09:00:00.000-08:00

Hardwood flooring is one of the best interior investments you can add to your home. Realtors and homebuilders alike have acknowledged that wood flooring makes any home more appealing. That being said, maintaining your investment over many years is important. There are a few very simple steps you can take to help protect your wood flooring investment from wear and tear and damage.

Beware dirt and grit.

Dirt and grit can scratch the wood finish when dragged across your floors by shoes or dust mops. Entrance mats help to control the amount of grit and dust coming into the home and dry mopping with microfiber helps to keep the dust that does get in under control.

Vacuum safely

If you choose to use a vacuum on your wood flooring, make sure your vacuum employs a soft brush and never use a vacuum that has a beater bar on your wood floors.

Protect your floors from furniture

Furniture—table and chair legs—can also scratch and damage your wood floors. To avoid damage from furniture movement, place felt pieces on table and chair legs. If your wood floor is in an area such as a dining room, where furniture is frequently moved, you can also use area rugs to protect your floor.

Clean with care

Avoid harsh chemicals when cleaning your hardwood floors. Chemicals can be harmful to your wood floor finish and can cause discoloration. Contact your manufacturer for a recommendation on appropriate cleaners.

Water Happens, But it doesn't have to ruin your wood floors

2011-02-22T16:43:00.000-08:00

One of the most costly threats to your hardwood floors is water damage. Water damage can occur from spills, leaks and humidity and moisture in the air. Of course the best way to save your hardwood floors from water damage is to employ preventive measures. Try to avoid water and other liquid spills; if they occur clean them immediately using absorbent cloth or paper towels. Maintaining air humidity in the recommended range for your particular hardwood floor is also necessary to prevent warping and other moisture related damage.

Some simple ways to prevent water damage include employing the use of rugs in areas, such as entryways, that are more likely to be exposed to moisture. Always be sure to speak with the manufacturer of your wood floors for tips and recommendations specific to your chosen floor.

Taking preventive measures will go a long way toward preserving the beauty of your hardwood floors over time. However, no matter how careful you may be, water damage can still occur. If you discover water or moisture damage on your hardwood floors, it is most important that you act quickly to remove or eliminate the source of moisture.

Depending on the kind of damage and the kind of hardwood floors you have, steps to repair it may vary. The important things to remember with any water damage are 1) eliminate the source of moisture and 2) wait until the wood has properly dried and relaxed prior to making any drastic decisions regarding repair. If water-damage related repairs are undertaken prior to the floor properly drying, permanent damage can be done to the floor. Feel free to email us regarding your specific issue and we’ll be happy to help you determine the next steps.

Protecting your wood floors from extra soles this holiday!

2010-12-22T08:47:00.000-08:00

As you prepare your home for holiday guests this week, don't forget to give your wood floors some extra care and attention. The added foot traffic of friends and family during the holidays means extra wear and tear on your floors. The following tips can help you make sure your wood floors are properly protected as you welcome guests into your home:

If you have wood floors in your kitchen, be sure to protect areas near the refrigerator, sink, dishwasher and stove with area rugs to avoid water and food stains.

Place rugs or floor mats near any entrance into your home so guests can wipe their feet and keep any harsh materials from making their way onto your wood floors. You may also want to asks guests to remove their shoes when entering your home.

If you need to move furniture to make room for extra guests, be sure to use felt pads on table and chair legs to avoid scratching your wood floors.

If you have wood flooring in areas of your home that you anticipate seeing high traffic, you may want to use area rugs in those rooms as well.

These tips can help ensure that your wood floors maintain their finish and shine, even under the added holiday foot traffic. Taking these few extra steps to protect your floors can also help ensure that you can enjoy your holidays with family and friends without worrying about the safety of your floors.

Giving Thanks

2010-11-24T08:52:00.000-08:00

As we take this week to think about all we're thankful for, we here at Real Wood Floors wanted to take the opportunity to say thanks to all of you for your support in 2010. We know that you have a choice for your engineered flooring needs and we're thankful that you choose our product.

We will continue to offer you the best products at a competitive rate as well as the "service after the sale" as we move forward through the end of 2010 and into 2011. Additionally, we hope you won't hesitate to let us know if there is something we can do to make your experience using our products even better.

Enjoy the holiday week and thanks for giving us the opportunity to serve you.

Should I paint or stain my trim?

2010-08-03T08:52:00.000-07:00

I have been asked recently by a couple of clients what to do about their wall trim after they install their flooring. Should you paint trim to set it apart from the floor or should you buy the same type of wood that is used on the floor and stain it?

In my humble opinion, I think painting the base molding really helps to make the floor stand on its own. In other words, when you stain base shoe, quarter round or base molding to match the wood floor it tends to make the floor look like its crawling up the wall. Add to this that it is a good possibility that it will be very difficult to get an exact match on staining trim work and I think it makes the case for painting even better. It's a situation where just getting close on the color looks worse than being completely different. Look at these pictures below and decide for yourself.

Above: Stained shoe molding makes the flooring look like its crawling up the wall and doesn't set it apart from the trim.

Above: Painted base shoe and trim distinguishes the floor from the wall.

Wear layers and longevity

2010-07-23T06:48:00.000-07:00

We talk a lot about the thickness of the wear layer on our products. The wear layer is the usable surface on an engineered floor, the layer of hardwood that sits on top that gives the floor its unique appearance which is exactly the same as a solid 3/4" floor. But it also represents the potential lifespan of the floor based on its thickness. Traditional solid 3/4" wood flooring is thought to be the gold standard of real wood flooring. And in many ways they still represent a viable option. They have a thick wear layer that can be re-used and they will look great in your home for a lifetime. Our engineered product mimics these benefits by giving you a heavy 5mm wear layer that can be re-sanded over time to refresh your floor and in addition give you added benefits like better dimensional stability which limits the seasonal shrinkage you typically see in solid floors. They can also be used in basements unlike solid wood flooring and also in glue-down applications they will eliminate the need for large unsightly transitions from wood to tile or carpet.

What is a quality wood floor?

2010-07-21T08:15:00.000-07:00

I see a number of forum posts asking the above question. What is quality, how can it be defined? Here is a brief overview of the different aspects of picking out a quality wood flooring product.

Raw Materials
This can be difficult to ascertain but it is important to note that quality products start with quality raw materials. In engineered flooring this pertains to the backing material (plywood for multiply products and wood fillets and backing veneers for 3ply products), the actual hardwood veneer, and the glues used to process the product into a piece of usable flooring.

Processing
How are the floors made? What type of equipment are they processed on? Flooring produced on high-end German machinery are more likely to have tight fitting tolerances and less over-wood (height differences) than product made on lower end machinery. Not to mention contractors will have less difficulty installing products that are easy to work with. That translates to less time they are working in your home.

Investment Value
Is the floor you are purchasing made in such a way that it can be expected to last a long time in your home? This pertains mostly to the thickness of the wear-layer on an engineered floor. Is there enough usable hardwood to be refinished multiple times so that a few years down the road you can have them re-sanded and finished rather than paying for removal and replacement of new flooring?

There are other considerations but these are a few key items to explore when choosing a floor for your home.

Production Availability for Real Wood Floors

2010-02-24T08:13:00.000-08:00

I wanted to give you some updates regarding our upcoming production so you can plan your bids accordingly. We have picked up a number of new customers in the last 4-6 weeks and it has put a little lag into some of our available inventory for certain items and we are now in catch-up mode. I wanted to take each species and break down our current inventory situation and our upcoming production so you know what to expect for the next 6-8 weeks.

Red Oak
Still the king of everything we do. We are having a difficult time keeping up on 2 1/4" and 3 1/4" in both Select and #1 common. We have 2 1/4" and 3 1/4" S&B in stock currently and we have a lot of 4" that we ran to sell as a substitute until we get the 3 1/4" production up to a level that will meet the current demand. If you have larger jobs upcoming you might consider pushing 4" widths for both S&B and #1. We had backed way off on 5" production last year as our demand for that product had slacked off, but with the rising solid market pricing our demand is coming back. We have stock on it currently and we have more on the way. If you have upcoming demand for 2 1/4" you might get orders placed early as we are now getting distributors buying some material for stock.

White Oak
We started making plainsawn white oak about 18 months ago and I don't think we've ever caught up on 3 1/4" S&B. It is a tough product in that the demand for the common grade is not as strong as the red oak and that forces us to find very specific loads of lumber that has good color and the right widths to make just what we need. We have been doing better as of late with it but it is still a situation where every time we get a batch in it is usually presold before it hits the warehouse. We have found a solution on the lumber side to this problem but it will still take a few months to get that worked out. So on 3 1/4" S&B be prepared for some delays. We do have about 8000sqft coming in soon but we do have some orders against it already. 4" S&B has a new life in that we've taken a lot of new orders from new customers on it and similarly to the 4" we are catching up. 5" S&B we do the best on and we do have a little in stock now and we have another 10000sqft in production. We have not found any good market for the #1 common product yet, please let us know if you have different ideas for that. We are going to move some white oak into our prefinished handscraped product to off-load that material.

Maple
This product more than any other has seen an increased demand in the last few weeks. We sold out of 3 1/4" in both grades and we have a little more coming in but its going to be a month or so before we can catch up on that width. In response we've upped the 4" production so please consider quoting the 4" product for the short term as an alternative to the 3 1/4". We have good stock of 5" currently and we have more coming in.

Jatoba
We have all widths on hand now. We will have more 5" coming in the third week of March (8000sqft).

Hickory
We have sold a large volume of hickory to distributors who are finding their solid pricing inching up and are seeing the engineered product as a more viable option than 6 months ago. We sold completely out of 4" and 5" last week. We still have 3 1/4" and 6" on the ground and we will have 10000sqft of 5" and 3500sqft of 4" coming in around the third week of March.

R&Q White Oak
This has been a product in the past that was tough to keep up on but we are currently well stocked on all widths and grades.

Walnut
We currently have good stock of both grades in all widths. We are offering special pricing on 4" Character so you might consider that when you have customers looking for Character Walnut floors.

Tigerwood
We have a good amount of 5" material on hand.

Santos Mahogany
We have a good amount of 5" material on hand.

Let us know if there is anything we can do or if you have any questions about our upcoming production.

Wood Flooring - The Renewable Flooring Material

2009-05-11T06:53:00.001-07:00

What makes wood flooring the environmentally friendly flooring option?

Did you know...

to grow one pound of wood, a tree uses 1.47 pounds of carbon dioxide and gives off 1.07 pounds of oxygen. Consequently, an acre of trees can remove about 13 tons of dust and gases from the atmosphere. However, once a tree stops growing and begins to decay, the process reverses. For every pound of wood that decays, the tree uses 1.07 pounds of oxygen and releases 1.47 pounds of carbon dioxide into the air.

When harvested at maturity, hardwood lumber not only decreases the amount of carbon emitted into the environment but also provides a durable and beautiful flooring material that the National Association of Home Builders notes will last 50+ years in a home.

Hardwood forests in the United States are healthier today than they were 50 years ago due to single-tree harvesting methods. By mirroring natural occurences, single tree selection is a long-established form of biomimicry that supports natural forest regeneration. Hardwood forests regenerate naturally and prolifically when sustainable forestry practices are utilized making tree planting unnecessary. These practices have been the predominant form of harvesting for many years which is why the supply of American hardwoods is nearly double what it was in 1950. Each year the amount of hardwood grown in American forests far surpasses the amount that is harvested.

Taking all these factors into account its easy to see why real wood flooring is the natural choice for environmentally friendly flooring products.

For more information on the sustainability of American hardwood lumber please visit the American Hardwood Information Center.

So many options... How to pick out the best floor for your home.

2009-05-08T07:01:00.000-07:00

You've probably seen the Sonic Drive-In commercial touting the 168,894 different drink combination's they offer. So if you tried a new one every day you'd have to live 463 years to get through all the possibilities. That sounds daunting. However if I were to calculate all the different options we have available in wood flooring we would be at around 1,209,600 options. Sonic drinks, it turns out, are rather simple compared to the complexity of picking a wood floor.

In reality of course we've never made anywhere near that many items, but those are the options available to us. I arrived at that number by multiplying the number of species x textures x finished/unfinished x type of finish x widths x thicknesses x grades x colors. I was actually very conservative on my calculation as the color possibilities could be endless. To this point we've made about 20 different colors so I used that number. But to make this a little less complex, let me throw out the major choices you need to consider when purchasing a wood floor.

1. Site-Finished vs. Pre-finished
Do you want the floor truly custom to your own taste (finished to your own spec on site) or prefinished in the plant. One thing to consider; site finishing is more labor intensive but is also the only way to get a truly custom floor.

2. Engineered Wood vs. Solid Wood
Engineered floors are more stable and can be glued directly to concrete as well as can be used in basements. Solid floors can only be used ground level and above. This is due to the stability of engineered flooring.

3. Species
We work with 6 different domestic species and 3 exotic species. The species will not only determine what color range you will be able to work in, but also the graining patterns (oak grain is much more pronounced than maple) will give differnet looks. In addition the species will also determine the hardness of the floor (walnut is much softer than maple).

This is a color swatch of the natrural
colors of the woods we work with.

4. Texture
Flat finished floors are traditional and you'll have smooth texture. Wire-brushing will make the texture much more pronounced as you will see the depth of the grain. Handscraping will add a time-worn appearance to the floor. Pros and Cons: Textured floors will not show wear as quickly and sometimes hide dirt better, but these floors are also more difficult to re-finish down the road.

The above floor is handscraped to add a
time-worn appearance. It also has very
deep bevels which make the lines between
the planks more pronounced.

5. Color
This one is pretty self explanatory. What color do you want?

6. Finish
First off, if you are thinking site-finished flooring, then this question would be for your flooring contractor as he'll be applying the finish in your home. For pre-finished flooring we can finish a floor with different types of coatings. Aluminum oxide top coats have become industry standard for pre-finished floors and they offer good wear resistance. European oiled floors will offer much more depth and richness of color than aluminum oxide but will also require more maintenance on your part.

7. Thickness
This isn't really something to worry about unless you have an issue in an existing home where you are trying to match the height of another existing flooring product. For example if you want a wood floor that matches up perfectly height-wise with a tile floor that's already in the home. The thinner the floor the cheaper it should be, but also the thinner floors often have a very shortened lifespan of usability so you might save up front on it but you also may replace it more than once. Our typical product is made so that it will last as long as your house is standing.

8. Width
We make floors in a number of different widths from the traditional 2 1/4" up to 7" wide. Things to consider: the wider floors are in fashion currently however they are also more expensive and can be less stable which means if you have a 7" wide floor you are more likely to see some shrinkage in the winter time than if you have a 3 1/4" floor. Wider floors have more ability to move with the seasonal changes in temperature and humidity. But they do look awesome.

I realize I run the risk of complicating this to the point that you don't want to have to bother with choosing. If that is the case the best thing to do is to communicate what look you're trying to achieve and your budget and then I can make some suggestions. If you do have pets you might check out my post on wood floors and pets for some other considerations. Bottom line for choosing wood flooring: they are easy to clean, they are naturally beautiful, they add value to your home, they should last forever (as long as your child doesn't bring the water hose into the house anyway), they are not cold to bare feet like tile, they don't trap dust like carpet, they are the only truly renewable flooring option so they're environmentally friendly and my son might not have learned to walk if we didn't have them. Seriously do you think this chair would slide like that across carpet?

Wood Floors and Humidity in Your Home

2009-02-24T10:59:00.000-08:00

Wood Floors and Humidity in Your Home

Anyone who is looking at putting hardwood flooring into their home should have a basic understanding of how humidity affects wood flooring. Many times the problems that can arise when wood floors come in contact with water or water vapor can be prevented if the flooring contractor properly educates the homeowner. Unfortunately this information isn't always communicated to the homeowner leaving them feeling frustrated or even feeling like they've been given inferior products or poor craftsmanship. A simple explanation of how wood is affected by water and how to prevent this being a problem for your floor will greatly reduce the incidence of poor experiences.

First and foremost wood is hygroscopic. You're probably already thinking about hitting the back button but let me define the terms and you'll see it’s not as difficult to grasp as it might sound. Webster defines hygroscopic as "absorbing or attracting moisture from the air" or "readily absorbing moisture, as from the atmosphere". So now you know that wood can easily absorb moisture from the air or its environment. That doesn't sound so bad until you realize that when wood absorbs moisture it will also change in size. This actually affects wood flooring when it dries out as well. To understand this from the manufacturing side of things imagine this. When the sawmill cuts lumber it is what we call "green" lumber meaning that it still retains a lot of the moisture that was traveling up the trunk of the tree to get water to the branches and leaves. This green lumber may have a moisture content of 30%. Now if you made flooring out of this green lumber that was 5" wide, when the pieces of flooring dried out below 30% the flooring would shrink in size. That is why flooring manufacturers dry the lumber down to 6% - 9% before making it into flooring. This is the same with all hardwood trades. Going from 30% down to 9% lumber will lose about 7% of its size. Now that I've put you to sleep with that info lets try to get back to the real world and understand how this affects the floor in your home.

Your floor will come in generally around 6% - 9% moisture content. It will need to acclimate (definition: become accustomed to a new climate or environment) to the interior conditions of your home to achieve equilibrium so that it does not shrink or swell as it adjusts to its new environment. This is why experienced flooring contractors will measure the moisture content prior to installing it and will also make sure that your home will have stable conditions (constant humidity and temperature) before installing the floor. If the floor is 9% moisture content and is installed into an environment that is 20% relative humidity the floor will begin to shrink in size and you'll see gaps between the rows. On the other hand if the floor is 6% and is installed into an environment that is 50% relative humidity it will begin to grow in size which will in turn make the floor "cup" or begin to exhibit a washboard appearance. This is a common unsightly occurrence that many homeowners experience with little understanding of what’s going on. This can be caused by contractors not doing their due diligence on testing moisture in the wood and in the home prior to installation but can also be caused by homeowners not maintaining stable interior moisture conditions in their home. Wood flooring has a comfort zone which is generally considered to be between 30% and 50% relative humidity and between 68 and 72 degrees. Thankfully these are conditions that humans also find comfortable. However you need to understand that this is why you cannot go on vacation and turn off the heat or air conditioning and assume your wood floor will not be affected.

Let me touch on a few things rules of thumb to consider when buying wood flooring. First off engineered products made from multiply ply’s of hardwood with a hardwood veneer will be more stable than solid wood flooring in most conditions. Narrower widths are less affected than wider widths and lastly, some species are naturally more stable than others. For example a 6" wide solid Hickory floor will be more likely to move in a higher moisture environment than a 3 1/4" wide engineered red oak floor. Make sure when getting bids for your floor work that you ask the contractor if he will measure and document the moisture content of the flooring and sub-flooring and the interior relative humidity prior to installation. If he says it’s not important then beware that he might not be taking all proper precautions to ensure your wood flooring installation will perform up to expectations. Take care to make sure the interior conditions of your home will stay between 30% and 50% relative humidity. This will require the use of a hygrometer which measures relative humidity which you can pick up at a local electronics store or on the internet. Lastly, make sure you understand that if your home dries out in the wintertime expect to see cracks in the floor unless you take care to make sure the relative humidity stays stable. On the other hand if the relative humidity rises expect to see the floor begin to swell and possibly cup unless you can control or lower the humidity during the more humid season. This may sound technical or tedious but keep in mind two other factors when weighing the options. First off, keeping your home in these relative humidity levels will lower the cost of heating your home in the winter and additionally physicians will tell you that it is much healthier to breathe air with these levels of humidity than extremely dry or extremely wet conditions.

Wood Floors and Pets

2009-01-14T10:53:00.000-08:00

Wood Floors and Pets

If you're thinking of getting new wood floors and you're wondering how well they will hold up under the traffic of your four legged friends, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. The ability of a floor to hold up under the traffic of large pets will be determined by a couple of issues. First what species you use and secondly what type of finish is put on your floor.

Even the best floor finish manufacturers will disclaim their product does not have the ability to withstand the punishment provided by large pets. So make sure you don't set your expectations too high to think there will be no damage. By the way, most pre-finished floor manufacturers will not warrant against damage by pets either so keep that in mind when buying. That being said, some types of floor finishes will hold up better than others under these conditions. Two part water-based finishes that are formulated for high traffic or commercial settings generally perform better than oil-based polyurethane. Be sure to ask your contractor if he is proficient using high traffic residential or commercial finishes that might better withstand the abuse by your pets. Secondly, remember that some species that are denser will do a better job holding up under your pets. For example if you put in a yellow pine floor, which is a naturally soft wood, even with the best finish your pets weight will probably dent the wood itself even if the finish holds up. On the other hand if you put in a Brazilian Cherry floor your pets ability to dent this dense wood will be much less although the finish may still show wear. Ask your contractor what he recommends to withstand abuse by your pets. Be willing to buy a denser species such as hickory, Brazilian Cherry, Santos Mahogany or Maple to withstand the wear and tear of your pet and be willing to spend a little more for two-part water-based finishes that will provide more durability under the extra wear and tear. And again, have reasonable expectations as to what will happen to the appearance of the floor with a pet running around on it.

One more important point from my wife. Take into consideration the color of your pet when choosing the color of your floor. My 80lb. yellow lab Carly is most definitely the ultimate expression of man's best friend, however her nearly white coat makes her shedding hair very visible against our darkly stained oak floors. I guess you can look at that in two ways. My wife says she likes that she can always tell when the floor needs to be swept. But then on the other hand, sometimes she hates knowing the floor needs to be swept. I will say we both find it much easier to clean the hardwood floor than our carpets when it comes to pet hair.