Frequently Asked Questions

About Hardwood

1. What is the difference between site-finished and prefinished hardwood floors?

Site-finished hardwoods are installed raw (unfinished) and then sanded, stained, and coated with polyurethane in your home. You are able to select the stain color and the gloss level of the floor. Prefinished hardwood floors are fully manufactured and finished in the factory. A prefinished floor offers a quicker and more convenient installation, but you have fewer choices in stain color, etc. Both types of wood flooring (site-finished and prefinished) are available in solid and engineered wood.

2. What is solid wood? What is engineered wood?

~~Solid wood is exactly as it sounds: a solid piece of wood. Solid wood is usually ¾” thick.
~~Engineered wood is thinner and is made in plies (layers) with the actual species of wood on the top layer. The bottom layers utilize other species of wood for stability. Engineered wood was developed for glue down installation, but some can be nailed down. Engineered floors can be ¼”, 3/8” (most common), ½”, even 9/16” and ¾” thick. If the area being installed has a plywood subfloor, either type may be used. Solid wood floors can only be installed on a cement slab if special and expensive installation techniques are followed.

3. Are prefinished floors real hardwood floors? Are engineered floors real hardwood floors?

Yes, both are composed of 100% hardwood. Most engineered wood floors can be sanded at least once, except veneers. All ¾” solid prefinished wood floors can be sanded numerous times.

4. What popular in hardwood floors?

There are some trends that we have seen coming for a few years. The first is less shine. Floors now have more of a matte look, which is more practical for active families and in heavy use areas. A matte finish shows less than a shiny floor, both in terms of dust and dirt, and scratches and dings. A matte finish’s good looks will last much longer than a high gloss floor.

PRO TIP: If you currently have floors that are glossy or shiny, many can be refinished with a matte look instead.

Lighter colors are also more popular than ever: we are seeing more light browns, blonds, more natural stains than the really dark and more red/orange toned stains. This also includes white oak, as it stains lighter and less red than a red oak.

Clients are choosing wider planks these days. We are seeing a lot of 6 and 7 inch options, but offer choices from 5” up to 9”. Of course, the prices rise accordingly with the width. The wider planks lend themselves to the “farmhouse” look that is still popular.

5. What is European white oak?

Grown thought Europe, it is a wood with a fine, tight grain and smaller growth rings than American oak, giving the graining a more uniform flow. It also has more even color across boards. This, combined with a more wavy grain pattern than American oak’s mostly straight grain, allows for better contrasts between shades in the grain pattern, giving it a more unique aesthetic. With less sapwood and a higher tannin content, European Oak also absorbs stains better than American oak—making scratches less noticeable.

6. Will wood floors hold up to high traffic situations? Kids? Pets?

The more you sweep and/or vacuum your floor, the better it will wear. Hardwood floors are not scratch resistant. The floor will indent if you drop something heavy or sharp on it. You can gouge a wood floor by dragging your furniture across it. Keep your pet’s nails trimmed. Some floors show wear and damage more readily. Generally, the lower gloss, the less scratches, etc., will show. Medium stain colors and wood with a lot of grain will also show less damage. Very light and very dark floors show scratches and wear quickly, and floors such as maple that have very little grain again show imperfections more readily.

7. How do you take care of a hardwood floor? What type of vacuum cleaner should I use?

Sweep or vacuum regularly and damp mop as needed using a hardwood floor mop and approved hardwood floor cleaner (do not use oil or wax based cleaners.) Be sure you have felt floor protectors on the legs of chairs, bar stools, etc. Use good quality doormats at all of your exterior doors. Do not use a vacuum with a beater bar or hard head on hardwood floors. The vacuum head should be brush or felt; a wand attachment is preferable. NEVER use a “steam mop” on a hardwood floor.

8. How often will I have to refinish a hardwood floor?

That depends on the amount of traffic in your home and how well you take care of your floors. Generally speaking, the average homeowner needs another coat of polyurethane every 6 to 8 years. You totally refinish a floor only because you either want to change the color of the floor or the floor has been abused (deep scratches, gouges, discolorations, etc.)

9. Can I put hardwoods in my bathrooms?

It is not recommended as full use bathrooms are usually very moist areas, and water is not a hardwood floor’s best friend. However, if this is for use in a ½ bath or powder room, it will probably be okay.

10. Can we walk on floors immediately after they are installed?

That is dependant on the type of installation method used for your project, and whether you chose a prefinished floor or a site-finished floor. Ask your salesperson or installer to be sure.

11. Will there be a lot of dust during the installation process?

Some of our operations, such as removal of old floors, undercutting doorjambs, and removal of old carpet and pad may create an unusual amount of dust or dirt. While almost all of the wood cutting is done outside the home, there will still be some dust. We can hang plastic to help contain the dust to the area we are working in. With a site -finished installation and/or refinishing, we strive to keep the dust from the sanding to a minimum. We also offer a Dust Containment Sanding System which significantly reduces the amount of dust that is generated by the machines.

12. What are the differences between hardwoods and laminates?

Hardwoods will scratch and indent more easily than laminates. Laminate floors are a computer-generated picture and therefore don’t have the depth and realism of a real hardwood floor. Laminates utilize a floating installation method whereas wood floors are usually secured to your subfloor.

13. How much does it cost to install hardwoods floors?

That depends on the quality and species of wood you choose, but generally you can have hardwoods installed starting around $10.00 to $12.00 per square foot, depending on manufacturer, quality and your incidental charges.

14. Can I install hardwoods on my stairs?

Yes, however it is not inexpensive. An average staircase retrofitted in solid oak is around $200 to $300 per tread and riser combination. We also install new handrails and balusters.

15. Which direction should I lay my hardwoods? Front-to-back or side-to-side?

If your new floor is being installed over a cement slab, the direction is totally your choice. A general rule is to run the wood the same direction as the longest length. However, if your ¾” solid wood floor is being installed over a wooden subfloor, the wood must run in the opposite direction of the floor joists. If this is not the direction you want your wood to run, you can run the wood on the diagonal or additional subfloor can be added so that you can change the direction. This can be discussed further during your In Home Estimate.

16. How much subfloor do I need to have a wood floor?

For a wood floor installation (solid or engineered), most manufacturers require a minimum of 5/8” thick CDX grade plywood (3/4” is recommended) or ¾” thick OSB subfloor (required.) Maximum 16” on center joist construction is also required. Hardwood flooring should not be installed over particleboard, waferboard, pressed wood, or fiberboard. All wooden subfloors, especially OSB, must be in very good condition in order to properly support the new wood floor. (These subfloor requirements are not applicable on a cement slab installation. Moisture testing and leveling are your biggest concerns if you are on a slab.)

17. What if I have particleboard?

We recommend having the particleboard removed and replaced with plywood.

18. Are your floors made in the USA?

Many of our products are. However, some are not. Imported generally refers to prefinished wood flooring that is manufactured in China and other Asian locations. The wood may or may not be grown and harvested overseas. Consistency in quality, unpredictable availability, and warranty implications are concerns, but the cost may be lower than American made products.

19. What is floor prep?

Anything that is required to follow the manufacturer’s requirements that the subfloor be flat, clean, dry, and structurally sound prior to the installation of the new floor. For many floor coverings, the subfloor must be level to within 3/16” over a 10’ span.

20. Can we stay home while work is being done?

Usually you can, but that depends on your ability to enter or exit the home without disturbing your new floors while the finish is drying or the glue is setting up. Ask your salesperson or installer to be sure.

21. I’m adding more wood. Can you match my existing finish and color exactly?

Wood slowly changes color over time. For this reason, you can add more of the exact same prefinished flooring and no one will be able guarantee a perfect color match. If you are choosing site finished hardwoods, we will blend the stain color to match as closely as possible, but the most important thing to match is the wood (grade, species, etc.) itself.

22. I am doing site finished wood. Which is better--water or oil based polyurethane?

Durability is very similar. Water based polyurethane dries more quickly and doesn’t yellow or amber like an oil based urethane will. Oil based urethanes have a stronger odor and take longer to dry than water based urethanes. However, darker stain colors tend to look better (richer) with oil based urethanes.

23. Which should I do first, paint or the new floor?

We recommend doing your floors first. This is particularly important when there is demo (for example, removing hard surface floors and/or subflooring) being done. A reputable painter will not have any problems protecting and not damaging your brand new floors. By doing the painting last, you don’t have to worry about any damage from the demo or installation, touch-up painting, painting your primed baseboards and/or shoemold, etc.

24. Are there waterproof hardwood floors?

Yes, but keep reading to learn more.

You can see pictures of our installations on our Facebook and Instagram pages.

Waterproof Flooring

It’s the hottest thing out there. Everybody wants it. Waterproof LVP. Waterproof laminate. Even waterproof wood.
You will see in flooring showrooms all over America a piece of “waterproof” plank submerged in water for days, weeks, months. But what are you really getting?

The uninstalled floor itself is waterproof. The locking systems on the floors are also “waterproof” but not for excessive amounts of water (more on this later). Think of a “waterproof” floor as being topically waterproof, for splashes and spills, pet accidents, wet mopping, typical everyday occurrences like this. Drop an ice cube, your floor will be OK. Actually, we prefer to call these floors “spillproof” and not waterproof. Here’s why:

What if there’s a lot of water? Waterproof is defined as being impervious to water, not allowing water to go through. And impervious is an even stronger word: not permitting penetration or passage; impenetrable, not capable of being damaged or harmed. A floor? Especially a wood floor? A laminate floor that is 80% wood? Really? Roofs can leak. Swimming pools can leak. Showers can leak. All of these are made to constantly get wet.

A lot of water can and will get in, around, through, and under the flooring. The quicker you get the liquid up, the better. But if your house floods, the water will reach the perimeter and make its way under the floor. Subfloors, wood trim, walls, all will likely be damaged by excessive amounts of water either on or below the “waterproof” flooring.

Water damage and mold cost the insurance industry $2.5 billion dollars per year, and the average cost of a home water damage insurance claim is over $7,000. The most common water damage issues are caused by plumbing and appliance issues, and less common are weather-related events such as rain, snow, or pipes burst due to freezing temperatures. Your “waterproof” floor is not going to help in situations like this. So please don’t buy a floor thinking it is going to survive a water damage.

You may be thinking can’t I just pull up the “waterproof” floor, dry everything out, and reinstall it. If it is a small area and you are super careful, probably. You must be very careful not to damage the tongues when removing the floor (otherwise you will have a hard time getting it back together) and you should number the planks, because it needs to be reinstalled like a puzzle. However, if there is a remediation company involved, their job is to get the floor up quickly and start drying everything out, because mold is an expensive word to an insurance company. A remediation technician will not know that your floor could possibly be reused, and his focus is NOT going to be on saving your floor. When you have a flood, you are going to get a new floor. And probably a new subfloor, sheetrock repair, new trim, painting, sometimes a new ceiling and new furniture … that’s why we have homeowner’s insurance.

To summarize, a floor is not impervious to water. Instead, think of your “waterproof” floor as having a surface that is resistant to small amounts of liquid that you clean up in a quick amount of time. You will avoid the disappointment of finding that something you thought would be covered by the flooring warranty is not.