Lumber Liquidators

Common Hardwood Myths - Part Two

Here's part two of our series on common hardwood myths.  The first one can be found HERE.

20.  Wood floors that are sanded and finished at the job-site are more durable than a factory manufactured finished floor.

     A pre-finished floor gives you the added benefit of a perfect finish applied under dust-free, ideal conditions at the factory.  Ours include from five to eight coats with aluminum oxide suspended in the finish.  The only thing harder is diamonds! Factory finishes are much harder than any product site-applied, requiring air-drying.

21.  Repairs are easier to make on a sanded and finished floor than a pre-finished floor.

     If needed, pre-finished boards can be replaced one at a time.  Job site finished boards require four or five days of sanding, staining, finishing and then waiting for the finish to dry.  After that, it may still not match the sheen of the floor.

22.  I have heard the oil-soaps are the best way to clean my wood floor.

     Soaps and detergents can leave a harmful film causing the top finishes to yellow, alligator or crack. Consult the product labeling for its expressed warranties.

23.  My wood flooring can be delivered and installed the same day.

     The industry and most wood manufacturers recommend that solid wood flooring be delivered to the job site at least 3-5 days before the installation. This properly acclimates the wood to "normal living conditions'. Temperature of 60F to 80F and a relative humidity of 30% to 50% with the HVAC fan left in the “on” position to provide a continuous flow of air across the floor are ideal.  Most engineered wood floors require about one day for acclimation. Be sure to check our installation guidelines for various products on our web site.

 24.   I only have white oak and red oak to choose from.

     Although White and Red Oak is still very popular, we have hundreds of beautiful Exotic wood species along with Cork and Bamboo from forests from all over the world. Many are offered in wider widths of 3”, 4”, 5”. The choice is yours.

 25.  When my wood is delivered can I store it in the garage, out of the weather?

     No. Wood flooring should never be stored in a garage, in a basement, directly on cement or in out buildings. No exposure to moisture of any type should be permitted.  Uncontrolled humidity or moisture vapors can penetrate into the wood flooring, causing it to swell or cup.

 26. Wood floors cannot be installed in a basement on a concrete floor.

     Not so.  We offer many fine quality engineered wood floors that feature cross-grain ply construction.  These floors are very stable and resist expansion and contraction.  Be sure to test your concrete floor for excessive levels of moisture over 3%.  Concrete installations (Gluedown or Floating) normally require moisture barriers.

27. I expect to get a wood floor to be all the same color, like the store sample.

     Wood is a natural product with patterns and color variations created in a living tree, like all of nature never to be repeated.  A small sample containing only a few grain patterns and shades of a species could never completely represent a fully installed floor with hundreds of pieces. If you prefer more uniformity in color and shade exotics may not be for you, consider our Dura-wood stained products.

 28. I expect my floor to have a “table top finish”.

      Wood floors are not tabletop material.  Hardwood floors that are pre-finished are milled to exacting specifications.  However, you may feel a slight variation from plank to plank, when walking across the floor in your bare feet. We offer both micro bevel and square edged materials.

 29. Hardwood floors are indestructible.

      Despite today's advanced technology, water spills, dirt and other abrasive substances can damage a wood floor's finish.  Location, traffic patterns, how often the floor is vacuumed and cleaned, children and/or pets are all factor that influence wear.

 30. Engineered floors are not “real wood” floors.

           Engineered floors have a real hardwood veneer wear layer with a multi-layer cross grain construction, perfect for at-grade or below-grade cement installations. These can be re-sanded about two times.

 31. If I get down on my hands and knees, I can see all kinds of small defects.

     Product claims are viewed/determined from a standing position.

 32. My basement, crawl space, or concrete slab looks dry so I should not have any problems with a new wood floor.

 About 90% of installation complaints are due to moisture, your installer should always check the subfloor and protect against moisture before installing the floor. Moisture issues are job site related.

 33. I have radiant heat, so I can't install a new wood floor.

     Many of our floors work well over radiant heat such as Floating, Laminates and Engineered. For solid wood, always shop for stability. Ask your sales assistant about this. Be sure to follow the radiant heat manufacturer’s guideline for thermostat controls. Do not exceed 85F surface temperatures.

 34.   I was told to re-seal my  hardwood or bamboo after installation to protect it against pet urine, vomit or spills.                                                                                                              

      Regular cleaning is always recommended however applying another sealer over the original finish will void the warranty. Once between the boards sealers can promote gapping and act as an adhesive preventing normal expansion of the flooring.

 35.  The area is prone to moisture and/or high humidity, can I still have a wood floor?

              If using wood, Engineered is the floor of choice. However Ceramic tiles and  Vinyl may be best.

 36.  Full bathrooms and laundry rooms are fine for wood floor installation.

      Engineered types of flooring can be used in full bathrooms because these are less susceptible to moisture fluctuations, however users should take reasonable precautions against steam and high humidity common with hot showers. Added ventilation can serve to alleviate excess humidity build-up in any room while mats placed around tubs to catch water spills are also recommended.

      37.  Is your Aluminum Oxide floor finish harmful?

There are no issues with Aluminum Oxide floor finish. These microscopic  Aluminum Oxide crystals are added into the finishes. Once cured, it is completely safe for our children and pets.

 

It is recommended, however, to do all board cutting outside in order to protect against breathing even normal wood dust. It is in this dust state that Aluminum Oxide and wood fibers can have a respiratory effect on people.

  38. Do I have any way to get my technical installation questions answered?

     Yes, you do.  Just call 1-800-366-4204 and ask to speak with our installation specialists or leave a message. You can also go online and visit our web site and receive installation instructions and advice.

 

Cold Floors? Radiant Heat and the Best Floors For Them

Cold floors?  It's that time of year again and radiant heated floors can help.   Before you buy, check out our species and styles most recommended for this application.

As you may know, some wood species are better candidates for radiant heat installation than others.  If you prefer solid wood floors, chose a species know for its stability.  Here is the order for best floor type selections as recommended by the National Wood Flooring Associations (NWFA).

Floating Wood Floors and Laminates - Highly recommended because they tend to move as a total unit better accommodating moisture and temperature changes.

Engineered Flooring - Works well with radiant heat because of its dimensionally stable plywood construction.  This construction allows each wood layer to run perpendicular to the other thereby resisting movement and moisture fluctuations.

Quarter Sawn or Rift-Sawn Flooring - This cut or style of flooring is preferable to plain sawn because it will expand upwards and downwards from elevated moisture, not side to side, producing less gapping and board edge cupping.

Strip Flooring  - A better choice than plank flooring because narrow board expand and contract less than wide boards do because there are more seams in a floor to take up or allow for any excessive board movement.

If you choose to use solid boards or planks wider than 3", make sure the board moisture content is dry, around 6-9% before, and maintained well after installation.  For any wood application over radiant heat, the newly installed system should be operating some two weeks prior to the floor installation.  This helps to further dry out any unknown pockets of trapped moisture.  Acclimation is critical with radiant heat installations to prevent board shock.  In no case should radiant heat exceed 85 degrees.  Maintain indoor humidity levels around 35-55%.

Although common red and white oak have been used successfully, species 15-20% higher in stability than red oak are considered ideal choices.  See our Stability Chart for boards listed on the higher stability spectrum.

It is true that Brazilian Cherry is more stable than red oak.  However, we do not recommend it for radiant heat applications.  Due to the sustained high heat associated with radiant heat, it can have a negative impact on Brazilian Cherry.  Natural oils, calcification, and other properties of this species can slowly migrate to the surface just under the clear top finishes manifested as small whitish oxidation spots.  This whitish calcification is a characteristic of the species, not a defect.  Individual boards showing this can be replaced with new boards, it cannot be sanded out.

Good Species for Radiant Heat Applications: Bamboo, Australian Cypress, Bolivian Rosewood, Koa, Mesquite, Teaks, Bloodwood, and Mahogany. 

Poor Species for Radiant Heat Applications: Maple, Beech, and Birch

*Wood Stability - A measured amount of movement that can be expected in some species of wood after installation.  Species stability is directly related to local humidity, temperature, and surface moisture.  Therefore, acclimation for radiant heat is very important for a successful installation.

Note - Even when using and ideal species for radiant heat applications, actual wood performance can still vary due to the radiant heat system construction, installation techniques, as well as your region of the country. 

Moisture Barrier and Underlayments, Don't Leave It Out

When installing hardwood floors, you want to protect your investment whether it's a $0.69 laminate or a $6.69 exotic hardwood.  Moisture is a big concern for flooring, you definitely don't want it!  And we're not just talking about some water spilling or snow being tracked through the house (although, to help with that, we do recommend putting down rugs at home entrances and in front of sinks).  Moisture can come up through your subfloor, especially if you are installing over concrete or below-grade.  A moisture barrier is need to protect the flooring against moisture or moisture vapor.  Along with the moisture barrier, you may want to install an underlayment.  It insulates and cushions the flooring, making it more comfortable to walk on. 

For moisture barriers, there are three basic methods of protection:

• Nail Down Installations - In crawl spaces under the subfloor, 6 mil poly sheeting plastic should be placed over the dirt.  IN addition, a 15 lb felt paper should be placed between the sub-floor and the new hardwood flooring.
• Glue Down Installations - When gluing down wood to concrete, a moisture barrier is almost always needed, especially below-grade.  Usually, a trowel applied product is recommended, such as Bostiks MVP or Mapei's WFM.
• Floating Floor Installations - When installing laminate or other floating floors over cement, VCT, ceramic tiles, or kitchen vinyl, use 6 mil poly sheeting plastic as the moisture barrier.  Omit plastic when covering bare wood subfloors thereby allowing the subfloor to breathe.

Some underlayments have a built in moisture barrier.  These are typically used for floating floor applications.  If you live in a condo, many have association rules regarding noise levels.  Underlayments can really help absorb sound.  As well, they can insulate the floor, leaving it warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.  Cork is especially popular for these types of applications. 

One thing to consider when choosing an underlayment is that in this case, too much can be a bad thing.  Installing laminate that already have a pad pre-attached over another underlayment is not recommended.  Too much padding material can actually lead to a weakening of the joints from the underside resulting in the floor seperating.  Our laminate that have a pad pre-attached have been tested for both sound suppression and support of the locking system and are sufficient.  However, for customer wanting extra sound isolation and thermo properties, our cork underlayments are perfect for use under laminates with or without a pre-attached pad.  The Quiet Walk (which has a built in moisture barrier) and Insulayment underlayment would also be appropriate.

Both moisture barriers and underlayments are important parts of your floor.  Make sure you find out what works best with your needs to have the best experience you can with your beautiful new floors!

A Little Background About Cork

Recently, cork has become a much more popular product for flooring.  Most people, when they hear cork, they either envision the stopper that is between them and a nice bottle of Shiraz or a bulletin board with pushpins and "To-Do" lists.  However, cork comes in different colors and designs and can create a very interesting feel in a room.

We have had many people ask what the pros and cons of cork are.  I will post about that another day, but before that, I wanted to give a little bit more information on cork.

Cork is harvested from the outer bark of the cork oak tree found in the Mediterranean region of the world. Cork has natural sound isolating and thermal insulating properties. AKA, it makes a room sound quieter and your feet won't freeze in the winter!  It is considered a green product because the same tree can be harvested numerous times without tree destruction. As a natural product, color and shade variations can be expected.  Cork can usually be harvested every 9-12 years and it doesn't harm the tree at all!  Typically it is harvested by hand, similar to the way it has been harvested since people first discovered the many uses of cork. 

While the look of cork isn't for everyone, it definitely can make a statement.  And it doesn't need to look like you have a giant cork board on your floor.  We offer many varieties of cork to fit your home and decor.  

If you are interested in cork for your flooring, make sure you speak with your salesperson about the benefits of cork (if you decide to buy before my next article on the subject!).

Cork Flooring in Restaurant, So Cool!!!

This past weekend I was up in Charlottesville, VA to do a little sight-seeing and to get away from my broken AC (our house was over 90 degrees!).   I have never been there before, but found it to be a very charming town.  Besides being the home of the University of Virginia and Monticello (Thomas Jefferson's home, which was beautiful by the way), it also has a very nice, historic downtown area. After dinner at a lovely steakhouse, we wandered down the street to meet up with friends for drinks.  We went to a restaurant called "Ten".  Besides serving delicious beverages and modern Japanese cuisine, they also had a very cool atmosphere. 

By working at Lumber Liquidators, I notice flooring everywhere I go.  I notice hardwood, distressed boards, handscraped, laminate, tile, marble, just about everything that comes under my feet.  This place was no exception. They had cork flooring and it was one of the first things that I noticed.  I probably looked silly as I was being led to our table, I couldn't help but admire the floor.  It took me a few minutes to look around at the rest of the atmosphere.  The dining room at Ten was designed by Formwork of Charlottesville and I think they did a great job (if you click the link, you can take a look at what Ten looks like).  The flooring went seamlessly from one side of the dining room to the other.  The reason I found this interesting is because one half of the dining area is very dark, emulating the night.  The other side, a very light, cloud-like atmosphere, also had the cork and it looked great in both settings.  It was definitely very versatile.  I am not positive what type of cork they used, but it looked very similar to our Van Gogh Cork by Lisbon Cork. 

As I commented about the floor to the friends we were with, we started to discuss how it was probably also insulating from noise.  Unknown to me, there was a club downstairs (you have to climb an indoor staircase to get up to Ten).  You couldn't hear a noise from below.  While the cork may have not been the only contributing factor, however, cork does have noise reduction qualities.  I could definitely tell this because while there were many people at the restaurant when we arrived, you could barely hear any of the conversations going on around us.  Although the restaurant was very modern, it also had a very cozy feeling.  I was surprised at this since most modern designs feel very sterile to me.  I definitely think the natural cork floor helped in the comfort factor.

I definitely think the cork gave Ten a very warm feeling and I give a lot of credit to Formwork.  The fact that the floor worked so well in two very different design schemes and helped make the restaurant feel comfortable (without having to yell over other conversations) really capped off a great weekend.