Lumber Liquidators

What is an Engineered Hardwood Floor?

I will be honest, when I first started at Lumber Liquidators, I had no idea what an engineered floor was.  At first I thought it was a laminate, but it's not!  The two are very different.  I will discuss laminates another day, but today, we'll concentrate on engineered flooring.

Engineered hardwood is constructed with layers of hardwood veneer, glued and heat pressed together to create a product that can range in thickness from 5/16" up to 9/16", having 3 to 8 plys or layers.  The top veneer can ranging in thickness up to 1/4", depending on the manufacturer.  But it is REAL HARDWOOD.  In order to create an engineered hardwood, these plys or layers are stocked on top of each other with each layer or grain of the wood facing perpendicular to each other. 

Once the desired thickness is achieve, the boards are then cut into the correct board width.  From there, the boards are then manufactured to have a tongue or groove on the edges.  The final step is to add stain and finish.  By design, engineered hardwood becomes less susceptible to the effects of moisture and temperature fluctuations.  Therefore, engineered hardwood is referred to as being dimensionally stable.  Solid hardwood is not as efficient in dimensional stability because the grain throughout the board runs in only one direction.  The positive stability of engineered hardwood allows it to be glued directly to concrete, above or below grade, and is also perfect for radiant heat applications.

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.

A moisture barriers over concrete is always recommended.  Some styles of engineered flooring can be stapled down, nailed down, glued to cement, or floated.

We offer several brands of engineered hardwood as well as a few unique options including handscraped, exotic woods, and Quick Clic.  If you want hardwood but just aren't sure it's right, check out engineered flooring.  It may be the answer you've been looking for.

Bellawood Brazilian Cherry, There's a Reason it's Popular

Bellawood Brazilian Cherry is one of our most popular flooring options.  And for good reason.  Not only is it beautiful, but it also durable.  It can make any space look elegant.  I actually have it in my home!  And it's beautiful and gets more beautiful over time.

Bellawood, our flagship line, offers both traditional domestic and exotic floors.  It also has a 50 year, UV-cure aluminum oxide finish.  No messy sanding or varnishing, you just install your floor and you're ready to go!

Brazilian Cherry is known for it's color, hardness, and durability.  Now remember, no two floors will look the same.  Brazilian Cherry shows a variety of colors from golden brown to reddish brown.  It's great in homes and in business.  Brazilian Cherry has a Janka rating of 2820 which is 123% harder than Red Oak!  Now remember, that doesn't mean that it's impenetrable.  It is a natural product so if something heavy is dropped or dragged across the floor, it can scratch or dent.

Something to take note of with Brazilian Cherry is that over time, it will patina.  What I mean by that is as it is exposed to light, it will darken over time and colors will get deeper and richer.  Therefore, during the first six months we do recommend moving furniture (as long as they have felt pads on the bottom!) and avoiding putting down area rugs so that the floor can change at a relatively consistent pace.  If you do choose to put area rugs down, you may notice that the floor underneath is much lighter when you move the rug.  If you remove the rug, the covered area of flooring will catch up to the rest of the wood eventually.

Also, Brazilian Cherry is not the best product over radiant heat  While Brazilian Cherry is more stable than Red Oak, we don't recommend it because sustained high heat associated with radiant heat flooring can have a negative impact with 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 manifesting this condition will have to be replaced with new boards, it cannot be sanded out.

We offer Bellawood Brazilian Cherry in 5/16" x 2-1/4", 3/8" x 3", 3/4" x 2-1/4", 3/4" x 3-1/4" (what we have and my favorite), and 3/4" x 5".  There's a product for many different applications, budget, and installation method.  We also offer Bellawood Brazilian Cherry in an engineered variety.

Another product that we offer is Brazilian Cherry Lite.  This flooring has tones ranging from yellowish brown to reddish brown.  It's great for people who love the red tones of Brazilian Cherry, but want a paler colored wood.  Brazilian Cherry Lite has the same Janka rating as Brazilian Cherry.  We offer this in 1/2" x 3", 3/4" x 2-1/4", and 3/4" x 3-1/4".

All of Brazilian Cherry and Brazilian Cherry Lite products are Select Grade.  That means they have the most uniform color with no large knots, and the longest average length of planks.  

So it's no wonder that Bellawood Brazilian Cherry is as popular as it is.  It has looks, strength, and character.  All of those things make it a floor you should consider today!

Hardwood Flooring Grade Differences (They do Exist!)

Forgive me for not having a blog post sooner, things have been busy around here with us trying to have great deals on flooring for you!  I wanted to bring up something today that I think is very important for hardwood flooring customers to know.  Remember, the better informed you are, the happier you will be with your purchase. 

When it comes to hardwood flooring, there are different grades.  Different grades have different characteristics and coloring variations.  The grades that we at Lumber Liquidators deal most with are Select, Natural, Rustic, and Utility.  Select has the most uniform color with no large knots and the longest average length of planks.  This is not to say there won't be a blemish here or there or short boards. We also say to estimate a waste factor of 5% for domestic woods and 10% for exotics for Select, Natural, and Rustic Grades. Natural Grade has some color variation, mineral coloring, and small knots.  Rustic Grade has larger tight knots and the most color variation.  It's a great choice when character marks and contrasting appearance are desired.  Utility will have defects, knots, open knots, missing tongues, machine burns, splits in the wood, and short pieces.  This is a good low cost option.  Expect a waste percentage of 20% or greater.  

One other product which isn't a grade, per-se, is Odd Lots.  Odd Lots, simply put, are factory seconds which are sold as-is.

Want more detail?  Here are the different grades along with detailed descriptions of them.  For Select, Natural, and Rustic, I have included pictures of our Bellawood Red Oak so you can see how the different grades may vary for the same species.  But please remember, your computer may render these pictures differently on your computer than what they look like in real life.  Before you make a decision, we recommend either ordering samples or visiting your local store to find what you like best.

Select - Also referred to as Clear or First Grade

Select Grade flooring contains natural characteristics such as small knots an minor color variations produced by differences in natural heartwood and sapwood; however, has a more uniform color and longer average plank lengths compared to Natural Grade flooring products.

Specific characteristics of Select Grade products will vary by wood species.  They typically include such things as slight imperfections in milling, slight variations in face-work which can be readily removed by an ordinary method of sanding, occasional small, tight pin knots or small pin holes, burls, and a reasonable amount of slightly open checks.  Select Grade pre-finished flooring will have a plank face that is practically free of most finishing defects including debris, skips, streaks, blisters, chipping, or scratches.  When assembled, Select Grade flooring should not exhibit gaps exceeding 0.025" or end/side over-wood (e.g. height variation between adjacent boards) exceeding 0.020".

Natural - Also referred to as First or Second Grade, Millrun or #1 Common

Natural Grade flooring contains distinct variations in coloration and varying wood characters.  Natural Grade flooring will have a slightly longer average plank length compared to Rustic Grade products.

Specific characteristics of Natural grade flooring will vary widely by wood species.  Typically these include minor imperfections in milling, imperfections in face-work which cannot be wholly removed by an ordinary method of sanding, slight variations in angle of end matching, varying wood characteristics such as spots, streaks, slightly open checks, and pin/work holes, small splits, broken knots or knot holes, and shallow back.  Natural Grade pre-finished flooring will have a plank face that is free of most finishing imperfection, however, may contain a limited amount of minor blemishes including but not limited to light grainy surface/debris, bubbles, streaks, uncoated bevel, finish chipping, dents, or equivalent type characters.  When assembled, Natural Grade flooring should not exhibit gaps exceeding 0.031" or end/side over-wood exceeding 0.030".

Rustic - Also referred to as Third Grade or #2 Common

The purpose of Rustic Grade flooring is to produce a floor suitable for homes, general utility use, or where character marks and contrasting appearance is desired.  Rustic Grade flooring has a lower average plank length than Natural Grade flooring.

Rustic Grade flooring may contain all natural variations in coloration and sound wood characters except severe defects such as shattered or rotten ends, badly split ends, shake, advanced rot, or severe milling imperfections which would materially impair the serviceability of the floor.  Knot holes and open characters which can be readily filled are admitted.  Rustic Grade pre-finished flooring may have a plank face that contains a limited amount of finishing imperfections including but not limited to light/moderate grainy surface, debris, streaks, uncoated bevel, dents/scratches, lipped ends, or orange peel/ropey finish.  Finish skips are not permitted.  When assembled, Rustic Grade flooring should not exhibit gaps exceeding 0.031" or end/side over-wood exceeding 0/030". 

Utility - Also referred to as Cabin or Tavern Grade. 

This product comes in square edge or v-groove and may be mixed product.  Will have defects, knots, open knots, missing tongues, machine burns, splits in the wood, and short pieces (8"-12").  No returns allowed.  Cabin, tavern, or utility grade hardwood can provide a low-cost option in hardwood.  When purchasing this grade, be sure to add 20%-25% waste to complete the project.

Utility Grade flooring will contain significant variation in wood coloration and character.  Such imperfection s should still provide a serviceable floor.  Utility Grade has the lowest average board length of all standard wood grades.

Utility Grade flooring will admit a limited amount of unfilled and unfinished open characters including open knots, splits, or cracks.  Severely mis-manufactured boards, shattered or rotten ends, pieces with less than 1/4 tongue, or other unsound defects of a similar nature are typically not permitted.  Utility Grade pre-finished flooring will contain a limited amount of pieces with finish irregularities including, but not limited to bubbles, finish skips or lines, severe streaks, stain/color variation, surface handling scratches, and grainy surface/debris.  When assembled, Utility grade flooring may exhibit gapping that exceeds 0.031" and end/side over-wood that exceeds 0.030".

Odd Lots - Odd Lot flooring is factory seconds, sold as-is.  It is possible that more than 50% of the material may contain one or more milling, grading, or finishing defects including but not limited to severley mis-milled boards, mis-graded boards, warp, wood characters including holes, splits, cracks, severe color variation that is not typical for the wood species, missing or off-color stain, missing/improperly cured finish, severe grainy surface/debris, chips, blisters, scratches, and peeling finish.  All sales of Odd Lot products are final, product returns are not permitted.

Hardwood Flooring Sell-Off September 2-7 2010

Nate is back and he's here to tell you about Odd Lots.

He's also going to tell you about some of the great things we have going on this weekend, like the great deal on Virginia Mill Works Handscraped Tobacco Road.

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!

Choosing the Right Saw Blade For Your Flooring Project

As a general rule, the more teeth on the blade, the smoother the cuts.  However, more teeth always means slower cutting and more load stress on the saw motor.  Fewer teeth means faster cutting speed, a reduction in force required and more chance for wood tear-out or splintering. Here are a few tips in choosing the right saw blade for the job.  Carbide tipped blades are best when cutting laminates and harder exotics. Quality blades can be re-edged or sharpened several times saving money. Blades having expansion slots are designed to greatly reduce heat-warping allowing the metal to cool thereby extending the life of the blade. There are many blade versions, each designed for cutting different materials.

                     
Blades for Laminate Flooring

With laminates, it’s not the hardness of the high density fiber core (HDFC) that causes saw blades to wear down but actually the abrasion and heat from repeated cutting of the aluminum oxide micro-chips applied to the wear-layer. Interestingly the same aluminum oxide is used to make industrial grade sandpaper! In view of this, a thin kerf, 80 to 100 tooth, carbide-tipped blade is most effective for cutting laminates and will last for about 1000 sft before needing to be re-sharpened. 

Blades for Hardwood Flooring

Blade dulling is common with the denser exotics, especially prefinished aluminum oxide coated floorings. Professionals often use paper patterns to trace or transfer special shapes and angles onto the new flooring for cutting.

1. The Plywood Blade is a very popular blade usually made from High-Speed Steel with 100 or more fine teeth.  Recommended for clean cutting paneling, moldings, and engineered flooring. Usually costs between $30-$40.
2. The Combination Blade is usually made up of 80 to 100 teeth.  This versatile blade cuts a variety of materials very quickly and smoothly, with a minimal amount of splintering.  Recommended for cutting laminates, harder exotic hardwood, and precision miter cutting.  Usually costs between $30-$50.
3. The All-Purpose Steel Blade is the most commonly used blade.  These blades can do a little of everything and normally have about 40 teeth, are inexpensive, and tend to warp quicker.  Usually costs between $20-$30.
4. A Cut-Off Blade is recognized by its 60 and 80 spaced teeth and 10 degrees of hook or angle.  The tooth count allows for making quick rough cuts of plywood and 2x4s.  Recommended for fast rough cutting.  Usually costs between $8-$15.

 

Tips to Get the Most From Your Blades

• Carbide blades last 30% longer and can be re-sharpened for about $10
• Dedicate one blade for laminates, another for hardwood
• Old blades can be saved and used to cut through nail heads when removing existing plywood
• Get money back from worn-out blades at your local scrap yard

Blade Anatomy

• Expansion Slots - Laser cuts in saw blade sides designed to dissipate heat when cutting.  Also allows expansion and reduces warping.
• Kerf - Blade thickness
• Gullets - The space cut out from blade plates between the teeth of the saw blade.  The gullets provide room for chips and waste to safely exit the cut.
• High-Speed Steel Blades - Less expensive than Carbide-Tipped, harder than steel blades and stays sharp longer. 
• Carbide-Tipped Blades - More expensive than steel and High-Speed Steel blades, but they stay sharp much longer than steel or High-Speed Steel blades.
• Steel Blades - Basic economy, works well for cutting softwood, dulls quickly.

 

Power Saw Tips

• A 10” table saw will complete about 90% of flooring cuts, “rips or fill-ins” around the walls.
• 10” to 12” miter or chop saw is used for quick straight cuts or mitering
• A Jigsaw fitted with a tine toothed blade is used to cut special shapes (vents, support beams, etc.)

CUT FLOORING OUTSIDE!!!

Blade sparks are common and can ignite a build-up of gas fumes.  Do what the pros do.  Set up a fan next to your saw to blow dust away from your body.  You will be cleaner and safer with each cut.

Virginia Mill Works, Handscraped and Homey!

Several people have asked about the Virginia Mill Works line that we offer so I thought that I would do a little section about it.  While this may not have every single teeny tiny detail about the brand, hopefully this information will be a good start.

Colonial American homes, when they had a floor, were built with wood floors that were sawn using basic hand-held tools.  They didn't have the fancy equipment that we have today to mass produce perfectly straight boards.  That same hand-crafted style is what you will find in Virginia Mill Works (VMF for short) floors.  Handscraped floors have a textured surface and no two floors will come out the same.  VMF offers both solid and engineered products so you have more options for where you want to lay your floor, including on cement and below grade (basements, below ground).  Plus, all VMF products come with a 30-Year Warranty!

Currently we offer handscraped and distressed products.  Handscraped is what I described above and the floor contours and has a unique texture as opposed to other pre-finished products.  Distressed has less contour, but still has an Old World look and feel to it.  Handscraped hardwood has become a very popular choice among homeowners wanting hardwood with the look of an old reclaimed wood floor, but with today's tough urethane finishes. 

One product in particular that people have asked about is Tobacco Road.  Let me tell you, it is beautiful.  Usually coming in board lengths of 1 to 3 feet, it creates a very unique, very appealing look.  Tobacco Road uses Acacia wood, which has a Janka rating of 2250, roughly 74% harder than Red Oak.  It really is beautiful and unique and likely to cause jealousy from neighbors and friends!

Many of our customers love VMF because of the Old World elegance it brings.  It can be used in formal dining rooms to log cabins and look great wherever you put it.  Some of our customers even love the fact that if the floor gets scratched accidentally, it looks like it belongs there.  However, I'm not encouraging you to scratch your floor.  You should protect your investment by taking good care of it so it will last years and years.    

Handscraped flooring by Virginia Mill Works is definitely a good choice if you are looking for a more antique or rustic look.  Besides being beautiful, it is unique and will definitely be a showpiece of your home.

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. 

What WOOD You Like to Hear About?

Hello out there in the blog-o-sphere.  This post is for you.  Actually, all of these posts are for you, that's why I'm here!!!  This blog has been around for a few weeks now and I've had a lot of fun deciding on topics and posts.  However, I want to know what YOU want to hear about.  Leave some comments and let me know what you'd like to get out of this blog.  Want to hear about products? Installation techniques? Happenings around the Lumber Liquidators offices?  Customer Interviews?  The recipe for my world famous Texas Sheet Cake (well, it's my aunt's and it's not world famous...yet)?  I really am here for you and I will try to respond to suggestions and incorporate them into the blog over time.  And please be nice, we do moderate the comments that come in so don't put anything that is spam, profane, or nonconstructive. 

And in case you love the blog the way it is, here are some fun sites that I love that you may enjoy too!

http://www.lumberliquidators.com/ (<--You knew this would be at the top of the list!)

http://www.hgtv.com/

http://www.diynetwork.com/

http://www.foodnetwork.com/ 

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/  (My dad watched this show when I was a kid and I find myself watching too!)

Bellawood Brazilian Walnut Floor Installed by One Project Closer

Check out some Do-It-Yourselfers from www.oneprojectcloser.com who recently installed the Bellawood Brazilian Walnut.  It looks like they did a great job and their flooring is beautiful!

We love to hear from you and to see your pictures.  Make sure you take before and after pictures and send them to gallery@lumberliquidators.com to receive a FREE Bellawood Floor Care kit. 

http://www.oneprojectcloser.com/hardwoods-complete-brazilian-walnut-after-pictures/