Hardwood Flooring - FAQs

Q- I have a particleboard subfloor. Can I have nail down hardwoods installed?

Many confuse particleboard with OSB (Oriented Stand board). True particleboard commonly used in some manufactured homes does not have the holding power of hardwood flooring fasteners and will loosen over time. There are certain types of OSB that can be used for solid nail down hardwood floors. It is best to consult the manufacturers warranty specs.


Q- When should hardwood floors be installed?

If you're having a home built or making some renovations it is highly suggested to have the hardwood flooring work scheduled very near the end. Unfortunately too many times, builders rush hardwood flooring projects and don't realize the consequences until it's too late and major repairs become necessary or moisture problems caused by other work rears it's ugly head.


Q- It seems everyone is selling hardwood floors. Who knows what they're doing?

Ah, welcome to the new century. In the last five years alone we've noticed the yellow page ads explode with so called "hardwood specialists." Our suggestion is to look far and deep for the right installer. After all, hardwood flooring doesn't come cheap and replacing gets very expensive should installation problems occur. A few suggestions to ask installers right off the bat would be; what kind of moisture meters they use. Other useful questions would be; how long should the flooring be acclimated? Some aren't aware of the need to acclimate material. This is especially important with solid hardwoods and not as much with engineered.


Q- What to choose? Prefinished hardwood floors or ones that are installed and sanded in place?

Today's prefinished hardwood floor finishes are vastly improved and are finished in controlled settings. Many offer more than six coatings whereas a normal site finished (sanded in place and finished) floor would be two or three. Prefinished warranties are exceptional but cannot be passed on from the original owner. There are advantages and disadvantages of both. Nearly all solid prefinished hardwood floors are beveled to some extent. On the other hand, a site finished hardwood floor that has been installed in it's raw unfinished form, then finished will have a flawless uniform appearance upon completion. However, maintaining the appearance requires close attention to climate control during seasonal changes.

Resources

Care & Maintenance

Installation Guidelines

Product Warranty

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