FAQs
What is the different between Engineered Hardwood and Solid Hardwood:
Engineered Hardwood Flooring is made of 100% real wood, it's consist of several cross-stacked layers of wood that are more stable and resistant to humidity and moisture than solid hardwood floors. Unlike solid hardwood, engineered hardwood doesn't shrink or expand due to temperature and humidity changes. It also allows for longer and wider planks, providing not only a more desirable look but also resistance to the bending or bowing that can occur with longer solid planks.
Solid Hardwood Flooring represents a luxurious and traditional method of homemaking. It has stood the test of time and if properly cared for, nothing beats its longevity. If you live in an area with relatively stable humidity and temperature levels, you may need to worry about your floors changing with the seasons. There are some advantages to the thickness of solid hardwood floors. Namely, it gives you the ability to refinish your floors again and again. Sometimes, people sand their floors down in order to remove scuffs and scratches. After you sand the floor down, you can then refinish it with different stains. Because solid hardwood floors are thicker and come in one whole piece of wood so you can sand and re-stain them multiple times. Usually, you can only re-finish engineered hardwood floors one or two times.
Which type of Hardwood Floor is right for me, Solid or Engineered?
That depends on where you want to install it. Both solid and engineered hardwood floors are made using real wood, so both are environmentally friendly.
Solid Hardwood floors are exactly what the name implies: a solid piece of wood from top to bottom. The thickness of solid wood flooring can vary but generally ranges from 3/4” to 5/16”. Solid hardwood can be used in any room that is above grade (above ground). One of the many benefits of solid wood flooring is that it can be sanded and refinished many times. Solid hardwood floors are ideal in family/living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, and even kitchens and powder rooms. About the only place, you can’t use solid hardwood flooring is in the basement, but there’s a solution for that area too.
Engineered Hardwood floors are real wood floors that are manufactured using multiple layers of wood veneers. The layers that you can’t see can be of the same species, or of different species. The grain of each layer runs in perpendicular directions, which makes it very dimensionally stable. This means that the wood will expand and contract less than solid wood flooring during fluctuations in humidity and temperature.
Engineered hardwood floors can be nailed or stapled to a wood subfloor, or glued down to a wood or concrete subfloor. This makes engineered wood floors ideal for slab and basement installations, but they can be used in any room above, on or below grade. While this type of flooring can be sanded and refinished, it cannot be done as many times as solid wood flooring.
Which wood species is right for me?
Choosing the right species of wood flooring for you is strictly a matter of your style, budget, and personal preference. More than 50 domestic and imported species of wood flooring are available to achieve a unique look.
Do you like light woods like ash or maple? These species generally make a room appear more open and airy.
Do you like medium woods like hickory or oak? These species generally make a room appear more warm and cozy.
Do you like dark woods like walnut or mahogany? These species generally make a room appear more stately and refined.
Once you decide on a look, you should consider how your floors will be used. Are you a retired couple living alone, or a busy family with young children and pets? Each wood species is rated for its hardness and durability using something called a Janka Scale Imported species can offer even more color options.
The Janka scale gives a good indication of how likely a wood is to dent or show other wear. For example, domestic black cherry is ranked at 950 on the Janka scale, while Brazilian cherry is ranked much higher at 2,820, nearly three times the hardness of the domestic species. The domestic black cherry would be a good choice for the retired couple since their floor will see less traffic, while the Brazilian cherry might be a better choice for a busy family with young children and pets.
Is a factory-finished floor or a site-finished floor better for me?
Each method has its own benefits and advantages, and choosing the right method will depend on the level of customization you want to achieve, and your personal preference.
A job-site finish is one that applied on the job site, in the room where the flooring is being installed. With a job-site finished floor, you can choose the type of finish to be applied to your floor, which will impact maintenance, as well as the stain, if any, and sheen of the final product. In other words, a job-site finished wood floor offers you unlimited possibilities for customizing the final appearance of your floor.
However, because your floors will be sanded and finished in your home, you should expect noise, dust, and some disruption to your home. In the past few years, many dust containment systems have been developed to help control dust and debris, so be sure to ask your contractor if one can be used for your installation. You also will need to allow time for the finish to dry on-site, during which time you will not be able to walk on your floor.
With factory-finished wood floors, the finish is applied at the factory, long before it reaches your home. While many options are available with the factory finished floors, you will not be able to achieve the same level of customization as you can with job-site finished wood floors. A major benefit of factory finished floors, however, is that there are minimal dust and noise during the installation process. You also will be able to walk on your floors immediately after they are installed.
My room is 360 square feet, but we’re being told to order 400 square feet of flooring. Is this really necessary?
Yes. As a general rule, you should plan to order 10% more flooring than is needed for the installation. Much of the material will be cut to fit the exact space, and once the boards are cut, they likely cannot be used elsewhere in the room because the end tongue or groove will have been removed. Once that happens, that board can no longer adjoin with another board, so there is some waste involved.You may need to order slightly more or less depending on the room. For example, if you need to work around stairs, a bay window, a fireplace, and a closet, you may need to have more than 10%, but if the room is square with no interruptions, less than 10% may work. Your contractor is your best resource for helping you estimate the material that will be needed to complete the job.
For a FREE ESTIMATE, you can contact Evergreen Hardwood Floors at (408) 509-8627 or email info@evergreenhardwoodfloors.com.
I’ve seen different finish sheens on wood floors; some are shiny and some are not. Which is better?
It really is a matter of preference. If you choose to install a site-finished floor, you can choose any sheen that you like. Gloss finishes offer the most shine and will reflect the most light. Semi-gloss finishes offer some shine and will reflect some light. Satin or matte finishes offer the least shine and will reflect the least light.
Generally speaking, the less sheen, the less you will notice small scratches and other wear that is normal with wood floors. If you choose to install a factory-finished floor, you will be limited to the sheen available for the material you select. All finish sheens will offer the same protection for your floor, so it truly is a matter of which look you like best
I’m concerned about pets scratching my floors. Is there anything I can do to prevent this?
Wire brush texture on the floors is the best option to avoid pet scratches. There are several things you can do to minimize scratches from pets on your wood floors. Place scatter rugs at all doors to minimize the amount of dirt and grit being tracked in, especially if your pet likes to dig. Your best defense, however, is to trim your pet’s nails regularly. If scratches occur, as they might whether pets live in the home or not, keep in mind that the scratches most likely will be in the finish only, and not in the wood. If this situation occurs, consult with a professional wood flooring contractor for specific recommendations about how to repair the scratches, and minimize them in the future. And you can also use the scratch remover that you can easy to buy it at a home improvement store.
How long does hardwood flooring need to acclimate before installation?
Most manufacturers recommend materials acclimate for a minimum of three to five days for engineered hardwood and five to seven days for solid hardwood with no maximum suggested. You have to put the material in living condition and at room temperature. In order to make a proper judgment call on how much time is needed to acclimate your wood flooring, it always good to follow the suggestion from each manufacturer that will be shown in the installation guidelines.
What a wood-flooring warranty covers?
Hardwood flooring warranty protection commonly cover for residential and commercial. For residential usually will be covered for a lifetime structural warranty and vary from 25-50 years for residential finish warranty. Commercial warranty usually will be less than the residential warranty. Find out more about more information on the warranties when you decided which brand you like to go with.
