Wood

First and foremost choose a wood floor for its beauty. Every wood floor is unique and distinctive with its own color, texture, markings and grain. The natural beauty of wood is timeless and will always be in fashion.

Wood floors are durable. Wood floors are naturally hard and with the aid of polyurethane finishes with aluminum oxide, are very resistant to traffic and abrasive wear. They have been known to last for several generations.

Wood floors are healthy. Wood floors contribute to a healthy living environment in that they do not harbor dust mites or mold, thus creating better air quality for all inhabitants.

Wood floors are environmentally responsible. Wood is a renewable resource that easily recycles. Responsible manufacturers practice sound forest management principles, replanting trees as they harvest. They also reduce waste by using up to 95% of the tree.

Wood floors are quiet. They just sound better than other hard surface floors and have varying degrees of acoustic absorption.

They add value to your home. Ninety percent of realtors surveyed believe that hardwood floors add value to your home.

Wood floors are easy to maintain. Sweep, dust, or vacuum weekly, use a damp cloth to clean up spills and for overall maintenance, look for a cleaner specially formulated to enrich the wood while leaving no residue.

Wood floors can be refinished. In most cases refinishing involves a light sanding then adding a new finish of polyurethane. Depending on the style of wood, this may be done up to five times.

Wood floors can be installed in most areas of the home. Solid wood is not recommended below grade or over concrete, but engineered wood and floating floors can go anywhere in the home.

“Uniclic” woods make it easy to install. Real wood veneer mounted on a HDF core with the Uniclic joining system make for a quick, easy and clean installation in any room in your home.

Not in areas of extreme light, heat or moisture. It is the nature of wood floors that they will react to the gain or loss of moisture. Extreme light and high heat will cause the wood to dry out and shrink leaving voids and gaps. Excessive moisture, on the other hand, is absorbed by wood causing it to expand, cup and even buckle.

Wood floors can be damaged. After all they are still just floors that we walk on everyday. Realistically, things happen that cause scratches, dents and gouges. Use walk-off mats and area rugs to protect your floor in high-traffic areas. Restrict wearing high-heel shoes or work boots. And if you have a pet, have their claws trimmed.

Wood floors are dynamic. They expand and contract with temperature and humidity. Your home must have adequate temperature and humidity controls. In our area that means a good furnace with a power humidifier, preferably a continuous flow type.

Definitely the trend is towards pre-finished wood floors. Because they are quicker, cleaner and better. Site finished floors are a thing of the past. Factory stains and finishes are just superior because they are done in a controlled environment.

There’ll be more floating floor installations in the future as more of us move into multi-unit or high-rise condos. Building codes require that these type of homes have a cement based floor between units for proper fire and sound ratings. Nail-down and glue-down installations won’t work, hence the need for floating floors.

Consumers want wider planks. Which again leads us to engineered floors. Solid wood floors can only be about 3 inches wide before structural issues appear. While engineered woods are more stable because of their cross-layered construction.

The trend is toward darker and richer colors. The hot color today is charcoal because it goes so well with those stainless steel appliances and granite tops. A note of caution though; darker colors of anything tend to show everything.

The trend is exotic woods from around the world. Talk about beautiful! Dark, rich-looking and usually harder than our domestic woods, exotic wood floors come from the rainforests of South America, Africa and Southeast Asia.

Let your creative juices flow. There is virtually no limit to the design possibilities of a wood floor. Mixing colors, plank widths and wood species are an option. Or you could add a border or medallion to define or accentuate a room.

Look for more environmentally conscious floors. As consumers, we are becoming more aware of our environment and given a choice should always look for the most environment friendly floors. Wood floors, in varying degrees, meet this criterion in that wood is a totally renewable resource.

Look for more real wood Uniclic floors. They make a lot of sense to a lot of people in that they’re quick, easy and clean to install and they save trees. It takes between 1/4th and 1/6th the amount of trees to cover the same area in a solid wood floor.

First look at your site. Consider what type of wood flooring is right for the area you want to do? If it’s below grade or over any form of concrete, you do not want a solid wood. A floating engineered or Uniclic floor would be a better choice.

Look at the milling and finish. Ask to open a box of the wood. Check that there is a variety of lengths. Fit a few together to make sure that they are straight and have a uniform thickness. Make sure the bevel is not too wide. Hold a board or two up to the light and make sure the polyurethane has been applied properly. Look for that plastic effect when its not.

Do you want a natural color or a stained wood floor? With time and traffic a stained color might wear through. Natural colors, of course, go right through the wood. If your choice is a stain, compare boards from several boxes for consistency of color. You do want some variation, however, because that’s the nature of wood.

As in all things, you get what you pay for. Wood is not usually inexpensive. If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is. Consider your end result and ask yourself if a cheap product merits the cost of installation and maintenance. Will you be sanding and refinishing the floor within a year? Two years?

Grading in wood is according to degrees of clarity versus markings such as knots and mineral streaks. Grades range from clear or select to #1 or #2 common. It is not a measure of quality in manufacture of the wood.

Look for the FSC ( Forest Stewardship Council) trademark that certifies the wood is manufactured in accordance with responsible forest management standards and practices.

If your choice is a “clic” wood floor then know that not all “clic” systems are created equally. The Uniclic joint system has proved to be the best. It installs horizontally or at an angle and maintains a constant pressure on the joint. The result is no play or gaps. In fact, Uniclic joints are guaranteed not to gap if installed properly. Another feature of the Uniclic joint is that it can be dismantled up to three times. That means it’s easy to take apart for repairs, or move it to another room or maybe the cottage.