1. What is the difference between solid hardwood flooring and "engineered" hardwood flooring ?
Each collection has a specific application, depending on your lifestyle, the location of your residence and your requirements. Solid wood flooring can be installed on the main floor or any upper floors. However, it is not recommended on below grade levels because it requires a stable relative humidity environment. It can be nailed or stapled down and therefore requires a plywood subfloor. Engineered flooring is composed of a sawn hardwood wear layer glued over a plywood. "Engineered" flooring is more stable to changes in relative humidity and can be installed in places that are not recommended for solid flooring, such as in basements. "Engineered" hardwood flooring can also be nailed or stapled down on a wood subfloor with the extra advantage of being glued down directly over concrete. If you live in any area that is subject to humidity fluctuations, we suggest Engineered flooring.

2. Why does my floor change color?
Wood is a natural and living material that reacts to ambient light. A comparison using an adhesive bandage will help you understand the phenomenon that occurs. In sunlight, your skin will become tanned, while the skin under the bandage will not change. However, once you remove the bandage, the newly exposed skin will gradually tan, as did the rest. The reaction is similar when furniture or a rug is placed over a hardwood floor and then removed. There is no need to worry about this situation, since it is only a matter of time before the paler sections take on the same color as the rest of the floor.

3. What is the difference between, Select & Better, #1 Common, and #2 Common?
The HFI grades are based upon the natural color variations of the wood and have absolutely no bearing on the quality. The Select & Better grade is a selection of the uniform strips with more subtle natural variations in the color. The #1 Common grade is a mixed selection of strips composed of approximately 75% Select & Better grade and 25% Traditional grade. The #2 Common grade is a selection of strips with more distinctive natural color variations that include small healthy knots, to produce a more rustic appearance

4. Is it cost-effective for home builders and renovators to select wood flooring over less costly materials?
Yes! Residential real estate agents say homes with wood floors hold their value better, sell faster, and fetch higher prices, according to a recent nationwide survey commissioned by the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA). By a three-to-one margin, real estate agents said that a house with wood floors would sell faster than a carpeted house. Some 58 percent said a house with wood floors would bring a higher price. "There is a perception today that they don't build homes like they used to," according to one Pennsylvania agent. "So when people see hardwood floors instead of carpet-covered plywood, they feel the entire house was built with superior building materials."

5. There are so many species of wood. How should a specifier select one?
Choosing a species of wood involves more than selecting a color to match décor. Both decorators and installers should be aware of the basic facts about wood species. Other appearance-related attributes are important for designers too, such as texture, grain, and color. Installers will want to consider mechanical properties like dimensional stability, machinability, and ease in finishing. And any specifier will need to consider availability and cost. NWFA's wood experts offer detailed information about the properties of many wood species.

6. I've always used wood flooring in low-traffic areas like formal living rooms or conference rooms. Is it durable enough for a kitchen, bathroom, or work space?
Yes. Specifiers and clients are discovering what basketball players have always known: wood flooring can take a pounding and still look beautiful. The urethane finishes on most new wood floors stand up to water and traffic, bringing wood flooring into bathrooms, kitchens, and other higher-stress
areas. These finishes resist wear and stains better than other finishes and require no stripping, no buffing and no waxing.

7. Is the natural environment protected during the harvesting and manufacturing of wood flooring?
Yes. Far from a depleting resource, hardwood is sustainable and commercially more available now than ever before. On the 486 million acres of forestland in the United States classified as commercial, substantially more wood is added in new growth each year than is harvested. For hardwood species, 86 percent more wood is added annually in net growth than is removed through harvest. Manufacturers of glue-down wood flooring meet Clean Air Act standards for construction adhesives. A national environmental standard for Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) is anticipated in the next few years, but manufacturers are already offering VOC-compliant wood flooring products.

8. Once installed, how often must wood flooring be replaced?
Every hundred years or so. In fact, the heart pine floors in historic Bacon's Castle in Virginia are more than three centuries old and counting. Simple care and maintenance keeps wood floors looking beautiful for a lifetime. Instead of laying an entirely new floor when the original is worn, wood floors can be rejuvenated with sanding and refinishing. When done by a wood flooring professional, wood floors need only to be refinished every 10 - 15 years or 10-12 times during a floor's life. When a wood floor's useful life is over, it's completely biodegradable.

9. Is recycled wood flooring available?
Yes. Wood salvaged from a variety of sources, including old barns and factories, is a popular high-end design trend. Wood recovered from riverbeds is another growing segment of the wood flooring industry. Logs that sank during logging operations years ago are being recovered by a number of companies and used to create truly unique flooring. Today's only significant source for heartwood from long-leaf pine is through reclaimed timbers from warehouses and factories constructed during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Chestnut, hemlock, poplar, walnut, and cypress are other options.

10. Can cleaning products for vinyl or tile floors be used on wood floors as well?
No. Never use sheet vinyl or tile floor care products on wood floors. And never use self-polishing acrylic waxes on wood floors. These waxes cause wood to become slippery and dull. In this case, the floor must be sanded and refinished.

11. Can a wood floor be damp-mopped?
Never damp mop a waxed floor. When cleaning a surface-finished floor, follow the manufacturer's recommendations. You may generally use a dampened (near dry) mop to maintain a wood floor, however excessive moisture will cause damage. Standing water can dull the finish, damage the wood, and leave a discoloring residue. If water spills on a wood floor, immediately wipe it up with a clean cloth.

We recommend that you call for the best service possible and the most current prices.

How to take care of your floors [PDF]

Floor care tips [PDF]