From rich cherry to warm walnut, natural maple to sturdy oak, there is a vast variety of woods to choose from to compliment your lifestyle. Choose from Anderson, Appalachian, Bella Cera, Shaw, Bruce and many others.
Real wood, with its luxurious texture and wood grain is the ideal floor for many homeowners. Hardwood floors signify tradition and quality with timeless beauty that is perfect for almost any room in your home. Hardwood floors combine the traditional beauty of the past with the latest technology for greater ease of cleaning and maintenance. Maple, pine, oak, cherry, walnut, hickory and mahogany are just a few of the wood varieties that homeowners choose. For a floor that gets more beautiful with age, hardwood is the choice!
WHY CHOOSE HARDWOOD FLOORS?
Thanks to durable finishes that are easy to repair, wood floors can last for years. There are very few flooring materials that have been around as long as wood. It has shown itself to be a lovely and durable floor choice through the centuries.
Hardwood is naturally warm. Wood is an excellent insulator.
Wood floors don’t give pollen, pet dander or mold any place to thrive.
A little sweeping and damp (not wet) mopping keep your wood floor looking nice for a long time. Another perk is that a scratch here or ding there really just adds character to wood floors.
WHAT KIND OF EDGES SHOULD YOU CHOOSE?
To achieve the look you desire, choosing the edge can be just as important as the style of wood you choose.
Micro bevel/easel edge:Each plank has the corners cut as a 45-degree angle, creating a very small groove between aligned planks.
Beveled: The corners of each plank are cut at a more extreme angle, adding visual interest with a deep V where the planks meet.
Square edge: These planks line up to form a continuous surface with no obvious edge.
Distressed: Each edge has some slight irregularity, matching the distressed or hand-scraped look of the planks.
SOLID VS. ENGINEERED
WHICH ONE IS THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR YOU?
Engineered
Engineered wood is produced with three to five layers of hardwood. Each layer is stacked in a cross-grain configuration and bonded together under heat and pressure. As a result, engineered wood flooring is less likely to be affected by changes in humidity and can be install at all levels of the home.
If you plan to install over concrete, you must us an engineered product to ensure structural integrity.
Solid
Solid wood is milled from a single piece of hardwood ¾” thick. Because of its thickness, a solid wood floor can be sanded and refinished over several generations of use. Solid wood flooring expands and contracts with changes in your home’s relative humidity. Installers compensate for this movement with and expansion gap between the floor and wall. Base molding or quarter round is traditionally used to cover this gap.
The location of your hardwood flooring basically falls in three categories:
On grade—at ground level
Above grade—any second level or higher
Below grade—any floor below ground level-including basements and sunken living rooms
Traditional solid hardwoods are not suited for below-grade installation because of the possibility of moisture issues. The construction of engineered hardwood allows it to be installed at any grade level when a moisture barrier is used.
If you are considering flooring for a bathroom where continuous moisture is expected, you will want to select a product other than hardwood. While the moisture resistance of an engineered hardwood makes it suitable for rooms below grade or ground level when installed with a moisture barrier, it is not advisable to install any hardwood flooring in a bathroom.
CLEAN UP IS A BREEZE
Use a damp (not wet) cloth to blot spills and spots as they happen.
Sweep, dust or vacuum (not with a beater bar) the floor regularly to prevent accumulation of dirt or grit that can scratch or dull the finish.
Occasionally wipe the floor with a damp mop or cloth.
Periodically clean the floor with our woodpecker floor care product as instructed.
While cleaning is easy-there are a few things to avoid:
Don’t use oil based, wax, polish or strong ammoniated or abrasive cleaners.
Don’t’ use steel wool or scouring powder.
Don’t wash or wet-mop the floor with soap, water, oil-soap detergent or any other liquid cleaning material. As wood and water don’t mix, this could cause swelling, warping, delamination, splintering or joint-line separation and void the warranty.
For spots such as candle wax or gum, harden the spot with ice, and then gently scrape with a plastic scraper, such as a credit card. Be careful not to scratch the flooring surface. Wipe clean with a damp cloth.
Glides or floor protectors on the bottom of your furniture will prevent possible scratching or abrasions.
Avoid sharp objects which can damage the floors.
Watch your feet—don’t walk on your floors with stiletto style heels, spiked golf shoes or cleats. These may cause indentations in the flooring.
Watch your pet’s feet—keep nails trimmed to keep them from scratching your flooring.
Rearrange your rugs and furniture periodically to allow the floor to age evenly. UV sunlight can soften the tone of different species to varying degrees.
Try & maintain relative humidity level year-round-40% to 55%. The use of humidifiers/dehumidifiers can maintain the appropriate humidity year-round.
Other routine instructions
Use protective mats—good quality entry mats will help collect dirt, sand, grit and other substances from being tracked onto your flooring. Do not use rubber or foam-backed plastic mats as they may discolor the flooring. Use floor protectors on furniture and wide load bearing leg base/rollers to minimize indentations and scratches from heavy objects. As a rule, the heavier the object, the wider the floor protector should be.