About Wood
Species, finishes, edge styles, and everything you need to choose the perfect hardwood floor.
Wood Species
Click any sample to view full size.
Hardiness Chart
Listed is the relative hardness for numerous wood species used in flooring. These ratings were done using the Janka Hardness Test, which measures the force needed to embed a .444 inch steel ball to half its diameter in a piece of wood. The higher the number, the harder the wood.
Although this is one of the best methods to measure the ability of wood species to withstand indentations, it should be used as a general guide when comparing various species of wood flooring. The construction and finish also play an important role in the durability and ease of maintenance of any wood floor.
Please remember that all wood flooring can be scratched and dented if something is dragged, rolled, or if stones and grit are ground into the surface.
Factory Prefinished Hardwood Flooring
The days of having to wax and scrub your hardwood floors are pretty much gone forever. Manufacturers of prefinished wood floors have developed sophisticated flawless techniques to quickly apply hard, durable, urethane-based finishes right at the factory. By using ultra violet lights to dry each coat, the prefinished wood planks can have 6–10 coats of urethane applied within a matter of a few minutes.
Purchasing prefinished flooring saves you time and money by eliminating the mess and the added days of having to stay out of the rooms waiting for the sanding and refinishing to be completed. You can move right back in after the flooring has been installed. Maintenance is quick and easy — we recommend vacuuming using a soft bristle brush and using the manufacturer's recommended spray cleaner wiped with a soft cloth.
Types of Finishes Used:
UV-Cured
Factory finishes that are cured with Ultra Violet lights versus heat.
Polyurethane
A clear, tough and durable finish that is applied as a wear layer.
Acrylic-Urethane
A slightly different chemical make up than Polyurethane with the same benefits.
Ceramic
Advanced technology that allows the use of space-age ceramic particles mixed with the urethane to increase the abrasion resistance of the wear layer.
Aluminum Oxide
Most popular — Advanced technology that allows the use of Aluminum particles mixed with the urethane for increased abrasion resistance of the wear layer.
Acrylic Impregnated
Acrylic monomers are injected into the cell structure of the wood to give increased hardness and then finished with a wear layer over the wood.
Job-Site Finished Hardwood Flooring
Unfinished wood flooring installed, sanded and refinished in your home
If you desire a particular stain color that is not offered within the hundreds of prefinished lines, or if you want to match a particular wood flooring already installed, then a job-site finish is your answer. Job-site finish means you start with a bare (unfinished) hardwood floor and then the floor is sanded, stained, and finished in the home. The other advantage of a job-site finish is if you are concerned with uneven heights between planks — the sanding process will smooth out the floor.
Types of Finishes Used:
Water Based Urethane
Water is used as part of the chemical make up of the polyurethane finish. Water base finishes are quick drying 2–8 hours, virtually odorless. Water base finishes do not always enhance the color of some exotic wood floor species without using a color enhanced sealer as a first coat.
Solvent Based Polyurethane
Oils are used as part of the chemical make up of the polyurethane finish. Oil based finishes take 8–24 hours dry time between coats, contain an odor that may last several days, oil base provides a thick finish film and enhances the color of any wood flooring.
Moisture Cured Urethane
Moisture cured urethane has for years been renowned for its durability which uses the moisture within the air to cure. Moisture cured urethane enhances the color of all wood flooring species, has a strong pungent odor. Difficult to work with.
Edge Styles
Today, hardwood floor manufacturers offer many different edge styles, from square edge to a full, deeply grooved beveled edge. After the milling process of the hardwood there is a possibility of minute differences to the exact thicknesses of each floorboard. A beveled edge board eliminates the possibility of feeling a sharper edge that is sometimes found on square edged prefinished flooring.
Is the bevel objectionable? The smaller "Micron or Micro" bevel is virtually unnoticeable, as even with any square edged flooring you will see a seam between boards. Also, these Micron or Micro beveled edges are far too small to collect dust or dirt.
Square Edge
The edges of all boards meet squarely creating a uniform, smooth surface that blends the floor together from board to board. The overall look of this floor gives a contemporary flair and formal feeling to the room.
Micron-Beveled Edge
Micron-beveled edge has the shallowest groove. Micron-bevel and micro-bevel are so close that between manufacturers they may be hard to determine any difference.
Micro-Beveled Edge
Micro-beveled planks have a slightly shallower groove than most eased edged planks. Like the eased edge, the micro-bevel is meant to help hide minor irregularities, such as uneven plank heights.
Eased Edge
The eased edge has a slightly shallower groove than the full beveled edge. Some manufacturers add the eased edge along both the length of each plank as well as along the end joints, giving the floor a different visual effect when installed.
Full Bevel
These products have a very distinctive deep groove. Beveled edge planks lend themselves to an informal and country decor. With the urethane finishes applied at the factory today, the beveled edges are sealed completely making dirt and grit easy to sweep or vacuum out.
Engineered Hardwood Floors
What Are Engineered Floors?
Engineered hardwood floors are constructed similar to that of basic plywood with the top surface being the actual hardwood. Products come in two to ten ply construction depending on the manufacturer.
Several high quality manufacturers have been offering solid sawn engineered hardwoods. Solid sawn exhibits the appearance of traditional 3/4″ solid hardwoods many of us are accustomed to.
My Builder Says It's Junk!
Ask any craftsman, builder, or installer from the old school what they think about engineered flooring and the answers will likely be the same. Sure, there are many low priced engineered floors out there sold in places like Carpet One, Lowe's, and smaller retail stores. They have their place and people buy the stuff in droves.
Times Have Changed With Quality
Many manufacturers have increased the surface (also known as veneer or wear layer) layer that will result in some engineered floors lasting just as long as more traditional solid 3/4 inch flooring. One of the most important factors contributing to the longevity of any hardwood floor is the amount of refinishable material.
Three-strip engineered hardwood construction
Solid vs. engineered wear layer comparison
More Stable Than Traditional Hardwood
Engineered floors are the ideal solution for hardwood flooring on concrete. Each ply layer is pressure glued and set in the opposite direction. For those concerned with high humidity, engineered hardwoods expand and contract little if any, opposed to solid hardwoods.
How Are They Installed?
Most engineered hardwoods are installed by the glue down or floating floor method. Not all engineered products have the same type of installation specifications — some may be floating, glue direct, or staple only. Manufacturers specify installation applications for a reason, and we suggest following them.
The Length Factor — Long or Short?
The majority of prefinished engineered hardwoods have limits on lengths at 42 to 48 inches, opposed to most solid hardwoods at 72 to 84 inches. Longer lengths are preferred as they offer a more appealing look on completion.
Engineered Thickness
Overall thickness of engineered floors will vary from 1/4″ to 9/16″ depending on the brand or manufacturer. The most common thickness seems to be 3/8″ or 1/2″. The wear layer should be given priority if you plan on living in the home for an extended period of time.
How Many Plies?
In general the more ply layers in construction the more stable the product will be. You'll find ply layers vary from two to ten with manufacturers across the board. We find the actual wear layer thickness should be given priority if you plan on living in the home for an extended period of time.
Buy Online or Local Store?
There are fantastic deals online with major products, but there are some drawbacks one may encounter when buying such a large bulky load of flooring. It's not like buying a CD and letting the post office deliver it. We recommend visiting our showroom to see and feel the products in person.
Floating Hardwood Floors
Floating hardwood floors are a type of flooring that is not attached to any type of subfloor structure. Instead, there is a layer of padding that separates the floating hardwood floor from the subfloor. The presence of this padding provides a higher degree of give to the floor, which in turn provides a sense of floating when walking across the hardwood.
Glue Together Design
Originally, the floating hardwood floor was available only in what is known as a glue together design. The sections of the flooring were laid on the padding and connected with the use of a strong wood glue, providing strength and cohesiveness to the unsecured floor.
Click Together Design
One popular type is known as the click together hardwood floor. The sections are manufactured with a tongue and groove design that allows one section to easily join to another. When properly aligned, the sections produce an audible clicking sound.
Lock and Fold Design
One recent innovation relies on a design that allows the ends of the boards to be laid in an over and under pattern that joins together to form a smooth surface — not unlike the closing mechanism on a zipper style plastic storage bag.
Ready to choose your floor?
Visit our showroom in Rindge, NH or call us for a free estimate. We'll help you find the perfect wood species and finish for your home.