Hardwood flooring facts

There are many wood flooring species, domestic and imported, available to the consumer today.

The appearance of the wood determines how it is "graded." All grades are equally strong and serviceable, yet afford the consumer different looks. Oak and ash have four basic grades when it comes to classifying wood flooring

"Clear" is free of defects though it may have minor imperfections.Wood flooring in this category tends to be very consistent with little mineral straeking and knots.
"Select" is almost clear, but contains more natural characteristics such as knots and color variations.
"Common" grades (No. 1 and No. 2) have more markings than either clear or select and are often chosen because of these natural features and the character they bring to a room. No. 1 Common has a variegated appearance, light and dark colors, knots, flags and worm holes. No 2 Common is rustic in appearance and allow all wood characteristics of the species.
Hard maple, beech, birch and pecan have three grades:

"First" has the best appearance, natural color variations and limited character marks.
"Second" is variegated in appearance with varying sound wood characteristics of species.
"Third" is rustic in appearance allowing all wood characteristics of the species.

Wood Flooring Cuts

The angle at which a board is cut makes big differences in how the finished product looks. Wood flooring is either plainsawn, quartersawn or riftsawn.

Plainsawn is the most common cut. The board contains more variation than the other two cuts because figure patterns resulting from the growth rings are more conspicuous.

Quartersawing produces less board feet per log than plainsawing and is therefore more expensive. Quartersawn wood twists and cups less and wears more evenly.

Riftsawn is similar to quartersawing, but the cut is made at a slightly different angle.

Hardwood floors construction

Engineered floors

Engineered floors can be installed above, on, or below ground level. constructed of multiple layers of 3- or 5-cross grain wood piles, engineered floors offer dimensional stability, eliminating the natural expansion and contraction of wood. They can be glued to the sub floors and slab foundations or in most cases, stapled down. 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 installed at all levels of the home.

Solid floors

Solid, like it sounds, is milled from a single 3/4" thick piece of hardwood. Because of its thickness, a solid hardwood floor can be sanded and refinished over several generations of use. One of the characteristics of solid wood flooring is that it expands and contracts with changes in your home's relative humidity. Normally, installers compensate for this movement by leaving an expansion gap between the floor and the wall. Base molding or quarter round is traditionally used to hide the extra space.
Designed for installation above ground or ground level only. Solid strips or planks are typically nailed down to the subfloor.

Floating floors

Floating floors are manufactured in large, wide pre-assembled wood panels that make installation fast and easy. The individual boards actually float above the sub floor with no direct attachment. Of course, if you prefer, they can also be glued directly to the sub floor