Hardwood Flooring FAQs

Estimating square footage is a pretty easy process. Simply measure the length and width of each room you want to have the hardwoods in. If there are curves or angles in the room, there is no need to panic! You should measure as if the area was a square, using the longest part of the curve or angle and then measure the width the same way. After you have the individual area measurements, multiply the lengths and widths together of each room then add the measurements together to get the total. After you have the sum, don’t forget to add a waste factor of 8%! If you have questions or need help feel free to call one of our helpful representatives at 855-443-3253 or contact one of our local affiliates and they would be happy to come out and do it for you!

Example:
Living room: 18ft. x 18ft. = 324 square ft.
Hallway: 3.5ft. x 14ft. = 49 square ft.
Master Bedroom = 15ft. x 18ft. = 270 square ft.
Study = 12ft. x 12ft. = 144 square ft.
SUB TOTAL = 787 square feet
Waste factor = 8% (787 x 1.08 = 850 square ft.)
TOTAL = 850 square feet of flooring needed for your job.

The Waste Factor is the extra square footage of floor you will need to accommodate for the loss of wood during the install process from cutting. We recommend an 8% waste factor. For instance, if your room measurements total 1000 square feet you will need approximately 1080 square feet of hardwood to complete the job.

What’s the difference? Well, laminate is essentially a picture of wood on plastic with pressed saw dust as its core. Laminate soaks up water like a sponge and isn’t any more scratch resistant. (no matter what the sales person tells you!)

Nothing can match the richness and natural beauty of a true hardwood. There are two types of hardwood floors, solid and engineered. Solid floors are just as described, a ¾” solid oak or maple, usually with a smooth pre-finished or a polyurethane “sand on-site and seal” finish.

All of our floors are an engineered hardwood, which is made up of 7-9 cross-layers of hardwood approximately ½” thick. Cross-layering the floor gives it a much higher tensile strength which prevents most of the expansion, contraction and cupping that is prevalent with solid hardwood flooring. Our floors offer a 50-year wear warranty which means you will not be refinishing the floors for a very long time and all our hardwoods have a lifetime structural warranty.

Laminate:

  • Is a picture of wood on plastic.
  • Will get you the lowest return on investment.
  • has a pressed sawdust core and will swell with moisture.

Solid Hardwoods:

  • Often have a smooth sand on-site polyurethane finish.
  • Are more susceptible to expansion, contraction and cupping
  • Will eventually require to be re-sanded and re-finished.
  • Should not be glued to concrete, but requires a plywood subfloor to be laid down first.

Our Engineered Hardwood:

  • Is real hardwood.
  • Is wire-brushed or hand-scraped and distressed which makes it more forgiving.
  • Will not need to be sanded and refinished for at least 50 YEARS and the structure has a LIFETIME warranty.
  • Will not expand and contract and are designed to be glued directly to wood or concrete subfloors.

We only sell premium grade engineered hardwood flooring that are “first-cut, first-quality.” We do not sell “factory seconds” or “cabin grade” hardwoods.

Gone are the days of smooth floors that show all your families scratches and wear in the first few months. Smooth floor inevitably only leads to the painful process of sanding and refinishing your floors to their previous glory only to start the nonsensical process all over again. Our floors are all either hand-scraped & distressed or wire brushed to keep up with today’s busy families. When scratching occur, simply use a color matching MINWAX Stain Pen and blend the scratch in to the wood making it look more distressed. Our floors also have a 9-11 coat Aluminum Oxide finish that help the floors be more scratch resistant (not scratch proof!). This finish is much more durable that the old school polyurethane finish. The difference is similar to the difference of car paint vs. spray paint. An Aluminum Oxide finish is essentially oven baked at the factory to provide much more durability and a longer lasting floor.

  • Blot up spills and spots immediately (Standing moisture will penetrate into the wood causing irreversible discoloration and damages.
  • Vacuum, dust mop, or sweep the floor to minimize abrasive grit and dirt. Note: Do not use vacuum with beater bars.
  • Periodically clean floor with APPROVED HARDWOOD FLOOR CARE PRODUCTS (Never use other cleaning products or detergents). The manufacturer recommends a Terry Cloth style mop. For daily wiping the manufacturer recommends the use of distilled water applied to the mop with a spray bottle. (Tap water contains ingredients that may leave an unsightly film.
  • ALWAYS WIPE DRY IMMEDIATELY until no moisture is visible on the floor. Do not use wax, polish, oil soap, abrasive cleaners, steel wool, scouring powder, or ANY appreciable amount of water.
  • Do not use wet mops, wet scrubbers or steam cleaners as these products will cause irreversible discoloration and damages.
  • Sweep or vacuum regularly, the vacuum head must be a brush or felt type.
  • Remove spills promptly using a soft cloth and APPROVED HARDWOOD FLOOR CARE PRODUCTS.
  • Never wet mop, damp mop or clean your floor with water, vinegar, soap, lemon oil, wax or common household cleaners.
  • Keep pets nails trimmed.
  • Place protective felt pads beneath furniture legs to reduce scratches and dents, replace pads as needed.
  • Take protective measures when moving heavy objects.
  • Use walk off mats at entries to reduce grit.
  • Utilize area rugs in high traffic areas and pivot points.
  • Maintain the proper Relative Humidity (35-60%) level in your home.
Have any other questions? Contact us!