Wood floors provide many benefits over other flooring types such as carpet. They can last the lifetime of a building if refinished periodically and provide better insulation than other materials. There are several types of wood flooring including solid wood, engineered wood, and laminate floors. Solid wood floors can be refinished multiple times while laminate floors have printed photographic images and cannot be refinished. Bamboo floors are becoming increasingly popular for their light color and sustainability. Proper installation methods depend on the flooring type and location in the home.
2. Why Use Wood?
The cost of a solid hardwood floor long term will be
far less than the cost of quality carpeting
Usual replacement of wall-to-wall carpeting about
every 11 years
Vinyl tile lasts only slightly longer than carpet
Solid wood flooring will last for the life of the building
and can be refinished many times
High insulation values. It would take 15 inches of
concrete to equal the insulating qualities of just one
inch of wood
Easy Maintenance. Wood floors are the easiest of all
floor surfaces to keep clean
4. Solid Wood Flooring
Strip Flooring
< 3 wide (most common - 2 1/4 )
他, 遜, or 3/8 thickness
Finished & unfinished
Plank Flooring
> 3 wide (3 - 8), up to 12 (special
orders)
Edges: square or beveled
Tong&groove or butt joint
Finished & unfinished
5. Solid: Finished vs. Unfinished
Time of installation
Unfinished month for acclimatization + 5-7 days for
installation, sanding, staining & finishing
Finished - generally done in one day
Cost of material & installation
Unfinished (Oak)
Material: $3 to $5 per sq. ft. for flooring
Labor: $8 to $12 per sq. ft.
Finished (Oak)
Material: $4 to $6 per sq. ft.
Labor: $8 to $12
Time and cost of repair
Unfinished refinish the damaged area
Finished tier down and re-install, patching
6. Solid: Finished vs. Unfinished
Finishes
Finished
UV-cured 6-10 coats of a ultra-violet (UV) cured urethane
Polyurethane Clear, tough and durable finish applied as
a wear layer
Acrylic-urethane Slightly different chemical with the same
benefits as Polyurethane
Ceramic Advanced technology, increases the abrasion resistance
Aluminum Oxide Added to the urethane finish for increased
abrasion resistance
Acrylic Impregnated Acrylic monomers are injected into
the cell structure of the wood
Unfinished
Water Based Urethane
Solvent (Oil) Based Urethane
Moisture Cured Urethane - needs humidity in the air to cure
7. Pros & Cons of Solid Wood Flooring
Pros
Allowsdesign flexibility (Unfinished flooring)
Can be refinished
5 times - 3/4 thick
2 times 3/8 thick
Cons
Above grade or
on grade level installation
8. Engineered Wood Flooring
Made up of a top layer of a
real hardwood species and
a core, typically consisting
of multiple plywood layers in
a cross-grain configuration
and bonded together under
heat and pressure to form a
durable plank
9. Engineered: Benefits
Lifespan anywhere from 30 - 100 years
Installed on any grade level
Can be direct glued-down over a concrete slab
Can be installed over most (flat) ceramic tile,
vinyl flooring, and plywood, wood, or OSB
subfloors
Can be installed where there is slightly higher
moisture content like over slabs, below grade
lever, bathrooms and in tropical regions
Can be sanded and refinished up to 4-5 times
depending on the thickness of the wear layer
10. Laminate Flooring
Designed to replicate real
flooring materials
Laminate flooring comes in
either planks or square tiles
Typically more durable, less
prone to indent, has better
stain resistance, resists
shrinkage and swelling due to
seasonal changes, and is
easier to install than many
other flooring surfaces
11. Laminate Flooring: Construction
Consists of several different layers of various materials
that are pressed together to form a plank
Print Film - decorative layer gives the floor
the appearance of a real hardwood or tile
Wearlayer - tough clear melamine layer
with aluminum oxide particles protects the
Print Layer from stain, scratch, or burn
Core - high-density fiber board (HDF),
particle board, or plastic, the core adds
impact resistance, and forms the tongue
and groove locking system. Some
manufacturers treat the inner core with
melamine resins or water-resistant sealers
Backing - is usually a melamine plastic
layer used to give additional structural
stability and added moisture protection to
the planks
12. Laminate Flooring: Installation
Laminate floors are meant to be
floated over a variety of sub floors
and never secured directly to any
substrate.
Can just lay on top of the sub floor,
such as, wood, concrete, and some
existing floor coverings
Underlayment - is a clear thin
plastic sheet that is installed
over the substrate before the
laminate floor is floated
13. Laminate vs. Solid Wood
Laminate Floors Hardwood Floors
Photographed image/repeating
Natural/no one piece is alike
patterns
Lifespan is limited. Less than 20 years Will last 20-100 years plus
Cannot be refinished Can be refinished
Difficult to repair Can be repaired easier
Brand lines discontinued often Easier to find replacement solution
Will darken/amber. Extent dependent
Fade resistant
on species.
Scratch resistant Will scratch easier
Improves home resale value or time it
Will not help resale value of home
takes to sell
14. Types of Installation
Nail down attached to the subfloor with flooring nails
Solid, engineered
Staple down attached to the subfloor with a pneumatic
stapler
Solid, engineered
Glue down attached to the subfloor with trowel and
adhesive
Laminate, engineered
Floating tongue and groove floor planks rest
on a pad between the floor and subfloor
Laminate, engineered
15. Installation Over Concrete Slab
Test for Dryness
tape a 15-inch square of clear polyethylene film to the slab with
moisture-resistant tape, sealing all four edges. If no
condensation collects under the film after 24 to 48 hours, the
slab is dry enough for floor installation. Make tests in several
spots in each room
Use Moisture Meter
Vapor Barrier
Proper vapor barrier must be installed on top of the
slab to make sure normal slab moisture does not
reach the finished floor. Layers of asphalt felt with
asphalt mastic or 6 mil polyethylene sheathing are
the best choices
16. Market Trends
Install bamboo floors in contemporary settings.
Bamboo is out-pacing maple as the "new" light colored
wood floor
Parquet is still out-of-favor
Buyers are aware that thin
veneered wood flooring can't handle
many sending for changing stain
colors or other refinish purposes
17. Bamboo Flooring
Best installed over a wood
subfloor using staples or glue
Can be glued directly to a
concrete subfloor for on or
above the grade application
Not recommended for
installing below the grade
Can be applied over in-floor radiant heating systems
18. Bamboo Flooring
Westhollow - Wide variation in shades
results in more character in the grain and
overall aesthetic look
Springwood - Easy click together
installation that eliminates the
cost of glue and reduces the
overall installation time.
Perfect for Condos or upper floor areas of the
home when combined with cork
underlayment
20. Colors of tomorrow
Trendsetter
Innovative
M Series by Model
Elegant Trendy
Extravagant Classy
21. Fashionable
Inspiring
Stylish
M Series by Model
Formal Imaginative
Chic Pure
22. Distressed Floors by Max Windsor
Engineered Hand-Scraped
Flooring By Max Windsor
Royal look with exceptional durability
9-ply of Birch plywood
crafted to include 3mm wear
surface
10 coats of UV cured
Aluminum Oxide finish