Hardwood Flooring Styles, Construction, and Colors
Understanding where certain types of hardwood flooring can be used should foremost in any selection making in order to have a successful installation for years to come. Our illustration on the right gives us an idea where some products can and cannot be used. The brown area represents the soil line and red common floor joist systems.
A vast majority of construction in the United States is plywood over floor joists with basements below. The preferred type of product would be the more traditional solid 3/4" material that will outlast our lifetimes, providing it's taken care of properly. These products can be completely refinished many times over. In most cases color changes can be made, but requires very knowledgeable professionals.
Other products gaining popularity in recent years would be prefinished engineered. These are constructed in ply fashion similar to that of common plywood with an actual hardwood veneer on the surface, commonly called the wear layer.
Wear layers can vary from one prefinished manufacturer to the next. One key to look for in choosing an engineered product would be the thickness of the veneer or wear layer. Nearly all manufacturers produce thin and thicker wear layers, the latter having the ability to be refinished. Often price can dictate the wear layer thickness. Some cannot be completely refinished.
How many times an engineered hardwood can be refinished should be a concern for those that plan on living with their new hardwood floor more than 10-20 years, but will depend on what you perceive as needing refinishing. Minor scratches, dings and dents add to the character of hardwood flooring. Some are fine by the added character that comes along with age and use, others may not be.
If you're seeking near perfection and desire a flawless appearance, your floors may need refinishing every five years. Choosing a product with the thickest wear layer should be considered. Most of the better engineered hardwoods have veneer thicknesses of 1/8" and more. With the right professionals and a flat subfloor these can be successfully refinished at least two or three times. Color changes may reduce this number. Finally, engineered products are more stable (minimal if any expansion and contraction)¹ than solid hardwood due to the way they are constructed. They are recommended for in floor radiant heating systems as well.
Random Length² or One Size Lengths?
All manufacturers are different. Some may offer random length or one set length hardwood. Random length is defined as each piece being different in size between the shortest and longest. For example, one may say 12" - 60" random length. This means the shortest pieces will be 12" and the longest 60" with the others being different sized in between. Random lengths offer a more traditional look. Some products may be manufactured in one length only, but to an untrained eye will look similar to a random length hardwood floor if installed properly.
Some confuse one length hardwoods as being too uniform in appearance. One length products should be installed randomly. Creating the random look begins with using different sized boards at the starting area. They should be cut randomly with no particular measurement used. Once starter boards are cut and full length pieces are installed adjacent to them, a random look appears as shown in the first illustration above..
¹ Floating floors excluded.
² Some manufacturers may indicate random. In recent years many imported hardwood manufacturers have been known to produce other varieties. For instance; 12 - 48 inches in length with 75% measuring at 48. Others may have only three set lengths but specify as random
Installing A Wood Floor
Nail-down Wood Floor Installation
Typically used when installing 3/4" solid wood floors, however there are adapters available for thinner floors as well. 2" nailing cleats are used with a wood flooring nailer and mallet to attach the flooring to the subfloor. Solid Strip floors or Plank floors can only be installed on wooden sub-floors on grade or above grade. The National Oak Flooring Manufacturers Association has complete installation instructions available on their web site.
Staple-down Wood Floor Installation
Staples are used instead of nailing cleats to secure the hardwood flooring to the wood subfloor. A pneumatic staple gun is used to drive the staples into the tongue of the wood planks and into the wood subfloor underneath. The staple-down installation procedure is easier to do than the nail down for do-it-yourself installations. Be aware, not all hardwood flooring manufacturers recommend the same size staple or the staple gun. Read the manufacturers installation manual to be sure you are using the right staple gun and right size staples. For a step-by-step example of installing an engineered wood floor using the staple down installation method click here.
Glue-down Wood Floor Installation
This is where you glue the wood planks directly onto the subfloor. The recommended mastic or adhesive is spread onto the subfloor using the proper-sized notched trowel and than the planks are set into the adhesive. Glue-down installation of engineered wood floors can be done over wood sub-floors and dry, fully-cured concrete slabs.
Be sure to use the manufacturer's recommended adhesive with the recommended notched trowel when gluing down a wood floor. By not using the manufacturer's recommended adhesive and trowel size you could void any warranties you may have.
Glueless Wood Floor Installation
Recently hardwood flooring manufacturers (such as Kahrs, Award, Masnnington and Mohawk) have introduced engineered wood floors with a special glueless locking system, similar to the clic laminate floors. These floors can be installed over a variety of sub-floors such as wood, concrete slabs and even some types of existing floors.
Floating Wood Floor Installation
Floating a wood floor means the wood planks are not mechanically fastened or glued to to any part of the subfloor, instead the planks float freely over the top of the subfloor. There is a thin pad that is placed between the wood flooring and the subfloor. A recommended wood glue is applied in the tongue and groove of each plank to hold the planks together. The padding protects against moisture, reduces noise transmission, softer under foot, and provides for some additional "R" value. Some engineered floors and all Longstrip floors can be floated. This is a very fast, easy and clean method of installation. Please consult the manufacturer installation instructions to see if your flooring can be floated.
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