What to Expect

1. Hardwood Flooring Boards
Every hardwood flooring board is different. You can have varying grain patterns, mineral streaks, shading, and some knots. Some species have more of these characteristics than others. How much character you should expect also depends upon the grade of flooring chosen, as higher grades are more uniform. If the flooring has a stained finish as opposed to a clear finish, the boards will appear more uniform in color and grain. Natural color and grain is part of the beauty of hardwood flooring, and one reason it makes such a desirable addition to your home.
2. Samples of Hardwood Flooring
The samples from which you have selected your floor typically exhibits less than two square feet. No two boards are alike. A sample has also aged for an undetermined time period and in varying degrees of exposure, while your new floor has not yet had the opportunity to do so. Do not expect a sample to exhibit all possible color and grain variations you will see in your floor.
3. High Edges
There are advantages to a factory finished floor over a site finished floor, including a thicker finish, a harder finish, and a finish warranty. One thing that you cannot do with a factory finished floor is sand the boards to the exact same level after installation. Therefore, some boards may sit slightly higher than others. This can be caused by irregularities in the floor joists, sub-floor, the wood flooring, installation techniques or a combination of these factors.
4. Wood Ages with Light and Time
All wood darkens in color with exposure to light (both natural and artificial). Some species like most exotic imports and American cherry are particularly sensitive to light, especially sunlight. Again, if the wood is stained, the darker the stain, the less apparent this aging will be. This is part of the beauty of hardwood flooring.
5. Furniture Finish
You should not expect a furniture finish on your hardwood floors. Furniture is made of a small quantity of relatively high grade wood, and the finishes are not typically intended for foot traffic. Flooring allows more natural grain including pores, small cracks, knots and small holes etc., and the finishes are more rough, though formulated for high traffic.
6. Maintenance and Warranties
Only a manufacturer makes flooring, only an installer can turn it into a completed floor, and only you can maintain your flooring. You should be familiar with and observe all floor care and warranty information.
7. Gaps and Separation Between Boards
Gaps between boards are a typical heating season issue, caused as your floor becomes dryer and shrinks. One way to minimize this gapping is to maintain humidity in your home. The National Wood Flooring Association recommends 35-55% relative humidity year round.
8. Compared to Another Floor
Just as no two floors are alike, no two houses are alike, even though they might be next door neighbors. Consider a few variables: Was the floor installed under exactly the same conditions by the same crew? Is the floor the same brand, grade, species and identical in all respects? Did the same family live the same lifestyle in both homes? Were the floors maintained in the same way? When your floor is inspected by a flooring professional, it stands on its own merits based on industry standards, not compared to another floor.
9. Cupping
If cupping occurs, the floor has taken on moisture from any number of sources – typically from a wet basement or crawl space, a structural or plumbing problem, or too much humidity. The solution is to find the source of moisture and correct it. This may take considerable time depending on severity of the problem.
10. Putty and Filler
Putty and/or filler are used on every hardwood floor. Unfinished floors are filled and/or puttied before the finish is applied. Since factory finished floors must be installed with the finish in place, colored putty is used to conceal face defects.
11. How to Inspect a Wood Floor
Because your wood floors are intended as flooring, the accepted point of view from which to inspect a wood floor is from a standing position under normal lighting. Looking for minor imperfections on your hands and knees or at a particular light angle is not a valid means of determining acceptance of a hardwood floor.