It will pay off in the long run if you do your homework first.
In the quest to finding the right flooring for your home, understanding things like the characteristics, traits and quirks of hardwood flooring before you shell out some cash or charge card you need to know this about "finish in place" hardwood.
Natures rich beauty is abundant when displayed through the character of a "Finish in Place" hardwood floor.
In addition to various wood species and finishes, these hardwood planks are also available in different widths that make a prestigious addition to any home.
Finish in Place hardwood flooring, or unfinished hardwood flooring is installed in the home and then sanded.
Then stain and 2 to 3 coats of polyurethane finish are then applied.
Urethane finish, brushed or mopped on, is also known as a "floor finish" not a "furniture finish".
Expect a lot of dust when finishing your hardwood floor.
Since your floor is being finished in your home, you need to know that your floor will not be "dust free".
It's impossible to create a "dustless" environment.
Some dust will fall onto the freshly applied topcoat of the polyurethane finish.
You may also see sanding marks, small bubbles and brush marks.
Finish in Place floors may be screened and re-coated to rejuvenate the finish and revitalize the floor's natural beauty.
The diverse possibilities of hardwoods.
Each species of wood has its own unique characteristics.
Color is determined by what part of the tree the wood originally comes from.
Heartwood, the oldest, densest, innermost section of the log, is often darker and richer in color than sapwood, which lies closest to the bark.
The color difference may be so pronounced that heartwood and sapwood from the same species are marketed under separate names.
The grain pattern is determined by the species and how the wood is cut.
Natural variations in the color and grain are normal and to be expected.
Similar to natural stone, these variations create the beautiful and unique look of a wood floor.
They make your floor a unique one-of-a-kind beauty of nature.
Did you know wood moves naturally? Wood floors will expand and contract due to moisture and temperature changes, causing hairline cracks, slight height variations or both.
Hardwood does not expand or contract equally in all directions.
This is not considered a defect but a natural result of nature.
In dry climates, you may want to consider purchasing and using a whole house humidifier to help minimize the shrinkage of the wood and hairline cracking.
Facts about subfloors.
No sub floors are perfectly level.
When walking on your hardwood floor you may hear hollow sounds where your sub-floor surface has dips and ridges.
This does not affect the integrity or installation of the hardwood.
Hollow sounds are normal and are not considered a product or installation defect.
All hardwood floors will fade, darken or change shades over time.
Exposure to sunlight will greatly increase this process.
Window treatments are recommended as well as rotating area rugs and furniture regularly to allow floors to age evenly from UV exposure.
Pre-finished hardwood flooring
- Pre-finished hardwood flooring is a work of natural art, the classiness of a pre-finished hardwood floor adds beauty and value to your home.
Its easy care and durability is suitable to almost any lifstyle - Each species of wood has its own unique characteristics and the conditions of nature that the wood matured in make each floor unique and individual.
- Pre-finished hardwood floors are sanded, screened and stained in highly efficient directly at the manufacturing plants.
- Several coats of urethane are sprayed on the boards and then they are UV dried for a very durable finish.
- Pre-finished floors may be sanded and recoated to bring new life to the finish and the floor's natural beauty.
To ensure there are no surprises, and the hardwood you select fits within your overall project budget, be sure to think through and calculate the total cost of your hardwood floor covering project.
You are likely to incur additional expenses such as Furniture removal/replacement and Demolition/disposal of your old flooring, subfloor preparation, delivery charges, Hardwood installation charges, materials required for the installation and financing charges.