The Finishing Store :: Flooring Q&A

Flooring Q&A

Question: Should I expect colour variations in my floor?

Answer: Yes. Wood is a natural product and therefore you will find variations in planks regardless of the grade of wood, species or colour.

(back to top)

Question: Does “hardwood” mean that my floor will not dent?

Answer: No. Wood is a natural product and it will dent if enough pressure is applied. Please refer to our Installation and Care section to learn about how to properly care for your wood floors and how to avoid denting or damaging your floor.

(back to top)

Question: Will my floor change colour over time?

Answer: Wood itself changes colour (“patina”) as it ages. Extreme sunlight will also affect the colour your floor. Incorrect maintenance can affect the appearance of your floor leaving a residue or wax build-up. Please refer to our Floor Care & Maintenance Guide to learn about how to properly care for your wood floors.

(back to top)

Question: Can I glue down 3/4" or 1/2" thick solid flooring?

Answer: No. Our 3/4" & 1/2" solid products are to be used in a nail down application only. We suggest nailing these products down over a plywood subfloor that is a minimum of 5/8" thick. Please refer to our Installation and Care section to review our installation instructions for solid flooring

(back to top)

Question: Can I nail down 1/2" engineered flooring?

Answer: Yes. Our 1/2" engineered flooring (Multi-Plank™) is versatile and can be easily installed using either nail, glue or staple-down applications onto plywood, concrete or OSB sub-floors. Please refer to our Installation and Care section to review our installation instructions for engineered flooring.

(back to top)

Question: When gluing down 1/2" engineered flooring, what adhesive should I use?

Answer: Satin Finish recommends using Multi-Stik adhesive and 1/4" x 1/8" square notched, metal trowel(s). Please refer to our Installation and Care section to review our installation instructions for engineered flooring.

(back to top)

Question: What is a Uniclic Joint?

Answer: Please refer to our Uniclic information guide.

(back to top)

Question: If moisture were a concern, what kind of flooring would be recommended above or below grade installation?

Answer: First the subfloor must be assessed for the degree of moisture.

If there were excessive moisture, any kind of wood flooring would not be recommended until moisture concerns are resolved. Laminated flooring - also called engineered flooring – would perform better because it displays far less expansion and contraction with moisture changes.

(back to top)

Question: Why is laminated (engineered flooring) recommended?

Answer: Laminated or engineered flooring uses multiple layers of wood glued together, with the grain of each running at 90-degree angles to the layers adjacent. As the wood fibers absorb moisture and want to expand, each layer is restrained by the other and improved dimensional stability results.

That is why it can be successfully installed in areas with wide humidity variations. It usually does not require full acclimation before installation.

(back to top)

Question: How much can temperature and humidity affect the dimensions of a hardwood floor?

Answer: Let’s take a look at one 5- inch red oak plank board:

Within “normal living conditions” (say, an interior temperature of 18 degrees and a relative humidity of 40 percent), the board has a moisture content of 7.7 percent and is 5 inches wide.
If the relative humidity falls to 20 percent, the moisture content of the board will be 4.5 percent, and the same 5- inch board will shrink by .059 inches. Across 10 feet of flooring, that could translate to as much as 1.4 inches of shrinkage.
If the humidity rises to 65 percent, the board’s moisture content would be 12 percent and the same 5- inch board would expand by .079 inches. Across 10 feet of flooring, this could translate to 1.9 inches of expansion.

(back to top)

Question: What is Acclimation?

Answer: Acclimation is allowing the moisture content of the wood to adjust to “normal living conditions” at the site – that is, the temperature and humidity conditions that will typically be experienced once the structure is occupied.

(back to top)

Question: How should a job site be prepared for delivery of the wood?

Answer: The structure should be fully enclosed, with doors and windows in place, and interior climate controls should be operating for at least 48 hours to stabilize the moisture conditions of the interior. Wood should not be delivered if the jobsite moisture conditions are excessive. Otherwise, one will absorb moisture from the other.

(back to top)

Question: How important is maintenance of the floor?

Answer: The key to lasting beauty of your wood flooring investment is proper maintenance for the life of your floor. Please refer to our Floor Care & Maintenance Guide

(back to top)

Question: What are some guidelines for maintaining today’s wood floors?

Answer:

Regardless of how the floor has been finished, there are certain steps that must be taken to maintain the beauty of the hardwood floor.
Every floor must be dust mopped, vacuumed or swept with a soft bristle broom daily, or as often as necessary, to remove grit and dust from the surface. Walk on dusty or dirty floors is the fastest way to damage a finish.
Place walk off mats at all exterior entrances. This will capture much of the harmful dirt before it even reaches the hardwood floor. Shake out, wash or vacuum mats and area rugs frequently.
Floor protector pads of soft felt or similar material should be placed on the bottoms of the legs of the furniture. Floor protectors must be kept clean of grit and periodically replaced.
Keep high heels in good repair. An unprotected tip will dent any hardwood floor.
Kitchen floors experience the most traffic in a home. To prevent premature wear of the floor, place an area rug in front of the sink and stove area. Shake out or vacuum the rugs frequently.
Urethane Finishes:
Routine Cleaning – Use the finish manufacturer’s or the prefinished floor manufacturer’s recommended cleaning system. If the manufacturer is not known or has no recommendation, use a cleaner that will not leave a residue that would inhibit bonding and recoating. Never wax a urethane finish. Do not generally wet a wood floor with water. When using any wood floor cleaner which requires mixing with water, follow mixing directions precisely. A cloth wet with water and squeezed dry may be used to wipe up food stuffs and other spills, provided the area is buffed dry immediately. Heel or scuffmarks and stubborn stains may be removed by lightly rubbing with a cloth and a wood floor cleaner.

(back to top)

Question: How important is it to test wood subfloors?

Answer: Wood subfloors are actually easy to check for moisture content. Just test for moisture at several locations in the room and average the results. In most regions, a 'dry' subfloor that is ready to work on has a moisture content of 12 percent or less. If excessively high readings are obtained, installation should not proceed until the origin of the moisture is identified and moisture problems are remedied. During the winter, an overly moist subfloor can be dried out by running the heat for a few weeks. Air conditioning during the summer will do the same thing.

Before flooring can be installed, the moisture content of the subfloor should be within 2 percentage points of the flooring that will be laid on it. If the moisture content between the flooring and subflooring varies more than 2 percentage points, then the flooring should not be installed.

(back to top)

Question: How important is it to test a concrete subfloor?

Answer: As concrete moves through its initial drying period, regular checking of moisture content can start after 30 days. In most cases it will take 60 days or more before the slab is dry enough for wood flooring installation to proceed. Excess moisture in the concrete will cause problems such as condensation or failure of the adhesive under the flooring.

Moisture conditions in concrete slabs that ultimately create moisture problems in flooring are not the flooring contractor’s responsibility, but it is the contractor’s responsibility to ensure that potential moisture problems are resolved before installation begins.

A flooring contractor can begin his determination with some subjective and logical questions: What is the history of other homes in the area, as well as the history of the building, the quality of the building and the quality of the slab?

Also, what is the age of the concrete? (An installer should not accept a slab as “ready” on age alone.) What is the concrete’s visual appearance? (The colour of good, healthy concrete should be almost sugar-white. Any concrete that is gray, brown, tan or other such off-white colours should be suspected of having contaminants, admixtures or other problems unsuitable for flooring. It is virtually impossible, however, to judge a concrete slab’s moisture condition on the basis of colour alone.)

Concrete slabs must meet a moisture specification when tested in accordance with the prescribed procedures, at the time of installation of the flooring, and also at any future date. The moisture specification shall be that the emission of moisture vapor from the floor shall not exceed 3 pounds per 1,000 square feet per 24 hours.

Concrete should normally be a minimum of 60 days old before wood flooring is installed on top, unless moisture testing indicates acceptable moisture content before that time. Anything short of that could result in moisture problems down the line.

Rely on flooring manufacturers’ recommendations for your definition of what qualifies as “acceptable moisture content,” as well as for which type of moisture testing each manufacturer prefers.

Testing for moisture in concrete can be accomplished using specially designed and calibrated moisture meters.

(back to top)

Return to Q&A page.