Wood Flooring Product Information - Types, Finishes And Grades
Nonn's Design Showplace offers the following guide to wood flooring types,finishes, and grades that can be found at our flooring showrooms in Wisconsin.
Types of Wood Flooring:
1. 3/4" solid wood flooring consist of 100% lumber with tongue and groove sides and ends. Your choice of species, stains and finishes all contribute to the personality of a solid wood floor.
2. Engineered wood flooring consists of layers of wood pressed together with the grains running in different directions similar to plywood. This creates a stability and moisture resistance greater than that of solid wood flooring. Engineered wood flooring is perfect for use in areas where solid wood flooring may not be suitable such as below grade.
3. Parquet flooring is an alternative to the more common strips or planks and typically resembles a tile pattern. Custom designs can be created by varying the color and wood type used.
Wood Flooring Finishes:
1. Pre-Finished – to accommodate ease of installation many types of wood flooring is pre-finished by the flooring mill during the manufacturing process. Special finishing processes with aluminum oxide provide unbeatable durability and extremely high wear resistance, antibacterial protection prevents bacteria from multiplying, resist mildew and is not a risk to health. UV protective resins are also applied to provide protection from the sun's harmful rays.
2. Unfinished – solid wood floors may also be site finished. This would include multiple sanding and finishing processes. These finishes are normally urethanes and are applied to the surface of the wood to form a protective coating. These finishes are available in various gloss levels and are durable, water resistant and require minimal maintenance.
Wood Flooring Grades:
The appearance of the wood determines its grade. Each grade of wood provides a different look and a character all its own. It should be noted that different mills create different grades that can be confusing.
Listed below are some of the basic wood flooring grades that are understood and accepted by the wood flooring industry:
1. Clear: Free of defects, although minor imperfections are allowed.
2. Select: Almost clear but can contain some natural characteristics like knots and color variations.
3. #1 Common: Is both light and dark in color and has knots, flags and worm holes. #1 common grade wood can project a variegated appearance.
4. #2 Common: Has a more rustic appearance and more profound characteristics of the various wood species.
Relative Hardness of Hardwood Species (classified according to the Janka* Hardness Coefficient):
Jatoba (Brazilian Cherr, Santos (Cabreuva), Tigerwood, Sapele, Hard Maple, Ash, Beech, Red Oak, Yellow Birch, Walnut, Silver Maple, Cherry.
* The Janka test measures the force required to embed a .0444” steel ball to a depth of half its diameter in the wood. The higher the number, the harder the wood.
Have questions about any of the above? You can have a Nonn's Design Showplace interior designer call you directly at our Contact Us page. For tips on cleaning your wood flooring, visit the Wood Flooring Care and Maintenance page, or return to the Wood Flooring Main Page.
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