Hardwood Floors for Your Home or Business

Actually, we don’t carry any flooring with a Swedish finish. But because it’s so often heard in conversations, we think it’s important to tell you why. Simply, there are no prefinished floors that have a Swedish finish. This type of finish is only applied on-site, after the flooring has been installed and sanded, and after you’ve moved out for a while. That’s because you can’t be in the house while the solvents evaporate. Basically, a Swedish finish involves a sealer coat and a wear layer coat, or a polyurethane product with a solvent base. These floors are generally very smooth from the sanding, and they almost always have tiny pieces of lint, dirt, small bugs and the hair of flooring installers. There’s simply no way for an installer to keep all particulate out of the finish as it’s applied. Prefinished flooring, on the other hand, is applied in the factory where the air quality and the finishing process are carefully controlled.

Until recently, polyurethane was the most commonly applied finish. But despite new advances in durability, polyurethane is still considered a very good finish that can be stained to give it even more versatility. There are many different kinds and blends of polyurethane available; for example, Kahrs flooring uses a polyurethane and acrylic mix to achieve a very tough finish. Maintenance is reasonably easy. And while spot repairs can be done, they’re usually easy to see.

More and more companies are turning to aluminum oxide finishes for their toughness and abrasion resistance. Like the ceramic finishes, their toughness makes them easy to maintain but difficult to repair.

This flooring can be found in the Hartco and Bruce floors, and it provides excellent durability. The finish is actually forced into the floor itself to create a finish that goes all the way through the wear surface. It is frequently used in commercial projects, because it is so tough. Currently, only oak and maple are offered using this technique.

Maintenance is easy and small scratches are easy to fix with a spray finish that makes them disappear completely. One negative: water can leave permanent spots if allowed to dry on the surface.

Recently, the same ceramic finishes used for tile have been offered for wood flooring. They offer incredible abrasion wear resistance. With this finish, a floor is more resistant to stains, scratches and other imperfections.

Maintenance is easy, but the finish is so tough and wear-resistant, it makes repairs difficult.

A wax finish is available for people whose mothers did not make them maintain a floor in their youth. But while a wax finish is hard to maintain day to day, it is easily repaired. Many super high-end floors use the wax finish because the planked look combined with the wax finish can look absolutely spectacular. Newer types of wax flooring make the maintenance easier.

As a general rule, high gloss floors show scratches and imperfections more easily. If the area you’re covering is a high traffic area, especially areas well traveled by children and large pets, it’s best to stick to satin or lower gloss finishes. They can look stunning, yet won’t show as much day-to-day wear. For a formal look or in a low traffic area, the high gloss choices may be appropriate.

A great deal of temperature variation or changes in humidity can cause gaping, cupping and warping in some solid wood floors. If you’re installing in a structure that’s seldom occupied or in a high humidity area, you may want to consider engineered wood flooring or another flooring choice.

If so, there are alternatives to wood flooring. You should choose one of them.

Many prefinished solid wood flooring is 3/4″ thick, so if it is installed next to, say, vinyl flooring, there will be a substantial lip. Other subflooring can be brought up to the same level, but that can be expensive and time-consuming.

Ask yourself some other questions related to the new flooring thickness. What’s the tolerance at the sliding door? Will doors still work? Will your refrigerator still fit under the cabinets? Will you be able to remove the dishwasher in the future? What is the impact on the baseboard?

Remember, every one of these problems can be solved. Just be aware of what you’re getting into before you make your choice.

Measure each room, multiplying length by width. Add extra to cover any cut waste or imperfect boards.

First Grade or Clear: Order 3% to 4% extra

Second Grade or Select: Order 5% to 7% extra

Third Grade, No. 1 Common or No. 2 Common: Order 10% to 12% extra (unless you’re willing to live with the larger imperfections in a cabin or vacation property)

If needed, remember to measure for shoe molding, quarter round or wall base, reducer strips, T-molding, and thresholds.

Is the subflooring wood or concrete? Is the installation below grade, on-grade or above grade? Is there radiant-heat flooring?

The list of installation questions and considerations can be lengthy. We recommend you look through some of our other articles, especially those on subflooring rules and general installation guidelines before proceeding with your project.