Episode 14 – New Naturale Elegance Flooring Collections
2024 brings new collections to Naturale Elegance Flooring. Rounding out the offering with both solid and engineered collections along with adding a click and glue down LVP.
Additionally, there is an updated display system with singular display units per collection to allow for multiple display configurations. Here is an image of the 2024 display setup with all 8 collections…
Display Spec’s
• Each collection is a separate display rack • Dimensions: 20” Wide x 24” Deep x 6’10” High The display of all 8 collections is 13’3” Wide
Here is what is new…
If you are interested in or have any questions regarding these new collections, feel free to reach out to your sales representative, contact our customer service department or visit the Naturale Elegance Flooring website.
These new collections have been added on to our latest Naturale Elegance Flooring price list.
In addition to the new, revamped colors in some existing Hallmark Floors collections, 2023 has also brought us a few new collections. Below you will find a short description and a few bullet points for each of these new collections.
The Serenity Collection
Immerse yourself in the serene embrace of nature with our meticulously crafted Serenity Collection, sourced from the breathtaking landscapes of North America’s New England region. Here, amidst the hallowed beauty of slow-grown forests, we discover the essence of calmness, grace, and sublime simplicity. The unique climate of this area blesses us with longer, cooler summers, fostering the growth of hardwoods with unparalleled integrity and a resplendent appearance. Along with a longer length, Serenity has a cleaner overall appearance than any other Hallmark collection. Below are the grade definitions.
7 1/2” wide
5/8” overall thickness
4mm Sawn cut wear layer
AB Grade (Selected) on most colors
7’2” Random length
TrueMark GlazeTek Urethane Finish
The Avenue Collection
As big as your own imagination, the Ultra-Wide Avenue Collection removes the constraints of conventional flooring allowing your space to breathe. Each plank exudes more history and beauty of nature’s strongest and most dramatic hardwood species only available in wider widths. With supreme styling and trend setting colors the Avenue Collection offers 10 beautiful visuals in a variety of species, including European Oak, American Hard Maple, and American Hickory. These true sawn cut floors boast the longevity of a solid floor with the security of Hallmark’s proprietary engineering prowess to give your home the floor of a lifetime.
9 1/2” wide
5/8” overall thickness
4mm Sawn cut wear layer
Oak, Hickory and Maple Species
7’2” Random length
TrueMark GlazeTek Urethane Finish
The American Traditional Classics Collection
The Classic look of engineered hardwoods in classic narrow planks. Created to visualize a cleaner and more modern look for contemporary classics. Varying species will be available in mill run, character grade, or select grade. This Prairie style flooring takes note to a look that is uniquely American.
5” or 3 1/4” wide (select colors)
1/2” overall thickness
3mm Sawn cut wear layer
Oak, Hickory, Maple and Walnut Species
Select and Character Grades
7’2” Random length
TrueMark GlazeTek Urethane Finish
The Grain and Saw Collection
Grain & Saw is a subtle reclaimed look inspired by 14th-century handcrafted guilds, paired with the latest materials this collection will complement every interior. At a time when Guild associations worked with merchants and artisans to protect one of kind handcrafted products the touch & feel of the work is unmistakably rich. Every board is unique, every pattern is distinct and full of personality… designed with juxtaposing striking characteristics of hand tooled saw marks and enhanced natural grain allowing the ebbs and flows of the wood species to be at the forefront.
6” wide
7/16” overall thickness
1.5mm Slice cut wear layer
Oak, Hickory and Maple Species
6’2” Random length
TrueMark GlazeTek Urethane Finish
The Regatta Collection
Regatta Spillproof Hardwood offers a dozen beautiful visuals in a variety of species including European Oak, American Hard Maple and American Hickory. Our fashionable looks are created with hand-applied glazes, skip sawn textures, hand-scraped surfaces and nature’s graining accented by our unique brushing techniques. Our Regatta Hardwood features our Spill Proof guarantee, our best commercial finish and an edge sealant that provides 360 degree protection making for an easy clean up to life’s little mishaps. Regatta also features the “push lock” fastening system for extra seam protection and a perfect installation every time. As a finishing touch we’ve added our Quiet Comfort padding to each board for added underfoot comfort and sound reduction.
6” wide Waterproof Purcore Rigid+ Core
7.5mm overall thickness with IXPE pad
1.2mm Slice wood veneer
Oak, Hickory and Maple Species
6’2” Random length
TrueMark GlazeTek Urethane Finish
If you are interested in or have any questions regarding these new collections, feel free to reach out to your sales representative, contact our customer service department or visit the Hallmark Floors Website.
These new collections have been added on to our latest Hallmark price list.
Episode 12 – New Colors Now Available in Existing Hallmark Collections.
At the beginning of 2023, Hallmark teased us with the upcoming changes with a couple of their collections. Alta Vista, Monterey, Ventura and Organic Solid went through a revamp and now most of the below colors are available and are in stock…
Alta Vista – The Alta Vista Hardwood Flooring is a return to vintage European Design. These beautiful classic and refined floors are crafted out of French White Oak, a premier hardwood species that has been used for everything from flooring to shipbuilding over the centuries due to its stability.
Monterey – The Monterey Hardwood Collection was designed with a historical, European influence making it simply savvy & perfect for today’s trends. This collection captures the beauty of nature, developed using tomorrow’s technology to create a new demand for random width planks.
Ventura – The Ventura Hardwood Flooring Collection is contemporary and designed to look gently aged and weathered, while still being durable and stain resistant. Hallmark’s 2mm slice-cut style, combined with a wire brushed texture applied by hand, offers a truly natural look for contemporary living.
Organic Solid – The Organic Solid Hardwood Collection creates a perfect complement to contemporary interiors and accentuating a vintage look, they feature a reclaimed design with planks of random widths and lengths, adding immediate warmth to any interior.
We wanted to make sure you at least had the images of the new colors. If you would like to order updates for your display, please contact your sales rep for display type, pricing, and availability.
These new colors have been listed on our last Hallmark price list. If you do not see a color listed on our price sheet, that color will be phased out and once the color is gone, it will be discontinued. If you have any other questions regarding these new colors, please feel free to reach out to your sales rep or contact our customer service department at 414-312-7037.
Episode 11 – Starting the Claim Process with your Distributor.
Hopefully you have not needed to call in a rep to look at a concern with one of your installations, however if you are in this industry long enough you may eventually have to make that call. When the floor owner first contacts you regarding a concern with their flooring, act quickly and gather as much information about their concern. In most cases, you may need to go look at the issue yourself to verify what they are experiencing. Understanding what information your distributor may ask for can help speed this process up. Most will have an evaluation form from the manufacturer with information that is needed to help you assess the concern. Below you will find the main jobsite specific points of data to make sure you gather and have on hand as you contact your rep.
The below data must be collected before the distributor or manufacturer will get involved:
Temperature and Humidity of the environment
Photos of the concern, including room scene images
Photos of the moisture content of the flooring (if applicable)
Type of installation (floating/nailed/glued)
Exact fastener that was used (if nailed)
What type of subfloor the flooring is installed over
When was the flooring installed
When was the concern first noticed (before/during/after installation)
Underlayment used (if floated/nailed)
Having the correct tools to take the above readings can be the difference between coming up with a resolution in a couple of days verses a couple of months. With the collective experience of your company and providing this information during a conversation with your rep, you may be able to ascertain what may be going on and come up with a quick resolution to the concern.
After the initial conversation with your rep and the above mentioned information has been provided, they may find it insufficient and decide to look at the floor in person. Here in lies the second reason for this article; what to expect from an onsite visit from your distributor representative. In most cases, the distributor rep is the local representation and an extension of the manufacturer, visiting the jobsite on their behalf. During this visit, while understanding the concern and gathering information from the floor owner, additional jobsite readings and observations are taken.
This is typically an information gathering, jobsite evaluation. Looking at overall product specs, acclimation procedures, environmental conditions before, during and after the installation, installation dates and verifying whether the manufacturers installation guidelines were followed. During this visit is not where the cause or repair of the concern is given. No invasive inspection of the flooring will happen at this time.
To set expectations, this should be explained to the floor owner prior to distributor’s visit. A representative from your company should attend this meeting with your distributor rep. If you were not the company that installed the flooring but rather subcontracted the installation, make sure the installer that performed the work is also in attendance to answer any specific installation questions.
After the visit, the information and photographs gathered are provided to the manufacturer along with the order history data gathered from the distributors database (i.e., when the distributor received the product, batch code information, retailer purchase date and shipping and/or delivery date, etc.). The manufacturer will look over the information provided and respond to the distributor whether it can be defined as a product related concern or possibly something else. The distributor will relay the manufacturers’ findings to the retailer/installation company. It is at this point that a suggestion may be made for a possible repair. If the data gathered during the evaluation raises suspicion of a possible product issue, the manufacturer may request a more invasive or detailed jobsite inspection by an industry accredited flooring inspector.
If the floor owner, installer, or retailer disagrees with the findings of the manufacturer, they are welcome to hire their own industry accredited inspector to inspect the concern themselves. If the report from said inspector finds there to be a significant product concern, most manufacturers will reopen the claim.
Additional information can be acquired from the manufacturer’s technical department of the products used on your floor. The National Wood Floor Association (NWFA) can be an additional resource. They can be reached at 800-422-4556 or online at www.woodfloors.org.
In today’s flooring market, there are a flood of products either calling themselves wood, replicate wood or have a paper-thin veneer that consider themselves ‘waterproof’ wood. How is the consumer to decipher what product is the best for their home?
In the recent past, lesser expensive products have made their way into the flooring market. Products like luxury vinyl plank splashed into the market with the look of wood at a low price point and the promise of a waterproof floor covering. Over the years, the manufacturers have seen performance issues with these low-cost platforms and have had to upgrade the core materials to withstand the variations in temperature and humidity that exists throughout the country. With this increased cost of raw materials, the price of these products has reached that of an actual wood floor.
Wood floors are in high demand among home buyers. In fact, 90 percent of real estate agents say that homes with hardwood floors are easier to sell, and 90 percent also say that homes with hardwood flooring tend to sell for up to 10 percent more than homes that don’t have it. Most other types of floor coverings are considered a necessity and do not increase the value of a home.
Homes with hardwood floors are not only easier to sell, but they also offer an average return on investment of around 147%. That’s because 54% of buyers are willing to pay more for hardwood floors if they are in good condition. With correct installation, proper maintenance, and refinishing, hardwood floors have the longest life span compared to other flooring materials. It’s an expense that most experts say is well worth it. While this may seem a little pricey for an initial investment, you must take into consideration the fact that these floors can outlive you.
In this article – Aging with Grace: The Sustainability of Wood Flooring – Libby Johnston (Publisher of the Hardwood Floors Magazine) and other hardwood flooring industry professionals talk about the Life Cycle of a wood floor, being able to Refinish Instead of Replace and the Sustainability of wood flooring. Partnering with other associations, research institutes, and consulting firms, the wood flooring industry is getting the word out to the consumer regarding the benefits of using wood instead of imitations.
As a consumer starts their hard surface research, whether online or in a store, it seems about 80% of the hard surface flooring products have a wood look. The industries “Real Wood. Real Life” marketing campaign sets out to help homeowners with the misconceptions about wood floors.
This is currently being done through print and electronic marketing campaigns. One well designed printed piece is ‘The Homeowner’s Handbook to Real Wood Floors’. Additional information on this campaign can be found by contacting the NWFA or read this article regarding its launch.
Partnerships like the NWFA and the Real American Hardwood Coalition look to educate consumers on the many benefits of using wood vs other types of floor coverings. Including information regarding why to choose hardwood, the multitudes of available hardwood species, info about wood’s sustainability and where else hardwood can be used on a project. Additional information can be found on their website… www.realamericanhardwood.com
Now that we understand some of the benefits of wood flooring, how do you weed through all the real wood flooring options? To clear up some of that confusion, the industry has classified wood flooring into three categories:
Solid wood flooring is a solid piece of wood from top to bottom.
Engineered wood flooring is real wood from top to bottom and is normally made using multiple wood veneers or slats of wood glued together at opposing directions.
Composite engineered wood flooring contains real wood on the wearable surface only. The backing and core material may be made up of any type of composite material.
In the above-mentioned categories, there are variations that could add additional value to that category:
The ability to refinish a wood floor not only makes it a multi-generational product, but it also ensures it will never go out of style. The color and sheen can be updated during the remodeling process or to suit the taste of a new homeowner, providing a completely new look.
Whether a wood flooring product can be sanded and refinished would maximize its value. To clarify what can be sanded or not, the NWFA has recently launched its Engineered Wood Flooring Refinishable Program. The program is a voluntary certification program designed to identify engineered wood flooring products with wear layers thick enough to be refinished. Just as there are many wood look alikes, there are also engineered wood flooring products with very thin wear layers that should not be resanded.
In some cases, these thin wear layered products are being compared to a ¾” solid or engineered wood flooring with a sandable wear layer. When it comes to value, there is a big difference between a wood flooring that has a paper-thin wear layer that cannot be resanded, then one that can be resanded 1, 2 or even 5 times.
It has been said that a wood floor look alike (LVP/Laminate) may last about 10-15 years. A thinner engineered wood floor may last your lifetime. A solid or engineered wood floor with a sandable wear layer can last generations and could be sanded and stained a different color to suit your future generations or have that added value to the next homeowner.
What happens to all these products when they are at the end of their service life? As the carbon footprint conversation becomes more of a noteworthy topic in the production of a material, so does the ability to recycle it after its service life. Your wood look alikes will most of the time end up in a landfill since the mixed media the manufacturers have used to make them more stable, has caused the inability to be recycled. It will remain in the landfill for 100’s of years. As for a wood flooring product (if it has not been repurposed as a reclaimed decorative surface covering), they will decompose in 1-5 years. In the end, having a much greener overall story.
Episode 9 – Environmental Conditions, Before, During and After the Installation
There are many factors that can play into the performance of a hardwood floor. None is more important than how moisture can affect flooring. Hardwood flooring professional know that wood is a natural material and can absorb and release moisture depending on the surrounding environmental conditions. Checking or possibly monitoring these conditions should start even before the wood is delivered to the jobsite.
If you have ever been to a NWFA Installation course, you would hear a decent amount of information and conversation regarding moisture and wood. How to test and document moisture on the jobsite and depending on conditions, when to install or not to install the flooring. As a matter of fact, the NWFA has a separate publication covering just this topic, “Moisture and Wood”, which can be an additional resource if you would like to understand more about how moisture can affect wood flooring.
For this article, we are going to cover controlling and maintaining the environmental conditions of the jobsite to minimize moisture related issues. As mentioned above, this starts BEFORE the flooring is delivered to the jobsite. For instance, your builder calls you and states ‘the job is ready for installation of the wood flooring’. In their mind, the schedule is conducive for the installation. A jobsite evaluation should be done at this time for any issues. While you may already be doing a pre delivery jobsite evaluation, here are a few items to make sure you are checking and verifying prior to the delivery of flooring:
Is the jobsite complete to the required stage of construction?
All roofing, flashing and gutters are complete
All windows and doors are installed
HVAC is up and running and set to maintain the manufacturer or NWFA installation guidelines
Crawl space (if applicable) is properly encapsulated with no moisture present
Has the exterior grading been done to allow for moisture to shed away from the building?
While final landscaping may not be completely necessary, a completed rough grade will help minimize water pooling up against the building’s foundation and finding it’s way into the building.
Has all ‘Wet Work’ been completed?
All drywall and major painting have been competed
The tile contractor has completed all installation and grouting
After the above items have been checked, measure and document the moisture content of the subfloor or the concrete substrate in addition to taking the temperature/humidity of the jobsite.
If your readings are too high, your flooring will absorb that moisture. Moisture content of the subfloor should be no more than 2-4% higher of the expected wood equilibrium moisture content or EMC (depending on width of flooring).
Here is a common phrase used in many installation courses regarding moisture…
“Get the jobsite ready for wood; then get the wood ready for the jobsite”.
What this means is do the above-mentioned checks and balances prior to scheduling the delivery of the wood. If the jobsite is not ready, your flooring will acclimate to these conditions and not the living conditions the flooring will be exposed to once the owner takes possession. This will cause an awkward conversation a few months down the road when that flooring does officially acclimate in place possibly causing cracking/popping, unsightly gaping and/or irreparable damage.
You have taken the time to check the jobsite conditions of your upcoming job prior to having the wood delivered. All exterior doors and windows have been installed and all ‘wet work’ has been completed. HVAC is up and running and the subfloor readings are within NWFA installation guidelines. Now you can have the flooring delivered and start installing the flooring, correct?
One more thing to do before the installation can begin, acclimation. The acclimation processes may vary depending on whether you are installing a prefinished or unfinished material. It can also vary depending on if it is solid or engineered. Check the installation guidelines of the material you are using to properly acclimate their flooring. Make sure the building owner is maintaining the living conditions DURING the acclimation. Take moisture readings using a moisture meter throughout the acclimation process. Document these numbers and the temperature and RH readings using a thermohydrometer. In any situation, there should be no more than a 4% difference between a wooden subfloor and the flooring. If the flooring is to be glued over a concrete slab, consult your adhesive manufacturer for their testing recommendations and guidelines.
If you are not familiar with the acclimation process, dimensional stability and change coefficient of each wood species or figuring out the equilibrium moisture content of your area, the NWFA’s ‘Moisture and Wood” publication goes into great depth regarding these and many more items regarding moisture and wood. This moisture content graph below is commonly used while explaining the effects of moisture in wood.
This above graph is telling us that if we keep the temperature at 70 degrees and 40% RH, the EMC of that flooring, if kept in that environment, will eventually become 7.7%. If you are trying to install a floor that is going to be kept in these conditions, you will want to make sure you are getting multiple readings throughout the flooring to measure as close to 7.7% as possible before starting your installation. If you are not getting these readings, more time is needed for acclimation.
So now the flooring is at the correct EMC for the environment you are placing the flooring. Installation has been done and if it was unfinished, it has been sanded and finished. You have completed the job and are about to be paid for your work. This is the time that could be the most critical part of the long-term floor care. Advising your customer on how to best maintain their new floor AFTER the installation.
As explained in previous episodes and info bulletins; their new floor needs to be maintained at 60° and 80° and 30% to 50% relative humidity (or whatever is suggested by the flooring manufacturer). Along with the flooring manufacturers floor care guide, either one of these two bulletins can be left behind with the floor owner to explain their role in the long-term performance of their new flooring…
Understanding the relationship between moisture and wood allows us to better understand what to expect as we work with the flooring products and how they will perform in the environment we are planning on placing them. It is an undisputed fact that moisture (or lack of moisture), whether in the form of liquid, vapor, or bound water, will affect the performance of wood flooring, regardless of style, species, width, installation method, or construction. As professionals in this industry, it is our responsibility to mitigate the adverse effects of moisture on wood floors and to communicate to our customers how to properly maintain them.
Additional information can be acquired from the manufacturer’s technical department of the products used on your floor. The National Wood Floor Association (NWFA) can be an additional resource. They can be reached at 800-422-4556 or online at www.woodfloors.org.
Episode 8 – Engineered Wood Floors Have a Comfort Zone Too.
Hardwood flooring is manufactured in many widths and cuts to provide a multitude of design opportunities per species of hardwood. One design element we are seeing become more popular is wood flooring that is 6” to 10” wide and is chosen for the beauty and presence it brings to a room.
In dryer parts of the country or in a market that can experience a dry heating season, a solid flooring in 6” to 10” width would make just about any installer cringe due to the potential movement that floor could go through. To minimize this movement, manufacturers have put their wider plank products onto an engineered platform and have sold them as a more stable option to its solid counterpart. In higher moisture conditions, that engineered flooring will perform better during seasonal changes by not adversely reacting to a higher moisture were a solid may show signs of cupping quickly.
For years, the industry has used an image like the one above, stating the use of solid flooring should only be used on or above grade. Whereas an engineered flooring can be used on all three grades. This is due to the engineered flooring having more dimensional stability to handle the potential of a slightly higher moisture level in a below grade situation.
To the left are the most common types of engineered flooring platforms. If correct living conditions are not maintained in the home, either too high or too low of humidity, the flooring can be stressed and you may start to see unsightly gaps, squeaks and pops as fasteners start to work free from the subfloor and in worst case scenarios, the plies of the engineered flooring starting to tear apart.
While an engineered floor may be able to withstand a slightly higher amount of moisture before showing signs of wood distortion (i.e., cupping or warping), in a dry environment the structure of an engineered plank will tend to hold together so well that by the time you start to see the signs, it may be too late.
Some of the platforms pictured above may handle a wider variance in humidity levels and the manufacturers who utilize the different platforms will have a range that their product performs best in. I have seen in most manufacturer’s guidelines that they require to maintain 35% to 55% humidity with a range of 60° – 80° temperature.
When an engineered plank is exposed to an extended period of dry conditions, the layers of the substrates are stressed, potentially causing irreparable damage to that plank. If held in this situation long enough, the layers can start to peel apart and may appear as ‘Dry Cupping’ as pictured below on the left. Internally, the plies are ripping apart and if examined once the plank has been removed, you will see the ‘Wood Shear’ where the plies have torn like the picture on the right.
Dry Cupping
Wood Shear
This issue is commonly misdiagnosed as delamination. The NWFA defines delamination as “The separation of two layers/plies within a piece of engineered flooring due to the lack of an adhesive bond is typically identified as a clean separation at the glue-line.” This would be a complete, clean separation between the plies and not show torn sections as shown in the image above. A wood floor that is showing signs of dry cupping or wood shear will usually have moisture content readings that indicate that the flooring has been exposed to very low humidity conditions.
Dry Cupping and Wood Shear is not considered a manufacturer defect and is not covered by the warranty since the environmental conditions of the home were not maintained according to the manufacturer’s Maintenance and Warranty Guidelines. Here is the phrasing one engineered manufacturer has on their website regarding wood flooring and its reaction to environmental conditions:
“Wood is a product of nature. As a natural material, it will expand and contract as it gains and loses moisture. Some gaps between the boards during low-humidity seasons are normal and not considered a defect. Maintaining optimum humidity levels of 35% to 55% will minimize these occurrences. Allowing relative humidity levels to fall below 35% can result in structural damage to the floor such as large gaps, splits in the surface, distortion of the boards and structural failure”.
Maintaining these correct environmental conditions will keep these issues from happening. Start by adding a thermo-hygrometer to be able to monitor the humidity. If your current HVAC system cannot maintain these conditions, additional moisture control systems may be needed to help keep the temperature and humidity of the home within the manufacturer’s suggested environmental conditions to maintain their warranty.
Additional information can be acquired from the manufacturer’s technical department of the products used on your floor. The National Wood Floor Association (NWFA) can be an additional resource. They can be reached at 800-422-4556 or online at www.woodfloors.org.
Episode 7 – Dog Nails and Their Ability to Damage a Wood Floor.
Just as a woman’s high heels can dent and crush the fibers of a wood floor, a dog’s untrimmed nails can produce the same crushing action on the cells of a wood floor. As mentioned in the diagram below regarding high heels, your dog’s nail can exert the same psi.
As a dog slips on a finished surface, they will try to grip the surface with their nails. When doing so, the pressure applied to the wood will cause the wood fibers to dent. This may be viewed as a scratch in the finish but it is actually denting the wood. Unfortunately, even the most durable finish systems cannot make the wood harder.
Truthfully, any dog, of any size and of any age can potentially do this to a hardwood floor. A more rambunctious puppy that likes to run and play or even an older dog that likes to run to the door at the sound of a ringing doorbell would have a greater potential for this damage.
While most pet owners are unwilling to quarantine their dogs out of the living space of the home, here a few tips to minimize this damage on your hardwood floor:
First and foremost, keep their nails trimmed and rounded off (avoiding sharp points during trimming).
When choosing wood flooring for your home, choosing a denser wood specie can minimize the possibility of this type of damage. Maple, Hickory or Brazilian Cherry are great examples.
Higher sheen levels and darker stain colors will potentially show this damage more. Utilizing a Satin or Matte sheen level will minimize the reflection of light, thus masking the dents potentially being put into the wood.
If you are looking to repair this damage that has already happened to your floor, recoating it with Matte sheen may mask the damage. In worst case scenarios, the floor may need to be resanded to completely remove these dents.
Additional information can be acquired from the manufacturer’s technical department of the products used on your floor. The National Wood Floor Association (NWFA) can be an additional resource. They can be reached at 800-422-4556 or online at www.woodfloors.org.
Today you can find many suggestions on how to maintain hardwood floors. While some old time remedies may still be relevant, it is best to follow these suggestions for the best performance of the investment. Understanding realistic expectations of wood floor maintenance up front is important. Hardwood floor owners who realize that their floors aren’t impervious to an onslaught of spills, grit and water will be happier with their floors. You can prevent most problems before they occur by following the below care and maintenance, keeping a hardwood floor looking its best and lasting longer.
Added Protection
Nothing is more discouraging than discovering scuffs or scratches on your newly finished hardwood floor. Wood is a product of nature; therefore, it can be dented or scratched by dog nails, high heels, heavy appliances and sharp objects. Most of these scratches could be easily prevented by the following these Do’s and Don’ts…
DO
Support furniture and heavy appliances with wide-bearing, non-staining gliders or casters.
Move appliances and furniture by lifting and placing in place. Try not to slide or roll them on a hardwood floor.
Place a quality door mat at the entrance of your home to help protect the floor from abrasive dust, dirt and grit, thus save time on unnecessary clean-up.
Place area rugs in high traffic areas to make long-term maintenance easier and less expensive.
Keep the indoor relative humidity between 30% and 50%.
Don’t
Don’t use wax, or other wax-based maintenance products on your wood floor.
Don’t use soap or other household detergents.
Never use a wet mop or pour water directly on the floor surface.
Don’t use any alcohol, or ammonia based cleaners.
Don’t clean newly finished floor with Wood Floor Cleaner, or any other cleaner, until the floor is fully cured. Check with your contractor or the manufacturer of the finish for cure times.
Deep Cleaning/Re-Oiling
Just like other floor coverings, your hardwood floors may become too dirty to clean with a simple cleaning. At this time, many floor covering companies offer deep cleaning options that will utilize specifically designed equipment to deep clean and scrub your floors, removing any build up left behind by the weekly cleaning. If you have an oiled floor, many manufacturers sell an oil/cleaner that should be periodically applied to your floor to maintain its appearance.
Recoating/Restoring Your Floor
With time, signs of normal wear and tear should be expected. It is natural and happens to all wood floors. To restore the luster of your floor and extend the wear layer of finish, recoat your floor with additional coats of finish (if a traditional urethane coating has been used) or the correct restoration products if your floor has been coated with a hard wax oil or penetrating oil. Make sure your contractor is using the recommended recoat system that is compatible with the finish to give the existing floor a proper deep clean and prepare it for recoating/restoration. Recoating should be done when necessary. Don’t wait until the finish has worn through to raw wood. Call your professional flooring contractor for advice as soon as you see a wear pattern developing on your floor surface.
Accidents Happen
No matter how carefully you take care of your floor, sometimes accidents just happen. Dropped packages, sliding furniture and other things can dent or scratch any wood floor finish, regardless how tough it is. Some of these problems can be solved easily with a simple solution, while others might damage your floor too much to repair by yourself. Don’t worry; there are many talented floor contractors who will be more than happy to help repair your floor. For simple repairs, some manufacturers have repair kits available to help mask slight damage to your floor.
Throughout the Life of Your Floor
The environment of the home should be stable and maintained throughout the life of the floor. Even with correct conditions, floors will shrink and expand as seasonal changes occur. To minimize these changes, maintain a consistent temperature and humidity for your floor to perform as designed. The manufacturers of your flooring may have their own suggested perimeters but the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) states these conditions should be between 60° and 80° and 30% to 50% relative humidity. Installers take many steps to make sure the flooring is installed in the correct conditions. In extreme high or low moisture conditions, a floor can start to go through unsightly and unexpected changes and in worst cases, cause irreparable damage. Of which, in many cases, is not covered by the manufactures warrantees.
Here are a few things that can be done to help maintain the correct conditions in a home:
Have a way to monitor temperature and humidity in the home.
If the HVAC thermostat does not have the ability to read humidity, inexpensive tabletop units can be purchased at most big box stores.
If the levels start to go outside the zone; use a humidifier or dehumidifier to control the moisture levels.
Standard heating and air conditioning systems may not be effective at controlling humidity levels. Additional humidity controlling devices may be necessary.
Make sure humidity control devices are maintained and always working properly.
Additional information can be acquired from the manufacturer’s technical department of the products used on your floor. The National Wood Floor Association (NWFA) can be an additional resource. They can be reached at 800-422-4556 or online at www.woodfloors.org.
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Episode 5 – Variation in Engineered Hardwood Flooring.
Wood is usually chosen as a flooring option because of the natural beauty, distinct color and graining characteristics. While a more traditional graded and sorted material is still marketed, a good amount of today’s factory finished engineered hardwood flooring is made from a live-sawn cut of the log (see Info Bulletin #150 for more information). Each board is unique in its characteristics and can vary in color and grain appearance from piece to piece. With all that beautiful variation, unfortunately a small sample board (even an 18” x 24” display panel would be considered a small sample), may not show all the variation the flooring could have. Below are a few reasons these variations can exist.
Natural Board Variation
In the above opening paragraph, we explained that the live-saw cut has become more commonly used to produce factory finished engineered hardwood. With this cut, the manufacturers can maximize the yield out of a log, allowing all color and grain differences. In most cases, there is little to no grading in this cut; you receive all the beauty the log provides. Each plank can vary from a clean to rustic visual and contain small to large filled knots and splits, sap wood, and a high contrast within the natural and lighter stained visuals. Texture variation can also exist depending on the surface treatment. If the collection has a wire-brushed texture, some planks may have more texture due to the density of that particular plank.
This can also vary by specie. It is important to take heartwood and sapwood into consideration before choosing your floors. The difference between the inner part of the tree (heartwood) and the outer part of the tree (sapwood) can be seen as variations of light and dark. The natural contrast between heartwood and sapwood plays a major role in the color of wood floors. Variations can occur from board to board, as well as in the same board. This occurs naturally, and is not an “unfinished” board. This sapwood is depicted in the Oak flooring image below. The Sapwood is light/yellowish mineral streak in the photo. Some species will have greater levels of variation, for example, Hickory or Maple. Two examples of specie variation are shown below.
Oak Live-Sawn Factory Finished Engineered Flooring
Natural Color Changes Over Time
The natural board subtleties may become more distinct over time due to exposure of direct sunlight. Exposure to UV rays from sunlight, florescent, LED and incandescent bulbs can change (patina) each board. Window coverings, UV resistant tint, solar screens can minimize but not eliminate this natural occurrence. Certain species are more susceptible to light and development of varying degrees/shades of patina, due to their high content of natural oils & tannins. Occasional rearranging furniture and rugs will help reduce the potential effects of the sun.
This color change is depicted in the image to the right. The darker section of the flooring had been covered by a rug. The lighter portion was uncovered. While this may eventually catch up, most homeowners may see this as a product defect when in fact, it is a naturally occurring scenario.
Older display panels that have gone through this natural change may be different from new flooring being delivered to the jobsite as the new flooring has not been exposed to the same conditions. In time, when exposed to similar conditions, the floor should catch up to the sample panel.
Regional/Seasonal Harvesting Variation
Many things can change the final color and grain definition of a cut piece of wood. From the length of a growing season, the soil a tree was planted in to the final cut of material from the log. With this, we experience differences in color and mineral streaking in our lumber depending where in the US or Europe the material comes from. As the increased demand of hardwood flooring continues, manufacturers may source their material not only from additional regions of the country, but possibly from all over the world. The graphic to the left is showing the possible variation in color depending on what portion of Europe a log may have been sourced from. This same regional variation exists in the US.
In addition to region, the time of year that the lumber was harvested can also change its color due to the amount of natural sugars and oils traveling through the tree at that particular time of year.
All the above scenarios can create a slight variation between batches of the same collection and/or color.
Fuming Characteristics
There are multiple ways manufacturers can accentuate the natural beauty of wood. Some manufactures utilize a process called Fuming. Fumed hardwood is a natural accelerated aging process used to enhance the dark to light subtleties within every wood plank, batch and region. The deepening in color and variation is created by adding a natural oxidizing agent in a controlled environment to react with the naturally present tannins in the wood – Time, Temperature & available Tannins (naturally present in the wood) mix to create one of kind planks that are added to the color options of a collection. While this process is done in a very controlled environment, it is not 100% precise. As mentioned in the previous section, Regional/Seasonal Harvesting Variation; every region, grove and tree produces an individually unique and high contrast color palette. This fuming process can accentuate that contrast. The finish system usually used with this process is natural oil which can cause additional contrast. Additional information regarding the different finish systems is explained in the next section.
The below image is an example of a natural oak vs. a fumed oak.
Natural Oak
Fumed Oak
Different Finish Systems
There are multiple finish systems that manufacturers utilize to create their collection of colors. Some finish systems can change the overall color of a floor as it ages or oxidizes. As mentioned above, some may start with a reactive type of coloring process like fuming, and then add penetrating oil to provide a two-tone or layering appearance. While this may provide the color and ‘raw’ appearance that has become popular, this finish system can come with inherent risks. A fumed, naturally oiled floor will have the most variation and can experience a large color change over time. Most retailers will purchase a box of flooring to sample to their prospective customer as their display sample panel may not show the overall variation well.
Another finish system would be a more traditional stain/urethane finish system. Some also utilize stains, glazing or tint coats in a urethane system to produce a layering effect similar to a fumed/oiled system that can be more consistent between batches. These systems can also minimize the color change due to UV exposure or oxidation. In these multi-layered urethane systems, they have a very low sheen to provide that ‘raw’ appearance.
So How Do We Sell Wood Flooring?
After reading this, you may be asking yourself, how am I supposed to sell wood flooring? Well, first off, knowledge. The whole reason this information bulletin exists is to help inform you about the natural varying beauty of hardwood flooring. Wood flooring is the most replicated appearance in other flooring types. From laminate to LVP, even ceramic tile has imitated the look of wood. But none will ever be able to claim the true natural beauty or variation that a real wood floor will have, as no plank and/or floor for that matter is really ever the same. Real wood floors will never have a repeating pattern across the floor. Continue learning about real wood floors by reading our other Information Bulletins or Did You Know Episodes.
Content for this episode (including some written content and images) was sourced from the websites of Naturale Elegance Flooring and Hallmark Floors. Additional information can be acquired from the manufacturer’s technical department of the products used on your floor. The National Wood Floor Association (NWFA) can be an additional resource. They can be reached at 800-422-4556 or online at www.woodfloors.org.
