Wood Floors
“hardwood floor are always an asset when you sell”
– The San Diego Union-Tribune

Why Use Wood?
 The cost of a solid hardwood floor long term will be
far less than the cost of quality carpeting
 Usual replacement of wall-to-wall carpeting about
every 11 years
 Vinyl tile lasts only slightly longer than carpet
 Solid wood flooring will last for the life of the building
and can be refinished many times
 High insulation values. It would take 15 inches of
concrete to equal the insulating qualities of just one
inch of wood
 Easy Maintenance. Wood floors are the easiest of all
floor surfaces to keep clean

Main Categories of Wood Flooring
 Solid
 Engineered
 Laminate

Solid Wood Flooring
 Strip Flooring
 < 3” wide (most common - 2 1/4 “)
 ¾”, ½”, or 3/8” thickness
 Finished & unfinished
 Plank Flooring
 > 3” wide (3” - 8”), up to 12” (special
orders)
 Edges: square or beveled
 Tong&groove or butt joint
 Finished & unfinished

Solid: Finished vs. Unfinished
 Time of installation
 Unfinished – month for acclimatization + 5-7 days for
installation, sanding, staining & finishing
 Finished - generally done in one day
 Cost of material & installation
 Unfinished (Oak)
 Material: $3 to $5 per sq. ft. for flooring
 Labor: $8 to $12 per sq. ft.
 Finished (Oak)
 Material: $4 to $6 per sq. ft.
 Labor: $8 to $12
 Time and cost of repair
 Unfinished – refinish the damaged area
 Finished – tier down and re-install, patching

Solid: Finished vs. Unfinished
 Finishes
 Finished
 UV-cured – 6-10 coats of a ultra-violet (UV) cured urethane
 Polyurethane – Clear, tough and durable finish applied as
a wear layer
 Acrylic-urethane – Slightly different chemical with the same
benefits as Polyurethane
 Ceramic – Advanced technology, increases the abrasion resistance
 Aluminum Oxide – Added to the urethane finish for increased
abrasion resistance
 Acrylic Impregnated – Acrylic monomers are injected into
the cell structure of the wood
 Unfinished
 Water Based Urethane
 Solvent (Oil) Based Urethane
 Moisture Cured Urethane - needs humidity in the air to cure

Pros & Cons of Solid Wood Flooring
 Pros
 Allowsdesign flexibility (Unfinished flooring)
 Can be refinished
5 times - 3/4” thick
 2 times – 3/8” thick
 Cons
 Above grade or
on grade level installation

Engineered Wood Flooring
 Made up of a top layer of a
real hardwood species and
a core, typically consisting
of multiple plywood layers in
a cross-grain configuration
and bonded together under
heat and pressure to form a
durable plank

Engineered: Benefits
 Lifespan anywhere from 30 - 100 years
 Installed on any grade level
 Can be direct glued-down over a concrete slab
 Can be installed over most (flat) ceramic tile,
vinyl flooring, and plywood, wood, or OSB
subfloors
 Can be installed where there is slightly higher
moisture content like over slabs, below grade
lever, bathrooms and in tropical regions
 Can be sanded and refinished up to 4-5 times
depending on the thickness of the wear layer

Laminate Flooring
 Designed to replicate real
flooring materials
 Laminate flooring comes in
either planks or square tiles
 Typically more durable, less
prone to indent, has better
stain resistance, resists
shrinkage and swelling due to
seasonal changes, and is
easier to install than many
other flooring surfaces

Laminate Flooring: Construction
 Consists of several different layers of various materials
that are pressed together to form a plank
 Print Film - decorative layer gives the floor
the appearance of a real hardwood or tile
 Wearlayer - tough clear melamine layer
with aluminum oxide particles protects the
Print Layer from stain, scratch, or burn
 Core - high-density fiber board (HDF),
particle board, or plastic, the core adds
impact resistance, and forms the tongue
and groove locking system. Some
manufacturers treat the inner core with
melamine resins or water-resistant sealers
 Backing - is usually a melamine plastic
layer used to give additional structural
stability and added moisture protection to
the planks

Laminate Flooring: Installation
 Laminate floors are meant to be
floated over a variety of sub floors
and never secured directly to any
substrate.
 Can just lay on top of the sub floor,
such as, wood, concrete, and some
existing floor coverings
 Underlayment - is a clear thin
plastic sheet that is installed
over the substrate before the
laminate floor is floated

Laminate vs. Solid Wood
Laminate Floors Hardwood Floors
Photographed image/repeating
Natural/no one piece is alike
patterns
Lifespan is limited. Less than 20 years Will last 20-100 years plus
Cannot be refinished Can be refinished
Difficult to repair Can be repaired easier
Brand lines discontinued often Easier to find replacement solution
Will darken/amber. Extent dependent
Fade resistant
on species.
Scratch resistant Will scratch easier
Improves home resale value or time it
Will not help resale value of home
takes to sell

Types of Installation
 Nail down — attached to the subfloor with flooring nails
Solid, engineered
 Staple down — attached to the subfloor with a pneumatic
stapler
Solid, engineered
 Glue down — attached to the subfloor with trowel and
adhesive
Laminate, engineered
 Floating — tongue and groove floor planks rest
on a pad between the floor and subfloor
Laminate, engineered

Installation Over Concrete Slab
 Test for Dryness
 tape a 15-inch square of clear polyethylene film to the slab with
moisture-resistant tape, sealing all four edges. If no
condensation collects under the film after 24 to 48 hours, the
slab is dry enough for floor installation. Make tests in several
spots in each room
 Use Moisture Meter
 Vapor Barrier
 Proper vapor barrier must be installed on top of the
slab to make sure normal slab moisture does not
reach the finished floor. Layers of asphalt felt with
asphalt mastic or 6 mil polyethylene sheathing are
the best choices

Market Trends
 Install bamboo floors in contemporary settings.
Bamboo is out-pacing maple as the "new" light colored
wood floor
 Parquet is still out-of-favor
 Buyers are aware that thin
veneered wood flooring can't handle
many sending for changing stain
colors or other refinish purposes

Bamboo Flooring
 Best installed over a wood
subfloor using staples or glue
 Can be glued directly to a
concrete subfloor for on or
above the grade application
 Not recommended for
installing below the grade
 Can be applied over in-floor radiant heating systems

Bamboo Flooring
Westhollow - Wide variation in shades –
results in more character in the grain and
overall aesthetic look
Springwood - Easy click together
installation that eliminates the
cost of glue and reduces the
overall installation time.
Perfect for Condos or upper floor areas of the
home when combined with cork
underlayment

Novelties

Colors of tomorrow
Trendsetter
Innovative
M Series by Model™
Elegant Trendy
Extravagant Classy

Fashionable
Inspiring
Stylish
M Series by Model™
Formal Imaginative
Chic Pure

Distressed Floors by Max Windsor
Engineered Hand-Scraped
Flooring By Max Windsor
Royal look with exceptional durability
 9-ply of Birch plywood
 crafted to include 3mm wear
surface
 10 coats of UV cured
Aluminum Oxide finish

Questions?

Thank you!