Hardwood Flooring Must-Know Shopping Facts

Which one?
Pre-finished solid hardwood flooring is just that – already sanded and sealed, by the manufacturer, with at least four coats of ultraviolet-cured urethane resin. It offers consistent quality, quicker installation and immediate gratification, meaning you can walk on it as soon as it is laid. Time and money saved during the installation typically off-set the initial higher material cost.

Unfinished solid hardwood flooring must be sanded and sealed on-site. While it does offer more color choices, it requires extensive preparation. The sanding process is messy; significant drying time is required after each sealing application requiring up to five days for completion. While the initial material cost is lower, remember the additional finishing cost.

Engineered flooring, consisting of a plywood base that’s covered with a 1/16 to 1/8 inch thick layer of wood, works well in bathrooms and basements where light moisture might be a concern. It is almost always pre-finished. Because the top layer is so thin, it can’t be sanded more than one to three times and usually requires a professional to do it. Keep in mind that the less expensive choices cannot be sanded at all due to the very thin top layer.

Don’t be Misled by Lookalikes
The least expensive flooring option is laminate. It looks like wood, but it’s really a printed paper that is affixed to a wood-chip base or high-density fiberboard, covered with a clear surface layer to absorb daily impact. Its issue is that it can’t be repaired or sanded when scratches or dings occur.

Tropical woods, not native to the U.S., are being renamed and falsely marketed as favorite hardwoods. Be careful. Brazilian Cherry is jatoba and Chilean Cherry is lenga. Neither is Cherry. Tasmanian Oak and Australian Heritage Oak are eucalyptus, not Oak. Malaysian Oak is rubber wood and Australian Cypress is pine. When in doubt, review the U.S. Hardwood Species Guide on this website.

Bamboo flooring is being called hardwood. It is not. Bamboo is a grass grown typically in tropical regions of the world and it is not carbon negative. To make flooring, the grass is glued together under tremendous pressures of up to 1,200 pounds per square inch. Glue content can range from three to 20 percent, and often contains urea formaldehyde, which is classified as a probable human carcinogen. Manufacturers approximate it could last only 30 years. And because it is typically manufactured in Southeast Asia, shipment to U.S. shores increases its carbon footprint, significantly. (Additional information.)

As you contemplate your home improvement projects, make choices based upon the facts, not hype. Choose nature’s quintessential “green” material, U.S. hardwood, for flooring, furniture, mouldings, millwork and cabinetry that will last.