The Homeowner’s Handbook to Real Wood Floors Photo by Jaroslaw Ceborski
Every wood floor has a story. What will yours be? Home is where real life happens. From the day you move in until you hand over the keys, you need a real surface that can handle your family’s big and small moments. Learn why wood is the only flooring that can truly last for the life of your home.
TABL E OF CON TENTS 2 Homeowner’s Handbook to Real Wood Floors
Which Wood Floor Fits Your Lifestyle? Choose Real Wood................................................................. Wood.................................................................4 4 Species Selection....................................................................... Selection.......................................................................7 7 Hardness (Janka Scale). Scale)....................................................8 ..................................................
Say “I do” to the floor of your dreams 4 Homeowner’s Handbook to Real Wood Floors
Wood floors add natural beauty and timeless style to any décor. Whether your home is traditional or contemporary, brand new or centuries old, wood floors offer endless design possibilities and make it easy to fit your home’s needs and personal style. woodfloors.
Real Wood. Real Life. To help you identify the real thing, the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) recently developed a formal definition of wood flooring, along with a corresponding “Real Wood. Real Life.” logo for its members to use with real wood products. The definition states that wood flooring contains real wood as the top-most, wearable surface of the floor.
Species selection Choosing the right species of wood flooring is a matter of your lifestyle, budget, and personal preference. More than 50 domestic and imported species of wood flooring are available to achieve a unique look. As a general rule, light woods make a room appear more open and airy, medium woods make a room feel warm and cozy, and dark woods make a room feel stately and refined. View the options at woodfloors.org/species-gallery. woodfloors.
Toy cars, action figures... with wood floors, it’s No Big Deal. Each species of hardwood has a different level of hardness. Some common domestic species like walnut, cherry, and birch are less hard in comparison to other common domestic species like maple, hickory, and oak. The hardness of solid wood is measured according to a system called the Janka Scale. The Janka Scale gives a good indication of how well a wood species can be expected to withstand dents and dings.
Hardness ( J a nk a ) S c a l e HARDEST Walnut, Brazilian Teak, Brazilian Purpleheart Cherry, Brazilian (Jatoba) Bubinga Gum, Spotted Mesquite Mahogany, Santos Gum, Sydney Blue Merbau Jarrah Hickory/Pecan Padauk Wenge Maple, Brazilian Sapele Maple, Hard Cypress, Australian Oak, White Oak, Tasmanian Ash, White Beech Oak, Northern Red Birch Iroko Pine, Heart (Antique) Teak, Thai/Burmese Walnut, American Black Cherry, Black Pine, Southern Yellow (Longleaf) Pine, Southern Yellow (Loblolly/Shortleaf) Douglas Fi
cho ose a style Photo by Michael Browning Site-finished or Factory-Finished? A site finish is applied at the home, in the room where the flooring is being installed. This offers the most customization, but requires drying time during which you will not be able to walk on the floor. With factory-finished wood floors, the finish is applied at the factory, long before it reaches your home. While it offers the least customization, you will be able to walk on the floors immediately after installation.
BigStockPhoto © Glossy or Matte? The sheen of your wood floor is a matter of personal preference. Gloss finishes offer the most shine and reflect the most light. Semigloss finishes offer some shine and reflect some light. Satin finishes offer low shine and reflect minimal light. Matte finishes offer the least shine and reflect the least light —natural oils have similar characteristics. The less sheen, the less you will notice small scratches and other normal wear.
12 Homeowner’s Handbook to Real Wood Floors
Wood fl oo r ing c he c k l is t Type: Solid Engineered Style: Strip Plank Color: Light Medium Dark Brilliant Domestic Imported Origin: Species: Finish Method: Jobsite Factory-finished finish type: Natural Oil Oil-based Water-based sheen: Solvent-based Wax Gloss Semi-Gloss Satin Matte notes: woodfloors.
A healthy cho ice You probably think a lot about whether the food you eat is safe. But how safe is the flooring surface in your home? Wood floors improve indoor air quality. They don’t harbor allergens, microorganisms, or harmful pesticides that can be tracked in from outdoors. Mold, dust, and animal dander are minimal as well, which makes wood floors a healthy option for your little one’s first steps and beyond.
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16 Homeowner’s Handbook to Real Wood Floors
paws and claws? No problem! Maintenance Tip #1 Wipe up spills immediately with a slightly dampened cloth. Today’s wood floors are designed to withstand the traffic of busy families, including man’s best friend. Wood floors are extremely durable and can look beautiful for decades. If you have pets in the home, placing breathable rugs at all doors will minimize dirt and debris from being tracked inside and help protect your floor from scratches.
When Life Gets messy you need a floor that’s easy to clean With kids around, it can seem as though floors are a magnet for spilled food and drinks. Rest assured, wood floor maintenance is quick and easy. Routine cleaning involves sweeping, dust mopping, or vacuuming using the bare floor setting to remove dust and dirt. Clean spills immediately with a dry or slightly damp cloth. Don’t use wet mops or steam mops, which can damage the finish and the wood over long periods of time.
Maintenance Tip #4 Follow a regular cleaning schedule to ensure a better performance of the floor. Sweep or dust mop as needed, vacuum weekly using the bare floor setting, and clean with the appropriate wood floor cleaner monthly. woodfloors.
Maintenance Tip #5 Use a humidifier throughout the winter months to minimize gaps between the floor boards. Maintenance Tip #6 Ask a wood flooring professional for a recommended maintenance schedule. Schedules vary depending on use, finish wear and tear, and lifestyle.
An ounce of prevention To avoid scratches, put floor protector pads on the bottoms of the legs of any furniture that comes in direct contact with your floors. Avoid walking on floors with sports cleats or high-heeled shoes. But even if despite your best efforts, the floor becomes a toy car racetrack or dance floor, issues can usually be repaired. When the floor begins to look a little dull, only use products recommended by your contractor, flooring manufacturer, or finish manufacturer.
Maintaining your luster Over time, when your wood floors start to look a little dull, they can be renewed through recoating. This involves applying new finish to renew luster. To keep wood floors looking and performing well for generations, periodic recoating of your floors is all that’s necessary. Individual maintenance schedules will vary depending on finish, wear and tear, and lifestyle. Maintenance Tip #8 Consider new finish options to give an updated look and style.
need more details about wood floors? woodfloors.org WHY WOOD FLOORS CHOOSE YOUR FLOOR CARE FOR YOUR FLOOR visit woodfloors.
S u s ta i n a b l e f o r f u t u r e g e n e r at i o n s Wood floors are the most environmentally friendly flooring option available.
Trees are a renewable resource that can be regrown time and time again. The hardwood forests that provide flooring products are growing more than twice as fast as they are being harvested. Because wood floors can last for many generations, they require fewer raw materials – and produce less landfill waste – than other flooring options. Wood also stores carbon during its service life and can ultimately be recycled for other uses or burned as fuel.
Makeovers are easy with a pro It’s easy to transform the look of your wood floors by sanding and refinishing them. You’ll want a wood flooring professional who has the knowledge and skills to do the job right. The NWFA is dedicated to educating wood flooring professionals in the installation, sanding, finishing, inspection, and sale of wood flooring products. Find one in your area at woodfloors.
Look for nwfa Logos of certification hire with assurance Maintenance Tip #9 To prolong the life of your floor, put your trust in an NWFA Certified Professional. These individuals set themselves apart from their competition by attending training and earning certifications through the NWFA. Certification validates industry knowledge and expertise, and recognizes individuals as experts in their field. woodfloors.
Sold! You’ll be floored at the value. When the time comes to buy a bigger home, or to downsize, homes with wood floors sell faster and for more money than homes without them. Real estate agents indicate that identical homes with wood floors can sell for up to 10 percent more. When maintained properly, wood floors can last generations, providing a great long-term value.
Ready to find your floor? Follow this step-by-step guide! 01 Determine where in your house you’d like to have wood flooring. 02 Establish a general budget range and desired timing for the project. 03 Find a professional to help with selecting/ordering product and installation. 04 Choose the type of flooring, design requirements, and colors that are necessary for your project. 05 Plan a time to have the work completed. 06 Discuss maintenance requirements with your flooring professional.
