Products

Wood flooring adds classic beauty and warmth to every room in your home. Today’s state-of
the-art technology enhances the natural beauty of wood flooring while making it long-lasting
and easy to care for. F&L Floorworks carefully plans every installation to ensure that it will
uniquely complement your decor. The following guide is a good resource to learn about our
wood flooring products and which will be the right choice for your home.

• Composition - what are the basics of wood flooring
• Species - what types of wood are used to make wood flooring?
• Appearance & Grades - How is the appearance of the wood flooring graded
• Properties - How do the properties of wood affect the floor's durability ?
• Cuts - How can wood be cut into flooring ?
• Finishes - What finishes are available ?
• Borders & Inserts - How are orders used to enhance wood flooring ?

Wood flooring can be made from solid wood or from wood veneers, glued together. It is available both with and without a finish.
Unfinished Flooring refers to a product that is first installed at the site without any finish. After installation, it must then be sanded and finished.
Pre-finished flooring is sanded and finished at the factory. It only requires installation to be ready for use.

Solid wood flooring is made of solid lumber. It is available both unfinished and pre-finished,
and comes in several forms and sizes, including:

* Strip - solid boards with thickness of l/2” or 3/4” and widths of 1 l/2”, 2” or 2 l/4”
* Plank - solid boards with thickness of l/2” or 3/4” and widths of 3” to 8”
* Parquet - patterns made from individual wood pieces

Engineered wood flooring is made by bonding thin layers of lumber with an attractive
veneer finish. It is also available unfinished and pre-finished. Engineered wood flooring
comes in the following forms and sizes:

* Strip - solid boards with thicknesses of l/2” or 3/4” and widths of 1 l/2”, 2” or 2 l/4”
* Plank - solid boards with thicknesses of l/2” or 3/4” and widths of 3” to 8”
* Parquet - patterns made from individual wood pieces

Solid Wood flooring vs Engineered wood flooring: Most solid wood strip or plank can only
be installed with nails over a wood subfloor. Solid wood parquet and short length strip or plank
can be installed with an adhesive on a variety of non-wood subfloors. Solid wood flooring is
very susceptible to moisture and can not be used below grade, in areas such as basements,
or in high-humidity environments.

Engineered Flooring can be installed with adhesive on a variety of subfloors. Some engineered
strip and plank can be installed with nails over wood subfloors. And some engineered flooring
can be installed as a “floating” floor without fastening to the subfloor, by using a bonded tongue
and groove technique (used to install over an existing vinyl floor). Engineered flooring is much
less susceptible to the effects of moisture, and can be used below grade or in humid climates

Acrylic impregnated wood flooring is a highly durable pre-finished product. A high-pressure
process is used to saturate the wood with color pigment and acrylic resin. The result is an
extremely hard finish that is very resistant to abrasion and moisture. Acrylic impregnated
flooring is typically used in commercial applications, but it is also available for residential
purposes. It comes in the same forms and styles as engineered flooring



The following table lists some of the more commonly used species for wood flooring. Although
less known, other species are also available when a more interesting appearance is desired.

Domestic Species

Appearance of the wood flooring determines its grade. All grades are equally strong and serviceable. Oak and ash have four basic grades. Beech, Birch and Hard Maple have three basic grades. They Are:

Oak Grades

Hardness is a property of wood flooring that relates to its durability. Harder wood species are
more durable and more resistant to wear. Dimensional Stability refers to a measure of how much
wood expands or contracts with changes in temperature and humidity. The chart below lists ’
hardness and dimensional stability for various wood species.

Several methods are used to cut raw wood logs into boards for flooring. Plain Sawing is the most
common method. Because it makes the best use of the raw wood, plain sawing is the most cost-efficient method. However, variations and growth ring patterns are more noticeable

Quarter Sawing and Rift Sawing cut the boards from the log in a different manner than plain
sawing. These methods are more expensive because they waste more of the raw log. However,
boards produced by these methods can be more dimensionally stable and can wear more evenly

The Rotary Cut method is used to shear thin layers from the perimeter of raw logs.
Most engineered wood floors are cut in this manner.



Lasting beauty requires minimal care with today’s wood floor finishes. The right finish protects
wood flooring from wear, dirt and moisture while giving the wood an attractive color and sheen.
Today most wood floors are finished with a stain and a top coat. Technology has provided a wide
selection of wood flooring finishes, each with its own distinct benefits and appearances.



Surface finishes are very popular today because they are durable, water-resistant and require
minimal maintenance. Urethanes or ployurethanes remain on the surface of the wood and form a
protective coating. They are generally available in high-gloss, semi-gloss, satin and matte.

There are basically three types of surface finishes:

1. Oil-modified urethane is generally the most common surface finish and is easy to apply. It is
a solvent-base polyurethane that dries in about 48 hours per coat. This type of finish ambers
with age.
2. Moisture-cure urethane is a solvent-base polyurethane that is more durable and more
moisture resistant than other surface finishes. Moisture-cure urethane comes in non-yellowing
and in ambering types and is generally available in satin or gloss. These finishes are extremely
difficult to apply, have a strong odor and are best left to the professional. Drying time is about
20 hours per coat.
3. Water-based urethane is a waterborne urethane that dries by water evaporation. These
finishes are clear and non-yellowing. They have a milder odor than oil-modified finishes have
and they dry in about two to three hours. Foot traffic should be held off for 48 hours. Water
based urethanes are generally more expensive.



Penetrating stains are used to alter the natural color of wood materials to suit the home owner’s
taste. Colors can range from dark brown to off white, with the wood being stained and the finish
used contributing to the final color. It is always wise to request a sample of what you select
before the work is even started.
Paste wax finishes are not as common as they once were, but in certain instances the “patina”
appearance will best suit the decor. They require more maintenance than urethane finishes; and
new wax needs to be applied to the floors periodically as determined by use.



Adding a wood border as part of your floor design can make a simple statement or create a
sophisticated look. Borders can be selected from a single contrasting wood feature strip to a
geometric border with multiple wood species in their natural colors. Borders can be designed to
be either subtle or bold to suit your taste.
Also available are medallions and other inserts which could enhance a foyer, formal dining room
or even an office reception. These medallions are either pre-manufactured for cost effectiveness
or custom made to your specifications