Flooring F.A.Q.
What is the difference between prefinished wood floor and unfinished wood flooring?
Floating Engineered Floor
Prefinished wood floors are, as the name suggests, finished during the manufacturing process usually with aluminum oxide finishes. Unfinished wood flooring is the raw wooden plank, which will have to be finished on site, after the installation.
Which one is better, prefinished floor or unfinished?
They are both equally good, but there is always one that fits better a house vs another. Your particular needs will determine which one is better FOR YOU. Tell us more about your property and we will be able to tell you which one is the floor for your house.
What do you recommend me to go with, engineered flooring or hardwood?
Again, there is no correct answer to this question either. It all comes down to where you live, what type of property do you have, what type of subfloor, what budget and, last but not least, what are your personal preferences. In order for us to answer this question we would need to get some questions answered by you first. But, if you want to learn some more about the differences between these two, please feel free to read this article.
Contact Us for a Free Flooring Quote
When sanding a floor, how many coats are best?
There is no straight answer to this question. Depending on the type of finish used, you might need anywhere from one coat to three coats. Once we understand your needs a little better, we could determine the type of finish that you need and recommend the proper amounts of coats from there.
Is it true that, the more coats I get the better?
Not always. Very often, contractors promise extra number of coats in an attempt to get the job. While in some cases, a bigger number of coats are indicated, due to the low quality of product used, most of the time the type of finish used is more important than the number of coats. As a matter of fact, the best finishes on the market today require a single application, with that extra coat being not only unnecessary but impossible to apply, because the manufacturer strongly advises against the application of one coat over another.
The exotic species in high demand are usually harvested from private farms. These plantations reduce the negative effects the wood flooring industry could have on the ecosystem. By creating privately owned farms, the removal of exotic trees from their natural habitat is being avoided.
Can I install wood flooring in a bathroom?
While we don’t recommend installing wood flooring in a bathroom, many times people choose to do so. If you decide to do this, you need to be aware of the risk involved in this. Understand the fact that water and wood don’t go very well together and that, if the unexpected happens and there is some sort of water leak, your floor will be drastically affected. In the best case scenario you will need to sand and refinish your damaged floor. In the worst case scenario, your floor will have to be replaced.
How about kitchens, can I have wood flooring in there?
Yes, installing wood floors in the kitchens and even powder rooms is ok.
I understand the risk, but I really love the idea of having wood floors in my bathrooms. Which one is the best option?
Installing tiles in the bathrooms is most likely the wiser choice. Still, if you decide to go with wood floors in the bathrooms, a good engineered floor is the better option over hardwood floors.
Any other precautions I can take in order to protect my bathroom hardwood floor?
Not really. The one thing we suggest is not to run the floor straight into the bathrooms, use a transition piece instead between bathroom and the adjacent room. This way, if “disaster” strikes, you will be able to isolate and solve the problem without affecting the other rooms.
I live in a high-rise, how can I get hardwood flooring in my apartment?
We are aware of the difficulties a downtown condo owner has to go through when it comes to hardwood floors. Homeowner association, rules and regulations in regard to sound-proofing are just few of the problems a condo owner is facing, prior to getting wood flooring. Until few years ago, the only options available to a condo homeowner were engineered flooring, installed either glue down or floating. That is not the case anymore. Our floating subfloor/ nailed down wood floor system has allowed us to install nailed down hardwood flooring in many apartment buildings, successfully. Our floors meet all the homeowner association requirements.
Go to faq top of the page or see below for more Chicago hardwood floors articles
You Should Also Know...
What Separates Us From the Crowd...
Our Process
The completion of a flooring project is always associated with stress, big mess, lots of money and time invested by you, the homeowner. We understand this and developed a process designed to protect you from these "inconveniences". Please click here for details.
Our Warranty
Buying a product backed by a strong warranty is very important for every single one of us. Many companies learned this litle secret and are using their warranty as an advertising tool, making promises they know they can't and will never keep. We believe that putting our money where our mouth is, would be the best way to prove that our warranty is not just a piece of paper. For more details, click here and read about our warranty and why we believe it will give you piece of mind.
Contact Us
As much as we try to give you an insight on all the in and outs of the flooring businees, as much as we try to help you make the right choice there are always going to be these details that belong to your house and your house only. These are the details we cannot anticipate, the things we cannot write about. For more helpful flooring advice as well as a free estimate on your upcoming project, please contact us.
Understand Wood Flooring
Understanding how and what to choose, for your floor will determine the lenght and quality of your wood floor for many years to come. We understand all this and put together a series of articles that will help you make an informed decision. Please click here to browse through them. Learning the insights of this business will give you the edge in your relationship with different vendors or flooring contractors.
