Evaluating hardwood floors

It is only possible to evaluate a particular brand of floor through actual experience with the floor over a certain period of time, making it almost impossible for any person to evaluate the many brands and styles available. With all the brands and grades of floor available to the consumer, selecting a quality floor can be a daunting task. Although each manufacturer claims to have a better floor than the competition, there is at least a yard stick whereby all floors can be measured and thus evaluated based on these certain criteria. All manufacturers of hardwood floors carry a range that include entry level to high end floors, and the quality from one range to the next will vary greatly. Also certain manufacturers have a better reputation in the industry compared to others.

Scrutinizing a hardwood floor warranty will allow one to only partly determine its quality. Hardwood floor warranties range from 10 years to lifetime, are not transferable and may cover the following aspects: Structural integrity, Finish, Wood Wear Layer, 1/2/3 Times Sanding Warranty, Adhesive bond warranty, Sub floor moisture protection warranty, Factory Defect warranty and Radiant heated sub floor warranty.

Most hardwood floors however do not cover all the warranty aspects mentioned above, and in fact mostly only cover factory defect, sanding, adhesion and structural integrity. The reason for this is that hardwood is inherently a porous product, resulting in a floor that dents and scratches easily, thus a surface warranty is usually not offered, however in order to protect the hardwood floor surface, manufacturers utilize various chemicals to ensure that the surface is scratch and dent resistant, resulting in a better quality and more durable floor. The most successful of these treatments is the addition of Aluminum Oxide to the surface in addition to the regular urethane or wax finish. However not all Aluminum Oxide treated floors are equal, as the number of layers will also affect the durability of the floor. Hardwood floors can have anything from one to ten layers of aluminum oxide applied to the surface, with a higher number denoting a more durable surface and thus a better quality floor.

There is no difference in quality between a solid and an engineered hardwood floor, instead ones decision as to which floor to install should be based upon factors such as existing type of sub floor and general moisture levels in the ground and air. Read this article for more information on solid vs engineered hardwood floors

Engineered hardwood floors are constructed of multiple layers of wood that are glued together, with only the top layer receiving a finish coat. A floor with a higher number of layers generally offers more stability and is considered better quality. In addition to this, these layers should be cross grained, offering even more structural integrity and resulting in a floor that displays a higher level of resistance to warping and buckling.

Engineered floors are available in varying thicknesses, ranging from 3/8” to ¾”. A thicker floor is generally considered better quality; however one must always scrutinize the wear layer, as a thicker floor does not necessarily carry a thicker wear layer. Also a thicker wear layer (top layer) generally denotes a better quality floor, as the wear layer is what is subjected to daily wear and tear and may need to be refinished. Thus the thicker the wear layer, the higher the number of times the floor can be refinished. Also in this regard, always enquire as to how many times the floor can be refinished and ensure that this is stipulated in the warranty, as some engineered floors cannot be refinished whereas others can be refinished up to three times.

The species of hardwood of which a floor is constructed will also affect the quality and durability of the floor. Certain hardwoods are denser than others, making them less porous and thus less susceptible to scratching, denting and staining. The Janka Hardness test gives the relative density of hardwoods and can be used as a general guide when deciding on a species of wood. See here for the Janka Hardness Table.

A higher incidence of knotting and graining denotes a more porous structure, thus resulting in a floor that will scratch and stain easier. However, these floors also tend to hide scratches more efficiently due to their color variations and mineral streaking. Once milled, hardwood planks are soughted according to quality.

Clear – This grade of flooring is free of defects though it may have minor imperfections. This category tends to be very consistent with little mineral streaking and knots, also making it the most expensive.
Select – The select grade of hardwood is almost clear, but contains more natural characteristics such as knots and color variations.
Common hardwood flooring grades (No. 1 and No. 2) have more markings than either clear or select and are often chosen because of these natural features and the character they bring to a room. These grades of floors have always been the least expensive, but the recent revival of the antique rustic look, has resulted in prices skyrocketing.