Consumer Information
Knowledge is Power!
1. Get the right kind of flooring - solid vs engineered.
There are many factors that go into deciding which kind of hardwood flooring is appropriate for your particular installation. For instance, if you've ever said or thought, "It's not the heat, it's the humidity." You should probably avoid all solid flooring because it might curve a bit, creating a cupped or crowned surface. You need to also consider whether the floor is being installed over concrete, joists or another surface. See a cross-section comparison of solid hardwood floors and engineered hardwood floors.
2. Get the right species.
Each of the species, such as oak, maple, walnut, cherry or pine have their own characteristics and hardness. For instance, walnut floors and stiletto-heeled shoes should never meet -- even with a typical epoxy finish. For species hardness info, select any of our veneer grade sheets and look for the Janka Harness number near the bottom of the specs.
3. Don't get a lot of bad planks.
There are different industry standard grades for hardwood flooring that describe how much of what type of board you receive. More about grading hardwood flooring.
4. Be sure to get graded flooring.
When you buy most lumber products they come in different grades and sizes. There's near complete agreement on how to describe a certain piece of plywood or 2x4. Sometimes a flooring supplier will not offer a graded product. The lengths of the boards, the grain, etc, vary according to what's available. More about grading hardwood flooring.
5. Buy from an expert.
Not everybody in every store knows the details of the ins-and-outs of hardwood flooring. There are even some number of flooring installers out there who don't follow the "best practices" of hardwood flooring. Look for experience. Read about the history of Quarter-Sawn Flooring.
6. Don't settle for less.
The best hardwood flooring from one company might not be anywhere near the best flooring available. There is a type of flooring that has the best grain, consistency and structural characteristics. This also makes it the best quality for "difficult" installations: veneer grade or vertical grain quarter-sawn.
7. Be sure the flooring has been stored properly.
The hardwood flooring you're about to buy might have spent the past many months in a warehouse or lot with little or no humidity control.
8. Understand all your options.
Quarter-sawn flooring is really good. Plenty good enough for just about every installation. It's at the top of standard graded hardwood flooring. But within the larger category of quarter-sawn flooring is a much smaller subset: vertical grain or veneer grade. Roughly 1 in every 500 trees can be used to make this flooring, and it is truly the best.
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For answers to your questions, or for prices, please contact Kent at
888-767-7707 or email:
Kent@Quarter-SawnFlooring.com
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