Tigerwood Flooring

For people who like oak flooring but find the grain lackluster there is a great product called tigerwood . Also known as zebrawood, tigerwood is found from southern Mexico to South America. It can grow as high as 90 to 120 ft and have a diameter of up to 5 ft, with the trunk being smooth for as far as 50 ft or more.

Stripes: One of the most endearing qualities of tigerwood is the color which varies from a dark yellow to a more neutral brown. However the capping achievement of the wood is the pattern that rides on the color. Dark brown and black stripes resemble the stripes of a tiger or zebra. With random planks this makes and amazing pattern which will deepen during the maturing process.

Hard: Tigerwood has a Janka hardness rating of 1260 which makes it 170% harder than Red Oak and harder than all the North American species. However, even if there are dents or scratches over the lifetime of the floor they will be hidden because of the unique pattern. The planks usually come quartersawn for an alternating color pattern and straight grain.

Decking: Tigerwood is also a great decking because it is almost impervious to water and rot.

For  a flooring different from the ordinary tigerwood will fill the bill.

Wood Floor Finishes

Wood floors used to be pariahs of the flooring industry and there was a brief time when only bowling alleys would put them in. This was because they were so much work to maintain. They had to be waxed every few months and the old wax had to be stripped away. This sometimes took a whole weekend. In the 1970’s new finishes came along that brought wood floors back into prominence, so much so that wood is the most cherished of all the flooring products. Here are some flooring finishes from least to most desirable.

1.  Shellac: This is an insect secretion from India and Thailand that forms a hard, golden finish on wood. It’s drawback is that is it not impervious to stains and can water-stain. This made it unsuitable for flooring after the new urethanes came in to style. It was also hard to get off when refinishing.

2.  Varnish: Varnishes replaced shellac as the premier floor finishing product but it too would not stand up to heavy traffic and has to be re-applied frequently.

3.  Wax: The only drawback with wax was that it had to be applied frequently. This entailed stripping the wax which was a long, arduous job. Otherwise, a newly waxed floor looks spectacular.

4.  Urethane: The first hard finish was urethane but it required a professional to coat to the surface. Unlike the new polyurethanes it did not stand up well and tended to yellow quickly. Water-based urethanes improved the usability of the product because there was no gaseous odor.

5.  Polyurethane: The products that revolutionized modern wood flooring were the polyurethanes. Easy to apply and fast-drying they form the bulk of the floor protection process today.

6.  Aluminum Oxide: The best possible finish comes from heavy solids suspended in an aluminum oxide resin. The solids are the wear agent for the flooring while the resins help it penetrate and seal the wood fibers. These should only applied by skilled floor finishers as they dry quickly.

Because of the new technology in floor protection it is possible to have softwoods like pine that can take the punishment of a harder floor.

Wood Tile

Wood floors use planks which are the long cut pieces of a log. Depending on the style the logs are quartered and then the planks are cut from one of the two straight edges. More expensive wood is in a “radial” cut like cutting pieces from a large pie only in strips instead of triangles.

One of the most unique flooring ideas is wood tile. These can be be from many species of wood from soft pine to exotic zebrawood from Africa. The one thing they all have in common is that they are cut into tiles instead of planks. In most cases these tiles are “end cuts,” sawn off the end of the log instead of ripped like the usually flooring is cut. This shows up the rings of the wood and gives a “radial” dimension to the floor. Some are squared off pieces of regular hardwood. Cork is a flooring product that works well as a tile product.

What makes the end cuts unique is that they offer a unique perspective of wood on a floor. The “tiles” are usually 3/4″ think and can be left natural or stained. In addition they can be made in almost any shape as a ceramic tile. In fact one of the most popular shapes is the 6-sided tile which gives a honeycomb-look to the floor.

Other wood includes planks reclaimed from old houses and barns. These old lengths have been aging for over a hundred years and, because deforestation wasn’t as bad back then, they are very clear.

One method of placing wood tiles is to put them down raw and then have them smoothed with a sander. The sawdust is then vacuumed up and saved. The floor is then stained and left to dry. Meanwhile the sawdust is reintroduced to the floor and brushedinto the cracks. When the floor is coated with a urethane finish the sawdust becomes a natural grout which sets off the stained wood.

Hiring a Hardwood Floor Installer

Installing a hardwood floor can be a do-it-yourself job but professionals have the right tools and the years of experience to make a beautiful job. However, like almost every other type of contractor there are the good and not-so-good so here are a few tips:

1) Know the Wood: Before you hire someone to do this labor-intensive job know the product. Become a connoisseur of hardwood and know the grades and prices of the product. For example, if “Tavern Grade” oak is $1.49 a square foot then you should know without further investigation that it’s full of knots and comes in short planks.

2) Finding a Contractor: In many cases word-of-mouth is a good lead for flooring installers but check in the want ads under “Professional services” or other such banners. Also, go to stores that sell flooring and check the bulletin board. Ask the salespeople who they would recommend but do not take only their word for it as they will probably hype their own installers.

3) Estimates: Don’t go with the first estimate. It’s not that you might get overcharged but it’s reassuring to know what the job is worth. With that out of the way then you go with experience and professionalism. Ask yourself the question: What is included in this estimate?

4) Square Footage: When an estimator calculates the area of the job his or her figures propbaly will be higher than yours. This is because they always add 10% for wastage from cutting wood. All the estimators will do this. However, they will let you keep the extra pieces and they can come in handy for closets and other projects.

5) The Estimate:

• Is their definition of “Clear Oak” the same as the description on the other estimates?
• What is the material for the underlay?
• Will they repair any imperfections in the subfloor?
• Will they “quiet” squeaks in the subfloor?
• Did they include furniture moving in the price?
• How much less if you move your own?
• Will they curtain off the area with plastic?
• Will they cut the wood outside?
• Will they remove and replace baseboards?
• If the baseboards cannot be removed will they use quarter-round or other molding to cover the edges?
• Will the add transition strips for edging the flooring in adjacent rooms.

Putting in some extra time in this investigation will ensure a great flooring job.

Climatizing a Floor

One of the biggest complaints against hardwood flooring is the gaps and cracks that occur between the planks. This is especially annoying if the flooring has been installed and then finished in place. This now allows dust, water and everything else to get in the cracks. A way to avoid this problem is through acclimating the floor materials before the installation begins.

Wood, like many materials like leather, is composed of once-living cells that dry out when “aged.” This drying causes the wood to shrink because its cells become dormant. When the wood is taken into the outside air water vapor penetrates the cells and causes the wood to expand. This process is repeated seasonally and affects new buildings as well as flooring products.

When choosing a hardwood make sure that the product is suited for the area where it is being installed. For example, a basement is rarely as good place for 3/4″ hardwood of any species because of the moisture and the concrete floor. For extremes in moisture a laminate or engineered flooring is recommended because these products will not go through an expansion and contraction cycle like hardwood.

Before installing a hardwood floor place the boxes of planks into the room where they will be installed. Open the boxes and let them sit for at least 3 days./ This will adjust the planks to the humidity of the room. Installers will use a humidity meter to test the subfloor and planks before beginning the installation.

Even after the finishing process the hardwood will be affect by humidity. Make sure you keep the levels at a constant by utilizing a humidifier or dehumidifier. In this way the floor will not crack or cup.

Eucalyptus Flooring

We’ve all heard of the eucalyptus tree. Koalas can only sustain themselves on a steady diet of its leaves and the tree oil is good in vaporizers for chest ailments during a cold. However, eucalyptus is becoming a very popular flooring product.

Multiple species of eucalyptus are now grown outside Australia, having been transplanted in Brazil and Paraguay for the timber market. Unlike many of the flooring products out there many eucalyptus species have a dark, pinkish hue and this can go as dark as a burgundy. It is extremely hard having a Janka rating of 1125, which puts it just behind oak in durability.

Australian eucalyptus is grown in areas especially reserved for sustainable forest harvesting and not from rain forests. In the United States eucalyptus grows in Hawaii, California and Florida. Far from being a good neighbor there are large stands around the San Francisco area that have pushed out native species like oak, bay laurel, and madrone. So harvesting this nuisance species and turning it into flooring is alright with environmentalists.

A few years ago the Weyerhaeuser company introduced its Lyptus hardwood product which is a hybrid wood harvested from plantations in Brazil and Paraguay. This creates jobs and provides a sustainable economic industry without harming any rain forest land.

European-grown eucalyptus is grown in Chain-of-Custody certified renewable forests and is available in 3/4″ planks and engineered form.

Wood Floor Fasteners

Hardwood floors look great not only because of the type and finish but how the wood is installed. The standard tongue-and-groove 3/4″ strip flooring can be fastened down in several ways but the most common practice is what is called “blind nailing.” This is when the fastener, usually a barbed staple, is driven diagonally through the tongue and into the subfloor so that it will not been seen when the floor is finished. This practice works best with a compressed air-driven floor nailer.

How this process works is the nose of the floor nailer is pressed up against the tongue of the hardwood plank. The nailer is set up so that the staple will be driven in at the same angle for all the pieces. Unlike normal nail guns the floor nailer needs help from the installer. With a special, weighted mallet the installer hits a pad on the nailer which activates the nailing mechanism. This heavy blow compresses the plank into the one behind it for a tight fit while the staple holds it in place.

The fasteners are usually 2″ barbed nails spaced about 12″ along each plank. However, if there is radiant heating or any water pipes under the floor the staple has to be shorter. In this case more staples are used in each strip to make up for the lack of depth.

There are differing arguments about whether oriented strand board should be used as a subfloor because many feel that a solid surface is better for long-term holding. Many installers will put down a layer of thin marante board or 1/4″ plywood which will not only allay this feat but provide a smooth, even surface to work with.

Gluing is another way but this is only recommended for putting hardwood on concrete floors.

The “plug and screw” method is time consuming and is mainly used for long, wide planks. The holes are drilled to a certain depth for the plug and the tap bit goes right through to hold the screw. Plugs can be bought or made.

Old Hardwood Flooring

One of the hardest products to find is thin strip hardwood flooring. Only 10 years ago it was readily available but the product has been shoved aside in favor of wider planking. Why? Well, for one the style changed and for another the thin strips take more labor to put down.

Thin strip hardwood is found in older homes and commercial properties and schools. Not so long ago the demolition of these places required a wrecking ball and a line of dump trucks. All the rubble was unceremoniously trucked to a landfill. Today, because of landfill dumping laws and the demand for old materials, buildings are “de-constructed” meaning that crews strip the building of usable parts before it is taken down. This includes old hardwood floors.

Old flooring material can be found in farm houses, residential properties, barns and bowling alleys. Barn board is especially sought after. The planks are planed, slotted and refinished for their new job as a high-end floor. The old boards have darkened into a mellow, honey color and need only a glaze to bring out their rich history.

Another place where wood is being reclaimed is on the bottom of lakes and rivers. Years ago when logging operations depended on water to transport logs many of these sank and sat until foragers brought them to the surface. These finally make their journey to a sawmill but are made into flooring planks.

Choosing A Hardwood Floor

There are few floors as striking and beautiful as a well-chosen hardwood variety. And because there are so many varieties of hardwood it is up to the homeowner to decide what will work best: types, stains, thicknesses, stains, board widths, finish. When you approach a flooring supplier you will be asked if there is a type of wood you prefer. Most of the popular hardwood floorings are deciduous trees like walnut, oak, hickory cherry, oak and maple, chosen not only for looks but for their hardness. Softwoods like pine are very attractive as well but in areas of high traffic will show dents.

Side-by-Side View: One good idea when looking at hardwood is to get the salesperson to lay out the strips side-by-side you you cane get an idea what it would look like. Bringing down some color samples and draperies swatches would be helpful.

Grain: Many people like the “busy-ness” of open-grain woods like oak and ash but others like a clear flooring. For this effect cherry-wood grain is a consistent type as it has a consistent coloring and select maple is a monolithic cream color.

Domestic Wood is Sustainable: There are so many beautiful woods than come from the tropics – mahogany, Brazilian walnut – but these come from areas that are being clear-cut and are in danger of becoming extinct. North American forestry practices, though not perfect, are sustainable becasue all producers want the industry to go on.

Planking: Like a lot of designs small works better in small rooms and vice versa. Therefore the size of the hardwood plank should be chosen for the room.

Finish: One of the best all-around finishes is satin because a gloss will show every scratch and the glare will be over-whelming on a sunny day.

Beveling: There are three types of edging offered by manufacturers:

1. Butt – tight with no gap between the planks
2. Micro-bevel – a small tiny notch between the planks
3. Full bevel – deep “v” notch down to the tongue joint.

In addition, when choosing a hardwood floor take selling the home into consideration. There may be chance that you could be transferred or you want to move to a bigger home. Selling a home is much easier with a more conservative approach to hardwood and not choosing a personal choice like a green-colored stain or short-planked floor.

Ash: One Tough Floor

The ash tree has been well-known for strength and durability since the early days of the country. it is extremely hard like oak but more elastic because the fibers are longer. This makes it the ultimate choice for baseball bats, bows, tool handles and hockey sticks. In addition, the grains make ash the standard for quality electric guitars as it lends to a long note sustain.

For building purposes ash makes a great hardwood flooring as it is durable and very shock resistant. It has a Janka quotient of 1320 which puts it right between white and red oak for hardness. A high Janka rating makes it great for heavy traffic areas and it can withstand heavy bumps from things being dropped:kitchens, hallways, kids’ rooms.

Ash floors are relatively easy to install and looks great stained although its natural color is beautiful. As far as the planks go the outer portion depict light almond hues while the heartwood can be a reddish-brown tone.

“Quarter-sawn” ash has a straight grain because the strips are taken from logs that are quartered. So if you were looking at the end of a log it would look like a cut pie. Then the planks are taken out when the quarters are cut at a 45-degree angle from the pie which creates a straight grain rather than the arch-type that is typical of oak and ash. However, this beauty costs more.

Like most hardwood flooring ash look best when it is put down untreated and then finished in place. This creates a continuity without the tell-tale lines of the prefinished wood.