Prefinished Flooring – Prefinished Hardwood Flooring

Prefinished hardwood flooring is a popular flooring format for both home and business interiors. Depending on the installation requirements of the specie, thousands of species of wood from all over the world can be used to create a floor. Each wood has its own mechanical characteristics that come into play when deciding whether or not it makes a good choice for a hardwood floor. Some of the most important characteristics to consider are:

1. Janka hardness – This is the measure of how hard a wood is. The method of measurement involves a ball bearing with a diameter of 11.28mm and the number of pounds of pressure it takes to embed said ball bearing into wood to half its diameter. Red oak, the industry standard, has a Janka hardness rating of 1290 lbs. Many exotic woods have Janka ratings from 2300 – 3500 lbs.

2. Photosensitivity – Some woods are more sensitive to exposure to light than others, causing their colors to change over time, generally to darken. Color change tends to stabilize after about three to six months.

3. Environmental conditions – Hardwood performance can be greatly affected by the environment its in, be it a dry, desert climate or a particularly moist setting. Solid wood will always move as it changes moisture content.

Factory finishing helps to prolong the life of a hardwood floor. The finishing process is an interesting one that includes a variety or procedures.

1. The flooring board is micro-beveled on all four upper edges, with the size of the bevel itself varying according to the board’s manufacturer. Typically, the microbevel will be 1/32″.

2. Aluminum oxide is used to create the finish on the board. Multiple coats of Aluminum oxide are typically used to protect the wood from various threats, including dents, scratches, and impacts. In addition, the wood’s inherent hardness also makes it more or less susceptible to damage, regardless of the finish. Wood’s hardness is rated using the Janka Hardness standard.

Prefinished flooring is often solid hardwood, meaning that the entire board is just one specie. Prefinished solid hardwood differs from engineered flooring, which has a wear layer on top of a certain wood specie, but rests on a plywood core. Prefinished flooring also differs from engineered flooring when it comes to where it can and how it can be installed.

Prefinished flooring can be installed:

1. Above grade.

2. At Grade.

using these installation methods:

1. Nail-down.

2. Glue-down.

Prefinished solid hardwood, unlike engineered, can’t be installed below grade, referring to locations like basements or other below-ground-level interior spaces. It also can’t be floated, referring to an installation procedure that joins the boards together at the sides while “floating” them on top of a layer of foam underlayment. Engineered flooring can be floated, installed below grade, installed over radiant heat, and is also inherently more dimensionally stable than solid hardwood because of its plywood structure that is engineered to minimize expansion and contraction.

However, prefinished solid hardwood flooring is superior to its engineered counterpart when it comes to sanding and refinishing. Solid hardwood flooring can be refinished many more times than engineered, giving it a potentially greater “life span.”