Industry Knowledge FAQs

Job site preparation is important. The moisture at the job site will determine if your floors will stay as is, contract, or expand. It is very important to know your surroundings, take readings, and document those readings.

Understanding your surroundings is very important. Knowing what season you’re in and how much relative humidity is in the air. Knowing how far along the job you are in, especially in new constructions. Example, when was the plastering done and painting done? Where did all the moisture go into? All that excessive moisture went into the plywood, this is why it is important to take moisture readings on your sub floor and not just the hardwood or engineered flooring material itself. Taking some of these steps below will help prevent any future call backs on your job.

• Take Moisture readings on your plywood (readings should be between 2% – 4% depending on width of wood), document it and take pictures of your proof.
• Take moisture readings on your hardwood or engineered flooring. Readings should be between 6% – 9% in the New England region. Document and take pictures of your proof.
• Measure the Relative Humidity (RH) in the air, before and after installation. Maintaining a consistent 35% – 55% RH reading in New England will help ensure your floors will be stable.
• Check surrounding area for potential leaks or points of entry where water may come in, this includes exterior surroundings. A wet basement can cause problems to your 1st floor if it’s too humid. A body of water nearby can give you higher than normal RH readings.
• Inform the end user. That means informing the builder or the homeowner on all of this information. Doing so can save you a lot of headache and money in the long run. The last thing you want is to go back and fixing the job, because they were not aware on how to maintain the floors.

Wood is extremely sensitive to climate and moisture, and should always be stored so that conditions between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit and 35% to 55% relative humidity can be maintained – in other words, normal living conditions in most homes. Extreme temperature and moisture levels can destroy your flooring before it’s even installed, so climate control during storage, transportation, and installation is vitally important.

Boston Wood takes precautions to ensure our product is always stored and transported at the optimal temperature and moisture level.

There are many factors to take into consideration. One of the best things to have is a digital thermostat that reads both Temperature and Relative Humidity inside the house, ideally on each level of the house. This will help ensure that your floors will be stabilized.

Remember that hardwood loses moisture and shrinks in dry climates, and expands in humid climates. Ensure that you allow your hardwood to acclimatize to the moisture content and temperature of its new home before installing it. It is important to know what the weather is like, as New England is a four season region. This process takes at least 3 days up to two weeks, sometimes longer, so do not rush into installing a wood floor. The last thing you want is to install a new hardwood floor and have the wood shrink or expand after installation.

Remember that the acclimation process is more a matter of waiting to achieve results, rather than waiting until a certain number of days or weeks has passed. Factor the species of wood, the room temperature, relative humidity, and moisture content of both the flooring and the environment.

Two tools to help measure this process are a wood moisture meter, which can check the water content of the subfloor & wood, and a hygrometer, to check the relative humidity of the environment in which it will be installed. You should allow hardwood to acclimate in an environment with the same living conditions as its final destination.

Wood flooring is a hygroscopic material subject that expands or contracts with the amount of moisture, temperature, and humidity within the surrounding environment. Wood flooring simply needs to reach moisture content level in equilibrium with the surrounding environment (EMC) where it will be installed. The process of reaching this equilibrium is defined as acclimation.

According to the National Wood Flooring Association, the process of acclimation is as follows:

Follow manufacturers’ guidelines at all times.

1. Acclimation can be facilitated by breaking the floor units into small lots and/or opening the packaging. A common practice is to cross‐stack the materials with spacers (¾” to 1” sticks) between each layer of flooring to allow air circulation on all sides of all boards.
2. Most recommendations state that the materials need to acclimate from a minimum of 3 days up to no given maximum. While it takes time to acclimate a product, the most important aspect is that the materials reach a moisture content that is in equilibrium with its expected use. Acclimate the materials as long as necessary to accomplish this task, taking the necessary moisture readings to indicate when the materials have reached the proper moisture content and when no further changes occur.
3. Finally, if the installation site is in a location with very wet winters or very dry summers, for example, you may consider completing the installation during the fall or spring; aim for a time when the humidity is not too high or too low. The most important thing you can do to prepare hardwood for installation is to acclimate it properly to the normal living conditions of its new home. Even in very wet or dry climates, proper acclimation is the key to successful hardwood flooring installation.

The options before your customers when they go to choose a new hardwood floor are overwhelming. What species, what finish, what color? But perhaps the most daunting question is whether to choose unfinished wood or prefinished flooring.

To help you guide your customers through this process, here are the benefits of each option:

Unfinished Wood Flooring

Many contractors prefer to wait until the end of the job to finish the floor. This eliminates the possibility of a dropped tool or other minor incident marring the finish of the floor during construction. This alone is often all the reason somebody needs to choose on-site finishing.

When you finish the floor after it’s installed, you have many more choices. The customer is able to choose every aspect of their floor, from the species, to the grade, to the color and texture. Only a floor that is finished on-site can give your customer a fully custom look and finish.

Unfinished floors that are sanded and finished on-site also have a slightly different look and feel than factory finish flooring. They fit more flush, as prefinished floorboards usually have bevels on the edges to hide slight discrepancies between boards. But site-sanded floors are more flush with no grooves, so they can be finished to a smooth mirror surface. Some homeowners prefer this look.

Some customers may express concern about the mess of sanding a floor in their home. But today’s sanding equipment is virtually dust-free.

Finally, unfinished flooring is generally a more affordable option than more expensive prefinished floorboards.

Prefinished Wood Flooring

For some customers, prefinished wood flooring is attractive. It’s quicker to install, since the finishing has already been done. But it can also be more expensive, and doesn’t offer all the options for customization and creativity that many clients value so highly.

Both unfinished and prefinished hardwoods have their benefits, and either choice will result in a beautiful, durable hardwood floor. Keep your clients’ needs and wants in mind when advising them on flooring options, and help them choose the path that’s right for them.

When the final planks are laid and it is time to finish the floor, you might be wondering which finishing method is best for the job. While there is no shortage of old (e.g., wax and shellac) and new techniques, in this piece, we’ll focus on one of the most popular choices for wood floor finishes: Polyurethane.

Polyurethane is popular because it offers tough protection for floors at a reasonable cost and is resistant to heat, water and many acids. The two types of polyurethane finishes are oil-based and water-based, and they both offer excellent damage protection.

The most notable difference between the two types is simply the appearance of the wood after the final coat. Water-based polyurethane goes on virtually clear and will not alter the appearance of the wood to which it is applied. Oil-based polyurethane, on the other hand, will impart an amber glow to any hardwood floor. Whether you want to preserve the natural color and look of your wood floor might be the main deciding factor when choosing between the two. Below, we break down the other differences between the two finishes.

Water-Based Polyurethane

Advantages:

• Dries quickly, within two hours of applications
• Low odor emissions
• Easy cleanup, using just water
• Preserves the color of the wood (clear finish)

Disadvantages:

• More expensive than oil-based
• Requires multiple coats
• Because of fast drying time, difficult to correct mistakes
• One-dimensional look
• Less tough

Oil-Based Polyurethane

Advantages:

• Slower drying time allows for corrections
• More tough
• Requires fewer coats
• Imparts an amber glow, adding depth
• Less expensive than oil-based

Disadvantages:

• Long wait between coats (5-12 hours drying time)
• Stronger odor (though VOC amounts have been drastically reduced in recent years)
• Requires mineral spirits or a paint thinner for cleanup
• Will darken over time

There are three ways that boards are typically taken out of trees at a sawmill. They are plain sawn, quarter sawn, and rift sawn.

Each type of lumber is dependent on how the log is oriented and cut at the mill. The result is a particular orientation of the annual growth rings on the end grain of a board; this is what determines the type of lumber.

Plain sawn

Most common, least expensive

At the sawmill, plain sawn lumber is cut into parallel planks through the center of the tree. Looking at the annual growth rings at the end of a plain sawn board reveals that they are arranged at less than 45 degrees or in a frown shape. The surface of the board has the famous cathedral pattern of peaks in the wood grain.

Plain sawn is the least expensive and most common lumber you will find because milling is faster and there is minimal waste involved.

There are some disadvantages as plain sawn wood does have some structural drawbacks. Due to the tangential grain, there is a higher chance of cupping and twisting especially if there is moisture present.

Quarter sawn

More expensive than plain sawn material

Quarter sawn wood is more expensive because it is more labor intensive to produce and the manufacturing process produces more waste than plain sawn lumber.

At the sawmill, each log is sawed at a radial angle into four quarters, hence the name, then each quarter is plain sawn. The annual growth rings at the end of a quarter sawn board intersect the face of the board at a 60 to 90 degree angle, making the grain pattern on the face of the board is straight. Dramatic flecking is also present in red oak and white oak.

In addition to the desirable grain pattern this type of wood is the most stable. The board won’t cup because the annual growth rings are perpendicular to the face, and it is more resistant to moisture penetration and less prone to surface checking and raised grain.

Rift Sawn

Most expensive, least common

Rift sawn boards are manufactured by milling perpendicular to the log’s growth rings producing a linear grain with no flecking. The annual growth rings are typically between 30 to 60 degrees. This is a time consuming process that produces large triangles of waste left from between each board. The result makes rift sawn lumber is costly to produce.

Rift sawn lumber is the most dimensionally stable cut of lumber available, and it is used for applications that require straight lined grain through and through. It is ideal for custom furniture makers to use for table, chairs, and other furniture legs that benefit from having all exposed sides with the same linear appearance.

Rift and Quartersawn

Most cost efficient, more common than Rift Sawn and Quartersawn

Rift and Quartsawn is a mixture of both Rift Sawn and Quartersawn boards inside a bundle of flooring. There are generally two ways mills will produce this product. One way is a mill will pull from a plainsawn run, which is generally more cost efficient. The other way is more time consuming and labor intensive in which they continuously rotate the lumber to get the desired vertical grain.

Unfinished Solid

Unfinished hardwood flooring gives you the ultimate in customizing the look and feel of your floors. You can choose between naturally light-colored materials such as Maple, or the opposite – naturally dark wood such as Walnut or Ipe (Wenge). Whatever species you select, you can always manipulate the color of the material with a stain, sheen, or texture of your choice, and not only for indoor flooring. It’s also a great choice for customized outdoor spaces, from floating decks to entertaining areas. Unfinished hardwood boasts a wider range of widths than prefinished products. We also offer custom lengths (long lengths) and custom widths to order.

Prefinished Solid

Prefinished hardwood is a superb option for remodeling when you are living in your home. Installation typically requires a day to remove the existing flooring and a day to install the new hardwood flooring. After installation, there is no waiting time, so you can walk on your new floors and enjoy them immediately. Prefinished hardwood flooring has a multi-coat, thicker mill finish compared to an on-site finish. This finish is usually aluminum oxide, which resists scratches and wear patterns over time. Prefinished solid is also a fantastic choice for ceilings and accent walls and lends itself beautifully to endless ornamental flooring options, from intricate weaves and patterns to ornate inlay design styles.

Unfinished Engineered

While solid hardwood flooring has existed for centuries, engineered hardwood flooring is relatively new. It is very stable, can accommodate glue or nail installation, and is quite compatible with radiant heat systems (which are popular in cooler climates). All of Boston Wood’s unfinished engineered flooring is CARB-compliant, and offers the benefit of versatility. Once installed, unfinished engineered planks can easily be customized with stains, as well as matte, satin, or gloss finishes. Engineered flooring has new thicker wear layers and is sandable, just like traditional solid floors. Homeowners still need to monitor humidity levels to keep veneers from checking or splitting.

Prefinished Engineered

Prefinished engineered flooring has all the benefits of prefinished solid, and then some. Along with the convenience of easier, quicker installation, prefinished engineered flooring is a cost-saver the majority of the time, and promises the added advantage of higher resistance to moisture damage. It’s an ideal choice for structures with concrete slab construction such as condominiums, and can be pre-cut for precise room fit. Prefinished engineered wood can also add unique character to interior flooring for boats, private aircraft, and studio spaces.

One of the most common and popular species of hardwood flooring is oak. Oak is known for its versatility, durability, and distinctive swirling and  wavy grain. But be sure to educate your customers about the differences in Red Oak and White Oak; many do not realize there are two different species of oak available.

The most obvious difference between these species is in the color of the wood. Red oak has a pinkish tint, while white oak tends to be a bit warmer, with golden-brown tones. It is not, as might be interpreted by name alone, “white.” In fact white oak tends to be slightly darker in color than red oak.

Red oak tends to have a more distinctive grain than white oak, which is smoother. As a result red oak can be seen as having more character and is perceived as more traditional, while white oak has a more modern and   rating 1360 on the Janka hardness scale while red oak is just 1290. White oak has been used for centuries in the building of boats, wagon wheels, and wine barrels because of its structural integrity and imperviousness to water.

While red oak is not as hard, it does not tend to show dents and scratches as badly as white oak because of its more “wild” grain patterns. Still, it is best for indoor applications; outdoor applications will be better served by white oak, which is harder, denser, and less porous.

Boston Wood carries many styles of both red and white oak, both solid and engineered, as well as finished and prefinished.

Modern engineered wood floors offer all the beauty of traditional floors, while mitigating or eliminating some of the problems that can affect traditional floors.

Traditional hardwood flooring is made of solid-wood strips, laid and secured with nails, and sanded, stained, and sealed after installation. This is still a classic and beautiful method, but traditional flooring also has its own vulnerabilities. Modern engineered wood floors offer all the beauty of traditional floors, while mitigating or eliminating some of the problems that can affect traditional floors.

A common misconception is that engineered hardwood is somehow “fake” wood. In fact, engineered flooring is real wood; the difference is instead of a single piece of solid wood, it’s made of multiple layers of wood veneers. These layers can be all one species or many species. One major benefit of this method is that the sheets of wood are layered with the grains running in different directions, one after the other. This makes the wood incredibly stable and resistant to warping or changing shape.

The topmost layer in a plank of engineered hardwood is a high-quality wood which is laminated with a durable, factory-applied finish. Many customers appreciate the ease and durability of pre-finished hardwood.

Engineered hardwood is a popular choice because it’s much easier to install than traditional hardwood. It’s also more stable, and can be installed over concrete or other floors that would pose a risk of warping solid wood.

Because engineered hardwood comes pre-finished, you can choose from hundreds of options to find exactly the finish you want. Engineered flooring also simplifies installation because there’s no need to sand, stain, or seal onsite.

Because your engineered floor is made of real wood, you will have the option in the future to sand and refinish it for a fresh new look. But one drawback is that, unlike solid wood, there is a limit to how many times engineered flooring can be sanded and refinished.

Solid hardwood can last hundreds of years and be refinished many times, but for many families, engineered hardwood is easier to install, more convenient to maintain, and just as beautiful.

Do you know when to choose solid and when to choose engineered hardwood? The answer may change depending upon where in the structure it’s being used. Use the graph below to determine when to use each type of hardwood

Grading is determined by the appearance of the wood and is an indication of aesthetics rather than quality or durability.

Wood that exhibits similar attributes such as character, length and milling tolerances are grouped together in a grade. The grades were established by the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) in conjunction with manufacturer associations to create consistency among different mills and provide the consumers and distributors with more defined expectations for their purchases. This instills confidence in all parties and helps to maintain fair pricing.

Keep in mind that sometimes grades are combined (Select and Better, Second and Better, etc.) or are a mix of two standard grades (No. 1 Common, No. 2 Common, etc.).

Mill Run (also known as Run of the Mill) is typically a mix of grades and has longer pieces. True to its name, this type of hardwood flooring is unique to the mill. This is an economical option for consumers and manufacturers alike.

• Birch and Hard Maple Grades
• Hickory Grades
• Oak Grades
• Pine Grades
• Walnut Grades

• Birch
• Hard Maple
• Hickory
• Oak
• Pine
• Walnut

• Scratches: Wax the affected area using a soft, clean cloth. Repair with a touch-up kit for urethane finishes, available from any wood flooring retailer.
• Dried milk or food stains: Gently rub with a damp cloth, then rub dry and wax. Use a cleaner developed specifically for urethane finishes. For stubborn spots, scrub using the urethane cleaner and a scrub pad made for urethane floors.
• Water stains or white spots: Rub the spot with #000 steel wool and wax. If this fails, lightly sand with fine sandpaper and clean the area using #00 steel wool and mineral spirits or a wood floor cleaner. Allow the floor to dry, then stain, wax, and hand buff.
• Heel scuffs: Rub in a small amount of wax with fine steel wool and hand buff to a shine.
• Mold or mildew: Rub with a wood cleaner using a soft, clean cloth. Use a cleaner developed for urethane finishes. If the mold or mildew lies underneath the surface finish, sand and refinish the area.
• Chewing gum, crayon, or candle wax: Apply a plastic bag filled with ice until the gum is brittle enough to crumble off. (Solvent-based wax can also be applied to loosen the deposit.) Remove crayon or candle wax by placing an ink blotter on the wax and applying a hot pressing iron to the top of the blotter.
• Oil and grease stains: First rub area with kitchen soap having a high lye content or saturate cotton with hydrogen peroxide and place over the stain. Then saturate a second layer of cotton with ammonia and place over the first. Repeat until stain is removed. Let the area dry and then hand buff.
• Dark spots and ink stains: Try the water stains or white spots treatment. If the spot remains, apply a household bleach or vinegar and allow it to soak for an hour. Rinse with a damp cloth, wipe dry and smooth with fine sandpaper. Stain, wax and hand buff.
• Wax buildup: Strip the old wax away with odorless mineral spirits or a wood floor product made for stripping wax. Use cloth and fine steel wool to remove all residue. After the floor is dry, wax and buff.

Hardwood is a valued natural resource and we support responsible harvesting as well enterprising ways to maximize the life and value of every piece of hardwood we sell.

• Hardwood Hacks
• The Reclaimed Hardwood Floor
• When You Can't See the Forest for the Trees

It’s summer, and many homeowners have outdoor spaces at the top of their to-do lists. Hardwood is more than just flooring in the living room. It can be used in all types of construction and home improvement projects. A deck is one of the most common uses of hardwood outdoors, and we want you to be prepared to assist your customers in choosing their hardwood decking.

While decking options have grown exponentially over the years, wood is still the most popular choice. It’s natural, strong, and feels good under bare feet. It’s also easy to install, and offers plenty of different looks and finishes.

• Pressure Treated Wood. This is the most common and least expensive type of decking. It’s usually Southern yellow pine and lasts about 15 years. It’s important to seal this wood well and coach your customers on proper maintenance, as it is quick to splinter if not well maintained.
• Tropical Hardwoods. These woods are very durable and incredibly dense. A deck made of tropical hardwood will last about 25 years. But it’s also very heavy and difficult to work with, and it’s considerably more expensive than pressure treated wood.
• No matter what wood your customer chooses, be sure to offer them plenty of tips about maintenance. Wood will fade in the sun; there are sun-blocking finishes that can be applied regularly to help slow this process. The finished deck should be cleaned and re-stained every two to three years to keep it looking and performing its best.
• A wood deck can be a homeowner’s favorite place to relax during mild weather, and you should feel confident advising your customers in their search for the perfect decking wood.