Solid and Engineered Hardwood

Why Hardwood?

• It has insulating properties and brings warmth and beauty to your home
• It’s natural
• It evokes emotional response
• It’s hypo-allergenic, does not trap dust
• It’s easy to maintain and care
• It adds value to your home
• It comes in a large variety of species and grades, therefore unlimited color and pattern options
• It lasts a lifetime

Once you’ve decided to choose hardwood to cover your floors, you must consider many factors in order to get the result you’ve dreamed of.

• What is your lifestyle? Elegant Classic, Traditional, Casual, Contemporary, Modern or Country.
• What is your color choice?
• What species of hardwood do you like or suits your style best?
• What type of wood do you prefer, solid, engineered, pre-finished or unfinished?
• What look appeals to you best?

Species

There are some hardwood floors that are native to North America like: Hickory, Maple, Oak, Birch, Beech, Ash, Cherry, and Walnut. But today there are many other species coming from China, Brazil, Indonesia, Africa, etc such as: Brazilian Cherry, Santos Mahogany, Sapele, Kempas, Brazilian Walnut, Brazilian Oak, and many more. Each of these species comes with different characteristics that can satisfy any taste or design.

Beech

Straight and close grained with a uniform texture. Easy to take any stain. Color ranges from nearly white to deep brown

Birch

Fine grained (curly or wavy). Easy to take stain, therefore, available in a wide range of colours. Color: cream or lightly tinged with red

Ash

Straight, open, pronounced grain. Color ranges from cream to very light brown

Cherry

Straight grained and satiny. Takes any finish easily. Has a distinctive character. Color: rich reddish brown that darkens with age and exposure to sunlight.

Hickory

Extremely hard with fine grains. The texture welcomes any finish from medium to dark. Color ranges from white to tan to reddish brown with fine brown lines.

Maple

Straight grained, sometimes highly figured with small circular figures known as bird’s- eye. Color: cream to light reddish brown. Very hard and difficult to take stain.

Red Oak

Has distinguished grains. Can be stained with wide range of finish tones. Color ranges from white cream to warm, pale brown tinted with red.

White Oak

The grain is distinguished by ray, making it more attractive. Can be easily stained. Color ranges from nearly white to darker grey brown.

Types of Hardwood

Pre-finished Wood Floors

Means the hardwood is sanded, stained and sealed by the manufacturer with coats of ultraviolet cured urethane, and is ready to be installed right away. It offers consistent quality and you can walk on it as soon as it is laid. Since time and money is saved during the installation, it offsets the higher cost of the material. It’s hassle free. Has 5 to 35 years warranty.

On-Site Finished Wood Floors

Means all the sanding and finishing will be done at the job site. There will be a strong smell due to the chemical fumes during the installation. The sanding and finishing process takes a long time, since enough time has to be given to the floor to dry before the second coat can be applied. It’s almost impossible to live at the site while installation is in process. The color is never consistent and seldom satisfies the customer’s original choice of color. The finish can be water based or oil based.

Solid Hardwood

Generally is milled from a single solid piece of wood. It can be pre-finished or unfinished and is manufactured in a variety of widths and thicknesses. Since it can be sanded and refinished several times, it adds to its appeal and long life. Suitable for areas where there is little moisture like ground level (on grade) or above ground level (above grade). Not recommended for basements. Solid hardwood should be nailed down over approved Subfloor in most cases. In rare occasions some of solid species can be glued over concrete, though not recommended by the industry.

Engineered Wood Floors

Is made of several layers of different woods or different grades of the same wood stacked and glued together under heat and pressure. Engineered hardwood is less affected by humidity and can be installed above, on or below ground level. While solid hardwood can expand excessively, engineered hardwood being made from layers that are stacked and glued on top of each other in different directions won’t be affected by moisture as much. It makes them a suitable floor covering for basements or other damp surroundings. Recently, engineered hardwood floors have become very popular. They come in wide variety of styles and hardwood species. The thickness ranges from 1/4" to 9/16" and the width from 2 1/4"to 7". Some with thicker top layers can be sanded many times. They are among environmentally friendly floor covering choices and are available in pre-finished or unfinished hardwood species. Engineered hardwood floor can be stapled over approved subfloor, also floated or glued over concrete or plywood. If the hardwood is floated, some kind of underlay should be used to provide a barrier between the hardwood and subfloor.

Hardwood Styles

Today there is a wide range of styles in hardwood floors. Some come in narrow strips and some come in wider planks. You can have Hand-scraped, Brushed, Oil –Finished and Distressed as well as traditional smooth looks. What ever you style, you will be able to find the look you love most.

Underlay for Engineered Hardwood

There are many types of underlay to use under your floated engineered hardwood. Today the sound absorption of these underlayments is especially important in high-rises and apartment buildings. Therefore, the higher the IIC (Impact Insulation Class), or STC (Sound Transmission Class) rating, the better is the underlay. Impact Insulation Class (sometimes referred to as Impact Isolation Class) measures a floor or ceiling assembly’s resistance to the transmission of structure-borne or impact noise. Sound Transmission Class rates a partition’s resistance to airborne sound transfer at the speech frequencies (125-4000 Hz). Some of the most popular ones are:

2 in 1 Foam

2 in 1 foam underlay can be used under all hardwood and laminate floors with no pre-attached foam or cork underlay where sound insulation is not an issue. It provides a cushion between the flooring and the subfloor and can compensate for slight subfloor irregularities. It comes with an integrated vapor barrier and tape edges. 2 in 1 foam doesn't meet the building code requirements for multi level construction.

Cork

Cork is a natural choice for sound control underlayment. Every cubic inch of cork contains millions of air-filled pockets which compress under pressure and regain their shape once pressure is removed. This is why cork Is one of the best sound insulators and has a high IIC and STC rating. Cork comes in different thicknesses, 2.5 mm, 4 mm and 6 mm.

Shaw Silent Step

• Provides superior sound absorption and the most realistic hardwood walk-sound available
• For use over concrete or wood substrates on all grade levels
• Built in moisture barrier to protect your flooring
• Non-allergenic
• Anti-microbial mold and mildew inhibitor

Durason Acoustical Underlayment

DURA-SON is ideal for installations under floated or double glue engineered hardwood floors. DURA-SON offers a high impact sound absorption with an open cellular structure made from recycled tire rubber bonded to fiberglass backing. It is environmentally friendly with 90% post consumer recycled content and is 100% recyclable. Regular DURA-SON needs an extra moisture barrier if installed over concrete slab but DURA-SON MB comes with a 6 mil poly integrated Moisture Barrier.

Torlys 5-in-1 Safe and Sound Floor Underlayment

Safe & Sound floor underlayment offers an antimicrobial shield and superior sound absorption in a single underlayment.

1. Floor Underlayment
2. Sound Cushion
3. Impact Sound Insulator
4. Self-Sealing Moisture Barrier
5. Antimicrobial and Antifungal Protection

Torlys Acoustik 4-in-1 Foam Underlayment

Premium sound-rated acoustical foam underlayment for floating floors that exceeds the recommended Impact Insulation Class (IIC) rating for high-rise installations.

1. Floor Underlayment
2. Sound Cushion
3. Impact Sound Insulator
4. Self-Sealing Moisture Barrier

Torlys Total 3-in-1 Foam Underlayment

This underlayment combines sound absorption, floor cushioning and a moisture barrier. Superior foam underlayment and vapour barrier with 3" self-seal adhesive overlapping edge.

1. Floor Underlayment
2. Sound Cushion
3. Self-Sealing Moisture Barrier

Sound Blocker

• 2mm thickness
• Mold & Mildew Resistant, Antibacterial
• Reduces Noise & Eliminates Hollow Sounds
• Insulates Floors
• Reduces Minor Floor Imperfections
• HiDensity Cell Technology For Improved Sound Absorption
• Waterproof Barrier

The following table compares the ratings of different underlays. Please note that these numbers are provided by the manufacturers and for this reason the different products are not tested under the same conditions. For instance some of the products are tested with a suspended ceiling and some without it. The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) recommends an FIIC of 55.

Manufacturer	Underlay	IIC (dB)	STC (dB)	Thickness	Density	Size	Roll Size
no name	2 in1 Foam	NA	NA	3 mm		43" x 56'	200 Sq. Ft.
Unique	Cork Sheet	65	66	6 mm		2' x 3' (sheet)	6 Sq. Ft.
Shaw	Silent Step	72	72	2 mm		40" x 30'	100 Sq. Ft.
						40" x 300'	1000 Sq. Ft.
Dura	DURA-SON	65	61	3.5 mm	22 lbs / cu foot	54" x 48'	216 Sq. Ft.
Torlys	Cork	59 - 62	NA	2.5 mm		4' x 50'	200 Sq. Ft.
Torlys	Cork	59	NA	4 mm		4' x 50'	200 Sq. Ft.
Torlys	Cork	58 - 60	NA	6 mm		4' x 43'	172 Sq. Ft.
Torlys	Safe and Sound 5-in-1	57 - 59	NA	2.2 mm	20 lbs / cu foot	3' x 33' 4"	100 Sq. Ft.
						6' x 50'	300 Sq. Ft.
Torlys	Acoustik 4-in-1	58 - 64	NA	3 mm		4' x 50'	200 Sq. Ft.
						4' x 250'	1000 Sq. Ft.
Torlys	Total 3-in-1	NA	NA	3 mm		4' x 50'	200 Sq. Ft.
						4' x 500'	2000 Sq. Ft.

How can Humidity affect your new floor?

Wood is a natural material that reacts to the variations in temperature and humidity. It is like sponge, taking up moisture and expanding when humidity is high, and conversely, giving up moisture and shrink when subjected to lower level of humidity. These changes can result in cupping, bowing, splitting of boards or de-lamination of engineered wood.

Humidity Tips

• Internal moisture level of wood should be between 6% and 9 %(at the time of installation)
• Maintain relative humidity between 37% and 45% and a temperature of approximately 20° Celsius (68°F) in your home in order to preserve the internal humidity of the wood, and therefore its dimensional stability
• If necessary, use humidifiers, dehumidifiers, air conditioners or heating systems to avoid excessive shrinkage or expansion of the wood in heating or non- heating seasons.

Hardwood Installation Tips

Remember that hardwood should be the last product installed at a construction site. All work involving moisture or water such as plumbing, drywall, etc should be completed before hardwood is delivered to the site.

• Hardwood floor should be protected from humidity at all times
• Job site should have a consistent room temperature of 60-70 F (16-22 C) and humidity level of 40-55% for a minimum of five days prior to hardwood installation, and has to be maintained at this level continuously.
• All doors and windows must be in place before hardwood installation
• Most hardwood manufacturers require acclimatization of the wood at the job site 48-72 hours prior to installation, depending of wood species.
• Always follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions

Hardwood Maintenance

• Vacuum and damp mop your floor daily, never wet mop
• Use mats and area rugs at the entrances, no rubber, plastic or foam back mats
• Exposure to the sunlight can change your hardwood floors shading. This is a natural process. Move your furniture and rugs once in a while to allow the floor to shade consistently.
• Use protectors on the feet of the furniture
• Avoid wearing high heel shoes, they can dent and damage your floor
• Use manufacturers touch up kits for scratches. To repair damaged boards, ask a professional to replace the board for you
• Use hardwood cleaning products approved by hardwood manufacturers
• Keep your purchase receipt handy for your hardwood warranty