10 Questions to Ask Your Hardwood Flooring Supplier Before Buying

1 . If there are any problems, who do I contact?
Most flooring stores will be buying the flooring they are offering to you from a distributor who purchases the flooring from the maker. Sometime, especially with products coming from overseas there is several distributor involved. In many cases if you have an issue with your flooring along with complain to the retailer they will call the distributor and enable them know there is a complaint, the distributor will inform the manufacturer there has been a complaint. In most cases the manufacturer will refuse the complaint and if you are lucky they will even deliver a representative to deny your claim in person. Most merchants would correct a manufacturing problem to make their customers pleased because they are the ones dealing with the customers face to face but in reality they cannot have the final say unless they want to replace the flooring from their own pocket. The manufacturer is so far removed from the actual customer that they know it is better for their bottom line to deny often the claims and assume they will never have to deal with the issue as they are so protected by their warranties. Picture a person in a desk with a pile of hardwood flooring claims on the desk with a big stamp that says "denied".

second . How durable is the finish?
Durability is probably the most important points to consider when purchasing a prefinished hardwood floor. The finish is what you might be actually walking on and must be very durable to have a gorgeous lasting floor for years to come. Many imported prefinished floors possess very little durability and the finish can be taken off with a few swipes of 150 grit sandpaper. When buying hardwood there are a few methods to test the finish: one would be to take 150 grit sandpaper and rub the finish to see if the finish will come off in addition to two would be to firmly press the edge of a coin from the finish, a quality finish will dent but not come off. High quality manufacturers will have aluminum oxide or better yet titanium o2 hardeners in the finish. Many offshore manufactured products claim they have aluminum oxide in them but actually do not. To check if a hardwood floor has aluminum oxide in the complete simply put the sample in your microwave and if it sets off, it does indeed have aluminum oxide in the finish. I understand that may seem a little strange but it's something worth examining because hardwood flooring is a big investment and you want to know the exact durability of the finish.

3. What is the structural and surface warrantee?
This is a very important part of choosing a hardwood floor. Anyone may put a 25, 30, or 40 year extended warranty on the finish of their product but the real question is actually; will they stand behind their warranty. Many significant hardwood flooring manufacturers have warranties that are up to 10 pages. When you read through the entire warranty and all of the rejections it really gives the client the impression that there is actually absolutely no warranty at all. The problem is most consumers don't take the time to see the warranty and are shocked when they find out the issue they are getting with the flooring is one of the "exclusions". Most warranties will say there is an industry standard of 5% margin for error meaning that when your entire floor is complete the manufacturer is permitted to have 5% of the boards defective. That means a completed floor of 1000 square feet would be allowed roughly one hundred boards with any kind of defect.

4. What is the waste aspect of the flooring?
The waste factor of the flooring is an essential issue as well. If 10-15% waste is what is suggested through the manufacturer than that means you will have to buy that much more to get sufficient to install your entire floor. The higher the recommended waste component the lower quality the product. You may find when comparing products for cost on may be more than the other but you must factor in the main in waste to the price. A floor for $6 along with 3% waste would cost you $6. 18 which would become the same cost as a floor with 10% waste which is $5. 62 and the product with 3% waste would certainly be a higher quality product. The bottom line is you shouldn't have to sort the very waste out of the boxes; the manufacturers should be taking the waste out there at the plant so you are only getting good quality pieces it is possible to install in your floor.

5. What is the average length of the floor coverings boards?
The question of the average board lengths is only one that is not commonly asked when it comes to hardwood flooring. It is some thing not a lot of people think about until it is brought up. The lengthier the average length of the floor the better the floor looks especially in substantial rooms. One foot and two foot lengths create a very choppy and unattractive floor. The box size is not really the only way to tell what the average length is; you can have a good 8' box with all short pieces in it. Many overseas manufactured products are in four foot boxes with will certainly ensure you are getting a floor with very short lengths. It is far from only offshore products that have short lengths but many United states made products as well. One very high end Canadian company has an average length of 27-29" in their 3-1/4" Select plus Better Red Oak.

6. What is the moisture content from the flooring?
Moisture content is a very important factor when installing real wood flooring. You need the flooring to be at a proper moisture level for the home/interior climate which is typically between 6-9% moisture content material. Installing hardwood flooring with a moisture content that is excessive will cause spaces in the floor when the flooring dries out and about, and installing a hardwood floor that is too dried out will result in cupping when the flooring picks up moisture. If the merchant selling you flooring does not have a moisture meter and can what is moisture for you then I would suggest you run. The majority of people promoting hardwood flooring know very little about wood and dampness, if they don't even have a moisture meter, that is a indication that they are not professional and know nothing or hardly any about hardwood flooring and shouldn't be selling it.

seven. What does the supplier recommend for acclimation?
I know you must have noticed someone say "the flooring must sit in your home for 2 weeks prior to installation". This is a very general statement and most cases will do more harm than good for your wooden floor. If you did this in a new home also it sat in the home while they were drywalling, painting, the wooden would be so damp by the time you installed it that you would try to be asking for trouble. The fact is a new home will have 1000 to be able to 2000 gallons of water that will be oozing out of the house the first two years. If your flooring is sitting in the home before it really is installed it will absorb all of that moisture. If you are having the floor sit in your home you will want to make sure it is stored in normal home for that pet to avoid it from drying out too much or picking up a lot of moisture. In some cases, a seasonal dwelling, you may want to have the wood floor flooring absorb the moisture before it is installed. When the home is always a high humidity environment then you want the main wood to pick up moisture so it can be normal living conditions for the particular environment. You want to have a hygrometer to measure humidity in your home before the installation and monitor your humidity right after to ensure your home is in the proper humidity range to avoid difficulties with your flooring.

8. What does the stain/finish look like?
Many sizeable manufactures will finish all different woods at the same time without creating adjustments for each wood because each time they make adjustments this effects the production. The fact is, each wood needs to be finished in a different way to achieve the nicest stain/finish. Oak requires more finish for you to "fill in" the grain or else it will appear really pitted which is not something desirable in an oak floor. You would like to be able to hold a piece up to the light and see a perfect sleek finish. Maple requires more brushing than oak therefore the stain can penetrate into the wood and not appear "blotchy". Maple is a beautiful wood and with the proper staining you may really bring out features such as Birdseye and tiger end. If not stained properly these features are hidden.

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