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The OFFICIAL Hardwood Flooring Thread

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Apr 17, 2005
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alex2019 wrote: Thanks for the reply

So in your opinion 4 1/4 is too wide for solid?
What is the problems with ash?
4 1/4" is still ok as long as you keep your humidity very stable. Over the years ash and some other species, were showing the most expansion and contraction and cracked boards/cupping mainly due to low or high RH levels.
The OFFICIAL Hardwood Flooring Thread
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Apr 12, 2019
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Thank you Patrob, if we put a drop of water on the floor it gets absorbed by the wood (rapidly). We have the impression the floor wasn't oiled properly or not oiled or really need maintenance.
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patrob wrote: If the finish in the grooves is wearing out for some reason you should contact Vintage because that should not happen and I personally have never heard or seen that happen! I have the exact same wood in my house in Baroque colour, and never had any issues! The grooves are lower than the top layer so makes no sense.
I have noticed with my beveled edges, that the joints between boards "catch" my cats' claws when they are in "run around madly around the house for no reason chasing shadows and each other" frantic mode.

The surface of the planks is fine with their claws, but once one gets into a beveled "rut" it sometimes digs in and I get about a 2-3cm spot where I see lighter wood.

I just dab on some stain and immediately wipe away with a microfiber cloth, and the visible scratch goes away.

EDIT: in fact, the OP's pictures kinda look like that -- in particular the corner joint where it looks like a small physical gouge was put in. Just get some similar color stain, tab on and wipe off immediately, to hide the lighter color.
Last edited by hoob on Apr 20th, 2019 2:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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patrob wrote: What do you mean by water penetrating the finish? It shouldn't if it's sitting on top of the finish. BTW no wood product likes water, treated or untreated. Water will always find its way through! Just make sure there's no water sitting on top of it and if gets wet, wipe it off asap. Not every oil coated product can be maintained, for that contact the manufacturer for recommendations.
I've been very impressed with the Vintage oil finish. Liquids/water (ok, really, cat puke and hairballs) just sits there and dries up if I don't see it quick enough. Then just some of the ZEP pet stain enzyme spray goes on, wait 60 seconds, easy wipe off, and not a trace on the wood. No effect from cat stomach bile/acids/etc or the spray itself.
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What do you guys think about Bruce hard wood vs Appalachian hard wood?
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Aug 14, 2007
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Any lower priced hardwood floor brand you can recommend? I am currently looking for hardwood floor to install in my rental property.

Super thanks!
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Dariel wrote: Thank you Patrob, if we put a drop of water on the floor it gets absorbed by the wood (rapidly). We have the impression the floor wasn't oiled properly or not oiled or really need maintenance.
I would contact the manufacturer and explain the situation and seek their recommendations.

BTW, who's the manufacturer??
The OFFICIAL Hardwood Flooring Thread
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poorwingman wrote: What do you guys think about Bruce hard wood vs Appalachian hard wood?
If Bruce hasn't improved over the past few years then I would choose Appalachian.
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audiorichard wrote: Any lower priced hardwood floor brand you can recommend? I am currently looking for hardwood floor to install in my rental property.

Super thanks!
For rental I recommend vinyl plank or laminate. Unfortunately renters don't care much about maintenance. Laminate or vinyl plank is a lot more durable.
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braveblade wrote: Hi OP, do you have any experience with this engineered hardwood: https://andersontuftex.com/hardwood/det ... ness-05016
Sorry never heard of it.
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Anyone in Toronto have their condo flooring replaced while you have furniture still in? Can it be done by moving furniture to one side then moving it to the other once flooring is done on that side? We have another place to stay so we would be out of the way, but don't have anywhere to store our furniture during the install.

I'm just at the start of thinking to replace my condo floors. Can anyone recommend some shops to look at the various options of laminate , eng hardwood, vinyl plank etc. Just so we can look and feel and get a sense of what I read in this thread. Live on the west side of Toronto downtown.

Finally, my wife really likes the look of "herringbone" floors. Is this the same type of flooring installed differently or do you need specialized product? How much more expensive is it? She isn't set on it, she just loves it.
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Apr 27, 2019
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Hi @[patrob], would you recommend getting solid hardwood from Preverco? I’m looking at 4 1/4 x 3/4 red oak. First time shopping for flooring and didn’t see too many reviews. How is their quality? I was told they are all made in Canada. Thanks in advance!
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I am hoping someone can help and give me some advice. My house was recently fully renovated with new solid hardwood floor. It was done end of March, but starting about 2.5 weeks ago, we have noticed cracks on the surface on the floor. At first it was just a few planks, but now there are over 25 in total. I am pretty sure it wasn't my contractor who did the installation as they had cleaned the floor upon completion, so any cracks would have been immediately noticeable at that moment. We also vacuumed and cleaned the floor a few times afterwards, but did not see anything. Upon doing some googling, the issue appears to be called "checking". It has got so frustrating to the point that we had to label each crack with a date to keep track of any new ones we find. It has become a daily discovery exercise -- things seemed to stabilize for about several days last week, until yesterday when we found 2 more. In fact, one of the new ones yesterday was even 10" long.

The problem is, who knows if more will pop up.

I also took a look at the unused leftover planks down in the basement and found one plank had the exact same issue. I could almost see a microscopic crack from the bottom leading to the crack at the surface. A number of other planks have obvious cracks at the bottom, and I have a feeling they will eventually propagate to the surface.

We have contacted the flooring company, who has in turn contacted the manufacturer (I also emailed the manufacturer directly last week). The wood is made in Canada ... not sure if it matters, but it is a name brand, not some house brands. The manufacturer and the flooring company will be coming over to inspect for the first time tomorrow to determine next steps.

The house had solid hardwood flooring throughout as well when I bought it a few months ago. I'd imagine if there is something wrong with my interior temperature and/or humidity, the same issue would have come up long time ago.

I was wondering if anyone has seen this issue? Could it be a bad batch? Can I demand compensation by the manufacturer and/or company? There is warranty on the wood floor, but my concern is who is going to pay for the repair work? I can't even move anything into the house as there are planks with this issue in virtually every room (living, family, dining, all bedrooms). Disappointed But Relieved Face
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Deal Guru
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slowtyper wrote: Anyone in Toronto have their condo flooring replaced while you have furniture still in? Can it be done by moving furniture to one side then moving it to the other once flooring is done on that side? We have another place to stay so we would be out of the way, but don't have anywhere to store our furniture during the install.

I'm just at the start of thinking to replace my condo floors. Can anyone recommend some shops to look at the various options of laminate , eng hardwood, vinyl plank etc. Just so we can look and feel and get a sense of what I read in this thread. Live on the west side of Toronto downtown.

Finally, my wife really likes the look of "herringbone" floors. Is this the same type of flooring installed differently or do you need specialized product? How much more expensive is it? She isn't set on it, she just loves it.
You answered your own question with doing half at a time. Actually Torlys floors makes perfect herringbone for condos and yes it has to be specifically made for herringbone installation.
The OFFICIAL Hardwood Flooring Thread
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umbrellaEveryday wrote: Hi @patrob, would you recommend getting solid hardwood from Preverco? I’m looking at 4 1/4 x 3/4 red oak. First time shopping for flooring and didn’t see too many reviews. How is their quality? I was told they are all made in Canada. Thanks in advance!
Unless you really want it I personally don't recommend solid hardwood at all. I can tell you that their engineered is fairly good. Due to humidity fluctuations, engineered hardwood is recommended IMO.
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microBe wrote: I am hoping someone can help and give me some advice. My house was recently fully renovated with new solid hardwood floor. It was done end of March, but starting about 2.5 weeks ago, we have noticed cracks on the surface on the floor. At first it was just a few planks, but now there are over 25 in total. I am pretty sure it wasn't my contractor who did the installation as they had cleaned the floor upon completion, so any cracks would have been immediately noticeable at that moment. We also vacuumed and cleaned the floor a few times afterwards, but did not see anything. Upon doing some googling, the issue appears to be called "checking". It has got so frustrating to the point that we had to label each crack with a date to keep track of any new ones we find. It has become a daily discovery exercise -- things seemed to stabilize for about several days last week, until yesterday when we found 2 more. In fact, one of the new ones yesterday was even 10" long.

The problem is, who knows if more will pop up.

I also took a look at the unused leftover planks down in the basement and found one plank had the exact same issue. I could almost see a microscopic crack from the bottom leading to the crack at the surface. A number of other planks have obvious cracks at the bottom, and I have a feeling they will eventually propagate to the surface.

We have contacted the flooring company, who has in turn contacted the manufacturer (I also emailed the manufacturer directly last week). The wood is made in Canada ... not sure if it matters, but it is a name brand, not some house brands. The manufacturer and the flooring company will be coming over to inspect for the first time tomorrow to determine next steps.

The house had solid hardwood flooring throughout as well when I bought it a few months ago. I'd imagine if there is something wrong with my interior temperature and/or humidity, the same issue would have come up long time ago.

I was wondering if anyone has seen this issue? Could it be a bad batch? Can I demand compensation by the manufacturer and/or company? There is warranty on the wood floor, but my concern is who is going to pay for the repair work? I can't even move anything into the house as there are planks with this issue in virtually every room (living, family, dining, all bedrooms). Disappointed But Relieved Face
March was still a cold month with your furnace running full blast. And more likely RH levels in the house were low or below normal. Most of the time when you bring solid wood to the house and if the house is dry, the wood itself loses humidity and starts cracking. Do you have a hygrometer? What was the humidity before the installation? What was the moisture level of the subfloor and the wood? The manufacturer doesn't have to do anything about this issue because when the wood was installed it was in good condition. These kind of issues are more likely due to drastic humidity changes.

BTW did you have a humidifier running to keep the house within the recommended values? Most of the time the manufacturer may provide you with the wood for the repair but they will not cover the labour.
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Sep 13, 2010
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Toronto, ON
I'm exploring flooring options. My main floor has Satin Flooring - Generations - Studio - Natural Finish in Murano Red Oak ( 1GS5E358MURNF ). Its a 5/8" x 3-5/8" engineered hardwood that covers both the main living area and kitchen. The hardwood stairs were stained to match the dark finish. The previous homeowner did not care for the flooring at all. There is significant water damage, scratches, and dings. The floor looks dull compared to the attic stock I found when I moved in.

The upper floor hallways and bedrooms are carpeted. I would like to replace the carpet. At first, I intended to match the existing main floor hardwood. Unfortunately Satin Flooring, a Toronto based company, has filed for bankruptcy. I've been unable to contact them to help locate a retailer. I've also tried a couple of local shops but was out of luck.

Options :

1. Source a similar engineered hardwood for upper floors, refinish the existing engineered hardwood and stairs to match the new.
2. Source an alternate engineered hardwood for upper floors, remove and replace the the existing flooring on main floor and refinish the stairs to match the new.
3. Source an luxury vinyl for upper floors and remove and replace the the existing flooring with vinyl and refinish the stairs to match the new.
4. Source an laminate for upper floors and remove and replace the the existing flooring with laminate and refinish the stairs to match the new.

Questions :
For Option No.1, would the refinish top coat be equivalent to the pre-finished hardwood? Is it worth the time and energy?
For Option No.3, can I install vinyl over the existing engineered hardwood instead?

Any comments or advice would be greatly appreciated.
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Jun 2, 2007
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Toronto
Hi guys, can anyone recommend a good, reasonable hardwood floor refinisher in Toronto? Thanks
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How much does it cost for one staircase (white risers, ~10 steps, sanding & painting the top part of the railing, laminate floors on two landings on the stairs, and getting the steps to match the colour of the laminate installed upstairs)? I'm getting a $4500 + material quote, is that reasonable for just the stairs?

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