Radiant Heat and Hardwood Flooring

September 2, 2010 by uniquewoodfloors

Radiant Heat Wood FlooringWith new technologies introduced in the last decade, it has become more of a reality to safely install radiant heat beneath your hardwood floors without worry of damaging the wood.  The main advantage radiant heat has to offer is that you will receive even heat distribution throughout your home, adding comfort and value. With the great advantages that come with radiant heat hardwood floors, there are a few simple rules to follow in order to make sure you have a great HVAC and flooring experience.

  1. Always follow the installation, maintenance and warranty information supplied to you by the wood flooring manufacturer. For example, some manufacturers will not warranty their product over radiant heat.  While others, using the same wood species will honor all warranties over radiant heat if you follow their installation and maintenance instructions.
  2. Include the proper system controls when you install your radiant heating system.  It is strongly recommended that you install a thermostat outside your home and at the outflow points of your boiler or water heater.  When properly set, these thermostats will eliminate the chance that your hardwood floors will be “shocked” by large and sudden temperature changes (the temperature of the hardwood floor itself should never go above 80F).  These large swings in temperature can cause a myriad of problems including cracking, face checking, bowing, and gaping.
  3. If you are installing new hardwood flooring over new concrete or plywood, make sure that you or your contractor check the new subfloors moisture content as compared with your new wood flooring.  The two numbers should be no more than 2-3% different.  For concrete slabs, it can take upwards of two months to fully “cure” and have a stable moisture content.  Once cured, run the system for 5-6 days before the installation of your hardwood floors to drive out any residual moisture (only 2-3 days are necessary for plywood subfloor).  Check the surface temperature of the subfloor to make sure it does not exceed 80F.  Then, turn down your system to the flooring manufacturers guidelines for installation and you are ready to install your new hardwood flooring.
  4. Relative humidity in your home should always stay between 35-55%.  Not only will this make your living space more comfortable but it will also help create a stable environment for your wood flooring.  Excessive moisture or extremely dry conditions can severely damage or even destroy your new floors.  This can easily be controlled by a central humidifier/dehumidifier system.

Following these simple rules will help insure that you have a great experience with both your hardwood flooring and your radiant heating system for years to come.

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Go Green and Go Beautiful With Bamboo Flooring!

June 9, 2010 by uniquewoodfloors

Go Beautiful With Bamboo Flooring

Bamboo can be an incredible choice for your homes flooring.  What many people don’t realize is that bamboo is a grass, not a tree. This means that its finished appearance is very distinctive. The reason for this distinctive look is the eye-catching pattern of slightly darker bands produced by its nodes, a feature that clearly sets it apart from wood. Bamboo has recently become one of the hottest choices in flooring. There may be many reasons for this popularity but one of the greatest is its environmental benefits.

Bamboo has gained a reputation as an eco friendly, highly renewable resource material. Bamboo can grow up to 47 inches in 24 hours and 78 1/2 feet in 40 to 50 days and it only takes about 3 to 5 years for bamboo to reach full maturity. Traditional hardwoods can take 20 – 120 years to mature. Bamboo can be harvested without the need to replant because the root system is left intact when it is harvested. The root structure has the ability to hold the soil in place preventing erosion.  Amazingly bamboo is actually stronger than most hardwoods; some species of bamboo have obtained Janka hardness ratings higher than Maple and nearly double that of Red Oak. Bamboo is also very resilient and can take a greater impact than most hardwoods without denting.

At Unique Wood Floors we import the finest bamboo available. Our bamboo flooring is available in a light natural color, or in darker shades depending on your needs. You have far more choices in bamboo than you may realize. Darker shades can be created by a method called carbonization. Carbonization is a manufacturing process that subjects the bamboo to steam and pressure. This causes the darkening of the sugar content in its fibers resulting in a honey brown color. The shades of this color are dependent upon the length of the process. You can further enhance the finished product by the various planking constructions. You can choose vertical, horizontal, solid engineered and strand woven. Like hardwoods, bamboo floors are cut into planks so you can vary the length and width of the cut to achieve various looks. Create A wide open space with long, wide cuts, or create striking patterns with short, thin cuts.

 If you’re worried about the maintenance of a bamboo floor, don’t be. Just like a hardwood floor, bamboo floors have a urethane topcoat to protect their finish. The best way to maintain the finish is with regular sweeping and vacuuming with a soft bristle attachment that will keep the dirt from wearing down the floor surface.  We also recommend using a microfiber mop head; this will give you an amazing clean that dries quickly. The most important thing is to avoid leaving streaks or detergent residue buildup on the bamboo floor. This can be avoided by choosing the proper detergent.  Don’t hesitate to ask Winston or one of Unique Wood Floors other knowledgeable staff members. We can make sure you have the appropriate cleaner for your new beautiful bamboo floor.

 Everybody wants to jump on the conservation bandwagon. In our hearts we all want to do the best thing we can for our planet. That’s why Unique Wood Floors has our go green solutions. It may be one thing to recycle a soda can, make sure were recycling our cardboard, or even driving the newest hybrid automobile. However, we can think of no better way to help our environment than by beautifying our homes with some of the finest flooring material available.

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Choosing Quality Floating Wood Floors For your condo, basement, radiant heat floors

May 3, 2010 by uniquewoodfloors

Floating Wood Floors for your condo

You are just a few clicks away from a new Wood Floor for your home! We are talking about clicking together your brand new floating wood flooring.

Floating wood floors are now installed on any hard surface with simple a click lock or tongue & groove system. All floating floors are bound to each other and not to the sub floor. This makes it possible to expand as one piece rather than individual boards. It’s ideal for areas with higher humidity such as basements. Since floating wood floors will expand and contract as one unit, the chances of cupping or gapping between boards is greatly reduced, but be sure to leave space along the walls and cover them up with your baseboard as this allows for expansion.

Unlike its counterpart, click lock floating wood floors are much easier to repair if a specific area is damaged. A great example is a dish washer flood. You would simply unclick the flooring up to the damaged area, then replace the damaged boards and reassemble.

Another benefit is installing it directly over ceramic, tile, or any hard surface. Tearing out and disposing your old flooring is quite an extensive project in itself, but that’s no longer necessary.

Floating engineered wood floors have become more and more popular amongst home owners due to the simplicity of installation and stability in structure. Besides a few species, they also worked well with radiant heat systems and concrete basement sub floors. Floating engineered flooring is typically installed above the underlayment, a foam or cork material, which acts as a barrier to moisture and sound.

European styled floating wood floors often have a 3-ply design with the top wear layer being hardwood, lumber middle core and balanced base veneer.  When the floor has a 3 to 4 mm (1/8″ to 3/16″) wear layer, it is considered high quality for several reasons. First of all, the thick wear layer can be re-sanded and varnished a few times giving it the fresh new look as when you first installed it. Secondly, floating wood floors with a thick top layer prevents you from feeling the “bounce effect” while walking on it because it tends to sit on the sub floor firmly due to the weight of the hardwood.

We have been selling Floating Wood Floors for years at Unique Wood Floors. While most engineered floating wood floors are designed with a click & lock system, some can still be tongue & groove which requires edge glue. There are advantages to each design. Builders and Diyers enjoy the floating wood floors with click & lock system more due to the benefits of easy installation. Meanwhile, contractors could favor the tongue & groove floating wood floors more because they can be installed by nail-down and glue-down.

Now you may be asking yourself. Why should I choose floating wood floors over laminate flooring which is just as easy to install and has the similar wood grains? Well floating wood flooring is real wood that offers all the advantages of real wood floors. The biggest advantage is that real hardwood is warmer on your feet. Like solid wood flooring, floating wood floors with thicker wear layer can also be refinished a few times. Remember the thicker the wear layer the more times you can refinish. Quality floating wood floors should last 40 to 50 years!

For more information about how to choose your next floating wood floor and maintenance tips, please feel free to contact us at 952-994-9696 or email: sales@uniquewoodfloor.com.

Recap:

  • Not all the floating engineered wood floors are made equal. Total thickness and wear layer (top hardwood part) make a huge difference on the performance and life span of your installed floor.
  • All wood products will have some expansions and contractions during season change.
  • 1/8″ or thicker wear layer and 1/2” and thicker total make wood floors with optimal floating weight.
  • European styled 3 ply floating wood floors provide good stability.
  • Make sure your sub-floor is leveled within 3/16” for every 10 sqft before installation. The most common cause of hollow sounds and noises are from low spots on your sub-floor.
  • A good 1/8″ acoustical underlayment, such as Acousti-Cork or Floor Muffler, will improve your floating wood floor’s performance and improve sound barrier quality.
  • The bigger area you are covering, the thicker floating floors it requires.

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