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HARDWOOD FLOORING & REFINISHING

Buying Tips for Hardwood Flooring

With so many different types of hardwood products available, selecting the product that is right for you may seem like a daunting task. Here are a few things to consider when selecting a hardwood product for your home.

Factory Finished or Field Finished?

You should feel comfortable with either choice. However, factory finishing offers many nice advantages. Factory finished flooring is inspected for defects at the mill so you receive first choice every time. On-site finishing depends on the quality of the workmanship that day.

Factory finished flooring usually installs more quickly and without the dust and odors that are involved with on-site finishing. However, even though factory finished flooring comes in a variety of colors, on-site finishing allows for closer color match with existing woodwork or cabinets.

Both factory finishes and on-site finishes are available in either high gloss or matte. Both types have exciting new finishes which incorporate the start of the art science and technology. Perhaps the one of the greatest benefit is most finishes require no waxing.

Engineered or Solid Hardwoods?

Engineered products install where no solid hardwood dares to go. Prior to the development of engineered hardwood flooring, hardwood products could not be installed on slab or in your basement without a special subfloor system. Now you can enjoy real hardwood flooring in those areas without all that fuss and expense. A special cross-ply construction eliminates the problem of expansion and contraction usually associated with solid hardwood.

Solid hardwoods have been used for centuries and provide the greatest durability and flexibility. Solid wood products not only look great today, since they are solid they can be refinished with little concern for damaging the substrate. This means after years of use the wear and tear can be simply sanded away.You can also change the color of the finish if the need arises.

A word of Caution

Since hardwood is very hygroscopic (absorbs water), it is extremely important that the wood be acclimated to the space in which it will be installed. This is overlooked by most installer as it generally means an addtional trip to your home. Equally important is the moisture content of the floor (substrate) on which the hardwood will be installed. The substrate should be tested to ensure the moisture content is acceptable for installation. Again, many installers will not test for substrate moisture content as this could delay the installation if dehumidification is required. Be leary of "Next Day Installation" claims. The customer should always insist that the installer acclimate all hardwoods, check substrate moisture content and report readings to the customer so the conditions can be corrected prior to installation.

DUSTLESS HARDWOOD REFINISHING

Is your existing hardwood floor showing its age?

Main Street FloorCrafters can bring it back to life. With our BonaKemi^tm Environmental Choice refinishing system, we can refinish your hardwood floors without the inconvenience of all of the dust and odor. The Bona system is the only refinishing system to have recieved the GREENGUARD certification for indoor air quality.

Call, Click or Stop by our Somersworth NH Showroom to schedule your Free In Home Estimate

Main Street Floor Crafters

HARDWOOD FLOORING & REFINISHING

Buying Tips for Hardwood Flooring

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