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Chances are you've
probably found our site after hearing more than
a few opinions about hardwood floors. From a
relative, to the handyman, and many times
tradesmen who know nothing about hardwood
floors. I don't know what it is, but today,
everybody's brother seems to know all about
hardwood floors. Having personally installed
over a half million square feet I have to admit
I don't know everything. I sure don't know how
to wire a house, but that same electrician seems
to know all about hardwood floors!
You may even find
conflicting suggestions on this site. Why?
Hardwood flooring is treated differently from
one region to another, much the same as other
building techniques. Our forte is engineered
flooring on concrete because our experience
comes from the state of Florida with the
majority of construction being concrete on slab.
However, our experience doesn't rule out other
types of installations, but one thing is clear;
we're not comfortable offering advice to someone
that lives in a climate whose temperatures may
dip below freezing two months out of the year.
In special situations; what may work for someone
in Southern California for example, may be quite
different than that of Billings, Montana. In
cases like Montana or other extreme climates, it
is strongly advised to find someone locally that
is knowledgeable of special situations.
Retail Store Advice
The common retail store
that sells mostly carpet and a few lines of
hardwood flooring will not have the knowledge of
the retailer that specializes in hardwood floors
everyday. Still even more uncomfortable is the
fact so many new operations have sprung up over
the last ten years alone, due to the popularity
of hardwood floors. Comparing yellow page ads
from ten years ago; the number of so called
hardwood specialists has increased by five fold
in our region, higher in other areas.
Where Did All These
Specialists Come From?
Many are coming from the
carpet trade. Carpet is extremely competitive,
from the retail level all the way up to
installation. It's no wonder many are moving to
hardwoods. Unfortunately carpet and hardwood is
entirely different. One of the most important
aspects of a successful hardwood installation is
floor preparation. Carpet people don't think
twice about that dip in the middle of the floor.
However, install a new hardwood floor over it
and see what happens. Eventually, squeaks,
tweaks, and other strange sounds be heard.
Big Box Store Advice
You may find some
knowledgeable people, but chances are slim. In
earlier days it was not hard to find a guy or
gal that really knew their stuff. Unfortunately
those days seem to be gone. One disadvantage of
the big box store is limited selection. Each
prefinished manufacturer has different
specifications in one form or another,
especially when it comes to underlayments and
adhesives. Taking the advice of someone that
handles only one or two manufacturers could
spell disaster as manufacturers are very strict
on warranties and what is specified. Failure to
comply can result in the warranty being voided
regardless of who handles the installation.
Not long ago I rented a
pneumatic flooring stapler from a big box store
and the guy behind the rental counter offered
all sorts of conflicting advice. I asked him
what kind of experience he had. His reply; "I've
been a plumber for 28 years." Oh, okay that must
explain the confusion I thought. Folks! Be
careful out there with advice.
Online Companies
How many are out there?
Too many to count the way I see it. Check their
"about us" pages. Hardly any mention who is in
charge. It's the same old "blah, blah, blah.."
Advice? In earlier years, many did not have the
qualified people that could offer good sound
advice. Times have changed somewhat. If you're
looking for online advice use a few qualifying
questions as a check to see if they know what
they're talking about. Keep in mind, no two
persons will say the same thing, but may have
variations that will give them credibility.
A few basic questions
include:
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• What's a good
moisture meter? |
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• Is it okay to
install my floor when it's raining? |
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Let's look
at those two questions. Moisture testing is
extremely important today. A few years back
when I interviewed potential installers the
first question was; "what kind of moisture
meter do you use?" Three out of five could not
answer the question. Now as far as the raining
question, problems can occur with dew point if
the home is open
during the installation.
Climate control should be considered in this
case.
Online Resource Sites
You've probably surfed the
web and found a few that offer so much
conflicting information it will make your head
spin. With many forms of internet advertising
available to Joe Public, all one has to do is
slap up some basic information about a subject,
sign up as an advertiser and it's on the road to
riches. Unfortunately there are far too many
resource sites that offer so much conflicting
advice you have to wonder.
As mentioned, our site is
not the definitive guide to hardwood floors. It
is merely a resource that offers information
from a different angle, or the kind of
information many are looking for. If you are
really in doubt, our
public message board is a great place to
hang out if some information seems unclear. The
many guys who contribute on a regular basis can
offer alternatives, suggestions, or methods that
have worked for them over the years. |
