Floating Wood Flooring

Floor Install Tips - Floating Wood Floors

Installing a wood floor over an existing floor or concrete slab.

Reasons as to why one would float a hardwood or laminate floor:

Floating floors are ideal for those that have multiple floor coverings that may be too troublesome to remove or too costly to renovate.

One way to understand the floating floor concept is to think of a jigsaw puzzle.With a jigsaw puzzle, pieces connect to each other, not to the table. Serving to keep the puzzle in place: weight of the puzzle; friction contact between puzzle and table; side-to-side attachment of the individual pieces.

Hardwood Hardness Ratings

Janka Hardness Rating

The relative hardness of wood species is measured using the Janka Hardness Rating. This test measures the force needed to embed a steel ball (.444 inch in diameter) to half its diameter into the piece of wood being tested. The higher the number, the harder the wood. This means the wood is more resistant to indentations.

Different species also have varying degrees of hardness. Hardwood floors are a natural product and are susceptible to dents (not covered under manufacturer warranties unless specifically stated). If you expect your floors will take a lot of abuse, consider a species at least as hard as red oak based on the hardness chart below.

Green Floor Tips - Formaldehydes in Flooring - Health Awareness

Many People Developing Health Disorders
People are developing illnesses such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Lupus, Fibromyalgia, psychological illnesses, etc. Most these illnesses are attributed to VOC emissions (Volatile Organic Compounds) from building materials in their environment

What causes this?? - The Pursuit for Cheap Production

At Woodchuck Flooring, we seek wood and laminate floors to be in compliance with environmental laws and health concerns. 

Do you have buried treasure in your own home?

Have you ever checked to see if you have hardwood floors buried underneath that old carpet in your home?

Hardwood flooring has never been "out of style", but years ago many homeowners decided to go for a more "modern" look and cover their hardwood floors with carpet. Wall-to-wall carpeting could be hiding a well-preserved treasure - it may be worthwhile to check whats hiding under that carpet! 

If there is buried hardwood flooring, Woodchuck flooring can have your floors looking brand new in no time! Refinishing hardwood floors can have a quite a few steps in the process, but our crew will not only ensure the correct steps are being followed, we ensure that a trusted professional can handle any surprises along the way!

Tearing out old carpet and refinishing your buried wood flooring is a great investment for you and your family. Not only does hardwood allow for a less debris-collecting floor in your home, it is durable and requires very little maintenance.

Let Woodchuck Flooring help you get rid of that carpet and let those buried floors add dimension, variety and class into your home. 

Woodchuck Flooring has 33 years of successful experience in the flooring business. Dance studios, basketball courts, San Diego historical homes...you name it we've refinished it! Your finished project will bring you nothing but satisfaction. Gain peace of mind knowing that Chuck, Mr. Woodchuck himself, will be personally supervising and working on your flooring project.

Call us for a free estimate today!

858-279-4677

You’ve already made the most important decision. You want hardwood flooring.

WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED TO KNOW?

Whether building a new home, or tackling a remodeling project, you can be confident that genuine hardwood flooring will add significantly to the beauty, quality and value of your home. It’s a smart investment that you will be able to enjoy for a lifetime.

Top Questions to Ask When Buying Wood Flooring

1.  Which type of wood floor is right for me, solid or engineered?
2.  Which wood species is right for me? 
3.  Is a factory-finished floor or a site-finished floor better for me? 
4.  My room is 400 square feet, but we’re being told to order 450 square feet of flooring. Is this really necessary?
5.  Ive seen many different sheens, some shiny and some not.  Which is better? 
6.  Is there anything I can do to prevent my floors from being scratched by pets? 
7.  How do I keep my floors looking new? 
8.  How long after I order my floors will it take before they are installed? 
9.  I’ve seen instances where wood floors fade over time.  Is there anything I can do to prevent this? 
10.  Installation is so expensive.  Why can’t I just do it myself? 

1. Which type of wood floor is right for me, solid or engineered?

You have to ask yourself, where will we be installing the floors?

Both solid and engineered wood floors are made using real wood, so both are environmentally friendly. 

Solid wood flooring: 

A solid piece of wood from top to bottom. The thickness of solid wood flooring can vary, but generally ranges from 3/4” to 5/16”. Solid wood can be used in any room that is above grade (above ground). One of the many benefits of solid wood flooring is that it can be sanded and refinished many times. 

• Solid wood floors are ideal in family/living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, and even kitchens and powder rooms.
• About the only place you can’t use solid wood flooring is in the basement, but there’s a solution for that area too. 

Engineered wood floors: 

Real wood floors that are manufactured using multiple layers of wood veneers.  The layers that you can’t see can be of the same species, or of different species. The grain of each layer runs in perpendicular directions, which makes it very dimensionally stable. This means that the wood will expand and contract less than solid wood flooring during fluctuations in humidity and temperature. 

• Engineered floors can be nailed or stapled to a wood sub floor, or glued down to a wood or concrete sub floor.
• This makes engineered wood floors ideal for slab and basement installations, but they can be used in any room above, on or below grade.
• While this type of flooring can be sanded and refinished, it cannot be done as many times as solid wood flooring.

2. Which wood species is right for me? 

When choosing which species of wood is right for you and your home, you have to think about a few variables: style, budget and personal preference.

At Woodchuck we have more than 50 domestic and imported species of wood flooring that are available for you to achieve a very unique look. Check out our Gallery for more photos to get some ideas!

How do you want the look of your home to be?

• Do you want your room to appear more open and airy?
• Do you wish for your home to appear more warm and cozy?
• Would you rather have a stately and refined look for your home?

How will your floors be used?

• Are you retired and living alone?
• Do you have a busy family with young children and pets?

Ask the pros at Woodchuck these questions and more to hear our answers!

3. Is a factory-finished floor or a site-finished floor better for me?

Each method has its own benefits and advantages, and choosing the right method will depend on the level of customization you want to achieve, and your personal preference.  

Job site-finished

A Job site-finished is one that is applied on the job site, in the room where the flooring is being installed. You will have unlimited possibilities for customizing the final appearance of your flooring. This method is especially recommended if you are trying to match an existing site finished flooring and are refinishing the entire area. 

Factory Finished 

Long before the floors reach your home, the finish will be applied so no waiting on the floors to dry. You will be able to find many choices in our showroom of pre-finished flooring, but you wont be able to achieve the same level of customization as you would with on site finish. Pre-finished flooring also only require installation, no sanding, staining and finishing; creating less time spent drying and less overall job site mess 

The beauty of a site finished floor is difficult to match, let Woodchuck and our 33 years experience help you with your next flooring adventure!

4. My room is 400 square feet, but we’re being told to order 450 square feet of flooring. Is this really necessary?

As a general rule, you should plan to order 10% more flooring than in needed for installation. Much of the material will be cut to fit the exact space, and once the boards are cut, they likely cannot be used elsewhere in the room.

5.  I've seen many different sheens, some shiny and some not.  Which is better? 

There are 4 levels of hardwood floor finish sheens: Matte, Satin, Semi-gloss, Glossy (from least shiny to most shiny)

The sheen measures how shiny or glossy your floor’s finish is. Different people have different preferences. The glossier you go, the more light reflects off the floors. This in turn, shows more dirt/dust as well as imperfections in the floor.

Matte

• 25% luster
• Offer the least shine, and will reflect the least light.

Satin - Most popular!

• 40% luster
• Satin finish has some sheen, but doesn't look too flossy. We suggest this for the more classic and contemporary feel. 
• Satin will show scratches, imperfections and dust less
• Easy to clean and maintain, very practical.

Semi-gloss

• 55% luster
• Offer some shine, and will reflect some light. 
• Glossy
• 70% luster
• typically seen on gym floors and bowling alleys
• With many exotic hardwood flooring, we too see the glossy look being used
• Shows the most dust, dent and footprints

Generally speaking, the less sheen, the less you will notice small scratches and other wear that is normal with wood floors. All sheens will offer the same protection for your floor, so it truly is a matter of which look you like best.

6. Is there anything I can do to prevent my floors from being scratched by our pets? 

There are several things you can do to minimize scratching from pets. 

A few suggestions:

• Back door mats - since pets go in and out of the back door, be sure to include a mat there. This will help minimize the amount of dirt tracked in
• Area rugs, Carpet runners - We personally have long hallways in our house, and our family dog doesn't realize how fast she comes flying down the hallway, and will end up trying to slow down by sliding across the floors into the couch. By placing a carpet runner, this stopped our dog from scratches the floors. Area rugs also come in hand why you have areas with high foot traffic, or chairs
• Trim your dogs nails regularly
   

7. How do I keep my floors looking new?

Hardwood Flooring may last a lifetime if cared for properly, but it is important to understand that with any wood flooring, there will be color fading experienced.

Remember, hardwood floors are natural and like all natural things that experience change over time, wood floors will experience subtle color changes as they age.

The experts at Woodchuck Flooring have a few helpful tips to share to reduce the amount of fading that will occur in your wood floors:

SWITCH UP YOUR ROOM’S FURNITURE FREQUENTLY

Every three to four months, consider moving your rugs around, changing up your furniture placement, etc. 

TRY AND KEEP YOUR FLOORS OUT OF DIRECT SUNLIGHT

The sun is no friend to wood floors. It makes sense that if you can keep sunlight off your floor it won’t fade as much. Drapes, curtains, shutters or blinds are some of the best defenses against fading hardwood floors.

USE A WATER BASED FINISH

Finished composed of oil will gradually amber over time and give a slight yellow tent to the flooring. In comparison, water-based finishes reduce color change over time because they remain clear.

8. Installation is so expensive.  Why can’t I just do it myself?

Installing wood floors is a lot more complicated than painting your walls or replacing the hardware on your kitchen cabinets.

First of all, you will be spending several thousand dollars on material alone, so if you damage it, it’s not as easy as buying another $30 gallon of paint or $200 of hardware and starting over again. Plus, wood flooring requires special tools that you will likely have to rent and will have little experience using.

More importantly, however, you will need to make sure the room you’re working in is flat, that the subfloor material will work for wood flooring, and that no moisture issues are present that will damage the wood long-term. Testing for moisture requires special tools as well, and you must test both the subfloor and the flooring to ensure a successful installation.

In addition, you will need to know how to center the room, how much space should be left for expansion gaps, how to work around obstructions like closets, fireplaces, bay windows, staircases, and cabinets, and if you make cutting mistakes, you may end up running short on your material and not have enough to finish the job.

In some cases, you may not be able to exactly match the lot, much like running short of paint sometimes results in a slight color difference when mixing a new gallon.

The bottom line is that installing wood floors is not recommended as a DIY project.  In the long run, you will save money and time by using a professional.

By NWFA

How Can I Prevent My Wood Floors From Fading Over Time?

Hardwood Flooring may last a lifetime if cared for properly, but it is important to understand that with any wood flooring, there will be color fading experienced.

Remember, hardwood floors are natural and like all natural things that experience change over time, wood floors will experience subtle color changes as they age.

The experts at Woodchuck Flooring have a few helpful tips to share to reduce the amount of fading that will occur in your wood floors:

Switch up your room’s furniture frequently

Every three to four months, consider moving your rugs around, changing up your furniture placement, etc. 

Try and keep your floors out of direct sunlight

The sun is no friend to wood floors. It makes sense that if you can keep sunlight off your floor it won’t fade as much. Drapes, curtains, shutters or blinds are some of the best defenses against fading hardwood floors.

Use a water based finish

Finished composed of oil will gradually amber over time and give a slight yellow tent to the flooring. In comparison, water-based finishes reduce color change over time because they remain clear.

What if my Floors Are Already Faded? 

Call Woodchuck Flooring if you need help with wood floor refinishing, repair, or installation at 858-279-4677

Frequently Asked Questions: Care + Maintenance

Cleaning wood floors is easy. Regular maintenance includes sweeping with a soft bristle broom or dusting with a dry microfiber mop.  

Recommended Maintenance Schedule

 Daily: Sweep or dust mop

 Weekly: Vacuum using the bare floor setting

 Monthly: Clean with recommended wood flooring cleaner

 Every 3 - 5 Years: Maintenance coat

 Every Few Decades: Sand and refinish

To keep wood floors looking and performing well for generations, follow these guidelines:

• Do not use vinyl or tile cleaning products on wood floors. Self-polishing acrylic waxes cause wood to become slippery and appear dull quickly.
• Place rugs at doorways to help prevent debris from being tracked in and scratching the floor.
• Do not wet-mop or steam mop a wood floor. Water and steam can dull the finish and even damage the wood.
• Wipe up spills immediately with a slightly dampened cloth.
• Put stick-on felt protectors under the legs of furniture to prevent scuffing and scratching. Replace these often as dirt and debris can become embedded on the pad and act like sand paper on the flooring surface.
• Avoid walking on your wood floors with sport cleats and high heels. A 125-pound woman walking in high heels with an exposed heel nail can exert up to 8,000 pounds per square inch. This kind of impact can dent any floor surface
• When moving heavy furniture, do not slide it on wood flooring. It is best to pick up the furniture to move it and to prevent scratches.
• For wood flooring in the kitchen, place an area rug at the kitchen sink.

Frequently Asked Questions: Care + Maintenance

How are polyurethane or other surface finishes maintained?

Dustmop, sweep, or vacuum regularly. Always follow the manufacturer's cleaning recommendations if known. When cleaning no longer restores shine, recoat the floor with a surface finish. The frequency of recoating depends on the amount of traffic. Never wax a surface-finished floor, and never use vinyl or tile floor care products on any wood floor.

How are wax or penetrating-stain finishes maintained?
 

Dustmop or vacuum regularly, and use a buffer to maintain shine. Always follow the manufacturer's cleaning recommendations if known. If buffing no longer restores shine, you may need to rewax. If so, apply a cleaner and liquid wax specifically for wood floors. Apply the wax evenly, allow the floor to dry, and buff to the desired luster. Depending on traffic, a properly maintained wood floor should need waxing once or twice a year. Be careful not to over-wax. If the floor dulls, try buffing instead. Avoid wax buildup under furniture and other low-traffic areas by applying wax half as often as in higher-traffic areas.

How can I clean a discolored or soiled wax finish?

If the wax finish is discolored or has dirt build-up, use a combination liquid cleaner/wax made specifically for wood flooring. Make sure it is solvent rather than water-based. Spread the liquid cleaner/wax with a cloth or fine steel wool and rub gently to remove grime and old wax. Wipe the floor clean, let it dry for about 20 minutes, and then buff.

Can cleaning products for vinyl or tile floors be used on wood floors?
 

No. Never use vinyl or tile cleaning products on wood floors. And never use self-polishing acrylic waxes on wood floors. These waxes cause wood to become slippery and dull. In this case, the floor must be sanded and refinished.

Can a wood floor be damp-mopped or steam cleaned?
 

No. Never damp mop or steam clean a waxed floor. When cleaning a surface-finished floor, follow the manufacturer's recommendations. You may generally use a dampened (near dry) mop to maintain a wood floor; however excessive moisture can cause damage as can steam cleaners. Water can dull the finish and even damage the wood. If water spills on a wood floor, immediately wipe it up with a clean cloth.

How can I prevent scratches on wood flooring?
 

Place walk off rugs at doorways to help protect wood floors from grit, dirt and debris. Place felt pads under furniture legs and vacuum/dust your wood floor regularly.

Content found in this blog post was brought to us by the National Wood Flooring Association: woodfloors.org. 

An Investment You Can "Stand" On

Why Hardwood Flooring is a Good Investment:

An Investment You Can "Stand" On

Whether you are deciding on the flooring in your new home or replacing existing flooring, you know that there is a vast array of options available to you. However, there is one flooring option that is not just an expense—hardwood flooring is actually an investment.

Lifetime Cost

Hardwood Flooring is durable enough to last a long time and can be sanded down and refinished again and again to add new life to your home.

While less expensive up front, a carpet floor requires a significant amount of maintenance to last for not so long of a time. Materials like carpet and other flooring have to be replaced every 10-15 years. This is due to the fact that they can wear out and cannot be repaired.  In contrast, wood floors can last a lifetime, and be sanded down to be refinished, rather than replaced. The minimal maintenance and extremely long life span of a hardwood floor make it a far more economical choice than carpet over a lifetime.

Health Benefits

Wood flooring has no fibers, grout lines, or embossing that can trap dust, pollen, particles, animal dander, and allergens that occur with carpets. In fact, for individuals who suffer allergies, carpets are a living nightmare. Dust mites and bed bugs, especially, love carpet. Simply put, hardwood floors can give you the best indoor air quality.

Low Maintenance

Hardwood floors are easy to keep clean. They require a weekly sweeping, dry mopping or vacuuming in order to remove dust and dirt. Most hardwood floors only require a deep cleaning once a year. If dogs or children have dragged mud through the house, a damp mop removes this muck with ease! See our recent blog post regarding wood flooring maintenance here.

Versatile

One of the major benefits of this type of flooring is the versatility. Your style may change over the years. Thankfully, many hardwood floors go with almost anything. Not only will the flooring not clash with your décor, but there is a wide range of colors and finishes to choose from. This means that anyone will be able to find a hardwood that they love.

Unsurpassed Beauty and Value

Perhaps the number one reason to consider a hardwood floor is for aesthetic reasons. Hardwood is one of the oldest flooring materials there is, and it never goes out of style.

Looking for hardwood flooring in San Diego?

Looking for hardwood flooring in San Diego? We’ll help you get started

Hardwood flooring is one of the most popular flooring options available today. From traditional homes to the more modern spaces, hardwood offers versatility and durability, creating a classic look that never goes out of style.

Today, Hardwood flooring is available in two main forms: solid, made with pure wood from top to bottom, or engineered, a flooring consisting of a thin strip of actual wood mounted to a multiple layers of thinner, less expensive plywood.

Both types of hardwood flooring can be available in a variety styles, colors, cuts, and species.

What’s the best hardwood flooring for my home?

With so many choices in wood types, colorations, designs and finishes, finding the best hardwood for your home can sometimes be complicated. Depending on the needs of your home, your own design sense and budget, let the professionals at Woodchuck Flooring help you through the processes of selecting the perfect floors for you and your family!

Quality You Can Stand On!

Woodchuck’s 33 years of experience can help you pick out something magnificent and precious that will overwhelm you and your guests with beauty each and every time you step foot in your home.

To get started, schedule your free estimate, visit or call one of our professionals today at 858-279-4677

Bring new life to your home by refinishing your aged wood flooring

Nothing defines a home like hardwood floors. Today's wood flooring makes a compelling fashion statement, increase the value of your home and provides a warm, inviting ambiance. Regardless of color, style or type of wood, your hardwood floors can be a truly elegant part of your home. 

But as every home owner has learned, hardwood floors are subject to a great deal of abuse. Floors that once gleamed will inevitable become worn, dirty, scratched and stained. 

Woodchuck Flooring of San Diego handles every aspect of hardwood floor maintenance, whether it is installations, repairs, refinishing or sanding. With a superior level of workmanship, attention to detail, and artistry, their crew of full time professionals will bring new life to your old floors. Check out some of their photos of past jobs in San Diego here. 

Let Woodchuck help refinish your existing wood floors torestore the natural beauty and value intended for your home.