flooring

Reply to: A 9.5" wide plank????? Wow! That is SUPER-UBER Wide! You MUST HAVE perfect HUMIDITY control! I mean PERFECT! If you do NOT, you MUST ADD IT to your HVAC SYSTEM! Depending on the size of your house and the size of your heating/cooling system. That can add $3K - $6K to your job. And that's just getting READY for your project. Now let's move towards the installation required. Your planks REQUIRE full glue install. That adds $2-$3/sf for GLUE. Now we add $2/sf for LABOUR costs just for the glue. And then we have the upper level substrate = must be 'good plywood'. If you don't have plywood (OSB or FibreBoard = not allowed under hardwood) then you need to pay $3/sf for new plywood (yep...plywood has TRIPPLED in the last 6 months). Whew! And now....are you trying to glue down to concrete slab? Like where the tiles are? If you are, you must have a vapour barrier that is FULLY functional. That means testing. And some more testing. And the age of the slab will point you in the direction you need to go. All of this is just to get a 'shot' at having a happy, healthy 9.5" wide plank. It is still possible that ALL of the above is going to fail you....and you could still have issues with these UBER wide planks.

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Reply to: You must have 100% control of humidity. You must have more than A/C in Texas. You need dehumidifier for summer and *humidifier for winter. Your above grade install = 100% glue down. No 'Ifs, and of hits about it'. You need to contact Builder and check the specs. The glue is going to be expensive. The install is going to be expensive. The planks are going to be only a single part of the "Will they warp?" wood is wood. It does what it does. The rest is up to the house and the install. You need EVERYTHING to go right. Anything goes wrong and your floors will have issues.

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Reply to: Industry standard requirements for nail with polyurethane glue spread provides any moisture barrier. No anything else. You MUST glue down and nail. Both. If you as an installer don’t follow wide plank industry standards, that’s out of your pocketbook for creating callback problems.

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Reply to: Always use a slipsheet under nailed-on flooring over a wood subfloor. As mentioned, it allows differing rates of expansion/contraction, somewhat minimizes squeaks of wood-on-wood and sawdust/particles that are in between, protects against sawdust migration (when gaps in subfloor). This should be a red rosin paper or 15# roofing felt. A vapor barrier is an additional protection, and that will follow manufacturer's instructions and should be based on a description of where your wood subfloor sits (over crawl space, etc). Note that it will be considered a vapor retarder, which is not a complete blockage of moisture. A 2nd floor should not need one, especially with a more stable engineered floor. Aquabar is one readily available product.

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Reply to: The UV (cured) oil finishes are more work to live with. They require regular maintenance (like every 6-12 months). MANY manufacturers have a "commercial" installation statement that REQUIRES the floor to receive a full coat of "maintenance oil" after it is installed in a commercial/shop setting. If a manufacturer has this on their website, I normally recommend a residential setting (especially in a kitchen/entrance) receive the same treatment. Just to save heart ache at a later date (like 10 months later homeowner states the floor looks "thirsty" or dry). The aluminum oxide finishes are super strong. They resist scratches. The lighter the floor the less likely you will see the scratches once they show up. As for staining (cooking oil) aluminum oxide can still stain....but it takes a blob of oil sitting there for HOURS (possibly days) before it penetrates the finish and hits the wood - permanently discolouring the floor. It is the nature of Aluminum Oxide (7-15 coats of urethane dusted in AO powder) to take longer to penetrate: simply because of how many LAYERS of finish they contain. But again, all finishes will eventually show oil stains if given enough oil and enough time. Before going to UV cured oil finishes, PLEASE be FULLY AWARE of your duties for this type of finish. You will need to purchase ALL the products needed to care for this floor. And you will need to have them on hand the SAME DAY you install the floor (order the maintenance products at the same time you order the floor). And then get the flooring professionals to give you a "maintenance lesson" to help you keep your oiled finish in tip top shape for the next 30 years. And just for fun, low-gloss finishes can appear HAZY. The Aluminum Oxide finishes are just as hazy as regular urethane/polyurethane. It is simply the way the floors are created to produce LOW GLOSS. And many homeowners have cried themselves to sleep over how hazy these floors appear in certain light (morning/evening lighting). And no, there is no way to get rid of the haze. It is "baked into" the finish. If you don't like the haze, you will need top purchase a new floor. For me...that means a satin is a better finish than matte. Satin = no haze.

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Reply to: I think you've answered your own question: " We don't like cleaning floors and would prefer low maintenance " UV cured oil floors are TOUGHER than traditional oil floors....but NO WHERE NEAR the 'low-maintenance" you state you want. Take your sample (buy a box if you have to) and then drop some OIL on it (salad oil, butter, margarine, mayonnaise, peanut butter...whatever you can THINK OF that the kids could 'leave behind') and let it sit for 30 minutes. Now try cleaning it up. Now use the SPOT CLEANING oil on it (which you MUST have on hand). Now use the MASTER OIL on the spot (which you MUST HAVE on hand). See how much you 'like' the look of: A. The oil stain without cleaning, and B. The oil stain AFTER you 'fixed it If EITHER ONE bother you then stay away from oiled floors. And remember: the WIRE BRUSHED finishes (which MOST PEOPLE like) are HELL ON EARTH to deal with - regardless of the finish. I'm a lazy cleaner. Which is why I prefer a good ol' fashioned Aluminum Oxide SMOOTH finished floor in a house with kids and 'low-maintenance' parents. Check out this ACTIVE post from someone who purchased the AO finish on WIRE BRUSHED finish: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5912382/food-oil-stain-on-engineered-hardwood#25506828 They are at their wits end...and it has been LESS than a year. Ask yourself if you are "OK" with this type of issue. Because it WILL happen with UV oiled finishes and it WILL happen with Wire Brushed AO products.

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Reply to: In the $4/sf range you are working with Home Depot. I'm not kidding. Home Depot has factory finished (natural) 3/4" solid Red Oak (your stairs are MOST LIKELY red oak because it is the cheapest oak we have) in 3" width for $4.99/sf. Engineered SHOULD be more expensive and much thinner. The $7/sf range is still dicey. You can find Chinese 5/8" engineered hardwood (factory finished) in 4" widths (European or White Oak) for $6.99/sf. The DELAY to get the product to the EAST COAST of the USA = months....but may be someone has some in stock (2300sf of it = two pallets = hard to come by in the same colour). For the $4-$7/sf price range you can get an AMAZING vinyl floor. The $7/sf range is top range for vinyl like Coretec. The FIRST thing I would do is have an HVAC company visit the house and assess the HVAC system. MAKE SURE you have HUMIDITY CONTROL (humidistat). That means you can ADD humidity in winter (at the touch of a button) or you can REMOVE humidity in the summer (Air Conditioning doesn't always cover the summer because the East coast is DRIPPING WET during the summer with 90% - 100% humidity during the summer months). A hardwood floor REQUIRES HVAC stability. It MUST HAVE RH (relative humidity) controlled between 45% - 60% humidity at all times. Make sure your HVAC professional CLEARLY IDENTIFIES whether or not the CURRENT SYSTEM can or CANNOT handle this type of RIGID humidity control. If not, then an UPGRADE must occur BEFORE the floors are on-site. Wood requires 2 weeks (sometimes more) of acclimation IN THE HOUSE (with the HVAC system upgrade if need be) before it can be installed. You will want to make your decision, purchase, upgrade the HVAC (if needed) AND THEN get the wood delivered to the house so it can acclimate PROPERLY. Tell the GC to RUN the HVAC for the full 2 months. S/he will have to get the settings up and running BEFORE the wood arrives. And it has to be left 'on' during the entire renovation.

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Reply to: I am a recent customer of Uptown Floors and have only good things to say about the flooring I purchased from them for our new home built last year. The customer service and communication during the process is excellent. I have a large golden retriever and the floors and finish are looking great. I did a great deal of research and watched a lot of Ken's videos online. I also did research on the company in Ohio that manufactures and mills the flooring. I had to convince my builder to let me get our floors from this company and they were impressed. The guy who installed the flooring couldn't believe how nice the millwork and quality were. I went with the Hickory because I wanted the harder wood, but Uptown Floors also sells Oak. You will not be disappointed. I compared the samples I purchased from Uptown Floors to the best I could find being sold by local flooring companies and National brands, and there was no comparison. I almost went with Somerset engineered flooring, but the wear layer just wasn't thick enough considering I have a dog. I feel like I did my homework and hit the flooring jackpot when I stumbled upon Uptown Floors here on Houzz and took the time to check them out. www.uptownfloors.com. Visit their website and watch the videos. Every aspect of their flooring is explained, and you will get your questions answered. I felt their prices were fair and I got a lot better product for my money than I would have gotten by going with the companies the builder was suggesting. I got a much thicker engineered floor 3/4" with a 5.8mm wear layer that can be sanded multiple times in the future if need be. I guess being born and raised in Ohio, I knew if the Amish manufactured the flooring, it would be excellent. It is. Also, it was a little scary trying to time the shipment of the flooring to my new home at the time the builder was ready to install the floors, but Ken Fisher worked with my General Contractor and made sure the flooring arrived when it was needed and not before. I won't lie, I was nervous ordering my new home's hardwoods off the internet, but it was actually the only thing about my new home build that went smoothly and turned out perfectly.

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Reply to: With or without a humidifier, you might have comfort problems Nobody installs a whole-house humidifier unless they're having a problem of some kind. Many people absolutely can't stand having dry skin during winter. It can actually be painful, and a humidifier probably will help your skin from getting too dry. https://www.cooling-heating.net/ In other homes, the air gets so dry that wood furniture cracks and gaps form between floorboards. Pianos go out of tune. Everything just feels off-kilter (or off key). Super-low humidity just isn't fun. Any time your indoor relative humidity dips into the middle-20% range, it's a good idea to increase it. The thing is, humidifiers have problems of their own: They might cause mold to grow in your home. This happens more often than you might think. Since humidity sticks to cold surfaces and your home contains many cold surfaces during winter, the environment is often perfect for fuzzy, black stuff to show up. You might not see the mold: While humidifier-induced mold sometimes clings to ceilings and walls, the mold that results from your humidifier isn't always visible. It might be inside your walls or - and this is pretty common - lining the inside of your ducts. The "moldy ducts" scenario is more likely if you have uninsulated ducts or a lot of your ductwork resides in an unconditioned area (like your attic). It's cold in your attic, so moisture accumulates on the ducts when your humidifier is running. Then mold starts to grow there. Mold, as you well know, can really do a number on indoor air quality. It's bad to breathe it in. And if you've got asthma, a moldy environment can actually be dangerous. The bottom line is that you don't want to grow mold in your home, but you don't want your air to be too dry either. What can you do to increase indoor humidity without increasing the risk of mold growth? Air sealing keeps dry air out How did the air in your home get so dry in the first place? The answer is simple: Cold air from the outdoors infiltrated your home through gaps and cracks in the building envelope. Seal off the points of entry for that dry air, and you'll increase your relative humidity. If you do a good job, you won't need a humidifier at all. Think about it like this: Warm air migrates to colder environments. When you turn on the heat, the hot air generated by your furnace eventually seeps out of your home to the outdoors. To maintain a pressure balance inside a structure, the warm air that leaves your home is continuously replaced by cool air that gets in. This is air infiltration. It's the draft you feel under your front door. It's the cold air that seeps in around your windows. Most of all, it's the cold air that sneaks in through the plumbing, electrical, and ductwork penetrations between your first floor and your crawl space. When you seal off these sources of air leakage, you achieve two things: You close off the "escape hatch" by which warm air leaves your home. You prevent air infiltration from the outdoors, which keeps your indoor humidity from getting too low. Stated more simply, you should strongly consider air sealing your home before purchasing a whole-house humidifier. By doing so, you'll be in a great position to mitigate uncomfortable dryness and avoid all of the problems associated with humidifiers. The best way to discover your biggest sources of air leakage is via a blower door test. That way, you can determine both the air infiltration rate and identify the biggest sources of leakage. If you do opt for a humidifier… Air sealing should always be your first course of action to alleviate problems caused by dry indoor air. That said, there are circumstances when you might want a humidifier anyway. For example, maybe your household activities don't generate enough humidity to make you comfortable, even after you've air sealed your home. You need a humidifier to even things out, so to speak. Whatever your reasons for installing a whole-house humidifier, these best practices will help you avoid potential mold and indoor air quality issues: Get a steam humidifier:Steam humidifiers boil water on their own. Unlike bypass humidifiers, which "steal" a little hot air from your supply duct to generate water vapor, steam models are more efficient. Basically, you get more humidity during a shorter run time. Bypass models also dump hot air right back into your return plenum, which can increase the temperature of incoming air and cause your system to overheat. A proper installation can mitigate this, but it's still a risk. Only run the humidifier when the furnace is on: If your ducts are in an unconditioned space (most people's ducts are), running the humidifier while the ducts are cold increases your risk of mold growth.

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Reply to: We applied two coats of Tenax Proseal to our very porous macaubus white quartzite tops over two years ago, and it does a terrific job repelling both water- and oil-based liquids -- FWIW.

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Reply to: We have what is termed Calacatta Gold quartzite in our kitchen; and it is indeed the crosscut version of Macaubus White. One the stone veterans somewhere in this forum over the years said it's a Brazilian thing. If your sample isn't etching by now (using vinegar), that's a good sign. This article is a must read, written by our unofficial resident geologist Karin Kirk. And in [this GardenWeb thread[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/countertop-geology-part-5-marble-quartzite-and-other-favorites-dsvw-vd~2438427), Karin discusses the bottle test. Good luck!

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Reply to: I am refacing and leaving towards natural maple shaker doors ... also struggling with backsplash ... would love to see finished pics of your space

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Reply to: Floor is also Chenille White Limestone.

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Reply to: A lot is being said right now about the new Anova combi steam oven which is a combination convection and steam oven. It is a countertop unit, but some people are designing for it as a built-in. You can supposedly copy the effect of sous vide without a bag using this oven as well as do sourdough bread and other items that require a steam bath. The one downside is that it may be too small to be practical for large family meals. If you go with a traditional split-style oven, be aware that your capacity in each will be reduced, so make sure that you have room for the largest thing you ever plan to cook.

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Reply to: Supra AT is going to last you a lifetime, though, while regular Supra won't. I have the semi-gloss Supra AT, and it has grip to it in my opinion, though I can see how that with dress shoes you might be able to get some slip on it, especially with any water spilled. I wouldn't add whitener. The EasyPrime with Supra AT is going to preserve the original color of the white oak well without any yellowing over time. If you do select matte, use it only for the top coat or it may appear cloudy. EasyPrime with Supra AT is an incredibly durable finish that you won't even have to think twice about for the rest of the time you live on those floors. It really is an investment in your future and in preserving the wood you have selected.

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Reply to: @jysoccer - we just installed Panaget floors throughout our first floor including the kitchen. This is Oak Classic/ Nature Topaze. We upgraded to their premium option which is virtually knot free.

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Reply to: jysoccer- here’s the link. https://www.panaget.com/en/timeless-natural-hues/wood-floor-oak-classic-topaze-diva-184

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Reply to: @lidiap - thank you for your lovely comments. My sister and I became our own designers when we found hiring a designer would put us well over budget. We spent a lot of time on Houzz and watching HGTV. When I discovered deVOL kitchens I finally began to find elements that were not cookie cutter and began to formulate a plan. They now have their own program on Magnolia Network. The kitchen wall sconces are from deVOL which only became possible because we saved on a designer. 😉 not to say I recommend not hiring a designer. If I had it to do over again I would find a way to budget for a one. The Rewards floor we ordered a sample of were Buttercup + one other I don’t recall right now. The issue was with the lack of lengths ( see my comment earlier in this thread ) and the color leaned toward to orange for what we were looking for.

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Reply to: After ordering two sample cases of Reward we ended up going with Panaget. We went with the matte finish and love it! https://www.panaget.com/en/timeless-natural-hues/wood-floor-oak-classic-satin-diva-184

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Reply to: Monarch Plank Windsor Wentwood: 3.5mm wear layer (getting into the 'good' section) 9/16 thick (14mm = getting into the 'good' range) Natural Grain Texture = uh oh...we've had issues with this with cooking oil staining them UV Cured Urethane (ho-hum finish...nothing special...no scratch resistance) Reactive stain (off white....hmmm there have been issues with cooking oils staining these colours) European Oak Grade: (of the veneer) Rustic = LOTS of knots and I mean lots and lots and lots and lots Aayers Rocky Ridge Collection Driftwood French Oak 2mm wear layer =:O 1/2" thick (not very thick) Wire Brushed Texture = uh oh...lots of issues with this texture UV Cured Polyurethane with Aluminum Oxide (great scratch resistance) out of Germany (Klumpp) French Oak Fumed = Can have issues with cooking oils causing staining below the finish So I'm not too happy with what I'm seeing from Aayers. The website has been written by a non-native English speaker and some of the links don't work. CARB testing was done in Shanghai in 2015. These are supposed to be updated every year (but many company's don't like to because it is expensive...really expensive). If these products were to be ranked as top quality with 4-6mm wear layers and 3/4" thickness with the toughest finishes available, then you would be looking at $15 -$17/sf. Compare that to the your quote. How close or how far away is your quote from $15/sf?

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Reply to: These places have a range of sources for European oak, including Monarch. . Engineered | Wholesale Woodfloor Warehouse (floorswww.com) . and . HARDWOOD FLOORING DEPOT, ORANGE COUNTY PREMIER HARDWOOD FLOORING OUTLET , IRVINE, ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA , IRVINE, ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA (oflooring.com) Eastern European oak is a different species and may use a Siberian Quercus mongolia more available to Chinese manufacturers. Besides the hardwood top layer thickness and the finish, check the core composition. A thin hardwood veneer and a softwood ply core can be prone to denting.

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Reply to: @Jeffrey Ehman Thanks for your post! Proverco Max is the best version of their engineered wood floor. We have installed a few in our flooring projects. I am positive that you will like it. I am not sure their floor comes in more than 4mm wear layer though. $9 per sqft for 7-1/8" Max White Oak is a super good deal.

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Reply to: European Oak is a different species, quercus robur, than North American White Oak, quercus alba. It's denser with less open grain. This allows flat cut material to show the grain figuring without the dark open grain look. It finishes up less yellow. It's currently become widely available from many sources. Monarch Plank has good options and some valuable information. All About OAK - monarchplank Verona is 7-1/2" with a 6mm wear layer. Wide-plank engineered Hardwood flooring with Bona® UV Urethane finish - monarchplank

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