FAQs
Running a flooring project is not easy, and we know you've got questions. So we put together this FAQ section to help answer some of them up front. For any other questions we hope to hear from you!
What can I expect as a new customer?
Once we receive your contact request, one of our staff will reach out to you within 48 hours to introduce ourselves, and to schedule an in person quote. Any immediate questions can be answered over the phone, and we will schedule your in person meeting as we have availability.
What can happen if installation isn’t done right?
If your floors aren’t installed correctly, several things can happen over the short term, and more importantly over the long term.
Improper surface preparation can have disastrous effects. If the surface of the floor is installed unevenly, roughly or hasn’t been prepared, the new floors will look terrible, and will not last as long. You will begin seeing issues within days!
Wood floors in unfit environments is another common mistake. If wood flooring is installed in a damp area, especially here in the Pacific northwest climate, it is likely that the floor will warp severely over time, and will not last very long.
Flooring warranty will be voided if the floor is not installed properly. This means that if you make a claim with the flooring manufacturer, when they inspect improperly installed floor, they will deny your claim.
Hiring a knowledgeable, trustworthy and most of all experienced contractor can save you the headaches.
What should I know about chemical reactions in wood?
Applying masking tape to a urethane surface finish can have chemical reactions with the finish. This can result in the finish stripping or having chemical burns which are permanent.
When refinishing existing hardwoods, it is important that the sanding process is exceedingly thorough. If previous finish is not removed entirely, when the new finish is applied, unwanted chemical reactions can occur. This can often look like swirls, milky or excessive bubbles.
Why should I care about humidity in my home?
In general, relative humidity in the building should be between 30 and 50 percent year-round for the best wood flooring performance. Temperatures should be kept between 60° and 80° Fahrenheit.
What is cupping in a hardwood floor?
When a wood plank cups, its edges become higher than its center. This is a reaction to a humidity imbalance in the plank. Cupping has many possible causes, including high relative humidity, humidity rising from a basement or crawl space, and water getting in. If cupping happens, find the root cause quickly and fix it. The wood then needs time to get back to its normal internal moisture balance and shape. In some cases, fans or dehumidifiers are needed to bring it back to normal.
What is crowning in a hardwood floor?
Crowning is the opposite of cupping. The middle of the board is higher than its edges. It can happen when the surface of the floor meets moisture. It most often happens when a floor is sanded too soon after cupping. The raised edges get sanded off, and once the wood returns to a normal moisture content, those edges are lower than the middle of the board.
What is buckling in a hardwood floor?
Buckling is one of the most extreme reactions to moisture in a hardwood floor. The floor expands past its expansion gaps and lifts away from the subfloor, sometimes by several inches. It’s like walking on a trampoline. Once the humidity drops, the floor may shrink back, but gaps between the boards can remain.
What causes cracking in a hardwood floor?
When a lot of moisture makes the wood expand, neighboring boards push into each other. In extreme cases, that pressure makes the boards lose their structural integrity and crack.
How do I prevent moisture problems in a hardwood floor?
Leave expansion space around the edges of the floor when it is installed. Baseboards usually cover it.
Keep humidity at the right level with an air conditioner or a dehumidifier, or by turning on your heating system from time to time during the summer.
If you go away on a long summer vacation, leave the A/C on.
Avoid tracking water in during wet weather.
Clean your hardwood floor with a cloth lightly dampened with a recommended hardwood floor cleaner.
Choose a good quality engineered hardwood floor that fits your needs.
What are exotic hardwoods?
Exotic Hardwoods are species found around the world, usually coming from the more tropical areas. Some common exotic species are Brazilian Cherry, Brazilian Walnut (Ipe), Purple Heart and Australian Cypress. Exotic hardwood flooring is considered to have a more striking appearance, giving off a more contemporary/modern look.
Domestic hardwoods are softer than most exotic species, ranking in the low-medium range in hardness. Exotic hardwoods are harder and denser than domestic wood. However, it is important to remember that hardness is not the only factor when considering a durable floor.
Can anyone install hardwood floors?
Some floors can be installed by anyone that is handy with basic tools. But the risk in trying more difficult installations is that problems are not identified in the preparation process, and often not dealt with. This can have disastrous consequences once the floor is installed. It’s best to lean on the experience and the eye of a real professional that knows how to spot, and fix issues as they happen.
How does flooring change over time?
All wood species can change color over time due to oxidation or exposure to light. In some species, the change can be more dramatic and may darken in color over time, while others tend to lighten.
Color Change
The natural change in color of all wood species over time is a process caused by oxidation and exposure to light. This can happen on finished and unfinished wood and varies by species as to whether it darkens or lightens in color. Exotic hardwoods such as Brazilian Cherry may change color very rapidly and drastically while a domestic hardwood like Red Oak may be much slower with minimal changes in color variation.
What is your warranty & support policy?
We take our craft seriously, and know that our work will last a lifetime. But in the event that something goes wrong, we will be here to support you!
We offer a 12 month limited warranty on our labor. So you can rest assured that you have the support you need in the event that something goes wrong.
Where do you source your hardwoods?
We work with local distributors to source the best species and products for our customers. We have years worth of strong relationships with experts in sourcing and distribution which can help us get anything. One of our favorite distributors is West Valley Hardwoods in Fife. Fred and Alex have had a very long and developed relationship and work on many projects together.
What is the process a project takes from start to finish?
Your project will follow our in-house defined processes from start to finish. There is a large variety of project types we engage in, from sanding, installations, repairs and restorations to fully custom jobs that require new processes to be developed. If you have specific questions about your own project, and want to know how we will proceed, please don’t hesitate to ask. We’d be more than happy to answer your questions.