Q: Have you ever seen red and white oak flooring mixed?
Wood Grades and Species
Q&A On the differences between wood grades and species.
Is Koa acceptable to use in the kitchen?
Q: My interior designer suggested I do the kitchen and breakfast room floor in Koa because I’m doing the entryway in Koa with a maple border. Is Koa acceptable to use in the kitchen?
Knots, checks, coloration in rustic wood
Q: Our new engineered hardwood has open cracks and small knots. We are replacing our floors with a rustic grade white oak engineered hardwood. We noticed issues in the work he has done so far and have an opportunity to bring the issues to his attention before we proceed to the next floor.
Flaws in lower priced, lower grade of flooring
Q: We recently had hardwood (unfinished, common #1 red oak) installed in our living room. Upon inspection after the finishing (natural stain and 3 coats of tongue oil), we noticed many marks on many of the planks (2 1/4 in.) which range from 1/4- 1 inch long, 1/16″ wide to 1/16″ deep. They are almost black in color and go directly against the grain of the wood. They have been explained as wormholes.
Is it possible to purchase wide pine flooring that’s pre-finished?
Q: Is it possible to purchase wide pine flooring that’s pre-finished? We’re going to be installing wide pine in several rooms (over existing, 160 year old floor w/lead paint). I’d love not to have to move out entirely to have the floors finished!
Where can I buy distressed solid oak flooring?
Q: Where can I buy approx. 330 square feet of 3/4×2-1/4 distressed solid oak flooring? I am trying to match present flooring of Chickasaw cabin strip (Amber or antique finish).
New heart pine doesn’t match old heart pine
Q: I recently had a room converted to hardwood floors and asked that the floors match the existing wood in the house. I’d like to send you pictures to get your opinion. Apparently the existing wood is “heart pine”, possibly antique. The company that installed the new floor is telling I got “heart pine”, but it doesn’t look the same.
Dry Wood Heat and Hardwood Floors
Q: We’ve been wanting to put solid wood floors down in our home, when it is time to replace the carpet we laid after building our home. Recently, we had some water damage on the second floor which damaged our 1st floor master bedroom and on down to the basement. Well, instead of carpet in our bedroom we want to install a hardwood floor.
Best wood floor acoustics
Q: I am about do up my 14*11 penthouse room, and I want a wooden floor. I am definitely not going for a laminate. Should I go for softwood or hardwood, and how should I lay it? Considering I am a musician, it would be nice if it helps in the acoustics of the room. Which species has the best wood floor acoustics? Also, what are your thoughts on deodar cedar?
What type of wood floor is it that has this wavy, raised texture sort of look?
Q: We recently were in a home while house hunting that had very interesting “wood” floors and I am interested in finding out what they were. I want to have this installed in our new home. I am assuming that they were a manufactured product as they had a raised grain appearance. That really does not explain them correctly… it was more wavy, on purpose though.