Tough Choices: Prefinished or Site-finished Hardwood Floors?

A client in the showroom asked me today, "Should I get prefinished flooring or the kind you sand and finish on site?" Excellent question. I hear it almost every day. It's hard though to get a straight answer to such a simple question. Part of the problem lies in vested interest of those giving the answer. First, let me get my cards on the table. Our company sells and installs both site-finished and prefinished wood flooring. We have crews that install hardwood flooring, and other crews who perform sand and finish services. We sell roughly 50% prefinished and 50% site-finished. So, it makes no difference to me which way you go. We want you to get the floor that's best for you. There are many flooring retailers with roots in the carpet business. Many carpet mills now own wood flooring mills. Not surprisingly, those folks have a vested interest in selling prefinished wood flooring solutions. They have commission plans for prefinished wood floor sales. They don't generally have much expertise in site-finished wood flooring, and in fact, the relatively complex nature of site-finished flooring detracts them from selling it - even if a rogue commission plan encouraged it. There are nearly a billion (I'm allowed one gross exaggeration every Friday) "two guys and a truck" running around town delivering site-finished flooring services. Need proof? Check Craigslist. Many of these guys are "lifers" in the wood flooring world. They don't have showrooms, hence they don't have prefinished wood mills calling on them. As a result, they don't have easy access to providers of prefinished floors, so they're not inclined to try and sell you prefinished floors. Besides, they're purists. They ask, "Why would you want prefinished floors when I can sand and custom stain a site-finished floor for you?" There aren't many places out there who sell both without bias. So, which is best for you? That depends. Generally speaking (because there are exceptions to each perspective): Prefinished Hardwoods... 1. Have harder finishes, and harder finishes have greater wear resistance. That means they have greater wear resistance than those applied in the field. Wear resistance measures how long you can walk on the floor before the finish wears away down to bear wood. Many firms talk about the "100 year wear warranty." Great. You won't wear through the finish in 100 years. 2. Have harder finishes, and harder finishes show scratches more than softer finishes. Most finishes are hard because they have aluminum oxide in them, which when scratched, tends to "white scratch." In other words, the scratches are like reflective diamonds. Remember, wear resistance is not the same as scratch resistance. All finishes scratch. The issue is, how much will you see it from across the room? Its counter-intuitive but perhaps softer floor finishes (or finishes made with nano technology) will dent rather than scratch and reflect and that makes them less noticeable. 3. Have unique colors that are difficult to reproduce in site-finished jobs. For example, maple and pine are tough to stain. In a manufacturing environment, you can stain almost any wood almost any color. So, you can get really unique looks in prefinished woods. 4. Can often be sanded and refinished. However, it's not as easy as all that. If the wear layer is thick enough, you can sand and finish prefinished woods. However, remember that hard finish? That makes this no ordinary sand job. It takes more abrasives and more work to sand and refinish a prefinished floor. Plus, the beveled edge on most prefinished floors presents a challenge. You have to sand deeply enough to remove the beveled edge, so you don't have a beveled edge rising and falling across your newly resanded floor. As a result, you'll sand off a lot of the wear layer. Less wear layer = fewer future sand and finish jobs. 5. Cost about the same as site finished solutions, unless you're installing it yourself. You see, prefinished hardwoods are milled, manufactured, packaged and marketed. Each step adds cost. Site-finished woods are simply milled. So prefinished materials cost more than site-finished materials. However, prefinished woods have just floor installation cost while site finished woods have to be both installed and sand & finished. Site-finished woods have more labor expense. So, the higher cost of material in prefinished products but minimal labor ends up roughly equal to the low material cost of site-finished hardwoods with the added labor of sand & finish work. Make sense? Next time, we'll look at the pros and cons of site-finished flooring....

T&G Moving Saga

Well, after a seemingly endless period of preparation, last week was moving day.  After 20 years in the same location, T&G Flooring moved operations and warehouses to one location - and our showroom to an entirely different location (788 W. 8th Avenue Denver, CO 80204).  While we're excited about the new digs, I have to say that if I ever consider moving a business again, I hope all of you will collectively put me out of my would-be misery before I act on that impulse.

One of the fun parts of the moving drill was going through racks of old materials left by the former owners.  It was a bit of a time trip though the world of hardwood flooring, kinda like finding Dad's ancient madras sport coat.  You see, we had boxes and boxes of remnants from prior projects.  Not sure what we were ever going to do with a 1/2 box of orange bamboo... but someone somewhere figured we might need it some day.

So what was trendy back sometime ago?  We had lots of solid bamboo (again, lots of 1/2 boxes of solid bamboo).  We haven't sold solid bamboo in more than 4 years now.  We have industrial maple parquet (used to be big in school gymnasiums).   These 1" x 6 inch sticks form a block about 6 inches square, all loosely joined and ready for glue down.  The blocks are installed one by one in alternating direction.  It's a great visual look - but again, something we haven't done in more than 7 years.   We have an awful lot of unfinished herring bone (walnut, oak) - which is beautiful, but pattern projects are few and far between these days as people tend to the classic straight lay projects.   We have glossy prefinished woods - something we almost never sell these days - as glossy floor products are not in vogue
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Three things to conclude from this exercise:

1. Wood flooring, like all home design disciplines, its subject to fads.  We focus on the classics, but there will always be changes in style.

2. If you're looking for a real deal, we do have some remnants of classic products that could be combined for a very budget friendly killer multi-species floor.  Just an idea...

3. If you'd like to take your very own time trip down hardwood flooring design lane, stop by the local Denver Habitat for Humanity outlet store.  Many of the items that we had that were realistically usable ended up there.  Less in the dumpster = better for us all.  Think of Habitat next time you have excess inventory.  These gracious folks do great work with things you and I may no longer value.

Now... back to setting up the showroom (sigh)...

Those Cracks In Your Floor

Mid-January in the Rocky Mountains means a lot of things – great skiing, hot fires, and cold dry weather. It also means that your floors are probably starting to shrink and there are now gaps between the boards. The other day, relative humidity here was at 14%. That’s pretty dry, but I don’t need to look online to know it’s dry. I simply need to look at the floors in our showroom.

Let’s look at this annual flooring phenomenon in closer detail.

To be stable (read “move less”) wood floors require a relative humidity in the range of 35% to 60%. Our governing body is the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA). The NWFA has a consumer web site (http://www.woodfloors.org). According to their site, wood looses moisture when relative humidity levels fall, and that causes wood to shrink – creating the gaps in your floor. This is not an issue of workmanship. This is an issue of osmosis.

Note the following from the NWFA's article entitled “What to Expect” at http://www.woodfloors.org

“What to Expect"

"Once you’ve decided to install or refinish a wood floor, you may wonder what will happen next. Knowing what to expect before, during, and after the work takes place will help ensure a high-quality job……

…..Keep in mind that no two floor boards will be identical. Variations in appearance are completely normal. As your floor ages, some color change can occur. This also is normal, but can be minimized by limiting exposure to direct sunlight, and periodically moving furniture and rugs. Cracks are normal as well, and will appear and disappear between floor boards during seasons of high and low humidity. Generally, anything less than the width of a dime is considered normal, and will correct itself as seasons change. Flooring inspectors recommend inspecting the floor from a standing position in normal lighting to identify irregularities….”

Can a humidifier help? Yes, to a degree. Most people that have a humidifier have the drip humidifier that is attached to a furnace unit. These devices do not do a lot to contribute to relative humidity levels. Steam injected humidifiers do a lot more to help maintain relative humidity levels, but these devices are relatively expensive and subsequently, they are relatively uncommon.

In the end, seasonal expansion and contraction comes with owning a natural product like wood floors. Some species are very stable (i.e. mesquite). Some species are less stable (i.e. hickory). These seasonal gaps come with living in dry climates like Colorado. I recommend that you enjoy your floors and don’t fret about the seasonal expansion and contraction. After all by next June, these gaps, like the snow, will be long gone.

Bamboozled?

Industry colleague, foodie-extraordinaire, & all-around good guy Mark Casper passed along this interesting article on bamboo flooring. This well-written article in SLATE entitled Bamboo and You, Are hardwood floors a crime against the Earth? was authored by Brendan I. Koerner.

It echos a lot of what I've been saying for a while now. Bamboo is a great eco-friendly crop; a wonder crop perhaps. However, as with most things, the eco-friendly story is a mixed bag. Is it a great hardwood floor? Read the article and let me know your thoughts.

Coming in the next few days, I'll highlight some other eco-friendly hardwood options for consideration that are local, affordable, and stunning! Stay tuned!

Details on the new Lead Repair, Remodel and Paint Law

As promised, I'm writing a more detailed blog regarding important legislation that goes into effect on April 22, 2010, regarding safe remodeling in homes that may contain lead paint. If you have a flooring project (or any remodeling project) pending, this will be important to you.

I'll save my opinions on this program for another time... let's keep this entry focused on getting you information you need to make important remodeling decision.

Lead paint was outlawed in the U.S. 1978. However, existing manufacturers’ were permitted to sell existing inventories until they were depleted, which enabled lead paint sales to continue for several more years.

Lead paint is still very prevalent, especially in homes built before 1978. According to the EPA:
• 86 percent of all homes built before 1940 have lead-based paint
• 66 percent of all homes built between 1940-1959 have lead-based paint
• 25 percent of all homes built between 1960-1978 have lead-based paint

Lead was used in paint to enhance color and durability. Lead was also used in some varnishes (including some varnish-based floor finishes). These floor varnishes were phased out in the mid-1960’s after the introduction of polyurethane finishes. None of the floor finishes used today contain lead, and this includes all polyurethane finishes.

Lead paint presents a very real hazard. Children under the age of 6 (including all unborn children) are most at risk from small amounts of lead. Exposure to lead paint causes incurable ailments including developmental disabilities. Lead poisoning can also impact adults, resulting in high blood pressure as well as other serious ailments.

Lead’s greatest risk is when it is in dust form. It is hard to see. It is hard to sweep up. It travels easily. Dust is a natural by-product of home renovation activities.

The EPA helped create Federal legislation that goes into effect on April 22, 2010. This new law mandates:

1. If you live in a home built before 1978 (with a few minor exceptions) OR if your project is a child occupied facility (e.g. day care or elementary school), you must read the EPA pamphlet Renovate Right; Important Information for Families, Child Care Providers, and Schools before embarking on a remodeling project. You can see this pamphlet by clicking here.

2. After you read the pamphlet, you can decide if you want to opt-out of the EPA Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) program. You can opt-out if ALL of the following are true:

a. you own and live at the property
b. you don’t regularly have kids under 6 years of age staying in your home
c. there are no pregnant women residing in the home
d. the property is not a child-occupied facility (e.g. day care, elementary school, etc.)

Know that you must sign the EPA pamphlet acknowledgement / opt-out document and that your contractor will keep it on file for 3 years.

3. Your project is exempt from the RRP lead-safe program if any of the following are true:
a. project work will not disturb more than 6 square feet of affected surface area in any interior room
b. you have the area professionally tested for the presence of lead, and the test results come back negative
c. you are doing the renovation work yourself

If we are your flooring contractor and you choose to opt-out of the RRP program or if your project is exempt, we perform the project in our normal highly-professional workmanlike fashion.

4. If you do not opt-out AND if your project is not exempt, your applicable general contractor, painter, flooring provider or any other EPA-Certified Remodeler will utilize special precautionary work practices on your project. These additional safety measures are meant to protect you and your family. These measures however, will take additional time and special methods, and yes (sigh), they’ll add cost to your project.

We are an EPA-Certified RRP firm. We have EPA-Certified Renovators on staff. There are other EPA-Certified firms in the marketplace and the list is growing every day. Only Certified RRP firms with Certified Remodelers can perform EPA-accepted testing for lead. Only Certified RRP firms with Certified Remodelers are authorized to work in affected homes that fall under the RRP opt-in umbrella described above.

From a wood flooring perspective, what does this mean to you? Maybe nothing.

If you have a pending floor sanding / refinishing project and you’re home meets the criteria described in #1 above – there’s a strong chance that it has been refinished since the mid-1960’s and the lead has been removed. If the floor project involves removing / replacing baseboards, then the odds of lead exposure go up (as many baseboards are painted). In either case, you should probably have the area tested, just for peace of mind. Testing costs vary depending on the scope of the project. The bigger the project, the greater the number of surfaces that need to be tested, but $25 to $100 is common.

If you find that there is lead in your floor finish or on the paint of existing baseboards, and assuming you opt-in to the RRP program, know that an EPA-Certified Renovator firm is trained to complete the project to the high safety standards set forth by the EPA. Know too that EPA-Certified Renovator firms are not allowed to train subcontractors to perform lead-safe practices. Only employees of EPA-Certified Renovator firms can be trained by EPA-Certified Renovators to use lead-safe practices defined in the RRP program. In other words, firms that rely on subcontractors for craftsmen must only use Certified RRP subcontractors to complete these RRP projects.

I realize this is a lot of information. Please feel free to contact me if you need more information. Also, feel free to go to the EPA’s website

What do you think about the program? What questions do you have?

New EPA Guidelines May Affect Remodeling Projects

New EPA regulations take effect on April 21, 2010. These regulations are geared to protect the public from the harmful effects of lead paint, which was prevalent before 1978. These new regulations will impact many construction firms and especially homeowners, but only if your home was built before 1978. In Denver, approximately 80% of existing homes fall into this category.

All businesses (including our firm, T&G Flooring) have to register with the EPA, just to be able to work in older homes. The registration fee is $300. In addition, construction professionals must be trained in lead-safe construction practices such as lead testing, in order to work in older homes.

I'll have more scoop for you on this topic, after I return from training on April 12, 2010.

Why does this apply to flooring contractors? Years ago, lead was an ingredient in some varnish-based floor finishes. In the mid-1960's those varnishes were phased out in favor of oil-modified polyurethanes. The polyurethanes did not contain lead. Still, there may be traces of those varnishes on older floors. Plus, many flooring projects entail removal and replacement of base trim. Older trim can also contain lead-based paint - and therefore presents a risk.

What does this mean for homeowners planning remodeling or restoration projects in homes built before 1978?

1. Homeowners are ultimately responsible for their homes, and they must comply with these new regulations. Specifically, homeowners must read a government document entitled Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers and Schools. Homeowners must acknowledge receiving the document by signing an acknowledgment form for each contractor.
   
2. Remodeling projects in older homes will require more steps. Homes will have to be tested and authorized contractors will have to follow specific lead-safe remodeling practices. Will this add cost to remodeling projects? This is still unclear - but the likely answer is "yes". Can you opt out? Yes, but only in certain circumstances. For example, you can opt out if you do not have young children who sleep in the house, or if there are no pregnant women residing in the house.
   

An article in the Redding Searchlight gives additional insight into this new policy.

I'll have more scoop for you shortly. Meanwhile, what do you think?

Old Strip Oak Floors Turned Trendy: Before & After

The reality of our homes today is that the most prevalent hardwood floor is the 2 1/4" red or white oak. It's also known as oak strip flooring. Oaks have always been plentiful and therefore relatively inexpensive. With the proliferation of wide plank flooring, distressed surfaces, and exciting species like acacia - it is no wonder that owners of good old oak strip flooring gaze longingly at the more updated floors in stores and newer homes.

So,when people come into the showroom they often ask me, "Should I tear out my old oak strip floors?"

While I love the new products on the market, and I'd be pleased to sell someone a whole new floor, the ruthlessly practical side of me says, "No!" Re-sand and re-stain those floors and your house will get a whole new (and very updated) look.

Case in point - look at the attached photos of a job we completed today. Old, tired, white oak floors (See photos on the left margin) got sanded and stained darker (see after photos on the right margin). It's what I call Pottery Barn Syndrome. Suddenly, your floors look like they're right out of a home products catalog. The house looks warm. The floors look very trendy. And, they cost just a fraction of what it would cost to tear out and replace them with new hardwood floors.

What do you think?