Beware The Rotary Peeled Floor

I got an email the other day from someone looking for "your cheapest price on engineered oak flooring." Ma'am, did you want a quality floor that will last or simply something budget friendly? I'm not being judgmental. Your budget is your budget. There's a place for both types of products, but you need to know what you're buying.

Some of the less expensive products are rotary peeled products. By that, I mean that the logs are "peeled" like shavings from a pencil sharpener. The resulting veneer is glued to some other veneer (often hardwood plywood). The good news is that these products are the most efficient cut of a log - yielding the least amount of waste. The bad news is that in very dry climates (like Colorado), these products can often "check" or crack in dry weather. However, many of these products perform well in moister climates.

Contrast the rotary peel with a "flat sawn" product where the log is bisected by the saw. Generally, the flat sawn engineered product will perform better in dry climates.

Will your retailer know if the product is rotary peeled? You'd be surprise how often they don't know this rather pertinent detail.

I know a Colorado homeowner that bought a rotary peeled product to save a few dollars, against ardent advice. In dry weather, the floor failed terribly. Due to the dry nature of our climate, the relative humidity feel well below the manufacturer's stated standards, which voided the warranty. In the end, the presumed savings were just a fleeting illusion.

Be wary. Be wise. Floors are expensive. Make well-informed hardwood floor decisions!