Category Archives: hardwood

Installing Rustic or Hand-Scraped Hardwood flooring

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You know what they say, “Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder.”   Well, rustic and or hand-scraped flooring’s beauty is also in the eye of the beholder. In today’s wood flooring market this look is the “in vogue” look. The definition or perception can mean 10 different looks to 10 different people.What do we mean by “Rustic” or “Hand Scraped”? Rustic can simply be character grade flooring such as a #2 Common grade or equivalent. It can mean wide planks and long length. It can mean knot holes and discoloration from mineral streaks and stains. It can mean a floor that is worn from years of traffic. The variations within each of these descriptions can be endless.

For hand-scraped flooring the variations can be just as varied. The words mean someone has actually scraped the flooring with some kind of scraping tool. In today’s world this can also mean that a machine is used to impart the scraped look to the flooring, thus “factory finished hand scraped” flooring that is machine scraped. Also, even a factory can employ laborers to hand scrape flooring. Much of the custom hand-scraped flooring is site scraped to the particular wishes of the consumer.  With any custom floor setting customer expectations are critical. Samples of the finished product are generally needed to illustrate the look. And since the product is hand worked you must explain to the consumer all variations produced may not be shown in the sample but the sample is representative of the look. As the following descriptions show, the costs associated with this custom made product can be all over the spectrum from $10 to $20 per foot to $100+ dollars per foot. The more hand work and custom experience the higher the cost.First is the rustic floor associated with the character marked grades of flooring. Our choices are endless. There can be wide plank which includes flooring from 3” to 10” even 12” wide. Widths can be randomly distributed, a repeat pattern, or all the same width. Performance of the wider widths will be a critical issue. Most customers can understand the seasonal gapping associated with plank flooring but refuse to accept cupping. Eased edges also help to camouflage the seasonal gaps and any board to board unevenness associated with the extra wide widths. All the directives for strip flooring should be followed with great attention paid to moisture issues both of the site and the flooring itself. Proper environmental conditions and associated acclimation is critical. Moisture gain and related expansion after installation will likely result in cupping or buckling, so err on the side to allow field spacing. Also, be sure to back seal wide plank flooring after acclimation to help prevent cupping related to moisture differences between back and face.

Splits and larger cracks can be filled with clear epoxy. This not only fills the opening but glues the wood so a larger issue doesn’t develop.  For those planks with splinters and splits that can develop into splinters, these may have the rustic look but can become safety issues so we cut them out. Another issue: large knot holes that can become a tripping hazard for small heels. These knot holes can also be an extra character feature but safety is the primary issue to avoid liability. Either cut the area out or fill the hole with epoxy compound which can stand the expected traffic.

Factory Finished Wood Flooring Installation

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Factory finished wood flooring over the past 10-15 years has become a bigger and bigger portion of the wood flooring market. Back in the ’80s and early ‘90s choices for solid wood factory finished flooring were mostly seal and wax finished flooring. Engineered flooring at that time was offered in conversion varnished finishes which was the forerunner to the UV cured finishes. Since then, most major manufacturers and some smaller manufacturers offer factory finished flooring using an ultra violet cured finish system.  Some manufacturers offer finished flooring almost exclusively over unfinished flooring.Factory finished flooring is almost exclusively packaged in boxes to protect the finish during handling. As such, included in the box is an instruction sheet for installation. This means the flooring contractor has no excuse for not knowing the correct installation procedure for the particular brand of flooring. In addition the overall look of a particular flooring product or skew item is proprietary to that manufacturer. As the flooring contractor we are not privy to the grading guidelines of the manufacturer so we have to rely on their quality control to package the proper product as sold. Mistakes will be made, but in the manufacturer’s defense, they are generally minimal as the flooring is checked at more stations during the inspection process than with unfinished flooring.

First, let’s review the basics of these general instruction sheets. The first instruction item usually mentioned is that of responsibility. If you install it, “you own it.” That is, if the flooring piece is originally defective and installed anyway, it is no longer the manufacturer’s problem. As such we must look over the flooring in a general manner before installation. Pieces that obviously stand out as unusual should not be installed. This includes such items as: unsquare ends; unsound cracked, split, or splintered boards; too dark or too light boards in a similarly light or dark floor; boards that obviously don’t fit the adjacent board; and other similar conditions. Customer expectations also play a part in that even though a board may fall within the variations of the overall product, a consumer may object to items such as discoloration and other natural wood characters.
The flooring cupped due to being installed too dry without expansion. Proper acclimation and or field expansion could have prevented the cupping. When asked, the contractor reported the moisture was OK at installation but had no document to back that up.

The overall corollary is to open multiple boxes to mix and rack or lay out in the rooms to be installed. Then, review the rack for obviously “unacceptable” boards. Most of the time cuts can be made of the offending character and a significant portion of the boards can be used.  If the number of outs approaches 5% or more of the pieces, you should inform the supplier not only to get replacement boards but to keep from running out of material. The sooner replacement arrives the better you can blend it into the original flooring. I say this since the new flooring may be from another manufacturing run and thus look slightly different, but when randomly mixed with the existing flooring will blend.

The second instruction item is about the condition of the site.  The jobsite is usually farther along in the construction process for factory finished flooring installations than are site finished installations. This is one reason particularly in large developments that factory finished flooring will generally have fewer problems. The main reason is that the extra or excessive moisture of construction has more time to dry. However, the rules are still the same; the interior environment should be near occupied conditions for installation to begin. Most instructions require the HVAC to be in place and operating. This requirement can be difficult to meet particularly in the south where permanent electrical service is not passed until just before occupancy. Winter weather in the north dictates the heating must be on to prevent freezing. This can also be a problem with new construction in that too much heat can overly dry a site. The key is to use a reliable moisture meter to check wood members of the installation. Moisture content readings above 12-13% automatically should wave the red flag, except in areas like the gulf states where somewhat higher readings can be expected.  Another requirement often stated is that the recommended relative humidity of 35% to 55% (some state 30% to 50%) must be established before installation and continued after installation in order for flooring to perform. In many areas of the country this specification cannot be met in the winter, even with an HVAC attached humidifier.  When issues arise with the flooring and the registered humidity is below the 30%-35% the blame is often directed to the home owner for not maintaining the requirement. This is particularly evident with issues reported with engineered flooring.  The consumer must therefore be informed that unusual efforts may be necessary to keep the humidity up during winter heating or the flooring will not perform as expected.
The next instruction items are those of actual installation and the requirements for the substrate. As with the requirements for site finished flooring these are similar. A structurally sound, clean, dry, and adequately flat substrate is the requirement.  Most instructions for a wood framed structure call for a “code plus” system. That is 23/32” thick subflooring spaced on joists no more that 19.2” O.C. As I have reported before, 24” joist spacing is a minimum code requirement and the ultimate performance of wood flooring will suffer. The minimum system assures that you shouldn’t “fall through the flooring system” but an optimally quiet floor with minimal gaps may not be the normal expectation.With a concrete slab installation the primary requirement is the vapor retarder that prevents moisture from affecting the flooring. For a direct adhesive flooring application, the troweled-on systems compatible with the adhesives are necessary for moisture protection. For fastened/nailed flooring systems, the plastic film or the adhesive vapor retarders placed on the slab under the subflooring serve the purpose.

Be sure to provide proper expansion during installation. This factory finished floating floor had to be replaced because of buckling associated with lack of expansion and the original floor.

These are some of the basic manufacturer’s instructions.  So how should the flooring contractor address them? They should be followed as closely as possible. Check the site with a moisture meter. If you don’t test moisture and record readings you set yourself up for at least some responsibility should an issue occur later.  If readings are not in the recommended range, a letter to the involved parties as to expected consequences if their decision is to proceed with the installation under the reported adverse conditions can help protect you later. Too high moisture can lead to cupping and later permanent gapping. Too low moisture can lead to permanent cupping in addition to movement and noisy floors.

Most instructions for solid flooring require that you check the flooring itself for proper acclimation. Engineered flooring may or not require acclimation as the milling tolerance is tighter than with solid wood and a significant change in moisture can adversely affect the fit. Finished flooring will be slow to acclimate as it is finished on one side and packed in boxes that inhibit air circulation slowing any acclimation. Determining the moisture condition of the flooring requires that you open several boxes (8 to 10) and randomly check the moisture content of two or three planks in each box and record and average the readings. The closer to the average expected seasonal moisture content of the geographical area, the better. If the average is significantly outside the expected range (more than 1 to 1 ½%) open the boxes and provide air circulation using fans to help accelerate acclimation. After a few days recheck the same planks previously measured.  If the average reading is still too low, providing field spacing during installation can accommodate the expected seasonal moisture gain. For too high readings, installing such a product will likely result in permanent gaps and related noises that will result in a call back. So continue to acclimate by drying the flooring with air flow from fans and possibly a dehumidifier.

Finish the installation with proper care. The gaps along this transition are excessive and in addition the filler made the condition look worse. A quality installation shows abutting and square cuts that require little or no filler.

We have talked about layout before so the general basics are to start near a long straight wall line and/or near the center of the building for a whole house installation. Nail and or glue the starter rows as recommended in the instruction and provide proper expansion space at wall lines. For a later cupped floor issue lack of adequate expansion spacing can allow blame to be directed at inadequate installation. Another issue that arises with nail-down flooring is marring that is associated with the nailing operation itself.  The instructions generally warn to check the nailing shoe of the nailer for smoothness and use a wide shoe attachment to better cushion the contact with the flooring. Even with all these precautions, sometimes the finish will fracture showing a dimple on the face near to the fastener. This can be associated with some harder and more brittle finishes. Using cleats instead of staples may help reduce this condition since less wood fiber is displaced during nailing.

Finally, it is important to handle the already finished product carefully. If scratching and marring of flooring is noticed directly after installation they will almost exclusively be connected to installation procedures and require repair. For adhesive applications remove any errant adhesive immediately as it is noticed. Also use a clean rag for wiping each adhesive spill as soiled rags produce smudges that don’t magically disappear.  And use the proper filler and/or touchup color to repair and hide the errant blemish or nail hole in the flooring. The job is not completed until all thresholds or transition strips are installed. Extra attention to fitting and finishing these final touches is what will often set the quality installation above the ordinary installation.

Factory finished flooring reacts just like a site finished flooring product only slower initially. Factory finishes require careful handling to maintain the out of box condition. A factory finished floor will not be as flat as the site finished floor for the obvious reason it is not finished all at the same time so some height and plank variation is expected.  Factory finished flooring should be maintained similarly to site finished flooring.