Unique Wood Floors Blog

Pros and Cons of Radiant Heating for Your Home

June 18, 2012 - Unique Wood Floors

Homeowners and home builders should consider the pros and cons of radiant heating when deciding whether or not this heating method is an efficient, economical choice. Available for new builds and as part of your home renovation project, radiant floor heating uses tubes laid below your flooring to heat specific rooms or the entire house. Continue reading →

Top Three Benefits of Installing Floating Floors in Your Basement

June 18, 2012 - Unique Wood Floors

Finishing the basement provides additional living space without the added cost of home additions. But choosing the proper flooring for your basement renovation is essential. Floating wood floors provide a durable, comfortable and attractive surface for any basement, and come in a wide range of colors, textures, and styles. Continue reading →

How Hardwood Flooring Is Made | Part 3

May 19, 2012 - Unique Wood Floors

Finishing Stage In the last two posts we’ve looked at the selection, grading and planing of hardwood flooring. Now we’re at the final stage of manufacturing and taking a closer look at the finishing process, when protective coatings and sealants are applied to hardwood and engineered wood flooring. Continue reading →

How Hardwood Flooring is Made | Part 2

May 2, 2012 - Unique Wood Floors

In the last post we talked about log selection and covered the differences between plain sawn, quarter sawn and rift sawn logs in the manufacturing process for solid hardwood. Engineered wood floors are cut using the dry sawn method or processed with the rotary peel or sliced peel method. Continue reading →

How Hardwood Flooring is Made | Part 1

April 26, 2012 - Unique Wood Floors

Have you ever walked across gorgeous hardwood flooring or browsed through the floating wood floor aisles at your local building supply store wondering how hardwood flooring is made? Quality wood floors go through a rigid selection and preparation process that provides superior appearance and durability for years to come. Continue reading →

Understanding Flooring Grades for Exotics and Domestic Wood

April 7, 2012 - Unique Wood Floors

Wood species dictates Janka hardness ratings as well as the flooring’s general appearance, such as color and grain pattern. So how do flooring grades fit into the mix? And why do exotic wood floors have a different grading system than domestic wood floors? Continue reading →

Uncovering the Myths of Quarter Sawn and Plain Sawn Wood Floors

March 28, 2012 - Unique Wood Floors

Wood floors provide classic appeal and dependability for any area of your home, but the quality of wood flooring available today covers a broad range. Your flooring supplier carries many different products in various styles and finishes, but they'll also offer you a choice between quarter sawn and plain sawn wood floors. What's the difference? And how does rotary peel wood flooring measure up in comparison? Continue reading →

The Rise and Fall of the Wood Flooring Industry In America

March 20, 2012 - Unique Wood Floors

Like many other trades in the United States, the wood flooring industry has seen its share of ups and downs over the last decade. Wood flooring business surged from 2002 to 2006, but this thriving domestic market was also facing the pressures of increasing imports and price wars. Continue reading →

All About Janka Ratings for Wood Floors

March 20, 2012 - Unique Wood Floors

The Janka hardness test provides consumers with valuable information about the durability and strength of a particular type of wood species. This test is particularly important when considering which types of wood floors are best for your home. But what do Janka ratings actually mean and how does this measurement relate to the durability of engineered and hardwood flooring? Continue reading →

Benefits of Using AcoustiCORK Underlayment

March 5, 2012 - Unique Wood Floors

Last week we discussed the advantages of using closed cell underlayment for your floating wood floors. This week we’ll switch gears and have a look at AcoustiCORK underlayment, a natural product that provides a similar level of insulation, sound deadening and resistance to mold and mildew. Continue reading →

How Using Floor Muffler Underlayment Improves a Floating Wood Floor

February 27, 2012 - Unique Wood Floors

  Floating wood floors add warmth and value to your home. Using Floor Muffler underlayment with that durable, attractive flooring adds even more to the space. Many homeowners wonder if this closed cell product is worth the extra cost, when standard underlayment paper has been used for years with both hardwood and engineered wood products. Continue reading →

Floating Wood Floors FAQs | Sandable Wear Layer or Unsandable Wear Layer?

February 20, 2012 - Unique Wood Floors

What is the difference between solid wood floors and floating engineered wood floors? Most people would assume that solid wood flooring lasts longer, given that a worn hardwood floor can be sanded and refinished. The good news is that quality floating wood floors made with a sandable wear layer can also be refinished to stretch the lifespan of the floor significantly. Continue reading →

Why You Need a Flat Subfloor To Install Floating Wood Floors

December 28, 2011 - Unique Wood Floors

Most problems and issues with floating wood floors are a result of one particular glitch-an uneven subfloor. Although many people assume level subfloors are required under floating wood floors, the reality is a little more complicated. Having a flat subfloor ensures your floating engineered hardwood flooring fits well. Continue reading →

Prefinished Wood Floors: Accessories Provide the Finishing Touches

November 15, 2011 - Unique Wood Floors

You already know the benefits of installing a prefinished (factory finished) wood floor in your home -- that's why you've been agonizing over which of the many selections is the best match for your interior decor. However, now that you've made your choice, there's one more decision to make -- which hardwood flooring moldings are needed to add the finishing touches to your room's transformation. Continue reading →

Why Prefinished Wood Flooring Can Be Your Best Choice

October 20, 2011 - Unique Wood Floors

There are numerous reasons for installing hardwood flooring in your home such as durability and increasing its re-sale value, but when it comes right down to it -- the primary reason is that there just aren't any other floor covering options that can rival its natural beauty. Hardwood conveys a sense of warm that no other flooring can come close to duplicating. However, if you're planning to have solid hardwood installed, there's still an important decision to be made -- should you go with prefinished flooring or the more traditional finish in-place variety? Continue reading →