Wood flooring stirs up quality, maintenance concerns

Homeowners get advice to last a lifetime
By: Bill & Kevin Burnett: Inman News
In a recent column a reader wondered why prices for hardwood floors varied so much. As is often the case, one question begets another – and another. Today, we answer several of the many questions that arrived on wood flooring.

Q: What is your opinion of the quality and durability of wood laminate floors? Do they add any more value to a home than a quality carpet?

A: Comparing carpet to laminate flooring is like comparing apples to oranges. Some folks like apples better than oranges and vice versa. It's the same with floor coverings.

As far as quality and durability go, laminate floors (also known as floating floors) have been around for a long time. If they are installed properly according to the manufacturer's instructions and they are subject to normal wear and tear, they will have a longer life than carpet.

Laminate floors are easier to clean and do not retain dirt and grit the way carpet does. Carpet, on the other hand, has a softer, some say more luxurious feel. In value-added terms, there is no firm answer. It depends on a person's taste.

Q: My wife and I are about to install a hardwood floor in one of our rooms.

I have spent the past few weeks shopping at flooring shops and online retailers. It's frustrating how much conflicting information (not to mention prices) you get. We have it narrowed down to pre-finished Brazilian cherry or solid unfinished reclaimed jarrah.

Do you think a prefinished floor looks different from a floor that is finished after it is installed, in the sense that finishing after installation covers the areas where the planks meet, which is not the case with prefinished?

A: Prefinished flooring is manufactured to be defect-free. Traditional wood flooring is, well, wood.

Wood has inherent defects that you may or may not choose to address. The main difference between prefinished flooring and traditional wood flooring is the method of installation.

Prefinished flooring floats on a thin, foamlike pad on the subfloor. A traditional floor is nailed to the subfloor. Prefinished floors do not require filling nail holes or voids in the wood because there are none. You should not have any gaps at the joints, either.

Traditional flooring is finished by filling the nail holes with putty. This usually means that any defects in the "reclaimed" wood will also be filled. With proper installation, joints should not be "gappy."

You also have a choice of finishes that can be applied to traditional floors. As to which looks better, that is a matter of taste.

Q: I was pleased to see your article on wood floors because we have just purchased a new home that has these all over, including the kitchen.

You didn't indicate how to take care of them. The only advice I've been given is: "Don't wax; don't mop." But how do you keep them clean? We watched our floors getting installed, and they had three coats of finish. The wood is white oak. Any suggestions for maintenance?

A: We've found that the best way to clean hardwood floors is to use a sponge mop and a solution of 1 cup of white vinegar to a gallon of warm water.

We would recommend against using soap, especially the oil soaps that are on the market. Also, do not wax.