If you are planning on purchasing a new hardwood floor you are probably wondering if a site finished floor that is finished on site after installation or prefinished floor that comes from the factory already finished is best. Here are several pros and cons that you will probably find of help.

Smooth Joints: A site finished floor is sanded on site after installation assuring that the joints between boards are smooth. With a prefinished floor you can expect a slight variation in height between the planks at the joints. While the difference may be difficult to see it can be felt by rubbing your hand across the joint,

Inlays and Borders: With a site finished floor unlimited inlays and borders can be used.  With a prefinished floor only minimal inlays and borders can be used.

Hard Finish: A factory finished floor will usually have 4 to 5 coats of finish and contain aluminum oxide which makes the finish much harder and more difficult to scratch. A site finished floor will usually have about 2-3 coats of sealer and finish and will not be as hard.

Dust from Sanding: A site finished floor is sanded on site and therefore you can expect dust.  While a company with the proper vacuum control equipment can contain much of the dust they will not be able to eliminate it. A prefinished floor comes from the factory ready to install so there will be no sanding on site.

Quick Move in: With a prefinished floor you can move in the same day the floor is installed. With a site finished floor you need to wait for the installation, finishing and drying of the floor before you can move in.

Finish Odor: With a site finished floor there will be little to considerable odor depending upon the sealer and finish used. With a prefinished floor you will have no odor.

Quick Completion: Prefinished floor install and move in. Site finished needs installation, sanding, finishing and drying first.

Can be refinished: Site finished floors can be easily sanded and refinished.  Since prefinished floors almost always contain aluminum oxide the same product sandpaper is made of they are very difficult to sand for refinishing. While they can usually be refinished expect to pay a lot more money for the sanding will probably cost you 2 to 3 times what you pay for sanding the site finished floor. Both site finished and prefinished floors must either be solid or if engineered mush have a thick enough veneer to sand and finish.

Small gaps, cracks, dents and holes can occur in your prefinished wood flooring. These gaps are really not hard to fill and most anyone can do it with a bit of Wood Putty. This putty will never fully harden and is available in colors to match just about any floor from a maple or white oak to a Brazilian cherry, black walnut or just about anything in between. When you are unable to find a color of Wood Putty that matches your floor you can actually take a couple of colors and with your fingers blend them together before use and come up with a pretty good match. Remember that when finished you will be viewing the job standing and not from your hands and knees so the fill should be pretty hard to see.

Wood Putty can be purchased at your local paint store or at a big box store like Home Depot or Lowes. Usually the best selection will be at a larger paint store. To apply the Wood Putty get a blob and with your finger rub it into the crack. Using a paper towel rub the area quickly and vigorously to remove the excess putty. If you selected the right color of putty in the first place you should be pleased with the finished appearance.

For an even more finished appearance, using a rag with a bit of natural color wood stain or sealer, carefully wipe it across the putty in a single swipe. You now have a bit of sheen on the putty so that it will better match a higher sheen on the flooring.

The Difference between Wood Putty and Wood Filler

On prefinished flooring where you want to fill holes, cracks and splits but not refinish the floor wood putty is a better choice than wood filler. Wood filler is a wetter, more fluid product than wood putty. Wood Putty has more of the consistency of damp clay and while it will harden some it does not fully dry. The putty should not come out with normal foot traffic and since it does not fully dry wood putty holds well with the normal expansion and contraction of your flooring. For a new site finished floor, wood filler is used as it is sandable and like wood it will take a stain and for this reason it is used to fill gaps and cracks prior to applying the finish to a floor.

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It can be challenging for homeowners to choose which type of flooring will work best in their home. Each type of flooring comes with pros and cons, and in choosing which type is right for your situation there are several things you need to consider.

You need to take into consideration your budget, aesthetics, tastes and lifestyle, as well as the amount of humidity, sunlight and water in the room where you are installing the floor. There’s an extensive range of choices and limitless design options to suit all kinds of looks and needs. Read more

As with the finishing of all types of products, a variety of problems can occur during the finishing of wood floors. With both factory applied finishes and site applied finishes the problem may be with the finish or a totally different cause. Here we discuss trouble shooting wood finish problems including some of the more common causes of finish problems. Additionally we offer some tips for solving them. Both manufacturing and site related conditions are discussed. Read more

We hear the terms Linoleum and Marmoleum and perhaps wonder what they are. Perhaps the best way I can say this is that Marmoleum is a trademark for a brand of linoleum just as Formica is a trademark for a brand of countertops, Pergo a trademark for a brand of laminate floors or Kleenex a trademark for a brand of tissue. Each of these products may be very similar to other products but they have a uniqueness of their own.

Marmoleum is the registered trademark of Forbo. As with many other linoleum products, Marmoleum is a natural organic material produced for uses such as floor covering and counter tops.  Linoleum is a uniquely attractive yet durable floor covering that is highly resistant to heavy rolling loads and foot traffic.

Linoleum itself is unique in the sense that every installation can be different should a person choose to have it that way. Marmoleum likes it to be known that with their product unlimited designs can be made. This can be achieved by using standard and custom designs, inserts and borders selecting the custom blend from over 100 colors.

Like other linoleum products Marmoleum is primarily a natural product that is manufactured from linseed oil, wood flour, rosin, and natural jute backing for sheet material. For tile the Marmoleum brand uses a backing made of polyester.

Marmoleum is a great performer. The products durability has shown to be enhanced by time as its exposure to the air uniquely hardens it in a way that allows it to retain its qualities of comfort under foot and quiet. It is anti-static, dust will not cling to the floor making it easier to clean which is a benefit for those with allergies and asthma concerns. The product is hygienic, having bactericidal properties that prevent microorganisms including Salmonella Typhimurium and Staphylococcus Aureus from multiplying themselves. These many benefits make its use ideal for a number of types of installations including medical. While many of these same benefits are also found in other linoleum products you might enjoy viewing the uniqueness of the Marmoleum line.

Whether you have just built a new home, or are considering a change to your current flooring, perhaps you are intrigued by the addition of wood. There is nothing more classic than hardwood floors. It is found in the most expensive of homes and lends a certain charm to every room. Real wood flooring, while beautiful, is also expensive. It may or may not be the right choice for you. This article will explore the terms laminate and wood flooring and why you should be familiar with their individual meanings.

Laminate flooring is a material that is manufactured to give the appearance of real wood without the hefty price tag. The most economical choice for homeowners on a budget, laminate flooring is featured in both natural and synthetic materials that are accompanied by a number of benefits. Laminate flooring is generally water resistant though some are more easily damaged by water than others. There are many brands of laminate flooring and most quality products offer generous warranty. Being prone to chipping and the inability to be repaired are among the disadvantages of laminate flooring. Generally if laminate flooring becomes damaged then the entire board must be replaced.

Real wood flooring, on the other hand, uses authentic wood to act as the home’s floor. Genuine hardwood floors are much more expensive than their laminate competitors, but offer several advantages if you can afford their higher price tag. Solid wood flooring, for example, offers the ability to sand the material numerous times. This allows for the easy removal and repair of surface problems or cosmetic imperfections. Wood flooring can be repaired multiple times without the need for replacement. At the same time, wood flooring is very susceptible to cracks and may easily react to the environment. If damp, wood tends to swell and may even suffer from rotting if not properly treated. Wood flooring can be difficult to keep in good condition, but there are products to help maintain its beauty. These types of wood flooring restoration products can easily be found online or at a local home improvement center.

The decision to purchase either laminate or authentic wood floors ultimately comes down to a simple case of economics. Solid wood floors can add significant value to a home but comes at an initially higher cost. Laminate flooring, on the other hand, gives you the appearance of authentic wood flooring at a smaller price. While laminate may not increase the value of a house in the same way as a real wood floor does, laminate flooring still lends style at a price that may be more affordable. For me the choice would be real wood even though it may stretch the budget. The choice is yours.

by Terry Weinheimer, The Weinheimer Group LLC
Pooling and water marking are forms of shading and pile reversal that the pile of a carpet can experience. Pooling and watermarking are one of the most aggravating and most understood problems in the carpet industry. Pooling can truly result in rapid ugly out of carpet. To pool a carpet need not be soiled nor does it require texture change due to abrasion or foot traffic. Pooling and watermarking is unrelated to a carpets cost, maintenance and traffic. The best and worst maintained carpets can pool. Carpets and rugs of any fiber and any construction can pool and water mark. The worst news is that you may be decorating your home for the first time and unless the carpet in the house has a history of pooling, no on can determine if it is likely to happen to your beautiful new carpet or rug.

My grandson Seth is a little rug rat that loves the water and so do these three bears. While they all appear to be having a good time pooling, this is not the pooling we are talking about.

Carpet pooling is an irreversible, localized change in the orientation of the pile of textile floors covering. The phenomenon has different names in different countries. The terms we are most familiar with in the United States and Canada are “water marking” and “pooling”.

With pooling, some carpets develop areas where the pile appears to have been stained by water, hence, “water marking.”

Some carpets may develop areas that appear dirty. The carpet in this photo is not dirty. The large dark spot is the result of a difference in light reflection due to the pile reversal.

At some installations this appearance takes months to develop. At other installations it develops so rapidly that the consumer believes it to have been there since installation.

The carpet in this picture developed a severe pooling within a week of installation.

The carpet in this photo started to show pooling about five months after installation.

At a single installation the carpet may be installed in several rooms with the condition only developing in one or two of them. The area the condition develops in may be either a major traffic lane or even under furniture.

This condition routinely crosses seams. It even crosses between different color and styles of carpet and maintains a uniform pattern.

The photograph above shows an interface which is a narrow, conspicuous, irregular shaped serpentine line. This interface is often seen with pooling. The pile on the left side sweeps to the left. The pile on the right side sweeps to the right. The interface in the center sweeps upward and the pile in the interface has become very stiff feeling as if it had been starched.

Common Identifying Characteristics of Pooling

• Areas of carpet may look wet as though someone has spilled water on it but the carpet will be perfectly dry.
• Areas reverse in shade when viewed from opposite directions. When the areas are brushed with the hand a sharp difference in pile direction can be seen and felt.
• A narrow, conspicuous, irregular shaped serpentine line (referred to as an interface) usually develops at the edge of the pooled area. The pile at the narrow interface will run in a direction yet. The pile on both sides of the interface will be strongly oriented in opposite directions. As an example the pile at the interface may be oriented north while the pile on one side of the interface is facing east and on the other side it is facing west.
• Water marking often gives the carpet a highly objectionable appearance. Some carpets become downright ugly appearing as if it has been badly stained or allowed to become filthy within a short time of installation. As objectionable and as rapidly as this appearance change may occur, carpet manufacturers consider it a site-related condition and with rare exception will they offer the consumer any type of an adjustment. Water marking is a condition that cannot be permanently corrected.

The CRI States that Pooling is a Site Related Condition

The Carpet and Rug Institute in its manual titled Pile Reversal (“Shading”, “Water Marking”) states: At the present time, the only conclusion which can be drawn is that pile reversal may develop on the surface of some carpet after it is installed, and that pile reversal is not due to the materials which are used to produce the carpet, the manufacturing process, or any combination of these factors.

Some of the more common reasons Water Marking (Pooling) are considered site related is:

• Carpet off of the same roll is installed in different areas and the condition only develops in some areas.
• The condition will cross seams between different color, styles, and textures of different manufactures.
• The condition can sometimes be seen on installed carpet and an area rug above it.
• Replacing the carpet with another carpet of any fiber will often result in a repeat of the same condition. Pooling (Water Marking, Pile Reversal)Pooling and water marking are forms of shading and pile reversal that the pile of a carpet can experience.