There are two types of hardwood floors: solid and engineered. Both are comprised of 100% real wood. Both are offered with a factory finish or can be finished on the job site. And both can be refinished. But that’s where their similarities end. Solid wood When a manufacturer talks about a solid floor, they are referring to a 3/4-inch thick piece of solid wood. Although solid floors are
available with a factory finish, they can also be finished on the job site. They can be installed on or above grade, but not on a slab. The wood is generally nailed to a plywood subfloor. Read more »

The  hardwood flooring  world is  rife with  durable polyurethane,  acrylic and aluminum oxide finishes destined to save any floor from the mightiest  household disaster. For the most part they do a very decent job of protecting the floor—at the  expense   of  sacrificing   the  “naturalness”   of  the   floor.  Read more »

The number of wood flooring options on the market today is enough to boggle  the
mind,  and the  array of  exotic species  as a  sub-category can  be especially
confusing because of  environmental and illegal  logging issues associated  with
them. Yet there continues to be a strong demand for the unique look of  exotics,
and that is likely to continue especially at the higher end. Read more »

Wood floors come in a variety of styles to meet the demands of today’s busy
lifestyles: factory finished, unfinished, solid, engineered, strip, plank,
parquet and acrylic impregnated. Helping your customer choose the style that
best suits their needs will be based on a variety of issues including lifestyle,
decorating preference and location. Colors Wood floors come in a rainbow of
colors to fit any décor. Read more »

For added value, beauty and health benefits, many consumers are turning to a
solid solution: wood flooring. Easy maintenance, new longer-lasting finishes,
exotic species, style versatility and competitive prices are some of the reasons
for the evergrowing popularity of the category in this country. Wood floors come
in a variety of styles to meet the demands of today’s busy lifestyles, from
factory finished, unfinished and solid to engineered, strip, plank, parquet, and
acrylic impregnated. Read more »

OWNER / INSTALLER RESPONSIBILITY

Hardwood flooring is a beautiful and unique product of nature, which is characterized by distinctive variations in grain and color. These natural variations in color and grain are not flaws, but are a part of the natural beauty and uniqueness of hardwood flooring. (These inherent variations should be expected and serve to enhance the natural beauty and enduring charm.) Shaw Hardwood Floors are manufactured in accordance with accepted industry standards, which permit a defect tolerance not to exceed 5%. The defects may be of a manufacturing or natural type. (Remember: No two hardwood floors are alike.)

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Hardwood floors are the most popular of all flooring types.  They add a sense of warmth, style and character to any room.  Weather it be a country farm house, a modern city apartment, or art gallery, hardwood floors have the ability to make a room look great. 

Not only do they look great, but hardwood floors are very hard wearing and often look better with age.  They are easy to keep clean, and with proper care and maintenance, hardwood floors can last for generations.  Read more »

Beauty, durability, low maintanance … you want it all, but the market is saturated with options. So what do you need to know to buy the best hardwood flooring?

Wood Flooring, whether it is a real oak floor, maple wood flooring or the cheaper white pine cousin, must not only look beautiful, but function as a useable — durable floor finish, …here’s the knowledge to make a more informed decision . Read the essentials in our hardwood flooring buyer’s guide ….. or maybe you just want to find out which wood is the hardest: Janka Wood Hardness Scale. Read more »

Above Grade

Any floor that is above ground level is referred to as above grade.

Abrasion

The wearing away and scuffing of the finish layer of a floor, generally caused by friction from dirt and debris.

Abrasion Resistance

The ability of a flooring surface to resist abrasion when in contact with abrasive materials. Read more »