Flooring
The flooring you select sets the tone for every room. Hardwood, luxury vinyl, and carpet each behave differently, and natural products in particular show variation that is part of their character.
Hardwood Flooring
When choosing wood, it comes down to three details: species, color, and grain.
All woods are classified as hard or soft. Hardwood comes from broad-leafed trees such as birch, oak, maple, cherry, and hickory. Softwood comes from needle-bearing evergreens such as pine, spruce, and cedar. Grain refers to the overall alignment, texture, and patterns in the wood. Because every tree has distinct grain and markings, each piece of wood has its own unique design.
The Janka Hardness Test
The Janka hardness test measures the force (in pounds) required to embed a 0.444″ steel ball to half its diameter into a piece of wood. It is a good measure of how a species withstands denting and wear, and how hard it is to saw or mill. The higher the Janka number, the harder and more resistant the wood is to denting. The table below shows results for hardwood flooring species sold by Classic Homes.
| Species | Janka (lb) |
|---|---|
| Mill Run Hickory | 1820 |
| #2 Red Oak | 1290 |
Wood Grade
The grade of wood is a factor in the number of character marks and the amount of color variation. Classic Homes offers #2 grade flooring and mill run hickory:
- #2 Grade: Prominent variations in color and varying characteristics—including heavy streaks, checks, worm holes, and sound or open knots—as well as shorter board lengths are typical of this grade.
Wood Is a Natural Product
A consumer might assume that flooring will look exactly like the small sample seen in the Design Studio or a model home, but this is not always the case. No two floor boards are identical. Variations such as knots, color differences, mineral streaks, pinholes, and fillers are completely normal and are not defects. As your floor ages, some color change occurs, especially with exotic woods; this photosensitivity is normal but can be minimized by limiting exposure to direct sunlight and periodically moving furniture and rugs.
Wood is a hygroscopic material, meaning it dries out or picks up moisture from the air until it reaches equilibrium with the surrounding humidity and temperature. A few things to expect:
- Seasonal movement. All wood floors cup and peak with the change of season. Moisture and temperature changes cause wood to expand and contract, producing hairline cracks, slight height variations, or both. Cracks between boards may appear and disappear between seasons of high and low humidity. This is normal in all wood floors.
- Plank width. Floors with smaller plank widths, such as 2¼″, show less shrinkage than 3–5″ planks.
- Dark woods and stains. Just as dark woods show dust, scratches, and shrinkage gaps more easily than light woods, dark stains do the same.
- Hollow sounds. No subfloor is perfectly level. You may hear hollow sounds where the subfloor's surface dips and ridges. This does not affect the integrity or installation of the hardwood and is not a product or installation defect.
To protect your floor, place walk-off mats at each entryway to collect dirt and grit, which act like sandpaper and can scratch the surface. Avoid rubber-backed or non-ventilated mats and rugs, which can damage the floor; use mats made for hardwood floors and shake them out regularly. Also place mats anywhere water may be splashed, such as near a kitchen sink.
Luxury Vinyl Flooring
Luxury vinyl flooring uses high-tech embossing to create realistic wood looks that are designed to be beautiful from any angle. Light texturing adds a subtle, wire-brushed appearance; medium embossing creates character; and heavy embossing produces the look of substantial hand-scraping.
To protect your investment:
- Use protective mats. A good-quality entry mat traps dirt, sand, and oils that would otherwise be tracked onto the floor and helps protect against premature wear. Mats are also useful at heavy pivot points such as in front of the sink or stove. If placed directly on the floor, use mats without latex or rubber backings to avoid possible discoloration.
- Use chair and appliance pads. Make sure furniture legs have large, non-staining floor protectors. Replace small, narrow metal or dome-shaped glides with smooth, flat guides in full contact with the floor. Heavy furniture or appliances that are seldom moved should sit on flat, non-staining furniture casters or cups of an appropriate size.
- Follow a simple maintenance plan. Sweep or dust-mop daily to remove dirt and grit, wipe up spills as quickly as possible, avoid prolonged direct sunlight, and use only a non-abrasive cleaner such as Shaw Floors Hard Surface Cleaner. How often you maintain the floor depends on the type and frequency of foot traffic.
Carpet
The color of the sample you see in the showroom may not match the carpet installed in your home. Carpet can vary in color and consistency from dye-lot to dye-lot and can appear lighter or darker depending on the lighting in your home.
All carpet needs seaming, and the size of each roll influences the layout. Looped or low-profile patterned carpets may have visible or peaked seams; their visibility depends on texture, color, lighting, and furniture placement. Looped carpets can snag, particularly at a seam or a carpet transition. As carpet bends over stairs, the backing may show depending on texture, color, and grade level. This does not constitute a defect.
Care Tips: See Hardwood Use & Care, Resilient Flooring Use & Care, and Carpet Use & Care for cleaning and maintenance.
Warranty Coverage: See Hardwood Flooring, Resilient Flooring, and Carpet standards for coverage periods and exclusions.