PETERSON FLOORING

FAQ

The hardwood flooring contractors at Peterson Flooring will categorically state that engineered wood floors are indeed better than that of solid wood flooring. The wood in engineered wood floors is thicker and of better quality and comes in more standard sizes. This means that they can be used in various situations with exact sizing where solid wood is not ideal. Engineered wood flooring will last a long time and can handle wood floor refinishing once or twice. The modern-day UV-cured urethane finishes with melamine applied by hardwood flooring manufacturers uses technology that makes the finish really durable and tough. These finishes are available for solid and engineered wood floors.
You can float or glue down engineered wood floors over a on or below grade, concrete slab that is dry, clean, and fully-cured. A non-wood flooring option would be more ideal if the area is prone to seasons with moisture or very humidity. Some hardwood floor installation companies will put a 3/4″ solid wood floor over a concrete slab. They use a method that includes a vapor barrier and the need to build up a wood subfloor on the concrete slab. Most hardwood manufacturers would not recommend this method and it adds a lot of extra cost to the project. It is preferable to place an engineered wood floor over a concrete slab.
Engineered wood floors can be glued down or floated over a current floor in some cases. The existing floor needs to be fully compressed so there is no bounce or give prior to installing the sub-floor. You can use existing flooring such as glued-down vinyl flooring, tile and commercial type level loop carpet with shallow ridges. Ensure that the product may be installed over an existing floor without voiding the manufacturer warranty by reading up. Always ensure that the installation is done as per the manufacturer’s directives.
You should not use any paste wax on your wooden floors and modern flooring does not require it. Today’s hardwood floors have a urethane finish that will become sticky and cloudy if you apply paste wax.