Frequently Asked Questions: What Is the Most Durable Hardwood Floor Available?

There are two main factors that come into play when discussing the durability of hardwood flooring. The first is finish. A factory prefinished floor will certainly be more durable than an unfinished floor, but there are many high-quality finishes you can apply onsite that will help protect the wood for years.

The real indication of durability is the wood's hardness. Wood species are given a Janka Hardness rating based on their resistance to indentation. The harder the floor, the more resistant it will be to scrapes, dents, and everyday wear-and-tear.

The top five hardest wood species are:

• Patagonian Rosewood
• Kurupayra
• Lapacho
• Ipe
• Tiete Rosewood

Tiete Rosewood hardwood flooring (above) is one of the hardest flooring materials you can buy.

The five wood species with the lowest Janka hardness ratings are:

• Western Red Cedar
• Douglas Fir
• Exotic Hickory
• Cherry
• Walnut

Don't get us wrong - even the softest of hardwoods will still make a beautiful, durable floor. In fact, two of the most common and trusted hardwood flooring materials - Oak flooring and Birch flooring - also have two of the lowest Janka hardness ratings. Ipe is one of the hardest flooring materials and is certainly durable, but red or white oak flooring is a great option as well.

Fantastic Floor Ipe: As Seen On TV

We know you're excited. We sure are.

As dedicated followers well know, Fantastic Floor's Ipe hardwood flooring was recently used in the filming of one of DIY Network's new hit shows, Bath Crashers. In it, host Matt Muenster helps homeowners turn their dank and drab bathrooms into funky, functional living spaces. Well, the director called a wrap and the episode, appropriately titled "The Ultimate Crash", is waiting to be aired. Here's the schedule:

Saturday, July 2nd, 2 PM, HGTV
Sunday, July 3rd, 8 PM, DIY Network

Don't miss it!

Don't miss Fantastic Floor's Ipe hardwood flooring on the DIY Network's hit new show, Bath Crashers!

Frequently Asked Questions: Can Engineered Wood Floor Be Refinished?

A. Some of the better quality engineered wood floors have a 3mm or thicker real wood top layer and can be sanded and refinished one or more times. The sanding and refinishing of an engineered wood floor is best done by an experienced hardwood flooring refinisher. If you have heat vents in your floor you can remove a heat cover to get a side view of your wood floor. This will help you check to see how thick you finish layer is.
Always consult with the manufacturer to see if they recommend sanding and refinishing of your engineered wood floor.

Not all engineered flooring varieties can be refinished. Check with the flooring manufacturer to find out if your flooring can be refinished.

It's Almost Here...

In case you haven't heard, our Ipe hardwood flooring is going to be on TV! That's right - the good folks over at DIY Network asked for some of our Ipe to use in their hit new show, Bath Crashers, and we were more than happy to oblige. The episode airs on Saturday, July 2nd, and we couldn't be happier.

To celebrate our Ipe's rise to stardom we're throwing a Bath Crashers Blowout Sale on Ipe throughout the entire month of July! We have Ipe flooring starting at $3.99/SF and a friendly, knowledgeable sales staff ready to answer all your flooring questions.

Visit our website to learn more about Ipe hardwood flooring, and don't forget to tune in to Bath Crashers next Saturday!

Frequently Asked Questions: Prefinished VS Unfinished

Q: What's the difference between prefinished hardwood flooring and unfinished hardwood flooring?

A. Prefinished hardwood flooring is end- and edge-matched with a small micro-beveled edge and has up to 8 coats of finish, including several coats which contain aluminum oxide. The aluminum oxide in the finish is what gives the factory finish its hardness. Prefinished flooring typically has a 25 year finish warranty.
Unfinished flooring is also end- and edge-matched with a tongue and groove pattern but features a square upper edge rather than a microbevel. Unfinished flooring must be sanded and finished on site, after installation. After sanding and finishing, a site-finished floor will be completely flat. One can use either an oil-based or water-based finish when installing unfinished flooring. Oil-based products typically have a darker initial appearance and show more depth of grain;. Water-based finishes are safer for the environment and have been improved recently to offer similar durability as oil-based finishes.

White Line Syndrome - Hardwood Conspiracy or Common Finish Problem?

HardwoodFloorsMag.com, the official magazine of the National Wood Flooring Association, put up a really interesting article recently titled "What is Really Causing White Line Syndrome?"

Now, unless you're a hardwood flooring contractor, you probably aren't familiar with the term. White line syndrome, or WLS, is the term used to describe white lines that show up between boards in a wood floor. As the article explains, many contractors are seeing more instances of WLS and are placing the blame on finish manufacturers:

"[White line syndrome] seems to be so much more prevalent in recent years, particularly about the last five years. Some contractors who have never had issues with white lines before report suddenly having to redo floors, even though they’re doing everything the exact same way—with the same products they always have used.
This has all led to suspicions directed at the finish manufacturers: They’re changing product, using cheaper ingredients, messing up the finishes to comply with VOC laws, etc., etc. Contractors feel they are being thrown under the proverbial bus."

White line syndrome can occur when finish starts to peel away from the board edge.

As the article points out, however, the answer may not be as easy as blaming the finish manufacturers. Trends in consumer preferences and installation techniques also play a role:

"Trends in recent years toward exotic floors, dark floors and plank floors all make WLS more visible. A white line between boards may not even be noticeable on a maple floor, but it will be front and center on a walnut, padauk or dark-stained floor. Plank flooring expands and contracts more than strip, stretching the finish more, and many exotic species are also known for their volatile expansion and contraction on the job site.
Today’s more urgent job sites also may play into WLS. In the olden days, wood floors were installed and sat on a job site for a while before they were sanded and finished. Today, jobs tend to be more rushed than ever, and the wood may still be settling in—in particular, shrinking—while the finish is still flexible and drying.
Finally, customers’ expectations are ever-increasing. As they become more demanding, fewer imperfections are seen as normal, making life more difficult for everyone."

Like most hardwood flooring problems, the chances of experiencing white line syndrome drop dramatically when the floors are properly installed and maintained. Visit the Maintenance Links and Resources page on the Fantastic Floor site for more information.

Ipe Flooring: Your Best Bet for Bathrooms

As we mentioned last week, Fantastic Floor donated some of our beautiful and durable Ipe hardwood flooring to the DIY Network’s latest hit show, Bath Crashers. For those of you not familiar with the show, here is a brief synopsis taken from DIYNetwork.com:

Produced similarly to the popular House Crashers and Yard Crashers series, crasher Matt Muenster ambushes homeowners while they're home improvement shopping. When he identifies the ultimate bathroom challenge, he follows the lucky homeowner home and totally overhauls a bathroom in need of repair.

We know what you’re thinking: Hardwood flooring in the bathroom? That’s right. Certain species of wood, like Ipe, make great flooring choices for the bathroom. What makes Ipe so great? Glad you asked. Here are just a few of the reasons Ipe hardwood flooring is the perfect choice for any bathroom remodeling project.

Ipe hardwood flooring isn't just for the dining room anymore. More and more homeowners are enjoying exotic Ipe in their bathrooms as well!

Water-resistance
Ipe is one of the most durable hardwoods available. Its dense cell structure acts as a natural deterrent against water damage and mold. Combine that with a high-quality sealant and you’ve got a bathroom floor that’s ready for the day-to-day wear of an active family.

Fire-resistance
The same dense cell structure that makes Ipe water-resistant also makes it fire-resistant. In fact, Ipe flooring has a Class A fire rating – the same class of fire-retardant material as steel. Is it unlikely that your bathroom is going to catch fire? Perhaps. But if you use a curling iron or hair dryer often, a Class A fire rating isn’t the worst feature to have in a bathroom floor.

Longevity
Because of its natural resilience to insects, decay and mold, Ipe flooring has a very long lifespan. This can even be extended with proper care and a high-quality sealant. If you’re looking for a bathroom floor that will last for generations, Ipe is a good choice for you.

Easy to clean
Much like a tile or linoleum floor, Ipe hardwood is very easy to clean. Simply use a high-quality wood cleaner and mop as you would any other type of floor. Remember to mop up any standing water, though – leaving puddles on your floor can cause stains and discoloration.

Appearance
Probably the biggest reason people choose Ipe flooring for their bathrooms is the appearance. Ipe hardwood flooring is one of the most eye-catching wood varieties available today. It features dark shades of black and brown, dark striping, and white or yellow sapwood. The grain pattern runs from straight to very irregular, and the texture is usually fine to medium.

Learn more about Ipe hardwood flooring on our website, and don’t forget to tune in to Bath Crashers on Saturday, July 2, on the DIY Network.