Hardwood Buyer's Guide

Lifestyle/Performance  

Durability & Life Expectancy

Both solid and engineered hardwoods are among the longest lasting flooring options and, with proper care may never need replacement. However, hardwood is susceptible to scratching, especially in high traffic areas, or in households with children or pets. Different types of wood are more durable than others. If you want a floor that stands up to heavy use, choose a species equal to or harder than oak, such as maple, Brazilian cherry, or ash. Another option is to choose a floor with a distressed visual that simulates an aged look, or a handscraped product.

Typical Warranties

Prefinished hardwood floors typically carry a lifetime warranty on structural integrity. Finish warranties can range from three to 25 years. If you're looking for the best warranty protection, prefinished floors are warranted to last longer than site-finished floors–typically 15 to 25 years, versus three to five years. This is because factory-applied urethane finishes are much tougher and longer lasting than site-applied finishes.

Care & Maintenance

Waxing, once a necessary evil for wood floor owners, is not necessary on floors with a polyurethane finish. Simply sweep and touch up periodically with a no-wax floor cleaner, in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations.

Any solid hardwood or an engineered hardwood floor with a top layer 1/10" thick or more:
When these floors begin to scratch or gouge, it's time to sand and refinish. Refinishing can make a floor look brand new. It also presents an opportunity to change the look by choosing a different stain color. Refinishing should only be necessary every 15 to 25 years.

Engineered wood with a top layer thinner than 1/10" thick:
These floors cannot be fully sanded and refinished. However, they can be recoated with a fresh layer of polyurethane whenever necessary. This will refresh the look of the floor and eliminate surface scratches. With this process, you cannot change the color of the wood.

Keep in Mind:

Floor Score™ is a trademark of the Resilient Floor Covering Institute.