Frequently Asked Questions

If you have a question about any aspect of buying, installing or cleaning your hardwood floor, our support section contains our full range of guides and brochures and may contain the answer to your question. Alternatively this section addresses some of the most frequently asked questions about our products. If you still have doubts about a topic or you cannot find the answer to your question please send us an email at info@appalachianflooring.com and we will get back to you shortly. 

This is a thin strip glued into grooves cut into the pieces being joined, these are used to fasten two groove together. They are made with a table saw and dado blade or with a router and straight bit. In some cases, such as bay window or closet areas, it may be necessary to reverse directions or back-fill an area. In that case you will be installing a groove against a groove and will need to use a spline. Glue the spline into the groove, this will transform the groove into a tongue. You can then continue installing as usual.

Why is my floor cupping?

Cupping or "Washboard". Across the width of one piece of the flooring material, the edges are high, the center is lower. This is not a manufaturing defect this is caused by an imblance of humidity. The material was manufactured flat and was flat when installed but appears wavy or cupped after.  The causes can be excessive airborne (Relative Humidity) - dehumidify air space or (lack of during heating season humidify air space); wet basement - ventilate, dehumidify; crawlspace groundcover/vents, add exhaust fan on timer; lot topography - french drain to remove; rain handling provisions - correct to drain away from house; excessive lawn/garden moisture - reduce/waterproof foundation; leaks plumbing, roof, doors - fix; don't hose patio; maintenance; correct capillary through slab - install barrier, french drain, drain tiles. In kitchens, the dishwasher and ice maker are notorious leakers. To help you can purchase a dehumidifier to place in your home to bring the flooring within 40-60% realtive Humidity (as specifed in warranty) in addition most electronic stores have a hygrometer to mointor the levels of the humidity.

What is a microbevel?

Angled edges milled around the top edges of prefinished floor boards are called a microbevel or v-joint. The higher end flooring has this present on all four sides to accentuate the look of the individual pieces of flooring and to add depth to the flooring. Some market this as a "kissed edge", "micro-v". Square edge edges is used in Unfinished applications.

How do I clean up cured urethane adhesive after installation?

First clean up adhesive as soon as possible when in wet state. Use Bostik best adhesive cleaner or Sika wipes.
If adhesive can not be removed when wet find a small test area first or a discarded piece to test prior to removing adhesive on the floor.
1. Apply a liquid urethane adhesive remover to the area making sure to cover an area slightly larger than the adhesive spot itself. Allow the remover to soak for at least an hour to fully penetrate and soften the dried adhesive.
2. When softened use a 1-2 inch plastic putty knife to break the adhesive putty knife to break the adhesive free from the wood floor. Care should be taken not to scratch or mar the finish of the floor.
3. Use a melamine pad ( like a Mr. clean Magic Erase) to remove any remaining adhesive residue or haze from the floor finish by saturating the pas with the liquid remover and scrubbing the surface. It is important to take care not to scrub matte finished too hard polishing them to a gloss.
4. Many of the removers leave an oily residue after removing the adhesives. These should be cleaned along with the entire floor with Bona cleaner.

Will my floor have color variations in it?

Yes. Wood is a natural material with variations from board to board. Each plank will accept stain differently. Lighter stain colors don't hide or mask natural characteristics as much as darker colors. Even with a stain color there is some variation of color due to the woods variation from board to board.

 What is the difference between Solid flooring and Engineered and Laminate?

Solid wood floors are manufactured as one complete piece of solid wood, generally 3/4" thick and board widths are generally 2 1/4" and 3 1/4" wide. The length of the boards may vary from 9" to 72", depending on the grade choosen.

Solid wood floors can react to the environment in which it is placed if a humidifer and dehumidier are not used to control the humidity between 40 -60% . In the winter heating months, the moisture content of the wood reduces causing the floor to contract or leave small gaps between each board. In the summer months when humidity enters the wood, it will cause the wood to expand and if there is too much moisture, it can cause the floor to cup.
Solid wood floors are most commonly installed by nailing down to a wood subfloor.

Engineered wood floors refer to products that have multiple layers of wood veneer glued and pressed together. The Most common Hardwood Flooring thicknesses are 5/16", 3/8" and 1/2" and widths are 3" 4" and 5". Engineered wood floors have layers of wood veneer that are cross-laminated for dimensional stability. These floors will be less affected by moisture than solid wood floors. Engineered wood floors can be installed on grade, below grade, or above grade - virtually - any room in the home. Engineered wood floors have several options of installing; nail down, staple down, glue down, and some can even be floated.

Engineered wood floors are made completely from wood unlike Laminate. Laminate- core of product is typically made of High Density Fiber (HDF). The top layer is a photographic layer that should appear identical to the product it replicates, be it wood, vinyl, tile, etc. 

Is it normal that my flooring has dents?

Yes, wood dents.
CAUSE: High heels. Dropped heavy objects, metal tips on furniture legs. Unprotected rolling of heavy appliances such as refrigerator or freezer or children toys.

CURE:Remove high heels or maintain proper heel-tip protectors. Provide large felt or rubber protectors under heavy furniture legs. Roll heavy casters over plywood protection only.

You can read more information on this in the specifications section of the web page.

What is the difference between Sawn vs. rotary cut lamella on the top layer of my engineered flooring?

Dry Sawn lamella - The lumber is cut lengthwise
Rotary cut veneer - The veneer log is rotated against a stationary knife to produce a sheet of wood. This method is the most economical method of producing veneer. Rotary cut veneer gives more distinctive and varied grain patterns.

Dry Sawn is considered superior to rotary peeled lamellas.

What are the  differences between Job site finish vs. Prefinished flooring ?

Factory cured factory applied urethane finishes eliminate numerous problems that are prevalent with job site applied finishes. The problems with job site finishes are classified in two obvious types; those that occur during application and those that develop after application.  A site finish does have a different look than
During application After application a site finished floor scuffs easily and will have to refinished typically after 5 years.