So JP is installing hardwood floors this week & we've been discussing all the ins & outs about it lately. She ended up with 5" wide hand-scraped walnut. Engineered 'cause she's on a slab. I'm envious [of the wood floors - not the slab!].
While we were discussing hardwoods, the topic of finishes came up. So many homes are now built on slabs now & concrete isn't the best friend of a thick solid wood application. Many homeowners [like JP] are choosing an engineered* wood as an alternate.
BUT. one of the details often overlooked is how to later maintain the type of finish that these new-fangled hardwood alternates come with.
Traditional hardwoods are stained & finished on site usually with a wax-based product. Most of these new engineered alternatives are factory finished with an aluminum oxide finish. Here's the catch. When the current homeowners [ or NEW OWNERS] decide to refinish those engineered floors with a traditional wax-based product...well, that's when some of the fun can begin. Typically, there have been issues of the new finish not really adhering to the engineered floors [think oil & water here, guys]. But, there are some great products out there that are designed to nip this problem. I've always heard fabulous things about Bona Kemi products - I'd check them out.
I bookmarked this site a couple of years ago because it was a great little all-in-one stop for hardwood information. You can find the page relating to the different finishes here.
*Engineered wood. Not laminate flooring--not solid wood flooring. Although there is real wood [estimate 3/16" - 5/8" thick] applied to layers of plywood. Don't knock it 'til you've done your research!
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Leave a comment with any Q's or other topics you'd like me to tackle!
♥ - Kat.
[image from Carpets of Dalton, here]
