Replies

1. 
   FastEddie | Feb 23, 2007 07:00am | #1

   We moved last fall and bought our first house with wood floors.  Where we lived previously, everythign was concrete slab, thus carpet or tile.  It was very obvious as we were looking for a house, where the seller was trying to make a silk purse out of a sows ear.  Several had laid click-lock flooring and it just looked cheap.  Sometimes they did a very poor job, but even the good installs detracted from the rest of the house.

   Point being, you need to consider the value of a cheaper material against the image when you go to sell.

   Check this excellent flooring forum:  hardwoodinstaller.com

    

   "Put your creed in your deed."   Emerson

   "When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it."  T. Roosevelt

2. 
   user-246028 | Feb 23, 2007 07:30am | #2

   I would have to say that Bruce is a decent flooring product and the distributers of this product stand behind it. I think what is more important is how your local building supplier or flooring supplier stores the product. In the area I live and work (Southern Ontario) Most suppliers tend to store there hardwood in very damp, unheated warehouses. This doesn't damage the hardwood, but what it does do is allows moisture to be. Now it is understood in this area that you need to let the flooring climatize to the house for at least 3 days before installing. However, I discovered that letting the flooring adjust to the house doesn't always do the trick. If there is too much moisture content you may get some shrinkage in your floor leaving gaps between the floor boards.

   Bruce puts out a "click" style engineered floor. I have never put this type down and unfortunately no one I know has used it. It is however, a beautiful floor and I would love to hear how you installation went if you decide to go in that direction. People in this area tend to be a little resistant to new products.

   I really haven't answered your question here. Engineered floors (glued, stapled, or click) can go anywere in the home. Solid hardwood is restricted to above grade (no basements) and not on top of concrete and may be prone to warping and shrinkage. The pro for solid hardwood is that if you want to refinish the floor you can. Engineered floors have a thin hardwood skin on top of plywood and doesn't leave much room for refinishing. Engineered floors are less likely to warp and shrink.

   Well, there you have it in a large nutshell. Good luck.

   DoctorDave 

3. 
   BillHartmann | Feb 23, 2007 08:08am | #3

   There are multiple different ways that engineered wood floors can be installed. But you need to look at each product and see if can be used in that application with that instalation methode.

   1. Nail (staple) down.
   2.. Glue Down.

   Haven heard of any do both.

   3. Floating - where the sections are glued together.
   4. Floating - Where there is a Click Lock system.

   Note at least on manufacture had a pressure actice adhesive floating floor. That when you hammered the sections together it activated the adhesive.

   These are all ENGINEERED WOOD flooring. They have a wear layer of plain or rotary cut wood of the specfied specious. Then other layers of other woods and wood products.

   Don't confuse these with LAMINATE FLOORING. Laminate flooring uses a picture of wood and covered with a plastic protective layer. All laminate is installed as a floating floor. Most of it is now click lock.

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   A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.