Article Number : 4788 |
|
Article Detail |
|
 | |
| Date | 8/31/2009 9:14:23 AM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=4788 |
| Abstract | Following is a partial list of terms associated with hardwood flooring that a retailer, retail salesperson or installer may come across and should... |
| Article | Following is a partial list of terms associated with hardwood flooring that a retailer, retail salesperson or installer may come across and should have complete understanding. Acrylic: The generic name for wood-plastic-composites utilizing wood impregnated with acrylic monomers and polymerized within the wood cells by gamma irradiation. Some versions are cured by heat radiation. Air dried: Wood that is dried by exposure to air in a yard or shed without artificial heat. Aluminum oxide: Refers to one of the most durable finishes for wood flooring. It can only be factory-applied. This finish is highly abrasion resistant but slightly clouds the wood’s color and grain. Bow: The distortion of lumber in which there is a deviation—in a direction perpendicular to the flat face—from a straight line from end to end of the piece. Burl: A swirl or twist of the grain of the wood that usually occurs near a knot but does not contain a knot. CARB: The California Air Resources Board, a department of the California Environmental Protection Agency. Also the term used for the regulation passed by the board that puts highly restrictive limits on formaldehyde emissions in wood. It took effect Jan. 1 and consists of two main phases that will be implemented through July 1, 2012. Compression set: Caused when wood absorbs excess moisture and expands so much that the cells along the edges of adjoining pieces in the floor are crushed. This causes them to loose resiliency and creates cracks when the floor returns to its normal moisture content. Crowning: A convex or crowned condition or appearance of individual boards with the center of the board higher than the edges. Cupping: A concave or dished appearance of individual boards with the edges raised above the center. Delamination: The separation of layers in an engineered board through failure within the adhesive or at the bond between adhesive and wood. Dimensional stability: The ability to maintain the original intended dimensions (little or no expansion and contraction) when influenced by humidity swings. Some species are more dimensionally stable than others. In addition, engineered flooring products are substantially more stable than their solid counterparts. Distressed: A heavy artificial texture in which the floor has been scraped, scratched or gouged to give it a time-worn antique look. Edge treatments: These are techniques manufacturers use to add character to the individual boards. There are three primary edge treatments: • Beveled: A term in which the square edges are cut at approximately 45-degree angles. • Eased: Similar to a beveled edge but considered to be less of an indentation. • Microbevel. A small (less than 1mm) 45-degree beveled edge cut. End joint: The place where two pieces of flooring are joined together end to end. End match: A tongue-and-groove that is cut into the short edges of wood flooring designed to keep a floor uniformly flat. Engineered: Wood flooring that is manufactured by gluing a hardwood veneer (layer) onto a plywood base. This type of product is much more dimensionally stable than solid products and can often be installed using a variety of methods. It can be installed below grade and over concrete. Feature strip: A molding accessory for parquet floors utilized to separate squares into patterns larger than the individual parquet units. Filler: Any substance used to fill the holes and irregularities in planed or sanded surfaces to decrease the porosity of the surface before applying finish coatings. FSC: The Forest Stewardship Council, an international organization that sets high standards for holistically preserving the world’s forests. FSC certification ensures the product comes from a responsible and renewable source, and is the only certification for wood flooring currently accepted for LEED projects. Gloss: Refers to how shiny a finish appears. Gloss levels are defined as a percentage: matte finishes have a low percentage of gloss, and mirror-like finishes have a high percentage of gloss. Grading: The allowance of natural character marks, such as knots and mineral streaks, in a wood product. Consistent and accurate grading is critical to achieving the desired aesthetic in a wood floor. There are generally four types of grading: • Clear. Exhibits an absolute minimum occurrence of knots and mineral streaks. Some exceptions are made for certain species. • Select. Offers a minimal occurrence of knots and mineral streaks. • Common. Exhibits a full range of natural character. A full range of knots and mineral streaks are allowed. • Rustic. Exhibits a full range of natural character and, in some species, allows the occurrence of holes through the pieces of flooring. Grain: The direction, size, arrangement, appearance or quality of the wood fibers. The two most popular terms for graining are: • Open. Open grained woods have larger pores, and therefore are easy to stain. • Close. Close grained woods have smaller pores, and therefore can be difficult to stain. Janka: A unit of measurement used to describe the surface hardness of wood flooring. A Janka rating is determined by the amount of force required to drive a .444 inch steel ball half its diameter into the wood product. Knot: A roughly circular, and usually darker imperfection found in wood. Knots naturally form in trees where side branches sprout from the tree trunk. Lacey Act: A federal law that combats trafficking in illegal wildlife, fish and plants. It was recently amended to make it illegal to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase in interstate or foreign commerce, any plant or products made from plants (such as wood flooring)—with limited exceptions—to be taken or traded in violation of domestic or international laws. LEED: The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program, established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to benchmark design, construction and performance of commercial and residential structures. Different levels of LEED can be achieved depending on how many “points” a given project has. Mixed media: A wood floor that is predominantly of wood but incorporates other materials such as slate, stone, ceramic, marble, metal and painted finishes (faux). Moisture content: The amount of moisture in wood expressed as a percentage of the weight of the oven dry wood. Nosing: A hardwood molding used to cover the outside corner of a step, milled to meet the hardwood floor in the horizontal plane, to meet the riser in the vertical plane. Usually used on landings. Parquet: A patterned floor. A square may or may not possess tongues and grooves to interlock and may not be regular in dimension. Plank: Boards, usually a 3/4-inch thick, 3 to 8 inches wide and 4- to 8-feet long. Prefinished: Also known as factory finished. Refers to wood with a factory-applied finish. Prefinished floors often feature a microbevel or an eased edge to compensate for the fact that these floors cannot be sanded for uniformity during installation. The factory finishes used on these products are more durable than site- applied finishes. Reclaimed: Material that has been salvaged from an existing structure for reuse. Reclaimed can also come from wood that has been lying at the bottom of river beds. Responsible Procurement Program (RPP): A program by the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) designed to recognize and promote environmentally and socially responsible forest management in the regions that supply the timber. Riftsawn: Wood cut semi-perpendicular to the grain. Riftsawn flooring exhibits less gapping between planks during humidity swings due to the fact that expansion and contraction occurs on a semi-perpendicular plane to the floor. Solid: A wood floor milled from one solid piece of wood. Solid wood flooring generally should not be installed in a basement or over concrete. Square edge: A sharp, 90-degree edge cut. Square edges are most commonly used on unfinished flooring products that will be sanded after installation for uniformity and do not feature a tongue-and-groove. Stain: A discoloration occurring in or on flooring of any color other than the natural color of the species. Strip flooring: Solid boards to be installed in parallel rows, produced in a variety of thicknesses and widths. The strips are for naildown installation directly to wood or plywood subfloors, or over wood screeds on concrete slab construction. Tongue and groove (T&G): A tab and slot feature cut into the edges of a wood product. T&G construction allows for easy assembly and allows nails to be hidden from view once the flooring has been installed. Trim: The finish materials in a building, such as moldings, applied around openings (window trim, door trim) or at the floor and ceiling of rooms. Unfinished: Products intended to be finished at the job site, after installation. Many site-applied finishes enhance the wood’s color and grain. Urethane (polyurethane): A clear, elastic, petroleum-based varnish commonly used to prefinish products as well as unfinished products at the job site. Currently, aluminum oxide modified urethanes are among the most common varnishes used on prefinished product. V-joint: A term used in plank flooring to indicate that edges are eased or beveled to simulate cracks in floors of early Colonial American homes. Vapor barrier: A material with a high resistance to vapor movement that is used to control condensation or prevent migration of moisture from the subfloor to the actual floor. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs): Chemicals emitted as gasses from certain solids or liquids, commonly referred to as fumes. Some VOCs can have short-and/or long-term adverse health effects. Wax finish: The oldest method of sitefinishing unfinished flooring products. This finish is applied and maintained in thin layers that are then buffed. It does not protect the wood from wear. Wire brushing: A method for imparting an artificial texture or distressed appearance to the surface of wood flooring. |