Floor Treatments

Floor Treatments

Homeowners have many choices of what to put under their feet and on top of the slab or sub floor in their home. The sub floor is the sheet material, usually plywood or OSB (oriented strand board), that is attached to the framing members (joists, in most cases)and is part of the structural strength of your home. Underlayment is the layer of material put on top of the subfloor that is the preferred surface for the type of flooring you select. Underlayments are different depending upon the choice of flooring such as wood, tile, sheet vinyl or linoleum, concrete, cork, bamboo etc. The intent of this page is to give exposure to the many choices of flooring available and the pros and cons of each kind with hopes it will make your flooring decision a more educated and creative one.

Wood Floors - Education on Your Many Choices

Wood Floors Online.com
START YOUR EDUCATION RIGHT HERE The information here is presented by The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) which is a non-profit trade association representing all segments of the wood flooring industry, including manufacturers, distributors, retailers and installers. This link takes you to their page titled: "Types of Wood Floors - Choosing A Wood Floor Product"
Wood Flooring Manufacturers Association
Since 1909 NOFMA: The Wood Flooring Manufacturers Association has been the voice of authority for the wood flooring industry. NOFMA is the only organization to establish and actively enforce grade rules and quality standards for most domestic species of wood flooring.
Hardwood Manufacturers Association
Check out the Species Guide, descriptions for 23 different hardwoods. Check out the "Solid Wood" vs. "All Wood" section to help you distinguish between the two claims when used in advertising.
BuildDirect University
Lots of good information covering solid hardwoods as well as laminates and other flooring choices.
Facelift Floors
Hardwood Flooring Facts and Articles

Wood Floors - Suppliers & Their Information

Hardwood Direct
This link takes you to the Unfinished Wood Floor section on this website. Information here on laminates, parquets, bamboo and others.
Overview information from Lumber Liquidators
Overview information from Lumber Liquidators This site says: "According to a national survey of real estate agents, 90% said the homes with wood flooring sold faster and at a higher price than houses without. Here is some information to help make you more comfortable making your wood flooring decisions."
Hardwood Factory
This site says: "Welcome to the Hardwood Factory - the largest hardwood flooring supplier and installer in Seattle."
Crosscut Hardwoods
This is where I go in Seattle. This site says: "Our stores feature an extensive selection of domestic and exotic hardwoods, plywood, marine-grade paneling,veneers, unfinished and prefinished flooring. Our stores in Portland, Eugene and Seattle are ready to service the walk-in customer and our online ordering is available twenty-four hours a day for your wood needs."
BonaKemi
This website says: "For over 85 years, BonaKemi has provided hardwood floor finishing professionals with the world's finest finishes. Bona is the pioneer of the Environmental Choice System™ featuring low-VOC, safe-to-use waterborne finishes, combined with dust containment sanding systems. We protect your health and the environment, while assuring the ultimate in durability and beauty for hardwood floors."
Boa-Franc Manufacturing
This website says: "Mirage is the cream of the crop in prefinished hardwood floors. In July 2005, in its Survey 2005 : What the retailers think', trade magazine Floor Focus publicly declared what everyone in the industry knows - Mirage products are the best on the market."
Bamboo Hardwoods
This store is located in the University District, phone = 206-529-0978. Read the Bamboo Floors pdf from this site and you will think you are a bamboo floor expert. Here are two little known facts about bamboo from the pdf "Are bamboo floors 'bomb-proof'? No wood floor is scratch or dent proof. Bamboo rates harder than many of the hardest hardwoods. Our moso floors are as hard or harder than N. American Red Oak. Our Premium floors are as hard or harder than Maple. Can Bamboo be stained? Yes, we are one of the few companies that offer a variety of stained bamboo colors such as Cherry, Fruitwood and the stained “carbonized” color on our Premium floors."
The Oak Floors of Greenbank, Inc.
Materials and information for doing it yourself or hiring someone to install for you. This local company's website says: "When we established The Oak Floors of Greenbank, Inc. on Whidbey Island over 30 years ago, our goal was to set new standards for excellence in wood flooring. Since moving our company to Seattle in the mid 70’s our goal remains unchanged. Excellence through uncompromising quality in everything we do!"

Wood Floors - Cleaning & Maintenance

Bleaching, Pickling and Antiquing -- Hardwood Flooring and Millwork
This article says: "Bleaching is both a popular alternative to staining and the first step in most antiquing, pickling or coloring projects. The basic processes involved in staining and site-finishing hardwoods are universal, whether you're working with millwork, paneling or cabinetry. These distinct applications require a little additional skill yet, by following this simple step-by-step guide, you'll find outstanding results are easily attainable."
Hardwood Floors 101 - Cleaning & Maintenance
This site says: "Soap and water, polish, wax or what? Take the guesswork out of hardwood floor care and go from dull and grimy to gleaming and gorgeous in a few easy steps."
FloorCleaners.net
Wood Care & Floor Maintenance Tips
Mr. Sandless Wood Floor Cleaner
This website says: "The ONLY product manufactured exclusively for finished wood floor cleaning! A neutral cleaner that contains no harmful solvents, but that gets the dirt and leaves the shine!"
Basic Coatings
This site says: "We're here to help you select the Basic wood floor coating that will meet your needs. If you contact us, we can also help you find a wood floor contractor in your area! In addition, we've included information about the available options for recoating your wood floors and general information about our company. Welcome to Basic…Coatings that Work!"

Laminate Flooring

Old Homestead Floors
"Welcome to Laminate Flooring 101..."
Somerset Hardwood Flooring
This site says: "Unlike many hardwood flooring manufacturers, Somerset Hardwood Flooring has a full time forester on staff to oversee and ensure compliance with strict environmental policies. We consistently exceed the industry’s Best Management Practices standards for environmental responsibility."
The Laminate Flooring Site
This website says: "Laminate flooring is the hottest trend to hit the residential flooring industry since the early days of linoleum! The Laminate Flooring Site was created to help consumers understand the different options available in this ultra-competitive industry. If you've got specific questions regarding laminate flooring purchase, installation or maintenance, please refer to the left side of your screen where you will find pages specifically targeted to the main areas of this product."

Multiple Material Types & Information Sites

Floor?How - Everything about Floors
This website says: "FloorHow.com is the premier web-location in the wood flooring industry. FloorHow.com, the online guide designed to serve all your hardwood flooring and laminate flooring needs. This website contains everything you will ever need to know about flooring tiles and the companies that produce, distribute and fix them."
GreenFloors
This site says: " Your Source For Environmentally Friendly Flooring Products And Information. We provide expertise along with concise information to facilitate the environmentally conscious consumer, as well as the interior design community, in selecting floorings that are most beneficial to our environment and to their needs."
ebuild's Flooring page
If it is a floor covering you will find information about it here. This site says: "Published on the Web by Hanley Wood, LLC, the leading media company in the residential construction industry, ebuild is a comprehensive, interactive catalog that makes researching and comparing products fast and easy. ebuild includes everything from descriptions, diagrams, and dimensions to installation instructions, reviews, and supplier locators."
Armstrong
Start with the floor selector section of this site and start getting answers to the questions for the flooring material you are most interested in.
Tarkett Residential North America
Wood, tile, vinyl, fiber materials here. This website says: "Tarkett is positioned as the second largest manufacturer of resilient and hardwood flooring in North America. Tarkett provides: the best flooring solutions for all customer needs from large scale commercial to private residential; the most value for the money; the guarantee of long-term top quality and style; and the high level of service that customers expect."

Mineral Tiles

Fritz Industries
Terrazzo Tile from Fritztile made of Recycled Granite and Marble This website says: "Fritz Industries has over 40 years of experience producing the highest quality, beautiful, marble and granite Resilient Terrazzo Floor Tile." There is an impressive selection here to get you started thinking about new possibilities for tiles. They make a flexible terrazzo tile.

Heated Floors

ebuilds Radiant Floor Heating—Floor Warming Mats
Over 80 products you can sort through by selecting categories like manufacturer preference, finish floor material, sub-floor material, space beneath floor, heating requirements and watts per square foot.
Journal of Light Construction on Electric Radiant Tile Floor
Electric-resistance tile-warming systems can increase comfort in the kitchen and bath without greatly increasing the client's electric bill. A tilesetter shares his method for a foolproof installation. Laying An Electric-Radiant Tile Floor This electric-resistance mat can warm a tile floor without greatly raising the floor height. Read the complete article here.
Will Carpet Stifle a Radiant Slab?
More info from the online version of The Journal of Light Construction.
WarmlyYours Floor Heating System
If you are an accomplished do it yourself person and you want a warm floor in your house that you do yourself, look here. This site offers "3 Steps To Warm Floors 1. Plan Your Project: Fax us your floorplan or use our online Project Planner to design your room online. 2. Review Your Quotation: We will provide you with a free Custom Installation Plan and quote. 3. Order Your Product: Order online or call us at 800.875.5285 and we will ship your WarmlyYours system within 24 hours wih UPS."

Side Effects of New Flooring Choices

FloorScore: What and Why
Information from the Resilient Floor Covering Institute (RFCI) This website says: "If you work in an office or have children in school where new flooring is installed - or if you are simply concerned about indoor air quality - the FloorScore seal means you can 'breathe easier'. To earn the FloorScore seal, a flooring product must satisfy the requirements of the SCS-EC-10-2004 Environmental Certification Program - Indoor Air Quality Performance." Many more details about VOC's in flooring products at this link.