As you start thinking about new hardwood flooring for your home, it’s likely you’ll come across a few terms you don’t know. You’re in luck! Here are 15 common terms you’ll hear and what they mean in relation to your wood floors.

Top 15 Hardwood Flooring Terms

1. Sanding: This is the process we use to remove the polyurethane finish and stain to get down into the wood.
2. Edging: This is the same process as sanding, but it’s done around the edges of the floor and in tight spots.
3. Refinishing: This is the process used to give older hardwood flooring new life. First we sand off the original polyurethane finish and stain to get into the wood, then re-stain it and put on three new coats of polyurethane finish. The final result is wood floors that look as good as new!
4. Installation: This is the process of placing planks of wood within the home.
5. Moisture: Although it’s just a little bit of water (drops, humidity, etc.), moisture could greatly affect your hardwood flooring. It can come from under the house, outside weather or even in the actual sub-floor.
6. Concrete subfloor: A layer of concrete beneath the finished flooring. A subfloor can make the area even, which is important before installing wood floors.
7. Wood subfloor: A layer of wood beneath the final hardwood flooring. These subfloors also serve as a way to make the space flat before installing the flooring planks.
8. Nail the floor: A way to install wood floors, this method uses nails and is a good option if the subfloor isn’t even.
9. Float the floor: This is when the floors are installed with no nails or glue. It free floats on top of the subfloor over underlayment foam.
10. Coat the floor: This is when polyurethane finish is applied to the hardwood flooring.
11. Water base/Oil base: Short for water based finish and oil based finish. San Jose Hardwood Floors’ water based finish is a commercial finish and their oil base is a professional finish.
12. Eco Friendly: This is when the flooring falls under certain guidelines of low volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Make sure you check for labels like FSC-certified if you want sustainable floors.
13. Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC): An international not-for-profit that sets forestry practices and responsible management of woods around the world.
14. Dust Containment System (DCS): This is a vacuum system that cuts down on about 75 to 80 percent of the dust when sanding. San Jose Hardwood Floors’ DCS makes cleanup easier and faster, and we even include it in every sanding project!
15. Impact Insulation Class (IIC) and Sound Transmission Class (STC): These are sound guidelines that are used for commercial and residential use. Both IIC and STC are ways to rate the amount of sound through walls, ceilings and floors.

Want to know more about these or other hardwood flooring terms? Come visit our showroom and talk to our experts! Make sure you contact us for a free in-home estimate too.