Materials

When installing a new wood floor, there are many product types from which to choose. Banchero Hardwood Floors will guide you through the process of selecting the right material.

• Unfinished Solid Hardwood – Available in all wood species and board widths ranging from 1 ¼ – 6 inches. Unfinished wood gives the greatest range of stain and finishes options.
• Pre-finished Solid Hardwood – Factory stained and finished material is available in all wood species and board widths. Material quality is becoming more sophisticated within this category and moving towards micro-beveled products that look much more like a sand and finished floor. Although this material more expensive per square foot than unfinished, it eliminates the need for on-site sanding, staining, and finish application; ultimately saving the time and labor costs involved in this additional process.
• Engineered Wood Flooring – A veneer of hardwood is layered over plywood backing. It is more economical than solid material. It is often the best choice in glue-down applications; perfect for basements and condominiums with concrete floors, where nailing is not an option. While the majority of engineered wood comes pre-finished, product selection within this category is growing to included unfinished varieties that can be sanded, stained, and finished on-site like a traditional hardwood floor.
• Salvaged Wood – Hardwood salvaged from old homes and buildings is often used to successfully match, repair and restore old floors.

Process

Floors are nailed down, glued down or floated. In most installations, tongue and groove flooring is side nailed so that the nail is invisible from the surface. We also utilize top nail to achieve the period look in older homes.

On concrete sub-floors, engineered wood is glued down or floated. Hardwood flooring adhesive is troweled over concrete in glue down applications and hardwood firmly adheres. A floating floor is one that is wood glued along the seams of the boards and placed on top of the subfloor. This technique is often used in condominiums over soundproofing pad.
Note that we can install hardwood floors over radiant heat systems in the subfloor.