Resources

The most common feedback we get about the installation of our floors is that installers usually love working with UrbanWood floors because there is very little waste and the planks fit together easily. One thing to consider, however, is that an UrbanWood floor coming out of the box is made up of mostly 6 foot boards, so planning the install pattern is easy when you know the length distribution in advance.

Radiant floor heating is fast becoming one of the most common ways to heat a home, and the implications for flooring installed over these systems is significant. When using this type of heating system, care should always be taken to closely follow the instructions of the flooring manufacturer. Failure to do so can result in significant damage being done to a floor, in the form of serious shrinkage, cupping and face checking which result when a radiant floor heating system shocks a hardwood floor with excessive, direct heat.

The reason for so much attention being paid to the formaldehyde levels of engineered flooring is that it has become known that formaldehyde is a carcinogen. Some countries such as the United States and Japan have very strict regulations governing building products that use wood glue. The presence of formaldehyde in wood glue is something that UrbanWood takes very seriously, and we have therefore committed to using the highest quality formaldehyde-free wood glue available.

UrbanWood floors are factory finished with an advanced polyurethane finish that is both durable and easy to care for. Basic cleaning involves two simple procedures. Sweep or vacuum the floor frequently to remove loose dust and grit. This is very important to the long term performance of the floor and its finish. Small particles of loose grit act like sandpaper on the surface, wearing it down over time and dulling the gloss. Regular sweeping or vacuuming will help keep these harmful particles off the floors. (Having mats at entryways is a good way to keep grit off the floor as well.) Day to day wear will ‘dull’ the floor as dirt and oils get deposited onto the surface. To clean these away, use a cleaning solution specially formulated for prefinished hardwood floors. We recommend BONA or similar hardwood floor cleaning products. Please ensure to follow the product instructions outlined by the manufacturer.

The answer to this question is that it depends. The purpose of a humidifier is to keep the relative humidity (RH) inside a home above a certain level (usually around 30%). If the RH falls below this level for an extend period of time, significant damage to a hardwood floor can result. Seasonal fluctuations in RH vary considerably from place to place, so the answer to the question of whether a humidification system is required or not is best answered by a qualified hardwood specialist that is familiar with the local environment.

The following products should never be used to clean an UrbanWood floor: detergents, oils, waxes, polishes, bleach, vinegar, scouring agents, ‘all in one floor cleaners’ or oil soaps. These products will either damage the finish or leave residues that will dull the appearance of the floor.

We recommend not using a vinegar and water solution on your UrbanWood floor. Vinegar is an acid and if used over an extended period of time may alter the gloss level of the floor.

No! Steam cleaners should never be used on a wood floor. The combination of heat, moisture and pressure could be very damaging to the wood. For similar reasons, never use a completely wet mop or cloth when cleaning the floor, and instead use only a slightly damp mop or cloth.

Unfortunately, there is no real remedy to repair a dent in the wood. The only real solution is to replace the damaged board. A professional hardwood flooring installer will be able to complete a board replacement.

Usually, yes. It depends on the extent and nature of the damage. If the damage is just a few boards, they can probably be replaced. This is a job for a professional installer. (It’s also an excellent reason to keep a few spare boards left over from your installation.)

Yes! Especially compared to most UV cured floor finishes (which are generally difficult to refinish), our DuRa-Finish is highly suitable for screen and re-coat operations. Generally speaking, there are two different approaches to refinishing a hardwood floor: the simpler and easier “screen and recoat” process, and the more time consuming and thorough “sand and refinish” process. The screen and recoat process is ideal to refresh a hardwood floor that has become scuffed and scratched over time. With a screen and recoat, most of the original finish remains and a new topcoat is added. This process is ideal for keeping the original texture of a wirebrushed or hand textured floor. The sand and refinish process is more extensive and involves removing all of the coating, stain and texture before applying an entirely new series of protective coatings. This process is usually done when the homeowner wishes to change the overall look of the floor, or in cases of extensive surface damage.

Hardwood flooring has many advantages over other types of flooring. High quality hardwood flooring that is properly cared for can last for several decades, and even generations. When amortized over many years, a hardwood flooring will prove to be a great investment, even if the initial cost seemed expensive. Perhaps most importantly, however, is the fact that hardwood floors are simply beautiful. No other design element in a home commands the presence of a hardwood floor, and nothing else connects people to the beauty of nature the way that a beautiful, natural hardwood floor can.

Many people are confused by this terminology. Solid wood flooring is, as the name suggests, made from a single piece of hardwood lumber. The main advantage of solid wood flooring is that it is cost effective to make. Solid wood strips may be suitable when the plank width is narrow, however problems arise once the widths get into “wideplank” territory, which is generally considered to be 6” and wider. Once the width surpasses 6”, solid floors become unstable and are subject to problems with shrinkage and cupping. This is where engineered flooring comes in. Engineered flooring gets its name from the fact that there are multiple layers glued together in such a way as to counter the forces of expansion and contraction that inevitably occur as the seasons change and the moisture content of the wood in a floor changes. The “engineering” of an engineered wood floor is an indication that thought and effort have been put into the floor’s structural design to ensure that it will remain stable in all conditions. Finally, laminate flooring is not real wood flooring at all. It is a pattern printed on paper and glued onto a high-density fibreboard backer. Laminate floors are usually cheap when initially purchased, but tend to last nowhere as long as a high-quality wood floor, and certainly are not loved to the same extent either.

When shopping for a hardwood floor, homeowners definitely need to consider the issue of thickness as it relates to affordability. As a rule of thumb, thinner floors (3/8” – 9/16”) are less expensive, and thicker floors (5/8” – 3/4") are more expensive. Generally speaking, thicker floors have thicker wear layers (the surface layer), which makes them more expensive, but which means that they are more durable and will last longer (and have more potential to be resanded and refinished multiple times). UrbanWood gives you the benefit of a thicker wear layer (3mm) while remaining affordable.

First and foremost, we feel that a major distinction setting us apart from our competition is our attention to detail. UrbanWood utilizes all the best resources to make a beautiful floor remain affordable while not skimping on the special details such as harmonizing our knot filler with the flooring colour. This is a special step to create a uniquely beautiful floor that others don’t do. The UrbanWood Ultra Matte Dura Finish does not contain any aluminum oxide, so the finish looks natural without that aluminum oxide sparkle.

The hardness of the wood used in a particular floor is definitely an important consideration, especially for active families that have children and pets. Households that leave shoes on while inside should also pay attention to the hardness of their wood. While many other characteristics such as grain pattern, wood tone, etc. are also important factors, the hardness of the wood should always be taken into account, especially when the potential for a lot of wear and tear exists. UrbanWood floors are made of European Oak which is considered a hard species.