# Anyone know a good source for hardwood flooring



## kazuma78 (Jun 22, 2015)

My parents are building their retirement house and want to put hardwood floors in some of it. I'm trying to convince them to do hardwood on the whole house but they said they aren't sure they can swing the cost, but they haven't priced the flooring yet. Since I know the multitude of wood nuts/ addicts here have experience with pretty much everything relating to wood, I'm asking if any of you have experience with a good supplier or have any tips. Thanks in advance!


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## Schroedc (Jun 22, 2015)

Unfortunately I don't have anyone to suggest but we do have a local sawmill/lumber processor here that will run any species into hardwood flooring very reasonably in almost any width and length. Might be worth checking with local sawmill/millwork suppliers to see what they'd cost.

Reactions: Agree 2


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## kazuma78 (Jun 22, 2015)

Schroedc said:


> Unfortunately I don't have anyone to suggest but we do have a local sawmill/lumber processor here that will run any species into hardwood flooring very reasonably in almost any width and length. Might be worth checking with local sawmill/millwork suppliers to see what they'd cost.


Do they make it tongue and groove? I'm assuming most hardwood flooring is tongue and groove but I could be wrong.


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## Schroedc (Jun 22, 2015)

kazuma78 said:


> Do they make it tongue and groove? I'm assuming most hardwood flooring is tongue and groove but I could be wrong.



Yes, our local place will T and G the material after it's planed, If you could get enough BF to do the job you could always invest in a good set of T and G bits for your router table and do it yourself. (I've had to do that to make replacement flooring to match my 100 year old floors)


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## TimR (Jun 22, 2015)

I did a quick search because I thought I had heard something not long ago about why the underside of wood flooring has the grooves cut in it. There's everything from stress relief, and preventing rocking of a 'solid' bottom, to reducing weight for shipping savings. In any case, if you were to have flat stock milled with T&G, you may want to get some good info on need for the underside milling also. I've put down a good deal of hardwood in our home, and I suspect it's a combination of 'breathing' and 'stability'. Gotta be someone who reads this who really knows!!! 
I bought most of the Brazilian cherry I put down from a local hardwood supplier, but did upstairs in some pine from Lumber Liquidators. Quality was ok, but they're in news lately for outgassing of manufactured products like engineered floor and bamboo. 
I like idea of local/regional sawyers and mom/pop wood dealers though, and had I been more wood savvy back when I put flooring down, I would have looked into it to help keep them in operation vs the big outfits.


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## Schroedc (Jun 22, 2015)

TimR said:


> I did a quick search because I thought I had heard something not long ago about why the underside of wood flooring has the grooves cut in it. There's everything from stress relief, and preventing rocking of a 'solid' bottom, to reducing weight for shipping savings. In any case, if you were to have flat stock milled with T&G, you may want to get some good info on need for the underside milling also. I've put down a good deal of hardwood in our home, and I suspect it's a combination of 'breathing' and 'stability'. Gotta be someone who reads this who really knows!!!
> I bought most of the Brazilian cherry I put down from a local hardwood supplier, but did upstairs in some pine from Lumber Liquidators. Quality was ok, but they're in news lately for outgassing of manufactured products like engineered floor and bamboo.
> I like idea of local/regional sawyers and mom/pop wood dealers though, and had I been more wood savvy back when I put flooring down, I would have looked into it to help keep them in operation vs the big outfits.



Yeah, I'm sure there is a reason for the grooves, our local place, if you tell them flooring they do the whole shtick to it. Although, I have pulled out a number of 100 year old hardwood floors over the years to reclaim the lumber and none of them had the grooves.......


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## HomeBody (Jun 23, 2015)

You can do a laminate floor for cheaper. We did laminate in the living room and hall because of the big dog. The rest of the house we did with Bruce pre finished tongue and groove hardwood. Eliminated all the wall to wall carpet in favor of wood. We've noticed a lot less dust. Replacing cloth furniture with leather next. Gary


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## kazuma78 (Jun 23, 2015)

Thanks for the responses. Ill look around their area for a mill that might be able to do the milling on their own. Hopefully I can find somewhere good!


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## barry richardson (Jun 23, 2015)

Where are your parents located?


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## kazuma78 (Jun 23, 2015)

My parents are building in Ohio. Up around the Toledo area (where Clinger is from in MASH)


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## Kevin (Jun 23, 2015)

Well I went with curly koa laminated flooring in our kitchen.

Reactions: Funny 3


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## kazuma78 (Jun 23, 2015)

Kevin said:


> Well I went with curly koa laminated flooring in our kitchen.


Wise choice! Haha like walking on shimmering gold

Reactions: Agree 1


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## norman vandyke (Jun 23, 2015)

I got my flooring from builddirect.com. Super cheap and decent product. About half of what it costs anywhere in town.


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## Kevin (Jun 23, 2015)

Build Direct used to have a TERRIBLE reputation - they had numerous complaints about their flooring because it was mismatched and they didn't stand behind their product. Maybe they have changed but in the early 00's they had one bad review after another.


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## norman vandyke (Jun 23, 2015)

They did initially send the wrong sample to me(it wasn't representative of what I got shipped). They took it back and have me what I wanted, no extra charge. I had the correct flooring within a week. They did screw up though, for sure.


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## ripjack13 (Jun 23, 2015)

TimR said:


> I did a quick search because I thought I had heard something not long ago about why the underside of wood flooring has the grooves cut in it. There's everything from stress relief, and preventing rocking of a 'solid' bottom, to reducing weight for shipping savings. In any case, if you were to have flat stock milled with T&G, you may want to get some good info on need for the underside milling also. I've put down a good deal of hardwood in our home, and I suspect it's a combination of 'breathing' and 'stability'. Gotta be someone who reads this who really knows!!!
> I bought most of the Brazilian cherry I put down from a local hardwood supplier, but did upstairs in some pine from Lumber Liquidators. Quality was ok, but they're in news lately for outgassing of manufactured products like engineered floor and bamboo.
> I like idea of local/regional sawyers and mom/pop wood dealers though, and had I been more wood savvy back when I put flooring down, I would have looked into it to help keep them in operation vs the big outfits.




I found this to be quite informative though pretty much opinions....


*****************

http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Why_is_Wood_Flooring_Kerfed_on_the_Bottom_Face.html

Speculation, theories, and facts about why wood flooring and some door jamb stock is usually milled with grooves in the underside or back side. October 13, 2008


_From Professor Gene Wengert, Sawing and Drying Forum technical advisor:_
The purpose of the cut-outs in flooring is for stress relief (to relieve casehardening), to keep the pieces from warping when they are machined. Old dry kilns did not have adequate stress relief capabilities, so by removing material, top and bottom, the stresses were balanced. It is not always done today and many people use different sizes. It is so traditional that flooring without the cut-outs would be rejected by installers. 

Two other, possibly valid reasons for the relief cuts on flooring: 
1. In a glue-down application, it leaves a space for excess glue to go. 
2. It makes it easier for the floor guy to determine which side is the face. 
*************


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## sprucegum (Jun 23, 2015)

Exclusively VermontTom C. & Pam Lathrop5th Generation Lumberman723 Hewitt Road, Bristol Vermont 05443Phone (802) 453-2897


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## DKMD (Jun 23, 2015)

The upside to the prefinished stuff is the durability of the factory finish. The downside is that re-finishing is supposed to be a nightmare. With the laminate stuff, you're not gonna refinish anyway, so it's not a concern.

If I were building from scratch, I'd go with a laminate.... Lots more variety, and after refinishing the floors in our current house, I don't ever want to do that again.


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## norman vandyke (Jun 23, 2015)

I would definitely go laminate now that I've put down a wood floor. Lots cheaper, easy install, still looks great and with the low cost, I can just replace whenever it starts looking bad, which takes at least 10 years.


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## jmurray (Jun 24, 2015)

Just my opinion... Ive laid a great deal of hardwood floors, finished, unfinished, even laminate.

Prefinished solid hardwood is IMO the best way to go. It's easily acquired, easy to install, looks great for years to come. It can be sanded and refinished when the time comes. 

In my experience you won't save any money buying unfinished, and good luck achieving a factory like finish with a brush or lamb applicator.

Laminate, IMO, is short term. It doesn't hold up to moisture well, it's just as expensive, and looks bush league. IMO
I've removed quite a bit of 4-5 year old laminate flooring, especially in kitchens, entryways, bathrooms etc.

If it were my house I would shop around for the best price solid hardwood, buy yourself a nailer(300+$)
And install yourself. Lumberliquidators usually has a decent sale going in the summer.

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## kazuma78 (Jun 24, 2015)

Thanks for all the responses this far! It's all helpful and I'll be looking around in the next few weeks.


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