New construction, flooring advice needed

5 years ago

Hello, We are building in southern VA. We do have a basement. We are in the "whirlwind" of flooring options, specifically related to high end engineered flooring or stain on site. (Budget around $9.00 sq foot) We have looked strongly at Hallmark floors, in order to get a wider and longer plank than a solid prefinished piece. We like the look of long and wider boards, but also want to a durable floor. We are a family of four (dogs outside and in for the occasional treat). Does anyone have a brand/type/or even just helpful thoughts they can share? We are starting to feel like we are just moving from one sales pitch to the next.

Featured Answer

User

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

You will need very stable humidity control for wide planks. That ain’t most of the country without windows kept closed and the upgraded HVAC always on. And if you’re a slab on grade instead of a crawl space, you don’t have a choice. It has to be engineered. Which is a good thing. Because it’s more stable and will not have as many issues. Engineered is better in most respects for wide plank, for most of the country.

$9 a square is a good medium quality level flooring. Not high end. You’d have to double that to approach high end flooring. You’ll have a lot of choices in that medium range though. Look at number of plys, (more is more stable) and the wear layer thickness (thickerbis better). Junk wood cores (less stable) vs similar species core (more stable). Rotary cut veneers (cheap) vs plain sawn veneers (better looking) .

A manipulated finish,like scraping or wire brushing, vs a classic smooth finish is more of a personal choice, but slightly wire brushed generally ages a lot better as it doesn’t show normal wear and tear as much. Gloss levels are also personal design decisions, but stay away from true matte or true high gloss. The middle of the spectrum has better wearability long term. Hardwax oil finishes are hot right now, but be sure you understand the large amount of maintenance that they require, and the problems with them.

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Comments (13)

swingrove85
5 years ago
Bump.

I am struggling with the same issue, also building. I am going back and forth between a site finish white oak but I am concerned over the color it will be as I want a no yellow, no red floor on lighter side.

I was looking at Hallmark Alta Vista but our local retailers stopped carrying it. I’ve also come across Provenza, Naturally Aged floors, Mullican Mount Castle, And some Palmetto Road floors but each has their draw backs..... ideally we want a long planked, white oak with some knots in a lighter brown, almost tan color and enough of a wear layer to refinish down the road if we want to. DM floors also look nice but not supplied near us.

Let me know what you end up going with!
Nikki N
5 years ago
I prefer real hardwoods and sand on site in a new build. We put our floors in first. Then baseboards and trim etc. Sanding and finishing was just about the last step. We really love the end result. I chose real hardwoods because our current home has floors that are almost 100 years old and still beautiful. But I've seen pretty engineered floors too, just not 100 years later...
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izzydixie
Original Author
5 years ago
Yes, we have wood floor joists, no slab. Any particular thoughts on Hallmark?
User
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Meh. Find your flooring pro first. He will have access to to the trade suppliers.
chispa
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
We just had our 18 year old site finished oak floors patched and re-coated after a kitchen remodel with a slight layout change. The floors look brand new again ... at least they will until the big dog goes charging at the front door after hearing the doorbell! I am keeping some baby gates up for a bit, so I can enjoy the perfect floors for a few days at least! After that, we'll live life and get some patina back on them!
chisue
5 years ago
You have a basement! You can have 'give' in your flooring. You will have happy joints when you are old.

We have site-finished hardwood floors with poly coat throughout the house, including kitchen; tile in bathrooms and back hall. No thresholds. 36" doors. I have had waxed floors in the past...not again.

I like long boards, not the 'checkerboard' effect of short ones. Hardwood comes in parcels with both long and short boards. Tell your floor guy to buy extra parcels and toss the short boards. (Do you have a fireplace? haha)

We have forced air heating and cooling with flow-through humidifiers (no mold) on the furnace. I run dehumidifiers in the basement in summer.
swingrove85
5 years ago
What about applying Rubio Monocoat to solid wood to get desired look? Not sure about maintenance of it.....
littlebug zone 5 Missouri
5 years ago
We installed new site-finished white oak floors in several rooms of this 50+ year old house when we bought it. We had some existing hardwood floors refinished at the same time. Absolutely love it all.

By the way, our new white oak floors were $10 +\- per square foot.
User
5 years ago
Lots of issues with oil finishes. Don’t go that route without accepting all of the extra work.
izzydixie
Original Author
5 years ago
I don't want the upkeep of oil. Hallmark has this NuOil renewal product to revive the floor when needed and I was told you only do this as needed, and it's a simple procedure much like mopping. But, this is when I begin to wonder am I buying into a sales pitch or is this a great product?!? It's so confusing.
chispa
5 years ago
Sophie, what are the issues with oil finishes?
User
5 years ago
Water spots. Animal and human fluids turning the floor black and not being able to be removed. Spot coats not blending in. Floors looking “dry” but additional coats turning into a sticky mess. Maintenance oils gumming everything up and attracting dirt. Needing to re oil way more frequently than the marketers say. Reoiling not being as easy as the marketers say.

Basically, the marketers lie. As usual. The big draw of being able to touch up the finish should have a , “yes, but” attached to it.

New construction, flooring advice needed

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swingrove85

Nikki N

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New construction, flooring advice needed

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