I need advice about Prefinsished hardwood floors...

I'm buying new floors for a house I'm buying next week. I'm going to install them myself because it'll save me $2000-2500. I called around and found 2 great prices on hardwood floors. I'm having trouble making a decision with my current options and need some help from anyone that might know the best deal.

Option 1 Cabin Grade Oak Floors @ $4800 (sales tax added). This option includes tavern grade wood without filled knots, but comes with a 5 year finish warranty. It expected that 15% of the wood won't be usable.

Option 2 Tavern Grade Oak Floors @ $3914 (no tax, but $250 shipping) This option is the same as above, but comes without a warranty. The same 15% waste can be assumed. Since it's a closeout and from out of state, I may have to order extra to make sure I have enough and the floors may look rough in spots.

Option 3 First grade white oak (the others are red) with a 25 year warranty for $4234. The color of the stain is not as golden as the others and this has squared edges and ends. The problem is if the floors aren't level under the carpet, there may be exposed edges of the floor if they rise up. Think...walking along and feeling the corner of a board in sock feet.

This would be slightly better quality overall than what I could buy from Lowes for $7128....but the Lowes wood has a microbevel.

The question I have is about Option 3...it's a much better deal than the others based on grade (warranty is more of a indicator of the grade of the wood and lack of mineral staining since the finish is typically the same process). Has anyone here installed squared edge prefinished floors?

Thanks.

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Reply to
scarpozzi
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scarpozzi wrote: ...

Yes.

But to answer your unasked but implied real question -- first thing I then did was sand and finish.

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Reply to
dpb

If the floor isn't level, I'd start by addressing that. Regardless of the kind of wood flooring you choose, it's not designed to hide problems with the existing surface.

I'd also suggest reconsidering your approach to the whole project. I don't know how much you paid for your house or what it looks like, but putting cabin grade product in to save a few bucks may not be a good idea. Also, when you are dealing with material that has a lot of defects, the skill and experience of the installer is an important factor in figuring out how to minimize the amount of defects that are used, hiding them, etc. Finally, if you;re dealing with some internet or other company of dubious credibility, it's not unusual for it to wind up with you having a truck load of real crap show up and difficulty in getting it returned, your money back, etc.

Reply to
trader4

Are you REALLY installing hardwood floors then covering them with carpet? Or are you talking about the transition from carpet to wood? If the latter, there are solutions to that problem.

And how much floor, in square feet, are you considering?

Further, we note you're posting via the we-don't-like-them company. Bad move.

Reply to
HeyBub

scarpozzi had written this in response to

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:

I never mentioned carpet in my post.

Less than 1500 sq ft, so I'm ordering 1600 sq ft

I never did that either. I think you may have replied to the wrong thread or you simply didn't read through it.

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Reply to
scarpozzi

BTW, this was 3/4" solid obtained thru distressed products outlet similar to many of the online places except was local.

I'd never consider buying something like this I couldn't see unless it was guaranteed firsts and had right-of-refusal in purchase agreement if not as promised/satisfied.

Depending on the manufacturer and the reason for the disposal/classification, the finish may be very poor as well may be the dimensional tolerances besides the actual material defects of the knots, etc., that lower grade.

Both were issues w/ what I bought but I knew it by looking before purchase and bought it as if it were unfinished flooring knowing it would need finishing.

Unless you're talking the last product above, I'd think 100-ft overage isn't nearly enough unless you've got sizable areas such as closets or others to hide poor material into.

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Reply to
dpb

Agreed. You need at LEAST 10% overage, and that's assuming 1st quality stuff.

Reply to
h

Solid 3/4 wood? T&G, nail through the tongue into the subfloor?

If so, no, I've never done it and I'd never even try it. No way are the boards going to lay down nice and flat without height variation board to board. Which means they need to be sanded. Which means bye-bye finish.

I *have* laid 3/4" T&G unfinished flooring. Sanded and finished it too, no big deal.

Reply to
dadiOH

User-Agent:

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Reply to
HeyBub

Except for: The problem is if the floors aren't level under the carpet, there may be exposed edges of the floor if they rise up.

Sorry, your credibility is lost.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

I think his reference to carpet was that the floor is covered with carpet now and he means he's concerned that the existing floor (plywood?) under the carpet may not be level. Which is why I said if the floor isn't level to begin with, he needs to address that before doing anything, as no hardwood flooring is going to go down right.

Reply to
trader4

scarpozzi had written this in response to

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: Hey Bub, I didn't get to check the thread yesterday. You gave me a good chuckle this morning. :P

I'm slightly nervous about the condition of the subfloor, but it'll only cost time and $1000 to get new tongue & groove plywood. Considering this would need to be done on any wood floor I put down, I may go ahead and order the square-edge floors and just plan all that into my cost. This house has 6 decent-sized closets I can hide bad boards in, but my real buffer is that there's a laundry room that can etiher lay new floors in or keep as vinyl.

Thanks for all your advice guys.

Reply to
scarpozzi

The Stucco site is not a help forum, it's an

*advertising* forum that invades real forums (like "alt.home.repair", part of "usenet") parasitically in order to generate free advertising for itself, which continually advances its search engine placement, thereby increasing its own revenue through its click- through advertising commissions.

So the first thing you should do is write them an email and tell them to quit spamming.

Then try to find your way here through proper channels. Please do a google search on "Usenet" and post the regular way.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

I advise you to get a usenet reader, and usenet account.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

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