The Basics
Flooring Types
Flooring sets the stage for a beautiful interior view, especially when you take advantage of the many exciting options for hardwood flooring at MacDonald Hardwoods.
We are proud to offer you a wide selection of hardwood flooring, as well as some basic information to help make the design and purchasing process fun, creative, and easy.
Our extensive selection enhances any space, with an unmatched variety of options.
- Widths – Traditional to Wide
- Colors – Light, Medium, Dark
- Species – Maple, Oak, Hickory, Ash, & more
- Textures – Smooth, Wire Brushed, Hand Scraped
- Styles – Solid, Enhanced, Engineered
Visit Our
Wood Species
Each species of wood offers different strengths and looks. Review our selection
of hardwoods to learn more each species.
Oak
Maple
Hickory
Ash
Oak Flooring
Want a floor that is as strong as oak? Our team of flooring
experts at MacDonald Hardwoods specialize in oak flooring. Oak
has a reputation for being a strong, hard wood. The two main
types used for our oak flooring are referred to as White Oak and
Red Oak, and although they are similar, they have a few
characteristics that are worth comparison.
experts at MacDonald Hardwoods specialize in oak flooring. Oak
has a reputation for being a strong, hard wood. The two main
types used for our oak flooring are referred to as White Oak and
Red Oak, and although they are similar, they have a few
characteristics that are worth comparison.
Red Oak Characteristics
Color & Grain: Color has a reddish tint, and an open, coarse grain
to it.
to it.
Stability & Durability: Red Oak is less durable than White Oak.
White Oak Characteristics
Color & Grain: Can be light brown, white or off-white, and may
even have a minute e amount of pink or gray to it. The grain
has longer, open rays as well as knots or swirling patterns.
even have a minute e amount of pink or gray to it. The grain
has longer, open rays as well as knots or swirling patterns.
Stability & Durability: White Oak is 1% more stable and 5%
harder than Northern Red Oak, so is more durable. Due to tannic
acid, White Oak is protected from insects and fungi.
harder than Northern Red Oak, so is more durable. Due to tannic
acid, White Oak is protected from insects and fungi.
Maple Flooring
One of the most common and widely used North American woods, the Hard Maple tree is found in eastern North American. While grown in abundance, it is more expensive to get the pure white sap wood. In flooring, you will get a combination of heart and sap wood in any hard maple. Hard Maple is a very clean looking wood with not much grain at all, and very little colour variation which gives a very consistent look. If you don’t like much grain and want a smooth, even tone to your floor, maple is for you.
Maple Characteristics
Color & Grain: Heartwood is creamy white to light reddish brown; sapwood is pale to creamy white. Closed, subdued grain, with medium figuring and uniform texture. Occasionally shows quilted, fiddleback, curly or bird’s-eye figuring.
Stability & Durability: Average stability (more stable than Red Oak). Dense, strong, tough, stiff; excellent shock resistance.
Hickory Flooring
Hickory while not quite as stable as some of the other woods, is quite hard. The grain of the hickory is closed and tighter together, so if you like the look of a grainy wood, that isn’t as grainy as oak, then Hickory is for you.
Hickory Characteristics
Color & Grain: Pecan heartwood is reddish brown with dark brown stripes; sapwood is white or creamy white with pinkish tones. Hickory heartwood is tan or reddish; sapwood is white to cream, with fine brown lines. Pecan is open, occasionally wavy or irregular. Hickory is closed, with moderate definition; somewhat rough-textured.
Stability & Durability: Pecan, average (more stable than Red Oak). Hickory, below average (less stable than Red Oak).
Durability: Combination of strength, hardness, toughness and stiffness found in no other commercial wood; exceedingly high in shock resistance.
Ash Flooring
Ash wears well and scratches and dents are less noticeable than in other species. There is a strong grain pattern in the Ash and this hides natural imperfections well. There is a lot of natural color variation, which gives it a livelier appearance than maple.
Ash Characteristics
Color & Grain: Heartwood is light tan to dark brown; sapwood is creamy white. Similar in appearance to white oak, but frequently more yellow. Bold, straight, moderately open grain with occasional wavy figuring. Can have strong contrast in grain in plainsawn boards.
Stability & Durability: Above average (more stable than Red Oak). Elastic, hard; excellent shock resistance. Remains smooth under friction.
Glossary
MacDonald Hardwoods would like to credit the National Wood Flooring
Association for this comprehensive glossary of wood flooring terms.
ACRYLIC/WOOD
The generic name for wood-plastic-composites utilizing wood impregnated with acrylic monomers and polymerized within the wood cells by gamma irradiation. Some versions are cured by heat radiation. (In the case of acrylic/wood parquet, a semi-built-in finish is developed.)
AIR-DRIED
Dried by exposure to air in a yard or shed without artificial heat.
ANNUAL GROWTH RING
The layer of wood growth, including spring and summerwood formed on a tree during a single growing season.
Base Shoe
A molding designed to be attached to base molding to cover expansion space. Similar to quarter round in profile.
Bastard Sawn
Lumber (primarily hardwoods) in which the annual rings make angles of 30 Degrees to 60 Degrees with the surface of the piece. (Also known as Rift Sawn)
Beveled Edge
(See Eased Edge)
Board Foot
A unit of measurement of lumber represented by a board I foot long, 12 inches wide, and 1 inch thick or its cubic equivalent. In practice, the board foot calculation for lumber 1 inch or more in thickness is based on its nominal thickness and width and the actual length. Lumber with a nominal thickness of less than 1 inch is calculated as 1 inch.
Bow
The distortion of lumber in which there is a deviation, in a direction perpendicular to the flat face, from a straight line from end to end of the piece.
Burl
A swirl or twist of the grain of the wood which usually occurs near a knot, but does not contain a knot.
CHECK – A lengthwise separation of the wood that usually extends across the rings of annual growth and commonly results from stress set up in wood during air drying or kiln-drying.
Check
A lengthwise separation of the wood that usually extends across the rings of annual growth and commonly results from stress set up in wood during air drying or kiln-drying.
Chipboard
A paperboard used for many purposes that may or may not have specifications for strength, color, or other characteristics. It is normally made from paper stock with a relatively low density in the thickness of 0.006 inch and up.
Compression Set
Caused when wood strips or parquet slats absorb excess moisture and expand so much that the cells along the edges of adjoining pieces in the floor are crushed. This causes them to loose resiliency and creates cracks when the floor returns to its normal moisture content.
Coniferous
(See Softwoods)
Crook
The distortion of a board in which there is a deviation, in a direction perpendicular to the edge, from a straight line from end to end of the piece.
Crosspull
A condition occurring at an end-joint with the ends of flooring strips pulled in opposite directions.
Crowning
A “convex” or “crowned” condition or appearance of individual strips, with the center of the strip higher than the edges. (Opposite of cupping.)
Cupping
A “concave” or “dished” appearance of individual strips, with the edges raised above the center. (Opposite of crowning)
Cure
To change the properties of an adhesive by chemical reaction (which may be condensation, polymerization, or vulcanization) and thereby develop maximum strength. Generally accomplished by the action of heat or a catalyst, with or without pressure.
Custom Floors
Wood floors that are made to order. Complete flexibility is allowed for design, species, grade, etc.
Decay
The decomposition of wood by fungi.
• Advanced Decay – The older stage of decay in which destruction is readily recognized by soft, pitted, or crumbly areas. Decided discoloration or bleaching of the rotted wood is often apparent.
• Incipient Decay – The early stage of decay that has not proceeded far enough to soften or otherwise perceptibly impair the hardness of the wood. It is usually accompanied by a slight discoloration or bleaching of the wood.
Delamination
The separation of layers in a laminate, through failure within the adhesive, or at the bond between adhesive and laminate.
Deciduous
(See Hardwoods)
Diffuse - Porous Woods
Certain Hardwoods in which the pores tend to be uniform in size and distribution throughout each annual ring or which decrease in size slightly and gradually toward the outer border of the annual growth ring. (EXAMPLE: Hard Maple)
Dimensional Stability
The ability to maintain the original intended dimensions when influenced by a foreign substance. Wood is hygroscopic, and is not dimensional stable with changes in moisture content below the fibre saturation point.
Distressed
A heavy artificial texture in which the floor has been scraped, scratched, or gouged to give it a time-worn antique look. (A common method of distressing is wirebrushing.)
Dry Wall
Interior covering material, such as gypsum board, hardboard, or plywood, which is applied in large sheets or panels.
Eased Edge
The chamfered, or beveled edge, of strip flooring, plank, block, and parquet at approximately a 45 degree angle.
End-Joint
The place where two pieces of flooring are joined together end to end.
End Matched
In strip and plank flooring the ends of individual pieces have a tongue milled on one end and a groove milled on the opposite end, so that when the individual strips or planks are butted together, the tongue of one piece engages the groove of the next piece. OR (A male projection milled on one edge of a strip, plank, slat or unit to be engaged with a female counterpart on an adjoining unit.)
Eouilibrium Moisture Content
The moisture content at which wood neither gains nor loses moisture when surrounded by air at a given relative humidity and temperature.
Feature Strip
A molding accessory for parquet floors utilized to separate squares into patterns larger than the individual parquet units. It is available in widths from 5/16″ to 2″, the same thickness as the parquet, and is available in various lengths. The strip is flat and may have grooves on both sides to match the tongues of adjacent plank or parquet.
Fiberboard
A broad generic term inclusive of sheet materials of widely varying densities manufactured of refined or partially refined wood (or other vegetable) fibers. Bonding agents and other materials may be added to increase strength, resistance to moisture, fire, or decay, or to improve some other property.
Figure
Inherent markings, designs, or configurations on the surface of the wood produced by the annual growth rings, rays, knots, and deviations from regular grain.
Filler
In woodworking, any substance used to fill the holes and irregularities in planed or sanded surfaces to decrease the porosity of the surface before applying finish coatings.
Wood Filler – (for Cracks, Knot Holes, Worm Holes, Etc.) Usually a commercial wood putty, Plastic Wood, or other materials mixed to the consistency of putty. A wood filler may also be mixed on the job using sander dust from the final sanding, or other suitable material, mixed with a sealer or finish.
Fire Resistance
The property of a material or assembly, to withstand fire or give protection from it.
Fire Retardant
A chemical or preparation of chemicals used to reduce flammability or to retard spread of a fire over the surface.
Flag
A heavy, dark mineral streak shaped like a banner.
Flag Worm Hole
One or more worm holes surrounded by a mineral streak.
Flame Spread
The propagation of a flame away from the source of ignition across the surface of a liquid or a solid, or through the volume of a gaseous mixture.
Flecks
The wide irregular conspicuous figure in Quartersawn oak flooring. (Also, See Rays, Wood)
Hardwood
Generally, one of the botanical groups of deciduous trees that have broad leaves in contrast to the conifers or softwoods. The term has no reference to the actual hardness of the wood.
HEARTWOOD
The wood extending from the pith of the sapwood, the cells of which no longer participate in the life processes of the tree. It is usually darker than sapwood.
Heavy Streaks
Spots and streaks of sufficient size and density to severely mar the appearance of the wood.
Honey Combing
Checks often not visible at the surface, that occur in the interior of a piece of wood, usually along the wood rays.
Hygroscopic
A substance that can absorb and retain moisture, or lose or throw off moisture. Wood and Wood Products are hygroscopic. They expand with absorption of moisture, and dimensions become smaller when moisture is lost or thrown off.
Intumesce
To expand with heat to provide a low density film; used in reference to certain fire retardant coatings.
Joist
One of a series of parallel beams used to support floor or ceiling loads and supported in turn by larger beams, girders, or bearing walls.
Kiln
(Pronounced “Kill”) A chamber having controlled air flow, temperature, and relative humidity for drying lumber, veneer, and other wood products.
Kiln Dried
Dried in a kiln with the use of artificial heat.
Knot
That ponion of a branch or limb which has been surrounded by subsequent growth of the stem. The shape of the knot as it appears on a cut surface depends on the angle of the cut relative to the long axis of the knot.
• Small Knot – In hardwood strip flooring not over 1/2″ in diameter.
• Pin Knot – A knot that is not more than 1/2 inch in diameter.
• Sound Knot – A knot cut approximately parallel to its long axis so that the exposed section is definitely elongated.
Laminated Wood
An assembly made by bonding layers of veneer or lumber with an adhesive. May also refer to edge-glued lumber items such as treads, etc.
Manufacturing Defects
Includes all defects or blemishes that are produced in manufacturing, such as chipped grain, torn grain, skips in dressing, hit and miss (a series of surfaced areas with skips between them), variation in machining, machine burn, and mis-matching.
Medullary Rays
Strips of cells extending radially within a tree and varying in height from a few cells in some species to four or more inches in oak. The rays serve primarily to store food and transport it horizontally in the tree. On quartersawn oak, the rays form a conspicuous figure, sometimes referred to as Flecks.
Mineral Streak
Wood containing an accumulation of mineral matter introduced by sap flow, causing an un-natural color ranging from greenish brown to black.
Mixed Media
A wood floor that is predominantly of wood but incorporates other materials such as slate, stone, ceramic, marble or metal.
Moisture Content
<p>The amount of moisture in wood expressed as a percentage of the weight of the oven dry wood.<br />
• NOFMA hardwood flooring is manufactured at 6% to 9% moisture content, with a 5% allowance for pieces up to 12% moisture content.<br />
• APA parquet flooring is to be 7% to 11 % moisture content at time of shipment. 5% of the flooring may be outside of this range.</p>
Mosaic Parquet
A parquet flooring made up of small solid pieces of wood (slats) assembled in units that may consist of individual squares, units with slats arranged in single or double herringbone design units or squares bordered with slats of the same or contrasting species.
Nosing
A hardwood molding used to cover the outside corner of a step, milled to meet the hardwood floor in the horizontal plane, to meet the riser in the vertical plane. (Usually used on landings.)
Nominal Size
As applied to timber or lumber, the size by which it is known and sold in the market; often differs from the actual size.
PARQUET
A patterned floor.
Parquet Floor Square
Basically a “tile” composed of individual slats held in place by a mechanical fastening. A square mayor may not possess tongues and grooves to interlock, and is not necessarily “square” or regular in dimension.
Parouet Floor Units
A unit consists of four (sometimes three) or more squares or “tiles” fastened together.
Particleboard
A generic term for a material manufactured from wood particles or other ligno-cellulosic material and a synthetic resin or other suitable binder.<br />
• Flakeboard – A particle panel product composed of flakes.<br />
• Oriented Strand Board – A type of particle panel product composed of strand-type flakes which are purposefully aligned in directions which make a panel stronger, stiffer, and with improved dimensional properties in the alignment directions than a panel with random flake orientation.<br />
• Waferboard – A particle panel product made of wafer-type flakes. Usually manufactured to possess equal properties in all directions parallel to the plane of the panel.
Pin Worm Hole
In hardwood flooring, a small round hole not over 1/16″ in diameter, made by a small wood-boring insect.
Pith
The small, soft core occurring near the center of a tree trunk, branch, twig, or log
Plains a Wed
The annual growth rings make an angle of less than 45 Degrees with the surface of the piece. This exposes the pores of the springwood and dense summerwood of the annual growth ring in ring-porous woods to produce a pleasing grain pattern.
Planer Bite
A groove cut in the surface of the piece deeper than intended by the planer knives.
Plank
Solid boards, usually 3/4″ thick and 3″ to 8″ wide designed to be installed in parallel rows. Edges may be beveled to simulate the appearance of Colonial American plank floors.
Plugs
Dowels that simulate the Colonial American plugged or pegged plank look. Sometimes used to cover counter-sunk screws when installing plank.
Prefinished
A completely finished flooring that requires installation only.
Quartersawed
The annual growth rings form an angle of 45 Degrees to 90 Degrees with the surface of the piece. In Quartersawed strips the medullary rays or pith rays in ring-porous woods are exposed as flecks which are reflective and produce a distinctive grain pattern.
Raised Grain
A roughened or fuzzy condition on the face of the flooring in which the dense summerwood is raised above the softer springwood, but not torn or separated.
Rays Wood
Strips of cells extending radially within a tree and varying in height from a few cells in some species to 4 inches or more in oak. The rays serve primarily to store food and transport it horizontally in the tree. On Quartersawn oak flooring, the rays form a conspicuous figure, sometimes referred to as Flecks.
Reducer Strip
A teardrop shaped molding accessory for hardwood flooring, normally used at doorways, but sometimes at fireplaces and as a room divider. It is grooved on one edge and tapered, or feathered, on the other edge. Various lengths are available.
Relative Humidity
Ratio of the amount of water vapor present in the air to that which the air would hold at saturation at the same temperature. It is usually considered on the basis of the weight of the vapor but, for accuracy, should be considered on the basis of vapor pressures.
Rift Sawn
Lumber (primarily hardwoods) in which the annual rings make angles of 30 Degrees to 60 Degrees with the surface of the piece. (Also known as Bastard Sawn.)
Ring Porous
A group of hardwoods in which the pores are comparatively large at the beginning of each annual growth ring and decrease in size, more or less abruptly, toward the outer portion of the annual growth ring. The large pores are springwood and the smaller pores are summerwood.
Sapwood
The wood near the outside of the tree. Usually lighter in color than heartwood.
Sawn
(See Plainsawed, Quartersawed, Bastardsawn)
Screeds
Usually a 2″ by 4″ laid flat-side down and attached to a concrete subfloor to provide a nailing surface for tongued and grooved strip flooring or a wood subfloor.
Sleeper
Another name for SCREEDS.
Shake
A separation along the grain, the greater part of which occurs between the annual growth rings.
Sheathing
The structural covering, usually boards or plywood, placed over the exterior studding or rafters of a structure.
Slats
The small solid hardwood pieces which form Mosaic Parquet Squares.
Slip-Tongue
A spline or small strip of wood or metal used to reverse or change direction in installing standard tongue and groove strip flooring. Sometimes used in laying 3/4″ solid Tongue & Groove parquet.
Softwood
General term used to describe lumber produced from needle and/or cone bearing trees (Conifers).
Split
Separations of wood fiber running parallel to the grain.
Squares
Usually composed of an equal number of Slats.
Square Edge
A flooring that is NOT Tongue & Grooved. Square-edged strip flooring is face nailed when installed. (Also See Jointed Flooring.)
Square Joint
Tongue & Grooved strip or plank flooring with edges that are not eased or beveled.
Stain
A discoloration occurring in or on flooring of any color other than the natural color of the species. For instance, blue stain, brown stain.
Streaks
(See Mineral Streaks)
Strip Flooring
Solid boards to be installed in parallel rows now produced in the thicknesses 1/2″, 3/4″, 33/32″ and the widths 1-1/2″, 2″, 2-1/4″, and occasionally 3-1/4″. The strips are Tongue & Grooved and end-matched. They are for nail down installation directly to wood or plywood subfloors, or over wood screeds on concrete slab construction.
Stud
One of a series of slender wood structural members used as supporting elements in walls and partitions.
TONGUE & GROOVE (T&G)
In suip, plank, and parquet flooring made from strip, and some mosaic parquet; a tongue is milled on one edge and a groove on the opposite edge. As the flooring is installed, the tongue of each strip, slat, or unit is engaged with the groove of the adjacent strip or unit.
TRIM
The finish materials in a building, such as moldings, applied around openings (window trim, door trim) or at the floor and ceiling of rooms (baseboard, shoemold, cornice, and other moldings).
UNFINISHED
A product which must be sanded and have stain and/or a finish applied after installation
UNITS
Four or more basic Mosaic Parquet Squares; or four or more slats in 3/4″ parquet, usually made from T&G strip flooring combined into a parquet unit.
V-JOINT
A term used in plank flooring to indicate that edges are eased or beveled to simulate cracks in floors of early Colonial American homes.
VAPOR BARRIER
A material with a high resistance to vapor movement such as foil, plastic film, or specially coated paper, that is used to control condensation or prevent migration of moisture.
WARPING
Any distortion of a piece of flooring from its true plane that may occur in seasoning.
WIRE BRUSHING
A method for imparting an artificial texture or distressed appearance to the surface of hardwood flooring.
Contact MacDonald Hardwoods for more information at <a href="tel:8006393006">800-639-3006</a>.
cleaning solutions and equipment
The Original
Do-It-Yourself Store
Our affordable cleaning solutions and equipment are
available for rent or purchase. Check out our Easy
Hardwood Floor Cleaner™. Just ask one of our flooring
experts for advice on which hardwood floor cleaning
product would be best for the wood in your home. We even
offer instructional classes!
KEEPING HARDWOOD FLOORS BEAUTIFUL
Cleaning And
Maintenance
For more than three decades, customers have relied on our MacDonald Easy Hardwood Floor Cleaner to keep flooring beautiful – no streaks, no residue!
Check out our entire cleaning system, including cutting-edge quality and design products. We’ve put together a top selection of products over our 30-plus years in the industry. These hardwood floor care products enhance your home’s beauty while still keeping your budget in mind. Drop by our showroom to see the many options available.
Wood Flooring Cleaning Tips
Properly cleaning your hardwood floors is important to maintain the sheen
and glossy finish of your floor. Keep your floor looking new by reading
through some of our hardwood floor cleaning tips.
THE DOS
- Vacuum or sweep your floor regularly to remove dirt, dust,
and any loose material. We recommend the MacDonald
Hardwoods Mac Vac™. - Remove spills promptly. Use your terry cloth mop cover or a
clean, soft cloth with MacDonald Hardwoods Easy Floor
Cleaner™ to clean up wet spills. Use a vacuum or broom to
pick up dry spills and abrasives. - Placemats at exterior doors to trap sand and grit from
incoming traffic. - Install felt floor protectors on the “feet” of all furniture.
- Use area rugs on high traffic areas: at ends of steps, near
doorways, etc. All rugs should allow your wood floor to
breathe. Avoid rubber-backed or non-ventilated rugs. When
rugs are impractical, periodically check your floor for wear. - Maintain the relative humidity in your home between 45%
and 55%. Excessive humidity or extreme dryness can cause
your wood floor to swell or shrink, creating cupping or cracks
THE DON’TS
- Do not let sand, dirt, and grit build up. They can act like
sandpaper and actually abrade and dull your floor finish. - Never damp mop a wood floor. Excessive amounts of
water can cause your floor to swell and cup. No matter
what you’ve heard from family and friends, do not wet
mop with water and vinegar to clean hardwood floors.
This can dull your floor and finish over time. - Avoid walking on wood floors with high heels. They can
severely damage wood floors. Keep heels in good repair. - Keep pets’ claws properly trimmed to avoid excessive
scratches and gouges. - Do not use wax, oil soap, liquid polish, or other household
cleaners on your polyurethane finished wood floor. The
use of these products can dull today’s floor finishes and
make refinishing difficult.
some things to consider
Humidity And
Hardwood Flooring
Colorado and the surrounding mountain states are among the most challenging regions for all wood products because of our extremely dry climate. The concerns of relative humidity control have been addressed by all major wood flooring manufacturers and are clearly documented by them and the National Wood Flooring Association. You should consider the following.
It is the responsibility of the homeowner to keep the relative humidity within a constant and acceptable range. Consideration of an appropriate humidification system should be given when a home is designed, or when hardwood flooring is added to an existing home. A floor moisture barrier will help you keep moisture from under your home from seeping into the wood. If you live in a dry climate, it’s a good idea to understand how to increase humidity in a room. Here’s why.
- Experts differ slightly on the range they feel is the most
appropriate, but a consensus would be between 25% and 40% relative humidity. Any in-home environmental conditions at the low end of, or below, this range will probably result in drying and cracking to some extent of most woods. Without additional humidification, in-home relative humidity can drop below 20% during the heating season because our Colorado winters are so dry. - Even if the atmosphere is generally controlled within this range, there will still be some movement as the seasons change and the relative humidity moves up or down.
- Wood is a natural product and its limits must be respected. Because extremely low humidity has such a profound effect on properly manufactured and installed wood flooring, manufacturers do not consider some plank separation or cracking to be defects that would be covered under their warranty.
- Engineered wood flooring is more stable than solid wood flooring and will not shrink or expand as much. However, it is still an all-wood product that will react to swings in humidity.
- Solid wood floors generally will expand and contract more than engineered floors resulting in larger gaps between the flooring boards during dry times of the year.
- Extremely dry conditions (those below 25%) will result in gaps between solid wood planks. The size of the gaps will depend upon the size of the planks. The wider the plank, the wider the gap.
- Extremely dry conditions (those below 25%) will also result in gaps between engineered planks. However, they will not be as wide.
- Extremely dry conditions may also result in cupping of engineered planks. (Dry cupping is caused when the top of the board is dryer than the bottom.)
- Extremely dry conditions (those below 25%) may also result in cracks and checking in the surface of both engineered and solid planks. These are not considered defects and are not covered under manufacturer’s warranties.
