Maple hardwood floors: WARNED about gaps & buckling

Posted by Thomas G. Marshall on August 22, 2009, 6:35 pm

On Aug 22, 4:32=A0pm, "Cwatters"
67e-4f21-8657-76b2c040a839@f10g2000vbf.googlegroups.com...

> > One of the contractors, whom I think is honest, is warning me again
> > using Maple for my hardwood floors. =A0He says that he's see no end of
> > expansion in the summer and contraction in the winter issues.
> > Basically, large gaps in winter. =A0And if put in during the winter:
> > significant buckling during the summer. =A0"except if you use
> > 'engineered maple' which is a thin veneer which only allows
> > refinishing once".

> If you use the right kind of engineered wood you can refinish it lots of
> times.
> For example here in the UK you can get 21mm thick engineered wood with T&=

> joints. This can be resanded as many times as solid wood with T&G joints.
> (eg it's the T&G joint that fails first).

That's nearly an inch thick, so it /must/ be including the plywood
depth. How thick is actual maple on it?

Posted by Cwatters on August 23, 2009, 4:23 pm

On Aug 22, 4:32 pm, "Cwatters"

>> For example here in the UK you can get 21mm thick engineered wood with
>> T&G
>> joints. This can be resanded as many times as solid wood with T&G joints.
>> (eg it's the T&G joint that fails first).

>That's nearly an inch thick, so it /must/ be including the plywood
>depth. How thick is actual maple on it?

Yes includes the plywood. The top wear layer would be a bit more than 1/4"
say 5/16". It varies from make to make. You can also get a 14 or 15mm
versions. Same ratio of ply to hardwood applies - eg the wear layer is
between a quarter and a third of the overall thickness. Good prefinished
engineered oak can sometimes cost more than solid oak.

We installed 200 mm wide, 21mm engineered oak in our house over UFH. Came
pre-finished with Osmo Polyx Hardwax oil which is easy to recoat.

Posted by Thomas G. Marshall on August 24, 2009, 3:55 pm

On Aug 23, 4:23=A0pm, "Cwatters"
c03-4dc6-854b-d45deb84dffa@r38g2000yqn.googlegroups.com...

> On Aug 22, 4:32 pm, "Cwatters"

> >> For example here in the UK you can get 21mm thick engineered wood with
> >> T&G
> >> joints. This can be resanded as many times as solid wood with T&G join=

ts.

> >> (eg it's the T&G joint that fails first).

> >That's nearly an inch thick, so it /must/ be including the plywood
> >depth. =A0How thick is actual maple on it?

> Yes includes the plywood. The top wear layer would be a bit more than 1/4=

> say 5/16". It varies from make to make. You can also get a 14 or 15mm
> versions. Same ratio of ply to hardwood applies - eg the wear layer is
> between a quarter and a third of the overall thickness. Good prefinished
> engineered oak can sometimes cost more than solid oak.
> We installed 200 mm wide, 21mm engineered oak in our house over UFH. =A0C=

ame

> pre-finished with Osmo Polyx Hardwax oil which is easy to recoat.

Was it microbeveled, or did it allow for smooth butting (without an
extra sanding/refinishing)? The beveled look is just not something I
like at all.

Posted by Cwatters on August 26, 2009, 3:34 pm

On Aug 23, 4:23 pm, "Cwatters"

>Was it microbeveled, or did it allow for smooth butting (without an
>extra sanding/refinishing)? The beveled look is just not something I
>like at all.

Not sure of the difference between beveled or microbeveled.

Basically most of the engineered wood I've seen here in the UK has a small
bevel on the long sides and none on the ends. We butted the boards together
with no sanding - they were supplied prefinished.

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Maple hardwood floors: WARNED about gaps & buckling - Page 4