7 CATASTROPHIC hardwood flooring mistakes

Whether you’re getting new hardwood floors installed or old ones refinished, there are 7 main mistakes I see people make in the process. If you make these mistakes with your wood floors it could cost you thousands of dollars.
These hardwood mistakes are:
1. Choosing the wrong species of hardwood floors.
2. Getting non-refinish able wood floors installed. EX: thin wear layer engineered floors.
3. Filling all the gaps between the floor boards on an old floor refinish.
4. Rushing the installation process: EX: forcing boards together when a cleat head is poking up.
5. Installing new hardwoods over a bad sub-floor. EX: Not sanding down high spots.
6. Failing to get a maintenance coat (new layer of polyurethane added) done every 1-3 years.
7. Going cheap on hardwood floor finish. EX: Spending thousands to have your wood floors refinished only to use a cheap varnish at the end.
Watch this video now to avoid these 7 catastrophic wood flooring mistakes!
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[@lumberjackhardwoodsupply]

Thanks for watching!

[@goldsilverjunkie]

As a hardwood floor professional for 16 years I APPROVE THIS MESSAGE 😊

[@pammietime4495]

Glad you mentioned maintenance coats.

[@ryantaylor4654]

Extremely well done video. Very concisely put together but with lots of great information, and without a lot of extra stuff in there to make it run long. Thank you! Subscribed.

[@lumberjackhardwoodsupply]

Thanks! Glad to have you!

[@camskea]

Greta video, straight to the point, no filler. Gave me answers to many questions I have about the floor I'm about to do. Thanks

[@carlafredd5441]

I wish that I had you as a resource when I was young and stupid and put in a floor (at the time the floor of my dreams) that wore just fine, but I hate the color. Not to mention all of the mistakes during installation that I did not know to look out for. I have learned so much by watching your channel, your honesty stings at times, but it all comes down to making sure we do not make a mistake that we will regret.

[@lumberjackhardwoodsupply]

I'm really glad that your finding my videos useful! I wish I had started making them sooner.

[@marcymartin9315]

Thanks I learned a lot. I will be saving up to repair our floors.

[@owen12397]

Excellent video! Everyone should watch this who has hardwood floors or is considering getting them

[@lumberjackhardwoodsupply]

We agree!

[@StevenAbbott]

19 year old house. I just finished my office in 3 1/4 x 3/4 maple very rustic. My wife loves the new floor and asked me to remove all the hardwood in the house and install matching hardwood. 1,100 sq ft. Refinishing cost $11 a sq ft, new solid maple $5.90 no brainer wife is getting new matching floor

[@Contractorsalesguy]

Another excellent & informative video for homeowners!!

[@lumberjackhardwoodsupply]

Thanks!

[@gregoryyoung7551]

Fantastic Video!! Question - I have a 4 x 8 bathroom. For flooring, I wanted to install pine, wide plank boards ( 8 inch). Then, three coats of polyurethane. Is this a good idea or a bad one? Thanks.

[@EricScherrer]

What about not keeping the new wood in the house for some time before installing? I've been wondering if this is really necessary.

[@RapidRepair]

Great information. Thanks

[@lumberjackhardwoodsupply]

Glad we could help!

[@hundredeyes5148]

how do you fix an undersized subfloor? i have 1/2 inch subfloor - should I add an 3/4 over the 1/2 inch? should I screw it into the joists? glue or felt paper between? thanks

[@joshuatoral5105]

can you caulk gaps instead of using wood filler?

[@markmcculley5875]

Very good information! Q: modern pre-finished hardwood often has a special finish - are those recommended high-end finishes you spoke of compatible? I have some hickory that will eventually need something. Thanks!

[@lumberjackhardwoodsupply]

The pre-finished that's really high-end is usually finished with penetrating oil, while the average ones from big box stores have some form of aluminum oxide UV cure finish. If you sand one of these floors down to raw wood, you can use pretty much any finish on it. Its generally not a good idea though to try to re-coat pre-finished without re-sanding it.

[@esl1402]

hey i've got all this white oak dimensions actual 2x6.. i'm getting it resawed to 3/8 and planeing it myself. plan is to install it down in one of our cottages. idea is to glue it down fully with titebond3.. and either add weight to each piece or screwing to the joists as i go along, then removing and filling the screw holes.. i know typically it would be t &g but if i take care to square up edges and glue the living shit out of it you see anything wrong with this approach? any screws you know would be suitable for this application? obviously predrilling etc?

[@today7518]

Thoughts on oil or water poly?? I've got to decide and everyone says oil is more durable long term. Thoughts on filling nail holes? Assume that's OK.

[@rockon-wbfqlkjqhsydic72683]

Nice video thanks!

[@lumberjackhardwoodsupply]

Anytime!

[@dougedwards2880]

Great video, what is the best material for a subfloor? You say NO pressed boards, thanks

[@lumberjackhardwoodsupply]

Thanks! Advantech for new construction (if its going to get wet) or plywood for remodels. The thicker the better.

[@snjspring]

Is crest board considered same as particle board?

[@csimet]

All great points. I'll add... people need to control their house temp & humidity levels, never allowing huge swings. Wood "breaths" with temp and moisture level changes. If you want it to remain as stable as possible, then keep the environment controlled to reasonable levels.

[@Postapocalypse666]

Hello, I need advice. I live in Las Vegas and really want to do 2 1/4 wide classic hard wood flooring. Is this a horrible idea considering how dry it is out here also I’m on a concrete slab. Every company says they can do a glue down but I worry about how long that would last. Any help would be great or reputable companies you could suggest?

[@lumberjackhardwoodsupply]

Dry is a good thing for wood floors so don’t worry about that. With modern adhesives your floor will last for many years. Probably your entire lifetime would be guess. Unfortunately I do not know any companies there. Hope this helps!

[@petero1068]

Can you do a talk about the does and don’ts for anyone who has concrete sub floors with slab on grade? I’m getting all kinds of crazy quotes from different installers, and some are saying to use an underlay moisture barrier and do a tongue and groove glue for engineered hardwood, while others are saying that you need to grind down the old concrete, and do a go down method. What’s the pros and cons for each using engineered hardwood floors for a concrete base?

[@portagepete1]

Get self leveler, It's a wet portable mortar, If necessary grind down the high spots with diamond grinder, and you don't want moisture from concrete because some wood will cup like craze depends on where it came from the tree, keep doing a lot more research, you can do it yourself.

[@T_P_343]

Where are y’all located? Do you have any contractor recommendations for Amarillo Tx?

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

My home has a concrete slab so my only choice is a quality engineered hardwood floor like Mirage or Lauzon. I went with a Lauzon engineered hardwood.

[@user-ps4ky5jk8w]

We put in red oak floors and we asked for a natural stain and now our floors soak up water and you can’t get food to come off of it. It’s a nightmare

[@dblanc3870]

I made that mistake...the thin 2mm wear layer. 15k mistake. Overpriced too. (Engineered.) I just saw Jasper Floors from Build Direct with double the wear layer and for cheaper. It really sucks to make costly mistakes. It hurts honestly. The only good thing is that the warranty for the floors I bought ate double than Jaspers. I have no idea what it covers though... Can you do maintenance coats on engineered hardwood that's already finished??

[@lumberjackhardwoodsupply]

Its a little bit risky, but yes.

[@ethanhank1016]

Is it ok to do on a concrete floor?

[@theresasmith9032]

We had someone stain our original old hard wood floors and now everytime its humid it stinks horrible like cat pee!!!what should we do

[@tifacola]

I live in St. George Utah. It’s very arid with a crazy monsoon season. 115 summers to 15 degree winter nights, weather extremes. Is hard wood not recommended?

[@davidkelly4801]

Hardwood will just fine in that climate, the moisture is a much bigger deal than the temperature swings.

[@Danielle-nz9tn]

When you say (in #5), “never install wood floors over pressboard subfloors,” I assume it’s OK if there is real wood underneath the pressboard? I don’t know why there is pressboard in my house, since there is wood beneath it (which I can see from basement), but is this a problem?

[@lumberjackhardwoodsupply]

OSB is okay, pressboard is never okay. But if you can see it from the underside, its probably OSB.

[@misterogers9423]

I know it not true hardwood, but do you think a house with minor Asian to install bamboo floors everywhere except wet place? Do you guys even work with softwoods like bamboo or have experience with it?

[@vienna844]

Can you do one on engineered hardwood floors over a slab in Texas?

[@lumberjackhardwoodsupply]

Yep

[@vienna844]

Thanks!☮️🙏☮️

[@llbailey9946]

you point out in #3 what I thought but so many videos says "the pros use gap fillers"

[@lumberjackhardwoodsupply]

Gap filler is just a quick fix that leads to regret unfortunately.

[@ivettehi1250]

My floor has air pockets. Just installed and was told the floor is pitched, so it can't be corrected. Will this lead to replacement in months

[@lumberjackhardwoodsupply]

What type of floor is it? Floating?

[@ivettehi1250]

@@lumberjackhardwoodsupply engineered hardwood click and lock

[@aaroncard4576]

What is "crestboard"

[@garyjsimm]

any of you guys in New York City?

[@ryans413]

Half the work is prep even if your installing fake hardwood floors like vinyl or laminate. The prep work before hand will save you many headaches and the job will go smoother with proper prep work.

[@lumberjackhardwoodsupply]

Yep!

[@BobRooney290]

one lesson i learned is that wide area coverage of carpets will save you from ever needing to refinishing your floors. cheaper to throw them out and get new carpet than paying a contractor to sand and refinish your floors.

[@lumberjackhardwoodsupply]

Yeah probably true.

[@bartosullivan8050]

Like the guy who wants his Kia to look like a Porsche.

[@Kaodusanya]

Literally all his advice is rip out and install new hardwood 😅

[@MergedElement]

So you use the cheap poly on your mom house every year?😂

[@qaersw]

not sure this guy knows what he is talking about boys.

[@cicakaki6587]

He provided some pretty good info. I have been installing for almost 17 years now. I disagree with the first point,there are products on the market that takes the redness away from red oak as long as you want a natural look. Does not work with stains though. So what part are you disagreeing with?

[@deadxaim]

Just rip it out! Few people have that kind of money lol

[@noelgillett346]

the building profession is chock full of both good practices and outright scams. the issue of wood-flooring introduces liabilities to both owners and tenants that in turn creates conflicts and financial lossses that in turn lead to death by homelessness and false incarceration. humanity is at its core an evil and despicable creature, with those opting out of this evil existing only on the margins as the true "remnant." I'm facing a wood-floor issue wherein I'm looking to prevent harm while optimizing utilization and the online lit on the issue leaves one in a state of confusion that in turn yields a context of high risk. by design. it's a bad ugly and evil world. thanks for the exceptions.

[@steveedwards6753]

What???

[@audio323]

​@steveedwards6753 that would be a brain on stimulants... dont do drugs kids

[@homerco213]

I call the failing filler look, "broken teeth." It looks terrible.

[@inspiron528]

What is the highest quality flooring can someone have for interior? (Price not an issue)