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Across the Grain An Educational Newsletter from the Janos P. Spitzer Flooring Company 131 West 24th Street New York, New York 10011 (212) 627 1818 www.janosspitzerflooring.com |
| November 2009 | |
| Is Solid Wide Plank Flooring Right For Your Project? | |
| There is no doubt that wide plank floors can be an effective way to introduce visual drama to a space. Unfortunately, if the flooring system is not properly designed and installed, wide planks can also introduce emotional drama to your project! It is important to understand the special requirements of wide plank floors prior to specifying them on a project. While wide planks have all the same physical characteristics as narrower planks of the same species, their greater breadth may make some of the characteristics become problematic. For instance, all wood species expand and contract with changes in ambient humidity. If a 2” wide plank expands to 2.02” when exposed to high humidity, a 10” wide plank of the same species would be expected expand to 10.1” under the same conditions. When less humid conditions return and the flooring contracts once more, some gaps will likely remain between the planks. The 10” wide planks may have gaps averaging up to 0.1”, but since gaps are not presented uniformly across a floor, some gaps may be up to 1/4” wide! Other wood characteristics such as shape deformation and appearance defects (knots, grain deviation, sapwood, mineral streaks, etc.) may also be more prevalent in solid wide planks. Shape deformation is normally controlled by setting the planks in a full bed of adhesive, followed by face fastening - screwing down the planks, then concealing the screw heads with wooden pegs. Use of high-quality engineered wood flooring can eliminate the need for face fastening, and alleviate some of the problems associated with solid wide planks. But be forewarned, the vast majority of engineered wood flooring products are poorly designed and utilize low quality materials. There are only a few engineered flooring manufacturers offering durable, high quality, well designed products, so product selection must be made carefully. |
Spitzer Flooring Seminar An AIA-Accredited Educational Seminar Earn 2 continuing education credits So You Like Wide Plank Floors... Let's Talk Learn about the pros and cons, options and restrictions, problems and remedies associated with wide plank flooring installations. December 1, 2009 4-6pm at the Showroom 131 West 24th Street Please arrive at 3:45 to ensure a timely start. Space is limited. Pre-register using the form below. For more information call 212-627-1818 or e-mail: seminars@janosspitzerflooring.com |