Frequently Asked Questions
Choosing the right species of wood flooring for you is strictly a matter of your style, budget and personal preference. Different hardwood species have different grain patterns and natural colour tones. Light woods like ash and maple generally make a room appear more open and airy. While darker hardwoods like walnut or wood with darker stains such as hickory and oak can make a room warm and cozy, or stately and refined.
Once you decide on a look, you should consider how your floors will be used. Are you a retired couple living alone, or a busy family with young children and pets? Each wood species is rated for its hardness and durability using something called a Janka scale.
The Janka scale gives a good indication of how likely a wood is to dent or show other wear. Click here to see our Hardwood Janka scale.
Q. Do wood floors scratch easily?
All flooring options will show some wear over time, but wood flooring is the only flooring optionย that can be repairedย to make it look new again.
Most scratches in wood flooring will occur in the finish, not the wood itself. These can be repaired with a maintenance coat in which the finish on the flooring is lightly abraded and then a new coat of finish is applied. This process is much like refinishing a piece of furniture where the old furniture is lightly sanded to give the new paint something to adhere to.
For scratches that are deeper and in the wood, the flooring can be sanded and refinished. A wood flooring professional who is properly trained, and also has the proper equipment, will remove just a small amount of the flooring material to make these kinds of repairs. Then, after the scratches are removed, a new coat of finish will be applied, restoring the floor to its original luster.
Scratches on wood flooring can be prevented and minimized by placing throw rugs at all entryways from outside, putting felt pads on furniture legs, clipping pet nails, and avoiding walking on floors in athletic cleats or high heels in disrepair.
Q. How do I protect my hardwood floor from damage caused by dog claws?
Products such as dog socks and nail caps have been created to help homeowners avoid damage caused by dog claws. Regularly trimming your pets nails can also help.
Q. What is the difference between Solid Hardwood and Engineered Hardwood flooring?
Solid hardwood flooring is made from 100% hardwood.ย Each board is a single solid piece of wood. It is valued for its classical and timeless beauty, authenticity and durability. Solid hardwood flooring is suitable for installation on or above grade, and typically available in widths from 2 ยผ” to 6 ยผ”.
Engineered flooring is constructed with wood layers. The top layer (the โwood veneerโ) is 100% natural hardwood, and below that is a North American Pine blockboard core system. The engineered construction creates a floor that is less likely to expand and contract when exposed to shifts in moisture, humidity and temperature. This makes engineered wood flooring a great option for wider widths and for rooms that are subject to moisture (like basements) or over concrete.
Learn more about BreezeWood’sย Solid Hardwood & Engineered Hardwood flooring.
Q. Why is the 5mm thick solid wood veneer on BreezeWood’s engineered hardwood flooring such a significant benefit to the homeowner?
Our engineered flooring consists of a 5mm thick layer of real wood (โthe veneerโ) on top of a blockboard core system (โthe pinecoreโ), made of North American Pine. BreezeWood Hardwood Flooring’s engineered hardwood flooring has a total thickness of 3/4″ or 19.05mm.
As always, the veneer on all BreezeWood engineered hardwood flooring is made with local, sustainably harvested wood.
The industry standard for thickness of an engineered flooring veneer is between 2mm to 3mm. However, with a 5mm thick solid wood veneer, BreezeWood Hardwood Flooring’s engineered hardwood flooring goes above and beyond the minimum standard.
Hereโs what that means for you, the homeowner:
- A thicker, top veneer means that your floor will be more durable and stand up better to every day wear.
- Due to its above-industry standard thick veneer, our floor can be sanded multiple times in order to repair it or to change the look of your home, similar to solid hardwood flooring, which makes our engineered hardwood flooring a valuable, long-term investment in your home.
- Combined with our true random lengths, BreezeWood Hardwood Flooring’s engineered hardwood flooring provides the most authentic solid hardwood flooring look with all the benefits of engineered hardwood flooring. Even the most seasoned flooring professional will be hard pressed to tell whether your BreezeWood floor is engineered or solid hardwood flooring once it is installed.
When shopping for hardwood flooring, remember that not all hardwood flooring is created equal. Obtaining samples during the selection process is a great way to compare products from different manufacturers–having samples allows you to compare the overall thickness of the flooring, as well as the thickness of the veneers.
To order free samples of BreezeWoodโs hardwood flooring and have them shipped directly to your home, please click here.
Q. Is there a difference between real wood flooring and laminate flooring?
Yes, laminate flooring is a totally different product type and is rarely comprised of any real wood. Laminate (or โplastic laminateโ as it is referred to in the industry) is typically a paper photograph of wood or stone fused onto a backer board with a clear (plastic) wear layer over the photo. The photograph that gives laminate its โlookโ is often a repeating pattern/image that can be seen on the floor. Laminate can not be refinished which contributes to its shorter product life when compared to real wood.
Laminate flooring is man made and comprised of chemicals which can pose a health threat to some individuals. There are concerns regarding the smell and off-gassing of formaldehyde and other unknown chemicals used in the manufacture of laminate flooring. Solid wood flooring made in Canada and factory finished with no VOCs (Volatile organic compounds are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids) are a healthier alternative.
Both laminate and real wood flooring are susceptible to swelling when exposed to major spills or excessive moisture.
Real wood flooring gets its โlookโ naturally and each plank is unique just like each tree in the forest is unique. Real solid hardwood flooring can be sanded and refinished several times and has a typical rated life span of 60 or more years.
Q. What is the difference between Rustic Grade Solid Hardwood Floors and XL Rustic Solid Hardwood Floors?
Rustic grade solid hardwood flooring contains all the natural wood characteristics that occur in hardwoods, such as colour variation, knots of all shapes and sizes, mineral streaks, checks, and worm holes. Open characteristics are filled with non-shrink filler. Rustic grade hardwood flooring isย available on accumulation basis onlyย and contains shorter average board lengths.ย This Rustic flooring product typically is available in various widths ranging from 2 ยผโ to 5 ยผโ.
XL Rustic solid hardwood flooring is a unique rustic custom hardwood floor product offered only by BreezeWood Hardwood Flooring and contains extra-long board lengths and wide plank widths. They feature all of the beautiful natural wood character of a true rustic grade floor, including large knots, mineral streaks, and full natural colour variation but they also boast extra long planks, with lengths ranging from 2′ to 12′ long.ย XL Rustic flooring is a wide plank floor, with various available widths ranging from 3 ยผโ to 6 ยผโ.
Click here for more information on all of our hardwood flooring grades.
Q. Do I really need to order more flooring than my measurements result in?
Yes. As a general rule, you should plan to order 5-10% more flooring than is needed for the installation.ย Much of the material will be cut to fit the exact space, and once the boards are cut, they likely cannot be used elsewhere in the room because the end tongue or groove will have been removed. Once that happens, that board can no longer adjoin with another board, so there is some waste involved.
You may need to order slightly more or less depending on the room. For example, if you need to work around stairs, a bay window, a fireplace, and a closet, you may need to have more than 10%, but if the room is square with no interruptions, less than 10% may work. Your contractor or flooring installer is your best resource for helping you estimate the material that will be needed to complete the job, or our sales associates at BreezeWood can also help you decide how much flooring you need.
BreezeWood Hardwood Flooring allows up to 3 boxes (54-60 sqft) of unopened flooring to be returned, subject to a restocking fee.
Q. How long after my floors are delivered to the installation site should I wait before installing them?
Hardwood flooring needs to be delivered to the job site and allowed to acclimate for a period of time before the installation can begin. This can take several days depending on the material being used.
This is a very important part of the installation process because the wood must reach equilibrium moisture content (EMC) with the job site conditions to ensure a long-lasting, high-quality installation.
Q. What is Relative Humidity in my home and why do I need to keep it at a certain level?
Relative Humidity is a measure of how moist the air is. As a natural product, all hardwoods react to changes in moisture levels, expanding with increased moisture and contracting when moisture levels drop.ย Wood flooring will perform best when your home is kept between 30% and 50% relative humidity and 18ยฐ to 24ยฐC in temperature.ย Keeping relative humidity at an appropriate level is also good practice for your health and may help prevent humidity related issues such as mould, bacteria, fungi, viruses, dust mites, etc.
Q. What do you recommend for cleaning the floor?
A Swiffer duster or the floor attachment on your vacuum will pick up surface dust. For scuff marks etc. a slightly damp cloth will usually lift these. There are also cleaners sold at hardware stores specifically for hardwood floors, but these should be used sparingly, as constant usage may produce a film on the floor. Learn more
Q. Do you sell flooring trim and accessories such as transition strips, stair nosings, etc?
Yes. BreezeWood Hardwood Flooring and its affiliated company, Townsend Lumber sell unfinished trim and mouldings in a variety of species to professionally complete your flooring project. Learn more
Q. Do you sell wood stain for transition strips, stair nosing, etc?
The stains that BreezeWood Hardwood Flooring uses on our hardwood flooring is an industrial stain that requires UV light in order to achieve proper curing.ย Therefore, it is not available for consumer use.
In order to colour match stair nosing and transitions to your hardwood floor, we recommend taking a piece of your hardwood flooring to a local paint store.ย They will be able to colour match and recommend a stain that will work with the colour of your flooring.
Q. Do you provide installation?
When you purchase from BreezeWood you maintain complete control over who completes your installation. We do not have installers nor do we contract out installation.
However, we can provide you with contact information for reputable and experienced independent installers whom our past customers have recommended. If you desire the complete package including measuring and installation, we can provide you with contact information of BreezeWood Hardwood Flooring authorized dealers / contractors near you.
Learn more about installing BreezeWood Hardwood Flooring products here.
Q. How will I receive my order?
You have 2 choices. Free in-store pickup or we can arrange delivery (contact us for delivery charges). Order size/quantity and distance are the main delivery charge factors.
Q. How is the flooring packaged?
BreezeWood Hardwood Flooring’s solid and engineered hardwood flooring lines are packaged in cardboard boxes which are approx. 6.5-9 feet long.ย The XL Plank flooring line is not boxed, but comes in manageable bundles, typically 6′-12′ in length and weighing approx. 2.7 lbs/sq.ft.
BreezeWood boxed flooring- Box Dimensions and weights:
| Flooring width | Sq.ft. per box | Box Size | Weight per Box |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 ยผ” | 19 | 85ย ยฝ”ย xย 7ย ยฝ”ย xย 4ย ยผ” | 52ย –ย 57ย lbs |
| 3 ยผ” | 20 | 79″ x 10 ยฝ” x 3 ยฝ” | 54 – 60 lbs |
| 4″ | 19 | 89″ x 8 ยพ” x 3 ยฝ” | 52 – 57 lbs |
| 4 ยผ” | 20 | 88″ x 9 ยฝ” x 3 ยฝ” | 54 – 60 lbs |
| 5″ | 23 | 88″ x 11″ x 3 ยฝ” | 64 – 69 lbs |
| 5 ยผ” | 18 | 87″ x 11 ยผ” x 2 ยพ” | 49 – 54 lbs |
| 5ย ยผ”ย (Engineered) | 20 | 108″ x 11″ x 2 ยผ” | 47 – 52 lbs |
| 7 ยฝ” (Engineered) | 19 | 96″ x 8″ x 2 ยพ” | 42 – 49 lbs |
Q. How much does the flooring weigh?
Our 3/4-inch solid wood flooring weighs (on average) approximately 3 pounds per square foot. For example, 500 square feet of flooring weighs approximately 1,500 pounds.
Q. How long will it take to get my flooring from date of order?
Lead times for our hardwood flooring depend greatly on species availability and width/grade demand. In-stock ‘cash & carry’ flooring can be ready to take home with you the same day you place your order. Custom flooring options such as XL Rustic have a longer lead time due to the custom nature of the product so be sure to plan in advance.
Our sales associates can provide you with an estimated timing for your order โ just simply ask us!
Q. Can I call in an order?
Absolutely! Simply call one of our customer reps at the showroom closest to you:
Tillsonburg — 519-688-3553
Kitchener/New Dundee — 519-696-2424
Orillia/Bass Lake — 705-326-3965
Q. What are your store hours?
View our regular store hoursย here:
Tillsonburg
Kitchener/New Dundee
Orillia/Bass Lake
If our regular hours are not a good fit with a customerโs schedule, after-hours appointments are available.
* For holiday hours, please check our social media pages (Instagram and/or Facebook) or call for store hours