SimpleFLOORS

Glossary

Aluminum Oxide Carbonized Charcoal Antiqued Grain Chisel Impact Coarse Effect Do it Yourself End cap Engineered Exotic Finger Lathe Floated Glued Glueless Locking Tongue and Groove Hand Rubbed Stains Handscraped High Density Fiberboard Installation Methods Installation Rating Janka Lifestyle Surface Melamine Infused Micro-Bevel Nailed Natural Neo-Prene Rubber Over-wood Plank Plies Pre-Finished Quarter Round Radiant Heat Random Length Planks Reducer Refinished Sanded Saw Kerf Solid Floors Sound Transmission Reduction Square Edge Stain Stairnose Stapled Strand Woven Strip Strips Structural Placement Subfloor T-Molding UV Cured Wallbase Wear Layer Zipper Punch

Aluminum Oxide

The most durable finish available for use on hardwood and laminate floors. Aluminum Oxide's tough surface helps reduce surface scratches.

Carbonized

The steaming process in which the sugars cook and caramelize inside the bamboo cane to produce the rich brown color in bamboo flooring.

Charcoal Antiqued Grain

A special charcoal wash treated grain technique that deepens the color of only select grain throughout the plank. This creates contrast within the wood itself.

Chisel Impact

Chisel impact is not only striking in appearance, it is one of the most time consuming hand-scraping techniques. On some stained colors, deeper tint is applied to the marks themselves creating further contrast with the surface.

Coarse Effect

Anvil chiseling throughout the body combined with unevenly carved beveled edges provides a more aggressive distressed style. Wire brushing is added to further define the grain within the plank. The overall surface of the flooring plank itself is flat without consistent wave fingers.

Do it Yourself

Synonyms: diy, do it yourself

A term used to describe installation projects that home owners will often do by themselves without hiring a contractor.

End cap

Also known as threshold or baby threshold, use this floor trim for transitions to carpet, masonry (fireplaces), sliding doors and other exterior door jambs.

Engineered

Engineered Floors consist of multiple high pressure fused layers of real wood with grains running in opposite directions. The top layer is the premium species of choice. This process creates the most durable hardwood floors available.

Exotic

Synonyms: exotic, exotics

Rare and difficult to source woods imported from around the world. Exotic woods are typically natural in tone with no stains applied, harder in density and with beautiful color variation.

Finger Lathe

The hand tool lathe is used to gently carve valleys into the surface of the floor. Flowing uneven paths combined with slight body and edge distressing throughout are characteristic.

Floated

Synonyms: floated, floating, float

A common installation method in which the new floor is installed over an underlayment and not attached to the subfloor at any point. One of the fastest, easiest and most economical installation methods.

Glued

Synonyms: glued, glue, gluing

The term "glued down" is an installation method in which adhesive is spread onto the floor using a metal hand trowel. The flooring planks are then placed into the adhesive.

Glueless Locking Tongue and Groove

A glueless locking tongue and groove mechanically secures the flooring planks together without the need for additional adhesives. Glueless locking floors allow for a faster floating installation.

Hand Rubbed Stains

Synonyms: hand rubbed, hand applied

The manual process of applying stains to the wood flooring by rubbing the color stain on and off with a soft cotton cloth. Improved color and grain depth result.

Handscraped

Synonyms: handscraped, hand-scraped, hand carved, handcarved, handsculpt

This premium feature is a process in which artisans carve depth and character by hand into the surface of a wood floor. A time worn appearance results.

High Density Fiberboard

Synonyms: hdf, high density fiberboard

A term used in describing the density of a laminate floor core board.

Installation Methods

Synonyms: installation methods, installation method, installation techniques, installation type

The various methods in which a floor can be installed including nail down, glue down or floating installation methods. Detailed instructions are posted on this site for each collection.

Installation Rating

How easy or difficult the installation of the flooring is based upon other customers previous feedback. A "Moderate" or "Easy" rating is suitable for both DIY or professional installation. A "Difficult" rating is best left to a professional installer.

Janka

The Janka hardness rating measures the pound per inch (psi) density of a variety of wood flooring species. Denser floors have a higher density rating and are harder to gouge and indent from daily wear.

Lifestyle Surface

A heavy wood grain topical surface texture typically used in the rustic or traditional pattern selection of laminate flooring.

Melamine Infused

The process of incorporating plastic into the High Density Core board (HDF) of a laminate flooring. This results in its moisture resistant capability.

Micro-Bevel

Synonyms: micro-bevel, micro-beveled, microbeveled, micro bevel

The term Micro-Bevel refers to slight round cut edge of the flooring plank. Micro-bevel edges give definition to the flooring plank and help reduce uneven plank height.

Nailed

Synonyms: nail, nailed

The nail down installation is the traditional method of affixing the flooring plank to the wooden subfloor beneath. The nail is driven by a pneumatic (air powered) flooring nail machine available at most local rental stores.

Natural

Meaning no color stain has been applied, only the protective no wax finish. What you see is the natural color of the actual wood species.

Neo-Prene Rubber

A premium sound deadening rubber underlayment for use under hard surface floors.

Over-wood

Synonyms: over-wood, over wood

When one edge of a hardwood plank is slightly higher than its adjoining plank. This is typically caused by an uneven subfloor.

Plank

Synonyms: plank, planks

Plank is the term that defines a hardwood or laminate floor with an approx board width of 4" or greater.

Plies

Synonyms: ply, plies, plys

The structure of an engineered floor where various layers of thinner wood are adhered together. This results in the strongest most stable wood floor available.

Pre-Finished

Synonyms: pre-finished, prefinished, pre-finish, prefinish, factory pre applied, factory applied

Multiple layers of sealer/finish have already been applied at the factory. All of the choices on simplefloors.com need no additional top coats, waxes or sealers applied, they are ready for installation and use.

Quarter Round

This is a wall trim. This is typically placed in front of an existing baseboard and covers the expansion gap required with many floors. It covers over the gap between the floor and the wall.

Radiant Heat

Synonyms: radiant heat, radiant heating, in floor heating, in floor heat, in floor radiant heat, radiant heat system, radiant heat systems

The term radiant heat refers to heating systems that are built into the floor. Radiant heat systems often consist of a network of tubes in which hot water travels.

Random Length Planks

More than one length of planks found in the cartons. Random length floors are the traditional format of hardwood flooring offering a more staggered appearance.

Reducer

Use this floor trim for transitioning down to adjoining lower floors. A good example of this use would be reducing down to a concrete or vinyl floor.

Refinished

The process in which a new clear coat of finish is applied to a hardwood floor surface renewing its life. This is typically a do it yourself job applied by a sponge mop.

Sanded

A process typically done in the past, sanding removes the top layer of wood from a hardwood floor. Modern protective finishes mean most wood floors installed today will not require actual sanding in the future.

Saw Kerf

This hand-scraping technique consists of a multitude of smaller intricate line marks in selected groups running throughout the body width of the wood surface. Features also include random, small and darkened burmish rectangle designs.

Solid Floors

A flooring plank constructed with one solid piece of a single species. The entire plank from top to bottom is made of a "solid" piece of a specific hardwood species.

Sound Transmission Reduction

Synonyms: acoustical underlayment, acoustical cushion, sound reduction, sound deadening, sound reducing underlayment, underlay attached, sound deadening underlayment, sound deadening cushion

Underlayments for use as a foundation below the hard surface floor. Rubber and Cork underlayments are effective in the reduction of noise transmission from foot traffic in the room and rooms below.

Square Edge

The terms square edge refers to the area where the planks meet at the edges. Flooring planks with a square edge meet up to each other flush. There is no groove at the edges of the plank; they meet squarely.

Stain

Synonyms: stain, stains

The term stain refers to a color treatment being factory applied to the surface of the wood. Staining wood floors allows for a wide range of interior design color options

Stairnose

This trim allows you to install the flooring on your stairs. Use this trim on the edge of the stair tread to provide a curved wrap and build the rest of the step out of the new flooring material itself.

Stapled

Synonyms: staple, stapled

The staple down installation is the method of affixing the flooring plank to the wooden subfloor beneath. The staple is driven by a pneumatic (air powered) flooring nail machine available at most local rental stores.

Strand Woven

A term describing the unique manufacturing process in which bamboo is thrashed, bundled and densely compacted to exotic flooring plank with an 3000 PSI Janka rating.

Strip

Strip is the term that defines any floor with a 3 3/4" or narrower board width.

Strips

Strip defines the amount of individual appearing slats of wood that makes up the full width of a laminate floor board.

Structural Placement

The various levels (grades) in a home or building where the floor is able to be installed. For example, "below grade" refers to a basement level, "on grade" is the first floor and "above grade" is 2nd floor or higher.

Subfloor

Synonyms: subfloor, subfloors, sub floor, sub floors

The term given to the base floor of a structure. Subfloors will typically be either concrete or wooden. New floors are installed on top of the subfloor.

T-Molding

Use this floor trim in doorways and areas when transitioning to a similar or same height floor. An example would be doorways where this floor is being installed in both rooms, or areas where this floor is going to meet an existing floor of similar height.

UV Cured

The Ultra Violet light baking process that each finish coat goes through after being applied at the factory. UV curing hardens the finish surface.

Wallbase

Trim that attaches to the wall and covers the flooring expansion gap (typically 1/4" gap or more). Can be combined with a quarter round when covering larger expansion gaps.

Wear Layer

Synonyms: wear layer, wearlayer

The top layer of hardwood on an Engineered Floor. This is the surface area that is walked on and seen.

Zipper Punch

The newest of hand-sculpting techniques re-creates the impression of the teeth marks left in the wood by a hand held coarse file used centuries prior. The surface of the plank is flat with no wave, the beveled edges are slightly larger enhancing the plank effect.