Call us: +1 (206) 438-3936

Hardwood Flooring FAQ


General
You can reach us anytime by email at info@bc-floors.com, or by telephone (206) 438-3936
You can order free samples from any product page by selecting the drop-down menu that defaults to "Flooring box (16.4 sqft/box)" and selecting "Sample".
We have three warehouses spread throughout the country to help ensure you get your order as quickly as possible:

 

Seattle Warehouse - Kent, WA

Chicago Warehouse - Joliet, IL

Balitmore Warehouse - Brooklyn, MD

Yes! When checking out your cart just check the "Pick up myself" option. You will be sent a reference number and an appointment window to schedule pickup in your order confirmation email.

Safety first! Please ensure that if you plan to be travelling a long distance that you have sufficient equipment to secure your hardwood flooring to your truck or vehicle.

 

Choosing your floor
The main difference is how the two are made, which results in differences in how they will perform in your home and their environmental impact.

Our solid hardwood is crafted from sustainable and renewable lumber, milled for a tongue and groove profile, stained, textured, and finished with 8-layers of UV-resistant polyurethane. Our engineered is comprised of 6-10 layers of plywood, on top of which a veneer is pressed.

Solid is traditionally installed in homes with plywood subfloors, and engineered can be installed over almost any sort of subfloor due to its dimensional stability. Solid hardwood is lower environmental impact as it is made without any glues or resins that engineered flooring requires to press plywood sheets together, but both are renewable and if installed correctly will last you a lifetime.
Pre-finished hardwood flooring is often much more wear-resistant than site-finished, as our mills have invested in special curing equipment to harden these finishes to make them last. Site-finished can be preferable if you want a custom-mixed stain, or that really smooth, bevel-less look. However most site-finished flooring will take 7+ days to complete as you will need to let the finish dry properly. Pre-finished flooring can be installed in a day after acclimating properly.

 

In addition, many looks, stains, and textures are difficult for installers to replicate and can only be found on a pre-finished floor. In general pre-finished flooring is more affordable than site-finished due to lower labor costs.

As many as you like! We understand that choosing the floor you and your family will live on can be a lot, and we want you to feel completely comfortable with the color and style you like before deciding to buy.
Great idea! We encourage you to buy 1 box of flooring of the color you are strongly considering to see the full range of color and characteristics.
Our samples are made from our inventory, and often produced in the same production run. For products with "low" color variation in the product description, you can be pretty confident going off of the 1 sample you received. For products in the "medium" to "high" color variation, 1 sample is just not going to be able to show the full variation of the floor. We recommend you refer to the product pictures, room scenes, and even purchase 1 box to see the full range of color and features of the floor you are considering.
Yes! We have countless customers with furry family members. Our finish is reinforced with aluminum oxide to harden the finish and make it more resistant to pet scratches, leaving Fido free to run around inside. We do recommend keeping your pets claws trimmed and to clean up any accidents immediately to avoid damage to your floor. A protective rug under your pet's water bowl is also recommended.
Installing your floor
For our customers who are more handy and experienced, our pre-finished hardwood flooring can be installed in a day or two. Please refer to our installation and Care page

 

We recommend a professional installer for most homeowners, especially if you plan on doing anything a bit more complicated like stairways, non-rectangular rooms, etc. You can find a certified installer from the NWFA website here
We always recommend hiring an installer who is certified by the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) as hardwood flooring installation can be more complex and nuanced than many other floor coverings (e.g. carpet, tile, etc.) You can find a certified installer from the NWFA website here

 

If there isn't a certified installer nearby, many flooring installers are also available on homeadvisor.com and thumbtack.com
In general, a solid hardwood floor will need to be nailed/stapled to a wood subfloor. For products wider than 4.25", we also strongly recommend gluing the floor too. Please see ourinstallation and Care page for details.

 

If you have a concrete subfloor, you may need to add an additional layer of plywood subfloor to for the hardwood to install to.
We do not recommend installing solid hardwood flooring in a basement (below grade) or over radiant heat. However our engineered flooring can be installed over radiant heat and below grade.
Yes! Our hardwood flooring has been lovingly walked on for years. Like all natural products, hardwood will start to fade with exposure to light and moisture, but you will be amazed at how much hardwood floors can handle what life throws at it- spills, scrapes, puppy accidents, and a houseful of little feet and paws.
Kitchens- yes as long as spills and moisture are cleaned up immediately. Hardwood floors in a kitchen can be a real statement piece and bring warmth and sophistication to the often most important space in the whole house. Bathrooms- if there is a bathtub or shower (where this is risk of standing water), no. However powder rooms are generally fine as long as protective rugs are in place.
Yes, floating a floor can be a fantastic DIY project, for full instructions and details see ourinstallation and care page
Maintenance and Care
Great question! Your hardwood floors can be swept as often as necessary, and spot-cleaned for any stains, spills, etc. Do not wet-mop or damp-mop your floors as this will cause moisture damage over time and void your warranty.
If you live in a climate where the relative humidity can go below 35% or above 55% indoors, yes. This will help keep your hardwood floors in the best shape possible for as long as possible. 35-55% relative humidity is the range considered most conducive to healthy living for you and your family, and for your floors!
A hardwood floor can usually be refinished in two ways. A buff & recoat is an effective way to refresh a floor on which the finish has become scuffed and scratched over time. It involves a very thorough cleaning followed by a new coat of polyurethane finish. (Sometimes a bonding agent is required to ensure the new coat of finish adheres to the old one.) With a buff & recoat, the floor’s original finish is not compromised in anyway and the finish warranty remains in effect.

 

If the finish has been completely worn away or otherwise damaged, it may be possible to have the floor refinished. This involves sanding away the entire finish until the hardwood is exposed, then applying several layers of new polyurethane finish to the entire floor. Whether a particular floor can be refinished – and how many times it can be refinished – depends entirely on the specific style of flooring. To find out if your style of Best Choice floors can be refinished, please contact us at info@bc-floors.com. Once a floor has been refinished, the original finish warranty is no longer valid. Both of these procedures should only be performed by qualified professional wood flooring re-finishers