What to Expect -A Guideline From NWFA

Communicating and educating customers is a constant job of any wood flooring contractor. Unfortunately, sometimes few customers cannot understand the art of sanding, staining and finishing.

The following NWFA guideline is not only for flooring contractor's professionalism and workmanship, but also for customers' satisfaction. More importantly, this guideline is from the most approved authority and professional organization in the United States, and it works in court as well. Here is the conversation between Don Tucker (the Member Only Technical Service of Nation Wood Flooring Association) and Raymond Yu of Highway Flooring Inc.

Raymond: Hi, Don. This Raymond from Highway Flooring in Piscataway, NJ. I am a member of National Wood Flooring Association. How are you?
Don: How can I help you today?

Raymond: Well, I need you help me with telling my customers what is guideline of a acceptible job of installing, sanding, stianing and finishing wood foors.
Don: Overall appearance. I'll fax the documents over to you right now.

Title: National Wood Flooring Association
Date: 11-01-2007
Suject: Overall Appearance
Pages: 3

1st page: Cover Page;

2nd page: Overall Appearance

After reading this Manaul and performing the directed tasks either by you or a professional, your beautiful hardwood floor will be ready to be inspected for acceptance.

A finish similar to that found on fine furniture should not be expected. Trash in the finish, a wavy look along strips, deep swirls or sander marks, and splotchy areas can be indications of inadequate finishing or cleaning. The quality of the finish can be acceptable and still include some of these problems, but they should not appear over the entire floor.

The perimeter and hard to reach areas (i.e. under radiators, around cabinets and cabinet cut-outs, closets, corners, etc.) are most likely to contain these irregularities.
Again, when inspected from a standing position these irregularities may be present but should not be prominent.

3rd page: Wrong "Great Expectation"

And now, let's be honest with the customers. A good understanding with them at the start will help insure their acceptance of the completed floor work. No matter how hard we try, or how well-experienced we are, there are some things the customer should not expect.
1. A table top finish. Each piece of oak flooring sands differently depending on its grain type (plain or quartered) making it virtually impossible for a completely flat surface.
2. Dust-free finish. Since your floor is being finished in your home it is not possible to achieve a "clean room" environment. Some dust will fall onto the freshly applied top finish.
3. A monochromatic floor. Wood, as a natural product, varies from piece to piece. Remember it is not fabricated - it is milled from a tree and will have grain and color variations consistent with the grade and species of floring selected.
4. A floor that will not indent. In spite of the term "hardwood", Oak flooring will indent under high heel traffic (especially heels in disrepair). The finish that is applied will not prevent the dents.
5. A floor without cracks between the boards, or within the parquet pieces. Although your new floor may start tight together, as a natural product it will continue to absorb and release moisture. This natural process will cause the flooring to expand and contract from season to season - resulting in cracks between some of the pieces in your flor. Some stain colors, such as white, will show this process more than others.

Let's help the customer understand that furniture, cabinetry, doors, etc., are fabricated in a factory under ideal conditions and that they contain 100 different pieces of wood. Their floor is fabricatd in hteir own home and is made up of 300 to a thousand induvidually different pieces.
And that their floor is never to be duplicated - a truly custome floor of their own!