Utility grade oak requires more effort than select, but it also is more affordable. Utility-grade oak flooring can include splits, knots, scars and grain variations. While higher-grade oak often is used in more formal residential applications, utility-grade is less expensive and suitable when a rustic look is desired. Due to its imperfect nature, utility-grade oak flooring requires more extensive sanding and preparation than select or highest-quality oak. Finishing the floor requires at least a weekend, and longer if there are holes and cracks to fill. Initial Sanding Utility-grade flooring requires a great deal of sanding and prep work before applying the finish. An upright, drum-style floor sander evens the floor boards and removes pronounced irregularities. Smaller, hand-held power sanders are used only around edges and in tight corners. Drum sanders have a cylinder on the bottom that rotates toward the floor. Belt- or tube-shaped sandpaper fits around the cylinder. These heavy machines require a firm hand and constant forward motion that follows the floor boards and the grain of wood.

If the sander remains in one spot too long, it can grind a groove into the wood. For best results, fully sand the floor once with each grit of sandpaper, from coarse to ultra-fine, before applying sanding sealer. Filling Cracks and Holes The characteristic splits, cracks and open knots in utility-grade oak flooring are appealing in some applications but are a nuisance if a smoother floor is desired. Instead of filling cracks and other openings with wood filler, which can crumble and ultimately chip out, try another method. Collect fine-particle sawdust from the first course of sanding the floor and mix it with enough oil-based polyurethane to make a thick, sticky paste. Filling cracks and other openings with this paste blends the irregularities with the rest of the floor, and the polyurethane helps the repair bond with the wood. The repairs are dense, so they might require a few days to dry. You can continue sanding after the paste is no longer tacky. Orbital Sanders Orbital upright machines most often are used as floor buffers or to lightly scuff finished floors before applying a fresh coat of finish.

When finishing a utility-grade floor, orbital sanders with ultra-fine sanding screen gently smooth the raised grain that occurs after applying sanding sealer. They also are used in smoothing small irregularities between coats of finish. Drum and orbital sanders and the necessary sandpaper are available for rent at many home improvement centers. Cheap Outdoor Daybed SaleFloor Finish Oil-based polyurethane is one of the most common floor finishes. Acrylic Tub Repair NycIt is durable but takes at least a day to dry when temperatures are above 50 degrees. Commercial Lighting Fixtures For RestaurantsIndoor temperatures should be regulated between 65 and 70 degrees for best results. Oil-based polyurethane also adds a golden tone that alters the color of the oak.

Water-based polyurethane dries faster and has less odor than oil-based, but it scratches easily so requires refinishing more often. Water-based polyurethane does not add yellow tones, so it is a truly clear floor finish. If you choose oil-based products, you also might need mineral spirits to clean your tools. : Choosing the Proper Fill for Gaps in Douglas Fir Tongue and Groove Flooring Photo Credits Sam Royds/Photodisc/Getty Images Suggest a CorrectionMURPHY WAREHOUSE SALE IS THIS WEEKEND! Solid wood flooring is crafted from a single piece of hardwood lumber. Whether it is made of Red Oak, White Oak, Hickory, or Maple, our solid hardwood floors are all ¾ of an inch thick with random lengths. In addition, a majority of our solid wood floors are made within 50 miles of our Murphy, North Carolina warehouse, saving thousands of dollars on freight. Furthermore, all of our hardwood flooring is made in the United States. This type of hardwood flooring is constructed to be much more stable than solid floors in areas that experience large humidity swings throughout the year.

The definition of engineered hardwood flooring from the National Wood Flooring Association: Engineered wood floors are real wood floors that are manufactured using three to nine layers of different wood veneers. The sub layers can be of the same species, or of different species. The grain of each layer runs in different directions, which makes it very stable. This means that the wood will expand and contract less than solid wood flooring during fluctuations in humidity and temperature. The top layer of engineered wood flooring consists of high-quality wood. While this type of flooring can be sanded and finished, it cannot be done as many times as solid wood flooring. Engineered wood flooring can be installed above, on or below grade. While most engineered flooring is installed over concrete subfloors, a growing percentage of above grade installations are utilizing engineered flooring because of the higher demand for wider boards. Engineered Seconds (2nd Quality) Our Engineered Seconds all have a defect or a missed specification.

Dye lot variation, color defect, gloss level, and milling are all examples of defects. If a lot made today has a gloss level different from the specification, it cannot be mixed with a lot made last week so it would be downgraded to seconds. Our engineered floors are subdivided into 3 groups: Seconds with defect, Graded Seconds, and Builder grade. Seconds with defect will be listed with the primary defect in a lot. Feel free to inquire about the defect. Be sure to include the amount of footage you need. Keep in mind that the defect listed will not necessarily be the only defect in the lot; Shaw and Anderson have downgraded these floors because of the defect listed and will not guarantee that defect to be exclusive. For a list of defect definitions click here Our Engineered Blue Label flooring is an exceptional value. Made by a company that prefers us not to use their name, our Blue Label floors are made with the same sawn face local hardwoods as their higher end, first quality products.

These 8 ply, 1/2" thick hardwoods have a 1/8" veneer top, one of the thickest in the industry -- and it is made in the United States! Click here for more information. Our Engineered Cabin grade flooring is an exceptional value. This floor features the same aluminum oxide finish as the rest of our floors. Each lot will vary, but expect most lots to contain a high percentage of boards less than 18” in length. Expect a wide variation of color, as well as more naturally occurring character featured such as knots, worm holes, etc. Buying 10% waste is recommended with our Cabin engineered floors. Some finish defects such as planer marks can be included. Our Builder grade floors are new products for us. A major manufacturer here in the US uses Select grade lumber almost exclusively in their running line products. Since the #2 Common material goes into our Cabin grade, they are left with all of their #1 Common lumber unused. We have developed a program to to bring this material to market with our Builder grade.

With a 15 year warranty and aluminum oxide finish, this floor is considered first quality. It will contain less color variation and longer board length than our Cabin grade floors.Please order 5% extra on any Builder grade orders. The Rustic grade is a new grade for us. This floor is made by one of the top 5 hardwood manufacturers in the US, and they prefer that we do not put their name on the product. This floor is allowed to have knots larger than 3/8", and more color variation than Cabin. Some lots may have a large amount of wormholes, but will have very few, if any, cut off ends. Consider our Rustic grade to be 90% usable. This grade may contain a large amount of short boards in some lots. Board length can vary from 48" to 8". This grade accepts some visual defects such as: planer marks,wormholes,mineral streaks, etc... Test Run Lots / Mill Runs Frequently our manufacturing partners will run test lots of material. These are usually new products they are considering offering to their customers.

These lots are typically mill run, meaning they are ungraded, and will contain some Cabin Grade mixed with some 1st Quality. Because we cannot get more of the material in each lot we cannot break the lots. Although the test run lots are sold without a warranty, they are still a great value on a one of a kind floor! Click here for more detailed information The lowest grade of all pre-finished flooring, this grade accepts anything; short pieces, sander burns, splits, large knots, pieces missing a tongue on one or both ends, etc. Any and all of these can be in a box of utility grade wood. That being said, it is still pre-finished, solid wood at half the cost of unfinished wood flooring. Your flooring will contain a large amount of boards with cut ends. If you do not use these boards, you waste will be much higher.You will need to figure 20% waste and you should get a serviceable floor. If you will be hiring an installer to install your Utility grade flooring, make sure that you mention to him/her that you are using this grade.

Due to the limited availability of the Utility Grade most installers are unfamiliar with it, and they will either charge more to install it, or they will try to install the floor as a #2 Common floor, resulting in waste exceeding our recommended 20%. Expect the majority of boards to be less than 16 inches Expect more waste if your installer does not use the boards with cut ends. How much waste should I expect in the Utility Grade?-- Although that answer may sound a bit forward, it is very true. Only the customer knows which defects will be thrown away and which will be used. Some lots may contain up to 50% cut ends. Our Cabin grade is possible the cleanest Cabin on the market. Less color variation, less knots, and a longer average board length than our Rustic grade, this prefinished solid hardwood floor has been a mainstay for our business for years, and is a popular choice with our repeat buyers. Expect board lengths between 60"-10", with an average of less than 18".