Wood product tips

• Look for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) logo when buying wood products – from paper to raw timber. This ensures the wood comes from a well-managed forest

Wood used in construction includes products such as glued laminated timber (glulam), laminated veneer lumber (LVL), parallam and I-joists. On the one hand these allow the use of smaller pieces, and on the other hand allow bigger spans. They may also be selected for specific projects such as public swimming pools or ice rinks where the wood will not deteriorate in the presence of certain chemicals. These engineered wood products prove to be more environmentally friendly, and sometimes cheaper, than building materials such as steel or concrete.

Another sutainable wood option is opting to use reclaimed wood. Reclaimed wood is wood that has been used for one purpose is being re-purposed. Reclaimed woods can come from old barns, warehouses, wine barrels or even snowfence. Reclaimed wood often takes on a unique, weathered appearance that lends itself to applications like wainscoting or hardwood flooring. In some cases reclaimed wood can be used without the application of various stains and finishes due to its previous exposure, thereby avoiding harmful offgasing.

Wood has always been used extensively for furniture, including chairs and beds. Also for tool handles and cutlery, such as chopsticks, toothpicks, and other utensils, like the wooden spoon.

[edit] Nova USA Wood Products Install Tips

Pre-Installation

There are a number of preparations you should take before beginning any floor installation project. They are:

Wood Inspection

Even though products undergo a rigorous inspection process before leaving the manufacturer, it's still a good idea to give your materials a once over before installation. Wood does have natural color, grain and tone variations, but rotten or defective wood will be noticeable. Installing defective materials will most often void your warranty, so a pre-installation inspection is always a good idea.

Installation Order

Wood flooring should always be the last item to be installed in your home. It's a good idea to place a protective cover over the floor for a few days after installation, especially if you haven't finished the floor. Make sure the entire floor is covered, though, as most woods are light sensitive and can change color if not completely protected.

Crawl Spaces/Sub-Floors

First and foremost, crawl spaces and basements must be dry. Allow at least 18 inches between the joists and the ground in crawl spaces, and make sure a vapor barrier covers the entire crawl space. Secure sub-floors with screws or nails, and make sure the total thickness is one inche to prevent possible floor squeaking. Keep sub-floors clean; there shouldn't be any oil, adhesive, grease, wax, dirt, urethane, varnish or paint. Lastly, make sure the sub-floors don't measure over 12% moisture content.

Grade Consideration

There are restrictions on which types of hardwood can be installed on different floors. Engineered hardwood, solid hardwood and floating floor are all acceptable for on-grade and above-grade. For below-grade, only engineered hardwood and floating floors will do. Have a sunken living room? If it's three inches or lower, that's below-grade.

Acclimation

Properly acclimating hardwood is a very important step in the installation process. Here are a few key things to keep in mind.

Moisture Testing

If the moisture content of the hardwood boards isn't compatible with that of the sub-floors, you've got a problem. Using a moisture reader, check boards every 100 square feet and then take the mean average of the readings. The difference between the wood and the sub-floors should be no more than 2%, and moisture conditions for installation should be less than 14% when using an equivalent moisture meter on wood substrates.

Vapor Barriers – Vapor barriers are used to protect your new hardwood floors from ground moisture and condensation. Different vapor barriers work better with different sub-floors. For instance, if you have wood sub-floors, don't use an impermeable barrier as it could trap moisture in the sub-floor and lead to wood rot.

Basic Acclimation – Once you've tested the moisture levels of the sub-floors and installed the right vapor barriers, make sure the hardwood floor boards are properly acclimated to their new environment. Do this by first bringing the building to its normal temperature and humidity and leaving it for at least five days. Then acclimate the wood to this new environment for a few weeks. Failing to acclimate can lead to warping and buckling in the wood.

Installation

Besides basic installation techniques, there are a number of things you need to do or keep in mind during installation, such as:

Cut door frames – Avoid complex cuts by cutting frames about 1/16” higher than the hardwood being installed.

Arrange boards per tonal variety – Ensure an attractive floor by arranging several boards from different boxes in a pleasant tonal variety.

Put together a working line – Use an external wall as a reference and always allow for the requisite expansion space indicated by the wood's manufacturer.

Pre-drill if necessary – Research the wood you are using to determine if pre-drilling is necessary.

Nail the boards – Make sure nails are about two inches from the ends of the boards and every four to six inches along the edges.

Cover edges with moldings – Use appropriate trim moldings to cover edges and conceal gaps.

Clean – Make sure to use only a recommended hardwood cleaner.

Maintenance

Keeping up with maintenance can extend the life of your floors and keep them looking beautiful.

Sweep – Dust, dirt and debris are hardwood's mortal enemies. Regular sweeping will remove most of the debris that can cause scratches and scrapes.

Use felt protectors – Always use protectors under the legs or bottoms of heavy furniture and appliances.

Avoid hard heels – Spikes and hard heels can cause damage to hardwood. If you can't avoid wearing them, get a rug or a runner in high-traffic areas.

Avoid UV rays – Prolonged exposure to the sun can change the tone and color of your floors. Get protective shades or curtains for sunny rooms.

Place mats at entranceways – Keeping mats at entranceways is a sure-fire way of reducing the amount of dirt and debris that gets tracked into the house.

Clip pets' nails – Keeping pets' nails short, especially large animals, will decrease the number of scrapes and scratches they cause.

Put a rub near water sources – Standing water can ruin hardwood floors. Placing rugs in front of sinks and dishwashers will catch water that could spill and pool onto the floor.

[edit] Tips for Recycling Wood Products

For improvement projects around your home or office, green your wood use by looking for the following:

• Certified sustainable wood
• Composition woods or engineered wood products
• Salvaged, reclaimed or re-milled lumber
• Recycled content sheet goods, such as recycled newsprint, agricultural byproducts or wood waste
• Instead of installing hardwood floors, check out cork and bamboo, which grow faster than typical hardwood

By purchasing and utilizing products made from recycled or reclaimed wood products, not only do you prevent a valuable waste from entering landfills, but you also contribute to the demand for manufacturers to continue to produce these products.

Deconstruct With Care

An important consideration when recycling wood is the way in which you disassemble old wood products. Known as “deconstruction,” this process is defined as “a process to carefully dismantle or remove useable materials from structures, as an alternative to demolition. It maximizes the recovery of valuable building materials for reuse and recycling and minimizes the amount of waste land-filled.”

Be sure to carefully deconstruct any wood products you are looking to replace. By leaving them intact, you enable another person or organization to utilize your waste.

[edit] Wood Types and Techniques

About the Different Woods:

Different woods are the palette of the furnituremaker. They provide color and texture, strength and beauty to handmade furniture.

Each type of wood has characteristics to be considered when building a piece of furniture. Some are very hard and durable; some are flexible and suitable for bending. "Hardwood" is a term applied to trees that lose their leaves in winter. "Softwood" describes evergreens such as fir, pine and redwood. The actual durability a wood is described in a range from very soft to very hard.

Every wood has a distinctive grain structure. Woods such as white and red oak, ash and walnut have "open-pores". These woods have small holes in their surface that give the piece a textural quality. When a stain is applied to this type of surface, the stain tends to collect in the "open-pores" and appears darker than the rest of the piece. Tight grained woods include maple, alder, and cherry. These woods are smooth to the touch and can take finish evenly. For more information, click here