Hardwood Flooring

[irs]

I am looking for a good place to go and buy Hardwood Flooring.
I am looking for a good Hard Hardwood like Hickory or Brazilian Cherry.

What suggestions do you have?

Any good Sales going on? I am looking at trying to stay at the $4 per sq ft and under mark

So Far I have Looked at:

Home Depot
Rona
Timber Town
The Home Improvement Ware House.

Thanks for any help you may have.

[project240]

You're not going to find good quality Brazilian cherry at that price... maybe you'll find #2 common grade, but that's about it and not likely you'll find that less than $3.99.

If you want S&B B cherry, expect to pay more than double.

[CapnCrunch]

Are you doing it yourself?

Rona, Lowes, or Home Depot always seem to have some type of hardwood on sale every few weeks. Just keep checking the flyers for something you like.

[CapnCrunch]

Or this

http://calgary.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-garage-sales-FLOORING-WHOLESALE-TO-PUBLIC-HUGE-SALE-LOTS-IN-STOCK-W0QQAdIdZ380708927

[irs]

yes i was going to do it myself.
Yes I will keep checking the flyers. I just want to make sure i get something of good quality but not super expensive.

What is the difference in hardness between a #1 grade or a #2 grade?
from what i hve read #2 grade has the more variation to the wood but hardness is the same. Correct me if I am wrong.
I am still trying to do reasearch on it.

Has anyone bought stuff from Hardwood Direct? they are located in the north east.

[project240]

Hardness is the same. It's still the same kind of wood, just varies in "defects".

Select and Better will have next to no voids, knots, etc, where with #2 common you'll see quite a bit more of this.

I installed some knotty fir a few years ago that the guy had bought for very cheap. He was installing it into a country house and suited the character of the house perfectly. IMO the type/quality of wood you buy really depends on the house it's being installed in.

[Stunt66]

$4.00 for a braz cherry or hickory is pretty risky. Hickory is an uncommon species so you probably will have a hard time finding that for $4.00 and b cherry can be bought for $4.00 but i can almost guarantee its a low grade or made poorly(higher mosisture content or tapered ends). If you're staying in this house i would spend a lttle more and buy a better quality wood because in Calgary shrinkage in hardwood is a big problem and thats normally from cheaper hardwoods. Any exotic wood you're thinking about buying for the $4.00 range most likely has a fake warranty, stores buy direct from china and private label the wood. When something happens warranty wise its a manufactures warranty which means theres no warranty because the manufacture is a fake one. Take the name on the box of wood and type it into google, 95% of the time you won't find anything related to the manufacture(chinese wood of course)

[irs]

hey thanks for the advice.

Where would you go to get good hardwood from?
How long should you have it in the house and weather it?

[project240]

Originally posted by irs

How long should you have it in the house and weather it?


Slightly depends on the type of wood, but I like to allow 2 weeks w/ packages opened for the wood to acclimate.

[CapnCrunch]

Originally posted by Stunt66
$4.00 for a braz cherry or hickory is pretty risky. Hickory is an uncommon species so you probably will have a hard time finding that for $4.00 and b cherry can be bought for $4.00 but i can almost guarantee its a low grade or made poorly(higher mosisture content or tapered ends). If you're staying in this house i would spend a lttle more and buy a better quality wood because in Calgary shrinkage in hardwood is a big problem and thats normally from cheaper hardwoods. Any exotic wood you're thinking about buying for the $4.00 range most likely has a fake warranty, stores buy direct from china and private label the wood. When something happens warranty wise its a manufactures warranty which means theres no warranty because the manufacture is a fake one. Take the name on the box of wood and type it into google, 95% of the time you won't find anything related to the manufacture(chinese wood of course)

Aren't most warranties voided if you install it yourself?

[irs]

Is it better to climatize the hardwood in the summer or winter.

[project240]

Originally posted by irs
Is it better to climatize the hardwood in the summer or winter.


It doesn't matter. The point of allowing the wood to acclimate is so it reaches the same humidity as your house is currently.

[Stunt66]

It depends on your budget but if you want those species for $4 or under you pretty have the stores listed already.

The warranty isn't void if you install yourself as long as its done properly. They can tell your nailing pattern using magentic ball bearings(rare earth magnets) so if you don't use enough staples and your floor shrinks they'll deny warranty. The reputable suppliers won't jerk you around if something happens, its the low end suppliers that make any excuse to deny warranty(if theres even a rep for that supplier)

A properly made hardwood only needs about 2-3 days before install because it comes to calgary properly dried. The chinese wood requires longer because it comes here with high moisture content. Letting a poorly made wood sit longer will not help, if there was a guaranteed method to make a cheap hardwood work in calgary every single store in town would be selling it but go into most family owned stores that have been around for over 5 years and you'll see most don't mess with asian hardwoods. Just google Chinese hardwood and you'll see what i'm talking about. You can still buy good wood from china but 95% of what you see is junk

[irs]

What is a good store to purchase hardwood from.
How I can get a good rep to help with the hardwood.
I don't want to get ripped off but I still would like to get it for a good price.

[4runneron36s]

My dad buys all his hardwood from Timbertown (guy named Randy), he gets a deal because of the volume (he installs floors) he buys. While you might not get the best deal out there, the quality/selection they offer is worth it. My 2 cents.

[spacerz]

We've been dealing with Timbertown for 10+ years with respect to hardwood/other finishing materials. +1 for Randy, he is a great guy.

[Tomaz]

I bought my flooring from Floors with Flair. They were good to work with, cut me a deal for buying bulk, and had much more selection than I anticipated. Worth checking out.

[irs]

Originally posted by 4runneron36s
My dad buys all his hardwood from Timbertown (guy named Randy), he gets a deal because of the volume (he installs floors) he buys. While you might not get the best deal out there, the quality/selection they offer is worth it. My 2 cents.

what store does Randy work from?
Just curious I will go and see him, since he has two people giving him good reviews.

[spacerz]

He works at the 12 St NE location.

[4runneron36s]

Originally posted by spacerz
He works at the 12 St NE location.

yup.