Westhollow
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From:
Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2007 3:27 PM
To: ceo
Subject: RE: Westhollow
Steve,
Thank you for your prompt response.
My husband and I have tentatively decided to order the Westhollow prefinished Maple Natural Select, 3/4 in. by 3 1/4 in for our entire house. The main reason for the selection is the light color of maple. We hope it will brighten our house inside, esp. during the dark Seattle winters.
However we are confused by the grade of wood used. From the sample and pictures the Westhollow maple select appears to be creamy white. Is it made from sapwood or heartwood? I understand there are color variations. According to NWFA heartwood is creamy white to light reddish brown while sapwood is pale to creamy white. Also many trade publications indicate that the sapwood is much softer (950) while heartwood (1450) is harder. Janka scale of 950 is quite soft in our opinion.
Your staff at Ifloor.com gave us different answers. Some say it is sapwood while others say it is “hardwood”. We like to have a strong wood. But sapwood may be too soft.
We know many basketball in-door courts have maple floors. Are they of different grade?
The internet data portion also does not show how many coats of finish it has. Do you have that information?
Thank you. We look forward to your answers.
Julie
Sorry you are getting different answers to the same question. Let me give you the right answers.
The item I believe you are referring to is here.
This is an AWESOME choice.
It is Canadian Hard Rock maple which is the hardest kind not the soft stuff and is a whitish tone. This is grown and milled in Canada with absolute precision! It is made in one of the most advanced factories we have ever seen. The care they take from forestry and lumber procurement all the way through the high yield production methods make them both VERY earth friendly as well as very high caliber manufacturers.
The finish is extraordinary with so many advanced features (including nanotechnology) that would blow your mind. All finish is not created equal and I will assure you that this is the finest finish that money can buy. This floor has 10 coats of high end finish that have the following characteristics:
• Extremely high-wear resistance
• UV resistance
• Extraordinary smoothness
• Antimicrobial protection
This maple species is the same type of maple used for sport courts.
Now: ONE WORD OF CAUTION.
The most common complaint people have about this beautiful floor (any maple select from any brand) is during the winter time. As the floor expands and contracts the tiny gaps between the boards are much more noticeable because of the light color of the floor and the very subtle graining that is inherent in maple. Oak and stained maples will expand and contract just like your new floor, but the gaps between the boards are less noticeable because of the heavier grain pattern and more neutral color tone.
Also remember all floors are bound by the laws of physics. Floors can be tough, but they are still floors.
The gaps on maple appear to be black lines at times. This is especially common in the winter time because when you have the heat on the moisture in your home goes out of the house as you heat it up. So during the winter despite the Seattle rain outside your interior humidity is very low.
One solution is to have a humidifier to make sure you have consistent interior relative humidity all year long. If that is not an option I will suggest what I tell all of my maple select customers. Just wait until summer. As the humidity returns to normal the boards expand again and the lines basically disappear.
This is especially noticeable during the first couple winters. After that you will have plenty of other things to think about.
Now I tell you that to make sure you know it’s coming not to dissuade you. I think you have made a SUPERIOR choice. That is one of the finest maples you could have possibly picked!
Kudos to you and good luck on your project. I hope [UTF-8?]you’ll share your success with us via pictures and referrals!
Ss