StewartFloor Blog

Shopping for a new wood floor and confused by names?  Names such as Brazilian Koa?  Koa is a wood from Hawaii, but some refer to Tigerwood as Koa.  Often times it seems some cannot resist to urge to “create” a name in the hopes of relating to the consumer, while confusing their competitors.  True common names for Tigerwood include Muiracatiara and Goncalo Alves, named after the man who discovered the tree – Goncalo Alves.  The list goes on and on.  Another good one is Brazilian Oak which can refer to Tauari or now more commonly, Amendoim.  Although Tauari grows in Brazil, Amendoim is not found in any significant volumes at all, but rather next door in Paraguay.  Neither of which has any relation to any Oak.  Tauari is normally stained and Amendoim is a unique exotic with swirly grain and a tight knot structure which separates it from all other exotics.  This madness only serves to confuse rather than to educate.

Don’t worry, we are here to help and can dispel any myths or fairy tales you have been told.  Your head need not be spinning, The Woodman is here to help!

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American Cherry, American Walnut – they are beautiful for a bedroom suite, but for flooring?  Some quick points to think about, why are you attracted to these species?  Is it more about the color or grain?  Research shows that consumers are more attracted to a color of wood than a particular grain pattern of a specific species.

It’s important to consider the hardness of a particular species for flooring material.  A bedroom suite or dining room table is far different than a surface you are going to walk on.  There are many great alternatives to softer species when it is the color you are after.  I suggest you do your homework on species which are naturally the color you are interested in, natural color is generally always better than stain because the color is through and through.  Obviously, some colors which are quite popular now like gray is not available naturally in a species, but you would be amazed how many shades are available without the use of a stain.  Exotic woods are a great consideration in this discovery process and open up a large canvas of possibilities as you get your design groove on..

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We are proud of the fact that we perform value added services to our imported products in America.  Half of what we import is unfinished microbevel product which we ship to our prefinishing partner, Premiere Finishing & Coating in Reidsville, N.C. for coating with Treffert of Germany.  Stewartfloor helps create jobs in this former tobacco and textile town by supporting their local economy and finishing our flooring at Premiere.  This is a great solution as it gives us custom finishing options while supporting the local community.  Our branded boxes are also produced locally in North Carolina.

It’s important that we support America and our local communities by buying locally produced goods and services.  Stewartfloor is proud to support family owned business in America.

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So are you shopping for a new wood floor?  What are you looking for and why?  Would love to hear from you..I am happy to answer any general questions you may have regarding flooring regardless of what you purchase.

If you have already finished a project and chose an exotic wood floor, we’d love to feature your project here on our blog and hear all about it.

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Shopping for a new wood floor?  Are you dreaming about that gorgeous American Cherry or Walnut floor which matches your kitchen cabinets or bedroom ensemble?

Something often overlooked in this choice is the wood flooring species and durability.  An educated consumer needs to consider the hardness of the species they are considering.  Do you like the species because of the grain or because of the color?  Generally speaking, we choose a floor because of color and not because of a species particular grain pattern.  If this is the case for you, please do your homework and analyze your own lifestyle.

American Cherry and Walnut are very prestigious hardwoods and we certainly have an affection for them in North America, but they are very soft.  This fact doesn’t so much matter for the dining room table or for your bedroom, but when you are walking on it, it makes all the difference in the world.  All woods dent due to their cell structure.  Denting occurs when this cell structure is crushed.  Consider this fact, a 125-pound woman walking in high heels has an impact of 2,000 pounds per square inch.  An exposed heel nail can exert up to 8,000 pounds per square inch.  These types of impact will dent any floor surface.

Analyzing your lifestyle and household when making a flooring choice will help assure your longterm satisfaction.  Expectations are everything, so arm yourself with the facts in order to make the best decision for you.

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Ever wonder what is involved in manufacturing your new wood floor?  What does it take to make the journey from the forest to your home?  There are many steps in the process which must be carefully followed in order to insure you receive a high quality floor which will provide decades of enjoyment.

All trees must be surveyed, often with high tech tools and satellites, in order to develop a cutting plan based on approved government extraction plans.  Once this is done, the trees must be transported long distances via river or road through the jungle to the flooring manufacturer.  Sounds simple, but given the terrain and lack of infrastructure in some areas, this is an enormous challenge depending on the time of the year.  From February to June each year there are heavy rains which make this very difficult, if not impossible and always tightens supply of these species.  Once it is sawn into “blanks” or surfaced into 4 side lumber, it is carefully stacked with aligned sticks and prepared for the kiln dryers.  Drying specifications are different for each species as they are all unique.  This is like the difference of baking cookies compared to a cake.  Over drying causes technical issues with the wood.

Once out of the kilns, it’s time to further process the lumber and prepare for molding it into flooring.  This may sound simple, but is highly technical, especially if making microbevel 4 side production to later be prefinished.  The quality of the drying plays into the milling significantly.  Flat and straight lumber obviously contributes to a quality milled flooring product.  Product is inspected and re-inspected while milling and before packaging.  It’s again further inspected during packaging and randomly “racked out” on a flat stone or metal table to check fit, tolerances and how it will install once at a jobsite.

One never looks at a tree the same again when you realize all the technical knowledge used to produce flooring.  It’s a challenging field and obviously one which continues to grow as our love affair with wood continues to grow. 

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Species of wood are as unique as individuals. It’s important when choosing a new wood floor to consider your climate and how one species behaves in your climate compared to another species. Wood is hygroscopic, and this means it adapts to the environment it is in. Some species are more stable than others which means they move less in service.

During the winter months with the heater on to maintain a pleasant environment, wood will shrink, and this is what creates the “gaps” you commonly see in the floor. There is nothing wrong with the floor and it is not defective, it’s simply shrinking due to the dryness in the air or low relative humidity. A humidifier is highly recommended for winter months. In the summer months, more humidity means the wood swells again and gaps typically close up. Depending where you live, a dehumidifier may be necessary in the summer months.  Some woods shrink less than others and are more stable than others; if this is a critical point for you, then comparing species stability should be on your list of considerations in selecting the right species of hardwood for your new floor.

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Looking for a unique and exotic wood floor?  Tigerwood Flooring has a wild side with expressive graining like that of a brushstroke from a master painter.  This flooring is equally at home in a contemporary or traditional space. The initial orangey hues will soften to an orangey brown with exposure to natural light.  This species truly ages gracefully.  Please call today if we can answer any questions for you regarding this exceptional species.

Tigerwood Flooring

Tigerwood Flooring

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Looking for a beautiful, rich, deep wood floor? Stewartfloor provides Exotic Wood Floors Naturally. Our products are so beautiful on their own, we don’t interfere with nature by tinting or staining our exotic wood floors. As crazy as it seems, certainly to us, many companies importing or producing exotic wood floors actually tint or stain their products. We believe in letting the wood express itself and believe in the value of color through and through. Stained and tinted floors show wear much more and nothing is worse than scratching a wood floor and seeing lighter color wood underneath. Check out our wonderful exotic wood floors today.

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If you are looking for a solid wood floor, don’t wait! Unlike other commodities, wood is susceptible to shortages and this is definitely the case in the solid wood flooring supply today. Whether it be Red Oak or White Oak or the exotic woods we sell here at stewartfloor. For us the supply is very challenging due to the current conditions in South America due to the rainy season being at its most difficult. This affects greatly the ability to remove logs from the forest and for our flooring manufacturers to keep supplies of raw materials. Although it may seem that purchasing a wood floor is no different than going the supermarket and choosing your favorite items, it is in fact, very much different. Supply of product and availability of width and species can vary greatly throughout the year and for various reasons.

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