Frequently Asked Questions
What services do we offer?
We install, stain, and finish solid hardwood and engineered wood floors, both pre-finished and un-finished products.
We repair damaged wood floors, including water damage, scratches, gouges, and dents. We can lace in new material and match the stain to the existing floors.
Sand and Finish: We sand off the old finish, apply stain, and apply three coats of finish. We have several different grades of finish with varying base ingredients (oil or water), hardness, and color to match your preferences.
We also carry and install luxury vinyl plank for those that want the look of real wood floors but prefer something that is completely waterproof and less susceptible to the natural weaknesses of real hardwood floors.
Why wood floors?
It’s no secret that wood floors add tremendous value to your home. According to a survey conducted by the National Wood Flooring Association, real estate agents agreed that homes with hardwood floors are easier to sell and sell for more money— up to 10% more than an identical home without wood floors.
If you don’t plan on selling anytime soon, another benefit of wood floors are their hardness, durability, and beauty. In addition to the natural hardness and durability, the finishes have evolved to provide a nearly indestructible barrier to protect the beautiful wood floor.
Wood floors will last forever! We recommend quality wood products that can be refinished, either a hardwood or an engineered product with a 3.5mm-4mm wear layer. This wear layer will allow multiple refinishes over the lifetime of the product. These products tend to be more expensive than options at big box stores but there is no comparison of the quality of these products (see high quality vs lower quality below). A properly installed and maintained quality engineered or hardwood floor can be refinished every 7-10 years, depending on foot traffic, kids, dogs, and maintenance.
What is pre-finished vs un-finished?
Pre-finished products have been sanded, stained, and coated with polyurethane in a factory. These products are ready to be installed immediately. Pre-finished products come in solid and engineered varieties, both of which can be re-finished. They are popular because they can be installed quickly and easily relative to un-finished products, however the stains and finishes are limited to what the manufacturer provides.
Un-finished products are installed, sanded, stained, and finished in the home. Unfinished products also come in solid and engineered varieties. These products are popular because they can be stained and finished to any custom color combination that the customer prefers.
How do I care for my wood floors?
A well-maintained wood floor can last a lifetime! We provide general guidelines that should be followed to ensure that you get the maximum life out of your wood floors. Additionally, we will provide the manufacturers care and maintenance information for all the specific products that we use to finish the wood floors.
Why do the costs vary so much?
Species of Wood
Price will vary significantly between species of wood. This variation in price comes from the woods rarity, availability, cost to procure/ship, and other influential factors. Species that are more common, such as white and red oak, will have much lower costs compared to exotic species. Exotic species, that are not readily available, have high shipping costs, and/or may have sustainability concerns, will generally cost more in comparison to the common species. This is the Janka scale that shows many different species of wood and their hardness rating.
Grade of Wood
Wood grades are determined based on the physical characteristics of the wood. All grades are equally strong and serviceable, but some people prefer a higher grade that is free of knots, blemishes, and other “defects” in the wood grain. Generally, the higher grades of wood are more expensive than the lower grades. Alternatively, many people prefer the character marks and knots that are present in the lower grades of wood. From top to bottom, the grades are Clear, Select, No. 1 Common, and No. 2 Common.
Clear - A mostly heartwood flooring product that allows all the natural heartwood color variations with minimal character marks and limited color variation. This combination features the infinitely variable grain patterns with the minimal distraction from character marks and color variation.
Select - Contains all the variations in coloration produced by the contrasting differences of heartwood and sapwood. Also included are minimal character marks, such as small knots, worm holes, and mineral streaks, as well as slightly open characters. The combination creates a floor where the light sapwood and dark heartwood are combined with small characters and other small color interruptions.
No. 1 Common - A flooring product characterized by prominent color variation that also contains prominent characters (with size limits) such as knots, open checks, worm holes, along with machining and drying variations. No. 1 Common is a tasteful floor where prominent variation is expected.
No. 2 Common - Contains sound natural and manufacturing variations including knot holes, open worm holes, and other open characters along with prominent color variations. Manufacturing variations include drying characters and machining irregularities. No. 2 Common is most desirable for applications where numerous notable character marks and prominent color contrast is desired.
Width and Thickness of Wood Planks
Common widths of individual planks can range from 2.5” to 9”. There are pros and cons to the varying widths, but generally wider planks will be more expensive than narrower planks. However, the narrower planks will experience less expansion and contraction with big temperature fluctuations while wider planks will be more susceptible to movement. Solid and engineered wood will come in different thicknesses, this will depend on the customers expectation for the flooring. A thicker solid plank can be sanded and finished more than a thinner material, thus extending the life of the wood floor.
Engineered vs. Solid Wood
Solid hardwoods tend to be more expensive because the trees that are sourced must have certain characteristics to meet a thickness criterion. With solid wood products, the wear layer will depend on the thickness of the material that you choose. Engineered products have a layer of real wood on top of several layers of plywood. Engineered products will have varying wear layers that contribute to their cost, and we always recommend products that have a 3.5mm-4mm wear layer so you can sand and finish the floors to extend their life. (reference the picture above)
What Finishes are avaialble?
Oil-based finishes - We use Masterline, Bona, and Poloplaz oil-based finishes. These are very hard, fast curing and available in high gloss, semi-gloss, satin, and matte.
Water-based finishes - We use Pallman, Loba, and Bona water-based and ecologically friendly finishes. There are two types:
One Component - will amber slightly, primarily for residential use
Two Component - non-yellowing, very hard, for commercial and residential use
Where can I browse products?
We would love it if you stopped by our location at 2275 S. School Ave. in Fayetteville. In addition to the wide variety of displays in store, we can work with our suppliers to acquire any flooring that you need. We are also working to add a link here to showcase some of our more popular products.
does the sub-floor matter?
The sub floor is very important when it comes to selecting your flooring material. The sub-floor is the material that is directly below your exposed wood floors, sub-floors are usually either plywood or concrete. It is imperative that the sub-floor is clean and level before any material is installed. If the sub-floor is not properly prepared before the floor is installed, you may have problems with buckling, moisture, or un-level surfaces after the floor is installed.
Why choose DHF?
Dramis Hardwood Floors has been installing, sanding, and finishing hardwood floors in Northwest Arkansas since 1978! We have built a reputation for high quality craftsmanship, great customer care, and dedication to our craft. We are committed to ensuring that our customers love their new floors AND their experience with DHF. If not, we will do whatever is necessary to make it right.