Frequently Asked Questions

Do Warren Christopher’s floors work with radiant heat?
Yes, but it depends on the manufacturer of the radiant heat—whether or not they allow for hardwood flooring to be installed on atop the radiant heat source. Your Warren Christopher Concierge will work with the radiant heat company to determine the best way to install your hardwood flooring. As a best practice, Warren Christopher only installs engineered (as opposed to solid) hardwood above radiant heat, and, to ensure the longterm viability of the floor, it has to be glued to a plywood base above the radiant heat source. Solid hardwood floors are a living, breathing mechanism, continually expanding and contracting, so we don’t recommend installing them atop a radiant heat source as eventually the flooring will buckle.

I have heard that wide plank floors may cup. Is this the case with your wood?
No, we have never—knock on wood!—experienced cupping and buckling with any of our hardwood floors. We typically work with engineered platforms to ensure stability. These platforms are manufactured with different layers of ply-backing and a certain thickness of wear layer to stabilize the product. Additionally, we test for moisture before installing. If current moisture is present, we install a moisture-vapor barrier. We always use Bostik’s Best wood flooring adhesive when gluing down our floors and have found it to be the absolute finest available. We analyze the living environment, climate and housing conditions and take every precaution to make sure your floor lasts and doesn’t have any issues. This is why it’s essential you choose an accredited company to install your floors. A high quality installation is every bit as important as the wood flooring product you choose. This is why we will fly our Warren Christopher installers anywhere in the world to custom install your fine hardwood floors. 

What's the difference between Prime Grade, Select Wood, Light Rustic, and Rustic Grades?
Prime Grade is a flooring product with minimal character marks, providing a uniform appearance to the flooring. 
Select Wood is a flooring product with natural heartwood/sapwood color variations that can include knots, streaks, etc. 
Light Rustic Grade is varied in appearance, featuring knots and some variation in coloration. 
Rustic Grade is rustic in appearance, allowing all wood characteristics of the species, including character marks and a contrasting appearance.

What is the color and grain variation likely to be with my new flooring?
The color and grain variations present in a living tree are like all of nature—never repeated. These natural characteristics include mineral streaks, knots, and other variations, which are not considered defects. Due to this infinite variety, showroom samples and photographic reproductions can give an example of a particular type of wood’s appearance, but they may not be representative of the full range of color, texture, and grain variations which can occur in the product itself. Your Warren Christopher Concierge will assist you in inspecting the flooring to ensure that everyone involved in the project is completely satisfied with the flooring prior to installation.

Are your floors appropriate for homes with pets?
In a word, yes. During your initial conversation with your Warren Christopher Concierge, he or she will ask you specific questions regarding your home environment so that they may suggest the most appropriate texture, finish, grade of wood, etc. to best complement your quality of life—whatever that may be—toddlers, stilettos, dogs, cats, parties, you name it!

How do I budget for my Warren Christopher floors?
Floors are the foundation of your home’s design. Whether it’s new construction or a remodel, hardwood floors increase your home’s value and add an essential design element—walls are repainted, furniture comes and goes, but your hardwood floors are meant to last a lifetime. Your Warren Christopher Concierge can recommend the best flooring for your lifestyle, wants and needs, and help you put together a detailed budget to keep you on track for your project—as well as offer suggestions on where you can save money on floor design. Please call us to today to get started.  

Can your solid hardwood floors be floated?
Solid hardwood flooring cannot be floated. Warren Christopher requires that our solid hardwood flooring be glued—or glued and nailed—to a plywood base. This is because when you float a floor, you’re simply gluing the tongue of the wood into the accompanying groove (and not actually gluing it to a stable surface)—generating buckling and cupping. As solid hardwood flooring will have a substantial amount of movement if floated, we do not recommend this installation method. 

Can I refinish a hand-scraped wood floor?
Absolutely! However, it’s important to understand that when you sand a floor, you are altering the current texture. Warren Christopher can hand-scrape the floor again for you, or add texture, but you will loose the original scraping or character marks—depending on your existing wear layer. Refinishing is only meant to change the color or the texture of the floor. Another option is to have us screen and re-coat the top layer of finish of your flooring. This does not alter the color or texture, but simply helps your floors look new again.  

How do I acclimate my new Warren Christopher wood flooring?
Prior to delivery of your new flooring, your Warren Christopher installers will check the moisture content of the installation environment, and evaluate job site conditions. This is essential to quality installation and is dependent on geographic location, interior climate control and time of year. Hardwood flooring installation is one of the last jobs of any construction project. For instance, drywall mud must be complete, newly poured concrete must be cured, and most importantly, your HVAC should be up and running. Wood flooring acclimates best at a stable temperature indicative of your everyday living environment. After appropriate installation, solid hardwood floors need to acclimate for a minimum of two weeks, while an engineered floor only needs to acclimate for two - four days. It’s better to have a delay in completion of your project than to push a flooring installation if there’s excessive moisture (HVAC not operational, walls still damp from paint, etc.). The living environment needs to be stable and ready for the flooring, otherwise moisture can seep into your new hardwood floors and create issues down the road. 

How thick is the wear layer of your engineered flooring?
The wear layer is dependent on the thickness and the width of the flooring—everything is created to stabilize your hardwood floor.  Our wear layers are comparable to that of solid wood flooring, which means that it can be refinished several times.  

When should I start planning for my new Warren Christopher floors?
The earlier, the better! Not only do lead times on different products vary widely, but you also need to allow for proper acclimation of your new floor. Planning ahead of time helps your entire project function smoothly, with all construction elements in concert. There are many other contracting materials that are dependent on the thickness of the flooring that you choose, so planning ahead for your new floors allows for a more seamless install.

What is difference between solid and engineered wood flooring?
It’s difficult to compare solid and engineered wood flooring because they both have a wide range of qualities to recommend them. At Warren Christopher, we recognize the benefits of both, but most often recommend engineered wood flooring for its durability and stability—without sacrificing the quality or look that you desire. Most people will never know the difference visually between solid and engineered wood flooring once installed.

Solid wood flooring is truly solid throughout the flooring platform, having been milled from a single piece of lumber that is kiln or air-dried before cutting. The moisture content at the time of manufacturing is carefully monitored to ensure that this product does not warp. Solid wood usually have grooves running the length of each plank to reduce the chances of cupping, and is most commonly nailed, or nailed and glued to a plywood subfloor. These floors have a thicker wear surface and can be sanded and refinished more times than an engineered floor. 

Standard Thickness is 3/4″. Custom thickness upon request.
Board widths range from 3″ – 12″ wide. Wider boards available upon request.
Board lengths are 2′ – 10′ random lengths. Longer lengths available upon request.

Engineered wood is comprised of layers of plywood, baltic birch, pine, or lumber bonded with an adhesive to the top layer. This top layer, or veneer, is the actual species of the hardwood you select for the look of your flooring. Despite what you might think, this is real wood flooring—simply engineered to better perform in certain environments, and to provide unparalleled stability. These floors are typically glued down to concrete subfloors, but can be glued and nailed to plywood. This type of installation often includes an additional soundproofing or moisture-blocking barrier. 

Standard Thickness is 5/8″ or 3/4″. Custom thickness upon request.
Standard hardwood top layer is 4.5 mm for 5/8″ thick planks.
3/4″ thick engineered planks have a 6mm top layer.
Board widths range from 3″ – 12″ wide. Wider boards available upon request.
Board lengths are 2′ – 10′ random lengths. Longer lengths available upon request.

What is the proper way to maintain wood floors?
We like the maintenance of our hardwood floors to be easy and user friendly for our clients and homeowners. All wood floors will require ongoing care, such as sweeping or dust mopping to keep them looking beautiful and new, but your choice of finish will greatly impact the care of your flooring longterm—as well as how it will look in the years to come. Your Warren Christopher Concierge will walk you through the pros and cons of each finish, suggesting the one that's right for you and your project needs, and recommending suggested maintenance for the flooring you choose.

What is your warranty?
Warranty is dependent on the type of installation—residential or commercial, as well as the installer used. We will discuss the particular warranty with you in detail before you order your new flooring.