1.A table top finish. Each piece of oak
flooring sands differently depending on its grain type (plain or
quartered) making it virtually impossible for a completely flat surface.
2. Dust-free finish. Since your floor is
being finished in your home it is not possible to achieve a "clean
room" environment. Some dust will fall onto the freshly applied top
finish.
3. A monochromatic floor. Wood, as a
natural product, varies from piece to piece. Remember it is not
fabricated -- it is milled from a tree and will have grain and color
variations consistent with the grade and species of flooring selected.
4. A floor that will not indent. In spite
of the term "hardwood", Oak flooring will indent under high
heel traffic (especially heels in disrepair). The finish that is applied
will not prevent the dents.
5. A floor without cracks between the
boards, or within the parquet pieces. Although your new floor may start
tight together, as a natural product it will continue to absorb and
release moisture. This natural process will cause the flooring to expand
and contract from season to season -- resulting in cracks between some
of the pieces in your floor. Some stain colors, such as white, will show
this process more than others.
Understand that furniture, cabinetry, doors,
etc., are fabricated in a factory under ideal conditions and that they
contain 1-10 different pieces of wood. Their floor is fabricated in
their own home and is made up of 300 to a thousand individually
different pieces. And that their floor is never to be duplicated -- a
truly custom floor of their own !
