Flooring glossary — Rochester, NY
Plain-English definitions for the technical terms you'll see in quotes, proposals, and inspection reports. Bookmark this when you're comparing bids.
- Wear layer
- The hardwood thickness above the tongue. Determines how many times the floor can be refinished. New solid: ~7/32 inch. Refinish requires 1/16 inch minimum.
- Drum sander
- Heavy floor sander that strips the finish and top layer of wood. The primary refinishing tool — requires skill to avoid waves.
- Edger
- Smaller orbital sander for areas the drum can't reach (along walls, in corners).
- Dustless system
- Containment and filtration that captures 95%+ of sanding dust. Vacuum + HEPA. Standard on premium refinishes.
- Stain
- Penetrating color applied between sanding and finish. Optional — natural is more common in modern installs.
- Polyurethane
- The protective topcoat. Oil-based (durable, amber tone) or water-based (faster cure, clear). 2-3 coats standard.
- Acclimation
- Letting hardwood sit in the install room for 5-14 days to match local humidity before laying. Prevents cupping and gapping.
- Subfloor moisture
- Moisture content of the substrate below the floor. Must be under 14% for nail-down hardwood, under 4% for glue-down.
- Engineered vs solid hardwood
- Solid = single piece of wood (refinishable 4-7 times). Engineered = veneer over plywood (refinishable 1-3 times, more stable).
- Janka rating
- Hardness scale for wood. Red oak = 1290, walnut = 1010, hickory = 1820. Determines dent resistance.
- LVP (Luxury Vinyl Plank)
- 100% waterproof synthetic flooring with a photographic wood-look surface. Wear layer (mil) determines scratch resistance — 12 mil for light use, 20+ mil for heavy.
- Cupping
- When board edges are higher than the center — caused by moisture imbalance (wetter bottom than top). Common over damp basements in Rochester.