A well-refinished floor is the foundation of a beautiful home.

The critical process of letting new, solid hardwood sit inside the home for several days before installation. This allows the wood to adjust to the specific temperature and humidity of the space, preventing future issues like excessive gapping or cupping. 

• Think of it like this: You wouldn't wear a wool sweater to the beach. The wood needs time to get dressed for the specific 'weather' inside your home before it's ready to be installed. 

An extremely hard mineral used in high-quality, factory-applied finishes to provide superior scratch and wear resistance.

• Think of it like this: It's the invisible version of the screen protector on your phone. You don't see it, but it takes all the tiny scratches from daily life so the actual 'screen' (your wood) stays pristine. 

The founder, owner, and master craftsman behind every Haven Hardwoods, Inc.  project.  He's been in woodcraft for over 27 years.

• Think of it like this: He’s the head chef and the secret recipe all in one. He’s not just the owner; he’s the hands-on expert whose passion and unique skill are built into every floor 

The trim that runs along the bottom of a wall, covering the joint between the wall and the floor.

• Think of it like this: It’s like the crust on a slice of pizza, the part that makes a nice clean edge where the pizza stops. 

A small angled edge on a piece of flooring. Beveled edges create a more distinct, visible groove between each board.

• Think of it like this: It is the picture frame for your floor. It neatly finishes the edge where the floor meets the wall, giving it a clean, complete look. 

The warping of a hardwood board along its length, creating an arch shape. This is often related to moisture issues. 

• Think of it like this: A floorboard can start to look like a very long, subtle banana, arching up in the middle. This usually happens when the air in your room is much drier than the air coming from the subfloor beneath it. 

A maintenance process for floors with a dull or lightly scratched finish. The floor is lightly abraded (buffed) and a new topcoat of finish is applied to restore its sheen and protection without sanding down to the bare wood.

• Think of it like this: It's a really good manicure for your floors. We're not replacing the nail, just buffing out minor scuffs and applying a fresh, shiny top coat to make it look new again. 

The process of installing new hardwood treads and risers directly over an existing staircase to give it a complete makeover.

• Think of it like this: It's like putting beautiful, custom-fit covers on your existing staircase. You get the look of a brand-new staircase without the major demolition 

When the edges of a hardwood board are higher than its center, creating a concave shape. This is typically caused by a moisture imbalance, where there is more moisture on the bottom of the board than on the top.

• Think of it like this: If a piece of paper gets wet on just one side, it curls up. If the bottom of a floorboard gets more moisture than the top, it can do the same thing. 

A modern refinishing technique where the sanding equipment is connected to high-powered vacuums. This system captures the vast majority of airborne dust at the source, creating a much cleaner and healthier work environment.

• Think of it like this: Remember sanding a piece of furniture in the garage and getting a layer of dust on everything? Our system is the opposite. It's like having a vacuum hose attached directly to the sander, capturing the mess before it has a chance to escape. 

A type of flooring constructed in layers, with a top layer of real hardwood veneer bonded to multiple layers of plywood or high-density fiberboard. This construction makes it more stable and less susceptible to changes in humidity than solid hardwood.

• Think of it like this: It's like the perfect winter coat: a beautiful, stylish outer layer of real wood, with a tough, practical, multi-layered core on the inside that keeps it stable when the weather changes.

A small gap (typically hidden by trim) intentionally left around the perimeter of a room during installation. This space allows the hardwood to naturally expand and contract with seasonal changes in humidity without buckling.

• Think of it like this: It’s an invisible 'breathing room' for your floor. Like an elastic waistband, it allows the floor to get slightly bigger and smaller with the seasons without buckling. 

The protective top layers applied to a hardwood floor. Common finishes include oil-based or water-based polyurethane, which protect the wood from wear, spills, and scratches.

• Think of it like this: This is the floor's clear raincoat and suit of armor all in one, protecting the wood from spills, scuffs, and daily life.

An installation method, common for engineered or vinyl flooring, where the planks are not nailed or glued to the subfloor. Instead, they lock together and "float" as a single unit.

• Think of it like this: It’s like a giant puzzle made of wood that you lay on the floor. The pieces all lock tightly together, but the whole puzzle isn’t glued to the table underneath. 

The natural occurrence of spaces opening between floorboards, typically during the dry winter months when the wood shrinks.

• Think of it like this: In the dry winter, a wood floor loses a little moisture and shrinks, like a pair of jeans that fits a little looser after you've worn them for a while. This creates small, temporary gaps that usually tighten back up in the summer. 

The pattern of fibers visible in a piece of cut wood, which creates its unique character.

• Think of it like this: It’s the wood’s unique fingerprint. No two boards ever have the exact same pattern, which is what makes every real wood floor a one-of-a-kind piece of art. 

 A locally owned Western PA company dedicated to the art and craft of creating beautiful, long-lasting hardwood floors. 

• Think of it like this: It’s like your trusted, old-school neighborhood butcher or baker. We're the local specialists who know our craft inside and out and care deeply about the quality and the community we serve. 

The property of a material (like wood) to absorb and release moisture from the air, causing it to swell and shrink.

• Think of it like this: It’s like a slice of bread left out on the counter. On a humid day it gets soft and puffy, and on a dry day it gets hard and curls up. Wood changes with the weather in your house, too. 

A measurement of a wood species' resistance to denting and wear. A higher Janka rating means the wood is harder and more durable.

• Think of it like this: This is the official 'Oops, I dropped a can of soup' test. It's a score that tells you how well a type of wood can resist dents from everyday accidents.

The parallel beams of wood that support a floor or ceiling. The subfloor is laid on top of the joists. 

• Think of it like this: Joists are the skeleton bones under your floor. You don't see them, but they are the strong beams that everything else is built on top of. 

The specific, manufacturer-required sequence and spacing for nailing down hardwood flooring to ensure stability and prevent squeaking. 

• Think of it like this: It's like the pattern of snaps on a winter jacket. You can't just snap one at the bottom; you have to follow the pattern all the way up to make sure the jacket is closed securely and hangs straight 

Hardwood flooring that has been sanded, stained, and finished in a factory before it arrives at your home. Installation is faster and less intrusive as there is no on-site sanding or finishing required.

• Think of it like this: It’s like buying a decorated cookie from a bakery instead of baking them at home. All the frosting and sprinkles were put on perfectly at the factory, so there's no mess in your kitchen. 

A durable, liquid plastic resin used as a protective topcoat on hardwood floors to seal them from damage and wear.

• Think of it like this: It’s the durable, clear top coat on your nail polish. It’s the invisible shield that takes the scuffs and spills of daily life, protecting the color—and the wood—underneath. 

A piece of wood trim with a cross-section of a quarter circle, often used at the base of baseboards to cover the expansion gap.

• Think of it like this: It’s shaped like a single strand of spaghetti. It’s a simple, rounded piece of trim used to cover the small gap where your floor meets the wall. 

Solid wood flooring that is installed in its natural state. It must be sanded, stained, and finished on-site, allowing for complete customization of color and sheen.

• Think of it like this: It’s like baking and decorating a cake from scratch at home. We bring in the raw ingredients (the wood), and you get to decide exactly how you want it decorated (the stain color and finish), creating a truly custom result. 

The vertical part of a stair step.

• Think of it like this: It’s like the curb on a street. It’s the short, vertical wall you have to step up and over to get to the next level. 

A popular polyurethane sheen that has a medium-to-low level of luster. It offers a modern look that hides minor imperfections better than glossier sheens.

• Think of it like this: It’s the difference between your super glossy TV screen and the soft, non-glare screen of a laptop. A satin finish has that same smooth, low-glare look that’s easy on the eyes. 

The level of gloss or luster in a floor's finish, ranging from invisible/matte (no shine) to high-gloss (very shiny). 

• Think of it like this: It’s just a word for how shiny something is. A shiny new penny has a high shine, and a piece of chalk has no shine at all. 

A piece of trim similar to quarter-round, used at the base of baseboards to cover the expansion gap. It has a slightly different profile.

• Think of it like this: It’s like thin decorative line of icing piped along the very bottom edge of a cake. It’s the finishing touch that hides where the where the cake meets the platter.

Another term for Raw Hardwood, indicating that the sanding and finishing process happens on-site at your home.

•  Think of it like this: It means all the coloring and sealing happens right there on-site, in your home, instead of at a factory. 

Flooring that is milled from a single, solid piece of wood. 

• Think of it like this: It's the real deal, like a classic cast-iron skillet. It's one solid piece of wood, which means it can be sanded and refinished over and over again for generations.

The structural layer of flooring that sits on top of the floor joists. New flooring is installed on top of the subfloor.

• Think of it like this: It's the pizza dough under all the toppings. It's the essential, strong foundation that holds everything else up. Without a good base, the whole pizza falls apart. 

A common method of joining floorboards where one side of a board has a protruding "tongue" and the other has a receiving "groove," allowing them to lock together tightly.

• Think of it like this: It's how the edges of the boards are shaped to lock together, like pieces of a puzzle, so they form a tight, flat surface 

The horizontal part of a stair step that you step on

• Think of it like this: It’s like the flat seat of a bench at a stadium or in a park. It’s the wide, sturdy surface designed to hold your weight as you go up. 

A piece of molding used to create a smooth transition between two different types of flooring (e.g., from hardwood to tile). 

• Think of it like this: It’s like a polite handshake between your hardwood floor and your carpet, creating a finished and smooth connection where they meet in a doorway. 

A thin slice of real hardwood, used as the top layer on engineered flooring. The thickness of the veneer determines how many times, if any, the floor can be sanded and refinished. 

• Think of it like this: This is the 'pretty' layer of real wood on an engineered board. It's the part you actually see, touch, and walk on.