Waste Factor: The amount of extra flooring that should be ordered to make up for square footage lost to cutting, fitting or discarding of boards that do not fit the grade ordered. Typically, a 5% waste factor is recommended. Increase that to 10% for rooms with unusual angles or if you want to be more choosey with which boards you install. It’s also a great idea to have extra flooring on hand should a repair need to be made.
Waterproof vs. Water-Resistant: When discussing flooring, water-resistant means it won’t be penetrated by water to a certain extent. A spill would be okay, but submerging it would not be. On the other hand, waterproof means that no moisture or water can penetrate the flooring at all.
Wear Layer: The top layer of an engineered hardwood floor. Typically, the thicker the wear layer the better and the more value the flooring has. The wear layer dictates how many times an engineered floor can be sanded and refinished. Usually, the second layer from the top, in a luxury vinyl or rigid core construction floor, this layer performs against wear, rips, tears, gouges and indentations. The surface of this layer is covered with a finish that protects against scratches, scuffs and stains.
Wire Brushed: The process of creating texture on the surface of a hardwood floor which usually accentuates the grain patterns of a wood species. Wood Grade: The grade category that a hardwood floor is culled out from a batch of wood boards during the manufacturing process to determine the clarity, color variation and character marks.
Wood Species: the specific tree that the hardwood flooring is made of. Different wood species feature different coloring, grain patterns and hardness.