L - Q woodflooring terms

L
Lacquer - a finish containing nitrocellulose, often used as a sealer. The fast curing properties of this finish are created by using a solvent with a very low flash point which causes it to be very flammable. Ambers little, cures rapidly, but may water spot and become cloudy when applied in high humidity.

Laminate flooring - hard surface flooring with a fiberboard core and melamine wear layer - available in blocks, planks, and squares.

M
Medullary rays - strips of cells extending radially within a tree and varying in height from a few cells in some species to four or more inches in oak. The rays serve primarily to store food and transport it horizontally in the tree.

Milky - having the appearance of milk or showing some whiteness, as when water is mixed with varnish.

Mill - to cut wood into a desired shape, e.g., strip or plank flooring, etc.

Mineral spirits - a solvent used as a thinner and/or cleaner.

Mineral streak - wood containing an accumulations of mineral matter introduced by sap flow, causing an unnatural color ranging from greenish brown to black.

Mixed media - a floor that is predominately wood, but also incorporates other materials such as slate, stone, ceramic, marble or metal.

Moisture content - the amount of moisture in wood expressed as a percentage of the weight of oven-dried wood.

Mosaic parquet - parquet flooring made up of small solid pieces of wood (slats) assembled in units.

N
Nominal size - the size by which timber is known and sold in the market - often different from actual size.

Nosing - hardwood molding used to cover the outside corner of a step.

O
Oil-modified urethane - an oil-based varnish enhanced with urethane. Ambers well and has good abrasion resistance.

Open grain - a failure of finish to form a film over areas of low density, normally associated with the softer spring wood.

Overlay - a traditional method of wood flooring comprising square edged planks or pieces without a tongue and groove. Usually fixed to a timber or concrete base via pins and wood adhesive.

Overwood/underwood - a flooring condition in which there is a perceived misalignment of the flooring surface, with some wood pieces raised above adjacent pieces leaving a slightly uneven surface. Also called lippage.

P
Parquet - a wood tile composed of individual slats assembled together, forming a pattern.

Penetrating stains - stains that penetrate into the surface of wood, usually made of dyes dissolved into liquids that easily penetrate wood.

Pigment - the fine, solid particles used for color or other properties in the manufacture of paint and enamel.

Pin Holes - normally caused by finish flowing into low lying or less dense areas such as spring wood. While not considered a finish defect it can often be corrected by the application of an additional coat of finish.

Pinworm hole - a small round hole made by a small wood-boring insect.

Pith - the small, soft core occurring near the center of a tree trunk, branch, twig or log.

Plain sawn - the usual way of cutting a log, which gives a random mix of grain patterns.

Plank - solid or engineered boards 3" and wider designed to be installed in parallel rows.

Plywood - board or panel made of cross-directional veneers and/or layers of wood for dimensional stability.

Ply (plies) - a layer of wood, typically used to described engineered hardwood construction layers.

Plugs - dowels that simulate the plugged, or pegged plank look. Sometimes used to cover counter-sunk screws.

Polyurethane - a type of finish used on hardwood to protect it from damage. Polyurethane finishes do not require waxing.

Prefinished - hardwood floors that are stained with color and sealed with a protective finish by the manufacturer prior to installation.

Puckering - the crinkling, shriveling or wrinkling of a coat of finishing material upon drying.

Q
Quadrant - a convex shaped piece of timber supplied in around 2 -3 meter lengths in various hardwoods. Used to cover expansion gaps left around the perimeter of a wood floor.

Quartersawn - wood that has a grain that runs parallel to the length of the board (sometimes called 'vertical grain'). In oak the boards have ray-like markings running diagonally across them.