Are there any special procedures in installing and finishing exotic flooring?
Exotic species tend to be much harder than domestic species and contain a higher resin and extractive content. Because of the higher hardness, many installers will use flooring staples with their pneumatic nailer instead of the traditional flooring cleat. The staples have less of a tendency to split the flooring tongues during installation than the cleats do. During finishing, it is recommended that a water based sealer be applied immediately after sanding and vacuuming exotic hardwoods. Applying the sealer will lock in the resins and extractives found in exotic species and prevent their interference with application of the floor finish. * I was told that wide plank flooring will cup, split, and buckle. Wide plank flooring has been in service throughout this country for hundreds of years. The key to its performance is the amount of change in relative humidity throughout the year at the installation. The use of air conditioning or dehumidifiers in the summer and humidifiers in the heati
