We have compiled answers to most questions you may have about our products and services for your convenience. If you have a question that is not posted here, please feel free to contact us via email or by phone during business hours at 1-800-311-4640. You may also find information about wood flooring on our Flooring 101 section.

Q. Why can't I buy your flooring Online?

A. We believe that a flooring project requires much more than just a click. There are so many different types of flooring that could be quite confusing to the regular consumer! Purchasing a floor that may not be suitable for your application is a problem that could be costly and time consuming to fix.
When you call us, our knowledgeable staff members will review your project one on one and advise you on the best option for your application. We will do our job to make yours as smooth as it could possibly be.

Q. Is buying from you different from buying off the Internet?

A. Most of the flooring manufacturers have posted an Internet Sales Policy on their websites stating they do not encourage the sale of the flooring online. Some have taken this matter seriously by either reducing the warranty or voiding it if their floors were purchased from an online retailer. There are so many reasons for this such as helping local retailers but mainly to eliminate the problems arising from the lack of personal communications.

Q. Do I get the full warranty on the products I purchase from Vernon Floors?

A. Of course; Vernon Floors is not an online retailer; our website is simply a showcase of the products and services we offer. Our showroom includes more than 1200 styles of the most reputable brand name wood flooring mills. Our information is posted as an authorized retailer on the websites of every manufacturer we showcase as well.

Q. There are so many options, how do I know which floor is right for me?

A. Wood floors come in various styles and shapes. What decides your options is where the floor will be installed. For example, if you're finishing a basement, your options are limited to certain engineered or vinyl floors. If you're need flooring for the first floor and above, you're options become limitless.
The first thing you should do is consult with an installer who will tally your options and direct you to the right flooring style. If you do not have an installer, we will be happy to help. Simply call us at 1-800-311-4640 and we will advise you on all the available options that will suit your application.
TIP: Be a smart consumer and ask questions. The more information you have; the sound your purchase will be.

Q. How long do I have to wait before I get my floor?

A. We stock most of our products in our warehouse in Fairfield, NJ so we could meet our clients' immanent demand. Inmost cases, we can deliver your floor on the next business day. Some exotic species are seasonal and some specialty flooring may take up to three weeks. Please call us to check on the availability on any of our products.

Q. Do you ship nationwide?

A. Yes we do. Please refer to our Shipping & Returns section. For further information or to get a shipping quote, please call us at 1-800-311-4640 or email us from the contact page.

Q. Do I pay sales tax on my order?

A. We do not charge sales tax on any order we ship outside the state of NJ. If you live in another state and decide to pick up your floor from our warehouse in Fairfield, NJ; we will have to charge you the NJ sales tax.

Q. Can your floors be sanded and refinished?

A. All our lines of solid hardwood, engineered, bamboo and cork can be sanded and refinished several times. If you plan to change the original color, we suggest you choose a light floor such as Ash, Oak or Maple. Dark floors such as Walnut, Jatoba or Mahogany may be finished with either a clear coat or a darker tone.

Q. What is a Janka Hardness Rating?

A. Janka is a standard process that measures the durability of wood species. The process is pressing a rotating steel ball onto the surface of the wood until it starts to dent. Each rotation counts for one point. The higher the points are, the longer that species was able to withstand the pressure. Of course a higher rating means more durable wood.

Q. Bamboo Flooring; is it hard or soft?

A. What defines the hardness & durability of Bamboo is when it was harvested. Traditionally, bamboo matures in five years; if it is harvested before full maturity, it will definitely be soft. There are many retailers in the market who advertise bamboo flooring for $2.00 or less; most of those are harvested within three years. You should always ask for a document that shows the age of the bamboo shoot when it was harvested.

Another option is Strand woven Bamboo. This is an innovation that made bamboo harder than most wood species. It has a 3000 PSI on the Janka scale and is more durable than Oak & Mahogany.
Vernon Floors offers bamboo from three brands that harvest at a minimum of 5 years. We also offer strand woven bamboo in various colors and in both solid through Teragren (Synergy Collection) and engineered through Natural Cork & More (The Strand Woven Collection).
TIP: Always check for comments and complaints about a company before you buy from them. If you see a lot; especially on the BBB website, simply steer away. You could be the next unhappy customer.

Q. What is the emission percentage of Formaldehyde in your bamboo?

A. Most bamboo flooring is manufactured with adhesives that contain a UREA Formaldehyde resin. Our brands Teragren, Mandarin &Natural Cork are manufactured with an amount that is far below the percentage specified by both European and American standards of air quality recommendations.
The US standard of Formaldehyde off-gassing ranges between 0.30 and 0.75 PPM, Teragren has a rate of 0.03

Q. What is AC rating?

A. Much like the Janka Hardness scale for hardwood floors, AC Rating indicates the surface durability of Laminate Floors. There are five levels:

• AC1: Law durability and is only suitable for very light residential use.
• AC2: Medium durability and is suitable for light to medium residential use.
• AC3: High durability and is suitable for heavy residential and light commercial use.
• AC4: Very high durability and is suitable for medium commercial and all residential use.
• AC5: The highest level, it is suitable for heavy commercial use.

Vernon Floors is proud to offer Balterio as one of the very few brands worldwide that offer laminate flooring with AC5 rating that features a lifetime residential warranty and an unparallel 15-year commercial warranty.
TIP: Always ask where your floor is manufactured. If you don't get a satisfying answer, don't waste your money.

Q. What is a Floating Floor?

A. Floating floors are usually made of engineered planks that are either glued or interlocked to each other, not to the sub floor. Floating floors are very suitable for fast remodeling since the installation usually takes half the time spent on glued or nailed down floors. They could be installed over any existing wood, vinyl, stone or concrete and above or below grade. A good example of floating floors is Laminate Flooring.
Vernon Floors offers a variety of Floating planks in engineered wood floors, Bamboo floors and Laminate floors.

Q. Do you have matching molding to all your products?

Yes we have transitional molding for every flooring style we offer including:

• Stair Noses
• Hard Surface Reducers
• T-Moldings
• Overlap Reducers
• Quarter Rounds
• Base Boards
• Stair Treads & Risers

We also offer custom made transitional molding, stair treads and risers in any species you choose. Please call us Toll-Free at 1-888-248-4488 for more details.

Q. Do you have sound proof Padding?

A. Yes we do. Our underlayment collection includes four sound proof underlayment including:

• Insulayment: used as sound insulation under all types of floors.
• QuietWalk: used as sound proof under floating floors and includes a moister vapor protection.
• Floor Muffler: Used as soundproof and moisture barrier. It's ideal for Radiant heat flooring.
• Cork Underlayment: Used as sound proof and moisture barrier.

Q. Do you accept returns?

A. Of course we do. If you order too much flooring, we will be happy to accept any unopened boxes within 45 days of receiving your merchandise. Please note that there's no return on some "Special Orders" and a restocking fee applies to all returns. Please refer to our full Shipping & Return policy on the bottom of the main page.

Can I exchange my order?

A. You may exchange your flooring order with any other product within 45 days at no cost. Exchanged flooring must be in its original packaging and in good condition. You may not exchange special orders or custom made order.
Please call us at 1-800-311-4640 for more details.

Q. Is wood flooring expensive?

A. It's all relative. With proper care and maintenance, hardwood floors will last virtually a lifetime. They can always be sanded and refinished for a fresh new look or a completely different color. Hardwood floors usually enhance the value of your home: homes with hardwood floors tend to command higher selling prices and they often sell faster. When you consider all the lasting value of wood floors, it's actually more an investment than an expense.

Q. Is there a lot of care and maintenance involved with wood floors?

A. Not really; wood floors have the least amount of care of all other flooring types. They do not stain and do not need special tools to clean. A hardwood floor cleaning kit that includes a bottle of spray and a mop such as Bona will easily do the job. Please ask us for an illustration in the showroom.

Q. What's the difference between Solid and Engineered wood flooring?

• Solid hardwood floors are just that; strips or planks of wood that are solid top to bottom. They are available in a wide range of thickness from a standard 3/4" to 5/16". Solid floors are usually installed on or above grade.
  
• Engineered planks are made by laminating layers of hardwood to one another in a cross-banded manner; topped with premium hardwood layer. This type of construction gives the flooring the dimensional stability to counteract wood's natural tendency to contract and expand with changes in temperature and humidity. It is usually installed below, on or above grade.
  

Q. What's the difference between a single strip floor and a Multi-Layer floor?

A. Both of these flooring types are in the engineered category, meaning they are both comprised of layers of solid wood, also known as plies, which are laminated together for added dimensional stability. Both have a premium hardwood top layer. The main difference between the two is the number of layers. A single strip floor has three layers - a bottom layer, core layer and top or wear layer. A Multi-Layer floor can have from five to eight plies in its composition again with a premium hardwood wear layer.

Q. What are square-edge, bevel-edge and eased-edge designs?

A. These terms describe the edges and ends of a wood floor board. The edge profile is basically a matter of personal taste. Square edges are flush and butt up tight to one another for a seamless look. Bevel and Eased-edge have a slight angle on the top edge of the plank or strip. These edge profiles add a bit more character and tend to hide minor imperfections where the boards meet. You can also feel these edge profiles as you walk on the floor barefoot. Bottom line, it's all about what looks right to you.

Q. How do I decide between a Pre-finished and an unfinished hardwood floor?

• Pre-finished floors come with multiple layers of finish from six coats to a whopping twelve coats and warranted for many years. They can be installed and enjoyed on the same day with no worry of any dust or vapors from the finishing process. Pre-finished floors are also available in different species, widths and thicknesses that may not be easy to obtain as unfinished.
• Unfinished floors take longer time to install. They would be sanded and refinished on site so it is not recommended to have anyone in the area other than the professional installers. A good installer may apply up to 4 coats of finish and warrant the wear and tear for only one year.

Q. What is Aluminum Oxide?

A. Aluminum Oxide is a metallic chemical compound coating. It is widely used with almost all pre-finished wood floors. It offers superior durability to the surface of the floor that usually lasts for 10 to 25 years.

Q. Are Wood Floors good for high traffic areas?

A. It all depends on the species of wood. A dense, durable wood floor such as Ipe or Jatoba will stand any heavy traffic. Another option to consider is an open grain wood species such as Oak or Jatoba; these floors do not show the majority of dents and scratches. But best of all, wood floors are the only option you do not have to replace. A simple sanding and refinishing will bring you a brand new floor again.
We also offer laminated floors and vinyl planks that are made for heavy commercial traffic. They are scratch and dent resistant and warranted for 10 to 15 years for all commercial applications.

Q. I have pets; is wood flooring a good option for me?

A. If you have small pets, you should not worry. If your pets weigh more than 100 Lbs., they will present a challenge; but not a big one. If you keep their nails trimmed, you should not encounter any floor scratching. You may also consider an open grain wood which does not show most scratches.

Q. Does hardwood floor change color over time?

A. Yes. Wood matures and gain darker, richer tone over time. Some woods change more than others. This is natural and part of the charm of real wood; the wood is gaining its "patina." Typically, exotic wood show this change much faster than domestic wood. If you choose Brazilian Cherry, the planks will have a caramel tone that will turn into reddish/brown tone within three months to a year.

TIP: Do not place area rugs over exotic wood floors until the wood reaches its darkest tone. Placing an area rug or any material that completely blocks light and air flow will not allow the wood underneath it to darken.

Q. How do I decide which installation method is right for my floor?

A. This depends on the type of floor you want and the sub-floor as well. Here's a break down of the installation methods of all flooring types we offer:

• Solid Hardwood Floors: Nail Down Only
• Engineered Floors: Staple, Glue Down or Floating
• Bamboo Floors: Nail, Staple or Glue Down
• Laminate Floors: Floating

TIP: Wide plank floors (5" to 12") must be nailed and glued down. Using liquid nails, you should run a horizontal line every 8" then nail the boards vertically. This process will eliminate any future cupping of the boards. If you use a moisture barrier underlayment such as Floor Muffler, there will be no need for this process.

Q. Can I install a hardwood floor myself?

A. Hardwood floor installation is a skilled trade that requires talented hands to produce the best possible results. We use highly skilled craftsmen who install our floors day in and day out. They not only do it right, they know how to avoid the headaches and hassles even the handiest of homeowners can run into. However, if you really want to do it yourself, we are here to walk you through the process and answer any question you may have.

Q. Can I install hardwood over my existing floor?

A. It depends on the type of wood floor you choose.
Solid floors must be installed over plywood. They must not be installed directly over another hardwood floor. For the best results, always remove the existing hardwood; you may then use your existing plywood or replace it with a new one. Installing hardwood over another will result in gapping everywhere. If your sub-floor is a wide plank pine, you should still either replace it with plywood or install plywood over it. If you do not want to go through the added cost of removing or replacing an existing floor, your best option will be a floating floor. Floating planks snap together, not to the sub-floor making it a perfect choice for fast remodeling.

Q. Where can I get a copy of my flooring Warranty?

A. The majority of our manufacturers place a copy of their warranty in each box of flooring along with installation instructions. Warranties are also available in the brochures; you may download a copy from our website on the Catalogs page or simply call us at 1-800-311-4640, we will gladly mail one out to you.