Flooring & Construction Basics

Question 1

What are the main 3 types of wood subfloor?

Answer 1

OSB, Plywood, Particle Board

Question 2

What types of subfloor allow for nail down installation of Hardwood?

Answer 2

Plywood, OSB, NOT CONCRETE OR PARTICLE BOARD

Question 3

True or False: Checking the moisture content of a subfloor is critical when installing carpet?

Answer 3

False

Question 4

True or False: You cannot install carpet over a concrete slab because you cannot nail down the tack strip?

Answer 4

False

Question 5

True of False: Backing/Primary Backing provides a base cloth to hold the yarn in place while tufting occurs.

Answer 5

True

Question 6

True or False: Polypropylene is harvested from sheep and the original staple fiber used in the manufacture of carpet. Since wool is a natural fiber, it ranges in color from off-white to black, with a number of earthen tones between. Although wool doesn’t stand up to abrasion and moisture as well as synthetics, it cleans well and is known to age gracefully. Wool is the most expensive carpet fiber and represents less than one percent of today’s U.S. market.

Answer 6

False

Question 7

True or False: Cut pile carpet is a versatile tufted carpet that features clipped yarn loops. This type of carpet is soft and dense with well-defined individual tuft tips. Many dealers call their smoother finished carpets “plushes.”

Answer 7

True

Question 8

True or False: Tufting is the process of weaving synthetic or staple fiber into a primary backing material.

Answer 8

True

Question 9

True or False: Wool comprises nearly 75% of today’s carpet is manufactured from this synthetic polyamide, which is considered the leader in appearance retention, fade and heat resistance, soil and stain resistance and both color and styling.

Answer 9

False

Question 10

True or False: Textured carpet is a cut pile carpet with alternating crimp, loops or other modifications of yarn that results in a two-tone appearance. Textured yarns have increased cover, resiliency, abrasion resistance, and insulation.

Answer 10

True

Question 11

True or False: A reducer is a transitional piece used to connect laminate with another type of flooring, such as vinyl, thin laminate tile or low-pile carpeting.

Answer 11

True

Question 12

True or False: Polyester is a fiber-forming, thermoplastic synthetic polymer, often chosen for its bulkiness, color clarity and resistance to stains and fading. Not as resilient as nylon, but a great performer.

Answer 12

True

Question 13

True or False: Face weight is a measurement in ounces determined by the amount of fiber per square yard. For example, a standard carpet may have a face weight of 35 to 45 ounces.

Answer 13

True

Question 14

True or False: Density is the measurement of how tightly yarn is stitched into a carpet’s primary backing. Higher density carpet will normally wear better than lower density carpet.

Answer 14

True

Question 15

True or False: Aluminum oxide is added to the wear layer of a urethane finish for increased abrasion resistance, commonly used in the better grade wood floors.

Answer 15

True

Question 16

True or False: Beveled edge hardwood boards with a distinctive groove in them, as seen in informal and country decor. With today’s urethane finishes, these edges can be completely sealed, making these floors easy to clean.

Answer 16

True

Question 17

True or False: A “T-Molding” is typically used in doorways to join two laminate floors in adjoining rooms. Also recommended when transitioning from a laminate floor to another floor that is about the same height.

Answer 17

True

Question 18

True or False: Solid hardwood flooring is made with 2,3, or 5 thin sheets or plies of wood, laminated together to form a single plank. Most can be nailed, stapled or glued down, or floated over a variety of subfloors, including some existing flooring.

Answer 18

False

Question 19

True or False: In the glue down installation method floor coverings are not fastened to any part of the subfloor. Instead, a thin pad is placed between the wood and the subfloor and a recommended wood glue is applied in the tongue and groove of each plank.

Answer 19

False

Question 20

True or False: In the floating floor installation method, the floor covering is adhered to a subfloor using a recommended mastic or adhesive, spread on with the proper sized trowel.

Answer 20

False

Question 21

True or False: EVP & LVT are manufactured products sandwiching a backing material, visual element and a wear layer that simulates the look of hardwood, stone, or other natural or unnatural surfaces.

Answer 21

False

Question 22

True or False: A transition is the spot where two different floor coverings meet — i.e. carpet and hardwood floor. Professional installers attempt to match surface heights to create a seamless passage from one to the other.

Answer 22

True

Question 23

True or False: The Janka Hardness Test is the standard test for determining a wood’s hardness rating in which the force required to embed a .444 inch steel ball to half its diameter in a piece of wood is measured. The higher the number, the harder the wood.

Answer 23

True

Question 24

True or False: Melamine resin is a compound used to improve the moisture resistance and durability of laminate flooring’s core board.

Answer 24

True

Question 25

True or False: Removing asbestos flooring is part of the basic offering we provide at Floor Coverings International?

Answer 25

False

Question 26

You should not remove baseboards in a home if the home was built prior to what year? 1955, 1969, 1978, or 1982

Answer 26

1978 (everything before 1979)

Question 27

When dealing with existing asbestos flooring, what is the preferred method of install of new flooring?

Answer 27

Floating