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hardwood
hardwood glossary
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- Parquet
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A type of wood floor made from combining small pieces of wood in different patterns.
- Parquet Floor Square
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Parquet flooring pieces that are fastened to form a tile.
- Parquet Floor Units
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Parquet flooring that consists of three or more tiles fastened together.
- Particleboard
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A generic term for a panel composed of wood and other vegetable material bound together with glue and pressure. Includes flakeboard, a type of particleboard made of flakes of material, oriented strand board, a type of particleboard made of strand-type flakes of material arranged to add maximum durability to the panel, and waferboard, a type of particle board made of wafer-like flakes.
- Peeled Veneer
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A way of manufacturing the top layer of engineered wood flooring where the log is peeled to produce a thin layer of wood.
- Peeling
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A problem where the dried film of a finish comes loose in flakes or sheets.
- Penetrating Stains
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Stains that have penetrated into wood or other flooring surface.
- Petroleum Spirits
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See Mineral Spirits
- pH Value
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A scale used to determine the acidity or alkalinity of a material, which is determined by the amount of hydrogen ion. A pH rating over 7 is considered alkaline, below 7 is considered acidic and 7 is considered neutral.
- Photo–Sensitive
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The sensitivity of a material that causes it to get lighter or darker when exposed to light.
- Pigment
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Very small solid particles of color used in products such as paint or enamel.
- Pigment Stains
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Stains created by combining volatile thinners with pigment.
- Pilot Hole
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A hole drilled to accommodate a screw or nail, which helps prevent splitting of the wood.
- Pin Holes/Pin Lines
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Tiny holes or lines in finish caused by finish sinking into low or less dense areas, which can be corrected by applying an additional coat of finish.
- Pin Knot
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A knot that is less than " in diameter.
- Pin Worm Hole
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A small hole in wood made from the boring of an insect that does not exceed 1/16" in diameter.
- Pith
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A word used to describe the softer area of the core in the center of a trunk or branch.
- Plainsawn
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A method of sawing where wood is cut so that the annual growth rings make an angle of less than 45 with the surface producing a pleasing pattern.
- Planer Bite
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A term used to describe cuts made too deeply by a planer knife.
- Plank
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Flooring boards that are usually 3" to 8" wide and are usually installed in parallel rows.
- Plugs
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Small pegs that are used to cover nails or screws that have been countersunk or are used to simulate a Colonial American flooring look.
- Plywood
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Boards constructed in cross-directional layers which provide more dimensional stability.
- Pneumatic fastener
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Similar to a manual fastener, you use a rubber mallet to apply pressure to the springs in order to drive the staple or nails into the floor. The big difference is that you don't have to apply a lot of pressure to the equipment because you're assisted by an air compressor.
- Polyurethane
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Several units of urethane chemically joined together which is able to solidify.
- Polyurethane
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The most common type of finish that is very durable, has care free maintenance, and is available in water based or oil based formulas.
- Powdering
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When finish or other materials are disintegrated to the point where they become a fine powder.
- Prefinished
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Flooring that is finished completely before being sold to a consumer, which requires no sanding or finishing after installation.
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