Learn more about popular and not so popular wood flooring terms, products, accessories and services. We will help you build up confidence when it comes to your choices in that regard. Good decisions come with more, and specific knowledge and expertise, so make sure to flip through our helpful wood flooring glossary!
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
-A-
- Abrasion Class Wear Layer
- Abrasion Class Wear Layer (or AC Layer) is the additional protective clear layer put on the top of laminate flooring to ensure resistance and longer-lasting power.
- Accent Strip
- Accent strips are wood strips made of the same materials and products as wood flooring and normally come in a different shade than the main colour of the wooden floor. Accent strips are often used for the areas where the room’s floor ends and blends into another flooring alternative.
- AC Rating (Abrasion Class / Wear Layer)
- A grading system used primarily for laminate (and some LVT) flooring to indicate wear resistance—from AC1 for residential light use to AC5+ for heavy commercial use.
- Acclimation
- The process of allowing flooring to adjust to the room's moisture, temperature, and humidity conditions—typically by storing planks in the installation environment for at least 48 hours. Prevents later issues like warping or gapping.
- Acrylic Infused
- Acrylic infused wood flooring products are injected with liquid acrylic in their surface layer. That adds additional durability and improves the hard-wearing power.
- Adhesive
- Wood floor adhesives (glue) are used during the wood floor installation or repair processes in order to permanently bond the flooring elements and products together.
- Aluminum Oxide
- Aluminum Oxide is a type of wood flooring finish that is applied on the surface of real wood flooring elements and products and serves as a protective and preservation coat thanks to its long-lasting power and durability.
-B-
- Belt Sander
- Belt sanders are part of the equipment used for wood floor sanding. It normally consists of two rollers with sanding paper attached to them.
- Beveled Edge Wood Boards
- Wood flooring boards with beveled edges are normally sold with a different groove. The term is also known as v-shaped edge and available for solid wood and engineered wood flooring boards.
- Border
- Wood flooring borders are a decorative element for wood flooring, used for design customization and for framing the wooden floor. Often used for marking the end of the room’s wooden flooring.
- Brushed Finish
- This is an effect treatment to the wood floor’s finish. It provides a distinctive visual change and is achieved by treating the finish with steel combs, thus highlighting the natural wood’s grain. The brushed finish results in very textured wood flooring boards.
- Buffing Machine
- Buffing machines are used for polishing real wood flooring right after sanding. Treatment with a buffing machine gives a very smooth and uniform surface.
-C-
- Colour Variation
- It appears in real wood flooring products. It is the natural pigment deviation between the different wooden boards in a floor.
- Combination Base/Shoe
- This is a finishing molding accessory for wooden floors. It is located along the edges of the boards on the perimeter of the room, where the floor meets the walls.
- Concrete Subfloor
- These are the most popular sort of subfloors, great for installation of solid wood and engineered wood floors on top.
- Crazing
- The process of light cracks appearing in the dried wood floor’s finish.
- Cross Laying
- Laying materials perpendicular from the layers below. It’s most commonly used for the construction of engineered wood floor boards.
- Curing
- The point of complete dryness of wood floor finishes and adhesives.
-D-
- Damp Proof Membrane
- A layer of material used to limit the moisture transfer between the subfloor and the wooden floor installed on top of it.
- Delamination
- The process of separation of the laminate’s, or the engineered wood’s layers.
- Detergent
- A cleaning solution used for maintenance. They normally consist of water and one (or more) of these solutions - soaps, surfactants, chelating agents, builders, solvents.
- Dirt Retention
- Dirt retention of the floor finish is its ability to embed soil, dirt and grime.
- Distressed Finish
- An effect on wood floor finishes made on purpose to help them achieve a time-worn and textured appearance.
- Door Threshold Plate
- A decorative accessory for wooden floors used to cover the expansion gap left between the floor and the room’s threshold.
- Drum Sander
- Drum sanders are a common part of wood floor sanding’s equipment.
-E-
- Eased Edge
- A shallower and more round edge of wood flooring boards.
- Edge Detail
- Explains the way wood flooring boards are cut.
- Edge Sander
- A common wood floor sanding tool. Normally used for areas of the floor where other sanders cannot reach.
- End Joint
- The areas of the floor, where two pieces of wood floor boards are joint together.
- Engineered Wood Flooring
- A type of real wood flooring. Unlike solid wood floor boards, engineered wood floor boards are a man-made product from layers of softwood, ply, or other lumber materials glued together, crisscrossed, with the top layer undergone a finishing treatment.
- Expansion Gap
- A small, deliberate gap left around the perimeter of the flooring to accommodate natural wood expansion and contraction with humidity changes. The gap is typically hidden under skirting boards.
-F-
- Fading
- The process of the wood floor’s original or artificially achieved colour, getting less intense.
- Figure
- These are natural forms and elements on the surface of real wood floor boards.
- Filler
- A substance (normally a mixture of resin and saw dust) used for filling in the gaps between wood floorboards.
- Finish
- The coating applied on layers of the surface of unfinished or sanded real wood floors. It protects, preserves, and adds a visual effect.
- Flat Sawn
- Specific cut for wood flooring boards, when boards are cut long and the rings run parallel to the board.
- Floating Floor / Click‑Lock Installation
- A flooring installation method where planks lock together and “float” above the subfloor, without being glued or nailed down. Common in laminate, LVT, SPC, and some engineered wood products.
- Floor Protectors
- Attachments placed on the bottom parts, and legs, of heavy objects and furniture pieces for preventing wood floor scratches and scuffs.
- Flow
- Describes the ability of the wood floor finish to spread into a smooth and uniform film.
-G-
- Gloss
- Glossy wood floor finishes have a high shininess and reflect the light.
-H-
- Hand-scraped
- Refers to a treatment of wood floor finishes, leaving a textured appearance.
- Hardness
- The ability of different wood floor species to withstand denting.
- Hardwood Flooring
- Also known as solid wood flooring and real wood flooring. Hardwood floor products, materials and boards are cut from single timber.
- High-Density Fiberboard
- A natural material used for the building of engineered wood’s heart layers.
-J-
- Janka Hardness Scale
- A measurement of a wood species’ resistance to denting, based on the force (in pounds-force) needed to embed a standard steel ball halfway into the wood.
- Joist
- Beams used for supporting the wood flooring.
-L-
- Lacquered Finish
- A type of wood flooring finish covering that forms a glossy, hard-wearing and durable layer on the surface of wood.
- Laminate Flooring
- A flooring type. It is not made of real wood or any natural products, but it closely resembles them.
- Lap Marks
- The marks left from a poor application of the wood floor finish.
- Lumber Grade
- A rating system used for classifying the imperfections and irregularities of unfinished wooden floors.
-M-
- Micro‑Bevel / Bevelled Edges
- Decorative groove edges that enhance visual separation between boards.
- Mixed Media
- Floor types consisting of wood flooring boards and elements from other materials.
- Molding
- Refers to trim or transition pieces and accessories used for wooden floors.
- Multiply Boards
- Also known as engineered wood flooring.
-N-
- Natural Stain
- A clear finish for wooden floors that allows the natural wood’s finish to be seen.
-O-
- Oil Finish
- A type of wood floor finish that consists of oil wax. It has a subtler sheen and allows the natural wood’s texture to peak through.
-P-
- Parquet
- A geometric or mosaic installation or arrangement of real wood flooring boards.
- Particleboard
- A material made out of a mixture of wood particles/dust and natural resin.
- Plain Sawn
- When the annual tree growth rings are cut at an angle of 45 degrees with the surface.
- Plank
- A wood flooring board with a width of 3 inches or more.
- Ply
- It is often used for construction of engineered wood boards, often placed as layers in the boards’ heart.
- Polyurethane
- A type of wood floor finish with a very high protection properties and durability.
- Prefinished
- Solid wood and engineered wood floor boards that are sold with an already applied finish at the factory.
-Q-
- Quarter Round Molding
- A decorative accessory for wooden floors used to cover the expansion gap between the real wood, laminate flooring, and the walls of the room.
- Quarter Sawn
- Wood floor cutting method, where the cut is perpendicular to the annual tree growth rings.
-R-
- Random Length
- A wood flooring set that consists of boards with varying length.
- Random Width
- A wood flooring set that consists of boards with varying width.
- Reclaimed Wood
- Second-hand or recycled wood flooring materials used for installation of new wooden floors.
- Reducer Strip
- A decorative wood flooring accessory used for covering the gap between wooden floors and floor coverings made out of other materials.
- Refinishing
- The process of application of finishing and sealing wooden materials over sanded wood flooring surface.
- Rustic Wood
- Wood flooring finish’s effect that achieves a rustic or antique appearance of the floor.
-S-
- Sanding
- The process of removing the old finish of wooden floors with the help of sanding paper attached to machines designed for that purpose.
- Softwoods
- Pine or cone-bearing wood species. Usually used for the heart of engineered wood flooring boards.
- Solid Wood
- Solid wood flooring boards are cut out of single timber.
- Species
- Refers to the different types of trees.
- Square Edge
- A type of wood flooring board cut, when the edges of the boards allow for the board to lay flush to the next board.
- Staining
- The process of applying stains or paints on the surface of wooden floors.
- Subfloor
- A structure underneath the flooring.
-T-
- T-Molding
- Molding accessory/detail that is used to finishing the place where two real wood, or laminate, floors meet.
- Tongue-and-Groove
- Traditional plank joint used in both solid and engineered wood.
- Transition Strip
- Wood flooring accessory that bridges two floors with different heights.
- Trim
- Refers to a finishing element/accessory used for wooden boards. Includes thresholds, baseboards, skirting boards, quarter rounds, scotia, etc.
- Trowel
- A tool used for application of wood floor adhesives and other substances.
-U-
- Unfinished
- Refers to wooden floors that are not treated with a finishing product.
- Underlayment
- Accompanies floating installations—provides sound insulation, moisture barrier, and helps smooth out minor subfloor imperfections.
- Urethane
- A sort of highly durable and hard-wearing wood flooring finish.
- UV Finish
- Wood flooring finishes with added UV filters that protect wood from the aggressive effect of excessive sun exposure.
-V-
- Varnish
- Wood floor finishing product based on oils.
- VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds)
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted by some adhesives and finishes. Low‑VOC products minimize indoor air pollution and chemical exposure.
-W-
- Wear Layer / Protective Coating
- The durable top surface layer on engineered wood or vinyl flooring (including aluminum oxide or polyurethane finishes), responsible for scratch resistance and longevity.
- White Washed
- A sort of wood floor finish that adds a chalky and unfinished effect to the wood floor’s surface.
- Wire-Brushed
- A sort of wood floor finish’s treatment that consists of distressing the surface and achieving a time-worn and antique appearance.
Wood Species Glossary
African Teak – Also known as Iroko wood. Originates from Africa. Highly durable and solid.
African Walnut – Very flexible and long-lasting wood species.
American Black Walnut – Solid and durable wood species.
Bamboo – A type of fast-growing grass. Used for manufacturing of flexible and easy-to-maintain flooring.
Beech – Very durable and hard-wearing wood species.
Cumaru Wood – Originates from South Africa. Durable, solid and hard-wearing wood species.
Ipe Wood – Very tight and durable wood species, normally used for manufacturing wood decking.
Mahogany – Originates from Brazil. Naturally dark with reddish undertones.
Oak – A popular domestic wood species. Comes in white oak and red oak. Durable and hard-wearing.
Teak – Normally used for manufacturing of wood decking.
Wenge – Specific with a strong pardidge pattern. Heavy, durable and long-lasting.