# Wood flooring guides

Source page: https://www.misterendgrain.com/guides/
Updated: 2026-11-03

These guides cover the decisions and jobs that come after choosing a species and a format: how the floor is finished, how it is fixed down, how it copes with heating and humidity, how to look after it, and which standards the products are made to.

## Before installation

- **[Moisture and acclimatisation](https://www.misterendgrain.com/guides/moisture-and-acclimatisation/)**: why moisture causes most wood floor problems, and how subfloors and boards are checked before laying.
- **[Installation methods](https://www.misterendgrain.com/guides/installation-methods/)**: floating, glue-down and nail-down, and which formats suit each.
- **[Underfloor heating](https://www.misterendgrain.com/guides/underfloor-heating/)**: what makes a wood floor compatible, and the limits manufacturers set.

## Finishing and living with it

- **[Wood floor finishes](https://www.misterendgrain.com/guides/wood-floor-finishes/)**: oil, hardwax oil, lacquer and colour treatments compared.
- **[Cleaning and maintenance](https://www.misterendgrain.com/guides/cleaning-and-maintenance/)**: routine care, and what to avoid.
- **[Sanding and refinishing](https://www.misterendgrain.com/guides/sanding-and-refinishing/)**: when a floor can be sanded, and how often.

## Reference

- **[Janka hardness explained](https://www.misterendgrain.com/guides/janka-hardness-explained/)**: what the test measures and what it doesn't. The [hardness chart](https://www.misterendgrain.com/hardness-chart/) ranks every species we cover.
- **[Flooring standards](https://www.misterendgrain.com/guides/flooring-standards/)**: a plain-English map of the European, international and national standards behind wood flooring products and installation.

Every guide cites its sources, and technical terms are defined in the [glossary](https://www.misterendgrain.com/glossary/).

## How to use these guides

Each guide opens with a short answer, then explains the reasoning and gives the figures that published sources support. Manufacturers' instructions for a specific product always come first. Where a product's technical sheet differs from the general guidance here, follow the product sheet and the advice of a qualified installer.