dixie
You are rambling here! A few points of correction; the new polyuretanes (Diamondthane for example <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />) are the hardest finishes currently made. They are tough as can be and extremely clear, but they are orders of magnitude softer than diamond. They are only mediocre as true water sealers. If they were impervious the floors would buckle like crazy due to water getting into only one side. Most of the hardest polyurethanes are water-based. Where the water leaves from it leaves a hole it can return by...
As SHeister points out the wood is end-painted to slow the drying at the ends, so the whole board will stress less from uneven drying. Though in some parts of the country the wood is sometimes end-painted to reduce water transport... wicking. That is to keep the water content low enough to prevent rot.
Firewood, any wood dries far faster through the cut end... imagine a bundle of microscopic straws held together with glue and full of water when the tree is cut. As they stand some trees are 2/3 free water. When the wood gets down to about 25-30% water cut (when compared to the weight of the wood after oven-drying) the water held in the cells of the wood starts to leave and the wood then starts to shrink.
Of course the wood does not all dry at the same rate, hence the need to slow down the ends. The biggest problem is that when wood reaches about 6% MC it takes a set and will maintain that size through incredible stresses. If the outside takea a set before the inside it stays larger than it should be and the inside of the wood then shrinks and often causes serious cracking inside the piece, invisible to the outside.
Laminates SUCK! They is ugly as a mud fence, heavy as can be, lousy to checker, expensive and did I mention ugly? Of course that is just my opinion <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> I have not seen one delaminating though. My wood stocks of a number of species including several flavors of walnut, myrtle, maples and a few others do just fine when properly finished with a base coat of two-part epoxy and a top coat of oil finish.
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