Yes Lyse and Eldersnake, the flooring is a hard product to work with, very brittle and easily split. The timber has a nice perfume smell, cyprus, related to the red cedar timber. It is not eaten by termites, and looks great when oiled. Varnish is not necessary. I use a special floor clamp to push gaps together, and warped boards. Usually the boards are straight, and have grooves end to end as well on the side.