Cedar Flooring for Another Dummy

Cedar vs. pine

We don't know about you, but it has always seemed to us that if you want to correct misinformation, the best thing to do is ask someone who knows the facts. Sadly, that's not always the case in the Leaf Group universe. No, it seems that whoever assigns rewrite projects to their "cleanup team" is still under the impression that having a journalism degree means you can write knowledgeably about any topic. Well, Kimberley McGee certainly put paid to that impression with her Hunker.com rewrite of "Can You Put Knotty Cedar Planking Down for Flooring?"

McGee's post is a rewrite of the 2012 version of the same "answer" by Glenda Taylor (featured here earlier this year). When we documented Glenda's DotD nomination, we took her to task for not understanding why cedar is too soft for a floor and for lacking much knowledge of... well, of pretty much everything she tried to say. Kim, we noticed, isn't much more knowledgeable...
For one, McGee started out by telling her readers that,

"For a casual country look, there is nothing better than rows of knotty pine tongue and groove flooring. Cedar wood flooring has a rustic and inviting appeal. The pine hardwood flooring can stand up to high traffic..."

Some of our thoughts about that passage, Kimberley:

• What do you mean by "rows of... flooring," anyway?
• We hate to tell you, but cedar and pine aren't the same thing!
• Pine is not a hardwood! Neither, for that matter, is cedar...

McGee then expanded on her revelations, telling everyone that,

"Knotty pine flooring is durable and a classic choice for homeowners."

Strange, we thought that the article was about cedar floors. That, and we are aware that knotty pine is a classic choice for walls, but for floors? Not so much... McGee continues to confuse pine and cedar throughout the entire post, regaling her readers with such faux decorating advice as,

• "Color Considerations for Cedar Flooring: The color range for pine hardwood flooring is wide and varied"
• "Cedar Flooring Pros and Cons: A well-laid pine floor will last for a century or more."
• "Pine floors tend not to shrink or swell in most climates. However, cedar plank flooring in humid areas can age better with a coat of polyurethane..."

By now, you should probably have figured out – as did we – that this journalism major and self-styled "award-winning journalist" had no idea what she was writing about. As a result, Ms. McGee is about to receive another award: we do hereby anoint Kimberley the Dumbass of the Day, Rewrite Division. Feh.

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