There are so many options when it comes to hardwood flooring that it can be mind boggling.
You need to look at your home and how you live and exactly how you want your new floor to serve your needs.
If you have a family and pets and your floor gets a lot of action you may want to choose a hard working floor like a strand bamboo or one of the more durable hardwoods like hickory, hard maple or exotic hardwoods.
A good all around floor is red oak which is very common and for good reasons. It is durable has distinctive characteristics and it is medium toned so it is very forgiving as far as showing particles or soil on your floor. Dark wood floors show every piece of lint or fuzz and lighter floors show everything you track in on your floor.
Now lets take a moment to not overlook putting in a mixed species floor. Different hardwoods such as, 1st and 2nd grade hickory, maple, white oak and a little red oak make for a beautiful floor with all the different coloration and if creatively laid it is truly a work of art.
In our own home we have several rooms with mixed hardwood and they are interesting and unique.
Remember also to choose interior paint colors to compliment your wood floors. And do not worry about mixing up the wood in your home. For instance cherry cabinetry can go very nicely with a lighter floor like maple.
So do your homework, ask questions, be informed. A floor can be more than a just floor it can be a integral part of your home that looks beautiful and last for years.
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Monday, April 8, 2013
CARING FOR YOUR WOOD FLOOR
Today I am going to talk about caring for your wood floors.
There are precautions you must take from the time your wood floors are newly finished.
For floors that have been finished with a waterborne finish these are the guidelines.
48 hour move in time.
7 days until the floors are fully cured.
Keep pets and area rugs off floors for 7 days.
Do not use rubber backed rugs or pads. Use mesh style carpet pads made for hardwood floors.
Use furniture glides on all your furniture legs.
For floors finished with a polyurethane finish here are the guidelines.
72 hour move in time.
14 days until the floor are fully cured.
Keep pets and rugs off floors for 14 days.
Same rules as above apply for rugs and rug pads and the use of furniture glides.
Caring for your beautiful wood floor is easy.
We have hardwood floors throughout our entire home. I vacuum the floors and then using a damp mop I go over the floors. This really is all that is required if you do it regularly. Be careful not to use to much water as that can dull the finish on your floor. You can use cleaning products in your water that are designated for wood floors. Avoid products with ammonia, abrasives and alkaline cleaners which can fade or damage your floors.My favorite product is Bona wood floor cleaner. It comes in a large spray bottle you will need to buy the applicator also which works very well. It has a long handle and a large pad that swivels with a fabric applicator that attaches with Velcro to the pad.
All you do after vacuuming is spray some Bona product on the pad and clean a small area. Spray again when needed and continue. If the applicator becomes dirty just remove and rinse under hot water until clean, wring and attach back onto the applicator pad. I love this product as it rejuvenates the sheen on your floor. So my suggestion is use the Bona product every other time you clean your floors and stick with the damp mop in between. That is what I do and it works well.
Bona products can be found at most home improvement stores and some hardware and grocery stores.
In closing I will add that wood floors are easy to care for, they look beautiful, they can be refinished time and time again and they are a lifetime investment.
I hope this post has been helpful.
There are precautions you must take from the time your wood floors are newly finished.
For floors that have been finished with a waterborne finish these are the guidelines.
48 hour move in time.
7 days until the floors are fully cured.
Keep pets and area rugs off floors for 7 days.
Do not use rubber backed rugs or pads. Use mesh style carpet pads made for hardwood floors.
Use furniture glides on all your furniture legs.
For floors finished with a polyurethane finish here are the guidelines.
72 hour move in time.
14 days until the floor are fully cured.
Keep pets and rugs off floors for 14 days.
Same rules as above apply for rugs and rug pads and the use of furniture glides.
Caring for your beautiful wood floor is easy.
We have hardwood floors throughout our entire home. I vacuum the floors and then using a damp mop I go over the floors. This really is all that is required if you do it regularly. Be careful not to use to much water as that can dull the finish on your floor. You can use cleaning products in your water that are designated for wood floors. Avoid products with ammonia, abrasives and alkaline cleaners which can fade or damage your floors.My favorite product is Bona wood floor cleaner. It comes in a large spray bottle you will need to buy the applicator also which works very well. It has a long handle and a large pad that swivels with a fabric applicator that attaches with Velcro to the pad.
All you do after vacuuming is spray some Bona product on the pad and clean a small area. Spray again when needed and continue. If the applicator becomes dirty just remove and rinse under hot water until clean, wring and attach back onto the applicator pad. I love this product as it rejuvenates the sheen on your floor. So my suggestion is use the Bona product every other time you clean your floors and stick with the damp mop in between. That is what I do and it works well.
Bona products can be found at most home improvement stores and some hardware and grocery stores.
In closing I will add that wood floors are easy to care for, they look beautiful, they can be refinished time and time again and they are a lifetime investment.
I hope this post has been helpful.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
SOFT MAPLE WOOD FLOORING
The habitat for soft maple is mostly in the United states and Canada.
Characteristics: Heartwood varies by variety from light tan to brown with reddish patches or streaks.
Sapwood is pale to creamy white. Soft maple normally shows more black streaking than hard maple and is straight grained and with not nearly as much figure variation as hard maple.
Durability: Not as abrasion resistant as hard maple but provides a durable indoor floor for most purposes. Good moisture stability.
Cost and availability. Not normally stocked but can be special ordered. Soft maples can be a less expensive alternative to hard maple as it moderately priced.
Characteristics: Heartwood varies by variety from light tan to brown with reddish patches or streaks.
Sapwood is pale to creamy white. Soft maple normally shows more black streaking than hard maple and is straight grained and with not nearly as much figure variation as hard maple.
Durability: Not as abrasion resistant as hard maple but provides a durable indoor floor for most purposes. Good moisture stability.
Cost and availability. Not normally stocked but can be special ordered. Soft maples can be a less expensive alternative to hard maple as it moderately priced.
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