The beauty of wood floors goes beyond durability, practicality and easy maintenance. The moment you walk into a house with wood floors you feel the impact. Gleaming floors reflecting light, add patterns and interest to a home. Wood floors also create a design format. The type of wood and color of the hardwood set a tone for the home from formal to casual or anywhere in between. In the past more so than now there was a large division between formal and casual but design restraints have lessened in more current years. Folks tend to live more relaxed lifestyles than in earlier times. Dark wood heavily patterned floors at one time called out for traditional furnishings and the lighter wood simpler style floors leaned toward the contemporary or casual. In today's world hardwood floors can suit any style and one does not need to put in just one type of hardwood. In my home for instance I have several different varieties of hardwood flooring but yet the home still flows from room to room.
Of course if you have traditional furniture say in mahogany or cherry you may want to install a darker floor for instance like a Brazilian cherry that would hold true to your furnishings. But if you
have an eclectic look going with a mix of wood furnishings any type of wood flooring would compliment. Keep in mind that lighter and natural finished floors make rooms seem more spacious and bright. So look at your home and see what would be appropriate for you, light, dark, natural or stained there are many options in today's market place.
I hope this has been helpful if you are thinking of having wood floors installed. Remember I am here to help to answer an questions you may have regarding wood species, longevity, types of finishes and more.
This post regards hardwood floors and pets.
Hardwood flooring is a good choice for a floor when you have pets.
Everyone knows pets can and do have accidents. Well these accidents will puddle up on a wood floor and can be easily wiped up and cleaned. As opposed to carpeting that conceals the accidents. Pet deposits then seep not only into the carpet but also the pad and possibly beyond. After a few to many accidents the home will begin to smell of pet urine.
When these carpets and pads are then pulled up for the installation of another product it becomes a toxic affair. If a hardwood floor exists under the carpet pet stains can penetrate deep down into the hardwood and create dark staining. But the beauty of hardwood is it can be sanded, the stains removed or if need be the deeply stained hardwood planks can be replaced then the floor is refinished and brought back to like new condition.
Another issue is scratches from your pets nails. Most scratches can simply be sanded out when you have your floors refinished.
Also the beauty of hardwood is that a maintenance coat can be applied say every five years. This is a very cost effective method of keeping your floors looking beautiful even if you are a pet owner.
Folks that own rentals with wood floors love the fact that a maintenance coat is not costly and renews the floors as to say putting in new carpeting for the new tenant.
I hope this has been a helpful post. The majority of folks now days have pets. So to make your life less stressful when it comes to your floors consider hardwood.
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.
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.
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.
MAPLE HARDWOOD FLOORING
Today I am going to talk about hard maple hardwood flooring.
The habitat for this maple is Southern Canada and north-central to northeastern U.S.
Characteristics: heartwood is creamy white to reddish brown. Some boards may have occasional streaks of dark brown or even black. Sapwood is pale to creamy white. Occasionally maple shows fiddleback, curly or birds-eye figures. So it can make for quite an eye catching floor. Generally the lighter the color the higher the grade.
As far as durability this is an extremely hard wood and resistant to abrasion. This hardwood makes an excellent floor for sports. There is medium movement with average changes in moisture.
This hardwood is commonly available in most types and sizes including parquet. Fancy parquet, plank and some veneers can be special ordered.
This hardwood is moderately priced.
Maple floors were very popular for many years in the past and still hold their own in the market place.
I once installed a floor of hard maple along with hickory and oak. The combination made for a floor with lots of interest and a nice array of color.
The next post will address soft wood maple flooring.
If you have questions regarding a species of hardwood or soft wood flooring do not hesitate to call me. I hope this post has been helpful.
Today I am going to talk about red oak hardwood flooring. Red oak is a very common hardwood used in homes.
It is beautiful, long lasting and readily available.
Red oak is harvested in south central and eastern Canada and most of the U.S.
Characteristics. Most pieces have a somewhat reddish tone. There is a considerable variation among boards in grain and texture. Plainsawn boards have a flared grain appearance. Quartersawn boards produces a cross grain fleck sometimes called tiger ray or butterflies.
Durability. Red oak is quite durable but less durable than white oak. Somewhat moisture unstable but more moisture stable than white oak.
Availability and cost. Commonly available in nearly all types, styles and sizes. Moderately priced.
The appearance will vary depending on what type of finish you use. I find it a very interesting floor that goes with many types of decor.
If you have other questions regarding red oak or another species of wood do not hesitate to give me a call.
