Hardwood Flooring Maintenance Adds Beauty & Value

Hardwood Flooring Home Maintenance

Hardwood flooring: Whether it is brand new or generational, it is an investment worth protecting. Not only does this add beauty and warmth to every area where it is installed, but it also adds value to your home. That is as long as your hardwood floors remain in good shape.

Say you decideyou need to sell your home -- for whatever reason -- and you're searching for a fairly quick sale. However, what if your home contains a great deal of hardwood floors that's in need of refinishing. Any/all curious buyers will, of course, not provide exactly what you're hoping to get on the high end -- due to the impending cost of employing a floor contractor to reunite your hardwood floors to its former gleaming glory.

Aside from cleaning your hardwood floors, there are a couple of every-day preventative measures you can employ to prolong the attractiveness and"health" of your flooring.

Use Furniture Pads

Scratches are a few of the most difficult problems to solve in hardwood flooring. While some scratching is unavoidable, you can can be proactive consequently preventing excess damage Among the best ways to remove some scratching would be to include furniture pads into the bottoms of your chairs, sofas, and tables.

Sweep or Dust

Even if you don't allow shoe-wearing in house, dust finds a way to reside on all surfaces, wood floors included. And then finds it's way to the wood's grain and between floor planks. If you have cats and dogs that drop even a little, there's a hygiene issue to consider. So dust or sweep!

Vacuum Once A Week

If it sounds like work, it's. But come on -- it's not difficult work! Weekly vacuuming is key to maintaining a clean home, as you will also pick up dirt and dirt you missed while crossing your floors. Not into vacuuming all on your own?

Refinish Each 3-5 Years

"Over the years, as soon as your wood flooring starts to lose it's sheen, then they can be revived through re-coating. This involves applying a new coat of wood flooring finish. How often you'll need to do this is dependent upon the your household's lifestyle. In Stratford Area.

Stratford Floor Sanding is a family-owned hardwood flooring business that's been taking excellent care Stratford homeowners and companies' flooring needs' for over 25 years. From sales and installation to repair and refinishing, you are going to feel that you and your hardwood floors are in good hands.

Tel: 020 3369 4250 | www.stratfordfloorsanding.co.uk.

WHY BOTHER TO REFINISH YOUR HARDWOOD FLOORS IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS?

Unbelievably,"that time of year" approaches again.

It is vacation season, along with your relatives, friends, new developments, and possibly some surprise guests will, very soon, be heading the way to get a tasty home cooked meal, companionship, and gift giving. In the hustle and bustle to"get everything ready" for Thanksgiving and the December holidays, you need to prioritize. Your time is limited, as are your financial resources and your ability to focus.

Why on earth, then, would you bother spending the time, energy, and money to refinish your flooring before the celebrations begin?

There are many great reasons. Not every homeowner or condominium owner should spend the time/resources. But you may be surprised at the psychic distance, comfort and coziness, and satisfaction that finishing this job will give you.

Here are 3 reasons why to act now:

1. A neat home is a welcoming home.

Is not this the 1 period of the year where you can "get all the family together"? Don't you wish to make the experience comforting and welcoming for everybody? Think of all the time and energy that you put into preparing meals and beautifying your home -- getting holiday decorations, putting up lights, and what are you. Imagine if you go through all of that work, however the aesthetic of your home is ruined because the flooring look drabby, scarred, gummed up with gunk, etc..

2. Finding this nagging job done will free up your psychic resources.

There is a reason why you are reading this article: deep down, you know that you want to get your floors refinished. Why keep putting off the job? If it just sits there in your own to-do list...most of the way in to 2012... imagine how much psychic power and drag that will have on your general productivity and happiness. Only"pull the band-aid" and do it already!

3. Obtaining your floors refinished will cost you less, take less energy and time, and result in more satisfaction than you can realize.

Researchers are just starting to understand the energetic and sophisticated ways in which our surroundings affect our happiness, pride, and focus. A couple tiny changes (provided they are the ideal changes) can make all of the difference.

Use our Holiday Special and make your home clean in time for your New Year.

Connect with the professionals at Floor Sanding Stratford in www.stratfordfloorsanding.co.uk for efficient, cost-effective alternatives now.

The Difference Between Pre-Finished & Engineered Wood Floors

Looking to save money and time in your own hardwood flooring installation? If so, pre-finished and engineered hardwood flooring are the two best choices for you.

A number of our customers ask about the differences between engineered and engineered wood flooring, which explains why we're breaking it down to you so as that will assist you choose which is the best hardwood flooring option for you!

What's the Difference?

Pre-finished wood flooring are pre-finished in the factory, hence the title, so they can be installed quickly in your house or commercial building. By completing them in the factory, you stay away from the mess involved in sanding and finishing wood flooring that is regular.

Cost is lower for pre-finished flooring because finishing done in a factory setting is not as labor-intensive, hence saving labor costs. Additionally, prefinished floors are typically stronger than site-finished floors because the finishing is done in a temperature-controlled, pristine atmosphere.

Engineered wood flooring originally were designed to be used in places where moisture could not be controlled, such as to a concrete slab. Rather than a solid piece of timber, which will warp when exposed to moisture, engineered wood planks consists of multiple layers of wood that are glued, pressed, heated, and then covered with a thin veneer of wood on top.

This method makes the floors less susceptible to warping. Engineered floors using a thin veneer typically cannot be refinished, but many modern engineered wood floors are made out of a thicker veneer which makes refinishing potential. Engineered wood is cheaper than solid wood because less costly woods are used for the lower layers.

Want more help deciding between prefinished & engineered hardwood floors? Contact Floor Sanding Sutton Now to learn more about people!

5 SMALL CHANGES THAT’LL MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE WITH YOUR HARDWOOD FLOORS

Whether you have moved in an older house or the home you've lived in for many years has hardwood flooring, sometimes it simply needs some freshening up.

Hardwood flooring is durable, made to withstand years of abuse and use while still looking beautiful. Nevertheless, over time they may begin to seem dull or scratched from moving around furniture or appliances.

But you can make some little changes which will have a significant, positive effect on your floors, without having to take out a loan or hire a professional.

1. MAKE YOUR OLD HARDWOOD FLOORS LOOK NEW

When was the last time you refinished your flooring ? Perhaps it seems like it has to be done, but most times, it is not actually essential. You only need to do something to it, not only to regain its beauty but also for some extra protection.

Instead of getting quotes for refinishing your hardwood floors, you may only require a recoating. Recoating adds a new layer of protection which adheres to the previous or original flooring finish; this is a safer, quicker and easier process than completely refinishing the floor.

The fresh coat of finish, when placed on top of the old end, will enhance the look of your floors and include security while saving you money and time.

If you have to perform a complete refinishing on account of the age and condition of your hardwood floors, you may be able to change the colour as you're at it to get a fresh new appearance.

2. GO FOR LIGHT CLEANING TO GET CONSISTENT FLOOR SHINE

Cleaning hardwood floors don't need to be a strenuous, time-consuming task. But you ought to be sure you're using the right cleaning solution so you don't harm the floors.

If your floors includes a wax finish, you should use a cleaning/waxing chemical to remove any embedded dirt and then put in a fresh coat of wax to the floor.

If you've got Polyurethane-coated hardwood floors, you merely desire a water and vinegar solution to give them a good cleaning.

HOW CAN YOU TELL WHAT FINISH IS ON YOUR FLOORS?

Drip some water on it. If the water warms up and remains on top of the floorboards, you most likely have a polyurethane finish. You are able to keep a bottle of water and vinegar on hand for quick clean-ups.

If the dripped water soaks into the floor, it is most likely a wax finish and you're going to need the compounding cleaner.

In between regular cleanings, you may use a sterile dust mop or broom to sweep up dry spills.

3. CHECK THE TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY LEVELS IN YOUR HOME

A very simple change of your thermostat can have a positive or negative influence on your hardwood flooring. Since woods are naturally porous, they will expand and contract during the year depending on the season.

Extreme humidity and dampness in the atmosphere can cause the timber to buckle or make gaps between the floorboards in case you are not practicing good care.

The ideal configurations for protecting and maintaining beautiful hardwood flooring over time are:

Temperature: 60-80 degrees Fahrenheit

Humidity: 30-50 percent

4. USE FLOOR PROTECTORS ON FURNITURE TO AVOID MAJOR DAMAGE

In case you have young people residing with you, you've probably at some time had to tell them to pick up the dining area or kitchen chair to go it and not slide it across the ground, which could easily start scratching the floor with the constant scraping.

No matter which type of wood flooring you've got, all woods have the natural propensity to sustain scratches or dents. In spite of a quality finish on the flooring, hardwood floors are still susceptible to some harm. If your floors are made out of hickory or hard maple wood, they left be resistant to dents, however it's always better to be safe and not risk the damage.

Adding furniture pads into the bottoms of chair legs will eliminate the possibility of this seat scratching the floor as the chair scrapes back into place.

Whenever you need to move heavy furniture around or simply slide a seat to a different area within the room, it is best to use rugs or furniture pads to protect against any potential damage to your floors from scratching.

5. ACCENT AREA RUGS IN HIGH-TRAFFIC AREAS OF YOUR ROOM

You may not want to fully pay your hardwood flooring with wall-to-wall carpeting, particularly if the floors are freshly installed or newly refinished or recoated.

However, you can accent regions of a room or rooms with a quality area carpet to underline the decor and match the beauty of the floor.

You wish to pick rugs which not only highlight the decor of your room, but you also want to complement and bring out the beauty of the floors .

Along with the area rug, it's ideal to put a thick rug mat under it for added comfort. Thicker pads are best used under furniture which won't be transferred frequently, like a coffee or side table.

To maintain the carpet from slipping around in an open area, select thinner pads which provide more grip and keep the rug flush with the ground. This also prevents people from potentially tripping on the borders of the carpet.

Use caution when deciding where to place an area rug, though. If the area receives direct sun, as an example, the kitchen or even a Florida area, direct sunlight can lighten the hardwood flooring except where the rug is.

Wood Flooring and Children

If you're the proud parents of infants or young children and are thinking about the installation of hardwood floors, no doubt you will have questions of security and appropriateness spinning around your own mind. There's not much doubt that the sterile advantages of a hardwood flooring are considerably higher than hardwood floors, however the softness of carpeting may seem quite attractive.

There is no getting away from the fact that since timber is a natural solution, solid hardwood floors has a inclination to expand and contract with changes in ecological conditions and those expansions and contractions may result in gaps in the ground. If you believe differences between the floorboards might pose a danger to your child, it is well worth contemplating engineered hardwood floors.

Solid wood flooring, as the name suggests is constructed using planks made from one piece of wood, whereas engineered wood flooring consists of layers of various kinds of timber that are topped with a wood coating to make the end result look like solid wood. As a result of its setup, engineered wood flooring is much less vulnerable to expansion and contraction compared to solid wood and as such doesn't pose the exact same threat of openings for small hands and feet or indeed toys to get trapped.

By its very nature, wood flooring is a harder choice than rug so parents commonly worry about kids using a hard landing a fall. A floating hardwood flooring is a floor that is neither nailed nor glued into the sub-floor. In a floating installation, the sole place glue might be used is between the groove and tongue. In a domestic situation, a floating flooring can be laid over a sub-floor or over an existing floor after placing a suitable underlay. It is the debut of this underlay that might help soften the impact of any falls (along with acting as a solid barrier).

A few final things on the list for any parents of small children or babies considering the purchase and installation of a wooden floor is the finish and some other ecological dangers. In terms hardwood floors complete , lacquers and hard wax oils offer a coating that will permit the floor to take the wear and tear thrown at it by even the roughest of children. Of course with the proximity of small hands and small mouths into the floor, as parents you'll want to make sure your new flooring and its end have reduced (and preferably no) volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) thus reducing the risk of hazardous emissions.

Engineered Parquet Flooring Options

Engineered hardwood floors is a really popular flooring option nowadays for anyone seeking a real wood floor look. Not to be confused with laminate flooring, which is fake hardwood floors, engineered hardwood flooring is an extremely versatile and affordable flooring solution and comes in a parquet style alternative.

The reason why that engineered timber flooring is more versatile than solid timber is down to its construction. Engineered hardwood floors is a very cleverly made up flooring option that doesn't expand and contract to the same extent as wood. Generally speaking, strong hardwood floors is not suited to any component of the house which is exposed to significant temperature and moisture changes because such corrective changes will make it expand and contract, resulting in potentially serious gaps and harm in the longer term.

Engineered hardwood flooring is created by bonding together distinct layers of woods to make a good center board, upon which a strong (typically) oak surface is added. This combo of the smart use of solid plywood and strong, attractive walnut is the thing that makes engineered timber floors look like solid timber, but using the built-in attraction of becoming stronger and more secure. No matter whether you select single, double or triple board boards, or whether you're looking for a parquet search for your flooring, an engineered alternative is currently available, which actually opens up your own choices.

Parquet flooring extends back several years to round the mid 1600's and is highly desired and recognisable within an inside design that has endured the test of time. Parquet floors is presently enjoying a true renaissance and if you find the alternatives offered within our engineered parquet floors range, it's easy to see why.

As we have mentioned, parquetry goes back a lengthy way and can be highly recognisable thanks to
its geometric structure. At one time, putting parquet flooring took immense patience and wasn't a task for its faint-hearted, requiring years of ability to get it right. With different species and colours of wood cut into small square or rectangular blocks, several ages ago, laying parquet floors was a true art and something which could take weeks from start to end, rather than just a few days.

Happily there are a lot easier ways to accomplish your desired look now. We now have three chevron options in stock, meaning that regardless of in which area of the home that you wish to find this legacy appearance, you can. The best thing about engineered hardwood floors is that you may even put in it in kitchens and bathrooms in addition to over under floor heatingsystem, which means that you may find the parquet look you are after, whichever room you are seeking to re-floor.

The 3 choices of chevron flooring we've will allow you to create your choice of colour and finish in addition to grade of walnut. The first alternative is Select Engineered Chevron Flooring, that was Brushed and White Oiled. This floor is ideal for anyone who is looking for a light colored and organic appearance parquet flooring option. It actually will lighten up even the darkest distance along with the oiled finish permits the actual beauty of the walnut to stick out to its finest.

If you are at the point you know you want a parquet look and you realize you want a tiled flooring, but you are not sure if you would like an oiled or lacquered finish, instead, this floor is ideal for you. By selecting this Stratford Floor Sanding Alternative, you can choose your own finish once your floor has been fitted. But if you have got a busy family, with a great deal happening, you are very likely to be seeking out a lacquered finish so that your flooring will stand up to everything life throws at it. If that is true, then you'll be swooned by this alternative. This third option that we have in our range is perfect for busy families with high traffic footfall as well as a fair share of sunlight to handle.

So there you have three great engineered parquet flooring options that can be used throughout your home, without needing to spend days and weeks cutting blocks of timber and fitting them one by one to create your desired look!

Engineering Reclaimed Wood Flooring

Engineered wood flooring is a highly sought after flooring option these days. Involving the restoration, renovation and repair of wood flooring from older buildings, it is a look that suits a whole host of different forms of interior. An idea that really caught on in the 1980s, exceptionally patient people today are prepared to trawl the salvage market for the floor of their dreams. That said, for the huge majority of individuals, the thought of having to potentially wait years to get the floors seem they really want only is not an option. If you're someone who's keen on a reclaimed floor but do not want to have the wait, engineered prefinished hardwood floors is the perfect compromise.

In this era, any appearance you want can pretty much be achieved on a wood flooring, but more than this, as time goes from the final result is growing increasingly more convincing and real looking. A reclaimed look on engineered timber flooring is accomplished by effectively distressing the top layer of wood that's apparent on the boards. There are various techniques used to make this effect and give an outcome that just a very scrupulous eye could spot as not being the real thing!

To get the reclaimed look, wood is"abused", either by hand or by machine. Hand remedies might entail hitting the wood with blunt and sharp instruments in addition to scratching it and hammering it it looks aged and used. In a machine setting, wood is typically placed in a big tumbling machine together with chains, scrapers, hammers and other damaging objects so the wood gets that old and worn appearance. It might then have its borders further ruined or it might even be passed under open flames to give it a very authentically reclaimed look. Either wayyou can be certain that if you opt for an engineered reclaimed wood flooring option which not only does it look the part of a really old floor, it'll have all the advantages you expect from a brand new floor.

If you were to recover an old floor from a building that's going to be demolished for example, you'd have to take care of all of its inherent issues such as repair, treatment, boards which are cupped or bowed, but if you choose an engineered wood solution you don't have any of these difficulties. What is more, an engineered wood floor is an option which you may use throughout the house, including in kitchens and bathrooms, and, should you make the ideal option, over under floor heating.

Dark and interesting.

This Select Engineered Oak Smoked Reclaim Black UV Oiled alternative is almost black, therefore is bang on trend at this time. Using its slightly distressed, reclaimed look surface, it does not have the black look that is so common with certain black options. A stunning addition to any area, whether or not you are creating a monochrome lounge or some comfy, chintzy boudoir, you truly won't regret this choice.

Warm and stylish.

This Organic Engineered Oak Reclaim Brown UV Oiled flooring truly is among the most versatile choices you can select when you opt for an engineered hardwood wood floor. An appearance that's been around for centuries, this flooring is timeless elegance personified and wouldn't seem out of place in an old French chateau!

Highly Authentic and Natural.

This Organic Engineered Oak Reclaim Brown UV Oiled alternative really is magnificent. A wonderful broad board to boot up, it's the best solution for anybody who would like a reclaimed appearance in their home which appears exceptionally natural and matt.

So there you have it -- the most important thing is that in the event that you desire a reclaimed flooring, but do not need to have the wait or the hassle, why have a nearer look in our engineered reclaimed hardwood flooring choices? You are going to be really surprised by how authentic they seem, however much a perfectionist you're!