Spot Finish or Overhaul?

Pre-fabricated hardwood floor planks usually come treated for protection against moisture and insects. They are coated with a varnish to keep in their luster. This gives the floor its finish.

You can maintain the spotless and elegant look of your floor by waxing often and minimizing friction. Use rags when moving furniture and never mop across the floor. But even with great care, the color of the wood fades and dents and scratches ruin the glossy surface over time. If the problem is kept to a minimum, like just a few scratches and a few stains, you can deal with it by adding another layer of finish. You can start with restoration by refinishing some areas or re-doing the whole floor area.

Since refinishing your floor can be quite expensive, you have to be a little bit more practical and make sure you really need one before taking on the project. You can conduct a simple test to find out if the original finish of the floor still works its protective ability. Pour a tablespoon of water on the floor. If the drops bead up and you can easily wipe them off with a dry towel, the finish is still working.

If the test fails, you may proceed with refinishing that spot. But if you think you won?t have the time to do another round of refinishing anytime soon, you may as well reapply the coating to the whole floor area.

All of the different options need to be explored in order to make the best possible decision. Comparison shopping is always a good idea. You may be surprised at the difference you can find in both the price of the flooring and the price of the installation between two similar companies. In addition, talking to a manufacturer’s representative will give you in-depth information about the flooring that store personnel can’t tell you.

With any hardwood floor you’ll find that the flooring material is just part of the installation cost. Some types of hardwood are intended to be glued to the sub-flooring so that there won’t be any screw holes visible. Other types need to be secured with countersunk screws and the holes then filled with wood putty. The floor will also need to be coated with a heavy-duty urethane so that it is protected from spills and general wear-and-tear.

You’ll be able to buy screws at a hardware store either in bulk or by the box. No matter whether you use glue or screws, however, it’s probably going to cost you about $30.00. In addition, your wood putty will run from $4.00 to $6.00, and the urethane coating will likely be between $30.00 and $60.00, depending on the size of the floor. If you’re going to do your own installation, add in another amount for the supplies you’ll need to sand the entire floor prior to putting on the final coating.

Tongue-and-groove flooring might be a good option for you if you’re trying to work within a budget. Since the flooring strips interlock, you won’t need to buy either screws or glue. In addition, this type of flooring is pre-finished, so you won’t have finishing costs.

If your budget isn’t quite as restricted, you may want to consider having your floor installed professionally. Costs will vary from company to company, so you’ll be doing yourself a favor by getting bids from several different contractors. Make sure they all quote the same flooring material that you have chosen.

All contractors will give you a quote that includes labor costs based on the number of man hours they estimate it will take to complete your job. The current cost of labor will run you between $30.00 and $60.00 per man hour. Of course, these charges will also include other costs, such as what the contractor has to pay for insurance for the job or travel expenses based on the amount of travel that is necessary.

In a nutshell, the cost of installing a hardwood floor will depend on the amount of square footage you are planning to cover, the brand of flooring you choose, and whether or not you do any or all of the work yourself. Keep in mind that the more labor equity you’re willing to put into the project, the lower the cost will be.

Quality hardwood flooring increases the value of a home. The durability of hardwood has improved due to advances in technology processes. A recent survey for the National Wood Flooring Association asked real estate agents their opinions regarding flooring styles. Real estate agents state that houses with hardwood floors sell faster. New homebuyers prefer the look and ease of hardwoods. They are also sold at higher prices than homes with other types of floor covering.

Hardwood floors compliment any home décor. There is a timeless appeal that only hardwood floor can give. It adds interest to a room by allowing a backdrop to furnishings. Its versatility is outstanding, whether a contemporary feeling or a country mood. Hardwood floor used to be limited to living rooms and dining rooms. Now they can be installed in every room in your home including the kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms and the laundry rooms. Specific hardwoods are designed for humid steamy areas such as the bathroom.

Hardwood floor covering is easy to take care. Only minimal care is needed to preserve the splendor of these floors. The simplest way to clean sealed hardwood floors is to first remove all dirt and dust either using a broom or a lightweight vacuum cleaner. Then simply mop using water, rinse and repeat. If using a floor cleaner, pick one that is neutral. As they age, tones deepen and grain patterns surface.

There are health benefits associated with hardwood floor. Dust and other irritants are trapped in carpeting and the grout of ceramic tiles. Over a period of time, these irritants can cause problems for those suffering with allergies. Hardwood floors can ideal for those dealing with indoor allergies. Additionally, chemicals that are used to clean carpeting can be potential harmful.

The options in hardwood flooring are outstanding. The types of wood floors include solid, engineered and acrylic impregnated. Solid wood floors range from 1/4″ to 25/32″ with some product of 1″. Engineered wood flooring is made of various layers, alternating the grain. This allows for stability in areas where sold wood floor products cannot be installed. Engineered wood flooring comes in plies or layers with 3-5 ply being the most common. If a wood floor has wood grain that has been injected with acrylic material, it is considered acrylic impregnated.

There are different styles of wood floors. Strip wood flooring has a lineal tongue and groove composition; it is most often in 1.5″ and 2.25″. Plank wood flooring is the same as strip flooring except the widths are larger; they can range from 3″ to 14″ width. Parquet wood flooring is wood constructed into a geometric pattern or design.

Area rugs compliment wood flooring beautifully. They allow the appearance of a room to be changed with ease. The variety of styles, patterns and material is exceptional. Area rugs provide a finishing touch to gleaming hardwood floors. They also protect the floors from wear and tear.

Beautiful hardwood floors are an excellent addition to any home.

Hard wood, which are solid and wooden, tend to be easier to clean. If you take proper care of its maintenance, that increases its life and also its overall appearance. Grit and Dirt are the nemesis of a hardwood floor and create scratches and dents. They also dull the finishing of the smooth surface. Keeping this in mind, you need to follow a daily procedure which will keep the floor clean and long lasting.

Before deciding on how to actually begin cleaning the hardwood floor, it is important to check the condition of the floor. Do you find it scratched in parts, or scraped or chipped? Is the finish dull? If you discover that the finishing is damaged then make sure to never use water on it, as the wood will meet further damage upon coming in contact with water. However, if the finishing is in a good condition than the floor can be washed with a damp mop.

Waxing is also a good option for your this kind of floors. If you have water blot on your waxed finished flooring than take a steel wool, drench it in water and then rub on these stains to remove them. For cigarette burns, you should use a mild soap.

When cleaning the hardwood with polyurethane finish, you should first remove all the furniture and rugs which are kept in the room. Then clean the room with a broom or Vacuum the floor. After that soak a mop in soapy water and rub the floor with it followed by a scrubbing of fresh water. Clean the floor with a clean towel till it’s dry. When using water on the floor, you should make sure that it does not go into the joints of the wooden floors.

Besides cleaning the actual hardwood surfaces, it is essential that you make it a routine to follow the dos and don’ts to help preventing the floors getting dirty.

It is important to keep floor mats on all the doorways leading inside the house; this will protect the dirt going on to the flooring. It is very important to use only neutral pH cleaners on the hardwood flooring. When vacuuming the floor, you must use a brush attached to it.

For dust you should use dust mops and floors should be swept regularly. Discoloring will occur when the floor is exposed to direct sunlight. Use blinds, curtains and drapes for blocking the sunlight. Never drag your furniture over a hardwood floor. It is also essential to put some sort of protection on the legs of the furniture to avoid the floor being scratched. The one thing which causes the maximum damage to the wood is water, which should never be left spilled on the floor.

All you need to do is follow this procedure repeatedly and you will have beautiful floors for ever.

For people who have hardwood floors, this can present a real problem. You’ve probably learned that if your pet has an accident, you’re going to end up with a stain on your hardwood floor that is going to be difficult to get rid of. Relax! Pet stains can be removed from hardwood floors. By getting a few special tools together, you’ll be able to remove a fresh stain quite easily. Older stains will take a little more work, but they, too, can be removed with a little effort. Before beginning, always remember to test your stain removal method on an out of sight piece of flooring to make sure you won’t cause any damage.

Most pets have the instinct to mark out their territory within your home. This is especially true if you have old pet stains which your new pet will be able to smell. Your new pet will want to leave his mark on top of any old pet stains to establish that the territory now belongs to him. Any time you remove a pet stain, be it fresh or old, you need to get rid of all the odors that will attract your current pet’s territorial instincts.

Removing Fresh Pet Stains

Since fresh pet stains will not have soaked into the floor yet, they are easy to remove. To take care of pet stains when they first happen, you’ll want to keep the following items on hand: paper towels, white vinegar, warm water, and a product that contains bacteria and enzymes which will eliminate both the stain and the odor from the area. When shopping for this product, read the label carefully to determine if it was formulated for use on a hardwood floor. Some of the stronger products on the market will actually damage your floor, so make sure you avoid them.

When a pet stain happens, grab your materials (you may want to keep them all assembled in a small pail), and use the following method to eradicate the stain and odor:

* Use a paper towel to blot away any standing urine.

* Scrub the stain with white vinegar which will help eliminate both stain and odor.

* Use the warm water to rinse the stained area.

* Once again, blot up any liquid using paper towels. You want to dry the area quickly and thoroughly so that you don’t incur any water damage. If you leave water standing for too long, you may begin to see some warping.

* Use the stain and odor removal product you purchased to treat the area. By doing so you’ll lessen the chances that your pet will find the area attractive again in the future.

Eradicating Old Pet Stains

If you have stains that have been around long enough to have soaked down into the wood and sub-flooring, you will need to sand down into the stain in order to determine how deep the damage went. If you find that the stain is gone after just a bit of sanding, you will probably be able to refinish just that area. If the damage is too deep and too extensive, however, you’ll have to take out that section of the flooring and then possibly need to refinish the entire floor.

Stains that have been left for long periods of time will have left odors that eventually permeated the wood and the sub-flooring. You can often treat these areas with commercial bleach, but if you do that, protect your skin with rubber gloves, and make sure you know what you’re doing. If it comes down to the fact that you’re going to have to sand and resurface the whole floor, use a shellac-based primer which will give you the results you’re looking for.

It is true that they look luxurious and elegant that will accentuate the beauty of your home’s interior. But you have to take extra care in maintaining its quality look. Simply cleaning them with common household tools and methods might ruin it rather than maintaining its quality. Here are some tips to get your started.

Use Hardwood-Friendly Cleaning Agents

One tip is to avoid concentrated solutions in cleaning your hardwood floor. These chemicals can destroy the physical appearance of your hardwood by making them look worn and dull. In order to maintain the quality, use only prescribed pH solutions for it.

It’s advisable to wipe them dry after you apply these cleaning agents. When applied on your flooring, they can give it the necessary shine that the hardwood is famous of. But if you leave them there long enough, they will easy corrode into the material and cause irreversible damage.

Use Soft Materials Only

It is very important to use soft materials when cleaning your hardwood floor to avoid scratches and abrasions. Avoid using straw brooms but use soft-bristled ones instead. You may also want to use vacuum cleaners first before sweeping the floor to remove the heavy dirt and grime, and leaving the rest to be swept off. Use soft-bristled attachments on your vacuum cleaner too, just in case!

When using cleaning agents, it’s advisable to use damp mops with soft heads or sponges. If you are using cloths, go for cotton instead of other materials. You might want to shake of excess solid particles as an extra precaution. You should mop your floor daily to keep it shiny and beautiful. Note, however, that wet mops can cause damage instead of cleaning them. Only slightly dampen your mops to avoid unnecessary moisture.

Never Leave Stain

Like marble, liquid stains are one of the enemies of your hardwood floor. Spillage of acidic substances like vinegar, alcohol, and wine can greatly damage your floor, far worse than water stains. If left unchecked, it can cause spots and splotches that will be almost impossible to remove. Make sure that you mop them up quickly before they do any damage.

Hardwood floors are expensive and can greatly increase the value of your home; but they can be very sensitive to external causes that can be a threat to its overall quality. Following these tips above can greatly reduce the risk of such problems ever occurring on your precious floor.

The first step to take when considering refinishing your hardwood floors is to assess the condition of the floor and to determine if you can do the job yourself or if you need help. In most cases, hardwood floors which have been kept clean and waxed on a regular basis will be easier to refinish. Hardwood floors that have been neglected for many years may need to be replaced.

For those who want to tackle refinishing their hardwood floors on their own, there is a great deal of help available. There are a number of excellent books, and a number of videotapes and DVDs as well, which explain how to refinish hardwood floors from beginning to end.

It is important to pay attention to the instructions before refinishing the floors. It is important for instance to use the proper chemicals, as some chemicals can damage delicate hardwood floors. It is also important to use the right cleaning materials and cleaning techniques, since the wrong ones could damage the floors.

It is also important to create a realistic budget for refinishing the hardwood floors. It is important to determine if it would be more cost effective to buy or rent the products and tools you will need. If you do not plan any additional projects it may be cheaper to rent the tools rather than buying them.

It is also important to contact several professional contractors and obtain quotes form them for the refinishing of the floors. In some cases it may be simpler and even less expensive to have someone else do the work. Even if you are unsure if you can afford a professional contractor, it makes sense to at least get an estimate or two.

Whether you decide to do the refinishing project yourself or hire a professional contractor, it is important to sketch out what you need, and what you want the finished floors to look like. Doing so will help you keep the project on track. It is also important to carefully track expenses, and to track your progress. Keeping track of your expenses will help you stay within your budget, while tracking your progress can help the project to move forward smoothly.

If you think about the hardwood floor you are standing on, you may think about exactly where it originated. Picture that tree leaving the forest and ending up in one of your rooms, adding warmth and a certain elegance not found in other materials. Hardwood floors almost add personality to a room because of their alive nature. Besides being beautiful, studies have shown that hardwood floors add to the resale value of a home. And why not? A beautiful, easy to care for, long lasting, natural material that is safe for your home and your family; this combination can’t be beat.

The main types of hardwood floors are solid, engineered and laminate.

Solid wood floors are placed directly upon the concrete base when the floor is at ground level or above. There is strip flooring, plank flooring and parquet flooring. Strip flooring is nailed directly to the sub-floor by the use of 2 1/4 inch wide strips. Plank flooring is nailed to the sub-floor with screws which are then covered with wooden plugs. Parquet flooring is separate blocks of individual squares of wood that are place on the floor in a prearranged pattern.

Engineered hardwood floors are manufactured from a composite that is several layers of wood. They may be different grades of the same tree wood, with the best grade on top, and all of the layers glued in a manufactured process using heat and extreme pressure. The benefit of engineered wood is the it it not as subject to temperature and humidity and therefore can be used below ground level, whereas solid wood should only be used above.

Wood laminate floors are comprised of a plywood base with a veneer on top. The plywood is usually 3/8th inch three ply for strength. The top layer is sanded and finished three times for the best look.

Everyone loves the snow and to be honest it does not come around as often as it used to – but this month (Feb 2009) has shown us that the snow is still around for us to play in.

Your wood floor is not always as lucky – with constant soakings from wet slushy boots going in and out the boards have a high tendency to warp and gap. The damage caused by the grit and salt is endless – the grit can cause scratches and dents in the floor if walked into the house on boots and shoes, and the reaction in the wood from the salt can cause discolouration in the floor.

So, how can you look after your wood floor to stop this damage? We have listed some simple steps to protect your floor this winter:

Use door mats by all outside wooden doors

It is best to catch the majority of the water at the door so it is not trodden further into the house. Using mats inside all external doors is a good way to stop a lot of the moisture going into the house – it is useful to buy additional mats so there is always a mat down even when they are being washed. When children come inside encourage them to take all wet footwear and clothing off at the door.

Use Everyday objects

Placing towels near doorways to mop up any spilt puddles will help keep your wood floor dry. People can leave wet shoes on the towel to dry and it can easily be replaced when wet.

Train Pets

Try to train pets to wait by the door when entering the house to enable you to dry them off before they run around the house.

Maintain your floor regularly

Having the towels by the door will always help to mop and clean the large amounts of slush, snow, water and grit salt away however regular cleaning is required to make sure that the water does not get left to soak into the floor or the salt to soak in as this will damage the surface. If your floor is oiled, give the whole area a coat of maintenance oil for extra protection due to the regular washes it will receive – this can be repeated on a regular basis to ensure full protection of your floor.

Although winter is a harsh time for wooden floors it is also the optimum time for installing a wood floor. The indoor moisture levels are at the lowest therefore this helps to prevent gapping between boards.

Because all people are unique, the best flooring suppliers do offer a diverse selection of hard wood flooring styles produced in a wide range of wood species and colors. Award Hardwood Floors are one make of these floors which say that they are sure to satisfy even the most discriminate consumer.

Commitment to high quality products and state of the art manufacturing advances is only a feature of the very best suppliers and can easily be seen from product to product, board to board in the finished result.

Since 1998, thousands of home owners and various home decorating publications have looked to FloorFacts for helpful flooring information for all types of floors, including: hardwood flooring, laminate flooring, carpet, cork, bamboo floors and ceramic tile. Their consumer reviews cover all types of floors for both for new home construction as well as remodeling projects.

Hardwood flooring suppliers offer a wider selection of sizes, colors and species and finishes than ever before. To learn more you may want to see the HF Guide, Types of Hardwood Flooring, what you should know about Flooring Prices, also a new article: Longevity Of H’wood Floorings.

While wood flooring has been much in vogue in recent years, it has received little if any exceptional treatment from do-it-yourself writers. This is all changing now that Bollinger, who we understand is an experienced flooring contractor, states that he has produced what has to be the definitive guide to installing and finishing wood floors. He writes about the three types of flooring: strip, plank, and parquet covering such topics as estimating costs; selecting wood types and grades; preparing the underlay; planning the layout; sanding; and applying various finishes.

Bollinger says he brings in many tricks of the trade, such refinements as wood and metal inlays, and ideas for dealing with the irregularities that invariably crop up in the repair or layout of floors as part of renovation projects. Nicely illustrated with photos and drawings. For most public libraries with active how-to collections. A companion video is also available; contact the publisher.

Using crisp photos and drawings, Bollinger says he gives you step by step instructions through the process. You will learn how to estimate materials, select the right kind of wood, prepare the subfloor and achieve a blemish-free finish for an old or new floor. This supplier says he also provides numerous tips and tricks, and sources of supply. The book is indexed for easy reference.

Nothing gives a home an air of timelessness and quiet elegance like a quality hardwood floor. At one supplier they carry a wide range of prefinished engineered, solid and floating floor systems designed to suit almost every need. They say that they have carefully selected their lines based on their reputation, quality and value for money, and to continually be on the look out for fresh, exciting flooring solutions to bring to you.

We recommend you use a full service hardwood flooring company providing expert sales and installation for your home. Plenty of duppliers offer knowledgeable service from initial design consultation to final installation and maintenance programs.

When you enter a room, your first impression of it is made from the floor upwards. It is essential to get this right, and by fitting hardwood flooring, you have usually at a stroke, solved the most difficult and important part of making an impact. Wood flooring gives you the ultimate in timeless elegance, flexibility and durability. Its hard wearing qualities and range of styles make it perfect for any room in the house.

Most suppliers provide hardwood flooring in Ash, Beech, Cherry, Hevea, Jatoba, Kempas, Maple, Merbau, Oak, Red Oak and Walnut, allowing you to create the ambience and mood to suit the design qualities of your home.

Regular care of your wood floor is simple and practical, and involves merely vacuuming and wiping your hardwood floor with a damp cloth. It helps to attach felt pads to the bottom of furniture, and bear in mind that any spilt liquid should immediately be dried of from hardwood floors.

Add the warmth and beauty of ready-to-install hardwood to almost any room in the house. Engineered Hardwood floors can be installed below grade in basements and on concrete. Hand-sculpted and exotics available.

Enjoy the luxury of solid hardwood with ready-to-install selections of beautiful wood flooring in a wide variety of domestic and exotic species. A hand-sculpted type may also available. Select from a broad palette of species and grades. Choose from traditional domestic species or exotic foreign hardwoods. Finish it with your choice of stain and sealants.

Inviting, familiar, and stable. Your home will be your refuge, your castle! By all means, make it beautiful, starting with the floors.