A floor made of wood is truly elegant in a home and we must take additional care to prevent the floors get damaged. Cleaning wood floors are easy and simple. Plus there are lots of commercially available cleaning products specifically made for wood.
Preventive Maintenance
1. Regular sweeping of your floors, use a soft bristled broom.
2. Regular vacuuming can get dirt and sand. They can scratch your floors,
3. Don't wipe wood floors with a wet mop or wet rug.
4. Water is the worst enemy of wood floors. If you see spilled water, wipe it immediately with dry mops and dry rugs. Don't let the water stand in.
5. Use doormats on every door's entrances. Clean them always.
6. Ask your wood floor manufacturer on what special treatments should you use on your floor because there are different wood floor finishes.
7. Sunlight can damage your wooden floors. It can discolor your floor and age it quickly. Protect your floor by installing curtains, drapes, or blinds on every window in your house.
8. Don't drag your furniture because it can scratch and damage your wood floors. You can either put furniture pads beneath it or lift it.
9. Heavy shoes and high heels can dent your floors.
A Flooring Store can give you several options to choose from. You could find tile, wood, linoleum, and or carpet here. There could also be beautiful Oriental rugs and simple throw rugs to select. A Flooring Store is a one stop place to find all your flooring needs along with a knowledgeable sales representative to help make your selection.
Hardwood Floor Installation can be a simple procedure if you go about it right in the first place. Depending on what Hardwood product you choose from. Installation can be glued, nailed, stapled or in some cases there are products out there with adhesive strips to the back of the wood. After you have chosen the product you will be installing speak to the representative that has sold you the goods.
Find out which products will be needed for the installation there may be a required underlayment for the floor these are things that you need to know. You may decide not to take on the installation yourself and hire a licensed contractor but again you will still need to know what you are doing so that while the contractor is explaining to you his process and price you are able to verify that these were the necessary expenses to complete the job.
Getting back to the installation project that you have decided to take on. Once you have the product put it in the room you are going to install the wood needs to acclimate itself, which takes anywhere from one to three days. Make sure you purchase all your supplies for installation and last but most important find your focal point. This means you need to chose a focal point in the area of the hardwood floor installation and then square it out. Examples of focal points, fireplace or a center island and also allow for expansion on all the permanent walls or fixtures, give it about a quarter inch along the base boards etc.
The installation time is up to you so carefully read all the manufacturer's pamphlets so that you are able to install the hardwood flooring per their specifications and don't cancel out the warranty. If you don't use the required products to install the hardwood flooring this could negate the warranty so you should pay careful attention to those facts.Hardwood floor installation tips are found almost anywhere including your local hardware stores, libraries, and of course the internet.
When installing solid hardwood floors you should be careful to avoid installing them directly onto concrete slabs or below ground level because of moisture problems that may result. The problem with moisture is that it leaves unsightly gaps in the hardwood once it dries, typically during the winter months when heating tends to draw the moisture out of homes. During summer months when humidity and moisture are high you should notice that the wood once again expands, sometimes so much so that the wood planks may buckle or cup. Because of these issues you should also take great care to leave plenty of room for seasonal expansion.
If this is unavoidable, you should install hardwood floors that are fixed in place with nails. Consistently following steps to ensure you get the longest life out of the floors and sanding them back and re-polishing them will also be essential, whether the floors are maple, bamboo, ash, white or red oak.
Hardwood floors are usually divided into one of three categories being plank flooring, strip flooring and parquet flooring. Parquet style hardwood floors are also known as parquetry, and this is when the smaller pieces of timber are arranged in a geometrical fashion. The timber used can be all the same or different to create a more colorful effect. Hardwood floors that are laid in the strip flooring style are between 5/16 and ¾ of an inch thick and 1 ½ to 2 ¼ inches wide. Strip flooring is common in the bamboo hardwood floors that are popular today. The third style of flooring is the plank, and each board is anywhere from three to eight inches in width. This is a more traditional, heritage style flooring, but is also still a popular choice today.
Another popular yet pricey option when shopping around for hardwood floors is the hand scraped style. They can create a very trendy touch to your home or have a more classic feel if you have a shabby chic, rustic style décor. They are an art form unto themselves, and for this reason, do not come cheap. However, if you can afford the extra cost, you will be rewarded with originality and class.
Each brand of hardwood flooring should come with its own care and washing suggestions. It is important to follow these for your specific hardwood flooring, regardless of what other people do. It is a great idea to vacuum the floor regularly to prevent a buildup of grime in the spaces between the boards, and try to use mats and rugs wherever possible.
It's also a good idea to have welcome mats at doors and throw rugs in high traffic areas in order to maximize the life of your hardwood floors. Another great way to protect your hardwood floors is by using furniture coasters on all legs of your furniture. Spills should also be taken care of immediately in order to protect your hardwood floors and keep them looking beautiful for years to come.
With the recent developments in the field of hardwood floor installation, you need not require professional help from carpenters for installing hardwood floors. The task of installing hardwood floors can be easily performed by anyone now. This has been possible with the availability of pre-finished flooring, where the wood is factory-finished and saves the labor of sanding and finishing it manually.
Other than the ever-popular red oak, there are many varieties of hardwood which are available in several colors and textures to add a touch of class to your home. Selection of the type of material you want to use in installing hardwood floors can become easier if you do a search on the Internet or make a preliminary visit to a hardware shop.
Pre-finished flooring can be bought online or from a merchant you trust. After you get the wood home, you should stack the wood in the room it will be installed in for a few day to let it adjust to the normal humidity level. This is important to do because moisture makes wood expand. Leave a half inch between the floor and the wall when installing your flooring. This space could be covered with a baseboard or molding strip later.
For the actual installation of the floors, follow the instructions given by the supplier. These are usually the things you have to do step-by-step to get a custom finish on the floor. The wood comes already micro-beveled to allow for expansion of wood during the summer.
If your flooring is very old and looks it, you can also refinish it to make it look like new. Before the job starts, remove furniture, rugs, drapes and all articles on the floor. Refinished flooring takes about three days to be ready for use again, during which time keep the doors and windows of the room closed to prevent airborne dust entering inside. After the job is finished, it is advisable to allow one more day before placing the furniture and other items back on the floor.
Still easier to install are laminate floors which also require very little maintenance. The flooring is resistant to scratches and stains and is especially suitable for withstanding heavy traffic or if you have pets or kids. The laminate floors can be laid easily as the flooring comes with a tongue and groove interlocking system.
With all of the different flooring options out there it may take some time to find the one that works for you. Fortunately, installing new wood floors is easier than ever with the specialized products on the market today. When buying your new flooring, make sure that the enclosed directions are clear and straightforward. If in doubt, ask a lot of questions before you start your installation project!
A large number of do-it-yourselfers have questions regarding how to install wood floor and refinish hardwood floors which can easily be answered with a fast internet search.
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