How To Clean And Maintain Hardwood Floors?

Nothing beats the classic look of gleaming hardwood floors throughout a home. It’s a timeless flooring option that many people love. True hardwood floors can be quite an investment and they need proper care to keep them in good shape. Here are our top tips for cleaning and maintaining hardwood floors in your home.

Cleaning Tools To Have On Hand:
● Broom with soft bristles
● Microfiber Mop For Damp Mopping
● Quick dusting – disposable electrostatic cloths
● Vacuum (use hardwood setting)
● Microfiber cloth for spills
● Wood floor cleaning products
● Water-based floor polish

The best thing you can do for your hardwood floors is to get into a predictable cleaning routine. We constantly track dust and dirt into our homes as we come and go. If you have kids or pets then, as you can imagine, there is even more debris pet hair that can end up on the floor. A daily, weekly, and deep cleaning routine will keep your floors looking nice.

Daily Dusing – Did you know that dust and microscopic debris can cause a lot of damage to hardwood floors over time with tiny scratches? Daily dusting, sweeping or using a dry mop, can cure that problem. You’ll also reduce allergies in the home with daily floor dusting.

Weekly Cleaning – Even with daily dusting the floors will build up some dirt. Use liquid sparingly and only use cleaning products recommended for your wood finish. Cleaning liquid should be ph-neutral, biodegradable, and non-toxic.

Quarterly Polishing – Polishing wood floors helps extend their life by creating a thin protective barrier. It also makes them shine. Remove dust and debris first. Start with clean floors. Use a water-based polish every three months or so.

What Does Refinishing Wood Floors Mean?
If the floors are old or have been neglected you can refinish them to repair damage and get them looking stunning again. People usually refinish their floors every 10 years or when buying a new home where the floors are not in good shape. The top layer is sanded down and a fresh stain and lacquer are used to cover the existing wood.

How To Protect Wood Floors?

• Prevent scratches by keeping floors clean, adding a mat to entryways, and using area rugs. High heel shoes are especially bad for
  hardwood floors. Also, keep your pet’s nails trimmed.
• Do not allow standing water to sit on the floor. Water, high temperatures, and humidity can cause the floors to buckle. If you will be away in the summer make sure to keep the air conditioning on to protect the floor.
• Renew the finish every few years to brighten dull floors.
• Beware of using cleaners that cause a waxy buildup.
• Shield floors from excessive UV rays by closing the blinds or curtains mid-day.
• In the winter be careful of tracking salt from the roads and sidewalk into the house.

The best way to protect wood floors is to keep them clean and dry. If cared for well they will last a long time.

Flooring ideas for reclaimed parquet

Flooring ideas for reclaimed parquet.
Our client base has really started to change. There are many young designers and architects thinking about how to use our material from imaginative finishes. People today look for creative inspiration and floor thoughts on social networking platforms such as Instagram where thoughts flow.

‘As reclaimed’ finish
We’ve provided reclaimed parquet flooring that were fitted without being sanded in any way. This makes a’lived in’, or even a random look, such as the flooring pictured below. We have a commercial demand for this kind of parquet, for use in shops, offices, bars and cinemas.

The problem with’no-sanding’ is that this requires block which is in excellent condition. Ideally all of it might have been thicknessed in order that there are no’trips’ between the blocks. This seems cool but is normally costly. The blocks will need to be the best condition available. They will call for fitting-clean preparation as well as thicknessing before going near the store floor.

A flooring with personality

The following alternative is to sand with care to acquire a floor with personality. This means utilizing the coarsest grit sanding belts accessible to remove the worst of the old lacquer and grime. Then, when you are happy with the’appearance’ of this floor, go on to another sanding moves with a medium grit, followed by a finer grit and so on. This usually means that you have ceased removing material and you are at the finishing point concerning the way the floor will look. The floor will be ‘obsolete’ in appearance.

Finish with a matt or satin lacquer or hard-wax acrylic to seal the floor and keep the’worn out’ style.

Back to bare
This is a clean fresh appearance. More or less the way the parquet could have looked when initially installed 50 or 80 years back. Sanding until nothing of the old coating or dirt is abandoned, produces a neat, pristine floor, despite the material being recovered.

Lots of people love this style. It’s possible to finish it super-glossy, satin or very flat matt lacquer or even hard-wax oil. Whichever you pick will make your style announcement.

And eventually…

Parquet has always been a excellent floor selected due to its hard-wearing properties. In earlier times many people have sat to a school assembly hall floor, extremely happy it was wood.

Customers both residential and designers are looking at utilizing parquet in different ways also. On the floor and then continuing up it the walls such as. Making table tops, cupboard doors and work-tops. On a critical note, reclaimed parquet is a superb alternative for flooring. We shouldn’t squander timber that has got a helpful life. Reclaimed parquet can still have another incarnation.

We would be really interested to learn about your flooring thoughts.

YOUR ULTIMATE WOOD FLOOR CHEAT SHEET

It’s likely that we’re biased considering our enthusiasm for hardwood flooring and restoring them to love. But, it’s arguable that this flooring kind is among the very popular due to its ability to fit seamlessly with any décor.

Why Pick A Wooden Flooring?

The reasons as to why you’d Pick a wooden flooring include:

• Wood Flooring are multifunctional
• Wooden Flooring can be Put in Several Distinct rooms
• They can withstand high foot traffic
• They Need low Care
• They can look better with age
• They can be restored if needed

After a hardwood flooring is laid it is going to begin to undergo daily wear and tear. This is inevitable but shouldn’t be regarded as daunting. There are ways you may lessen the danger of wear or perhaps damage to a newly-laid flooring.

Keep Your Wood Floors Safe

There are various ways in which you can keep your hardwood flooring safe from damage. Here are some of our top tips:

Place matting inside and outside of every external doorway. Particles that will otherwise enter your property will be accumulated on the matting. Having two mats can ensure maximum elimination of smaller and larger particles.

Be certain that you brush every day. This will reduce the build-up of particles on the surface. If these particles are left they’ll be transported around on people’s toes and will operate to further detract your floor. This is a procedure that won’t take long but can provide maximum benefit to guarantee the longevity of your flooring.

Floor Sanding

If you end up in the position where your hardwood flooring are appearing dull and damaged, don’t forget about our hardwood floor repairing and recovery service. This may strip back the previous finishes and top layer of the timber to reveal a new, fresh layer underneath.

We aim to offer true value for money with our wood floor renovation work; the occupation is going to be completed in a timely fashion and you will be left with detail which can help you to maintain your flooring. If You’d like to organize a quotation please call now on 020 3369 0720 .

Traditional or Exotic Woods?

If you are arranging a wood flooring project and are in the process of assessing the pros and cons of traditional versus exotic wood species, then we have put together this guide which will hopefully enable you to get to grips with all the differences. In a nutshell, traditional woods consist of such species as walnut, cherry, walnut, maple and cherry, all which tend to be indigenous in the uk. Exotic woods on the other hand, as its name implies, come from further flung corners of the world where the climate may be more tropical or simply hotter.

Oak and walnut are arguably the most well-known options when it comes to conventional wood flooring, followed with the likes of maple and and cherry. Every one of those species of wood has its own attributes. Oak wood floors is a fantastic option no matter whether you’re seeking to add charm to a traditional inside or to create a nice, clean background for a modern styling alternative. Typically ranging in color from light greyish tones to darker honey colors, oak flooring is an attractive and hardwearing option that is chosen by many because of its flexibility. Oak wood flooring is available in a complete assortment of finishes and ranges and is an extremely inexpensive option.

Walnut, that is a popular option amongst the conventional wood species, is one of the most flexible hardwoods on earth. In its natural state, the pine tree stands around 100 feet tall, and has a broad leaf canopy. The timber that comes from this shrub is famous for its durability and its dark general look, sometimes looking nearly black. That said, shut up, it’s the contrast of light and dark in walnut wood flooring which makes it so appealing. The perfect enhancement to any interior style, walnut wood flooring is a fantastic investment.

Engineered hardwood flooring comes in a whole range of colours and shades which simply are not found in forests native to the UK, again reinforcing the exotic nature of this wood as a flooring choice.

Before, native forests were often colored to look like exotic hardwood, but today with all the widespread availability and the relative affordability of exotic hardwood flooring, it’s possible to get your hands on the actual thing at a reasonable price. Exotic hardwood can be used to create some really dramatic and fashionable interior effects. The likes of black wenge, as an instance, could be introduced into a room to make a really stunning, contemporary backdrop for the furnishings, as will Morado Rosewood. If you’re searching for a lighter option, which will create a completely different look altogether, Asian Teak might fit your bill.

Apart from its hardwearing character, another advantage of hardwood flooring is that its abundance of colour won’t fade with the harshest tear and wear. One thing worth bearing in mind though when it comes to exotic hardwood is it is likely to darken more noticeably than conventional forests together with the passing of time. If you want to avoid this darkening, the use of a finish with a UV filter may help.

At one time just an option for those that have a significant budget, exotic hardwood flooring is becoming a far more affordable, as well as sought after flooring choice, providing you the depth of color you’re looking for at the exact same time as a really tough wearing and durable alternative.

Regardless of whether you decide on traditional or exotic timber, it is a fantastic idea to test be sure that the wood you select is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) accredited. Though it’s simpler to acquire traditional hardwood with FSC certification, it’s likely to track down licensed exotic hardwood floors, if you are ready to look. FSC flooring has witnessed a true growth in demand lately, in accord with the entire ecogreen or green motion. The FSC certification scheme clearly defines wood (both exotic and conventional ) which comes in well-managed and well-protected sources.

 

 

 

How To Choose Wood Flooring For Small Spaces

Among the most frequent complaints we hear from our clients is that their houses are not large enough. Even though a new hardwood flooring won’t provide you an excess bedroom or your home office which you think will alter your lifestyle, there are a number of fantastic techniques which you could do with hardwood flooring to earn your rooms look larger. Listed below are a Couple of ideas:

Play colour

In precisely the exact same way that the color of clothes we wear may have a massive effect on the way we look, selecting the ideal colors for the home makes a huge difference also. If it comes to picking the ideal color wood flooring to produce your room and really your home appear larger, there are two chief things that you can do. They are:

Use the identical color throughout. Selecting exactly the identical color of floors throughout your house is a fantastic way to create your general home seem larger. The sense of uniformity this choice gives makes your house look like it’s one continuous region that’s flooded with space and light.

Pick light colors. Light colors reflect natural lighting and give the feeling of space in almost any home. By picking a lighting, natural colored wood, a white or a white washed or limed hardwood flooring, in addition to painting your walls at a light, reflective color will give your space a direct increase concerning volume.

Experiment with Plank width

It is a frequent reaction to assume that in the event you’ve got a little space, the only wood flooring option open for you is a narrow plank . While this is frequently the best solution, playing board width can make an interesting and effective outcome. If you decide on wide boards for a little room, it can have the same effect as broad stripes on an individual — it may make the room look bigger! Although this isn’t a decision you need to make lightly, it is worth bearing in mind if you are re-flooring a small room.

Get creative with Plank length

Any professionally laid floor will have the wooden floor boards laid randomly, so there is not a fixed line where planks begin and finish. This is completely normal and is exactly what you should be aiming for even if you’re laying your new hardwood flooring on a DIY basis. However if you’re eager to create an illusion of space in a little room, using either long planks, where you will find almost no finishes on show or short boards where you will find many, are clever practices.

By using long planks , based on the size of your area, you may well be able to produce a flooring where the planks run the full width or length of the space. This sleek look will help make your room look larger.

On the other hand paradoxically, utilizing short boards can also have the same effect. Although it may seem odd; the eye anticipates floor boards to be a certain length and it may be tricked into believing a room is bigger if more joins in the floor are visible. When these choices can be complicated, there’s no getting away from the truth that experimenting with board length can pay huge dividends in tiny rooms.

Do Not go Insane with Complete

When there are literally tons of wood floors finishes on the market nowadays, when it comes to picking the proper wood floor for a little space, the concept is clear: keep it simple. The final thing that you need in a little area is a lot of attention at bottom level. As you needn’t conceal your inner design light beneath a bushel, you need to seek out an easy finish that provides a slick impression to make your room look larger.

If these items are not enough to create your room seemingly rise in size, here are another few suggestions you can try:

Keep accessories to a minimum

Nothing is likely to earn a little room look even smaller than jumble. Do not hesitate to fill your space with furnishings or accessories like rugs since they will make the room look even smaller. What you ought to do is aim to maintain the floor space as clear as you can provide the best feeling of distance.

Pick furnishings that don’t reach down to Ground level

A final smart trick in tiny rooms would be to select sofas and chairs which don’t hit right down to the ground. Selecting furnishings on thighs allow light to pass through the space and generate a true illusion of distance. Additionally, picking glass or Perspex furnishings is an excellent idea.

If you would like some help to decide on the best wood flooring option for a little area in your house, we are here to help. All you have to do is get in touch and we’ll provide you all of the help we could.

DIFFICULT TO DO YOURSELF

Hardwood flooring is among the very beautiful but also one of the toughest types of flooring to lay yourself. Like carpet, you need to call in the hardwood floor specialists to do the job properly and to make certain that your new hardwood floors looks amazing.

Hardwood flooring can seem great in any area, in any home. It can be great in a living room as well as a bedroom in addition to a bathroom. You are able to accessories hardwood floors with rugs and throws and you can make certain that it is likely to look beautiful for several years to come.

You will be surprised at how your hardwood floors adapts and changes over the years. The color will grow and the flooring will begin to look individual and unique. It will look as though it has always been a part of your house, which is among the many reasons why individuals are opting to have hardwood flooring in their homes. You should certainly think about if when revamping or decorate a room in your house.

CHERRY FLOORING LOOKS AMAZING EVERYWHERE

With your choice of floor covering creating such a huge percentage of home decoration, it is critical that flooring looks the part throughout the home, and this has led to a lot of people swiftly replacing their carpeting with a wooden alternate.

Wooden flooring comes in several guises nowadays, and there are several highly popular fashions – with cherry flooring being one of the very sought-after.

The classic yet stylish look of cherry flooring empowers it to look great in just about any environment, so whether it is installed in your bedroom, living room or dining room, and whatever other decor things it is teamed with, this floor can look truly wonderful.

You won’t need anything to take the shine from your cherry floor – and that is the reason professional installation is crucial. Even in the event that you’ve successfully completed other DIY jobs around the house, wooden flooring installation demands a lot of experience. Without this experience and without appropriate setup, flooring might not look as amazing as you would have liked.

Trust cherry flooring to appear absolutely amazing wherever it’s set up, and trust a seasoned professional to install it flawlessly.

How to Stain Hardwood Floors: Choosing the Right Wood Stain

The Selection Process
Locate the perfect stain on your floor and your home

Hardwood flooring does not get enough credit for its flexibility. People tend to believe that all wood looks basically the same. That is until they try to select a wood stain and realize just how many options they have. Light, dark, natural, daring? The options are overwhelming. As you understand how to stain hardwood floors, keep these important factors in mind:

Wood Species
Various species of wood take to the staining process in very different ways. For example, walnut, cherry, maple, and pine floors are difficult to spot evenly and often look better with no stain at all. Oak, in contrast, is quite easy stain and provides up lots of colour options. Bear this in mind as you browse via stains, and don’t be afraid to reach out to an expert. Should you act early enough, there may be ways to modify the sanding and healing process to create your blot project easier complete.

Lighting
How much light, both natural and artificial, does the space get and what kind of ambiance are you currently trying to make? Lighter stains show off more of their wood’s natural features and can help to open up a room that’s cramped or dim. Darker stains have the reverse effect and are good for rooms with a comfortably cozy feel, or that are already quite bright.

Traffic
Even the best-kept hardwood floors will start to show signs of wear and tear over time. If you’ve got a lighter stain those scratches and scratches and likely to stand out more. Darker stains will tend to hide these inevitable imperfections, but they also conceal the features that provide the hardwood its unique character.

Design
You are free to decorate your house in almost any way you need and buck any fashion trend that you don’t like. If, however, you are choosing a more seamless appearance, keep in mind that lighter stains tend to compliment more rustic and traditional looks. Darker stains look better in modern settings. This means you can use the staining process to replicate the present look and feel of your home, or give it an entirely different feel and look.

Hardwood vs. Laminate Flooring

Laminate and hardwood are both popular flooring fashions, plus they are inclined to look so similar that some homeowners can not tell them apart. They are both versatile flooring products that come in a wide variety of fashions. But if you’re shopping for new flooring, you’ll have to decide: which one is the better option for your requirements?

 

Benefits of Hardwood Flooring

• Hardwood floors are Timeless and Classic. They’ve been in existence for centuries and are still very desirable among homeowners and homebuyers. They have a warm, inviting appearance and are available in a number of species, stains, and finishes to suit your own style.
• Hardwood floors is very resilient, and when cared for, it may last for decades. Depending on the species of wood you select, you may need to help protect your floors from scratches, dents, and stains. But if your floors are solid wood, then you can have them professionally restained or refinished to offer them a whole new look down the road.

Advantages of Laminate Flooring

• Laminate is designed to look like hardwood, which means it’s possible to discover it in almost any style that you would want from traditional wood flooring. It is also very affordable and simple to install, helping you save money on both the product and labour expenses.
• Laminate can’t be refinished like hardwood, but it’s still quite durable. Laminate flooring will resist scratches, dents, and moisture better than several ordinary species of wood. You may expect an excellent laminate flooring to last for 10-20 years if well preserved

 

 

How to make your old hardwood floors like new again!

Hardwood floors can last a very long time but keeping them looking new and fresh can be a challenging task. Occasionally replacing them is not necessarily the best choice. Here we’ll talk about a few methods to liven those older floors and cause them to glow once more.

Distract from the defects

Lets face it all flooring will endure over time. They will collect scuffs, scrapes and dents along the way that in some cases add to the personality and in others create your floors look older and ragged. To assist, try distraction methods that draw the eyes away from your flaws you don’t want folks to see. Clean them up, add a little bit of paint or add a conversation piece close to the flaw such as a accent chair that garners all the attention.

Adding layers

 

Bored of yours floors, add several rugs to soften the room and remove a little bit of thelimelight out of the older floors.

Keep the light away

Sunlight streaming into a room on a lovely might seem fantastic but it will bleach your floors and flip them a gorgeous shade of orange.

Open it up

Sure it seems excessive but it truly isn’t that tough to accomplish and the difference it will make for your residence is remarkable as well as the floors will shine again.