WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MIXED LENGTH AND FIXED LENGTH WOOD FLOORING?

When choosing the ideal wood flooring option, one consideration can be easily overlooked: the choice between combined length planks and fixed duration planks. So, what’s the difference between mixed length and fixed duration wood flooring?

FITTING AND AESTHETICS

MIXED LENGTH WOOD FLOORING: FITTING

Typically, whether your floorboards are mixed or fixed length, you are going to want to put your planks at a staggered fashion. For authentic traditional character, the joints of the boards should drop at random intervals throughout the floor.

You are going to want to get started with planks of different lengths on each run and lay them mix up the joints; blended length boards permit you to do this very effectively. The assortment of different plank lengths in blended length wood floors makes it effortless to stagger the planks straight from the packs. As a consequence, you may put your lovely wood flooring without the need for too much cutting and planning edge.

MIXED LENGTH WOOD FLOORING: AESTHETICS
Mixed length planks will create beautiful wood flooring with timeless allure. The patterns made by the randomised joints will help to create the interest and character that’s so sought after in timber flooring. In case you’ve got an older property, then the most striking traditional aesthetic of combined length planks will be an ideal fit.

FIXED LENGTH WOOD FLOORING: FITTING
When purchasing fixed length planks, you will know the precise length of each board you’ll be receiving. As its name indicates, they will be precisely the same size. This can be an advantage if you’d like to avoid having any shorter planks in your packs, or when you want to plan your flooring with exacting precision.

FIXED LENGTH WOOD FLOORING: AESTHETICS
With fixed length boards, you can utilise the size of these planks to produce a more uniform look. Together with the joints producing more regular routines, they have a more organized appearance, similar to brickwork patterns. Most designers believe this to be a contemporary aesthetic.

ADVANTAGES OF WINTER HARDWOOD FLOOR INSTALLATION

Is Winter the Right Time to Install Prefinished Hardwood Floors?

As you consider the advantages and disadvantages of pricing prefinished hardwood flooring installation, you may be asking yourself whether to take the plunge today and get the job done. After all, winter looms on the horizon, and engineered hardwood flooring installation is a significant job. In case you defer it till the weather improves?

Listed below are 3 benefits to getting the job done today.

1. Reduce possible gaps in the floor by adding boards when they’re more inclined to maintain a contracted state.

Hardwood floors are not static; wood expands and contracts according to its own degree of humidity. When you set up the flooring when it’s very dry out (in winter), then you will be less inclined to cope with annoying (and potentially harmful ) contractions, which can expose gaps in the planks.

2. Reduce chances of dampness getting trapped under the floor.

In the summer months, humidity may saturate the atmosphere, causing moist stains for trapped beneath flooring during setup. This dampness can intern spur the growth of mould and mildew, which can eat away at the ground and cause structural damage. When you do the job today, during the rainy months, you minimize the chances of mildew and mould events.

3. Engage in maintenance now to prevent problems when the weather gets very bad.

The last thing you want is to discover hidden water damage, structural problems or air quality problems during a blizzard or poor storm. Obviously, a water damaged flooring is bad any time of the year. But people tend to spend more time inside during the winter months (if the windows are closed), exacerbating air quality threats.

Contact the Top Cupertino Hardwood Floor Installation Company for the Next Job

The team here in Surrey Floor Sanding will help you solve your prefinished hardwood floors project, whether you’re considering a renovation or doing damage control. Please call now at 01322 800 179 for a free estimate.

What is Limed Oak Floor

Limed oak flooring is jaded with its white washed, almost distressed look. Especially helpful in contemporary settings, limed oak flooring is not only a favorite choice, it is also extremely versatile from a styling perspective. The signature look of limed oak flooring is thanks to the white wash impact, which efficiently lies in the grain of the oak.

Although commonly used in modern interiors, limed oak is not a new idea. As a wood preservation procedure, liming pine extends back centuries. In its first stage, a caustic lime material was applied to oak to protect it from insects. As time went on, the snowy, residual impact of the lime onto the timber became a sought after style and in this stage, liming began to be used only for decorative, rather than protective reasons.

Solid bamboo floors or engineered walnut flooring may be transformed into limed bamboo flooring with liming pastes or liming waxes in addition to hard wax oils. Some folks even use a very basic mixture of lime and water, added to bare oak, even though the results are not quite so effective. The DIY liming products you can purchase are applied to the oak, ideally once it has been brushed, to make the textured look which lends itself to contemporary or beachfront inspired interiors so perfectly.

Commonly seen in New England style interiors where there’s a huge variety of white finishes and furnishings, limed oak flooring completes the look. With an almost earthy feel to it, and often featuring the odd strong accent colour the New England appearance, finish with limed oak flooring exudes a confident yet relaxed approach. Union jack flags and star spangled banners frequently abound within this kind of interior.

If You Would like to create this appearance here are a Couple of things you should bear in mind:

Ensure that you start using bare, not varnished wood.

You will find only certain kinds of wood that lend themselves to liming (eg. Oak floors and ash), so if you’re in any doubt regarding the species of timber you’re coping with, or whether it may be appropriate to this liming process, then it’s a good idea to seek expert assistance.

Initiate the procedure by working your liming glue or wax (reconstituted after the manufacturers directions if necessary) to the wood with a stiff brush.

Leave the item to wash (again in keeping with the manufacturers directions ).

Remove surplus wax or adhesive with a dry cloth and then leave to dry .

Buff the surface using a gentle, clean, dry cloth.

Why Board Lengths Matter in your Hardwood Flooring

One thing Floor Sanding Surrey is known for is our long board lengths. Our standard hardwood flooring comes in lengths up to 8 ft and our broad plank and engineered flooring comes in lengths up to ten feet.

If you compare our floors to most quality hardwood flooring producers, you’ll discover our ordinary board lengths are nearly double sector standards. We bought boxes of red oak flooring from 4 of the largest North American hardwood flooring manufacturers and discovered the ordinary board spans for every to be somewhere between 27 to 29 inches. The average board length in our red pine is 48-54″. This is a considerable difference. Longer lengths provide greater visual continuity and a nicer appearance, whereas brief planks seem very choppy. The reason behind our long board spans is quite simple. We use better lumber. Before we began making hardwood floors our sole business was selling tough kiln dried timber. Our clients consisted of kitchen cabinet, furniture, and hardwood flooring producers. We knew what timber was typically utilized in what business.

The select and better (FAS) lumber was used to create mouldings and cut because long planks were required. The #1 common timber was used to make kitchen cabinets, and 2-3 typical lumber was used to make hardwood flooring. This implies hardwood flooring manufacturers needed to cut between the knots from the boards to get clear bits, giving them very short spans. We use better and select and #1 common lumber to create our flooring that have fewer knots to be trimmed out giving us longer lengths. We knew what quality of timber other flooring manufacturers were using, because we had been selling it to them. We determined that to set us apart we’d use a higher grade to give us more lengths.

Long boards are particularly important in wide plank flooring. The wider the planks, the choppier a floor with short spans will seem. You may think this would be common sense but the vast majority of wide plank flooring on the market come in 8-6 or even 4′ boxes. Our wide plank floor comes in lengths up to 10 feet with a mean length between 6 and 7 feet. These spans give you a lovely flowing appearance you would expect from a rustic wide plank floor. Below on the left is a competitors wide plank floor and beneath the right is a Floor Sanding Surrey . Can you observe the difference in board lengths. If you are shopping around for hardwood flooring, you’ll observe that virtually no producers will post exactly what their ordinary board lengths are. Does this perhaps indicate they’re hiding something? It’s up to you to learn. If you’re in a flooring store and the salesperson can not tell you definitively what the ordinary board length is going to be, ask them to start a box that you watch for yourself.

 

HOW TO DEAL WITH THE TOP 10 COMMON MESSES ON HARDWOOD FLOORS

Much you try to avoid it, a few of those messes end up on your hardwood floors. Discover how to extend the life of your hardwood floors and keep this area of your house clean.

Liquid Spills

Always wipe up liquid spills immediately using a dry or slightly damp cloth. Avoid puddles and remove any wet rugs, mats or other fabrics from the ground. If spills have left your flooring discolored use a flooring cleaner specially formulated for wood floors to restore stained boards. Wipe away any excess cleaner.

Dry Spills

Sweep up or vacuum dry products spilled onto the floor and dispose of. Quality hardwood flooring products come with a durable finish that protects your floor from the effects of the majority of dry spills.

Regular irrigation and Debris

Regular dusting or cleaning upward helps to keep the attractiveness of hardwood. Leaving everyday dust and debris on the ground surface could result in scratches or gouges, especially in high traffic locations.

Road Salt

Invest in a good excellent mat for all entryways in order to capture road salt and other harmful substances that travel into your home on shoes and boots. Ensure that the mat is made from breathable materials and avoid employing any rugs with rubber or plastic backings since these materials can corrode boards.

Animal Messes

Much like any liquid spills, clean up creature messes immediately to restrict the damage. Use a clean, soft cloth and your favorite hardwood floors cleaner. Experiment with this particular combination to discover whether or not it helps with appearance and odor.

Grease Marks

Treat dirt marks in the same way as liquid spills, but be sure to wipe the grease away completely. Once you’ve cleaned the area along with your preferred brand of hardwood flooring cleaner, wipe the planks dry with a clean cloth.

Crayons and Ink

Mineral spirits can be used to gently and completely remove stains left by crayons or ink. Use a clean cloth and rub carefully. Apply wood flooring cleaner afterward if necessary and dry the area completely.

Shoe or Heel Marks

Some types of shoe marks can be easily rubbed away with a clean cloth. If you have tried this without success, then try out a small number of mineral spirits on a clean, dry cloth. Buff the area with timber flooring cleaner to restore boards to their original shine.

Minor Scratches

Consult your flooring retailer about touch up products, frequently offered by specific manufacturers. Take advantage of these products to treat small areas or hire a specialist to refinish or recondition the floor for larger, widespread scratching. Remember to utilize protector pads on heavy furniture and keep pet claws trimmed to stop scratching.

 

THREE DIFFERENT METHODS OF SECURING YOUR WOODEN FLOORING

If you’ve got a house that has classic décor, there’s little doubt about that wooden flooring will suit your house. Wooden flooring is quite attractive and provides a feeling of earthy warmth as well as course to your property. If you’ve got a reading area in your home or a room which you double a library, then hardwood floors with this room could look beautiful.

Your wooden flooring may be strips, planks or squares. These have various ways of repairing which are efficient and ensure that the wooden flooring is beautiful as well as durable.

However when fixing wooden flooring, one ought to guarantee the safety of wooden flooring. In precisely the exact same time you need to steer clear of all types of stray ugly marks on the floor planks. So here are 3 methods which are employed so as to make sure that hardwood floors looks fantastic and the strength of the flooring is also set up.

Face nailing: This procedure gives an extremely raw look to the hardwood flooring. In this method, the nail heads are left in this way that the heads of the nails are observable.

Screwed and plugged: This process is popular and utilizes screws instead of nails for setup. The advantage of this method is that it’s easy to maintain and clean. But it may take a while to complete this method and if it is not carried out in the right way, the timber can crack.

Blind nail: The most popular way of installing wooden flooring, this process makes use of screws using just one fundamental difference: self coloured putty is used to pay for the nail or screw heads to provide it a good finish.

These 3 methods are commonly used in hardwood flooring installation. In case you decide on any one, make certain you do so together with the décor and your individual tastes kept in your mind.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS PROVIDED BY HARDWOOD FLOORING?

Hardwood flooring is really attractive to watch. Aside from providing visual enjoyment to the onlooker, hardwood flooring is the best alternative to raise the worth of this room; it also provides the house with flexible décor alternatives and health benefits. There are lots of design options to choose from.

Quality hardwood floors might raise the worth of a house. The sturdiness of timber has improved on account of the progress in technology procedures. Realtors affirm that homes with hardwood floors sell sooner. People who buy new houses desire to possess the overall look and simplicity of hardwood flooring. They are also set up for sale at higher prices compared to homes with other kinds of floor covering.

There is an enduring allure that only hardwood floors can provide. It attaches importance to a room by providing a background to furniture around the home. Its adaptability is excellent, whether you prefer a contemporary feel or a traditional mood. Hardwood flooring extends to any room of the house you wish.

You don’t need to fight with the maintenance of the hardwood flooring. The simplest way to keep it clean is to remove the dirt using a broom or vacuum cleaner then wash it with special wood cleaners.

Dust and germs are often caught up beneath carpets which can cause problems for those suffering from allergies.

HARDWOOD FLOORING AND THE MODERN HOMEOWNER

When stepping inside many contemporary houses, 1 thing which is becoming more and more apparent is that rugs are being pushed aside to make way for hardwood flooring, and you will find various factors that have contributed to hardwood floors becoming an increasingly popular option.

In this era, most homeowners simply don’t have the time to devote hours vacuuming and thoroughly cleaning carpeting, and as hardwood floors is so easy to look after, it’s started to overtake carpets as the floor covering of choice.

Similarly, a large percentage of modern homeowners simply don’t have the money to splash on new flooring coverings that don’t endure the test of time. Investing in a very durable type of hardwood flooring could see you making a very cost-effective and very long-lasting investment however.

Modern homeowners want variety also – and this is something that hardwood flooring is more than capable of offering, since there are many different kinds of floors with several different designs out there.

It’s simple to see why hardwood floors and the modern homeowner today go hand in hand and can be set to continue to do so.

Antique Floors

Replacing a wood floor usually is much more expensive than refinishing it, once you factor in eliminating the existing floor, purchasing the new floors, and the labor necessary to install, sand, complete it and cut it to match at walls and doors. “Refinishing a wood floor is less expensive than putting in carpeting,” Lessick states.
Besides, a properly preserved wood floor can go 20 or 30 years or more before needing to be refinished. Plus it can be sanded and refinished “easily six or seven times” over its life, he states.

If you still have any doubts, Have a Look at this list of the features of what today’s homeowners want in hardwood floors, and compare them to what you’re likely to find in an old floor:

• Dark stains, such as ebonized or black, finishes
• Hand-scraped boards (mill scraped or scraped on site), frequently using pillowed or beveled edges
• Natural attributes, like knotholes and mineral streaks
• Wood reclaimed from old buildings.
• Virgin timber, for example antique heartpine logs dredged from river bottoms and marketed through vendors
• Environmentally friendly timber that’s certified to be from sustainable forests
• Water-based finishes (wax or tung oil may be suitable for classic flooring)
• Oil-based finishes in kitchens or alternative heavy-traffic Places
• Special installations, such as parquet and “timber bricks” or cobbles