Blog Archive | October 2009

Installing and Renovating Hardwood Flooring

Installing hardwood flooring involves a great deal of cutting, nailing, measuring and fitting. When you decide to fit hardwood flooring, you should make yourself aware of the best types of wood available for different purposes. Before making a purchase, you should measure the room accurately to ensure you buy sufficient wood.

Firstly, hardwood flooring needs to be cut into shape so that it fits correctly against walls, doorways and corners. Many professionals will tell you that installing hardwood floors in new homes is much easier than a remodelling project. This is because door casings and baseboards are not installed in new homes, so there is no need for them to be removed or trimmed- which can prove to be a lengthy task in itself.

When sanding hardwood floors you need to remove all the coating from the wood and ensure that excess sand is not kept in the same spot for a long time. The sanding process is vital in removing any stains or marks on the wood.

After sanding, you should apply a polyurethane coating to the flooring to restore its’ glow.

By following these simple steps, installing hardwood flooring should prove to be a relatively simple task.

Oak wood flooring adds value to your home

Flooring is one of the most important things when it comes to deciding on the appearance of the room. The colour, material and the finish of the floor add style and elegance to the décor of the room. There are several types of wood flooring materials available such as maple wood, oak wood, walnut wood, ash wood, beech wood, birch wood, cherry wood and rose wood. You can select the wood material which matches to your tastes and the other furniture items in the home.

Oak wood flooring can give a new look to your home and if you are looking to achieve sophistication and beauty then oak wood flooring is the best option for you. Oak wood flooring is well known because of its durability and stylish appearance. It is available in different forms such as solid oak wood flooring and engineered oak wood flooring.

You can install oak flooring in the living room and even in the kitchen and bathroom. If you are planning to install oak wood flooring in your kitchen and bathroom then you need to buy engineered oak wood flooring or solid wood flooring, as water spills can easily ruin the wood flooring.

Oak wood flooring increases the value of your home; if you are planning to sell your home then the buyers will be paying you more for the elegant appearance of your home. Oak wood flooring requires proper maintenance and if they are cleaned regularly then they will be with you for many years.

Why should you choose hardwood flooring?

Everyone wants their house to look stylish and elegant, like many others. Hence, one of the things that you should keep in mind while making your home look good is its flooring. It is one thing that all of your friends and guests will notice when they come to your house.

It is better to choose simple flooring rather than the flashy ones, the simpler the flooring, the classier it will look. Thus, choosing the hardwood flooring is the best option.

Hardwood flooring has been in vogue for a long time and will always be because of its elegant and sophisticated look. Now as time has passed and everything has become more modernised, hardwood too is available in trendy patterns and colours.

Hardwood is extremely popular because of its long-lasting nature. Since it is made of an eco-friendly material, hardwood has qualities that help to ensure that it does not adversely affect the environment.

If you are thinking that spending a huge amount of money on hardwood is pointless then you should know that it is better to spend on good quality and durable flooring rather than any other cheap flooring. Hardwood is made to last and if properly cared for, will last a lifetime.

Hardwood is extremely beneficial and the best flooring you can have in your home. It provides functionality and makes your home look sophisticated and elegant. So, whenever you think of getting a new home or plan on changing your flooring, consider buying hardwood.

Wood floors – An ideal way to give a natural appearance to your home

Just like wooden tables, wardrobes and chairs, wooden floors also add a great value to your home. Wooden floors look stylish and they have a classy appeal. For many centuries, wooden floors have been used regularly and these floors remain for many years, with only a small amount of maintenance.

You can choose the wooden floor according to your specifications and there are lots of varieties and designs available for you. Oak wood, walnut wood and maple wood are the most commonly used because of their features and appearance.

You can install wooden floors in any room you want; you can even install oak wood flooring in kitchens and bathrooms. You need to use engineered wooden floorings in the kitchen and bathroom because excess water will spoil the beauty of the wooden floors. The installation can be done by gluing or nailing it to the ground. The lamination of the wood floorings will make them look polished and shiny.

Most people think that wooden floors do not last for long but this is incorrect. Wooden floors are a one time investment and the wooden floors will last for years to come provided you look after them properly. Thus, there are many options and you can choose from the selection of wooden floors depending upon the colours of the wall, the curtains and the type of furniture you might have. Most people like darker wood floors and lighter wall colours.

Ways to maintain your hardwood flooring

Hardwood flooring looks really beautiful and adds a touch of beauty to any home or office. This type of flooring can help to bring the natural beauty of nature into your home. These hardwood floors certainly make a place look elegant and decadent. The shine and texture of hardwood floors cannot be found in any other type of flooring. Hardwood flooring gives a lot of character to a place.

The do’s and don’ts of hardwood flooring maintenance

Hardwood floors make the place look very hospitable. This is what you want your guests to feel when they enter your home. Hardwood flooring has become very popular and can be found in many homes all over the world. Many people however do not know how to maintain hardwood floors. There are certain maintenance tips you should follow in order to maintain this flooring. The first tip is to keep them clean and dry. It is important you ensure that no liquids, especially dark coloured liquids such as red wine are spilled on the floor.

Do not in any case use a wet mop to clean a dirty hardwood floor. It will just end up destroying it. This is because the water will soak into the wood causing it to become soft. Use a vacuum cleaner instead to clean your hardwood flooring. It is also advisable not to use oily soaps to clean hardwood flooring; it will just leave your floor looking dull.

The differences between oak and walnut floorings

Hardwood flooring is an elegant and luxurious way to add beauty to the décor of your home. From many decades, people have been using hardwood flooring because it is durable and last for years, if regularly maintained. If your wood flooring is damaged, then you can have it refinished without the need to replace it.

There are several choices available for you and you can opt for the floor which suits your requirements the best. Oak is one of the most used floorings but these days maple and walnut have also become popular.

Oak flooring is the not that expensive compared to walnut and maple floors. It is readily available and easy to install. There are two types of oak wood such as red oak and white oak. Oak floors can be finished in different ways so it is easy to get different shades of oak floors. Oak wood has a much tighter grain, some prefer it but others consider it less attractive.

Walnut flooring is darker than oak and it is an open grained wood. Walnut wood is harder than oak but it is softer than many others. It is very difficult to produce the look of natural walnut artificially. If you like walnut wood, do not go for imitations because they will look cheap and fake.

Various trends of hardwood flooring

Hardwood floors are a distinctive and beautiful means to add a luxurious sense to your home. In the present housing market, an increasing number of people are looking to enhance the overall feel and appearance of their homes. Most homeowners find that hardwood floors provide unique ways of accomplishing a strikingly fresh décor that provides a completely new appearance to their home. There never used to be many options available for hardwood flooring. However, today due to the increasing popularity and demands of people, hardwood flooring comes in many different options.

Some years back, hardwood floorings were sold either with darker lacquer colours or with a natural lacquer finish to add a bit of richness to the entire appearance of your room. Hardwood floorings available today come in an extensive range of colours and stains. Cherry, caramel, cinnamon and nutmeg are some of the available options.

The colour stain is generally applied to the hardwood prior to finish, or coloured with lacquer to create a richer colour while showing the natural grain of wood. Some homeowners and designers generally prefer a more colourful and vibrant room. Hardwood floors can also be tinted yellow, green, purple, blue or any other colour that can complement the existing theme of your room to offer a unique and distinctive look.

In the past few years, the manufacturing process of hardwood flooring has also changed. The way in which every piece of wood is made and handled has an effect on how it will look on the floor. So if you want to create a unique look in your home, hardwood flooring is a good option.

Oak wood flooring gives you the ultimate in comfort

When decorating your home, flooring play a very important role in deciding the appearance of the home. The style and tone of the floor reflects the atmosphere of your home. Wood floorings give a natural look to all types of room. There are different types of wood flooring materials available such as ash, beech, birch, cherry, maple, oak and walnut.

Oak wood flooring

This wood is for the people who want to give a sophisticated look to their rooms. Oak flooring is available in various options like engineered oak wood flooring and solid oak flooring. Oak flooring can match the décor of any type of room. They can compliment décor in the living room, bathroom or kitchen.

No other material creates such a dramatic atmosphere, as you enter the room. The fine grain finish, luster and polish of the oak floors set a tone which matches with everything else in the room.

Oak wood flooring complements and enhances the style of the room. Oak wood flooring is the perfect blend of elegance and durability. The oak floors will stay with you for many years, if maintained properly. They have the quality of adaptability and this is why they are suitable for any room.

Oak wood flooring increases the value of your home and if you are planning to sell your home then the buyers will be pleased when they see that you have installed oak wood flooring.

Three different methods of securing your wooden flooring

If you have a home that has classic décor, there is no doubt about the fact that wooden flooring will suit your house. Wooden flooring is very attractive and adds a sense of earthy warmth as well as class to your home. If you have a reading area in your home or a room that you double as a library, then wooden flooring for this room could look beautiful.

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

However when fixing wooden flooring, one needs to ensure the safety of wooden flooring. At the same time you need to avoid any kind of stray ugly marks on the floor boards. So here are three methods that are used in order to ensure that wooden flooring looks great and the strength of the flooring is also in place.

Face nailing: this method imparts a very raw look to the wooden flooring. In this method, the nail heads are left in such a way that the heads of the nails are visible.

Screwed and plugged: This method is popular and uses screws instead of nails for installation. The advantage of this method is that it is easy to maintain and clean. But it can take a while to complete this method and if it is not carried out in the right way, the wood can break.

Blind nail: The most popular method of installing wooden flooring, this method makes use of screws with a single fundamental difference: self coloured putty is used to cover the screw or nail heads to give it a good finish.

These three methods are commonly used in hardwood flooring installation. If you decide on any one, ensure that you do so with the décor and your personal preferences kept in mind.