Blog Archive | December 2011

Choosing the right solid wood floor for your room (Part 1)

When it comes to selecting the most suitable floor type for a particular place within your home there are a number of things you need to bear in mind. The style and colour of the hardwood floor is obviously going to be a major consideration, but there are other factors that might influence your choice.

These articles will be looking at all the different things that may affect the decision that you make.

For a start it is worth remembering that hardwood flooring is a natural product and needs to be treated in a certain way. This is why it is always advisable to have it fitted by a professional floor layer. Once installed the boards are susceptible to movements because of the humidity and moisture within the environment.

Therefore, whatever flooring you finally opt for, you will have to think about the place where it is to be fitted and whether it is likely that the floor will be able to acclimatise quickly. This will be assessed by the professionals at the outset. You also need to take note that during different seasons it can result in dimensional changes to the floorboards.

Depending on your planned usage of the floor, you can choose between timbers with differing levels of hardness. This is just one decision you’ll have to make.
 

What is involved with sanding your wooden floor

When your old wood floor is in need of renovation and a refinish, going to a hardwood flooring specialist is highly recommended. This is because they have many years of experience in returning your well-used floor to its former glory.

One of the services they offer to customers with hardwood parquet or natural pine floorboards is sanding. This is one of the best choices you could make for your classic wood floor.

With a bit of time and effort put into this process, you will really notice the difference. In practice, this means that the professionals will remove the top surfaces using specialist abrasive materials.

The three stages normally involved with sanding include the preparation work, the sanding itself and the application of a protective sealant (hardwax oil or lacquer) to the surface of the floor.

Sanding is a task that should only really be carried out by those trained in the discipline as hardwood floors need to be cared for by those that understand what is needed.

For those living on the south coast of England, there are specialists you can go to for this sanding work to be carried out on your floor. In fact, for anything to do with hardwood flooring in Hampshire, hardwood flooring in West Sussex or hardwood flooring in Surrey just call the experts.

Is it normal for gaps to appear between the boards in winter?

For those that have had wooden flooring for the first time in their home, it is difficult to know what to expect as the floor begins to adapt and get used to its new surroundings.

As we are now in wintertime, despite the conditions deteriorating rather later than in previous years, the indoor climate of a house may now be starting to affect the wood floor, with gaps beginning to appear between some of the boards.

If you are wondering whether there is something wrong with the way your floor has been installed, then you can rest assured that this is completely normal at this time of the year. There is usually nothing at all to get bothered about as the boards will soon move towards each other again as the humidity levels increase.

This form of gapping is something that you will have to get used to around this time of the year, as the movement of the boards is subject to the fluctuating moisture levels in the environment.

Your hardwood floor may contract due to these changing conditions, with the central heating providing for a much drier atmosphere, but you can certainly expect things to return to normal again as the weather improves outside.
 

How to manage your under-floor heated wood floor (Part 2)

In making sure that you do not experience any problems with regards to your newly installed wood flooring and under-floor heating we have stressed the need to let the floor come to terms with the fitted system by increasing the temperature incrementally.

However, you still cannot discount the seasonal movement which will naturally occur in the flooring. At this time of the year when the heating is on constantly, the environment will be noticeably drier.

This means that you will need to keep the conditions as steady as possible. You can achieve this by maintaining an ambient air humidity level of between 40 and 60 per cent. The recommended room temperature is 18-22 degrees centigrade, so it is important you do your utmost to ensure this is the case.

To reach a comfortable temperature may take some time because of the insulating properties of the wooden floor. You need to give it the space to reach this level, as by raising the set flow temperature this could result in adverse effects. It is also necessary to limit the wood surface temperature to 26 degrees and no higher.

These points should all be taken into account when you have just had a wooden floor fitted over a new heating system.
 

How to manage your under-floor heated wood floor (Part 1)

If you have recently had hardwood flooring installed above an under-floor heating system, then it is imperative that you understand how this can affect your newly-laid floor.

Over this article and the following one we will be discussing the best way to ensure that your wood floor is able to settle into its surrounding without being adversely affected by the fitted heating component.

For a start it is worth mentioning that you should read carefully the operating instructions you received from the heating supplier and making sure it can work perfectly well in conjunction with the sensitive nature of wood flooring.

As you have already had this installed by now, we should assume that this is the case, but it is still important to bear everything in mind. One piece of advice you should adhere to is that you need to wait at least a day following the floor fitting before the under-floor heating is turned on for the first time.

When you do decide to turn it on be sure to increase the temperature very slowly (by only about 1-2 degrees per day) from its minimum setting to a maximum of 26 degrees floor temperature. This should be carried out across one to two weeks before the temperature is reduced to a comfortable level.

You have to be careful when adding a protective covering to the floor during this process as unless it is permeable to heat, the wood floor can easily get damaged.

Hardwood flooring installation is all in the small details

It is all well and good to decide on your ideal wood floor and go with the colour and style that takes your fancy, but if you want to ensure the longevity of the floor covering and have it always looking its best, you need to select the right installer to make this happen.

When you turn to the wood flooring specialists to fit the new floor in a room or hallway, you need to consider a team that pays attention to detail throughout the entire process.

Not only will they be able to advise you on the upkeep of your floor and provide tips on maintaining it during the changing of seasons, they will install the floor so that the product takes to its new surroundings in a shorter amount of time.

Whether you opt for a light and airy wood such as ash, or prefer rustic oak boards, you can have complete peace of mind that the installation team will know how to treat this specific flooring choice. They understand all about the best way to care for the floor as it starts to settle down.

So, you should never cut corners when it comes to getting your flooring laid down and fitted. Choose a company that can guarantee high levels of workmanship and dedication to excellence.
 

Wooden flooring is a practical choice

Plush cream carpets may look beautiful and elegant, and they might be at the top of many a décor wish list, although these carpets don’t offer anything in the way of practicality.

Very few people have the time (or patience) to literally watch every step they take or remain eagle-eyed enough to ensure that not even the smallest mark or speck of dirt graces cream carpets. Achieving this would be difficult enough for those living alone, never mind those with families.

The impractical nature of many types and styles of carpets has led to more and more people turning to wooden flooring-which is a far more practical choice.

Wooden flooring is very easy to clean and maintain, so unlike with carpets, there’s no need to feel on edge about the slightest thing ruining it.

Wooden flooring may be the epitome of practicality, although this doesn’t mean that there are any limitations when it comes to choice, as there are scores of different types of woods to choose from.

Such fantastic choice gives every householder the opportunity to invest in flooring which is not only practical, but which also looks picture perfect.

It’s easy to protect your hardwood flooring

When you’ve invested in beautiful new wooden flooring for your home, the last thing which you’ll want to find yourself faced with is a mark or scratch.

Obviously, accidents can happen and when flooring is being walked over on a daily basis, keeping it completely mark free could be a practically impossible task. This certainly doesn’t mean that you have little choice but to let the look and condition of your flooring disintegrate though, as there are ways in which you can keep any marks to an absolute minimum.

Although it may sound quite obvious, dragging furniture across wooden flooring needs to be avoided at all costs, as even the slightest movement could cause a huge, unsightly scratch. This is why it’s a very wise idea to place mats or rugs under furniture- anything which stops it from making its mark.

When it comes to cleaning flooring, you need to ensure that you only use products which are 100% suitable. Taking chances with unsuitable cleaning products could see you causing a great amount of damage- which could prove very costly to repair.

If you need assistance with protecting your hardwood flooring, ask a professional- they will be very happy to help.

Enjoy the original floorboards in your home

The floors in many older properties in the UK are lucky enough to be covered with original pine floorboards- which can look classically beautiful.

It’s amazing just how many homeowners don’t realise that there’s plenty of style potential at their fingertips though, especially in homes where these stunning floorboards are completely covered with carpets.

When floorboards have been neglected, it can be all too easy to just write them off, although as they can be so easily restored to their former glory, writing them off simply shouldn’t come into it.

An increasing number of householders are choosing to have wooden flooring installed in their homes due the warmth and beauty which it can bring, so if you already have the foundations for beautiful flooring, you’re already halfway there.

If your floorboards are in need of TLC (and the likelihood is that they will be if they’ve been covered) a professional will be able to renovate them for you.

A flooring expert with a high level of knowledge and expertise will be able to bring original floorboards back to life in an affordable and convenient manner, and you’ll be enjoying beautiful new floors in no time at all.