Many beautiful upgrades in cosy family homeBrantford Expositor, Canada - May 16, 2008From here, a door opens to a two-piece powder room that boasts attractive design features such as hardwood flooring, a wood vanity crowned by a granite …
|
Hardwood Flooring
When selecting hardwood flooring with a focus on design, or more specifically the look and feel you are trying to achieve, there are five areas you should focus on. Color & Species The most important decision to be made is usually the selection of a color or color range. The color, tone, and hue of your floor is dictated primarily by the specie of wood used to construct the floor and then by stains, if they are used. Stains have their advantages and disadvantages which should be considered carefully. Stains can imitate the look of expensive woods using a less expensive species, can achieve colors not found in nature, however, since stains only change the color of the surface of the wood their long term durability is less than natural finished products since deep scratches will show the raw wood. Lengths & Widths Nothing has more of an impact on the overall appearance of the floor more than the lengths, especially the average length, and the widths. Wide floors in Character grades are well suited to Colonial, Tuscan, Provincial, Country, and Shaker styles. Wide floors in Select grades are suited to Greek Revival, Victorian, Arts & Crafts, and Contemporary style projects where clean lines and consistent color are keys to pulling off the look. Average lengths, especially in large rooms can make a significant impact in the feel of the room, most people find longer average lengths and random length floors to appear more 0authentic0 than floors with shorter averages and only two or three different lengths, these floors tend to resemble laminate, tile, and other 0faux0 wood products a look that conveys cheapness regardless of the actual quality, or lack thereof, of the product. Lengths of 12 to 16 feet or more are not uncommon in premium products with average lengths that are 50 to 200 percent longer than commodity flooring products. Surface Treatments Well over 90% of the flooring sold in this country has a smooth face with about half of these floors sold as prefinished with the accompanying beveled or eased edges, the other half shipped as unfinished flooring with squared edges. Beyond smooth faced floors there is an array of options, including hand scraping, sculpting, distressing, wire-brushing, deeply grooved edges, and more. These options are typically intended to simulate the effects of time and wear or to approximate the most rustic of antique floors. Finishes The growth in prefinished flooring sales in our industry is undeniable and these floors are here to stay. Prefinished flooring offers convenience, is DIY friendly, and allows for a much faster install but the tradeoff for these advantages is flexibility in the final appearance (colors, gloss levels, etc.) and style with micro-beveled or eased edges required in all but the most accurately milled engineered floors. Unfinished flooring and a competent installer on the other hand can turn a great floor into a fantastic work or art without the need for bevels and with a far more uniform appearance. The skilled craftsmen who practice this art can create for you a truly exceptional complement to any dr. Construction Hardwood floors come in two primary constructions, solid floors which are real wood, one piece thick and are typically 00 thick and engineered floors which consist of a plywood, MDF, or HDF substrate with a real wood wear layer adhered to the top of the substrate. Engineered floors minimize the natural movement of wood and can be used below, on, and above grade. Solid wood floors can be used on grade and above grade, new advances in adhesive technology even allow for direct glue down of solid wood floors to concrete slab on grade construction. In either construction the primary focus should be on quality. Quality in a solid wood floor is usually easy to tell by looking at and holding the product and seeing how pieces fit together. In engineered floors there are two things to should be closely looked at, the most important is the wear layer, and these veneers can be either sawn or sliced. Sawn veneers have a natural grain pattern and are indistinguishable from solid wood once installed. Sawn veneers should be a minimum of 3.2mm thick to allow for future refinishing. Premium engineered products are available with up to 6mm wear layers which equal the useable wood that a solid 00 floor has. Rotary peeled engineered floors have extremely thin wear layers, usually 1mm or less, they cannot be refinished and because they are peeled not sawn their grain patterns are unnatural and stresses in the wood from the peeling process can cause grain to open and delaminate. Conclusion When shopping for wood floors it is important to note that much of the market is focused on commodity products and price points. While everyone likes saving money, especially on large projects, the savvy shopper arms herself with the questions to ask to ensure the beautiful floor she has found will last. The famous proverb 0Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten0 is a statement to live buy when shopping for hardwoods, which, if properly selected and installed should last for centuries. — Beth Burton is a National Wood Flooring Association Certified Sales Counselor and works as a Sales Consultant with (a href=http://www.canterburyflooring.com>Canterbury Wood Floors manufacturers of bespoke hardwood flooring. Beth works daily with the country’s best designers and architects helping them achieve their visions in wood flooring. Hardwood Flooring
Hardwood floor scratches are inevitable. At some point, scratches will happen. If you have hardwood flooring, it’s important that you learn how to do simple scratch repairs yourself. However, before you start fixing any scratches, you’ll need to learn how to differentiate between scratches and gouges on your hardwood floor. A scratch is typically a visible, but not deep, marking on your hardwood floor’s surface. Hardwood floor scratches can be caused by dragging furniture across the floor or by glass that has fallen and cut the surface of the floor. A gouge, however, is much deeper than a scratch. Think of a gouge as a “flesh wound” a hardwood floor could sustain. Dealing with a scratch is much different than dealing with a. For instance, it’s useless to apply hardwood floor scratch remover on gouges. You’ll need to be sure that you really are dealing with a scratch instead of a gouge before you can initiate any kind of scratch repair work. Between scratches and gouges, scratches on hardwood floors are much more common. It’s near impossible to keep hardwood floors from getting scratches. Moving pieces of furniture across or dropping sharp objects like glass are not the only things that can cause scratches. You may be causing scratches on your hardwood floor when you sweep it with a broom with not-so-soft bristles or you wipe off spills using a hard piece of cloth. Again, hardwood floor scratches are nearly impossible to avoid, so the best thing you can do is learn how to deal with the scratches, like learning how to do simple hardwood floor scratch repairs. Repairing scratches on hardwood floors is pretty simple; you don’t have to hire a professional to do it for you. Follow these steps on repairing hardwood floor scratches: 1. Using a fine steel wool or sandpaper, rough up the scratched area. 2. Rub the whole length of the scratch. Cover both margins. 3. Make sure to rub in the direction of the wood grain, or rub in a circular motion to avoid damaging the wood and floor finish too much. 3. Dampen a soft cloth with mineral spirits. Use the soft cloth to wipe off any wood and dust particles on the scratched area of the floor. 4. Let the solution dry up on the floor. Depending on how big the scratch is, the scratch removal solution and how much of it you use, drying time may take from several minutes up to a few hours. 5. Take a fine paintbrush, dip it in the finish originally used on the floor and brush it across the scratched area. Wipe with a soft cloth. 6. Be careful and gentle when you brush in the finish onto the scratch. Too much or too little and the area will look much different from the rest of the hardwood floor. Brush in just enough finish so that it looks almost the same as the rest. 7. Give the new finish some time to dry. This may take between 30 minutes to a few hours. If you followed the directions carefully, the scratch on your hardwood floor should be gone. About the author Niv Orlian is an experienced Home Improvement Adviser who writes articles for his Flooring & Carpet Cleaning online guides at www.myflooringhelper.com Visit www.myflooringhelper.com/hardwood-floor-scratches.html to learn more about how to repair Hardwood Floor Scratches. Hardwood Flooring
In the past, vinyl was the choice used for flooring in many homes. It was cheap and lasted a long time. The next big thing was ceramic, when many realized that it could deal with wear and tear at a relatively cheap cost. However, the choices available in the market today are varied and can suit families with different budgets.While hardwood flooring might be on the expensive side, they are now more lasting and is common in many households. Many types of hardwoods are available and come with different price tags, such as Australian Cypress or Brazilian Walnut. If properly cared for, these floors can last up to 50 years or more. Hardwood floors combine beauty and durability.Laminates are a nice alternative to hardwoods, if you do not have the budget or the time to commit to caring for them. The faux wood and ceramic patterns both look nice. They’re also quite durable, due to their four-layer construction. Their low cost and ease of installation make them a popular choice.Ceramic flooring options are still much in demand, and it’s easy to see why. They can convey a sense of plushness for years if maintained well. AS porcelain is attractive and durable, it is becoming a common choice for those who like ceramics.Another popular type of flooring option that isn’t just reserved for the basement anymore is concrete. Almost every room uses concrete. It’s available in a number of different surface effects to make it look like other materials, such as marble or tile. This is great looking flooring at an affordable price.Of course, no list of flooring options would be complete without mentioning carpeting. There are at least six different basic styles of carpeting, including flatweave, cut pile and others. These styles are then available in numerous different colors and designs. Whether you’re using simple throw rugs or wall to wall, carpet is an affordable and durable choice.There is increasing focus being given to what is found beneath the floor as well.Heating systems are becoming more cost effective all the time. Electric mesh and radiant tubing are two popular choices that keep the floor warm as well as heat the room. This can save you money by eliminating the need to install additional heating sources.Sub-floors are also getting more attention as existing flooring needs to be replaced. Concrete has joined plywood as a popular sub-floor choice. Planking has also become more effective as a sub-floor option. Damage because of insects and water is not as common as wood treatments are better nowadays.The condition of the sub-floor is also important if you plan on installing tile. The surface must be level and well prepared to get it to lay correctly.Then there is the need to take care of it all after installation.No matter what type of flooring you get, it’s going to require a certain amount of maintenance. Carpets are going to require scrubbing. Ceramic tile and laminates will need to be mopped. Hardwoods require even more care to prevent aging and scratching. In addition to basic cleaning, you may also be required to make minor repairs to your flooring.Choosing the proper flooring can make the difference in the overall look of your room. More important than the types of flooring options is making sure you care for it properly. Find out exactly what kind of maintenance requirements are necessary before making your choice.—Moses Wright enjoys DIY Home improvement project. He provides more home improvement enthusiast with tips and resources on different type of flooring options and hard wood flooring. Hardwood Flooring
Hardwood Flooring