Hardwood floors can be installed anywhere in a home and can be prepared from several species of wood such as elm, ash, oak, amendoim, cypress, teak, cherry, walnut, rosewood, hickory, and maple. The hardness, stability, color, and alterations in color vary with wood type. Chestnut, Douglas fir, and North American Cherry offer low hardness whereas hardwood from Brazilian Walnut, Caribbean Cherry, and Bloodwood is extremely hard. The stability of hardwood flooring has an inverse relation with the moisture inherent in the wood and is independent of the engineering. The appearance of unfinished hardwood flooring plays an important role in the grading process. The commonly assigned grades to hardwood flooring include clear, select, common 1, common 2, grade 1, grade 2, and grade 3.
Hardwood flooring enhances the look of a room and when laid in harmony with the furniture and other elements in the interior design of a room, it bestows an elegance that synthetic flooring is unable to match.
Hardwood flooring can be installed using the following methods:
Nail Down: Nails are used to attach hardwood to the subfloor either on grade or above grade. Nails are usually used for hardwood with a thickness of 3/4".
Staple Down: Nails can be substituted with a pneumatic stapler for attaching the hardwood to the subfloor. Stapling is easier to accomplish as compared to nailing and is therefore favored by DIY enthusiasts.
Glue Down: Patterned wood panels or parquets can be glued to the subfloor on, above, or below grade. The subfloor can be either wooden or concrete.
Floating: Engineered and Longstrip floors can be installed using the floating process in which a pad of foam is placed between the floors and the subfloor. The hardwood boards are held in place by means of adhesive that is applied in the tongue and groove portion of each board. Floating enables the installation of hardwood on uneven surfaces.
Hardwood flooring is easy to maintain and the following guidelines should help homeowners to ensure the beauty and longevity of their hardwood flooring.
* The flooring must be swept and vacuumed regularly to prevent the accumulation of dust that may scratch the finish
* Doormats and rugs at entrances prevent sand particles from abrading the hardwood flooring
* Furniture and chairs should have padding on the legs in order to prevent scratching the floor while dragging/moving furniture
* The dimensions of hardwood flooring are liable to change with humidity; a relative humidity of around 45% should be maintained all year round
* A rug or mat should be placed in front of workstations, washbasins, kitchen sinks in order to prevent scratching and staining from utensils, detergents, and water
* Hardwood flooring should be protected from direct light, whether natural or artificial. Intense direct light can lead to discoloration of the floor
Hardwood floorings can be treated with surface finishes that lend it a gloss, increase resilience, and make it water-resistant. The finishes consist of urethanes and polyurethanes. A hardwood floor with a surface finish does not require waxing.
Wax finishes penetrate the cells of the wood and offer a low-gloss finish. Periodic buffing helps to restore the sheen of wax-finished floors. Hardwood flooring used in areas of high traffic such as stores and restaurants are impregnated with acrylic finishes that increase its hardness and durability.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Wooden Floors
What is great about many of the older homes around my communy is that many of them have wooden floors. I don’t know why I love them so much, but I do. It might be because I always loved my grandparents house, and they were full of wood floors that were as old as the house. This house was once a hotel when the main mode of transportation was the horse and buggy. Those are some old floors, and they always looked amazing. I guess that says a lot about that type of flooring and why you may see que often.
The home I now live in has wooden floors, and as drafty as they can be in this place, I hate to put anything over them. Even one throw rug seems to be a sin against the beauty of this type of flooring. The ones here are not in the best shape, but they are still beautiful. I don’t own this house, or I would have had them refinished a long time ago. It’s okay though, they really don’t look that bad, but they would look amazing with a new finish on them and with some of the damage from long ago carpeting fixed.
When you invest in wooden floors, you are getting something that can last a lifetime and beyond, as long as you know how to care for them. You should never have them in your home unfinished, as they are vulnerable to any type of water that may fall on them. They will also stain instantly if you leave them unprotected. Even after they are finished, you do have to watch what type of cleaner you use on your wooden floors. You should dry mop them as often as needed, but try not to use water unless you have to do so. If you use water, wipe up the excess immediately to avoid any problems with damage and warping.
They need care, but wooden floors look good in any home, and they give a warm feeling that you can’t get with some other types. Carpeting is nice, but does not always work with certain types of décor, and will eventually have to be replaced. If you decide to cover your wooden floors with carpeting, make sure you do so in a way that does not damage the floors. You may think you love the carpeting, but you may come around to wishing for your natural hardwoods again, and you won’t want them to be damaged from installing carpet.
The home I now live in has wooden floors, and as drafty as they can be in this place, I hate to put anything over them. Even one throw rug seems to be a sin against the beauty of this type of flooring. The ones here are not in the best shape, but they are still beautiful. I don’t own this house, or I would have had them refinished a long time ago. It’s okay though, they really don’t look that bad, but they would look amazing with a new finish on them and with some of the damage from long ago carpeting fixed.
When you invest in wooden floors, you are getting something that can last a lifetime and beyond, as long as you know how to care for them. You should never have them in your home unfinished, as they are vulnerable to any type of water that may fall on them. They will also stain instantly if you leave them unprotected. Even after they are finished, you do have to watch what type of cleaner you use on your wooden floors. You should dry mop them as often as needed, but try not to use water unless you have to do so. If you use water, wipe up the excess immediately to avoid any problems with damage and warping.
They need care, but wooden floors look good in any home, and they give a warm feeling that you can’t get with some other types. Carpeting is nice, but does not always work with certain types of décor, and will eventually have to be replaced. If you decide to cover your wooden floors with carpeting, make sure you do so in a way that does not damage the floors. You may think you love the carpeting, but you may come around to wishing for your natural hardwoods again, and you won’t want them to be damaged from installing carpet.
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