9 SIMPLE SECRETS TO KEEPING YOUR HARDWOOD FLOORS LOOKING GOOD

There's nothing as lovely as polished, new hardwood flooring. With children, guests, pets, rain, snow, spills, higher heels, etc., how can you guarantee your hardwood flooring do not wind up looking dull and scraped? The hardwood flooring experts at Croydon Floor Sanding Have accumulated several secrets over the years which we'd love to discuss with you. Incorporate the majority of these in your daily life and your flooring ought to look good regardless of what sort of mad life you lead.

Take Off Shoes

You don't necessarily have to make your visitors do so, but if you can at least instill this on your family members, you may avoid a lot of tear and wear. Let's face it, who's usually running around your house? -- you and your family members. And when your children take off their shoes when they come indoors, their friends will follow suit.

Trim Pet Claws

So, obviously, you can not make Fido eliminate his shoes if he is not wearing any. His claws, but are something you can control. Ensure his toenails are kept trim to prevent them from scratching the floor.

Use Throw Rugs

Strategically put throw rugs at doors and in heavy traffic areas can considerably reduce grit and dirt that gets monitored inside by shoes. Grit is a hardwood floor's worst enemy because if it's left on the floor, every single time someone steps inside, your flooring suffers minor scratches. These small scratches will add up and eventually make your flooring boring. Ensure that your rugs don't have rubber backing.

Stinks Frequently

Since dirt and grit are the worst offenders when it comes to scratching, coming fairly frequently (every couple of times ) will really prevent any potentially scratchy items from building up. Keep a small sweeper or hand vacuum in a handy place so this will not become a burdensome task.

Position Sterile

There are usually places that tend to get dirtier faster. The ground in the front of a doorway or in a foyer or the area in the front of the sink or stove tend to get cluttered quickly. Food, drips, footprints and much more build up here because these regions are high-traffic and get used so often. Only a damp cloth can eliminate most visible dirt or tacky food, that can keep it from gathering dust and becoming more obvious.

Clean Wet Spills Instantly

Immediately wipe up any spills to prevent water damage and staining to the wood or finish. Use a soft, dry cloth to soak up liquids.

Protect

Taking off your shoes is a good first step in addition to throw rugs in entryways. Additionally pad the foot of heavy or frequently moved furniture (kitchen chairs, barstools, etc.) with felt pads. Don't forget to alter these pads whenever they look dirty because they'll pick up grit too over time. Never scoot a piece of furniture into position. Await somebody else to assist you lift and set it where it goes.

Climate Control

Wood is a really porous material and it reacts to moisture amounts. In winter, your home gets very dry and this absence of moisture may cause wood planks to shrink creating unsightly gaps between boards. In severe situations, the wood can divide. A humidifier will rectify this circumstance. In the summertime, the opposite is true. Your home can include too much humidity causing the boards to absorb cup and moisture (the edges rise higher than the heart ). It's very important to control humidity levels and it's ideal to keep your house between 35% to 55 percent humidity.

Patch

If your flooring suffers a catastrophic accident, the fantastic thing is that if it's been severely damaged in 1 place, it is possible to get rid of the damaged planks and replace them instead of residing together with the harm or replacing the whole floor. This is only one of the benefits of a hardwood floor rather than something you can count on from non-hardwood flooring. The hardwood flooring experts at Croydon Floor Sanding can fix your flooring, match the colour, and make it appear like brand new.

Telephone Croydon Floor Sanding 020 3369 0685.

THE TOP 3 REASONS WHY NEW HARDWOOD FLOORS ARE A MUST WHEN SELLING YOUR HOME

For top dollar when selling you home, you will not only wish to make sure your house is clean and in good shape, but you should also make sure it's up-to-date. One of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to incorporate style and modern detailing into your home is using quality hardwood floors.

Gone are the days where installing hardwood has been a costly and timely exercise. Instead, with newer installment methods and higher-quality substances replacing the flooring throughout your entire home will just take a few days. Hardwood floors would be the ideal modern attribute to improve your home with the massive selection of colors, styles, and variants out there. Additionally, their own well-renown durability will stand out to prospective buyers and immensely increase your home's resale value.

When looking to update your home's decor to more easily sell your home, hardwood floors are the best solution, and this is the reason:

1.They add value to the home.

When buyers find hardwood flooring in the house, they immediately feel the house was upgraded. Hardwood flooring is superbly timeless and has a elegant and expensive feel.

2.Design sells.

Hardwood flooring can directly enhance the overall style of your home when moving. For a formal look, dark hardwood flooring add the elegance that the home demands; to get a more coastal texture, rustic hardwood fits the beachy feel flawlessly. Hardwood flooring allows prospective buyers to visualise their design in your house, which is exactly what you need when selling.

3.Longevity.

If you use a respectable flooring business to provide and set up your floorboards, you can expect them readily to last around ten years. Scratches may be polished or sanded out with a weekend job to make your floors look brand new again. They're also significantly less difficult to clean and maintain than carpet and other forms of floors.

If you are planning on selling your home and are trying to update your house for a profitable sale, installing hardwood floors is the easiest and most effective styling tool to attract buyers. Not only will they look stunning in your home, but they will also add value in a number of different ways come sale time, but especially to your pocket.

For the Maximum quality hardwood floors and setup, look no farther than Croydon Floor Sanding. Whether or not you want to update one room or your entire house, give our floors experts a call for a consultation today!

Types Of Aged Oak Flooring

Aged oak flooring is a hardwood flooring option that's currently extremely common. Gone are the times when clean, crisp and new-looking are the desirable choices. Today, anything which looks like it can have a history, have a story to tell or might have endured a long and hectic lifestyle is best. Because of this demand, some very sophisticated and persuasive methods of ageing (or distressing as it's sometimes called) all types of clothes, furnishings and floors have been developed. Broadly , the more convincing the ageing process, the more desirable this product.

Ageing bamboo floors can be achieved using many distinct techniques, but most frequently, the outdated effect on new oak is created either by hand or by machine. As you can imagine, any ageing which is carried out by hand, because of the labour intensive nature of the process, tends to increase the purchase price of the end product. What is more, a number of those machine ageing or distressing processes are now so persuasive that most people struggle to tell the difference between the true thing. An artificially aged floor will often have pretty much the exact same appearance as a floor which has had several years of wear and tear.

Essentially maturing an bamboo flooring entails causing damage to the surface of the ground to make it seem like it has been through the same trials and tribulations an old flooring has. Hand ageing is done by striking the timber together with chains, hammers, scrapers and essentially anything which will cause the surface to become uneven, irregular and worn looking. More common however, is system aged bamboo floor.

Tumbling is one of the most successful and commonly used methods of ageing oak employing a machine. Tumbling involves placing the oak planks into a large drum which is kitted out using sharp objects to damage the wood as it tumbles. The tumbling treatment results in a really persuasive obsolete effect because it damages not only the surfaces of these planks, but the borders as well, which adds to the general effect.

Regardless of which ageing procedure is chosen, the final result is going to be a brand new wooden floor which looks. That said, the real jewel in the crown of the aging process is how the wood is coloured after it's been distressed or obsolete.

Normally, liquid aging agents are used to bring a grey or dark brownish tone into the new floor with the goal of providing it that obviously"older" look. Fuming or smoking is also often used and has the benefit of colouring the timber through to its core. Thereafter, to make patchy or random looks, coloured stains and oils can be applied to the wood create a really persuasive, outdated appearance.

Wood Flooring OR Laminate Flooring?

The selection between hardwood floors and laminate floors is one faced by most people seeking to invest in new flooring. This option can be confusing and therefore we've assembled a guide that will help you choose which may work best for you.

Laminate flooring is made from a multi-layer synthetic flooring product, fused together by a lamination procedure. Wood floors or hardwood floors, is made from 100% real wood (called solid wood flooring) or by a combination of real wood, plywood and hardwood veneer (known as engineered timber flooring).

Although to the naked eye several Kinds of laminate floors might look like real wooden flooring and vice versa, the two are quite different when it comes to their attributes. 

 Below you'll find a guide to their features.

Quality laminate floors is intended to feel and look just like real wood and includes a similar price tag, but not its benefits. Both floors are suitable for DIY installation, but only hardwood floors can be mended.

While laminate floors are better suited to deal with scrapes, the overall life expectancy of a hardwood flooring is almost 4 times greater. On-going cleaning and basic maintenance is fairly easy for both kinds of flooring, however certain types of hardwood floors can be refinished, thus prolonging their life expectancy even farther.

Above all for the majority of us, while some kinds of high end laminate flooring might seem like real wood, real hardwood floor is and will always seem like the real thing, which makes it a fantastic choice.

Refreshing Your Hardwood Floors

Do you understand exactly what you've been monitoring into the home? The weather could be gross annually long, but it will get worse throughout the winter. Mud, snow, ice, and dirt can ruin the appearance of your hardwood flooring. Have everybody who comes indoors wipe their shoes prior to crossing the threshold. Then set a mat from the door for sneakers. Below are several additional ways to go about fresh your hardwood flooring !

Getting Started

Have long has it been since your floors were refinished? Doing this again will provide them the exact same look they had earlier, at least for now. If it's been over a year as the previous remedy, then now is the time to have more done. A brand-new coating of coat and finish may create a huge gap.

Restoring Some Shine

Cleaning up the flooring is a fast and effortless way to pull off this -- but be cautious! Employing the incorrect cleaning fluids may wind up making things worse. Additionally, you must avoid moving ahead. While wax may eliminate dirt stains, then it may also cause a sticky, unpleasant residue. Any flooring which are presently coated in memory also require water and vinegar until they could be satisfactorily cleaned.

Changing Temperature

Fixing the environmental settings in your house could pay off, too! Being too hot or perspiration due to humidity is equally as bad as grabbing a chill or having trouble breathing because of how stuffy it is inside. Too much moisture can zap the shine from your floors, but enough of it could be a problem too!

Hardwood Flooring from Croydon Floor Sanding

At Croydon Floor Sanding Sour commitment to quality setup is apparent in all we do, which is precisely why our clients consistently rate us as one of the best contractors in the region. If you are prepared to speak with someone concerning your hardwood flooring project, we would like to hear from you! Get in touch with us 020 3151 9685 or send us a message here.

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Wood Flooring Finishes Explained

The finish of the wood flooring which you pick is very important. It can mean the difference between your flooring looking and feeling natural, glossy or even distressed. A wood flooring finish can also marginally change the texture of the surface of the floor.

All hardwood flooring must have a finish added to your surface. This is to safeguard the hardwood from damage and supply additional layers of strength. Most hardwood flooring is already pre-finished. This means that the floor has already had the end added during the manufacture process. As an alternative, you could decide on an unfinished floor. You'll be getting the raw timber and has to apply a coating complete after it has been installed.

Here are a Few of the different flooring finishes available:

Natural Oiled Wood Flooring

Hardwood flooring using an oiled finish means that the natural elegance of these species of timber has been adequately protected using layers of air-dried matt oil. This maintains the character and attractiveness of the wood.This floor is ready to be utilized once the installation process is complete.

UV Oiled Wood Flooring

A UV oiled finish signifies that the oil was treated with a ultra violet light. Thus, more oil can be used, making it a stronger surface finish than natural oil. The charm and character of the wood and grain pattern is maintained, and it may be utilized as soon as it's been installed.

Brushed and Oiled Wood Flooring

A brushed and Engineered hardwood floor is as soon as the surface of the flooring has been gently brushed. This exposes the organic qualities and allure of this wood without causing any damage. The planks of floors are then protected with a matt oil. This flooring is prepared to be used once the installation process is complete.

Lacquered Wood Flooring

A wooden floor with a lacquered finish can be found with a matt finish or a satin matt finish. The lacquer adds additional protection and strength to the hardwood whilst maintaining its natural character and allure. This floor is ready to be utilized once the setup procedure is complete.

Hand Scraped Wood Flooring

With a hand scraped wooden floor, the surface of the hardwood was scraped, by hand, to add extra definition and uniqueness. The surface of the flooring planks are then protected with layers of a matt lacquer. This flooring is ready to be used when the installation process is complete.

Distressed Wood Flooring

A distressed wooden floor has been intentionally aged by giving it a worn and distressed appearance. To try it, slight imperfections are added to the surface of the ground to enhance its appeal and allure. The floor is then protected with layers of oil.This floor is ready to be used when the installation procedure is complete.

Unfinished Wood Flooring

An unfinished hardwood flooring is your raw wood made in boards, with no protective layers of lacquer or oil included. It is actually important that once it has been set up, the top layer of the floor is protected with layers of oil or lacquer until it could be walked . Deciding upon an unfinished floor is ideal if you're looking to create an entirely unique flooring. You have the capability to include your own selection of color protective and stain top layers.
 

HOW TO CHOOSE BETWEEN ENGINEERED AND SOLID WOOD FLOORING

If you are thinking about revamping your flooring and you adore a timber finish, you may be considering the specific advantages of engineered wood and solid wood. Which is the best choice for your property? First of all we will need to learn more about the differences between these materials.

Engineered wood: Engineered wood consists of a layer of wood veneer on top of a plywood base. This consists of laminate flooring that's constructed of plastic with a wood grain image on top.

Solid wood: Solid wood, as the name suggests, is simply a solid piece of wood from top to bottom. 

You may assume that strong wood is a superior substance since it's 100% high excellent wood. However there are a range of elements to think about before you pick the flooring material to your premises.

- When You've Got underfloor heating

- Whether your area is subject to moisture or moist

- Whether your flooring will observe a good deal of visitors (eg. In a commercial real estate )

- Whether the foundation of your floors (your roof ) includes wooden planks, concrete or rock


The Benefits

Engineered Wood Flooring...

• Durability

Engineered wood flooring is valuable if you really do have under-floor heating, moisture or moist, or a lot of traffic. This is because it's very durable and can deal with conditions that may possibly damage a good wood flooring. It is less likely to warp under extreme temperatures and if exposed to a lot of direct sun or moisture.

• Choice


Engineered wood flooring is available in a wider range of finishes and sizes.

• Easily fitted on various surfaces

While it can at times be problematic laying solid wood flooring on some concrete or stone sub-floors, engineered timber can be glued down quite readily, or permitted to float. A floating floor is where the floor boards attach to each other but not to the sub floor beneath.

• Could be sanded


Although engineered flooring has just a veneer of solid wood it's usually 3-7mm thick and may be sanded down to five times. This allows you to cover up any minor damage or marks created.

Solid Wood Flooring...

• Quality timber


An advantage of purchasing solid wood flooring is that you know you've got complete parts of excellent timber. This is quite attractive for many home improvers who want their home to be, well, strong! Wood flooring is usually sanded down to wooden floorboards so in the event that you have a wooden base to operate on you can rest assured it is quite secure. Strong wood floor may also be glued down to either a concrete or wood sub floor. Otherwise, modern solid wood can sometimes be allowed to float on a concrete floor, sometimes with the aid of some underlay.

• Long lasting


We have acknowledged that engineered flooring is extremely durable and able to cope with numerous ailments. But so are lots of good wood flooring. That is evident by the number of historical hardwood flooring that still exist in historical buildings all around the world, from schools to churches, libraries and public buildings. A well maintained solid wood floor can last for decades, or even centuries.

• Can be sanded and repaired more

Solid hardwood flooring can be sanded down to the the groove - this means that they can be sanded usually one or 2 more times than engineered flooring. Sanding takes normally 1 - 2mm off the surface.

Cost and Making your Mind Up

The prices of solid and engineered hardwood floors do not differ very much these days so cost should not be that significant in your choice. Your choice should be based, in part, on your particular property and how it is assembled, in addition to the usage of these rooms in which you are considering installing new floors. However we believe the choice is actually an aesthetic one - solid floors boards are usually narrower and the spans are shorter - this alone generates a very different appearance to the wider longer engineered floors. And like we have mentioned, engineered flooring can be found in a lot more colors and finishes than solid wood floors.


Hopefully this post can allow you to select between engineered or solid flooring, but for more information please get in touch.