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How to Care for
Hardwood Floors
Hardwood floors add immense value to the look and feel of your
home as well as to your home’s worth. Well maintained hardwood
floors are an investment that can last for many. No matter
what type of hardwood floors you have or what kind of
finishing was applied, proper care and maintenance is
essential to keep the wood looking good and functioning well
indefinitely.
Hardwood floors are a major selling point for a home, so
keeping them in tip top condition is really important to its
resale value. Refinishing floors will bring them back to their
original glory, but refinishing can be very expensive and
avoidable just by behaving conscientiously.
The first step to taking caring for hardwood floors is finding
out what type you have. There are many different types of
woods used in flooring, and each one has different properties
you should be aware of. For example, cherry is a very soft
wood as compared to oak. Consequently, cherry wood will expand
and contract with variations in humidity. The type of
protective sealer that was applied to your hardwood floors
will also affect how you treat them, so you need to determine
this before you do any type of cleaning.
Prevention is a big part of the care for hardwood floors.
Scratches, dents and dulling diminish the look and value of
your floors. To prevent scratches, use door mats to minimize
the amount of dirt and sand that makes it into your home. Dirt
and grit that makes it in should be frequently removed. Soft
bristled brooms or cloth covered dust mops can be used. If
sand or grit is allowed to say on the hardwood floors, just
the act of walking over it can put scratches in the finish on
your floors.
It’s important to educate yourself about the type of wood used
for you hardwood floors. Different types of wood have
different properties and can stand up to different levels of
abuse. Softer woods like cherry wood more prone to dents and
scratches than harder woods like oak. If you have a soft wood
in your house, be sure to take extra caution to protect it.
Wearing high heels and other hard soled shoes might actually
damage the delicate wood, so consider only wearing soft-sole
shoes in the house. Softer woods also tend to expand and
contract with change in humidity. Try to keep the humidity
level as constant as possible throughout the year. A central
humidifier can help you do that, as you can set the humidistat
to monitor and control the amount of humidity in your home.
Furniture is another major scratching culprit. All furniture
that rests on the hardwood floors should have felt contacts
under the legs to protect the wood. Otherwise, the furniture
can and will scratch the wood whenever it moves even just a
little bit. The heavier the furniture is, the deeper the
scratch will be. If furniture is heavy enough and the wood is
soft enough, even just the weight of the furniture can dent
the wood. If you are moving furniture, be careful to never
drag it across the wood. Rather you should always lift the
piece off the floor and carry it.
Hardwood Floor
Maintenance
While vacuuming is a great way to keep your hardwood floor
clean, be conscious of how the vacuum impacts your floors.
It’s best to use a canister vacuum with a bare floor
attachment or a brush attachment. Vacuums with beater bars are
not recommended. Also, make sure the wheels of the vacuum are
not scratching the floor as it moves. Regular vacuuming is an
easy way to keep your floor free of debris.
When it comes to cleaning a wood floor, however, there is some
debate as to the proper method. Some professionals advocate
damp mopping and others don’t. If your floor is well sealed,
using a damp mop shouldn’t be a problem. Sometimes mopping is
the only way to get the level of cleaning you need.
When damp mopping, it’s important to wring as much of the
liquid from the mop as possible. You never want puddles of
water sitting on your hardwood floors. Use a pH wood cleaner
and water solution on your floors. Be careful what products
you choose, and if in doubt, check with your floors
manufacturer or a flooring specialist for guidance. Using the
wrong cleaning products can damage your floors finish.
One surefire way to restore the luster of old wood floors is
to apply a floor polish or wax. There is some debate about
whether wax on floors is more harmful than good, however. Wax
can make it more difficult to refinish floors in the future,
but a “maintenance coat,” as it is called, does have its
advantages. Waxed floors are easy to clean and can be buffed
or rewaxed to make them look new. Still, if your floors have a
surface finish like polyurethane or water-based urethane,
think twice before applying a wax unless the finish is in bad
shape and you can’t afford to refinish it.
Part of good care for hardwood floors involves removing
stains. Stains are an inevitable part of life, and it pays to
know what to do when they occur. The type of finish your floor
has will affect how you treat stains, however the general
process is similar. If your floor has a wax finish, rub off
the stain with steel wool working from the outside of the
stain inwards. If the stain is more persistent, you may need
to use floor cleaner and/or fine sandpaper. When the stain is
removed, reapply wax and polish. If you have used floor
cleaner, be sure to wash it off the floor before waxing.
If your floor has a surface finish, you will need to treat the
whole board(s) the stain is on in order to keep the color
consistent. Use sandpaper or steel wool to remove the finish,
then thoroughly clear away all of the dust that is generated.
Reapply the same finish that was originally on the floor to
the affected boards. Make sure you don’t overlap on the
adjacent boards or the finish will be uneven. Though the
process isn’t terribly challenging, if you are uncomfortable
with it, consult a flooring professional for guidance or
assistance.
How to Lay a Wood Floor
There's a reason people love hardwood floors - they add warmth
and beauty to a room and are easy to maintain.
Here's how to lay a wood floor:
1. First you have to fit the floor to determine how the
layout will go. Place down the new flooring at right angles to
floor joists, leaving a ¾ inch space along every edge of the
room. This will ensure you achieve a straight alignment.
2. On the end wall near the corner of the starting
wall, mark a spot ¾ of an inch plus the width of the floor.
3. On the opposite corner make another mark in the same
way and snap a chalk line between the two marks.
4. The first strip goes down tongue edge out from the
wall - nail it 1 inch from the grooved edge using 6d or 8d
galvanized or screw-shank flooring nails for best results.
5. Make sure you drive the nails right into the top
surface of the strips and countersink with nail set (face
nailing). You will have to place the nails over supporting
joists and near the ends of strips. To avoid splits, predrill
nail holes.
6. Keep the starter strip aligned with the chalk line -
blind nail it through the tongue as well. In fact, it's best
to blind nail the first 2 or 3 runs of flooring strips. The
technique: put nails into the tongue edge at a 40 degree angle
and make sure they are countersunk with a nail set. You can
nail the rest of the strips after that with a power floor
nailer.
7. In a staggered pattern lay out 7 or 8 rows of
flooring end to end, leaving end joints 6 inches apart. Cut
pieces of floor that will fit within ½ inch of the end wall.
8. Dry fit the floor to ensure the layout is what
you're looking for.
Laying the floor
1. Before nailing, check that each tongue-and-groove
joint is tightly seated together.
2. Keep installing the floorboards across the room
until you reach the opposite wall with the ¾ inch expansion
space that you had on the first wall. Ensure that all the
joints are tight.
3. To achieve a proper fit it may be necessary to saw
one row of flooring strips lengthwise - this is called
ripping.
4. To avoid nailing into a subfloor joint, place
flooring strips so that they don't meet over subfloor joints.
You'll have less squeaky floors this way and the floor will be
stronger.
5. When you can't use the nailing machine you will have
to blind nail. On the last runs, where you can't blind nail,
face nail. For 2 ¼ inch strips, the last 2 or 3 runs require
face nailing - the same goes for a ripped strip if one has
been used. Before face nailing these pieces, use a pry bar or
lever device for tightening.
6. After laying the strips, sand the floor.
Basement Floor Options
An inexpensive option for basement flooring is linoleum or
vinyl flooring. Available as either a roll or in pieces,
linoleum and vinyl flooring is applied directly to the
concrete using a special adhesive. This is a quick and easy
way to change the look of the basement without breaking the
bank.
When deciding on basement flooring, consider how the room will
function as well. If you are designing a family room, you
might want to use carpet to soften up the space. Carpeting is
not generally recommended for basements, but when proper steps
are taken to prevent moisture, it can work fine. Carpeting can
warm up a cold basement and contribute to the room’s design.
Hardwood floors also warm up a basement, but they can be
irreparably damaged by moisture. Dampness will warp and rot
hardwood floors. Engineered hardwood floors are a good choice
for a basement because they are made to be resistant to
humidity. They come in almost as many types as traditional
hardwood, so you won’t have to sacrifice form for function.
Similarly, laminate flooring will give you the look and feel
of traditional hardwood floors, but are less vulnerable to
moisture. They are also often less expensive than real wood
flooring. Laminate floors don’t attach directly to the sub
floor, so they are easily installed in a basement where the
sub floor is usually concrete. Even though most laminate
floors are suitable for use in basements, be sure to check
with the manufacturer to make sure.
Finally, ceramic or porcelain tiling is another popular option
for basement flooring. Tiles are easily cleaned and
maintained. Make sure there are no cracks in the cement before
installing, however, as they can cause the tiles to crack
after installation.
No matter what kind of basement flooring you choose, the most
important thing to remember is to create as dry an environment
as possible prior to installation. There’s no reason why you
can’t create the space you envision in your basement if you
take the time to plan ahead.
Benefits of Cork
Flooring
Cork flooring is one of the most practical forms of flooring
available on the market today, but it has yet to be discovered
by many homeowners. Not only is it an attractive flooring
option, it also has a long list of benefits most homeowners
would appreciate. Cork flooring is environmentally friendly,
durable, resistant to insects and microbes, naturally
insulating and acoustically sound.
Cork flooring is no more expensive than comparable hardwood or
laminate, and in some cases it can cost as little as half as
much. There are many different colors, patterns and styles
available, so there is a cork floor to suit any interior
design scheme.
Unlike hardwood floors, cork flooring is manufactured only
from the bark of trees. Rather than cutting down the whole
tree, only the bark is harvested periodically. The tree is
then left to regrow its bark to be harvested again at a later
date making it a renewable resource. Some cork trees are 800
years old. The harvested bark is then ground into tiny pieces
to make the cork flooring. Different colors are achieved by
baking the bark in ovens. Paint and stains can also be used on
unfinished cork to achieve the desired color.
One of the best benefits of cork flooring is its quietness.
The cellular make up of cork makes it naturally sound
absorbing. This quality makes cork a prefect choice for a
higher level condo or the second floor of a home.
Walking on hardwood flooring can be very loud in the rooms
below it, but not with cork. Cork has a sound-deadening
quality that is similar to carpeting. It can also be used as
an underlayment (a layer underneath the surface flooring) for
hardwood, laminate, tile and other types of flooring to create
and effective sound barrier.
Cork flooring is also a great choice for lower levels as well
because it is a great insulator. Even when it is installed
directly on concrete, cork floors stay warm under your feet.
If you live in a region that gets cold in the winter, the
insulating properties of cork flooring contribute to energy
efficiency. Even a cork underlayment will provide significant
insulation in the cold months. |
