Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Enhance Your Home with a Restored Wood Floor

When you take the decision to restore your hardwood floor it is natural that you want the floor to look the very best it can. Whether you choose to do it yourself or to use a specialist flooring team, there are a few essential points to remember so that you get the maximum benefit from your Wood Floor Refurbishing to enhance the look of your home for longer.

When the floor is finished many people make the mistake of returning the furniture almost as soon as the floor finishing appears dry and begin using the room immediately. This is a great mistake. The floor may be hard on top but the underneath veneer will almost certainly retain some liquidity. It needs to fully cure, and until the finishing is allowed to dry and harden completely your floor is not totally protected.

In order to give your floor the best chance for a long and happy life avoid walking on it (even with bare feet) for at least 24 hours, although 48 hours is better if you can manage it.  Leave it as long as possible before returning heavy furniture to the room and allowing children and pets to play in the room.

Apart from the vacuuming you will have carried out prior to the sanding process if you did it yourself, don’t vacuum too much during the first few weeks of your floor’s new life. Avoid sticking anything to the floor such as sticky tape or edging runners.

The importance of regular light maintenance

It is important to lightly sweep and vacuum the floor on a regular basis, although it is not necessary to wash it every time you do so. Floors become damaged when particles of grit become ground into the wood so regular light sweeping goes a long way to preserve your floor’s pristine beauty as well as keeping it fresh and clean looking. Rather than mop the floor it is sometimes enough to attach a lightly moistened cloth to a brush head and collect the dust that way.

If you do decide to use a cleaning product on the floor then only use one which has been specifically designed for wood floors. Never be tempted to use tile or laminate cleaner, which can cause a too-shiny veneer on the wood that quickly dulls and loses lustre on hardwoods.

Moisture warps wood so if the climate calls for it you might find it a good idea to install a de-humidifier, which is better for both you and your floor.

Hardwood floor repairs

It is often the case that when a floor is sanded back loose or missing boards are discovered. If this has happened to you and you would like your replacement wood to be ethically sourced then be sure to select only wood which has the FSC stamp of approval. This means the wood has been harvested from responsible sources, which in turns means the sustainability of wildlife and fair employment.

If your floor is particularly old or is of an uncommon wood type then you may need to contact a professional wood Floor Sanding Company to help you source the best possible match. However, remember that even if the wood is the same type as your floor it is unlikely that it will be exactly the same shade and may require a little wood stain to make it blend in initially.


Real wood floors in wet rooms

It’s never really a good idea to use wood flooring in a high humidity environment. But should your find yourself in this position then it is better to choose engineered wood, which is real wood veneer with a laminated base. This type of wood has a shorter lifespan that real wood but does rather better in kitchens, bathrooms and utility rooms where there is a higher level of moisture in the air.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

London Homeowners Improve Rather Than Move

As the recession continues to bite more homeowners are opting to improve their London homes rather than move in this financially sluggish climate. In 2011 a survey carried out by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors discovered that 48% of homeowners chose to improve rather than move with extensions, loft conversions and room renovations top of the list. Further research carried out a year later in the latter part of 2012 revealed that the percentage of UK home improver had risen to more than 50%.

Adding extra rooms to a home is a big undertaking and one that London householders will consider carefully. Whilst an extension will obviously cause domestic upheaval it is better to go through the process just the once! In other words, when planning a new room take the time to consider what type of flooring you are looking for. A new or reclaimed real wood floor can be fitted once the extension work has been completed, giving you a beautiful new room that is ready to use.

The only flooring which will last a lifetime

Whether you are looking to blend your new floor with the flooring you already have or maybe you are installing a wood floor for the first time – either way you will be delighted at the innovations and ease of maintenance of a real wood floor; the only floor which can last a lifetime.

Wood floors lend themselves to a variety of styles and décor. Small rooms look airy and bright, large rooms look uncluttered and chic. More London homeowners recognise the benefits of wood flooring, and everything from Granny flats to garden offices and outdoor decking also look great with a real wood floor.

A well fitted wood floor can add thousands to the resale value of a home and even if your home is not for sale any time soon you will gain so much in aesthetic value and style. A shiny and smooth wood floor works as a great centrepiece in dining rooms and hallways and is always a talking point with guests.

Choose the professionals

However, just as you would not choose to have your extension built by electricians or your wiring put in by builders, it follows that your wood floor should only be installed by a professional london floor sanding company using the latest range of hi-tech equipment and a fully qualified flooring team.

Unlike carpeting and laminates, real wood will last your lifetime with minimal maintenance and a little bit of occasional TLC. It is therefore worth investing in a wood floor, which can only bring additional value to your home.

Cleaner, safer and more attractive than other types of flooring, what’s not to like with a real wood floor? There are so many types and styles to choose from and if you would like your floor to match an existing sanding parquet design or wood type then a wood floor specialist will be able to help you source and install your wood of choice with minimal fuss.
 
Loft conversions in particular look really well with a wood floor as it adds space and volume to irregularly shaped areas. Scatter rugs can be used to add colour and a little panache and placed in high traffic areas to protect the floor. But do consider the ‘noise’ factor for anyone in rooms beneath a wooden floor – it’s a good idea to ban high heels both to protect the surface of the wood and the eardrums of those trying to relax in the room below!

Hard wood floors are tough and can generally hold their own against the normal wear and tear of family life. However with a little care in the way of sweeping, the occasional mopping and a refinishing every decade or so will ensure your floor remains a feature of which you can justly be proud.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Stop the Rot on Real Wood Floors

If you are fortunate enough to have uncovered an original wood floor under a heap of old carpeting or lino in your home then the chances are that you will want to restore it to its former glory. But before you get into the whole refurbishment process the first thing you need do (once you have removed the carpet of course) is to check for rot and mould, especially if the room is an attic, basement or annexe with exterior untreated walls.

If rot is discovered it must be treated at once otherwise, it will not only ruin the whole of the floor but also cause some serious damage to the foundations of the house. Both dry and wet rot thrive in damp areas and when rot gets a hold it makes its presence known by a distinctively unpleasant fungal-type smell.

Dry rot

Dry rot can live in any type of wood construction, from roof beams to flooring. Over time the fungus destroys the timber, leaving it a crumbling mass so brittle it can be broken away by hand. So called because it turns the wood to dry, crumbling dust, dry rot actually needs an abundance of humidity to grow. A constant moisture content (unventilated) of about 1/5th will ensure dry rot lives comfortably. Dry rot conditions are most commonly found on the underside of the floor boards. If the rot has advanced to such an extent that it can be seen from above then it is likely that the wood cannot be saved.

Dry rot spreads with alarming speed so if you discover this pest you must take action immediately. Left unchecked dry rot can spread through not only the wooden structures but also plaster and brickwork too.

You know you have dry rot when:

·       the planks have a light coloured growth which may be yellow or lilac tinged
·       the distinctive fungal smell is apparent
·       wood is gappy and crumbling and splits easily – poke a nail into the wood and if it sinks in easily chances are it’s dry rot

Dry rot in the advanced stage looks like a circular growth with a reddish knot at the centre.

Unless you are a DIY whiz you should bring in professional floor experts to deal with any rot problem. But you can check out the room thoroughly and note areas of leakages, broken or missing pipework, gaps in exterior doors and windows, missing tiles. Also check the last time your property was damp-proofed.

Wet rot

The more common enemy of the untreated Wood Floor Renovation is wet rot. It is less severe than dry rot, but only because this type of pest tends to keep to the wet patches and does not travel across the planking as does its dry rot cousin. Nevertheless, wet rot must be professionally treated as soon as it is discovered.

You know your floor has wet rot when the affected areas are darker than the rest of the floor. However, if the wood has been stained or painted the discolouration may be difficult to spot. Wet rot feels soft and sponge-like to the touch and will emit a foetid, mushroom-like odour.

In either case, the quicker you act the more of the floor you can save.

After treatment what next?

Once the Floor Sanding has been fully treated and is ready for a well-deserved makeover you can undertake the sanding and refinishing process yourself. Alternatively, you can obtain a free quotation from a professional floor sanding company that uses the latest technology to ensure your salvaged wood floor is returned to its original and sparkling beauty.