Pre-Finished Hardwood Flooring

Hardwood flooring is gaining more popularity mainly because it is durable and easy to install. With basic carpentry skills, right knowledge on wood materials, and proper tools, the installation of hardwood flooring can be as easy as pie.

One of the main concerns of people regarding hardwood floors is the finishing. Many people know that in order to truly bring out the beauty of a hardwood floor, it needs to have a properly finish–a job that’s time consuming and not really easy to do. If you do not enjoy the prospect of sanding and varnishing the floor, you should opt for pre-finished hardwood flooring.

Pre-finished hardwood flooring, as the name implies, needs no more finishing touches before it can be installed. This means that installing pre-finished hardwood flooring can be a whole lot easier than before. Before you start hammering away at your floor, however, here are a few tips you should know:

1. Choose the right wood – some people think that any type of wood is ok, as long as it’s hardwood. You should realize, however, that the beauty of the pre-finished hardwood flooring depends on the type of wood used. Each type of wood has a distinctive pattern and coloring and you should really think about the pattern you want before deciding anything.
This is because some types of wood look better as pre-finished hardwood flooring for certain rooms in the house. This also depends on the color of the walls and other designs in the room.
Another reason why you should know the different types of wood is that there are those that are stronger than others. This means that you need to consider the purpose of the room and the environment which the room is located in selecting the type of pre-finished hardwood flooring to get.

3. Find the right tools – in order to properly install the pre-finished hardwood flooring, you will need the right tools. Here are some of them:

• staple gun
• hammer
• chalk line
• drill and bits
• pry bar
• saws (chop saw and table saw)
• wood putty
• tape measure
• earplugs, and
• safety goggles.

Of course, this list does not really give you all the needed tools for the installation of pre-finished hardwood flooring. If you have no idea what to use, it might be better to save yourself some cash and frustration and hire professionals to install the flooring for you.

Long-Strip and Engineered Hardwood Floors

Longstrip hardwood floors are wide and long, and each plank has 2 to 3 strips of thin hardwood. These planks can be floated, stapled and glued-down. The floors can be installed in all parts of the home and are made up of numerous wood plies that are glued together, using a tongue and groove connection made from soft core. The core is sandwiched between a hardwood finish layer on the top and soft wood ply below.

Different types of wood can be used for the finish layer. The layer consists of separate and small solid wood pieces (usually 17 to 18) arranged in three rows. Longstrip planks could be as long as 86 inches. The maximum width is 7 ½ inches. Floating installation makes them suitable for different subfloors and below or above ground level. The longstrip and engineered planks are good for concrete slabs and basements. In job sites where moisture exceeds the normal level, these glued planks can be used easily as gluing enhances dimensional stability.

Engineered hardwood floors, on the other hand, are wood planks made up of numerous wood piles which are glued and laminated. Quality engineered hardwood floors can be used over different types of subfloors such as fully-cured concrete and dry slabs because of higher dimensional stability.

Pre-finished engineered wood floors are more durable than solid wood floors. Pre-finished engineered wood floors are offered in many hardwood species and styles, and can be installed in all rooms in home. The floor width varies between 2 ¼ inch and 7 inch and thickness between ¼ inch and 9/16 inch.

Length ranges from 12 inches to 60 inches. Mostly, the top finish layer is made up of exotic or local hardwood and is factory pre-finished using polyurethane finish. i-Hardwood-Floors.com also explains that different installation methods including floating, glue-down, staple-down and nail-down can be selected for engineered hardwood floors.

What You Need To Know When You Visit Your Hardwood Flooring Supplier

As you will discover when you visit your local hardwood flooring supplier, this type of flooring comes in a variety of materials as well as styles. But with a little bit of commonsense as well as shopping around you will soon find the perfect hardwood flooring for your home.
In this article we provide you with some steps that you will need to take to ensure that you choose the right kind of hardwood flooring for your home.

Step 1. You will need to determine in which areas of your home you want to install hardwood flooring.

Step 2. You now need to measure the room area and work out the square footage so that you purchase the right amount of flooring to carry out the installation.

Step 3. Look at the kind of sub floor you have and decide if you need to purchase any kind of insulation to go under which will then protect the flooring you are installing.

Step 4. You need to consider the type of hardwood flooring finish you wish to have. You can either go for pre-finished or unfinished hardwood flooring. Or if you want you may want to consider purchasing hand scraped hardwood flooring which will have a completely different feel and texture compared to the other types of hardwood flooring finishes previously mentioned.

Step 5. You will have to consider the wood coloring that will suit your requirements. One of the most popular types of hardwood flooring today is that produced from oak trees while maple and pine are often used as well.

Step 6. Start to check out the prices. You may even find that you can get hardwood flooring at a discount, which will help to reduce the costs that are usually quite high for hardwood flooring.

Step 7. When it comes time to make your purchase with your hardwood flooring supplier do not forget to purchase the other materials you will need for installing your flooring. You will also need to buy nails, glue and any other materials which will help to make the installation process easier for you or your flooring contractor.

By keeping these steps in mind when you purchase your hardwood flooring, you will have a better chance of buying the floor which will look beautiful in your home and will also add value to it.

Save Money And Refinish Your Hardwood Flooring

One of the reasons why people don't start home improvement projects because of the presumed cost of the project. Refinishing your wood floors doesn't have to be expensive. As a matter of fact, if you have some time, you can save yourself several dollars over what professionals will charge you.

The first step in refinishing your hardwood floors is removing all furniture, rugs, and mats that are on the floor. It's also a good idea to wear a dust mask as you are going to be stirring up quite the dust storm as you go about your business.

Your goal in refinishing your hardwood floors is to turn back the hands of time to when your hardwood floors were first installed. In order to achieve this feat, you will need to start by renting a heavy-duty sander to smooth out any rough spots and to remove the current stain that is on your floor. Move the sander in the direction that moves with the lines on your hardwood floor, paying particular attention that you do not apply more pressure anywhere. It's important to make sure that you apply equal pressure to all parts of your floor as you want to avoid creating 'pits' in your hardwood floor, which will require more sanding. Do not move across the hardwood floor lines, especially if you have small grooves or beveled edges.

Once you've finished with your initial sanding you must sweep and vacuum the dust from your floor and lightly wash it. This part is often not given the proper care it deserves and is very important when refinishing hardwood floors. The reason it is so important is that the tiniest speck of dirt and dust will show up when you stain the floor. It is also important that you use only a damp mop for washing the floor rather than a wet mop. If there is too much water in the floor that has been sanded it will cause stains.

Once your stripped hardwood floors are dry, its time to stain your floor. Depending on the type of hardwood you have, and taking into consideration the room's current decor, you can choose either a darker stain, a lighter stain, or go natural. Another popular option that protects and coats your floor is polyurethane

While refinishing hardwood floors is time consuming, you do not have to move out of your home in order to accomplish it. The stains and protective coatings do not have harsh fumes so they are not dangerous to breathe. You do want to take care not to walk on your floor until it is completely dry. If you do not wait you will have wasted all that time and effort and have to either start over or try to hide the footprints.

Make Your Hardwood Floor Dazzle

So you have my last article on how to buy the best hardwood floor article and bought the best hardwood floor. You have installed it and it looks beautiful. Does’nt it? I love the hardwood floor look and I am sure so do you. Now you got a new job at hand, how to keep your hardwood floors clean. Well I will take it a little further and give you tips on how to make it dazzle.

First remember that you have invested a lot and hardwood floors are a lifetime investment. If you want to keep it for a long time then its very important that you keep it clean and scratch free.

1-- Place Protector pads on ALL furniture legs on wood floor
2-- Place walk off mats on areas, which are in constant use.
3—Sweeping, mopping is very useful and so is vacuum cleaning to remove that dirty dirt.

Periodic cleaning and following maintenance tips provided by the hardwood floor manufacturer is very helpful. Now-a-days we get a full instruction manual on how to clean the hardwood floors and maintain it so for a long time.

Also keep the hardwood floor scratch free. Scratches from cats nails are not so easily preventable.

Use of wood cleaners will help you a long way in keeping you floors shiny.
Floors should be swept regularly, and dust mops are recommended for dust.
Use of water is not recommended if the finish is already damaged
Hardwood floors need regular and careful cleaning with suggested wood cleaners to enhance their life and beauty. It will serve you a long way.

Custom Hardwood Floors

Building your own home is a rewarding experience. It may be hard on the pocket and demanding on your time, but the joy and pride that come with it is worth all the hard work. A big part of building or rebuilding a home is the design of a floor. A favorite choice of material is hardwood.

Hardwood floors are already available in templates at all do-it-yourself or construction retailers. Customized hardwood floors are also available. And with easy installment procedures, all one needs is some research. A wise move is to complement the design of the house with that of the hardwood. This way the floor won't awkwardly stand out. Hardwood, in contrast to tile, granite, marble or flooring of the like, usually sets a classic or vintage look and it will go along well with most furniture.

Choosing the Right Kind

Another thing to look after is the size of planks for the flooring. Shorter strips of hardwood, for example, are good for smaller rooms. Although customization is limited only by one's imagination, it is still best to go with safe and dependable conventions.

Squares on the floor spell a hint of control and masculinity while circles and round shapes bring continuity and perfection. Long horizontal lines make eyes sleepy and are good for bedrooms and lounges. Living rooms and dining rooms are commonly have vertical floorings, relative to the position of the table. They are usually the centerpieces of the house. Hardwoods with light colors are chosen to compliment a chandelier or the lighting. Consistency in flooring is also important, and most modern homes don?t change the flooring according to room function. What is important for customizing hardwood floors is to ultimately provide a definitive look that will enhance the interior of the house.

Hardwood Floor Care - Do's and Don'ts

Realize that if you choose to have hardwood flooring in your home, you'll have to learn the proper hardwood floor care to ensure that your floor remains in good shape. It is especially vital if you have your floor installed in a high-traffic area in your home, such as the living room and kitchen. Over time, hardwood floors lose their shine and texture so care & maintenance is essential.

Maintenance of hardwood floors involves cleaning them regularly. However, you'll need to be especially careful in cleaning your floors because applying the wrong cleaning techniques can ruin your hardwood floor.

Follow these do's and don'ts for proper maintenance:

-The Do's:
1. Do use dry cloth to wipe excess water-based cleaning solutions off your hardwood floor. Keep in mind that water and water-based solutions are the biggest enemies of hardwood floors. Quickly wipe off any excess water on the floor to prevent the wood from swelling up.

2. Do regularly sweep the floor using a broom with soft bristle.

3. Do regularly vacuum to thoroughly clean the floor. It's a good idea to vacuum after sweeping as vacuuming will get rid of dust and dirt between floor boards.

4. Do place rugs on areas that may be prone to spilling, such as around tables, beds, desks, etc.

5. Do use drapes on your windows to minimize your hardwood floors exposure to sunlight.

6. Do take extra care whenever you move furniture back where you have just done hardwood floor care cleaning. This is when hardwood floors usually get scratched.

-The Don'ts:

1. Don't allow water or water-based solutions to dry up on your hardwood floor; otherwise, your hardwood floor will expand and lose its quality over time.

2. Don't use a mop to clean a waxed floor.

3. Don't clean the floor with a vacuum that has beater bars. This type of vacuum can put scratches on your floor.

4. Don't use brushes with hard bristles for cleaning the floor.

5. Don't attempt to repair the gaps between boards on your own. It's best to hire a professional who knows what he's doing. Doing repairs on your own can cause even more damage to your floor.

6. Don't use cleaning solutions that can potentially damage your floor's finish. Make sure that you use cleaning solutions that work with the type of hardwood finish your floor has.
Keep in mind these simple tips and your hardwood floor should last a long time.

Make Your Hardwood Floor Dazzle

So you have my last article on how to buy the best hardwood floor article and bought the best hardwood floor. You have installed it and it looks beautiful. Does’nt it? I love the hardwood floor look and I am sure so do you. Now you got a new job at hand, how to keep your hardwood floors clean. Well I will take it a little further and give you tips on how to make it dazzle.

First remember that you have invested a lot and hardwood floors are a lifetime investment. If you want to keep it for a long time then its very important that you keep it clean and scratch free.

1-- Place Protector pads on ALL furniture legs on wood floor
2-- Place walk off mats on areas, which are in constant use.
3—Sweeping, mopping is very useful and so is vacuum cleaning to remove that dirty dirt.

Periodic cleaning and following maintenance tips provided by the hardwood floor manufacturer is very helpful. Now-a-days we get a full instruction manual on how to clean the hardwood floors and maintain it so for a long time.

Also keep the hardwood floor scratch free. Scratches from cats nails are not so easily preventable.

Use of wood cleaners will help you a long way in keeping you floors shiny.

Floors should be swept regularly, and dust mops are recommended for dust.

Use of water is not recommended if the finish is already damaged
Hardwood floors need regular and careful cleaning with suggested wood cleaners to enhance their life and beauty. It will serve you a long way.