Hardwood Flooring Archives - Page 17 of 24

Flooring, Hardwood Flooring
March 13, 2017

Not All Wood Floors Are Equal

Have you ever thought about what having a wood floor really means?

What is the difference between engineered wood and laminate? What if it looks like wood, yet is actually stone? One thing is for sure: today’s wood floors aren’t what your parents installed in their homes a generation ago.

Hardwood

In many cases, when people say hardwood, they mean a solid hardwood flooring that has stood the test of time for generations. Durable and beautiful, hardwood provides a timeless appeal that can keep your floors looking their best for years. Hardwood comes in a wide range of grains and colors, depending on the species of wood you select and how it was cut. If you are installing hardwood, be sure to ask for hardwood that is grown from sustainably grown and harvested trees.

Engineered/Laminate

An engineered wood floor consists of a real-wood veneer layered with a lower-grade wood base. Some laminates are made up of a similar base topped with a photograph of an attractive wood grain pattern. An engineered wood floor can be sanded down to remove damaged areas a few times, depending on the quality of the wood. Laminate can repair small nicks and scratches using filler, but sanding is out of the question. Both will have a much shorter lifespan than their real wood counterparts.

Bamboo/Cork

Many people are turning to more sustainable options for their floors. With that in mind, it’s difficult not to consider bamboo and cork. Bamboo looks so much like wood you’ll have trouble believing it’s not hardwood. Bamboo floors have a rich natural glow similar to hardwood and it compares favorably to maple or oak. Cork is an up and coming flooring option that is naturally moisture-resistant, warm underfoot, and is terrific at buffering noise and impact in the home. Either choice can give you beauty with long-lasting results.

Stone

Nothing compares with the durability of stone. And with today’s technology, you’ll find stone that has the appearance of real wood flooring. It comes in a variety of colors, styles and patterns. And because it makes it possible to add radiant heating throughout your home, it’s a perfect choice to add warmth as well as beauty throughout your living space.

What’s the perfect wood choice for your home?

Flooring, Hardwood Flooring
March 8, 2017

The Right Flooring Choice For Our Climate

Denver has seen its fair share of growth in the past few years. And who can blame them? Denver has a lot to offer.

But whether you’re moving in from the coast or the midwest, you may find we do things a bit different here.

You would never expect to find a beach house right here in the heart of the city? And no matter how much you enjoy the beach, that look and feel might not be the perfect choice for our long winters. Sure, we have one of the highest levels of days of sunshine in the States. But hardwoods and stone may be more our style.

Living here in Denver means the weather can change quickly. Other cities might say it, but here, it’s a reality. Can it hit 80 degrees in the afternoon, and dip down into the 20s late in the evening? Yep. Just stick around. No telling what will blow into town.

All of that means you have to be prepared for just about anything.

Sun beating into your home and impacting your flooring many hours of the day? Yep.

Feet of snow being dragged into puddle on your floors? That too.

What should you choose?

Hardwood

We love our hardwood. But here in Denver, it needs a little TLC. Natural flooring is affected by extremes of moisture and dryness, and we can have both here in short order. Try to keep your indoor relative humidity between 35 and 60 percent. Be aware of where your hardwoods are installed. Instead of hardwoods in the mudroom, think stone or vinyl instead. That’ll be one less thing to worry about when the kids or pets come in from outside.

Vinyl

Vinyl is a practical choice for floors in just about any climate. You can find luxury vinyl that in many cases mirror more sophisticated flooring choices. You can install it over concrete slabs or over a crawl space. Be sure to use a vapor barrier to protect against moisture.

Ceramic or Stone

Ceramic or stone tile is great for any floor in your home. A moisture barrier or underlayment beneath the tile will properly seal and safeguard it for long enjoyment. Tile does tend to be cool underfoot, which is why many homeowners add radiant heating to keep your rooms warm in the winter. You’ll love the effect, especially in bathrooms.

What flooring do you prefer in your Colorado home?

Hardwood Flooring
January 23, 2017

5 Signs You’ve Hired A Pro For Your Hardwood Floors

You’ve finally decided to rip out the carpeting throughout your home and install hardwood floors instead. You’re ready for the look and feel of hardwoods throughout, and can’t wait to have them installed.

There are many ways you can go about it. You can do it yourself. You can hire a friend of a friend. You can find a coupon and get a great deal. These ways can all work well … or be a complete disaster.

Laying hardwood flooring isn’t rocket science. But if you don’t do it correctly, the results can be bad. Unless you are very confident in your DIY skills, you probably shouldn’t install solid hardwood floors yourself. There is a lot to know to ensure a quality installation, once that will last you years, even decades into the future.

But hiring isn’t as easy as saying yes to the first person you meet. Hire the wrong contractor and it can be just as bad as doing it yourself. How do you know you’ve hired a great flooring contractor?

They provide a detailed and thorough quote up front

Did you know a reputable flooring company uses quotes as legal and binding contracts? All reputable flooring companies will have you sign it before they ever begin work. A quote should give you everything about the project at hand. It should include what is in the installation cost as well as info about the hardwood flooring. It should outline exactly what they’ll be doing for you, and how much you’ll pay for the entire process.

They should check moisture and acclimate your flooring

You can’t bring in hardwood floor and install it the same day. Solid hardwood flooring swells and contracts depending on the moisture content of your home. It is essential that your flooring contractor ensures that your wooden flooring is properly acclimated to its new environment before it is nailed into place. A reputable flooring company will take moisture content meter readings of the floor and subfloor long before they begin. It can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks for your wood to acclimate to its new location.

They should build and prepare your subfloor

Before the first plank is laid into place, the subfloor needs to be thoroughly prepared. This means creating a clean, flat, dry surface area to begin. If the subfloor isn’t level, it can lead to bouncy or squeaky floor boards. Also ensure that your hardwood floor contractor uses materials appropriate for subflooring, for example, plywood rather than particleboard.

They should prepare the layout

If the hardwood installation team arrives and is nailing down your hardwood planks within minutes of arrival, you might have a reason to be concerned. A good installation team will plot out the layout of your entire area before they begin to ensure they don’t run into problems later. Not all rooms are perfectly square. Not all planks are cut in the same way. It’s also important that they factor in how to deal with hallways and stairs, or handle special considerations such as fireplaces, entryways, or landings.

They use enough nails

If hardwood isn’t fastened properly, you’ll inevitably have problems down the road. Not enough fasteners lead to moving noisy floorboards with gaps. There are many different approaches to installation, but in general, you should have at least two nails in every board, with a nail 1 to 3 inches from each board end. Each nail is 8 to 12 inches apart in traditional planks, with it being 6 to 8 inches for planks 4 inches or wider. And of course, it’s important to follow manufacturers guidelines.

Are you ready to hire a pro to install your hardwood floors?

Flooring, Hardwood Flooring
December 11, 2016

How To Protect Your Wood Flooring From A Real Christmas Tree

Nothing says the holidays more than bringing a real pine tree into your home at Christmas time. The wonderful fragrance fills your home with the scent of the holidays. But watering them can create many problems for your wood floor should you accidentally spill.

Trees are often low to the ground. Add in bulky tree skirts and presents in the way, and watering can easily be one of the trickiest tasks you’ll complete every few days. Unattended water on hardwood flooring simply doesn’t mix. It can cause wood to swell, cup and stain.

And while buffing and recoating your hardwood floors should be a part of your long term maintenance strategy, it isn’t something you want to accomplish on a regular basis. Add in the fact that standing water can also penetrate between hardwood planks, causing even further damage underneath such as mold and mildew.

So what should you do before you bring the tree into the house?

Be sure you can see under and around the tree stand when you water. Be careful to watch while you pour, noticing any spills and cleaning them up immediately.

It’s best not to place anything under your tree stand. Water can be trapped underneath anything you lay down, including materials, plastics or even newspaper. Most of these materials act as a sponge, holding in the water and wrecking havoc on the wood. It can trap water underneath and leave it there for as long as your tree stands. It can even create interesting patterns on your hardwood floors.

At some garden centers, you can purchase a large plastic garden container tray that you can place your tree stand into. As long as water doesn’t get on the outside of this, it can capture all of the spills and prevent them from touching your floors.

What questions do you have about keeping your flooring looking great throughout the holiday season?

Hardwood Flooring
November 6, 2016

7 Things To Think About Refinishing Hardwood Floors

Many people prefer the natural beauty of hardwood floors. It’s also nice knowing your flooring selection can give you years of enjoyment.

But if you’re ready to install hardwood flooring, make sure you are ready for the upkeep that will keep them in top shape throughout the years. Refinishing is a process. And while it isn’t something you’ll have to do on a regular basis, it can help you make the best selection now as you’re installing hardwoods throughout your home.

1. There are three types of finishes you can choose for your hardwood floors.

Polyurethane comes in oil or water based applications. Polyurethane will provide varying degrees of luster with a plastic looking finish. This is a great choice for high moisture or high traffic areas.

Varnish provides a matte to glossy finish with varying degrees of luster. It will darken with age, but is easier to spot repair than polyurethane finishes.

Penetrating sealers provide a natural look finish that brings out the natural grain of the wood. It is the least durable of the finishes, but is the easiest to repair.

2. One of the best reasons to select hardwood flooring is for the longevity of the product. Hardwood flooring can last as long as 100 years, depending on the location and the care. In most cases, hardwood floors can be refinished about ten times before the wood needs replacing.

3. Refinishing doesn’t always mean sanding. A lot is determined by the damage to your hardwood planks. If your wood is minimally scratched and the wear doesn’t reach the actual wood, simply removing the finish and scuff sanding it may be all you need before refinishing it.

4. Refinishing is a process. You’ll need several days to finish the procedure from start to finish. It’s best to seal floors the same day as sanding to prevent moisture being absorbed back into the wood. You’ll need to let sealant dry at least 24 hours before you begin to use your flooring once again.

5. Oil is an enemy for hardwood floors. You can’t buff a room that has been cleaned or waxed with an oil based soap. It has to be stripped off before cleaning and refinishing.

6. Small gouges, scratches and dings can be fixed easily with a wood putty. If you are having hardwood flooring installed and you have access to sawdust created from your hardwood, save some to mix into a putty to ensure your wood filler matches your flooring exactly.

7. Finishes are not like paint; you can’t keep applying coats. If one coat isn’t applied properly, it must be buffed to remove impurities before reapplying.

Hardwood Flooring
November 3, 2016

3 Steps For Good Feng Shui With Your Home Flooring

Trying to give your home the right energy? Looking to introduce feng shui techniques into your home décor?

Energy-wise, your flooring is your foundation.

There are many types of flooring out there – woods, laminate, cork, linoleum, stone, carpeting and more. You can find different finishes, patterns, styles, colors and grains. Does placement matter? Does size of planks matter? Yes. When it comes to good feng shui energy, it all matters.

It’s best when flooring looks seamless, or continuous as it runs through your home from room to room, because it guides energy in smooth fashion. If you have dark plank wood in your kitchen and it flows to white tiles in the living space, the energy might stop at the door, interrupting or blocking the flow of energy.

In general, good feng shui energy of flooring depends upon three areas:

1. Material
There isn’t a right or wrong choice of flooring for the rooms in your home. In general, flooring choice should solely be made on personal preferences. And in most cases, choices that would cause bad feng shui are common sense – you would never put carpeting in the bathroom, would you?

2. Color
Because your flooring represents your foundation, it’s best to select flooring colors that are earthy and natural. Classical wood floors offer good feng shui as they will make your flooring cohesive with the color choices throughout your home.

The same applies to all other flooring choices. Stone, tile, laminate, cork, carpeting – all natural hues are good feng shui foundations for your floors.

In feng shui, each color is considered to be an expression of one of the five feng shui elements: Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood. Each of these elements governs specific areas of your home, according to the feng shui map of your space. When your choice of color is focused on strengthening and nourishing the element within the area you are decorating, the result is good feng shui.

3. Pattern
Feng shui is about energy flow. When installing patterns or flooring with distinct flow, it’s important to place the boards in an obvious pattern. You don’t want to lay wood planks width wise across a narrow hallway. You shouldn’t lay planks down a narrow hallway and out through a window.

Good feng shui is about inviting, channeling and keeping things inside the house – happy and strong. It’s about allowing the energy to settle in the important rooms in your home, and keeping stability and nourishment within.

Always ask yourself “where does the pattern direct energy to?” The direction of the floor boards guides energy either in or out of your house. Do not let energy escape before it has a chance to nourish your rooms.

Flooring, Hardwood Flooring
October 13, 2016

Troubleshooting Common Hardwood Flooring Issues

Hardwood floors are one of the most in-demand flooring options, and with good reason. Nothing is as beautiful as well maintained hardwood, but in many cases, it takes work to ensure it looks great all the time.

Before you install hardwoods in a room or throughout your home, it’s important to understand how to maintain them long before the first plank is installed. You’ll ensure a better quality, better looking flooring option with just a little knowledge going into the process.

Plank Width
Hardwood contracts and expands with the changing seasons. The wider the plank, the more pronounced the effects of swelling and shrinking will be during changes in temperature and humidity. If you will be installing a wider plank in your home, just be aware that gaps between the planks will be a common characteristic of this type of flooring.

Dents
When a homeowner chooses hardwoods for the first time, it usually comes with some expectations. Maybe you’ve seen it in other homes, or have admired it in home renovation magazines. Living with it can be different if you’ve never experienced it before. Hardwoods come in a variety of wood grades, each with their own character. Some are softer than others, meaning it will wear differently than other types of wood. Some will show dents easier, giving it a more rustic and worn appearance. Make sure you understand what characteristics will follow your final hardwood choice.

Smudges
It’s easy to be seduced by the high-gloss look you’ll see in many hardwood advertisements.Highly polished flooring requires constant care and attention. If you desire a high sheen hardwood floor, it requires consistent cleaning, washing and waxing to maintain its sheen.

Oxidation
During the first year, your hardwood floor will go through a process of oxidation. The more your floor is exposed to strong sunlight, the darker the wood will become. Problems can arise in a room if it is filled with intense sunshine, and then you decide to move the furniture around, only to discover a lighter discolored area beneath. In many cases, this new area will also darken up once it’s exposed to sunlight too. And if you want to avoid strong oxidation throughout your home, protect your floors from direct sunlight as much as possible.

What other questions do you have about installing hardwood floors?

nylon or polyester carpet

Flooring, Hardwood Flooring
September 30, 2016

How To Match New And Existing Hardwood Floors

Hardwood flooring has become the norm in homes all across the Denver Metro area. Hardwood flooring is by far the preferred choice in mid to higher end homes. But what if you have an older home and hardwood only exists in a few rooms? What if you only have hardwood in one – the kitchen, the entryway, the family room, or just the main living space?

The good news is that it’s usually fairly easy to match existing hardwood and create a harmonious look.

Start with the thickness
Do you have solid or engineered hardwood floors? It’s much easier to match if you have solid hardwood flooring. Solid hardwood is good for both longevity and flexibility in color matching. In most cases, solid hardwood runs ¾ inch thick. With a subfloor built in, you have flexibility in being able to lay hardwood flush against existing hardwood, matching it up plank by plank. Be sure the subfloor height is consistent throughout the space to ensure hardwood will be even as you move from room to room.

What species of hardwood is in place?
Next, identify the species and grade of the hardwood in place. In many homes, oak hardwood is a standard. But of course, there are many other options available. Even with oak, there are two options: red oak and white oak flooring. If your home was built in the early twentieth century, maple, douglas fir and yellow pine were all common place. And if you have a newer design, additional hardwoods have been used over time. Also keep in mind that even with different species, the cut of the wood also comes into play. Identify what grade of wood was used to ensure a proper match.

Width of the planks
This is usually the simplest to figure out. With a tape measure, measure the current width of your wood. Most homes are built with a standard 2 ¼ inch strip. Oak flooring can also come in 3 ¼, 4 or 5 inch strips. Can you change it up? Anything is possible. Just keep in mind the aesthetics may change if you adjust size from room to room.

Color
With hardwood, you can adjust coloring to match once your new hardwood planks are in place. In general, if you have oak hardwood flooring, and choose a match of both species and grade, simply by refinishing the wood and staining will provide you with the overall look you desire. Matching without redoing the entire floor space can be difficult, especially if the two kinds of wood aren’t the same species or grade. A professional can help you decide the best route for the look you desire throughout your home.

Transitions
Not all flooring has to match. In some cases, it’s better to make a transition as you move from space to space. Transition strips can help you adjust heights in doorways or change directions in the direction of wood. It can help you change colors from space to space.

Are you trying to add more hardwood to your existing home? What challenges have you faced?

Flooring, Hardwood Flooring
September 20, 2016

What Do People Want This Year With Hardwood Floors?

Time to update your flooring? Maybe it’s finally time to install the hardwood you’ve been dreaming about.

Yet deciding on installing hardwood flooring is only the first step of the process. Trend’s show that hardwood is always a good choice. But with dozens of choices available, how do you know what to choose?

It starts with color. Today’s color choices range from dark stains to greys, off whites and beiges. Reds and browns are always popular here in Colorado, they’re a good blend with any décor as we move from summer to winter. But color isn’t everything. There are many other things to consider.

Distressed?
A few years ago, hand scraped and contoured wood became the rage. Today we’re seeing heavy distressed woods being replaced with a softer wire brushed ceruse effect. Reclaimed hardwoods are also welcome, especially in homes where sustainability and eco-friendly options are at top billing.

Type of hardwood?
Red oak always maintains a strong hold on the market. White oak is also a great choice; you’ll find a variety of products made from this wood. Hickory remains strong, and can give your home a rustic feel. Lighter tones of hardwood such as maple and birch have decreased in popularity in their natural colors, but continue to be popular finished, creating a cleaner contemporary look.

Plank size?
Wider plank size has seen a dramatic increase over the past few years. And as the planks have grown in width, they’ve increased in length as well. As hand scraped and other hardwoods entered the market, their width increased to show off the detail. When combined with a shorter length, they created an almost checkerboard appearance. By increasing the length, it created a stronger, more refined look and feel that people loved. Today, you’ll find four inch wide planks have increased drastically, with a lot more seven inch or wider planks on the market today. You can find them 10 or 12 inches, but you’ll need a wide open space to appear like they belong.

Are you in the market for new hardwood flooring?

Flooring, Hardwood Flooring
September 12, 2016

How To Fix Squeaky Hardwood Floors

Remember as a kid sneaking around your home at all hours of the day and night? You learned quickly where the squeaks were that would give you away.

Now that it’s your house, those squeaky floors are a problem. You don’t have to live with them. They can be fixed. But first, you must determine the cause.

Cause #1: Season Change
When did you first hear the squeak? Chances are it was during the winter months. As the temperatures drop, the air gets drier. The heat kicks on in your home, and the humidity drops.

Wood changes with every change made in your home. And when both the air gets cooler, and the humidity level drops, the floorboards dry out and give up their moisture content, making them shrink in size.

This contraction can cause the floorboards to squeak. The planks no longer fit flush together, instead rub up against each other or against a nail that no longer fits tight.

Although wintertime changes aren’t a problem, they can be annoying. You can combat these winter problems by increasing the humidity levels inside your home. However, keeping whole house humidity at 40 to 60 percent is difficult, which means you may still hear the occasional squeak until winter fades into summer.

Cause #2: Joists
If your floors have started squeaking and you notice it year round, there might be a problem with the flooring joists. The joists are part of the structure underneath your floors. In order to determine if they are the problem, you will need access to the flooring from underneath, viewing the floors up above. If you see joists in the squeaky areas that appear to be loose, you can purchase a kit that allows you to drill down into the floor and tightly secure the floor and subfloor to the joist. Continue to do so until the squeak disappears.

You can also attach a special brace to secure the subfloor to the joist from beneath. If the problem lies with a gap between the joist and the subfloor, you can insert a wood ship into the gap to eliminate the squeaking in the floors.

Cause #3: Uneven Subfloor
Sometimes the problem starts with the subfloor. When it was installed, it may have been installed incorrectly and is uneven with the structure of your home. It may have also wiggled loose over time. When this happens, it can cause gaps between the floor and the subfloor. When you put weight on the floor, the subfloor rubs against the joists and causes a squeak.

If you can see the subfloor from the basement, have someone walk across it while you stand beneath. If you notice the subfloor shifting with the weight, it might be due to a gap between the subfloor and floor. You can drill up from below into the subfloor to draw the subfloor and floor closer together.