When Winter Weather Damages Your Hardwood Floors

It happens every year. The sun rises a little later. The sun sets a little earlier. The mornings turn cold. The snow begins to fall. And winter is in full swing.

Here in Colorado, that may mean warm, sunny afternoons with heat falling across your hardwood floors. Then you wake up to two feet of snow, another snow day off from school, and kids and pets bringing in enough snow to build a small snowman in the center of your room.When Winter Weather Damages Your Hardwood Floors

Yes, Colorado winters can be rough on you and your floors.

Hardwood floors are porous. They absorb the moisture. They expand and contract.

Expansion is normal. That is the reason hardwood floors are installed with the ability to move and settle as the environment changes all around it. If a gap isn’t placed between the tiles and the baseboard, there is a chance of buckling of the floors. Which isn’t an easy thing to fix.

Winter is hard on hardwood flooring, especially here in Colorado. When it’s cold outside, you shut the doors and windows and turn up the heat. Heating the air also dries the air. And when there is very little moisture in the air to begin with, your hardwood floors shrink.

You may notice sudden gaps between the tiles or along the floor boards, gaps that have never been there before. Then just as suddenly, the gap may disappear.

The same thing happens when too much water or humidity is introduced to a room. If you install hardwood in your bathroom, every day showers can cause hardwood to expand. Carrying water and snow in from the outside and letting it pool on the floor can also take its toll. Expansion is normal. But if the expansion is too great and goes beyond the gaps or wallboard, shifting and buckling begins to occur.

And once buckling occurs, the only way to fix it is to replace the warped floor boards.

Hardwood make a great addition to any home. And here in Colorado, hardwood is one of the most popular home flooring choices. With just a little maintenance and a little extra care, you can keep them looking their best, no matter what the weather is outside.

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Should Your Next Choice In Flooring Be American Cherry?

When it comes to buying things for you home, do you prefer to buy American whenever possible?

While that can be difficult in many industries, flooring has viable options that are perfect additions to your home. And one of our favorites is American Cherry wood flooring.Should Your Next Choice In Flooring Be American Cherry?

American Cherry wood is rich in culture here in the US. You can’t think of a cherry tree without imagining a young George Washington picking up an ax and chopping one down, creating a story that continues to be passed down from generation to generation. Yet even though the story is probably more fiction than factual, the American Cherry tree is as American as, well, cherry pie.

And while the American Cherry tree produces one of the sweetest resources we all enjoy each year, it also provides another resource used in many homes across the US – it’s one of the best sources of hardwood.

American Cherry is a heartwood with a light pinkish brown to deep golden brown color. While it may be softer than a red oak, it provides a stability factor that is better. There are many different species of cherry tree. The American black cherry is native to the eastern regions of the country. Individual trees have been known to live up to 300 years or more, yet it is a fast growing tree that produces seeds in as little as ten years after planting.

Because they are easily grown and located in many regions throughout the US, they have long been harvested for more than their fruits. In addition to fruit and hardwood, cherry trees are also used to make wood chips, which provide excellent smoking materials for meats and vegetables. Their seeds are also a primary source of the poison cyanide – you’ll never find cherry trees easily accessible to farms that keep livestock on site.

Although cherry wood isn’t the hardest of hardwoods, it is extremely durable. That’s why you’ll find it in use not only on floors, but in furniture too. It resists warping over time, making it a perfect choice for handling all the abuse your family can give.

While many American cherry floors are lighter in color, taking on a slightly pinkish hue, you can achieve deeper shades as well. The wood naturally darkens with exposure to light, and can darken as much as 25 percent over the course of its lifetime. It can be stained easily, and when sealed is easy to maintain.

Renewable, beautiful, and available in many different shades, the American cherry tree may make the perfect hardwood flooring choice for your home.

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Home Flooring Trends: Choose Light Color Hardwood For Optimal Appeal

Ready to remodel and upgrade your home? If you’ve looked through design magazines, you’ve noticed a wide array of trends.

While Radiant Orchid was 2014’s color of the year, by 2015 the color changed to Marsala, a terracotta red shade rich and grounded in earthtone shades. Head back in time and you’ll discover the color choices bounce from one shade to the next. What works one year changes the next. And while some bring out the beauty by keeping a home light and airy, the next year may find the trends moving to dark and majestic.

Home Flooring Trends: Choose Light Color Hardwood For Optimal AppealWhat’s a person to do when they’re ready to make final selections in the remodeling process?

A good designer will tell you to ignore the trends and go with what pleases you the most. Because your home floors will be put to good use for years, it’s important to choose flooring that works for you. Flooring that makes you happy, enhances your desires and décor, and provides an easy platform to care for and maintain throughout your busy days.

If all of that appeals to you, you may like the current design trends that show light colored flooring lead the way. Light colored flooring is attractive, it opens and lightens a space by reflecting more light into it. It also takes advantage of some of the most popular wood shades on earth – think light oak and birch.

Light colored floors have one major advantage over dark floors – maintenance. If you’ve ever had a dark floor, you understand how difficult it is to keep dust bunnies from materializing in the corners and around your furniture.

There’s also the issue of scratches – they are much easier to see on a dark floor than on one that is light.

If you have a family that walks on, plays on, and in some cases abuses your floors, a light floor is the only way to go.

While some people feel that elegance comes from rich, dark flooring choices, nothing can be further from the truth. Yes, light floors can take on a casual, airy appearance. But they can also make a person feel instantly welcoming and comfortable. Because they are neutral in tones, you can dress up the rest of a room’s décor to make a room pop.

Light colored flooring is the perfect addition to any room in your home. From kitchens, to hallways, to bedrooms, you’ll love the light and airy feeling of having light colored hardwoods throughout your home.

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A Guide To Choosing Mahogany Flooring

What comes to mind when you hear the word mahogany? Elegance? Class? Style?

Mahogany is a straight grained, reddish brown wood harvested from three tropical hardwood species indigenous to the Americas.

  • The Honduran, or big leaf mahogany, has a range from Mexico to the southern Amazon in Brazil, and is the only true mahogany species used in commercial applications today. Illegal logging of this commodity led to it being placed on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species list in 2003, the first time a high value tree was listed.A Guide To Choosing Mahogany Flooring
  • West Indian or Cuban mahogany is native to southern Florida and the Caribbean, currently being used for commercial applications.
  • Swietenia Humillis is a small, often twisted mahogany tree found in dry forests in the Pacific Central America, and has limited commercial use.

The features of each of these species include a wonderful, clear, find grain, and will provide minimal shrinkage and swelling in different types of climates and temperatures. Classic mahoganies like these will always make a good investment no matter what their intended use will be.

But like every classic material, there are options available that imitate the look and feel of real mahogany.

African mahogany is a little bit different. It carries many of the same characteristics as its Caribbean counterpart, and looks identical in many ways, yet isn’t considered to be a true mahogany. Processing is a little more difficult, meaning care must be used to create a smooth finish without snagging the wood.

Asia has also entered into the mahogany market. While their mahogany is close in appearance, it is worlds apart when it comes to the workability of the wood. They are a good option for plywood, and work well as engineered flooring, but won’t match true mahogany’s quality when it comes to traditional flooring and furniture production because of its limited durability and its tendency to splinter.

When you’re out looking for flooring, and you’ve narrowed your focus to mahogany, what should you look for?

True mahogany – the Honduran or big leaf mahogany – has been restricted for years because of its over-harvesting, and there are few ways to obtain it on the open market, outside of recycling it from an older home.

The best options for getting the look and feel of real mahogany is to choose plank flooring with well processed African mahogany, or choose engineered mahogany options using high quality African, Caribbean or Asian mahoganies. In most cases these are expertly processed so they will look and feel as good as the original.

Have additional questions? Stop by today and see the many options available to you on our showroom floor.

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Wood Look Porcelain Tile vs Wood Floor: How To Use Both

Lets face it; Coloradans love their wood floors. And rightfully so. Colorado is a rugged, outdoors kind of place. A place where we enjoy being outdoors almost every day of the year. From snow skiing and tubing, to water skiing and biking, those 325 days of sunshine each year give us a chance to do what we love best.

But when the sun goes down, we want to come home to a place that’s easy to live in … and offers gorgeous décor. That’s why wood fits the bill every time. Wood floors are easy to maintain, beautiful to look at, and compliment any décor.Wood Look Porcelain Tile vs Wood Floor: How To Use Both

Yet wood has its problems.

  • If you’ve ever had a washing machine overflow, with water soaking into its surrounding area for several hours before you discovered the problem.
  • If you’ve ever had a toilet overflow, sending a flood of water through every inch of your bathroom floor.
  • If you’ve ever had a child drop an ice cube, or a Popsicle, or even a glass of water, and not tell you about it.

You understand the problems.

As high tech manufacturing continues to improve, the range of porcelain tile options increases as well. One of the top interior design trends that has resulted from technology advancement is wood look porcelain tile.

These porcelain tiles are carefully crafted with patterns and textures that duplicate the look of just about any wood species in the natural world. If you have a preference for mahogany, oak, birch, beech, the list goes on.

Yet no matter how closely they resemble the look of real wood, they have the durability of porcelain tile. They may have a realistic appearance, yet it’s the moisture proof property most come to love. Which means they are appropriate to use in all kinds of places you may have been hesitant to install hardwood before.

Like laundry rooms, bathrooms, even shower stalls. And yes, they are so beautiful you’ll even consider them in other places throughout your home, like your kitchen.

What’s more, if you’ve always wanted to warm up your home with underfloor radiant heating, this can be your chance. Porcelain tile is the perfect product to install over an underfloor heating system.

Can they be combined perfectly with wooden floors you already have in place? Of course. One of the best ways to see how easy it can be is to stop by and see your options. You’ll be amazed at just how far wood look porcelain tiles have come.

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The Differences Between Red and White Oak

Oak trees are one of the most widely recognized trees on the planet. There are hundreds of oak species, and grow on almost every continent (minus Antarctica). There are many different types, colors and styles, and are used for production in almost every type of wood product imaginable.

No wonder its one of the most popular flooring choices around.The Differences Between Red and White Oak

Yes, if you are considering installing hardwood flooring, oak is definitely worth considering.

Here in Colorado, you’ll find two types of oak: red oak and white oak.

Red oak is one of the most commonly used woods, and has been used as the benchmark for hardwoods when it comes to hardness rating and stability.

White oak is very durable and is resistant to water, which has made it the go to wood choice in the shipbuilding industry.

Red oak is a light colored wood that when aged and sealed, may look closer to a pine color than any other species of oak.

White oak has a darker wood color which darkens to a medium brown or even a light black color over time.

Red oak is a porous material easy to work with. Its wood is pitted with microscopic open tunnels that soak up moisture like a sponge.

White oak has closed tunnels filled with solid plugs called tyloses. This makes white oak durable and extremely water tight.

Red oak makes a perfect choice for indoor flooring and for décor. You’ll find a wide array of red oak flooring options in many different planks, sizes and styles. Red oak is also a commonly used wood for stair treads, moldings and banisters because of its ease in carving.

White oak isn’t as easy to work with when it comes to the details. When it comes to outdoor construction, white oak is always going to be the safest bet. You’ll find white oak on your external door frames and on door jambs.

While red and white oak can be used interchangeably throughout your home, it may come down to coloring, style and preferences. If you’ll be staining the stair treads or banisters, for instance, choosing red oak for both the detailed work and for the flooring would be your best choice for matchability. If you’ll be painting the detail work throughout, the two can be used together.

Which oak is better for you, red or white? Come in today to learn even more about the natural beauty of oak.

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A Look At Beech Hardwood Flooring

Throughout history, the beech tree has held a special place in the hearts of mankind. Lovers look to beech trees to keep their romance alive forever. If people cut their initials into the bark of a beech tree, the bark grows around the carving, creating a sign of love that goes on forever.

But of course the use of this tree didn’t stop as declarations of love. Because of its popularity, it has been used in everything from textiles, to drums, to railroad ties, to hardwood floors.A Look At Beech Hardwood Flooring

Beech trees are highly perishable, which means that their wood fiber will break down quickly if left untreated. This means it can quickly feed back into the earth, feeding insects, moss, fungi, and also create havens for all kinds of woodland creatures like birds and mice.

Because of their easy ability to breakdown, we’ve incorporated beech into a large number of products. Beech is used as a foundation for smoked malts in some beer production. It also provides flavoring in smoked sausages and ham.

The American Beech is found on the east coast, the only native variety found in the States. It’s a fast growing tree, averaging 120 feet in height, which makes it a great choice for lumber. It’s a strong and pliable tree filled with a variety of rich wood coloring. You’ll find beech in natural light and creamy colors, sometimes accented by pink to brown contours that give it its unique look when sanded and installed. It has a straight, fine texture look that accents any décor.

Because of it’s pliability, it’s one of the easiest woods to work with. It’s simple to cut and shape both by hand and machine. It glues and finishes well. It also is a perfect choice for steam bending.

Because it’s fast growing, strong and pliable, it’s becoming a viable crop all over the world. It grows in a variety of soils and conditions, making it easy to maintain. And because of it’s flexibility and it’s ease of manipulation, it makes it a workable choice in a variety of different applications. Whether you are redoing one room or your entire home, beech wood may be the perfect choice for you.

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Should You Consider Jatoba Flooring?

Looking for new floors? Have you decided wood flooring is the best investment for your home? How about looking at Jatoba flooring?

Jatoba flooring, also known as Brazilian cherry flooring, is a popular choice in exotic hardwood floors. Jatoba doesn’t actually come from a tree; instead, it comes from a 130 foot legume. Like other legumes – think peanuts and beans and peas – jatoba produces seed pods that have been a staple food in communities for centuries throughout Central America, southern Mexico, northers South America and the Caribbean.Should You Consider Jatoba Flooring?

Jatoba is different than the cherry wood trees you’ll find throughout the gardens of North America. Jatoba is known as Brazilian cherry wood because of the deep red color produced in the wood. Jatoba is significantly harder and more durable than its American cherry wood counterpart, and will also have a darker, deeper and richer color.

Why jatoba? In addition to its rich color, it also is a more stable wood (even compared with the ever-popular red oak) and has a hardness rating far beyond its red oak counterpart. If you’re looking for longevity, jatoba is a good choice.

The reason the jatoba grows so high and is so durable is because of the resin it produces. Tree resin, also known as amber, is a sap that hardens as strong as stone. Jatoba is one of the world’s most pure sources of yellow amber, that has a clear golden color that makes it usable in a variety of ways. This resin is fast producing, meaning the wood from this legume transforms from bean to hardwood in only a few years … also making it a sustainable building material for those interested in moving to a green option.

Jatoba’s color stands out above all, but it is important to remember that its deep red tones and smooth grain will have a lot of color variation throughout. Looking at a few planks will not capture the true look and feel you’ll have when the entire floor is laid and put into place.

A jatoba floor continues to change over time. Unless you stain the planks, it can take as long as two years for the final color to deepen and finalize. And if you add rugs or make other changes to the floor soon after installation, you can expect even more color variations around the additions.

Think jatoba might be the perfect choice for your home? With its stunning natural appearance and beautiful one of a kind appearance, you’ll love the look for years to come.

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What Wood Flooring Warranties Cover … And What They Don’t

You’ve decided you want to install wood flooring throughout your home. The search has begun for the right flooring that will ensure longevity and style for many years to come.

But just when you thought selecting the right color was confusing, you found out different manufacturers come with different warranties, and the numbers can be overwhelming.

Is a 90 day warranty good enough? Then what about that 100 year warranty … really? Can someone truly offer a hundred years of protection? And what does that truly mean?

Yes, sometimes things do seem too good to be true.What Wood Flooring Warranties Cover … And What They Don’t

A product’s warranty exists as much for the protection of the manufacturer as for the homeowner buying the product. In the case of wood flooring, the warranty protects you, the homeowner, from buying a flawed product. If the finish, for example, was improperly mixed at the factory before it was applied to the wood, the impact will be noticeable almost immediately as it is installed in your home and put to use on a daily basis.  However, the warranty won’t protect you from normal wear and tear that you, your family, visitors and pets inflict to it once it is laid.

So does that make a 90 day warranty as good as that 100 year warranty? When it comes to hardwood flooring warranties, keep it simple and you’ll be covered every time.

Start by choosing a quality, reputable manufacturer with history behind it. Avoid no-name flooring, or a brand name that simply seems too good to be true. In order to have a floor that wears well and looks great for years, you have to start with a great product. Reputable companies understand that and make sure every feature they use in production is quality through and through. You can also ask a salesperson for guidance to understand differences between top brands.

Look for a good manufacturers defects warranty, as this is where most problems occur. Most defects occur in a relatively short period of time, so anything beyond a few years isn’t necessary to flush out potential problems.

Look for a good wear through warranty. If a hardwood floor has a quality finish, it will last for years of wear and tear from daily use. On average, floors will need to be sanded and recoated every ten to twelve years or so, so wear through warranties of more than that time frame will not offer extra protection, as once this process occurs the warranty is null and void.

Realize you are dealing with a natural product that changes and morphs all the time. It can warp and buckle, which would all be covered under warranty.

Yet if it’s not properly installed according to manufacturers guidelines, and its not maintained in a satisfactory way, the warranty may not be covered at all.

When making your final decision, read your warranty carefully and understand the limits and expectation. The more you know up front, the less surprises will occur down the road.

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Is Your Bamboo Flooring Really Green?

Want to choose a floor that is green? Looking for an environmentally friendly alternative when replacing your floors? Then you may have found the concept of bamboo flooring appealing.

Bamboo is renewable resource; it is a grass that can grow very quickly. While it may take an oak tree 120 years to grow to maturity, bamboo can be harvested in three. Bamboo is also recognized as a green material under LEED, and will regenerate without the need for replanting, requires minimal fertilization or pesticides.Is Your Bamboo Flooring Really Green?

The problem lies with bamboo’s management.

Bamboo is primarily a resource that comes from China. And depending on the manufacturer, bamboo expansion has come at the expense of existing natural forested land. It’s become a common practice to cut down existing trees to make room for bamboo. And even in some cases where bamboo is expanded up to forests, due to the aggressive nature of bamboo, it can quickly take over large areas.

Forest lands tend to be hilly and mountainous with steep slopes. As they are sheared down to make way for bamboo, erosion takes place until it becomes fully established, further degrading the surrounding areas.

Because management practices focus in on quick turnaround and massive growth, extensive fertilization, manual and chemical weeding, as well as periodic tilling of the land have also decreased the undergrowth surrounding the area, and increased erosion over large areas of land.

Does all of this mean you shouldn’t consider bamboo as a flooring option?

No. What it does mean is that you should be aware of where your bamboo flooring is manufactured. If you see a too-good-to-be-true deal on bamboo flooring, it probably is.

Make sure bamboo is certified to the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council so that it meets certain requirements for social responsibility.

You can also look for manufacturers outside of China. While the majority of bamboo still comes from China, other manufacturers are starting up in other Asian countries and are adhering to stricter guidelines.

If you have any questions, be sure to ask your flooring dealer before you make your final decision.

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