Hardwood Flooring Finishes – Painting Floors to Traditional Finishes

When it comes to polishing or finishing your hardwood floor, you have to find the right solution. There are many different styles, colours and looks for many different interiors. If your wood floors need protection you can use traditional hardwood flooring finishes. 

Traditional Hardwood Flooring Finishes

There are many different kinds of hardwood flooring finishes available. Solvent based Polyurethane, Water based Polyurethane or Tung/Modified Oil are some of the most common.

• Solvent based polyurethane - is a polish that forms a plastic-like skin on the timber surface. This brings out the richness of darker timber flooring and for being extremely hard wearing is excellent for high traffic areas.

• A water based polyurethane - is water based, non-toxic, and the most environmentally friendly finish.  It also leaves a plastic–like film on the surface to protect your wood.

• Tung/modified oil polish - is the only one that will allow your flooring to expand and contract, without affecting the polish. This one is less durable than the others.

Although relatively uncommon, painting a wood floor can also be an option for your home.  If you are looking for a different feel, painted wood floors can be the answer and you can choose from different decorative patterns.  But painting a floor can be a difficult decision.  It’s also a risk as it can be a costly enhancement.  That dramatically changes how a room looks.

Painted wood flooring finishes

Painted wood floors instead of hardwood flooring finishes have even longer history than the traditional finishes, stains, varnishes or urethane.  They were created in colonial New England in America in the 18^th century.  At that time, the purpose of painting your wood floors was to help seal the porous wood and provide an artistic aesthetic to the floors.  This allowed home owners to decorate their floor the way they wanted, from a simple coat of paint to a fantastic design mimicking a beautiful rug or an inlaid parquet floor.

For traditional hardwood flooring finishes, Blanchon hard wax oil is great solution if you are looking to stain, finish and protect your wood floor with just one product.  Created with vegetable oils and natural waxes,  it provides a fantastic natural finish.

Wood floors: Is laminate up to scratch

Wood floors are an extremely popular addition for households around the country. There is a wide range of styles and materials, all of which have their own attributes which can suit the needs of just about any home.

For many though the biggest obstacle to having wood floors in the home is the cost. There are of course some woods which are more affordable than others because they are more readily available, such as Oak or Ash. On the other hand there are some wood floors which are very expense because much less of it is produced such as Walnut and Wenge.

However the same hardwood flooring London effect can be achieved at a significantly lower cost by using laminate wood flooring. The laminate wood flooring you see today has constantly been improved over many years, to the point where they actually perform better and last longer than natural hardwood floors.

Wood and water don't mix

Water or moisture is the biggest threat to hardwoods in the home. However laminate wood floor manufacturers have gone to significant lengths to make their product extremely water resistant. Natural hardwood floors are however more susceptible to damage from moisture, which usually results in the wood floor expanding and contracting.

Wood floors also have to stand up to objects being dropped on them. Much like water and moisture, the laminate wood floor performs better. This is because laminate wood flooring has an aluminium oxide surface coating which gives it incredible strength.

An even bigger problem for wood floor owners is scratches. As a result, moving furniture on hardwood floors comes with considerable risk. The addition of floor guards on the bottom of pieces of furniture does help eliminate the risk but other scratches may occur from people wearing shoes which might carry grit and stones which then create scratches. Laminate wood floors are not immune from scratches however they are not as susceptible as natural hardwood floors.

Another risk to natural hard wood floors is stains because they are porous and therefore absorb moisture. If you react quickly to a spill on a natural hardwood floor then much of the damage can be removed however with laminate wood flooring there is less of a risk because of the protection incorporated into the material.   

In conclusion, it can be said that laminate wood floors offer greater protection but natural hardwood floors offer a style and warmth that is hard to replicate. Laminate wood floors today offer excellent protection and  looks fantastic, so if you are considering a new wood floor on a budget look no further than the latest laminate wood floors.

  

The benefits of Hardwood Flooring for Allergies

The medical dictionary defines hypoallergenic as ‘having little likelihood of causing an allergic response\' and many actions can reduce the triggers of asthma and other allergies. First it is necessary to identify the triggers, if they are considered to be allergens such as pollen, dust mites or pet hair then changing your floors to a polished hardwood floor can help alleviate asthma causes.   Dr Rob Danoff who writes for MSN health and fitness explains 'Dust mites feed on shed flakes of human skin. They can be found on pillows, bedding, mattresses, box springs, upholstered furniture, carpet and even Fluffy, your child\'s soft toy. We actually breathe in the mite\'s fecal matter and decaying body parts. Certainly gross to think about, but for those with asthma who are sensitive to these allergens, dust mites can cause genuine trouble' What is the Doctor\'s solution to this sickening image of dust mites? 'Remove carpets and install polished flooring.'

Another source that looks into the cause more impersonally is the parliamentary paper on ‘Indoor Allergens and Asthma\' (2000). It cites that the doubling of cases of asthma in the UK could be due to indoor allergens. It highlights that an effective measure to remove mite habitats such as soft furnishings, is to change to something impenetrable such as wood flooring, which is action Asthma UK, the registered charity, also supports.

 If you or your family members do suffer from asthma then, as all trusted evidence suggests, perhaps a wood floor is the way to go. Other than being a reliever of asthmatic symptoms, wood floors are also considered aesthetically nicer then carpets and will often increase the value of a home. They are also easier to clean, again helping with the allergies and are also more durable. If looked after properly the benefits of installing a wood floor are numerous, as a May 2010 Mintel report on ‘Carpets and Floor coverings\' states that the added insulation helps with sound proofing and energy saving which in turn lowers your household bills.

Using the correct underlay in combination with your wood floor will help to securely insulate your home from sound, cold, moisture and will eliminate the issues often cited with wood floors, namely that they are cold, noisy and difficult to look after. Relieves allergies and lowers your bills, what more do you need from your wood floor!
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/interior-design-articles/the-benefits-of-hardwood-flooring-for-allergies-3837114.html

About the Author
Jordan Stavrinou is the Managing Director of Jordan Andrews Ltd; London\'s leading hardwood flooring company. With 20 years in the hardwood and construction industry and a team of industry professionals, Jordan is considered an expert in his field. Visit http://www.jordanandrews.com/ for all your hard wood flooring needs.

Wood Floor Underlay: How to choose the right Wood Floor Underlay

Underlay is commonly used in conjunction with the engineered wood floor laying method of floating. Solid floor can be floated either through clip or a click system, though at Jordan Andrews we prefer using a slotted matt underlay which allows the boards to be glued through the slots to the sub-floor or the underlay Elastilon, which is an adhesive underlay.
Underlay is used to combat moisture, reduce noise impact for floors in busy households or flats and can be used in combination with underfloor heating to help with insulation and improve the evenness of a floor.

What are the different types of wood floor underlay?
Poly-foam underlays
Our poly-foam underlay ranges are composed from lightweight closed cell polyethylene foam which is 100recyclable. They offer excellent acoustic and thermal insulation and are suitable for underfloor heating. They all combat unevenness in the sub-floor surface, are dust free and easy to lay. The foam with the foil layer also acts as a vapour barrier. These underlays are suitable for floated engineered and laminate wood floors.

Sponge rubber underlays
These underlays are a high density resilient sponge rubber. These underlays offer the best in sound proofing insulation and reduce in room and impact noise. They also protect against moisture when used with vapour stop tape and provide excellent sub-floor masking for minor sub-level imperfections. They are suitable for floated laminate and engineered wood flooring.
The Duralay heatflow is designed specifically for underfloor heating as it doesn\'t absorb the heat as much and conducts through the flooring to provide greater warmth.

Adhesive underlay
Adhesive underlay is for solid wood flooring and is similar to floating as it allows the seasonal movement of the boards whilst including all the sound and insulation benefits of a good underlay. The wooden boards are pressed together on an elastic adhesive mat which has been previously rolled out and then the protective layer between the floor and the mat is removed. This can be a good method of installing a solid wood floor in apartment building as no nails are used which can transfer the noise through the sub-floor.

Slotted mat underlay
Slotted mat underlay is another alternative for solid wood flooring and can achieve a high level of noise reduction making it suitable for upstairs rooms or flats. The underlay is 3mm thick chemically cross linked closed cell polyolefin foam specially developed and designed for use as an acoustic underlay for solid and engineered hardwood flooring.

Damp-proof underlay
The studded membrane of the underlay has a high water vapour resistance manufactured from polypropylene. The studs provide shock absorption and a controlled deformation always less than 2mm. This underlay provides walking comfort, sound insulation, suitable for underfloor heating and has a first-rate protection against moisture. It is designed for laying on concrete and suitable for floated engineered flooring. We also have a stick down studded underlay which can be used for solid wood floors and would need to be fully adhered.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/diy-articles/wood-floor-underlay-how-to-choose-the-right-wood-floor-underlay-3303435.html

About the Author
Jordan Stavrinou is the Managing Director of Jordan Andrews Ltd; London\'s leading hardwood flooring company. With 20 years in the hardwood and construction industry and a team of industry professionals, Jordan is considered an expert in his field. Visit http://www.jordanandrews.com/ for all your hard wood flooring needs.

Take your pick from our European wood floors!

Visit our special offers page for more details!

Autumn clearout sale of all our tiles!

Visit http://woodfloors-online.co.uk/46_lev2_Tiles.asp

Woodfloorsonlinecouk gets a turquoise star on e-bay!

woodfloorsonlinecouk our e-bay shop has received a turquoise star certificate from e-bay for our one hundredth positive feedback rating! Visit our shop for the latest deals and new products.

Solid Oak Pipe Roses

If you like it then you shoulda put a ring on it......or a solid oak pipe rose to be exact! So you have gone out and installed a beautiful bespoke hardwood floor and are now looking at the unsightly 10mm required gap around the base of the radiator pipe. The gaps function is so that the pipes won't be damaged when the floor expands and contracts from seasonal movement, however the gaps are now filling with dust and ruining the appearance of your floor.

Get online and click to order a pack of our oak pipe roses. Two pipe roses come in the pack and you can chose from pre-finished; ash, beech, cherry, iroko, merbau, oak, walnut and unfinished oak pipe roses. And all for only £6.95+VAT now there's no excuses!

How to clean up an old floor.

Following on from Phil Spencer's advice in our previous post, here's a short guide on how to go about cleaning up a discovered floor.

Depending on what state the timber is in it might just need a polish. In which case a few coats of Carl's wood floor polish using Carl's 407mm oil pad will bring out the woods warmth and natural colour.

However if the floor is water damaged, like this parquet

and this water damaged hardwood maple floor

then the best course of action is to first sand the floor using a Bona belt floor sanding machine (which can be hired with a refundable deposit or bought from woodfloors-online) and to combine it with an edger machine, such as the Bona edger standard arm. You will then need to buffer the floor using the Bona buffer duo.

To produce a pleasing end result you can lacquer or stain the floor. To lacquer the floor you should first apply a primer. There are several reasons for applying a primer to the floor, Richard one of Woodfloors-onlines' flooring specialists explains that a floor absorbs the primer which in turn helps the lacquer adhere to the floor. Not only is primer cheaper then lacquer it will also make the lacquer go further and comes recommended as a practice by the manufacturer. We stock both Bona and Uzin primers.

You can then apply a mat, silk or gloss lacquer from the Bona lacquer range to finish the floor, though it will require one last go on the buffer to smooth out any bubbles on the floor.

If you would prefer to stain the floor then a wood ageing agent will give a nice natural hue to the floor, such as from the Blanchon range.

All products mentioned are available on woodfloors-online.com

Phil Spencer reveals how a hardwood floor can add value to your home

Phil Spencer from the hit TV show Location Location offers some pearls of wisdom to Telegraph readers on how a hardwood floor can add value to your home. 

In a recent online article Phil offers some tips on how improving your home can add value in the long run and in a market in which people are moving less, this might be a good thing.

Solid, hard-wearing wooden floors appeal to Phil who thinks they can be applied to many rooms, particularly family homes. The main living area of the house will benefit from a durable wood floor as Phil explains "This has to be a lot more relaxing than hovering with a damp cloth and bottle of carpet-stain remover.” Also in terms of return for your money Phil reasons that "wooden flooring is one of those features that appeals to just about everyone when it comes time to sell as well."

However before you think about spending money on a new floor, Phil suggests you take up a bit of the existing carpet and check what is underneath. You might be lucky enough to discover decent wood hidden below which can be kept and improved.

See our next post on how to treat a discovered floor!