Hardwood Flooring

lipbalm asked:


I have a 3 season un-heated cottage built on piers, should I use poly over the subfloor before installing the hardwood floor? I have poly over the ground to prevent moisture from getting into the cottage; however, it’s not full - proof.

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Madera Floors asked:


Madera Floors provides professional quality wood flooring services including installation, sanding, refinishing, repairs, maintenance, and custom design. At Madera, we only use the highest quality materials/finishes and are always up to date on technological advancements in the wood floor industry. We target contractors, designers, corporate clients, and homeowners in the Northern VA, MD and D.C. areas. Madera’s goal is to meet our client’s budget and timeline while exceeding expectations, thus resulting in repeat business.

Madera Floors specializes in custom finishing, installations and material sourcing for all of your hardwood flooring needs. As flooring contractors, we are always abreast of new techniques and materials in the industry, which allows us to grow while remaining environmentally friendly. As a certified CMP installer we can also perform self-leveling concrete installations. Every project represents our organization; hence our great strides to achieve perfection on each individual project.

Hardwood floors are an investment that will last for a long time with the proper installation and care. There are different modes of installation for engineered wood strips, solid wood strips, and parquet. With all modes of installation moisture testing is imperative to ensure proper installation. Installation can be a painstaking process but we take pride in leaving your home or business looking as beautiful as we found it. Our expert technicians have seen every situation and are proficient in the three different types of installation for hardwood flooring.

Nail Down/Staple Installation In this method we nail down or staple solid or engineered wood strips to the sub-flooring (usually either plywood or plank wood). The floor is done with random length strips. A few strips are placed down and arranged prior to fastening to ensure proper placement and tautness.Glue Down Installation In this method we glue down engineered wood strips or parquet directly to the sub-floor. In these cases the subfloor is usually concrete, so we pay extra attention to moisture.

With glue down installations, it is important to consider any kind of allergies and sensitivities to smell. We use an acrylic based glue which is more mild than some of the other options. Glue down installations can be walked on the next day and furniture can also be moved in.

Floating Installation In this method we glue together the tongue and groove of every plank and the floor floats over a foam cushioned padding. If the flooring has a locking system we can lock the pieces together without glue. This can be used with either laminate or engineered wood floor, but either way the flooring is pre-finished. Not all engineered surfaces can be floated. Floating installation can also be placed over sub-flooring of questionable quality unlike the other two modes. Also, floating floors are a great option if you have multiple layers of flooring and do not want to remove them all. With floating installation the wear layer is important to consider as the thicker the layer the more times it can be refinished. Generally, laminate flooring gives a hollow feeling underfoot with this mode of installation. Remember that floating floors expand and contract as a unit because the pieces are fused together. Allow for as much expansion area as possible.

Refinishing and sanding your hardwood floors is necessary to preserve their quality and beauty. Any refinishing is done solely to enhance the woods natural color and protect it from the elements. The best time to sand and refinish your hardwood floors is when you move into a new house or apartment as all of the furniture, rugs, etc. need to be removed from the area during the process. Proper refinishing should last about 10 years. However, high traffic rooms will need to be done more often.

Pre-finished Hardwood Floors These are the new main stream products in hardwood flooring. They can be acrylic impregnated, engineered, or solid. They have a tough factory finish, which is the main reason for its popularity. They are also extremely easy to install and eliminate the need for messy sanding. Most pre-finished floors done within the last ten years are urethane finished. Test this by placing a couple drops of water on an obscure area. If the area turns white after 15 minutes, you have a waxed finish. Older floors are likely to have shellac or varnish finishes. Unfortunately these do not work well with the newer urethane finishes and must be completely removed if you want a urethane finish. There is also likely to be some amount of aluminum oxide in the newer prefinished floors.

 Unfinished Hardwood This type of flooring comes in solid and engineered, and both must be job site finished. They come in varying lengths and widths. Sanding and finishing can take anywhere from a few days to a week depending on size, stain, and number of top finish coats. Generally the finishes are oil or water based. Our first priority is to protect the beauty of your home so whether you have finished or unfinished floors, we section off other areas and furniture to prevent sanding dust from spreading throughout your home. Our expert technicians also use dust containment systems to limit the amount of dust in the air. And with refinishing, it is important to have as little air flow as possible in the area as airborne particles can become embedded into the newly applied finish. Something as simple as foot traffic or turning on the air conditioner/heating system can kick up dust. So it is better to allow more time to dry to avoid problem areas in your floors.

Many things can happen to a floor over the years. Termites, cable holes, leaky roofs, sink overflows, cats, dogs and reconfigured spaces can leave holes or very odd-looking stains in your hardwood. All is not lost!

Boards can be replaced in such a way that no one will be able to tell that new wood has been added to the floors. When replacing boards, we take care to lace the new boards in with the old ones, so there is not a square or rectangle shape where the boards have been replaced.Other precautions are taken to match up the wood as best as possible. As wood ages, it darkens. This is why we purchase reclaimed wood in various sizes and species. If aged wood is not available for your floor, we take care to stain the boards that we are replacing to match the color of your existing floor as close as possible.

Custom Wood Floors are a medium of specialty floor coverings that includes, but not limited to these Types of Custom Wood Floors: Accents, Borders, Domestic Species, Exotic Species, Feature Strip, Inlays, Marquetry, Mixed Media, Medallions & Crest, Painted or stenciled, Parquet, Parquetry, Plank, Reclaimed & Recovered,Distressed, Specialty Products, Stained-Tinted or Colors Developed during the middle ages in Europe, elaborate designs, borders, inlays & medallions were crafted for significant buildings such as castles, & monasteries. Today these wood flooring styles are reflected in the modern day manufacturing and can be enhanced with something as simple as a strip border around the perimeter of the room or as ornate as a coat of arms in a foyer or a great room. Using exotic woods from around the world, these custom designs & patterns can add to and become the center focal point of any room. Giving each room a Custom-one-of-a-kind wood floor. Custom designs can give a homeowner a “one-of-a-kind” floor and is a wonderful way to put your personality and individual character in a home. The choices of pattern, design, exotic woods sources and an artistic flare can provide a limitless number of possibilities.

Floors with oil and urethane-type finishes are extremely durable. With just minimal care your floor will look beautiful for years to come. The key to preserving your floor is protecting its finish. Hardwood floors require minimal care, but it is important that you provide regular care.

Visit us online at: www.maderafloors.com

Visit our blog at: www.maderafloors.blogspot.com

Thanks

Madera Floors. Fairfax, VA.

 

 

 



Vinyl Siding For Your Home

Jeff Schuman asked:


e reading this article you have probably installed a new hardwood floor into your kitchen, or are looking to protect the floor you already have from being scratched or torn by your kitchen chairs. This article is going to tell you how to stop kitchen chairs from scratching hardwood floors.

One of the things you can do is to make chair leg covers for the very bottom of the legs. By putting leg covers on the bottom of the chairs legs you will be able to make sure the chairs do not scratch the hardwood floors. A pincushion is an example of a leg cover you could use.

If you cut the tops off of four pincushions, remove the stuffing, and hem the edges back together, you are able to put them on the bottom of the chairs. place the elastic next to the edge of the fabric to make it tight around the chair you just need to stitch a narrow piece of elastic around the top edge.

Other things that you can use to cover the bottom of the chair legs are hacky-sack balls, small doll pillows, or even tennis balls. All you have to do is cut a small portion off of the top of each of these items and slide them into the leg.

If you are a more crafty person you are able to make your own chair leg covers. All you are going to need is a small piece of a heavy fabric like felt, denim, or faux fur. You will need to cut a 4″ diameter circle to begin with. Take the circle and hem it by folding the fabric under a quarter of an inch twice and stitch around the hem. Place an 8″ elastic strip next to the edge of the hem and stitch around it.

You probably are trying to make the leg covers not noticeable and you probably think an elastic strip is going to stand out. The way to prevent the elastic from standing out is to hide it within the hem. The way to do this is before you sew the hem place the elastic next to the edge of the fabric. You will need to fold the fabric slightly over the elastic. This hides the elastic, makes sewing more difficult.

Chair leg covers are the best way to stop kitchen chairs from scratching hardwood floors. This article has given you some of the many ways to make chair leg covers to place over your chair legs. If you follow these ways you will be on your way to enjoying your hardwood floors without having to worry about scratching them.



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Margie asked:


We have a tongue and groove hardwood floor (not engineered or laminate). We would like to lay it ourselves and save some money. I thought we had to use a nailer, but am wondering if we can glue it instead? We are going to lay down felt and I saw a video on DIY network that showed showed them using glue on the tongue and grooves instead of nails. Does anyone know if this will work? Any good websites, videos or books? Thank you.

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Wes Fernley asked:


ght (c) 2009 Wes Fernley

You’ve been waiting a long time for your new hardwood flooring and not that you finally have it, you’re going to want to jump right into laying it as soon as possible so you can get your furniture rearranged how you want it and sit back and admire your new floor. However, there are a few things you need to consider before you begin. Although hardwood flooring is fairly easy to install with the right tools and instructions, you also need to consider finishing it and learning about caring for it before you begin. You’ve waited a long time for this beautiful floor and you want it to last forever so make sure you’re prepared. It will definitely be worth the wait.

Installation is the First Step

Hopefully, before you purchased your hardwood flooring, you did some research on installing it yourself, if that’s what your plan is or spoke with friends or family that have done this task. Installing it yourself can save you a lot of money and it’s not really that difficult if you have a general knowledge of the required tools and follow the directions carefully. If the directions call for a specific tools or instructions, do as they say. Don’t try to cut corners. You’ve made a wise investment in hardwood flooring as it’s low maintenance, beautiful and will last a very long time if installed and cared for properly.

Proper Preparation is Essential

Don’t even think of installing your hardwood flooring as soon as you bring it home. It needs to sit with the packages opened for at least 24 hours so it can be accustomed to the humidity and temperature in your home, specifically in the room where it will be installed. This will give you time to make the last minute preparations in the room such as cleaning and making sure the subfloor is level and without nails, staples, etc. Even when you think the room is ready, sweep or vacuum it one more time to be on the safe side. Now it’s time to get your tools ready. The main tools you’ll need for proper installation are tape measure, chop saw, power nailer, pencil and level. If you don’t have a power nailer, you can use a hammer and flooring nails but it will be more tedious this way.

Installing the Flooring

The instructions will tell you, and this is very important, to make sure you leave a space of at least ¼” to ½” from the wall on all sides as the flooring will “stretch” or expand after it’s installed. Don’t worry about the floor molding. It will fit perfectly after your hardwood flooring expands. The easiest way to lay your flooring is in the opposite direction of your floor joist so you can easily nail right into the floor joist as you’re installing. When you lay your first board down, make sure it is square to the room or the entire flooring will be installed unevenly. Nail into the tongue of the floor board so you’ll be hiding the nail with the next board. It continues in this way until you get to the other end of the room at which time you’ll have to cut the final boards to the correct width, remembering to leave the ¼” to ½” space.

Finishing the Hardwood Flooring Once your hardwood flooring all installed, you’re going to want to finish it as soon as possible. Although some people choose to finish the flooring before it’s installed, you’re risking a much greater chance of scratching or nicking the finished boards during installation. Once again, the importance of your flooring being clean can’t be emphasized enough. Sweep, sweep and sweep again.

The purpose of putting a finish on your hardwood flooring is not only to enhance the beauty of your floor but also to provide protection from the wear and tear it will get on a daily basis, especially if you have a large family and pets. Your choices of a finish may be varnish, water based or oil based finish, which you can find at your hardware of building supply store. They’ll also have samples so you can see what your finished flooring will look like. Each type of coating is going to have a different appearance. The most effective type of finish is those that penetrate into the wood because they give a better protective coating. Makes sure you get the type of finish designed to go with your flooring.

Once you get your type of finish chosen, you’ll also have a choice of gloss, which is how shiny you want your floor to be. Your choices will be satin, low gloss or high gloss, which are all dependent on your personal preferences. Low gloss finishes are usually used in homes but you can choice any type you prefer as they’ll all help protect your hardwood floor for many years.

Keeping your Hardwood Floor Clean

Gone are the days when all floors are mopped clean with Mr. Clean or a good dose of Pine-sol. Homes are being decorated more and more with wood products, veneers and laminates because of their beauty, ease of care and durability. As a result, we have a large selection of cleaning supplies designed just for these specific types of floor. You’ll find many types of cleaning supplies for hardwood floors. Make sure you choose a cleaning solvent that is appropriate for hardwood floor as well as for the type of finish you applied on your floor after installation. Avoid harsh products or ammonia-based cleaners.

Daily cleaning will only require a quick sweep and a slightly damp mop to pick up any remaining dirt or dust. To give your floor an extra fresh look, you can mop and wax the floor with wax designed for hardwood flooring. You’ll find that maintaining your hardwood floor requires very little work but it will provide you with a warm and elegant appearance throughout your home.

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Wes Fernley asked:


(c) 2009 Wes Fernley If you have hardwood flooring in your home, you appreciate the beauty, durability and value it adds to your home. Whether it was in your home when you purchased it or you’ve added the flooring to your home, you want to keep it looking as great as you possibly can. Hardwood flooring can add a lot of value to a home and it will last forever if it’s taken care of properly. Not only does this flooring add a lot to your home décor, but it can also take a lot in terms of wear and tear. If you have a large family and possibly pets, hardwood flooring is the right floor to deal with all this wear and tear. Unfortunately, too many people steer clear of hardwood floors because they mistakenly believe they are expensive and high maintenance. They don’t require any more maintenance than carpeting, linoleum, or tiles. They all require care and regular cleaning. The difference with hardwood flooring is that it will enhance the beauty of your home, increase the value and literally last forever. Keeping your hardwood flooring clean and looking great is simple and very inexpensive. Simple Cleaning Equals Beauty You may have heard that keeping your hardwood floor clean is a huge undertaking requiring a lot of work and money. Nothing could be further from the truth. A simple soft broom is all that’s required for your regular or daily cleaning. You don’t need expensive cleaning tools for regular cleaning. A soft broom will easily pick up all the dirt and dust that may accumulate each day. Carpeting hides the dirt, dust and pet hair, causing ruined carpeting, odors or allergies. Hardwood floors allow you to see the dirt so it can be swept up easily so your floor will always look great. If you have a vacuum cleaner that’s either designed for hardwood flooring or one that you can adjust accordingly, these also work great, especially with pet hair. Protective Coatings Many homeowners protect their hardwood flooring with a polyurethane coating or some sort of shellac to give it a glossy or semi-glossy finish. If your flooring has a coating such as this, your cleaning will be even easier. All your floor will need to keep it clean and looking great is a damp mop. It is important to remember that excess water is a hardwood floors worst enemy so make sure no water is left standing on the floor. Your mop should only be slightly damp. If you do have spots or stains that are not removed with a mop, a cleaning rag with water or cleaning solvent for hardwood flooring works great. There are several different cleaning solutions that come in spray bottles for situations such as this. They’re relatively inexpensive and last a long time because they are only used for those rare times when a mop doesn’t get it all. Preventative Cleaning The best way to ensure your floor is always clean is to prevent the dirt and grime from ever landing on your floor but this is not always going to be possible. Throw rugs and designer rugs are great for protecting your floor. They are also very much in style with hardwood floors. Rugs should always be by all exterior doors so shoes can be wiped off when they enter the home. With rugs being so popular today, you can find throw rugs that coordinate with your large area rug, giving your home a great look while protecting your hardwood floors.

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flatfoot asked:


I have very expensive wood floor that I just had redone. I have an old rocking chair that I still want to use but I am afraid that it will ruin my hardwood floors.
without having to use a rug

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John Rutledge asked:


Real hardwood floors are a stunning feature and a beautiful investment, but sometimes those striking qualities are covered by years of traffic and dirt. That’s where refinishing comes in, but it can be a challenging job for the do-it-yourself handyperson and requires a lot of patience. Overall, the job involves a lot of sanding, heavy tools and a whole lot of dust. Don’t worry though, all your hard will pay off with beautiful floors. Keep reading to learn how.

Start by deciding if you actually need a complete refinishing and/or if you need to do repairs:

- Drop a couple drops of water onto your floor. If it beads up or takes a long time to sink in, you can probably get by with just cleaning and polishing your hardwood.

- If the drop soaks in right way, the wood is exposed and needs to be refinished.

- If your floor is warped, badly stained, or squeaking, you will need to start with repairs before you refinish.

Before you begin a refinishing project, make sure your floor is at least ¾” thick. If the floor is thinner than this, you will probably want to seek professional help as the sanding process can strip away a lot of the floor surface. Typically, plank floors can be sanded more times than a tongue and groove floor.

Prep for your big refinishing job with the following steps:

1. Clear the room of everything, including window treatments. Even heavy items that would be very tempting to ignore will be best placed outside the room.

2. Cover light fixtures with a secured plastic bag. Try to position the bags so there are no holes allowing dust through.

3. Remove the shoe molding. Do this carefully, since you will be able to reuse the molding if it is not damaged.

4. Tape up any openings in the room, such as electrical outlets and light switches. Be especially careful with air vents, unless you want a house full of floor dust. You can close off the room with plastic sheeting.

5. Vacuum the floor before you begin sanding. Ensure all small objects - especially food - are off the floor.

Sanding

Your next step is sanding. A good sanding job works to level the floor and highlight the grain. You’ll start your first sanding session with what’s called a “drum sander.” These are typically available to rent at most hardware stores.

You’ll need to sand several times. With each level of sanding, work your way up to a finer and finer level of sandpaper. Most sanders start with a 20-60 grit and finish with a 120.

In between sanding sessions, clean the floor thoroughly. Vacuum up the dust and simply repeat the process. After your last pass with the sander, vacuum and wipe down the floors with a dry cloth.

Staining

Apply a clear sealant or stain to your refinished floor. Generally, you can choose between an oil-based or water-based product, but always follow the directions on the product. Depending on the brand, you may need to apply more than one coat.



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Rafal Maleszyk asked:


How to refinish hardwood floors?

If you have done small sanding projects, a little bit of carpentry it is time for next step and refinishing hardwood floor. I recommend to start with one small bedroom, don’t start in the hallway or whole house. Sanding wood floors is a time consuming project and it is better to learn on the small bedroom.

Tools you will need:

1.Good dust masks. Rent a good tools that have dustless refinishing system.

1.Main sander , this can be a drum sander or belt sander.

2.Edger which is to refinish the edges, close to the wall.

3.Buffer for the final smooth sanding of you hardwood floors.

4.Sand paper for each machine. For a small bedroom buy 40 grit 60 grit 80 grit 100 grit for the main sander, buy just one of each grit, for the edger the same grits but you will need 5 discs of each grit. If the supplier is close you can always buy  more if you need it, the use of the sandpaper depends on the finish that has been used on the hardwood floors. Some hardwood floors have been painted. If you would like to refinish painted hardwood floor make sure you buy a lot of paper. It is not recommended to sand paint since most of the paints will cause respiratory problems when sanded.

5.One 150 buffer screen and one 180 buffer screen.

5.vacume

6.Sealer, finish, brush and finish applicator.

You can rent those tools and the local rental tools place. In Hawaii especially on Oahu you can find couple places in yellow pages.

1.Vacumme the room first.

2.You will use the main sander first using 40 grit, make sure to sand wood floors with the grain(run the sanding machine the same direction that boards run)

3.Make sure you are sanding steady, don’t stop with the sander working.

4.Main sander will not get close to the walls, this is where you have to use edger. Use the same grit which is 40.You can take of the baseboards and install them back after the relishing is done. If you don’t want to install baseboards you will have to be very careful not to touch baseboards with the edger and then will have to manually scrape the unhanded area close to the baseboards.

5.Sand with main sander with 60 grit after that edger again with 60 grit.

6 Repeat the process using the 80 grit.

7. Reset the nails

8.Vacuume the floor very well.

8. Apply the wood filler with a large spatula.

9  Wait an until wood filler is dry. Drying time will be different depending where you are , of course in hot climate such as Hawaii, Texas, California at the hot sunny day after one hour filler is dry and wood floors ready to sand again.

10.Sand off the filler with 100 grit. If the filler did not came off completely after one cut, sand floors one more time.

11. Sand with edger close to the wall using 100grit.

12.Vacume sanded hardwood floor well. Make sure at this point to keep the floor dry and clean.

13.Using buffer sand with 150 grit.

14 Vacuum again and sand with 180 grit.

15 Vacuum again very well.

16 Apply hardwood floor sealer wait until dry.

17 Apply two coats of finish, follow manufacturer directions .

This is a simple way of refinishing hardwood floors.

Here are couple more things you should know. White oak and red oak floor are easy to refinish. Cheery and Brazilian cherry is easy too but is it a harder wood might need more paper. Maple is rather difficult to refinish and extremely hard to stain. Staining is a little bit more complicated then refinishing, the wood has to be sanded perfectly before you can apply stain. Bamboo floor can be sanded as well , it is better to use water based finishes on bamboo. Very popular environmentally friendly floor cork can not be sanded.



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