When it comes to redesigning or building your home, it’s important to be informed about the flooring options on the market and which ones will best suit you. Suppose you consider installing hardwood floors as an essential part of your home style, but you are indecisive and want a more precise idea of what it takes to install and care for hardwood floors. we’ve rounded up the best advice from home hardwood flooring experts to help you make the right choices. Read on for all you need to know about the latest questions in hardwood flooring.
How to choose and install hardwood floors?
Choosing hardwood floors depends on several factors, and also the way they’re installed. Selecting the hardwood type depends on the species’ personal preference such as width, color, texture, grain, and finish type/sheen. Choosing solid vs. engineered relies on the type of sub-floor, the wood product’s width, humidity levels/temperature in the space it’s being installed, and personal preference.
Whether you nail, staple, glue down, or float a floor depends on the type of sub-floor, the type of wood, the potential need to sand/refinish in the future, and personal preference. We can help answer all of these questions with a visit to our showroom, a phone call, and/or free site evaluation.
How do I make my hardwood floors shiny? / How to polish hardwood floors?
It’s important to know what type of finish is on the floor before applying anything to increase the sheen.
European oil style finishes are complicated, and a homeowner should consult a professional hardwood floor contractor. If the finish is a fully cured polyurethane, UV cured urethane, water-based urethane, or conversion varnish; the best way to make the floors shiny is to do a full recoat process which includes cleaning the floor, abrading the floor, and then coating the floor with the appropriate finish to achieve the desired sheen.
It’s essential to use products that are specifically formulated to clean and polish hardwood floors. Once a popular choice, white vinegar should never be used as a hardwood floor cleaner because its acidity can lead to etching in the wood’s surface.
Several products on the market are labeled polish or refreshers meant for older wax-based thermoset style finishes, including Basic Coatings, Hardwood Floor Refinisher, and Bona Wood Floor Cleaner.
If the finish is a fully cured polyurethane, UV cured urethane, water-based urethane or conversion varnish, simply clean the floor with a product that is labeled safe for use with these types of finishes and then apply a light uniform coat of floor refresher with a clean kitchen sponge mop. This process will provide a uniform sheen, fill in micro scratches, and revitalize the floor’s luster.
How to care for hardwood floors?
Use a dry or slightly damp cloth to immediately wipe up anything you spill, avoiding wet or steam mops, which the NWFA (National Wood Flooring Association) says will cause more damage over time. Sweep or dust the floors every other day to prevent it from settling into the grain and between floorboards and vacuum it weekly. Avoid damage to your hardwood floors, use rugs by the front door, avoid high heels, and place pads under furniture legs.
What are the different types of wood floors?
Solid hardwood flooring is all wood and comes 5/8 to ¾ inches thick and can be refinished many times to change the color or for wear and tear cleanup. Engineered hardwood flooring is a veneer of real wood glued to several wood layers underneath like real plywood. Unfinished hardwood flooring is raw wood delivered to your house, installed, sanded, and finished. The advantage of unfinished flooring is that this becomes a custom floor. The advantage of prefinished flooring is that you can achieve a perfect finish because it is produced in a dust-free atmosphere.
How to stain hardwood floors?
A complete and thorough sanding process will ensure proper results when staining hardwood floors. The floors must be sanded, with the grain of the wood, with at least three different grits of sandpaper. Usually one would start with a 40 grit, then move to a 60 grit, and then fine up with a 100 grit sandpaper. Then the floors need to be edge sanded in the same manner, ending with a hand sanding on the edges. Then the floors need to be buffed down with a fine mesh screen, 120 or 150 grit, to tie in the different knaps from the different machines used. Vacuum the floor thoroughly and then apply the oil-based stain in narrow strips evenly wiping any excess stain. The floors should then have two coats of an oil-based polyurethane applied.
How much does it cost to install 1000 square feet of hardwood floors?
The cost of installing hardwood flooring can vary immensely. How much you’ll spend will depend on the square footage of hardwood flooring you wish to install and what type of wood you want.
One of the most popular types of hardwood flooring is oak wood. You can choose between red oak flooring and white oak flooring.”
Red oak flooring may cost about 2 dollars to 6 dollars per square foot, while white oak may cost about 5 dollars to 8 dollars per square foot.
How to deep clean/disinfect hardwood floors?
This seems like it should be a simple answer, but it’s a bit more complicated. Wanting to deep clean after you move in/move out of a home, or perhaps once someone has been sick and recovered, that would be time for a good deep cleaning.
Hardwood is tricky because of the many types of hardwoods and finishes applied to the hardwood flooring. First, you’ll want to sweep up and/or use a vacuum for hardwood.
This will make sure there aren’t any small pebbles and debris to scratch your floor. Then I recommend a mist and wipe method rather than mop and bucket. Too much moisture on hardwood isn’t suitable for the floor. You mist your floor with the cleaning product and use a soft microfiber cloth to wipe it up. Many products on the market say they are safe for hardwood, which kills 99.9% of germs.
Before introducing a new product to your floor, test it in an inconspicuous area such as a closet to ensure no product’s adverse effects. If your floor is prefinished or a new install, speak with the manufacturer or company you worked with about cleaning products they recommend.
Choosing not only the right hardwood flooring for your home but how to take care of it can have a huge impact on your maintenance costs as well as your overall satisfaction with its appearance. We hope that this advice from hardwood flooring experts will aid you in choosing the best hardwood flooring for your lifestyle and needs.
How to remove paint from hardwood floors?
When removing paint from your wooden flooring you want to make sure that you do not leave marks on the wood or harm the finish.
For removing water-based paints, dip a rag in soap and water and rub the stain for a couple of minutes. Then try to remove the stain with a dry rag and a plastic scraper or a dull butter knife. For oil-based stains or stains that just won’t come off, use a product like Goof Off to remove the stain. Use it sparingly to avoid harming the finish.
