However, the return to natural materials like hardwood is not without some problems of durability and loss of the easy cleaning features of solid synthetic materials. A hardwood floor is a natural lumber product which is porous in nature, making it less durable than most modern flooring materials. To increase the durability of hardwood floors, manufacturers generally chemically treat their planks. Each treatment type come with advantages and preferences of personal style and taste.
Our view is that a hardwood floor is most desirable for the dining room. A dull finish is preferable, as a polished floor is easily scratched and soon spoilt in family use. A well cared for floor hardwood floor is perhaps is a beautiful and durable flooring but love it for its rugged imperfections as it will not stay perfect for long.
A hardwood floor is hygenic, hypoallergenic, and easy to clean. If you think they are expensive or cold this need no be the case. There have been great advances in the past ten years in underfloor insulation and heating. A good natural floor is an investment that that will last for years.
Finishes are one of the most important features of hardwood flooring and will strongly influence your decision about what floor to select. In 1999, a new generation of finishes was widely introduced into the hardwood flooring industry. If you buy one of these brands, the finished boards as delivered, require nothing beyond being installed.
Pre-finished flooring is merely oak or any other hardwood flooring that has been sanded and stained at the flooring mill, prior to delivery to you. Furthermore, to reduce installation costs, all of the flooring supplied is tongued and grooved on all four sides. Pre-finished floors with titanium are really robust and hard wearing. You might say that they are as hard as nails. Whether it’s oak, maple or cherry with the finishes available, you are sure to find a color that delights your soul.
Wood flooring is timeless and the lumber it is made from is a natural resource, renewable and recyclable. For natural beauty, it's hard to beat the warmth of real hardwood flooring. Wood floors can be vacuumed as well, just make sure to use a soft brush or a vacuum cleaner without beater bars. This type of flooring is very forgiving when it comes to surface wear and minor damage. Most problems can be prevented simply by keeping the floors free of dirt and grit.
In a damp environment wood will absorb moisture and this causes it to expand. As it dries again it contracts so keep wood as much as possible within constant humidity. Wood flooring will perform best when the interior environment is controlled to stay within a relative humidity range 30% to 50% and a temperature range 60F to 80F. On the web there are charts available which indicate the moisture content wood will likely have at any given combination of temperature and humidity.
Solid hardwood flooring, tends to be more expensive per square foot than laminate so mistakes made during installation can be substantially more expensive than working with engineered hardwood flooring or laminate flooring. However, the more expensive initial cost outlay is normally repaid with interest because solid hardwood floors will last a lifetime, where carpet and laminates may need replacing after just a few years.
Hardwoods can also be cleaned more thoroughly than carpet, which can trap dust and germs and are irritating in general, and which are health hazards to those with allergic sensitivities.
Cleaning hardwood floors is one of the simplest chores in the world. Go over them whenever needed with a soft broom, and every couple of weeks, vacuum them with the soft brush attachment.
Clean floors are a must because researchers believe a microscopic insect (the dust mite) could be responsible for asthma's rising tide. Hard wood floors will not house or incubate harmful allergy causing bacteria and molds.
Cleaners which are oily or waxy should be avoided. Not only do oily or waxy products on floors dull the sheen and damage the wood, they also cause chemical changes in the wood which make re-coating the floor at a later time difficult because the wood no longer has the needed bonding power.
Cleaning laminate floors is simple and easy when you have the right products. A company called Quick Step has also made available a fix repair kit for all of their laminate floors that can be used to fill minor nicks and chips.
Wood flooring is both hard-wearing and extremely pleasing to the eye. Wooden floors add warmth, character and natural beauty to any decor. Due to the very nature of the product wood floors are extremely durable and with sensible use and good care can last a lifetime.
