HOW TO MAXIMIZE THE LONGEVITY OF YOUR HARDWOOD FLOORS

Hardwood is one of the earliest and most reliable flooring materials. When correctly installed and maintained, hardwood floors will last over a century as a matter of fact there are plenty of buildings today whose floors were installed at the early 20th century and are still exquisite. But in order for your flooring to last that long and still maintain its flair and luster, there are quite a few variables that have to be thought about out of purchase, setup, and maintenance of your hardwood floors.

Enhancing the Lifespan of your Hardwood Floors

Ideally, you want to take into consideration these factors when installing hardwood flooring:

Color
Texture
Board width
Rigidity
Finish

Some types of end are covered by the manufacturer for 10, 20, or even 50 years; nonetheless with superior solid hardwood and quality finish that you can expect a much longer lifespan.

Installation

Poor installation can cause damage to the wood, decreasing its projected lifespan. To stop this, it is advised that homeowners call in an expert hardwood flooring contractor who will follow all the instructions issued by the manufacturer. Low excellent installation may also invalidate the existing warranty.

Bear in mind the condition or application of this space before doing setup.

Care

One advantage of hardwood flooring installation is that it requires little maintenance. Periodic maintenance preserves the wood's appearance and extends its lifetime significantly. There are two chief elements that cause harm to hardwood flooring:

• Light: Use drapes or other methods to stop exposure to sunlight.
• Humidity: Extreme changes in humidity may also damage your flooring; also as water when left standing on the floor.

Wood is sensitive to fluctuations in the natural surroundings and as such ought to be held from undergoing random changes in warmth, moisture levels, and sun. With minimal disruption, it can last long without showing signs of aging.


Pointers to Help care for your hardwood floor:

• Wipe up water spills quickly
• Block out rain water and moisture during the wet season
• Vacuum the floor on a weekly basis
• Use a no-wax cleaner to remove any residue from the Ground
• Don't get furniture polish or hairspray in your flooring
• Use area rugs and door mats in high-traffic areas

Use the right tools for maintenance and cleaning to make the job easier and to get a lasting effect. Occasional hardwood flooring refinishing ensures that your flooring maintains its original shine and covers unsightly dents. The more effort you put towards maintaining your floor, the better it seems and the longer it lasts.

For Outstanding Hardwood Flooring, Contact Floor Sanding Fulham for Refinishing and Repair in the Fulham Region.

Floor Sanding Fulham Has more than twenty decades of experience with hardwood flooring installation, refinishing and fix in the Fulham Area. Our philosophy is to give the maximum quality workmanship and customer service, while working with clients to keep their projected budget and timetable. To speak with a representative now call 020 3369 4980 Or use our online contact form.
 

How Often Does Your Floor Need Oiling?

For domestic use, we recommend to oil wooden flooring every 2 years, you might want to do this earlier depending on how much your floors is used.

This also adds another layer of security against daily foot traffic or daily harms that may damage your floor.

If you are buying a range of flooring which comes oiled, we recommend oiling the floor again once it's been laid.

This is because your floors might have been saved for quite a few months, and maybe a little sterile. Re-staining your new flooring tops up the slight moisture that's needed. By doing this, you can also add more colour to the finish and increase its durability.

Recommended Decking Board Size

If you are in the throws of planning a decking project, there are probably plenty of questions going through your thoughts. You'll have decisions to make about if you choose a composite plank or whether you'll plump for hardwood. In any event, apart from choosing the proper material, it's also important to choose the right decking plank size. So how do you go about making sure that you make the ideal choice on this front?

When it comes to decking board size there are not any rules, but here are a couple of basic questions you want to ask yourself.

Just how long is my deck likely to be? If your deck will be extended, the temptation is to state that you want long boards, but that needn't necessarily be true. Quite often,'thinking beyond the box' may create some stunning results and save you money in the process. With a long narrow deck by way of example, you can use shorts and run them across the width of this deck to give an illusion of reducing the length and increasing the width. Another alternative is to produce a'pattern' in your own deck so that the length of your deck seems to be reduced. It may be that you decide to use different coloured decking boards to achieve this or you could choose to run the boards in a different direction at each end of your deck so as to bring in the length and emphasise the width. You might also use wide boards to deliver in the length of a long deck.

How broad is it likely to be? In precisely the exact same manner which you are able to make an illusion of decreased length by planning your board layout, you may even create an illusion of width using wide boards to make an illusion of greater width. What is more, you may select to run your planks across the width of your deck, instead of over the span, again to provide an illusion of greater width.

What shape will my deck be? If your deck will be octagonal or hexagonal, you're going to have the ability to benefit from having the ability to purchase a combination of long and short boards to be able to create your preferred shape should you plan your job carefully. Regardless of whether you intend to put your planks from the interior of your preferred shape or if you would rather put them across the entire width of this contour, you're going to have the ability to use a mixture of shorter and longer boards, which can reduce the price of your job and will raise the options you may pick from.

Do I need a traditional or contemporary look? There's no getting away from the fact that you can completely change the look of a deck by simply altering the width of board you select. You can create an extremely modern appearance by selecting extra-wide planks or indeed by picking extra-narrow boards. It truly is up to you what sort of picture you would like to create in addition to the furnishings you plan to incorporate in your finished project.

What fixing method should I use? There are just two means of fixing your decking planks: concealed and screw. Obviously , with screw fixing, you can see the screwsif they are sunken. With hidden fixing, all you notice are the ends of the boards; there are new screw holes to put up to try to camouflage. This means is that there's not any'sound' on the surface of the deck to detract from its great looks if you pick a hidden fixing. As a result of this, with concealed fixing, there is no reason why you can not opt for a shorter board, which will normally increase your choice and reduce your cost.

What is the footfall in my deck inclined to be? If a deck will undertake a large quantity of traffic through its life or will be requested to support heavier weights, like furnishings etc., then you would be best to opt for a thicker board. The explanations for that are twofold. To guarantee stability for heavy weights, you have to be certain that your decking planks are adequately thick and powerful to supply the support you want. Thereafter, in case your footfall will be large, you will need to have the capability to re-sand and re-finish your deck lots of occasions in its lifetime.

How large is my funding? If you're on a strict budget, then the more flexible you are on the plank size you pick, the broader your choice will be. When it's true that you're fully open minded, then you are going to be in a position to avail of special offers, select shorter, cheaper planks or perhaps use a mixture of plank lengths and widths inventively so as to cut down prices. In effect, the more flexible you are, the longer you stand to store.

If you want to chat through your decking project by an expert, all you want to do would be get in touch. We're here to help.

HARDWOOD FLOORING CAN GO THE DISTANCE

The thing about carpets is that there's only so long that they can look perfect for, as even the tiniest of spills and minimal amounts of dirt could easily build up- leaving rugs looking drab. Professional carpet cleaning can reestablish carpets to some degree, but over time, carpets can become worn beyond repair.

The fact that carpets can have very restricted longevity is very likely to be one reason supporting the unbelievable popularity of hardwood flooring.

There are several varieties of hardwood flooring out there which are really durable and which can go the distance- Oak, walnut, ash and Jarrah to name but a few.

With only a mean amount of attention, fantastic quality hardwood floors can endure for years, and unlike carpets, which have to be thrown out when they are past their best, hardwood flooring can simply be renovated.

Flooring professionals can renovate hardwood flooring professionally, fast and cost-efficiently- and an extremely experienced professional can guarantee that it appears equally as great as the day it was first fitted.

Thus, if you're searching for flooring which may extend the distance and that won't let you down after a few short decades, take a look at hardwood flooring.

Happy Employees Makes For Happy Clients!

Floor Sanding Fulham is a family owned and company that was set in 1996. We're pleased with our employees and treat them as family.  Happy workers produce happy customers! Call Floor Sanding Fulham For all of your flooring needs in 020 3369 4980 .

Choosing the right kind of flooring for your child’s bedroom

Everybody wants the best for their children, and the sort of materials that you have in your child's room will inevitably have an impact on their surroundings.

Choosing the right sort of flooring for your kid's bedroom therefore will not simply make you feel more happy, but it will also help offer a fun, loving, and secure setting for your child's development.

Experts in the Area of flooring and home décor, we could help you decide on what's Ideal for your child and your home, so let's take a look at what's on offer:

Engineered flooring

There's no doubt that as your children grow, the amount of scuffs and bumps appearing around your house will inevitably grow.

For this reason, it's always best to lay a floor that's resilient to a whole plethora of creative scrapes and knocks.

Engineered wood flooring isn't just one of the most attractive and wide-ranging kinds of floors that you could buy, but it is also among the most hard wearing.

Able to survive throughout childhood, it is suited to your new born baby as much because it's a teenager.

In addition, we have a gorgeous variety of thick, comforting rugs available in our store for those looking for something somewhat comforting beneath their toes.

Laminate flooring

A type of flooring that offers the beauty and rich look of wood, laminate flooring is popular for children's bedrooms throughout the nation.

An excellent choice for anyone looking to design an area with allergies in mind, laminate floors is easy to sweep and clean, which means that it is quite difficult for dirt, pollen, and animal dander to collect.

Somewhat thicker than engineered floors, laminate flooring are also amazingly hardy, meaning they can take anything that a child could throw at them.

Should you happen to have an accident which renders an unfortunate mark, they're pretty easy to fix. Call our experts for more information!

Luxury vinyl tiles

Like laminate floors, luxury vinyl tiles are also 100% waterproof and are amazingly resistant to both stains and scratches.

Offering a nice selection of styles and designs from a number of the most reliable brands in the nation, it is rare that you will not be able to find a luxury vinyl tile to your youngster's bedroom.

Luxurious vinyl tiles can also be perfect for people on a budget, or for families that need to rapidly replace their youngster's floor.

Some luxury vinyl tiles come with specialised click systems, which means that they are both easy to build, and require very little preparation work.

Like all the flooring already mentioned, luxury vinyl tiles are also quite simple to clean and promote hypoallergenic surroundings thanks to their sleek and durable surfaces.

Refinishing Your Hardwood Floors

How long does it take?

The length of time depends on the details of the project (i.e. how many coats of poly, if you choose an oil based poly or water based poly, -Check out our blog about the pros and cons of water vs. oil-, if you’re doing a stain vs. keeping it natural, square footage, etc.)

From start to finish (not necessarily including drying times) the sanding and refinishing can take 4-7days.

Usually, the first day is designated to prepping and sanding the floors. We sand off all the old finish down to the raw hardwood. This is a multistep process to ensure the best possible outcome. Different sanding machines are used, each having its own important purpose and contribution to the whole sanding process. It’s meticulously done in steps, or layers; starting with big machines and course grit paper, and gradually working our way to hand sanding using a finer grit paper. Each step is important and is done with care.

On the second day, if you chose to stain your hardwood floors, this is when the stain is applied. However, if you chose the option of “water-popping” your floor, that will be done just before the staining. If you are keeping the floors natural; the water pop and staining steps are replaced by applying the first coat of poly.

On the third day, the first coat of poly will be applied onto the stained hardwood. However, if keeping the floors natural, (and assuming the climate and temperature is in our favor) this would be the day we apply the second coat of poly on the hardwood.

On the fourth day, we will screen, wipe the floors down with mineral spirits and apply the second coat so long as the first coat of poly is dry. It’s not uncommon in humid climates for the poly to take longer than 24 hours to dry. If keeping the hardwood floors a natural finish, this would be the last day for the process as this is when the final coat of poly is applied.

As a general rule- 24 hours is more than sufficient drying times for oil based polyurethane.

On the fifth day, we screen, wipe the floors down with mineral spirits and apply the last coat of poly.

It is best to wait 24 hours from the last coat of poly to walk on the floors with socks. After 48 hours, you can walk on the floors with shoes. However, you need to wait 4 full days to put furniture on the newly refinished hardwood floors.

In short, the sanding and refinishing process can usually take 4-7 days from start to finish. There are variables that affect how long the process will take. For example, a natural finish is usually a faster option because you are not adding a day staining the floor. Depending on square footage, we can sand, water pop and stain the floors on day one.

It’s always best to prepare for more time than less.

Can we walk on the floors during the process?

No. When sanding and refinishing, the floors cannot be used or walked on. When applied, the stain and polyurethane are wet. Each coat needs at least 24 hours to dry, in humid climates more time may be needed.

How long after the last coat of poly can we start using the floors?

After the last coat of poly has been applied you can walk on the floors with socks after 24 hours. To walk on the floors with shoes you have to wait at least 48 hours. To put furniture on the floors, it is best to wait 4 full days.

What if I already moved in/live in the home?

This is a bit tricky but not impossible. It just takes some coordination and maneuverability. First, we would need to figure out if there is a way for you to stay in the home while this is being done-although this isn’t completely recommended as the smell of both oil base poly and stain can be overwhelming. Second is to determine what will be done with the furniture. In cases where the homeowner has already moved in with furniture, we have to sand in 2 phases to accommodate for the furniture storage. For example, we can sand and refinish the living room entryway and den. Then phase two is the dining room and kitchen.

How long should the pets stay off the floor?

We recommend keeping the pets off the floors for at least 2 weeks.

Should we paint before OR after you sand and refinish the hardwood?

Some companies say it’s best to sand the floors and then paint. However, our honest opinion is to paint walls and cabinets first. Have the floors sanded and refinished and then have the kick plates (kick plates are the finished pieces under the cabinets) either installed or painted along with the base and shoe molding.

How long does the newly sanded and refinished floor usually last?

This is entirely dependent on the care of the floors. However, as a general rule, it’s best to have the

floors screened and recoated every 5-7 years.

How much dust will there be?

Here at Floor Sanding Fulham, we strive to keep the dust to a complete minimum. We use a system that drastically reduces the amount of dust released by the machines. Many of our customers compliment just how clean and careful we are with the dust. While even the dustless containment system isn’t 100% dust free, it will reduce the amount of dust left behind by about 85-90%.

Is there a smell?

Yes there is a smell. While the severity of the smell is a matter of perspective- we typically recommend staying out of the house while the sanding and refinishing process is taking place.

Feel free to call  020 3369 4980 to set up an in-home consultation for your Sanding and Refinishing needs in Fulham and the surrounding counties.