Genuine Wood Flooring - Selecting A Wooden Floor
Simpler to clean than rugs and carpets, they hold much less dirt, are home to far fewer dustmites and last much, much longer. Wood floors have been a standard and dependable house feature for generations. Thanks to their classic, yet sophisticated appearance and feel, a wooden floor is far superior to carpeting, lino and tiles.
How Your Floor Feels
The way your wood flooring feels and looks, is typically personal preference, and the exterior finish of your flooring can be changed using numerous products in various quantities. Your wood floor will be completed by the application of a varnish or acrylic lacquer, after it has been treated with a wide range of waxes, oils and lacquers to provide it with the look that's desired. Floors which have been varnished have the shiny, smooth appearance which one attributes to wooden floors . Wood Floors that have been oiled with wood oil or wax, have absorbed the oil product and possess a characteristic damp sheen to the finished overall look.
Choosing The Ideal The Ideal Grade Of Wood
Wood Floors come in a number of 'grades'; determined by a widely recognised system of gradation utilised across the country. Probably the most cost-effective grade will be 'Rustic'. This particular grade might have small knots and differences in colour throughout the floor. A lot of customers appreciate this variation and actively look for Rustic floors. At the top of the range is 'Select'. Select is guaranteed to be without any kind of knots and has a uniformity of colour. For a 'perfect' floor, this should be chosen. With that being said, the grades are frequently seen as a reflection of style instead of quality. A Rustic floor should last as long as a Select floor.
Selecting The Right Type Of Timber
The ideal timber for a wood floor is hardwood. This is on account of softwoods (as the name suggests!) generally being too soft for persistent use and the load-bearing task that floors must perform. Hardwoods range from maple through beech to oak, etc., and are all suitable for use as floor planks. Pine and other softwoods are not suited to use as wooden floor materials, due to their fragile and much more pliant characteristics.
Maintenance
Wood Flooring can be looked after and cleaned in a simply manner. As with any other surface area in a person's home that's cleaned with a cloth or mop, the wood floor can be cleaned in much the same way. It is advised that cleaners try to adhere to the usage of non-solvent based cleaning liquids (and polishes), as the lacquer on the floor can be subject to corrosion or degradation whenever 'attacked' by solvents for an extended period. Oiled floors need a “top up” of oil on a twice-yearly basis. The oil may be applied using a cloth and rubbed in lightly all over. It's advisable that one uses natural wood oils rather than lower priced chemical-based alternatives.
Are Hard Wood Floors A Good Investment?
A high quality hardwood floor is a far better investment than the latest Television or even a brand new sofa. A well fitted and looked after wood floor is going to last a lifetime. Homes from the Victorian era and before retained their wooden floors for this reason. To be able to ensure a lifetime of satisfaction from your wood floor, hire a professional who's going to adjust the installation to compensate for the shrinking and swelling that occurs annually because of the weather conditions. Even when a home is torn down, often the wood flooring is re-sold, re-treated and used once again since their usefulness simply takes generations to run out.
Health Qualities
There is no question that a wooden floor is so much healthier for you and your loved ones. Apart from being straightforward to keep clean, the oils have anti-bacterial properties and keep the floors free of bacteria even when they are not being cleaned. Carpets are a haven for just about everything unhealthy for yourself and your family, dust mites, pet hair and waste material, as well as each and every bacteria which is walked in onto the carpet, and the truth is, the bugs will continue to multiply in your carpet since conditions are perfect for bacteria to reproduce. On your wooden flooring, you simply wash the bugs and the dirt easily away.
Hardwood floors are the past, present and future. Never has such a simple idea been put to great use. The innate qualities and benefits of wood floors outweigh the benefits of every other flooring out there. If you want to improve the appearance of almost any residence, hardwood floor experts like Fortune Flooring can help you install the perfect timber flooring, and improve the look of every residence.