HOW TO DEAL WITH COMMON HARDWOOD FLOORING PROBLEMS

Hardwood flooring remains a favorite choice for home improvements and updates. However, this beautiful flooring also will come with a list of common problems that require a little bit of knowledge and the right approach. Get the most from your wood flooring investment by learning how to take care of hardwood flooring.

Use a dry mop or microfiber broom on hardwood floors to prevent damaging the end and adding excess moisture to the surface. Wood floors cup, crown and buckle if subjected to moisture, as well as one wet mopping incident can harm your own hardwood.

Wipe up spills quickly and efficiently, paying special attention to the gaps between planks. The end provides a specific amount of protection on the flooring bits, but these openings allow moisture to enter the room under and absorb into the wood.

Prevent using steam cleaners on hardwood too. Consult your flooring retailer about great quality wood flooring cleaners that are developed for the finish applied.

Dealing With Smudging and Smearing

Hardwood flooring using a high gloss finish presents a challenge to homeowners. Though this shiny look complements modern decor, it also permits smudges and smearing to stand out.

Normal polishing is the best way to eliminate those markers. Strategy to wash or wipe the floors on a daily basis to retain the high gloss appearance and avoid smudging and smearing. Pets frequently leave marks on shiny floors, as do family members walking barefoot. A matte finish works great in such scenarios and lessens the amount of maintenance required for a pristine area.

Handling Oxidation

Strong hardwood floors naturally darkens over time, especially when exposed to sunlight. This

procedure, known as oxidation, can depart a blotchy, spotted finish on your room, based on the location of windows and other sources of organic lighting.

Bright and bright rooms darken hardwood floors clearly. Should you opt to move furniture following the oxidation procedure has happened, you are going to find lighter areas of wood beneath. These patches will darken with exposure to sunlight, but it takes time.

Another way to lessen the risk of discoloration due to oxidation involves window treatments. Keep direct sunlight from contacting the ground and you can significantly reduce or prevent oxidation altogether.

Dealing With Complimentary or Noisy Boards

Faulty installation and insufficient subfloors will be the most probable cause of hardwood floorboards and squeaking, noisy flooring. Did your floor installer use thin particle board for the subfloor? Are the floor joists spaced too far apart or lacking the mandatory blocking pieces? Both of these issues result in loosened boards, which most often creates sound and other corrosion.

Insert nails or glue to the flooring planks and inspect the subfloor, if at all possible. Put in blocking wedges between floor joists to avoid movement and think about replacing diminished subfloors. This undertaking requires an extensive investment in money and time, but it may be the only option for certain noisy floorboards.

The fear of hardwood flooring issues should not dissuade you from buying this gorgeous item. Durable, attractive and extremely valuable, hardwood floor presents many benefits that far outweigh issues like smudging, oxidation and noisy boards. An efficient cleaning routine will keep your hardwood looking stunning for years to come.

Unfinished or Finished Hardwood Flooring?

Together with hardwood flooring alternatives, it actually comes down to what works best for you. This is exactly the same when selecting whether to buy unfinished or finished hardwood flooring. But before getting into the particulars of each we must check into the reasons behind the choice you're given.

Natural means unpredictable

Wood is a living breathing thing, even when it's removed from its home in the forest, cut to pieces and processed in the mill. This is a element that you must understand when buying any kind of hardwood flooring. Moisture and temperature will influence the flooring in various ways, particularly when it comes time to purchase finished or unfinished hardwood flooring.

Knowing the Difference

This basically means each board has not had the finish applied to the surface. Installation of this kind
of flooring is best left to the professionals as it requires a degree of ability in trimming, finishing, and installation that many weekend warrior home owners simply do not possess. Another major drawback of purchasing unfinished hardwood is that through the application of the finish the homeowners shouldn't be within the house for at least three times due to the overwhelming smell and fumes given off from the finish.

Prefinished signifies the floorboards comes from the factory precoated in the final finish. This factory process helps to ensure that the jacket is placed on in an even coating and without defects. Possessing the boards prefinished also remove the climate factor when installing the flooring. With unfinished the installer should constantly know about the humidity inside the room or else floors might warp and buckle after the finish is used. Prefinished is also easier for setup functions as there isn't any need for sanding or completing so the procedure can be generally be done in a day or so based on the square footage. Of course the prefinished flooring can still twist and enlarge with sudden changes in the climate in the home so those amounts should always be monitored, nevertheless with prefinished it is more pliable.

For many people and projects I would advise going with a prefinished item. Coming out of a mill you're guaranteed a degree of quality that's hard to duplicate with unfinished boards. Nevertheless, in case you have a particular project in a layout which may need something entirely unique that a producer can't supply then by all means go with an unfinished item. Just make sure you employ a setup company that's totally equipped and experienced to manage the difficulties.