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How To Take Care Of Your Indoor Flooring?
In-home and office interior designs, the value of wood cannot be denied its timeless
visual appeal and natural beauty.
If you take proper care of wood floorings,
cabinets, installments, and claddings, you can expect them to survive for decades.
Let's take a look at the top ways to take care of your wood floorings and cabinets.
Wooden Floors Can Be The Highlight Of Any Home.
The Natural Strength And
Beauty Of Wood Has Been Used For Centuries And To This Day, Remains The Material Of
Choice For Flooring.
If You’ve Stripped Back An Old Victorian Floor, Had New Solid
Wood Or Engineered Flooring Installed, Or Even Used Reclaimed Boards, Looking After
And Maintaining Them Once They’ve Been Oiled Or Varnished Is Key.
It’s A Simple Fact
That Wooden Floor Finishes That Have Been Well Maintained Will Look Better And Last
Much Longer Than Those That Have Not.
So, What Is The Best Way To Look After And
Maintain A Wooden Floor? Well, You’ll Be Pleased To Know That It’s Not That
Difficult And Doesn’t Require A Great Deal Of Work.
To Help We’ve Produced A Lovely
Guide To Help You Keep Your Wooden Floors Looking Amazing
- Never use a wet mop to clean your wood floor either natural wood or HDF (high-density fiber).
- Use a damp mop to remove dust first, to make your floor dust-free.
- Use oil-based cleaners, do not use furniture cleaners to clean. Your wood floors will be slippery.
- Do not use alcohol, acids, or chemicals to clean your wood floors, It can damage your wood flooring.
- Always wipe parallel to grains direction, as that will clean the grooves much
better.
Use a microfiber towel to clean your wood floors, It will remove stains, clean your floor & make it shiny. - Remove spills immediately, long exposure to liquids will lead to damage.
- Use soft coasters under your furniture to prevent scratches.
- Regularly clip your pets’ nails to avoid deep scratches
- Don't expose to too much sunlight
A sun-kissed glow looks great for skin, but not on wood floors, inspect your wood floors once a month, and if there is any discoloration, it's time to apply a fresh topcoat. - Don't put any electronics directly on the wood floor, the heat generated from these devices will affect your floors negatively in the long run.
- Don't use a multipurpose cleaner
- Don't use the same cleaner for natural wood floors & HDF, each type has its cleaning liquid.
- Ventilate your home, good ventilation will make your wood floors healthy & live longer.
- The best atmosphere conditions to make your wood floors healthy are 30% - 50% relative humidity & 15- 25 ℃ temperature. Thankfully, these conditions are comfortable for us too.
- Use doormats to protect wood floors from street sand & mud.
- Always use felt protector pads on the underside of the legs of tables and chairs, and never drag heavy objects across your wood floors.
- Every few decades, sound and refinish your wood floor.
Typically, solid and engineered wood floors could be sanded and refinished several times up to 10 times according to the wooden top width.
Sanding and refinishing are typically needed every about 7-12 years according to age and care, After this process, your natural wood floors will return like new with the ability to change their color & finish.
How to Take Care of Your Kitchen Counters and Cabinets?
- Clean all food spills from wood surfaces immediately & thoroughly, most foods can damage wood finishes eventually.
- Prevent spilling of acidic food or juices as much as you can on wood surfaces, such as orange juice.
- Tea, coffee & other many drinks are great but will leave a bad-look stain on wood surfaces if they’re not cleaned immediately.
- When cleaning a wood surface, use a microfiber towel, do not use a dish sponge or washing as it may damage wood surfaces.
- Clean your kitchen cabinets and surface wring clean water & mild soap with a clean, lint-free rag.
- Use water sparingly and a towel to dry any excess, when water sits, it can penetrate the finish and raise the wood grains leading to a rough uncleanable surface in future.
- Wipe parallel to the wood grains direction, remove dust with the dry micro-fiber towel, it is your first step to clean your kitchen.
- Always use polish cream monthly to shine your kitchen instead of waxing, wax makes a shiny look but attracts dust.
- Be cautious of overuse of surface cleaners & sprays as they may contain silicon, which will make layers & layers order wood surface & results in a pale look with time.
- When it comes to wooden counter-top, it is very important to use “food grade mineral oil”.
- Use a ventilating fan when cooking, it removes the majority of airborne smoke & grease which other wishes may be absorbed by wood leading to a bad smell & yellowish stains.
How to Take Care of Wooden Pergolas & Outdoor Flooring?
Wood is a beautiful option for your outdoor flooring or pergola. Teak wood especially is very durable and has high resistance to outdoor conditions, (sunlight, heat & rain) even when installed directly as a pool decking.
You just need to give it some attention to keep it as beautiful as day one. Here are some tips for outdoor wood care.
- Pick up large debris like paper and fallen tree leaves at once.
- Use a vacuum machine to remove dust from the in-between grooves, it is much easier than whisking.
- Use a mixture of ammonia & warm water with a ratio of 1:4 to help you remove all the stuck dirt & debris, by wiping the wood with the mixture using a sponge mop.
- Wipe parallel to the grain.
- Let your wood either floors or pergola dry completely, at leave 3-5 hours temperature +15 ℃
- Use a floor cleaner especially made for your hardwood, it will always be an oil-based cleaner, not water or aqua-based.
- Teak wood has a natural oil that keeps mold down, this natural oil also works as an insect repellent & prevents wood from cracking when exposed to high temperatures.
- When wood is exposed to direct sunlight, this oil gradually evaporates over time, leaving a bad look with silver-grey discoloration. According to your country's weather, and the daily time of direct daily sunlight hours that your wood is exposed to, you will need to reapply oil to teak wood several times a year (between 4-8 times). Also, several climatic conditions & high UV index may cause the teak wood surface to change color to silver, then it is also time to reapply teak oil.
- When applying teak oil, follow the wood grains using a clean rag, and rub in well.
- Do not apply a heavy layer of oil, 70-100 grams is more than enough for each square meter.
- After one hour use a clean new rag to remove excess oil and let it completely dry before placing your furniture back to avoid spots.
- Always remove any spills immediately, to avoid spots. If you have spots, just apply a small amount of ammonia and it will disappear instantly.
- You don't have to use any insect repellant for teak wood, as teak wood grains are rich with silica, which acts as a natural repellent for insects & bugs. Also, teak wood grains contain natural rubber oil which is resistant to rotting when exposed to extreme conditions.
- Always wear rubber gloves, eye protection, and a mask while using any chemical materials.
Installation Methodology
(A) Sub-floors:
1-Wooden Subfloor:
In this type of subfloor, wooden beams made of red pine wood with 5cm square section
or 5cm by 4cm rectangular section are installed with 25 to 35 spaces of concrete to
level the floor, fixed with metal fixtures and concrete to be bonded with the floor.
Then, 1.6cm by 10cm section of same wood type are installed with about 2-10 cm spaces
in opposite direction to be a top subfloor laid in which wood floor fixation takes
place.
This is the traditional subflooring, used more than 100 years ago, always used up
till now in nailed down installation technique.
2-Wood On Tiles Sub Floor:
In this type, we use concrete tiles, mosaic tiles, low quality ceramic tiles instead of wood for the leveling process, Tiles are installed regularly and flush on concrete, and wood Slabs of 1.6cm by 10cm or sheets of 10mm plywood are fixed on it, This method also is used for nailed down installation technique
3-Concrete-based Tiles Subfloor:
Used always for glue down & floating installation technique, mosaic or ceramic tiles are installed directly using concrete, for leveling then wood floors are glued down on it, or floated on it using polyethylene sheets to proof humidity, temperature, and sound.
(B) Installing the Wood Floors:
1-Nalied Down Installing Technique
The most common & traditional way to install wood floors, wood tiles, or planks are to
be installed by nailing them down on wooden subfloors, the nails are inclined 45 degrees not vertical,
passing from the woodside directly fixing it to the subfloors a drum noise is heard
while walking on due to space empty spaces under the wood floor.
2-Gluing Down Installing Technique
Bonding the wood floors with the subfloors using the glue-down technique is a very good and cheap way
to install your wood floors.
using polyurethane (oil-based) D4
glue or D3 water-based glue is the best way to ensure a lifelong bond, as the glue can dissipate
shear stress resulting on it because of the different expansion coefficients between the wood & the
concrete tiles or ceramic tiles.
no drum noise is heard at all, You will get a
lifetime guarantee against debonding when purchasing from The Wood Court.
3-Floating Installation Technique.
Installing your floors using this technique makes them very easy to maintain as you can replace any damaged piece easily, the wood floors are floated over the subfloor, polyethylene sheet with 2mm thickness is placed between the wood & subfloor to isolate moisture and decrease sounds when walking on., This technique also makes it very easy to uninstall your wood floor and use it again in another place, leaving the subfloor without any damage.
Traditionally, you choose site-finishing when time isn't critical, new construction
and nobody lives on site (to avoid dust) it takes a long time, (4-6) days to send
and clean wood floors, ensure the site is clean, the environment is stable within
site, applying stain, sealing and top coating (about 3-4 coats), and wait for each
application to dry
Remember, no one can go through the site during the whole process, the smell of
finishing is not pleasant at all.
- Oil-based Polyurethane:
- Water-based Polyurethane:
- Natural-Oil finish
-Offensive odor
-Not expensive (moderately expensive)
-Multiple coats are needed to achieve a good finish
-Needs 3-5 days to walk on after application
Less odor
-More expensive
-More durable
-Dry faster (8-12 hours)
-Odor less
-Very expensive
-It-Easier to repair
-Walk on after 24 hours
-The finish stays consistent over time
-Healthy and environment friendly
When you get site-finished floors you get the seamless look, however, with weather swings, gaping from high temperature, humidity, to low & vice versa, this option fade away, as wood is a living product, it expands and contracts to lead to visible joints
2.Pre-finished:
In the last 25 years, prefinished floors started to grow, as hardwood floors manufacturing become more technical in this case, the floor finishing is part of the manufacturer's job, & the product shipped to your home is fin1ished and ready to be installed.
- The surface is more durable and anti-scratch due to aluminum oxide and diamond finish
- Installation is faster & easier dustless.
- You can walk on and put furniture immediately after installation.
Durability :
When the floor manufacturer finished the floor, he use special finishing lines,
which create a perfect environment to apply powerful chemical sealers such as
aluminum & titanium oxides embedded in a UV-cured urethane coat.
The result is harder than anything applied on-site, the finish lasts longer & carries a better
warranty for the homeowner
Easier installation:
Requires no sanding, no staining, no sealing, no top coating, all are pre-done in our
factory you just need your floors to be installed then you can walk on immediately!
Easier maintenance:
Due to the durable finish, you will not need to refinish your floor for a long time,
however, you can easily replace damaged pieces, or refinish with sanding & coating
as if you have installed site-finished floors.
Pre-finished floors have beveled edges, not square ones, not like site-finish which
can have either square edges or beveled ones
Uv-curing Finish:
It is the process in which the coat changes from liquid state to solid state under
ultraviolet rays instantly in a sealed finishing line, no no dust will stick to planks, so it results in a smooth
surface unlike site finish which is very hard to prevent very fine dust from
sticking to floors daring the long curing time and open environment
Sub. Floors preparation:
For site- finish, irregularity of subfloor is not a big problem as sending process
is enough to regulate the surface
In the care of prefinished floors, you need to ensure a perfectly flat subfloor
surface since you haven't the option of site-sanding
Engineered Hardwood Flooring
The word (engineered) before hardwoods is to indicate that the floor planks are made of multilayers
A. Base Layer
B. Top Layer
- A. The Base Layer :
The base layer is consisting of about 7-9 layers of plywood each layer is bonded with the previous one anty-grained [the grains each layer is 90° rotate to the previous one]
this method gives very high dimensional stability and makes the planks also to be installed over any leveled subfloors. - B. The Top Layer:
The top layer is the expensive wood type, it is bonded to the base layer under high pressure (about 5 kg/cm) and 70°c temperature, this layer can be sanded and re-coated several times [up to more than 6 times] according to its thickness 4,6 or 9 mm.
Now we can say engineered wood flooring has more dimensional stability, and less deformation in shape when exposed to high/low temperature or humidity because of the anti-grained bottom layer.
Time To Talk About The Finish?
You can ask for prefinished engineered flooring in which coating is a manufacturer in
the factory, not by the installer on site
This operation is done using very high coating technology [uv] technology, as they
protect are coated with polymers which change from liquid state to solid state under ultraviolet rays,
this finish is more durable and smoother, and the whole operation is done in sight special coating line in the factory.
At least (2) sealing coats, and (1)) layer of (anti-scratch) topcoat are applied to
planks, in addition to a staining layer (if needed) which is applied on
wood before applying the bottom and top layers, so it is guaranteed that under bad
usage, the color not able to be removed.
Comparison Between Solid & Engineered
| Wear layer The layer above the tongue and groove |
4,6,9mm as per request can be renewed several times ace to wear layer thickness |
From [6-9] mm upon request can be renewed several times over to wear layer thickness |
|---|---|---|
| Durability | Excellent | Very good |
| Maximum width of plank | Up to (30)cm | Up to (15)cm |
| Pre Finish | Present can be installed pre-finish with all installation Tech |
Absent can't be installed pre-finished except in very rare conditions |
| Installation technique | Floating Gluedown Nailed |
Gluedown Nailed |
| Time to install 100 ㎡ | 8-12 hours Only two technicians with hand tools |
80-100 hours using at least Four technicians, With hand tools & special machines |
| Maintaining | Easy to maintaining and replace pieces cleaning & Fast | Moderate to hard maintaining , with adhesives and chemicals which needs site to be empty |
Frequently Asked Questions For Indoor Flooring
They offer an elegant and timeless look that never goes out of style.
They also enable a look of spaciousness and lend a warm and
authentic feel wherever they’re installed.
Wood flooring offers a variety of appearances; from grain patterns
to colors, stains, and designs.
The floors are easy to clean as they do not accumulate a lot of
dirt, dust, and debris.
Wood floors have long-term durability and can last for generations.
They are a great long-term investment and can increase the value of
your property.
Properly installed wood floors increase and improve acoustics in the
room; suitable for music rooms and concert halls.
A healthy floor choice for allergy sufferers.
Wood floors are relatively easy to clean and maintain and can live in
harmony with pets.
However, they are vulnerable to scratches — hence
choosing a harder species of wood makes it possible to enjoy your
gorgeous floor without stressing about your pets.
A rustic or distressed finish is particularly a good option since it
easily hides signs of everyday wear and tears.
Alternatively, you may
want to select wood flooring with a lighter color and lower gloss
level to help hide additional marks that may occur.
Also trimming your pet's nails regularly will help.
Wood is a natural material, each plank features unique details and
therefore, you should expect there will be natural color variations.
Most people love these slight variations for added character and
charm that they offer.
The higher grade of wood flooring tends to
feature a more uniform color and minimal character marks whilst a
lower grade of flooring contains distinct variations in color.
Engineered woods have a variable top layer thickness compared to
solid wood.
Engineered floors can be refinished — and the
thickness of the top layer is the major factor contributing to this.
Here in the wood court, we manufacture a 9mm thick top layer that
can be sanded and refinished like as solid wood.
Yes, it’s possible.
If you want to install your floor over ceramic
tiles, a glued-down methodology, or floating are the available methods
choosing the suitable method is depending on the type of wood floors
you want to install, either engineered wood or solid wood, also
depends on the finish type, prefinished or site finish, dimension of
needed blanks may be a factor, you can contact the wood court and
take professional advice.
Gapping is fairly normal during the winter season due to changes in
humidity of the room which causes wood to dry out and shrink.
To
combat the issue, use a humidifier during the winter months to keep
your home within the required temperature — as long as the humidity
level is between 35-50%.
Depending on your wood selection, certain species tend to contract
and expand more than others.
Using an engineered wood floor will reduce the appearance of gapping
as it is more dimensionally stable than solid wood
In some instances, wood can be glued down over existing floors such
as laminate, vinyl, wood floors, and even some types of tile.
The existing floor has to be relatively smooth, free of major
imperfections, and fully adhered to the sub-floor.
The installer must follow the manufacturer's recommendation.
No, The thicker and better quality engineered woods will last for
years and years and can be refinished once or twice.
Also, the technology and factory-applied, UV-cured urethane finish
with melamine that is used today by the wood court make a tough &
durable finish and is available on both engineered and solid wood
floors.
Engineered and solid wood floors.
Engineered wood floors are also
much more dimensionally stable than solid hardwood flooring so they
can be used in many situations where solid wood is not
recommended.
Click Here To Learn More About The
Difference Between Engineered And Solid Wood Floors.
Today's wood floors do not require a paste wax to the finish and
paste waxes should not be used.
Most hardwood floors today have some
type of urethane finish and will cloud up and become sticky if a
paste wax is applied to the finish
The prefinished hardwood floor is sealed with multiple coats of finish at the factory.
The finish coats typically contain aluminum oxide, the second hardest substance next to diamond, to provide a hard-wearing protective finish.
Unfinished flooring must be finished on site after installation takes place.
Aluminum oxide cannot be used in the finish on-site because the longer drying time causing the aluminum oxide particles to sink to the bottom of the finish.
Site-finished floors usually are better at protecting against above floor moisture.
Engineered hardwood floors can be floated, but not solid hardwood floors, due to high expanding and contracting coefficient of solid wood floors, and bad dimensional stability
Moisture can cause many different problems for a hardwood floor, such as cracking, cupping, and crowning
. Over time, excessive moisture will destroy a wood floor, so it is suggested not to use water to clean the hardwood floors and mop up spills immediately.
click here to learn how to take care of your wooden floors
There is water caught between the wood flooring and the subfloor if
crowing or
cupping
occurs.
Crowning is when the centerboards are higher than the outer boards.
Cupping is when the outer boards are higher than the centerboards, it also
if any
moisture
marks found on any of your walls, sudden black stains on the wood floor
surface
started to
appear in some areas, if you saw any of these, its time to call an
expert
Well, it depends, if you will install prefinished wood floors, then the perfect time for installing is the high end when every single technician is out of your home expect the painter, you may need a painter to fill gaps between the skirting and the wall (if founded) but if you purchased site finish floors, you have to install them a bit earlier, but do not finish immediately after installation, minimum of 7-12 days are needed before site finishing to let the wood floors react with site conditions, wood moisture and temperature reach an equilibrium state, also in case of glued down installation technique, it needs time to ensure the glue has dried and cured.
Use plastic, foam, or felt discs under all the furniture legs..
These can be purchased at many retail stores, and are designed not only to reduce or prevent scratching but also to reduce or prevent movement of the furniture altogether.
Laminate flooring is an excellent choice when the look and feel of real wood are desired, but the cost is a major concern.
Part of the overall cost savings derived from installing laminate is in labor.
Almost anyone can install a laminate floor and get professional results.
Laminate flooring is an excellent choice for high-traffic areas and where damage from pets is a concern.
It is also an excellent choice for many commercial applications where scratch damage is a major concern.
Versatility is another factor to consider when choosing laminate.
If you aren’t trying to get the look of wood, laminate offers stone, metal, and ceramic patterns as well..
When you need to have real wood, there is no substitute.
Engineered hardwood gives you the beauty of solid wood and the stability of cross-grained construction
Discerning clients will demand real hardwood when shopping for a new home and if resale value is a concern, hardwood flooring will give you the highest return on investment.
While there are many fine, durable, beautiful kinds of wood, none hold a candle to teak..
Teak has a very high natural oil content which makes it almost decay-resistant, which is something that no other wood can boast.
Because of the high oil content, teak is essentially waterproof and does not crack or warp due to damp climates.
Teak is resistant to termites and other wood pests, which makes it ideal for projects that are usually vulnerable to termite infestation
Teak also gets to brag that it doesn’t crack or turn colors when exposed to metals, which makes it great for building long-lasting furniture.
Teak wood has been used to build boat decks — rather, battleships — for centuries because of its water resistance and strength.
Today, teak is used anywhere that any other wood is, and is popular for creating bath, spa, pergolas, and pool furniture because it allows the natural look of wood without the weathered appearance or swelling that other woods take on when exposed to humid environments.
Frequently Asked Questions For Outdoors
Coming Soon ...Check out our latest blog articles
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