Category: Flooring

Ingredient Homemade Wood Floor Polish Recipe

You only need household ingredients to make your own Homemade Wood Floor Polish. This solution  is a safe and effective way to clean and restore shine to dull and aging wood floors.

Cleaning wood floors must be done with a little extra care than cleaning tile and linoleum. Cleaners with harsh chemicals can strip wood floors, leaving them dry and brittle. Cleaning wood floors with water can be done, but you must take great care in making sure that no water is left behind on your floors, or they could warp. The same can be said for wood laminate floors as well. Harsh chemical cleaners can cause laminate to discolor and can even wear away the top layer of the laminate. Water can cause warping and buckling in laminate floors too. You can easily and inexpensively make your own wood floor cleaner/polish using a few items from your kitchen pantry, and get those floors looking like new again!

WHAT’S IN HOMEMADE WOOD FLOOR POLISH?

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 tablespoon of distilled white vinegar

15 drops of lemongrass essential oil ( optional for fragrance )

2 cups of warm water

HOW DO YOU MAKE YOUR OWN WOOD FLOOR CLEANER?

Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a clean squirt bottle. I used an old floor cleaner bottle that I washed thoroughly.

Add 1 tablespoon of distilled white vinegar.

Add 15 drops of lemongrass essential oil. This step is completely optional. I like to add the lemongrass oil for fragrance. You could alternatively use lemon or orange essential oil or completely skip this step.

Finish it off by adding 2 cups of warm water.

Shake well before each use. Because there are no harsh chemical binders in this floor cleaner/polish, the ingredients will separate between uses. Just give it a good shake before each use and it will work perfectly.

Difference Between Luxury Vinyl Plank and Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring is a type of flooring that simulates wood (or occasionally stone) on a much cheaper budget. Created from multiple layers of synthetic materials that are laminated together, this creates a great aesthetic while having several practical advantages as well.

Meanwhile, luxury vinyl flooring is another synthetic flooring option that mimics many of the best qualities of hardwood and tile. However, there are some differences between Luxury Vinyl Plank and Laminate Flooring, which may make one more suited for your own purposes. Read on to learn which is right for you, and where the differences lie.

Difference Between Luxury Vinyl Plank and Laminate Flooring

So, what is the difference between these two synthetic options? The biggest difference is that vinyl flooring is water-resistant. This means that you can use it in the kitchen or bathroom, and you won’t need to worry as much should you spill water on it (this can cause laminate flooring to come apart and warp).

Vinyl also tends to have felt back, which means that it feels particularly soft and quiet underfoot. This is something a lot of people like about it, and it’s another advantage that it has over stone or wood!

Why Choose Laminate or Vinyl Flooring?

Wood or stone flooring has the advantage of making a space look light, natural and timeless. These are great choices if you’re looking to increase the resale value of your home, or just if you find your carpet is starting to look a little untidy and claustrophobic.

What Is Laminate Flooring And How To Use Them In Interior Design

If you’ve been thinking about renovating your home and searching a few websites, you’ve probably come across the term laminate flooring somewhere. It’s a trend that’s recently that’s been catching on like wildfire and for a good reason. Laminate flooring isn’t just a single thing, with a variety of styles and types.

What is Laminate Flooring?

Laminate flooring is essentially gluing together several different layers of synthetic materials through a process called lamination. This provides a result that gives you the look of any material that you want, like wood, but without the exorbitant price of the material, whilst giving you durability and also reducing the strain you put on natural resources.

Glueless Laminate Flooring

As the name suggests, this flooring does not need any special glue to keep it in place. The laminate floor pieces come in planks and are designed to snap together to create your flooring.

Glued Laminate Flooring

Glued laminate flooring is where you’ll need to use a special glue to install the flooring planks. Although this does take a bit more work, this provides a better moisture barrier than glueless flooring. If you have the know-how or can contact a professional, you can trust, this is an excellent method to consider.

Pre-glued Laminate Flooring

These are flooring planks that come with glue already applied to the planks from the factory. All you need to do is peel off the protective covering and install them as you need. This saves you the hassle of having to apply your glue and making a mess everywhere. This is relatively easy to do by yourself.

Hardwood vs. Laminate Wood Flooring

The flooring of a home is one of its defining features. Wood flooring remains one of the most popular options, as it is a naturally inviting, beautiful and timeless material. While older, more traditional homes often have the original hardwood floors still in place, many newer homes are using laminate. It offers a natural look similar to wood but at a lower price.

When deciding between hardwood vs. laminate flooring, there are several pros and cons to consider. Sure, when comparing laminate vs hardwood cost, laminate is usually the more affordable option. But you also must look at durability, resale value, cleaning, installation and more. This article will compare some of the factors between hardwood vs laminate flooring and help you decide which is best for your home

Laminate vs. hardwood cost

The reality of flooring costs and what you can afford may be miles apart. Take into consideration the cost of laminate and hardwood flooring to determine what is best for you.

Hardwood: CONS – Hardwood flooring is made of harvested trees; pricing depends on the type of wood you choose. In general, hardwood is considerably higher to buy and to install.

Laminate: PROS – Laminate wood flooring is made from composite wood pressed together at high temperatures. The image of hardwood is then placed over the composite wood, covering it to form the laminate. Not only are the materials themselves cheaper, but laminate wood installation cost is, on average, 50 percent less than hardwood installation.

Laminate vs. hardwood durability

Assess the traffic load and wear and tear on flooring in your home. A more durable surface is easier to maintain and will look great for years to come.

Hardwood: CONS – Hardwood is susceptible to scratching, can get damaged from excessive moisture and will show wear, especially in heavily trafficked areas. PROS – Hardwood is the real deal; it is gorgeous and, depending on the type of wood, can add considerable value to your home.

Laminate: PROS – Since laminate is made from pressed wood, it is more durable and resists scratches, moisture and wear and tear. Laminate flooring is also easier to clean. CONS – Even though laminate is more durable, it is not as visually appealing. Lower qualities of laminate may have artificial-looking wood grain textures.

How To Clean Floating Timber Floors WITHOUT Damaging Them

Floating timber floors are a beautiful and an easy to install solution for your home, but it requires taking proper care of it. Regular cleaning and maintenance will make the floor looks good and shiny and will prolong the life of the floor.

What are floating timber floors made of?

Floating timber floor is a floor that does not need to be nailed, or glued to a subfloor. The floorboards are attached to one another and are fitted over an existing floor like concrete, tiles or terracotta. In order to attach the floating floorboards, the subfloor should be hard and perfectly level.

Floating floors are flexible. They accommodate any movement and pressure and spread out evenly to reduce gaps and cracks. When installing there is usually a gap left between the walls and the floating floor to allow expansion of the timber boards. The gap is usually covered with skirting boards or mouldings.

Step by step floating timber floorboards cleaning

Floating wood floors are protected with a sealant that allows water cleaning and mopping. Despite that, floating floors are usually laid over other subfloor and if you damp the floor often, the liquid may slip into the boards and damage the surface underneath it, causing warping, mould and cracks. That’s why you need to be extra careful when cleaning a floating timber floor.

Here is a step-by-step procedure for cleaning a floating floor:

Step 1: Vacuum the floating floor regularly

Vacuum and sweep the floor regularly. Focus on high-traffic areas to prevent dust and dirt from accumulating. You can use a vacuum cleaner with an attachment for hardwood floors. A vacuum cleaner will also help you to remove the dust from the corners of the room. When sweeping use a broom or dust mop with softer fibres to avoid damaging the floor.

Step 2: Spot clean stains from the floating floor

Remove spills from the floor as soon as they happen. Use a dry microfiber cloth to remove liquids.

Spot treat stains with a mild cleanser and a damp cloth as soon as you can. You can use rubbing alcohol for stubborn stains. Avoid scrubbing the area, rather tap the spot with the cloth and remove it gently from the surface. Do not use harsh chemicals that can damage the wooden floor.

Step 3: Mop the floating floor

After treating the stains and removing all the dust from the floor, it’s time for moping. Don’t overflood the floor with water. Use a spongy mop, rather than classic wire wound mop, to avoid spreading water around the floor. Use hot water and a cleaning detergent and wipe up the whole floor.

Step 4: Leave the floating floor to dry

After finishing cleaning open the windows and doors if possible and leave the floor to air dry. Over time, the floor may lose its shiny look mostly in the high-traffic areas in your home. To restore and enhance its shine, use a timber refresher.

Hardwood Flooring Dents And Scratches – Causes And Fixes

In its lifetime, any hardwood floor will experience denting and scratching at some point or another. Here are some tips on how to prevent unnecessary damage to your lovely hardwood as well as what do if if your hardwood floors are already dented and scratched.

Accidents happen. It’s a fact of life, especially when you have kids and pets. Sooner or later, you will drop a can of tomatoes on the floor, your kids will race down the hallway in dad’s office chair, or you’ll rush through the house to grab your forgotten purse without taking off your heels.

Causes of Hardwood Flooring Dents

Dents result from heavy items being dropped or dragged across the floor, which compresses the fibers in the wood and results in visible damage.

Moving day – You may be moving into a home that already has hardwood. Congrats! Still, moving in and out of a house creates a lot of hazards for scratching and dinging up a hardwood floor. Heavy boxes and furniture could be dropped, hefty appliances may be dragged across the floor, nobody takes off their work shoes coming in and out of the house, etc. Likely no one will be as careful with your floors as you are, so if you invite a moving crew to help, they probably won’t move in furniture and boxes as gingerly as you would. Plus, who knows how well the hardwood was taken care of by previous owners? You could be moving in and inheriting all of their floor dents.

Shoes –All shoes could pose a threat to your floor, but heavy work boots, cleats, and high heels are especially at risk of scratching your hardwood.

Want a Hardwood Floor?

This is so big, it has two sequels.

Of all the surfaces you can install, hardwood is one of the most beautiful. Nothing changes the look of a home so dramatically. With as many features as there are species available today, let me clear up some confusion and explain what makes one plank different from another.

SPECIES

Oak is the most readily available and affordable option. This is why you see it in more than 75% of homes with wood floors. Other species will offer a different look in terms of grain variation and hardness. Maple, the next most popular, has a more uniform appearance and is much harder than oak. Other popular species are walnut, hickory, birch and cherry.

Exotic species are not always in stock since they are mostly imported. The advantage with most exotics is that scratches don’t show. The color on top goes all the way through the board. When a traditional wood is scratched deep enough, it can reveal the raw wood beneath making the scratch stand out in stark contrast to a dark stain.

Pre-Finished vs Site-Finished

In the old days if you wanted hardwood, you knew that a regimen of waxing was necessary to maintain protection and shine. This became obsolete with the advent of polyurethane coatings. Much like clear coat on a car, polyurethane is a translucent coating that is durable and adds shine. Pre-finished floors will usually have 7-12 layers applied at the mill with the last layer fortified with aluminum-oxide to add additional wear protection.

Gloss Level and Stain

This is a matter of preference and does not affect the level of protection you get. It’s purely aesthetic but there are a few things know:

Darker colors can show more scratches and dents than light ones.

High gloss finishes can show more dents and scratches than low gloss ones.

Direction Of Hardwood Flooring

It’s time to change your flooring and upgrade to beautiful new hardwood. But before selecting the wood, ordering it and scheduling the installation, there’s an important thing to figure out–which direction should you have your hardwood laid? What might’ve seemed like an easy decision at first, now can seem overwhelming since you’ll be living with it for a long time. Not to worry, the direction you choose depends on different factors that we will break down for you.

The most common floor pattern is straight, also called vertical. To achieve this pattern, hardwood flooring planks are installed parallel to each other along with the length or width of your room. This classic pattern is used to create simple and even contemporary designs, enhancing the original look of the hardwood floor. Since this is the most straightforward (yes, pun intended) to install, it’s also the least expensive. Other patterns can take longer to install and need extra wood making them a bit more costly.

This is another common floor pattern. If your room is narrower than long, it can end up feeling closed in. Laying your hardwood flooring horizontally is a good way to combat this problem. This draws the eye from side to side, instead of down the length of the room. Just like a horizontally-striped shirt can make people look wider than they are, horizontal stripes created by the floor boards in the room can do the same thing.

In the herringbone pattern, wood planks are laid in a diagonal kind of zig zag pattern. This pattern can be laid out in the traditional pattern or with square modules to look like a parquet design.

This direction will add a touch of elegance to your space without drifting too far away from the traditional straight direction. The hardwood flooring boards are installed parallel to each other but laid at a 45 degree angle to the walls.

Pros and Cons of Hardwood Flooring You Should Know

If you’re looking out for flooring that suits your budget and gives that rich feel to your feet, then wood is the option that always stands out. The natural beauty of wood and its warmth attracts us to dream of having a house with hardwood floors.

If you are looking out for a style that is both versatile and blends with every type of decor, then wood flooring is the best option. It gives a lot of warmth and character to both traditional and modern homes. Whether you are using wood flooring for your office or residential space, it is a classy and reliable choice for both

Advantages of Hardwood Flooring

Even though the pricing might be slightly on the higher side during initial investment, but with proper maintenance, it can last you for more than a lifetime. Whereas, the regular carpet flooring, linoleum flooring or the laminate ones tend to get damaged too soon, due to wear and tear.

A long-term investment

Wood flooring tends to last for more than a hundred years if they are maintained well. They might seem like a big investment initially, but you don’t need to replace them every 10 or 20 years like the other types of flooring. It also provides a good return on investment, as the value of wood flooring continues to increase with time.

Variety

When your opting for wood flooring you will be presented with a wide array of choices. You can select one depending on your budget and availability. Not even a single plank has the same shade or color,  which makes it more authentic while enhancing its aesthetic appeal. If you want then you can also stain them when you get bored of the same color. You could also mix and match the woods that will give the flooring an interesting look.

wood flooring care guide

The closest thing to solid wood flooring, engineered wood will give you a classically high end finish, a luxurious feel underfoot and timeless styling. Made from layers of timber boards, topped with a real hardwood veneer, engineered wood flooring is versatile, easy to install and looks simply stunning wherever it is fitted. Keep it looking its absolute best by caring for it in the right way. We’ve pulled together this great care guide, packed with expert hints and tips on cleaning and maintenance to help you.

care tips for wood flooring

Use a flat bottomed mop rather than a traditional stringy mop head as it won’t dribble water in the same way reducing the risk of surface water accumulating.

A dry microfiber dust mop can be used to pick up dirt and debris from the floor.

To ensure you don’t damage the surface, never use harsh chemicals or abrasive materials to clean your engineered wood flooring.

cleaning your wood flooring

Keeping your engineered wood flooring dirt-free

If possible, sweep or vacuum your engineered flooring daily. Use either a vacuum cleaner with a soft flooring attachment, or a broom.

Always vacuum or sweep an engineered wood floor before washing – this removes most of the dust and grit so avoids scratching. Alternatively a dry microfiber dust mop can be used to pick up dirt and debris from the floor.

Using cleaning products on engineered wood

It’s important to take care of your engineered wood flooring. While regular cleaning will keep your floor looking its best, there are some chemicals and materials to avoid.

Never use wax-based cleaners or harsh detergents on your engineered wood flooring. Always check the label of any products you buy to make sure they are safe to use on engineered wood flooring.

Abrasive materials, such as steel wool, should not be used to clean engineered hardwood flooring. These will scratch the surface and destroy the solid wood flooring appearance.

Always finish cleaning by rinsing your engineered wood flooring with clean water.