Emily Gullickson 9/27/19 Emily Gullickson 9/27/19

Perfectly Imperfect

Learn about the small “imperfections” you may see in your finished floor that will disappear as the finish settles.

One thing we always tell homeowners when we finish their hardwood flooring project is to give their floors time to mature. What we mean by that is it is very common for your hardwood floors to have some temporary, minor “imperfections”, and they are not cause for alarm! It is just part of the flooring process .

Possible Imperfections After Final Finish

To help you understand and prepare for some possible “flaws” that you might see on your finished flooring, here is a list of what to possible expect and to understand is completely normal!

Blemishes & Debris. Settling resins can exaggerate the appearance of blemishes in the early stages of a floor’s life. Any small debris (i.e., tiny, airborne particles) can refract light more during this time. Rest assured - almost all blemishes disappear completely as the finish sets.
Uneven Sheen. Many factors can contribute to an uneven sheen. Dramatic factors such as humidity, temperature, and varying wood species’ composition can make the application process tricky. As with color differentiation, sheen variation will more than likely even out over time.
Screen Marks, Brush Strokes & Abrasions. Minor screen or brush marks may remain slightly visible during the initial drying phases. Likewise; small underlying abrasions may seem almost painfully obvious at first. Take a deep breath! As the finish sets, resins tighten across the wood and many of these marks will all but disappear during the process.

The overall point is to save yourself unnecessary stress and concern over the quality of your floor’s finish. Think of these small “imperfections” like a small cut or blemish on your arm - it will fade quickly and eventually disappear entirely!

How to Inspect Your New Floor

When inspecting your new hardwood floor, remember to do so from a standing position with normal lighting. Glare from windows will magnify any irregularity and can cause unnecessary alarm. These standards are set forth by the National Wood Flooring Association in the NWFA Hardwood Floor Manual and are observed as the standard for practice across the industry.

Hardwood flooring comes from nature, and that means that no two boards are the same and no job will look like another, and that’s what makes this product so special!

Emily Gullickson 5/3/19 Emily Gullickson 5/3/19

Buffing vs. Sanding

Learn the difference between the buff-and-coat and the sand-and-refinish.

It’s in the nature of all hardwood floors to be susceptible to signs of wear-and-tear like scratches, grooves, sun discoloration, and other damages. It is also in the nature of hardwood floors to bounce back from these things!

There are two methods that hardwood flooring professionals use to restore hardwood floors: buffing and sanding. Many people don’t know they have these restoration options, or don’t understand the difference between the two, so let’s clarify!

A buff and coat is more of a maintenance procedure that should be done about every 5-years to extend the life of your floors. In this process, the hardwood flooring specialist buffs down the finish of your floor down to the last coat of polyurethane - it does not go down to the bare wood or remove your stain. This process allows you to remove superficial scratches and discoloration from your floor’s finish and gives your floors a fresh new coat of finish.

The sanding and refinishing process goes deeper - it takes off the floor’s finish as well as the surface of the damaged wood. This process reveals a new layer of your hardwood floors, and allows you to stain it a completely different color if you want to! For severely damaged hardwood, this is the process you want to select.

Breaking it all down to conclude: “Sanding takes care of deep imperfections and allows homeowners to change the color of their hardwood floors. Buffing is simpler, faster, less disruptive, costs less and extends the life of wood boards” (Royal Wood Floor).

Is your floor in need of a buff and coat or sand and refinish? Contact us today to schedule a free estimate and we will tell you which process your floor needs to look as good as new!

Emily Gullickson 1/10/19 Emily Gullickson 1/10/19

Hardwood Flooring Care Guide

Learn the proper way to care for your hardwood floors, from cleaning solutions and floors pads, to when you should get a buff & coat vs. a total refinish.

Cleaning

One of the best things about hardwood floors is that we can wash them. This makes for a cleaner, healthier home that we can all feel good about living in. However, the cleaning agent you use on your hardwood floors actually harm them. Many of the hardwood cleaning products on the market are oil based – these are a big no-no! The solution you should use to clean your floors should be very simple and always highly diluted with water. We recommend using a 25/1 water to vinegar ratio, or an all-purpose cleaning solution that is not oil based (we use Mr.Clean), mixed with water to the same ratio. For a great mop kit that includes a washable cover, contact us to order today!

Scratch Prevention

Furniture and hardwood floors unfortunately don’t mix well. Items like chairs, couches, and ottomans can really scratch a floor. To prevent these scratches from occurring, we highly recommend putting floors pads on all of the furniture that you put on your hardwood floors. We sell the following floor pad size options:

· 1" round - 12 per pack - $3.99 + tax

· 1 1/2" round - 6 per pack - $3.99 + tax

· 3 1/2" x 5/8" strips - 6 per pack - $3.99 + tax

· 1/2" x 36" roll - 1 per pack - $3.99 + tax

· 3 1/2" x 4 3/4 pad - 1 per pack - $3.99 + tax

And remember, you should change your floor pads whenever they start to look really worn down.

Buff & Coat

After a few years of wear and tear, your floor will start to show scratches, light spots from the sun, and many other little “beauty marks” that come from a busy home. Instead of letting your floors go too long, which would require a complete refinishing, we recommend getting a buff and coat once every three to five years. The buff and coat process adds an extra layer of poly to your floors to hide imperfections and add an additional layer of protection. This process not only brings new life to your floors, but it will also save you hundreds of dollars in the long run!

Refinishing

Refinishing your floors is much more in-depth process, but the results are incredible! The refinishing process involves sanding your floors which will completely remove the original finish, and also take out almost all scratches. You then add a new finish, which gives you the opportunity to completely change the look of your floors if you want to! Most solid hardwood floors can be refinished around ten times in their lifetime.