Monday 31 October 2011

Tips on Repairing Pine Planks

The best thing about Hardwood Floorboards and Pine Floorboards can strengthen any home or office. An enormous prevalence and attractiveness, floorboards possess gained an outstanding industry value worldwide. Good quality as well as color is the major aspects when buying a floorboard for a residence, workplace or any form of buildings.

Reliability of a Hardwood or Pine Floorboard is perfectly influenced by its quality.

Nevertheless, of any characteristic a floorboard has, they are subject to remodeling and repair as when indicated. Indications can be creaking, swelling of boards because of flood or exposed to high moisture in the house for long periods, a possible issue in the sub floor or damage as a result of gradual use of unethical wood products.

A rigorous investigation of the hardwood and pine floorboards is vital before fixing. Mainly because wood is normal in nature, it is not certain every time that the difficulty last with the level of quality of floorboards. For instance, there can be fitting difficulties or there can be a concern with concrete foundation underneath.

Certain general and standard strategies to correct hardwood and pine floorboards-

Cutting hardwood floorboards would need a circular saw blade, which should cut deep into the actual depth of the floorboard. Care should be taken when generally there are floor joists. In addition, if there are any pipes, they may be cut too. By using, a wooden chisel will offer a fantastic finish to the cut. Moreover, hammering will probably avoid any problems in the adjacent boards.

Eliminating damaged floorboards can be achieved by lifting one end of the plank and carefully putting a batten strip underneath, that will remain perpendicular to the plank. This will support in unscrewing the opposite end easily. Replacing is tricky because it would require suiting the specific or perhaps best-suited color of the floorboard. If not found the particular color tone, it is preferable to go with brighter tone and also do some fine wood staining.

Pine belongs to softwood classification. A combination of warm water and TSP is normally an advised use to clear out dirt, grime or any debris from Pine Floorboards. If there are water stains, they can be eliminated by using a paste (combination of fine-steel wool and wax).

Sanding is a technique of refinishing Pine Floorboards and is performed by using a drum sander. Depending on the type or floor and amount of sanding desired, this procedure if performed. Sand papers with specific grit size are used as per the steps, beginning with smaller size to larger size.

How to Purchase Best Wide Plank Flooring?

Wide plank flooring is undoubtedly a popular and durable architectural flooring option today. Not only, it defines a taste of aristocracy, comfort and tradition, it creates a warm ambiance to any home. Having the grace to suit every lifestyle, wide plank flooring acts as a superb insulator, enhances healthy living and hassle free
maintenance.

Historically wide plank flooring has been expensive and literally fit for kings. However, today’s wood floor well informed public search and compare to find the best quality of wood plank floorboards. Be it solid or engineered wood planks, various options of wide plank flooring are available in premium qualities and with a price that is justified. Wide plank surfaces are generally readily available depending of the supplier. It is an exclusive item and although the price is higher than narrow width boards, it is a worthy option. While going for any wide plank flooring option, it is common that people will come across certain imperfections like gaps and character textures within them.


If wide plank flooring is the ultimate choice for anyone who intends to build or re-build their home, how about knowing a few tips before buying?
Wide plank surfaces can be chosen based on species, color, style and price. By species it refers to the tree from which the plank is harvested when categorized under hardwood and softwood plank flooring, wide planks are harvested from trees such as oak, maple, cherry, and walnut. Wood planks harvested as reclaimed plank flooring are generally from oak and pine species.
Color is another way by which wide wood panels can be categorized. From grades of a particular species, a general color tone is identified to signify. Apparently, not all the grades of a particular species will have the same indicated color used in wide plank flooring.


Style is an important factor while opting for wide plank flooring. Depending on lifestyles of people, there have been generalized categories of wide plank. Species pertaining to lifestyles will accentuate the home furnishings and in particular the style of living. For instance, exotic species complements elegance and contemporary settings. Native species are perfect for casual or traditional design. Rustic is another grade, which goes well in informal or colonial ambiance. Custom distressed surfaces are customized style categories that are designed based on chosen grade and texture.

On arrival of the wood planks ordered, it is recommended that people should verify the planks thoroughly to ensure that the right species is delivered with right quantity, devoid of any milling defects and a six to nine percentage of moisture content.

Wednesday 28 September 2011

Why Do I Need Engineered Hardwood Floorboards

There are a variety of engineered wood floors, of various wooden kinds and various ply base qualities. An engineered wood surface has a stable hardwood leading part of 5/6mm solid and a plywood bottom layer of 14/15mm thick. These are generally planks are not to be confused with low quality laminate floors wood floors, in reality quality engineered wood boards are usually costly than stable panels

That you need to look around and be aware of the facts and board spec. You can expect the UK the top quality of engineered wood floors that exist in the world, that name is ‘STRATA’. You can be positive of the quality due to the upcoming manufacturing details:

  • It uses boiled tested, Latvian ply for our hardwood base. Put simply, this is actually the finest quality ply board available in the world and it is the steadiest. Boiled examined, shows that the ply board has been through different temperature manipulated tests to ensure steadiness in severe conditions. The planks will always continue to be flat and secure.
  • The whole Strata engineered hardwood panels are made right here in United Kingdom, the usually are not brought in from China or elsewhere. Top of the range flooring is made using top quality Machines but gifted British artisans as well as machinists.
  • People utilize kiln dried French and European oak floor our 5mm top layer, which is pressed and plastered using specialized flexible adhesives to the Birch ply board base.
  • It has a good long length up to 4m long.


There is currently much debate over this topic. Most fitters as well as builders play safe and refer to engineered boards, however you do not usually need an engineered panel and a solid hardwood floorboard could be appropriate. Here are a couple facts to consider helping you
determine:

a. Fitting onto concrete:

If you are fitting a hardwood floor onto concrete, you will have either to fit to batons or cover the concrete with a paint primer and humidity barrier after choosing a humidity reading.

In case your wetness element reading qualifies and a wetness filter is applied, then reliable oak panels can be installed as a floating
floor immediately to the cement (140-220mm wide). If you are yet worried about wetness in the cement, then laying onto batons is a superb option. Of course, the other option is to decide on an engineered hardwood floor.

b.Installing over under floor heating:
Everyone simply suggest for you generally implementing an engineered table for many under floor heating systems.

c. Installing wide planks flooring:

The majority of people recommend you to decide on engineered hardwood planks for board widths over 240mm broad to avoid feasible cupping. If you chose to stable correct your panels, and then a solid 240-300mm board should remain, stable offering you has utilized all the required precautions. In case you are floating or secret nailing your wood floors floor, then you are better off choosing boards no wider than 240mm.

For more information, please visit www.reclaimedflooringco.com

WHY CHOOSE A WIDE PLANK FLOOR?

We offer board widths from 140mm wide - 300mm wide and up to a massive 5 meters long. For a board to be truly classes as a ‘wide plank floorboard’ we look towards board widths greater than 235mm wide.

The most common board sizes sold range from 140mm-200mm, the best biggest seller is actually the 240mm wide board. We conclude this is because the boards are competitively priced and represent a middle of the range board that can be utilized in many interior spaces. The board is wide enough to sit alone or to be fitted alongside narrower boards- 140-180mm. A mixed wide floor consisting of narrow and wide boards can help create the illusion of a truly antique wood floors.

To further enhance this mixed width look, you can try our super 300mm wide planks flooring mixed in together with narrow 140mm boards, thus replicating grandeur floors of a time gone by.

The 240mm- 300mm wide, plank boards are available as solid wooden boards or Strata Engineered Floorboards. I recommend you to solid fix solid boards that are over 240mm wide or use an engineered wide plank board. A solid fix will help keep the boards stable and prevent cupping. If a wide plank floorboard of over 2400mm wide is to be used as a floating board or is to be secret nailed you have the risk of board movement, this is why Strata Engineered wide plank boards are preferable.

Quite simply, wide plank boards represent uncompromising luxury. If you think back to the castles, palaces, museums, great halls and mansions you may have visited throughout the world, the one thing these historic building will share is their tendency to display and show-off their luxurious wide plank solid wooden floors. I personally have seen planks that have been fitted almost directly from the tree itself, all wavy edges and curves included. This French oak wide plank floor was situated just outside Paris in a village town hall, this one pieces measured ½ meter wide and 5 meter long, a truly impressive piece of timber flooring.

Wide plank flooring is better suited to long runs and wide room space. A solid wooden floors acts as a canvas for the interior space where all its parts rest. A wide plank floor is one of the first things to create an impression and be remembered, as long as the floor space is able to breath and is not too cluttered.

If you want to create an instant impression and create an ambiance of real luxury, a real wooden wide plank floor could be the way to go.

For more details : 
Reclaimed Flooring Co   Salvaged wood floors

Wednesday 24 August 2011

Why Consider a Real Hardwood Floor for Your Home?


Hardwood floors vs. Carpets

It is true; some carpets are luxurious and expensive as are hardwood floors. Some carpets are cheap to buy, much cheaper than hardwood floors. Hardwood floors for example oak floorboards generally range from £28-£100 M2, depending on the quality of oak and the craft involved with the processing.

The key benefit in our opinion of a hardwood floor is one of health reason. No matter what grade of carpet you buy or what grade of hardwood floor you buy, a carpet over the years will become home to bugs and bacteria that are hidden within the strands, this can cause breathing problems for the young and the elderly. No matter how much a carpet is cleaned, bugs and bacteria will always remain present. Unlike a real hardwood floor, oak floorboards can be cleaned instantly, quickly, every day and for this reason you could literally eat your dinner on it if you so desired. When choosing a hardwood floor or carpet, such health issues should be considered.

Hardwood Floors vs. Laminate Flooring

People should not be confused between oak floorboards, hardwood flooring or laminate flooring. Laminate floors, generally represent the lower end of the scale for quality and are seen as a quick fix choice that will normally last till 3-6 yrs depending on the quality. A real hardwood floor made of oak floorboards will really last a lifetime or more. Thinking of all the old boards that grace today’s homes and old manor houses, these oak floorboards were fitted in the 16th Century and as they grow old, change shape and color, their patina matures, just like how a fine wine matures. As these oak floorboards age they become sought after items, thus increase in value. Therefore, it is fair to say that laying a genuine hardwood floor or oak floorboards in a home can be seen as a real investment. Over time, the hardwood floor will age and a genuine oak floorboard patina will slowly mature. A laminate floor is a temporary fix that has no chance of developing a patina, increasing in value and increasing the value of a home. Given a choice, a solid hardwood floor is always advisable.

Where to buy a quality hardwood floor

When buying a hardwood floor the following points should be considered:

  • Length of floorboard
  • Depth of floorboard
  • Straight edge or T&G
  • Relief Grooves underneath for stability
  • Grade of wood
  • FSC certified
  • Hard wearing finish
It is advisable to see more than just a small sample when choosing a hardwood floor; this is because natural products like wood changes texture and tone from piece to piece. The timber should be checked while observing the overall effect of each board when fitted. Up close, one small sample may not give a true representation of the chosen hardwood floor. Oak floorboards for example may contain many different features on one particular board and very little on the next, so it would be wise to consider all the boards together rather than individually.

A good quality hardwood floor showroom will display large samples of floorboards on panels that may measure 2mx2m. This would be ideal. If the sample board s too small, it would be a smarter move to ask them to prepare a larger sample board.



Attractive Pattern & Versatility of Oak Floorboards

Solid oak flooring became one of the most well known wooden floors to purchase nowadays due to its normal wood toughness as well as wood designs. Often some may be overwhelmed by a selection of patinas and shade variations, not necessarily to mention the standard of oak floors to buy. Frequently, the standard of oak floorboards is used as a base for producing many different designs of wood floor. The oak flooring finish produces the illusion of various types of timber when in reality the oak solid wood floor is only one flexible hardwood flooring types.

Barn wood, rustic grade, character grade are similar grades of oak floor. They normally are the foremost cost-effective to acquire as compared to the prime grades of oak. Here are a few samples of the natural character you can find in a good oak board (Guideline only):

1) Rustic, Character grade C

2) Knots, knotholes between .5-1 cm in diameter

3) Shakes feature at the end of the floorboard, 1-2mm width

4) Pippy marks- various clusters ranging from .5cm-2cm width

5) Burr marks- ranging from .5-2cm width

6) Sap wood- up to 15% board face

These types of spec might be used as a character guideline only, as different sawmills have unique character measurements that could differ from the above. From Rustic, character grade C boards through character B, character A, to Prime there will turn out to be less pure character present. Prime oak boards have the most valuable range in oak floorboards because these panels cut from the center of the woods where there are negligible faults.

When contriving a finish for a specific oak plank the quality of wood need to be considered first. This is due to certain normal compounds and also patina-adding strategies will make excellent use of these types of charm markings. In reality, these exclusive methods provide out and boost these kinds of character oak floor markings. They might turn into an important piece of the final finish. Prime grade oak boards with its clean layer do not suit many of the organic finishes created to bring out all the organic characteristics present in oak hardwood floors. Prime grade oak panels are greater designed for a traditional uncomplicated finish with less processing.

Whilst oak is found in virtually every shade tone and style, probably the most popular designs for wood flooring are usually European character grade, red oak and American white oak. Red oak is extremely well known in America, where it is famous for its pinkish/brown tone and the way it progressively changes colour gradually. American white oak can also be incredibly popular, generally due to its classic elegance, energy and strength, however probably the most popular option in the United Kingdom is European character oak in wide planks.

European oak floors are described as its comfortable and pure golden colour, which usually sometimes functions colors of grey. Naturally, in the appropriate hands these types of colours can be removed or enhanced. 



Wednesday 27 July 2011

Trendy Engineered Character Oak Floorboards – Quick View

You will come across a consistently increasing demand for better quality solid and engineered wood floors, character oak flooring throughout the last several years, even in the middle of an economic downturn. The key reason why character as well as genuine looking oak flooring is currently trendy can be viewed as a step to the low-cost oak wood flooring of the earlier times and also affordable imported oak hardwood flooring. The situation of past years is that a number of these laminate oak flooring, solid and engineered oak floors lack character along with a genuine feel. Truly in a good number of high street retailers oak hardwood floors turned out to be very clean and smooth, having a small amount of character oak floor capabilities on show. Panels are usually normally short in size and breadth and once fixed solid or engineered oak floorboards without even correct character, which include knots, minimal shakes, pippy and burr markings they might seem exactly the same to a fake, laminate floorboards. The general objective of placing powerful oak hardwood floor to your property with lots of aspect is to get a feeling of natural warmth that could only be observed with natural products such as top quality hardwood oak. A solid oak, character oak floor will also integrate benefit to your property if the appropriate standard and quality oak floor is picked. A solid or engineered character oak floorboard of proper quality is actually being an investment that will not break the bank. In contrast to prime oak, hardwood floorboards that can be pretty expensive, solid character oak floorboards can be modest in rate even for high quality European character oak floorboards. 

Character oak floorboards varies between clean character oak and very rustic character oak, qualities ABC are often used to offer you a sense of the sort of character you can assume to get with your wood flooring purchase. Character grade ‘A’ oak floorboards are much less antique when compared with Character class ‘B’ oak floorboards and Character class ‘C’ oak floorboards are even more antique when compared with character grade ‘A’ and ‘B’. In some cases character oak floorboards levels may be tagging outside these kinds of ‘ABC’ grades and can be prescribed several labels such as Barn wood class, Rustic grade. In our estimation grade ‘C’ and ‘BC’ make the ideal look and feel for a natural looking oak floorboard design.