If you have hardwood floors, investing in rugs and floor mats (designed for hardwood floors with a non-rubber backing) is a good idea. Over time, dirt and debris from outside will act like sandpaper and scratch your floors. Using floor mats in high traffic areas, such as, entryways and asking your household and guests to wipe their shoes off before entering will cut down on this wear. The dirt will stay on the floor mat saving your hardwood floors from scratches with the added benefit of keeping your house clean.
Floor mats and rugs are also recommended in places where fluids might spill. If the water or other liquid is left on the floor, your hardwood floors may suffer from water damage. It is recommended that you put floor mats and rugs, not only in entryways, but also in the kitchen near the sink.
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a nonprofit organization that was borne out of the Earth Summit of 1992 in Rio. It’s mission is to further environmentally responsible forestry practices. What it means for the consumer is a stamp of approval that makes sure that certain stewardship standards have been met. Consumers can chose responsibly, but still have a full range of flooring options; this includes cherry, maple, birch, ash, Douglas fir, oak and others.
This Earth Day, we at Kalley Flooring want to you to know that wood floors are an environmentally and ecologically friendly solution. No other flooring material is as abundantly available. Sustainable forest management means that we can now harvest wood without any serious impact on the environment. Trees are natures renewable resource.
Some other things to think about:
-More trees are grown annually than are removed.
-Air quality is improved with wood floors.
-Wood Floors are a carbon neutral product that not only produces oxygen in the tree stage, but stores carbon once it is turned into building material.
-When no longer needed, wood floors can be burned as fuel or recycled.
-Wood floors can last several lifetimes.
Kalley Flooring is now an authorized installer of Wearmax floor coatings. Wearmax is an eco-friendly water-based ceramic floor coating. This specialty coating sits on top of and protects your floor’s finish. Ceramic technology was developed for use in space shuttle design and is second only to the diamond in hardness. Wearmax is tougher than industrial diamonds and stainless steel. The benefits of Wearmax includes superior wear resistance, superior scratch resistance, excellent slip resistance, as well as, low maintenance and chemical and stain resistance. As an added benefit, the manufacturer offers a lifetime warranty on residential use.
Time and regular use will eventually wear out your wood floors, nevermind if there is damage due to neglect or an accident. Perhaps it’s time to call in a professional to renovate your floors. Below we’ve outlined the necessary steps so that you will not only know what’s involved in the process, but also understand what the cost and labor factors are when getting an estimate from flooring professionals who are bidding the job.
Repair
If the wood has been damaged, you may need to replace the damaged part and put in new wood. If the damage merely consists of scratches and gouges, then simple wood filler might be used. Repairs are more likely needed when the damage goes deeper than the surface level. The damage is not only cosmetically undesired, but the integrity of the wood might also be affected. Examples of damage are deep scratches or gouges, gaps and holes between the wood planks, and buckling of the wood planks. There is damage that comes as a result of accidents and acts of nature, for example fire damage and flooding damage. Repairing or replacing the damaged wood is the very first step.
Sanding vs Stripping
After major and minor repairs have been made, comes the decision of whether to sand the entire floor or to strip it.
Stripping refers to removing the top coating that protects the wood. The benefits of only stripping the floors are speed and cost, but you give up quality. Stripping is a much faster process than sanding and can be shortened to a few days; it is less labor intensive, less of a mess, and relatively cheaper.
A true and quality renovation of your wood floors can only be achieved by proper sanding by a professional. Sanding goes one extra step and removes not only the coating on the wood, but it also evens out the surface texture and color by lightly taking away the very top layer of the wood itself.
It is recommended that you hire a professional to do the sanding. A professional has the specialty tools and experience needed to execute this very important step. Just as you would not have your hair cut by someone who is inexperienced and who lacks the proper pair of scissors, you should shy away from sanding down the floors yourself or hiring someone who is not a licensed professional. So much of the final appearance depends on proper sanding. A professional will make sure you get the best results.
Buffing
After sanding, the next step is buffing the wood floors and this is also accomplished with specialty equipment and should be performed by a professional for best results. Buffing prepares the floor to accept a new finish evenly and to adhere to the finish, minimizing the risk of peeling. A proper buffing is what also gives the floor a quality look, and the appearance of being a new floor.
Staining
Depending on other interior design considerations, you may or may not need to stain your wood floors. If the natural wood works with the rest of the environment, then staining is not necessary. Staining wood floors can serve to pull a room together dramatically, unifying the wood, prints and patterns in the furniture, the design and colors in the rugs and curtains, and also the architectural details and walls. By staining the wood floors, you can easily convey a mood. For example: warm and inviting, elegant, traditional, modern, breezy and casual.
Finishing
To protect your investment and to enjoy your refinished wood floors, you will want to speak with a professional about the many different options available for finishes. Over time, the sun can damage and lighten your wood floors so that the flooring in one part of a room no longer matches the rest. In this case, a protective UV coating is advised. A heavily trafficked area, such as an entrance area, might benefit from a tougher coating made to withstand the repeated impact of people walking in and out. There are also finishes that are safer and more environmentally friendly.
The finish can also change the appearance of the wood, so that rather than dry bare floors, you have the deeper richer color of the wood similar to when it is wet. Certain finishes over certain woods, such as shellac over wide plank hickory, can give a room a historic look.
A professional will know how to properly clean the sanded and buffed floors to accept the finish, giving a flawless result.
Our services now include installation of marble, stone and granite for residential, office and commercial, and hotel and leisure applications.
Contact us now for a custom solution at a very low cost. We can answer all your design and installation questions.
Phone: (877) 525-5393.
Email: sales@kalleyflooring.com
Marble, stone and granite can give a space a timeless and luxurious feel. This building material has stood the test of centuries and has proven itself to be both durable and well-wearing. This surface treatment is guaranteed to delight you and your visitors. It is a great way to dress up a space.
For our residential and business customers we can install marble, stone and granite anywhere in your home, office or retail space. This includes bathrooms and kitchens, vanities, paving, flooring, interior and exterior wall cladding, architectural bespoke projects, staircases, fireplaces, tables, window sills and shelving.
We also have many years of experience working on large scale commercial projects and can accommodate the needs of the hotel and leisure industries. The craftsmanship and quality that go into marble, stone and granite work can be a classy solution in the design of swimming pools, leisure areas, gardens, feature walls, plinths, staircases, bars, restaurants, saunas, fitness centers and ballrooms.
Contact us now for a custom solution at a very low cost. We can answer all your design and installation questions.
Phone: (877) 525-5393.
Email: sales@kalleyflooring.com
Janka Hardness:
3692 (what’s this?)
Country of Origin:Brazil, South America
About Brazilian Ebony:
Brazilian Ebony, because of it dark tone, is one of the few wood species used in flooring which maintains it’s true color over time. The heartwood is the part most often used and it can be anywhere from jet black to deep maroon, to a chocolate brown or even a purplish black-brown color.
Occasionally there are light streaks throughout the wood. Brazilian Ebony’s sapwood when freshly cut displays these pink streaks which will deepen to a deep red-brown color over time when exposed to sun or air.
Brazilian Ebony has a fine grain that falls in a variable pattern that can be anywhere from straight to very curly.
This flooring choice is extremely durable and is ideal for high traffic areas. It is dent resistant and rated much harder than North American hardwoods on the Janka scale due to it’s density.
Brazilian Ebony makes a dramatic statement and is an elegant choice for high-end residential and commercial spaces.
Contact us now for a free estimate!
Phone: (877) 525-5393.
Email: sales@kalleyflooring.com
Janka Hardness:
1375 (what’s this?)
Country of Origin: Australia
About Australian Cypress:
Australian Cypress has a heartwood that ranges from honey-gold tones to a range of browns with darker knots interspersed throughout. The knots can be small or large. It’s sapwood is cream-colored and it has a tight closed grain. As it ages, Australian Cypress will amber in color, turning more golden in hue.
Although it is technically a softwood, Australian Cypress is 7% harder than Northern red oak.
Australian Cypress is also known for it’s natural resistance to termites.
Contact us now for a free estimate!
Phone: (877) 525-5393.
Email: sales@kalleyflooring.com
Janka Hardness:
3540 (what’s this?)
Country of Origin: Brazil
About Cumaru:
The sapwood of cumaru is very similar to the heartwood, which ranges from medium to dark brown in color, sometimes with a reddish or purplish hue, with some pieces streaked with yellowish or greenish brown.
Over time the color of Brazilian Teak (as it is sometimes referred to) will “flatten out” slightly. Cumaru’s color tends to lighten with exposure to light. The species has a fine, uniform interlocked grain with very small open pores.
Cumaru is extremely durable and decay resistant. Although, it is not totally impervious to some insect attacks.
Cumaru is relatively inexpensive and represents a great deal given its strength and hardness.
Contact us now for a free estimate!
Phone: (877) 525-5393.
Email: sales@kalleyflooring.com
Janka Hardness:
Very Soft (what’s this?)
Country of Origin: Portugal
About Cork:
Comprised of a nearly-countless number of individual air-filled cells, cork offers a very unique appearance. Depending upon how the flattened bark is cut, cork can reveal any of a number of distinctive surface designs.
Cork is a renewable and sustainable alternative to traditional wood flooring. The Cork Oak’s bark is harvested every nine years. The tree is unharmed and regenerates after each harvest. In manufacturing cork flooring, the cork material is ground up, urethane binders are added and the cork is subjected to pressure and heat to produced the desired density.
Cork is resilient and durable. It is resistant to wear and has a cushioning feel underfoot. It flexes and absorbs shock. The softness and give of cork flooring protects it from the wear-and-tear and grinding of normal foot traffic, giving it an advantage over harder surfaces such as hardwood floors. If you dent cork, it will likely regain its shape. Cork flooring has a very long life and is easy to repair.
Cork provides thermal and acoustic insulation as a natural consequence of its cellular structure. It is an ideal solution to reducing unwanted noise within a space and between rooms and separate floors. It also maintains an even temperature and is able to prevent heat loss. Cork is a natural thermal insulator because its cells trap air.
Cork is impermeable to liquids and gases and will not degrade with moisture. Cork is anti-allergenic, anti-microbial and resists mildew. Cork neither absorbs dust, nor does it shed fibers or outgas chemicals.
Cork contains a waxy substance called Suberin. Suberin functions as a natural insect repellent. Cork is resistant to over 38 species of insects, including termites. Suberin also repels mold and mites. Suberin also prevents cork from rotting even when completely submerged under water for long periods of time. Suberin also makes cork fire resistant.
A cork floor would be maintained in the same way as a wood floor. It can be swept and lightly mopped with water and a mild cleaner.
Contact us now for a free estimate!
Phone: (877) 525-5393.
Email: sales@kalleyflooring.com
