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.
The following wood samples are examples of typical oxidation that happens to wood floors over time when sanded down. As wood ages, the color changes. Depending on the wood species, the wood can lighten or darken.
Oxidation can be attributed to the UV rays of sunlight and to the age of the wood floors. It is an important factor to consider when repairing old floors and trying to “blend in” new wood.
Finishing material also changes color with age depending on the amount of UV blockers in the formula.
Kalley Flooring is an expert in the art of matching new wood to old wood for a consistent tone . We can recommend a new finish that will protect your floors from future oxidation. We also recommend a maintenance schedule for the finish of your floor if there are any problem areas, such as sections of the floor exposed to regular sunlight.
Company Profile: Synteko
Product Profile: Synteko Natural
Synteko has been around for 65 years. They originated in Stockholm, Sweden in 1944. They are at the forefront of water-based floor varnishes and their uncompromising quality extends to their oil-based finishes. In the 1950s Synteko introduced a modified urea resin floor finish. In the 1970s Synteko was one of the first companies in the world to introduce waterborne lacquers.
Today, their products are sold in more than 20 different countries worldwide. They can meet the needs of any scale of project, anywhere from a living room to the Sydney Opera House. They are also a company focused on being environmentally friendly.
Synteko Natural – Ironbark |
Synteko Natural – Tasmanian Oak |
SYNTEKO NATURAL
Synteko Natural 1612 is an alkyd-based high solid floor finish. The extremely high solids means that it gives up to three times more coverage compared to normal wood floor oil. The product is oxygen curing. The surface it provides is smooth and resists wear. Synteko Natural 1612 is formulated for treatment of wood and cork floors and also wooden stairs, sills, benches etc. And because it is so good at resisting traffic, it is especially recommended for use in commercial areas like offices, stores, museums and other areas where high wear resistance is needed.
View youTube video of Synteko product application:
Why is Synteko Natural the choice for the environmentally aware client?
View the Synteko Natural Spec Sheet.
Synteko Press Release
The Flooring Professionals
19/380 Eastern Valley Way, Chatswood
Ph: 9406 8100 Fax: 9406 8120
Email: info@synteko.com.au
Synteko Natural Oil the Environmentally friendly floor solution.
Synteko Natural Oil is an environmentally sustainable floor finish that is VOC FREE having a 100% solids content. This unique floor finish barely changes the look of the timber floor yet complements the natural beauty of timber whilst being extremely durable, economical to apply and maintain and very easy to repair. Its Green credentials are further enhanced, as it is a by-product derived from wood pulp.
Synteko Natural is unique in that it penetrates the surface of the timber floor, curing hard in the grain of the timber. This forms a protective surface that becomes part of the wood floor without leaving any visible film build on the surface. Not only will it emphasize the natural appearance of the wood it will feel like actual timber under ones feet. This is because one is walking on the pure wood surface not an artificial coating. This natural matt finish has extraordinary abrasion resistance and will not be as susceptible to wear and tear as other finishes that need additional surface coatings or hard wax for protection. This makes Natural perfectly suited to commercial areas such as offices, shops museums, airports and shopping centers where a high wear resistance is required with minimal maintenance costs and disruption. It is equable suitable for domestic applications emphasizing the natural warmth of a timber floor in the home.
Distinct advantage’s of Natural over other floor oils is that there is no need to apply additional wax coatings over the surface to ensure its longevity .In addition its 100% solid content results in a very high quality floor finish with 100% of the product applied to the timber floor remaining in the timber surface. This coupled with its Zero VOC emissions results in a floor finish that is exceptionally durable and extremely environmentally friendly. Other unique features of Synteko Natural is it is easy to spot repair using simple procedure in conjunction with maintenance products and the ability to modify its basic colour by adding a range of pigmented tints to the oil.
Synteko’s mission is one of producing uncompromising quality products. Synteko floor coatings have been at the forefront of environmental timber floor finishes for more than 35 years.
Synteko has the floor finish system to meet your needs.
Examples of Synteko Natural:
Estonian Academy of Music and Theater:
Tallin Secondary Science School:
WearMax Floor Coatings have a patented WearMax technology that provides a floor finish that will look good for years. We offer a Lifetime warranty against Residential wear, and a 2 to 3 year warranty commercially. The ceramic coatings leave a layer of particles that protrude the final coat of the finish process. All WearMax Ceramic finishes are designed to contain 12,000,000 + ceramic particles per square foot. These ceramic particles are harder than industrial diamond and provide incredible abrasion resistance. You are actually walking on the ceramic particles and not the topcoat. The Ceramic finishes are considered the second hardest material known to man. There is only one substance that is harder – the natural diamond. The ceramics used in WearMax are even harder than stainless steel. WearMax Technology provides superior wear resistance, superior scratch resistance, excellent slip resistance, chemical and stain resistance, as well as being low maintenance.
Hardwood can be sanded down to the raw wood (removing 1/32″ to 1/16″ of the top layer of your hardwood floor) and refinished with sealing coats of polyurethane (VOC compliance). The sanding brings out the original beauty in the wood, while the polyurethane (VOC compliance) seals and protects the floor, providing a long lasting finish. Sanding and refinishing a floor is the best way to revitalize a floor, mainly because it is not very expensive, and the results turn out beyond expectation!
Some people opt to stain their floors a darker color, such as mahogany. The staining process is done before the polyurethane (VOC compliance), and usually lasts until the floors are sanded again. We offer different types of stain to our customers, but can also
