Hardwood Floor Finishes: Factory vs. In Home June 20, 2012

Factory Finished wood uses all kinds of new technology to improve the finished floor. With controlled environments and advanced polymers, only a factory finished floor can offer a fifteen to twenty five year warranty on the floor’s finish, as well as its structural integrity. With so many vendors to select from, the consumer is sure to find the color and style floor they are looking for, direct from the factory.

Field (in home) finished floors start with wood planking that is unfinished. The wood flooring is installed first, with staining taking place after the floor is installed. This type of flooring is selected when there is an existing wood floor in the home that requires replacement, or needs to be changed because of renovation work, and a perfect match cannot be found in a factory finished floor. The wood is sanded, as well as stained inside the confines of your home. This normally does not present a problem during renovation projects, but can make living conditions difficult if done in a home that is occupied. The finish is applied in the home; however as it is not a dust free environment, like in a factory. You must expect some imperfections in the finish of the floor. The quality of the work at completion is reliant on the experience of the technician as well as the quality of the stain used. Warranty on this work is minimal, usually one year.

There are several different finishes that can be applied to hardwood floors. The best finishes are “Pre-finished Hardwood Flooring” wood floors that have been factory finished before they are installed.

1. Acrylic Impregnated – Acrylic monomers are injected into the cell structure of the wood to give increased hardness and then finished with a wear layer over the wood.

2. Acrylic-urethane – Has a slightly different chemical make-up than polyurethane, but with similar benefits.

3. Aluminum Oxide – particles added to the polyurethane finish to increase the abrasion resistance of the wear layer. This has become extremely popular on the better grades of hardwood floors.

4. Ceramic – Advanced finish technology that allows the use of space-age ceramics to increase the abrasion resistance of the wear layer.

5. Polyurethane – A clear, tough and durable finish that is applied as a wear layer.

6. UV-cured – these floors are finished at the factory and the polyurethane finishes are cured with Ultra Violet lights instead of using heat.

For more advice and information, call or visit us at http://steamboatcarpetsplus.com/.

Cleaning & Care for Different Wood Finishes June 12, 2012

It is important to understand that the approach to cleaning your hardwood floor first depends on how your floor has been finished. There are two broad categories of finish types; Surface- sealed finishes or Penetrating-seal-treated & oil-treated finishes.

The most popular finishes are Surface-sealed finishes such as urethane, polyurethane & poly-acrylic.  Penetrating wax and oil based finishes are not so common anymore. Surface finishes are very popular because they are durable, water-resistant, and require minimal maintenance. Just dust-mop, sweep, or vacuum regularly. Always follow the manufacturer’s cleaning recommendations if known. When cleaning no longer restores shine, re-coat the floor with a surface finish. The frequency of re-coating depends on the amount of traffic. Never wax a surface-finished floor, and never use vinyl or tile floor care products on any wood floor.

For Surface-sealed finishes:

1. Sweep or vacuum regularly since built-up grit can damage the surface of the wood. The vacuum head must be a brush or felt type. Be certain the wheels of the vacuum are clean and do not damage the finish. Do not use a vacuum with a beater bar head.
2. Remove spills promptly using a soft cloth and cleaning products recommended Carpets Plus.
3. Never wet-mop, damp-mop, or clean your floor with water or other products. This can severely damage the flooring and damage resulting from these actions will not be covered under warranty. Do not use hardwood floor cleaning machines or steam cleaners.
4. Important: Do not use oil soaps, liquid or paste wax products or other household cleaners that contain citrus oils, lemon oil, tung oil, silicon, or ammonia. Use of these and other such products will harm the long-term performance of your floor and may also affect its recoatability.

For wax or penetrating-stain finishes:

1. Follow steps 1 through 3 above
2. If the wax finish is discolored or has dirt build-up, use a combination liquid cleaner/wax made specifically for wood flooring. Make sure it is solvent rather than water-based. Spread the liquid cleaner/wax with a cloth or fine steel wool and rub gently to remove grime and old wax. Wipe the floor clean; let it dry for about 20 minutes, and then buff.
3. Always follow the manufacturer’s cleaning recommendations if known. Depending on traffic, a properly maintained wood floor should need waxing once or twice a year.

Grades of Wood June 6, 2012

When picking out wood for any project, there are a few things to look for. The wood should have a tight, even grain without excessive knots or changes in pattern, unless it is being used decoratively. The wood should also not have any cracks or splits, and should be milled along the grain so that it will be strong. Wood is sold in several grades; the National Oak Flooring Manufacturers Association (NOFMA) sets the standards for rules covering flooring. On unfinished boards, NOFMA has four established grades:

1. Clear
2. Select
3. No. 1 Common
4. No. 2 Common
5. Or a Mix

Clear indicates that the board or plank is free from character marks, mineral staining, knots or burls and has a uniform appearance. The lower grades will have a proportionately higher amount of character marks or staining. No. 2 is the lowest quality grade.

Select wood is a flooring product with natural heartwood/sapwood color variations that also includes knots, streaks, etc.

Common wood (No. 1 and No. 2) has more natural characteristics such as knots and color variations than either clear or select grades, and often is chosen because of these natural features and the character they bring to a room. No. 1 Common has a varied appearance, light and dark colors, knots, streaks and wormholes. No. 2 Common is rustic in appearance and emphasizes all wood characteristics of the species.

Prefinished flooring, on the other hand, varies with manufacturing, and grades are more marketable and descriptive names rather than a set NWFA standard. Typically, however, prefinished flooring is labeled as “prime,” “standard,” or “tavern,” although “traditional,” “exclusive,”  “character” and “cabin” may also be used. Different types of hardwood floor have their own grades. Because of huge variety of species with their unique characteristics, as well as hardwood floor manufacturers import their unique products throughout the world. It is nearly impossible to make a general classification in appearance when it comes to the hardwood floor.

Prime is the most uniform hardwood flooring with almost invisible character marks. Usually, this grade contains longer pieces with uniformed color and without defects. The waste factor is very low. It is the most expensive option, but the best characteristics of appearance.

Standard grade of hardwood floor has presence of natural characteristics and slight variations in color. It is also a highest rank for some species due to its appearance.

Tavern grade contains wood with major defects such as missing tongues, deep and open knots and splits, pieces of hardwood usually small. Different manufacturers have their own standards for utility grade, but usually it comes with no warranty and no returns. This grade of hardwood floor is getting popularity in recent years mainly because of its low price. Tavern grade hardwood floor will be 30%- 60% cheaper than rustic grade, but factor of waste should be considered as priority while buying this grade.

What is the best type of hardwood flooring if you have dogs? May 31, 2012

Steamboat Springs is a dog friendly place. We all love our pets, in fact everyone at Carpets Plus has a dog and we all have wooden floors! Most of you will know my dog Emmy as she is often at Carpets Plus, she is really quite docile in her old age but she hasn’t always been that way. She now has a young boyfriend Odie who visits her almost every day, and sometimes Odie’s baby brother, Asher, gets to come and visit. Needless to say our wood floors have seen many muddy paws, wild play and dropped toys!

 

When Martin and I selected our wood floors we wanted something that would look beautiful yet suit our lifestyle and had fairly easy maintenance. The number one thing for me was color. I wanted a mid-range color that went with my alder cabinets. I didn’t want the floors to be too light to show all the muddy paw prints and not too dark to show all the dog hair. (Emmy sheds for 11 months of the year). I also wanted a slightly more rustic look in keeping with the lodge feeling.

I chose Maple in color Aspen, it is a hand scraped wood that comes in various widths and has 8 factory coats of finish. Also, the denser the wood, the less likely it is to absorb water.

I have hardwood on all the main level which includes a living room, dining room, kitchen and powder room. There are some extra care things that I do but they are not difficult. I have mats at the entry to the deck and Emmy has her water bowl in the main entryway that is travertine. She is a very clean eater but a very sloppy drinker so I didn’t want the water splashes to harm the wood. Yes, during mud season we do get a few paw prints, but they are fairly minimum as Emmy (and her boyfriends) tend to dry off their paws a little after walking across the deck and the mat by the door.

 

I either sweep with a soft brush, or use a Swiffer Vac. On dirty spots, I use a cleaner that is designed especially for my wood floor that is available at Carpets Plus. Occasionally, I clean the whole floor with the wood cleaner to keep the floors looking like new.

 

There are obviously many other technical considerations when choosing wood, I will write a technical blog later or just stop by Carpets Plus and we will be happy to simplify your choices and help you find a beautiful wood floor that suits your needs.

What is the definition between hardwood and softwood? May 22, 2012

This is a really good question when you are considering what wood to use for your floors. Most people make the assumption that hardwoods are hard and softwoods are soft, however this is not necessarily correct. For example, Balsa wood is classified as a hardwood despite the fact that it is very soft and light. Softwood and hardwood are not distinguished by their end use or appearance they are distinguished by the type of tree. In general hardwood comes from deciduous trees,(leafy or flowering trees that generally lose their leaves in winter; and softwood comes from conifer trees that are generally evergreen. Some examples of hardwoods include maple, oak, alder, birch, cherry, hickory, mahogany and walnut. Softwoods include pine, redwood and cedar.

 

 

Wood hardness is measured by the “Janka” hardness test. This measures the resistance of a type of wood to withstand denting and wear. It measures the force required to embed an 11.28 mm (0.444 in) steel ball into wood to half the ball’s diameter. This method leaves an indentation.

 

 

“Janka” Scale of Hardness	Rating
Brazilian Tiger Mahogany	3840
Brazilian Walnut	3684
Brazilian Cherry “Lite”	3680
Bolivian Cherry	3650
Brazilian Redwood	3190
Red Mahogany	2697
Brazilian Cherry / Jatoba	2350
Santos Mahogany	2200
Hickory / Pecan, Satinwood	1820
Red Pine	1630
True Pine, Timborana	1570
Sweet Birch	1470
Hard Maple / Sugar Maple	1450
Caribbean Walnut	1390
White Oak	1360
Red Oak (Northern)	1290
Caribbean Heart Pine	1280
Yellow Birch, Iroko	1260
Heart Pine	1225
Peruvian Walnut	1080
Black Walnut/North American Walnut	1010
Cherry	995
Red Maple	950
Black Cherry, Imbuia	950
Eastern Red Cedar	900
African Mahogany	830
Mahogany, Honduran Mahogany	800
Silver Maple	700
Southern Yellow Pine	690
Alder (Red)	590
Western White Pine	420
Eastern White Pine	380

 

 

The relative hardness of wood and the availability will affect the price paid as will affect the performance of your floor. The other thing that can affect price is the availability of the wood. The chart below shows the availability of North American hardwood species found most often in residential applications.

 

*Includes Sap Gum, Basswood, Cottonwood, Hackberry, Hickory, Pecan, Birch, Beech, Tupelo, Elm, Walnut and other hardwoods.
Source: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service

 

Some of the more popular domestically grown and processed woods are: White Ash, Beech, Birch, Black Cherry (aka American Cherry), Hickory-Pecan, Sugar Maple, Mesquite, Red Oak, White Oak, Pine, and American Black Walnut.

Exotics/Imports species include: Bamboo, Brazilian Cherry, Bubinga, Cork, Cumaru, Spotted Gum, Sydney Blue Gum, Iroko, Jarrah, Mahogany, Brazilian Maple, Merbau, Tasmanian Oak, Padauk, Purpleheart, Brazilian Teak, Thai Burmese Teak, Brazilian Walnut, and Wenge.

 

Sandstone and Quartzite May 15, 2012

Sandstone is a sedimentary rock originating from the weathering and breakdown of other rocks. Sandstone was formed from grains of sand instead of silt or clay, so its final appearance is that of a rock made of compacted sand. Here we see a picture of a Jurassic sandstone from the Utah.

 

Sandstone is a sedimentary rock originating from the weathering and breakdown of other rocks. Sandstone was formed from grains of sand instead of silt or clay, so its final appearance is that of a rock made of compacted sand. You can see these sand grains with a magnifying lens, sometimes without one. Very compact sandstone is sometimes used as a gem rock if it can be made to take a good polish. The banding in sandstone is usually from bedding of different sediments. This kind of sandstone is also called “picture sandstone” if the patterns are reminiscent of sand dunes or other landscape.

The hardness of sandstone may be difficult to test. If the sand grains have not been cemented well or have been cemented by calcite, the sandstone will seem softer. The individual quartz sand grains will still have a hardness of 7, but the rock may crumble or disintegrate in your hand, making it look soft. Testing the hardness of rocks and natural stone is less effective than testing the hardness of minerals. A rock is basically a mixture of various minerals, although it can contain non-mineral materials such as natural glass and fossils.

 If sandstone becomes compacted and heated enough in the depths of the earth, it forms the metamorphic rock known as quartzite. The best way to distinguish between quartzite and hard sandstone is by looking at broken surfaces under magnification: sandstone breaks around the grains of sand, but quartzite is so tough that the fractures go right through the sand grains (if you can even tell them apart).

Pure quartzite is usually white to gray, though quartzite often occur in various shades of pink and red due to varying amounts of iron oxide. Other colors, such as yellow and orange, are due to other mineral impurities.

We would love for you to stop by Carpets Plus store in Steamboat Springs and take a look at all our natural stone samples. They are all beautiful and so interesting even if you are not doing a home improvement project just yet.

www.steamboatcarpetsplus.com

 

Cleaning Natural Stone May 8, 2012

Taking care of your natural stone does not need to be difficult. There are a couple of do’s and don’ts to know but basically you just need to use a cleaner especially designed for natural stone. Natural stone is very porous so the best way to prevent stains is to treat the surface with a protective sealer at the time of installation. The sealer fills in the pores and repels spills on the surface, allowing you time to completely wipe spills away. If your tile has not been sealed you can thoroughly clean your tile and apply a good sealer. Once your stone is sealed you can simply dust mop your floors frequently using a clean non treated dry dust mop. Sand, dirt and grit do the most damage to natural stone surfaces due to their abrasiveness, therefore if you use mats or area rugs inside and outside an entrance you will help to minimize tracking in the sand, dirt and grit. Make sure you use non-slip padding under your mat or area rug.

When using a cleaner on Natural Stone only use a neutral pH cleaner — you never want to use anything acidic on natural stone surfaces as they can ruin the surface of the stone. Never use cleaners containing acids, scouring powder, abrasive bathroom or soft kitchen cleaners, vinegar or lemon juice. So, all you margarita drinkers out there:  no limes on the counter tops!

For your peace of mind Carpets Plus has a variety of worry free cleaning products, sealers and area rug padding that will keep your natural stone looking great. My favorite stone cleaner is Carpets Plus “All in one Cleaner and Polish” for natural stone; we have plenty in stock at our store amongst other specialized cleaners. If your tile is looking a bit tiered we also have restoration products to give your natural stone a little lift in life.

Visit our website for details on cleaners we carry. www.steamboatcarpetsplus.com

Slate May 2, 2012

This picture is of both slate and quartzite, do you know the difference? It can be quite misleading. The outer two stones are slate and the inner two quartzite.

Slate is often used for flooring, wall tile and deco tiles. It is Mother Nature at its best and is very popular for entryways and public areas. The beauty of slate is its variation of color and the variation of texture of its surface. In Steamboat Springs you will often see slate in entryways as it hides the dirt and its irregular surface is more slip resistant which helps when people are walking around in ski boots!

Slate should be sealed to improve durability and appearance and increase stain resistance. Slate can be bought either gauged, meaning that the back surface is ground for ease of installation, or un-gauged. In either case the surface of the slate retains its natural clef so even if the surface gets chipped by the odd ski boot it will not affect its appearance as the color goes all the way through.

Check out our slate installations at CMC Bristol Hall, Millennium Bank, Victoria building downtown and Steamboat Motors.

Visit us at our website: http://steamboatcarpetsplus.com/

Limestone April 25, 2012

Travertine and limestone are both sedimentary rocks composed of grains; however, most grains in limestone are skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral. Travertine is a banded, compact variety of limestone formed along streams, particularly where there are waterfalls, and around hot or cold springs.

There are far more geological similarities than differences between travertine and limestone. Both are formed by the settling of plants, animals, sea shells, sand, and mud on the sea beds. As millions of years pass, this sediment continues to settle and the weight of additional settlement causes the limestone and travertine to compress and harden. This process creates the fossils frequently found in both of these stones. If, at this stage, hot water rich in carbon dioxide from hot springs percolates through the limestone and dissolves some of the stone leaving behind inclusions, holes or voids, travertine is formed. As the water resurfaces, the sudden drop in pressure and change in temperature causes the water to release carbon dioxide gas. The calcium carbonate or limestone then re-crystallizes as travertine.

Limestone is a good building material, especially for cathedrals, since you can carve it easily. It does get eroded by being dissolved slowly by rain, especially acid rain. Limestone, like all natural stone should be sealed and can be maintain by a neutral pH cleaner, you never want to use anything acidic on natural stone surfaces as they can ruin the surface of natural stone.

Stop by Carpets Plus and test your skills at distinguishing these two products, and check out our inexpensive cleaners.

Carpets Plus 1580 Pine Grove Road, Steamboat Springs, CO

Travertine April 17, 2012

Travertine is a form of limestone deposited by mineral springs, especially hot springs. It is formed by a process of rapid precipitation of calcium carbonate, often at the mouth of a hot spring or in a limestone cave. In the U.S., the most well-known place for travertine formation is Yellowstone National Park, where the geothermal areas are rich in travertine deposits.

Travertine is often used as a building material. The Romans mined deposits of travertine for building temples, aqueducts, monuments, bath complexes, and amphitheaters such as the Coliseum, the largest building in the world constructed mostly of travertine.

Because travertine is such a porous material, it should be sealed before use in construction or renovation projects. It is most commonly used for counter-tops and flooring, but may also be used in showers and tub surrounds as well as in exterior decor.

Travertine is available in different colors and finishes, from natural, neutral colors such as creamy white and beige to tan and reddish brown. The color depends quite a bit on the impurities and iron content of the stone. The different finishes include honed, polished, chiseled and tumbled. Honed travertine is smooth, but unlike polished, it has a matte finish. Polished travertine is smooth, buffed and polished until shiny. Tumbled travertine has a rougher, textured finish and often has rounded corners for an antique look. Remember just because a stone may be shiny it doesn’t mean it is sealed.

Never use cleaners that contain vinegar or citrus oils on travertine. Even water can be harmful to the texture of travertine if it is allowed to sit on the stone for long periods of time.

Travertine is imported mostly from Italy, Iran, Mexico, Turkey, and Peru. A decade ago, Italy had a near-monopoly on the world travertine market.

John Vande Velde, Terry’s son outside Rome’s Coliseum, the largest building in the world constructed mostly of travertine.

Carpets Plus stock travertine in Steamboat Springs and have many other travertine’s available within a week of ordering. www.steamboatcarpetsplus.com