Harwood or Laminate? July 5, 2012

Hardwood or Laminate?

If you want the look of hardwood but don’t have the budget, a laminate floor may be what you are looking for. Laminate flooring is durable, scratch, stain and fade resistant, easy to clean, hypoallergenic. Laminate is also perfect for households with pets and children and costs less than solid hardwood flooring. There are all kinds of laminates, not only with different looks, but also different plank widths and colors that are built to withstand different degrees of traffic. Laminates can resemble stone or ceramic tile but are best known as substitutes for wood floors. Best of all, the innovations in laminate keep on coming; new and better locking systems, embossing, new finishes and more.

Laminate wood floors are extremely versatile flooring products. A laminate floor installation can be done in almost every room of your home, above or below ground, over wood or concrete. Most of the floor manufacturers market their laminate floors as an ‘install anywhere’ product. However, you should not install laminates in bathrooms, laundry rooms, kitchens, saunas, enclosed porches, verandas or anywhere that may require wet mopping.

Laminate is constructed of four layers:

1. The back is reinforced with melamine for structural stability and moisture resistance.
2. The core board is strong, stable, and moisture-resistant. It is made of high density fiberboard or sometimes medium density fiberboard. This core, which supports the weight and stress of foot traffic, will affect how sturdy and stable your floor will be.
3. The decorative layer provides the floor’s beauty. The decorative layer is actually a highly detailed photograph that gives the laminate the appearance of wood or tile.
4. The top layer is a melamine tough wear layer. This layer has a clear finish, reinforced with aluminum oxide, which is one of the hardest mineral compounds known to man. The aluminum oxide treatment is also used to resist staining, fading, surface moisture and wear.

 

The locking system is the way the laminate boards will click together to form your floor. It is hallmark of laminate flooring is to come with glue-free, click joints or locking systems that are easy to assemble. That’s why installing laminate floors has become something many people can do themselves. You virtually never need to glue a laminate floor to a sub-floor, nor build a level sub-floor first, like you would have to do with a solid hardwood installation.

Laminate flooring offers residential products with 15-year, 20-year, and 25-year warranties for products used in dry, interior residential applications.

Call Carpets Plus of Steamboat Springs (970) 870-8036 or visit our website: http://steamboatcarpetsplus.com/ to learn more about all of your flooring options!

 

Engineered or Solid Hardwood? June 27, 2012

Engineered or Solid Hardwood?

Hardwood flooring is one of the few choices that will actually raise the value of your home and help it sell. Since hardwood floors are well known for retaining beauty, structural integrity and character for decades, they can be a powerfully persuasive selling point. The elegance and warmth of hardwood never goes out of style or wavers in its appeal. Whether you plan to keep your home for generations or sell it at a premium, hardwood flooring is always a good investment.

Solid wood is milled from a real hardwood species, making it the sole material used in the making of the flooring and lasts generations. Solid wood generally expands and contracts a lot more than engineered wood during climatic changes, especially extremes in heat and cold and rainy season. It’s resistance to moisture and heat is therefore unsuitable for applications in areas which are not environmentally controlled, damp areas such as below-grade installations and over radiant heat.

The standard thickness for solid hardwood is ¾”. For thin profile solid hardwood, 5/16″ is the standard. The planks are sawed in one of three ways, which affects the stability, and the price of the hardwood.

1. Flat or Plain Sawed: by far the most commonly used cut. It contains more variations than the others.
2. Quarter Sawed: cuts a log into quarters before it cuts the strips of wood to make hardwood flooring boards.
3. Rift Sawed: cuts a log at a different angle than quarter sawed before it cuts the wood into hardwood flooring boards. Though it is more expensive than the other methods, it is also more stable, providing higher quality flooring.

Solid hardwood floor planks are made with a tongue and groove edge locking method which makes it easy to join the planks together to make a strong joint. One side of the board has a tongue and the other has a groove. The tongue interlocks with the groove to fit the boards together.

One of the advantages of solid construction is that most ¾” thick solid wood floors have about ¼” or 6 mm of wood above the tongue and groove meaning they can be sanded and refinished many times. If properly cared for, a solid hardwood floor can last for generations.

There are some potential disadvantages of solid hardwood. It cannot be installed below grade or over radiant heat. Most experts recommend not installing it over a concrete sub-floor.

Engineered or Stacked wood is bonded under heat and pressure. It is produced with three or more layers of HDF, MDF, with a layer of real hardwood as the surface layer. The additional base layers add structural strength to the product. This type of product is suitable in high-moisture areas or in areas of frequent temperature changes due to its “multiple-ply plank” manufacturing. Engineered hardwood is more resistant to both water and heat compared to solid wood. Engineered hardwood does not warp or cup during climatic changes and is a better choice for installation over radiant heat sources, damp basements, and at locations in rainy climates.

Engineered hardwood is made by gluing a real hardwood veneer to a core board made of either plywood or high density fiberboard. Because of this construction method, engineered hardwood is more dimensionally stable than solid hardwood. In other words it will not contract or expand as much due to changes in humidity or temperature.

Engineered hardwood has several advantages over solid hardwood:

1. It can be installed on all grades, including below grade
2. It can be installed over radiant heat
3. It can be installed over a concrete sub-floor
4. It can be floated

The number of plies used to create the plywood core may vary anywhere from 2 to 10, and while a 3 ply board is not going to be as stable as say a 5 ply board would be, this is not enough to be a deciding factor unless this flooring is going to be used over a radiant floor heating system. Generally speaking, the more plies in the plywood, the higher the price. A high density fiberboard core is more dimensionally stable than a plywood core.

There are three different ways of cutting the veneer for the engineered flooring that, along with thickness, has an impact on price. The three methods of cutting the veneer include:

1. Dry solid-sawed: involves letting the wood dry out slowly with a low humidity level to keep moisture from inside the wood cells intact, reducing the risk of cupping. It is the most expensive type of engineered flooring, but looks and acts more like a solid.
2. Rotary-peel: involves boiling the log for a certain amount of time at a certain temperature to prepare the wood. After the wood has been prepared, it is scraped from the log with a blade working from the outside in and then pressed flat. It typically has a plywood-like grain and can have issues with cupping and warping to try to revert to its original shape.
3. Sliced-peel: involves boiling the log for a certain amount of time at a certain temperature to prepare the wood. After the wood has been prepared, it is sliced from the end and then pressed to create a veneer.

The thickness of the veneer ranges from 0.6 mm to 6 mm. The thicker the veneer, the more expensive the flooring is. For people who are planning to refinish the flooring at some point, it is important to consider the thickness because unlike a solid hardwood floor, the engineered type can only be sanded and refinished so many times. The thicker the veneer, the more times it can be sanded and refinished, however, it is still limited. Once installed, removing a vent to inspect the flooring from the side can provide an idea of the remaining thickness on the veneer.

One disadvantage of engineered floors is that they cannot be sanded & refinished if the wood floor has a veneer thickness less than 2mm; or if it is a hand scraped engineered floor, regardless of veneer thickness; however if the floor has a veneer thickness of 2mm or greater it can be refinished but is best left to a professional.

Engineered floor planks are made with either a traditional tongue and groove edge locking method or with a glue less click-lock edge method that requires no glue and allows the pieces to snap together to create a snug fit. This is the easiest do it yourself installation method.

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.

 

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