Tour of Real Wood Floors

Example of Another Happy Customer

Example of Real Wood Floors Walnut Floor

A customer of ours, www.installyourfloors.com, sent in this picture of a floor they recently did with Real Wood Floors 5" Character Walnut.  In addition they used a border installed unfinished and sanded on site.  For more information visit there website at www.installyourfloors.com.

Decorating Ideas

Wood floors with a medium-brown stain are a good neutral choice for most decorating styles.  In this room the floor color is integrated into the room's color scheme, repeated in the bamboo blinds at the window and accent pillows on the sofa.

Fix The Squeak

In most cases, your wood floor squeaking is not caused by a mouse.

Two pieces of wood rubbing together are the cause of most squeaks in wooden floors. There are two reason this happens. In one case the wood floor has pulled away from the sub floor that lies beneath it. Most hard wood floors are installed by nailing the wood floorboards to a plywood sub floor which rests on the support beams underneath. The sub floor can warp or the nails used to secure the floorboards in place come loose. The second reason for squeaks is a gap between the sub floor and the joists. The gaps most likely occur because the sub floor has warped.

Real Wood Floors recommends finding a quality wood floor contractor in your area to evaluate your floor to discover where and why the squeak is occuring. Most likely, it will be something they can fix quickly and easily. Their are several kits a wood floor owner can purchase online, however, most of these kits are not effective or only mask the real problem.

Our Wood Floor Photo Shoot

Clean Your Hardwood Floor With The Best

Here at Real Wood Floors we appreciate our customers. So much so, that we want to give back to them the best way we know how. That is why, for the next 7 months, we are giving away one free Bona Hardwood Spray Mop each month to one of our followers on Facebook. It's our way of saying thank you.

The Bona Hardwood Spray Mop is an awesome product that will add years to your hardwood floor by cleaning it with no harsh chemicals and using an industry leading design as to not damage your floor. It uses safe, no residue, environmentally frendly hardwood floor cleaner that will leave your floor clean and fresh without streaking, and it is Bona GREENGUARD certified, meaning it is non-toxic and tested safe for children and schools.

The Microfiber Cleaning Pad is washable and reusable allowing it to last longer than other spray mops, and it attracts and traps dirt that other all purpose mops just push around.

This is the only spray mop Real Wood Floors endorses and should you not want to wait to win the Bona Hardwood Spray Mop, Real Wood Floors recommends getting one today to take care of your hardwood floors.

Our Factory

Our Facebook Contest!

We are looking for more Facebook Fans! So, we have decided that we will award one lucky customer or contractor with a Bona Reservoir Hardwood Floor Spray Mop each month for the rest of the year, beginning in May and ending in December. To enter, all you will have to do is access Real Wood Floor’s Facebook page and click the “Like” button. The winners receive a free Bona Hardwood Floor Mop, specially designed to be used with any type of residential wood. But that's not all! Additionally, winners name’s will go into a grand prize drawing for 300sqft of wood flooring to be given away at a year end drawing in December! Real Wood Floors is excited to offer this opportunity to customers and looks forward to future promotions.

Before You Floor

Hardwood floors are timeless and add character to any home. These classic, attractive floors aren’t to be taken lightly, however. There are a number of variables to consider when deciding what floor is right for you.
Every species used in hardwood flooring has unique properties, but the main aspects you’ll need to judge are color and grain. Different species have different colors, naturally, but the colors from specific parts of the tree tend to vary. How your wood is cut and the species determines the pattern of the grain.
The finish of your floor is another important consideration: pre-finished floors are already sanded, stained, and coated with a protective finish; “finish in place” floors require these techniques after installation, but allow greater customization for your own personal touch. If you don’t like how prefinished floors have beveled edges, a site finished floor is what you’ll want. Having it sanded on site removes the need for the tiny bevels between planks.
As we’ve discussed at length before, one of hardwood flooring’s worst enemies is the moisture. Consider your local climate: Drier locales may want to acquire a humidifier to counteract the climate. Similarly, UV rays can damage your floors, causing fades and discoloration. Window treatments help reduce this effect. Also remember to move furniture and area rugs intermittently to prevent areas of permanent discoloration.
Hardwood floors are a big investment, but they transform any home into something completely different. The classics never go out of style.

The Process of Creating Hardwood Floors

Have you ever wondered just how a tree goes from the forest and comes to your floor? It’s more complicated than you might think. There’s three key varieties of hardwood flooring: solid, longstrip, and engineered.
Solid wood floors are typically a single plank of wood, with “tongues” and “grooves” that allow the pieces to connect. Solid floors are extremely moisture sensitive, and generally nailed down to ward off humidity fluctuations. As we’ve discussed before, seasonal moisture shifts cause wood to contract and expand—cold weather causes wood to shrink, while more humid climates cause wood to expand. Because of this, expansion space should be considered when placing your planks.
Longstrip and engineered floors share a key trait: both are composed of multiple sheets (called “plies”) of wood pieced together to create a single plank.
For longstrip flooring, the core of the piece is usually a more pliable, softer wood. The top layer, however, can be any number of hardwood species. Longstrip production creates an interesting effect—a board a few planks wide and many planks long. Each piece resembles a single preassembled chunk of the floor. One advantage of longstrip floors is that they’re easily replaced if they’ve suffered irreparable damage.
Engineered floors are arranged in opposing directions. This is often known as “cross-ply” construction. This method effectively guards the flooring against moisture-related problems. The planks’ arrangement causes the expansions and contractions to counter one another, limiting or reducing the amount of cupping and crowning a floor can exhibit when exposed to differing levels of humidity.
Engineered floors are versatile, allowing them to be installed in any part of the home whether it be the basement or directly on slab. These floors can be stapled, glued, nailed, or even floated over existing subfloors.

Come See Us at the NWFA

Real Wood Floors will be in San Diego tomorrow for the 2011 NWFA Annual Wood Flooring Convention and Expo, April 27-29, 2011. If the amazing weather and terrific golf courses aren't motivation enough, you can also learn everything their is to know about wood flooring and installation. We will be in booth 1119. We look forward to seeing you there.

Why Water and Vinegar Don’t Work

Water and vinegar is commonly perceived as a cheap, environmentally friendly option for those looking to keep their hardwood floors sparkling. While you might think you’re keeping both the planet and your wallet safe, you do so at the risk of dulling your floor.
Moisture is a key element to the flooring process—both during installation and regular maintenance. Wood will generally shrink and contract when exposed to low humidity, creating cracks between planks. The opposite is also true: high humidity causes wood to expand. Spilled water or puddles results in wood swelling up and can cause it to become discolored. (This is why specially made cleaners are delivered in misting spray bottles.
Vinegar is an acid—in reality, it won’t clean a messy floor, it will eat away at the finish. Remember, you’re not cleaning the floor itself, you’re working to clean the chemical finish. With its acidic properties, vinegar dulls the floor’s shine. Making matters worse is the water, especially when a mop is used. Traditional mops cause an excess of water, compounding both the effects of moisture and acid.
Don’t rely on this old wives’ tale. Hardwood floor cleaners are made for a reason—keeping your floors looking great with no side effects.

Protecting your hardwood floors from the paws of your furry friends.

An important, but overlooked consideration when contemplating wood flooring is how well they will hold up under the traffic of your four legged friends. When it comes to pets and your wood floors there are a few things to consider. How well your floors hold up under larger pets will be determined by both the species of wood for your flooring and the type of finish you put on it.

Even the best floor finish manufacturers will tell you that their product will not withstand the punishment provided by large pets. Make sure that you don’t set your expectations too high and be prepared to see some damage. Most pre-finished floor manufacturers will not warrant against damage done by pets, so that is another consideration to keep in mind when buying.

That being said, some types of floor finishes will hold up better than others. Two part water-based finishes that are formulated for high traffic or commercial settings generally perform better than oil-based polyurethane. Make sure you ask your contractor if he is proficient using high traffic residential or commercial finishes that might better withstand abuse from your pets.

You’ll also want to consider the species of wood used for your flooring. Some denser species will do a better job holding up under pets than others. For example, if you put in a yellow pine floor, which is naturally soft wood, even with the best finish, your pet’s weight will probably dent the wood itself. On the other hand if you put Brazilian Cherry floor in your home, your pets’ ability to dent this dense wood will be much less.

Ask your contractor what he or she recommends to withstand abuse from your pets. Be willing to buy a denser species such as hickory, Brazilian Cherry, Santos Mahogany or Maple to withstand the wear and tear and be willing to spend a little more for two-part water-based finishes that will provide more durability under the extra wear and tear. As always, have reasonable expectations as to what will happen to the appearance of the floor with a pet running around on it.

Orange Glo Nightmares

This week – a great reminder from Kevin over at Heartland Hardwood Flooring about the dangers of Orange Glo. For customers looking to restore shine to their hardwood floors, it’s important to inform them about the dangers of products like Orange Glo. Kevin provides more details here.

An ounce of prevention...

Hardwood flooring is one of the best interior investments you can add to your home. Realtors and homebuilders alike have acknowledged that wood flooring makes any home more appealing. That being said, maintaining your investment over many years is important. There are a few very simple steps you can take to help protect your wood flooring investment from wear and tear and damage.

• Beware dirt and grit.

Dirt and grit can scratch the wood finish when dragged across your floors by shoes or dust mops. Entrance mats help to control the amount of grit and dust coming into the home and dry mopping with microfiber helps to keep the dust that does get in under control.

• Vacuum safely

If you choose to use a vacuum on your wood flooring, make sure your vacuum employs a soft brush and never use a vacuum that has a beater bar on your wood floors.

• Protect your floors from furniture

Furniture—table and chair legs—can also scratch and damage your wood floors. To avoid damage from furniture movement, place felt pieces on table and chair legs. If your wood floor is in an area such as a dining room, where furniture is frequently moved, you can also use area rugs to protect your floor.

• Clean with care

Avoid harsh chemicals when cleaning your hardwood floors. Chemicals can be harmful to your wood floor finish and can cause discoloration. Contact your manufacturer for a recommendation on appropriate cleaners.

Water Happens, But it doesn't have to ruin your wood floors

One of the most costly threats to your hardwood floors is water damage. Water damage can occur from spills, leaks and humidity and moisture in the air. Of course the best way to save your hardwood floors from water damage is to employ preventive measures. Try to avoid water and other liquid spills; if they occur clean them immediately using absorbent cloth or paper towels. Maintaining air humidity in the recommended range for your particular hardwood floor is also necessary to prevent warping and other moisture related damage.

Some simple ways to prevent water damage include employing the use of rugs in areas, such as entryways, that are more likely to be exposed to moisture. Always be sure to speak with the manufacturer of your wood floors for tips and recommendations specific to your chosen floor.

Taking preventive measures will go a long way toward preserving the beauty of your hardwood floors over time. However, no matter how careful you may be, water damage can still occur. If you discover water or moisture damage on your hardwood floors, it is most important that you act quickly to remove or eliminate the source of moisture.

Depending on the kind of damage and the kind of hardwood floors you have, steps to repair it may vary. The important things to remember with any water damage are 1) eliminate the source of moisture and 2) wait until the wood has properly dried and relaxed prior to making any drastic decisions regarding repair. If water-damage related repairs are undertaken prior to the floor properly drying, permanent damage can be done to the floor. Feel free to email us regarding your specific issue and we’ll be happy to help you determine the next steps.