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.