If you’re looking for a beautiful way to update your floors, exotic hardwood flooring is a perfect fit. This durable, beautiful material adds a sophisticated component to your home. With the right products and the right design, you can literally transform any room of your home and make it uniquely stunning. Read on for some exotic hardwood flooring design ideas and inspiration that will encourage you to try this flooring in your own home.

Elevate Your Outdoor Space

You might think exotic wood flooring is just for the indoors, but there are outdoor options, too. Ipe Tropical Hardwood Deck Tiles can be installed anywhere, even over rooftop terraces, concrete, and directly onto the ground. The gorgeous ipe wood is extremely dense, so it’s tough enough to handle everything from inclement weather to lots of foot traffic. Each tile features slats for drainage, and they’re gorgeous when installed in an outdoor spa area. With this unique form of tropical wood flooring, you’ll instantly add beauty to your deck, update an old patio, or create a stunning walkway. Each tile slat may vary since this wood species naturally varies in color, which makes it an even better choice if you’re looking for a more organic look outdoors.

Get creative with these wood tiles and lay them in different patterns. You can place them in one uniform direction or try them in varying directions to create a parquet-style floor. If you’re looking for something to add style to your deck but you’re not ready for a brand-new addition, these hardwood deck tiles are an excellent alternative. No glue or screws are needed, and the smooth surface feels wonderful under bare feet.

Warm-up a Cold Home Office

If you work from home, make your space more inviting with some tropical hardwood flooring. The Vanier Brazilian Exotic Collection blends engineered hardwood flooring with the beauty and warmth of exotic South American wood. From Brazilian cherry to oak, walnut, and pecan, you’ll find this flooring in a wide range of inviting finishes. The natural grain and smooth finish give any office space an air of sophistication. The understated semi-gloss acrylic finish is UV-cured to prevent fading so you can enjoy working in an office with plenty of natural light.

This exotic hardwood flooring comes in light, medium, and warm brown tones that work in any style of home. The subtle sheen is beautiful yet strong enough to stand up to foot traffic and the scooting of office chairs. Micro-beveled edges give this flooring a nice clean look that keeps the eyes focused on the beauty of the wood. It can be nailed, glued, stapled, or floated for easy installation and enjoyment indoors in your office, living room, and beyond.

Create a Hygge-Inspired Living Space

While tropical wood flooring is often known for its depth of color, you’ll also find it in lighter tones, too. For example, Jasper Engineered Hardwood Exotic Collection features this beautiful flooring in a clean shade titled “Cathedral White” that makes it easy to create a calming, Hygge-like atmosphere. This creamy white color works wonderfully in any environment, and it makes every room feel crisp and modern. This flooring features a unique vertical pattern that adds instant modernity and uniqueness to the home. The flooring is built with a sturdy plywood core and is twice as dent resistant as conventional wood floors.

Jasper’s line of exotic flooring comes in other finishes, too, and it features eight coats of ceramic-based aluminum oxide finish to provide exceptional scratch and wear-resistance. The textured surface makes each plank of this durable flooring look and feel unique and natural. Installation is easy thanks to the tongue and groove edges. Simply nail, glue, or float them and enjoy these long-lasting floors for years to come. The Cathedral White color gives your space a clean and crisp aesthetic that perfectly sums up the Hygge design style.

Design an Exotic Abode

If you want to recreate the look of a tropical island, be sure to try Vanier Hardwood Brazilian Exotic Collection in the finish Tigerwood Natural. This gorgeous flooring features natural color variations and grains that will give any part of your home a luscious, jungle vibe. With its earthy warmth and bold, vivid colors, you can transform a sunny living space into an island-inspired getaway. Thanks to the smooth surface of this flooring, it’s also stunning in a bedroom, too.

Add some velvet furniture and fun décor to your living room to make this stunning exotic wood flooring stand out. A large potted tropical plant in a corner and a fun, colorful area rug are easy ways to complement this flooring choice. Apply tropical patterned wallpaper to the walls of your living room to round out the exotic theme. Thanks to the easy installation and ultra-rich colors, this tropical wood flooring will be a long-time favorite in your home.

Elegant Herringbone Floors

A classic herringbone pattern lends sophistication and elegance to any home. Try the Mamza Hardwood Exotic Kempas Collection flooring to create your own custom herringbone designs. Crafted from a tropical wood called kempas, this durable exotic hardwood flooring allows you to enjoy the durability of hardwood at an affordable price. It looks stunning when installed in a herringbone design since the species blends from reddish-brown into natural colors that darken over time. Each piece includes an interlocked or spiraled grain pattern that takes classic herringbone to a whole new, exotic level.

You can enjoy herringbone floors in any room, but it’s especially beautiful in an entryway or living room. The straightforward nail down installation of these floors makes it easy to create this pattern with just a nail gun. The UV finish ensures an exceptional surface resistance against scratches and scuffs. Thanks to the rich colors and smooth texture with a satin gloss, these kempas floors are sure to stun. When installing your flooring in a herringbone pattern, be sure to layout and cut each piece in advance for a beautiful outcome.

Exotic Flooring for Busy Homes

You can enjoy the stunning look of exotic wood flooring without worrying about damage thanks to new products like the Lamton Laminate Exotic Collection. These beautiful floors are made of laminate, but they feature hand-scraped surfaces and grain patterns that perfectly mimic exotic hardwood. Rated for residential use, you’ll love the way they look while enjoying an affordable floor that lasts. The easy click-lock system makes the floors easy to connect and adjust, yet they’re perfectly solid and sturdy once the flooring is complete. If you want to enjoy the beauty and splendor of exotic hardwoods but you’re concerned about longevity, this laminate alternative is a great pick. Lamton offers this flooring in your choice of beautiful color so you can create a modern or warm environment that looks high-end and sophisticated. The brand also sells moldings that are carefully selected to be the closest match possible to the floors for a seamless finish. Try this option if you’re in love with the concept of tropical wood floors but don’t want to worry about damage from little paws or feet. It’s a great way to design your home in a beautiful way that’s easy and worry-free.

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Installing new flooring in your home isn’t as simple as measuring your space, ordering materials and putting down planks at random though. For a properly installed flooring, racking is an essential step you shouldn’t leave out. Use this guide to learn more about flooring racking and how to make use of this simple process before you begin your installation.

What is Floor Racking?

Floor racking can sound like a time-consuming task that should be left to professional installers only, right? The truth is that floor racking is quite simple and pretty much anybody can do it. If you can lift a plank of your chosen flooring material you can handle racking on your own.

That’s because floor racking is simply the process of laying out your flooring planks without fastening them with nails or glue. Doing this allows you to create varied patterns and mix and match different planks for a designer-inspired look you won’t get by randomly placing your planks at installation time. While you can do this with any flooring material, racking is a pretty standard procedure when you’re working with natural hardwood, engineered wood or laminate.

Not everybody takes the time to properly rack their floors. Skipping this step is one of the most common mistakes people make when installing flooring, and while avoiding it won’t necessarily result in damage, there’s a good chance your floors won’t look as good as they could have.

Why is Floor Racking Important?

A lot of people who are installing a floor in their homes wonder if floor racking is really necessary or if it’s just a step that will eat up valuable time. While it can easily add a few hours to your overall installation, floor racking is a vital first step when taking on a new flooring project.

Here are a few of the main reasons floor racking is so important.

Thorough Inspection

Floor racking allows you to inspect each plank as you take it out of the packaging. That means you get a look at each individual plank so you can check for defects. Once installed, defective wood won’t be covered under a standard warranty. Take the time to ensure you don’t have any defective planks before your installation. Racking early also allows you to get replacement planks before your installation is scheduled to begin.

Color Variation

Racking makes it easy to achieve proper color variation when installing flooring like engineered wood or natural hardwood. By racking your floors first, you can choose exactly what your flooring pattern will look like, giving your room and home more visual depth. With materials like wood, you can also blend light and dark planks or strategically place planks with more color variation.

Length Variation

You can mix and match plank lengths to create a smart design through racking. Varying plank lengths creates a designer-inspired look for your room. Racking also helps ensure that you don’t place all long planks together before switching to shorter planks, which will be very obvious once installed.

See the Full Picture

Racking allows you to view the floor from a standing position so you can see what your floors will look like once they’re permanently installed. This provides you with the opportunity to make changes for aesthetic reasons before nailing or gluing them down.

Understanding Acclimation and Moisture Content in Flooring Materials

Floor racking is a vital step that ensures you have high-quality wood, optimal color variation and appropriate plank lengths. Before you start laying out your floor though, allowing the wood to acclimate to the temperature and humidity of the installation location is critically important.

Why does acclimation matter so much? Consider the possibility that your flooring materials may have been shipped from a region with a climate much different than yours. Your new flooring materials may also have been in storage for some time before being shipped to you. That means they may shrink or expand slightly in your home.

In general, 48 to 72 hours is an ideal acclimation time for most materials, though a longer time generally won’t cause any harm at all in a climate controlled space. One great way to ensure your new flooring material is ready for installation is to unpack it on a Friday before beginning your installation on Monday or Tuesday. That leaves ample time for even sensitive materials like natural hardwood to acclimate to your space.

You don’t have to leave flooring acclimation to chance though. Another option is to use a moisture meter to make sure your flooring materials are ready for installation. Here’s how you can use a moisture meter to check your flooring materials before you begin the installation process.

Racking 101: A Quick Step-By-Step Guide

Racking doesn’t have to be complex. Here’s a quick step-by-step primer to help you get a handle on the basics.

1. Inspect all flooring materials for damage and defects. Put aside any planks that are unfit for installation.
2. Pull planks from different boxes to ensure varied tones and plank lengths. You can sort them into “like” groups to organize your materials.
3. Allow your flooring materials proper time to acclimate to your home. Use a moisture meter to ensure your materials are ready for installation.
4. Take time to plan your layout. Give yourself a day to ensure that you love your design before committing.
5. Make sure you stagger joints correctly. You want to avoid weak spots that could lead to damage or the need for repairs down the road.

Ready to update the flooring in your home? We can help you find a range of materials like natural hardwood, engineered hardwood, laminate, vinyl flooring, porcelain and ceramic tile and more. Our trained representatives can also give you more information about racking your floors before installation so you can proceed with the installation knowing you’ll love the outcome.

Reach out today to take the first step toward new floors. We can also help you plan your building project if you’re creating your dream home from the ground up.

The post Floor Racking: How to Lay Out Plank Flooring Before Installation appeared first on Learning Center.

While trees do perfectly fine out in the wild when they get wet, your wood flooring material doesn’t fare so well when the moisture content is off. Use this guide to learn more about why wood moisture content matters during a building or renovation project. You’ll also learn how to properly check that the wood you’re using is in the right range for installation.

What Does Wood Moisture Content Mean?

Moisture content, in the simplest terms, is the amount of water that a piece of wood flooring material contains. For example, when a freshly sawn piece of wood is weighed, it may come in at 40-pounds. During the drying process, that piece of wood could easily lose 60% of its weight.

Of course, there is still moisture in any piece of wood that you intend to put down on the floor. In fact, even wood that is properly installed will vary in terms of moisture content with the weather, seasons and general indoor conditions. Since wood is porous, this is natural, and as long as the wood stays in a healthy moisture range, your wood planks and boards won’t look any worse because of these minor fluctuations.

Why Is it Important?

The concept of wood moisture content might not seem important to you if you’re buying wood flooring material to install in your home or commercial space. After all, that wood has already been kiln-dried in most cases, right? Yes, but wood moisture content still matters.

If wood with the wrong moisture content is installed, your floors could warp, crack, cup or shrink over time. This can lead to a dramatic reduction in the life of your wood floors. It can also be a costly mistake that could require replacing portions or all of your wood floors way before their lifespan should be up.

How Can I Test for Wood Moisture Content?

Simply inspecting a piece of wood or touching it with your bare hand won’t tell you much about the moisture content of that particular plank or board. To know the moisture content of your wood flooring material, you’ll need a special tool called a moisture meter.

For wood flooring, you’ll want to look for a moisture meter made specifically for wood use. A concrete moisture meter won’t give a proper reading that you can trust. Here are the two main types of wood moisture meters used for hardwood floor installation jobs.

Pin Moisture Meters

These moisture meters utilize two pin-like prongs and an electrical current to test the moisture content of your wood. These pins need to be hammered into the wood for a proper reading, so they can add unsightly blemishes to any wood that you are testing.

Pin-Less or Non-Destructive Moisture Meters

This meter type rests on top of your flooring material, using low frequency signals to test the moisture content through the depth of your wood. Since they don’t have pins that need to be hammered into the wood, they are often the most convenient choice for small jobs since you won’t need extra material for testing. Make sure the meter you choose is designed to test wood that matches the thickness of your flooring material. Otherwise you may get an inaccurate reading from the subfloor below.

How Do I Know What Moisture Content is Correct?

You’ve got your wood, your meter and you’re all ready to go, right? Here’s a quick guide to help you determine whether or not your wood is ready for installation based on the relative humidity of your region:

•   18-25% humidity: 5% wood moisture content  

•   25-32% humidity: 6% wood moisture content

•   32-39% humidity: 7% wood moisture content

•   39-46% humidity: 8% wood moisture content

•   46-55% humidity: 9% wood moisture content

Except in the case of exterior wood installations, where moisture content levels of up to 14% are generally safe, using wood with more than 9% moisture is not advisable. Reducing indoor humidity to around 50% is preferable.

Installation Tips for Proper Wood Moisture Content

Wet wood can wreak havoc on your flooring installation project and lead to floors that are warped, cracked or otherwise damaged. Here are a few tips to help you ensure that your installation project doesn’t get off to a slippery start:

Let your wood acclimate to its new environment.

This is particularly important if your wood was shipped or delivered to your home from a different region or even out of state. The best way to do this is to unbox or unpack your wood flooring material and leave it in the room where it is to be installed for 48 to 72 hours. Leaving wood in a space on Friday afternoon for an installation that begins on Monday morning is a great way to get started.

Know your area.

To properly measure wood moisture content, you need to know the average relative humidity in your area. You’ll also need to know what is a generally acceptable range for indoor wood moisture readings.

Test multiple pieces of wood in different areas of the room.

Some installers recommend testing wood planks every 100 square feet of subfloor. Testing near walls and areas more prone to moisture is also a smart idea once you have your layout planned.

Test both sides of your board if using a pin-less meter.

This gives a more accurate reading if both sides are flat.

Ready to dig a little deeper and learn more about how moisture can impact wood flooring? Check out our blog post all about the ongoing battle between moisture and wood in commercial and residential spaces.

You can also reach out to our skilled, knowledgeable representatives to learn more about wood flooring. We can even help you better understand the process of getting your wood flooring material acclimated to a new environment to make installation as smooth as possible.

The post How to Measure Wood Moisture Content in Flooring appeared first on Learning Center.

How you use those nails during the course of a renovation can vary however. Use this guide to learn more about common nailing techniques you can take advantage of when updating your home.

Common Nailing Techniques

Face-Nailing Technique

Face-nailing is a simple, efficient nailing technique that’s often the first one you learn. With this technique, you hammer nails directly into the face of the material you’re working with. This leaves nail heads exposed, though they can sometimes be covered up later, depending on the project your working on.

Face-nailing is quick and easy, but it doesn’t produce the strongest joints.

Common uses include:

•   Trim installation or repair around walls and doors

•   Decorative molding installation or repair around windows or ceilings

•   Fastening steps to stair stringers

Toe-Nailing Technique

Toe-nailing is a technique that requires you to use two nails entering the work material at opposing 45-degree angles. This technique is sometimes referred to as slant-nailing. While it is not suitable for creating joints, toe-nailing does create a stronger bond than face-nailing.

Common uses include:

•   Interior framing

•   Exterior framing

•   Fastening wall studs to sole plates

Dovetail Technique

Dovetail nailing also requires two nails driven at opposing angles to create a strong joint. Unlike toe-nailing, dovetail nailing is done on the face of the material you’re working with.

Common uses include:

•   Strengthening loose or damaged butt joints

•   Cabinetry, shelving and drawer repair and construction

•   Furniture construction or repair

Blind Nailing Technique

Blind nailing is a technique most commonly associated with classic tongue-and-groove hardwood floor installation. When using the blind nailing technique, you hammer the nail at a 45-degree angle into the tongue of the wood piece or board you’re working on. Then the groove of the next wood piece or board is placed over the tongue of the last board, effectively covering up the nail.

This technique allows for large expanses of hardwood floor installation without visible nails, making it a go-to technique for high-end homes and commercial spaces.

Common uses include:

•   Hardwood floor installation or repairs

•   Wood wall or wainscoting installation or repair

 •  Crown molding and shoe molding installation or repair

Learning common nailing techniques can take the mystery out of home renovation projects you want to take on in your home. Whether you’re doing the work yourself, or hiring a professional with years of experience, understanding more about the process can help you make sound decisions to give your home the look and feel you’re after.

Looking to learn more about nailing techniques for big renovations or new construction projects utilizing hardwood floors? Check out our comprehensive guide on how to nail down hardwood flooring before you begin.

We’ve also got a range of essential products like wood flooring material, tile, moldings and more for every room in your home, as well as all of your outdoor spaces.

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Types of Floor Sanders

There are several different types of sanders used for refinishing hardwood floors. All are available to rent at your local tool rental center, where you can also purchase sandpaper to fit each machine.

Drum Sander

Drum sanders are massively heavy beasts that generally require two people to carry. A large sandpaper belt fits over a rotating drum, which spins at high velocity and makes quick work of sanding a floor. A built-in dust bag catches most of the dust and debris, although you’ll need to vacuum thoroughly before coating the floor.

Drum sanders are powerful enough to remove finishes and stains, smooth high spots, and take the floor down to a layer of bare, untouched wood. If you’re not experienced with this type of machine, you can quickly cause serious, permanent damage to your floor if you aren’t very careful. If the sander isn’t positioned just right and properly operated, it can grind deep grooves and valleys into the wood. 

Orbital Sander

An orbital sander consists of a circular or square sanding pad that moves in a small orbital pattern. Orbital sanders are primarily used for finishing, because they remove little material. Although sanding a floor with an orbital sander will take considerably longer than it would with a drum sander, and it’ll require more sandpaper, an orbital sander is less likely to cause permanent damage to your floor. A square orbital sander can reach into corners and other spaces that a large drum sander can’t reach. 

Vibrating Sander

Like orbital sanders, vibrating sanders are used primarily as a finishing sander to smooth out the wood after using the drum sander. A vibrating sander is about the same size as a drum sander, and it also has a dust bag attached. However, it’s much lighter, and rather than a rotating belt, it consists of a vibrating sanding pad. This makes it much easier to move across the floor in smooth passes. Like orbital sanders, vibrating sanders are less likely than drum sanders to damage the floor.

Edge Sanders

Drum sanders, vibrating sanders, and some large orbital sanders are too big and bulky to reach into corners and along the edges of the room where the floor meets the wall. Enter the edge sander, which is a heavy, hand-held sander with an orbital sanding pad and a built-in dust bag. Because of its weight, an edge sander is as effective as a drum sander at removing surface material, but it can damage the floor if it’s improperly used, causing gouges and circular marks in the wood.

Floor Sanding Tips

Sanding a floor involves multiple passes over every inch of the surface. With each subsequent sanding, the sandpaper grit gets finer. Most floors require about four passes. The more damaged the floor, or the harder the wood, the courser the starting sandpaper grit should be. Here are a few tips to help ensure the best sanding job possible.

Sand All Rooms at the Same Time

If you’re refinishing the floors in multiple rooms, sand them all at the same time. For each pass, first use the drum sander, and then use the edger. 

Vacuum Between Passes

After each pass, vacuum the floors, even if there’s a bag attached to the sander. This will ensure pieces of sanding grit that fall off the sander don’t damage the floor on subsequent, smaller-grit passes.

Hand-Sand to Remove Edger Swirl

No matter how experienced you are with the edging sander, there’s a high likelihood that there will be “edger swirl” around the perimeter of the room. Remove this by sanding the swirl by hand with 80-grit sandpaper. Using an orbital or vibrating sander to remove the swirl will over-polish the edges, giving them a different texture than the rest of the floor.

Vacuum Thoroughly

Even the tiniest speck of dust can show up permanently on your floor once the coating is laid down. A thorough vacuuming is crucial for a perfect finish. Vacuum at least twice, paying special attention to the cracks between the planks and along the baseboards. After vacuuming, use a dry microfiber cloth to remove the finest specks from the floor.

Exercise Safety Precautions

Sanding can be dangerous if you don’t take proper safety precautions. Always wear goggles to prevent serious eye damage due to flying debris, and wear a dust mask to protect your lungs from fine airborne particles. Long sleeves, pants, and gloves will prevent your skin from being coated with tiny particles. Finally, keep all cords well out of your way as you’re moving across the floor.

When to Call a Pro

While refinishing hardwood floors isn’t particularly difficult, it’s an extremely involved and taxing job, requiring specialized, heavy equipment and the right sandpaper grits and coating products. Small, common mistakes by DIYers can have a big impact on the floor’s appearance once it’s coated. 

If you want a perfect refinishing job, it’s probably best to call in a pro. Reputable professional flooring contractors have top-of-the-line equipment and the skills and expertise necessary to address a wide range of floor issues. As always, do your due diligence before selecting a contractor. 

If you choose to go the DIY route, more power to you! Educate yourself about the tools you’ll need, including different types of sanders and applicators, and how to use them. Use high quality finishing products, and keep your safety in mind at every step. The more you know going in, the better your refinished floor will look.

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The good news is that caring for and maintaining your oak floors doesn’t have to be difficult. Use this guide to learn more about oak flooring care and the maintenance that goes along with having beautiful hardwood in your home or place of business.

Oak Flooring Care Checklist

Use Felt Pads to Protect Your Floors

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of care. You’ve heard that phrase, or some version of it, a million times. When it comes to your oak floors, it’s a time-tested truism that you really should remember.

One of the best ways to protect your oak floors is to use felt pads beneath every piece of furniture that sits on them. It’s especially important with pieces of furniture like dining chairs that tend to move around a lot.

If you haven’t used felt pads under your furniture until now, don’t worry – we’re not here to shame you. Just go out and get some! They’re available online and in most hardware and big box stores. Best of all, a package of them will only cost you a few dollars.

Stock up on different sizes now and you’ll be prepared for new pieces of furniture or to replace worn felt pads down the road.

Learn How to Clean Oak Floors Gently

Oak flooring care, and hardwood floor care in general, is different than tackling other types of materials like stone, porcelain tile, ceramic tile or laminate. While oak is a strong material designed to last for a lifetime, you do need to learn how to clean it correctly.

Here are some tips to help you gently clean your oak floors the right way:

•   Clear dust, debris and dander with a soft-bristled broom or vacuum before wet-cleaning your floors. When using the vacuum, make sure you choose a high or hard floor setting to avoid scratching or damaging the finish on your oak floors.

•   Look for a specialty mop designed for hardwood floors. Choosing a mop might seem easy, but those old string mops aren’t your best bet for hardwood anymore. The good news is that there are several top-tier choices just for hardwood on the market today.

•   Use cleaning products designed specifically for natural hardwood and engineered hardwood. These products provide the best protection and don’t contain ingredients that will damage the finish on your floors. As always, make sure you read the bottle instructions carefully when using a new floor cleaning product.

Be Smart About Scratches

Scratches can ruin the look of your floor. Try as you might though, preventing them completely usually isn’t possible. Here are a few tips to help you handle scratches when they do appear on your oak floors:

•   Consider blending markers and pencils designed for wood to touch up scratches. These are incredibly easy to use and they won’t damage your floors. For certain types of flooring like red and white oak, you may need to use a combination of markers or pencils to get the coloration just right.

•    Try a dab of coconut oil on unfished oak. While coconut oil won’t really fix the scratch, it can help conceal it and make it look much better to the naked eye. It’s also a cost-effective solution that won’t damage your floors even if doesn’t work for a particular scratch.

•   Opt for quality commercial products designed to cover and repair scratches. While a few different options are on the market, it’s important to match the product to your flooring material and color. You generally only need a soft microfiber cloth to apply these repair products, so they’re simple and quick to use.

Know When to Refinish

Oak is resilient, strong and made to stand the test of time. Of course, that top coat can start to look a little worn after years and years of regular use. That’s when refinishing your oak floors can really come in handy.

But how are you supposed to know when it’s time to refinish your floors? That’s a common question, and for many people, it’s a bit confusing. Here are a few signs that it might be time to refinish your oak floors:

•   You see lots of scratches. One or two scratches can usually be fixed without sanding and refinishing. However, when your floors start to look like they have scratches all over, the time consuming repair job often isn’t worth it. You’ll get a better, more uniform look by refinishing.

•   Heavy discoloration is present. Gray or black discoloration is an obvious sign that it’s time for a refinish. While you may be able to fix one or two boards in a high-traffic area, it’s definitely time for a refinish when other parts of the floor take on that same discoloration.

•   Water damage is apparent. Water damage can rot your wood and leave it looking dark and dingy. Unfortunately, water damage typically can’t be fixed and it’s rarely minimal enough that you can simply replace a board. Refinishing can restore your floors to their natural beauty and luster. It can also help prevent water damage from spreading if you’ve had a recent water-related mishap in your home or commercial space.

Caring for oak floors doesn’t have to be a tedious task, and once you get the hang of it, it will become second nature to you. Best of all, oak floors that are taken care of the right way can look amazing for many years to come. That’s before you have to refinish them, too.

Do you have specific questions about oak flooring for your home? Reach out to us today so we can help you learn more about our lineup oak flooring products, well as how to maintain them the right way.

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Hardwood floors are a sought-after flooring in new and historic homes alike. With so many different species of wood available, it is easy to find a flooring that enhances any style of decor. Whether you are looking to refinish original hardwood flooring or you’re installing it for the first time, choosing a non-toxic hardwood floor finish is essential to improving indoor air quality and creating a healthier atmosphere in the home. Many traditional paints and stains contain harmful VOCs. Fortunately, today’s focus on making more environmentally friendly choices has encouraged many manufacturers to create non-toxic alternatives.

Understanding VOCs

Many stains and coatings contain volatile organic compounds, otherwise known as VOCs. These materials are capable of releasing vapors such as formaldehyde in the home at a normal temperature. These vapors can cause, long-term health problems, especially in people that have re-existing lung problems or diseases. When certain paints and coatings are used in the home, there can be between 2 to 5 times more VOCs in the air inside the home that occur outside, reducing overall air quality.

Over time, exposure to high levels of VOCs can cause lung issues, nausea, liver damage, kidney damage, eye irritation, throat irritation, and nervous system issues. These greenhouse gasses aren’t just dangerous to humans, they are also bad for the environment. Lowering the VOC levels in the home starts by paying attention to the contents of paints, sealers, waxes, adhesives, cleaning supplies, manufactured wood, and upholstery treatments.

When looking for healthier options, you’ll find one of three ratings:

• No VOCs: these finishes are crafted from natural earth minerals and are completely free of VOCs.
• Zero VOCs: There are some substances with 5 grams of VOCs per liter or fewer that receive a zero VOC rating. While these are a much safer choice than other options, there are still some VOCs present.
• Low VOCs: This category of paints and stains can contain up to 200 grams of VOCs per liter, which is much lower than a traditional paint or stain but not as healthy as a no VOC or zero VOC rating.

Choosing a Non-Toxic Hardwood Floor Finish

A new understanding of VOCs and the dangers of them has encouraged more companies to formulate low-VOC options for stains and coatings. When you’re goal is to create the healthiest environment inside the home, choosing a non-toxic hardwood floor stain and sealer is essential.

Polyurethane

When it comes to choosing a polyurethane there are two main options, oil-based polyurethanes and water-based polyurethanes. Typically, oil-based polyurethanes contain much higher level of VOCs. Water-based polyurethanes are a much heather option. They dry clear in minimal time and produce very little odor. The fast-drying nature of the water-based version make it faster to apply multiple coats. Unfortunately, water-based polyurethane his a higher price point than their oil-based counterparts and can wear down faster as well. To combat this, simply reapply the polyurethane as instructed. As an added benefit, water-based polyurethanes are not explosive or flammable.

Hardwood Floor Oils

When you want to draw out the natural wood grain and coloration of hardwood floors, using an oil is a great option. Oils, such as linseed or tung oil, penetrate the wood rather than sitting on top of it. Choose a clear option to keep the look natural or select an oil with a stain to create a deeper color. Oils applied to wood floors results in a low-sheen look. Because there is not as thick of a coating as a polyurethane, the floor can be more susceptible to dents and scratches over time. While the oils themselves do produce an odor, the odor is free of VOCs, making it safe for use in the home or office.

Sealants

Historically, most sealants contain VOCs. Fortunately, some companies have started to produce a healthier line of sealants designed to keep the air in the home healthier to breathe. Make sure to check labels for environmentally-friendly sealants that offer low or no VOCs. Make sure to read the labels carefully for one of the three VOC ratings. Keep in mind that if the sealant is sold in quantities less than a liter, VOC levels will not be as carefully monitored. For that reason, choose sealants in a larger quantity.

Tungston Hardwood – Unfinished Oak / SKU: 10095300

Tips for Applying Your Finishes

If you have an older home and worry that the previously used floor finishes are releasing VOCs, start by sanding down the old finish, making sure the wear the proper protective gear as you strip away the old coating. Once the old finish is gone, test the new finish in an inconspicuous area to make sure you like the look. Once you see it on your specific hardwoods, it is time to coat the rest of the floor in the polyurethane, oil, or sealant of choice. Make sure to follow manufacturer instructions carefully to achieve the best results possible.

Making environmentally-friendly choices throughout the home will help to lower your carbon footprint and provide a clean environment for everyone who spends time inside. With a renewed focus on producing healthier products, it is easy to find low or no VOC options that provide the look you want for your hardwood floors while improving the air quality inside the home. Choosing healthy choices for the home doesn’t just include wood floor coatings. You can also choose non-toxic wall paint.

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Hardwood floors are exceptionally beautiful, and they’re extremely durable for any room of the home. When it comes to maintaining hardwood floors, the process can be a bit labor-intensive. Some homeowners consider refinishing the floors to give them a new look or to update the color. If you’ve been thinking of refinishing your hardwood floors yourself, this refinish hardwood floors DIY project comes with quite a bit of patience and effort. Before you dedicate yourself to doing the project on your own, read on to learn more about the refinishing process.

Factors to Consider

Before you can even begin to perform a refinish hardwood floors DIY, you’ll need to rent a floor sander machine. These machines are extremely heavy and they can weigh up to 100 pounds or more. If you’re not extremely strong, the sander can move in all kinds of directions, making the sanding process uneven and extremely frustrating. Unless you have experience using a floor sander, it’s not necessarily a good idea. The floor might look great after you sand it, but once you apply the finish, you’ll probably notice all the flaws start to show through.

Sanding hardwood floors takes a lot of time and energy. You’ll need a combination of a steady hand, strength, and patience if you want things to go smoothly. Before you even consider refinishing your floors, you need to be absolutely sure that they are in fact real hardwood. If they’re laminate or engineered hardwood, you can cause irreparable damage to them, resulting in complete removal and re-installation.

After you’re finally sanded your floors, you’ll need to prepare for the new finish. Stay away from oil-based stains and finishes since they require an extremely steady hand with a paintbrush and can take a very long time to apply. If you have uneven brushstrokes, you’ll end up with multiple shades of brown which will look awful once everything is dry. Oil-based products should be handled with care, too, since they’re highly combustible and could cause a fire. In addition, you’ll likely need to apply at least two, maybe even three coats of finish no matter which kind you choose.

When it comes down to it, you will need to rent a variety of tools to completely refinish your hardwood floors yourself. At the end of the day, you might not even save that much money. And, if you end up having to correct several mistakes, it could cost you even more. If you’re still set on refinishing the floors yourself, don’t cheap out on supplies. Consider asking for a demo if you rent a floor sander so you have a better idea of how to use it correctly before you begin.

Using a Professional

Since you run the risk of permanently damaging your hardwood floors if you try to refinish them yourself, it’s a good idea to consider hiring a professional instead. The pros have been doing this a long time, and they can get the job done quickly and make your floors look beautiful again. In the end, the cost is likely the same as if you were to do everything yourself. In some cases, it may even be cheaper. Here are a few perks of using a professional to refinish your hardwood floors instead of doing it DIY:

• Professional sanders and refinishers can do an entire room or even an entire home in a fraction of the time it would take you to do it yourself. This not only lowers your stress level, but you can get back to your daily routine at home much more quickly.
• The pros have the background, skills, and knowledge to get things done right the first time. And if they don’t, you should have a warranty on the work so they can return to make any corrections or repairs.
• A professional flooring refinishing company uses high-end equipment and tools. Instead of a rented floor sander, they have equipment that they own and maintain themselves which means it’s much more reliable.
• Refinishing hardwood flooring can be messy. With a professional company, they’ll clean up the mess and they also know how to do the work to keep mess to a minimum from the start.

An Alternative to Sanding: Recoating

Sanding your hardwood floors is the most frustrating and laborious part of the process. Thankfully, you might be able to recoat your floors instead. If you only have shallow or very minimal damage to the floor that has not reached the wood, recoating can be a great alternative. Recoating involves adding a new coat of polyurethane directly over the old finish. This process will make your floors look shiny and new as well as keep them protected.

Before you proceed with floor recoating, you’ll need to clean the floors thoroughly and touch up any deep scratches wherever possible. Then, you’ll need to roughen the finish using sanding screens to help the new coat adhere. This part of the process is a bit time-consuming, but the second step of applying the new coat can take around an hour or even less. You don’t need to have a lot of skill or experience to try recoating. It’s also a lot less messy than sanding the floors down to the bare wood. Sanding can also remove the top layer of your hardwood floors, which can become an issue if you do it several times.

You can try recoating anything from solid hardwood to laminated wood and parquet floors. Just make sure that the new coat of polyurethane sticks to the finish before you begin the process. Try a test area to check this before you start. Older floors may have a coat of varnish or shellac, and polyurethane will not adhere to this material. Some floors have a wax coating which can cause a thick buildup on your floors. Make sure the current finish will allow the recoating material to apply properly.

Now that you know more about attempting a refinish hardwood floors DIY project, you can be better prepared for the process. Consider hiring a professional who will make sure that your floors look as good as new.

The post Should You Ever Refinish Hardwood Floors Yourself? appeared first on Learning Center.

The living room and the kitchen are two of the most-used rooms in the home but their needs are very different, which often results in two different flooring types in these spaces. Keep the look between the two rooms smooth and safe by ensuring that there are proper floor transitions between rooms. The types of transition you need depends greatly on what type of flooring is installed in each of the spaces.

Why Do You Need A Room Transition Strip?

Different types of flooring feature different installation types. Putting one edge straight against another edge would result in uneven and raw areas that would not hold up to wear and tear and which could even make it easy to trip. Placing a proper room transition strip from one room to another helps protect both types of flooring and provide a clean, finished look. Visually, the transition strip acts as a reminder to anyone walking through the home that there may be a slight height difference between two types of flooring.

Not only are room transition strips a visually pleasing way to complete flooring installation; they are also a way to allow for the proper expansion and contraction of the flooring itself. In the warm weather of the summer and spring floorings such as hardwood and vinyl tends to expand a bit. In cold weather, the flooring contracts. The space under the transition strips allows for the expansion and contraction without creating a gap between the two floorings.

Multi-Floor Transition

When you have multiple flooring types in one house, keep all the room transitions consistent by opting for a four-in-one transition strip. This four-piece design makes it easy to bridge the gap between many different flooring types, depending upon what pieces you use. This makes it a versatile solution if you have carpet in a living room, tile in an entry, and laminate in a sunroom.

Between Hard Floors

When you have two hard floors that but up against one another, a T-shaped transition strip is the ideal solution. The top of the transition strip bridges the gap between the two hard floors, which are able to come right up to the bar that extends from the center of the transition strip.

How to Transition Between Two Different Wood Floors

When two different wood floors come together, a simple strip, called a seam binder, makes the ideal transition. This piece of wood is the same height as most wood planks and screws into place, providing a finished look at the junction where two wood floors meet. This seam binder simply screws into place, making it fast and easy to install. Purchase them finished to coordinate with the wood flooring you chose or unfinished and stain or paint them the color of your choice.

Carpet to Ceramic Tile

When connecting carpet to ceramic tile, there is a two-piece transition that is needed. The first piece is a metal strip with tacks along the edge that secure the end of the carpet in place so it can be stretched properly. Next, a vinyl transition strip clicks into the holder attached to the metal strip, smoothing out the transition between the two types of flooring and giving it a finished look.

Flooring Transitions From Wood to Tile

Generally, tile is a much thicker product than a plank of wood or laminate. The result can be uneven. Get a smooth transition from. Bathroom or kitchen tile to the surrounding wood by using a transition strip designed specifically to bridge these two flooring materials.  To account for the tile to hardwood transition height difference, one side of the strip is slightly more accommodating on the underside, allowing for the height difference.

Vinyl to Tile Transitions

Tile is a thick material with mortar or thin-set underneath. Vinyl, on the other hand, is very thin. This difference in material heights makes it necessary to get a tile to vinyl transition strip that features a gentle curve, smoothing the transition between the two heights and making the slight difference visually noticeable.

Carpet to Edge

Transitions don’t just happen from one type of flooring to the other. They also take place between carpet and the surrounding walls. Begin any carpet installation by screwing a metal carpet edge gripper into place. A series of spikes along the strip make it easy to stretch the carpet correctly and keep it secured, right up to the edge of the room. Once installed, a metal lip curves over the edge of the carpet to prevent the carpet from fraying.

Having one consistent flooring that runs through the entire house can make a space feel large but it often is not realistic. Hardwood floors look chic in a living room but they aren’t practical for kitchens and bathrooms where water damage can occur.  In wet spaces, ceramic tile or luxury vinyl flooring makes a more durable choice. Whether you are laying floors in a brand new home or simply updating a single room of the space, transition strips are a necessary part of the installation process. Transition strips are designed to minimize visual disruption while providing a smooth and protective gap between two flooring types.

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Hardwood flooring is an often sought-after flooring, especially for more traditional or historic homes. The natural wood construction makes it easy to sand down and refinish as time goes on. As with many flooring types, hardwood flooring comes in a variety of different grades. The different grades of the floors speak to their characteristics and effect the price point of the product.

Hardwood Flooring Grades

The grade of the hardwood flooring is determined by the features of the planks. The numbers of knots, variation of color tone, and imperfections in each plank all go into determining what grade the flooring will receive. One thing that all flooring grades have in common is that they are well-constructed and designed to last. The hardwood flooring grades include:

• Prime Grade (AB)
• Select Grade (ABC)
• Natural Grade (ABCD)
• Rustic Grade (CD)
• Utility Grade (Cabin)

First-quality hardwood floors are chosen for their lack of imperfections, impeccable milling, and overall uniformity of design. Cabin grade flooring is considered the lowest of all the hardwood flooring grades and includes the pieces that did not make the cut to be a higher grade. It is also commonly referred to as shop grade, rustic grade or tavern grade flooring because of its rustic characteristics. The variations are largely due to the fact that these flooring planks are harvested from the outer edges of the tree, as opposed to the more uniform inside of the tree.

Characteristics of Cabin Grade Hardwood Flooring

Each of the flooring grades offers distinct characteristics. Cabin grade flooring appreciates the natural imperfections that occur in each piece of wood and provide a casual look. With these floors in place, you won’t be afraid to wear shoes in the house or have pets because the light damage that they could cause to the floors will only further enhance the distressed look of the planks.

Perfectly Imperfect

Because hardwood flooring is sourced from a natural product, variations including knots, pinholes, dents and streaks occur. Cabin grade hardwood flooring is characterized by the ample imperfections running throughout each plank. These imperfections may be in the center of the plank or extend to the edges of the planks. The amount of imperfections can vary greatly from one floor to another, resulting in a rustic and worn look once the floor is installed. The natural variations of these plank call attention to the natural beauty of the wood.

Natural Color Variations

The tone of cabin grade flooring can vary greatly from one plank to another. The natural color variations give cabin grade flooring a distinct character, much unlike the uniform look of some higher hardwood flooring grades. The natural color variations make these floors easy to coordinate with many different furniture finishes.

Thickness Variations

In addition to offering color variations, cabin grade flooring also offers slight differences in the thickness. Slight variations during the milling process cause the variations in thickness, which is how many of the planks receive a cabin grade rating. The length of the flooring can also vary from one piece to another. You may find that many of the planks are shorter in length than with first-quality hardwood flooring grades.

Highly Affordable

Cabin grade flooring is the most affordable of all hardwood flooring grades. The low cost of this flooring makes it more accessible for a variety of budgets and can make it a good choice for expansive spaces.

Tips for Installing Cabin-Grade Hardwood Flooring

As with any flooring, there are some tips and tricks to get the best finished look out of your cabin grade hardwood. Mixing up planks and using the right boards in the right places will help to cut back on the waste you have throughout the installation process.

Mix Up Planks

Because the planks can vary so much in appearance from one piece to another, it is important to open multiple boxes of flooring and mix them up during installation. This will help to disperse pieces from different boxes into each area so the whole room has a more cohesive look. Throughout the installation process, make sure to have multiple boxes open to pull from.

Thoughtfully Place Boards

If you run across boards that aren’t ideal for the center of a living room or bedroom, save them for installation in a closet or another inconspicuous place instead of scrapping them all together.

Purchase 20 Percent Extra Flooring

Because it is a lower grade flooring, you are bound to come up with some planks you don’t want to use at all. Purchase an overage of about twenty to twenty-five percent to account for any planks that will be discarded. Make sure to factor this overage in when determining which grade of flooring to purchase

When you want a well-loved and rustic look for your space, choosing cabin grade hardwood flooring makes a great option. It is much less expensive than higher grade hardwood flooring and features numerous natural characteristics. Cabin grade flooring isn’t just a great option for lodges and cabins. It is a suitable choice for any casual living area, including guest bedrooms, family retreats, and game rooms. You can achieve the same rustic look with enhanced durability by opting for luxury vinyl floors.

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