Maintenance
Regular Maintenance
Wood floors, properly finished, are the easiest of all floor surfaces to keep clean and new looking unlike carpeted or resilient floors that show wear regardless of care. Wood floors can be kept looking like new, year after year, with minimum care.
Since the overwhelming majority of wood floors are composed of solid hardwood, this care guide applies specifically to this type of flooring.
It Is recommended to vacuum and/or dust mop weekly. A damp mop can be used for spills, and when necessary general cleanup on floors which have non-waxed polyurethane or a similar surface finish. When traffic areas of surface finishes begin to show significant wear, screening, scuff sanding the finish surface and re-coating an entire floor is the least involved choice for maintenance.
Wood and water don't mix. No matter what finish your wood floor has, Halo Flooring recommends, never pouring water on the floor. While a damp mop may be used on polyurethane and other surface finishes in good condition , excessive amounts of water seep between the boards and into small scratches causing deterioration of finishes. A damp mop should only be damp to the touch. It should be thoroughly wrung and not dripping.
Read the label. The recommendations made here are not intended to endorse specific products or brands but to serve as general guidelines in the selection and use of floor maintenance materials. Always follow label directions for finishes maintenance products, and corresponding products except for directions which call for using water on wood. And always use only products specifically designed for wood floors and the finish applied to your wood floor.
Preventative Maintenance
Preventative maintenance is a term more common to industrial floor care than to residential or office floor care, but its importance cannot be over-emphasized. Good preventative maintenance lengthens the intervals between the major renovation operations such as re-coating and refinishing. Here are some basic rules that apply to all types of floor finishes.
Keep grit off the floor. Use dirt-trapping, walk-off mats at all exterior doors to help prevent dirt, grit and sand from getting inside the building. Throw-rugs or small sections of carpet just inside the entrances are also recommended. Dirt and grit are any flooring's worst enemy, and that includes carpets and vinyls as well as hardwoods. Keep door mats clean.
In kitchens, use area rugs at high spill locations and at work stations-stove, sink, refrigerator. Cotton is generally the best fabric since it is easily washed. Mats with a smooth backing, i.e. rubber or vinyl, may trap water beneath.
Finishes and certain chemicals in wood oxidize and are affected by ultra violet light sources. This may cause the wood and finish to change color and develop a patina or aged appearance. To avoid uneven appearance, move area rugs occasionally and drape or shade large windows.
Put fabric glides on the legs of your furniture; they allow furniture to be moved easily without scuffing the floor. Clean the glides regularly. Grit can become embedded in glides; clean the glides over to prevent scratching. Some furniture may require barrel type roller casters as ball type casters may cause damage. Grey, non-marking rubber casters are the best. Avoid casters made of hard materials like metals or hard plastics.
Vacuum regularly, as often as you vacuum carpets: a brush attachment works beautifully. Sweep or use a dust mop daily or as needed, but do not use a household dust treatment as this may cause your floor to become slick, dull the finish, or interfere with re-coating.
Wipe up food and other spills promptly with a dry cloth or paper towel. Use a slightly moistened cloth for sticky spills if necessary. Then wipe the floor dry with another cloth or paper towel.
Keep heels on shoes in good repair, especially high heels. Heels that have their protective cap missing or worn away exposing the steel support rod will dent any floor surface, even concrete.
By observing these simple suggestions you'll go a long way toward keeping your hardwood floors beautiful and making their care easier.
Types of Wood Floors
Solid Flooring
All wood flooring, regardless of width or length, that is one piece of wood from top to bottom is considered solid flooring. Solid flooring gives you a great opportunity for customization. Your choice of species, stains and finishes all contribute to the personalization of a solid floor. This is an excellent choice in most areas of a home on the ground level or above. Solid floors can come Prefinished from the factory or Unfinished , to be sanded and finished in site .
Engineered Flooring
This wood flooring product consists of layers of wood pressed together, with the grains running in different directions. It is available in 3 , 5 ply or more . Engineered flooring is perfect for those areas of the house where solid wood flooring may not be suitable, such as concrere subfloors , basements, kitchens, powder rooms, and utility rooms. Because the grains run in different directions, it is more dimensionally stable than solid wood.
Some engineered floors can be sanded and finished, between 1 to 4 times, depending on top layer thickness.
Laminate Flooring
Laminated flooring systems are essentially a printed photographic reproduction of wood grain patterns of various species, sandwiched between compressed fiber material backing, and a top layer of very tough, very durable, clear sheet of vinyl material. This type of flooring resists scratches and stains better than other types of floors. However, laminated floors are not refinishable, and their lifespan is relatively limited. Laminates form the lower price bracket in your flooring option.
Styles of Wood Floors
Strip Flooring
Strip flooring is linear flooring that is usually 2 1/4", 1 1/2", or 3 1/4" wide. It creates a linear effect in a room often promoting the illusion of a larger space.
Plank Flooring
Plank flooring is also linear, however, it is wider in width. Common widths of plank flooring are 3", 4", 5", and 6".
Parquet Flooring
Parquet flooring is a series of wood flooring pieces that create a geometric design.
Wood Species
• Alder
Alder is a neutral, color consistent floor with a grain that is not pronounced , consistent in its light tan or honey color and has a fine grain texture. Like the Vertical grain fir, it is a soft floor that will distress quickly
Properties
Hardness/Janka : 590 This is one of the softest hardwood floors available.
Grades available: Select/Better and Rustic
• Ash
Ash has the accentuated grain of oak with a lighter yellow natural color. In the rustic grades it has color variation from light cream to dark brown. Ash is just under White Oak on the hardness scale and is a natural choice for those who are looking for a light floor with a grain similar to Oak. Properties
Hardness/Janka : 1320; 2% harder than Northern red oak.
• Australian Cypress
This is a great floor if you're looking for a rustic, high character “pine look.” There can be striking contrasts between the light sapwood and the golden (with green undertones) heartwood. When you throw in the dark knots things can get quite busy.
Appearance
Color: Cream-colored sapwood; heartwood is honey-gold to brown with darker knots throughout.
Properties
Hardness/Janka : 1375; 6% harder than Northern red oak.
• American Cherry
Cherry has a wonderful wavy grain . Newly sanded, the floor will be quite pale in color but as time goes on, it will turn a deep, rich reddish brown color.
Appearance
Color: Heartwood is light to dark reddish brown, lustrous; sapwood is light brown to pale with a light pinkish tone. Some flooring manufacturers steam lumber to bleed the darker heartwood color into the sapwood, resulting in a more uniform color.
Grain: Fine, frequently wavy, uniform texture. Distinctive flake pattern on true quartersawn surfaces. Texture is satiny, with some gum pockets.
Variations within species and grades: Significant color variation between boards. Properties
Hardness/Janka : 950; 26% softer than Northern red oak.
• Bamboo
We are having so much success selling this floor! Customers really go for the horizontal grain that shows the “knuckles” in the bamboo and for those looking for a more uniform look, the vertical grain fits the bill.
Horizontal- strips of bamboo about 1” wide are glued together.
Bamboo “knuckles” are visible throughout the floor.
Vertical - thin edge grain strips are glued together creating a very linear looking floor.
• Beech
Appearance
Color: Heartwood is mostly reddish brown; sapwood is generally pale white.
Grain: Mostly closed, straight grain; fine, uniform texture. Coarser than European beech.
Variations within species and grades: Only one species is native to the United States. Moderate to high color variation between boards.
Properties
Hardness/Janka : 1300; 1% harder than Northern red oak.
• Birch
Birch is quite similar in appearance to maple's tight, hard, even grain. We sell a beautiful red birch that is a pale pink to red-brown in color that can have white sap included. We also sell a cream colored yellow birch. Customers like birch because it is livelier in appearance than maple but does not have the strong grain of the oaks.
Appearance
Color: In yellow birch (B. alleghaniensis), sapwood is creamy yellow or pale white; heartwood is light reddish brown tinged with red. In sweet birch (B. lenta), sapwood is light colored and heartwood is dark brown tinged with red.
Grain: Medium figuring, straight, closed grain, even texture. Occasional curly grain or wavy figure in some boards.
Variations within species and grades: Yellow birch, sweet birch, paper birch. Paper birch (B. papyrifera) is softer and lower in weight and strength than yellow or sweet birch. However, yellow birch is most commonly used for flooring. Boards can vary greatly in grain and color.
Properties
Hardness/Janka : 1260 (yellow); 2% softer than Northern red oak.
• Brazilian Cherry
With Brazilian cherry it's hard to go wrong with this wood! It has a very deep, red-brown color with some black swirls. It is an extremely hard, dense wood so it holds up to high traffic well.
Appearance
Color: Sapwood is gray-white; heartwood is salmon red to orange-brown when fresh, and becomes russet or reddish rown when seasoned; often marked with dark streaks.
Grain: Mostly interlocked; texture is medium to rather coarse.
Variations within species and grades: Moderate to high color variation.
Properties
Hardness/Janka : 2350; 82% harder than Northern red oak.
• Brazilian Walnut
Appearance
Dense, course grain, color varies from dark brown to almost black.
Hardness/Janka : 2350 82% harder than red oak.
Grades available: Clear, Select/Better
• Cumaru
Cumaru is a rich, elegant looking floor. It is unusual in that it doesn't have much red in the color. The overall color is brown.
Appearance
Dense, smooth grain. Color ranges from light caramel to dark chocolate in color.
Hardness/Janka : 3540
Grades available: Clear grade
Also available in quartersawn.
• Fir
This is a classic floor often used in Victorian and craftsman style homes. The VG Fir is quite soft so it will distress quickly and is not readily available in wide planks.
Appearance
Color: Heartwood is yellowish tan to light brown. Sapwood is tan to white. Heartwood may be confused with that of Southern yellow pine. Radical color change upon exposure to sunlight.
Grain: Normally straight, with occasional wavy or spiral texture. Nearly all fir flooring is vertical-grain or riftsawn clear-grade material.
Variations withing species and grades: Wood varies greatly in weight and strength. Young trees of moderate to rapid growth have reddish heartwood and are called red fir. The narrow-ringed wood of old trees may be yellowish-brown and is known as yellow fir.
Properties
Hardness/Janka : 660; 49% softer than Northern red oak.
• Heart Pine
Appearance
Color: Heartwood is yellow after cutting and turns deep pinkish tan to warm reddish brown within weeks due to high resin content. Sapwood remains yellow, with occasional blue-black sap stain.
Grain: Dense, with high figuring. Plainsawn is swirled; rift- or quartersawn is primarily pinstriped. Curly or burl grain is rare.
Variations within species and grades: Moderate color variation.
Properties
Hardness/Janka : 1225; 5% softer than Northern red oak.
• Hickory/Pecan
It is available in wide plank and long lengths and is very hard and stable. We're having good experiences staining this wood. It accepts a stain very uniformly and looks great in any brown to walnut tone. Hickory/pecan is a versatile wood that can be made to suit almost any décor.
Appearance
Color: Pecan heartwood is reddish brown with dark brown stripes; sapwood is white or creamy white with pinkish tones. Hickory heartwood is tan or reddish; sapwood is white to cream, with fine brown lines.
Grain: Pecan is open, occasionally wavy or irregular.
Hickory is closed, with moderate definition; somewhat rough-textured.
Variations within species and grades: In both hickory and pecan, there are often pronounced differentiations in color between spring wood and summer wood. In pecan, sapwood is usually graded higher than darker heartwood. Pecan and hickory are traditionally mixed by flooring mills.
Properties
Hardness/Janka : 1820; 41% harder than Northern red oak. Pecan is slightly softer than true hickories.
• Maple
Unlike many of the other hardwoods, maple is graded by color. The 1st grade of maple should be the creamy white sapwood. Lower grades will include dark heartwood, mineral streaks and knots for a more rustic look. It is a hard and dense wood .
Appearance
Color: Heartwood is creamy white to light reddish brown; sapwood is pale to creamy white.
Grain: Closed, subdued grain, with medium figuring and uniform texture. Occasionally shows quilted, fiddleback, curly or bird's-eye figuring. Figured boards often culled during grading and sold at a premium.
Variations withing species and grades: Black maple (B. nigrum) is also hard; other species are classified as soft.
Properties
Hardness/Janka : 1450; 12% harder than Northern red oak.
• Merbau
Merbau is a rich, dark red-brown floor that can have colors ranging from pale yellow to deep purple-brown boards. Some customers enjoy this color variation but if you prefer a more color consistent floor a clear grade Brazilian cherry would be a better choice.
Appearance
Color: Heartwood is yellowish to orange-brown when freshly cut, turning brown or dark red-brown upon exposure.
Grain: Straight to interlocked or wavy; coarse texture.
Variations withing species and grades: Moderate to high variation in color.
Properties
Hardness/Janka : 1925; 49% harder than Northern red oak.
• Oak, Red
Red oak is probably the most commonly used floor in America. This is not to say that it is not beautiful, hard and trustworthy. If you like the grain of oak you really can't go wrong!
Appearance
Color: Heartwood and sapwood are similar, with sapwood lighter in color; most pieces have a reddish tone. Slightly redder than white oak.
Grain: Open, slightly coarser (more porous) than white oak. Plainsawn boards have a plumed or flared grain appearance; riftsawn has a tighter grain pattern, low figuring; quartersawn has a flake pattern, sometimes called tiger rays or butterflies.
Variations within species and grades: More than 200 subspecies in North America; great variation in color and grain, depending on the origin of the wood and corresponding differences in growing seasons. Northern, Southern and Appalachian red oak can all be divided into upland and lowland species. Because they grow more slowly, upland species generally have a more uniform grain pattern than lowland species, with more growth rings per inch.
Properties
Hardness/Janka : Northern 1290 (benchmark).
• Oak, White
This is Red Oak's second cousin only a bit harder. We have flooring displays in our showroom with red and white oak side by side. In this setting it is apparent that white oak has a green undertone and red oak has a rosy undertone. We usually price them the same so the choice is generally a subjective one depending on what you are trying to match with your floor.
Appearance
Color: Heartwood is light brown; some boards may have a pinkish tint or a slight grayish cast. Sapwood is white to cream.
Grain: Open, with longer rays than red oak. Occasional crotches, swirls and burls. Plainsawn boards have a plumed or flared grain appearance; riftsawn has a tighter grain pattern, low figuring; quartersawn has a flake pattern, sometimes called tiger rays or butterflies.
Variations within species and grades: Considerable variation among boards in color and grain texture, but variations not as pronounced as in red oak.
Properties
Hardness/Janka : 1360; 5% harder than Northern red oak.
• Santos Mahogany
This floor is often described as "stunning" and "elegant." Santos is a beautiful, rich red colored floor with all kinds of swirls and grain patterns with golden high lights.
Appearance
Color: Dark reddish brown.
Grain: Striped figuring in quartersawn selections; texture is even and very fine.
Variations within species and grades: Moderate color variation.
Properties
Hardness/Janka : 2200; 71% harder than Northern red oak.
• Teak
It is a beautiful, formal looking wood but is not very hard. It would look best in a formal setting.
Appearance
Color: Heartwood varies from yellow-brown to dark golden brown; turns rich brown under exposure to sunlight. Sapwood is a lighter cream color.
Grain: Straight; coarse, uneven texture.
Variations within species and grades: Moderate to high color variation.
Properties
Hardness/Janka : 1000; 22% softer than Northern red oak.
• Tasmanian Oak
Victorian Ash is one of the main species that comprise Tasmanian Oak. It is a neutral tan color with long, vertical pockets of dark pitch running through the grain lengthwise. Usually customers do not like this pitch pocket but we have heard that it stains evenly and the pitch pockets can be covered up.
• Walnut
Walnut is such a beautiful wood it practically jumps out and captures the customer! The color is so distinctive and the grain is full of figure.
Appearance
Color: Heartwood ranges from a deep, rich dark brown to a purplish black. Sapwood is nearly white to tan. Difference between heartwood and sapwood color is great; some flooring manufacturers steam lumber to bleed the darker heartwood color into the sapwood, resulting in a more uniform color.
Grain: Mostly straight and open, but some boards have burled or curly grain. Arrangement of pores is similar to hickories and persimmon, but pores are smaller in size.
Variations within species and grades: Great variety of color and figure within species, as well as variation in color among boards, especially in lower grades and from material that isn't steamed prior to kiln-drying.
Properties
Hardness/Janka : 1010; 22% softer than Northern red oak.
Specializing In:
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Custom Floors, Stairs, Railing & Moldings
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Ask us about our Dustless Sanding System.
Cuts
The angle at which a board is cut determines how the finished product looks. Wood flooring is either plainsawn, quartersawn or riftsawn.
Plainsawn
Plainsawn is the most common cut. The board contains more variation than the other two cuts because grain patterns resulting from the growth rings are more obvious.
Quartersawn
Quartersawing produces less board feet per log than plainsawing and is therefore more expensive. Quartersawn wood twists and cups less and wears more evenly.
Riftsawn
Riftsawn is similar to quartersawing, but the cut is made at a slightly different angle.
Types of Surface Finishes
Oil-modified urethane is easy to apply. It is a solvent-base polyurethane that dries in about eight hours. This type of finish ambers.
Water-based urethane finishes are clear and non-yellowing. They have a milder odor and dry in about two to three hours.
Penetrating Stain - This finish soaks into the pores of the wood and hardens to form a protective penetrating seal.
Installation Methods
Nail Down: This is generally the best installation method if your subfloor is 3/4" thick plywood, or wood planks over joists. This is usually the most economical installation technique. This installation method is most commonly used for Solid Wood Flooring , either Prefinished or Unfinished . Nail down installation of unfinished solid flooring material offers the greatest flexibility in product and aesthetic choices, complexity of installation, (borders and inlays). This method would work best if the conditions allow it.
Glue Down: If the subfloor is concrete slab, certain types of solid wood flooring need to be glued as well as nail down ( mainly wide boards ) , and many types of engineered flooring can be glued directly to the slab. Certain other types of flooring, such as 5/16" thick parquet, should be glued down even if the subfloor is wood.
Floating: Floating floors encompass a variety of engineered or laminated products. These products are very dimensionally stable, and are therefore suitable for installation in areas below grade.
This method of installation is achieved by laying down foam underlayment and installing the flooring on top of it, when the boards are contected one to anthoer , but not to the subfloor. The floating floors are held down by the base board trim and other mouldings.
Specialty Design Elements
Custom wood flooring can range from high-end handcrafted borders to medallions . Other options include adding exotic wood accents to an otherwise standard floor or mixing wood with entirely different materials like marble, tile, and even brass.
Borders and Medallions
Wood floors can be enhanced with a carefully chosen border and medallion.
Borders
A border defines the main area of the floor, so it contrasts the main floor to some extent. An intricate border calls for a simple field, and vice versa. But remember to keep the border's width in scale with the room.
Medallions
Medallions and other inlays are often the focal point in many wood floors. They can include intricate patterns, detailed artwork, and even corporate logos and family crests. Medallions are available either pre-manufactured or custom-made at the job site, and are installed after the floor is installed to ensure a proper fit.
Mixed Media
You can create one-of-a-kind flooring designs by mixing wood with other materials such as tile, stone, or metal. Different combinations can be used in borders, accents, medallions, or corner treatments. Materials come in a variety of colors, sizes, and styles.
Use slate, granite, marble, or tile to unify flooring in different rooms, act as a transition to the outdoors, or complement a view. A marble foyer might give way to a marble-trimmed wood floor in a living area or conference room. Granite-inlaid wood floors can complement granite countertops in a kitchen installation. Slate borders in a sunroom could act as a transition to a slate terrace outdoors. Sparkling accent strips of brass, copper, or stainless steel could add drama in a room with a dramatic city view. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.
Mixed and Exotic Species
Consider complementing your floor with a different species of wood, domestic or exotic, to enliven your entire room. Depending on the look you want to achieve, you can find several species to meet your needs. Try Brazilian Cherry, Bamboo, Maple, Ash, Birch, Santos Mahogany, Wenge and many more species available today.
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