INDEX

ALLERGIES, DUST MITES AND FLEES

One of the most common reasons for ripping out carpets and installing a wooden floor or refinishing an existing wood floors would be to rid ones house of  the billion (give or take) dust mite that infest a wall to wall carpet. Dust mites live on dead human skin cells, which we all shed and oh! they love carpets. It offers them the perfect playground to meet other dust mites and breed. Think of your carpet as a singles' bar, wedding chapel, or rather a "RDP Housing project" for these bugs. The mites' feces is what we humans are allergic to. The more mites, the more mites' feces. A wooden floor gives these pests fewer opportunities to call y our house, their home. OH! you have a FLEE problem! Do we really need to go into the birds and bees again?

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WOOD FLOOR'S- Investment?

If there's a flooring material that costs as much as a "Rare Wood" in this country, I'm not aware of it. So lets rather take a look at our really basic SA Pine floors which are a lot cheaper: 

• They certainly add to the beauty of a home.
• Using various techniques of instillation and finishing they can be used in any application. From the old fisherman's cottage to the ultra Modern executives suite.
• They are easier to keep clean than carpets.
• Wood floors are warmer than ceramic tiled floors.
• They can be re-sanded and refinished with less expense than replacing carpets.
• Carpets last on average about 7 to 8 yrs. You can expect your wood floor to last the life of the building. In some cases, buildings are torn down with the wood floors being reclaimed for reuse.
• Worst case scenario, recycle them into other wood/paper products. Save the planet!!
• They add to the real estate value.
• Estate agents love a house with wood floors, as do prospective buyers. (I wonder why!)
• All in all, wood floors are a great investment that require very little upkeep.
  

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ROUGH FINISH

We often get enquiries or even complaints from prospective clients that their floors have been done but the floors are still very rough. 

This is a topic that really goes back to the importance of getting a reputable contractor to do your floors. Mostly a rough finish results when one applies your finish without sanding between coats, but it could also result from the lack of cleaning prior to sealing, or even failing to sand the floor with a fine grit sandpaper.

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GAPS BETWEEN FLOORS

I've got huge gaps between my floorboards, can you please fill them in? 

In South Africa we are fortunate that our seasons temperatures and humidity's don't vary nearly as badly as does the European countries. Wood naturally expands and contracts with the changes in temperature and humidity. I have seen floors buckle and bend after the gaps have been filled in. In Modern instillations we now install a moisture barrier under our floors to prevent moisture penetrating the unsealed underside of our floors - be the floor installed on a concrete base or a "sprung" instillation with a cavity below. :) Yes I can hear you screaming - you've just had a new floor fitted, and the darn builder/carpenter didn't install a moisture barrier. All I can say - You chose the cheaper unskilled "fly by nighter".............. I only hope you've learned your lesson and don't compare us with similar floor sanders. Whilst on the subject of buckled floors, make sure that your carpenter leaves an expansion gap at the walls. This normally gets covered by the skirting and isn't seen.

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THE BEST WOOD FLOOR FINISH
People often call us with the question, " What's the best finish to put on my hardwood floors?"

Primarily, you need to consider the final "look" you want to see? Gloss or Matt? Some people actually want their floors  a little shiny but not TOO shiny. :(  OK!!! 

What kind of traffic will the floor endure? 
Will the floor be exposed or covered mostly with carpets and or furniture? 
Is this finish going down over stain or on bare wood? 
The most common finishes are oil-based polyurethane (gloss and matt)  and water based polyurethane (matt). There are epoxy finishes, wax finishes and just plain oil finishes. Moisture curing urethane, and even bee's wax. See my "Sealants" page for a basic listing and comparison. The best finish is the one that's right for your particular application.

Just remember! All wood floor finishes are only as "strong" as the type of wood they are protecting, as "strong" as how they are cared for, etc. etc. You have a wood floor - not a ceramic tile - all the finishes will wear off with time and traffic.

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SQUEAKY  FLOORS

“How do I stop my old floors from squeaking?"

Strip wood floors, all of them, will eventually developed some sort of squeak. They are nailed to a wooden structure which is an efficient and cost effective way of fastening but Tongue and groove with nails has the following drawback. The wood expands and contracts with seasonal humidity changes, the holes around the nails also expand and contract. We walk on the floors and loosen them each time we use our floor. Your floors may squeak more in one season than another. Most floors will squeak more during the heating season, which tends to dry out and shrink the wood strips. 
Humidifying  in the heating season and dehumidify during the humid months. 
Sanding and finishing will be a temporary solution and will not solve a squeaky floor problem.

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THE HARDNESS OF WOOD FLOORS

I've had a few enquiries regarding the "hardness" of  various wood types. Courtesy of  The National Wood Flooring Assoc. Information relative to our locally available wood species is really hard to come by (any one with this information, please let me have it) I've listed the most common materials for wood flooring and the relative hardness of each below. Please don't take hardness to mean " best ". Different floor materials for different purposes. ie Maple for Bowling Ally's. Wood hardness is measured using the Janka rating system. This is the force it takes to drive a .444 inch steel ball to a depth where half the ball is imbedded into the wood. This is a relative hardness table for wood floor materials. 

I'd love to get figures on things like Meranti, Balau, Kiaat and many others...... Come on "Rare Woods" do something.

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PRACTICAL HARDWOOD FLOOR CARE

This is not a complete and definitive guide of how to care for hardwood floors but merely some practical rules of thumb and a couple of tips from a friendly cyber-neighborhood floor guy. The greatest enemy of your hardwood floors is dirt. Plain and simple. When you walk on dirt you grind off the floor finish just as if you were sanding the floor. The most practical way to keep the floors clean is to disallow hard-soled shoes into your house. (In traditional Japanese houses shoes are not allowed. This certainly keeps the floors clean. Also, remember back to high school when they wouldn't let anyone in the gym with regular shoes: tennis shoes or socks have always been the rule. The next step to keeping floors in good shape is regular vacuum cleaning and regular dusting. This gets rid of most of the kind of dirt that is harmful to the wood floor finish. There are a number of commercially - available wood floor cleaners on the market. Usually, a damp towel or diaper pushed around under a sponge mop will clean the floors nicely. Be careful about using oil soaps and cleaners that might leave a residue or damage your finish. BEFORE the finish is worn through to the bare wood, have the floors recoated with a compatible floor finish. A professional does this best, but many handy homeowners have tackled this project on their own.

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CHEAPER RATES

 “ Is there an off season when I can get my floors done more cheaply?” 

Yes, there is an off-season. And when you find my off-season and pressure me for absolute rock-bottom prices, we probably won't do business. 

Your loss.

We're good, and worth a reasonable price. Why negotiate yourself out of a great home?

If you negotiate too hard with a builder(/Floor sander or anyone else for that matter) during an off-season, you'll most likely end up with a job that nobody really wants to finish. Yes get your three or four quotes and go with the reasonable guy in the middle. Don't skimp on structure and or workmanship. You need quality space made from quality materials using skilled hands. Hope this was helpful.

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Things you SHOULD NOT expect from a wood floor finish !

1. A table top finish. Each piece of oak flooring sands differently depending on its grain type (plain or quartered) making it virtually impossible for a completely flat surface.


2. Dust-free finish. Since your floor is being finished in your home it is not possible to achieve a "clean room" environment. Some dust will fall onto the freshly applied top finish.


3. A monochromatic floor. Wood, as a natural product, varies from piece to piece. Remember it is not fabricated -- it is milled from a tree and will have grain and color variations consistent with the grade and species of flooring selected.


4. A floor that will not indent. Even the  "hardwood" floors such as Oak will indent under high heel traffic (especially heels in disrepair). The finish that is applied will not prevent the dents.


5. A floor without cracks between the boards, or within the parquet pieces. Although your new floor may start tight together, as a natural product it will continue to absorb and release moisture. This natural process will cause the flooring to expand and contract from season to season -- resulting in cracks between some of the pieces in your floor. Some stain colors, such as white, will show this process more than others.


The Home owner should understand that furniture, cabinetry, doors, etc., are fabricated in a factory under ideal conditions and that they contain 1-10 different pieces of wood. Their floor is fabricated in their own home and is made up of hundreds of  individually different pieces. And that their floor is never to be duplicated -- a truly custom floor of their own !

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SURFACE FINISHES 

Today's technology provides us with quality "Wood Floor Finishes" that create lasting beauty and require minimal care. The correct finish will protect your wood flooring from wear, dirt and moisture while giving the wood an attractive color and sheen. Today most wood floors are finished with a stain and a top coat. I currently have 16 samples of locally available flooring finishes, all of them quality products. 

Surface Finishes have become very popular because of their durability, water-resistance and minimal maintenance requirements. Surface finishes are blends of synthetic resins and are commonly referred to as urethanes, polyurethane's or even varnishes. They bond to the woods surface and form a protective coating. They are generally available in high-gloss, semi-gloss, satin and matte. 

There are basically five (5) main types of surface finishes: 

Oil-modified urethane is probably the most common surface finish. It is easy to apply, and dries to a really hard, durable protective coat. This solvent-base polyurethane generally dries in about eight hours (depending on weather conditions). This finish ambers with age and is available in Gloss, Matt, Suede and  Eggshell or whatever else the manufacturers want to confuse us with. .

Moisture-cure urethane is a solvent-base polyurethane that is more durable and more moisture resistant than other surface finishes. Moisture-cure urethane comes in non-yellowing satin or gloss. These finishes are extremely difficult to apply, have a strong odor and are generally way overpriced.

Acid cure urethane is a clear and fast drying finish. It is durable, flexible and non-yellowing. These finishes too, are extremely difficult to apply and have a very strong odor. They are generally only available in gloss and come  in single pack or twin (hardener) pack applications.

Water-based urethane is a waterborne urethane that dries by water evaporation. These finishes are clear and non-yellowing. They have a milder odor than oil-modified finishes have and dry in two to three hours. Water-based urethanes are generally more expensive and I'm only aware of matt finishes. These products are easy to apply, but can be temperamental. 

Aluminum Oxide - The newest in wood floor finishes offers a long lasting more durable coating than past wood floor finishes. These finishes carry a limited 20 year wear warranty, and is the latest trend by major pre-finished wood floor manufacturers. 

Lets not forget the oldest, and in some ways the best. 

Wax is the least expensive, fastest drying, easiest to repair, and with proper care will survive forever. Wax penetrates the wood, so you wear the wood, not the finish. Proper care involves tons of elbow grease and maintenance with wax polishers. Water will spot the waxed surface and must be removed (or prevented). 

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WHAT TYPE OF FINISH IS ON MY FLOOR?

Here are a few simple steps to determine if the finish on your floor is wax, shellac or varnish or a surface (polyurethane) finish. If the floor was installed, or last serviced, before the mid '60s, you should assume the finish used was varnish or shellac. To determine this, scratch the surface with a coin or other sharp object in a corner or other inconspicuous space. If the finish flakes, it is probably shellac or varnish. Shellac and varnish are rarely used anymore and require full sanding to remove before application of a surface finish or wax finish.

Next, check the floor for wax . In an inconspicuous area, (behind a door) apply two(2) drops of water. If, within ten minutes, white spots appear under the drops of water, the floor has a wax finish. To remove the white spots, gently rub the spots with #000 steel wool dampened with wax.

If the finish does not flake from scratching with a coin and white spots do not appear from the drops of water, the floor has a surface (polyurethane) finish and should be maintained accordingly

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