HARDWOOD FLOORING, IT’S GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH

If you are one of the 35 million in United Kingdom that are allergic to dust mites and pet dander, then you could already be aware that a good way to limit your exposure is to replace the carpet in your house with hardwood flooring.

A house with wooden floors and rugs will include just a tenth of the dust a carpeted home comprises. The hard surface of wood flooring greatly reduces the accumulation of allergens in your home, in comparison to carpet, which keeps you and your family members happy and healthy.

ALLERGENS AND IRRITANTS

The main irritants that pollute our indoor air quality are allergens and toxic chemicals. Dust mites, pet dander and dyes constitute the largest part of irritants that stand between us and optimum wellness.

— Dust mites are tiny spider-like animals that cannot be seen with the naked eye. They eat exfoliated skin and live in carpet, mattresses, and upholstered furniture. A mite’s life cycle lasts only a few months, transitioning from egg to adult within a matter of weeks. It’s their waste products which cause the allergic reactions.

— Pesticides used in gardens and homes accumulate on floors and other surfaces in the home. A recent EPA research found that the accumulation of such toxins on hard surface flooring is considerably less than other forms of flooring.

— Pet dander is drop from cats and dogs. These allergens are extremely strong and maintain their potency for months, adhering to walls, clothing and other surfaces, even travelling with individuals to places where the pets haven’t been.

COMPLEMENTARY SOLUTIONS

Every region of the cleaning regimen that’s suggested to correctly maintain your hardwood flooring is also a vital step in reducing the allergens in your house. In fact, natural timber oils frequently have a strongly antibacterial action.

— Replacing all carpets, particularly in the bedroom (where you invest one-third your own time ) will significantly lower the available safe-havens for pollutants.

— Wood floors don’t trap and accumulate concentrations of damaging chemicals and fumes, nor do they become houses for parasites that are unpleasant.

— Using a dehumidifier or air conditioner to keep relative humidity at 50 percent or below is fantastic for your hardwood flooring and, makes the surroundings undesirable for dust mites.

— Cleaning the floors with a microfiber mop, rather than standard cleaning procedures, has been recommended by the EPA as an environmental best practice for health care facilities.

The best thing about hardwood floors has long been a favorite of homeowners. Whether you choose the expression of conspicuous rustic lines or a subtly backdrop blend, the allure to organic elements is overpowering.

The stains and finishes available supply a broad variety of colors and styles. Each choice can increase the beauty of your home while making it a healthier environment with significantly fewer allergens and irritants. It appears so straightforward. It is the natural alternative — hardwood flooring.

HOW TO CHOOSE WOOD FLOORING

Wooden flooring will give an attractive natural base for your home’s aesthetic and should last a lifetime, but it can be challenging to know where to start when it comes to picking wood flooring. As you will be residing with your selection for many years, it’s simple to be a little overwhelmed by all the choices available to you.

At Chaunceysour specialists will be happy to talk you through your project and direct you in the ideal direction, but feel free to read through the guidelines below which give an overview of the questions you must be asking yourself if it comes to picking hardwood flooring.

With so many fantastic options available, what should you consider when selecting a hardwood flooring?

THE LOOK

The desirable look of the flooring is normally the first thing you will consider, and with so many possibilities — all of them beautiful in their own way — it is a tricky choice to make.

Do you need a traditional or contemporary look? Are you currently leaning towards a light or dark floor? Should it be sleek and understated, or distinctive and filled with character?

COLOUR
Dark flooring tends to offer a sense of luxury and cosiness, and mild flooring can give a sense of space. Or you may opt for more organic mid-tones that are welcoming and warm.

You can choose from a wide-ranging colour palette with hardwood floors. Take a peek at the Chaunceys color guide to get some inspiration.

FINISH
Consider the sheen level you envisage to your own project. We offer a range of finishes from Ultra Matt to Gloss in the two oils and lacquers.

GRADE
As they are organic products, each hardwood flooring has its own individual personality and beauty. The knots, splits, and color variation in each plank will probably be unique to each board, and you can choose to have more and less of these features based on the caliber of timber you decide on. We have developed our very own grading guide that will help you choose the look you’re after.

LENGTH AND WIDTH
Chaunceys provide a massive variety of board sizes to fit your needs. To stay on-trend, elect for extra-wide single-width floorboards. These are especially well suited to larger rooms. We suggest Taking a Look at our Extra Long Engineered Planks.

A more traditional appearance can be achieved with the boards laid with 3 or 4 varying widths.

Utilizing our Fixed Length planks provides a timeless appearance of traditional hardwood floors, whereas blending lengths can produce a more distinctive modern feel.

THE SIDE PROFILE OF THE BOARD
The edge of your floorboards may be square, which provides a sleek modern look or can have a small bevel for them. Micro bevels give a more traditional feel and may also hide the tiny possible height differences between the planks.

PATTERNED FLOORING
Parquet flooring is yet another superb choice to consider. Chaunceys provide a variety of beautiful Herringbone, Chevron, and Versailles panels. These geometric patterns create an impressive statement in entry halls and rooms.

LOCATION AND TRAFFIC LEVEL

Are you planning to match your chosen wood flooring in an area where there is going to be a whole lot of footfall? If this is so, we advise you go for a hard-wearing wood such as Oak, or an end that could withstand the elevated levels of traffic. It’s also better to avoid lighter floor tones in these regions as they’ll show more marks and dirt.

Which rooms are you going to be putting the floor in? We urge engineered boards for kitchens and bathrooms since these will provide more stability for rooms more vulnerable to humidity and spillages.

SUB FLOOR & STRUCTURAL CONSIDERATIONS
When choosing wooden flooring, it is important to consider the surface you’ll be fitting your new floor over. Will it be put over old or new screed, wooden batons, or in addition to an present wooden floor? Can you, or will you have underfloor heating? These variables may impact your options and concerning flooring choice and how it can be fitted.

You might also have to consider the thickness of the boards when the floor needs to be structural i.e. load bearing. 20mm thickness boards are needed if you are spanning joists, for instance.

Choosing a Stain Color for Your Hardwood Floors

Once you’ve decided to have the flooring experts at Clapham Floor Sanding put in hardwood flooring in your home, next comes this hard question: what color do you choose for the blot? It’s normal to feel a little pressure in making this decision, considering the investment and long-lasting nature of hardwood floors. But with a few considerations, you are going to pick the right colour in no time.

Items to Consider

• Your room/home’s style: Choose a blot shade that enhances your home’s decor. If your design is more contemporary, a warm, red tone may not be the ideal choice. Similarly, traditional rustic decor might not quite flow using a grayer color. We can help you understand how different tones can complement or clash with your house’s style.
• Depending upon the timber grain and pore size, the blot may absorb otherwise. During our first onsite consultation in your home, we can advise you on the best stain for your floors. We are going to show different stain samples in your floors, not on samples, because your floors may respond differently than the sample wood.
• Care levels: Lighter stains are easier to keep because scratches, dents, dog hair, dirt, and dust don’t reveal as much. These lighter stains also show off the wood’s grain pattern. This may be great or great, depending on the number of imperfections in the wood. Darker stains will hide many imperfections on your wood, but might ask that you clean the floors more frequently.

We’ll Find Your Perfect Stain Color

We firmly believe the only way to determine the best stain color for your Indianapolis home is to test it on your flooring. While color swatches and color charts may provide you an overall idea of the color, nothing could compare to watching the true color on your floors. We’ll sand, homework, and blot a small part of your floor. We are going to repeat the process till you discover a colour you are happy with. Generally, it only takes two or three trials until we locate the perfect blot for you.

Your Hardwood Stain Pros

Clapham Floor Sanding has helped thousands of your Indiana neighbors pick the ideal stain for their hardwood flooring, and we can help you too! We would really like to discuss your renovation or building project. Request a free quotation or give us a call today at 020 3369 1099 .

Oak Floorboards: Natural, Light or Dark?

Oak is a gorgeous wood, there is little doubt about that. Employed as a floor material for centuries, even when you select the ideal bamboo flooring it might persist for a life (and a great deal longer ).

Solid or engineered?

The excellent thing about pine floorboards now is they are even more flexible than they were only 20 or 30 decades back. Why is this? It is because today once you understand you want to have an oak floor you’ve got the option between strong and engineered oak floorboards.

The excellent thing about pine floorboards now is that they are now even more flexible than they were just 20 or 30 years ago. Why is that? It is because today once you know you want an oak floor you’ve got the option between strong and engineered oak floorboards.

This means is that you can fit bamboo floors with complete reassurance in each room in the house, and even over under floor heatingsystem. Engineered oak flooring is so flexible it can also be fitted in areas where temperatures and humidity levels fluctuate significantly. So, in the good old days, if you’d fitted an oak floor in a kitchen or toilet for example, you’d have done so with pliers that the floor would survive the moisture and temperature ups and downs. The chance of the floor creating unsightly gaps or worse, cupping or bowing would have been extreme on your mind and quite rightly so. Nowadays, engineered oak flooring means you can have that solid walnut flooring seem regardless of where you want this, and no matter how challenging the conditions are.

In summary, between solid and engineered oak floors, you truly have an all-purpose alternative.

Choosing the right colour for your project.

Once you’re clear on the fact that you desire to have an oak floor, it’s a case of deciding what colour of bamboo floorboards would work well for you. Oak, in its normal state comes in a whole host of colors, but with the advanced wood treatments available today, it may be made to look almost white or nearly black, as well as everything in between. In this report we would like to share our thoughts about which settings light, dark and natural oak floorboards work best.

Light oak floorboards

The hottest and most logical place to match light oak floorboards is in which you have a little room you want to create look bigger or a dark area in which you would like to make an illusion of light. The likes of those London White flooring isn’t only extremely flexible, but it’s simple to keep and magnificent to check in to boot. At Clapham Floor Sanding we have seen it fitted at the smallest of rooms in addition to lofty apartments and in each setting (and everything in between) it looks simply magnificent. It is a flooring option that will make you feel cheerful and bright no matter the season or the weather outside. Reminiscent of New England decks and having a real all-natural allure about it, you’ll never tire of this one.

Natural oak floorboards

Purists will argue that if you are choosing an oak floor, the floor must appear to be natural walnut and nothing else. While we concur with this in Wood and Beyond, we also love the small twists that may be introduced to natural oak floorboards, such as this solid oak extra grey brushed hardwax oiled flooring. As you can see, the treatment this solid bamboo flooring has gotten brings out all the natural charm of the timber and a whole lot more. It’s obvious for all to see that this is strong oak, but it has a real advantage to it, thanks to the grey brushing it has had. This flooring is perfectly appropriate to bedrooms, lounges, halls and dining rooms. Our favorite appearance to go with this floor is laid back casual — think disappeared linens, plumped pillows up along with an abundance of cosy throws and sheepskin rugs and you’ll find the idea!

Dark oak floorboards

Dark walnut floors like jet black brushed and UV lacquered choice come into their own in the past couple of years and it’s easy to see why. Monochrome color schemes (if that is not a contradiction in terms) are totally stunning and may surprisingly get the job done very nicely using traditional/vintage furnishings in addition to contemporary. All it requires it some careful preparation and functions best in a space in which you have a great deal of light. This floor would look fantastic with a few fundamental bits by the likes of Ikea, along with a real or breeding Barcelona seat, originally designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich. Select this option if you would like to create a genuine statement throughout your house. Blend it with plain white walls and a smart mixture of bold colored or black rugs and you will be the envy of your family and friends!

If you are swithering over which pine floorboards would function for your inside, do not wait — touch base and Allow the staff at.

Floor Sanding Clapham

Renovation will heal your home

An attractive rich wooden floors are fashionable from a 100 years from now.They are big part of every single type of interior. Renovation make them shiny again!
The care of your wooden floors should be handled by professionalists . Our company is qualified and focused on top quality sanding support. We offer an additional services to finish timber flooring and a lot of experience in the business.Choosing materials for your floors can be very confusing since there are many selections to choose from. Any scratched wooden floors could be modified to transform your home design and interior style to a fresh and tidy sparkling place again!

http://claphamfloorsanding.org.uk/

Pine, Ash & Hickory

SOFTWOODS top 3 

PINE: Pine is a softwood which grows in most areas of the Northern Hemisphere. There are more than 100 species worldwide.

Properties: Pine is a soft, white or pale yellow wood which is light weight, straight grained and lacks figure.It resists shrinking and swelling. Knotty pine is often used for decorative effect.
Uses: Pine is often used for country or provincial furniture. Pickled, whitened, painted and oil finishes are often used on this wood.

ASH: There are 16 species of ash which grow in the eastern United States. Of these, the white ash is the largest and most commercially important.

Properties: Ash is a hard, heavy, ring porous hardwood. It has a prominent grain that resembles oak, and a white to light brown colour. Ash can be differentiated from hickory (pecan) which it also resembles, by white dots in the darker summer wood which can be seen with the naked eye. Ash burls have a twisted, interwoven figure.
Uses: Ash is widely used for structural frames and steam bent furniture pieces. It is often less expensive than comparable hardwoods.

HICKORY: There are 15 species of hickory in the eastern United States, eight of which are commercially important.

Properties: Hickory is one of the heaviest and hardest woods available. Pecan is a species of hickory sometimes used in furniture. It has a close grain without much figure.
Uses: Wood from the hickory is used for structural parts, especially where strength and thinness are required. Decorative hickory veneers are also commonly used.

Choosing & Cleaning Hardwood Floors

5 things to Ask Before Choosing a Hardwood Floor!

1. Where will the wood be going?
2. What is the subfloor made of?
3. What style is your home?
4. How will you stain and finish it?
5. How will you test it?

The Best Ways to Clean Hardwood Floors

-Prep your floor for cleaning by sweeping or dust-mopping to get rid of large particles of dirt and debris.
-Use a pH neutral cleaner that will be gentle on your hardwood floors.
-Use a fine spray mist to clean your floor in sections. Avoid putting too much liquid on your floors.
-Use a microfiber mop to clean. Traditional mops can work, but they can leave excess water on your floors.
-Skip using white vinegar and water to clean your floors. Using a specially formulated hardwood floor care cleaner is a smart way to maintain the beauty and look of your floors.

TOP 10 HARDEST WOODS

TOP 10 HARDEST WOODS

1. Quebracho – From the Spanish “quebrar hacha,” which literally means
“axe breaker.” Aptly named, wood in the Schinopsis genus is among the
heaviest and hardest in the world.
2. Lignum Vitae -Widely accepted as the hardest wood in the world–this
wood has been listed as an endangered species and is listed in CITES.
Consider Verawood as a very close substitute.
3. Gidgee – This Australian endemic is both very heavy and very strong.
Some pieces are dark enough to be used as an ebony substitute: one that’s
even harder than the original article.
4. Snakewood – It’s easy to see what makes Snakewood so unique–its patterns
and markings resemble the skin of a snake. Limited supply and high demand
make this one of the most expensive woods on eart.
5. Verawood – Sometimes called Argentine Lignum Vitae, this wood is a gem:
inexpensive, great olive-green color, beautiful feathery grain pattern, and
it takes a great natural polish on the lathe.
6. Camelthorn – Formerly classified as a member of the Acacia genus, this
south African hardwood is a tough customer. The wood is stubbornly hard,
and the tree is protected by giant sharp thorns.
7. African Blackwood – In some parts of the world, this wood has achieved
an almost legendary status. Historical evidence points to this wood
(rather than Diospyros spp.) being the original “ebony.”
8. Black Ironwood – Pieces are very seldom seen for sale, as this tree is
too small to produce commercially viable lumber. Like the unrelated
Desert Ironwood, Black Ironwood is an excellent choice for small
turning projects.
9. Katalox / Wamara – Some pieces can be just about a dark as true ebony,
while others are a more reddish brown with black streaks. So much depth
in the Swartzia genus, there’s something for everyone!
10. Cebil- Also known as Curupay or by the exaggerated name Patagonian
Rosewood, Cebil is not a true rosewood. It has a highly variable streaked
appearance not too unlike Goncalo Alves.

How we work?

We can give you a estimate over the phone or via email if you have the dimensions, as we work on a rate per sq meter or sq yard the estimate will allow for minor repairs,sanding and finishing with three coats of varnish.If the price quoted seems reasonable, we will then visit your home to look at the floor and discuss your thoughts, concerns and ideas for the project.We will then send you a written estimate or email you an estimate for the work. If you would like to go ahead we will give you a date on which we will hope to start your room. We do not charge for my estimates or advice.

If you have a floor in need of some care and attention, please contact us for a no-obligation quote.