How is Solid Wood Flooring fitted?-
Solid wood flooring comes in many varieties of wood, widths, thickness and colours to suit almost any requirement. Solid wood flooring is secret or surface nailed onto joists or a quality sub-floor, but can also be glued onto a concrete or wood sub-floor with plenty of allowance for wood expansion. With the proper care and attention, your solid wood floor will last a lifetime and, like a good wine will improve with age.
- What are the advantages of Solid Wood
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The advantages of a solid wood floor are as follows:
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Huge selection to choose from antique to modern
Very versatile to create the exact look your require
Random widths for extra character and individuality
Un-finished boards can be treated onsite to your colour requirements
Pre-finished boards easy and quick to fit with minimal mess and are usable straight away
Easily refurbished and sealed
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- Will Furniture Damage my Floor?
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All ‘moveable’ pieces of furniture need soft clean pads on the bottom of legs or supports. To keep you floor in tiptop condition, we recommend applying floor protector pads to heavy items of furniture. Always remember to pick up furniture and not slide it across the floor. Floor guards enable you to move your appliances forward for servicing without gouging your floor.
- What else can I do to protect my floor from wear and tear?
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Doormats are very useful for trapping dirt and grit from outdoors before it gets the chance to reach your floor. We recommend using walk-off mats placed at all exterior doors. Some areas of the house always experience more wear than others; rugs can be used in high-traffic areas to minimize wear. Make sure any rugs are always kept clean and dry. Shake them out and vacuum frequently. A wax finish can greatly help maintain the condition of your floor.
- What about high heels?
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High heels concentrate a person’s weight on a small point (estimate: 125lb person = approximately 2,000lbs per inch when taking a normal step). This kind of force can damage many types of flooring, fracturing ceramic tiles and perforating vinyl, as well as denting wood floors. While high heels in good repair may not damage wood floors, we recommend a ‘no high heel’ policy.
- How Should I Maintain My Floor?
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Regular vacuuming and sweeping of your floor is highly recommended as dirt and grit act like sandpaper and do mark the surface of any wooden floor. Moping the floor with one of our wash and care products on an interim basis depending on the volume of usage will ensure that your floor is always looking good. We also supply electric floor polishers/vacuums which when used with a traffic wax are ideal for maintaining your floor.
- Is my floor suitable for pets?
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Dog and cat toenails can scratch a wood floor. It is a good idea to trim them regularly. Heavy traffic areas will require regular maintenance with some of our available products. Spills from the food/water bowl are usually no problem if wiped up in good time.
- What about cracks in my floor?
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Wood floors are very sensitive to their surrounding climate. Seasonal expansion and contraction is a common occurrence. They expand in humid conditions and contract when the air becomes dry, usually due to heating. Using a humidifier or dehumidifier in conjunction with heating/cooling system is recommended, to maintain a constant 40-55% humidity level.
- Can I place indoor potted plants on my floor?
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Never place plants directly on a wood floor even if they are in a waterproof saucer. Always use trivets or short stands under the pot and saucer so that air can circulate underneath. This will prevent condensation on the saucer from damaging a wood floor. It will also be easier to see if the plant is over watered or if water has spilled onto the floor.
- What should i do about rug marks?
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Many people are shocked when an area rug is moved and there is an outline of the rug on the floor. Luckily there is no need to panic, this process of oxidization is normal. If you remove the rug completely, the colour will blend eventually but it will take a while. So be patient!
- How can I treat scratches
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The most important thing to do about scratches is to find out what caused them and take preventative measures. Scuffing or high traffic wear areas mean gritty shoes or dirty floors. A throw rug may be needed to protect from further damage. You can treat lightly scratched areas, which have not been worn down to the raw wood, by buffing. This will shine up the area and match the sheen of the rest of the floor, making the damage less obvious. Several manufacturers offer their floor finish in aerosol cans. This can be used if the finish is wearing thin. Don’t forget to read the directions thoroughly.
A deep scratch or gouge is not as easy to repair therefore we recommend consulting a professional when the damage exposes the bare wood.
- Why Wax?
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Whittle Woods naturally want the best finish for your floor, which is why we only use the finest product for the job. *Os Color Hardwax-Oil has the following advantages:
• penetrates deeply into wood, to enhance and maintain beauty and elasticity
• extremely water-repellent and does not water-mark
• will not crack, flake, peel or blister and is micro-porous
• stain-resistant against wine, beer, cola, coffee, tea, fruit juices, milk and water
• contains no biocides or preservatives; additionally is well-suited to environments where children play
• easy cleaning and maintenance with OS COLOUR WASH AND CARE and LIQUID WAX CLEANER
• easy renovation; allows a small area to be renovated easily and quickly without repair marks; one-coat application only
• environmentally friendly – based on natural oils and waxes from purified regrowing natural raw materials