The Best Way Of Cleaning Hardwood Floors

Hardwood floors are not particularly difficult to clean and they do not require extensive specialist equipment. Water and a mop as well as a broom and vacuum cleaner are all you really need to keep the floors looking clean and tidy.

Hardwood floors have become increasingly popular over the last few years and it is not difficult to see why. They are easy to manage, they look modern and they do tend to add a touch of sophistication to any home. However, whilst they may not need much management, they still need cleaning to some extent every single day!

Cleaning Hardwood Floors

Some experts say that you should not clean hardwood floors with water but many people do and they find that they do not have any problems. The reason experts warn against it is because water can cause hardwood floors to expand and ruin over time if it is not dried up extremely quickly.

However, usually with a mop, water mixed with vinegar can make an excellent cleaning solution and as long as it is rinsed out thoroughly before being applied to the floor, it will not usually cause any problems. So, it is basically up to you what you want to use and if you would prefer to use a specialist cleaner then that is entirely your choice. However, if you are on a budget water and vinegar will work just as well.

All hardwood floors should be waxed at some point. This is because the wax keeps them protected and it also keeps the wood looking healthy too. It does not need to be done that often and in fact if it is done often, you may need to later invest in a product which removes excess wax!

Generally the main things you will need to clean a hardwood floor include:

• A broom
• A Mop
• A Vacuum Cleaner

The broom will be used usually a few times a day and the vacuum cleaner is there to Hoover up anything that is left behind. The mop will remove any stubborn stains and all will keep the floor looking clean and tidy.

Overall hardwood floors do not need much cleaning and they are certainly a lot easier than carpets to clean. You can find specialist hardwood floor cleaners from local handy stores as well as on the Internet. So, cleaning your hardwood floor should not be a problem though always remember to mop up any spills as soon as possible.

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What Should You Consider When Installing Hardwood Flooring

If you are contemplating adding hardwood floors to your home, you are making a rational decision. Any home improvement or addition would not be complete without installing hardwood flooring. There is no questioning the refinement and warmth they bring into your home. Its an investment worth making.

If you are contemplating installing hardwood flooring into your home, we've put together a couple of things you may want to glance over before you pull out the credit card:

Selection. While this may come as a pleasant surprise to many, there are now more options than ever when it comes to hardwood flooring. Take your time and decide on the wood and stains that you feel will best compliment your home and lifestyle.

Payment. If you want the installation of your hardwood floors done right, its best to be prepared to consider this an investment in your home. Consider visiting as many hardwood flooring stores as you can so you can get the best price for what you want. You may find that if you cannot afford to pay cash for the entire project, companies like Home Depot will offer to finance the job for you, often with no payments for several months. Be sure to read the fine print, as you may find that often, there is an expensive interest rate factored in if the full balance isn't paid in full. Of course, there is also credit cards and lines of credit that you can use, but watch out for high interest charges. Its usually best to plan ahead, create a budget, and pay it off either in cash, or before the interest rates kick in.

Sensibility. While I'm all in favor of having hardwood floors in every room, you have to take a minute and think about what rooms are suited for them. Does the room have high humidity? Is it water prone? If you even think that the answer is yes, then the room is not suited for hardwood floors.

Installation. Today you can find hardwood floors that are rather simple to install on floors that are absolutely flat. If you are fortunate enough to have these kinds of floors (most of us do not) it might be well worth the money to hire a professional flooring installer who has the skills to level your floors in the process.

Just remember that while installing hardwood floors is going to be expensive, think of it as an investment in your home that will continue to serve your family well for years to come. Its a fact that hardwood floors increase the value of your home, which is also something to consider if you are planning on moving.

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Hardwood Has Homeowners Floored

Making the switch from vinyl, carpet and laminate to hardwood is not only a relatively easy task it’s a wise investment as well. Hardwood owes much of its popularity to its capacity to increase the value of homes. Results from a survey conducted by the National Wood Flooring Association indicate that 90% of realtors find that homes with wood flooring sell faster and for higher prices than houses without wood floors. Anita Howard, the organization’s Communications Director, says that 32% of realtors agree that it increased home prices by 2-5%, while 10% say that wood floors boost the value of homes by about 6-10% and about 2% of realtors say that it helps properties top the price of others in the area by more than 10%.

California real estate appraiser Charles Loo agrees that solid hardwood flooring, which has a higher perceived value, can increase the value of homes more than other flooring types could. Also an expert in construction, Loo talks from experience: “For the sale price on the homes I remodel and sell, I typically add a substantial amount to the asking price of the house...and I always get it...but then again, I live in one of the hottest real estate markets in the country. In Orange County where I live, I would say a quality hardwood floor can add about 50k to the sale price if, say, a good portion of the upstairs has been done with a quality hardwood floor.”

The enduring quality of wood is also among its many advantages over other flooring types. While carpet’s lifespan is pegged at about 10 years, wood floors can easily outlast the life of your home’s mortgage.

Looking at it from an environmental angle, wood is a sustainable flooring option. According to Howard, one of the hottest trends right now in home improvement is reclaiming wood. “You can take old wood (from old barns, warehouses, etc.) and make it new again”

In addition, Howard also points out that wood “promotes a healthier environment since it does not harbor allergens and microorganisms, which is a tremendous benefit to those who suffer from allergies and other air-borne illnesses.”

Another major benefit of installing hardwood floors is its aesthetic appeal. Aside from tying a room together, the wide range of species, colors and patterns available also offer endless design possibilities.

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Hardwood Flooring: Little Known Aspects

Securing hardwood flooring for homes can be a great bonus. This ensures a fabulous looking floor that is durable and easy to maintain. The hardwood floors have the property of matching with the homes of the various styles and periods. Making use of hardwood flooring especially in the living rooms, dens, hallways and stairs can enhance the value of just any home.

Little known hardwood facts

There are some aspects of hardwood flooring which are little known. Learning about these will enable you to proceed with selecting hardwood flooring in a more competent manner. Some such facts are:

· Red oak is not the only choice of hardwood flooring material. You could be trying out hickory, cherry, walnut, white oak, maple or similar other hardwood varieties with placing equal reliability and trust. It is also true that the hardwood of imported species need not be a necessity. Native hardwoods can be equally good at the task of providing superior flooring material.

· Prefinished flooring is certainly more convenient and today with factory finished flooring that can be installed easily a whole lot of mess can be avoided. The prefinished flooring also makes it possible for each plank to be allowed to be moved independently with humidity changes at home. So, the seasonal separations that appear as cracks on the floor are less noticeable with prefinished hardwood floors.

· The natural colors of some hardwoods (like hickory, cherry or walnut) are beautiful enough to obviate the need to add any other color. So, these hardwoods can suitably be considered for the flooring purpose.

· The laminate hardwood flooring that is fast becoming popular nowadays may not possess all qualities of the real hardwood flooring. Thus even though it may be a little expensive it is always better to stick to the real thing rather than the imitations.

Considering lesser known hardwood pros and cons before purchasing

It may be noted that hardwoods may not always be the best material for all floors. They may be pretty noisy and get damaged by wetting. So, they are not to be used in a place like a bathroom that often remains wet. If there are pets in the room then too the hardwood floors may get affected- scratched by pet claws and dented. However, despite some such disadvantages of using the hardwood flooring it is true that on the whole hardwood floors prove to be a great boon and the hardwood stands as a popular and useful flooring material. So, what you need to do is get started and judiciously venture into procuring the right hardwood flooring.

Tania Penwell is an author who provides tips and information on hardwood flooring for A1 Wood Flooring - your online guide to wood flooring.

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Exotic Hardwood Floors

Beautiful floors can often make the difference between a nice home and a breathtaking one. Nothing can add to the aesthetics of your home like the natural beauty of exotic hardwood floors. Installing exotic hardwood floors to your home is also an excellent way to increase the value of your home. Installing hardwood flooring in your home provides a solid return on investment (ROI) of about 70-80 percent on average.

Exotic hardwood floors are made from hardwood species that are not found in the United States. They most commonly come from Australia, Africa, Brazil and Asia. Types of exotic hardwood floors include bamboo, eucalyptus, cork, Bolivian mahogany, Bolivian teak, Bolivian rosewood, Brazilian cherry, Brazilian walnut, Brazilian maple, and Brazilian koa.

Installing exotic hardwood floors is a project of low to moderate difficulty that many homeowner will be able to do themselves.

Exotic Hardwood Floors

First, you’ll want to decide where you want to install the exotic hardwood floors. Do you want to install them in the entire home or just in select rooms? Then measure the square footage you will need.

Once you know the square footage you will need, do some research online and in local home improvement stores to find the type of exotic hardwood you want and the best prices. When you find the type you want and a good price, buy however much you need. You’ll want to find out from the merchant what methods of installation are feasible with the particular type you buy.

After obtaining the hardwood, you are ready to begin installing it. There are 5 main installation methods. They are nail down, staple down, glue down, glue less, and floating.

Depending on the subflooring you have, concrete slab, wood, etc., some options may not be feasible. The quickest, easiest, and cleanest method is floating, but not all types of exotic hardwood floors can be installed in this method.

Installing exotic hardwood floors is a great way to dramatically increase the aesthetics and value of your home. The project is relatively simple and can be accomplished by most homeowners. There are virtually limitless combinations of installation methods and exotic hardwood species. With so many combinations, you’ll be able to find the right one to match your style.

This article was written by Jason Doane of http://www.reliableremodeler.com which provides Internet-based home improvement information and services. Offering homeowners a simple, quick, and free way to access, qualified home improvement remodeling contractors.

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Avoid Using Vinegar to Clean Hardwood Floors!

Have you recently installed a hardwood floor? Bear in mind that in order to keep the shine and new look on your hardwood floor, you'll have to clean it regularly and properly. You've probably heard some of the pros say that the best way to clean hardwood floors is to use chemical cleaning solutions.

They're right, of course, but these cleaning solutions are rather expensive; they'll eventually eat a hole through your pocket. In addition, they're also tricky to use. If you use too much, you can damage your hardwood floor; if you use too little, your hardwood floor will look pretty old soon.

Since these professional solutions are basically hard to use, a lot of people turn to folk remedies, such as using vinegar to clean hardwood floors. It is possible to clean hardwood floors with vinegar. In fact, using vinegar is an effective and efficient way of cleaning hardwood but only for the short run. After all, vinegar is cheap and it does work.

However, cleaning with vinegar can be damaging your hardwood floors in the long term. Vinegar is basically acidic; acidic substances tend to slowly chew through surfaces. Thus, when you use vinegar to clean hardwood floors on a regular basis, the vinegar will eventually damage the finish, giving the floors an uneven look. Vinegar won't drastically damage your hardwood floor's finish if you use it to clean your floor once or twice a year. However, it will cause your floor's quality to degrade if you repeatedly use vinegar for cleaning for two or more months.

In general, you should avoid using vinegar to clean hardwood floors frequently. That said, there are times when vinegar becomes a quick, inexpensive solution to cleaning problems. If you should ever run out of professional cleaning solutions or they are not readily available at stores, you can perhaps substitute vinegar just once or twice.

In case you have to use vinegar, don't use too much of it. And remember, you should only use vinegar as a hardwood cleaning solution whenever necessary and as infrequent as you possibly can. You may not want to spend all that money on expensive hardwood cleaning solutions, but carefully weight the consequences of using vinegar on your hardwood floor.

You may save money, but your hardwood floor sure isn't going to be shiny for long. In addition, make sure that the finish on your floor is strong so that it can withstand the effects of vinegar if you use it for cleaning.

Niv Orlian is an experienced Home Improvement Adviser who writes articles for his Flooring & Carpet Cleaning online guides.
Visit myflooringhelper.com to learn more about using Vinegar to Clean Hardwood Floors

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What You Need To Know When You Visit Your Hardwood Flooring Supplier

As you will discover when you visit your local hardwood flooring supplier, this type of flooring comes in a variety of materials as well as styles. But with a little bit of commonsense as well as shopping around you will soon find the perfect hardwood flooring for your home.

In this article we provide you with some steps that you will need to take to ensure that you choose the right kind of hardwood flooring for your home.

Step 1. You will need to determine in which areas of your home you want to install hardwood flooring.

Step 2. You now need to measure the room area and work out the square footage so that you purchase the right amount of flooring to carry out the installation.

Step 3. Look at the kind of sub floor you have and decide if you need to purchase any kind of insulation to go under which will then protect the flooring you are installing.

Step 4. You need to consider the type of hardwood flooring finish you wish to have. You can either go for pre-finished or unfinished hardwood flooring. Or if you want you may want to consider purchasing hand scraped hardwood flooring which will have a completely different feel and texture compared to the other types of hardwood flooring finishes previously mentioned.

Step 5. You will have to consider the wood coloring that will suit your requirements. One of the most popular types of hardwood flooring today is that produced from oak trees while maple and pine are often used as well.

Step 6. Start to check out the prices. You may even find that you can get hardwood flooring at a discount, which will help to reduce the costs that are usually quite high for hardwood flooring.

Step 7. When it comes time to make your purchase with your hardwood flooring supplier do not forget to purchase the other materials you will need for installing your flooring. You will also need to buy nails, glue and any other materials which will help to make the installation process easier for you or your flooring contractor.

By keeping these steps in mind when you purchase your hardwood flooring, you will have a better chance of buying the floor which will look beautiful in your home and will also add value to it.

Ernest Jarquio is a dedicated family man hopelessly addicted to do-it-yourself projects. For more information, visit his website, where he discusses various subjects such as your hardwood flooring supplier, hardwood flooring discount and hand scraped hardwood flooring. Read various articles on the different aspects of hardwood, bamboo, laminate, tile and vinyl flooring.

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Stripping Hardwood Floors - Bring Back the Shine to Your Floor

As hardwood floors age, they tend to lose some of their shine and texture. Their finishing coating also tends to decrease in color intensity over time. Stripping hardwood floors of old coating and applying new coating is one way to bring back their old shine and texture. In fact, stripping is a commonly used technique in restoring or refinishing hardwood floors. It is a less costly way than replacing the entire hardwood flooring.

At some point, however, you may have to weigh stripping vs sanding hardwood floors. Between stripping and sanding, the latter is a more complete and thorough process. In addition, sanding helps hardwood floors to last longer. On the downside, sanding is laborious and time consuming compared to stripping them. It is also a lot messier.

Sanding is also much more costly than stripping hardwood floors, not to mention you will have to rent hard-to-get tools specifically designed for sanding hardwood floors. For many people, the downsides of sanding far outweigh its upsides. Stripping, however, is comparatively inexpensive. Unlike sanding which takes several days, stripping would normally take less time and cleaning up is a lot easier and less messy.

For stripping hardwood floors, you'll need the following tools:

-thick, synthetic stripping pad

-wide scraper

-stripping solution

-wide putty knife

-clean, absorbent rags

-large, wide paint brush

If you have never stripped hardwood floors before, we recommend that you do a strip test on a small area on your hardwood floor, preferably a corner. Follow these steps:

1. Pour stripping solution on the area and using a wide paint brush, smudge the solution evenly across the area.

2. Allow the stripping solution to soak through the floor coating for about 30 minutes.

3. Scrape the coating using a scraper; it will come off easily if you allow ample time for the stripping solution to penetrate through the coating.

4. Wipe off excess stripping solution with a wet rag.

5. Wipe the stripped area dry immediately.

Niv Orlian is an experienced Home Improvement Adviser who writes articles for his Flooring & Carpet Cleaning online guides.

Visit myflooringhelper.com to learn more about Stripping Hardwood Floors

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