8 WAYS YOU’RE DESTROYING YOUR HARDWOOD FLOORS

Hardwood floors are among the most amazing and valuable features of any dwelling. Highly desired by buyers, rich, gleaming hardwood can endure for years due to its unique ability to be renewed through the process of sanding and refinishing.

Nevertheless, you can keep your hardwood floors looking beautiful for many years, with no requirement for refinishing, should you adhere to some basic dos and performn'ts. First, let's look at eight items you're doing this could be ruining your hardwood flooring:

1. USING THE WRONG CLEANER & SUPPLIES

If you're using abrasives such as scrubbing pads or harsh chemical cleaning options, stop! They are damaging your floors!

Use a gentle detergent (sparingly) and do not pour it straight onto the floor. Apply the product to a microfiber cloth or mop rather.

2. Employing A STEAM MOP

Do not use one of the popular steam mops available on the market in your hardwood floors. Using steam is like pouring hot water in your floor and using water is one of the worst things you can do for your hardwood flooring.

3. HIGH HEELS & THINGS THAT SQUEAL

You always need to avoid walking in your hardwood flooring in high heels. They could scratch and even cause indentations over time (especially when the heel is small in diameter since it puts all the pressure in a small space).

If you have pets, trim their claws or have them wear pet booties. If they are prone to accidents, dry and clean the spots instantly. Attempting to clean up after your peta little while, can lead to a permanent blot and an odor that's next to impossible to completely eliminate.

4. USING A VACUUM WITHOUT A WOOD FLOOR ATTACHMENT

Don't vacuum your hardwood flooring unless the vacuum has an attachment specifically made for wood floor care. The beater bars in your vacuum can and will"beat" your floor and result in damage.

5. AREA RUGS WITH RUBBER BACKING

Area rugs or mats using a plastic or rubber backing shouldn't be used on hardwood floors. Why? Some materials at the financing can respond with certain floor finishing resulting in discoloration or causing the end to dull.

6. TOO MUCH SUNSHINE (YES, IT’S A THING)

Too much sunshine can cause your wood floors to dull significantly quicker than they typically would. Keep sunlight off your floors by shutting blinds or draperies on harsh, sunny times. This way you can still let the light in without doing as much harm over time.

7. APPLYING WAX TO A URETHANE FINISH

Plain and simple, you shouldn't ever apply wax to a floor using a urethane finish.

8. WAITING TOO LONG TO REFINISH

While it might seem to be a big job, don't wait too long to refinish. Surface scratches can become a permanent problem, trapping dirt and dulling the earth's end. Decide on a wood flooring company that will make this process painless and you will do it in no time!

QUICK TIPS ON CARING FOR YOUR HARDWOOD FLOORS

Take good care of your hardwood flooring by dividing any spills immediately, beginning from the edges of the spill and working towards the center. Regularly remove dust and loose dirt using a dry mop or a broom with burst tips. Avoid radical swings in temperature and humidity by using an air conditioner in summer and a humidifier in winter. The target is to maintain a temperature of 70-72 degrees and a relative humidity of 50-55 percent. Care to your floors and they'll supply you with years of beauty and pleasure!

Whether you're searching for damage repair or a totally customized installation, we'll take care of it all! Contact the award-winning professionals at Battersea Floor Sanding today to look after your next wood flooring job.

Glossy Vs Matt Wood Flooring Finish

 If you are in the process of organizing a new wood flooring project, then the chances are you will be trying to determine whether to plump for a glossy finish or a matt finish. When it comes to hardwood flooring you will find a rising number of finishes that it is possible to choose from. Finishes like oil, will create a natural, matt appearance , and lacquer or varnish will create a more hard-wearing, shiny finish.

Which you choose will depend on a host of factors. Here are five ways to help you decide:

Is your area likely to have heavy traffic or wear and tear? If your room is very likely to suffer with a great deal of footfall or rough and tumble of family life, then there is no getting away from the fact that a glistening finish will protect your floor better than an oiled finish. Nevertheless, glossy finishes have a inclination to show scratches more than matt endings, so it really is a case of weighing up the advantages over the downsides for your specific circumstances.

How important is simplicity of regular upkeep? Again, if rapid and simple regular maintenance is high on your agenda, a shiny finish will enable you to simply pass the hoover on the floor when it's needed and then follow up the vacuuming process with a moist mop. This maintenance will be all that's required on a regular basis. On a housekeeping front, another benefit of any shiny finish is that any accidental spills or accidents are more likely to stay on the surface throughout the short time it will take for you get what you need to mop it up. Having a matt finish, the threat is that any spills or accidents can sink in the wood and may ultimately cause a blot.

Can you have pets? If you've got pets, then there are pros and cons of the two glossy and matt options. A glistening finish is more likely to show signs of scratching from small pads and paws, but it's going to be easier to keep clean if there are'little accidents' or if your pets come to your home moist from outside.

How about fixes? The great thing about wood flooring is that it may be re-sanded and re-finished throughout its life, so that it may be brought back to new-looking time after time. With both matt and glossy finish wood flooring, you'll have the ability to remove the end with a light sanding and re-finish the floor several times during the life span of the ground, but matt floors are often more successfully spot-repaired than polished floors.

What sort of appearance are you hoping to achieve? If everything else fails and you don't mind about wear and tear, pets or maintenance, the answer to whether you should choose matt or shiny flooring only comes down to personal taste. In precisely the exact same way as a few people like patent leather and others favor suede, some people like matt floors and a number of folks like glossy!

How To Clean And Maintain Hardwood Floors?

Nothing beats the classic look of gleaming hardwood floors throughout a home. It’s a timeless flooring option that many people love. True hardwood floors can be quite an investment and they need proper care to keep them in good shape. Here are our top tips for cleaning and maintaining hardwood floors in your home.

Cleaning Tools To Have On Hand:

● Broom with soft bristles
● Microfiber Mop For Damp Mopping
● Quick dusting – disposable electrostatic cloths
● Vacuum (use hardwood setting)
● Microfiber cloth for spills
● Wood floor cleaning products
● Water-based floor polish

The best thing you can do for your hardwood floors is to get into a predictable cleaning routine. We constantly track dust and dirt into our homes as we come and go. If you have kids or pets then, as you can imagine, there is even more debris pet hair that can end up on the floor. A daily, weekly, and deep cleaning routine will keep your floors looking nice.

Daily Dusing – Did you know that dust and microscopic debris can cause a lot of damage to hardwood floors over time with tiny scratches? Daily dusting, sweeping or using a dry mop, can cure that problem. You’ll also reduce allergies in the home with daily floor dusting.

Weekly Cleaning – Even with daily dusting the floors will build up some dirt. Use liquid sparingly and only use cleaning products recommended for your wood finish. Cleaning liquid should be ph-neutral, biodegradable, and non-toxic.

Quarterly Polishing – Polishing wood floors helps extend their life by creating a thin protective barrier. It also makes them shine. Remove dust and debris first. Start with clean floors. Use a water-based polish every three months or so.

What Does Refinishing Wood Floors Mean?

If the floors are old or have been neglected you can refinish them to repair damage and get them looking stunning again. People usually refinish their floors every 10 years or when buying a new home where the floors are not in good shape. The top layer is sanded down and a fresh stain and lacquer are used to cover the existing wood.

How To Protect Wood Floors?

• Prevent scratches by keeping floors clean, adding a mat to entryways, and using area rugs. High heel shoes are especially bad for hardwood floors. Also, keep your pet’s nails trimmed.
• Do not allow standing water to sit on the floor. Water, high temperatures, and humidity can cause the floors to buckle. If you will be away in the summer make sure to keep the air conditioning on to protect the floor.
• Renew the finish every few years to brighten dull floors.
• Beware of using cleaners that cause a waxy buildup.
• Shield floors from excessive UV rays by closing the blinds or curtains mid-day.
• In the winter be careful of tracking salt from the roads and sidewalk into the house.

The best way to protect wood floors is to keep them clean and dry. If cared for well they will last a long time.

A Closer Look at Sustainable Wild Black Cherry

Wild Black Cherry is a sustainable timber we rescue from regions being developed and woods which have sustained damage from storms and other acts of nature. Finchley Floor Sanding is breathing fresh life into beautiful wood that otherwise would be destroyed or sold for pennies on the dollar to mills not practicing sustainable.

Our Wild Black Cherry has more mineral and figure streaking than cherry. Some key features of Wild Black Cherry include:

• Deep pink to rich reddish brown tones
• A mix of arching grain designs
• Some vitamin streaking and ample burled or lacy grain.
• 98--100 percent heart confront
• Rare knots of less than 11/2"
• 950 on the Janka hardness scale; comparable to walnut

RESTORING PARQUET FLOORING

Parquet flooring are thought of as beautiful and complex. A lot of which may be seen in assumptions such as churches, schools, churches and other structures that are cultured. This frequently implies that the owners of these buildings are extremely fond of the flooring. This is the area where restoration plays a critical role.

We had been contacted about reviving this parquet floors. Our customers were unsure of exactly what the flooring would look like after it was sanded. This was a result of how the dirt build-up had happened over several decades.

We ordered to finish a questionnaire of the ground and as part of the we discussed finishing a sample place. This will allow us the chance to demonstrate our customers the transformation which could be gained.

All old coatings and the surface layer of the wood was removed with all our sanding machinery. The procedure to complete the timber sanding sample was relatively quick. On the other hand, the results were extreme.

At this point our client commented that they did not even realise that their flooring was naturally that color.

From this point we were able to discuss wood finishes which would best compliment their personal use. Any flooring in a industrial setting needs to be finished with a hard-wearing and durable wood finish.

It follows that our customers receive true value for money. We are professional commercial flooring sanders and we can offer comprehensive services for both large and small wood floor restoration jobs.

No matter the size of this job we'll always go the extra mile to ensure that end is second-to-none. You, our customer, will likely be treated with respect and we will endeavour to ensure the procedure runs smoothly from begin to finish.

If you have a floor finishing job that you would like us to quote we invite you to call today on 020 3369 0720 .

How To Make Decking Safer When It Rains

Worries about the safety of wet decking are trivial with both deck owners and people contemplating installing decking for your first time. A problem in the summer and winter, the reason behind decking getting slippery from the rain, astonishingly is not in fact the fact that the timber is wet per se, it is due to the fungus that develops on the wood when the surface has been soaked from the rain. Thus, it is the fungus caused by the rain, rather than the rain itself that makes the surface of the decking slippery, no matter the season.

So how can you create your decking safer as it rains? Primarily it's important to keep your decking as tidy as possible to help stop fungus and mould from forming. This will help reduce the risk of slipping when it rains. In order to deep clean your decking, you should ideally eliminate all the furnishings and plant pots so that you can brush the whole surface using a stiff broom to eliminate surface grime. Thereafter it is a fantastic idea, in case you've got one, to clean the surface using a jet washer, then place on a comparatively mild wash choice. This will clear away pretty much all of the dirt which has stayed after brushing. As soon as you've done this, you should spray your deck with a committed deck cleaning product or a solution of warm water and soda crystals to get it very clean. By doing this thorough cleaning procedure, ideally at the start or end of each season, you'll be helping to keep your deck safer as it rains.

If you currently have a deck set up and you wish to make it simpler when it rains, there are a couple of options you may choose from. The first would be to adhere, or screw abrasive strips across your deck. Self-adhesive abrasive strips are cheap and simple to apply, but depending on the traffic on your deck, may not have to be especially long-lasting. Abrasive strips that are screwed to your deck, will not just provide a very effective non-slip solution, but they are long lasting too. Nevertheless, the drawback is that they do change the general look of your deck, and whether this is too high of a cost to pay, only you can choose. If you don't like the concept of strips all over your deck, then a possible solution is to introduce non stick strips to your deck in key areas, but not during. With a bit of planning, this option will enhance safety and add a design element that can be quite attractive.

The second choice, which will not dramatically alter the look of your decking, is to employ a non-slip coating. Effectively, non-slip deck coating includes an abrasive component which makes the surface less slippery from the rain. Like any blot or protection product, it's essential, before applying non-slip coating to be certain your deck is totally wash , dry and free of surface dust. Finally, as with any chemical solution, be very careful, if you're doing this job on a DIY basis, to respect the health and safety precautions and to allow the coating to dry completely before walking on it or replacing your strands and furnishings.

Mix White, Grey And Lime Wood Flooring For A Great Effect

If you're among many individuals seeking out a modern look in your house, hardwood flooring are hard to beat. Although wood flooring can be utilised to great effect in a home that is filled with antiques, has a shabby elegant feel or vintage look, modern, cutting edge designer is easily attained too in the event that you make the proper choices.

Lime hardwood floors , white wood flooring and grey hardwood floors are all great ways to make sure your property is bang on trend at this time. But what if you're somewhat wary of going the entire hog and decking out your whole home with lime, white or grey hardwood flooring to the fear that you will tire of it?

In this example, one great choice is to produce a smart and intriguing mixture of white, gray and lime hardwood floors throughout your house. By deciding on a well-planned palette of every one of those modern hardwood flooring options, you can make certain you'll never get fed up with any of these and you will even have the contrast and attention you need on your inside.

Let us look at just two examples. From the first instance, we will assume that you own a household with 3 bedrooms which plays host to 2 adults and 2 children. In the next case, let us say that you're the proud owner of a two-bed flat in which you live as a couple and have flipped into the spare bedroom into a house office (with the capability to maneuver guests when desired ).

3-bed family house

For the point of this case, we are going to assume that your priorities would be to create an illusion of space and also to get an easy to maintain dwelling.


The first portion of your house that you or any visitor will see is your own hallway. Additionally, this is the space that'll get traffic. Purchasing great doormats and asking individuals to take off their shoes will ease the strain on your hallway flooring, but in order for it to stand up to actual life, you need to pick carefully.

What we'd advocate in this area is a grey coloured, lacquered or hardwax oiled wood floor. The grey colour will hide any unruly footprints and the lacquer or hardwax oil will help keep your flooring looking great for longer. If you choose an engineered wood flooring alternative, you might also consider extending the same flooring in your kitchen in addition to your downstairs loo. Going this route will give an impression of space as well as providing you a highly practical solution from the busiest rooms in the house.

On your sitting area, you could plump for a nice white hardwood flooring such as this one. Not only will this hardwood flooring solution give your space an immediate increase in terms of light and space, it'll also make it feel very special.

When it comes to the bedrooms, choosing a mixture of white, lime and gray will cleverly lend each room a completely different feel. Going this route ensures that each individual in the household feels as though they have their signature on their sleeping quarters.

When it comes to your own ensuite and your own family bathroom, it is a tough call to beat a limed flooring in both of these configurations, but if your bedroom is small, you might want to maintain your ensuite at precisely the same wood floor as you have selected for the master bedroom to provide an impression of continuity? This one's up for you!

2-bed love nest

Because there's just two of you living in your flat, you may be as daring as you wish along with your

choices of hardwood flooring. All that said, such as the three bed house example we have summarized above, a grey wood floor such as this one, in your hallway will create a stunning entrance piece to your house.


When you've the hallway sorted, then you're probably going to be considering the couch. In the event of a flat, we'd be tempted to run the same flooring from the hallway into the lounge and kitchen area to create a real illusion of distance. Therefore, if you do plump for this choice, it's important to be certain that this choice will work nicely in the two different public rooms in your apartment.

If it comes to bedrooms and baths, because traffic is likely to be light (if you don't work at home and also have a great deal of visitors), again you can have absolute freedom to choose. In our opinion, it is a fantastic idea to choose a different option for each bedroom with an master bedroom option extending into the ensuite bath or toilet. Once again, we find a limed wood floor tough to beat for the main bathroom.

All of that said, when you're mixing and matching from this palette, you truly can go as crazy as you like. In reality if you've got a loft apartment, you could even be so bold as to combine colours in each area, possibly, for instance, by creating a boundary around the room to create a stunning impact.

If you're swithering on your timber flooring, why don't you get in touch? At Finchley Floor Sanding We are brimming with original and new ideas which we can talk with you.