Wood flooring is used abundantly in residential and commercial properties, in new purposely build properties and in many types of home refurbishment projects. If you are considering fitting wood flooring you are likely looking for a flooring solution that will last for many years. The durability of wood flooring depends on choosing the right type of board construction and in the manner in which you care for the wood once fitted. Both topics are explained in detail in Pelly Developments guide to wood flooring.
Wood Flooring Types
There are two types of board construction that might suit your property (or not depending how you look at it). The good news is that when fitted, these look precisely the same so you can focus on the practical benefit of each construction type rather than its visual aspect.
Solid Wood Flooring – These are the most common type of wood flooring and not surprisingly also the first type to have mainstream appeal. Each board is made from complete wood such as Pine, Oak and Walnut. The use of complete solid wood means that the board is extremely durable and with the right level of care, can exceed 100 years of use. Solid wood flooring does not suit any room in the property. Natural wood reacts to changes in temperature by contracting in cold temperatures and expanding in hot temperature so if the area has under floor heating fitted, it will damage the wood beyond repair in days. In addition, natural untreated wood does not cope well with humid or wet conditions making solid wood flooring unsuitable in the bathroom, kitchen area and certain extensions and conservatories.
Engineered Wood Flooring – These boards also contain solid wood, however as a top layer only. The top part is made from 3mm to 6mm of solid wood with syntactic layers of MDF, Plywood and Softwood to support it. While durability does not match that of solid wood flooring, these boards can be fitted all around the property including in the bathroom area, kitchen area and over under floor heating. The use of solid wood on the top means that visually an engineered board looks identical to a solid board.
Wood Flooring Care
Care for wood flooring revolves around cleaning the wood in a manner that does not damage the wood and preventing common damage.
Cleaning - The first step is to clear the area that you are about to clean. Move items around to expose as much of the floor as possible. If items are heavy, ask for a helping hand or leave them in their place as opposed to dragging anything on the surface of the wood, which is a sure way to scuff the board.
Now you will need to remove dust and heavy grains of dirt. If the area is not too big, you can use a domestic brush, but do make sure that you clean the brush before it makes contact with the floor. In the case of larger areas, you can use a hoover with a soft hair extension, never a plastic one.
The biggest mistake that inexperienced homeowner make is using too much water when cleaning wood. Wood been a natural product does not react well to water and after many such incorrect soaking incidents of the floor the wood will buckle. The trick is to use ‘as little water as needed’ basically using a damp mop is all that is required. Clean the entire area and place great care not to soak the wood. You may add wood cleaner to the mix of water and mild soap for better results. These are dedicated cleaning formulas for wood that are designed to safe keep the coating, as they do not include bleach and other less friendly wood materials.
Prevention - If you would like to reduce the duration and amount of times the surface is cleaned use doorway mats. These affordable mats should be placed at the entrance of the room and are useful to retain grains of dirt. You may even consider placing two, one before coming into the room one just at the entrance. Results will be immediate. Furthermore, if you are concerned about damage to the wood when objects are moved during cleaning, use furniture pads.
Wood flooring guide written for Pelly Developments with the help of Wood and Beyond. London based wooden flooring seller, online and at their London showroom.