Water Damage to Your Wood Floors: Repair or Replace?

Water is the natural enemy of every hardwood flooring. You do everything you can to stay at the top of spills, but you can’t control everything, and now the worst has happened! Your once gleaming hardwood floor was ruined by water!

What Can Water Do to a Wooden Floor?

Wood is an organic material that can only withstand the consequences of water for a brief moment. That is why expediency is essential to preventing damage from occurring. By way of example, you’re off on vacation and while you’re lying on a beach soaking up the sun, a pipe breaks and flooding your kitchen that then stays that way for several days. Now what?

Signs of Water Damage to Wood Floors
Here are some signs of harm to look for:

1. Staining and/or discoloration

2. Cupping and buckling from consumed moisture

3. Popping nails

4. Lifting of floorboards (especially at the ends)

5. Mold expansion (can occur within 48 hours of flood )

Considering that the normal moisture content in a normal hardwood floor is somewhere between 6 and 12 per cent and a flooded hardwood floor may have a moisture content of up to 40%, damage can be severe. Much of it has to do with the total amount of time which the floor is subjected to this water. More moisture will be kept if the floor is made to dry by itself.

Selecting Factors for Repair or Replacement
Determining If a water-damaged hardwood flooring can be repaired or should be torn up and replaced will depend on a number of factors such as:

1. The length of time the floor was exposed to water

2. Whether your floor is solid hardwood or engineered hardwood

3. The severity of the damage (Has the water penetrated into to the subfloor?)

4. The floor’s end (It can be hard to match specific stain colors when substituting isolated floorboards, particularly if the stain has”mellowed” punctually )

If the damage is severe or extensive causing significant growth, the entire floor may need replacing — and occasionally even the subfloor is going to have to be substituted.

HOW TO IMPROVE TRACTION ON WOODEN FLOORS

There’s no denying that solid wood surfaces are timelessly attractive, durable and easy-to-clean. But some individuals are put off by the possible absence of traction and grip particularly on stairs and uncarpeted surfaces. The sheer odds of slipping and skidding accidentally when moving up and down solid wood surfaces are twice as high in comparison to other’traditional’ floors like carpet, however there are things you can do to make certain you have greater tractions and an attractive wooden floor, and we have listed a few options below.

1. MAKE USE OF NON-SKID CLEAR TAPE

This works great for stairs, steps and other often used corridors. Not only does a coating of correctly installed non-skid clear tape enhance the design of your flooring, but in addition, it gives excellent grip without sacrificing the signature elegance of a wooden floor. The only downside of using such a way of improving your flooring’s grip is that the adhesive from the transparent tape will take out the wood vanish during replacement.

2. EMPLOY CARPET STAIR TREADS

Carpet Stair Treads are a recommended method of enhancing the foot traction of your staircase but while showing up the charm which strong wood stairs give off. If choosing this option, you will still have to secure the treads with double-sided carpet tape to keep the treads set up. Talking of which, if you do decide to cover the whole stairs with treads, then you might want to put a rug in the bottom to improve the traction at the base of the stairs. Some people today love this look in their house, but in addition, there’s a third choice.

3 USE NON-SKID FLOOR COATING

Unlike Non-skid floor tape, a non-skid flooring coating does not unnecessarily damage your wooden floor, and nor does it remove the elegance a hardwood floor adds to your living space. If you’re worried about these coatings dulling the shine of the timber, there are some brands that still allow the glow that is typically associated with a well-polished hardwood flooring. It is worth noting that nearly all flooring professionals prefer a non-skid coating to regular floor tapes since there’s no adhesive to get rid of if you want to replace the worn out tape.

Overall, there is a whole range of options that you can apply in your flooring to improve the grip and maintain casual skidding and slipping . It all depends on an array of variables; out of your financial plan, to how much of your floor you’re prepared to sacrifice at the altar of traction and sure grip. Visit us here for more tips and some fantastic hardwood floors options.

 

5 WARNING SIGNS OF A BAD CONTRACTOR

On the other hand, the right contractor should act as a guiding hand and sooth you through the procedure. Employing the wrong one could mean plenty of headaches and also a waste of your hard earned cash.

1. Shows really late or no show without a phone call

Fashionably late is best reserved for home parties and is the very first strike when meeting a possible customer. Nearly all home improvement contractors begin by coming to your home for a quote to observe the work site. Most builders have busy schedules and some might be trying to juggle multiple jobs while taking on new clients. It’s clear to be held up by traffic or finishing up at another job website. The least they could do is reschedule using a telephone call. This might seem like something minor but it should make you wonder whether your house will be a priority after you employ them.

2.Unable to answer technical questions

This part requires you to do some homework before the first consultation. When talking with the builder, inquire some technical questions concerning the system of installation or inquire about potential unforeseen expenses. Should they stumble and fumble with the most basic questions, you might not want them learning on the job? Naturally there’ll be questions that even the most experienced contractors will fight with.

3. Sends the Whole quote with just one number, without breaking individual parts

An estimate is an intricate part of each undertaking. This breaks down the price of individual line items and should include a thorough list of everything you could anticipate. Without a professional estimate a dishonest installer could come back to you for more money half way through task. This also functions as a way to protect the installer from unforeseen conditions that could amount to further labor or material prices.

4. Just willing to accept money and wants to get a commitment right away

Remember it’s extremely tricky to demonstrate cash exchanges and provides you the least protection against the contractor running away with your money. Credit card businesses access a percent fee so it’s typical for many contractors to be unwilling to take plastic. In this case, offer to write a check to keep record of payment. Obviously, if the contractor is the friend from high school you may be able to pay him cash but make sure to know them personally or .

5. Contractor does not have insurance or license

Different states and distinct transactions have their own licensing legislation. Certain trades may not require a license, but if your job does it could get you in trouble for working with an unlicensed contractor. Licensing functions as a kind of law standard and continuing education. Another subject you need to require is for the contractor to be insured. Home improvement projects carry many unforeseeable dangers. As an example the house owner could be liable for deaths or accidents occurred at their home. Mishaps such as accidentally causing a pipe to burst or starting an electric fire are extremely real issues which might occur on the job.

South London Floor Sanding

Home sweet home

Priority for us is to provide quality floor stripping services.If you have a renovation ideas for your home is good to start floor sanding procedure, this can change the complete vision of your home or office !Company rule with us is to provide a quality sanding services.When your house floors are well treated they are able to change the complete view of the area!
Sanding will transform every interior and do not forget that things look better when they are sitting on sparkling floor. Every place we go does not matter , to feel good and relaxed at your own is the important.! We have learned by the years is that flooring is very important for your home’s design improving. Our experts are the best in wooden floors business, and they will be working for your home’s modeling and most of all for you to feel fresh and happy looking how your house or apartment rooms shine again!

Test your floors

Test your floors
Wooden floors are the most solid and classic material in each home this days. The elegance that wooden floors are showing us and keeping the fact that it last for many decades is making wood flooring an attractive for informed house owners!
If you have a hardwood flooring, you can refinish it and bring back the in it sparkle again!
Wood as a material base is a porous and vulnerable. Many people today usually choose to help their floors last longer as protecting them against moisture with sanding. A simple test to find out your floor condition is to place a drop of water on it- if the drop isn’t absorbed, or takes a few minutes to soak in,this mean that your wooden floor may be in good shape, but in case the drop soaks in immediately- this mean that it is time for renovation !

MAHOGANY

Mahogany, also known as Honduras mahogany is a tropical hardwood indigenous to South America, Central America and Africa. There are many different grades and species sold under this name, which vary  widely in quality and price. Mahogany which comes from the Caribbean is thought to be the hardest, strongest and best quality. Logs from Africa, though highly figured, are of slightly lesser quality. Philippine mahogany has a similar colour, but is not really mahogany at all. It is a much less valuable wood, being less strong,
not as durable or as beautiful when finished. Mahogany is strong, with a uniform pore structure and poorly defined annual rings. It has a reddish – brown color and may display stripe, ribbon, broken stripe, rope, ripple, mottle, fiddleback or blister figures.
Crotch mahogany figures are widely used and greatly valued. Mahogany is an excellent carving wood and finishes well.Mahogany is used extensively in the crafting of Georgian, Empire and Federal reproduction furniture. Mahogany is also used in styles ranging from Victorian furniture reproductions to Contemporary.