Call nowBook now

Author Archives: PFadmin

I'm Ready for MY Free Estimate!

    or call (412) 480-8555

    Categories Hardwood

    Some Unconventional Places to Find Hardwood Flooring

    Finding a hardwood floor at a great price is not always easy. Sometimes, the wood that you find is out of your price range. If you find wood in your price range, it might not be the right color, wood species, or in the right amount. That’s why many people are turning to less conventional hardwood sources for their flooring. A few examples are basketball courts, bowling alleys, and racquetball courts. Many of the older varieties of these surfaces, and some of the current ones, are made from quality hardwoods.

    Basketball Courts

    Basketball was invented in the early 1920s as an indoor sport that kids could play when it was too cold to play outside. The floor at that original YMCA was a maple floor. That wood was treated as standard and is still used to this day. Most hardwood basketball courts are made of planks of maple.

    If you see a school, church, or a YMCA remodeling, you should ask if they’re remodeling their basketball court. If so, you should ask what they are doing with the wood from the court. Oftentimes, they’ll just be throwing it away. You should ask for it. Even if you pay for it, you’ll likely pay less than you would for an equivalent amount of new maple. There are over 4,000 square feet in a basketball court; so, that is a lot of wood.

    There are also other woods used in hardwood court construction. Rubberwood from rubber trees that no longer produce sap is a common source of ecologically friendly courts. Also, less expensive hardwoods are often used.

    Bowling Lanes

    A bowling lane is typically 63 feet long. It is made of 41 feet of pine and 22 feet of maple. If you’re repurposing the wood for your own flooring, you should focus on the maple. Maple is a solid hardwood that makes a great floor. Each bowling lane will yield you about 60 square feet of quality maple.

    Racquetball Courts

    A racquetball court often has a maple floor much like a basketball court. In fact, they’re often build beside basketball courts and feature just an extension of the same floor. A racquetball court is 40 feet by 20 feet. Therefore, every racquetball court yields 800 square feet of finished maple.

    Maple is the most popular hardwood used for sports largely because it was the wood used in YMCA gyms of the past. Some gyms, especially those in churches and schools, use different hardwoods. Whatever the case may be, they’re great sources for large amounts of hardwood.

    Categories Hardwood

    Unnatural Wood Colors That Are Popular Right Now

    The most popular hardwood flooring colors are still the natural tones of the wood. Even domestic hardwoods such as oak come in a wide range of colors. Some experts list oak as available in 12 different distinct colors; that doesn’t even include common staining colors. However, there is a trend towards more unnatural colors that is growing. The trend towards unnatural colors comes in two basic varieties; there are those who choose vibrant versions of natural colors. For example, bright red is growing in popularity. Certain woods come in red but a bright red is obviously not natural. The other choice that some are making is completely unnatural colors such as royal blue or teal.

    Oranges and Reds

    Oranges and reds can run the gamut from colors that are subtle and understated to incredibly bold, bright colors. The choice is yours. Oranges and reds are warm colors that often occur in nature. That means they work really well with traditional and classic home decor schemes. They’re not going to be the colors you might choose for a contemporary, modern home, though. The warm colors are very inviting and pair well with walls in cooler colors. For example, a pale blue hallway might look nice with a deep amber or copper tone for the floor. A deeper orange or red also gives you many options for how you would like to decorate the space because the floor will not draw much attention.

    Blues

    Oranges and reds might be understated and subtle; blues are definitely not. Blue is already a very rare color in nature. Therefore, it will always draw the eye. Furthermore, it is a very rare wood that comes in any shades of blue. That means that a blue hardwood floor will stand out as bold and striking even if it’s only a lightly colored floor. Many are choosing a deep blue for their flooring. The blue will look very unnatural and unique. It also lends itself very well to a contemporary and modern look.

    Much of the contemporary and modern style involves stainless steel, glass, and other metals. Those are all cold materials. They pair very well with cool colors such as blue.

    Greens

    Greens are popular because green is a common color for wood that has been weathered. Pale greens or dark shades of green can lend a weathered look to a hardwood floor and pair very well with a distressed look.

    Categories Hardwood

    The 5 Most Commonly Imported Hardwoods for Flooring

    Wood used in the United States that is from trees in the United States is known as domestic wood. Wood that is imported from other countries is known as exotic wood. Domestic wood is by far the most popular choice for hardwood flooring. It is less expensive than exotic wood and oftentimes has a wider range of options. However, exotic woods offer many advantages over domestic woods. That’s why some of them are very popular. Woods from Africa and Brazil are very popular for flooring.

    1 – Brazilian Walnut

    Brazilian walnut is one of the most popular imported woods. The species of tree is from Brazil originally and that is where much of the wood is found, but it can also be imported from other tropical countries. Brazilian walnut is very popular because it has a deep, rich color with a very unique grain. It’s also popular because it’s one of the hardest woods widely available. A very hard wood is popular for people who have dogs or who want their wood to last a very long time. A hard wood is less likely to get scratched up by pet claws or by moving furniture.

    2 – Thai/Burmese Teak

    Sourced from southeast Asia, this teak is one of the most durable woods you can find. It is a very dense wood with small pores and a natural oil that makes it resistant to moisture. Teak is not likely to rot in wet conditions. It’s also unlikely to mold or mildew. That’s why it is used widely in the manufacture of boats and ship docks. It’s also great for hardwood floors, especially ones that are installed in basements, ground floors, or porches.

    3 – Bubinga

    Bubinga is a wood imported from Africa. It ranges in color from a light straw color to a deep reddish-brown that is almost purple or black. It’s slightly harder than domestic white oak. Also, it is resistant to most types of decay and pests. Some reports indicate that bubinga is moderately resistant to boring pests and termites.

    4 – Brazilian Cherry

    Sourced from Brazil and other tropical climates, this species of cherry is a very unique wood. It has a very uniform and prominent grain. Also, the color ranges from a very pale tan to a deep cherry red.

    5 – Mahogany

    Mahogany is actually indigenous to the Americas, but is more commonly found south of the United States. It is known for being a very dark color and having a very straight grain. If you are looking for a floor that is dark and dramatic, mahogany is a good choice.

    Categories Hardwood

    Should You Scrape Your Wood Floors?

    These days, refinishing a floor almost always means walking behind a large orbital sander until you’ve buffed your floor down to the bare wood. Then, you will mop on polyurethane and wait days for it to finish curing. This is a very efficient process that works for many newer floors. However, if you have nold floor, that might not be the best process. Older hardwood floors are not finished with polyurethane but are, instead, waxed or oiled. If that’s the case, and if you want to preserve the aged patina of the wood, you should consider scraping it.

    Scraping The Finish

    Scraping the hardwood floor is perfect for old floors for a number of reasons. For one, it will actually enhance the look of your hardwood because the scraping will not be completely uniform. Since it won’t be completely uniform, the light will hit the different places on your floor differently. That will enhance the patina of age and antiquity. Secondly, scraping will not take very much wood off the surface of your floor. Therefore, the patina will be preserved. That’s in contrast to a big orbital sander that will take off all of the imperfections as well as the stain.

    How to Scrape

    To scrape an old finish, you’ll need a few tools. You need mineral spirits, clean cloths, and a scraper. You can use a draw knife, a cabinet scraper, or even a putty knife. Either one will give you the control you need. The goal is to scrape up the old varnish or wax without actually scraping the wood. You’ll inevitably get some wood as you’re scraping, but try to avoid that. Work by pushing the scraper away from you so that you don’t slip and hurt yourself. Always scrape with the grain of the wood, never against it. Work in sections, methodically moving across the floor.

    After a while, you will notice that the scraper is doing more sliding than scraping. That means that it’s time to get a new scraper blade. You might feel it starting to dig in instead of scraping; that’s also an indication you need a new blade.

    If you’re having serious trouble getting the finish up, you can soften it with a chemical like paint thinner or mineral spirits. That should make it easier to pry up the old finish. Once you’ve done that, it’s time to vacuum or sweep away any scraps of old varnish and wood. Clean the floor, and you’re ready to refinish it.

    Categories Hardwood

    Ways to Heat Your Hardwood Floor

    Hardwood floors are exceptional in a great many ways. They look great, they provide warmth and comfort, and they’re timeless. They’re easy to clean as well. There are so many things that hardwood floors do well. One thing that they do not do well is insulate. Hardwood floors are made from thin planks of wood that do not trap much heat. If you’ve stepped onto an uninsulated hardwood floor in the middle of the night, you know how cold they can get. Heat transfer can be expensive as well as uncomfortable. That’s why many hardwood floors have insulated subfloors underneath them. However, that amount of heat transfer can be used to your advantage.

    Radiant Heating

    Lately, the trend in home heating has been radiant heating. The traditional way to heat a home is by heating up the air with more warm air. That’s not terribly efficient because air is not a good conductor of heat, nor is it a good insulator. That’s why you have to constantly reheat your home to keep it warm. Conversely, a radiant heating system is installed under your floor. That system heats up the floor. The warm floor travels through carpets, tiles, and furniture. Wood flooring, carpets, bookcases, and such are much better at holding onto heat than the air is. That means they’ll stay warm for longer and help to warm your home.

    There are a few concerns with installing radiant heating underneath your hardwood floor though.

    Hardwood Floor Concerns

    The chief concern about installing radiant heating under your floor is the warping of the hardwood. Since hardwoods are still porous, they tend to absorb heat and moisture. When it is warm and moist, the hardwood expands. When it’s cold and dry, the hardwood contracts. Therefore, it’s a little bit of a concern to heat the wood directly. Negative effects are addressed in two different manners.

    First, a non-insulated layer is often installed between the heating elements and the floor. That keeps the wood from being heated directly. Secondly, the floor is typically not heated beyond 80 degrees Fahrenheit. At those temperatures, you’re pretty much free from warping concerns. Unless it’s a very high heat, heat alone will not warp your hardwood floors. You would also need to have moisture. Keep your floor dry and the humidity level at a reasonable level, and you have nothing to worry about.

    Radiant heating has been proven to be an effective and affordable way to heat your home.

    Categories Hardwood

    The Trend Towards Textured Hardwood Floors

    Hardwood flooring has been trending towards several different types of stains recently; most specifically, dark and cool stains are growing popular. There are also trends in the texture of the flooring itself. The most common hardwood flooring is simply a sanded and polished hardwood floor. These are smooth floors without blemishes. However, other textures have grown more common. The most common types of textures are two kinds that are reminiscent of older hardwood floors.

    Hand-Scraped Floors

    Before sandpaper and many mechanical processes, wooden floors were smoothed by hand. To smooth a floor by hand, a crafter would use a draw knife. A draw knife has a handle on both ends. The crafter would drag the knife across the surface of the wood. The sharp knife would scraped the wood smooth. However, the crafter could not create each draw with the exact same depth, length, and direction. That means that hand-scraped wooden floors have inconsistent patterns of smoothing. Many people find those patterns very attractive because they make your floor look like a classic floor built before mechanized production.

    There are also two kinds of hand-scraped wooden floors. An authentic hand-scraped wooden floor is scraped by a professional who does it by hand. The alternative is one that is scraped by a machine that is designed to mimic authentic hand scraping. The machine scraping will be more uniform and regular than authentic hand scraping but it can effectively mimic the style.

    Wire Brushed Floors

    A wire-brushed floor is one that is scraped with a stiff-bristled wire brush. The brush scrapes away the surface wood and exposes the growth wood underneath. That means that the wood will take on more texture than a typical glossy finish. Furthermore, a brushed wooden floor will look more like reclaimed wood. Reclaimed wood is wood that has been used for a different purpose and has weathered over time. Then, the wood is used as flooring. To mimic that weathered, antique look, you could turn to a brushed floor.

    As with scraped flooring, brushed flooring can be made by hand or by a machine. A hand-brushed floor will be more authentic and less uniform. A machined floor will be more uniform and look more like a weathered floor.

    Both of these types of floor are very on-trend at the moment. They help create a classic and timeless look for your floor. They also pair very well with wide planks or varied-width floors.

    The post The Trend Towards Textured Hardwood Floors appeared first on hardwood marketing.

    Categories Hardwood

    Explaining the Natural Grade Hardwood Flooring Trend

    Natural grade flooring is a prominent trend that has been growing in the previous few months. The move towards natural grade flooring is consistent with other trends towards more natural and rustic looking flooring. Other similar trends are moves towards wide planks, reclaimed wood, and hand-scraped wood. A natural grade floor is one that is made from many different grades of wood, which means that it will more closely mimic the natural state of the wood.

    Explaining the Wood Grades

    Wood flooring tends to come in four different grades. Clear grade is the finest and most uniform grade of wood. In this grade, the wood grain is tight and understated. There are no imperfections, knots, mineral streaks, or worm holes in the wood. These planks are basically flawless. The next grade is select grade. A select grade wood plank is close to a clear grade but it will have some differences in wood tone and coloring. The grain might be more pronounced and little more irregular.

    The next two grades are common grades one and two. Common grade two has the most imperfections, color variations, inconsistencies, mineral marks, and wormholes. It is a very irregular wood that lacks almost any consistency. To create a natural grade hardwood floor, all four of these grades are mixed together.

    Natural Grade Flooring

    When manufacturers mix together all four of these grades of wood, they create something that more closely resembles an entire tree. A tree is made up of many different kinds of wood, affected by all kinds of outside influences, and greatly altered by the way it grew. That means that the hardwood flooring of the past was very inconsistent; it was what would now be called natural grade.

    Manufacturers in the past used every part of a tree, which means that they would use multiple grades. If you want your flooring to look more classic and timeless, you should consider natural grade flooring.

    Versatility

    Natural grade flooring is also more diverse than higher grades. They are easier to repair because there is already a significant amount of inconsistency in the wood. That means that replacing a damaged plank with a mismatched plank won’t stand out too terribly. Furthermore, you’ll be able to mix and match widths and lengths to give it an even more authentic look.

    The natural grade flooring trend has also led to some less expensive floors because more of a tree can be used. Also, some parts of the tree that were previously thought undesirable are being used in great-looking floors.

    The post Explaining the Natural Grade Hardwood Flooring Trend appeared first on hardwood marketing.

    Categories Hardwood

    Should You Buy Cabin Grade Hardwood Flooring or Factory Seconds?

    Hardwood flooring is separated into several different categories that will tell you a lot about the quality and the appearance of the wood. The highest grade of hardwood flooring is typically called select grade. Select grade hardwood flooring has a fairly uniform grain pattern, consistent coloring, very few blemishes, and no knots. That makes it the highest grade for flooring and used in some of the nicest floors. However, that uniformity also lacks some character. Furthermore, it will be the most expensive flooring option you can find. However, if you want to save money, you have options. There are several other grades of hardwood flooring. The lowest grade is typically “factory seconds.” There is no standardization to the grades of hardwood flooring, so many producers will conflate “factory seconds” and “cabin grade.”

    What is Cabin Grade?

    Cabin grade is named thus because it was deemed only appropriate for creating the floors of sheds, cabins, and other utilitarian purposes. Therefore, it’s also called utility grade. Utility or cabin grade wood will have several different blemishes, marks, burns, splits, and more. Cabin grade planks are typically much shorter than select grade or higher grades of wood. They’re also going to be in many irregular lengths and widths. You’ll have a hard time finding two boards that look the saem or are the same size. Cabin grade wood will have serious inconsistencies in color as well, even if the wood is all from the same species.

    Trees have several different types of wood that have many different colors. Wood can also become discolored due to factory processes that accidentally burn the wood, applying the wrong stain, or an improperly mixed stain. Furthermore, the wood can become discolored due to mold, mildew, or just moisture; this wood often turns grayish and is called swamp wood.

    What About Factory Seconds?

    Factory seconds are sometimes the same thing as cabin or utility grade. In other cases, factory seconds are even lower grade than cabin grade. Factory seconds will have mismatched colors, swamp wood, factory defects, sander burns, cracks, chips, and severely mis-milled boards. When the two grades are differentiated, the difference is usually that cabin grade wood might be cosmetically inconsistent but it will produce a solid floor. Factory seconds, on the other hand, might not produce a stable floor.

    If you’re choosing factory seconds, you should make sure you order much more than you need. You will likely end up with about 20% waste with cabin grade and even higher waste with factory seconds.

    The post Should You Buy Cabin Grade Hardwood Flooring or Factory Seconds? appeared first on hardwood marketing.

    Categories Hardwood

    What You Need to Know About Bamboo

    When you are searching for different types of hardwood flooring, you’ll likely see something popping up that’s not actually hardwood floor. That would be bamboo. Bamboo is not even a wood. It is a grass that grows very quickly. It can be used to create flooring that looks and feels like hardwood flooring; that’s why it is often included in the ranks of hardwood floors. So, if you’re looking for a hardwood floor, should you consider bamboo floor?

    The Hardness

    Wood tends to be ranked on the janka hardness scale. The janka hardness scale is useful in terms of flooring because it helps you determine how resilient it will be. For example, a soft wood like pine can be scratched with a fingernail. That means that chairs sliding around, pet claws, and high heels can scratch the flooring. Therefore, the floor will not last very longer in pristine condition before you need to have it repaired or replaced. Alternately, an incredibly hard wood will last for a very long time. So, where does bamboo rank against hardwoods?

    For context, a white oak hardwood floor has a hardness rating of 1360 on the janka hardness scale. That puts it near the middle of hardnesses for flooring woods. The way the bamboo is processed and how it is woven will affect the hardness but it begins around 1650 on the hardness scale. It can get as hard as 5150 on the hardness scale. That means that most bamboo is harder than an oak floor.

    How it is Processed

    How the bamboo is processed will determine how hard it is. Since bamboo is a grass, it is processed differently than wood. Typically, a wooden plank is simply cut from a large tree trunk. That is the method for a solid plank hardwood. For bamboo, the different strains of grass are flattened and then woven together like wicker. They’re then pressed into a single board. If they’re woven and pressed horizontally, they won’t be as hard as bamboo woven and pressed vertically. Alternately, the strands can be actually woven in criss-crossing sections. That will create the hardest possible planks.

    The woven bamboo flooring planks are the ones that can be as hard as 5150 on the janka hardness scale.

    The major drawback of bamboo is that it has fairly uniform grain that looks something like tiger stripes and not like wood grain. That’s why many people still choose hardwood instead of bamboo.

    Categories Hardwood

    What is Live Edge Flooring?

    There are various trends that ebb and flow in interior design and construction circles. For a long time, wood was the main building material in just about every culture in the world. Over time, newer materials replaced wood in many applications. However, people have begun moving back towards the timeless and classic style of wood. Wood evokes warmth and home when you see it used for flooring, countertops, tables, and much more. There has been another trend that has emerged as well; that is the trend towards live edge wood.

    What is Live Edge?

    The processing of a tree is fairly simple. The tree is cut down and transported to a mill. It might be allowed to dry as a whole tree or it might be cut first. Either way, it is then cut into boards. It can be cut in many different ways, but it is cut into planks. The planks are cut into perfect rectangles with square edges. They’re packaged, shipped, and sold. Live edge wood is wood that skips one of those steps.

    Instead of cutting the boards into perfect rectangles with square edges, live edge planks have edges that are not actually altered. They’re kept in the same state as they were when the tree was cut down. It’s called live edge because it is the same edge the wood had when it was alive. Many people have chosen to use live edge for flooring.

    Live Edge Flooring

    Live edge flooring is the use of thin planks of wood for hardwood flooring but using live edge wood planks. The planks do not have regular square edges that fit together nicely. Instead, they’re uneven and unpredictable. That’s why they’re so popular. They look rustic, classic, and dynamic. They look like the flooring that was used in antique log cabins, plantation homes, and homes from older eras. There are some concerns about live edge flooring.

    Since live edge flooring does not fit together like puzzle pieces, there are gaps between the different planks of wood. If you’re thinking of installing live edge flooring, you’ll have to consider some kind of subfloor that you can use. The subfloor could be a different type of wood.

    Live edge flooring is one of the most reliable ways to create a unique and dynamic floor. It is timeless, rustic, and classic. You should seriously consider a live edge floor if you are replacing your floor.

    Hi, How Can We Help You?