Posts Tagged ‘wood floors’

The wonderful world of Wood and Floors

Posted on: February 15th, 2021 by Carliuska Gonzalez No Comments

World of Wood and Floors: Versatile Material

World of Wood and Floors: Wood it is used to produce beautiful furniture and works of art.

The wonderful world of Wood and Floors

Wood is a very versatile material. They are to produce beautiful furniture and works of art. Mahogany furniture has artwork made from wood with a higher price.

The interiors of the luxury liners of the Cunard line such as the Queen Mary and the QE2, which have been converted into hotel ships (the former moored in Long Beach in southern California and the latter in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates); are paneled with stately wood from the countries of the British Commonwealth.

The tradition continues on the new Cunard cruise ships, the Queen Mary 2, the Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Victoria. Wood is very much in demand by the general public. If asked what kind of furniture they would prefer in their home or office, most people would answer, “Wood.”

Save the trees

However, this creates problems. With a global population of 7.6 billion and growing, the forests of the world cannot supply the increasing demand for timber.

The demand poses an ecological problem. There are more trees felled than replanted. And it must be taken into account that softwood trees such as cedar; cypress, and yew take some 80 years to mature; while hardwood trees such as teak, elm, and birch can take more than 300 years to grow to maturity.

Engineered wood to the rescue

That is where modern technology comes into play. It can fulfill the demand for wooden furniture, paneling, and works of art, as well as conserve the environment and stem the decimation of the world’s forests. The solution is the development of products that look like wood; feel like wood, and in many cases are even stronger and more durable than wood.

The demand for wood is strong. It is more oriented toward wood for practical purposes such as furniture parquet floors and internal staircases, as well as outdoor uses such as decks, rustic style roofing, and fences. With a climate like ours, the use of artificial wood is more practical.

So while having rich mahogany furniture or an attractive teak deck is enviable, one must consider preserving our forests and keeping our planet healthy and green.

Viable solutions

The wonderful world of Wood and Floors

The scientific world has risen to the challenge. Today, there are a large number of products such as parquet floors and decking for homes and marine vessels that are made from synthetic or engineered wood. These products look like the real thing and are much more practical. Synthetic parquet and teak floors are easy to maintain and clean, as they do not stain easily. And synthetic parquet floors are more adaptable to underfloor heating.

The wonders of synthetic wood

Wood is one of the most common natural materials. It is widely used because it is strong; relatively lightweight, and very easy to work with. Its strength and light weight are due to its unique hierarchical cellular structure and matrix (made from lignin and hemicellulose) embedded with well oriented cellulose fibrils. Wood grows very slowly from the bottom up, and each structural level contributes to its remarkable properties.

In recent years, genetic science has had a hand in improving the properties of wood and creating what is termed “super woods.”; This is achieved by modifying the micro structure of natural wood or combining wood-derived cellulose with synthetic materials. These biologically impressive materials are strong and durable.

One of the most promising developments is synthetically engineered wood. Plastic-wood composites have long been a favorite of homeowners who want to build decks and fences that do not require sanding, staining, and painting. However, these engineered woods are not as strong as natural wood and can be even more prone to catching fire.

 

If you are looking for experts in the world of wood contact us Wood Floor Planet

 

 

 

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Flooring to Avoid With Pets

Posted on: November 11th, 2020 by Carliuska Gonzalez No Comments

Before choosing your flooring there’s two important considerations to think about:

Waterproof

No matter how well-trained your pets, accidents happen; food and water can spill out of their bowls, they can bring in mud on their feet and legs, create a mess after a bath or swim, and let’s not forget that some dogs drool, a lot.

Some floors can be permanently damaged by even a small amount of water if it is not cleaned up immediately. Waterproof, or at least floors with a high level of water-resistance, are necessary for any pet-home.

Scratch-Resistant

Dogs and cats’ nails make contact with the ground when they walk. Pet-friendly flooring should be scratch-resistant since there is not any such thing as scratch proof. This generally means hard floors. It is also a good idea to look for floors with a strong protective layer on top,

If you plan to install new flooring, and one of your goals is that it should be pet-friendly, some flooring types are best avoided.

  • Carpet

First, and probably most obvious of these, is carpet; and many pet owners will agree, is easily the worst type of flooring for pets, especially thick, plush carpets, unless you choose a carpet specially designed for pet owners. It wears extremely quickly, is easily damaged by urine, stains easily, attracts hair and is difficult to clean. Even without pets, carpets are still a major source of frustration and mantaince.

  • Solid hardwood

Solid hardwood flooring should also be avoided. Pet accidents or spills can permanently damage and warp them. Is not recommended because these supple floors tend to be easily damaged by pets’ nails, and any kinds of spills can cause permanent damage and staining. If the spill is big enough, the floor can even become warped.

  • Laminate hardwood

Laminate has not traditionally been considered a good choice for pets. It can warp if it gets wet unless you manage to get your hands on one of the waterproof laminate options manufactured recently.

Plus, its texture can be slippery for pets. This can be troublesome, especially for dogs who may be prone to hip injuries. However, recent technological advancements in the industry have spurred us to review a few dog-friendly laminate flooring options.

 

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Wood Floors: Selling the Health Benefits

Posted on: January 17th, 2020 by Carliuska Gonzalez No Comments

The benefits of hardwood flooring are remarkable when you think about it.

What other flooring option never goes out of style; lasts for generations, matches every décor; and is so easy to maintain? But what you may not know is that wood floors have significant health benefits as well.

Wood directly impacts indoor air quality. In fact, wood floors can significantly improve indoor air quality when compared to other flooring options.

A study conducted by Harris Interactive reports that most U.S. homeowners believe; that their family’s health is directly related to the cleanliness of their floors. And the majority believe that wood floors are most effective in improving indoor air quality.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) agrees. They report that wood floors are hypoallergenic; which is a huge advantage for allergy sufferers. Wood floors do not harbor microorganisms or pesticides tracked in from outdoors as other flooring options can. They also minimize the accumulation of dust, mold, and animal dander, which improves overall indoor air quality.

Wood floors also improves indoor air quality in another, less tangible, way. This is because wood is a carbon-neutral product.

As most people know, as a tree grows, it takes in carbon dioxide from the environment and produces oxygen. What most people do not know, however, is that products made from wood, including wood flooring, store carbon during their service lives.
In other words, even after the tree used to make wood is; cut down and manufactured into flooring; it continues to store carbon during its entire service life. That’s quite a green story and is yet another way wood flooring improves indoor air quality.

In recent years, wood floors also have improved by utilizing low VOC finishes and adhesives.

The California Air Resources Board, an organization known as CARB, monitors indoor air quality. CARB has established strict regulations for VOC emissions. It regulates VOCs in wood flooring finishes and adhesives, and provides the strictest VOC standards in the nation. Other areas of the country are regulated by the Ozone Transport Commission. CARB now is being used as a model to; develop national standards to; minimize harmful VOC emissions.

With all of these positive research results, it is easy to see how wood floors can reduce indoor allergens and improve overall indoor air quality. Communicating these positive messages to your customers can help you steer them toward products that will not only improve their décor, but also their health.

Anita Howard is Chief Operating Office at the National Wood Flooring Association in St. Louis. She can be reached at anita.howard@nwfa.org.

Source:
hardwood floors magazine
wood floor planet

 

 

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Choosing Hardwood Floor Color

Posted on: August 12th, 2015 by wfp_admin No Comments

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Choosing hardwood floor color can create a stunning addition. Wood flooring is a traditional flooring alternative for every homeowner; installers and interior designers. Its a cliché that you wont ever go wrong when you install hardwood floor.

Whatever you have in mind for your interior design; its impossible not to find the hardwood floor color that suits your style and taste; considering the endless wide selection of stains and finishing to bring out the desired color.

Here are tips on choosing hardwood floor color to keep you at the right side of your interior design project.

Tips that you must apply of choosing floor color:

  • Complementing Color: Choose the hardwood floor color that goes along with the overall interior design palette. Do this by choosing the largest interior architectural features. These could be the fireplace, wooden stairs, cabinetry, etc. Find a color that simply complements with that specific large aspect.

 

  • Color Variation vs: Consistency. Color variation on the surface of the wood floor is just natural; even the same wood floor species may look differently. By having natural oil finish; the color variation on its surface can be pretty apparent. Having the floorboard stained will create a monochromatic look to its design while minimizing the visibility of any color variation. If uniformity concerns you; then choose stain floorboards for your interior. Modern contemporary styles often use the naturally oil finished planks while the stained floorboards are known for traditional architectural design.

Samples to compare and choosing

  • Light Colored vs. Dark Colored Stain. In choosing hardwood floor color; take into consideration the amount of interior space. Light colored stain is recommended for smaller space while dark color stained is ideal for large spaces. Using light colored stained floorboards creates an illusion of more spacious and airy feel in any interior. Having dark colored stained planks work well in an interior that has a lot of light and are sought after for modern and chic interior or urban condos.

 

  • Bring home floor samples to compare and decide which one works along well with the walls and woodwork. Check which one looks well with furniture and adjoining floors; in broad daylight and evening artificial light. Also, get a feel of each floor sample the moment you enter the room.

Take note that you can have endless of possibilities for hardwood floor colors considering the wide-range selection; of stains and finishes on the floorboards. Taking into consideration numerous factors before coming up with a decision is better; than randomly choosing the hardwood floor color that you fancy. After all; the result should be pleasing in your eyes and not otherwise.

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Choosing a Supplier for Hardwood Floors NYC

Posted on: July 15th, 2015 by wfp_admin No Comments

Hardwood floors add financial value and beauty to any residential unit such as house or an apartment. There are many types of hardwood flooring that can be installed in any home based on the wood species that they are made up of. Hardwood floors that come from oak varieties are in demand because of their hardness and their relative resistance to scratches and dents. Meanwhile; hardwood floors that are made up of pine varieties are softer; but are more inexpensive.

When you are planning to install hardwood floors in NYC; you must also consider where you will get your hardwood flooring supplies from. There are a lot of suppliers and depot that will claim that they can best supply you with all your flooring requirements. However; when choosing where to get your wood flooring in NYC, here is a list of what you need to consider:

Availability of materials

You should choose suppliers that have a wide variety of brands to choose from. Some suppliers may be in contract with hardwood manufacturers as their direct distributors and are therefore only carrying the brands that these manufacturers make. Although you can get lower rates if you purchased the brands under contract with the suppliers, your choice of materials are limited.

Expertise

When looking for wood flooring in New York, you should contact a supplier that has a wide range of experience in the different types of wood floors such as solid, engineered, exotic, hand-scraped, laminate, herringbone, parquet, rift and quartered sawn and more. Remember that each type of flooring design will require different techniques of installation so choose a supplier that has the expertise in any kind of wood flooring.

Large Showroom

Consider choosing a hardwood flooring supplier in NYC that has a large showroom. This will allow you to manually inspect their sample hardwood floors conveniently. Suppliers with large showrooms will often show an area installed with different types of hardwood floors. This will help you visualize the samples being on the floor of your home.

Check online presence

A good indicator of a professional hardwood floor supplier is the supplier’s website. Check to see if the supplier you are planning to purchase your hardwood floors from has an online presence. A supplier’s webpage such as www.woodfloorplanet.com will allow you to explore their materials and stocks without having to physically go to their store. You can also ask for an online quote from them once you visit the page.

Geographical location

Probably one of the major reasons for choosing a hardwood floor supplier in NYC is its geographical location. Remember that transporting hardwood flooring materials is expensive since you have to pay all shipping charges. Having a supplier that is located in Manhattan such as www.woodfloorplanet.com will both give you the convenience of having a supplier near your home and the cost effectiveness of having to pay for a shorter trucking route.

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