Preventing Squeaky Floor TIPS

• Know causes first so you can nip squeaks in the bud
• Nail shaft movement most common cause
• WATCH floor squeak solution video below
• Use great subfloor adhesives - see below - and screw the floor
• CLICK HERE to Get Tim's FREE & FUNNY Newsletter!

How many old homes have you walked through where you hear annoying squeaks with each footstep? If you live in such a home it is possible, in certain instances, to get used to the noise.

Somehow your brain seems to block it out. It is even possible to sometimes cure squeaky floors. But most people I know who are buying or building a new home will not and should not tolerate squeaky floors.

After all, preventing squeaks in wood floors is as simple as falling off a log. Anyone can do that.

Common Squeak Causes

Squeaks in wood floors can be traced to any number of causes. Perhaps the most common cause is wood sub-flooring that is not tightly secured to the floor joists.

In many instances, the loose sub-flooring sits slightly above the floor joist. When a person walks across the sub-flooring, their weight causes the wood flooring to move down until it contacts the floor joist.

As the person walks away from that spot, the wood flooring rises up to its original position.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local flooring contractors that can solve your squeaks.

Nail Shafts Are Source

As the wood sub-flooring is going up and down, it slides past the nail shafts of the nails that were used by the carpenter to fasten the sub-flooring to the joists. The movement of the wood along the nail shafts produces the annoying squeak.

Floor Squeak Solution Video

Watch the following video to see one way to stop floor squeaks.

Metal Ductwork

Squeaks can also originate from metal ductwork that delivers heated and air conditioned air into each room of your new home. The installer of the metal ductwork, if not careful, can install this sheet metal ducting such that it gets into a slight bind.

As you walk across the floor, downward pressure on the ductwork can create the oilcan effect and cause the metal ducting to squeak or pop.

Old Diagonal Bridging

Some carpenters and builders may also use diagonal bridging in between floor joists. The individual pieces of bridging that create the letter X in between the joists must not touch one another.

There should be a spacing of approximately one-half inch so that they can move independently as loads are placed upon the floor joists. If the bracing touches and moves, it can also produce the elusive squeak that causes the grimace on your face.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local flooring contractors that can solve your squeaks.

Prevention

As you might imagine, knowing the causes, allows you to be proactive in preventing floor squeaks in your new home. I encourage frank discussions with the builder or the sub-division sales agent during the planning stages.

Ask pointed questions as to how squeaks will be prevented. Beware of answers that include glue and ring shanked nails. I've walked across hundreds of floors that have been glued and fastened with ring shanked nails that squeak horribly.

Subfloor Adhesives

The chemistry of subfloor adhesives has come a long way. Each manufacturer is trying to outdo the other.

Those that make great products stand to capture large chunks of the marketplace. Here are a few of the adhesives that are quite popular:

Granted, if used properly, sub-floor adhesive and ring shanked nails can minimize or eliminate many squeaks. But all too often, the glue and the nails are not installed correctly. Catching work defects is another great way to stop squeaks before they get covered up.

Glue Skins Over

One of the reasons subfloor adhesive fails is the glue can skin over before the wood subfloor is attached to the floor joists. Some rough carpenters put down a sheet of subfloor and only tack the corners or edges.

If the panel has any bow up or down to it, there's a void space between the panel and the joist. The glue can then skin over and when the panel is eventually nailed, the glue serves no purpose.

Nail Immediately

The subfloor panel needs to be nailed or screwed to the joist completely as soon as it's put down. The spacing of the fasteners might be one every 8 inches along each joist.

Do Inspections

Be sure to visit your new home as it is built. It is vitally important that you ask for permission and be aware of safety hazards when you do construction site visits. Inspect it as often as possible for defects that cause squeaks.

Try to visit the job site early in the morning when it is quiet. Walk through the home and listen for squeaks. It may take repeated visits to discover squeaks because of wet or damp framing lumber.

Wet Lumber Masks Squeaks

Wet lumber can swell and this often masks squeaks. As the lumber dries and shrinks, the conditions for squeak production increase. You absolutely must do an intense survey just before drywall is applied to walls and ceilings.

Screw Hallways & Main Room Pathways

Wood sub-flooring can be screwed to floor joists before finished flooring is installed. Use coarse threaded drywall screws that penetrate at least three quarter inch into the floor joists. Be sure the flooring in all hallways and in the open areas of rooms is screwed to the joists.

Once finished floors are installed, it can be an enormous challenge to fix squeaky floors. Prevention of squeaks is absolutely the best course of action.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local flooring contractors that can solve your squeaks.

Related Column = Floor Squeak and Bounce Repair

Column NH048

Painting Floors Ideas and TIPS

• Painting floors is easy, cheap and it's fun
• Durable finishes are easy to create - used in retail stores!
• Special floor paints and clear coatings are needed - LINKS BELOW
• Use stencils and borders for greatest flair and WOW factor
• CLICK HERE to Get Tim's FREE & FUNNY Newsletter!

DEAR TIM: We discovered a plumbing leak as we were getting ready to install a new laminate floor. The money for the flooring is now in the plumber's bank account.

Since we have no money left for new flooring, is there a way to successfully paint the exposed plywood floor? How do you fill the depressions and cracks in the floor?

Is it necessary to prime the wood before painting? Mark A., Hickory, NC

DEAR MARK: Are you sitting down?

Painting Floors Works!

The answer is, "Yes!" It is not only possible to paint floors, the paint job just might end up better looking than the original laminate floor you intended to use.

There's no real magic in painting a floor. You simply have to follow a few simple steps and use the right products to achieve durable and long-lasting results.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local painters who can paint your floors.

Smooth Floors Look Best

Just about any flooring surface that is in good shape can be painted. Concrete, wood, ceramic tile, sheet vinyl, vinyl tile, etc. can all be painted with ease.

The only surface that may have problems would be an older basement concrete floor that is below grade or one that is in contact with a very wet soil. Water that seeps into concrete can sometimes cause a painted finish to peel.

But many modern concrete floors installed since the 1970s have a vapor barrier under the slab. This moisture barrier often stops the water vapor allowing the paint to stick tenaciously to the concrete.

Paint in Public Places

You probably walk on painted floors all the time and don't realize it. You may even watch a sports game or two where the athletes are scuffing painted floors.

Many upscale clothing stores and restaurants have painted floors.

Basketball players run up and down painted floors. These floors take enormous abuse.

Clear Coat For Best Surface

Most paints will not yield a surface hard enough to resist years of foot traffic. That said, there are some special paints that have been made for many decades that you can walk on. If you've ever visited old mansions or homes with covered porches built in the late 1800s, you've seen these paints.

Exterior porch paints have been formulated with great success for years. Here's a fantastic one:

Clear Water-Based Urethane

You achieve durability and long-term good looks by coating the painted surface with three coats of clear urethane. Most people take for granted the hardness and durability of clear urethanes. For example, hardwood floors that are not coated with urethane can begin to look dingy and miserable in a short amount of time.

The thin coats of smooth urethane protect hardwood floors from dirt and other contaminants. It serves the same purpose over any painted surface. Visit any indoor basketball floor and you'll quickly become a believer. Lines, logos and all sorts of things are painted on these floors. The paint looks good because of the invisible layers of urethane that are on top of the paint.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local painters who can paint your floors.

Deep Clean First

Painting floors begins just as any other painting project. The surface to be painted should be clean, dry, dust-free and as smooth as possible. Consider using Stain Solver, a certified organic oxygen bleach to deep clean the floor.

Stain Solver is non-toxic, it's got no odor and it will remove grease and other stubborn stains.

Large depressions and cracks in the wood flooring need to be filled with a product that dries hard. Do not use caulk or lightweight spackling compounds as floor repair materials.

There are any number of excellent plastic-type wood fillers that dry exceptionally hard. Certain floor leveling compounds that are mixed with water often dry very hard. Test these materials by walking on them after they dry. If they survive the walk test now, they will look good once painted.

Prime If Required

Bare wood floors should be primed with special primer/sealer paints. These products work well to hide the wood grain that otherwise might show through the finish paint.

Hardwood floors that have a varnish or urethane finish must be sanded before a primer is applied. Concrete floors may need a special masonry primer. Check the label of the finish paint you choose.

Use Compatible Primer

Typically a paint manufacturer provides a list of compatible primers that work well with specific finish coat paint products. Oil paints work best for floor painting. The oil resins have a tendency to adhere better than water-based paints. They also tend to cure and harden faster.

Faux Finish For Friends

You can dazzle your friends and neighbors if you incorporate some faux finishes into the painted floor. There are an infinite amount of possibilities.

Stenciling, borders, pinstripping, etc. can all add accent touches to the floor. I've seen some gorgeous stenciling work done on steps and floors.

Look at these amazing stencils to get an idea of what's possible.

Borders Around Area Rugs

If you intend to have an area rug on top of the floor, you might consider creating a border that frames the rug equally on all sides. It is best to practice your faux finish technique on a piece of plywood. Once you feel you have the look, then begin to work on your floor.

Paint Must Cure

Once the finish paint has dried two or three days, apply three coats of water-based urethane. The water based urethanes typically do not yellow over time. Be sure to look for the words "non-yellowing" on the urethane label.

The key to keeping the floor looking good for a long period of time is to apply a single maintenance coat of urethane every two years.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local painters who can paint your floors.

Column 431

Cork Flooring Plank TIPS

• Cork flooring is extremely durable
• It's used in commercial buildings and strong enough for steps
• Easy to cut and install - coat with water-based urethane
• Different grades based on density - beware of cheap cork!
• CLICK HERE to Get Tim's FREE & FUNNY Newsletter!

DEAR TIM: I’m very interested in cork flooring planks and wonder if it’s really as good as the salesmen tell me. Because money is very tight in these tough economic times, I’m looking for a discount cork floor.

The carpet store that advertises in my town has a cork flooring sale soon, so now’s the time to make a decision. Do you have experience with this material, and if so, would you install it again in a home you’d build?

Is it as durable as they say? How do you protect it and is it easy to clean? Leslie P., Santa Cruz, CA

DEAR LESLIE: I can understand you hesitating about whether cork flooring is really a suitable material to walk on day in and day out.

Cork Is Super Durable

After all, when you hold a cork from a wine bottle in your hand, you often see it’s somewhat friable. Hold a piece of oak in your hands and try to break it apart or chip it and your hands quickly wave a white flag.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local flooring contractors who can install cork.

My First Time

I used to feel the same way about this magical flooring material, but was convinced shortly after seeing the first cork floor of my life. About 35 years ago, my father-in-law took me along for a ride to visit a business partner of his named Carl Hunsicker.

This man lived in a custom-built home that overlooked the Ohio River at the edge of a bluff. When we walked into Mr. Hunsicker’s kitchen, I looked down and saw the strangest floor.

Wide Long Planks

He had cork kitchen flooring. It resembled the deck of a ship as the planks were very long and approximately 8 inches wide. It was drop-dead gorgeous.

When I asked what kept it from disintegrating as you walked on it, Mr. Hunsicker chuckled saying, “Son, you don’t have to ever worry about this floor wearing out.”

Public Library Floor

I later discovered that cork flooring was used in many commercial and institutional buildings that receive heavy foot traffic. The main library in Cincinnati, Ohio, had a cork floor for years that millions of people walked on.

This floor is still in the library,  but now if you go there it's covered by giant rolls of commercial carpeting.

Tough Enough For Steps

You don’t have to worry about durability if you purchase a high-quality cork floor.

To give you another example of it’s extreme toughness, I installed cork plank flooring tiles on the steps that lead to my basement.

Many people don’t realize that steps are the best place to test flooring as your foot typically slides on the tread surface as you climb the steps. There’s much more friction than walking across a normal floor surface.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local flooring contractors who can install cork.

Tons Of Stain Solver

My basement steps got extremely heavy traffic because our home office was in several rooms downstairs. We also ran a cottage business shipping a magical cleaning product from the basement.

We made tons and tons of Stain Solver in the basement in a room right at the bottom of the steps. Stain Solver is a certified organic oxygen bleach that cleans anything water washable.

It's a fantastic product you should try. We would carry up tons of boxed Stain Solver up the steps adding even more friction. What's more, we'd have some of the Stain Solver grit on our shoes. The cork on the steps never showed any wear,  but I digress.

Clean & Look Closely

One day I cleaned these steps getting them ready for an open house. They looked like the day I installed them.

I owe much of this to the toughness of the cork, but also to the fact that I had originally coated the cork with five coats of high-quality urethane. I knew the steps would be abused, so I wanted plenty of urethane between the bottom of the shoes and the actual cork.

Oak Stair Nosing

Another thing that helped the cork on my steps was the custom oak nosing I installed.

Because I knew that the shoes would be sliding onto each tread, I had the top piece of oak milled so that it was 1/64th of an inch thicker than the thickness of the cork planks that were glued to the steps. This prevented the shoes from wearing away the front edge of the cork on each tread.

Use Best Urethane

I used clear water-based urethane to protect my cork on the steps and the cork that was on the floor in the entire basement. It was easy to apply, and has allowed the cork to maintain its beauty for the past ten years.

Clean With Water & Mild Soap

Cleaning it is easy. I just use regular liquid dish soap and water to clean up spills. For regular moping, I add 8 ounces of white vinegar to two gallons of warm mop water.

It's also safe to use Stain Solver on cork flooring if you get a tough stain on it.

Be Careful Of Discount Cork

Be very careful purchasing discount cork flooring. Not all cork flooring is made the same.

There are different densities of material. The best way to determine what’s good and what’s not is to go discover the most expensive cork flooring you can find.

Cheap Cork REJECTED

Talk to the manufacturer and ask why it’s so expensive while others are not. You’ll quickly discover that the low-cost flooring often contains cork that might be rejected by quality manufacturers.

Consider A Test

If you’re still in doubt about how well cork flooring wears, make up a test panel. Attach pieces of cork to a thin piece of plywood and coat them with three coats of clear urethane. Set this panel in your home someplace that gets heavy traffic. Monitor how it looks after three or four months. You’ll be amazed for sure.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local flooring contractors who can install cork.

Column 821

Slate Flooring Installation TIPS

• Slate is extremely durable - it can be used outdoors in cold climates
• Resists most stains
• Be careful about wet-look sealers - test before you commit
• Use thinset to install slate - never use organic mastic
• CLICK HERE to Get Tim's FREE & FUNNY Newsletter!

When I first got into the construction business, I used to think that slate flooring was only used in expensive houses.

Slate Is Affordable

After all, that was usually where I found it. Then one day, I bid a job that required slate flooring. I was astonished! Slate was very affordable. In fact, it compared in cost to some of the low to mid quality floor tiles.

My First Install

I was awarded the contract for that job. Fortunately, there was not a large area that required slate flooring.

I decided to tackle the installation myself. With the advice of some professional tile setters, my slate job was a success. It installed very much like normal ceramic tile. Both the homeowners and I were satisfied with the final product.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local slate flooring contractors.

Red Slate Sun Room

Since that first job, I have installed thousands of square feet of slate flooring. The last slate I installed was the solid red slate in my wife's sun room. The job came out absolutely amazing.

Walking On Stone

If you're part of the green building movement, you have to love slate flooring. It's not manufactured, it is quarried.

There are vast deposits of this wonderful stone product all over the word. In the USA, numerous quarries can be found in the Appalachian Mountains. There are no factories that produce fumes or harmful by products.

Stain Resistant

Slate is naturally stain resistant. This quality is related directly to the composition of the stone.

Slate begins its life as a sedimentary rock consisting of very fine particles of clay and silt. It's commonly known as shale.

However, this shale is sometimes buried underneath other rocks. This burial process creates heat and pressure. The resulting product is slate, a more compact and dense rock than shale.

Multi-Colored Beauty

Slate is very beautiful. This beauty, I feel, is based on its unusually deep colors of black, red, green, gray, and sometimes purple. The slate also has a texture unique only to itself.

The thin bedding planes of silt and clay create natural cleft faces when the clay is quarried. These cleft faces provide the slate with built in slip resistance.

Multiple Applications

Many people know that high quality pool tables have a thick layer of slate just below the felt. This is why the pool table is so true and smooth. Just drop a billiard ball on the table and listen to that solid sound! This same solid surface can be used as a kitchen countertop, a fireplace hearth, a fireplace surround, stair treads, bar top, even a decorative side table top.

Slate is available in different thicknesses and shapes. I happen to prefer the random ashlar pattern. The pattern is anything but random. However, when you assemble the six different shapes, it sure looks random.

I happen to walk across this flooring everyday in my own entrance hall. It's very durable and attractive.

Slate is commonly available in square pieces or irregular shards that require hand trimming on the job site. Slate installed in this manner resembles traditional flagstone work. If done by a professional, it is extremely attractive.

Slate Care Products

Although slate is very stain resistant, some liquids and foods can stain slate. In the past, homeowners were told to wax slate. I have seen this done time and time again. Waxing slate is a mistake. It detracts from the slate's natural beauty, makes the slate slippery, and can discolor the slate (the slate doesn't turn color, just the wax turns yellow!).

Within the past 15 - 20 years, new synthetic sealers have been developed which seal slate but do little or nothing to alter its appearance. These sealers often contain acrylic plastic compounds which are clear and non-yellowing.

Some of the best products on the market impart a "wet" look to the slate which really brings out the true color of each individual piece. These are the sealers to purchase.

Beware of slate care products that do not penetrate the slate. Some of these sealers form a surface film on the slate which can yellow, scuff, and reduce the natural slip resistance of the slate.

You must do your homework and ask these questions or look for the answers in the sealer literature. Don't necessarily trust a salesperson!

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local slate flooring contractors.

Existing Waxed Slate

If you have an existing slate floor that has multiple coats of wax, don't despair! We can bring it back from the edge of oblivion. The first thing to do is remove the old wax with a standard wax remover. Wax removers are very alkaline and simply soften the wax. You normally mop these products on, let them sit for a few minutes, and then remove with another mopping.

Be careful not to get this stripper on any painted woodwork, stained baseboard or trim, adjacent carpeting, hardwood, etc. It is a vicious product! I recommend that you work in small areas and do it by hand. It may take several applications to remove all of the wax from the grout joints.

Be careful not to flood the floor with water or stripper. Water may work its way beneath the slate and swell the wood subfloor (that is, if you have a wood subfloor). Only use enough stripper or rinse water to sufficiently cover the area you are working on.

After you have removed the wax, you should clean the slate and the grout with a neutral pH cleaner. This is very important. Many of the slate sealer companies also sell these special cleaners.

Once the floor is clean, it should dry for several days before sealing. The sealers work best when they can penetrate into the slate.

Read Instructions

Absolutely take the time to read the instructions on all the products you use. I find this to be the biggest reason for poor results on projects. Homeowners and contractors alike seem to resist reading instructions thoroughly.

If you follow the instructions found on a quality product, you will be rewarded with a gorgeous final product. Take the extra 10 minutes and read them. Then, be sure to follow the directions to the letter. Contact me with any questions!

Slate Sealer

You may want to seal your slate, but realize doing this could take away it's gorgeous matt finish. Some people really like the wet-look sealers.

These can make the slate slippery when wet and they require periodic re-coating.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local slate flooring contractors.

 

Slate Installation

Slate installs virtually the same as any ceramic floor or wall tile. It requires a solid floor system beneath it, such as concrete or a very firm wood floor system.

Wood floor systems that are spongy or bounce can lead to cracks in the individual slate pieces or the fracturing of the grout between them.

Cement Board On Wood

When I have installed slate on wood subfloors, I have had the best success when I install the cementitious boards on top of the wood subfloor. These materials are usually 1/2 inch thick and are simply concrete sandwiched between two pieces of fiberglass mesh

Old slate installations were installed on a similar "mud" bed of cement poured between floor joists. You can still do this if you want, but it is very labor intensive.

Set In Thinset

Always be sure to install the cementitious board according to manufacturers recommendations. Most people including builders and remodelers do not install this product correctly. It requires a layer of thinset mortar to be applied wet between it and the wood subfloor. Plus, the nailing pattern is critical.

No Organic Mastic

Once you are ready to install the slate, use thinset mortar. It works much better than organic adhesives, in my opinion. Organic adhesives never really get hard. As such, there is always a little give under them.

If you drop a heavy object or concentrate a load, an individual slate piece may crack. This doesn't happen very often with thinset. It gets very hard within a matter of days.

Use Diamond Saw

Slate cannot be scored and "snapped" like ceramic tile. It requires a wet diamond saw or a regular hacksaw if you're working with thin (3/8 inch or less) pieces.

Plan Your Layout

As with any flooring product, the layout is critical. Work off a center line in the room or a hallway for the ultimate look. Snap a chalk line and work away from the line. Try to plan your work so that you do not have to cross or work over freshly set pieces of slate.

Remove Wet Thinset ASAP

Be sure to wipe up thinset that gets on the surface of the slate. Remember, thinset is really cement. If it gets hard, you will have problems!

If you can afford the luxury, try to have a helper. You will need pieces cut, thinset mixed, slate handed to you, etc. You will get more than twice the amount of work done that you could do individually.

Grouting Slate

Grouting slate is a challenge. Unlike glazed ceramic tile, the grout wants to adhere and stick on the surface of the slate.

Very Hard To Do

The natural cleft face traps the grout very effectively. On average, I would say it takes 4 times longer to grout a slate floor than a similar sized tile floor.

Go Light On The Water

You must be careful when grouting slate not to use too much water in the grout rinse sponges. For one, you can weaken the actual grout if too much water dilutes the cement. Also, most slate floors employ a dark colored grout.

My entrance hall, for example, has a raven black grout. Use too much water and a grout additive, and you end up with light and dark areas in the finished grout. Ask me, I know it for a fact!

Do NOT Use Additives

Milky grout additives can cause blotchy discoloration in the grout. Do NOT USE THEM.

Grout Release Coatings

Some of the companies that make the slate sealers make a special product you coat the slate with prior to grouting. This product makes it easier to remove the grout from the surface of the slate. I've used them and they do work on slate.

Sanded Grout

Be sure to use a sanded grout. Unsanded wall grout should not be used in joints wider than 1/8 inch. Most slate joints are 1/4 to 5/16 inch wide. Don't seal your new slate floor for 30 days. Cover the floor with red rosin paper. Don't tape the rosin paper to the slate!

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local slate flooring contractors.

Column B105

Old Hardwood Floor Finish TIPS

• Finish could be varnish - varnish can water stain
• Urethanes not widespread until after 1960
• Test for lead - lead was used in varnish. Get test kit below
• Don't sand floor until you know there's no lead
• CLICK HERE to Get Tim's FREE & FUNNY Newsletter!

DEAR TIM: What type of finish was used on hardwood floors circa 1964? Does it need to removed or screened to apply a new finish such as oil or water-based urethane? Jim Heavey

DEAR JIM: Although highly unlikely, it's possible your finish is urethane. Urethanes were developed in the early 1960's. The widespread adoption of urethanes for floor finishes didn't start to happen until the late 1960s and the early 1970s.

Varnish Is Great, But ...

In all likelihood, the finish on your floor is traditional varnish. It is hard to discern the difference between the two with the naked eye, but you can test in a small out-of-the-way location. A large drop or spot of water will often turn varnish cloudy within 30 minutes or less. Urethane, on the other hand, is usually unaffected by water.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local flooring restoration companies.

Check For Lead

The bigger problem might be the presence of lead in the varnish. Yes, lead was sometimes added to clear finishes years ago. I'd absolutely perform a lead test on the finish before I would create clouds of sanding or screening dust.

Remove Wax First

Furthermore, it is also possible a past owner of the home applied wax to the finish. If wax is present, you must remove it before you do any application of a new urethane. The screening process will not remove all of the wax, if it is present.

Screening is the same as a light sanding and is meant to lightly scuff an existing surface to ensure a good bond between an older glossy surface and the fresh coat of floor finish.

DIY Floor Refinish Product

Here's a fantastic liquid refinishing product. NO SANDING required! No lead dust!!

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local flooring restoration companies.

Column EM0004

Hardwood Floor Maintenance TIPS

• Water is hardwood's enemy
• New homes generate lots of water during construction
• Acclimate new hardwood so it swells to proper size
• Use Stain Solver to clean hardwood floors
• CLICK HERE to Get Tim's FREE & FUNNY Newsletter!

Water - Public Enemy #1

Hardwood flooring's biggest enemy is water. Water causes wood to swell. This swelling can cause warping, twisting, cupping, edge crush, etc. to occur. Sometimes the flooring will recover and sometimes it won't. The trick is to avoid introducing water to your hardwood floor.

Vapor Just As Bad

Water can occur either as a solid, a liquid, or a vapor. The liquid and vapor states are the ones that cause the most problems for wood flooring. Water in the liquid state is easy to see and control. It can be from a roof leak, a broken pipe, or a spill.

However, water vapor is an entirely different story. This form of water is invisible and can originate from many sources. The damage it can cause can be widespread and considerable.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local flooring contractors who can restore your hardwood floors.

New Homes = LOTS Of Water

New home construction and major remodeling activities can create vast amounts of water vapor. Water vapor can be created by:

• curing concrete
• drying process of water-saturated rough lumber
• ceramic tile installation
• drywall or plastering activities
• painting activities
• concrete floors that lack vapor barriers
• crawl spaces that lack vapor barriers
• high humidifier settings on furnace equipment
• washing and cleaning activities
• indoor plants or large aquariums

High humidity levels in the air can not only add additional water vapor, but can also inhibit existing water vapor from dissipating.

The message is really very simple. Don't expose hardwood flooring to excessive levels of water vapor. This is especially true if you are installing unfinished hardwood flooring.

DIY No-Dust Refinish Product

Use this product to refinish your hardwood. No sanding - No dust!

Installation Guidelines

Oak and other wood flooring materials are milled from lumber which has been kiln dried to a specific moisture content. It is recommended that this moisture content be maintained at that level for the best installation results.

That means that you should not allow the wood flooring to gain or loose any additional moisture. As such, you should not transport, load or unload the material on rainy, snowy, or excessively humid days.

The flooring should be stored in a dry, weather proof building. The storage area should be well ventilated. Never stacked or store wood flooring materials directly on concrete flooring.

Dry Flooring

The job site where the flooring is to be installed must be dry. The interior climate conditions (temperature & humidity) should be at or very near those which will be maintained during normal occupancy.

Acclimate The Wood

These conditions should begin at least five days prior to the delivery of the flooring material. The flooring material should be distributed into the rooms where it will be installed and allow to acclimate for four - five days. The interior climate conditions should be maintained at normal occupancy conditions from this time forward.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local flooring contractors who can INSTALL your hardwood floors.

Insulate Large HVAC Pipes

If hardwood flooring is to be installed directly over the home heating plant or main duct or piping trunk lines, these lines or the subflooring should be insulated to prevent low level infra red heat from drying out the wood flooring.

Check Rough Lumber Moisture Content

Rough framing lumber should be checked for moisture content prior to flooring installation. Rough lumber can absorb vast quantities of water because of being exposed to the weather during construction. Moisture readings should not exceed 12 - 14%.

Wood On Concrete

Wood flooring can be installed on concrete floors that are on or above grade level. Installations below grade (in basements) are not recommended!!! The concrete MUST be dry.

There are several ways to test to see if the concrete is dry. The associations listed below will gladly provide you with information which will help you perform these tests.

Concrete floors must have a vapor barrier installed over them prior to the hardwood floor installation. Remember, hardwood flooring is almost never finished on its bottom side. Moisture can enter the wood from below and cause a multitude of problems. A properly installed vapor barrier will almost always stop this water vapor.

Solid Sub-flooring

Hardwood flooring must be installed on solid, approved sub-flooring materials. Non-veneered panel sub-flooring products (OSB, flakeboard, chipboard, etc.) are sometimes not recommended for use below hardwood floor installations.

If in doubt about your sub-flooring, be sure to check with your hardwood floor supplier or installer prior to the construction of your subfloor!

The organizations listed below have excellent, detailed installation manuals available. Contact them for availability. The National Wood Flooring Association, listed below, has several free pamphlets that they will mail to you concerning proper installation techniques.

Care & Maintenance of Hardwood Flooring

Never use lots of water on wood flooring to clean it. Mopping wood floors with soaps, wax removers, 'oil soaps', etc. can easily harm wood flooring. Some cleaners can leave residues which will discolor the flooring or make refinishing extremely difficult.

You can clean hardwood floors using oxygen bleach like Stain Solver. The key is to just mix up a solution and use a sponge mop putting a light film of water on the hardwood.

You don't want lots of water to soak into the cracks between the pieces of the hardwood flooring.

Stain Solver is certified organic, it's Made in the USA with USA ingredients and it's a family-owned business.

Avoid Waxes and Easy-To-Use TV Products

Never use 'self-polishing' waxes, unless the product specifically states it is safe for hardwood floors. Many of these waxes contain water.

Be very careful of the miracle products heavily advertised on TV that show how a horrible hardwood floor is renewed by one swipe of a miracle liquid. It's easy to fool people on TV.

Don't over wax floors. Always try to buff floors to revive the shine. If this is unsuccessful, then and only add additional wax. Consider adding wax to the traffic areas only, not the entire floor.

Never apply a surface finish over prefinished factory materials. Prefinished products are often waxed at the factory.

Don't wax floors that have a clear or colored finish (urethane / varnish) on them. The presence of wax may make recoating extremely difficult. Clear finishes can not be applied over wax. Only apply wax to floors that you know have had wax applied from the beginning.

Remove Grit FAST

Vacuum wood floors frequently. Keep dust and grit off of floors. If you walk on grit like fine sand, you're just sanding the floor with your feet. This is a huge mistake.

Clean Spills Fast

Food and beverage residue can be cleaned with a damp (fully squeezed) cloth or sponge.

If hardwood flooring is used in a kitchen, dry mop the floor after meals to pick up any water droplets. Always use an adequate area rug in front of sinks and dishwashers. Aside from protecting the flooring, the area rug will make standing at the sink more comfortable.

Waxes Are Tough To Use And Maintain

Floors that receive waxes should be done in strict accordance with the wax manufacturers guidelines. Apply thin coats of paste wax. Remove old wax periodically with strippers that do not contain water. If these strippers contain flammable solvents, beware of explosion or fire hazards!

Add Maintenance Coat

Consider 'screening' your hardwood floors every year or every other year. This process involves lightly scuffing the old finish and applying a new, single coat of finish. If this is done on a regular basis, the floor may never have to be re-sanded and finished.

Refinishing usually has to occur if the original finish has been abused. The 'screening' process, when done by professionals, can usually be done for a fraction of the cost of refinishing. The result is a brilliant finish which looks new almost all of the time. Please give it serious consideration.

The liquid systems mentioned below yield the same results with no dust!

Old Hardwood Floor Finishes

CLICK HERE to read my column on finishing older hardwood floors.

Wood Flooring Organization

Consider contacting this organization. They offer pamphlets for proper installation, care, and maintenance. Some of the pamphlets are free. This are an extremely helpful organization.

• National Wood Flooring Association
  111 Chesterfield Industrial Boulevard
  Chesterfield, MO 63005
  800-422-4556
  http://www.woodfloors.org

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local flooring contractors who can restore your hardwood floors.

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Hardwood Floor Inlays TIPS

• Hundreds of designs and shapes available
• Mixing wood species produces best effect
• Simple strips of border wood work too
• Can be retrofitted into an existing floor!
• CLICK HERE to Get Tim's FREE & FUNNY Newsletter!

Inlay In Convents

My Aunt Clara is a nun. The convent she lives in is in a huge old mansion in an older part of Cincinnati. I believe the house was built in the 1870's or so. The oak staircase from the first to the second floor has a handrail that is 12 inches wide. It's a slide, not a safety device!

The parlor and dining room floors have an exquisite inlay pattern. I remember as a child visiting my aunt and marveling at the different patterns and the variety of colors in the wood. Ever since then I've been a big fan of hardwood inlays.

Not a Lost Art

Inlays were popular when labor was less expensive. Producing an inlay floor takes time, hand-eye coordination and patience.

To do one by hand today would cost a king's ransom. New computer aided design combined with laser and precision mechanical cutting devices have made a huge difference in bringing the cost of the floors down and making sure that this craft does not die out.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local hardwood flooring craftsmen who can install inlay for you.

Affordable Patterns

You can buy affordable inlay patterns that will easily install with standard hardwood flooring. You can also buy thinner inlays that can be added to an existing hardwood floor. It's a product that will become more popular as more people realize it is available.

Medallions And Other Art

Borders are the inlay items that get lots of attention from people. But you can also buy medallion pieces that work well in an entrance hall or any other open space where you want to make a statement.

They come in all sorts of styles, sizes and looks. One of my favorite medallions is one that actually looks like a staircase going down to the next level. Seriously, things like this are available!

Care and Installation

You care for inlay products just as you would any hardwood floor. The wood used to create them is similar in nature to standard flooring.

The urethane used on the floor coats the inlay as well. All you need to do is vacuum dust from the floor on a regular basis and wash the floor with a lightly damp sponge or mop that has been moistened with a solution of white vinegar and warm water.

That is an excellent hardwood floor care tip. NEVER use an oil soap product or anything else that leaves a film!

Somewhat DIY Friendly

Inlay products can't be easily installed by a rookie or even a serious do-it-yourselfer, in my opinion. You need precision cutting tools and experience in dealing with inlays.

Some of the products that are intended to be used with existing flooring require high-powered routers and special router bits and templates. Leave this type of work to the pros. Let them make the mistakes, not you!

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local hardwood flooring craftsmen who can install inlay for you.

Different Wood Species

Inlay products use amazing wood species. You can often find Brazilian Cherry, Santos Mahogany, Makore, Imbuia and Honduran Mahogany, Pink Ivory, Ebony, Wenge, Curly Maple, Quilted Maple and Bubinga. Strange names to be sure, but breathtaking beauty.

Fortunately it takes very little material to make inlay products. The exotic wood used is very rarely more than 5/16 inch thick. This is the amount of wood that is commonly above-the-tongue in most hardwood floors. Once you sand down to the tongue, a floor is toast. The inlay people use less expensive woods beneath the inlays that are glued up to make a full thickness product.

Existing Floors Can Be Retrofitted

Inlay products used in existing flooring is always glued into the pocket created by the precision router. You would never, ever want to face nail an inlay pattern! If your installer says he wants to drive a nail here or there, you better stop him!

Furniture Use

Some of the inlay products are available for use in tables and other pieces of furniture. If you dabble in this craft, then call the manufacturers and see what they have in the furniture inlay line. You can really dress up a table with a medallion or a small border. They make the difference!

Inlaid Borders and Medallions

The following illustrations are courtesy of most, if not all, of the hardwood inlay manufacturers mentioned in this bulletin. Suffice it to say that the illustrations you see here are just a very tiny sampling of what is available.

Prices for the different borders and medallions can range from several hundred dollars to several thousands of dollars. If you are building a mansion, there are some incredible entrance hall medallions that will literally take your breath away when you see them. They are striking.

Affordable Choices

Fortunately, many of the simple borders are within financial reach of many of us. Although my wife and I went for a more expensive border for our family room, we could have picked a great one for an installed and finished price of less than $495.00.

I urge you to visit a hardwood flooring store that sells these goods. Your trip will not be wasted. I guarantee that you will be amazed! At the very least, be sure to call the manufacturers and get as much free literature as possible.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local hardwood flooring craftsmen who can install inlay for you.

Related Articles:  Hardwood Inlays, Hardwood Inlay Manufacturers

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