• How To Effectively Clean Hardwood Floors 

    image provided by Yes! Air Conditioning & Plumbing – hvac technician

    Hardwood floors are a great addition to any home. It is hard to beat the look and feel of natural wood in your home. This type of flooring tends to feel warmer than artificial wood or tiles and will generally last much longer.

    However, you do need to take care of your hardwood flooring and that starts with effectively cleaning it regularly. 

    It should be noted that it doesn’t matter what style of hardwood flooring you have, whether it’s the latest herringbone flooring or simple planks, the cleaning routine is the same.

    Vacuum Regularly

    The first thing you should be doing is vacuuming your hardwood flooring regularly. Ideally, you should do this every day but in lower-traffic areas, 2-3 times a week will suffice.

    You will need a hardwood flooring attachment for your vacuum. This is effectively a soft nozzle that won’t leave light scratches on the wood as you clean. Make sure the nozzle is clean and not worn before you use it. 

    Using the power of a vacuum you’ll be able to get into all the crevices between the wooden pieces.

    Sweep Often

    Alongside vacuuming, you can sweep the hardwood floor. This can be done to deal with specific spills or instead of vacuuming some days. You will need to use a soft-headed brush as you don’t want to scratch the floor.

    An angles broom will also help you to sweep the floor faster, reducing the amount of time spent looking after your hardwood floor.

    The Cleaner

    Your next step is to invest in a quality hardwood cleaner. You can get this in spray form, allowing you to lightly spray the floor and then wipe it clean. It’s best to use a clean cloth that attracts the dirt and dust when doing this. 

    Spray cleaner is an effective approach to dealing with spills and other localized issues.

    If you wish to clean the entire hardwood floor you’re better off adding a little of the cleaner to a bucket of warm water and using a mop. It should be noted that hardwood flooring doesn’t like getting wet. 

    In other words, wring the mop out so that it is only damp when it comes into contact with the floor. Work your way methodically across the room to ensure every part of the floor has been lightly mopped.

    Sealing the Floor

    The best approach is to purchase a hardwood floor polish. This can then be applied to the floor in accordance with the instructions on the container. 

    For most, this means rubbing a little into the floor with one cloth and polishing it with another. You will need to work your way across the entire room but the good news is that this only needs doing a couple of times a year.

    The polish adds shine to the floor, it fills light scratches and helps to protect the floor against dirt and spills. With a little love and care your hardwood flooring will last for years!

    partnered post • cc-licensed image by Boa-Franc

  • How Reclaimed Wood Is Recycled

    Using reclaimed wood is a fantastic way to add some unique style to your home and it’s environmentally friendly. Wood that is reclaimed from old homes, barns, and other sources goes through an extensive recycling process that gives it new purpose without diminishing the beautiful aged look and charm that it already has.

    In order for reclaimed wood to be ready for use in modern homes, first, the wood is taken from demolished homes, barns and outbuildings, and old factories along with other buildings. All old nails, staples, ties, and other items are removed from the wood by hand to make sure the wood is free of anything but the actual wood.

    Then it’s cleaned with simple soap and water to wash off any dirt, debris, or oil that has built up on the wood over time to reveal the wood’s true color and natural beauty. After that the wood is milled to break it down to the right thickness for whatever project it’s going to be used for. It’s also then planed and ripped to make it functional wood.

    After that it goes through a kiln drying process to kill any mold that might be on the wood from years of exposure to the elements or to water. The kiln drying process also gets rid of any insects or pests that have taken up residence in the wood.

    The wood is then molded into a new shape that’s suitable for whatever purpose it’s going to be used for and it’s cross-cut and processed so that it can be turned into flooring, cabinet doors, stair treads, wood paneling walls, and other accents that can be used in any home. The color of the wood and the natural grain lines remain and make each piece of reclaimed wood a unique treasure that brings style and warmth to any home.

    For more information on reclaimed wood, check out the infographic below:

    Elmwood Infographic

  • more library card catalogs & other storage – craigslist

    Filecabinets

    I know people love these things. I do too … I just don’t have anywhere to fit more furniture in my house, especially not with the step tansu that I’d like to wedge into the living room somehow. Here are several I’ve found this week on Craigslists around the country:

    west coast

    midwest

    east coast

    • petite tabletop 6-drawer card file in Ithaca NY: $50enormous, ex-built-in 19th-century dark wood
    • 72-drawer library card file near Boston MA: $1200
    • 14-drawer library card file (5×8 cards) with two missing drawers in Browns Mills NJ: $45

    south & southwest

    • tabletop 2-drawer Remington Rand oak card file in Crawfordville FL: $80
    • wood and plastic 60-drawer & 3-shelf library card file in Jacksonville FL: $650
    • two large four-drawer wooden file cabinets from Library Bureau SoleMalers, early 20th century, near Orlando FL: $335 each
    • 15-drawer, 2-shelf tabletop library card file, includes table, near San Antonio TX: $200

  • ask an expert: caring for hardwood floors

    The Cleveland Plain Dealer‘s always-useful Ask an Expert column dealt this past week with something we all need to be concerned about but often overlook: caring for our hardwood floors.

    Q: I have a beautiful 1925 Craftsman bungalow. The house is blessed with wood floors. I have noticed a black spot near the doorway to the kitchen (a heavy-traffic area) and also in the corner of the family room (a not-so-heavy-traffic area). What are my options in dealing with theses spots? And, more importantly, where do they come from so I can stop them from coming back? There are no leaks anywhere near the spots, and the floor is always dry (except when I mop). Do you have any suggestions on types of cleaners I can use to keep the floors looking shiny and new? I’ve been using Murphy’s Oil Soap. – D.W., Bedford

    A: From Roger Somogyi of Lamb Floor Fashion Center (30840 Lake Shore Blvd., Willowick, 440-943-6722):

    As you know, hardwood floors are natural, beautiful and timeless. Caring and consistent proper cleaning and maintenance will ensure that they remain that way.

    As for the black spots, I would have to assume that it is some type of moisture-related problem, possibly pet urine or mold. With your home being a 1925 vintage, it is likely that whatever has caused the black spots has penetrated the surface, and a plank replacement is the best way to permanently solve the problem. The wood planks that show the spots can be removed, new, unfinished planks can be installed, and the new planks can be custom stained to match the color and finish of your existing floor. A reputable wood repair and refinishing company should be able to help.

    Cleaning techniques vary depending on the type of finish that is on the uppermost layer of the floor, which is called the wear layer. Knowing the type of finish is important to properly clean a wood floor.

    read the entire column with information on caring for a variety of finishes