Is laminate floor a real wood?

Laminate flooring is an engineered wood product that basically has a wood effect images mounted on top.

The bulk of the plank is made up of  high density fibers bound with resin, the base of the board is covered by a moisture resistant backing.  This makes the planks more highly resistant o moisture which is a great advantage over real wood floors.

The visible layer on top of the plank is a high-resolution image of wood with a transparent protective wear layer on top.  Most laminate flooring is highly realistic these days, top of the range laminate flooring has such realistic appearance that it can be extremely difficult to tell for sure if you have laminate of real wood floor boards.

Here is a guide to help you examine your floors to determine whether they are real wood or laminate:

1. Examine the grain of the wooden floor closely. Natural wood grains are random, so if you have hardwood floors, the pattern of the grain will never repeat. Laminate floors are factory-produced, so every few boards will match perfectly. The more expensive the material, the more variation will appear, so don't give up on finding the matching pattern until you have examined a large area of the floor.

2. Check the floor for scratches and dents. Hardwood damages more easily than laminate, so if the floor is covered in small dings and gouges, it is probably hardwood. Laminate does scratch, so don't assume that a single scratch mark guarantees your floor is hardwood -- but a floor showing signs of frequent damage is probably natural.

3. Look for water marks, stains and faded areas on the floorboards. Laminate doesn't stain the way natural wood does, so if you see water rings, random splotches or discolorations on the floor, it is probably hardwood.

4. Determine how the floorboards are attached. If you see staple holes or nail heads on the floor, it is more likely to be hardwood than laminate, because laminate floors are often glued in place.
 

Sourced from:http://homeguides.sfgate.com

One of these two floors are Laminate and the other is solid American Black Walnut ~

Can you tell which is which?

For more information about our services please contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or visit www.artofclean.co.uk.

Art of Clean are specialists in: 

Hardwood Floor Cleaning, 

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,
Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning,

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

What is the wood hardness scale?

If you have been shopping for wood flooring you may have come across the term "Wood Hardness Scale", or the abbreviation BHN following a number of figures.  There are a number of wood hardness scales, most notable is the Brinell Hardness scale.  Brinell, a Swedish Scientist, designed the scale which scales each wood by its individual strengths.  Each wood is given a numerical rating, for instance Oak is – 2.9 to 3.7 BHN.  BHN stands for Brinell Hardness Number and is an indication of the level of hardness that the species falls into.

Softwoods are generally fast growing species such as Birch (2.2-2.7 BHN) and Pine (1.3-1.8 BHN).  Hardwood such as Maple (3.2-4.2 BHN) and Ash (3.3-4.1 BHN) are slower growing species.

So how does this affect your wooden floor?

Although all woods will scratech and mark over time, softwoods will a dented easier by heavy furniture, scratched easier and wear faster.  So if you are looking for a flooring that can withstand scrapes, dents and lots of use you will want to consider the BHN of the wood you choose to ensure you have a more durable and hard-wearing floor, suitable to your needs.


Call Art of Clean for more information about our hardwood floor sanding and finishing services on 01223 863632 or see our website www.artofclean.co.uk to find out more.

We are a professional cleaning company who specialise in Carpet Cleaning, Rug Cleaning, Hardwood Floor Cleaning, Stone floor Cleaning, Upholstery Cleaning and Leather Furniture Cleaning cleaning for domestic an commercial clients through out Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

Short video - Pierre explains how to use the right products to maintain your Wooden Floor

Short video - Pierre explains how to use the right products to maintain your Wooden Floor

If you choose to seek professional assistance contact Art of Clean for more information and we can discuss the service we offer.  Call us on 01223 863632 or see our website www.artofclean.co.uk to find out more.

We are a professional cleaning company who specialise in Carpet Cleaning, Rug Cleaning, Hardwood Floor Cleaning, Stone floor Cleaning, Upholstery Cleaning and Leather Furniture Cleaning cleaning for domestic an commercial clients.

Is hard floor better than carpet?

Pierre briefly compares the choice of hard floor over carpet floor...is hard floor better than carpet?
Pierre disagrees!  And here he tells you why.....

We are a professional cleaning company who specialise in Carpet, Rug, Hardwood floor, Stone floor, Upholstery and Leather cleaning for domestic an commercial clients.

 For more information about our services contact the team on 01223 863632 or at www.artofclean.co.uk to find out more.

 

 

Black marks on an oiled oak floor

... So you’ve just had your oak floor fitted and you have sealed it with oil, and for some unknown reason there are now black marks on the boards. This occurs when the tannin in oak touches a wet or acidic environment and it causes a chemical reaction which leads to dark discolouration. The discolouration is caused by the following equation: Gallic acid + water + iron (III) iron (III) –gallate + acid

 

At Art of Clean we understand how a well finished floor can set off a whole room, giving your floorboards a new lease of life and increasing the lifespan of the timber.  Refinishing wood floors is one of our specialties, and we are trained and affiliated with the Ultimate Floor Sanding Company.  If you would like to talk to us about our services, please call our friendly team on 01223 863632 or visit www.artofclean.co.uk