Understanding natural colour change in hardwood flooring

If you have hardwood flooring in your home, over time you may notice your floor undergoing a degree of colour change - the extent of the colour change will vary depending on a number of different factors, such as what species of wood you are using. While this may cause initial concern, colour change is completely natural in wooden flooring and is nothing to be concerned about.

The main cause of natural colour change in your flooring will be exposure to the ultra-violet rays in sunlight, whether direct or indirect - this is similar to the way that your skin will undergo a colour change after increased exposure to the sun.

Certain species, like Brazilian cherry, will naturally change colour over time, becoming darker and richer, and this is due to the natural characteristics of that specific species, rather than increased exposure to sunlight.

If you want to try and limit the amount of colour change your flooring undergoes, you can try and reduce the amount of sunlight the floor is exposed to – this can be done by strategically placing furniture or rugs in your room, or by having blinds fitted on your windows. Colour change is natural, however, and can actually add character and depth to your room, so is something to be embraced, rather than avoided.

One step you can take, if you wish, is to move your furniture and furnishings around regularly, as this will mean that your entire floor gets the same level of exposure to the sun and therefore will change colour more evenly. Or alternatively, you can avoid decorating with large area rugs for the first few months after having your hardwood flooring fitted, as many species undergo the majority of their colour change in the first few months after installation.

Sourced from: http://www.justwood.co.uk

For all of your hardwood floor maintenance needes contact Art of Clean for further information and we can discuss the services 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 for domestic an commercial clients.

HOW MOISTURE AFFECTS HARDWOOD FLOORING

Hardwood flooring, as the name suggests, is a natural product. While wooden flooring is a beautiful addition to any room, adding value and transforming the look and feel of a home, the fact that it is a natural product means that it can undergo changes. Wood responds to humidity levels and moisture in the air, and this can cause your hardwood flooring to expand or contract.

Wood is a hygroscopic material, meaning it has the ability to attract and hold water molecules from the air surrounding it. When exposed to the air, wood will attract or release moisture until it is at the same level as the surrounding atmosphere. So if there is excess moisture in the air, your hardwood flooring will attract some of this moisture, causing it to expand. If there is less moisture in the air, wooden flooring will release some of the moisture held within it back into the air, causing it to contract and shrink.

When wood goes through this change, it may not expand or contract equally in all directions. This expansion and contraction is completely natural, and as long as the movement is not too extreme, you should have no need to worry. There are some steps you can take to try and limit the movement of your wood flooring, however.

During the cold winter months, your home will be heated, causing the air to become dry and humidity levels to drop. This can cause your hardwood flooring to release moisture and contract, causing small gaps to appear. To limit this, try to keep the humidity levels in your home between 50-65% using a humidifier, or by placing damp tea-towels on your radiators.

Over summer, when the temperature is higher, humidity levels can rise considerably. This, in turn, can cause your wooden flooring to absorb the excess moisture in the air and expand, pressing the boards against each other. To stop this from happening, leave your windows open for a short period each day to allow the humidity to leave your room, being replaced by fresh air circulating instead.

Sourced from: http://www.justwood.co.uk

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.

What Causes a Creaking & Popping Noise in Hardwood Floors?

 One advantage of a creaking floor is that it warns you of approaching bears.

Creaking, popping and snapping sounds can emanate from a hardwood floor that has been nailed to a wood sub-floor as well as one that has been glued to concrete. In either case, strategies for eliminating the noise exist, but they don't always work.

Nail-Down Floors

Squeaks and creaks in a nail-down floor usually come from the nails; a board pops loose and the nails rub against the subfloor when you walk on it. You can fix this by driving screws from underneath to anchor the loose boards. A more serious cause of creaking is wood movement, which can be a problem if you install the floor without acclimating it or without a moisture barrier. Spacing nails too closely can also create squeaks. These problems require partial or full replacement of the floor.

Glue-Down Floors

When you glue a hardwood floor to concrete, the subfloor must be completely level. If there are voids, the boards can flex into them and make creaking sounds as they rub together. You may be able to stop creaking by injecting epoxy through a small hole in the board that's directly over a void. This doesn't work for large depressions, however, and when it doesn't work, you'll probably have to remove the squeaky boards, level the subfloor and lay new boards.

Written by:
Chris Deziel
 http://homeguides.sfgate.com


For further maintenance contact us about our wood floor services us on 01223 863632 or visit www.artofclean.co.uk.