What is the black paint around the edges of my wood floor? Can it be removed?

Before the days of fitted carpets, it was very common to lay a rug in the middle of the room and to paint an insulated bitumen product around the edges of the room. This was usually a black or brown paint.

Can we remove the black areas by sanding the floor?

When sanded, the bitumen immediately turns into a liquid tar-like product and, in doing this, quickly clogs the sanding discs/belts. But good news, the bitumen can be removed! It will cost a little bit more to have your floor sanded to cover the additional cost of materials.

Please note that, in some cases, you might see a slight difference in tone after the sanding. The wood underneath the bitumen will have not been exposed to the same levels of moisture/air comparing to the remaining floor.

After the sanding and oiling! Beautiful pine floor!!

Art of Clean can help with your wooden floor restoration in Cambridge. Give us a call on 01223 863632.

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,
Stone floor Cleaning,
Carpet Cleaning,
Rug Cleaning,
Upholstery Cleaning 
Leather Furniture Cleaning, 



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

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

Art of Clean Competition Winner 2016

We would like to thank everyone who took part in the Art of Clean Rug-time Competition 2016.  We had a great response, but unfortunately there could only be one winner and we have great pleasure in announcing Tali Fisher (pictured below) from Cambridge as our competition winner. 

We asked everyone who took part in the competition to tell us, which is your favourite room in the house and why? 

Tali to who told us that her favourite room in her house was, "the open plan kitchen and dining area because it is the heart of the house where we cook together and eat together as a family".

Once again we would like to thank everyone who took the time to enter our competition.  Please watch this space for further competitions and promotions.

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,
Carpet Cleaning,
Rug Cleaning,
Upholstery Cleaning 
Leather Furniture Cleaning, 
CLEANING PRODUCTS

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

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

How do I look after my newly sanded wood floor?

Our aim at the Art of Clean is to bring you the best cleaning service in Cambridge, Hertfordshire and Essex.  We also want to help you with any queries you might have about all aspects of cleaning.

So here's a helpful guide to keeping your floor looking good as new, just after you've had it sanded.

We're under no illusions, floors will get dirty and time is of the essence but any amount of cleaning will be useful in limiting the build up.

Here are a few tips on keeping your wood floor clean.

To keep your floor free from dry soil, use a good quality soft broom or a vacuum cleaner with a special soft floor attachment.

To limit any damage, knocks or scratches by your furniture we recommend Felt pad protectors under all your furniture, which last much longer and are much safer for your floors.


1 - MAINTENANCE ROUTINE

We strongly recommend your weekly cleaning of your wood floor is done correctly. 

 You will need wood oil care Kit:

• A 2 compartment mob bucket
• Good quality mop (clean)
• Cleaning solution - We recommend Pallmann Clean (available in 0.75 litre or 10 litre)
• Clean water

Fill one side of your mop bucket (the side you will wring your mop in) with clean water.

Make your cleaning solution mix as described on the bottle in the other mop bucket compartment.

Wet your mop in the clean water and wring it out. Dip the tips – (3 – 6 inches) into the cleaning solution and wring your mop. Now start mopping your floor. After cleaning about 3 – 5 sq meters rinse the mop in the clean water side of the bucket and dip the tips of the mop (3 – 6 inches) into the cleaning solution side – wring out and repeat as above.

Let the floor dry and return to normal use. If it is a large area replace the rinse water when dirty. You will get into a rhythm to get the ratio of cleaning water and rinse solution just right so when the rinse water is dirty your cleaning solution will be finished in the bucket.

Why do we advise the above method?

Simple – if you mop a floor with a single compartment mop bucket you will collect the dirt on the floor and contaminate your cleaning solution with this. You will then keep spreading this onto the floor every time you rinse your mop in the solution

PLEASE NOTE – DO NOT PLACE METAL FURNITURE IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH YOUR

WOOD FLOOR AS THIS CAN CAUSE MARKS – FLOOR PROTECTORS AS DESCRIBED AS

ABOVE IS STRONGLY ADVISED

2- TOP UP OIL – Magic Oil Care (available in 0.75 Litre or 10 Litre)

Over time the floor will tone down after use. To give the floor a fresh lift it is best to apply a coating of Magic Oil Care to the floor after a clean (ad described above) Use the T bar applicator and apply a very thin layer of Magic oil care evenly to the floor. This should be done when the floor appears a bit dry or every 3 – 6 months depending on use.

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

CLEANING PRODUCTS

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

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

Why employ Art of Clean?

When you hire Art of Clean you get something you don't with other companies. Sure, you get professionalism, although, there's probably a little more with us. Yes, you get prompt, courteous service. You also get dedication and knowledge. But what other carpet cleaning, rug washing, wood floor sanding, stone buffing services don't have is...Gavin.

They don't have Nathan.

They definitely don't have Ben

or Pierre 

He goes a long way to help.

They don't have Gail, Laurence or Louise (group Charlie's Angels pose to come ;-)

In fact, other cleaning companies fail completely when providing a team of dedicated, hard working, fun people.

We're so happy with our team, that we even named a bunch of our offers after them. So, for a free quote from Gail or Laurence and for a professional, fun cleaning from the lads, all you need do is call.

We're here to help and even if you just have a small housekeeping question, our staff can help with a quick fix for your stain removal requirements.

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

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

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

Bad quality wooden floor under carpet?

We see a great shift where people remove the carpets in homes - in particular the ground floor living areas to expose beautiful wooden floor underneath.

In most cases these wooden floors that have not seen the light of day for many years are actually not intended to become finished wooden floors. The "sub-floor" was intended the have flooring installed over it and it was (and in most cases is still) covered with carpets.

These pine floors do restore well and can give a lovely character to a home. Here are a few things to take note of when you decide to make your sub-floor your main floor.

Previous repairs and damage or cuts in the boards

Some trades people (electricians and plumbers) will lift your carpet and to install cables and pipes beneath the floorboards simply hack through the floorboards - It is understandable as at the point this happen there will unlikely be an intention to sand and finish these floors

In some cases some boards gets replaced with much cheaper softer and lighter pine (most older floors are made up of Pitch Pine)

Gaps between boards

As your underlay and carpet stopped air moving through the floor - once you lift the carpet you will find there is more air movement and the room is then much more likely to have a cooler feel to it.

- See our blog post here on how we filled gaps between pine boards - http://artofcleanuk.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/pine-floor-board-sanding-filling-and.html

Sanding Quotation Pre-Inspection
We experience many home owners lift parts of the carpets in the home and phone for a quotations after they discover what they belief was a hidden treasure - Once we inspect the floors we will only see parts of the floor and it will not be possible to make an informed decision and it will not be possible to provide you with a quote


If you are serious to get your newly discovered wood floor restored it is strongly advised that all of the carpets will have to be removed.

Once the whole floor is exposed we will happily provide you advice on what can be done on your floor and this will allow you to make an informed decision.

Very important: the carpets need to be out of the way for us to see what repairs will be 
required.

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

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

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

How to save your commercial wood floor from scratches?

Wooden floors are beautiful and last more than a lifetime....if they are looked after correctly!

It is a laborious and timely job to have your floors sanded and re-sealed, and this eats into the profits of your business - especially if you have to close your doors for a day or two to get the job done!  So good floor maintenance is a must to ensure that your floor stays clean and beautiful for longer.  Most of the damage comes from scratches which can be caused by shoes, grit and dirt, and  moving furniture - particularly the scraping of chairs.

How to maintain your wooden floor:

• Get a good entry mat - stopping the dirt at the door is the best start.  If you place a big choir mat at all the entrances you will catch a good portion of dirt that people trample in with their shoes.  This is particularly important if your business is by the sea where you risk abrasive sand being traipsed across the floor; also grit/salt used to de-ice roads and pavements can be incredibly destructive to your wooden floor so a good mat is a real must have.
• Clean your floor regularly - in a busy store you ideally want to clean your floor every day, at least around the main walk ways.  A good sweep or vacuum at least would be beneficial, however a quick mopping wouldn't go a miss especially if the if sand of de-icing grit has been walked in.
• Protect your floors from furniture scratches - in cafes and restaurants this can be on of the most destructive elements for your floor as people drag their chairs back and forth.  To prevent this damage simply place felt pads under the lets of chairs and tables, the felt will glide along the floor leaning no damage.  Check the pads every couple of months for wear and tear, replace if necessary - replacing pads regularly will cost a great deal less than having to have your floors sanded!

 

New felt pad attached to chair leg to prevent further scratches to the wooden floor

 

Old felt pads that have long worn away will scratch the wooden floor

The felt pads under the tables and chairs are practically unnoticeable, but the improvement they make to the floor will not go unnoticed by the business owners!

We stock the above felt floor protector pads on our online store, see here:
http://www.artofcleanonline.co.uk/Floor-Protectors-Accessories/

If your floors are in need or sanding and finishing contact us for more information on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

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

New Year and our New arrival - It's a Pallmann Belt Sander!

We can now work even faster - giving clients their floor back sooner!

 Thank you to The Ultimate Floor Sanding Company for our new bundle of joy!

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.

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

 

 

 

 

Testing out the Pullmann Magic Oil Colour B - Grey

Testing out the Pullmann Magic Oil Colour B - Grey

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.

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

 

Engineered Wood Vs. Hardwood Flooring

Wood flooring is a classic choice that will add value to any home. Here's how to choose between hardwood and engineered wood.

Flooring is a very important consideration with any new home construction, renovation or remodeling project. If either hardwood or engineered wood is your flooring of choice, there are a few considerations to keep in mind with each option.
Hardwood

While hardwood flooring is a wise choice for adding style and value to any home, its longevity is dependant on where and how it is installed.

Solid wood floors are manufactured as one complete piece of wood, generally 3/4” thick. Wood expands and contracts with changes in humidity. This, however, is compensated for by leaving an air or expansion gap between the floor and the wall, which is covered by baseboard trim. In the humid summer months, solid wood can expand and if there is too much moisture, the planks or strips may “cup”. Alternatively, in the winter the wood dries out and can shrink, leaving visible gaps between planks.

Strip, plank and parquet are the three basic types of solid wood. Strip flooring is the most popular and ranges between 1-1/2” wide to 3-1/4” wide. Plank flooring is typically wider than 3-1/4” while parquet comes in 6” by 6” squares and is available in a variety of patterns.

Solid wood flooring should only be considered for moisture controlled environments, can be used on ground or above-ground installations and must be nailed or screwed to a wood subfloor. Solid wood can also be installed on a concrete slab, providing it is on or above ground level.
Engineered wood

Engineered wood flooring is actually sheets of wood layered on top of each other in opposite directions. The cross-layering of the wood sheets provides a dimensionally stable floor which stands up to moisture much better than solid wood. While solid wood tends to expand across the width of the planks rather than down the length of the boards, the cross-layered quality of engineered wood sheets helps resist expansion or shrinkage when in the presence of high humidity or moisture.

Engineered floor planks range in thickness from 1/4" to 9/16” and from 2-1/4" to 7" in width. The top layer can be one of many different types and finishes of wood, including exotic species such as Brazilian cherry.

Due to its moisture resistant qualities, most engineered floors can be nailed, stapled or glued down, or floated over a wide variety of subfloors including some types of existing flooring such as vinyl tiles. Caution should be used to ensure that your installation application meets the manufacturer’s recommendations. While engineered wood is a little more expensive than solid wood, it is typically guaranteed for 25 years and a number of sandings.

Sourced from: http://houseandhome.com

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.