Refinishing Your Hardwood Floors 101

Have you been wondering how to do hardwood restoration at home? Well this blog will give you a few quick tips that can help you handle your hardwood floors .

The first tip is that you have to pick the right hardwood floor sander. If you are new to this sort of thing, then choosing any orbital sander is your safe bet; while these kinds of sanders do take longer to remove finish than drum sanders, they are more user-friendly. The reason orbital sanders are better for novices is because you can move them with or against the grain of the wood, it doesn't matter. The only precaution is that you keep the sander level while using it or you can have uneven sanding.

The second tip is to be careful & take precautions. Because of the amount of dust that is generated while doing hardwood refinishing , you should have plenty of dust masks, earplugs, and eye protection. Please, do not do the sanding without these things or the dust can get in your eyes, lungs & airways, ears and the sanders can be loud and damage your hearing. When applying the finish liquid, make sure to wear appropriate respirators, gloves (neoprene or vinyl).

The third tip is to be gentle. Don't be too aggressive with your hardwood while sanding them. Generally, you want to start with a lower grit count and then move them up as you progress your sanding and reach the desired fineness.

The fourth tip is to the careful while applying the finish. A good way to make sure you do the finish evenly is to go row by row on your hardwood floors . This way, you minimize the risk of over-coating while doing the floors . It is better to use thinner coats than thick coats while doing this stage.

Enjoy doing your own hardwood flooring refinishing and consult a pro if you run into any problems or questions.

Dogs and Hardwood Floors

Hardwood floors are nice to have in your home and look great; but what do you do when you have pets such as dogs? With their nails and constantly going inside and outside, they bring in elements from outside that can make your beautiful hardwood floors look crummy; not only bringing things inside, sometimes they create messes on the floor because they didn't get outside. Here are some hardwood floor types that can withstand the conditions of owning a dog or cat.

If you have a pet, you will want to get pre-finished hardwood floors. This will keep dirt and such out of the fibers in your floors. An option for pre-finished wood floors that will tolerate your pets will be laminate floors, such as pergo.

Another thing to remember is to get hardwood floors, not softwood. No matter what you do to softwood floors, such as pine, you won't be able to prevent the floor from getting destroyed.

Brazilian walnut floors are good for pets as well since it is dense. This floor is so dense that people have even been known to use it for exterior decks.

Another option to have nice floors that can take a beating, look to hard maple. You can count on this type of flooring being able to handle what you can dish out because it is often used for basketball courts.

An option that is durable that not many people have caught onto yet is bamboo flooring. This is a durable type of flooring because despite actually being a grass, not wood, it has resin mixed with the strands of bamboo that make the flooring very hard.

Hope you enjoy your great new floors and your pets!

Hardwood Flooring Textures: Brushed, Bandsaw and Tumbling

Our Palatine Hardwood Flooring Company can tell you that the final appearance of wood flooring is not just dependent on the type of timer but the treatements applied to the wood as well.  The staining, oil, wax, lacquer finishing, or fuming/smoking will affect the color of the wood as well. 

Chicagoland Pro specializes is hardwood flooring installation, hardwood flooring restoration, and hardwood flooring maintenance. In this blog, we will focus on the physical texture and grain of solid wood flooring.  There are three main textures of hardwood flooring, they are brushed, bandsawn, and distressed/tumbled. 

Brushed:

In the past, brushed flooring texture was achieved by hand using wire brushes.  Now with technology advancements, the same appearance can be achieved with purpose-built machinery which produces a steady depth of brushing over the while floor.

When our hardwood flooring company is trying to achieve the brushed appearance, we use a machine with copper of steel brushes that rotate over the surface.  This machine opens up the grain and turns the smooth surface into a more open-textured surface with indentations that follow the grain of the wood.  We can achieve different levels of grain accentuation depending on how hard or soft the brushing is.  We also can emphasize the depth of grain by using a colored or oiled finish that will accentuate the wood’s texture.

Bandsawn:

To create saw marks over the complete surface of the wood, our hardwood flooring installers would use a bandsaw.  We adjust the settings of the bandsaw to create different degrees of texture.  We have the skills to make your hardwood flooring look high textured and rustic or subtle. 

Tumbling:

One of the most common textures our Palatine Hardwood Flooring Company provides is the look of reclaimed wood, which involves tumbling.  Tumbling is often times a much lower cost and gives wood a distressed look.  The resulting effect of tumbling is wood that appears to have years of wear and tear and is difficult to distinguish whether it is distressed or reclaimed wood/

For hardwood flooring tips, the best method to tumbling is to distress/soften the corners and edges of the wood to make it look word and our machine will also create random indentations across the surface to give an overall “naturally aged” look.  Distressing adds character and beauty to your hardwood flooring and it is suitable for modern times.

We understand that everyone has different tastes in flooring whether it be hard wood or carpet or tile.  We think it is important for people to realize that there are so many options and looks to hardwood flooring that can be achieved in a multitude of ways.  If you have any questions about hardwood textures, please contact Chicagoland Pro for Palatine Hardwood Flooring Installation or comment below!

Summer Hardwood Flooring Maintenence

Hardwood Floors take a beating - we all know this. But most especially in the Hardwood Floors looking great!
summer when humidity is high, air conditioners are running, and we're constantly cleaning muddy shoe prints up. The constant heat, cold, and wet conditions can take their toll after a while, but there are ways to keep your

Hardwood Floor Refinishing and Repair is the best way to keep your hardwood floors looking as good as new, and Chicagoland Pro, a Palatine Hardwood Flooring Contractor, is the way to go.

Our hardwood flooring company recommends that you seeks Chicagoland Pro as for Palatine hardwood flooring maintenance company.  Maintenance during the summer months in more important than most people realize.  This is because the floors tend to wear out more and even the most carefully installed floor can expand during the summer months and cup or buckle due to the high moisture and the humidity in the air.  

One of our other hardwood flooring tips is that we do recommend that you vacuum your hardwood floors.  Vacuuming the floors allows for dirt or dust that is trapped to be sucked up and disposed of which a broom cannot reach.  However, if you are vacuuming your hardwood floors we strongly recommend that you use the bare floor attachment and not to roll the vacuum across the floors because this could also damage your flooring.

Also, the strong summer sun is very damaging to hardwood flooring.  Many of our calls are for hardwood flooring restoration due to sun damaging the floors from the shades of blinds never being drawn down or closed.  Direct sunlight to hardwood flooring can lead to discoloring the floor.

If you want to protect your floor and keep it looking beautiful for as long as possible, have one of our Palatine hardwood flooring installation experts tell you what the best products are to clean and care for your floor.  We want to advise you against using wax, detergents or any oil based soaps which will or could damage the finishing on your floor. Hardwood flooring refinishing is a great option for anyone interested in getting the beautiful luster and charm back to the floors.  Our hardwood flooring company can tell you exactly what products to use that are designed for your flooring.  Do not just rely on any product or water alone because when certain products evaporate, they can cause hardwood flooring stains.

If you have any questions about your hardwood floors, or if you are interested in hardwood flooring maintenance or hardwood flooring restoration, comment below or contact our Palatine hardwood flooring company.

Why You Should Choose Walnut Flooring

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Our Palatine hardwood flooring company knows how important it is to shop for the best quality flooring that will not exceed your budget.  Many people do not realize this, but most often, the floor is the first thing people look at when they walk into a new place.  Hardwood flooring is truly a focal point of your home and we want to help you make sure you make the best selection for your budget, the beauty of your home, and of course, for functionality.

Our hardwood flooring company knows that deciding on your flooring can be very time consuming and cannot be a spontaneous decision.  We are experts when it comes to hardwood flooring installation, hardwood flooring restoration, hardwood flooring maintenance and hardwood flooring restoration. 

Perhaps one of our favorite hardwood flooring panels we suggest to our clients is the dark walnut flooring.  We find that walnut flooring creates a timeless elegance in all homes that looks fantastic throughout the entire home.  The panels pick up a lot of colors that are great to match with furniture and art throughout your home.  Walnut definitely creates a warm ambiance and is very welcoming and comforting to guests. 

Palatine hardwood flooring also suggest walnut flooring because it is a hardwood that is extremely durable.  We know that you are looking for an affordable flooring option that is still attractive which is why one of our hardwood flooring tips is to buy walnut hardwood.  Walnut hardwood lasts much longer than other woods, so in the long run, it is a much better buy and will keep your home feeling cozy and beautiful longer.  Walnut also requires very little hardwood flooring maintenance.  We have found that walnut tends to resist water damage, mold, bug infestations, etc.  Not to mention, cleaning the floor is very simple because you are able to mop the floor without damaging it.  And hardwood flooring often, because walnut has a darker appearance, it hides dirt and grime well.  Walnut is also relatively easy to install, so our flooring experts can have your house looking beautiful in no time.

don’t worry if you are not able to clean your

If we haven’t sold you on selecting walnut hardwood flooring for your home, give our Palatine Hardwood Flooring Company a call.  We would love to speak with you about what flooring is best for your home and schedule an appointment for one of our Palatine hardwood flooring installers to visit your home.

Considerations with Hardwood Flooring Refinishing

Considerations with Hardwood Flooring Refinishing

Everyday wear and tear on your hardwood flooring will eventually accumulate into scratches and dulling in your hardwood flooring. Hardwood flooring maintenance and refinishing should be a regular routine in order to keep your hardwood flooring a great accent in your household. On average, most hardwood floors need to be refinished every three years. Whether or not your flooring needs refinishing or not always depends on certain outside elements such as the location and daily use/traffic. It may be pretty apparent, but the more an area is used or walked on, the quicker it will need attention. Common areas that should be considered first for hardwood flooring refinishing include: staircases, hallways, etc.

Are you concerned that your hardwood flooring is in need of a touch up or some refinishing? Don’t let the look of worn out hardwood flooring let you cover it up with carpeting. Most people actually believe that the value of hardwood flooring increases with age. Not sure if your rooms need to be refinished? Or maybe just certain areas? Not to worry, our experts at Chicagoland Pro have come up with a few hardwood flooring tips that will help you determine whether or not you need to consider refinishing your floors.

            The sound of hardwood flooring restoration or refinishing may seem a little intimidating at first. Yes, the process of hardwood flooring refinishing may be long and inconvenient, but will definitely be worth all of your hard work! When thinking of refinishing your hardwood flooring, consider the fact that the entire floor may not need the restoration. Same yourself some hassle and determine whether or not your entire hardwood flooring needs to be refinished. If you need assistance examining your hardwood floor in order to determine what type of hardwood flooring maintenance you need, contact Chicagoland Pro for a free estimate.

            The process of refinishing your hardwood flooring can save homeowners a lot of money! Unlike any other type of indoor flooring for your home, hardwood flooring doesn’t need to be replaced to look good as new. Flooring such as carpeting needs to be totally replaced when it’s worn out which can become very expensive especially if you need to replace it every three years. Hardwood flooring on the other hand can preserve itself and enhance its durability and strength by being refinished.

            For more information on hardwood flooring refinishing, keep up and subscribe to our blog! We would love to hear your feedback, so please feel free to comment below.

Radiant Flooring

Over the last few years we have been hearing a lot of homeowners talk heated flooring, also known as radiant flooring.  As a Chicago hardwood flooring company we felt we should at least address the topic and share our two cents on radiant flooring.  Here's what you need to know about radiant flooring before you decide to have it put in your home:

Can make for a more comfortable room

Perhaps you or someone you know has a home that is constantly cold.  No matter how much you turn up the heat, the house remains cold.  Having a drafty house happens.  Cold homes are typically the result of a home that isn't insulated very well. Radiant, or heated flooring, can make a room much more comfortable without the need to jack up the heating.  Homeowners that have radiant flooring talk about how nice it is to step onto warm bathroom tiles on those cold winter mornings.  While we may not be radiant flooring people ourselves, we can see how it would be a nice edition to a cold, drafty home.

Resale value

Every upgrade you put into your home gives it the potential to have a higher resale value later on down the line.  With this in mind, radiant flooring could be a nice addition if you plan on selling your home later.  An upgrade like heated flooring could certainly usher in some bids on your home for those buyers who want heated floors.

Quiet operation

One of the most commonly asked questions in regards to radiant flooring is "Is it loud?"  Surprisingly many homeowners and radiant installers alike report little to no sound from the flooring.  Compared to forced-air or radiator systems, radiant flooring is considerably quieter.

Gives homeowners the ability to use forced-air and radiator systems less often

Rather than continually running the heat all winter long, radiant flooring gives homeowners the ability to run their heat less, which is nice for homeowners looking to save some money on heating bills.  It also eliminates the dust and allergens that are associated with forced-air.

Have radiant flooring in your home? Let us know what you think of it in a comment below or contact us.

Palatine Hardwood Flooring Company
Palatine Hardwood Flooring
Chicago Hardwood Flooring Company
Chicago Hardwood Flooring