Wood Flooring - Comments
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Hello, HOW DO YOU DECIDE ??? My question is, How do I decide which direction the wood flooring (planks) are to by placed ? I would like to put the hard wood (engineered) floor from my front entrance running into the family room. Foyer is basically a square, the family room, slightly off to the right side as you enter the house is slightly longer side to side than it is front to back (there is a powder room adjacent to the family room w/ the door facing the front of the house. The man who came to measure said to run the planks left/right running the length of the house. Looking as is they were going across the foyer floor. There is a six foot sliding glass door at the rear wall of the family room opening to the back yard. The door to our garage opens into the family room from the right side wall (as looking from the foyer into the family room ) and there is a fireplace on that right side wall also.I would like to get a flat panel TV wall mounted which would be directly opposite the fireplace. Our couch has always faced out towards the backyard. I'd like to thank you for this wonderful web site I have learned an amazing amount of info. I also just discovered the staining on engineered wood floors do not "stain" or look the same on the solid wood /same wood species same manufacture. The cashmere or dull finish even though I'm told it will hide the scratches, also has a different hue than the semigloss ,almost a grey haze when the glare in the house hits it.. The companies do not offer all finishes on various plank sizes either.(that is driving me nuts).I can also advise to take as many samples home because the lighting in the stores are not the same as your home. Please answer asap, thank you ,thank you thank you !!! I must order tomorrow. GREATFULY YOURS, JANE
Jane at July 10, 2008 09:04 PM
Posted by: Jane at July 10, 2008 09:04 PMJane,
The way to decide how wood flooring planks should be installed is to know which way your floor joists run; your planks will run perpendicularly to them. I suppose you could run them at an angle across the joists, but without beefing up your subfloor you want to avoid having the planks run parallel to your floor joists.
Glad you like the site and are learning lots. I have learned a lot myself and love sharing with others.
The Flooring Lady at July 11, 2008 09:39 AM
Posted by: The Flooring Lady at July 11, 2008 09:39 AMSorry, I forgot to mention we are Gluing.... What type of glue do you advise ,I'd like to make sure the installers use a very good type ( over slab)---J
Jane at July 11, 2008 10:15 AM
Posted by: Jane at July 11, 2008 10:15 AMMy favorite glue is Bostik's Best glue. It's a one-part, moisture-cure, urethane adhesive. That will act like a vapor barrier and deal with the room's climate changes as they occur.
The Flooring Lady at July 11, 2008 12:46 PM
Posted by: The Flooring Lady at July 11, 2008 12:46 PMI am going to have a prefinished ash solid hardwood floor installed in my kitchen. Because the edge of each board has a very very slight bevel, I am concerned about dirt (cooking grease, frosting, sugary spilled drinks, milk, eggs, etc.) getting established in these spaces. I am also concerned with general cleaning of the floor. Currently the old vinyl floor is washed once a week. How can I keep a hardwood kitchen floor clean? Are there any products which are particularly good to clean a kitchen floor? I know it is important to wipe up water (etc.) as soon as possible.
MG, New York
M Gotkin at July 29, 2008 09:36 AM
Posted by: M Gotkin at July 29, 2008 09:36 AMThe best thing to do (always!) is to call the manufacturer and find out what they recommend. You might also ask about something (like a wax or polish) to apply over the floor - to kinda help fill in those bevels a little to help it to be easier to clean - eliminate the depth that dirt can get to. Yes, you're not supposed to have to do this, but I can understand your concerns since this will be installed in the kitchen.
The Flooring Lady at July 29, 2008 12:03 PM
Posted by: The Flooring Lady at July 29, 2008 12:03 PMAm moving into a 1944 home that has soft wood floors through out- what kind of care do they need?
Linda at April 18, 2009 07:22 PM
Posted by: Linda at April 18, 2009 07:22 PMWe are building a new home and love the look of the very dark, almost black, hard wood floors. I have been told that many of these floors are Walnut, but that they are very soft. I also read about Wenge, Ebony and Brazilan Walnut, which are harder but much more expensive and rare. Do you have any experience with any of these woods?
anneliese at August 9, 2009 02:16 PM
Posted by: anneliese at August 9, 2009 02:16 PMAnneliese,
In flooring, hardwood is better than softwood since it can so easily be damaged.
Wenge, Brazilian Walnut are very hard woods. They do need a a professional who is familiar with the woods in order to attain proper installation.
Wenge does have a color change from a lighter yellow-brown to a very dark brown that is often confused for black until closer inspection.
Brazilian Walnut has one of the highest rankings for hardwood and is resistant to moisture and pests. While it does show color variation, which will conform into a more uniform appearance. As time passes and exposure to sunlight will darken the wood to a medium or dark brown color.
Your budget and lifestyle will determine which would you like to purchase and install.
The Flooring Lady at August 10, 2009 12:07 PM
Posted by: The Flooring Lady at August 10, 2009 12:07 PM
I have a hardwood floor that is old. One part of it is unfinished the other finished. What do I use to clean it. Murphy's oil says only finished.
Thanks
connie at September 21, 2009 03:02 PM
Posted by: connie at September 21, 2009 03:02 PMComment Page: 1 | 2
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