Timber flooring made from reclaimed wood.
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The term timber flooring means different things to different people. But in this article, it refers to wood flooring made from reclaimed wood. It’s sometimes also called barn board. But whatever you call it, the nail holes, cracks, warm holes, saw marks, and other characteristics of timber flooring make it very distinctive.
Most of the reclaimed boards that are used in wood flooring today are over 100 years old and were originally used in barns, farmhouses, and other construction in American northeast and midwest. Typically, timber flooring planks are wider than most of today’s flooring. In fact, widths of 10’, 12” and even wider are common.
Around the turn of the 20th century, builders weren’t often choosing lumber for its appearance. So not much first grade or clear wood was used for flooring. As a result, these old boards have lots of imperfections like knots , cracks, and uneven or coarse grains. This is all part of what makes timber floors one of a kind. No two boards are alike.
Because wood is a sustainable product and reclaimed wood is recycled from a previous use, timber flooring is also ecologically responsible.
The most common reclaimed woods are red and white oak — still the most popular woods for flooring today. Oak is hard, even grained, and works well in almost any situation. Because it’s readily available, it also has the advantage of being more affordable than some other species.
Not all reclaimed flooring is hardwood. In fact, softwoods like eastern white pine, hemlock, and Douglas fir make beautiful wood floors, those are less durable than hardwoods. The color ranges from light to dark brown, and older boards have a rich patina. These make especially popular timber floors for kitchens and family rooms.
Although it’s technically a softwood, heart pine is almost as soft as oak. In fact, it’s the hardest softwood. There are usually lots of knots and coarse grain. And the pale, golden color sets off furniture and area rugs. It was originally used in docks and warehouses, so it’s quite rustic and creates an informal, casual room.
One of the most widely planted share trees after the Civil War, the American elm is pale with a tight, straight grain. Most of the trees were wiped out by Dutch Elm Disease, so supply of Elm is limited. But it makes a less rustic timber floor than most other reclaimed woods.
If you can find it, old chestnut is one of the most desirable reclaimed wood for timber flooring. A fungal blight in the early 20th century wiped out American chestnut, so the supply is scarce. Not only is chestnut extremely durable, it has a rich, dark color that only comes with age.
Several small lumber and flooring companies sell timber flooring. If you can’t see the actual boards before you purchase them, be prepared for the color and texture to be different from the samples in the showroom.
Read more about antique oak flooring here.
How to refinish oak flooring.
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Oak flooring is extremely durable and easy to maintain. But with continuous use, even a well-cared for oak floor will start to show some wear. One of the best things about wood flooring is that it can be refinished. So unlike carpeting or tile, which must be replaced once it starts looking tired, wood floors can easily be brought back to life again.
How do you know when it’s time to refinish your oak flooring? The finish will start to lose its luster and you’ll see lots of superficial scratches on the surface. The next step is figuring out what kind of finish your floor has now. Because you’ll need to use the same kind when you refinish your oak floors.
Can I refinish my wood floors myself?
Refinishing hardwoods floor isn’t hard. But it is messy because it produces a lot of sawdust. And if you use an oil-based polyurethane, the fumes can be pretty noxious. So if you have respiratory problems, it’s probably best to hire professionals to refinish your floors.
Professionals usually charge between $1.50 and $3.00 per square foot. That price should include materials.
If you do tackle it yourself, you’ll need to rent a sander or two, buy sandpaper, miscellaneous supplies like tack cloth, and whatever stain or finishes you choose.
No special skills are required. But you will need to take care in order to get results that you’ll be happy with for years to come.
Sanding your oak flooring.
First, empty the room, removing all furniture, carpets, window treatments, etc. Remove the nails from any baseboards or quarter round, and take them off. To make them easier to reinstall, number them and put the corresponding number on the wall.
Go over the wood flooring and remove or countersink any nails, carpet tacks or staples. These can tear the paper you use to sand the floors – which is annoying, because you have to stop work, and expensive, because it wastes sandpaper.
Once your room is prepared, your next stop is the equipment rental store. There are several types of sanders you can rent. A drum sander is the choice of professionals, but they can be hard to control. And if you don’t keep them moving they can sand down one spot so quickly that it will leave a dip in your floor. Or worse, remove the entire veneer.
An orbital sander is easier for beginners to manage. Have the person you rent the sander from demostrate it for you and make sure you’re comfortable with it before you leave the shop. Most big sanders won’t reach all the way to the edge of the floor, so rent an edging machine or a palm sander for the hard-to-reach spots.
You’ll need several grades of sandpaper, usually 36-, 60-, 80-, 100-, and 120-. Start with the coarsest (36). Run the sander back and forth with the grain in smooth, even strokes. Always keep the sander moving when it’s turned on. Otherwise, you may sand one area too deeply. And be sure to use a respirator every time you sand.
When you finish sanding your wood floor, vacuum up all the sawdust with a shop vac, and go over the floor with a tack cloth to make sure all the dust has been removed. Then, repeat the process with every grade of sandpaper. By the time you get down to the 120-grade, your oak floor should be soft as a baby’s bottom.
Use the edger or palm sander to prepare the parts your couldn’t reach with the bigger sander. Then, clean the floor as thoroughly as you can, removing any remaining dust. The cleaner you get the wood, the better the finish will be.
Finishing your oak floors.
If you want a shade that’s darker than the natural color of your wood flooring, you’ll need to apply a stain. For subtle changes, apply the stain with a rag. For a more dramatic difference, use a brush and remove the excess with rags. Do a test in the back of a closet or some other inconspicuous place to make sure you like the color.
Let the stain dry completely. Then apply a second coat if you want more color.
Otherwise, you can start applying the polyurethane finish. There are two main types of polyurethane used for finishing hardwood floors: oil-based polyurethane and water-based polyurethane.
Oil-based is a little easier to work with because it takes longer to dry, so it’s easier to blend and go over any mistakes. It yellows a little with age. The downside is that the fumes can be quite strong. Water-based product dries very quickly, which can sometimes result in streaks where wet polyurethane was applied over partially dried finish.
Stir the polyurethane well, don’t shake it – that can cause bubbles that will end up in the finish. Then apply it evenly with a brush or roller. Go with the grain, working as quickly as you can.
When the first coat has dried thoroughly, sand lightly with the finest grade of sandpaper and then apply another coat. Wait at least three days before reattaching the baseboards and moving furniture and rugs back into the room. Then, sit back and enjoy the renewed beauty of your wood flooring.
Read about finishes for wood flooring here.
Vinyl flooring basics.
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While nothing can match the beauty and warmth of wood flooring, wood floors have some real disadvantages.
Because wood and water do not mix, wood is a poor choice for kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and other settings with a lot of moisture. Wood floors will fade in direct sunlight. And although the cost can be amortized over a lifetime of use, wood flooring is very expensive.
Vinyl flooring, on the other hand, is ideal for areas where spills are common. It’s easy to install and care for. Although it’s very durable, it’s kinder to your feet and your glassware than hardwood floors. And best of all, compared to wood flooring, vinyl floors are really inexpensive.
Types of vinyl flooring.
There are two main kinds of vinyl flooring. Inlaid vinyl floors are impregnated with color granules that are baked into the material. This results in a richer color that resists fading. Printed vinyl flooring applies ink to the top of a sheet of blank vinyl. So over time, the pattern may wear and the color may fade.
Vinyl flooring comes in a variety of thicknesses with different backings. Some vinyl flooring is backed with felt, and others are backed with another layer of vinyl. The main difference is in how the flooring is installed.
Sheet vinyl comes in rolls that are 6’ or 12’ wide. The sheets are cut to length after the room is measured. Vinyl tiles come in either 12” or 18” squares. Self-adhesive vinyl tiles are a snap to install. And if one if damaged, it’s easy to replace. The squares can also be mixed and matched to create an interesting pattern.
Caring for vinyl floors.
Most vinyl flooring has a no-wax surface, so all that’s required to keep them looking good is occasional dusting and going over them with a damp mop from time to time. One of the key advantages to vinyl floors is that spills can simply be wiped up. If you’ve ever dropped a plate of spaghetti, you know what a benefit this is.
If you’re installing vinyl floors in a high-traffic area, upgrade to a floor with a urethane surface coating. This will reduce scuffs and scratches more than the basic no-wax finish. For commercial settings, vinyl flooring with an enhanced-urethane wear layer will provide even more scuff resistance.
There are products made specifically for cleaning vinyl floors available in the cleaning aisle of your local grocery store. In most cases, they are added to the mop water and don’t need to be rinsed.
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