Dramatic and tough

Tigerwood Flooring is extremely tough

Tigerwood flooring is a true hardwood and very dense. Although the Janka rating on any kind of hardwood can vary according to where the wood is harvested, Tigerwood has a rating that hovers around 2000, which is quite hard.

Installing Tigerwood flooring can present some challenges. The fact that it is so hard makes it kind of a bear to cut. Carbide tipped power tools are required for Tigerwood installation. Tigerwood is 170% stronger than red oak.

Origins of Tigerwood flooring

Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay are the leading producers of Tigerwood flooring, with smaller quantities coming from other Latin American nations. Sometimes the wood is referred to as Brazilian Tigerwood regardless of origin. Because the wood is imported, this exotic hardwood can fetch a fairly handsome price. But due to the unusual nature of the wood, it can impart a real feel of luxury to any room in which it is installed.

Other names for tigerwood are goncal alves, muiracatiara, astronium and cuta tigre as well as the aforementioned ‘zebrawood’. Because it is such a very hard wood, it is long-lasting and will be an enduring feature of your home.

Caring for Tigerwood Floors

Once the Tigerwood flooring is installed, caring for it isn’t much different from other types of hardwood floors. As with our care articles it is worth repeating that you should use mats at all outside entries, sweep before you mop, avoid harsh chemicals, vacuum with proper attachments and care and use as little water as possible when cleaning your floors.

Tigerwood flooring, like any hardwood floor will darken in tone with age and more so if it is exposed to a great deal of natural light. The contrast that Tigerwood is prized for can fade slightly as the contrast between the light and dark hues in the wood lessens. Therefore, as we have advised in our care articles about other types of flooring, care should be taken to draw the curtains when the sun is bearing down directly on your Tigerwood floor.

As far as exotic hardwood species go, dramatic Tigerwood is really an eye catcher. It has a base color of golden yellow to golden brown with highly contrasting streaks throughout. Deep black or chocolate brown stripes serve to create a truly unique. A wonderful living material, Tigerwood will mature with time and the colors will become mellower and a bit more subtle.

Maple wood flooring is one of the premium kinds of hardwood flooring available. Maple imparts a wonderful warmth to any room and is extremely durable. Like any quality wood flooring, this wood will increase not just the beauty, but also the value of your home. Maple wood flooring has a naturally light hue that blends into and complements all kinds of decorating styles and architectural designs. From a rustic cabin to an elegant and modern traditional style home, this is a flooring choice worth consideration.

Maple Wood Flooring is Green

Northern hard maple is an excellent choice if you are looking for a flooring material that is renewable. As a living tree, this wood is managed and maintained to continue to provide consumers with the material. Maple wood flooring is recyclable in that the boards can be re-used. And, of course, as with all wood flooring products, maple wood is biodegradable.

Maple Wood Flooring means Quality

This magnificent hardwood comes from forest above the 35th parallel. This climate zone’s brief growing season and hard winters makes for wood with very dense graining with a gloriously deep golden color. There are very few flaws in the planking. As with other hardwood varieties, maple wood flooring comes in grades. The highest, or first grade will be selected with the least natural variations while second grade has more variations and third even more. All grades will have the same quality of strength and hardness, however.

Installation of Maple Wood Flooring

The standard advice on all hardwood flooring installation holds true for maple as well. Materials should be held for around 72 hours in the room where it will be installed. The temperature and moisture in the air of the room should be stablized at around 75 degrees and there should be no more than 50% moisture present. For this reason, your heating and air-condtioning systems should be fully functional before your floors are installed.

After your floor is installed, it will take up to two years for the floor to completely adapt to the conditions of your home. Remember, as a living material, wood will continue to react to environmental changes. Dry conditions will cause the wood to shrink and high humidity will cause the boards to swell.

During winter months when your heat is on and the house is dry, you may notice some small separations between the hardwood planks. When the floor is once again exposed to moister air in the warm months these small cracks from shrinkage will disappear.

Maple wood flooring doesn’t require any particularly difficult care. Simple gentle cleaning is really all that your floor will require for many, many years. See our articles on for advice on how to maintain your maple wood floor in prime condition.

Maple wood flooring is an enduring feature of your home that adds great value not only in dollar terms, but in quality of life terms. Your maple floor will last for generations with proper care and can easily be brought back to new condition whenever heavy wear occurs. Among all types of hardwood flooring, maple wood flooring is a star.

So, you’ve made the decision to install oak floors in your home. You still have to choose among the types of oak flooring available. There are a number of choices still left to consider, each of which has practical and aesthetic considerations. As with all home construction and/or decorating decisions, your choices are going to be unique to you. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to hardwood flooring. Oak floors come in several types and styles, as do all types of hardwood floors.

Three Types of Oak Flooring and Their Characteristics

1. Solid – As the name implies, this product is made of solid wood. The thickness of the planking can range from a quarter inch to one inch. As the thickness increases, the price goes up. Thicker products are going to be more durable, allow for more refinish jobs and feel more ‘solid under your feet. There is a wide variety of wood species used to make this type of hardwood floor with types of oak flooring being among the the most popular. Solid oak flooring can literally last for generations in your home. In general, solid hardwood flooring will make the most lasting contribution to the value of your home.

2. Engineered – These products are constructed in layers. The way the planks are constructed, the grain of the wood is laid in opposing directions and this makes the floor more stable. Most engineered floor products are between three and twelve layers with the more expensive products having more layers. The advantage to engineered wood floors is due to their greater moisture resistance they can be installed in places not suited to solid wood flooring, like basements or in climates with high levels of humidity. These floors have nearly the same variety of species to choose from as solid hardwood floors. The top layer of the floor is the one that imparts the ‘look’ to the floor so you could choose oak veneer if you are looking for oak flooring and get essentially the same result. There are many types of oak flooring available as engineered products. High quality engineered floors can be refinished up to five times, however the cheaper brands may have as little as .6mm of veneer and can only be recoated once they become worn. Engineered oak flooring is popular because it can give a very pleasing appearance for a more budget friendly price than solid oak flooring.

3. Acrylic Impregnated – This type of wood floor is very hard and stands up to a lot of wear and tear. The wood grain is injected with acrylic resins. This type of floor can be obtained in most of the hardwoods as the other floors and it is ideal for very high traffic areas, even commercial installations in restaurants and stores. It also makes a very durable choice for homeowners. It is one of the types of oak flooring that can handle nearly any situation.

The way you assess each of these various types of hardwood flooring is to first consider where the flooring is to be installed. Solid hardwood flooring is not appropriate for some installations. In places where high moisture is going to be an issue you should consider other choices. Budget considerations will also come into play. Remember that you can get the same look as solid oak flooring at a more attractive price if you choose engineered oak flooring. So you can see that there are many types of oak flooring that fit your unique circumstances.

Shopping on line for wood flooring — Know what you are searching for!

Oak flooring, laminate flooring, bamboo flooring, walnut flooring and all the exotic woods you can name are just a click away and it’s so easy to compare prices when you can select a feature that lets you put your selections in ascending or descending price order. You can sort by brand names like Armstrong, Anderson or Mohawk Industries. Or if you know you want solid wood flooring, you can filter for that choice. There are a number of different engineered wood flooring options as well. There are nearly two dozen installation types to choose from with every imaginable combination of glue, staples, nails and snap in place tongue and groove.

I may be stating the obvious, but when you shop on line, you should make your searches count so that you can get the most out of them. By putting your search term in quotes in the search engine’s query box, you will get results returned that are an exact match to what you have typed. For example, if you type in “white oak laminate flooring” you will get results for that type of flooring.

Sort by length, width or thickness if you know specifically what dimensions your planking needs to be. By far the  largest choice is in materials.  And species!  I counted over 168 different kinds of wood on one amazing site.  I know a lot about hardwood floors, but I was astonished at the number of woods I had never even heard of. Nogal , orosi  and sakura woods are three I didn’t recognize. The scary part about these was the ‘call for prices’ part of the description.

Showroom versus Shopping on line for wood flooring

I don’t know about you, but I get a bit nervous when I have a salesperson shadowing me ready to pounce when I pause at this or that display. I appreciate being able to see and feel the flooring materials, but many times I have had to ask the price of each and every option I take a peek at.  Or, if I go to some of the big box home improvement stores, I wind up getting no help at all in spite of advertising to the contrary!  Sometimes, I find the best approach is to spend some time in a showroom where I can establish the look and feel of what I want and then return home and shop on line for wood flooring at the best price and quality I can find.

Cleaning Wood Floors

Cleaning Wood Floors — Different tasks to manage

Cleaning wood floors can be roughly broken down into three types of jobs: everyday maintenance, quarterly cleaning and, depending on wear and tear, periodic re-finishing.

Everyday cleaning for wood floors

Every day, your family brings sand, grit and dirt into your home and this is distributed through your house by the day-to-day activities of your family. Obviously, the larger the family, the more dirt is going to come in on the bottoms of your shoes. Pets are a big source as well and cannot be taught to wipe their feet! High traffic areas such as your entrance way and the kitchen are probably the most affected by the dulling power of tracked in dirt. All of this activity and all of the resulting grit acts like sandpaper on your wood floors, dulling their finish over time. So, the first rule of cleaning wood floors is to remove the dirt as often as it is practical. Soft brooms and vacuum cleaners with a soft bristled hose attachment work best for this job. Even if your upright vacuum has a setting for hardwood floors it is best to avoid using it as those spinning bristles can also damage your floors. Gentle is always best.

Preventive measures you can take to keep the dirt outside are to put mats on the outside of doors and area rugs on the inside. That way, the shoes get a double whammy before they hit your floors. If you get in the habit of wiping your dog’s paws after he has been outside, you eliminate one more big source of grit.

It can’t be emphasized enough that water is not a friend to your wood floors. Be vigilant in wiping up wet spills and, if you have a mud room, encourage everyone to use it in the winter time when snow and melting salts (ouch!) can wreak havoc on your floor’s finish. Even sturdy oak floors can be warped if liquid seeps in between the floorboards. When you do mop your floors as regular maintenance, use a well-wrung mop. Mop only after thorough sweeping. For weekly cleaning, a very weak solution of white vinegar or just plain water is sufficient to keep your hardwood flooring clean. Regular detergents and especially ammonia based cleansers can strip or dull the finish of your floor.

Periodic Deep Cleaning Wood Floors

Deeper cleaning is appropriate about every three months. For this task, it is best to invest in a good neutral pH cleaner. Follow the directions carefully as many products you can buy at home improvement stores and specialty stores will be highly concentrated. These products usually cost quite a bit more than run-of-the-mill grocery store cleaners so it should be easy for you to be stingy with their use. You should be. Use a soft mop and as little of the solution as you can. Wring your mop completely after dipping it in the solution. And, always have a mop that is only used on your wood floors so that you can keep it as clean as possible. Dragging dirt around with a wet mop is not something that will enhance the look of your wood floors.

Preventive maintenance is also necessary to keep your oak floors in great shape. Take care when moving furniture as you can really put some major scratches in your hardwood flooring by dragging a heavy object over it. Clever placement of area rugs and runners also goes a long way toward keeping your wood floors in good condition. It is possible for sunlight to discolor wood floors, so try to keep blinds or drapes closed when the sun is shining directly on your floors.

If you follow simple steps, you will not have to face the daunting task of refinishing your hardwood flooring for many, many years. Regular light maintenance and periodic deep cleaning with the proper product will keep oak floors and other woods looking fresh. Cleaning wood floors can actually be a pleasure as you lavish attention on something that brings such rich beauty to your home.

Cleaning wood floors Image Flickr: brooklyn

Water and other liquids are public enemy number one when it comes to keeping your floors looking new. They can leave dark stains by penetrating deep into the grain of the wood floorboards and resist even sanding. The solution to this problem may be to bleach the hardwood with oxalic acid. This chemical can be purchased from paint stores and home improvement centers. Here are the steps to take in using oxalic acid to bleach the stain from your wood flooring:

1.      Sand the stained area so that any finish is removed.  Using a disposable vessel, dissolve the oxalic acid according to the package directions as to the proportion of water to acid crystals. Carefully pour the liquid onto the stain, taking care to saturate only the affected area. You should also wear protective gloves and eye shields when you work with the acid to avoid injury.

2.      Allow the acid solution to work for an hour and if the dark stain has not been eliminated, repeat the treatment. When you can no longer detect a stain, wash the area with two tablespoons of borax dissolved in sixteen ounces of water to neutralize the acid. Rinse the affected part of the floor with clean water and allow it to dry.

3.      Sand the area smooth with fine sandpaper and apply several coats of wood restorer appropriate to your floor finish. You will have to continue application until your treated area matches the surrounding floor.

Using this method will go a long way to getting your wood flooring back to original quality. To prevent further stains, make sure that you attend to all spills immediately and use the proper method for cleaning wood floors.

Few home improvement projects can improve the appearance and value of your home as much as installing wood flooring.  Solid wood floors make any home look better, and their durability and longevity make them an investment you’ll enjoy for a lifetime.

Solid wood flooring isn’t hard to install.  It’s a project most homeowners can tackle with good results.   But since sanding is tricky, and produces a huge amount of dust, it’s probably best to use pre-finished flooring.

Check your sub floor before you install solid wood flooring.

Before you decide which kind of wood floors to install, you’ll need to evaluate your sub flooring.  If you have a concrete slab, solid hardwood floors are not an option.  You’ll need to go with an engineered floor.

Solid wood flooring should only be installed over a clean, smooth, level base.  A plywood sub floor will provide insulation and sound proofing for your wood floors.  And give your floors added stability.

Because wood expands and contracts with changes in temperature and humidity, it’s a good idea to store the boards in the room where they’re going for a few days so they can adjust to the new environment.

You should buy about 30% more wood than your measurements indicate because there will likely be some boards that you don’t like and would prefer not to use.

Ready the Room for Solid Wood Flooring Installation.

If you haven’t already, remove the doors and baseboard molding from the room where you’re installing wood floors.  Numbering the baseboards and corresponding place on the wall will make reinstalling them much easier.

Figure out where the floor joists are and mark their location on the wall with a pencil.  You’ll be installing the wood flooring perpendicular to the joists.

To ensure a smooth surface, go over the sub floor and sink any nails or screws that protrude.  Then use a moisture tester to make sure the room is within the acceptable range.

To minimize creaks and squeaks and add some moisture protection, use a staple gun to tack down a layer of 15-pound asphalt felt.  Overlap the seams by 2 or 3 inches.

Once the felt is installed, measure the width of the room in several places, then snap a chalk line down the center, parallel to the wall where you‘ll start installing the wood strips.  Usually exterior walls are the straightest.

Snap additional chalk lines to show the location of the joists.  Finally, snap a chalk line parallel to your centerline 1/2″ from the starting wall.  Because this gap lets the wood expand, it’s essential.  And after the wood flooring is installed, it will be covered with the baseboards.

Begin to Install the Solid Wood Flooring

Check the boards and discard any that are crooked or warped.  If they aren’t already cut to random lengths, cut them yourself in varying sizes.

Select one of the longest boards and drill pilot holes that match up with the location of the joists.  Using 1-1/2″ finishing nails, nail the board to the plywood sub floor with the tongue side away from the wall.  Place the nails about six inches apart.  Use spacers against the wall to maintain the expansion gap, and to avoid denting the wood, use a nail set to drive the nail slightly below the surface.

If you don’t have a pneumatic blind nailer, you should rent one. It will make the job a lot easier.  Because it takes up some space, you probably won’t be able to start using it until the third or fourth row.

Putting a piece of tape on the head of the nailer will reduce the chance of it damaging the wood flooring.

Once the first board is nailed down, lay out a group of boards, staggering the ends by at least four to six inches.  Cut the end pieces to fit.  This process, called racking, speeds up the job by letting you install large sections of the solid wood floor at once.

Place a small piece of scrap next to the second-row board and hit it with a mallet to make sure the tongue and groove fit together tightly.  Then use the blind nailer to drive a nail at an angle from the top of the tongue into the sub flooring.   Driving the nails at an angle keeps them from becoming loose over time.

You should nail the board every ten inches or so, starting about three inches from the end joints.

When you get down to the last two or three rows, you won’t be able to use the blind nailer anymore, and you’ll need to face nail them.  As you did with the first board, drill pilot hotels and attach them with 1-1/2″ finishing nails.  You may need a pry bar to pull the boards together for a tight fit.

Sink the nails with the nail set and then use a matching putty to fill the holes.

Once the solid wood floor is installed, install the transitions, and reinstall the baseboards.