Archive for February, 2009

What can I do with leftover engineered hardwood flooring?

Tuesday, February 17th, 2009

We just finished a flooring project and have approx 40 sq ft left.

You could sell it on craigslist?

How do you clean hardwood floors?

Tuesday, February 17th, 2009

I am supposed to clean someones house tomorrow that has hardwood floors. Is sweeping sufficient? Or am I supposed to use a cleaner? Not really sure what is expected of me. All the other houses I cleaned had carpet

Wood Floor Maintenance
Most wood floors can be kept clean by first sweeping or vacuuming with a floor nozzle to remove most of the surface dust and dirt, then damp mopping with clear water (dip a sponge in clear water, squeezing it out so that the mop is barely damp, almost dry). Use very little water and rinse your mop thoroughly after each use since excess water can dissolve protective coatings, alter the color of the wood and raise the grain to roughen the surface.

If your floors are not dirty enough to need mopping every week, then you should not do it, as it will wear the floors faster, not to mention waste your time. Simply sweeping is often all they need.

If need to restore the shine to your wood floor after you get it clean, try damp mopping it with 1/2 cup vinegar and 2 tablespoons furniture polish in a gallon of warm water. Vinegar is also useful for removing any soap residue or build-up, but should not be necessary every week .

My bamboo hardwood floor bubbled in a spot in the middle of the floor after two years. How do I fix it?

Tuesday, February 17th, 2009

After two years my bamboo hardwood floor that was glued directly to the concrete foundation bubbled up. The spot is about 8ft long and six boards wide. The high point is about 3 inches. The floor is tongue and grove. I believe some sort of moisture caused it. Any ideas? How can I go about fixing the issue?

I had the same problem. 2 years ago when they first started selling bamboo hardwood at Home Depot, there wasn’t a lot of info available with the package to help you properly install the flooring, and the adhesive they sold with it wasn’t the correct formulation. What they never told you in the installation instructions was that the concrete floor needs to be sealed to prevent moisture from coming up.
Your first thing to check is if you left enough of a gap at the walls when the install was done. That was my problem. The wood swelled and when it got to the wall, it had nowhere to go and buckled at the point where the glue was weakest. If this is your problem, you need to try cutting the drywall out enough to give the flooring more room to expand. If the drywall was already cut and the flooring is hitting the wall bottom plate (horizontal 2×4) then you can cut the flooring with a jamb saw and remove a small bit of it to give clearance.

Through new partnership, Mannington brand enters China

Tuesday, February 17th, 2009

Mannington Mills has signed an agreement with China-based Elegant Living to create a line of hardwood products for the Chinese market that will be sold under the Mannington name. Additionally, the company will distribute Mannington’s U.S.-made flooring products throughout the country. The deal includes more than 500 retail stores across China, and will be phased in throughout the year. Other terms were not disclosed.
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