Choosing Hardwood Flooring

Hey Everyone - Rob Jones here.

Just to let you know, we’ve moved the posts of this blog to blog.builddirect.com.  And this is also where future posts will be published.  Really, it’s like we’ve moved next door - not too far away.

So, if you’re a subscriber to this blog, please subscribe to our new feed to get the latest posts to your Google, Yahoo, MSN, or other homepage or the RSS reader of your choice.

Thanks a lot, and I hope to hear from you in our comments section!

Cheers,

Rob.

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I’ve recently become something of a regular on the FloorTalk blog by fellow flooring blogger Shannon Bilby, the blog sponsored by the World Floor Covering Association.  Shannon always has something interesting to say about the practicalities and design elements of all kinds of flooring, including hardwood.

Recently, she  posted her findings about using Murphy’s Oil Soap on a hardwood floor.  In recent years, I’ve found that a lot of people out there on the ‘internets’ are asking the question about best uses of this product.  A lot of people have been concerned about reports of a filmy residue left on the surface of their floors after cleaning them using the product.  But, I’ve not found a definitive answer to the question to determine whether this is the case, or if it is, that the product has been used correctly.

Take a look at Shannon’s post to see what the answers are, direct from the Murphy’s technical support team with whom she consulted before posting.

Thanks FloorTalk!

Cheers,

RJ.

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We’ve banged on and on here on this blog about how solid hardwood flooring is a big resale asset for a residence.  But, according to this article in Construction Week Online, commercial contractors and designers are also gravitating towards solid wood.

Basically, the choice for flooring in commercial spaces have been largely driven by practicality.  And you can understand why this is so in some ways.  Floors in commercial spaces see more foot traffic than those installed in a residence.  So, tile and natural stone have been the go-to choices for this reason.  But, tastes have shifted as such that many commercial locations want a warmer feel, a more ‘homey’ atmosphere.  So, wood flooring is beginning to pick up a bit more attention.

The prevailing issues of course are in place.  Designers are still having to ask themselves ‘which species should I choose?’, just as homeowners have to do.  Some of the solutions that they’re coming up with involves choosing natural stone and tile floors as accent pieces, to bolster the durability angle which I think is a great idea. But, there are a number of floors out there which are virtually comparable to stone for durability, particularly among exotic species like Jatoba and Ipe, among many others.

I should say that the article is a little harsh on laminate flooring as a solution to the question of atmosphere and visual effect.  It puts forward that laminate is a ‘temporary solution’, only good for less than five years. This depends entirely on the laminate product in question, of course.  There are plenty of choices in laminate floors which are designed for commerical foot traffic, rated AC4 and higher, with extensive warranties that are good for decades, not just years.

I dunno.  This angle the article takes may or may not have to do with the fact that the interviewee owns a solid hardwood company who doesn’t sell laminates. You be the judge.

To that point, I know I work for a building materials company that sells a lot of wood floors and everything.  But, I’m really encouraged by this trend on an aesthetic level.  I really do think that wood flooring adds a certain warmth to an interior.  As beautiful as a lot of tile and natural stone flooring is, wood communicates a unique first impression that says ‘welcome’.

Cheers,

Rob.

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This may be considered a blogging equivalent of nepotism,  or perhaps more accurately split-personality since I’m involved.   But a new blog has been launched by myself and Marc McPherson who also blogs here at BuildDirect.

The blog is called Watch Us Wreck a Floor. Check it out!

As many of you already know, every laminate flooring worth its salt is held to international standards, using controlled tests that burn, scratch, whack, stab, and drown a laminate floor.

The reason they do this is to figure out whether a laminate floor is worth selling, and if so where it should be best installed - a residence, a store, only in low-traffic rooms, and more.  The rating it gets is called an AC rating, where AC3 is the all-purpose residential floor.

Here’s what we had in mind, which is explained in greater detail on that blog.  Basically, we’re going to do a version of these tests ourselves, even if we’re not German guys in lab coats with clipboards.  And we’re going to invite as many people into the fun as possible in seeing just how much damage a laminate floor can take.   Once again, you can get the details here on where we’re going to install our test floor and what we’re planning to do.

Visit the site and submit your suggestions.  And we’ll be filming everything, so we hope you’ll tune in.

Cheers!

Rob.

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Happy New Year regular readers and first-time visitors too!

We’ve been a bit quiet here since just before Christmas, shopping, worrying about the right gift, coordinating plans to see loved ones, and negotiating our way through some of the most persistent snowy weather here in rainy Vancouver since 1964!  We’re reeling from a White Christmas.

But, now that we’ve kicked off 2009, I’ll be posting here regularly about wood flooring, and about bamboo flooring too. In the next few weeks, we’ll be rolling up our individual product blogs into one big happy product blog that will pull in contributions from all of our department heads.  So, watch out for that.  I’ll be making an announcement on this wood flooring blog, and on the other blog to which I contribute - ‘Bamboo for Flooring’.

In the meantime, thanks for reading us in 2008.  And I look forward to hearing your opinions and getting your feedback as we march into 2009 together.

Cheers!

Rob.

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