Solid oak Wood Kitchen Worktop Sanding and restoration in Cambridge

Art of Clean the proud Cambridgeshire affiliate to Ultimate Floor Sanding has recently had the pleasure to restore a Solid Oak Wooden Worktop for a client in Hinton Avenue in Cambridge.

During our initial inspection we found a very think and sticky build-up on the worktop surface.

This was caused by the built-up of Tung oil that was constantly been applied by the Domestic cleaner.

The problem was caused due to the lower levels (older layers) of Tung oil has started breaking down and forming a sticky residue.

What cause a wood worktop to go ugly? 

The application of the wrong oil finish to your wood worktop. Many people apply Tung oil to worktops and though it leaves a nice finish - this finish is not ideal for the harsh environment 

How to finish your wood worktop?

The best finish for a wood worktop in a kitchen is to use a 2 component hard wax oil. This means the oil contains a hardener that is much more chemically resistant than a single component oil like Tung oil or similar. It is also important not to apply the oil over an old layer or layers of oil. 

The surface should be fully sanded back to 100 - 120 grit and free from moisture and other contamination. 

Proceed then and apply one even coat of Treatex Hard-wax oil for worktops with hardener.

Let the coat dry - best left over night - Key the surface back to 120 grit to generate a key for the next coat

Apply a second even coat - Let this dry overnight and your worktop is now ready Any silicone sealer that was removed during the restoration can now be replaced. Your Solid Wood Worktop should now be as good as new.

Few before and after pictures:

More pictures of the kitchen worktop:

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

Beech wood floors, brought back from the brink

Beech flooring is a clean and crisp looking floor. A traditional look for many houses and you can see why. The planks are craved from the heart of the Beech tree and result in a pink-brown colour, but from time to time, you'll see a reddish-brown tone; that's the result of steaming the lumber.

If you look at the images below, you'll see that these boards weren't steamed, or sanded or even used; they were simply left to rot. Renovation and rejuvenation; it's all part of our wood floor business. The poorly boards sadly cannot be saved and as such it was Paul's job to tear them from the floor and replace them with replacement pieces.

Now there's a lot our friends at Pallmann can do and using their Magic oil (that's actually what it's called and what it does) we can bring life back into old boards, but when they're damaged, rotten beyond repair, well, then it has to be about replacement.

We MUST see ALL the floor before we quote on your floor. By that we mean, we have to inspect and analyse it before we give you an incorrect idea of what it would take to save your floor. This client wasn't aware of the damage the floor had endured over the years and as such, the job takes longer. Rest assured, we can fix it (like Felix from Wreck it Ralph), but we need to see it first.

Having seen it, Paul set to work. Just look at how full that sanding bag is...and there was more to come. After peeling back the years of abandonment, he made use of Pallmann Magic Oil. Now, here's the science bit. Smooth, "...velvety...matte..." finish, no, not a bar of Galaxy or a name brand conditioner.

The results of a professional sanding are beyond compare. 

Don't Do It Yourself, Do Hire A Professional.

Call Art of Clean for a free, no obligation quotation.

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

Parquet Pine and a touch of Oak

Some residents of the greater Cambridgeshire area (that’s in the UK, for those folks from the United States of America that got lost on their way to Massachusetts) are quite lucky. Their homes are floored throughout with wood. Now, whether that be Pine, Oak, Ash, Teak, Walnut. Mahogany, Parquet or Ply wood…OK, not Ply (but you get the idea), they are responsible for the general upkeep and fashionable appearance of said wooden floor.

These floors set the tone of a home, they tell the visitor that the house is cared for and maintained, they tell the owner they have a warm and inviting dwelling. The rich colours and the myriad designs available to the home owner when He or She is choosing a floor are sometimes too much to contemplate. Often the previous owner made the decision for you and you can be thankful. Inheriting the upkeep on a floor is a privilege.

Now, sanding any sized area is a task, so when we’re entrusted with a large dining room, hallway and fireplace, we take it very seriously. This particular home ran Pine Parquet throughout, all the way up to and around their fireplace…and then there was a surround of Oak.    

This three day job took the best of us. By that, I don’t mean we were shattered, we simply decided that for this floor, it required the crème-de-la-crème. So we sent Ben, Nathan and Paul.

Sanding any floor is time consuming; you have clean it all over, pull out those stray nails and pins, peel back the layers, remove the old varnish or lacquer and then, only then can you oil the surface to give it that just lain look.

Fireplaces are fiddly. They require a talented technician with a keen eye and a deft touch. Nathan cracked on. His attention to detail meant that the area surrounding the fireplace did not escape out sanding eye.

If you're ever faced with the opportunity to reclaim your wooden flooring from years of abandonment and neglect, you are well advised to find a professional team to do it; one that cares and takes pride in a job, very well done.

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

Futon Beds and much, much more

Earlier in September, we posted an article raving about the benefits and wonders to be had from creating furniture from common pallet wood. Well, we're at it again.

This time we've gone a little further in our search for the most interesting ways to model poor pallets into superior designs. Why settle for a settee, when you can get a Transformer; Sofatron becomes bedmatrix.

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With those left-over pieces, after you've created something marvelous for the living-room, why not create something comfy for the dog. Bot that he or she will use it (they much prefer your sofa, bed or lap) but it's the thought that counts.

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This sliding pallett door is simply special. It has that heavy, rich, antique look and wouldn't look out of place in a country cottage or manor.

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Now, this is for the lads. After those hours of hard labour and graft, don't you deserve a treat too? And what could be better than to wipe the sweat from your brow with an ice-cold Cerveja? Take one table, slice two even holes, add deep receptacle, insert draining function (one assumes for when the ice melts) and deposit beer.

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And finally, possibly my favourite (seasonal too, given it's nearly Halloween), the pallett coffin. It explains why zombies and the skeletons in general escape so easily during the full moon. Note to self: use non-rotted pallets for coffin building exercise.

Here at Art of Clean, we don't actually make these things, but if we did (in the immortal, paraphrased words of a very well known beer company) they'd be the best pallett creations, ever. 

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

Wooden Worktop - the epitome of the British countryside cottage

How many times have you watched that romantic comedy, set in the Yorkshire Dales, in the Cambridgeshire Fens or any other rustic hideaway locale and seen the interior and said, wow, I want that home? And how many times has that been as a direct result of seeing the kitchen? Chances are, it's every time.

The quaint English countryside is the reason more and more people are moving to the rural dwelling of yesteryear...as long as they're WiFi enabled, of course.

What you generally find, sandwiched at the back of the cottage, is the more glorious piece of wooden topped surface you could imagine, or at least a project to reclaim one. 

Wooden table or worktops are the epitome of rustic chic and over and above the best reason to buy one, being it's appearance, is the second; it lasts! A wooden table top counter, while damaged by scars and cuts, hammering and clanging, will survive and at the end of the day, unlike metal tops, the usage only adds to the character. 

Sadly, nothing lasts forever. Re-oiling the surface of your behemoth table top is often a requirement. You know when it's needed, because the shine begins to fade and the wood will appear dull. An oil coating once every 3-6 months should suffice.

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Of course things can be worse, they always can. Re-surfacing your table-top is a very real situation., but not a dire one. The general wear and tear any surface accrues is understandable, but sometimes it's effects are ignored for sometime. It's then that you need to sand. You can sand your wooden top yourself, that's not a problem, it simply requires time and a strong arm...unless you spring to a motorized sanding machine and then it's slightly less tiring. Art of Clean is a specialist wood sanding company and we pride ourselves in getting the best out of tired pieces of oak, pine, bamboo, what-have-you.

After a darn good sanding, you'll need to oil the top. For this, we recommend Treatex Hard Wax as a finish. It's proved itself time and time again for us and it'll do the job for you too.

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If you'd like to give us a call, we'd be happy to answer any questions you have and is you want, we'll even pop along to give you a reasonable quote.

When in doubt, always call the professionals.

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

Black Walnut Wood from a Hurricane

If we were ever at a loss on things to say about wood flooring, here is the be all and end all. 

In March of 2015, this image made it around the world and virally infected our inspirations. Facebook shares topped 20,000 within a month and until now the photograph has been viewed almost 2 million times. Heck, I keep clicking because I almost can't believe it. 

hardwoodfloorsmag.com

The story behind the wood is a testament to recycling and natural wonders. The black walnut wood was the result of a hurricane's force (2011), uprooting the Goliath and depositing it for the Real Antique Wood Company of Irvington, New Jersey to make something spectacular.

The resulting project went on to win the Wood Floor of the Year Award this year and there's little surprise there.

I simply can't keep my eyes from the black trails that guide you all the way around the house.

We're not in the installation business...yet, but if we were, this would certainly be the kind of job we would look to do. Those rich, deep colours, the knots and swirls; they make wood floor sanding a really worthwhile career.

Now, while we haven't had the pleasure of sanding hurricane felled forestry, we have had the joy of sanding the floors at a British National Institution - Norwich cathedral.

 

For the best looking wooden floors, this side of the Atlantic, call Art of Clean and we'll make you happy you did.

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

That Oakey goodness

Ever wondered why Whiskey and Wood often both have that Oakey finish. It's because it both tastes and feels soooo good. Oak flooring is the staple of the wood floor world. It is tough, hard wearing and above all, it's spectacular to look at. I challenge you, get yourself an Oak floor (if you don't already have one, here's a reason to) and stare. The grains swirl across the floor like a ripple in a lake. Just track the spirals and waves, you'll be lost for hours!

Before; layered with lacquer and polish and age and wear and tear.

Below; stripped, sanded, polished and loved.

Oak comes in a variety of styles, ranging from reclaimed, to engineered, from railway to vintage and it's all there for you to choose from. Now, Art of Clean doesn't install wood flooring...yet, but we do strip it, sand it, care for it and even on occasion, repair it. So, if you are thinking of getting an Oak wood floor and simply can't decide which, speak to a professional, ask Ben at Floors2Go - Cambridge, get in touch with the lads at Mackays, or you can simply call us and ask for Pierre; he'll talk your ear off for hours on the benefits of having a solid wood floor. 

And just remember, nothing lasts forever...unless you care for it. Wherever you buy your flooring, protect it, be sensitive to it's needs and if you like, you can always trust us with it, after all, it's our business to finesse your flooring.

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

Pine, from green to grain

Ordinarily we wouldn't show quite so many photographs on a post, but on this occasion, we simply couldn't help it. There's even a video, no, two! The simple fact is, this job was a challenge. Just look at the green paint on the pine floor boards below and you'll see what we mean. You won't believe it, but there were (count 'em) 4 layers of paint on these pine boards. What that equated to was Paul - our head sander extraordinaire, getting down on his hands and knees for days, scraping, sanding and scrubbing these wooded marvels until they resembled something akin to their natural colour. 

If you look closely, you'll see some black stuff, that's the bitumen paint; something traditionally used as a protection for metal and concrete! So as you can imagine, Paul had his work cut out, but, being the professional that he is and we all are, he got his head down and tore that paint clean off.

Wood floor sanding goes in layers, like painting and there are often hidden extras involoved. As a result, Paul and his compatriots are often tasked with not only sanding, but also repairing damaged flooring. Our videos show the process of sanding the paint from the flooring (not a quite fix as you can see) and also Paul, cutting into the boards to create that even appearance so essential to all wood service professionals, as without it, sealing the floor would be a waste of their time.

To see Paul in action, strip filling a floor (as above) click on this link or his the play button below.

This photograph shows the result of days of worthwhile effort and an end product that illustrates the grain of the wood, the rich colour that can be brought forth and the strip filling down the centre.

For this and many other wood related services, call Art of Clean - Your Professional sanding is but a phone conversation away.

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk