Thursday 29 December 2016

Oak engineered wood floor - Deep cleaning and oiling

We will clean the floor by means of a special wood cleaning rotary system. (We will use different pads to remove as much dirt as possible). This is then followed by the application of 2 coats of hard wax oil onto your wooden floor. Please be aware that with the clean option, we will not be able to remove scratches.

If scratches are deep in the wooden of floor, we will recommend to have the floor sanded. Click HERE for more information.

To preserve the wood as best as possible we would clean and finish your floors using Pallmann Magic Oil-    Please find more information on this amazing product here - and here is the link to the application process we will use - Please note that we will apply hard wax oil to retain the colour and finish of your current floor.

Two applications of hard wax oil on your wooden floor will deliver a beautiful natural finish that is moisture and dirt resistant. Be aware that if will take up to 4 hours* for the floor to cure enough to allow light foot traffic. Furniture can only move back 12 hours* after foot traffic has commenced. (Avoid at all cost dragging furniture on a  freshly finished floor surface.)

All rugs to be placed back on the floor no sooner that 14 days after our work has been completed.
* Curing and drying time depends on weather conditions and air flow

What are the benefits of hard wax oil:
- No VOC
- Easy to apply and easy to repair (if one area is worn, we don’t need to sand the whole area, just sand the concerned area and the oil will be re-applied and blended in.)
- Excellent permeation
- Natural look finish
- Hard resistance
- Shorter application and curing time (meaning you get access to your floors much quicker)


Oak before cleaning and oiling cambridge
Oak before cleaning and oiling

Oak after deep cleaning
Oak after deep cleaning

Oak after deep cleaning and oiling with pallmann
Oak after deep cleaning and oiling with Pallmann

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 




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



Thursday 20 October 2016

Lacquered wood flooring in Cambridge


wood floor sanding and lacquer cambridge


wood floor sanding and lacquer cambridge


Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 




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



Tuesday 18 October 2016

Wood sanding MillWorks in Cambridge

Our client ordered a grey floor engineered oak and when it arrived it was dark blue. They were not happy with it so we had to sand trying to keep the dark grain pattern. It worked beautifully.

Results are amazing on the oak floor:

Before:
wood sanding cambridge

wood sanding cambridge

After: 
wood sanding cambridge

wood sanding cambridge

Before:
wood sanding cambridge uk

After:

More pictures of wood sanding HERE and videos HERE

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 




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


Tuesday 4 October 2016

Wood floor Sanded and Oiled in Cambridge

This wooden floor had a lot of scratches.We sanded it and oiled it. You can see more work we have done on wood floor HERE

wood floor sanding cambridge
Before

wood floor sanding cambridge
After the sanding


wood floor sanding cambridge
After the oil applied


wood floor sanding cambridge
Before

wood floor sanding cambridge
See all wear and scratches on this wooden floor!

wood floor sanding cambridge
After

If you also need your wooden floor restored, just give us a call on 01223 863 632



Art of Clean
 is a specialist cleaning firm in: 




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





Wednesday 31 August 2016

How to protect wooden floors and vinyl against furniture damage?

You’ve made the investment of restoring or installing new flooring into your home, so what can you do to help your wooden floor stay good as new?

One of the biggest issues for wood flooring maintenance is scratches. Particularly those caused by furniture that is regularly moved back and forth across the floor such as chairs and tables.

To help reduce the likelihood of these types of scratches there are a myriad of products available ranging from simple self-adhesive pads to rolling casters that can be mounted on legs so furniture can move with ease.  As with most things in life, some combinations work better than others and some offer greater protection. Just remember that regardless of the product you choose no furniture protector is fool proof, if you haven’t taken the time to install it correctly you’re likely to get scratches.

How to protect wooden floors and vinyl against furniture damage

For example, some furniture protectors are designed to be nailed directly into furniture legs, if the protector is made of plastic and you hammer it directly the plastic could crack and leave sharp edges.  The best way to deal with a protector of this type is to place a piece of wood over the cap when hammering, so that it’s not in direct contact with the plastic.

When installing a screw-in or nail-in product onto a wooden furniture leg, pre-drilling a hole into the leg first might make the installation easier, helping to prevent the nail head from pushing out and the wood from spitting.

Even simple to apply felt adhesive protectors can be a problem in the long run. They wear off over time and often fall off or rip, especially when placed on chairs that get frequent use or if dirt and grit get trapped in the felt, meaning that the protector you considerately placed to save your wooden floor, can turn on you and damage that which you so wanted to protect. So it’s important to check the protectors are securely in place and free from any dirt or debris.

An excellent high quality option for wood or solid plastic legs are the award winning QuickClick slide products produced by Wagners (A company we are ridiculously proud to be partnered with). This innovative product is an interchangeable and replacement guide system, with sizes ranging from 17-50mm diameter and sold in individual packs as well as dining and bulk quantities (Bulk gives you 25 sets of 4!).

To determine which QuickClick size you’ll need, measure the base of the object, e.g., if a chair leg base measures 30mm, a 25mm diameter glide would be suitable, then choose the style that best suits your flooring (wood, laminate, carpet, anti-slip, etc.).


To fix the glides; screw the base into the selected object but don’t over-tighten as you can reduce it’s efficiency, click the glide into place and you’re done!

To replace a glide, simply insert a small screwdriver into the hole positioned at the side of the base and click out. WARNING! Do not insert the glide prior to fixing as this will be difficult to remove. You have been warned.

 

Art of Clean
 is a specialist cleaning firm in: 




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




Tuesday 31 May 2016

Art of Clean is Recruiting: 2 roles to fill: Office administrator / Social Media and Marketing Coordinator.


Art of Clean is Recruiting

We have 2 roles to fill and hope to attract people with the right attitude and teach them the skills.


Social Media and Marketing Coordinator.

This is a very dynamic role and it involve some time out on the road as well as office based work. A person that fills this role has great communication skills both verbally and written. You might not have any social media experience though that is actually a good thing as we have found in the past experience can lead you to follow some bad habits. The role is part time 8am – 4:30 pm 4 days per week.
To apply for the position, please send your CV to pierre@artofclean.co.uk.
For more information about the position: CLICK HERE


Office administrator

This role requires someone that is highly organised and loves to work under pressure while staying cool and calm. You can meet deadlines and love a challenge. You have great communication skills on the phone. Your desire is to serve each client as best you can rather than to answer as many calls as you can.  Work Hours will be 4 days per week and one of the days has to be a Friday.
Our Mission: Here at Art of Clean our mission is to “Deliver the most outstanding service experience” and this applies to both our clients and our fellow team members. Our principles are: Expect the most from yourself, Expect the most from others, provide assistance and Protect others from fear and influence. These values are non-negotiable and if you feel they ring true to you please contact us now for an interview.

To apply for the position, please send your CV to pierre@artofclean.co.uk.
For more information about the position : CLICK HERE

Art of Clean Denny Lodge Business Park Ely Road Chittering Cambridge CB25 9PH – 01223863632


art of clean
Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 




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

Source: http://artofcleanuk.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/art-of-clean-is-recruiting-2-roles-to.html





Monday 29 February 2016

Amazing restoration results on Gramwood floor | Art of Clean

Over the past couple of weeks, the Art of Clean team have been working a lot on sanding floorboards so it was interesting when the team got booked on a job to sand a Granwood floor.

Gramwood floor in need of restoration

A Granwood floor is made out of a composition of wood and concrete mix that is then formed into tiles.

These floors are very common in commercial spaces like schools and sports halls these floors has a special requirement to be finished with a solvent based Granwood polyurethane seal.  The downside to this product is that it is very smelly and it is not very good for health and that is why Art of clean team will use masks.

In this case, which is very similar to the previous job we've done for the The Paradise Centre in Ely.

Sanded Gramwood floor


The coating we applied had some anti-slip particles in it because the client requested that we help them solve the slippiness problem on the floor as this was the woodwork shop and all the wood shavings end up on the floor and that causes a slip hazard for the students working in this room

Ben wearing his safety masks during the sanding process

A little bit of advice on what to do when you do have a Grandwood floor that needs refinishing and the best advice would be to attend to your floor before it needs to be sanded.  If the floor is not in too bad a condition the floor can be cleaned back and recoated which means it's much less invasive because if Cranwood floors need to be fully sanded back it is a very messy and very dusty process and the dust created from this is a very harmful.

Ben applying the sealant

For that reason the floor should be kept in a good condition and then every one to two years the floor should be cleaned back properly and a fresh coat of gram guard should be applied.  This way the floor is never left to deteriorate and I know invasive sanding will not be required, if cared for well.

Gramwood floor sealed and restored


In a case where the floor is left too long and it will need sanding, be prepared that the floor will be out of action for a long time usually a week or two.  Also be prepared for the smell, as it is very strong and you will probably not be able to use the floor for a few days and windows and doors would need to be left open so that the smell can despite.




Art of Clean
 is a specialist cleaning firm in: 




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

Source: http://artofcleanuk.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/amazing-restoration-results-on-gramwood.html

Oakwood bespoke colour finish with Pallmann Magic Oil | Art of Clean

I want to share with you the special qualities of Pallmann Magic Oil, which is a great product to use on the installation, renovation and maintenance of wood flooring.

This morning Pierre was mixing a bespoke colour using Pallmann Magic Oil 2K on a sample piece of solid oak wood to show to a customer.

mixing a bespoke colour using Pallmann Magic Oil 2K on a sample piece of solid oak wood

Before applying the oil mix, the wood sample was sanded back using a 60, 80 and 100 grit sanding paper.  The wood was also water popped, which means light moisture is used to open the grain, which in turns swells the wood fibres and more colour is accepted into the wood.

The oil is applied to the wood

The oil is then mixed using 15% black and 85% brown.  The oil is applied to the wood and forced into the fibres of wood with a green hand pad and the excess removed.

Oil is forced into the fibres of wood with a green hand pad

Oil is forced into the fibres of wood with a green hand pad

The oil is thoroughly worked through the wood

Any excess oil is removed


Pierre was using a piece of oak, but Pallmann Magic Oil works well on pine and most other types of wood.

As well as black and brown the other main colours are white, grey, dark brown, red brown and natural .

Some of the benefits of using magic oil, apart from the ones already mentioned are the four hours drying time and so the floor can be used much quicker, as opposed to 12 hours with other brand floor oils.

Once the excess oil is removed the transformation is remarkeable


Magic Oil also comes with a hardener which makes it much harder wearing than many other oils. Also, if the floor is scratched the floor can be easily repaired with simply keying back the area and then apply a re-oil.

In the case of coloured oil, you would need to key back the whole floor.

Below is a previous example using Treatex (left) and Liberon (right).  






Art of Clean
 is a specialist cleaning firm in: 




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

Source: http://artofcleanuk.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/oakwood-bespoke-colour-finish-with.html


Thursday 28 January 2016

The Pros and Cons of Different Wood Types of Wood Floors

Throughout history wood has been a very popular flooring option.  In Cambridge, there are many homes with solid wood flooring, it was at one time, one of only a few alternative to stone or brick flooring, and has been used long before cheaper alternatives came along, such as Medium-density Fibreboard (MDF) or Plywood.

So as with any financial commitments, take your time and consider your options and for any flooring, whether its Hardwood and MDF, look at the cost of purchasing and installation, where is it for? And how do you want them finished? Do you want to have them painted or waxed? etc.

But never-the-less, wood is hardwearing and durable, it has been used in almost every house and for every interior design and colour scheme.  Wood is a very en-vogue and an interior designers dream

Here at the Art of Clean, we don't know anyone who has chosen wood flooring and hasn't been pleased with the results.  The only problem is, it can be a difficult choice of what kind of wood flooring is right for you.

This is just a simple guide to the three different types of wood flooring:

SOLID WOOD is the most popular and is considered to be the original wood flooring.    It is cut into planks or blocks from the log and go through a process of kiln drying, which enables the wood to reduce the moisture level.  The net process is to machine cut into various sizes and a profile is given, either square edged or tongue and grooved.  They are then finished in the factory with a coating of lacquer or wax or can be left unfinished and finished later by the installer.

ENGINEERED is basically a veneer applied to a plywood base.  Consider the installation methods as it can be very different to Solid wood flooring.

LAMINATE is not the same as Engineered Flooring.  Laminate is basically a high quality picture of wood.

I just wanted to finish this blog, with a couple of photographs from a pine floor sanding job our Service and Sales Technician, Nathan was sent on this week to a clients home in Cambridge.

Our client was really chuffed with the results and said "that all his floors look fantastic now".


After floor sanding



Oiled and finished pine floor





Art of Clean
 is a specialist cleaning firm in: 




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



Source: http://artofcleanuk.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/the-pros-and-cons-of-different-wood.html

Tuesday 19 January 2016

What are the benefits of oiling a wood floor?





Preserving, saving, restoring, up-cycling, - These are all buzzwords these days reminding us to make things last as long as possible or re using items if you can. Wood floors are certainly no exception.
For many years all wood floors where sealed or varnished with polyurethane finish over the top and then once the coating has worn through the floor will be sanded back and re sealed using the same method. Over the years oil finished on wood has slowly grown in popularity. Let’s explore the benefits of oiling your wood floor:

Oiling a wood floor provides you with a natural finish – do take note if you require a modern high shine finish – most oils cannot offer you this.

If you restore wood floors on a listed building the oil option is ideal as it is permeable and allows moisture to move through the wood floor.

Pallmann Magic Oil has a dry time of 4 hours and cure time of 12 hours – this means you can use four floor much sooner – if you opt for a lacquer finish you will have to wait 7 days for the lacquer to cure and 8 hours for it to dry.

Using an oil on your wood floor will allow for localised repairs – Yes if your floor gets scratched or damaged you can sand the damaged out and sand the surrounding area of the floor lightly to blend it in and apply oil to the area and is most cases the floor will be as good as new (consult a wood sanding professional for more advice before you attempt to do this yourself!)

Oiled wood floors can be given a good clean and fresh application of oil to give them a new lease of life.

Caring for your oiled wood floor is much easier than you think – You can use Pallmann Clean to clean your oiled wood floor followed by Pallmann Magic Oil Care – This gives the floor a fresh look

For easy day to day cleaning and care - Use Pallmann Clean and Go

You can find the wood care products on  www.artofcleanonline.co.uk




Art of Clean
 is a specialist cleaning firm in: 



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

Source: http://artofcleanuk.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/what-are-benefits-of-oiling-wood-floor.html