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.

adamchristopherdesign.co.uk

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

Teak wood flooring

When you look at the types of wood flooring there is available, your mind might boggle. Beech, Oak, Pine, Bamboo, even reclaimed pallet wood, but today we're talking about Teak.

Teak wood is found predominantly in Asia and in particular, the country of Myanmar (Burma). A large, deciduous tree, Teak has small, fragrant white flowers and papery leaves. Valuable for it's durability, Teak has been milled and fashioned into boat hulls, due to it's durability, water resistance and ability to withstand almost every weather condition.

Found on theultralinx.com

Here's an image of the largest Teak bridge in the world, not surprisingly, it's in Myanmar (U Bein Bridge - Amarapura).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teak

On a recent job, Nathan found himself faced with the task of stripping and re-oiling a large expanse of Teak flooring. It had been quite a while since the floor had seen natural daylight and as such it was a joy to see the reveal. Using only the best products, that thick, oily surface gave way to a rich, golden base and later yielded to an enhancing re-oil.

 upon arrival

 after sanding

 after oiling

Teak has that wonderful, mottled grain that's toned and allows for light to almost dance off it, so when you have the opportunity to sand and enhance your floor, make the most of it, oh and always call the professionals.

Art of Clean is an affiliate of The Ultimate Floor Sanding Company and professional wood floor sanders of all types of wooden flooring. Out goal is to reclaim and maintain delightful looking and working wooden floors around and sometimes beyond the greater Cambridgeshire area. 

If you are in need of our services or simply have a question, call and we'll happily pop out and give you a FREE, no obligation quote.

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

Why should I oil my wood work top?

Not so very long ago, Art of Clean was called out to save the day.

It seems that a few rogue potatoes had taken it upon themselves to rot and as a result, when they’d been removed, they’d left a nasty stain.  

This happens more often than you might imagine.

The issue is ‘lack of hardener’. You see, when you buy your lovely new/old wood table top, you tend to look more at the grain and the colour and think less about the resistance.

What we stress is, prevention. You can oil your wooden surface until it shines like the Sun, but if you don’t back it up with a product designed to mitigate those troubling stains, you’re just opening yourself up to a serious sanding.

Finish wears-off fast!

It’s not a problem, we can fix it, we’re pretty good, but why spend more later when you can protect yourselves now?

What we urge is that you not use Linseed Oil or Tongue Oil (note: this does not mean licking the surface until it gleams).

We use a product called Treatex.

Why? Well, when you call/email/tweet for a service, you tend to look for the ones with tried and tested history in the field and that’s where Treatex comes in. After 40 years in the oiling biz, they know what they’re up to. After 10 years in the sanding biz, so do we.

We only use the BEST products.

That means when we leave your house, you’ll be happy and so shall we.

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

5 Wood floor killers to avoid (or reduce) at all cost?

Looking down at the kitchen floor you recall the days when the floor looked fresh and new after it was sanded and finished over 8 years ago. Since then the floor saw a lot of action. Where has the time gone? and what caused this damage to the floor?

Let's explore the reasons why your wood floor wears out:

Here is a list of 5 Wood floor killers to avoid (or reduce) at all cost:

Gravel on the outside of your homes entrance 

Gravel on the outside of your property gets stuck under your shoes and will enter the home. These small stone particles acts like sandpaper on your lovely wood floor

- How to improve / avoid? 
 Lay a hard surface path to your entrance door or implement a no shoe policy in your home

Walk off mats

Have a good look at your walk off mat at your entrance door.
If it looks tired and dirty ensure it gets replaced immediately - If you do not have one you have to get one to help you save ALL your floors in your home. That's right, the dirt you track in from outside harms all the floors in your home

- How to improve / avoid? 
Get a fresh new walk-off mat or replace the old one you have - If you have a coir mat and need it replaced call us on 01223 863632 and we can help - www.artofclean.co.uk

The wrong cleaners and dirty worn out mops
Many people belief a floor cleaner is a floor cleaner and this is sadly not the case.
Harsh cleaning products can do a great job at cleaning though it harms the protective layer on your floor. If you have a wood floor the best way is to maintain it with a wood floor cleaner followed by the correct maintenance top up sealer ( for oiled floors use Magic Oil care from Pallmann - http://www.artofcleanonline.co.uk/Floor-Care-Products/Wood/Pallmann-Magic-Oil-Care.Html?cPath= - For Laquered floor use Finish Care Stop from Pallmann   http://www.artofcleanonline.co.uk/Floor-Care-Products/Wood/Pallmann-Finish-Care-STOP-750ml.Html?cPath= )

The best cleaner for a wood floor is Pallmann Clean: http://www.artofcleanonline.co.uk/Floor-Care-Products/Wood/Pallmann-Clean.Html?cPath=

- How to improve / avoid? 

Buy the correct cleaners and care products - Spend a bit more and you will find your floor last so much longer.

Dogs (Actualy the nails on their paws)
When dogs walk on a slippery floor they naturally extend their claws to get a better grip - If this is on your wood floor you will find your wood floor scratch very fast.
It is advised to use oil on your wood floors if you have dogs - It is less slippy for your pets and it do not scratch.

- How to improve / avoid?
Opt for an oil finish on your wood floor if you have dogs.

Bad quality laquers/oils or wrong laquers/oils or sealers for the floor area
We see many clients fall in the trap of a floor sanding firm that only offer them one type of finish for their wood floor wether the  floor is in the bedroom or the kitchen. It is important that floors that are exposed to water like bathrooms to get a 2 part lacquer applied - these finishes are much more water resistant.

If Oils are used it is essential to opt for a oil that comes with a hardener. This makes the finish more hardwearing

- How to improve / avoid?
Ask many questions when you get a quote for floor sanding and get more than one opinion on what floor finish you should apply.

Pine wood floor before sanding

Pine wood floor after sanding

Pine wood floor after sanding and finishing with Pallmann lacquer

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

Wood floor Sanding and lacquering in Newmarket Ellesmere Center

To preserve the wood as best as possible we fully re-sand and finish the floors using Pallmann products in Newmarket at the Ellesmere Center.

By choosing a Pallmann applicator /contractor you are automatically covered by the Product Support Pallmann offers to their trained applicators. This covers our clients and ourselves against the product failing. As an Ultimate Floor sanding Affiliate we also offer a 2 year guarantee with all the floor sanding work we carry out.

The process for wood sanding and lacquering in Newmarket was as follow:

1. PREPARATION OF THE FLOOR BEFORE SANDING

We will inspect the floor to ensure all nails are well below the wood surface. All loose board will be secured before sanding commence.

2. HIGH-FILTRATION VACUUM

Removal of dry soil and particles that might cause damage to the floor during the sanding process.

3. SANDING OF THE MAIN FLOOR AREA

The system we use is 99.9% dust free as we use an advanced extraction system. Different grit values on the bell sander will ensure a quality finish.

4. EDGES AND DETAILED SANDING

Our edging sander delivers a uniform finished to all edges and hard to reach places under fixes furniture and radiators.

5. RESIN FILLING OF GAPS BETWEEN BOARDS AND BLOCKS

We will use a strong and semi flexible resin and mix this with fine dust from your floor. This mix will be used to fill smaller gaps between the boards and blocks in the floor. By doing this the life of the floor is extended as no water ingress is then possible. If the gaps are open between the boards – every time you wash your wood floor some cleaning water gets into the wood. If its filled this is not possible

6. FINAL FINISHING: ROTARY SANDING

A super fine grit sanding system will deliver a superior and even finish to the whole floor area. This is done by means of a rotary sander.

6. FINE DUST REMOVAL

Highly efficient vacuum system is used for the thorough removal of any dust particles from the freshly sanded wooden floor.

7. LACQUERED FINISH:

Application of a Primer to the sanded floor followed by one coat of water based lacquer We always prefer to use Pallmann Products as they are far superior to others.

Once the first coat has cured, the floor will be prepared for a further 2 coats of lacquer. Be aware that if will take up to 8 hours* for the floor to cure enough to allow light foot traffic. Furniture can only move back 24 hours*  after foot traffic has commenced. (Avoid at all cost dragging furniture on a  freshly lacquered floor surface.).

* Curing and drying time depends on weather conditions and air flow

Our clients find great benefit in our dustless sanding system and we are sure you will see the benefits too.

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

Ultimate floor sanding and Art of Clean

Terry from Ultimate floor sanding wit Pierre de Wet. We are the affiliate.

Oiling wooden floor

See the difference on the picture. Before the sanding and after the oiling!

Pine with lacquer Beautiful results on this lovely pine floor after the lacquer has been applied

Parquet Flooring sanding in St George's Church in Chesterton Cambridge

We sanded wood floors at the vicarage of St George’s church Chesterton a few months ago. Following this work we were asked if we could help with a problem Parquet floor made of pine in the Church hall. When we first looked at the floor it was not clear if we will get the desired effect on the parquet pine floor.

The wood floor was extremely worn in places and we could not work out why some blocks in the parquet floor was so badly worn down while others right next to it where still in good order. The whole wood floor was very dark and very dried out. The floor was laid in the 1940’s so we knew it was exposed to a lot of wear and tear.We determined it was a tong and groove wood block floor and we had to be extremely careful not to sand too much wood away otherwise the blocks will come lose.We also noticed a thick layer of build-up along the sides of the wood floor in the hall. It did appear to be old wax residues though we had to be sure.

Some older floors laid between 1940 and 1970 and sometimes even later can contain asbestos. We therefore called in an asbestos testing firm to test the floor for the presence of asbestos. It is not only to safeguard our floor sanding crew but also to ensure a safe environment for the people who use the church hall.We started the sanding of the wood floor and immediately discovered why some blocks worn so fast. Repairs were carried out on the floor and the replacement blocks that were used was a soft pine whereas the original floor is made up of Douglas fir wood blocks. Douglas Fir is a harder and more dense type of pine. It also appears as a darker orange brown coloured wood. Continue on the next post


In the after photos you will notice lighter blocks in the floor that are the blocks that got replaced.To secure the future of the parquet wood floor in the church hall in Chesterton Cambridge – we applied Pallmann Magic Oil to the Parquet wood floor.This will allow for minimal future sanding on the floor as it can be cleaned back and re-oiled to give it a new lease of life. The parquet wood floor can also be lightly sanded back and re-oiled if it starts to wear out. Another benefit in oiling parquet wood floors like this one in Chesterton Cambridge is that localised repairs can be carried out.

If an item of furniture gets dragged on the floor and cause a deep scratch – this can be sanded out and a fresh coating of oil can be applied over the area. There will be no bed to sand the whole floor again.

Do I protect my wooden floor with hard wax oil or lacquer?

This is quite a common question our customers ask us at Art of Clean, professional floor cleaners in Cambridge. This really depends on the type of finish you would like to achieve.

At Art of Clean we would normally discuss these options with you on our initial inspection of your wooden floor. Hard wax oils contain a mixture of oil and wax, which completely saturates into your timber flooring. Which means that no other liquid can be absorbed into your wooden floors, so if you were to spill any drinks, occidentally tip up your bucket of cleaning water onto the surface then none of this would go into your lovely wooden floor.The wax element of the hard wax oil, protects the surface from small scratches to the wood. Hard wax oil finishes are generally popular with our customer’s wooden floor cleaning requirements in and around Cambridge, as they are the easiest to maintain.

The hard wax oil also comes in various shades and colours, and offers three different types of sheen finishes.Lacquers on the other hand act in a slightly different way, rather than absorbing into the wooden surface of your floor, it will sit on the surface.The type of lacquers we use at Art of Clean in Cambridge, have flexible qualities, so rather than drying into a solid rigid surface, the lacquer will flex with the timber when it is scratched or dented.

This type of finish is harder to maintain, as although it is durable, if you need to touch up and scratches, it’s much harder. There are also only a two different types of finishes available too.We realise at Art of Clean that it all comes down to a question of taste, and as hard wood flooring cleaning experts we will be happy to help you choose the most suitable finish for your hardwood floor, so why not give us a call on 01223 863632.

Parquet floor filling in Cambridge

Although it’s not always necessary we sometimes have to fill the gaps between the boards before sanding, here is a recent floor where we had to fill the gaps between the boards, please pics before and after. The process is quite simple and it can really make a difference to a floor. If the floor has gaps of 2mm max we will be able to create mix of fine sand with resin (an alcohol based product is better than other solvents), and then we fill the gaps in the wooden floor, we would strongly recommend that we fill the gaps in the entire floor so that there are no parts which stand out afterwards as being different. However we can only fill the gaps if the floor is solid, i.e situated on a concrete floor, as if the floor is placed on a flexible surface it can cause movement and the filler will come out over time. But our specialised team will be able to offer advice on whether it is a viable option for your floor. If the gaps are more than 2mm we would need to fill the gaps with strips of pre-manufactured V shaped tips of wood, as if the gaps are too large these would come out over time.

The strips are then dipped in glue and then driven between the gaps. If the strips of wood then protrude above the level of the wooden floor we will then sand it flat, once it has dried the next day. Here are some pics of the before and after, the customer was really impressed with how the floor now looks as good as new.

Oak wood sanded and oiled in Saffron Walden

Have a look at this video! You will see the process of sanding and oiling the oak floor.

Wood floor sanding and sealing in Norwich Cathedral...

Art of Clean was recently awarded the work of sanding and sealing the floor of the beautiful Norwich Cathedral. The historical Cathedral has been beautifully designed inside and out, since the start of its construction in 1096.

Inside the building the wood floor is made by the manufacturer Junkers who make top quality hardwood floors. The floor inside the Cathedral had started to show signs of wear and tear, especially in their refectory, so the customer knew that it was time to clean the floor by sanding and sealing, before it got so bad that it needed a complete restoration. They asked us to clean two floors within the Cathedral.

Throughout this project we worked closely with Junkers, to make sure that our customers warranty stayed in tact. We followed the following process when cleaning the first floor:
• Stage 1 – First of all we applied Junkers wood cleaner
• Stage 2 – We then screened the floor back with a light sand to ensure that the fresh coating of polyurethane lacquer adhesive to the floor.
• Stage 3 – We then applied two new coats of Junkers Lacquer onto the wood floor.

The refectory wood floor was badly stained from through traffic

Stage 1 – We sanded the entire floor
Stage 2 – We applied Pallmann Magic Oil, which gives a great finish for commercial applications.

If a standard lacquer had been applied, then if certain areas wear more than others the whole floor would need to be sanded. This can be a problem between two rooms if there is not a door break dividing them. One of our other customers had this problem previously, so we advised them to have a brass strip installed between the two rooms. If you require this here are the details of a company we recommended.

Oiling wooden floor in Aromi, Cambridge

Art of Clean were asked to prepare and oil and newly installed rustic oak floor in the centre of Cambridge. This was a very interesting job as it was in a new Sicilian café, called Aromi opening up in the heart of Cambridge Centre.

Aromi had already invested in a good quality floor, so our work was relatively straight forward. We chose to seal it with oil, as it’s the best treatment for a floor that is going to receive lots of wear and tear. Oil, unlike other finishes just needs another coat when it starts to fade. A varnished or lacquered finish would need a full sand and new application to make it look good when it starts to wear.

Re-clean The Sacred Heart Church wood floors in St Ives

We were recently called back to re-clean The Sacred Heart Church wood floors in St Ives. We sanded and sealed the floor with oil. To see our team in action just click on the link below.