What is the best finish on my wooden floor: 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.

1- 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.

2- 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.

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

Quendon, Saffron Walden, parquet floor sanding and oiling

We recently sanded and oiled a lovely kitchen floor in Quendon, Saffron Walden (see images here).

The floor was made of Canadian Maple which you don't see too often however it has become quite a popular floor in more modern high-end refurbishments.  It's chic look, subtle tones and cool light reflective qualities are a stark contrast to the more traditional golden rustic hues of Oak and Pine, and the deep auburn tones of Mahogany.

www.decobizz.com

There are 13 types of Maple grown in Canada and North America.  Hard Maple and Black Maple are very durable woods that rates highly on the Wood Hardness Scale, ranking above Oak,  making making them a great choice for both domestic and commercial flooring.

However, other species of Maple such as the Silver or Red Maple are classed as softwood and would not work well in a busy walkway as the wood would damage more easily.  Do be sure to check with your supplier what species of Maple they supply so you can make the best decision for your property.

The close uniform grain of Maple gives it it's beautiful soft & smooth finish that is so desirable.  Unfortunately, however, it is also also this quality that makes scratches and marks more noticeable.  Laquering a Maple floor would only highlight scratches even further, a matte oiled finish would be most suitable to keep maintenance costs down.

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

DIY wood floor staining - uneven sanding will lead to uneven staining

Wood floor sanding is a bit of an art to master.  But one of the key points you need to remember is -

The floor needs to be sanded evenly

To eye the floor may look pretty even, however when you come to staining you may realise that the stain is not taking evenly across the floor.

If you notice that the edges are taking differently to the rest of the floor then here is your problem:

To sand the main portion of the floor you will have used a belt sander, and around the sides you will have used an edge sander.  Both of these sanders have removed the desired top layer of wood leaving you with a nice clean surface to stain.

However....you will not be left with an even finish.

How do I even out the floor?

Use a random orbital sander to level out the floor.  The sander moved in two different directions

Sounds impossible though it gently vibrates in multiple directions and in a small circular motion. This blendsthe edge   sanding with the main floor sanding.

It is also advised to use a big rotary sander to finish the floor at around 120 grit to ensure a fine even finish.

Another method to achieve a good staining effect is to Water-pop your wood floor - This is done by applying a thin coating of moisture to the floor with a damp cloth or flat mop. Ensure you apply this evenly. The water will make the wood grains swell and once dry thefloor will   absorb more of the stain.

Staining a wood floor is not easy so if you need advice feel free to give us a call on 01222 863632.

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

See our blog for more floor sanding tips and advice:

http://artofcleanuk.blogspot.co.uk/

Can my wood floor be restored without sanding!

It is not always necessary to sand a wooden floor. If the floor has been well maintain and oil has been applied before, it is possible to carry out a deep clean with special cleaners and equipment and then we can apply a fresh coat of oil to restore the protective barriers on and within the wood floor. In nearly all cases it will restore the colour in the floor as well.

In the pictures below you can see a wood floor we gave a fresh look by cleaning and application of Pallmann Magic Oil once a year:

How can you care for your oiled wood floor without calling the wood sanding experts - Simple really:

You can apply a fresh coat of Pallmann Magic Oil Care - (Ensure the floor is cleaned very well before this is applied- Use Neutral Clean 

PallmannMagic Oil care is also available in 5 Litre for bigger floors

Oak floor before cleaning

Oak floor after cleaning and oiling

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

Pine floor sanded and oiled in Girton

Beautiful transformation on this pine wooden floor.
It was very dry and no protective finish was left on the wood floor.

We sanded the floor and reapply Pallmann Magic Oil finish. This looks natural and lovely on this floor.

See the video below on how Pallmann Magic oil is applied and the protection it offers on wood floors

Pine floor before the sanding

Pine floor after the sanding

Pine floor after the sanding and oiling

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 floor sanded and lacquered in Cottenham Cambridge

We have recently sanded and lacquered a pine floor in Cambridge. Lovely results!

Pine wood floor before the sanding

Pine wood floor after the sanding

Pine wood floor after the sanding and lacquer applied

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