 |
 |
| |
The work performed by Natural Surface was
excellent; my floors looked fantastic on schedule
and for a great price...."
Patrick Peyer |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
How long will I be kicked out of my house?
|
| |
If you are getting 2-4 main rooms/hallways
done that prevent you from entering and exiting
the home from any angle and operating at a fairly
normal level, it may be wise to bunk somewhere for
a few days. You will have less time out if you use
a water-based polyurethane vs. the typical oil-based
polyurethane. Here is a timeline for each:
| Monday: |
Sand floors and
apply stain or sealer. Light smell. |
| Tuesday: |
Buff surface
and apply first coat of polyurethane.
Expect heavy and lasting smell
from polyurethane. |
| Wednesday: |
Let polyurethane dry. |
| Thursday: |
Buff surface and apply last
coat of polyurethane. |
| Friday: |
Let polyurethane dry. |
| Saturday: |
Polyurethane is 80% dry, can
walk on floors w/o shoes, but
can not place hard object (furniture,
etc. on it yet). |
| Sunday: |
Polyurethane is 90% dry, carefully
place objects on floors keeping
in mind it is easy to scratch
them up since they are not 100%
dry (it takes from when they are
applied 72 hrs) |
|
|
| Monday: |
Sand floors and
apply stain or sealer. Light smell. |
| Tuesday: |
Buff surface
and apply first coat of polyurethane.
Expect very light smell of polyurethane.
You can step on floors 2-3 hours
after the polyurethane is applied. |
| Wednesday: |
Buff surface and apply last
coat of polyurethane. You can
step on floors 2-3 hours after
the polyurethane is applied. |
| Thursday: |
Floors are dry and you can carefully
place objects floors keeping in
mind it is still fairly easy to
scratch them since they are not
100% dry (48 hours to fully dry) |
|
|
|
|
| |
Why hardwoods? (vs. carpet)
| |
Adds warmth and beauty
to your home
Less expensive (carpet needs replacement every 5-7 years).
Increases your home’s value & appeal
Environmentally sound
Healthy – does not harbor molds or dust
Improves frame strength of a house |
What about the odor?
| |
You'll get that "lacquery"
odor when using oil-based polyurethane; it should
work its way out in a week or so with proper ventilation.
In contrast, water-based polyurethane is virtually
odorless (and environmentally friendly). Read
more about it here. |
What’s the difference between solid or engineered hardwood floors?
|
| |
Solid Hardwood Floors: A solid piece of hardwood,
generally cut into 3/4" thick planks. Recommended for above ground; not recommended for
concrete slabs. Solid Hardwood flooring comes unfinished, which is then installed and
finished on-site; or prefinished, which is completely finished at the factory with several
coats of durable finish, before it's ever delivered to your home, then simply nailed down.
Engineered floors: Constructed of layers of wood pressed together and glued.
The top layer is real hardwood (not to be confused with a laminate product). The other
layers in an engineered hardwood floor are made of plywood or high density fiberboard,
running in different directions for added stability, and enabling it to resist the
tendency of solid hardwood to expand and contract with changes in humidity and
temperature. Therefore, engineered hardwood flooring can be used in those areas of the
house where solid wood flooring installation is not suitable - the most common areas are
basements, areas with moisture concerns like kitchens, powder rooms, and utility rooms,
as well as on concrete slab where solid hardwood flooring cannot be nailed down. Since
the top hardwood layer is the same genuine hardwood you have in solid hardwood floors,
it can be sanded and refinished depending upon the thickness of the top hardwood layer.
Moreover, engineered floors are a more environmentally friendly option due to the fact
that less "real" wood is used. By the way, 95% of all engineered flooring options come
pre-finished from factory. |
What's the difference between unfinished and prefinished?
| |
Unfinished floors are "raw" planks of wood that are installed, sanded, and finished on site with
a water- or oil-based polyurethane.
Prefinished floors are completely finished at the factory with several coats of durable finish (aluminum
oxide being the best finish option for prefinished floors available now). They are more commonly used in
situations where the customer does not have the time to devote involved with having the floors finished on site.
It is important to note that most engineered floors come with a micro-beveled edge that will show a small groove
between the planks. |
Hardwood, bamboo, and the new strand woven bamboo – give me the lowdown.
|
| |
There are several advantages to using bamboo flooring over standard hardwood flooring:
- Bamboo is an environmentally friendly product. It takes only a few years for a
bamboo plant to grow to maturity, while it takes decades for hardwood trees. And when
bamboo is harvested, the root continues to live and produces new stock. Each year,
one "mother plant" generates several new stems that grow to full length in a few
months and to mature hardness in about five years. Bamboo plants are therefore quickly
replenished following a harvest.
- In most cases, bamboo flooring is less expensive or at the same cost as hardwood,
while installation costs are the same.
THE CATCH: In recent years, standard bamboo has been touted as being harder than
traditional hardwood floors (such as oak), making it more durable. It has been our
experience, however, that standard bamboo floors are easily dented. Additionally, it
remains unclear whether they can safely be resanded – since there is not a clear consensus
on this issue, we do not offer traditional bamboo flooring anymore.
We do, however, offer strand woven bamboo flooring!
Strand woven bamboo flooring is manufactured differently than traditional bamboo
flooring. In the strand woven process, strips of bamboo are coated with resins and then
compressed with heat to form timbers. These timbers are then milled into flooring. This
process produces bamboo flooring that is twice as hard as traditional bamboo flooring and
according to the manufacturer, can be refinished.
Summary of benefits – strand woven bamboo floors:
- Harder than regular bamboo flooring
- Most varieties can be refinished
- Environmentally friendly. A quickly renewable crop and processed with safe resins,
they have extremely low formaldehyde emissions and make excellent floors for healthy
homes.
- Can be installed over numerous types of sub-floors such as: wood, sheathing grade
plywood, vinyl tile, or Oriented Strand Board (OSB)
|
|
What if my sub floor needs to be repaired?
| |
We can typically
handle minor sub floor repairs due to light flooding
or plumbing damage, etc. If you've got support
problems that go down to the joists, we may be
able to evaluate it for you. |
Do you guarantee your work?
| |
We guarantee our
labor for one year with normal wear and tear.
Warranty does not cover damage caused by events
such as, but not limited to: flood, fire, excessive
housepet behavior (digging, urinating, etc.),
typical housepet wear (dogs with long nails running),
chemical spills, and the dragging of heavy objects
across floors.
We can supply you with product warranties for
items purchased through our suppliers. |
Do you do tile or carpet?
| |
Nope. We're big believers
in doing one thing really well. Through that focus,
we feel our work outshines most, and we can spend
more time streamlining and improving our business
to benefit our customers. |
What are your prices?
| |
We do not provide
prices/quotes without looking at the jobs. Think
of it as a mechanic telling you how much it takes
to have your car fixed without even looking at
it. |
How do I maintain my hardwood or hardwood or bamboo flooring?
|
| |
In order to maximize the durability and beauty of your hardwood or bamboo flooring, we
recommend the following practices as part of your floor's normal care and maintenance:
- Place doormats or rugs at entrances to collect moisture, sand, grit and other
potentially damaging substances from being tracked onto your floors.
- Dust mop or vacuum with a soft accessory to keep your floors clean from dust,
dirt or grit. Hardwood or bamboo flooring cleans easily with a Swiffer or similar type dry mop.
- For sticky spots, use a soft damp cloth to gently scrub the floor. If necessary, use a generic hardwood floor
cleaner. Do not use steel wool or other abrasive scouring pads.
- Do not use harsh detergents, abrasive cleansers, or corrosive chemicals to clean your hardwood or bamboo floor.
- Avoid excessive water. Use mats in the kitchen, bathroom and laundry room to protect against spills. If a
spill occurs, blot it up immediately with a dry cloth or slightly damp mop.
- Use only colorfast and non-scratch carpeting or pads on your floors.
- Protect the floor from furniture legs (use felt pads) and do not walk on the floor with high-heeled shoes.
- Although most hardwood or bamboo flooring has effective UV inhibitors in its finish, it is recommended that
it not be exposed to direct sunlight for long periods.
|
How does moisture affect my hardwood flooring?
| |
Excessive moisture can lead to numerous changes to your floor, such as cupping,
buckling or cracking. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you do not use water to clean your floors. |
The floor beneath my rug is lighter than the exposed floor. What can I do?
| |
It is normal for hardwood floors that are exposed to sunlight to darken
over a period of time and some wood species like cherry are more photosensitive than others. To eliminate
the obvious tone differences, it is best to rotate rugs and furniture so that the flooring gets an equal
amount of sun exposure. Any differences in light exposure will eventually fade away. |
|
|
|
|
