Hardwood Floor Cleaning in Los Angeles: Is It Time to Refinish Your Floor?

Calling a hardwood floor cleaning service in Manhattan Beach may provide you with some more services other than just cleaning.

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Hardwood Floor Cleaning and Refinishing

One benefit that a hardwood cleaning service can offer you is hardwood floor refinishing.

Want to dress up your hardwood floors and increase the value of your home? Sanding and refinishing a hardwood floor without hiring a professional is an affordable option, that often costs between $125 -$250 for a 15-by-15ft room. That expense covers the cost of sandpaper, a drum sander, an orbital sander, and a polyurethane finish.

First sand the floor down to bare wood, using a drum sander. Sanders can be rented from most home improvement stores, like Lowe's or Home Depot. Most floors need to be sanded several times in order to remove the old finish. We recommend using progressively smaller sandpaper grits, starting with 36 grit, before moving to 60 grit, and finally 80 grit.

More Hardwood Floor Refinishing Tips

You'll want to start with the drum sander, then go over the hard-to-reach places like corners and edges with a smaller, orbital sander. It's also a good idea to vacuum between each sanding to get rid of the dust. After vacuuming, dampen a cotton cloth with mineral spirits and wipe down the whole floor to make sure no lingering dust sticks to the new finish. Start in the area furthest away from the door to avoid getting trapped in a corner. You will only need to wait a few minutes for the mineral spirits to dry before proceeding with the base coat.  This is why a hardwood floor refinishing service may be a better idea.  There's a lot to know.

A base coat sealer should be used before the polyurethane finish to avoid discoloration. With a 4 inch paintbrush, line the perimeter of the room with a base coat sealer before covering the rest of the floor. Apply the sealer in the same direction as the wood grain from wall to wall for the most even results. Remember to work slowly to avoid creating bubbles, which will remain in your base coat and be visible though your finishing coats.You'll want to use long-handled synthetic finish applicator to smooth out your base coat before letting it dry. Wait about two hours before proceeding with the next step.
For your finish, you can choose either a water-based polyurethane, or an oil-based polyurethane.

Sounds like an awful lot of work.  You might want to call a hardwood floor refinishing service in Manhattan Beach instead.

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Morris Cleaning & Restoration
1007 N.Sepulveda Blvd. #1204
Manhattan Beach, CA 90267
(310) 545-8750
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Hardwood Floor Cleaning and Refinishing: All About Bamboo Flooring

Part three of our series on hardwood floor cleaning explores bamboo and why it is a popular floor choice.

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Why Bamboo Flooring is Taking Off

Why buy bamboo flooring?  Well, for one thing it is about 70% cheaper than other floor types such as oak, teak, walnut or hickory.  In addition, it is much more ecologically sound.  One of the biggest environmental problems that we are going to be facing in the 21st Century is deforestation.  Without trees, the amount of carbon dioxide increases in the atmosphere.  So cutting down teak to make wood adds to this problem.   However, with bamboo, it grows incredibly fast, and as a result, can be re-established a lot quicker.

In fact, according to this article from the New York Times: "bamboo is popular with some designers because of its sleek appearance. It is “more subtle, less ‘knotty’ ” than other wood, said Roger Ferris, an architect in Westport, Conn. “It’s not something you’re typically used to seeing. That makes it really suitable for contemporary and modern design schemes. Steve Appolloni, a designer in Albuquerque, N.M., likes it for its “durability, cost, eco-friendly qualities and, depending on the source, its thickness and quality. "Bamboo is much denser than oak, Mr. Appolloni said, so it makes for a stronger floor that doesn’t warp as much. It is also less expensive than many other woods. (The average bamboo floor costs about $5 to $7 a square foot, not including installation, whereas walnut or pine can cost nearly $10 a square foot.) Because bamboo plants take only about five years to mature, unlike many trees, which can take 50 years or more, bamboo is environmentally sustainable. Like most woods, though, it can vary in quality, depending on the manufacturer and the finishing technique. Solid bamboo floors, which are the most durable, tend to be more expensive, and can cost as much as $9 a square foot. Engineered bamboo floors, which have multiple layers, can run as low as $3 a square foot, but the quality might not be as high." [READ SOURCE ARTICLE]

Bamboo Floor Care

First off, there is one thing we have to point out.  Technically bamboo is not a wood, it is actually more closely related to grass.  As a result, it is a lot more fibrous than regular wood is and as such, if you wish to do hardwood floor refinishing on it, you must use more than the usual caution.  You could find yourself tearing up the bamboo and shredding it.

So remember, whether you have oak, hickory or bamboo, take care of your floor.  And when in doubt, call in a professional hardwood floor cleaning service in Los Angeles.   

For more information on hardwood floor cleaning, be sure to read part one and part two.  

Morris Cleaning & Restoration
1007 N.Sepulveda Blvd. #1204
Manhattan Beach, CA 90267
(310) 545-8750

Hardwood Floor Cleaning and Refinishing: Oak Flooring

Part two of our series on hardwood floor refinishing explores oak flooring.

Hardwood Floor Refinishing | (310) 545-8750

Hardwood Floors:  More than One Type of Oak

Oak floors convey elegance and comfort at the same time.  What most people don't know is that most of the oak flooring is made of one of three types of oak.  If you have oak in your home it is either white oak, red oak, or black oak. Here is some information regarding oak from WIKIPEDIA.ORG: "Oak wood has a density of about 0.75 g/cm3, great strength and hardness, and is very resistant to insect and fungal attack because of its high tannin content. It also has very appealing grain markings, particularly when quartersawn. [READ SOURCE ARTICLE]

If you have a home with solid oak flooring, then you must know by now that it is worth a small fortune.  And it is worth the price.  Oak flooring brightens any room up.  It is tough, durable, and keeps its looks for a long time.  it is fairly easy to take care of, and clean.   Another great benefit of oak flooring is increases your home's resale value. So with that said, make sure that you take proper care of it.  

Oak Floor Care and Cleaning

Despite the fact that it is tough and durable, like all hardwoods, you must take care of it the right way.  You either need to call in a hardwood floor cleaning service, or if you do it yourself, make sure you don't use harsh chemicals like bleach.  You also want to avoid using anything oil based like furniture polish as it can leave a residue behind.  Never wet mop your oak floor.  Harsh chemicals can bleach your wood or even cause parts of it to dissolve, particularly softer sections.  In addition, chemicals such as bleach can strip the finishing off the floor as well, and leave the floor vulnerable to stains, scratches and pits.  

So remember, your oak floor is more than just floor.  So whether you have oak plank flooring or solid oak, you want to make sure that you take care of it.  It is an investment in your home both for now and for the future.  Sweep it lightly once a week, and make sure you have mats at the entry points.  Clean up spills immediately, and make sure you have a professional hardwood floor cleaning service come in every now and then to seal your hardwood floor.  

Morris Cleaning & Restoration
1007 N.Sepulveda Blvd. #1204
Manhattan Beach, CA 90267
(310) 545-8750
http://www.morriscarpetcleaning.com