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Thursday, May 21, 2015

Oak flooring Chicago



What’s the difference between red oak flooring and white oak flooring?
There is a noticeable difference between a red and a white oak floors. Here is some information that you mind use while choosing your perfect floors :
1. Color – red oak has a bit of a pinkish tint is a little bit lighter than white oak. White oak tends to be a bit browner, darker and more yellow. When you stain them, the difference between the 2 species decreases, especially the darker you go. With lighter stains, the red oak tends to have a bit of red undertone in the color.
2. Graining red oak tends to have stronger graining than white oak hardwood. White oak has a bit of a smoother look. Some people prefer the strong graining of red oak – both because they like the look and because the strong graining helps hide the scratches and dents; other prefer the slightly smoother grain of white oak and feel it’s a less busy look
3. Hardness – white oak flooring is a bit harder than red oak. On the Janka hardness scale, White oak is 1360 and red oak is 1290. But, as I mentioned above, even though red oak is a bit less hard, it tends to show the dents a bit less.
 4. Compatibility with stair treads and accessoriesRed oak is more common in stair treads, saddles, banisters and other transitions. If you have oak stair treads already in your home, chances are, they are red oak, so you may be better served matching that. If you need to get new stair treads or other transitions, they are usually more readily available (and hence lower priced) in red oak.


5.  White oak is more resistant to water than red oak.  Because white oak is a closed grain wood, it more impervious to water.  This is why it’s used more often in boat building.  And, it’s also why it’s better to use white oak on front door jambs as well as other areas that may be more exposed to water and nature’s elements..  It’s amazing to see how much faster the red oak absorbs the water. 
We carry both types  of floors mentioned above,please stop by in our showroom today .We are located at 3100 N Elston Ave., Chicago




Thursday, May 14, 2015

Hardwood floors Chicago



      Polishing Hardwood floors
   A finish on hardwood floors does not last forever. It may be that your floors need to be refinished. You can extend the life of a floor finish by making a no shoe policy, clipping pet nails, and using furniture protectors. Even with these precautions, eventually a hardwood floor will need to be refinished. Here are some steps of how to do it in a correct way:  
    Remove as much furniture as possible. If you are cleaning your floor alone, place furniture pads under the legs and slide the furniture out of the room. Vacuum your hardwood floors to get up all the dust and debris before you clean it. Vacuums with faulty wheels can scratch floors, so pick up dust with a broom if you don’t have a good mode. Find out about your hardwood floor if you don’t know what the wood is and the finish is. Hardwood  floors have a hard finish and can be cleaned with a small amount of water, while shellac or lacquered floors can’t have any water on them and may need to be waxed regularly.

Experiment to find the right products for your floor type.
There are a lot of products that market themselves as hardwood floor cleaners, but don't measure up. A good place to start is finding out what your floor manufacturer  recommends. This way we are highly recommending to buy your hardwood cleaning products at the Flooring store such ours. Our professional will recommend  what cleaners you need for a specific floors  type .
     Clean hardwood floors with a mop. Mix a few drops of Bona Hardwood Cleaner with water. Wring out the mop extremely well and then run the mop along the grain. We carry a great selection of hardwood cleaning products, so please don’t hesitate to stop by in our store to get the products for your floors.

Spray the polish on the floor or apply it to a cloth, according to package directions. Use a feathering technique to wipe the polish in a semi-circle. Overlap your feathering strokes for a streak free finish.  In our store on 3100 N Elston Ave, you will also find a great selection of Hardwood Cleaners  from different brands.
Visit our webswite at www.abhardwood.com 

We are located on 3100 N Elston Ave ., Chicago IL 60618

 Call us at (773) 279-9100

Cleaning Brazilian hardwood floors



  Cleaning Brazilian hardwood floors
    Cleaning Brazilian hardwood floors, in many respects, is basically the same process as cleaning any other type of hardwood flooring. There are a few differences though, and as long as you know the basics, as well as those extra few steps, you can keep your floors looking like new. Be prepared though, Brazilian hardwood floors often require a bit of work to maintain. Here's what you need to do.


  Sweep. The first step in cleaning Brazilian hardwood floors is to sweep it regularly. If at all possible you should also use a vacuum cleaner to help clean the floors as well. However, when you are sweeping your exotic flooring, make sure that you are using the softest bristled brush that you can find. In addition, when you use a vacuum cleaner on your flooring, make sure that you never use the beater brush attachment. The reason is that a harsh bristled brush, or even the beater brush, can seriously damage the wood Brazilian hardwood floors.
  Dust. You will need to regularly dust your floors in addition to sweeping them. It may sound like a needlessly repetitive step, but it will help keep down the amount of dirt and grime that can build up on the floor. On average, you should dust mop your Brazilian hardwood floors no less than twice a week. Be sure that you use the softest possible dust mop to get the best affect for your work.
  Mop. When mopping a Brazilian hardwood floor, you need to be particularly careful. Use the least amount of water possible to get the job done, and only use a cleaner that has been rated to work on exotic woods. The reason for this is that water can cause all kinds of damage to wood, and general floor cleaners can actually cause harm to your exotic wood flooring if you are not careful. You should be mopping your floor a minimum of once a week, but don't be afraid to do it as often as necessary.
  The best way to keep your Brazilian hardwood flooring clean is to be as careful as possible. Do not drag anything hard across the floor (this includes chairs). Do not walk across the floor in hard soled shoes if at all possible, and do not allow any liquid spills to rest on the flooring longer than absolutely necessary. By being careful, almost paranoid, about your flooring, you will be able to keep it clean, while also protecting its beauty for years to come.
   We carry an amazing collection of Brazilian Hardwood Floors, stop by in our show room.

We are located on 3100 N Elston Ave in Chicago