How to Fit Solid Wooden Floors
How to Fit Solid Wooden Floors
BASIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR FITTING SOLID WOOD FLOORING
You have chosen a solid wood floor which we are sure you will enjoy for years to come. Please read these instructions and advice before proceeding with installation or unpacking. Solid wood is a natural product and as such will react to its local environment by expanding and contracting. It is important that some basic rules are followed to ensure a trouble free installation and future enjoyment.
BEFORE INSTALLATION
Make sure that the cartons are stacked horizontally and flat. Open the ends so that the wood can acclimatise. All our boards are kiln dried to 8.5% moisture content and they need to acclimatise to your local environment in the rooms where they will be installed. You should allow at least 10 to 14 days for the boards to acclimatise making sure that you have a room temperature of about 18 degrees C with humidity no more than about 55%. Do not lay solid boards in basements for example, or over garages or open spaces such as open ground below the joists. In winter when the temperature is very low and the air is very dry you should use a humidifier if possible especially if the room is heated to a fairly high temperature.
The following is very important
All wet trades such as plastering and wallpapering must be finished All the plaster must be totally dry Floor and wall tiles have been installed for at least 2 weeks Radiators have been bled with any leaks rectified The concrete sub floor has a moisture content of less than 10% All windows and doors are fully fixed All painting is completed All other trades have finished
SUB FLOORS
In most home we now have concrete floors and they should be checked for damp proof courses and also humidity. The surface should be firm, clean, level and grease free. If there is some possibility of dampness then use the Bona R410 to seal the floor. If the concrete floor is uneven by more than 2mm then you can use a self levelling compound but in this case you will not be able to glue the floor down as the glue may cause the levelling compound to break away.
In older houses there is normally and air gap below the joists, in this case either use engineered boards or put a ply subfloor down with a damp proof membrane below to ensure that any humidity and temperature difference will not affect your solid floor once installed.
Where you are fixing to old floor boards you must make sure that they are firmly fixed and that there are no loose boards or protruding nails. It is always safest if you want to lay your new floor over an existing one that you add screws to the old boards as well as nails. If you want to take the old floor boards up then make sure the joists are sound and remove all the nails you can. If the old floorboards are substandard and you want to lay the new boards in the same direction then you should screw down a plywood sub base on which you can then glue down your new floor. This will ensure that you do not get “creaky” boards and your new floor will be completely flat and secure. If you lay your new floor directly onto existing boards in the same direction you are likely to get problems in the future. Normally it is always best to lay the boards lengthways in a room and not across the shortest space.
INSTALLATION
There are two main methods to fixing your floor described below. Before starting your installation you should open several packs so that you can mix the packs to get the best layout. Random lengths mean that you will get a total range of different lengths in each pack, each pack will not always have the same length boards. As solid wood will move the random lengths mean that you will have less of a problem with twisting and warping.
Wood is a natural product and nature always surprises us so you will get different colour hues and grain variation even from the same tree. Each board and each floor is unique and it is important that you get the layout correct so that you can enjoy your floor for years to come and regard it as a piece of beauty and art. With solid wood you must always leave an expansion gap around side of each room of at least 10mm to 15mm.
Glueing
We normally recommend the Bona R850 adhesive as it dries like a hard rubber and is easy to use. We supply this at below trade price with a comb to spread the adhesive. When you use this method you glue the boards directly on to your old floorboards, concrete floor or plywood subfloor. Please follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully which you will find on each tub of adhesive.
Nailing or Screwing
This is the traditional method and all boards should be secret nailed or screwed at an angle of 45% through the top of the tongue. Our comprehensive traditional installation guide shows this in diagrammatic form. You should us the lost nail heads and a pneumatic nail gun preset to the correct angle which you can hire from any good tool shop. For some very hard species you may need to use a small drill to make a guide hole so that you do not split the tongue when nailing through.
Floating Floors
You should not try and float a solid wood floor the natural movement of solid wood means that you may have problems in the future.
AFTER INSTALLATION WOOD CARE
Lacquered Flooring: we supply a maintenance kit for our aluminium oxide UV coated floors. Normally a quick hoover or dry dust mop will do the job, for stubborn stains just use a kitchen wipe or our special cleaners and replenishing solution.
UV Oiled Floors: these also require little maintenance as they have been sealed and heat treated at the factory. There is a special UV oil maintenance kit and also soap oil which can be used every few months depending on the level of traffic to keep the floor looking like new.
Natural Oiled Floors: we only supply one board that has natural oil and these need to be maintained regularly, the new soap oil and maintenance kits are the perfect solution.
NEVER USE AGRESSIVE CLEANING PRODUCTS CONTAINING AMMONIA, BLEACH OR SILICONES, AND NEVER LEAVE SURPLUS WATER ON THE FLOOR.
Always protect chair and furniture legs with felt pads Place mats at entrances to absorb grit and dirt from outside Clean with the proper maintenance kits or just wipe with a damp sponge
REMEMBER: Wood is a beautiful natural product and due to this the industry standard states that up to 5% may not be usable for the intended purpose.
Martyn Ryder CEO of The Solid Wood Floorijng Company
Article from articlesbase.com
Ten little-known facts about mezzanine floors for business owners to consider
Ten little-known facts about mezzanine floors for business owners to consider
It might be more cost-effective to install a mezzanine floor than to acquire new premises. A Mezzanine Floor could add a new dimension to your premises by making use of redundant overhead space - giving your business the additional room it needs at a fraction of the cost of relocation. And if you can outsource not only the build but also the mezzanine floor design, you will reduce your own staff costs to the minimum.
Mezzanine floors are useful for more than storage. The additional space created by a Mezzanine Floor can also be used to accommodate offices, or to increase production space. A well-built mezzanine floor can be used for any of the following:
Retail outlets / showrooms
Viewing Galleries
Laboratories
Office Accommodation
Assembly / production
Fitness / Gyms
Canteen / Staff Rooms
Mezzanine floors can be designed to your own specification. A good design and install company will create a bespoke design to meet your precise requirements, and will install it having taken into account such things as site conditions, Building Regulations, safety and access.
Mezzanine Floors can be Multi-tiered. Where height allows, a two-, three- or four-tier mezzanine floor will give considerable additional floor space, and is particularly effective in ensuring a good return on your investment if and when you come to move on.
Planning permission is not usually needed for mezzanine floors if they are going to be used solely for storage space. For many other uses, planning permission and other building regulations must be obtained. A good mezzanine floor design company will obtain permissions on your behalf, having first advised you on the most cost-effective use of materials which will both comply with regulations, and fit in with your requirements.
Mezzanine floors can look wonderful. Wide ranges of colours and design options are available so that staircases, gates, walls and other structural elements can be blended with the overall design of your brand and internal decor. This is particularly important if you intend to use the additional space as a showroom.
Installing a mezzanine floor can be done quickly and with a minimum of disruption. If you can provide your mezzanine floor designer with detailed plans of the space and your requirements, much of the planning can be done off-site. A good company will provide you with detailed drawings and calculations for your approval, will give you an installation date well in advance, will let you know exactly how long the installation will take, and will keep disruption to the minimum while installation is carried out.
Mezzanine floors can be customised for special environments. Provided that your mezzanine floor installer is experienced in more specialist projects, you can use him to include such things as plant support structures, lorry sheeting platforms, plant access walkways or outdoor staircases. And if you want your mezzanine floor to be used outdoors, there are numerous structural and design features that can make this work.
Production lines and production centres can benefit from mezzanine floors - for example, a mezzanine floor can be used to provide workers with a higher access point to a particular item. In addition, the installation of a mezzanine floor can minimise the amount of wasted space, while maintaining a safe and secure working environment.
A mezzanine floor can be most effective as a storage solution when combined with bespoke racking and shelving. Look for a mezzanine floor designed/installer who can also offer you design, supply and installation of bespoke racking and shelving. This will ensure that your vision for transforming redundant overhead space into useful storage space can be effectively costed, planned, and realised in one undertaking.
If you would like to know more about designing, installing and using mezzanine floors, please contact a mezzanine floor designer, who will be happy to answer your questions. In the meantime, we hope this article has helped you become more informed about mezzanine floors!
Dennis and his wife Janet run Bristol Storage Equipment and love to help companies maximise their space to save money. Whether you have warehouses in Cardiff and Swansea or an office in Bristol or Gloucester, Bristol Storage Equipment supplies Dexion products to businesses throughout Wales and the West. Supplying and installing mezzanine floors, live storage, partitioning or providing racking repairs and maintenance, they offer quick and cost effective storage solutions.
Article from articlesbase.com
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Wood Flooring. Reclaimed Vs. Old Growth Wood. Northern Va, Antique/Reclaimed Wood Floor Specialists. Madera Floors
Wood Flooring. Reclaimed Vs. Old Growth Wood. Northern Va, Antique/Reclaimed Wood Floor Specialists. Madera Floors
In the wood flooring industry, the term 'old growth' continues to be the subject of interpretation and controversy. At Madera Floors we make it our business to know more about wood than any other company, and to educate our customers so that they can make more informed purchasing decisions. We frequently address questions about 'old growth' trees, especially in relation to reclaimed timber. In fact, we have talked with many consumers who thought the terms meant the same thing and were misled into thinking their old growth flooring was the same as our antique reclaimed flooring. Here we define some of the terms and address questions surrounding the mystery of 'old growth'.
Old Growth refers to established forests that, up until the time trees are cut, have had little or no disruption. Advocates of cutting old growth timbers suggest that pruning selected trees is good for the forest. We disagree. Old growth forests maintain themselves through a natural process that does not include cutting into the delicate fabric woven by nature.
How Old is "Old" Growth? The actual age that determines "old" growth varies depending on the specie, but it refers to the age at which a tree has reached its maturity. For an eastern white pine, it is between 130-150 years, while many of the hardwoods reach maturity at 80 years. But, what is most important is that at maturity and thereafter the old growth tree is still contributing to the ecosystem in which it lives.
Virgin Growth refers to dense stands of various species of hardwood or pine trees that are indigenous to their habitat; they have never been harvested. Many virgin forests are protected, but tragically there are also many that are still being cut today for purposes that include mass-produced wood flooring. Essentially, virgin timber is old growth that has never been cut, while old growth may or may not be virgin timber.
Reclaimed Wood is also referred to as Antique wood, and for us the terms are interchangeable when describing the wood we use to make our floors. We agree that old growth flooring is beautiful; however, we prefer to reuse this majestic timber that was originally cut to build structures that have shaped our history in the United States and in interesting places all over the world.
"Deconstruction" is the core of the reclaimed wood industry. The emphasis is on utilizing materials that have outlived their usefulness and would otherwise be demolished, discarded or left to decay. Deconstruction helps to close the resource loop that we now realize is so valuable in this world of finite resources.In recycling this precious material there is a significant positive environmental impact.
Deconstruction differs from 'demolition' in that it is a painstaking process involving the selective dismantlement of building components. We work with experts who carefully manage dismantling projects to preserve the grand dimensions of the beams, posts and floor joists; this will be reflected in your floor as we work to maintain the superior widths and lengths of these ancient timbers.
Demolition, on the other hand, is unfortunately the more common method of taking down a building. Implosion or 'wrecking-ball' style demolition is relatively inexpensive and offers a quick method of clearing sites for new structures. Consequently this process results in significant waste and unusable material.
For more information please visit our website at
www.maderafloors.com or our blog www.maderafloors.blogspot.com
Thanks
Madera Floors is a state of the art wood floor company which serves all of Northern Virginia, Maryland and D.C. We are growing to encompass a staff of highly trained craftsmen who execute each job skillfully and meticulously.
Article from articlesbase.com
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Engineered Wood Flooring – A Great Alternative To Solid Hardwood Floors
Engineered Wood Flooring - A Great Alternative To Solid Hardwood Floors
Engineered wood flooring has been one of the great innovations in flooring to hit the market. Engineered hardwood is not made from solid wood. It consists of several layers and only the top layer is the actual hardwood that you always dreamed of having for the floors of your home. The layers underneath are specifically designed to give you maximum wear and tear and they give you practical flooring for just about every room of the house. Engineered wood flooring has advantages over solid hardwood that make it very attractive.
For one thing, engineered wood flooring is not as costly as solid hardwood flooring. The other layers of the engineered hardwood flooring are plywood or high density fibreboard. They are molded together under high pressure in a factory setting. Engineered hardwood floors will not expand and contract as solid hardwood does with changes in humidity and temperature. You can install it over just about any type of existing floor and by following special instructions you can install an engineered floor over radiant heat sources.
Engineered wood flooring in one of the most versatile choices that you can make when it comes to flooring in your home. It has many practical applications. You can install it over an existing concrete floor or one made with inferior grade wood. You can glue or nail it down and there are also forms of engineered hardwood floors that are glueless, forming a floating floor. It is an excellent choice in areas where there are drastic changes in temperature and humidity. However, engineered wood does not perform well in rooms of the home where there is an excess of humidity and moisture, such as in bathrooms or mudrooms.
One of the major reasons that many homeowners choose engineered wood flooring is its fantastic price. You have the same look and texture of hardwood, but it seems as if you are getting the hardwood at a wholesale price. Engineered hardwood floors are easy to install and the instructions are clearly printed inside each carton of flooring. You do have to make sure that the subfloor is clean of dust and dirt before you start so that any small pieces of rock won't work their way up through the flooring.
In the line of engineered wood flooring, you can get various types of wood, stains and finishes. You can also choose prefinished and unfinished hardwood, but if you are looking for an easy project, then it is best to go with prefinished. This way when you have the engineered hardwood flooring installed, you don't have to bother applying any stain or finish. You can just sit back and enjoy your engineered wood flooring.
Find out about Wood Flooring at Peter's Website Wood Flooring Explained, all about Laminate Flooring and lots more about laminate and hardwood flooring
Leyland Business Install New Shelving Systems and Mezzanine Floors
Leyland Business Install New Shelving Systems and Mezzanine Floors
However, it’s this summer that has marked the arrival of Steven Livesey’s new business Blink Photo to the Kings Court development opposite the Commercial Transport Museum in the town centre.
More used to the sunny shores of Mediterranean islands for his fashion & footwear shoots, Steven chose Leyland to set up his new ambitious venture due to the ease of transport networks and general ease of doing business.
Blink are in the process of converting a divided old mill unit into a state of the art commercial photographic studio. They’ve been pleasantly surprised to find that help was at hand on their doorstep with several local businesses partnering them in creating a working environment from an empty shell.
The major works were carried out by local Leyland company NSI Projects, who specialise in fitting out of empty building shells with mezzanine floors, partitioning, ceilings and shelving systems. Their brief was to create studios, offices and storage areas on top of a mezzanine floor that effectively increased the productive footprint of the building by approximately 20%.
Unfortunately the need for the fit-out coincided with a major foreign assignment that required Steven and his team to relocate to the Balearics for three weeks, tantamount to having the builders in whilst you go on your annual holidays – not without its worry!
Said Steven “the shoot was actually less glamorous than it might have looked, with the client going for a more edgy feel - meaning I was lying in the gutters of Palma, Majorca at all times of day and night trying to get the right shots! Meanwhile, I had a major fit-out going on hundreds of miles away that I couldn’t directly supervise”
“Thankfully, due to the time put in pre-planning with the team at NSI, and their desire to keep me fully informed by e-mail and mobile at every step of the project, I came back to a unit transformed in a very short timescale from an empty unit to one being well on the way to the working space I need. We’re really positive about growing our business from our new Leyland base”.
Ireland's Mezzanine Floor Specialists. Retail mezzanine floors and storage mezzanine floors. Installations across Ireland.
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