Sometimes a question arrives which we truly have to anser according to our own principles:
"We got a reddish coloured floor in our house and want to lighten the colour - how do we go about this?"
To be honest, more often than not we tell them it would be a shame to change the wonderful natural colour of the wood-species. Once we inform them of the nowaday prices of tropical wood floors most are then (although some reluctantly) changing their minds.
Restoring a original tropical wood floor will add value to your property and we can highly recommend Saicos Tropical Combo as the best finish.
For those still wanting to change the appearance of their tropical floor: think about adding a light rug to the floor which keeps the value of your floor intact (for instance when you sell your property the new owners could appreciate the original floor more than a stained one) and gives you more of the "design-style" you were after at the same time.
Some issues keep recurring in our inbox, on flooring forums: cork strips among them.
A few days ago we received the following email:
"I realise the importance of leaving an expansion gap around a wooden floor (oak parquet in my case) but can you tell me why we are told to insert cork strips around the edge? Surely the cork is only taking up valuable expansion room. Is it ok to just leave a 10mm gap all around?"
This was our (recurring) answer on this subject:
Thank you for your question. We are trying so hard do tell everyone exactly that: DON'T use cork strips to fill the expansion gap.
These were used many, many years ago to divide design parquet pattern and the block border and somehow ended up in the expansion gap.
So, you are absolutely right. Leave your expansion gap 'empty' to cater for any natural seasonal movement of your wood floor."
The reply:
Many thanks, it's nice to be right for once!
Of course he was right, we still don't understand how the old-fashion cork divider strip ended up as recommendation to fill your expansion gaps.
Looking for more tips and tricks of the trade to install your own natural wooden floor like a pro? Look no further than the "Wooden Floor Installation Manual"
Which of these two wood floor finish options would be best: Oil or lacquer?
One of the hardest questions to answer is: what makes a better finish, lacquer or oil/HardWaxOil?
First of all it’s down to personal taste and secondly to what is expected of the floor, e.g. easy maintenance, shiny look or natural appearance of the wood.
Historical the wax floor is still seen as very labour intensive to maintain, who doesn't have memories of caretakers buffing away endlessly week after week after week (be it your “Gran” or the school caretaker). Then came the ‘modern’ lacquer (and synthetic and affordable wall-to-wall carpets) and the original wax floor almost became extinct.
For many decades most of the wooden flooring in the U.K. were pre-finished lacquered or lacquered/varnished on site. Maintenance became simple, buffing on hands and knees a thing of the past and there is a choice between high gloss and matte appearance. The newest innovation in lacquer even has the same appearance as an oiled floor to make the wood look more ‘natural’.
The biggest disadvantage of a lacquered finish on a wooden floor is that it ‘sits’ on the floor.
When damaged with a sharp object or due to the long term abrasive effect of dirt (‘dirty’ shoes ‘sanding’ away in heavy traffic areas or under chairs, tables) the lacquer doesn't protect the wood any more and dirt/moist will make the wooden floor look ‘grey’ regardless of maintenance efforts. In fact, cleaning damaged areas with a moist cloth will make things worse.
The only proper solution would be to sand the complete floor and to apply a new finish. Applying a proper lacquer layer is a job for the specialist, lacquer is not very forgiving to mistakes made.
The labour intensive maintenance of the old-fashioned wax-floor has now become a thing of the past: oils replaced the many layers of wax. The oil penetrates the wood deeper than lacquer and makes it moist resistance, but allowing the wood to ‘breathe’. A hardwax layer is applied afterwards to make the wear and tear layer water repellent.
Nowadays most oiled floors are pre-finished (or finished on site) with HardWaxOil, combining the natural oil (long term protection) and the carnauba or bees hardwax (wear and tear layer) in a two-in-one product. It’s very easy to apply and a very forgiving product when some mistakes are made, in fact an ideal DIY-finish (but we strongly recommend you read the instructions thoroughly and use the right equipment).
It has a great surface density and therefore very resistant to abrasive movements. Besides that, any (small) damages are very easily repaired with some wax or maintenance oil without the need to sand the whole floor.
The appearance of the finished wooden floor is satin-mat with the advantage of making the floor look warmer, deeper in colour over the years.
An oiled-waxed or HardWaxOiled wooden floor requires slightly more maintenance than a lacquered floor, but not on the level of the old-fashioned knee and backbreaking wax floor, the modern maintenance products have taken care of that. And on the other hand: wet shoe prints (think rain, Autumn, incoming traffic in hallways) don't show up immediately, like it does on a varnished or lacquered floor.
You can request our maintenance tips by popping in your name and email address in the form below (we hate spam as much as you do and your details will never be forwarded to any one else!)
Have we answered the question of what makes a better finish? No, sorry we still can't. Ultimately it is still down to personal taste, we're afraid.
The E-version: instant access to the exact same content as the the paperback, plus includes all colour images and drawings.
This version can be:
viewed online with multiple search-options,
downloaded (PDF) and printed, and
gives you even the opportunity to ask your own questions underneath every section, every chapter even.
Wooden Floor Installation Manual, everything you need to know about DIY wooden floors
This 160 page manual in plain English contains all the tricks of the trade we and other professionals use which will make your wood floor look like it was installed by a professional too.
Enjoying the sunny weather we're having of late? I'll bet you do!
The intens sunshine however resulted in a panicky email:
"I hope you can help us. We had an Oak floor installed which was finished with UV-oil. Now with all the sunny weather of the recent weeks, the part of floor that gets the sun all afternoon long is still changing colour! How is that possible, we thought with the UV-oil the floor was protected against this???"
An UV-oil finish is quite common nowadays. but is sets most people on "the wrong foot". UV-oil means the oil in the factory has certain particles in it that assists the quick factory drying of the oil with UV-light. It does not mean your floor is now protected against the effects of the UV-light of the sun.
Any wood floor reacts to light, by turning darker or lighter - depending on the wood-species. The best way to protect your floor (and its colour) is to shade it from intense sunlight during mid-day when the UV rays are at their strongest. Awnings, screens or even soft curtains will reduce the UV effect on your floor.
Plus, as you would (should!) do with your own skin to protect it during the most intense sunshine, you can also protect your floor - no matter if it is treated with UV-oil or not - by applying a regular maintenance regime which keeps the surface healthy and will reduce the effect of the sun's UV light.
A regular maintenance regime means nothing more than applying a polish or a wax every 5 - 6 months (do avoid treating your floor in direct sunshine, the high temperature of the surface will dry out the polish/wax too quickly and result in a patchy result).
The simplest way to treat your floor - and protect it better against the sunshine - is using Saicos EcoLine Wax-Care Spray. Simply spray it on your floor, spread it out with the polish applicator and within 10 minutes the job is done!
Treat your floor regularly, enjoy the sun and don't get burned!
Often we are presented with the following question:
"We've sanded down our Oak floor and like the pale colour the wood has now. How can we keep this colour?"
Before we had to tell every one that even a natural finish (such as Saicos Premium HardWaxOil, available in 4 sheens) would "darken" the wood to its natural characteristic. With Oak this tends to be honey - or yellow, and not the pale(r) colour you see right after sanding. Doing the "wet-finger" test on sanded Oak will show you this authentic colour the boards/blocks will get after oiling. However.......!
Saicos Coating Systems has just launched a new "sheen" in their Premium HardWaxOil (the quick drying product) which will keep your Oak wood the paler colour you saw after sanding:
Another innovation from Saicos to keep the wood looking as natural as possible. It’s a Non visible finish.
After completely sanding the floor, and you would like to keep the same appearance, you should apply two coats of Saicos Pure Hardwax Oil.
Does not yellow over time and easy maintenance with Saicos wash care.
Coverage 14m2 with 2coats per litre
Available in 0.75 litres and 2.5 litre
Also ideal for Kitchen worktops, doors and furniture as well.
Available now in our secure webshop: Saicos Premium HardWaxOil 0.75 ltr - select the "pure" option Saicos Premium HardWaxOil 2.5 ltr- select the "pure" option If you are looking for a pale look on your tropical floor - for which we highly recommend the Tropical Combo - two coats of HardWaxOil staight on the sanded surface will create a patchy look, due to the fact the tropical wood is oily of its own and the oil in the HardWaxOil will have trouble penetrating to wood as it should. Therefore we do not recommend the pure on these wood-species, use the Tropical Combo and apply the single oil first!
DIY-ers come in all shapes and forms and ages. Mrs M. Lewis, a grandmother from Swansea, decided in June it was high time to restore the original parquet floor in her house. Gaining knowledge about the steps to take from the "7 Easy Steps to Restore/Repair your Parquet Floor" she became confident she could do all the works herself. When she first contacted us, the hardest part - sanding the old finish off - was already done. She just needed to know which finish would be best for her tropical floor and we advised to use the "tropical combo" from Saicos.
Saicos doesn't call the combination of the two oil products this way, we baptised it ourselves last year when we had to look for an alternative for the thin oil (Euku oil 1) which, due to VOC regulations, was not longer being produced. Our own experience with Saicos Colour Wax Clear extra thin, followed by one coat of Saicos Premium HardWaxOil (or in lesser traffic areas with Saicos Wax-Polish) proved to us it was a very worthy if not better alternative. (Side-note: Saicos' Colour Wax products are a thin oil and not - as the name suggests - a wax). Tropical wood species are oily of themselves, which, when applying HardWaxOil as first coat, can result in patchy areas when the oil in the HWO can not penetrate the wood enough before the wax part of the HWO starts doing its work. Therefore it is better to apply a thin - single - oil first, which can do its work to penetrate the wood for long term protection undisturbed, followed by one coat of HardWaxOil.
Uncertainties gone
This week Mrs Lewis called us again with high praise for the "Tropical Combo". It had been so easy to apply, she told us, and brought out the original grandeur of the parquet floor in no time at all.
"And it is so hardwearing! I don't have to worry about the floor when my grand children visit, it doesn't show anything at all."
One worry she did have after applying the Colour Wax Clear was the fact it seemed to dry up a bit dull, not what she had expected. But after applying the coat of HardWaxOil the sheen of the original tropical floor showed up, dissolving her fear she had not applied the first coat correctly.
"You should explain this better in your guide! You know how people are uncertain about these things, doing this for a first time, and telling them upfront what to expect takes away these uncertanties."
Point taken, Mrs Lewis. The reason Mrs Lewis called us was one little area of the restored floor stayed dull, she thought it might have had something to do with sanding this particular area more than others - closing the grain. Should she apply a second coat of HardWaxOil there?
In these cases we recommend to treat the spot with wax or wax-polish first, 9 times out of 10 this solves the dullness and it rather quickly to do. (Side-note: one of the advantages of using HardWaxOil over varnish/lacquer is the fact you can "repair" small areas locally without having to sand down the whole floor again. Varnish/lacquer applied only on a small area can result in a patchy appearance when new finish overlaps with old finish, this will not show when you use HWO.) Now she experienced the great result of her first floor restoring project Mrs Lewis has changed her mind about buying new rugs to put on the floors of the bedrooms, covering the original parquet in there.
"They are too beautiful to stay covered up really and now I know how well and simple your Tropical Combo products work I'm more than confident I can bring back their grandeur too."
Who are we to argue? In our secure webshop you will find everything you need to repair/restore your own original parquet floor too.
When you are (re)searching products to care or repair your wooden floor, you could be forgiven for becoming overwhelmed by all the products available. Which one, or combination of products, would do everything you want it to do, AND is suitable for it?
Do I need an oil when my floor has been oiled before to bring back its lustre, do I need a cleaning product first and what wax or polish can I apply and how often? What products do I need when I only have to add a few blocks to our existing parquet floor, and want to sand and re-finish the whole area of flooring?
The list of questions can go on and on.
Restoration packs
Since long, Wood You Like's secure webshop has presented you with 3 different Restoration Packs when you're in the process of restoring your original parquet floor:
Oak pack - with HardWaxOil, among other products
Tropical - with the Tropical Combo as finish
Pine - with a thin colour oil to prevent the pine turning ugly orange
All three packs also contain parquet adhesive, notched trowel and trowel knife, wood-filler, oil/polish applicator and the "7 easy steps" guide. For some "restoration" jobs the above packs contain more products than needed. For instance, when you don't have any missing or loose blocks the adhesive is not needed. And sometimes there is even no need to sand your floor, making the wood-filler superfluous too.
New: Care/Repair Kits
If that's the case we have make life easier for you by creating 2 brands new Care/Repair Kits - more Kits might follow in the near future.
We had a close look at our sales statistics to see which products were frequently combined in orders through our secure webshop, and simply put them in one box - to make it easier for you if you are planning a sort like DIY-Repair project.
The EcoLine Cleaning Kit contains all the EcoLine products you need for regular and thorough maintenance: Magic Cleanser, wash care and the wax-care spray.
The Intensive Cleaning/Repair Kit are ideal for those floors which have been covered with carpets for a long time. The Magic Cleaner - dilute with water - will remove all the dirt, grime and even old wax/oil layers. Once this application has dried - do read and follow the instructions of use - it is simply a matter of applying Premium HardWaxOil on your floor. No need for sanding at all!
In the Care/Repair Kits category you will also find the Floor Care Set: 1 ltr Wax-Care and 1 ltr Wash-care for regular maintenance for your wooden floor to keep it healthy, durable and beautiful.
More Kits? Tell us!
The above Kits came to be after researching our own data, but of course it is possible we are overlooking something you are in need of.
That's why we said: more Kits might follow. If you think there is a specific combination of products to care/repair/restore your wooden floor which is now missing in our secure webshop - simply tell us now!
Bare wood - no matter if it is a new floor or a sanded down one - looks quite pale, dull even. Applying a finish - any natural finish - will bring out the wood-species natural colouring, which can be rather different than its pale beginnings.
Surprise, surprise!
This week we received a phone call from a lady, who had bought and installed reclaimed Oak wood-blocks. After sanding the floor down she'd used a tester pot of Osmo HardWaxOil and was very surprised to see her Oak floor turn pinky. She had been expecting a warm honey colour, the typical characteristic colouring of Oak:
But instead her "Oak" floor showed a pink tone:
(example 1: American Red Oak, Example 2: Beech - which belongs to the same family as Oak When I asked her to do the "wet finger" test on a bare area of the wood floor the result was again a pinky tone, and not as she had hoped the typical Oak colour. The result of this simple and oh so effective test told me the wood-species was something different than Oak. But it had been sold to here as Oak, she told me. Well, American Red Oak is Oak, although I'm not even sure the seller had known the difference him or her self, because as said in the beginning of this article: bare wood of different species can look pretty much alike, especially if the grain structure is rather the same. The lady in question felt rather disappointed ("bummer" was the word she used after discovering the result of the wet finger test) and didn't really know what to do next, perhaps she will stain it an Oak colour now. The importance of the wet finger test!
Especially when you are in the market for reclaimed wood blocks, no matter if it is on offer on Ebay, in a local shop or reclamation yard, you'll have to be sure the wood-species are as claimed. Two simple tools you have to have with you: one finger and a piece of sanding paper.
For bare wood blocks: simply wet your finger and place this on the block(s). This will show you its natural colour after you applied a natural finish and could prevent disappointment afterwards. (After you bought the lot, cleaned of the bitumen, glued down your pattern, sanded the floor smooth and level and applied your natural finish - only to make the same discovery as the lady who'd called us in a panic!)
For "finished" blocks: use the sand paper to clear off the finish of part of the block, then do the wet finger test. The finish could be a stain, disguising the original species.
Also use the sand paper if an apparent bare block doesn't change in colour after the wet finger test - a sure sign there is a finish on the block. (On Ebay it could be a bit difficult doing these tests, best is always to have a sample send out to you). Know the result before you start As you can see, it is really simple to know the result of any natural finish applied to bare (sanded) wood long before you start all the hard work: use the "wet finger" test and never be surprised again!
New Spring = New Look - at least for Saicos high quality products for floor finishes, floor maintenance - for your interior and exterior wood. Premium HardWaxOil, Ground Oil Extra Thin and the Colour Wax - all available in the Floor Oil Category
All maintenance products in their new "coats": Wax-Care-Spray, Wash-Care, Magic Cleanser, Wax-Care Polish and the Floor Care Set - all available in the Maintenance Category
Green-Ex, Wood Brigtherner, Special Wood Oil and Clear Oil Finish, quality products for your exterior wood
Great products which will give you ease of use and do exactly what it says on the tin (or can)
There is a massive amount of information available online about wooden flooring and all things related. Where to start if you are looking for something specific?
Well, one point of access would be Wood You Like's information centre (online) where you will find various carefully put together information packs you can not go wrong with:
For instance if you are planning to install your own wooden floorboards there is the Wooden Floor Installation Manual(160 pages)
Perhaps you discovered an original parquet floor underneath old carpet? 7 Easy Steps to Repair/Restore your Parquet Floor will tell you all you need to know to bring it back to its former (valuable) glory.
And the Ultimate Maintenance Guide will help you keep your wooden floor - any wooden floor - healthy and beautiful in the most simple ways.
Everything you need to know about DIY wooden floors
Having a quality wood floor in your home is a real asset: it’s durable, anti-allergic, easy to clean and very, very beautiful. Many before you have discovered it adds more value to your home than any other flooring option, including tile or wall-to-wall carpeting. And unlike other options, wooden floors not only maintain their value over the years, but effectively retain and improve their elegance and their beauty. You can have your natural wooden floor professionally installed, an increasing number of DIY-ers opt to “go-it-alone” with mixed results. Wood You Like’s 160 pages Manual higly increases your chance to achieve a guaranteed great, if not professional, result!
Install your floor like a pro
Learn how to tackle underfloor problems
Know what to look for when purchasing your materials
Use the check-list before you start with the job:
the correct preparations
the correct tools and materials
the correct schedule of works
Discover the Tricks of the Trade that will make seemingly difficult obstacles easy to execute
Finish your floor to the highest quality
160 pages, all in plain English with product recommendations - products used by the professionals
Written by genuine floor fitters, not by academics or so-called diy-experts
With extra (online) bonus filled with colour images and drawings
See here for all purchase options, including how to claim the purchase price back!
Wood You Like's Wooden Floor Installation Manual is first in its kind: written by experts who deal with wooden flooring and all the different situations imaginable on a daily basis, situations and circumstances you can encounter too but with the Manual at hand are no longer an obstacle for diy-ers.
"How do I install the last row?"..... "My room is part chipboard, part concrete. What do I do?".... "Can I install a wood floor in a kitchen?".... “I've got underfloor heating, can I have wood flooring?".... "Do I glue or float my wood floor?".... . "The pack says to glue it, the supplier says nail it. Now what?".... "I've got two dogs and four kids, my wife likes wood flooring, what do you suggest?".... "How do I know how much wood to buy?".... "There are Marley tiles, can I glue a wood floor on them?”.... Just a small collection of questions that has found its way to Wood You Like's inbox over the last 5 years.
After answering question after question for three years we decided to create a simple but comprehensive installation guide, and to make this not only available to our own DIY-clients, but to anyone planning to install a wooden floor in the best possible way. This guide (in a simple PDF format, delivered by email) was launched in December 2008, and was an instant success.
It also triggered more questions. So we kept adding to the guide, which became more and more a collection of questions and answers grouped in a few logical categories. Late in 2009 we decided it was time to completely overhaul the guide, and make it available not only as a PDF, but also as a proper paperback. So you can have it handy by your side while you're working on your floor. The end result (160 pages) is what you can have in your hands right now.
Installing a wooden floor isn't rocket science - all it needs is some common sense, patience, the right preparations at the right time and of course quality materials and the right tools. Wood You Like's Installation Manual for Wooden Flooring covers it all: including tricks of the trade to install your own floor like a professional!
Underfloor heating is nowadays more and more used as main heating source instead of an additional heating system (in tiled bathrooms or kitchens). The advantage of underfloor heating over normal central heating with radiators is exactly that: no radiators on walls, allowing you as home owner to use all the available wall space in the most practical way.
But underfloor heating comes with some disadvantages also:
it can take a while for the room/rooms are 'warming-up' because of the layers of 'insulation' the heating system has to 'work through' (concrete or sheet materials, floor covering on top of the water/electrical system) and visa versa. During a cold-snap this could mean that before the system is truly 'heated-up' again, warm weather is back with us, because you can't use underfloor heating the same way as central heating with radiators.
using underfloor heating can reduce the humidity in your home rather significantly, and have a drying effect on your skin (causing irritation/itching and even increasing eczema and other skin problems).
A good alternative for losing radiators and gaining more room space without the disadvantages underfloor heating can bring with it could be installing a skirting heating system.
Types of underfloor heating systems: Maine source of heating: Electrical wires (DRY-system) or water pipes (WET-system). With warm water underfloor heating there are 3 methods of preparing/creating the subfloor (subfloor is the base for wooden floor):
Dry method: between the water pipes battens are placed on underfloor and sheet material (chipboard, plywood) is installed on the battens to create smooth subfloor for installation of wooden floor
Wet method: concrete/screed is laid over water pipes to create smooth subfloor for installation of wooden floor
Direct method: the water pipes are placed in special modular sheets, battens are glued between modular sheets and wooden floor is nailed (secretly) on battens or even installed floating. (Direct method is not possible with all types of warm water underfloor heating, please ask you Under Floor Heating supplier).
Wood is a natural product and reacts to the surrounding climate. Please keep that in mind when selecting your wooden floor and make sure the type of flooring or wood-species is suitable to be installed on UFH (Maple and Beech are for instance NOT recommended: both are know as a 'nervous' - unstable - wood which can shrink/expand up to 7mm per meter wide). We recommend Wood-Engineered flooring because the cross-backing of the boards do not react to temperature or humidity changes in the same way as solid wood does.
If you decide to install solid wooden flooring then choose a narrow board, the narrower the better. If your heart is set to have a wide floorboard that really gives you that 'old-fashioned' plank-look we recommend the Hattan European Oak engineered boards (180mm wide, 6mm solid top layer on 15mm water-resistant plywood) which are guaranteed for installation on Under Floor Heating. Case-study "Duoplank on Underfloor Heating"
Most manufacturers of Wood-Engineered flooring recommend to glue down your wooden flooring on UFH and to use a suitable parquet adhesive (flexible adhesive) in order to avoid any air pockets between the subfloor and the wooden flooring. Be careful with placing rugs and/or large pieces of furniture (like dressoirs or floor standing cupboards/bookcases); they can (locally) trap the heat underneath it.
With the maintenance of wooden flooring on underfloor heating Wood You Like recommends maintenance product is applied before the real heating season (Autumn) start to keep the wood healthy and 'moist'. After the heating season, when the temperature of the system can be reduced to a minimum level your wooden floor will benefit from a maintenance service to counter-balance the effect of the dehydration of the wood caused by the higher temperatures of the months before.
All types of underfloor heating have their own specifications for how to install and how/when to start the first sequence of heating. Please read the instructions supplied with your underfloor heating system carefully before deciding on wooden flooring and please make sure all steps for the first sequence are completed before the installation of wooden flooring takes place.
