Quick Tips for a Healthy Wood Floor!

Good morning!  I hope everyone is enjoying their summer thus far!  I talk a lot about what a professional wood floor cleaning company can do for the maintenance of your wood floors.  The question that most people then call or message me about is: What can wood floor owners do to help maintain their wood floors in between professional cleanings?  Today we will go over some easy tips on how to help maintain your wood floors and help them stay newer longer!


The first is pretty obvious... Sweep the wood floors often with a  soft, fine bristle broom.  Next you will want to Vacuum one to two times per week with a soft brush attachment.  The vacuuming will help remove any dirt or sand, and the soft brush attachment will minimize any scratching.  If you absolutely must mop your floors, use a very dry damp mop.  Don't forget that excess water on wood floors can cause the floors to cup.  If you do have a water spill on your floor get rid of water quickly! Use soft towels or a wet/dry vacuum to pick up the spill and then dry the area thoroughly.


 Place carpet runners over wood floors in high traffic areas.  Then remember to vacuum area rugs and runners often.  The dirt will filter down through the rugs and scratch the finish underneath if they are not properly maintained.  Floor mats at each entrance help to clean shoes before you enter the house and track dirt all over the floors.


Women, I know how much fun it is to get dressed up and wear high heels, but try to not wear them on you hardwood floors.  Unfortunately they can cause dents on the floor's surface.  Never drag furniture across a wood floor.  Instead, clean the floor thoroughly of all the dirt, then use "gliding" furniture pads to aid in sliding it across the floor.  Once you have all the furniture in place, place furniture pads under table and chair legs, as well as under the feet of dressers and armoires.  Furniture pads can be easily purchased at a local hardware store or even Walmart!


I hope these few easy tips will help many of you maintain your wood floors for years to come!    If anyone has any questions or comments there are several ways to get in touch with me!  We love comments, so don't be scared to say what is on your mind below this blog!  Also you can visit our website @ www.wichitawoodfloorcleaning.com , or if you would rather speak to someone you can give me a call at 316-747-4066.  I would love to hear from you!  Have a great rest of the week!

The Company

Wichita Wood Floor Cleaning... the company in Wichita, Kansas that is trying to revolutionize the way wood floor owners are able to care for and maintain their floors.  The simple fact is, there are hundreds of carpet cleaning companies out there and most people know that to maintain your carpet's appearance you should have your carpets professionally cleaned about every six months.  What most people don't know is that the same is true for wood floors as well.

For the owners of wood floors, maintenance is very simple, just grab a broom and sweep them up.  The problem is after time the floors begin to loose their luster and shine.  Usually when that begins to happen, the owner then tries to find that easy quick fix at the local retail store.  Their are MANY "cleaners" out there that claim to bring the shine back to your wood floors, so why not try them right?  No Way!  Most of the cleaners sold at retail stores for your wood floors are not beneficial to your floors.  They usually leave a waxy film on the top layer of your finish coat.

So what do you do???  That is where a professional wood floor cleaning company comes in!  Just like when carpets are looking dingy and dirty, wood floors begin looking dull and lifeless.  A wood floor cleaning company can scrub all the dirt and grime out of the floor and then add either a refinisher or even a new top coat of finish to your floor.  Using a professional wood floor cleaning company can add years of life to your wood floors and even extend the time for when you will need them sanded down.

If your carpet gets dirty you don't get new carpet or put a new layer of carpet over the existing, you clean it and it looks great again.  With wood floors you don't have to sand them down just because the floor isn't as shiny as it was in the beginning, or cover those beautiful floors with carpet or linoleum.  Simply get them professionally cleaned as you would with your carpets.  You will be amazed at the results!

Check out our website for more information on what a professional wood floor cleaning company can do for you and your floors. www.wichitawoodfloorcleaning.com






LocalConstruction.net

The Machine... Dirt Dragon

Hello everyone!  I have been super busy this week, and have not had a chance to write any new blogs yet... So I am sneaking some time in today for a quick blog before the three day weekend gets here!  We have gone over the cleaning processes provided by a professional wood floor cleaning company, but not really the machine used in the cleaning processes.

As of right now there is only one wood floor cleaning machine out in the market and that is the Basic Coating's Dirt Dragon.  We have heard some rumors going around that Bona might be coming out with their own version here in the next few years however.  Below is a picture of the machine.  This is the latest model they just came out with this year.

The top of the machine is where the tanks are located.  These are what hold all the cleaning solutions and the soiled solution that gets sucked back into the machine by the vacuum system.  How the machine works is pretty simple.  The tank is first filled with a commercial grade cleaner.  When the machine is being used, the cleaner is lightly sprayed onto the wood floor, scrubbed by a cylindrical brushed that was specially engineered to not damage finish, and then sucked back into the machine with the vacuum system. 

One of the key features of the machine are the squeegees at the bottom of it.  Between the squeegees and the vacuum system, the floors are left completely dry after the cleaners are applied and then scrubbed.  This is very important when cleaning wood floors because as we have talked about before, any excess liquid left on hardwood floors could cause them to cup.  And that is definitely one thing a wood floor owner does not want!

So really the machine is pretty simple.  Please be cautious when hiring someone to clean your floors though. Just because they have a wood floor cleaning machine, and it seems simple to operate, without the proper training and settings set correctly on the machine, your floors could actually end up being damaged.  Really, this is true for any situation regarding your home.  You could hire an uninsured tree trimmer that tells you he will do a good job and promises to not let that big branch land on your neighbor's fence, or you could hire the tree trimmer that has proven his credentials to you and carries a guarantee with his work.  It's up to you and the risk you want to take.

Wichita Wood Floor Cleaning would like to wish everyone a safe and fun Memorial Weekend!  For any questions or a free bid, don't hesitate to contact us:  316.747.4066  And for those of you who don't like to talk on the phone you can e-mail @ jesse@wichitawoodfloorcleaning.com or message us on our FaceBook page: http://www.facebook.com/wichitawoodfloorcleaningLLC

Hand Scraped Wood Floors

One of my favorite types of wood floors are hand scraped wood floors.  These floors remind me so much of the reclaimed wood floors we spoke about in a previous blog: Recycled Wood Floors.  I have always enjoyed floors with a lot of character, the ones that have that "rustic" look to them.


Hand scraped floors have a natural worn appearance and look like floors from when wood floors were finished by hand.  These floors have become a popular choice among homeowners wanting hardwood floors with the look of an old reclaimed wood floor, but with today's tough urethane finishes.


What are hand scraped wood flooring?  It is a technique using wood scraping tools to give the boards an old-world authentic feeling to them.  In furniture this technique is called distressing or antiquing.  Each piece is worked by hand to smooth out any roughness in the board, leaving each plank with an unique texture and finish.


Not all wood floor companies are educated on how to do this process correctly, so if you are looking into installing a hand scraped floor, be sure to ask for previous work completed by the company.  When you do find an educated company, your results will be absolutely amazing!  Below I am going to paste a few pictures of hand scraped floors for you to enjoy viewing.  


If you have any questions or comments please feel free to post them at the bottom of this blog. You can also reach us at 316.747.4066, or by visiting our website at: www.wichitawoodfloorcleaning.com   Have a wonderful day!

Myths and Facts of Our National Forests

Good morning!  Last night and this morning I was pondering what to write about.  I decided to review some of the previous blogs and see what stood out to me.  I noticed that I had previously written about the benefits of wood floors, but had not really mentioned too much about the supply and demand of wood on our national forests.  It seems there are more buildings and houses going up, while more land and fields are being plowed over and built on.


Our family really enjoys the outdoors, especially hiking around in the woods and looking for different creatures roaming around.  So we appreciate when nature is being taken care of and not abused for the sake of making a house look better or a new store being built.  Some people think owning wood floors actually hurts the environment, simply because it is a natural resource and yes, they do come from trees.  However if you look up the statistics of our National Forests, many people will be surprised as to just how many trees our great nation truly has!


I came across a website at www.bugwood.org, and it is simply a list of Myths and Facts about U.S. Forests.  I went ahead and pasted them below this for you to read through.  So rest assured that your wood floors are not harming the environment.  I hope you enjoy the facts as much as I did!  Have a great day!

Myths and Facts about U.S. Forests

MYTH:The early U.S. forest was a carpet of trees that extended from coast to coast.
FACT:The preColumbian forest of 1600 covered less than half of the present day United States.

MYTH:We only have 5% of the original ancient forests left that once covered the Pacific Northwest in the preEuropean settlement era.
FACT:This figure wrongly assumes that the coastal Northwest was covered with old trees before the arrival of settlers from the East.  According to U.S. government studies, no more than a third of  the region's forest was covered with oldgrowth trees at any time.  Natural wildfires, and fires set by native Americans, routinely cleared vast swaths of old forests.

MYTH:Congress authorized salvage logging on federal lands of dead and dying timber that ignores environmental safeguards.
FACT:Salvage logging cannot proceed without an approved Environment Assessment as required under the National Environmental Policy Act and a Biological Evaluation as required under the Endangered Species Act.  Moreover, a salvage sale can be stopped at any time  by a district ranger up to the Secretary  until the point that the sale is advertised. 

MYTH:We're running out of trees.
FACT:We have more trees today than we had in 1970, on the first Earth Day  even more than we had 70 years ago.  In the middle of the last century, for example, Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut were about 35% forested; today they are 59%.

MYTH:We're cutting more than we're growing for future generations.
FACT:Forest growth has exceeded harvests since the 1940s.

MYTH:We're running out of old growth trees in our ancient forests.
FACT:In the U.S. today there are 13.2 million acres of old growth, i.e. large trees 200 years of age or older.  The vast majority of these trees  comprising an area the size of New Jersey and Massachusetts combined  will remain in their natural condition and will never be harvested due to legal and regulatory prohibitions on logging, road building and even fire fighting.

MYTH:We're running out of wilderness.
FACT:The U.S. has permanently protected 104 million acres of land, much of  it forested, in the Wilderness Preservation System.  It's part of a larger total of 270 million acres that is off limits to all commercial activity, including logging, mining and grazing. 

MYTH:Clear cutting, the practice of harvesting most trees in a given area, destroys the forest.
FACT:Clear cutting is a sound practice that benefits future forests.  By mimicking natural wildfires, clear cutting is widely recognized by forest scientists and even by conservation groups such as the Environmental Defense Fund, American Forests, the Society of American Foresters as an ecologically sound technique for reforesting many softwood species.  That's because, for their survival, conifer seedlings typically require direct sunlight and cannot survive in shade.

MYTH:A natural forest supports more ecological diversity than a managed forest.
FACT:Managed forests, even those with some clearcutting, often produce more biodiversity than completely natural forests, according to U.S. Forest Service studies in the Lake States and New England.  Even tree farm plantations contain a rich mosaic of plant and animal life.

MYTH:Forest management harms fragile wetlands.
FACT:In fact, good forest management is the environmentally preferred land use for wetlands, as confirmed by the National Wetlands Policy Forum sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

MYTH:Forest management harms all wildlife.
FACT:Forest management can help wildlife.  Forest management creates openings that stimulate the growth of food sources which is the prime reason why forest species such as elk, deer, turkey and antelope are far more plentiful today than earlier in the century. Sustainable Forestry guidelines promulgated by the American Forest & Paper Association require the promotion of habitat diversity and the conservation of plant and animal populations on members' forest land.

MYTH:More paper recycling will prevent the use of "virgin" wood from harvested trees.
FACT:Even if we could recycle 100% of our used paper, we would still need "virgin" fiber to replace wornout recycled fiber and meet the increasing demand for paper products.  Recycling extends the use of virgin fiber, but it will not replace it.  Even so, today well over half of all fiber used in paper products comes from recycled paper and from wood waste from sawmills.  Recycled wood is another promising source of fiber.

The New Way to Add A Finish...

Good Morning, I hope everyone is enjoying the week so far!  The last time I actually wrote a blog, (I totally cheated yesterday!), I had mentioned how we could put a finish on your wood floor by chemically bonding it to the floor.  Well today, we will go a little deeper into that concept.

I was out doing some marketing last week, and I spoke with a gentleman at a flooring company.  Like I had mentioned in previous blogs, I really enjoy educating people on our processes because not only is it a new concept, but it just makes sense!  When I spoke with the gentleman and told him what our company does, he was so excited!  He told me he had been reading for months about the "New & Improved" way to add a finish to a wood floor.  As soon as I mentioned that our company doesn't sand wood floors down to prep them for a finish coat, he jumped right in and exclaimed, "You chemically bond it to the floor don't you!"

I have to admit, I was a bit surprised that he knew right off hand how we did it.  He was the first person who had been educated on the way to prep floors without a machine sanding them down.  He didn't quite understand the process, but he knew that this new way meant WAY less mess, stress, and time.  He told me that he had been reading about it for months, and that all the big wood floor magazines are calling this the new break through for the wood floor world!  Hearing this made me very excited to hear how others are getting excited about what we are doing.

Okay, enough story telling, lets get down to the nuts and bolts!  There are 2 ways to prep a wood floor for the process of adding a finish.  Mechanically or chemically.  When you really think about it, it just makes sense.  If you are about to paint a piece of wood, what are the two main choices you have?  You can either sand it, or prime it right?  Well the same goes for floors and  finish.  If you like how the wood looks and it has great characteristics you don't want to sand all of that away.  Simply by adding a bonding agent to the floor, (remember just like primer), a finish coat can then be added to the floor for protection.

Now if the floor is in poor shape and really needs a face lift, sanding is definitely the way to go!  Sanding the floors will give you the new surface on your floors you might need.  Just keep in mind, not all floors need to be sanded down just to add a finish coat!  We had a customer just this week who had received 2 bids from the same company within 2 years.  She said the price of sanding her floors went up $1,500!  The funny part about the whole thing is that her floors aren't even in bad condition!  The company told her she will need a complete re-sand of her floors before they can add a finish to her floors to improve them any.

That is where we are hoping to fill a void in the wood floor industry.  We understand that some floors need to be sanded down, we have had to refer several customers to a floor sanding company because the floors were in such bad shape.  However, we believe not only can we help maintain wood floors to a better standard and  make the finish coat last longer, but that we can help those homeowners who don't need their floors to be sanded just to get that shine back.

As always, if you have any questions please don't be afraid to get in contact with us.  I love speaking to people about their floors.  You can call us at 316.747.4066, or visit our website at: www.WichitaWoodFloorCleaning.com    Also, if you know anyone who might be interested in our services you can go to our website and refer them.  When doing this, you will get a coupon printed out automatically for any future business you might have with us!  This is our way to say Thank You!

Taking a Little Break...

I am going to be a little lazy today and not write an entire blog like I normally do.  Instead, I am going to paste our newspaper article that we appeared in this week!  We are excited about how great it turned out, and I figured why not let someone else do the writing today!  :)  I hope you enjoy it!

Wood Floor Cleaning Option #3

Good morning everyone!  We have made it to Friday!  I really hope everyone has had a great week, and gets a chance to enjoy the weekend.  Today we are going to finish talking about the last option of cleaning available by professional wood floor cleaning companies.  As you can recall we went over the first cleaning option; Intensive Cleaning, on Monday. Link: Cleaning Option #1 Blog  And then on Wednesday we then talked about the second ; Clean and Refinisher  Link: Cleaning Option #2 Blog.

The third option is the Tykote Dust-Free Recoating System.  We love educating everyone on the Tykote System, because it is the new solution to so many floors!  I would like to start off by telling you, not all wood floor cleaning companies offer this option.  Most companies only offer the Intensive Cleaning, or the Clean and Refinisher.  The Refinisher will stay good on your floor for about a year, depending on traffic and wear, and then you will need another clean and application of Refinisher.  With the Tykote System, we are actually chemically bonding a new finish to your floor that will last anywhere from 5-7 years!

So with the Tykote System the floors will first be cleaned the same way as in the Intensive Cleaning option.  The floors will then be coated with a protective coating, that also acts as a bonding agent between the floors and finish coat.  The finish coat is then applied to the floors.  This is the same type of finish that a hardwood floor installer company would use when first installing your floors.  The customer can pick between several different sheen levels as well.  Any where from matte to super gloss!

There are two different ways to apply a finish coat to a wood floor.  The more traditional way is to mechanically prepare the floors by sanding them down, and then applying the finish.  The new and improved way is to chemically bond the finish to floors.  By chemically bonding the finish, there is NO DUST created by sanding your floors!  Also the time is cut into hours instead of days!  This is a fairly new concept to the wood floor industry, however the bigger markets (like Dallas and OKC) have been doing it for awhile now with great success!  Also, the products used are Green!  So no crazy smells or fumes will be lingering in your home, and you DON'T have to go stay in a hotel!

At the bottom of today's blog I will show a before and after picture of a floor that we used the Tykote System on.  In many spots the floors were wore down to the bare wood, with no finish left on them.  The customers could not afford to re-sand their floors, but they knew they needed to do something with them.  For more information on our company or processes, you can visit our website at Wichita Wood Floor Cleaning or give us a call at the office at 316.747.4066.  Have a great day!

Wood Floor Cleaning Option #2

Good Morning!  We are half way through the week, and closer to the weekend!  On Monday I wrote about the difference between a wood floor installation company and a wood floor cleaning company.  I also went over the details of what an Intensive Cleaning consists of for wood floors.  You can read Monday's blog to be refreshed by clicking on the following link:  http://wichitawoodfloorcleaning.blogspot.com/2012/04/wood-floor-cleaning-option-1.html

As promised, today we will go over the second option provided by wood floor cleaning companies.  This option is called the Clean and Refinish option.  With most wood floor cleaning companies they only offer these first two options.  Wichita Wood Floor Cleaning however provides all options available, but we will go into the last option on Friday!

The Clean and Refinish option is a combination of the Intensive Cleaning and an application of a hardwood floor refinisher.  So the machine is used to clean the floor twice again.  Once with the intensive cleaner, and then again with the Squeaky cleaner as I had mentioned in Monday's blog.  This process then adds an extra step.  A refinisher is then applied to the floors with a microfiber cleaning pad.

The analogy I use to explain the refinisher to customers, is simply that it's like putting lotion on your dry skin.  If your floors are starting to lose their shine and luster, the Clean and Refinish option is perfect for you!  Below is a picture of a floor where the customer picked this option.  They had taken great care of their floors, but wanted the "shine" back that they had been missing. 

The picture on the top is the "before".  As you can see, the floors were taken care of wonderfully and still looked great.  But when compared to the "After", there is definitely a noticeable difference in "shine".  This option was perfect for what the customer wanted for his floors.  The Clean and Refinish option also slightly fills any small grooves or valleys that might be in the floors.  It won't completely get rid of scratches, but it will make them look a little better.


Friday we will go over the last option which is the Tykote Dust-Free Recoating System.  Until then if you have questions, or would like to set up a free on-site assessment of your floors, please don't hesitate to give us a call at 316.747.4066.  Thanks for everyone's support with this new concept in the wood floor industry!

Wood Floor Cleaning Option #1

Good Morning!  We hope everyone had a great weekend and having a great week so far!  I thought we would start off the week talking in a little more detail about the three different cleaning options available by professional wood floor cleaning companies.  Now there are some companies that only offer one, maybe two options. This is usually because they either have not been trained on all three options, or just don't have the skills to complete the last option correctly.  Today we will go over the intensive cleaning option, and later in the week we talk about the other two.


To begin, lets differentiate between a wood floor cleaning company and a wood floor installer company.  The wood floor cleaning company can be compared to a carpet cleaning company.  You would call this company to help maintain the health and look of your floors.  The wood floor installer company would then be compared to the carpet installer company.  This company comes to your home to install the floor, and maybe even repair certain sections that cannot be corrected by simple maintenance techniques.  


What many people don't realize, is that wood floor cleaning companies don't sand your floors down.  They actually use a commercial prep/cleaning machine on your floors.  This machine has a large brush that rotates and scrubs the dirt out of the floor while green products, not harmful to wood floors, are lightly sprayed and then sucked back up into the machine by the vacuum mechanism.  Below you can see a picture of the machine Wichita Wood Floor Cleaning utilizes to clean wood floors.

With the intensive cleaning option the floors are scrubbed with the machine using a product called I.F.T., which is an intensive cleaner.  This product gets all the grit and grime off the floor and from between the boards.  The floor is then scrubbed again using a product called Squeaky, which is a commercial floor cleaner.  This product neutralizes the floor, and actually makes the floor so clean it "squeaks!"   The floor is then tack cleaned with a microfiber cleaning pad and commercial grade cleaner.


Basically this option is to simply get the dirt off the floor.  When regular sweeping and dry mopping just aren't cutting it for your floor, this is the perfect option for you.  It will get all the contaminants off the floor, and bring the life back.  This option would be compared to a carpet cleaning company coming out and only cleaning your carpets.  Not adding a scotchguard option to protect your floors for later accidents, but definitely  making them look a lot cleaner!  


Later this week we will go into the two other options, how they work, and how they can help your floors.  Our goal is to help educate home owners on all their wood floor maintenance options.  This is such a new concept to most people, we want everyone to feel comfortable and educated before making any decisions concerning their wood floors.  We understand how much of an investment wood floors are, and we want to be here to help you protect you investment.  Feel free to call our office with any questions you may have at 316.747.4066, or visit our website at www.wichitawoodfloorcleaning.com

What Type of Finish Are You?

TGIF!  Excited for the weekend to be fast approaching, and blessed to have another good end to a great week.  Today we will look at the different finishes there are to choose from.  The finish coat on the floor is actually a pretty important decision.  This is the last chance to give your floor the type of characteristic you want.  Each home owner is different in their personal opinion of what looks best on a wood floor.


With a lot of the older homes, most owners like to go with the Matte or Satin finish.  The Matte and Satin finishes both have a very low sheen level.  What is a sheen level?  Basically it is how shiny your floor looks.  The Matte finish will almost look as if you don't have a finish on your floor, and really makes the wood look very natural.  This would be great for the older homes, or cabins.  


The Satin finish is one step higher than the Matte finish.  It has just a little bit higher of a sheen level, but not by much.  With the Satin you can tell there is a finish on the floor, but it doesn't have as much luster as a High-Gloss finish would.  Satin is great for floors that will have lots of traffic.  Maintenance is much easier on a Satin floor, simply because you don't have to worry about trying to keep the shine at it's best at all times.


That then leads us to Semi-Gloss and High-Gloss.  Obviously these two are going to be the highest on the sheen level rating system.  Newer homes, or newly installed floor owners usually love to get one of these finishes because they make the floors "pop!"   The maintenance is a little harder, simply because you should only be using a broom or dry dust mop on your floors to clean them.  However, once the shine is starting to fade, you can call a professional wood floor cleaning company to come do an intensive cleaning and add a new finish.


So what type of finish are you?  We would love to hear what type of finish you have on your floors, and the reason for choosing that type.  Remember if you have any questions, feel free to call our office at 316.747.4066  Also you can visit our website at www.wichitawoodfloorcleaning.com  Have a great weekend!  :)

Fun With Wood Floors!

Today I thought it would be fun to share some interesting wood floors with you.  What many people don't realize is that wood can be made to look like so much more than different sized planks!  Below is a great picture of beautiful wood made to look like bricks.  So very unique looking.  I absolutely love the grain in each piece, it looks beautiful!



Another concept used is simply to combine different woods and stains together to make a very unique and beautiful design on the floor.  The lighter and darker woods really compliment each other, and actually end up making the floors take on a 3-D look to them.  This is obviously a lot more work than laying the normal wood planks down for the floor, but I think the end result is pretty priceless.
      


An obvious and fun thing to do with wood floors is to make a huge puzzle out of them!  Floors with puzzle pieces would compliment a child's room, or even better, a game room.  This would add instant charm to the room, and might even entertain a few people!



Usually if you can dream it up and find the right wood floor installer, it can happen!  It's fun to bring your personality out when decorating your home.  So don't stop with choosing which color should go on the wall, or how to position your furniture.  Let your floor add to the ambiance of your home as well!


Wichita Wood Floor Cleaning
316.747.4066
www.wichitawoodfloorcleaning.com

Did I Mention We Are Green!?!?

Good morning!  Yesterday a mother of three saw our company in passing and came to talk to us.  She lives in the College Hill area of Wichita, KS.  For those of you who don't live here, this area is full of beautiful older homes.  Most of these homes have the original wood floors in them, and the owners are at a lost for what to do with them.  They don't want to sand them and lose all the great characteristics of the floor, but they also want healthy, clean floors!


The mother felt the same way as most homeowners in this area do.  But she was one of the first people who was also concerned about the products being used on the floors.  She had a newborn and two other small (very cute) children.  So obviously she did not want her children to be around any harmful chemicals, but in the same token, she wanted them to be able to stay in their own home!


She told me her frustration of knowing that her floors are dirty, she wants to keep the characteristics of them, AND she has to keep the harmful chemicals out of her home for her family's sake.  So I explained our business to her.  What a lot of people don't know about our company is that all of our products we use are GREEN!  So not only do we not create dust like all other wood floor companies, the products we do use are not harmful to homeowners.


Needless to say she was thrilled about what we could do for her.  She told me she had never heard of a company like ours before, but was thrilled she had ran into us.  WWFC truly believes that not only can we save money for wood floor owners by using our systems to make their floors look better, we can also help the well being and health of their family.  If you or anyone you know could benefit from having us out to look at your floors, please do not hesitate to call or e-mail.  That's what we are here for!  :)

316-747-4066

 jesse@wichitawoodfloorcleaning.com

www.wichitawoodfloorcleaning.com

Recycled Wood Floors

Good Morning!  In the last blog I gave you quite a few good reasons why wood floors are such a great choice for home owners.  Some of the best reasons were simply because of how great they are for the environment.  Staying along the line of eco-friendly, we are going to talk about reclaimed floors today.


Reclaimed wood floors are beginning to be the new floor trend.  Not only are they eco-friendly, they are also very stylish.  Wood can be labeled as "reclaimed" if it was harvested anywhere from 100 to 300 years ago and was used to build railroad trestles, old barns, industrial warehouses or other structures.  The wood salvaged from when old structures went under demolition, can add instant history to your home.


Not only is reclaimed wood more sustainable, it is denser, more stable, and the only way a homeowner may have a chance to have a chestnut or heart pine floor.  The recycled wood comes with plenty of history and character.  How truly unique would it be to tell guests a story of what it is they are standing on?  "The floor you are walking on right now, was actually a barn from the 1800's!"  Who would of thought your floor would be a good conversation starter?


Below I found a few unique looking floors that were built using reclaimed wood.  I love the look of these floors, and I think the best part about them is simply there is no way they can be duplicated!

So if you are already looking into getting wood floors for your homes, maybe you should start thinking about going with reclaimed wood floors.  You would be the only person in town with floors that look like yours!  


Thanks for visiting our blog today!  Don't forget to leave a comment, or ask any questions you might have.  Also visit our website at www.wichitawoodfloorcleaning.com for an unique way to clean your unique floors.

Benefits of Hardwood Floors

Happy Thursday!  The week is almost over, and the weekend is fast approaching.  I thought today we could lean more towards the benefits of having hardwood floors.  Lots of homeowners weigh the benefits and downfalls of wood floors over carpets, trying to figure out which option will not only fit their life style better, but their pocket book.  What I am going to try and do is help better explain the benefits of having a wood floor, and then let you be the jury.


One of the best benefits of wood floors is that it is the most abundantly renewable flooring material available.  With all of the great forest management we have now days, it is possible to harvest the wood we need for floors without making a serious impact on the environment.  Remember, trees are a renewable resource, that can be replaced time after time.  It takes most hardwood trees 40-60 years to fully mature, but the good news is the inventory planted today won't be needed for at least 100 years!  


Not only do wood floors cut down on  potential allergy threats because they do not collect dust, animal hair and other allergens in a home, the indoor air quality actually improves!  Wood is a carbon neutral product, that as we know produces oxygen during it's growth cycle, but it also stores carbon during its service life.

Compared to carpet or other flooring options, wood floors use less water and energy to be produced.  Even after years of wear and torture, as long as the floors have been maintained properly, they can last hundreds of years!  Could you imagine what carpet would look like after 50 years!?  But even at the end of its service life, wood flooring can be burned as fuel or even recycled!  


If you are looking for a more green option in your home, or to improve the air quality, wood floors just seem to make sense!  Remember to maintain your floors, and they could absolutely last a lifetime!  Check out our other blog posts for tips on how to maintain your floors, or visit our website at www.wichitawoodfloorcleaning.com

Orange Glo- No Go... Part 2!

Good morning once again!  We had such a popular interest in the Orange Glo blog that we thought we would indulge a little more!  Now let me clarify that the Orange Glo 4-in -1 woodcare cleaner is not the only culprit in the cause of all the waxy build up on hardwood floors.  We can't forget the good ol' Mop and Glo!

Both products are misleading, even on their websites,  until you do a little more digging.  I am notorious for always reading the FAQ area of a product's website.  This is where you can usually get the best information about a product without all the smoke and mirrors.  The funny part about Mop and Glo's website is that it states on the Multi Surface Floor Cleaner page their product is safe to use on wood floors as long as there is not a wax finish.  So immediately you are led to thinking you are only applying a cleaner to your floor and not a wax, or anything that will build up on your beautiful floors.  But then you go to my favorite area of a website... FAQ!  This is what you will see, yet again, on the bottom of the page;



Q:   What causes a build-up on my floor?  

A:   As with any wax or polish, MOP & GLO® Multi-Surface Floor Cleaner should be removed periodically to prevent a build-up of old polish. This can occur if the floor is polished too frequently, and/or if not cleaned thoroughly in-between polishing.

Q:   How do I remove this build-up? 

A:   Use a solution of 1/4 cup all purpose cleaner (such as LYSOL® All Purpose Cleaner with out Bleach) and 1 cup household ammonia in ½ gallon of warm water. Wet the area with the solution and mop. 




Mop and Glo, along with Lysol, are both owned by HomeSolutions.  Isn't it convenient how they list Lysol as the cure to the Mop and Glo problem?  So what would any wood floor owner do to try and remedy the build up problem?  They are going to buy the listed products and try to fix it themselves.  More money in HomeSolutions pockets!

We actually had a customer who had the major wax build up problem, and followed ALL the suggested ways to fix the problem.  Days later, there were a few layers coming off for her, but nothing to be too excited about.  Especially because it took HOURS to get about 4 layers of product off of an area about 4 sq. ft.!  Luckily we, (Wichita Wood Floor Cleaning), were able to come in and use our specially formatted cleaners and commercial machines, (with no sanding!) to get all the build up off her floors.  Below I will show her before and after pictures.  The top picture is the AFTER, and the bottom is the BEFORE with all the wax build up:

Needless to say, she was VERY glad she had called us.  Unfortunately for others, not everyone is educated on the solution to this huge problem.  But once again, that is why we are here!  Trying to educate everyone on the cheaper, less stressful way to take care of their wood floors.  We had spoken with another person who had actually paid a hardwood floor company THOUSANDS of dollars to have his floors re-sanded  and finished, just to get rid of the wax.  He told us it took well over a week to complete, and he was very frustrated by the end of it.

As always, we welcome any comments or questions to any of our blogs!  We truly hope we are helping wood floor owners become a little more educated, and a little less stressed about their floors.  Have a Great day!  :)

Crowning VS Cupping!

Good morning everyone!  To continue along with what we were talking about yesterday, "crowning" is what happens when cupped wood is not handled correctly.  Crowning is when the middle of the wood plank is raised higher than the edges.  Most people think, "how on earth could this happen?"  Lets go back to what we learned yesterday... 


If you remember "cupping" was caused by moisture being trapped between the sub-floor and the wood floor.  If the cupped wood floor is sanded before the moisture has a chance to dry 100%, the floor will initially appear flat. Even though it looks like it has been fixed, the moisture is still trapped between the sub-floor and wood floor, and the bottom of the wood floor is still cupped!


If moisture levels change in the house, or the floor does eventually dry, the bottom of the wood floor will flatten out.  When the bottom of the wood flattens out, the top will have a crowned look to it.  The sanding of the floors did not fix the problem, it only appeared to be fixed until the floors actually dried!  So if a "professional" tells you to sand your cupped floor to fix the appearance, DON'T DO IT!  Put a fan on them, or try using a dehumidifier.  


Cupping cannot always be helped 100%, but crowning can definitely be stopped!  Hopefully this information will help someone avoid disaster in the future!  We appreciate everyone's support, and love to hear back from you.  Remember to post any questions or stories (good or bad) you might have.   You can also contact WWFC by calling 316-747-4066, or visiting our website at www.wichitawoodfloorcleaning.com  Thanks!

Why Is My Wood Floor Cupping?

Good afternoon!  Cupping can be a wood floor owners nightmare.  Most owners are unaware of why their floors are cupping to begin with.  Cupping is when the edges of the boards are higher than the center of the boards.  The boards look concave, or have a dish-like resemblance.  Wider boards that are 4-7 in. wide usually have a slight cupping characteristic to them that can only been noticed in reflective light.  


All other floors that have cupping, or any excessive cupping in those wider floors are definitely something to take note of.  Usually cupping is caused from the sub-floor having more moisture than the wood itself.  The drier wood flooring then soaks up the extra moisture, and causes the bottom to swell more than the top of the board.  Since the top is not swelling at the same rate as the bottom, the top remains smaller and cupped.


A great example of when this could easily happen would be during new construction.  New buildings are usually full of moisture, so the sub-floor soaks it up.  When the wood floor installer comes, the wood is usually drier than the sub-floor.  After the wood is installed and the heat, or air conditioning is turned on for the first time, the moisture from the sub-floor will soak up into the wood floor resulting in the floors cupping.  A lot of these problems can be passed by simply letting the wood acclimate to the building's moisture before installation.


To prevent cupping, remember that the wood must contain nearly the same moisture level as the sub-floor.  Make sure the wood is acclimated before installation.  Keep the thermometer set to a nice temperature, usually around 70-72 degrees.  And clean up any spills or water damage immediately.  


If you have any questions or past experiences that you would like to share, feel free to post them on this blog, or give us a call at 316-747-4066.  Have a great day!

Maintaining Your Floors

Good Morning!  Today we are going to talk about how to maintain your floor.  Since you know what NOT to do from yesterday's blog, I figured it would be a good idea to learn the proper way to clean and maintain your floor today.  


If you have a polyurethane finish, which the majority of wood floor owners do, your floors only require simple care.  Make sure to dustmop, sweep, or vacuum regularly.  Always follow the manufacturer's cleaning recommendations if you know them.  When cleaning no longer restores shine, you will need to recoat the floor with a surface finish.  The frequency of recoating depends on the amount of traffic your floor has.  Wichita Wood Floor Cleaning recommends a maintenance cleaning from a professional wood floor cleaning company every 6 months.  Make sure the company is using a specialized floor prep machine made especially to clean the wood floors.


Remember to never wax a surface-finished floor, and never use vinyl or tile floor care products on any wood floor.  Another quick fact most people don't know is to not use a steam mop on your wood floors.  Think about it, hot steam on your wood floors.  If you use this technique, and your floors are cupping, stop immediately.  Your floors need to dry completely, the cupping means there is moisture still trapped in your floor.  Place a fan on your floor for about a week to let the floors dry completely.


Hopefully you got a few good tips out of today's blog, and your floors are one step closer to being healthier, and cleaner!  Once again, feel free to post any comments or questions you may have.  We would LOVE to hear from you!


*Most information in this blog was referenced from NWFA website*

Orange Glo... No Go!

Orange Glo, for most people with hardwood floors, it is their go-to cleaner.  What they don't know, is that they are actually hurting their floors.  If you look at Orang Glo's wood floor care website @ woodfloorcare.com and then click on the FAQ you will see towards the bottom a question stating; 


I have a cloudy haze after using the Hardwood Floor 4-in-1. What happened?  

And the answers are...

1. Floor may not have been properly swept/dusted before application.
2. There may be buildup from repeated applications. To remove, we recommend using a reputable clean and strip product formulated to remove wax and polish, or a mixture of 1 cup ammonia in ½ gallon of warm water

What they lack to tell their consumers is they are actually pouring and spreading WAX all over their hardwood floors.  Unless you actually have a wax finish, which about 97% do not, adding wax to your floor's finish will damage it.  Just about every person we have talked to who uses Orange Glo, has the "cloudy haze" problem.  It is from layers of wax being placed on the floor, without proper cleaning.

Notice the solution they provide, using a clean and strip product, or an ammonia mixture.  If you do more research, it is suggested to clean a 2x2ft square area at a time, for multiple cleanings, until the wax is cleaned from your floors.  Then they suggest to use a gentle floor cleaner and then to re-coat your floors!  I thought the Orange Glo was the cleaner!

There is a very simple test for wood floor owners to see if they have a wax build up.  In an inconspicuous area on the floor, place a few drops of water and let them sit for up to 8-10 minutes.  If the drops make your floor turn white, that means you have definite wax build up!

We hope to educate everyone on the proper care of their floors.  Keep watching our blog and we will keep you up to date on the proper way to clean and care for your floors.  Please feel free to comment on any stories with your experiences, or if just have some questions go ahead and post them!  Thanks for your support!  Have a great day!

High Heels and Wood Floors

Quick Fact:  Most people know women should not wear high heels on a hardwood floor,  but do you know why? A 125 pound woman walking with high heels has an impact of 2,000 pounds per square inch!  Even more surprising, an exposed heel nail can exert up to 8,000 pounds per square inch!  Could you imagine the dent that might leave in a floor!?!   

Introduction to Wichita Wood Floor Cleaning

Wichita Wood Floor Cleaning is the new solution to dull, lifeless wood floors.  No more need to suffer from resanding your floors.  Not only is resanding expensive, but it takes days to complete, and leaves a huge mess behind.  Even though some companies advertise to be dust free, there is still some dust left behind.  Wichita Wood Floor Cleaning uses a floor prep cleaning machine and specialized techniques to get all the grit and grime out of your wood floors WITHOUT having to resand your floors!  We are then able to recoat your floors to bring back the shine that made you fall in love with your floors the first time you saw them!

The best part about WWFC is that it is the answer for people trying to sell their homes quickly without a large investment being made!  We can make your floors look great in time for you to put your house on the market, without the large investment of resanding.

Check out our website @  www.wichitawoodfloorcleaning.com

Please feel free to ask any questions.  We want to better educate everyone on ALL the choices they have about hardwood floors!

www.wichitawoodfloorcleaning.com