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