Hardwood Maintenance Video March 25, 2010
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Featured Product: Castle and Cottage Oak Auburn by Kahrs February 6, 2010
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The Castle & Cottage Collection by Kahrs was inspired by the color and interiors of southern Europe. The collection consists of pale to dark floors that have been gently brushed for added emotional effect and produced in unique design colors. Today’s feature is Oak Auburn. This product is so versatile, it could be used in most every design style ranging from eclectic to rustic. Of course, the image doesn’t nearly do justice to the texture and character of the wood so you might just have to stop by to see a sample.
Some features of the product:
- Wire brushed finish
- Distressed finish
- One strip design
- White Oak species
- Silk Matte finish
- Some knots present
This product is available in 6 stunning colors ranging from light shades to dark. Color available include: Carbonne, Cassis, Cognac, Espresso and Tarcot. You can see them all in our product catalog.
What Kahrs says about their company:
We have always worked with wood, and this is something that has developed into a 150-year love story. Today we are the world’s oldest wood floor manufacturer that is still in business.
As the world shrinks, and the wheel turns ever faster, roots become even more important. Our strong belief in craftsmanship that has distinguished us right from the start is deeply rooted.
This means that the high quality we stand for is represented in every single piece of wood that passes through our hands.
We hope you find this product as stunning as we do. It’s amazing to imagine the process of turning a tree into these beautiful floors.
Hardwood Flooring Maintenance – Reader Question January 19, 2010
Posted by Shannonbilby in : Care and Maintenance, Hardwood / Laminate, Reader Questions , 1 comment so far
Reader Question:
“I just moved into my new home with my family and before I start cleaning my new hardwood floors I wanted to see if you could clear up a debate between my mother and me. My mother tells me to clean my hardwood floors with Windex like she does (and has for 40 years) because that will help keep the shine longer. My floors are the newer type where they came already finished right out of the box. I plan to mop them with soap and water like the rest of my floors. Can you tell us which one of us is right? ”
Ashley from Yuma, AZ
Answer:
Ashley,
We are so happy that you asked us this question before you took matters into your own hands! Your mother maybe giving you advice based on the type of hardwood floors she has in her home. Hardwood floors have changed significantly in recent years and with those changes have come more advanced cleaning methods. First, here’s the answer followed by an explanation! You, especially should only clean your hardwood floors with a manufacturer approved cleaner.
Here are just a few of the reasons why:
- Using the wrong type of cleaner can void your warranty
- Cleaning with multiple products can leave a permanent film on your floors
- Your floors have a special protective coating that was carefully applied in the factory. Some chemicals can damage that finish making your floors more susceptible to damage.
- Mopping hardwood floors with soap and water can cause your wood to expand and contract and cause a variety of other unsightly issues (take a stack of paper and soak it with water – that will give you an idea of what water and wood do when they meet!)
Hardwood floors, especially pre-finished hardwood floors are designed to be very little maintenance for you. You should only have to use a liquid to clean your floors when you have a spill or stain. Using a terry cloth head mop with a small amount of cleaner should do the trick. You will also want to be sure that you keep dirt and sand off of your hardwood floors on a regular basis by having walk off mats at every door.
Hope this helps!
Your friends at Big Bob’s
Design Perspective: Dining Room November 23, 2009
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Here at Big Bob’s, we truly believe that a picture is worth a thousand words which is why we have a gallery of floors on our site for your browsing pleasure. In that gallery of floors, we show a variety of different room scenes with different flooring options and different design styles. Many of our readers have commented that they would like some insight into what makes these room scenes so appealing.
- The wider width plank hardwood used in this room was an excellent choice for the size of the room. The wider the plank, the larger the room appears.
- The graining of the hardwood helps add character, dimension and depth to the floor.
- The furniture compliments the stain of the wood, but doesn’t match exactly. Remember, it’s best to blend or coordinate, not match.
- The warm rich color of the walls creates a warm and elegant, yet comfortable feeling.
- The ceiling accent color adds to the warm feeling of the room and provides an accent color for decorative items such as artwork, florals, window treatments and a future area rug.
- The round table creates a comfortable walkway or path that will be excellent for the flow of entertaining.
- The metal in the light fixture ties in well with the metal pickets on the stairs in the adjacent room.
- The addition of an area rug would only further warm up the room. An area rug that blended the color of the walls with the ceiling color as an accent would look fantastic in this room. A darker background rug would give the room a more formal feel where an area rug with a light background would give the room a more casual feel.
What do you like about this room? What features appeal to you? What changes or additions would you make to fit your style?
