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Let-Me-Tell-You-A-Little-Hardwood-Bedtime-Story.

Let Me Tell You A Little Hardwood Bedtime Story.

For years, Mr. & Mrs. Homeowners saved their hard-earned money. They Planned, Dreamed and Researched the best types of wood flooring. The one hardwood floor that would resist their dog’s drag races, the kid’s war zone and weekend parties. Since their house has a crawl space as foundation they opted to go with a solid prefinished floor.

Bob, their highly recommended general contractor had the material picked out and a team of sub-contractors ready to go on the exact date agreed upon. At 8:00am sharp the contractors showed up with the material and got to work. The day went smoothly, the team was respectful, clean and did a great job to Mr. & Mrs. Homeowners eyes.

About 4 months went by and while cooking dinner, Mrs. Homeowner notices a few waves on the new floor. Another two week went by and now the so-called waves are all over their home. Bob sends the contractors over and they cannot tell what happened. They end up changing a few of the worse boards here and there but, there’s still a lot of waves all over the place and what once was a beautiful floor, now looks like an ocean of speed bumps.

That definitely sounds more like a horror movie, right?

Unfortunately, that’s actually a reality for an increasing number of homeowners across Atlanta. Every day I speak to people who had a similar situation happen to them and it never crossed their minds how easily their beautiful hardwood floors could be ruined by moisture.

Before a hardwood floor is installed, the wood must be “acclimated” to the temperature and humidity of the space where it will be installed. This means it must be stored inside your home or building and allowed to either lose or gain moisture to the surrounding air until it reaches its equilibrium moisture content (EMC). This process is vital for a successful installation and should never be avoided.

Just like humans, wood is most comfortable within an ideal range of temperatures and relative humidity. In general, relative humidity should be between 30% and 50% humidity and temperatures should be kept between 60° and 80° Fahrenheit. Also known as normal living conditions.

Any true professional should know how to assist you with the acclimation process and keeping track of moisture content levels in the specified manufacture recommendations of your wood floor. So when time comes, and you are ready for your next hardwood floor to be properly installed keep the following in mind:

  • Follow specific manufacturer recommendations for your new floor.
  • Hardwood floors must always be acclimated to their environment.
  • Your home’s ideal conditions must be between 30% and 50% Relative humidity and temperatures should be kept between 60° and 80° Fahrenheit.
  • Rushing the acclimation process could be the difference from an elegant, warm floor and a total nightmare.
  • Hire a professional, ALWAYS.

Hugo.

A Different Way To Outstanding Results.

Technology in the hardwood flooring industry has come a long way since the old days of oil-based polyurethane. There’s a specific buzz about natural penetrating oils, which is primarily a type of finish composed of vegetable oils. This unique two component finish produces a uniform matte sheen that absorbs into the wood floor and as it cures, hardens it and becomes part of the hardwood itself and simply enhances its natural beauty.

The very silky, warm & smooth surface created by natural oils is often suggested by designers and custom home builders due to its advantages over conventional oil-based polyurethane finishes which create a strong surface on top of the wood floor and are required to be completely sanded down in order to repair. Penetrating oils, however, can easily be repaired by reapplying the oils into the floor and with little to no effort scratches, dents and scuffs can be quickly fixed.

When it comes to maintenance it is important to remember that hardwood floors are meant to be walked on and in order to avoid premature wear, we recommend that homeowners adhere to manufactures’ guidelines to extend the life and beauty of their newly sanded floor. All of TriArt Hardwoods’ customers are advised on how to perform regular maintenance of their floors upon completion of their project. Over time, a natural penetrating oil finish will produce a patina that ages with the wood, so it never acquires the dull, dated look. This makes it a perfect product to use for high traffic residential and even commercial applications.

Our team believes that every household is different, and each needs a floor that will suit their lifestyle. TriArt Hardwoods is dedicated to finding the perfect finish for your project. If we see that natural penetrating oils are well-suited for your installation, we will not hesitate to recommend this finish and guide you in how to have a truly beautiful, maintainable and resilient floor.

A-Lifetime’s-Floor.

A Lifetime’s Floor.

If all hardwood floors look the same, and the only real differences are the colors, why on earth would someone buy a real hardwood floor over a luxury vinyl plank floor? Homeowners that appreciate quality, craftsmanship and longevity will understand the difference and make the investment in not only a superior product but also a quality installation.

In today’s market we more often than not bump into generic products that look good, are well priced and yet has little to no quality. Luxury vinyl planks, LVP, LVT and similar have gained a small share of the market based on the claims that manufacturers and retailers use in ads and propaganda. Terms such as Lifetime warranty, 100% waterproof and scratch resistant are often used to persuade homeowners and builders into buying what we like to call “luxury plastic floors”.

These products have a tremendous impact in the air quality our households and therefore in our health. According to a study at Duke University, children living in homes with “Luxury plastic floors” were found to have up to 15 times higher concentrations of a toxin linked to respiratory disorders, skin irritations and reproductive disorders than children in homes without plastic floors.

Additionally, these luxury products will in most cases end up in the closest landfill to your home. This creates an even bigger impact that modern society has in our ecosystem. We are both responsible for making the right decisions when it comes down to buying a new floor.

Solid Hardwood Floors is a precious natural resource that when consciously harvested, professionally installed and well maintained, will in most cases last a lifetime and pass into generations. The technology in today’s hardwood flooring finishes has improved drastically and key benefits such as Low VOC’s, non-offending odor and GreenGuard Certification are major advantages to your next hardwood floors.

Most of us, will only go thru this process once or twice in our lives and making the right decision is very important. So, don’t spend dollars to save pennies and choose wisely!! Call TriArt Hardwoods and let our knowledge of the hardwood flooring market in Atlanta help you make the best decision possible for your project.

Hugo.