Using Hardwood Flooring For Your Apartment

You're about to get your own apartment. You're starting to imagine a life of independence, of mini parties til the late night, and of, well, basically, parent-less living. But getting your own apartment doesn't instantly mean that you're off the hook. If you've moved into an unfurnished unit, you are most likely compelled to make the necessary structural repairs. What kind of furniture would you want to put in? Should you set up a home office? Should you install a chandelier? Do you want to cover up that drab looking concrete floor with hardwood flooring? Should you retile the bathroom? There are so many questions you need to answer. If you've decide to use hardwood flooring for your new apartment, then you have to prepare yourself for a considerable expense. Before you back off at the concept of spending a significant amount for just your floor, realize that nothing beats the natural feel of having a hardwood floor. Also, if you're considering staying in your apartment for quite a while, then you would greatly benefit from having a hardwood floor. There are special hardwood floors in the market that are deliberately distressed to give off that unique look. A distressed hardwood flooring for your apartment could be a great conversational piece. Of course, if you're after convenience, it would do you well to buy prefinished hardwood floors to spare you from the hassle of having to sand it, wax it, apply finishings and stains. Installing unfinished hardwood floors can also be more expensive when the final bill comes. Surely you want your apartment to look fab when your friends and parents come over to visit, and hardwood floors will definitely afford you all positive praises. Just be sure to properly care for and maintain it so it doesn't become a waste of your investment. Hardwood comes from trees, and trees are organic. If you don't take care of your flooring, then all your expenses will be for naught.

Refinishing Your Hardwood Floor

One of the most practical flooring and building materials is hardwood. It is sturdy enough to last decades and even centuries, with proper care, and it can give an otherwise dull living space an earthy and natural feel. As time progresses, however, the protective coating of your hardwood floor will inevitably thin out, particularly in areas where there's a lot of foot traffic. When this happens, your best option is to reapply a new finish so that it lasts longer and it becomes a lot easier to clean and maintain. Why should you refinish your hardwood floor? If your floor has been subjected to constant wear or has been hidden under the carpet for so long, you will need to apply proper maintenance techniques to preserve it. You may attempt to do the refinishing yourself, but those who have had experience doing this will tell you that it's quite a challenging task. Refinishing your hardwood floor does not simply entail reapplying the translucent coat. You will first have to remove the previous finishing in order to properly and evenly recoat the floor. Handling sanding equipment can also be a tedious job. Thus, if you're considering refinishing your hardwood floor, it's wise to just leave the dirty work to the professionals and experts on the field. This project requires time and effort, so if you attempt to do this yourself, you could be setting yourself up to headaches. How do you determine if your hardwood floor needs refinishing? Test on an inconspicuous part of the flooring. Do so by pouring a little water on the surface. If the water seeps in and creates a dark stain, then it's a sign that your coating has faded and you need to refinish soon. But if it forms small beads, then you have no reason to panic. Your floor coating is still intact. Do the same procedure at different parts of the house, especially areas that experience heavy traffic. There are also a number of stains you can use to refinish your hardwood floor. But before you decide on which to get, test it first on a hidden part of your house. Remember that refinishing stains look darker when its fresh, but they lighten when they dry up. Also consider the kind of hardwood you have in your house because they react differently to stains.

How To Choose Distressed Hardwood Flooring

This might sound silly but there are actually people willing to pay to have a semblance of damage and wear on their hardwood floors. Just when we have been trying to figure out how to get rid of stains and scratches, there are some modern design enthusiasts who find pleasure and uniqueness in a distressed or scraped look. Observing how the specially distressed hardwood floors turn out, perhaps they have reason to become fans of the method. Distressed hardwood floors, when done expertly, actually give a natural and earthy feel to the room -- a certain air that is absent with perfectly finished and polished hardwood floors. Since you're still reading this article at this point, perhaps you are looking for tips on how to choose the right distressed material to become your hardwood floor. And you won't be disappointed. Here are some tips you should consider before deciding if such kind of flooring is for you. Handmade versus machine made distressed wood Obviously, anything that requires manual labor is more expensive than having it factory made. The higher price of handmade distressed hardwood flooring is anchored on the fact that apart from the labor, no two hand distressed floor planks are the same. If you purchase a factory manufactured distressed wood, you are likely to see the same scrapings at another part of the floor. The variety of scrapings on factory made distressed floors is limited, whereas if done by hand, the designs are limitless. When choosing a distressed hardwood floor, realize that distress connoisseurs can easily spot a fake. Thus, only venture into this kind of design if you have the budget to spare. For a single square foot of machine made distressed flooring, you should expect to spend $10 or more. Handmade ones fetch $15 and above for the same size. Finally, just because it's distressed doesn't mean you can just scrape away. There is a technique to this project to achieve a tastefully done "damage". The most skilled hands will have your flooring turn itself into a great conversation piece at social gatherings and make your friends green with envy. But a poorly distressed floor will only invite mockery, and might even give the impression that you don't know how to take care of your home.