Introduction
Hardwood Floors: Its Beauty
Hardwood Floor Installation has become a popular choice; many homeowners are turning towards it. And why wouldn’t they do it? After all, it makes any room look superb and classy; adds a certain amount of elegance and warmth to it, which many other flooring options are not able to.
In addition to the ambiance factor, homeowners need to consider other things as well, which involves installation cost, suitable area, type, and so on.
Hardwood floors are easy to clean and require low maintenance. It’s strong and durable; and adds significant value to your home. This flooring arrives in a wide range of styles, colors, materials, and textures. Being a homeowner, you must know the available types of hardwood floors: Here it’s:
- Solid and Engineered Wood
Solid wooden planks are made of a hardwood species, such as oak, maple, or walnut, whose thickness is around 18 to 20 mm. This flooring type can be sanded and refinished as many times as required over the course of its lifespan. However, such floors will swell in moist conditions and contract as the area dries.Engineered wood is made of three to four layers of wood that are glued together; the top layer is hardwood which is bonded over premium quality plywood layers. Due to its thickness, such floors are more stable, which means it is less prone to changes due to temperature and humidity conditions.
- Prefinished and Site-finished Hardwood
Unfinished or site-finished floors are those which are sanded and finished on-site after installation. It’s an excellent option if you want a custom stain applied before the final finish.Prefinished Hardwood floors are ready to install floors that are already sanded and sealed when coming from the factory. Such floors can be installed quickly and after a few hours, you can use them.
Moreover, the true beauty of owning a hardwood floor is that you can refinish it as many times as you desire; you can remove any stain, scratches, or marks that have been built upon the wooden surface over numerous years of livelihood through the process of sanding and refinishing.
About Big Bro hardwood
Big Bro Hardwood, since its establishment, has been delivering top-notch services of hardwood floor installation and refinishing. We specialize in transforming drab, worn-out floors into the ones that let visitors exclaim a long Wow. Our staff value your time and investment and deliver second-to-none services that can positively impact your home’s market value.
Our extreme hard work let us make an outstanding reputation in the marketplace. We professionally address all your needs and create floors that you have always dreamed of. We never deal with pushy salespeople or sub-contractors: instead, you always deal directly with the owner, having your projects completed by our skilled guys only. We only deliver the best quality services and that too at great prices. During the hardwood floor installation and refinishing work, we only use eco-friendly, A-class products to ensure durability and effectiveness.
We, Big Bro Hardwood, have recently completed a Hardwood Floor Installation project on a beautiful property at Lemont. Our expertise helps our client achieve her dream floor. Here’s what she says about our work-
“We had long planned on replacing carpeted floors in a couple of rooms with hardwood. Not only was Dan’s bid competitively priced but he took time before preparing the bid and after we had committed to address our ideas and concerns. His advice guided us to what turned out to be the right decisions.
He was prompt. He wore a face mask. He cleaned up afterward. He works hard!
Most importantly, the installed floors are absolutely gorgeous!”
Let’s dive into the case:
Case Introduction: Customer Requirements & Concerns
We were approached by a lady named, Patricia Pierorazio, who has decided to replace the carpets and change the flooring in a couple of rooms. She did not want to have new carpets as they can get too dirty in a smaller amount of time. She had decided to install a hardwood floor but needed guidance as she had various concerns and doubts related to it. Some of the points disturbing her are:
- What type of hardwood floor is best for my home?
- What would be the cost of installation?
- What will be the timeline for installation?
- What type of aftercare is needed?
How did we help her?
Being a professional hardwood floor installation company, we carefully listened to the customer’s requirements and understood them.
- Help our client in choosing the right hardwood
We understand floor installation is generally a long-term investment; so the decision should be very specific and faultless.We guided our client in deciding the right wooden floor for different rooms as she was confused and couldn’t find a type and color that suited the style of her home. After considering all the options, engineered flooring met all her needs the best; it is hard-wearing, easy to maintain, durable, and brings a classy look to the property. She chose red oak wire-brushed blocks, which we feel really complements the interior of her home.
- Install floors correctly, within the decided timeline & budget
- Project Cost & Time Estimation
We provide no-obligation, free estimates to our clients before commencing the work.We have created an all-inclusive bid after considering all the needs of our client. In fact, we had duly completed our tasks within the decided deadline and brought an ear to ear smile on her face.
- Floor Installation: Process and Products Used
The first thing that we did was to strip back the floors by removing years of old varnish in order to obtain a nice, well-leveled sub-floor to ensure a solid foundation for the hardwood. Once the subfloor was addressed, we started installing wooden blocks using the glue-down method. This method is cost-effective and helps installation go a lot faster.The floors we bought were pre-finished floors (that are sanded and finished in the factory itself). The living room was the largest among all the rooms we worked; that required a lot of planning and restoration work. The final result was outstanding yet flawless, and the homeowner was very impressed and felt delighted with the attention to detail especially, around the edges and in the corners.We only use the latest technology, trade tools, codes, and eco-friendly products to give flooring the best touch.
Surely, our hard work never let our clients feel disappointed!!!
- Maintenance Guidance
We have been working in the field for over 20 years. We know very well what precautions to take for a particular floor type to maintain its beauty for a long time.We guided our client and provided them with some vital maintenance tips. Here’s what we had suggested:
Daily Cleaning Tips
A regular dusting with a broom and slightly damp mop will keep your hardwood floors shiny and flawless. Depending on the foot traffic, the frequency of cleaning will be decided. You can use a vacuum to clear the specks of dust from the areas that are hard to reach.
Immediately wipe out spills using a mop (make sure it’s not wet). Don’t let liquids stay on the floors as it can damage the wooden surface; create gaps between the blocks.
You should place protective mats in the entryways or hallways to lessen track-in dust and debris to reduce scratches, especially during the rainy season.
It would be best to remove footwear outside, especially those with spiked or damaged heels to prevent scratches. Handle any sharp object like a knife with utmost care.
To prevent scratches on the wooden floor, use floor protectors on furniture. Also, place rugs in the kids’ play area to ensure their toys won’t damage your precious floors.
Do not roll or slide heavy objects across the wood floor as it leaves permanent stains or marks over the floors.
To ensure your floor’s longevity, always get the best cleaning tools and products.
- Clear the Mess Once Everything was Done
Installation of hardwood involves several steps like preparing sub-floor, cutting planks to the proper size, and more; this will create a huge mess, and no one can prevent dust from collecting inside and outside the house. We use dust containment equipment but, even that can’t completely eliminate dust.With us, you do not need to invest your precious time in clearing dust and dirt; instead, you will get spectacular floors that create a wow impression.
We had transformed their drab property into magnificent looking!!!
Read About Our Refinishing Services
Hardwood Floor Refinishing involves refurbishing wooden surfaces to preserve their shine and luster. It’s a fabulous solution to restore distress and tore hardwood floors; we repair, renew, and refurbish the floor to give a new life to it.
There can be two reasons why you (homeowner) opt for refinishing services:
- When there’s a lot of damage, deep scratches, and dents are there on your floors.
- When people want to change the color of the stain.
It’s an economical solution to bring your floor in pristine condition. Our expertise and knowledge make your hardwood floor look at its best. Here’s what’s all included in the refinishing process.
- Sanding the Floor
The process of sanding levels out the surface and closes any gaps between the planks and tightens loose nails. During the sanding phase, many homeowners have the biggest concern that is dust. So we bring a dustless sanding system that involves the use of cyclonic vacuum systems to provide your floor with a dust-free finishing process.
- Taking Precautionary Measures to Restrict Dust
After the sanding task gets completed, we remove all the dust from the floor, molding, and walls. Wipe down the walls to get the dust onto the floor, and then use a damp rag on the moldings to remove any residue. Then, use a vacuum with a dust filter to clear the dust from the floor. Doing so is important to prevent any dust from falling onto the floor later when the new finish is drying.
- Applying Stain and Two Coats of Water-based Finishes
Staining
If you decide to alter the stain color, then you have different color options available, ranging from grey, graphite, jacobean to natural, rosewood, birch, cocoa, and more. We can provide stain charts, or we can spot stain on a small area for you to look at.When it comes to Wood Floor Staining, we help you choose the right stain to embellish your unique home.Finishing
There are several types of hardwood floor finishes available in the marketplace; we use eco-friendly water-based polyurethanes. With such finishes, your floor appears natural, and it provides good protection to them. They clearly accentuate the character of the wood without giving it the amber tone of an oil-based polyester. Further, they do not turn yellow, smell minimal, and dry quickly.
Key Takeaways-
During this period of the COVID-19 pandemic, health safety is absolutely important—not just ours but our client’s as well. That’s why we take every precaution to prevent the spread of this deadly virus. Here’s what we do:
- Clean our hands frequently with soap and water or alcohol-based sanitizers.
- Wear a mask properly while working at the installation site.
- Maintain a safe distance.
- We don’t allow any random person to visit the site for inquiries.
We at Big Bro Hardwood offer comprehensive services related to hardwood floors at the most competitive prices. No project is small for us—whether you want us to handle the task from scratch or just want the refinishing or repairing services, we have got you covered! When you approach us; we ask about your requirements and dreams. Also, we guide you on what turns out to be the best for you, right from selecting the products to the floor maintenance.
We do not have any subsidiary or sub-contractor; we deal directly with the project owner and have your projects done by our skilled staff. If you need any information related to our services, feel free to contact us at (630) 418 4139 or email at [email protected].