Author: Rooster Creatives

How Can I Protect a Hardwood Floor from a Rolling Office Chair?

protect hardwood floor rolling office chairAre you concerned about the appearance of your hardwood floors becoming ruined by office chairs? This is a legitimate concern for many hardwood floor owners who enjoy sporting hardwood floors in their office, either at work or even at home.

Rolling office chairs undoubtedly overtime will leave marks on your hardwood floors unless you take proactive steps in an effort to prevent this issue from occurring. Scuff marks are the number one issue, which occur from wear and tear moving back and forth, especially if your chair has hard casters on it.

Protecting Hardwood Floors from Rolling Office Chairs

Follow our advice below to prevent shredding your hardwood floor from rolling office chairs.

1. Check Your Chair’s Casters/Wheels

Check out your chair’s casters, or wheels, and see if they feel hard or not. Chances are they will be hard as most are made from hard plastic or hard nylon.

Replacing them with a softer alternative is what we recommend. Softer alternatives include rubber, urethane, and neoprene options. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully in order to replace your casters.

If this is too daunting of a task, then we have an easier approach you could try. Place a layer of duct tape around the caster’s circumference and this will lesson the impact on the floor.

2. Utilizing Area Rugs or Chair Mats

Look in to purchasing a chair mat for your rolling office chair. This will keep the wheels on the mat and off of your hardwood floors. If you find yourself moving your chair around often and in wide space, then consider purchasing a larger area rug instead. Rugs of woven material are recommended.

Caution:
We do not advise using plastic mats of any sort as many people have found that when tiny pieces of debris (i.e. grit and rocks) become stuck between your floors and the plastic, damage ensues.

3. Maintenance

Maintenance goes a long way. By consistently keeping your floors clean from debris, as well as your chair’s rollers or casters, very little damage will happen to your floors. Combine this with the other 2 options we suggested above and your office floors will shine for many years!

Questions You May Be Asked When Buying Hardwood Floors

buying hardwood floor questions askHere at Urban Floor, we sell hardwood floors. Duh, right? Well, being salesmen for all of these years in the hardwood flooring industry, we’ve come to learn a few things: that most people interested in hardwood floors often don’t know what they want. Is this a problem? Absolutely not!

However, if you’re in the market for hardwood flooring you’ve probably already come to the realization that it’s an investment worth making – but only IF you manage to find the perfect floor. That’s where a salesman comes in to the equation, to help you find the perfect floor based on your needs & wants.

Our point is that most consumers simply do not know what they “need” or even what they may “want” in a hardwood floor. When salesmen detect this, they will ask you certain questions attempted to bring out these needs and wants.

FAQs to Think About Before Searching for Hardwood Floors

The questions you use below you most likely will hear from hardwood floor salesmen. The benefit of having access to these questions beforehand are that it will give you time to think about your response, which will help narrow your perfect floor down.

1. What’s your lifestyle like at home?

Are you retired, do you have teenagers still living the house? Children? Pets? Constantly on the go or more relaxed? The answers to these questions will greatly narrow your choices down because certain species of hardwood floors work better than others for certain lifestyles.

2. Is your home built on a slab, over a crawlspace or basement?

If yes, then undoubtedly the salesman will direct you towards engineered hardwood floors which work very well for these environments over solid hardwood floors.

8 reasons to choose engineered over solid hardwood flooring.

3. What’s your home décor like?

Do you find that you lean more towards a formal, traditional, casual, country, modern, or rustic approach? Or perhaps something else not listed here? The nswer to this question will certainly drop a huge clue to your salesman on what type of flooring to consider: smooth, hand scraped, distressed, etc. as well as the type of color that may be preferred to match your décor.

4. Do you expect your wood flooring to look the same 10 years from now?

It’s important to be realistic about what you’re getting vs. what you want. Hardwood floors naturally will change over time due to sunlight, general wear and tear, temperature fluctuations, etc. If this is a large concern for you, then it should be made known upfront.

5. How long do you plan on staying in your home?

Hardwood floors may last a lifetime with proper care and maintenance. Most people don’t plan on leaving their home anytime soon, but it’s still worth asking to gauge. If you know for sure you will in or the long haul, then you may be directed towards most high-end flooring options that are made with better care and quality versus affordable floors that may be more suitable for those only staying in their home for a couple years or so.

Now that you know what types of questions salesmen will ask, here’s our other guide on what you can ask your salesman (which essentially go hand in hand with each other).

Emerging Trend: Hardwood Floors in the Kitchen?

hardwood floors in the kitchen

That’s right, you heard us: hardwood floors in the kitchen.

*We want to mention however that we do not condone the use of hardwood floors in the kitchen – despite how beautiful they are – because of the chance of water damage occurring.

With that said, a report performed by Houzz found that many homeowners are updating their kitchens by remodeling them. 72% of homeowners are updating their kitchen floors, according to the report.

Of the 72%, 34% chose solid hardwood for their kitchen flooring, while 12% selected engineered hardwood floors. It used to be that ceramic or tile-flooring options were most popular, but that has now changed.

Why Hardwood Floors for Kitchens?

It begs to question: why are a majority of people, specifically homeowners, turning to hardwood floors in the kitchen? What’s the appeal?

1. Kitchen Life Has Changed

It used to be kitchens were for cooking and nothing more. Nowadays this isn’t the case. Kitchens for many families have a variety of uses. Entertainment (i.e. TV), socializing, performing work or homework. There’s a lot more activity occurring in kitchens now, as much as 3-4 hours per day as estimated by the report.

With this much activity occurring in kitchens on a daily basis, you’re going to want something that looks appealing – such as hardwood floors – especially if you’re inviting guests over to socialize with.

2. It’s Just Due for a Change

In the report, half of the homeowners surveyed had reported that they were updating their kitchen because it had been 21 years or longer since the last update. That’s a long time & with trends constantly changing you want to make sure you’re keeping up in order to maximize the value of your home. Flooring is one of the top features being updated in kitchen remodels.

See also: Hardwood floors add value to your home.

3. New Kitchen, New Style

People that remodel their kitchen are trying to be trendy or add in features or other bells & whistles that have a lot of appeal. Hardwood floors are one of these appeals because it’s something we haven’t traditionally seen performed in the past. Kitchen hardwood flooring is just beginning to gain popularity amongst homeowners.

Please refer to our other posts on hardwood flooring trends of 2016 and residential flooring trends for more information.

Industry Report: Residential Flooring Trends Are Evolving

residential flooring trends

Flooring industry experts who study trends have noticed some welcoming changes beginning to occur in residential homes. We initially featured a post on hardwood flooring trends for 2016 based mainly on speculation, but the industry experts have chimed in with their own personal experiences and here’s what they are reporting.

Lighter Colors Making a Bold Return

Many design experts have noticed homeowners incorporating the use of lighter colors in their home. Specifically white. They’re seeing two different uses of white in homes:

1. White-on-white rooms for a captivating, smooth, and crisp experience.
2. White used as a way contrast the darker furniture and décor within a room.

No matter which way you decide to utilize white, one thing is for sure: it’s the most neutral color that often works well no matter the situation. A great choice for first time homebuyers.

Other lighter colors such as beige are slowly making a return as industry floor experts notice it’s prevalence currently in Europe, meaning it will make it’s return back to the U.S. soon enough.

Grey Still A Strong Force

As our hardwood flooring trends report mentioned, grey tones were expected to be popular. Sure enough, they continue to very prominent in the industry. The reason being because grey is a color that appeals both to contemporary and traditional homeowners – a very large market.

The main thing to note here, however, is that it’s the warmer toned grays that are picking up pace this year and are expected to maintain that growth throughout the year.

The Finishing Touch

Lastly, industry experts are reporting the importance of texture as an aspect to keep in mind. This is mainly because people want to touch and feel the product. As a result, we are seeing surface texture and gloss changes. Hand-scraped is subtle, but other textures such as wire-brushed are picking up pace. As for gloss, people are moving more and more away from high gloss finishes to more of a rough finish such as matte.

View Matte Hardwood Floors by Urban Floor

Announcing Urban Floor’s Newest Products of Hardwood Floors!

urban floor new products 2016

We’re already 3 months in to 2016 (almost 4!), but we aren’t slowing down here at Urban Floor! We’re excited to announce the newest addition that we have added to our wonderful collection of solid and engineered hardwood floors. For now, we’ll refer to it as our “2016 collection”, because the new floors have all been added to other existing collections based on certain flooring characteristics.

Our 2016 Collection Features New Products

This 2016 collection features of a mix-up of various types of hardwood floors from our existing collections.

Birch Denali – featured in our Mountain Country collection, this new floor doesn’t involve any machines. Completely hand scraped for a modern and stylish design.

Birch Bronco – also featured in our Mountain Country collection, this engineered hardwood floor is stained with a neutral, light brown that’s great for adding warmth to any interior space.

Birch Betula – featured in our Urban Lifestyle Smooth Series, this 5-inch wide plank floor contains 7 layers of strong matte finish. It is one our most attractive products.

Birch Mulberry – featured in our Urban Lifestyle Smooth Series, this matte finish engineered hardwood floors comes with one of the most unique stains we’ve ever created.

Birch Cedar – featured in our Urban Lifestyle Smooth Series, this engineered hardwood floor is a great choice for complimenting any room.

Santos Mahogany Natal – featured in our Urban Lifestyle Downtown Series collection, this flooring choice is one the hardest we offer and also happens to be one the most unique with it’s grain patterns and reddish tones.

Moscato – featured in our Chene collection, this floor utilizes European oak for durability and a light shade for a neutral look & feel that will compliment your décor very well.

Cabernet – featured in our Chene collection, this floor is packed with deeper tones for a bold statement to any room.

Valentina – featured in our Villa Caprisi collection, this light grey floor is expected to be very popular given the hardwood flooring trends of 2016.

The Use of Hardwood Flooring in Commercial Settings

commercial hardwood flooring

Hardwood floors are a versatile option, expanding heavily into the homes of many happy homeowners. However, they play a large role in the commercial business scene as well. Buildings are seeing the monetary benefits alone from switching to hardwood floors. In a nationwide survey, real estate agents agreed that building structures with wood floors sell faster and for more money than those without wood floors. The increase in value can be up to 10% more!

Hardwood Floors Also Raise Value of Residential Homes

We’ll help you understand the use of hardwood flooring in a commercial setting in case you ever find yourself in a position of making an informed decision.

Commercial Wood Floor Specifications to Consider

Improved air quality – the EPA has already recognized the allergy benefits to hardwood flooring by minimizing trapped dust, dander, and other allergies. This is why commercial businesses such as hospitals and schools prefer this choice.

Easy to maintain – commercial businesses do not have the extra time or resources to pour into maintaining floors. Hardwood floor is relatively quick and easy to maintain, an aspect that appeals to businesses.

Installation – the most common sub-floor used in commercial projects is concrete. Wood floors can be successfully installed over concrete following the right procedures set out by a professional contractor.

Hardness – hardwood floors are made from different types of species. Some of which happen to be very hard. To measure hardness, we turn to the Janka scale of hardness. The higher, the better because businesses typically receive a lot of foot traffic and therefore it makes sense to have a hardwood floor with a high Janka rating.

Finish – there are a few finishes to choose from. But for commercial wood floors, it’s best to use an acrylic impregnated finish. We’ll spare you the details of what this is, but the important part is that it is injected directly into the wood to create an extremely durable hardwood floor.

Acoustics – sound control is also an important specification to consider for commercial wood floors, especially for multi-family structures such as apartment buildings or condominiums where strict regulations may be present.

Both businesses and residential homes continue to find the benefits that hardwood flooring offers. If you’re aspiring to be a business owner, take these specifications into consideration.

Urban Floor’s Composer Collection offers many aspects that would benefit a commercial setting.

Best Hardwood Floor Colors that Invoke Warmth

Winter season is still largely in effect, but we want to start shifting our focus over to warmer temperatures that will occur in the coming months – in California at least. When you think of warmth, there are really only three hardwood-flooring colors that coming to mind.

Top 3 Warm Hardwood Floor Colors

1. Red

red toned hardwood floors

Red is to be used with caution, because an intense shade of red will give off the wrong impression. Thankfully at Urban Floor, the hardwood flooring options we offer that feature red tones that do not feature a high intensity of red shade.

Red-toned Hardwood Floors by Urban Floor:
Maple Gunstock
Rochester
Rio
Steward
Santos Mahogany Natal

2. Orange

orange toned hardwood floors

Orange infuses very well with the natural colors of hardwood floor to invoke the feeling of warmth. Red is often thought of as the hottest color, but it’s actually orange that is technically the hottest color. Orange has a captivating ability to radiate energy and warmth to any space. Think of the sun, for example. Orange-toned hardwood floors work well for bedrooms.

Orange-toned Hardwood Floors by Urban Floor:
Empire
Birch Paprika
Maple Sunset

3. Yellow

yellow toned hardwood floors

If you’ve noticed, all 3 warm colors resemble the same colors you see in fire (minus the blue tip). Part of the reason we associate these colors to warmth are for that reason. It happens subconsciously, but it makes sense as to why you would feel these colors invoke warmth or make a room seem cozy.

Yellow-toned Hardwood Floor by Urban Floors:
Lazio
Taft Maple
Pierce Oak
Hickory Tumbleweed
Chardonnay
Roosevelt Hickory
Maple Natural

5 Ways to Make the Most of Small Spaces

maximizing small space tipsSmall spaces can be difficult to work with, often leaving you with a feeling as if you had more space to utilize. We’ve all been there and we’ve had to make the most of our space. Those who live in studio apartments know the trials of living in a small space. However, there are plenty of neat, little ways to make these living conditions a lot more bearable.

Tips for Maximizing Space At Home

Hidden Storage Opportunities

1. Elevate your bed so that you can place storage bins underneath.
2. Nestle your couch against a curved window so that you can place items behind it.
3. Utilize cabinets that do not extend all the way to the ceiling, placing items in between this small space.

Purge Unnecessary Items

A lot of people have difficulty parting ways with the items we have received or purchased over the years. However, you have to seriously challenge yourself to rid certain items that you honestly do not need. For example, you have a ton of wine glasses, but you never drink wine. Ditch the glasses. Or you have tons of clothes that haven’t been worn in over a year. Donate them to Goodwill. If you don’t constantly purge items, then items will accumulate quickly.

Buy Furniture Wisely

Looking to purchase an ottoman? Buy one that has a secret storage area. That end table you want in the corner, does it have drawers where items can be stored? Don’t just purchase a piece of furniture because it looks “pretty” – look for multi-functional pieces of furniture that maximize your space.

Less is More

The saying exists for a reason, because it holds some merit. Especially when you’re strapped on space. Be cautious of what you buy. Adjust your mentality to think it terms of “how often will I be using this item I am about to purchase?” This will help facilitate the right choices. You have to be honest with yourself. Impulse purchases are very bad for those with no space at home.

Routine Cleaning

By sticking to a habit of cleaning often, you will be forced to organize items and stay conscious of what items should stay and what items should go. Also, a nice, tidy house gives the impression of more space, even if it’s all inside of your head.

8 Reasons to Choose Engineered Over Solid Hardwood Flooring

engineered vs solid hardwoodWhen it comes to adding natural warmth and beauty to your rooms, nothing beats the magnificent and timeless appearance of wood flooring. Both solid and engineered hardwood floors are fabricated from 100 percent wood, which means that the floor preserves the unique appearance and textured grain of natural timber.

The two types of hardwoods also come in a wide range of looks and colors, but have quite a few significant distinctions, including:

1. Different construction
Solid hardwood boards are milled from a thick piece of lumber, so its thickness varies from ¾-inch to 7/16-inch. Engineered boards, on the other hand, are constructed by joining multiple high-density fiberboard layers sandwiched inside a solid wood top layer and hardwood backing, making it extremely tough.

2. Expansion and contraction
The distinct construction of engineered wood forms a rigid structure that does not gap, buckle, or respond to fluctuations in temperature and humidity. Solid wood fluctuates a lot, and is mostly used for ground level rooms and above, while engineered wood can be installed on any level, including below ground.

3. Durability
Engineered floors are constructed in such a way that they have enhanced stability and slightly more resistance to daily wear and tear and buckling, though both have an extremely durable coating capable of withstanding harsh treatment.

4. Stability
Engineered wood is dimensionally more stable compared to solid wood floors.

5. Maintenance
The hardwood floors become more appealing as they age, though the surface tends to dull and develop scratches and scuffs over time. Solid wood can be sanded and refinished multiple times depending on its thickness, while engineered boards only need refinishing once or twice over the floor’s life.

6. Cost
Solid hardwood is more expensive than engineered floor with regard to method of installation, labor, and cost of material.

7. Resistance to moisture
Compared to solid hardwood, engineered wood floors have superior resistance to slightly lower and higher moisture levels, which makes them more ideal for use in damp basements or regions with higher or lower than standard humidity levels.

8. Going green
Choosing engineered floors over solid wood helps to conserve expensively priced timber. For every 1 square foot of ¾ inch thick solid wood floor, you can manufacture around 4 times that amount into engineered wood flooring.

Despite the differences, any hardwood flooring is a great option, especially since it does not cause allergies, and it increases the value of your home.

How to Make the Living Room Cozy in 3 Easy Steps

cozy living room design tips

After a long day of hard work, it feels nice to go back to a cozy home where you can kick back and relax as you bond with the family. And when the cold season comes, you look forward to spending even more time in your comfy living room, warming yourself under a heavy blanket or near the fire.

A cozy living area is not always functional, as it can be decorated simply for show. Regardless, it needs to be inviting to create the right mood for relaxing or entertaining guests.

Fortunately, giving your living room that “cozy” feel does not demand a lot of money or work. In fact, it is amazing how easily you can transform your living room to reflect your lifestyle and personality without risking common home disasters like sticky-kid fingers.

3 Cozy Living Room Design Tips

Step 1: Install hardwood floors.

Hardwood floors can give your house a warm, cozy natural feeling that makes it feel like a home. Installing hardwood floors requires a professional, though you can also do-it-yourself if the right tools and set of skills.

When choosing a hardwood floor, you need to pick a design and color, and find a reliable flooring contractor to help with the work. Take your time to research your home improvement project before starting, so you have a better understanding of the project plan and budget, as well as how to take care of your new floor to make it last longer.

Step 2: Fill the space with sentimental items.

Objects that make you nostalgic or excited, like pictures of your family and friends, artwork, a chair, couch, or even the fireplace, are all things that you should consider highlighting in your home. Including little touches of personal and meaningful décor in your living room will not only drum up pleasant memories, but also increase the visual appeal of the space.

Find ways to draw attention to these features, like by placing them on top of the fireplace mantle or in the center of a table. For sentimental pieces placed on the wall, like pictures or pieces of art, you may consider adding a lighting fixture above to draw attention and bring that natural homey feeling to your living room.

Step 3: Make everything comfortable.

The word cozy can be used interchangeably with comfy, so find ways to make your space comfortable. Start by choosing sofas and chairs that are neither too hard nor too soft, and include some floor cushions so you can kick up your feet. Add some pillows and center everything around your entertainment center, so you are comfortable when watching a movie, reading a magazine or good book, or curling up on a lazy afternoon for a nap.

The idea is to personalize your space while making it as beautiful, attractive, and comfortable as possible.