StewartFloor Blog

Hope everyone enjoyed their summer with family and friends. As we go into the festive seasons of the year, I thought it was a good time to discuss wood floor finishes and how they continue to evolve. I’ve noticed over the last year a definite transition in peoples attitudes and openness toward new finishes or “new” to North America. Homeowners and commercial property owners are learning that there is another option to strongly consider besides traditional aluminum oxide finishes. These finishes remain extremely popular, but gloss level desires are playing into clients being open to oil and hard wax oil finishes which have been traditionally used in Europe. Europe has certainly embraced aluminum oxide just as we have, but their has always been a significant desire for these “natural” finishes. This desire is growing in Europe and for really the first time, it is gaining traction here in larger numbers. Spot repairability is probably the largest benefit for you and your household, no need for a flooring contractor. If you love wood because it is a natural product, then these oil or hard wax oil should be on your list to check out.

The best part is that panic doesn’t need to overcome you with these new finishes and day in and day out wear and tear. Spills etc. are not the end of your beautiful wood floor.

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Hope everyone enjoyed their summer with family and friends. As we go into the festive seasons of the year, I thought it was a good time to discuss wood floor finishes and how they continue to evolve. I’ve noticed over the last year a definite transition in peoples attitudes and openness toward new finishes or “new” to North America. Homeowners and commercial property owners are learning that there is another option to strongly consider besides traditional aluminum oxide finishes. These finishes remain extremely popular, but gloss level desires are playing into clients being open to oil and hard wax oil finishes which have been traditionally used in Europe. Europe has certainly embraced aluminum oxide just as we have, but their has always been a significant desire for these “natural” finishes. This desire is growing in Europe and for really the first time, it is gaining traction here in larger numbers. Spot repairability is probably the largest benefit for you and your household, no need for a flooring contractor. If you love wood because it is a natural product, then these oil or hard wax oil should be on your list to check out.

Best part is that panic doesn’t need to overcome you with these new finishes and day in and day out wear and tear. Spills etc. are not the end of your beautiful wood floor.

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Ever wondered about Prefinish vs. Unfinished/Site sand and finish?  Our Brazilian Hardwood Flooring is factory finished in South America or in North Carolina.  The picture shows the realities of a jobsite and your total reliance on the skillset of the person doing work.  You see puddles of Bona Traffic finish in this picture due to improper application – too much finish.

Improper application of finish at jobsite -Had to be redone!

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Don’t be fooled!  If you are shopping for wood flooring, don’t be fooled by a salesperson discussing the number of coats of finish as a comparison of the durability of one flooring product over another.  This has become one of the greatest and most confusing myths in the wood flooring business.  This floor has 7 coats, this one has 15 coats, it doesn’t matter how many coats.

Flooring finishes must be optimized for hardness and flexibility.  All urethane aluminum oxide finishes have to put x amount of grams of aluminum oxide per square meter(10.764 square feet) of flooring.  Different finish manufacturers use different methods as well as some manufacturers develop more proprietary finishes with the assistance of the coating manufacturers.  When it comes to the practical points of a finish, keep in mind gloss levels and textured surfaces have much more to do with how a floor will look over time than the number of coats of finish.  The higher the gloss level, the more wear and tear will show.  A textured finish such as an open pore/brushed finish or a handscraped surface will show less wear.  The reality is that although aluminum oxide makes for a low maintenance and durable finish, it will still scratch.  Some finishes are better formulated and refined than others, but this has no relationship to the number of coats.

Don’t be fooled and fall for this misleading and uninformed information.

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Routine Wood Flooring Maintenance

With today’s highly advanced coating technology used in wood flooring stains and finishes, caring for your wood floors has never been easier. Regular maintenance requires little more than sweeping with a soft bristle broom, and vacuuming with a soft floor attachment. You also should clean your floors periodically with a professional wood floor cleaning product such as Bona or Loba floor care. There are other acceptable cleaners, just make sure if you have a polyurethane aluminum oxide finished floor, you use a cleaner which is approved for this finish.
Preventive Maintenance

The following are additional steps which should be put into your routine maintenance plan and to extend the life of your beautiful wood floors.

1. Do not use sheet vinyl or tile floor care products on wood floors. Self-polishing acrylic waxes cause wood to become slippery and appear dull quickly.
2. Walk off areas are essential. Use throw rugs both inside and outside doorways to help prevent grit, dirt and other debris from being tracked onto your wood floors. This will help prevent scratching.
3. Do not wet-mop a wood floor. Standing water can dull the finish, damage the wood and leave a discoloring residue.
4. Wipe up spills immediately with a slightly dampened towel.
5. Put soft plastic or fabric-faced glides under the legs of furniture to prevent scuffing and scratching.
6. Avoid walking on your wood floors with cleats, sports shoes and high heels. A 125-pound woman walking in high heels has an impact of 2,000 pounds per square inch. An exposed heel nail can exert up to 8,000 pounds per square inch. This kind of impact can dent any floor surface.
7. When moving heavy furniture, do not slide it on wood flooring. It is best to pick up the furniture completely to protect the wood flooring.
8. For wood flooring in the kitchen, place an area rug in front of the kitchen sink. This is a high traffic spot.
9. Use a humidifier throughout the winter months to keep wood movement and shrinkage to a minimum. Maintaining relative humidity throughout the year to 35-55% is recommended as excessively low or high relative humidity can have negative consequences.

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High Gloss Brazilian Walnut Flooring - Shows light reflectivity

If you’ve been shopping for a new wood floor lately, I bet you have heard about wood flooring gloss or sheen levels.  Let me help you understand this concept better.  Gloss is an optical term that describes the ability of a surface to reflect light.  The higher the gloss level, the more it directly reflects light.  The lower the gloss level, the surface absorbs and diffuses the light sources.  This is normally measured at a 60 degree angle which is equivalent to looking at the surface while standing up.

As a homeowner or commercial property manager it is key to understand what this means.  The higher a gloss level, the more wear and tear will show.  Think of a piano finish(high gloss)…..it shows everything!  The lower gloss level shows less wear and tear and depending on the gloss level will actually bring out more of the naturalness of your wood floor.  It seems crazy that we buy wood floors because they are a natural product and than we put a plastic derived finish on top of them which takes away from this natural surface.  The great news is that there are many options on the market to consider what is the right choice for you.

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Stewartfloor, a direct importer of solid South American prefinished wood flooring is proud to announce our new collection of flooring, atelier. Atelier means a workshop or studio used by an artist or designer, atelier is the culmination of a dream based on years of experience and expertise in tropical hardwoods and the focus on natural surfaces and materials.

The matte finish of the surface of stewartfloor atelier products accentuates the original and natural character of these fine species. Atelier combines all the advantages of the “standard” aluminum oxide finished flooring with the visual expression of an old world oil finish without the maintenance.

Atelier provides the visual interest of a slightly brushed texture due to its open pore finish which allows the floor to radiate the vitality of an old world oil finish and the additional benefit of showing less wear over time. Atelier combines all the advantages of a highly resistant, easy care aluminum oxide finish with the unmatched visual depth of a natural matte oil surface finish. Another major advantage is very little light reflectivity which also brings out the natural grain better than other finishes.

This collection embodies our work over the last 13 years specializing in tropical wood from South America. It is our sincere belief that these species are truly unique and special, atelier is the embodiment of our pursuit of passion and to offer the perfect floor.

Our customer Mr. Christoffersen of Carol Stream, IL said it best, when he commented on his stewartfloor atelier 3/4″ x 3-1/4″ Brazilian Teak/Cumaru flooring, “Let me just say-WE LOVE IT! When you said it was clear/premium grade, how true, and the finish is perfect. Even the installers said they had no issues whatsoever.”

Please call or have your designer, architect or builder contact stewartfloor today at 866-780-7839 ext. 5. Discover stewartfloor atelier collection for yourself, you’ll agree it’s classically Modern wood flooring.

Stewartfloor Atelier Brazilian Teak Flooring Cumaru Flooring

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Looking for a fine grain and extremely durable wood in shades of salmon and red…….check out Tiete Rosewood Flooring. This is a sophisticated choice which will show extremely well in traditional or modern spaces. It will exhibit a medium amount of color change when compared to other red species such as Brazilian Cherry Flooring. This is an important point as customers select flooring materials based on the color they are looking at, rather than understanding what it will look like after exposed to light. Stewartfloor imports Tiete Rosewood Flooring from Paraguay and it is finished with Klummp Coatings of Germany with a silky smooth protective surface. Call us today and discover the difference 13 years of Exotic Wood Flooring knowledge makes.

Tiete Rosewood Flooring

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Looking for a beautiful, rich, deep wood floor? Stewartfloor provides Exotic Wood Floors Naturally. Our products are so beautiful on their own, we don’t interfere with nature by tinting or staining our exotic wood floors. As crazy as it seems, certainly to us, many companies importing or producing exotic wood floors actually tint or stain their products. We believe in letting the wood express itself and believe in the value of color through and through. Stained and tinted floors show wear much more and nothing is worse than scratching a wood floor and seeing lighter color wood underneath. Check out our wonderful exotic wood floors today.

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Our container of 4″ & 5″ Amendoim Prefinished flooring is arriving this week into Baltimore. This is a highly in demand flooring species and ours offers a true microbevel and finished with Klumpp coatings of Germany featuring a 35 Year Residential Warranty. Call today to discover the direct importer difference. Product knowledge, incomparable service and nationwide delivery.

Installed Amendoim Flooring with German Klumpp Coating

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