Steve Grimwood, managing director of Osmo UK - the
eco-friendly wood and finishes expert, explores the benefits
of wooden flooring, and lends us some of his invaluable expertise on how to
breathe new life into an old wooden floor.
For those who love a natural element to their interior
design, there is simply nothing that can surpass the appeal of a wooden floor.
It may sound like a cliché but solid wood floors simply breathe quality and
style. They lend immediate character to a room, engender a feeling of
spaciousness and, depending on the kind of timber and colour used, help create
a wide variety of tones and moods.
There are also many reasons, beyond the aesthetic, which
make hardwood floors the preferred choice. They are extremely durable and can
withstand the daily wear and tear to which other floorcoverings, such as
carpets, are more susceptible, and with careful maintenance a wood floor will
retain its beauty over time.
Wooden floors offer a healthier indoor air quality as opposed
to carpeted floors as they have no fibres, grout lines or embossing that can
trap dust, pollen, particles, and allergens – an increasing concern for
today’s contractor when asked to install a floor system suitable for today’s
allergy-conscious environment. And because they are so easy to clean and
require minimal maintenance, wood floors are a cost effective flooring choice
in the long run.
Yet, if a solidwood floor is to retain lasting appeal and
beauty, it requires a good-quality protective coating. All high calibre wood
floors should come pre-finished (factory-applied) with a protective hard wax
treatment, such as Osmo’s PolyxOil. If not then you can apply this type of
product quite easily to ensure that the floor is sealed and protected.
Avoid shortcuts by using cheap, inferior products. What you
need is a wood finish that penetrates into the wood rather than just forming a
film on the surface. This deep penetration creates a micro-porous finish which
not only allows the wood to breathe, but also moisture to evaporate allowing
the wood to retain its healthy, moisture-regulating state for years to come.
And, by choosing a quality wood finish, often a little goes a long way and you
will get the best possible results at a cost effective price per square
metre.
If, however the refurbishment project you are working on
already has a wooden floor and you don’t have the budget to install a new
wooden floor, don’t panic – the beauty of solid wooden floors is that
they can be refurbished - there are some great cleaning and maintenance
products that can breathe new life into an old and tired-looking wood floor.
The first stage is to clean the floor thoroughly. For
stubborn stains, mop with a diluted solution of a quality wash-and-care floor
product, which will not only clean but also offer a layer of protection.
If the floor looks a bit lifeless once cleaned, revitalise
it with a liquid wax cleaner; this product can also be applied to specific
areas such as around doors or on patches that have become worn and a bit jaded
for an instant rejuvenation. The wax is easy to use; simply apply neat, thinly
covering the area of the clean floor with a professional scraper, and then
polish. Specially designed floor care buffing machines can help to create a smooth,
even finish.
For particularly defined wear marks, the floor should be
given a new treatment with premium hard-wax oil. Simply apply the oil to the
affected areas (having cleaned them) and leave to dry overnight. This can also
be done in specific areas; there is no need to treat the whole floor. For
optimum results, then polish with a liquid wax cleaner to bring the floor up to
a brilliant shine.
When choosing a wood treatment; whether it is a protective
finish or a revitalising maintenance product, do consider its content. Many
chemical-based paints continue to give off potentially harmful gases years
after application which can increase the incidence of allergies, asthma and
sick building syndrome. Treatments with reduced solvent content and based on natural
raw materials are a much healthier alternative.
Osmo operates a policy of only supplying products which are
both safe and environmentally friendly. And as new regulations, such as
legislation on Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are made statutory and there
is an increasing demand for environmentally sound products, I predict more and
more manufacturers will move in this direction.
Visit Osmo at www.osmouk.com
