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Differences Between Unfinished & Prefinished Hardwood Flooring in Culver City, CA

Unfinished or prefinished hardwood flooring? Which is better and how much do they cost? The answer will probably depend on a few factors. Prefinished hardwood is hardwood that has been finished in the factory and then is installed. Unfinished hardwood is raw wood that needs to be installed, sanded and refinished on site.

Pros of Prefinished Hardwood Flooring

Scratch Resistant – Pre-finished hardwood floors are 7-10 times more resistant to scratches than unfinished hardwood. The reason for this is that is 6-7 coats of polyurethane and applied to it and then its oven baked with aluminum oxide which is considered the world’s second hardest substance. Unfinished hardwood will only receive 2-3 coats after it is installed in your home.
Less Messy to Install – It is also less messy. Sanding and refinishing hardwood floors is a messy job. You’ll have sawdust everywhere and it smells bad too. The dust can be reduced with a dustless system, but it will cost more.
Faster Installation – Most projects with prefinished hardwood take about 1-2 days, but unfinished hardwood can take 4-5 plus drying time that you’ll have to stay off it. Prefinished hardwood can be walked on right after it’s installed.

Pros of Site Finished Hardwood Flooring

Smooth Hardwood Flooring Edges – This may come down to preference but with pre-finished hardwood you’ll have a slight bevel at the edges. Some people feel it makes the wood look more real while others like the smoothed out look once the floors are sanded. There will be more dirt buildup in the micro beveled edges of prefinished hardwood.
Suitable for Kitchens – Unfinished hardwood can be a better choice in kitchen because when it’s sealed onsite the edges will also get polyurethane. Prefinished hardwood sometimes lacks the polyurethane and can be prone to issues with water. You may also see the lighter color under darker colored prefinished because the stain doesn’t get all the way into the edges. This doesn’t happen with hardwood that is sanded and refinished on-site.
Best for Color Matching. If you’re looking to match hardwood from other areas of the house it will be much easier with unfinished hardwood because stain colors can be tested for a perfect match. Choosing a specific color is much easier with unfinished hardwood because colors can be mixed. Color options are limited with prefinished hardwood. Most customers will test 3-4 stain colors so they can see it in the light in your home and the space you want to have it installed. You can also test on different boards to get a better idea because some boards are lighter than others.
Cheaper – Unfinished hardwood typically costs less. Prefinished hardwood will have you paying more for the wood and less for the labor. Finished hardwood will have you spend less on the wood and more on the labor.

Hardwood Floor Installation Services in Van Nuys, Burbank, Glendale, San Pedro, Torrance, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills & Greater Los Angeles, California

Deciding between prefinished or unfinished hardwood flooring can be difficult. There are benefits and drawbacks to both. You may feel overwhelmed but take the time to choose the best option for you and your home. Contact Sequoia Flooring for all the help you need!

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Benefits Of Professional Hardwood Floor Refinishing

Hardwood floor is one of the fascinating floors to choose for your home or office. Wood gives it a unique and timeless style, able to adapt to different rooms in the house, from the kitchen to the study, making each room particularly welcoming and original. Over time, the hardwood floor ceases to shine, and scratches become excessively noticeable. But you don’t have to worry: professional Hardwood Flooring Contractors Los Angeles offers the refinishing service to restore your hardwood floor without changing the whole floor. Let’s see in detail all the details that the professionals can offer you and why refinishing the hardwood floor is a job that must be entrusted to true professionals.

But why do hardwood floors fade and their shine decreases?

Because of the layer of varnish that is used to protect the wood, by its nature, this layer of paint has an average life of a dozen years, and even before all this time has passed and the layer of paint has completely vanished, it is advisable to resort to an extraordinary maintenance intervention and recover the original state of the hardwood floor. Refinishing a hardwood floor wood requires a few simple steps that help restore the floor to its former glory.

Why rely on professionals for hardwood floor refinishing?

Wood flooring is particularly convenient because it can be reclaimed. Unlike other materials, in fact, wood can wear out, but the wear problem can usually be solved. The refinishing of the hardwood floor by specialized professionals allows you to return to having a particularly beautiful and shiny hardwood floor.

Hardwood floor installers can be your trusted. Thanks to the use of cutting-edge machinery and innovative techniques in the sector, they allow you to have a perfect refinishing process in all its parts. Professional refinishing requires knowledge and a long experience in types of hardwood floors and wood; for this reason, it is important to know who to trust to avoid making gross mistakes.

Hardwood Floor Installation in Los Angeles

What Colors To Choose For The Hardwood Floor?

The floor is a fundamental element in the style of the house and must coordinate with the furniture, doors, windows, and color of the walls. For this reason, the starting point in the choice is the color: from the natural shades of wood essences to the trendy white and gray shades of recent years. The possibilities are endless because, in addition to the color, you can customize the floor with the finish.

A wide range of colors and effects:

White shades

From white lime to cognac, woods with white veins adapt to small and large rooms. They give brightness and make the rooms appear larger. Combined with light walls, they create a transparent and light atmosphere; combined with bright colors, they underline its modern style.

Gray tones

Very trendy in recent years, the gray surface finishes, with a natural, brushed, or pickled effect, highlight the material and grain of the wood and enhance medium and large-sized rooms, both modern and rustic.

Golden tones

The amber grain of the wood and the natural warm variegations bring back classic worlds and are suitable for small or large environments. They enhance the look of the wood, add warmth and go well with all styles of furniture.

Red shades

They are the colors of exotic essences and give warmth, charm, and elegance in classic environments or in environments with a contemporary design. They are also very suitable in environments with ethnic decorations and furnishings. Redwoods are preferred in bright rooms with brightly colored walls.

How to match the hardwood floor to the wall color:

• Light hardwood floors provide light and blend well with dark furniture, walls, and decor, creating a unique contrast.

• Light hardwood floors match light walls for a bright and spacious look. If the environment is too large, consider the risk of it being too cold and inhumane.

• Dark hardwood floors highlight the light walls and create contrast. Shade values to avoid the dangers of an exaggeration!

• Do not combine dark hardwood floors and dark walls. If you really want to do this, make sure the room is well-lit. You risk creating an environment that is too dark.

No matter which color you are for hardwood flooring in your place, visit Hardwood Flooring Wholesale Los Angeles now for hardwood floors in a wide range of colors at wholesale prices.

hardwood flooring sales and installation

Solid Wood Or Supported Parquet-Which One To Choose?

The real wood floor is warm to the touch and is an excellent thermal and acoustic insulator. You can choose between two types of parquet: solid wood or supported.

Solid wood parquet is the most valuable because it is made entirely of noble wood. It is robust and practically eternal, but it costs much more than supported.

The supported parquet is made up of several layers of wood essences, but only the one on the surface is of noble wood. It represents excellent value for money.

Parquet is divided into two types:

Solid wood parquet

It is the most valuable parquet because it is made entirely with noble wood. The differences in quality and price depend on the essence, i.e., the plant from which the wood was obtained and on the thickness. Solid wood parquet usually has a thickness of about 10-20 mm. The choice is wide between different formats: small and medium-sized strips, large planks, or squares similar to tiles.

Solid parquet can be purchased raw or prefinished. The raw parquet is smoothed and finished with varnishes and oils after installation. The prefinished parquet has been previously oiled or varnished with an industrial process, making it very resistant to scratches and wear.

Its main features:

  • It can only be laid glued.
  • Hardwood Floors Los Angels has a very long duration over time because, when damaged, it can be sanded again to make it look new again. It is practically eternal because this operation is done every 10-20 years, and less than 1 mm of the surface is removed.
  • Thanks to the thickness of the wood, it is an excellent thermal and acoustic insulator.
  • It is a natural and ecological choice.
  • If you opt for unfinished parquet, remember that you will have to wait 1 to 3 weeks before you can walk on it.

 Supported parquet

The planks of a supported parquet are made up of several layers of superimposed wood, and only the visible one is in noble wood. There may be two or three underlying layers that serve to give stability, a central body, and a counterbalance, usually in poplar, larch, or birch.

The type of noble wood and its thickness determine the difference in quality and price between one support and another: it generally ranges from 2.5 to 6 mm with respect to a total thickness of the plank ranging from 10 to 21 mm approx.

Supported parquet can also be unfinished, to be sanded and finished, or prefinished, oiled or varnished at the factory.

Its main features:

  • It can be laid floating or glued down. Floating installation is the easiest and is the ideal solution for maintaining and not damaging the existing floor.
  • The layer of noble wood on the surface makes it similar to solid parquet.
  • It can be sanded when necessary to bring it back to new condition (1 or 2 times depending on the thickness of the noble wood).

 The parquet contains all the naturalness, materiality, and warmth that only real wood can give, whether solid or prefinished.

Why Choose A Hardwood Floor: All The Advantages Of A Wooden Floor

Hardwood floor is able to give each home a unique and welcoming character. It is flooring linked to the ancient tradition of cutting and lying wood; today, it is made current and less expensive by structural and aesthetic devices that allow this solution to be adapted to all housing and economic needs.

Among the distinctive aspects of a hardwood floor, there are elegance, durability, and versatility, the most evident advantages of this type of covering, while the pleasantness to the touch and that unmistakable crunch are the most hidden and precious qualities of the hardwood floor.

However, constant care after installation is a necessary condition to obtain a long-lasting wood yield and a good aesthetic result; that is where professional Hardwood Floor Company California can assist you.

Wood is a living material that gives warmth to any environment: let’s see why to choose it and the main advantages of this material.

When to choose a hardwood floor for your home

Hardwood floor is able to make an environment memorable: large rooms immediately become welcoming and appear more intimate, almost already furnished by the mere presence of the wooden floor, while smaller rooms acquire an original and refined character. Furthermore, when intervening during the renovation of an apartment, choosing to lay a wooden floor allows you to increase the value of the property and often facilitates its sale.

In fact, for many buyers, a house with hardwood floor floors guarantees considerable added value, allowing them to offer a higher price than the market average. Obviously, not everyone likes hardwood floor in the home, as it also requires periodic maintenance to avoid deterioration. In any case, like other quality coverings, hardwood floor is undoubtedly a convenient investment from various points of view.

Advantages of hardwood floor

The first factors to take into account are touch and hearing, which immediately intervene in making the relationship between the house with a hardwood floor and the people who live there unique. In fact, walking barefoot on quality hardwood floors is an exciting sensory experience for children; at the same time, it is also relaxing for those adults who have lost – or have never experienced – direct contact with an ancient and natural material such as wood. All noises are muffled on the hardwood floor, so even the busiest houses are magically transformed into an oasis of calm.

In addition to acoustic insulation, the wooden floor also favors the thermal insulation of a house, thus fully entering among the interventions that allow you to improve the comfort and efficiency of a building. For example, these are superior performances compared to those offered by a ceramic floor, also as regards protection from humidity. This factor must be taken into great consideration, especially in the presence of a house with unfavorable exposure to the sun.

In general, the main advantages of hardwood floors are:

  • high aesthetic quality;
  • high wear resistance;
  • excellent thermo-acoustic insulation;
  • increase in real estate value;
  • superior living comfort.

If you want to know which hardwood floor is best suited to your needs and budget, request a quote on Hardwood Floor Installation Cost Los Angeles: you will receive various proposals from professionals in your area, which you can compare without obligation.

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Hardwood Floor Installation: Cost And Duration

After all, hardwood floor flooring gives any room a regal feel, making it a popular choice for homeowners with properties ranging from country houses to city apartments. Installing hardwood floors can transform your living space, creating a timeless, classic, and contemporary aesthetic. But how much does hardwood floor cost, and how long does it take to lay wooden flooring?

How much does the hardwood floor cost? 

The prices for laying a traditional hardwood floor are higher than for the pre-finished one because the time and labor are greater than for the laying of a pre-finished hardwood floor. The cost of solid wood hardwood floors is also far higher than that of pre-finished hardwood floors.

But there are different factors that affect Hardwood Floor Installation Cost Los Angeles. Let’s see them together:

Shape of the room- Even for a hardwood flooring specialist, it will be much easier to work with a standard square-shaped living room than an oddly shaped room. The complexity of the room’s shape will affect the price tag – for example, those with unconventional indentations and angles will require more technical installation skills as the flooring will need to be cut to size.

Existing condition- Before getting a quote, it is important to check the condition of your current floor. Is it level, or have the beams expanded, causing swelling on the surface? If additional work is needed to prepare the surface, this will add to the total cost.

If there are some quick fixes that you or a trained professional can do before installation, this will reduce the cost of installing the floor.

How long does it take to lay wooden flooring?

As far as laying is concerned, solid hardwood floor takes longer, up to 15-20 days, while pre-finished hardwood floor can also be laid on the same day, given that the finishing is already done in the company.

For this reason, it is preferable to use traditional hardwood floors in newly built houses, where the laying times can be waited for; while the pre-finished hardwood floor is ideal for renovations, the pre-finished hardwood floor can also be glued onto the pre-existing floor.

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The Criteria For Choosing The Parquet Store

If you have to buy a wooden floor for your home, you will have to face several issues. Some are aesthetic, such as the color of the parquet or the surface finish; other techniques, if two or three layers; still, others are related to the type of heating you will choose for your home. Also, the choice of the interlocutor to whom to entrust the wooden floor of your home must take into account the ability, of the same, to face and resolve the technical aspects and to take care of the aesthetic aspects but also to know the financial aspects and to help you, in the after-sales, with the maintenance of the floor.

So let’s see what criteria help you make a weighted choice.

The screed is part of the wooden floor.

The interlocutor who can provide you with both the wooden floor and the screed should be preferred. Having a single interlocutor who creates both the support layer and the supply and installation of the wooden floor prevents you, in the event of problems, from witnessing unpleasant blame games.

The contract for the parquet is better. 

The Hardwood Flooring Wholesale Los Angeles, who carries out the work “under contract,” should be preferred over the interlocutor who offers you only the sale of wood with separate installation. With the contract, you are much more legally protected than with other formulas, such as the sale with separate installation or the sole sale and then the indication of a third-party installer who issues a separate invoice.

Determine the reliability of the parquet supplier

Today you can buy any product in many ways: online, through representatives, through shops, through artisans, or even directly from the manufacturer. But which of these is more reliable for buying a parquet? A few years ago, checking the reliability of suppliers was difficult, but today, in addition to word of mouth, you also have the opportunity to examine the online reviews of the shop or the craftsman.

Availability of the supplier on time 

What has just been said also applies to the availability of the supplier over time? If the company where you were thinking of buying hardwood flooring is financially weakened, it will probably be gone in a few years. In that case, you have to hope that your floor never has any kind of problem.

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Wooden Floors: Types And Tips To Keep In Mind!

The wooden floor, in addition to having a particular and timeless charm, is becoming an increasingly popular choice over the years, also thanks to the new production techniques that have significantly reduced costs.

There are three different types of flooring, each with its own characteristics:

  • Solid wood, highly prized and sanded countless times during processing, was the most used until a few decades ago;
  • Prefinished, multi-layered wood manages to combine all the aesthetic quality of a solid wood floor with superior technical performance and a competitive cost; this type of wooden floor is ideal in the presence of underfloor heating systems because it has greater stability;
  • Laminated wood is characterized by kneaded and glued wood fibers, over which the grain and colors of the wood are printed.

Mistakes to avoid:

Do not consider the duration

Any parquet, both in real and fake wood, has duration over time that is influenced by various factors and absolutely cannot be neglected because the goodness of the economic investment that one chooses to make in this depends on this type of floor. This parameter does not only depend on the quality of the product chosen but more on the use it is made of: in fact, it is necessary to take some precautions, including avoiding the use of steam cleaners or floor cleaning robots, using a neutral detergent soap with hot water and periodically with maintenance waxes;

Choosing the wrong color

Talking about the “color” of the parquet floor is inaccurate because wood even reproduced in laminates and vinyl, has a series of aesthetic characteristics that cannot be ignored to understand what the final effect will be. To imagine the final result of the laid floor, it is necessary to consider, in addition to the basic essence, these elements: the appearance of the surface (understanding how visible the veins and knots of the wood are), the dimensions of every single plank, which will give the final effect once placed side by side and, lastly, the presence or absence of the bevel, or rather the escape route dug into the edges of each plank, which highlights the “composition” of the floor.

Watch out for pairings!

People often don’t pay attention to the combination of flooring, doors, and other furnishing elements: however, it would be an important aspect to take into consideration since it would be enough to create continuity or detachment according to taste.

For light-colored floors, the advice is to choose doors in nuances of white, gray, dove gray, or natural wood, while a dark-colored floor will look great with light colors in stark contrast, thus avoiding a too gloomy effect within the home;

Contact non-qualified resellers

Even if the intervention of floating or glue laying of prefinished parquet may seem easy (some even opt for the do-it-yourself), there are some tricks that only a professional in the sector knows: in addition to assessing the state of the current floor and carry out any leveling operations, an expert will be able to spread the sheets in an optimal way (especially for floating installation) and apply the parquet planks with the right measurements.

That’s why it’s important to rely on experts: choose a professional Hardwood Flooring Showroom!

Restoring An Old Wooden Floor

Buying a period house involves a great deal of renovation. Anyone who decides to take this path is certainly someone attentive to the elegance and harmony of a living environment, as well as fascinated by the canonical classic and timeless beauty.

What does it mean to restore a wooden floor?

Like a work of art, hardwood flooring needs to be restored to bring out its former natural beauty.

A characteristic of parquet is that it acquires value over time. Laying patterns typical of past decades that are no longer produced today have acquired invaluable cultural and historical value and prestige over the years. Antique parquet is steeped in history and speaks of the experience and study of the craftsmen who laid it. Witness effective ancient practices and a piece in the development of technologies.

A vintage wooden floor has a timeless charm capable of conquering the viewer.

The process of refinishing the wooden floor to restore its shine

When properly treated, wood is a renewable material many times over. Wood floor refinishing Malibu consists of three phases: sanding, cleaning, and treatment.

  • By sanding, the superficial layer of varnish or wax and a small layer of noble lamella are removed. This operation makes it possible to correct defects and signs of wear caused by foot traffic over the years, making the floor look new again.
  • Subsequently, the cleaning process is carried out with special machines to finish with the new treatment layer.
  • This last step, very important, acts both as a finish and as a protective film of the wood from external agents.

These three steps, if performed by expert hands, will give new life to the wooden floor, which will once again decorate the house. Your home will tell a story – a history of commitment and dedication, love for beauty, and enhancement of tradition, design, and culture.

wood flooring store in SFV

Refinishing Or Resurfacing The Flooring?

Damaged Hardwood Flooring? Refinishing Or Resurfacing The Flooring?

Many of the old houses built with wooden floors are now crumbling. If this happens on wood floors, you may wonder if the solution is to rebuild the entire floor or refinish the wood since resurfacing treatment and refinishing are used interchangeably. But their meaning is slightly different. Refer to the following articles to learn more about the basics of each process and how they differ.

What is hardwood floor refinishing?

Wood floor refinishing Malibu essentially means renovation. Floor polishing includes:

  • Remove varnishes, seals, and stains from floors
  • Sand the top layer of the floor to reveal the exposed wood and its natural grain
  • Apply a new stain or varnish
  • Apply a new layer of sealant

Since it is a somewhat superficial task, “finishing” can be done on many different types of flooring, such as tile and laminate, but the exact process depends on the surface. If you have a natural wood veneer covering a synthetic core, you can finish it 2-3 times (depending on the thickness of the veneer) before exposing the core.

What is resurfacing wood floors?

Resurfacing includes all of the above but much more. If painting is a cosmetic task, painting is structural. Works where there is actual damage to wood, planks, and/or fasteners (screws).

Resurfacing hardwood floors means repairing them. Remove and replace baseboards, sand the baseboards flat, and reinforce the floor with new screws. When everything is finished, the floor can be finished.

DIY or Pro use?

Depending on the floor area, the finishing process may take several days. It may take several weeks for the surface to appear.

That’s if a word expert does it. Trying to do it yourself will take more time. Finishing is not beyond the scope of the do-it-yourselfer. It’s messy and smelly work, but for the most part, you need an orbital sander. Unless you are an experienced carpenter, you are not recommended to retile yourself. You will need a full set of tools, including a chainsaw, sander, and nail gun.

Conclusions

If the floor only has scratches and scuffs, it is better to refinish it than to refinish it. This restores the original shine and is less invasive. Refinishing is the process of removing only the top layer of existing flooring (including the finish) and replacing it with a new layer rather than removing the old floor completely.

But if the floor is in very bad condition, it is recommended to rebuild or resurface it instead. It is expensive and time-consuming, but it actually creates a completely new surface.

Whichever method you choose, don’t let your floor sit for too long without proper maintenance. The longer you wait to restore the floor, the more expensive it will be to make it look like new. Rely on a professional wood flooring store in SFV to get the help of hardwood flooring experts for wooden flooring repair and refurnishing, and resurfacing needs.

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Do You Want A Wooden Floor And Don’t Know Where To Start?

In general, the choice of a wooden floor is made on the grounds of aesthetic criteria (color, grain, treatments) and the type of use envisaged for the floor itself. Before choosing the color, however, it is advisable to think about where the floor will be laid and how it will fit into the environment.

It should not be forgotten that the humidity and temperature of the environment greatly affect the stability of the wood, i.e., the perfect seal in various climatic/environmental conditions; for these reasons, it is often advisable to choose woods with good stability and medium hardness. You can buy high-quality hardwood floors at the best price from Hardwood Flooring Wholesale Los Angeles showroom.

Why choose a wooden floor

  • Good thermal insulation
  • Good acoustic insulation
  • Wear resistance
  • Cost-effectiveness:
  • Ease of maintenance:

Traditional hardwood floor and predefined hardwood floor: the differences

“Traditional hardwood floor” or “solid wood” is a floor made from various elements all of the same wood species. Usually, it varies from 10 to 22 mm in thickness, all in essence.

The “prefinished hardwood floor” is instead composed of two or more layers of different wood; Fir and Birch are the ones that are the most popular. The top layer (the walkable face) of the “prefinished hardwood floor” must not be less than 2.5 mm thick.

Multilayer or predefined hardwood floor: characteristics and composition

It is a series of wooden layers that undergo various processes from calibration to sanding, passing from the processing on the sides to obtain the tongue and groove joint up to the varnishing.

It is composed of an upper layer known as the “noble layer,” which is the walkable face of the “multilayer hardwood floor,” while the underlying layers have the task of keeping the floor stable by contrasting its natural reaction to environmental conditions. These characteristics make the “prefinished hardwood floor” or “multilayer” ideal for quality and durability over time and extremely easy and quick to assemble.

Can hardwood floors be laid on a heated floor?

Of course: the important thing is to take some precautions.

The heating must be turned off at least 5/6 days before laying the floor, and the surface temperature of the screed at the time of lying must be around 15/20°C with a maximum ambient humidity of 65%.

The humidity of the hardwood floor must be carefully checked before lying to verify that it does not exceed the maximum permitted values. When laying floating floors, the thermal resistance of the soundproofing layer (approximately 2.5 mm thick) to be placed under the floor must be considered.

When lying with glues, it is advisable to put the heating on for a few days before starting to smooth the hardwood floor; this is in order to allow the floor to settle before grouting. Do all this seems like a hassle to you, it is better to rely on a professional Hardwood Flooring Showroom for sale and installation of hardwood floors by experts.