Why Choose Hardwood Floors

Hardwood floors add warmth, beauty, and elegance as well as providing a whole list of added benefits. Hardwood floors add natural, long lasting beauty to any home. Benefits of hardwood floors include:

• Costs less in the long run than other types of flooring
• Hardwood Floors that are properly maintained can last a lifetime
• Hardwood Floors are more sanitary than other types of floors
• Hardwood Floors are hypo-allegenic, trapping fewer allegens, bacteria, and dust mites than other flooring options
• Hardwood Flooring is easy to maintain
• There is a wide range of wood species, color, grain variation, and staining to choose from, to match your style
• Hardwood Floors can be repaired if damaged.  You can always choose to refinish your floor to renew it or change it’s color

Installation of Hardwood Floors as well as refinishing of existing floors increases the value of your home instantly. It can also provide an advantage needed to sell a home quickly in today’s market!

Services

Realtree Hardwood Floors offers hardwood floor installation and refinishing, servicing Western Wisconsin and the Twin Cities Metro Area. Our pricing is always very competitive while still providing top quality hardwood products.

Our Services Include:

• Installation
• Sanding
• Pre finished Floor Installation
• Refinishing
• Repairs
• Custom Staining

Finishes & Stains

Water-Based vs Oil-Based

Water-based polyurethanes provide a clear finish and have low odor. You can recoat them in two hours.

Oil-based polyurethanes leave an amber glow and require fewer coats. But the five-hour wait between coats and 12-hour wait after the last coat will put a bedroom out of commission for a few days—and you’ll have to put up with a strong odor.

Both offer good protection; the biggest difference is in appearance. If you love the natural look of maple, apply a water-based (water-borne) polyurethane. They appear milky in the can, but go on clear and remain clear. They’ll slightly accent the character of your wood without giving it the amber tint of an oil-based poly. (However, some woods, like the oak shown, cry out for that amber tint.) Water-based finishes dry fast— most within two hours—so you can apply several coats in a day and use the room that night. They have minimal odor and clean up with water.

 Water-based polys have their tradeoffs. They cost twice as much as oil-based polys. They won’t give wood the rich glow that oil-based polys impart; some even consider them cold looking.

Oil-based polyurethane is the most commonly used floor finish. Available in gloss, semi-gloss, and satin sheens, oil-based urethane is generally applied in two coats, with drying time of up to 4-8 hours for each coat. This type of finish emits fumes as it dries, so adequate ventilation is important. An oil-based urethane finish ambers with age.

Water-based polyurethanes provides a clear, non-yellowing finish and produces fewer odors than other choices. This product dries quickly. Some manufacturers make available additives called "cross-linkers" that can be mixed into the water-based finishes for added durability.

Sheen
High gloss, low gloss, satin finish—your choice is a matter of personal preference. Keep in mind, however, that high gloss finishes show scuffs and scratches more readily than low gloss or satin finishes. High gloss finishes reflect more light and are typically used in more commercial or contemporary settings, while satin finishes reflect less light and are favored for more traditional settings.

Caring For Your Hardwood Floor

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• Place rugs at entrances to protect your hardwood floor from scratches, and to "walk off" dust and debris.
  
  
• Sweep wood floors regularly with a soft bristle broom or vacuum attachment.
  
  
• Never clean a hardwood floor with soaps or detergents.
• Clean spills promptly.
  
  
• Keep potted plants off a wood floor so condensation does not build up.
  
  
• Put plastic or fabric-faced glides under the legs of furniture to prevent scuffing and scratching of your hardwood.
  
  
• Be prepared to rejuvenate your floor by having it professionally buffed and a new coat of finish applied, if necessary. When the floor shows signs of significant wear, then have it professionally refinished to bring back the beauty and luster of a new hardwood floor.
  
  
• A 125 pound woman wearing heals has an impact of 2,000 pounds per square inch. This can dent any wood floor surface

Grades

Clear
Practically free of defects, made up mostly of heartwood. Most uniform color with limited small character marks. This grade will cost more than other grades.

Select
Very uniformed grain. Does not have a lot of minerals and is without knots. Very little color variation

#1 Common
More markings than clear or select. Light and dark colors, small knots and other character marks. Often are selected because of their more natural appearance.

#2 Common
The most knots, imperfections, and color variations. A natural, more affordable floor, full of character. This is your choice if many character markings are desired.

Janka

While there are many factors to consider when choosing your hardwood flooring, durability of your hardwood is definitely one factor to think about. The harder a wood is, the more durable and strong it tends to be. A very popular choice is red oak, such that it has become a benchmark in measuring. Each hardwood species and type has it's own characteristics and strength.

Janka is a test that measure the hardness of a wood. The test measures the force required to push a steel ball with a diameter of 11.28 millimeters (0.444 inches) into the wood to a depth of half the ball's diameter, thereby giving an idea of it's hardness and durability.

The higher the number, the harder the wood.

Cleaning and Maintenance

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• Wipe food and other spills from your hardwood floor immediately, with a water dampened cloth or paper towel.
  
  
• Vacuum with soft bristle brushes only. Most carpet vacuums have hard bristle brushes.
  
  
• Sweep with a soft (nylon) bristle broom.
  
  
• Damp (not wet) mop the floor to remove dirt and grit. We recommend only using white vinegar diluted with water on a damp cloth, to disinfect.

• Do not use oils, waxes, or cleaners that have these properties in them, on your finish. No ammonia or dust cleaners on your hardwood flooring.
  
  
• High heel shoes, especially unprotected.
  
  
• Water. Dampened cloth is okay, but do not saturate the floor, and be sure to wipe up spills immediately.

With proper care and maintenance, you will enjoy years and years of a beautiful hardwood floor. It's clean, durable, and adds tremendous beauty and warmth to a home.