Decorating a Baby's Nursery

Our wonderful little addition to the GR Flooring family has us engrossed in the world of all things baby! We thought this would make a perfect opportunity to share some pictures of nurseries decorated with hardwood flooring. 

There are a number of advantages of decorating a child's room with hardwood floors. First is the mess factor. Babies, infants, and toddlers are messy little humans! Everything from biological matter to play doh will eventually wind up on the floor. Hardwood floors will make clean up easier. Also, hardwood floors make it easier and less expensive to change the look of the room as the child grows up. It is easy to go from Winnie the Pooh to Star Wars without worrying about the matching the color of the carpet. Just change or add a throw rug to make the look complete. Here are some cute rooms we found!

Grades Make the Difference

Color and style are typically the choices most people think they will need to decide when choosing the hardwood flooring for their home. There are actually a number of variables which influence the how the wood looks.

The first variable to consider is the grade. The appearance of the wood determines its grade. Each grade offers a different look, but is equally strong and serviceable.

• Clear Wood - flooring product with minimal character marks that provides a uniform appearance.
• Select Wood - flooring product with natural heartwood/sapwood color variations that also includes knots, streaks, etc.
• Common Wood (No. 1 and No. 2) - more natural characteristics such as knots and color variations than either clear or select grades, and is often chosen because of these natural features and the character they bring to a room.  No. 1 Common has a varied appearance, light and dark colors, knots, streaks, and wormholes. No. 2 Common is rustic in appearance and emphasizes all wood characteristics of the species.
• First Grade - uniform appearance, natural color variations and limited character marks. It is similar to a select grade.
• Second Grade - varied in appearance and features knots and some variation in color. It is similar to a No. 1 Common Grade.
• Third Grade - rustic in appearance allowing all wood characteristics of the species. It is similar to a No. 2 Common Grade.

The specialists at GR Flooring can answer all of your questions and help you choose the right grade of wood for you!

Hardwood Flooring is Environmentally Friendly

Did you know that hardwood flooring is not only beautiful, but is also environmentally friendly? With a multitude of choices available, installing hardwood flooring in your home allows you to be creative and care for our environment at the same time!

Sustainable forest management allows wood to be harvested without causing serious harm to the environment due to the fact that trees are a renewable resource. Here are some facts taken from the National Wood Flooring Association's website:

• Average annual net growth for hardwoods is greater than average annual removals (Source: US Department of Agriculture Forest Service)
• Indoor air quality is better with wood floors (Source: US Environmental Protection Agency)
• Wood is a carbon neutral product that produces oxygen during its growth cycle and stores carbon during its service life (Source: University of Wisconsin Wood Products Program Solid Wood Flooring Life Cycle Analysis)
• Wood floors use less water and energy to produce than other flooring options (Source: University of Wisconsin Wood Products Program Solid Wood Flooring Life Cycle Analysis)
• At the end of its service life, wood flooring can be burned as fuel or recycled (Source: University of Wisconsin Wood Products Program Solid Wood Flooring Life Cycle Analysis)
• Wood floors last hundreds of years, so won’t need to be replaced as often as other flooring options (Source: National Association of Home Builders)
• While it takes most hardwood trees 40-60 years to mature, the inventory planted today won’t be needed for 100-plus years (Source: National Wood Flooring Association)
  Learn about installing hardwood flooring in YOUR home by calling GR Flooring and speaking with one of our professionals!

Water Conditioning Produces Rich, Dense Color on Hardwood Floors

One of the many benefits of hardwood flooring is the ability to sand and refinish it after years of use scratches and dulls it.  If you want a rich, dense color after staining, consider using water conditioning.

Sanding hardwood floors entails going over the surface many times using different grits of paper. This will make the floor smooth, but will close up the grain and make it tight. This matters because it will not allow the stain to soak into the wood. The result is that the stain will sit on top of the wood and much of it will be wiped away.

However, if you use the water conditioning process before staining, it will open up the grain.  Once open, the grain will accept the stain properly and evenly.  The final color will be much richer than if the wood had not been water conditioned and the finish will be stronger.

Ensure that you know exactly what the final color of your floor will be.  Ask to see samples of the stain on water conditioned flooring!

For more information, please call GR Flooring.

Why Choose Hardwood Floors?

 

Flooring for your home is an investment and should be considered carefully.  GR Flooring would like to help with the decision by offering the following reasons to consider hardwood flooring.

• Adds value to your residence or commercial space

• Plenty of choice in color and grain of the wood

• Adds a touch of elegance to any space

• Can be used in any area, from high traffic to formal 

• Easy to clean and maintain 

• Helps prevent allergies and respiratory problems

• Ages beautifully with proper care

Hardwood flooring is a long term investment which can add value to your property.  Feel free to call GR Flooring to learn about your options so you can make an educated decision.

Harwood Floors and Pets

We are often asked if hardwood flooring is a good choice for a home with pets.  Pet owners, especially of dogs, worry that the animals nails will scratch the floor or urine will damage the wood.  We are animal lovers too and we say pets and hardwood flooring can peacefully coexist!

Compared to other materials, hardwood floors may be a better choice for clean up and repair of damage. Let's face it.  Keeping animals in the home adds to the wear and tear of any flooring or furniture they spend time on.  The best you can do is take some proactive measures and keep watch for any wrongdoings.

Dogs shed, get fleas/ticks, track in dirt, vomit, etc. Carpet confines the dander, dirt, fleas and ticks making it difficult to remove it all.  Oils from dogs coats can transfer to carpet and cause discoloration. Urine stains are all but impossible to fully remove from carpeting.  The urine seeps below the carpet and is absorbed by the padding and the smell almost never fully goes away.

Laminate flooring makes wiping up messes easy, but any damage done is permanent. Scratches, nicks, and dents will be there for good and if a wet mess is not cleaned up promptly, laminates may buckle.

Hardwood floors can be repaired if needed.  This is the big difference.  Scratches and dents can usually be sanded out. Dirt, dander, fleas, and ticks are more easily removed from hardwood flooring as well.  Follow these tips and you should be able to keep your hardwood floors in good repair and enjoy your pets!

• Place food and water dishes on a rug or mat.

• Place a rug or mat by the doors the animals use most often.

• Keep the nails trimmed.

• Wipe up urine or any wet mess immediately or as soon as possible.

 Enjoy your floors and enjoy your pets just as we do here at GR Flooring!

Reduce the Allergens in Your Home

Everyone's been saying it.  Allergy season seems to be worse than ever this year.  If you suffer from allergies, you know there is little escape from those nasty allergens that have your eyes puffing up and tearing and your nose running all day and night. That is why it is so important to make your home as allergen free as possible.

Allergens, such as dust mites, pollen, and animal dander are nearly invisible and will intrude into your home no matter how often you clean. There are, however, steps you can take to reduce the misery may they be causing.

Carpets may be warm and comfortable, but they trap allergens and hold and tight.  Frequent vacuuming will help, but this is not ideal for an allergy sufferer.  Conversely, hardwood floors offer allergens no place to hide because they are free from fibers and grout lines.  People with allergies should vacuum or sweep once per week or when dust is visible.  Hardwood flooring has the clear advantage here as dust build up can be seen.

Hardwood flooring comes in many varieties and some are better choices for an allergy sufferer.  The experts at GR Flooring can help you decide which will be best for you!

How to Maintain Your Flooring

Signs of spring are all around us.  The days are becoming warmer and longer and birds have begun their yearly ritual of nest building.  Many of us have also begun our yearly ritual of spring cleaning.  So in honor of attacking dirt and grime, GR Flooring offers the following floor maintenance tips.

First and foremost, preventative maintenance will help keep your floors looking beautiful. There are a few tips which apply to all floor types:

• Follow manufacturer's recommendations.
• Install floor protector pads on the bottom of all furniture.
• Place protective rugs or mats at the entrances to the area to trap grit and absorb moisture. 
• Keep high heels in good repair so they do not dent the floor.
• Sweep, vacuum, and/or dust mop with a recommended hardwood floor cleaner on a regular basis.
• Frequently shake out rugs. 
• Wipe spills immediately.  Be sure to check manufacturer's recommendation to determine if you should use a dry or damp cloth and if you should follow up with a cleaner.
• Never use wax on top of a non-wax finish.
• Never use petroleum based cleaners on water based finishes.
• Never use a water based cleaner on a wax floor.

Follow these tips and you will be able to enjoy your flooring for years to come.  Of course, if you have any questions, one of the experts at GR Flooring will be happy to answer them for you.

Welcome to GR Flooring!

We are excited to introduce our new blog, but first let us introduce GR Flooring!  We are a family owned and operated wood flooring specialty company which was built on the principals of honesty, quality, and integrity. Our knowledgeable and experienced craftsman have helped GR Flooring rise to the top of the flooring industry and set the standards that other wood flooring companies strive to meet.

GR Flooring supplies and installs unfinished and prefinished hardwood flooring, laminates, exotic and engineered woods.  We also provide floor repairs and refinishing of existing floors. We handle new construction, renovations, and residential properties. Large or small, we will provide stellar service and beautiful results.

As a family owned local business, our customers satisfaction is of the utmost importance to us.  We deliver personal service and strive to ensure each customer is 100% satisfied with our work.  Our business thrives largely due to referrals so we are successful when our customers are happy!


We look forward to providing helpful tips and useful information in our future blogs.  Keep an eye out for our new website too!