Thanksgiving and Harwood Floors

So much effort goes into creating a warm and welcoming home for the holidays. Friends and family sit back, relax, and enjoy all the fruits of your labor while you sit nervously hoping no damage comes to your home. You deserve to relax and enjoy too!  Here are some tips to ease your worry!

• Welcome your guests at the door with a basket of warm slippers. Ask that your guests remove their shoes and make themselves comfortable. The slippers provide warmth and encourage relaxation while reducing the amount of dirt tracked inside and scratches from shoes.
• Spills happen! Ask your guests to let you know about spills as soon as they happen to reduce damage to hardwood floors.
• Catch the spills before they hit the hardwood floor. Place a large rug under the dining room table and all areas where people will be eating. Felt pads placed on table and chair legs will also help prevent scratching the floor.
• Clean floors immediately after guests leave. 

If damage does occur, don't worry.  GR Flooring can help! Our UV Curing method can even refinish your floors with NO DOWNTIME! Have questions on how to protect your hardwood flooring?  Give us a call!

From our families to yours, Happy Thanksgiving!

Hardwood Floor Repair After Hurricane Sandy

The residents of Long Island were hit hard by Hurricane Sandy last week.  As a Long Island based business, GR Flooring saw first hand the damage and destruction the storm caused. Our thoughts and best wishes go out to everyone who has been affected.

If your home or business has sustained damage to hardwood flooring, please give us a call. We will determine if the floor needs to be replaced or if it can be repaired. We are the only flooring company on Long Island that utilizes UV Curing which allows us to refinish a floor with NO DOWNTIME!  Let us help you return to life, and business, as usual.

Decorating Rooms with Dark Hardwood Floors

Your hardwood flooring has been installed and looks amazing! Enhance the beauty by coordinating the decor with the shade of the flooring. Light shades are relatively simple and many people find it easy to decorate a room with light flooring.  The darker shades are the ones that sometimes result in a challenge.  GR Flooring has some tips to decorating a room with sark hardwood flooring.

• Use color to make the room appear brighter. Choose a paint that has just a slight hue to it for the walls and paint the ceiling with a semi-gloss white.
• Light will also help the room appear larger and brighter. Use window treatments that allow light to filter through. Wall sconces, chandeliers, or high hats are good choices for adding light to the room as well.
• Accent pieces help add depth to the room. Reflective surfaces are a good choice. Hang mirrors and place metallic picture frames around the room. Choose rugs, pillows, throws, etc. in bright colors and add accent pieces with texture such as bamboo.

The accent pieces can easily be changed along with the seasons. Mix it up and enjoy a new look every few months!

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!

What is the Difference Between Solid and Engineered Hardwood Floors?

One frequent question we get at GR Flooring is, "what is the difference between solid hardwood floors and engineered hardwood floors?" Here is a quick explanation:

 Solid Hardwood Floors: Real wood from a hardwood species is the only material used in solid hardwood flooring. This flooring may be affected by environmental conditions such as extreme heat or rainy seasons which may cause the floor expand and contract. The thickness of the wood allows it to be sanded and refinished many times.




Engineered Hardwood Floors: This flooring is comprised of three or or more layers of HDF or MDF, with a real hardwood veneer, which are bonded together under heat and pressure. This means the wood is less likely to expand and contract in response to the climate.

Call GR Flooring to discuss the best option for your home!

Things to Do Before the Flooring Crew Arrives

Congratulations! You've decided to install new hardwood flooring or sand and refinish the existing flooring in your home. Here are some things to consider before the GR Flooring crew arrives:

• Will you live in your home while the work is being done? Consider how much of your living space will be affected. Is it just one room being done or the whole house? Will you be able to access and use the kitchen or should you plan on eating out? Will you have enough space for your family members to sleep? Will you have access to a t.v. and/or a computer for entertainment?
• Will you work out of your home while the work is being done? Can you work well with noise and activity going on around you?  Will the noise affect your ability to make and receive phone calls or participate in phone conferences?
• Do you have pets? If so, they will need to be restricted or confined so that they do not enter the work area.  We do not want them getting hurt or damaging the flooring as we work.
• All furniture will need to be removed from the work area. Be sure to get any items you may need during the process. Clothing, books, laptops, cell phones, chargers, wallets, keys, and any other items you may need. 
• Have you made arrangements for the crew to be let into the home?

The GR Flooring crews will hang plastic and take every measure to limit the amount of dust and debris in your home. Still, be prepared to do some follow up cleaning. With some forethought and planning, you can limit the inconveniences and enjoy your new flooring!