A close up shot of the tone on tone texture with a hint of pearl in the background.

photo by KRUSHgraphics
Example of a mid-sized mountain style metal straight staircase design in New York

Absolute Black Polished Granite is an elegant black granite with a small scale black on black patterning and a polished finish. This stone is ideal for both indoor and outdoor applications.

Small elegant underground cork floor and brown floor home design photo with beige walls and no fireplace

Jewett Farms + Co’s Old Growth Vintage Hickory planks are milled with an antique 60 inch saw blade, replicating the original milling process and giving your hickory wide plank floor a true sense of history. Rustic hues and an exquisite varied grain pattern shine through in this rugged wood. Hickory wide plank flooring is extremely hard and durable, providing a lifetime of enjoyment. Our Old Growth Hickory is harvested from dead or fallen trees that have had a full life span, showing all the characteristics of this long slow growth. The colors vary from dark brown to light blond with some sound checking and knot holes. Jewett Farms + Co’s Old Growth “Vintage, Circular Sawn” Hickory wide plank flooring is available to be shipped throughout the United States from our New England headquarters.

Tuscan home design photo in Albuquerque

Valley Hardwood
Mid-sized transitional medium tone wood floor living room photo in Seattle with gray walls

Vama Floorcovering LLC

One of the most popular hardwood floor finishing which offers Tom & Peter Flooring is provided by WOCA. If you’ve decided that you want a natural looking wooden floor that is lacquer-free, then the likelihood is that you’ve chosen oil as your way of protecting your wood and making your floor look great at the same time. WOCA for wood flooring comes in various forms and is a great way of making sure that your wood is protected, but at the same time looks natural. A highly popular as well as effective way of treating wood floors, oils effectively penetrate into the wood and in some cases harden into the surface of the floor to stop damage and to maintain the wood in its optimum condition. WOCA Oil finish hardwood flooring has taken the United States market by in 2014 and shows no signs of slowing down in 2016 and now. Here are some of the most common questions we have regarding this type of finish which we will I’m to answer in today’s my blog: Is oil finish as durable as traditional factory urethane finishes with aluminum oxide? When it comes to durability, oil finish flooring tackles the issue with a completely different method. The penetrating oil serves as protection from moisture and wear while allowing the user to feel the wood grains in their bare feet. If compared directly to factory finished aluminum oxide finish, the oil finish flooring will not perform as well to abrasion and impact. However, the beauty of this finish is the fact that it will camouflage any scratches which will inevitably accumulate over time. Will this finish evaporate over time and will this be harmful for indoor air quality? Another concern for oil finished floors its effect on indoor air quality. For on-site applications, some varieties suggest several coats which typically require the residents to be out of the home due to mild odors. However, there are factory finished UV-cured or single coat applications which lessen the downtime. Despite the odors produced during the drying process, oil finish floors rank amongst the lowest for VOC (volatile organic compound) emissions. Certain brands even boast true zero VOC. This fact alone makes oil finished floors one of the best options for green building solutions. “WOCA products are certified by independent laboratories, the German Institute for Biological Building Materials, and are in accordance with DIN–Norm 53–160. WOCA WoodCare Denmark products meet or exceed the most stringent U.S. standards for volatile organic compounds.” –WOCA Oil Finish Manufacture Does this type of finish require additional maintenance which I am not familiar with? For weekly cleaning, oiled floors use a special cleaner which contains an oil and soap mixture. After a period of 12-18 months some oil may evaporate causing the wood grains to appear dry. An additional layer of oil can be reapplied to keep the floor looking fresh. Although oil finished floors require more involvement in periodic maintenance in high traffic areas, this maintenance can be done much easier than the equivalent of an onsite sand and refinish. WOCA Master Color Oil contains pigment, which provides a single-step hardwood floor staining process. Laying down the stain and the finish in one step. This product comes 14 different colors, from Black to Extra White, and you can mix them freely to create various color palettes that will meet the demands of any job. Below are some pictures of the finished job…

I was recently asked to this property in Wimbledon in to see if there was anything we could do to resolve the problem with a recently laid Black Limestone tiled floor. The builders that had laid the Limestone did not cover or clean the tiles prior to sealing with an impregnating seal thereby trapping in all the dirt from the building works. They then grouted the tiles but didn’t clean the grout off the surface before putting on another two coats of sealer all of which resulted in a very poor finish. Naturally the customer was not happy so called them back to rectify the problem and so they came back and tried to strip the sealer off with cloths and a chemical stripper. Then without rinsing the stone to remove the chemicals they added another two coats of sealer; in desperation the lady gave up with them and called me in. To resolve I tried all the sealant strippers available to me but couldn’t budge the mess effectively. The only other option available was to diamond grind the surface so I discussed this with the customer and she agreed to this and left me to carry on. Initially I started with a coarse 400 grit diamond pad but even that wasn’t having much effect so in the end I had to cut back the surface using a 100 grit pad moving up to 200 grit, then 400 before finally stopping at 800. To lubricate the process you need to use a little water and then rinse away the resultant soil after each pad. If this was a polished stone surface I would have continued with finer and finer grits to restore the surface polish however these tiles were rough limestone and I needed to leave it as near to how it should be. Once all the Limestone had been stripped back the stone turned an uninviting grey colour, so to bring it back to black I applied two coats of Tile Doctor Stone Oil which enhanced the colour. I left the floor overnight to allow the Stone Oil to dry out and then returned to seal the Limestone using two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that enhances the colour in the stone and will protect it from staining going forward. When the customer saw the final result she was overwhelmed and said she felt like crying with relief, because the floor now looked how she had imagined it to be. It was a great feeling for me to know that I had solved the problems for her.

Permeable Pavers for the Driveway, two Patios and connecting walkways Marilyn Musgjerd
Example of a large ornate side yard concrete paver patio design in Chicago

Jewett Farms + Co’s Reclaimed Antique White Pine flooring has a rustic and warm feel that creates a sense of personal history. Antique white pine has long been loved for its tall straight growth, providing long boards perfect for barn siding. White pine planks age to a warm golden pumpkin tone. It’s a soft wood and with time will show signs of daily use. Reclaimed white pine timbers have variegated amber tones and feature occasional nail holes, knots and saw marks. Antique white pine is salvaged from granary boards as well as interior and exterior barn siding. Jewett Farms + Co’s Reclaimed Antique White Pine wide plank flooring is available to be shipped throughout the United States from our New England headquarters

Farm Kid Studios
Home design - traditional home design idea in Minneapolis

This home got a modern facelift with wide-plank wood flooring, custom fireplace and designer wallpaper bathroom. The basement was finished with a modern industrial design that includes barn wood, black steel rods, and gray cabinets.

Photo: Alexandra Crafton © 2017 Houzz

The flooring is Centiva Luxury Vinyl Tile - Magic/ Color: Copper. Cherry wood cabinets with Caesarstone Black Noir countertops. The backsplash is Oceanside Glass Mosaic- Color: Copper Blend.

Leather-wrapped door pull Photo Credit: Paul Sundberg
Example of a trendy entryway design in Seattle

Example of a 1950s staircase design in DC Metro