As you can probably guess, mosaic flooring did not begin in Essex.  It begins in ancient Greece.

Mosaic flooring can be dated back to 348 BC. In 348 BC, Philip of Macedon attacked the town of Olynthus. Any survivors of the attack abandoned the town and it was entirely forgotten until being excavated in the 1920s. The uncovering in the 1920s led us to a new understanding about the beginnings of mosaic flooring. There was proof in the excavation that wealthy 4th century Greeks had very elaborate mosaic flooring.

The houses in Olynthus had floors containing pictorial scenes set within a succession of borders, much like the design of a carpet.But, if you thought the citizens of Olynthus were the first to install mosaic flooring, think again. There is proof of simpler designs in Crete and mainland Greece dating back several hundred years before this. The Olynthus mosaic flooring was considered to be much more advanced, leaving many with the belief that Olynthus is where the art of modern mosaic flooring began.

The materials used in Olynthus were small natural pebbles and were limited to mainly black and white with perhaps a few colored stones used for accents. Over the next century Greek mosaic floors become much more inventive and new materials including glass and small cubes cut from stone are used. The small cubes were known as tesserae  and the main ingredient to mosaic flooring.

Herringbone, Parquet and Mosaic Flooring Essex

While the Greeks perfected the art of rock and glass mosaic, Simply Sanding has worked hard to perfect the mosaic style in a newer form: wooden flooring. Herringbone, Parquet, and Mosaic flooring are Simply Sanding’s specialties and we serve many areas including and surrounding Essex. We enjoy sanding, installation, and restoration work and our gallery showcases some of the work we have done in these styles and others. For a more in depth look into parquet flooring, view our Parquet Flooring Installation in Essex Case Study.

Floor Installation in Essex

We work throughout the towns and villages of Essex including Basildon, Billericay, Braintree, Brentwood, Chelmsford, Chigwell, Coggeshall, Colchester, Danbury, Eastwood, Epping, Finchingfield, Great Dunmow, Hadleigh, Halstead, Harlow, Heybridge, Hockley, Hutton, Laindon, Leigh-on-Sea, Loughton, Maldon, Ongar, Rayleigh, Rochford, Saffron Walden, Shoeburyness, South Benfleet, South Woodham Ferrers, Sawbridgeworth, Southend-on-Sea, Thaxted, Takeley, Waltham Abbey, Westcliff-on-Sea, Wickford, Witham and Writtle.

Beautiful oak floor in East Anglia

We enjoy all types of wood flooring at Simply Sanding and love when a client is satisfied with their new or refurbished wood floor. We are proud to have completed some great sanding, restoration, and installation jobs in East Anglia and surrounding areas.

Part of pleasing any client is educating them about the type of wood flooring they currently have or are wanting to install.  Unknown to most, there are three main types of hardwood flooring; solid, engineered, and longstrip. Each have their own nuances worth mentioning to clients who may be new to wood flooring.

Breakdown of the 3 Main Types of Hardwood Flooring

1. Solid Hardwood Flooring: This is the kind very sensitive to moisture. Because of this, solid planks are typically nailed down over a wood type sub-floor and not recommended for use directly over a concrete slab or below ground level (such as a basement, which can flood). Solid hardwood floors are made up of a single piece of wood with tongue and groove sides. One of the best characteristics of solid hardwood floors is that they can be moved, refinished, and recoated many times throughout their lifespan; which can be decades. The largest downside to solid hardwood flooring is the problems which can be caused from too much moisture.  Last I heard, no one likes a wood floor that is buckling or cupping.
2. Engineered Hardwood Flooring: Engineered wood floors are constructed of 3 or more plies (thin sheets) of wood that are laminated together. While being manufactured, the plies are usually laid in opposite directions. This “cross-ply” type of construction creates a hardwood floor that is dimensionally stable and not affected by changes in moisture and temperature variations like solid wood floors. This type of flooring has become very popular because it can be installed in areas where solid wood flooring may be a bad idea.
3. Longstrip Hardwood Flooring: These hardwood floors are really engineered floors with the finishing layer (the top) made up of several thinner wood plies glued together to make a single plank. In a longstrip plank the center core is usually a softer wood material. That is used to make the tongue and groove. The finish layer can be almost any hardwood species and is made with smaller individual pieces that are usually laid in 2-3 rows. Longstrip planks give the illusion of a board that is 2-3 narrow planks wide and several planks long. Each longstrip plank appears to be a full pre-assembled section. These wood floors can be installed over a wide variety of subfloors.

With the knowledge of what sorts of hardwood flooring are out there you can make an educated choice regarding what kind is appropriate for your home. Simply Sanding can help with any questions you might have about your space and what type of wood flooring  is best. We are experienced in sanding, restoration, and installation and happy to visit your home in East Anglia or other surrounding locations. At Simply Sanding we offer a free, no obligation quote.

There are certain things you must pay attention to if you want to have a extraordinary looking and long lasting new wooden floor in your home.  If you have any questions about the conditions prior to installing your wood floor, please do not hesitate to call us. The following is a list of questions to consider long before you start nailing any wood down.

Questions to Ask Prior to a  Wood Floor Installation

1. How much foot traffic will my new wood floor be handling?  We suggest a lighter wood if you think wear and tear from a specific foot traffic pattern may be a problem. Traffic pattern wear will show up more on darker woods.
2. How drastically does the temperature change in the area or room where the wood floor installation will happen? Wood contracts and expands with temperature change so it is important to note how drastically the temperature can change and how quickly it can happen where you would like to install wood flooring.
3. What is the humidity like?  Too much humidity (water in the air) can cause warping in a wooden floor.
4. Is the floor underneath flat? Having a flat subfloor is imperative to assuring a nice outcome to your new flooring over top.

Before installing a wood floor you also need to let the new wood flooring adjust to the temperature and humidity of the room. Packaging should be removed and the wood should be stacked for several days in the room where it will be installed. Do not store it in the garage or an exterior patio. The temperature in those locations will not match that of the room where the wood floor installation will take place. It is important to make sure that the room is enclosed and the air conditioning or heat is on. This will prevent expansion and contraction that can spoil the final job.

All these questions have you uneasy about  installing your wooden floor yourself?  Not sure whether you should leave it to a professional? At Simply Sanding we offer a free, no obligation quote. Whether your dream wood floor is oak floorboards, parquet, or herringbone, we understand that each floor and space has special needs. We can give you a quote for either the installation or the sanding and finishing; or both if you like.

Wood Floor Installation in Suffolk

To see some fabulous examples of our sanding and restoration work in the Suffolk area you can see our Floor Sanding in Suffolk post. Our gallery includes great examples of some of the other wooden floor work we have completed. We work across the Suffolk area including Bury St Edmunds, Clare, Haverhill, Lavenham, Long Melford, Ipswich and Woodbridge and will happily assist you in any questions you may have about a wood floor installation.

Wood floor installation is an art and Simply Sanding can help you make your floor your masterpiece. Whether you are planning to install oak floorboards, parquet, herringbone, or mosaic type flooring; Simply Sanding has the expertise to handle your wood floor installation in Essex and surrounding areas with ease. There are four basic ways to install a wood floor. Our Simply Sanding wood floor installation experts will determine the best method for your wood flooring needs.

Basic Types of Wood Floor Installation:

1. Nail Down: Solid wood strips or planks are typically installed by using nailing cleats, a wood flooring nailer and a mallet to attach them to a subfloor.
2. Staple Down: Staples are used to attach the wood flooring to the subfloor. A pneumatic gun drives the staples into the hardwood and subfloor. Hiring professionals like Simply Sanding can be crucial because not all wood flooring manufacturers recommend the same staple gun. Simply Sanding will be sure to have the proper materials and tools.
3. Glue Down: Adhesive or a natural resin (called “mastic”) is spread with the proper trowel to adhere your hardwood to the subfloor. This technique is typically used to install engineered and parquet floors because solid strip and plank floors can only be nailed or stapled down.  There are a number of adhesives on the market. Simply Sanding will use the one recommended specifically for your wood flooring.
4. Floating: With this technique, your hardwood floor is not mechanically fastened to any part of the subfloor. A thin pad is placed between the hardwood and the subfloor. After, a wood glue is applied in the tongue and groove of each strip or plank to hold the pieces together.

Parquet Floor Installation Essex

At Simply Sanding, we recently did a stunning job with a herringbone parquet floor installation. We were given a great challenge to install and finish a herringbone parquet floor flush around a client’s fireplace in South Woodham Ferrers, Essex. Tricky, but no problem for Simply Sanding. We just love the way it turned out, and so did the client.  View the case study.

Floor Installation in Essex

We work throughout the towns and villages of Essex including Basildon, Billericay, Braintree, Brentwood, Chelmsford, Chigwell, Coggeshall, Colchester, Danbury, Eastwood, Epping, Finchingfield, Great Dunmow, Hadleigh, Halstead, Harlow, Heybridge, Hockley, Hutton, Laindon, Leigh-on-Sea, Loughton, Maldon, Ongar, Rayleigh, Rochford, Saffron Walden, Shoeburyness, South Benfleet, South Woodham Ferrers, Sawbridgeworth, Southend-on-Sea, Thaxted, Takeley, Waltham Abbey, Westcliff-on-Sea, Wickford, Witham and Writtle.

Our client had beautiful Afzelia parquet floors; Afzelia is an exotic African hardwood and can be difficult to source. In place of Afzelia, we agreed to use prime grade oak parquet that was the of the same height, width and depth as the original parquet. The floor around the hearth was screeded and once dry the existing blocks were pulled back to the first full block around the perimeter of the original area. New blocks were then laid with a spirit based adhesive. Field was laid and left to dry overnight. The following day the field was cut to fit the double block border and when fully dry the floor was sanded to a 120 grit. The new oak parquet were stained twice with Rustins Light Teak as chosen by our client. Finally, once the stain had dried, the entire floor was lacquered with 3 coats of Bona Novia satin seal.

Checkout the slideshow to see the transformation and the completed parquet floor installation.

With a little care, your floor's shine can last!

1. Keep floors clear of grit
   To keep your wooden floors in top condition, regular cleaning is vital. The first consideration is to minimise grit, which can cause scuffing and scratching when walked on. A door mat is the first line of defence and helps to ensure the worst of rough particles are removed from shoes before they enter the house. Frequently brushing and hoovering is the next step in keeping floors free of grit; use either a soft bristle brush or your hoover’s soft brush attachment. A weekly brushing will greatly reduce build up of dirt and dust which can harm your floor’s finish.
2. Wash floors with damp (not wet) mop
   Wooden floors may also be mopped using a damp mop. While commercial floor cleaning solutions are available, these can be expensive and contribute to household air pollution. A cheap, safe, effective option is to use a vinegar water dilute in your mop bucket. Use 120 ml white distilled vinegar to 4 litres water and be sure to ring out your mop well before using.

We hope that these guidelines can help you to care for your wooden floors, preserving their beauty for years to come. Want to learn more? Subscribe to our free feed!

Gaps between boards can let in dust and draughts

Victorian floorboards are a timeless, robust, hard-wearing and beautiful feature of many of Britain’s homes. Wooden floorboards withstand spills and heavy traffic much better than carpeting and are more hygienic and hypo-allergenic as they do not trap dust and dirt in fibres, pollutants which can reduce your home’s air quality and irritate asthmatics and allergy sufferers. Though blessed with many virtues, home owners can be frustrated by the gaps between their floorboards which can result in unwanted draughts and dust kicked up by underfloor breezes. There are several ways of dealing with gaps between boards such as:

• ‘mass fill’ where sawdust from sanding your floors is collected, mixed with a resin and laid between each board and stained to match
• wood fillets created from old floorboards and hammered into place with a rubber mallet and sanded down and stained to match the boards

While these approaches can stop the gaps between floorboards, they are costly, time-consuming and must be undertaken at the time of your floor’s refurbishment.

DIY Floorboard Insulation

Our client in East London uses DraughtEx

One way to seal the gaps in your floorboards is with the DraughtEx DIY floorboard filling system. DraughtEx is a flexible, rubber-like tubing that comes in three widths for insertion in different sized gaps. DraughtEx can effectively reduce the chill of your home and the company website claims that:

A 12 x 12ft room has approximately 25 floorboards and an average gap area of 3.87ft² which is similar to a small window being left open. Based on the results of research carried out by The Energy Saving Trust, it is estimated that filling floorboard gaps can save a household up to £20.00-£40.00/room/year.

Our own customers have had great success with DraughtEx, which not only seals gaps between boards, thereby reducing cool draughts and dust, but also results in a very clean and attractive line between boards. Best of all, DraughtEx can be installed by you after your floors have been sanded and stained at a very low cost and with the minimum of mess and fuss.

Enjoy a tree while preserving your floor's beauty

How to Protect Your Wooden Floors

Here are a few precautions to take to ensure the that one of the season’s great festive delights, a beautifully decorated live Christmas tree, doesn’t leave an unwanted impression of water damage and scratching on your wooden floors.

1. Before bringing your tree into the house, give it a gentle shake to dislodge any loose needles to avoid trailing them across the floor. If you want to be really careful, wrap the tree in a sheet of plastic or similar covering while transporting it through your house.
2. To maximise the life of your tree it will need to be watered on a regular basis, so ensure there is a base plate or similar beneath the tree stand to catch any excess water. By sitting the base plate on a folded sheet or old carpet cutting you can significantly lessen the chance of scratching your wooden floors.
3. Once the tree is installed in its stand or pot and the decorations are up, give the floor around the tree a good sweep and pick up any needles that have become dislodged. This stops these needles from being stepped on and ground into the floor, which can leave unsightly scratches and marks.
4. Enjoy the fruits of your labour and have a very happy Christmas!

Removing your Christmas Tree

As when installing your tree, there are a few points to bear in mind when it is time to take the tree down.

1. Now that your tree is older, it will be dropping a lot of needles, so once the decorations have been removed, wrap the tree in an old sheet or sheet of plastic to catch the falling needles. Rather than removing the tree from its stand or pot, slide the stand and pot (using the soft protector under the base plate to pull) to the door and then carry out. If you do have to remove the tree from its stand also wrap something around the base so it doesn’t trail water across your wooden floors.
2. Once you have removed the tree give the floors a good sweep and wipe down to pick up any water and needles from the floor.

We hope that by following these guidelines you can enjoy a live Christmas tree while avoiding harming your wooden floors with watermarks and scratches. Have a very happy Christmas and merry New Year and don’t forget to subscribe to our free feed to read more tips and tricks for keeping your floors in great condition!

Photo by chrisroll | FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Finishing a Wooden Floor

Staining can give your floors a rich finish

Now that you are at the final stage of your floor restoration you have a number of options available to you on how to finish your floors; from waxing to staining and varnishing or varnishing only. Primarily this is a personal choice based on the desired final look to your floor. Aside from the finallook you should also consider the amount of traffic and the level of wear and tear the floor will be subjected to; by choosing a reputable and strong-wearing product you will ensure your floor remains in excellent condition for years to come.

Waxing

Using hard wax on untreated strip flooring:

1. Using a soft porous cloth grab a handful of wax and wrap it in the cloth
2. Apply the wax evenly in the direction of the flooring (not too thickly)
3. Once the whole floor has been completed, allow it to dry and then apply a second coat
4. Repeat this process until a thin film remains (the wood will absorb the initial coats)
5. Buff and polish

Stain and Varnish

Varnish protects your floors while making them shine

If you wish to colour your floors and you have chosen your desired wood stain:

1. Use a sponge to apply the stain to the, in the direction of the flooring
2. Leave the stain to dry
3. Once dried, if you want a darker hue, apply another coat of stain
4. Using a fine brush (or sponge for water based varnishes) paint on a coat of varnish in the direction of the flooring
5. Once varnish is dry, re-apply
6. If the wood absorbs the varnish quite quickly re-apply a third coat – this will ensure that any spills in the future won’t be absorbed into and mark your floors

Key to a Beautiful Finish

Do your research, there are a number of options from green products to water or oil based finishes and different wearing options available, such as domestic or commercial grade.

• When staining do a spot test to ensure you have the colour you want
• Whichever method you choose, make sure the room is well ventilated at all times
• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to ensure the best finish

We hope this series has helped you to develop greater confidence to undertake your floor restoration. Still uneasy? Contact us and let’s talk about how we can work with you to ensure a professional finish to your floors.

How to Sand a Floor: The Process

Your first port of call is your local hire specialists where you can rent a drum sander and edge sander; you’ll want to go for a newer drum sander which minimises dust creation. You will also need to buy enough abrasive sheets to sand the entire floor.

Level your floors with a diagonal cut

Remember, safety first so eye protection in place, gloves, dust mask and ear muffs on. Now, if the floor is uneven or very rough you will need to sand diagonally across the floor aligning the sander at approximately 35-40 degrees to the grain of the wood. This method speeds the levelling process and helps to ensure that you get a level floor. If the floor is level then diagonal sanding is not required.

To sand your floor, start the sanding with the drum off the floor. Starting at the left hand side of the room and going with the grain of the wood, start walking forward and ease the drum to the floor. As you near the end of the pass, gradually raise the drum off the floor, turn around and repeat the pass over the same area. At the end of this run, move the machine across approximately 7cm to the right so the machine overlays 2/3 of the first run. Repeat the pass and overlay process until you have completed the entire room.

With a drum sander you can reclaim the beauty of your floors

For those of you who don’t want gaps between your boards, once the floor is free of dust take the clean 80 grit dust, mix it with resin and fill the gaps. Once the resin mix has dried, sand the whole floor one final time. This gap fill process should only be used on gaps less than 5mm.

Finally, give the floor a good hoover and ensure the floor is dust free; your floor is now ready for finishing.

Floor Sanding Fundamentals

A couple of key things to keep in mind to ensure a great sanding job:

• Always sand with the grain of the wood (the exception being a diagonal cut to level your floor)
• Be sure to ease the drum sander down, too fast and you will gouge out parts of the floor
• Parquet and original wood strip floors can be sanded HOWEVER you need to take extra care as the wood is thinner than floorboards

We hope our guide has helped you to build the confidence to undertake your DIY floor restoration. Still feeling unsure? Contact us and let’s talk about how we can work with you to ensure a professional finish to your floors.