The history of hardwood flooring in England starts from the early 17th century. Although hardwood flooring specialists Naturally Wood haven’t been around since then, they have a long history in the trade which can be traced back in the family to the early 1900s.
During the reign of Charles I (1625 - 1649) many homes still had ground floors made from beaten dirt, and those lucky enough to have a second floor had plank flooring, rather than the beautiful hardwood flooring we see today.
While the majority of homes had earthen floors, floors of the wealthy were made from locally sourced stone or slate. Meanwhile on the continent, elegant hardwood flooring was introduced into the homes of the elite and in royal palaces in France and they would have included stunning parquetry and marquetry patterns.
By the 1800s many people had wooden plank floors, although more affluent homes had parquet flooring. Factory produced hardwood flooring was introduced in the Victorian era and by the Edwardian times (1901 - 1914) tongue and groove floors were the norm.
After the Second World War, with the introduction of cheaper carpets and synthetic fibres, hardwood flooring fell out of fashion and it has only been in the last 20 years or so that it has risen in popularity again.
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Hardwood Flooring: Then and Now
In the early days hardwood floors were first scraped, then scrubbed down with handfuls of sand. In fact many traditional methods, such as hand sanding techniques, were still used in the early 1900s.
Nowadays Naturally Wood combine traditional methods with high tech machinery and the best quality materials to produce stunning hardwood flooring that will add warmth and atmosphere to your home.
Flooring in England centuries ago was made from oak or elm, timbers that are native to this country and that were also used in ship building, and for furniture, doors and boats. Today oak still remains one of the most popular timbers for hardwood flooring because it is so attractive and robust and is available in a range of colours.
However, in addition to oak, there is now a wide range of wood types to choose from including more exotic hardwoods such as Teak, Mahogany, Wenge, Padouk, Iroko, Maple and Purple Heart.
Finishes
Early forms of hardwood flooring would not have been finished, instead being polished over time through footfall. Waxing became popular to help prevent staining, although this was not ideal because it needed to be frequently reapplied.
Varnish was introduced in the mid 18th century which improved hardness, and by the 1930s polyurethane was introduced which was a popular form of finish that is still used today.
Naturally Wood offer a wide range of different finishes including oils, lacquering and staining.
Why Use a Hardwood Flooring Specialist for Hardwood Floor Finishes
For your hardwood flooring finish, it is vital that you hire an expert rather than doing it yourself, purely because there are so many different problems that you could encounter.
Among these are bubbling, chipping, discolouration and early wear, and we shall look briefly at these in turn.
Bubbling - This could occur if either soap, or a similar substance wasn’t properly removed before applying the finish, the finish was overworked as it was applied, or it was caused by air movement across the floor, trapping the bubbles as the finish dries. Bubbles can also be caused by applying hot oil finish to a cold floor.
Bubbling can be corrected in a variety of ways including screening and recoating or, in some cases, sanding and refinishing.
Chipping - This is when some of the finish flakes or chips off, which can be caused by a number of things, including spot contamination.
It can be corrected by screening the floor and recoating it.
Discolouration - The colour of your wood floor can fade over time if it is in direct sunlight but this can generally be prevented by shielding it from the light. In white oak though, discolouration can happen more quickly if the right sealer is not used.
Early Wear - Not sanding the floor properly or not applying enough finish to your flooring can cause early wear. As can cleaning the floor with a wet mop, walking on the surface with gritty or sandy shoes and not applying felt to the bottom of the feet of furniture before you move it around.
A hardwood flooring company will be able to advise you on the correct care for your floor.
Caring for Your Floor
There are some simple measures to take to ensure that you keep your hardwood flooring in tip-top shape:
Do not use household detergents and furniture polishes on your wood floor - only specialist oils, soaps and waxes or specialist lacquer care products (if you have lacquer flooring) should be used.
Do not walk on the floor in stilettos, no matter how tempting this is, as it will create permanent marks on the floor, as will sandy or gritty outdoor shoes. Instead have a mat upon which shoes can be taken off before entering the hallway.
Do not mop your wood floor, instead wipe up any spillages up with a damp cloth and dry the area. And if you have wood flooring in the kitchen, use a mat to prevent getting the floor wet.
Do fix felt pads to the feet of all furniture including sofas, TV tables, bookcases, etc. to prevent the surface being scratched when you move these about.
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