The Buzz is Back...Reclaimed Heart Pine Flooring

The Buzz is Back….reclaimed material is in. If you’ve ever taken a drive out in the country, it’s very hard to miss the old, rickety, dilapidated structures off in the distance. This is especially the case in historical New England. Barns, toolsheds, even old outhouses are hot! Those very same structures are history! Hundreds of years and endless untold stories. Having reclaimed flooring in your home is a trend that’s here to stay. Classic….rustic and forever stylish.

When choosing flooring for your home….most will go by the three C’s. Cost….Comfort and Convenience.

Cost – You’d think because you’re purchasing something that already exists that you’d get a great deal! It’s recycled so how expensive can it be? Right? Wrong! Prepare to budget for your reclaimed wood floors. They are an investment and worth every penny. A lot of work goes into processing reclaimed lumber and it takes time and money to determine what still has life in it and what’s too damaged to use.

Comfort – Nothing says welcome like the warm, comfortable….snug feeling you get when you enter a home that has reclaimed flooring. It’s like stepping back into time with the modern day conveniences of the 21^st century. To some it up, it’s cozy. A warm fire roaring in the fireplace…a hot apple pie in the oven….the aroma of Coq Au Vin slowing cooking in the crock pot and a cup of hot chocolate along with your favorite book - the perfect afternoon. Yet as informal as reclaimed floors are they remain classy and elegant at the same time. Quite the combination and the envy of all who see them!

Convenience – Nothing beats the convenience of having hardwood flooring in your home. This same convenience naturally applies to having antique hardwood floors as well. With minimal maintenance and nothing more than an occasional damp hardwood floor mop there’s very little upkeep and time involved in caring for your reclaimed flooring. Obviously you have to keep in mind that lifestyle does play a small role in preservation of your floors. For example large, heavy dogs with long nails or high traffic areas if you have kids, grandkids etc. are going to take more of a beating on a daily bases than if you lived alone or if the home was a vacation getaway a few weeks or months out of the year. But even if the dogs and children were factored in the scenario…with proper sanding and refinishing every 3-7 years depending on “wear and tear” your reclaimed floors still have hundreds of years left in them.

Reclaimed hardwood floors give your home a uniqueness that sets it apart from every other home out there. Those little nooks and knots..small imperfections are what give your dwelling personality. If you’re familiar with the home remodeling shows then you know how often people go on and on about “character”. The character is what makes your home YOU. And nothing says character like reclaimed hardwood floors! Forget the walls…..if only the FLOORS could talk!

Bluffton's Premier Flooring Contractor 

Engineered Hardwood Floor Refinishing During Winter

Yes! You CAN sand your engineered hardwood floors….but is this a seasonal task? 

Your prefinished hardwood floors have taken quite a beating over the years. Whether you have children, grandchildren, dogs or all of the above your floors most likely have gotten scratched, scuffed, nicked or just plain dull. Whatever the case may be, you’re ready to bite the bullet and make them look new again. But is it the right time? Fortunately, there is no WRONG time here in the LowCountry. Year round sunshine along with mostly moderate temperatures with a few cold front exceptions here and there make having projects done to your home extremely pleasant and uncomplicated.  

So here we are in the beginning of a whole new year.  January can be a rather unpredictable month in the Beaufort, Bluffton and Hilton Head areas. But for the most part a little on the chillier side…along with some precipitation. So is it a good time to refinish those hardwood floors…the answer is of course YES! It might even be the BEST time to refinish those floors and here’s some reasons why…

• I don’t know about you but we take great advantage of not having to run the AC in our home this time of year. It’s great energy savings and obviously less money we have to pay to the electric company. Throw on a warm sweater or snuggle up with a cozy blanket and call it a day!  But another benefit to not running your unit is the lessoning of air pollutants in your home. This is extremely beneficial when floor refinishing. The less dust and particles blowing around the more likely your freshly coated floors will look clean and free of debris. 

• If it gets cold enough where you do need to run your heat, then humidity 

won’t be of any concern. Humidity often causes warping. As a result the boards don’t lay flat. Dry heat is very favorable when getting your hardwood floors refinished. 

• We’re all familiar with the term “off season” and around Beaufort, Bluffton 

       and Hilton Head that off season is generally from November to the end of

February.  If you want the very best service at the very best prices you’re going to want to arrange to have your floors repaired or restored between these months.  It’s a win/win for everyone! 

• Like anything else..your car..your teeth…your hair…your floors need attention too.  They need to be properly cared for and they need addressing when there’s a problem. Don’t procrastinate. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”.  Your floors costs thousands of dollars.  Keep their 

• Value by maintaining them professionally. 

For help managing any part of the hardwood floors repair or refinishing process, get in touch with our team at Flooring Solutions, LLC for a free consultation and expert advice . Give a call today at (843) 560-9663 or (860) 803-2197 or fill out our online form.

Fixing a Shower Tile Leak

Fixing a Shower tile leak This is a DIY Non-Guaranteed way to Fix a Leaky Shower by Kenny NIx We've been getting a high volume of calls about wood floor repairs needed due to a leaky shower in the bathroom. For this reason it's a good idea to maintenance the shower floor every couple of years. Normally if you have a shower leak, the diagnosis is often that "the shower pan leaks". Before spending your hard earned cash to rip out the tile and install a new shower pan, here's my non-guaranteed but usually effective way to solve the problem for about $75. This solution work 99% of the time, but even if your the unlucky one, then at least you haven't invested much. After you've made sure the leak is not from the drain or from the plumbing supply pipe, then your ready to try the cure recommended. It involves sealing the shower floor and at least two rows of tiles up the wall with a penetrating tile sealer available at any local hardware store. Below you'll follow a few easy steps: 1. Clean the surface to be sealed with 4 to 5 parts water and 1 part muriatic acid. Your local hardware store will carry this product if not check a swimming pool local. Be sure to read all caution, use a plastic bucket, wear rubber gloves and also wear a respirator along with having plenty of ventilation. These are caution steps due to the strength of the acid cleaner. Any scrub brush with strong bristles should work for scrubbing tiles. 2. Rinse away acid making sure it's all removed. 3. Replace any grout missing with epoxy matching existing grout color. 4. Allow surface to dry completely. This usually take a few days of not using the shower or to speed the drying time up by using a fan. (Be sure tile is dry before applying sealer) 5. Apply 2 coats of any penetrating sealer, allowing plenty of drying time between coats. DON'T APPLY when the humidity is high. Read and follow all the manufactures directions. That's all there is to it and hopefully you'll have saved some cash. This solution takes time and patience along with following directions here and on the labels of the products involved but it's well worth it. Applications for a tiled shower are complicated endeavor made easier when you use materials designed for the task. Preventing water from leaking onto the framing and sub-flooring behind a shower. Select non-porous materials that keep the shower's wall, floor, and ceiling watertight. http://www.FlooringSolutionsLLC.com

2013 Hardwood Flooring Projects

Flooring projects from the last 6 months of 2013. The pictures truly show the quality of work that make Flooring Solutions, LLC offers to all customers