Ebony & Co: A Company Overview and Review

This international company has staff across the globe. Not only do they focus on wood flooring but Ebony and Co also specializes in wall panelling, decking, parquetry and cladding. They are very proud of their handcrafted solid wood floors and they should be – they are great! They consider themselves a company who manufactures luxury hardwood and parquet flooring. A fantastic feature of purchasing wood floors from Ebony and Co is all the customer support. They offer a very personalized approach to selling wood floors. Interestingly, they will ship their wood floors almost anywhere across the globe. With offices in Barcelona, Geneva, Paris, New Delhi, Hong Kong and Sydney and showrooms in New York, London, Moscow, Amsterdam and Dublin, especially if you are not a resident of the US as your choices are limited and want a quality wood floor – this might be one of your better choices! Ebony and Co is all about style and design. They offer many different species and many different colors. With partners such as Tommy Hilfiger, Burberry and DKNY – if you are a style guru – this is the wood flooring company you want! Not only is it about color and species but you can choose the length and the width of the floorboard. You can get wide plank floors if you want. They also offer a good selection of floor finishes. The selection seems endless! Ebony and Co will customize floors in so many different ways!

Environmental Responsibility

Ebony and Co has a “from forest to floor” philosophy. They think as important as it is to produce quality floors, it is equally important to harvest mature trees at the end of their growth cycle. This tree harvesting process has been implemented because they believe this is the only way forests can thrive. At Ebony and Co, they allow their lumber to dry for 4 seasons at minimum. Then, combining classic and technologically advanced milling practices, they can minimize waste. Ebony and Co has extreme precision in the milling process. Ebony and Co is a green company that really thinks about long-term effects of harvesting timber.

Final Thoughts

Ebony and Co offers lots of variety when it comes to the aesthetics of your wood floor. They will customize any wood floor that you can dream of. From custom colors to custom widths to custom lengths of floorboards, Ebony and Co is willing to do it all for you! I think this is terrific! Another great feature of this company is that they care about environmental sustainability. They make sure to minimize waste and responsibly harvest their timber. Their customer service is global and they speak many different languages, too. If you want to make your home a designer home and high end style is important to you, you should enjoy high end wood floors from Ebony and Co.
Ebony and Co: A Company Overview and Review Reviewed by Wood Floor Doctor onJuly 17 Ebony and Co, a manufacturer of luxury hardwood and parquet flooring. Ebony and Co is a manufacturer of luxury hardwood and parquet flooring. They offer a wide range of wood floors available in different colors, species and finishes. Rating: 4.5

How To Eliminate Dust Mites On Wood Floors

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Dust mites and fleas can be quite a nuisance. Central heating and good insulation in our modern houses make our homes very habitable for dust mites. Dust mites evoke fear because they are associated with respiratory problems, allergies and asthma. Common symptoms of allergies to dust include watery eyes, runny noses and sneezing. Even eczema has links to household dust mites. If you have any or all of these symptoms when you are at home often, it is time to take action and eliminate your dust problem! Dust mites are so tiny you can’t even see them. They are only approximately 0.04 millimeters in length. Dust mites feed on dead skin cells and dander that have flaked off our bodies. This means that they live in furniture, drapes, clothing, bed sheets and our floors. This is where they collect their food. The allergen is not the dust mite but their feces. Thier droppings are so small. They are the size of a pollen grain. Aside from washing your bed sheets with hot water and keeping your home clean, regular vacuuming of furniture and floors is crucial. Old carpets – even if they are covering a hardwood floor – can be the home to dust mites. The best floor covering for preventing dust mites is a hardwood floor. That said, you can still get them on a wood floor. The worst offender is wall to wall carpeting.Dust mites can’t really live in hard surfaces but that doesn’t mean if you have wood floors you are ok. You still have a furnace that can blow dust mites on your wood floor. There are certain procedures that you can do to eliminate dust mites. 1. Steam clean your furniture and drapes. If you have a carpet on your wood floor, steam clean it. You don’t need to steam clean regularly. 2. Keep your home warm and dry. Mites cannot survive in warm climates. They are almost nonexistent in tropical climates. 3. Use tannic acid – the same ingredient in black tea. You can get tannic powder at your local health food store. Sprinkle it on your floor and let it sit for 3 hours. Tannic acid will neutralize the allergens from dust mites. 4. Damp dust. Use a microfiber rag with a tiny bit of warm water to pick up any dust, especially along the edges and the corners of the room. Anything near the baseboards is always dustier. 5. Regularly vacuum. This is a given. You will always have a problem with dust mites if you are not on top of vacuuming. It is not just about vacuuming the wood floors and area rugs. You will also need to vacuum curtains and upholstery. Use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter. 6. Replace your furnace filter with one that is allergen-rated. Allergen-rated filters will trap dust mites. 7. Ventalite your home. Keep your windows open whenever possible. You will reduce humidity and allow fresh air to circulate through your home. Keep your kitchen door closed when you cook. Dust mites thrive in the winter months when we close up our windows, crank up our central heating and humidify to keep out the cold, dry air. 8. Use a dehumidifier. Dust mites love humidity and moisture. The more you can eliminate moisture the better. When they are in a moist environment, they multiply very quickly. If the humidity is 70% or more, they thrive. When the humidity drops below 50%, they die. 9. Don’t dry out your clothes in your room. This will only increase humidity. 10. Get a mattress cover for dust mites. 11. Get rid of clutter. Keep your home tidy. 12. Keep up with the vacuuming and dusting or else the problem will reemerge. Follow these steps and you should eliminate dust mites. You will feel better, sleep more soundly and have a cleaner home. No more sneezing, runny nose and itchy eyes. What could be better?

Decorative Hardwood Floors: Medallions, Borders & Trim and Tile Inserts

Hardwood floors have become a true art over the years. With stunning, old wide plank flooring to classic parquet, there are so many interesting and unusual techniques and designs to laying wood floors. There are so many different ideas you can implement to make decorative hardwood floors. If you are looking to create a more artistic style floor while maintaining the elegance of a wood floor, a decorative hardwood floor might be for you.

Medallions and Inlays

Medallions and inlays are a section of the wood floor with a design. They are most often wood but cut in different lengths, widths and colors. They are designs in the wood floor. Classically, medallions would have been relatively straight pieces of wood. Nowadays with modern technology and laser cutting, you can get medallions with unusual curves.

Medallions are often a darker stain than the rest of the floor for a light stained floor and vice versa for a dark stained wood floor. They can be very intricate designs with several different colors of stain. Medallions are often beautiful patterns.

Where are medallions commonly placed? A medallion is not meant for any and every room in your house. If you choose to get a medallion, you should put in a relatively large room. It will become a centerpiece. To make a medallion stand out, no carpet should be placed on the floor in this room. Also, no pieces of furniture should be placed close to the medallion – these are not hard and fast rules. These are tips to make a medallion look terrific. If you have a large foyer, there are classic styles of medallions that can be used. At the bottom of a beautiful staircase is a great spot for a medallion.

Aside from beautiful and artistic designs, you can get many other styles of medallions. You can get a medallion with the Scriptures, a corporate or college logo, a family coat of arms or a completely custom design.

Borders and Trim

Borders and trim are another way to jazz up your hardwood floor and decorate your room. Instead of having the same color stain going to the walls, you can do a simple border of a different colored floorboard.

There are also some very interesting and intricate borders that can be made for wood floors. They can involve multiple colors of stain and interesting zig zag patterns. If you dream it, you can find a company that can make you any floor design.

Tile Inserts

Tile inserts are much less common than wood medallions. Tile inserts are designs with tile inlaid in a hardwood floor. They are often tiles with vibrant colors and interesting designs. They are laid in elegant patterns.

Tile inserts are typically done in larger rooms and really the centerpiece of the room. They can sometimes match a color theme in the house. Tile inserts may also be neutral colors to blend in with the wood floors.

Companies That Specialize In Decorative Wood Floors

Aboveboard Hardwood Floors has a large array of decorative floors that they create. From simple floors to inlaid floors to designer inlays using exotic woods – this company has lots of variety for anyone looking for an artistic wood floor.

USA Inlays is another company that specializes in decorative flooring. They do a wide range of wood floors from medallions to borders to stone inlays. Their motto is “a work of art for your feet…”

Final Thoughts

If you are going to get a decorative floor, remember it is an accent. It should be loud but not too busy unless you have a big enough space for something with a lot of color and pattern.

If you have your own artistic flare, go with your heart. If you want something elegant but are not sure where to start, it may be worth getting an opinion from a professional decorative floor installer. They will have lots of experience on what looks and what has been a flop. They can also look at your home and get a sense of your personality and what you like and help you choose your decorative elements.

Cork: A Durable, Hypoallergenic Floor Covering

If you have read my article, Cork: The Sustainable Alternative To Hardwood Floors you will know why environmentally cork is superior. Now, let’s see why cork floors are growing in popularity.

A Soundproof Floor

Cork makes a relatively soundproof floor. It works well in apartments where you have neighbors above and below you. Also, you will feel vibrations through this floor a lot less than with other flooring types. Cork flooring absorbs sound and vibration.

Shock Absorbency

Dropping a heavy object usually won’t impact the cork floor that much. If you drop a glass or any breakable object on cork, chances are that it probably won’t break. The impact of the fallen object gets absorbed in cork flooring. A cork floor is firm but not bouncy. The reason for the serious noise reduction from cork is because it is incredibly dense and has a unique cellular structure that is impregnated with lots of air.

Thermal Insulation

Cork insulates well. It provides natural thermal insulation. Some people even say that they have cut their energy bills by having cork flooring throughout their homes. The “dead” air space in cork makes it an efficient non-conductor of heat. This means it reduces air movement. When you walk on a carpet, it is warm because it is not absorbing the heat from your feet. Differently, a tile floor is taking the heat away from your feet. This makes the tile floor feel cold. Cork doesn’t absorb heat. This is why it feels warm to walk on barefoot.

Why Choose Cork Floors

One of the main reasons that people choose cork is because it is soft and cushioning. Cork is appealing to the elderly because it has shock-absorbing qualities. For people who suffer from back and joint pain, this is ideal. For kids who take the occasional tumble, cork flooring provides a softer surface to break a fall. It gives relief for your feet, back and legs. It is shock-absorbing because lots of air is trapped in the wood. It is the same reason that it is relatively soundproof and absorbs vibrations. About 50% of cork is air. This is why it is a cushioning floor.

A Durable Floor

Despite its soft, rubbery feeling, it is actually a durable floor that does not scuff very easily. Cork is known as quite a resilient floor covering. Cork has a lot of give to it. It is recommended for areas where there is going to be extensive walking or standing. Because of its natural resiliency, cork is commonly found in high traffic areas like government buildings, churches, libraries and banks. It is a flexible, relatively durable floor covering.

A Hypoallergenic Floor

An advantage to cork is that it is very comfortable for people who suffer from allergies. It does not absorb dust. Some manufacturers even coat cork floors with anti-microbial or paraffin oil treatments to inhibit the growth of mold, mildew and bacteria. This improves the indoor air quality.

Coatings on Cork Floors

Green Building Supply Environmentally Friendly Home Center uses JointShield, which is a paraffin oil product. This is designed to impregnate the joints, making the floor watertight. This creates a strong moisture barrier. On the other hand, if cork floors do not have a protective coating, they will be susceptible to damage from mold and mildew. This will happen typically in kitchens, bathrooms and basements where moisture levels are higher. I highly recommend a polyethylene water barrier.

Cork and Its Physical Characteristics

Suberin is a natural, waxy substance that is found in cork. Cork naturally resists insects and termites because it contains suberin. This waxy substance also protects cork from rotting if it is slightly wet for a while. Obviously, the amount of water on a cork floor should be minimal. It will get damaged if there is a lot of water on it, just like any other floor covering.

Cork Floors, Water and Flame Resistant

Its cellular structure doesn’t make it waterproof, but it helps repel water. With a proper binder, a cork floor can be fairly water resistant. Suberin is also fire resistant. It won’t spread flame. It also will not release gas during combustion. For people with sensitivities, cork is popular because it is formaldehyde-free. It does not give off gas unlike a lot of other floor coverings.

New Varieties of Cork Floors

Cork flooring is not a new phenomenon. However, new forms of cork flooring have come out in recent years. The newer varieties of flooring are tiles and planks with snap or click lock joints. Cork is even available in the parquet format. It has become popular because these new styles of cork flooring are easier to install and don’t use any glue. It doesn’t require a skilled floor contractor to install a cork floor. It is appealing for a DIYer. Most cork flooring comes factory finished with a topcoat of UV cured acrylic or a water-base. Modern manufacturing practices compress cork so that there are a huge variety of rich textures, patterns and colors. The problem with the colored varieties is that scratches and wear marks show up more prominently than they do on natural cork. Also, a lot of people have had problems with dark colors turning much lighter pretty quickly. Some companies mix rubber with cork to get special texture. In my opinion, this is not a healthy choice. Rubber is an off-gassing material that will emit gas for a very long time. The diverse styles make cork flooring very appealing for consumers. Cork floor can be tailored to the consumer. There is going to be a style of cork flooring that suits your needs. Cork floors are very easy to maintain. They only require vacuuming and the occasional damp mopping.

Cork’s Small Environmental Impact

Cork floors look nothing like hardwood floors. Environmentally conscious consumers favor cork. They are not destroying forests. They don’t have to worry if the tree that was used to make their floors will be replaced with a new tree. If you are considering cork floors, read my article “Installing Cork Floors” before starting your project.

Pledge: Floorcare Wood Squirt & Mop

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Pledge: Floorcare Wood Squirt & Mop is a wood floor cleaning product. It claims to not leave any residue on your wood floors and it maintains your floor’s natural finish. It has a fresh citrus scent. Pledge Floorcare is suitable for any sealed wood floors. It is available most supermarkets and home improvement stores.

It is an easy product to use. The solution is mixed for you. As the name goes, just squirt it and spread it around your wood floors with a mop. That is all there is to it!

What Consumers Think

Most people are happy that Pledge dries so incredibly fast and the scent is very appealing. The disappointing feature of Pledge Floorcare is it leaves wood floors dull, foggy and streaky. It will make your wood floors appear dirtier than before. If you use Pledge Floorcare, it will give you a new job – to remove it!

Final Thoughts

It is better not to use Pledge Floorcare at all. There are some homeowners who are happy with it. My feeling is either their wood floors are in terrible shape and they want anything to rejuvenate them or they are using very little of the product – not enough to make the streaks noticeable.

When trying to find the ingredients in the product, they were nowhere to be found. I am not certain that there is wax in this product but I am pretty sure that there is some. No wonder it leaves residue and build-up!

Avoid the hassle of trying to remove Pledge Floorcare – don’t try it!

Pledge: Floorcare Wood Squirt & Mop Review Reviewed by Wood Floor Doctor on July 3Pledge: Floorcare Wood Squirt & Mop leaves floors foggy and streaky. Pledge: Floorcare Wood Squirt & Mop is a simple to use wood floor cleaning product. Buyers beware: this product leaves wood floors foggy and streaky. Rating: 2

Cleaning Wood Floors With Microfiber Mops

Cleaning wood floors is part of maintaining them. If you don’t keep up with cleaning your floors, it gets harder to clean them. Also, when you have bits of dirt, they may cause micro scratches if they are being dragged across your floor by people’s feet. When you go to your local home building center, you will find different solutions to cleaning your wood floors. A microfiber mop is cleaning device that works well and has been around for eons. It is economical, too. The ones that are designed for hardwood floors typically have a large, flat mop head.

Why Microfiber?

It is safe for all finished wood surfaces. It will not scratch – provided you use it correctly and have the right size pads on it. They are lightweight and easy to use. They pick up dirt and dust well. They are great for big homes and small spaces.

What To Look for When Selecting a Microfiber Mop for Your Hardwood Floors

The microfiber pads should be washable or replaceable. The microfiber pads should be easy to remove. If it is frustrating to take the pads off, you won’t want to replace them when you need to. In fact, I have heard stories of people who can’t figure out how to replace the head and end up throwing the entire mop away! When purchasing a microfiber mop, price is a factor. The refill cost is more important than the cost of the mop itself. Often there is a brand name replacement and a generic no name. The generic usually will not fit your mop. Certain brands are only available at specific stores. For convenience, it may be easier to get a common brand or go to your local building center or superstore to get one. Both durability and comfort when using are factors to consider. Some have telescoping sticks which are good for adjusting to make it comfortable for your height. You should not have to replace your mop often at all – just the mopheads. The question of durability and comfort boil down to personal preference.

Selecting A Cleaning Solution for Your Microfiber Mop

You can mop totally dry to pick up dust. You may have a cleaning solution that comes with your wood floor mop. Never use a lot of cleaning solution if you are using it. Some cleaners leave streaks and white, cloudy patches on your wood floors – Murphy’s Oil Soap is famous for its streaks! If you want to use the solution your mop comes with, test it in a small area that is not seen like a closet before doing the whole floor. I like using white vinegar with some water mixed together. It does a good job and won’t dull your finish.

How To Use Your Microfiber Mop

The trick is to do very long sweeps. Don’t pick up your mop but keep it on the floor. Think of it like a vacuum cleaner. Keep on going with it. Don’t stop. Like vacuuming, don’t lift your mop until you are finished the job. You can pick up dust on your baseboards with it, too. The more you lift your microfiber mop, the more you can get scratches on your floors. You want to gently move large pieces of dirt. Those large pieces of dirt have the ability to scratch your floors when they get under the mop head. If there are a lot of large pieces, you may want to periodically rinse your mop. If you see your mophead getting dry, you can spray it with a wood floor cleaning solution. It is better not to spray directly onto the wood floor but onto the mop. The reason is that you don’t want concentrated areas of cleaning solution on your floors. It is better to have it evenly dispersed. Ideally, you have two mops. One for spraying and cleaning and one for going over the floor after and drying it. You don’t need to have two mops if you want to change your mop pads after and you are done with the cleaning solution. It is good to go over your floor and make sure it is dry after.

When to Replace Your Mop Pads

It is up to you. When it looks bad and has a bit of a bad smell. It all depends how frequently you mop your floors. If you mop often and have a lot of traffic, you may want to replace your mop pads every other month. Otherwise, less frequently is fine.

What Brands are Best?

The 3M Scotch Brite is a popular microfiber mop that is safe for wood floors. It has a swivelling head which makes it great for cleaning those hard to reach areas. It has a large head so it cleans relatively quickly. It is a bit tricky to do the corners of a room with it. Many people throw the microfiber pads in the laundry machine. These are usually around $20. The refill mop head is around $8. They have an extensive line of cleaning products so make sure you are picking out the right one for wood floors. Another microfiber mop that is terrific is the Quickie Manufacturing Professional Hardwood Floor Mop. They do a good job and are easy to use. They can swivel 350 degrees. Their soft, terry cloth pads are machine washable, too. The pole is 48 inches so it is great for a tall or short user. They are also not very expensive at all – you can pick one up for $15. The refill mop head is $9.

Steam Cleaners on Wood Floors

Steam cleaners are cleaning appliances designed for a variety of surfaces. They emit water vapor and heat. They can be both very large for commercial use and small for home use. The small ones for homes look similar to a household vacuum cleaner. They have an area for water storage.

How Steam Cleaners Work

Steam cleaners take the water sitting in the holding chamber and turn it into vapor. As vapor expands, it is forced to exit through the nozzle. Then, the water vapor is directed onto the surface that needs cleaning. The steam cools down and turns back into water when it comes in contact with the surface it is cleaning. It removes the dirt by pulling it off the surface. There are different varieties of steam cleaners. Some of them have two holding chambers; one for clean water and one for dirty water. Other models of steam cleaners don’t have a separate chamber for dirty water and require the person using it to remove the dirty water droplets off the surface. Some steam cleaners just require water. Others require soap and other chemical detergents to activate them. The temperature of the water vapor varies depending on the type of steam cleaner.

Are Steam Cleaners Safe For Wood Floors

No. The two main components that do the cleaning are heat and water. Heat and water cause wooden floorboards to buckle and crack. A steam cleaner will change the moisture content in your floorboards. This is why they are prone to buckling. The water vapor will probably penetrate into the floor finish. More than likely, you are forcing water into the grain of the wood. Some people say that if you have a Swedish finish on your hardwood floors, you are safe to use a steam cleaner. Regardless of what anyone tells you, it is best to avoid using any water solution or steam cleaner to clean your wood floors. You are just asking for potential damage. Not all floors are finished equally. Some floors have more coatings of finish than others. Also, not every floor has a high quality finish on it. Besides, it is enough to void any warranty that you have on your wood floors. Also, as soon as you have to use any soaps or disinfectants, you may be asking for trouble. The soap could potentially react with your finish in a way that could discolor it or even peel it off.

The Instructions Say It Is Safe For Hardwood Floors

If the steam cleaning instructions say it is okay to use on hardwood floors, it does not mean that it is safe! There are many products on the market that claim to be safe on hardwood floors. They are not always safe. Even some floor cleaners like Murphy’s Oil Soap leave a messy film. If you want to have clean hardwood floors, don’t use any steam cleaners. Don’t use any steam mops either. Read my article, “Steam Mops on Wood Floors”. If you want to clean your wood floors safely, read my articles “How To Clean and Maintain Hardwood Floors – Part One and Part Two”.

Your Home, Your Wood Floors and Carpenter Ants

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Like termites, carpenter ants make tunnels in decomposing wood. Frightening yet easy to detect, these ants are large black or black and red in the mid-section. These critters have six legs. Their bodies span between 6 to 17 mm depending on if it is a worker ant or a queen ant. All carpenter ants produce wings at certain times of the year depending on their mating time. If you see any scurrying across your wood floors, it may mean that they are nesting in your home. They are most active at night and always follow the same trails. They can get into your food and water supply if you aren’t careful. They will truly infiltrate your home – not just your wood! They can rarely be found in the lining of your fridge. A mature nest will span a good portion of your home – floor to ceiling and can contain up to 5000 ants. They prefer warm, moist weather rather than colder, dryer weather. They love moist, decaying wood. Because they really need moist wood for their eggs and their young, they always make their nests in moist wood. Carpenter ant nests can often be found in rotting tree stumps or decaying wood but they may be found in your house, too. If you have any decaying wood in the structure of your home, this is possible carpenter ant nest territory. Not to worry, the big ant colonies with large populations take years to establish. You may think that carpenter ants feast on wood, they actually don’t. These household pests only borrow in wood and make tunnels in decomposing timber known as galleries. They destroy homes by making nests in decaying wood and making tunnels into good wood. They will also make other nests in dry wood for more mature larvae and pupae. These nests are not commonly in wood floors. In fact, they are under or in insulation, in attics, crawl spaces, hollow doors, structural doors, downspouts, subfloors, beams, under roof shingles and porches. They will attack your wood floors if they have any moisture in them. Carpenter ants are by no means quiet. If you have good hearing you will probably hear them. You can listen for them near the ceiling, the walls and the floors.

Treating The Problem

If you see upwards of 10 ants in a span of a few hours, you have a problem. It is worth calling pest control. You may have a carpenter ant nest in your house. You can follow the ants and see if they go to a nest. This way you will know where the nest is. If you want to get the carpenter ants to come out, use a little honeydew, honey or any other sweet fruit to attract them. They will come to the bait to have a nibble. You can identify carpenter ant activity if you see piles of loose wood shavings or sawdust, this may be a sign of a nest nearby. These piles of wood dust are known as frass. It also consists of body parts. If you see wood damage in the form of slits or holes, this is also a telltale sign that you have carpenter ants. There are several different treatments you can use for carpenter ants. 1. Boric acid can be sprinkled where the nest is. If you mix it with a bit of powdered sugar – even more powerful. Carpenter ants really love sweet stuff. Or, you can place little amounts in small open containers. Boric acid acts as a stomach poison for the majority of insects. It is best to wear a dust mask, rubber gloves and eye protection when using it. As it is harmful when ingested, be careful to leave it out of the reach of children and pets. Boric acid can be purchased at your local gardening store. 2. Diatomaceous earth also known as silicon dioxide – same stuff that can be used to treat bed bugs, fleas and a host of other pesty insects is also great for carpenter ants. It dehydrates them and dries up their bodies and kills them. Just like with boric acid, be careful to protective when using it. It is very fine and you don’t want to inhale it in your lungs! 3. These powders should be sprinkled over plumbing pipes and wires – the places where they will most likely be. Wherever there is an easy route, carpenter ants will take it. For this reason, they love wall voids. It is worth turning off the power to unscrew the cover plates from electrical switches and outlets to see if there is any activity there. Vacuum these spots up as well as you can. 4. There are many different insecticide dust products on the market, too. Many of these insecticides are powerful and will do a great job. Most dry insecticide is designed for specific insects. Make sure to get the one for carpenter ants. The only thing is they are not safe for children or pets. 5. If the problem persists and you need to take more serious measures, use the toxic bait method. This technique is also terrific if the nest is invisible to you. How it works is the ants will take the bait back to their nest, eat and be poisoned. Within 3 days, the ants should all be dead. Toxic bait comes in a gel and should be mixed with a small amount of milk and sugar. Even if you see ants travelling, you don’t want to start spraying insecticide because it will alarm the other ants that something is wrong and make work against eliminating the problem as they will build more nests and spread their population out. It is best to buy a tamper proof toxic bait if you have small children or pets.

Prevention – Making Sure They Are Gone For Good!

a. Clean up. Get rid of clutter. Seal any faucets or pipes that may cause wood to get moist. b. Seal your house. Make sure there are no gaps or holes. You can use caulk to seal holes. This will keep your wood dry. It will also keep carpenter ants out! c. Get rid of any piles of wood or natural debris that they will like near your house. Piles of leaves, weeds, anything of this nature needs to be removed. Get rid of any old rotting timber near your home as this could also pose a problem. Or, better yet, store any wood that you keep outside on a raised platform. If you have a stack of firewood, just keep it higher so it stays relatively dry. Clogged gutters are also a problem because it allows water to collect. Just do your best to keep your property without decaying wood or puddles of water. d. Any sugar, jam honey – anything you used as bait to get them out will attract them back. Get rid of it all. e. Prune your trees. f. Eliminate moisture in your home. Dehumidify as much as you can. g. Carpenter ants prefer sap and other insects to jam, honey and sugar. Their favorite flower is peonies. If you have these near your house, it is best to move them further away. Good luck getting rid of the insect problem. If it persists, call a local exterminator.

Carbonized Bamboo Floors

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Carbonized bamboo floors are darker floors. Carbonized shades of bamboo may look elegant but they are not hard nor are they long-lasting. A lot of people like the look of a dark floor. Some hardwood floors are naturally dark, like ebony. Sometimes hardwood floors can be stained to achieve a darker color. When you stain a hardwood floor with a dark color, it generally doesn’t change the integrity or the strength of the wood.  

Varieties of Carbonized Bamboo Flooring

There are two varieties of carbonized bamboo flooring; vertical carbonized bamboo flooring and horizontal bamboo flooring. The difference in these two varieties is their alignment. It is important to note that carbonized bamboo flooring is not designed for high traffic areas like shopping centers or office buildings. These floors are suited only for residential use.

The Bamboo Carbonization Process

Bamboo flooring is different than hardwood flooring (besides being a grass floor!). When bamboo floors are dark, they are usually not stained with a dark stain. These floors go through a chemical process to achieve their dark pigment. Carbonized bamboo is a flooring that has a carbonized finish. It has a dark, amber color. It is produced through a process called carbonization. The longer this process takes, the darker and softer the product will turn out. The traditional way to change the color of bamboo is with heat (carbonization). The sugar content in the fiber causes the bamboo to darken when they are pressure heated. It is important to note that pressure heating weakens the bamboo significantly. If you want long-lasting floors, carbonized bamboo is definitely not your answer!

Drawbacks to Carbonized Bamboo Floors

Many people know that carbonized bamboo flooring is not very durable but they still want dark bamboo. A lot of floor manufacturers are coming out with a stained natural bamboo floor variety that is darker. The only reason consumers ever choose carbonized bamboo flooring is for its darker color. The majority of contractors (who are honest!) will advise against carbonized bamboo flooring simply because it is not strong and it will not last very long. If you love the look of a dark floor, bamboo is probably not the right choice for you. When you get a carbonized bamboo floor, it is not going to last you anywhere near what a dark stained hardwood would last you. If you want a dark wood floor, go with a hardwood. It will cost you more upfront but in the long-run it will cost you less because it will be durable and won’t need to be replaced, it will just need periodic refinishings just like any other hardwood floor. Be aware of other carbonized bamboo products. It is most commonly used in flooring but if you see furniture made from it, the same rule applies. It may look good now but it won’t last very long. Even if it is strand carbonized flooring (sometimes called stranded flooring), which is a better variety, the carbonized bamboo will not be long lasting. The word “solid” should not be a selling feature. Solid carbonized bamboo is not strong either. Manufacturers will use all kinds of fancy words and techniques to make you think that this stuff is great but it really isn’t worth your money. If you decide to get a bamboo floor, it is wise to go with a natural shade of “wood”.

A General Guide To Wood Look Tiles

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Wood Look Tiles: Growing In Popularity

Wood look tiles also called wood effect tiles and wood tiles are becoming more and more popular. They come in many different varieties of patterns, styles and colors and are made from different materials, too. Basically, if you have seen it as a wood floor, they can mimic it in a wood look tile. Bamboo, hand scraped, herringbone, minimal grout – you name it and there are wood look tiles for you to match your style. Home owners like wood look tiles because of the low maintenance. You care for wood effect tiles as you would any tiled floor. It does not matter if you spill lots of water on your floors – they are tiles! They are usually porcelain or ceramic. They don’t need to be sanded, refinished or cared for like a hardwood floor but they have a similar look to a hardwood floor. There is no annual maintenance required for wood look tiles. Don’t get wood look tiles confused with wood look vinyl. Vinyl is the plastic flooring that comes on rolls and is a photograph of wood floors – often with a noticeable repeating pattern.

Pricing Out Wood Look Tiles

Wood look tiles vary in price depending on what style you want and what company you buy them from. There is always going to be differences in quality from one manufacturer to the next. There is also the installation cost. If you go to your local home improvement center, sometimes the installation cost is included. They may often tack on delivery cost, too. So it will appear that the price is really high but it is not actually as high as it looks. If you go this route, you will not be able to choose who installs your tiles. The range for wood tiles is huge and it really depends on the style you want. Typically you can find wood look tiles that are in the range of $6 to $10 a square foot – of course you can always find clearance tiles for less and designer tiles for more.

Hire A Tile Layer Or Do It Yourself?

You may want to lay your tiles yourself. Cutting the tiles is usually done with a wet saw or sometimes a dry saw depending on the type of tiles. If you are in an older house, you will need to level your floors. If you do not level your floors, as your house shifts ever so slightly with the seasons, your tiles will crack. You can replace them but it is an annoying job that you want to prevent. There are many different styles to lay tiles and you want your tiles to be installed to mimic a wood floor. Also you can cut them in different lengths. I think longer tiles makes them look more look wood planks – more like a wood floor and less like a tiled floor. Often wood look tiles come in long lengths that do not require any cutting – just at the edge of the room.

Tips For Buying Wood Look Tiles

A tip for buying your wood look tiles or any floor tiles for that matter: always buy 10% more than you require to do the job. You may end up using your extra wood effect tiles. You may end up storing them for the future when you need to do a repair. Especially if you are buying clearance tiles, you will probably never see them again in the store. If they only have enough tiles to do your job with no extra, do not buy them!

Final Thoughts

Wood look tiles are an easy floor to keep clean. If you have pets, young children or live in a moist climate, wood tiles are for you.