Interior Design Minimalist

Upon starting this product review category I thought, okay tone it down, give people what they want; honest reviews of a product. Running a small online business(as of December 2007) that sells these products while offering a fair opinion is not an easy task. It didn't take me long to come up with a product that probably ranks the highest in this category.

I'll be straightforward, we do not sell much of the Kahrs product online these days because of the pricing. Other competitors are happy to make 30 cents on a product that costs about $ 3.70. It is likely to be the leader in it's field when it comes to lack of consumer claims. Or at least that was our experience when we did sell a lot of it. Others that fit this bill are Mirage(which we'll get to at a later date) and Lauzon. The latter of which we cannot provide a review because frankly we cannot get a sales rep to call on us.

Kahrs has several lines, most of which are the Woodloc installation system. Woodloc is their own proprietary name for their locking mechanism. The beauty of the Woodloc is it provides a wonderful square edge appearance once installed, opposed to many of the beveled products out there today.

Square edge is the appearance of what one board adjacent to another looks like when installed. It becomes a near seamless fit, similar to a traditional floor that is installed, sanded, and finished.

Kahrs offers three different appearances in their Woodloc line. All are approximately 8 inches in width, with some being slightly different as they are manufactured in different facilities in Europe. In pricing terms, the narrower the width the lower retail cost.

October 25, 2009- Back in March I also put together a video on Kahrs and their other lines. I shelved it until September because I wasn't happy with how it came out. Not being able to find the original video draft file I could not change it. Upon looking at it I thought, "what the heck it's not that bad..." I was really nit picking, but it doesn't have the lighting I'm after with "action shots."

Since that time the two strip has been discontinued. It took too long to start a new video, so I just let it ride. Many of their products are now manufactured in the US instead of Europe. Surprisingly, Kahrs has also jumped on the made in Asia bandwagon as the new Spirit Collection is manufactured there.

Another video, from Kahrs directly, dealing with installation of their products.

Very informative for those seeking how to.

Upon starting this product review category I thought, okay tone it down, give people what they want; honest reviews of a product. Running a small online business(as of December 2007) that sells these products while offering a fair opinion is not an easy task. It didn't take me long to come up with a product that probably ranks the highest in this category.

I'll be straightforward, we do not sell much of the Kahrs product online these days because of the pricing. Other competitors are happy to make 30 cents on a product that costs about $ 3.70. It is likely to be the leader in it's field when it comes to lack of consumer claims. Or at least that was our experience when we did sell a lot of it. Others that fit this bill are Mirage(which we'll get to at a later date) and Lauzon. The latter of which we cannot provide a review because frankly we cannot get a sales rep to call on us.

Kahrs has several lines, most of which are the Woodloc installation system. Woodloc is their own proprietary name for their locking mechanism. The beauty of the Woodloc is it provides a wonderful square edge appearance once installed, opposed to many of the beveled products out there today.

Square edge is the appearance of what one board adjacent to another looks like when installed. It becomes a near seamless fit, similar to a traditional floor that is installed, sanded, and finished.

Kahrs offers three different appearances in their Woodloc line. All are approximately 8 inches in width, with some being slightly different as they are manufactured in different facilities in Europe. In pricing terms, the narrower the width the lower retail cost.

October 25, 2009- Back in March I also put together a video on Kahrs and their other lines. I shelved it until September because I wasn't happy with how it came out. Not being able to find the original video draft file I could not change it. Upon looking at it I thought, "what the heck it's not that bad..." I was really nit picking, but it doesn't have the lighting I'm after with "action shots."

Since that time the two strip has been discontinued. It took too long to start a new video, so I just let it ride. Many of their products are now manufactured in the US instead of Europe. Surprisingly, Kahrs has also jumped on the made in Asia bandwagon as the new Spirit Collection is manufactured there.

Another video, from Kahrs directly, dealing with installation of their products.

Very informative for those seeking how to.

Be careful out there when it comes to cleaning your new or older hardwood floors. Some cleaners may sound great by advertisements or infomercials seen on TV. However chances are the makeup of what's in the cleaner may void any warranty you may have not only prefinished floors, but site finished as well.

For a badly neglected floor you may be telling yourself, anything may be better. However if results are not up to your expectations, you may need the rescue of a professional floor finisher. What you originally applied to the floor may be more troublesome to fix than without. Why?

Some cleaners not recommended by hardwood finish manufacturers may contain residues that dull or cloud a finish appearance. Depending on how much was used, and the condition of the floor, these residues can go deeper into the actual pores of the hardwood (if bare wood is exposed) creating a potential bonding problem with any new finish being applied. In some cases floors have to be sanded to bare wood, getting rid of the harmful residues so a correct finish and proper bond is achieved.

I've seen the same commercials in the likes or Orange Glo or Glow. From a professional and more realistic standpoint I have to wonder how some consumers think such a low cost product is worth using. Ask yourself; would you use a similar product on an antique piece of furniture? That antique could be worth thousands, the same as your hardwood floor.

I have seen some complaints, but I'm not the type that will blame the manufacturer. It's likely what was on the floor originally that could have compounded the problems. It's best to follow manufacturers specifications on prefinished floors and listen to the guy that just refinished your older hardwood floors. After all he's been in business to keep people happy. A wrong suggestion is likely to lead to a failed floor and plenty or irate customers..

Be careful out there when it comes to cleaning your new or older hardwood floors. Some cleaners may sound great by advertisements or infomercials seen on TV. However chances are the makeup of what's in the cleaner may void any warranty you may have not only prefinished floors, but site finished as well.

For a badly neglected floor you may be telling yourself, anything may be better. However if results are not up to your expectations, you may need the rescue of a professional floor finisher. What you originally applied to the floor may be more troublesome to fix than without. Why?

Some cleaners not recommended by hardwood finish manufacturers may contain residues that dull or cloud a finish appearance. Depending on how much was used, and the condition of the floor, these residues can go deeper into the actual pores of the hardwood (if bare wood is exposed) creating a potential bonding problem with any new finish being applied. In some cases floors have to be sanded to bare wood, getting rid of the harmful residues so a correct finish and proper bond is achieved.

I've seen the same commercials in the likes or Orange Glo or Glow. From a professional and more realistic standpoint I have to wonder how some consumers think such a low cost product is worth using. Ask yourself; would you use a similar product on an antique piece of furniture? That antique could be worth thousands, the same as your hardwood floor.

I have seen some complaints, but I'm not the type that will blame the manufacturer. It's likely what was on the floor originally that could have compounded the problems. It's best to follow manufacturers specifications on prefinished floors and listen to the guy that just refinished your older hardwood floors. After all he's been in business to keep people happy. A wrong suggestion is likely to lead to a failed floor and plenty or irate customers..

I see and hear it often. I have scratches in my new hardwood floors. What can I do? How can I prevent it from happening again? Is there something I can add to the new floor to make it more scratch resistant?

We take pride in new floors like we take care of a new car. You know where I'm coming from. You find new parking spaces never thought of before. They may be off the beaten track and further from the grocery store but your thoughts are they won't get scratched up. A few weeks go by. Guess what? You're now parking the car where you did before.

The single most preventive option is keeping grit off the new floor. By adding walk off mats at any door entry and area rugs indoors, a large portion of floor scratching potential will be eliminated. Hey just make sure those kids leave the shoes on the rug at the front door and don't allow them to drag them over in front of the TV to put 'em on the next day.

Any soil that could have been damp when they removed them is now hardened and will loosen from the bottom soles once they run to the front door for school. You didn't think of it and now grit, although in minuscule amounts is laying on the floor ready to be dragged. Yikes. Scratches!

Cats are very unlikely to cause floor scratching by paw traffic alone, but some strange ones have been known to use floors as a scratching pole, though quite rare. Dogs? Yep, keep those nails trimmed and make sure you have a good sized area rug near the doors if Fred loves to run for the doorbell.

Here's a cool idea. Protective nail coatings for pets so they don't scratch you or the floors. Imagine having your best friend running around the house in what looks like designer nails for pets!

See nail caps for dogs and caps for cats.

Better floor finishes do not protect against scratches although new prefinished floors have variations of aluminum oxide that are more durable to everyday use. Besides, adding any topcoat will void the finish warranty that came with your new hardwood floor.

I see and hear it often. I have scratches in my new hardwood floors. What can I do? How can I prevent it from happening again? Is there something I can add to the new floor to make it more scratch resistant?

We take pride in new floors like we take care of a new car. You know where I'm coming from. You find new parking spaces never thought of before. They may be off the beaten track and further from the grocery store but your thoughts are they won't get scratched up. A few weeks go by. Guess what? You're now parking the car where you did before.

The single most preventive option is keeping grit off the new floor. By adding walk off mats at any door entry and area rugs indoors, a large portion of floor scratching potential will be eliminated. Hey just make sure those kids leave the shoes on the rug at the front door and don't allow them to drag them over in front of the TV to put 'em on the next day.

Any soil that could have been damp when they removed them is now hardened and will loosen from the bottom soles once they run to the front door for school. You didn't think of it and now grit, although in minuscule amounts is laying on the floor ready to be dragged. Yikes. Scratches!

Cats are very unlikely to cause floor scratching by paw traffic alone, but some strange ones have been known to use floors as a scratching pole, though quite rare. Dogs? Yep, keep those nails trimmed and make sure you have a good sized area rug near the doors if Fred loves to run for the doorbell.

Here's a cool idea. Protective nail coatings for pets so they don't scratch you or the floors. Imagine having your best friend running around the house in what looks like designer nails for pets!

See nail caps for dogs and caps for cats.

Better floor finishes do not protect against scratches although new prefinished floors have variations of aluminum oxide that are more durable to everyday use. Besides, adding any topcoat will void the finish warranty that came with your new hardwood floor.

I received an email the other day from a gal in Long Beach. She wondered why her new red oak floor looked so different than her daughters' up the road in Pasadena. Naturally it took a few exchanges of mail to get to the bottom of it, but I had a pretty good idea what the answer was ahead of time.

Her daughters home was built in the 20's where older growth hardwood flooring was plentiful. Older growth which is very hard to obtain (reclaimed) these days offers a tighter grain appearance than toady's hardwood flooring. There are also differences in hardwood flooring grades. In other words, Red Oak and other hardwoods have appearances that will not look the same. Much of it has to do with color and character contained within; a result of how the flooring was milled, separated, and sorted before the sale.

Another factor in the equation became that she had chosen an engineered hardwood floor. This made matters even more challenging for her to understand. Why? Let's look at what her daughter has in her home; the old growth Red Oak hardwood shown above we found on the website of Antique Vintage Woods Of America. Looking closely at that image compared to the one further below on the page the difference is quite noticeable.

The Long Beach woman had chosen the Bruce Northshore Strip engineered hardwood whose appearance is night and day.

It's obvious the color or character is different, but we're just comparing the grain pattern. The second photo shows a more radial look to it due to the newer growth hardwood and the method in which engineered floors are manufactured.

The question was also asked how long her new floor should last but she didn't expect to be around more than another 20 years. With a product like the Northshore Strip, taken care of well should perform well during that time span, but there's no comparison to a solid hardwood floor like her daughters'.

I received an email the other day from a gal in Long Beach. She wondered why her new red oak floor looked so different than her daughters' up the road in Pasadena. Naturally it took a few exchanges of mail to get to the bottom of it, but I had a pretty good idea what the answer was ahead of time.

Her daughters home was built in the 20's where older growth hardwood flooring was plentiful. Older growth which is very hard to obtain (reclaimed) these days offers a tighter grain appearance than toady's hardwood flooring. There are also differences in hardwood flooring grades. In other words, Red Oak and other hardwoods have appearances that will not look the same. Much of it has to do with color and character contained within; a result of how the flooring was milled, separated, and sorted before the sale.

Another factor in the equation became that she had chosen an engineered hardwood floor. This made matters even more challenging for her to understand. Why? Let's look at what her daughter has in her home; the old growth Red Oak hardwood shown above we found on the website of Antique Vintage Woods Of America. Looking closely at that image compared to the one further below on the page the difference is quite noticeable.

The Long Beach woman had chosen the Bruce Northshore Strip engineered hardwood whose appearance is night and day.

It's obvious the color or character is different, but we're just comparing the grain pattern. The second photo shows a more radial look to it due to the newer growth hardwood and the method in which engineered floors are manufactured.

The question was also asked how long her new floor should last but she didn't expect to be around more than another 20 years. With a product like the Northshore Strip, taken care of well should perform well during that time span, but there's no comparison to a solid hardwood floor like her daughters'.

There aren't many sources for this kind of product both on the web and locally. The only real source I knew of was Finium, a Canadian manufacturer. Only problem was the exorbitant prices they were asking. Of course a few middlemen were involved which really took a bite from finding an affordable alternative to handling stair treads and risers the old fashioned way; installing and finishing on site.

So what about the hassle of doing it on site? Sure unfinished material makes it appear more affordable, but several steps along the way create an inconvenience. Airborne dust has always been a problem. You may not actually notice it on inspection from a distance, but you will rarely get that smooth almost furniture like feel, or a similar finish applied to prefinished hardwood floors.

The amount of time and labor involved in finishing treads and risers on site can also take a bite out of the cost savings you have buy installing unfinished material. Let's not forget the odors created by the type of finish you may prefer. Some may linger for weeks depending on how sensitive you are.

A few weeks ago I visited stair-treads.com in White, Georgia. Had I known about these guys a few years ago I would have offered their products for sale when hardwoodinstaller.com sold hardwood flooring. Nine times out of ten hands down, finished treads and risers beat that strip or plank look many retailers steer you towards because they don't know of the other options.

Installing hardwood on stairs by the single plank method takes time as well, not to mention some serious tedius work if you want it looking like a professional handled it. And the costs can be up there too. Take for instance one single piece of prefinished stair molding (also known as bull nosing) can run on average $50.00. Add about 4-5 square feet of material for each standard 36" step and riser with a square foot price of $ 7.50 and your costs are $80.00. Thrown in labor and that cost can rise to $160 and more per step easily.

There aren't many sources for this kind of product both on the web and locally. The only real source I knew of was Finium, a Canadian manufacturer. Only problem was the exorbitant prices they were asking. Of course a few middlemen were involved which really took a bite from finding an affordable alternative to handling stair treads and risers the old fashioned way; installing and finishing on site.

So what about the hassle of doing it on site? Sure unfinished material makes it appear more affordable, but several steps along the way create an inconvenience. Airborne dust has always been a problem. You may not actually notice it on inspection from a distance, but you will rarely get that smooth almost furniture like feel, or a similar finish applied to prefinished hardwood floors.

The amount of time and labor involved in finishing treads and risers on site can also take a bite out of the cost savings you have buy installing unfinished material. Let's not forget the odors created by the type of finish you may prefer. Some may linger for weeks depending on how sensitive you are.

A few weeks ago I visited stair-treads.com in White, Georgia. Had I known about these guys a few years ago I would have offered their products for sale when hardwoodinstaller.com sold hardwood flooring. Nine times out of ten hands down, finished treads and risers beat that strip or plank look many retailers steer you towards because they don't know of the other options.

Installing hardwood on stairs by the single plank method takes time as well, not to mention some serious tedius work if you want it looking like a professional handled it. And the costs can be up there too. Take for instance one single piece of prefinished stair molding (also known as bull nosing) can run on average $50.00. Add about 4-5 square feet of material for each standard 36" step and riser with a square foot price of $ 7.50 and your costs are $80.00. Thrown in labor and that cost can rise to $160 and more per step easily.

Not sure how this will show. I've been playing around with the wide screen mode on YouTube.

Looks okay from here. Anyway this is a send I've been employed with on and off over the last sextet weeks. It's the angle I couldn't become up with because of limited recording footage. Then I thought... it's right in face of me. How many folks wager the doc product in the big home transformation centers? Thousands upon thousands. Getting actual recording has been a problem because I don't install hardwood floors anymore. However that will belike change because I can't intend recording and level guys just don't understand the benefits.

I did place an advertisement of sorts on the actual site, but no takers. Oh...I did hit a man in Jacksonville but he never called back.

Heck, I'll impact for free meet to get what I requirement as long as whomever has the job handles all the humping to the jobsite...and the harder stuff I'm not interested in doing. Like scraping concrete floors, lugging tools around, and all that another boring stuff.

Hey, I guess this is an advertisement for anyone hunting for an installer...that works for free! Imagine that. A freebie! I do requirement a some newborn tools (specifically a Bostich flooring stapler)...and acquire me lunch...I'll be a real happy camper.

Not sure how this will show. I've been playing around with the wide screen mode on YouTube.

Looks okay from here. Anyway this is a send I've been employed with on and off over the last sextet weeks. It's the angle I couldn't become up with because of limited recording footage. Then I thought... it's right in face of me. How many folks wager the doc product in the big home transformation centers? Thousands upon thousands. Getting actual recording has been a problem because I don't install hardwood floors anymore. However that will belike change because I can't intend recording and level guys just don't understand the benefits.

I did place an advertisement of sorts on the actual site, but no takers. Oh...I did hit a man in Jacksonville but he never called back.

Heck, I'll impact for free meet to get what I requirement as long as whomever has the job handles all the humping to the jobsite...and the harder stuff I'm not interested in doing. Like scraping concrete floors, lugging tools around, and all that another boring stuff.

Hey, I guess this is an advertisement for anyone hunting for an installer...that works for free! Imagine that. A freebie! I do requirement a some newborn tools (specifically a Bostich flooring stapler)...and acquire me lunch...I'll be a real happy camper.