The post What’s Popular Now: Wood Flooring Trends for 2023 appeared first on Renaissance Hardwood Floors.

 Use Floor Mats and Rugs  

Place mats or rugs near entrances and other high-traffic areas so that dirt, mud, salt, water, and other debris can be caught before they damage your wood floors. Choose rugs with non-slip backing so they stay in place when people walk across them. (PRO TIP: Make sure you also place a rug under the dining room table to safeguard against food and liquid spills.)

Take Off Shoes at Entrances 

Encourage family members (and guests) to take off their shoes at entrances during the holiday season if possible. This helps keep much of the dirt, mud, snow, salt and other debris out of your home so it never has a chance to land on your wood floors in the first place.

Clean Spills Quickly

With family gatherings, spills are practically inevitable. Don’t panic when they happen–just clean them up as soon as possible using a soft cloth or paper towel. (Remember: only use cleaning solutions designed for wood floors–no water mopping!)

Do Regular Sweeps

With additional guests and an abundance of sweets and snacks, you can expect a higher-than-average amount of crumbs to hit the floor. These can be just as damaging as dirt and debris if they’re ground into the floor by unsuspecting feet. Try to do a quick sweep of the wood floors daily to remove any excess crumbs and stray food morsels.

Keep a Tree Blanket Under the Tree

Live Christmas trees can drop needles and tree sap, both of which can do significant damage to wood floors. Make sure you use a sturdy tree blanket under the tree to minimize this risk. If you use an artificial tree, make sure you have a rug underneath it, too, to prevent scratching the floor with the tree stand. (PRO TIP: After the holidays, wrap the tree in a blanket or sheet when removing it to prevent excess needle droppings, and sweep or vacuum stray needles as soon as possible.)

Keeping this checklist in mind will help you enjoy the holidays without stress and worry, knowing your wood floors are safe. From all of us at Renaissance, we wish you the happiest of holidays, and a prosperous New Year!

The post Stress-Free Holidays: Your Wood Floor Protection Checklist appeared first on Renaissance Hardwood Floors.

How about no stain at all?

It’s true. Unstained wood floors have become a thing, and the trend is taking off across the country (including here in Green Country) as more homeowners opt for a more natural look with their wood floors. Let’s talk about this trend, what it is and why it’s happening, so you can decide whether it’s a good choice for your home.

What Is the “Natural” Look?

In simplest terms, the “natural” look when it comes to wood floors is to leave the wood unstained during installation and before finishing. This basically makes it look as though the wood has been freshly cut from the trees–a light, warm, organic look. It can also lend a sense of minimalism since the wood is left to speak for itself without any staining to draw out the color or texture.

What’s Driving this Trend?

There are a couple of reasons why unstained wood flooring is on the rise in home design. Let’s look at these in more detail.

The Move Toward Nature

Partly in response to the recent pandemic where people had to spend a lot of time indoors, there’s been a huge push in home design to incorporate more nature into our homes. You can see this trend in the integration of more greenery, adding windows for more natural light, and the increased popularity of farmhouse-style decor. The popularity of unstained wood floors coincides with this trend. The lighter, natural wood tones tend to evoke a sense of warmth, space and light, which many people find quite comforting these days.

Low Maintenance

Darker stained wood can be quite beautiful and timeless, but it also shows scratches and dust more easily. The lighter color of unstained wood tends to conceal wear and tear for a longer period of time, making them a great choice for busy households or homes with pets and children.

Unstained does NOT Mean Unfinished

We should emphasize at this point that choosing the natural look does not mean your floors will be unprotected. Staining only refers to the color and shade of your wood floors. Natural wood can still be finished to a soft matte or even a high-polished finish. Furthermore, a good hardwood flooring company will make sure your floors are properly sealed and coated so they last for years to come. Where many flooring companies only apply 1-2 coats of polyurethane, at Renaissance, we finish our floors with three coats for an added layer of protection.

If you’re thinking about incorporating the natural look of unstained wood floors into your new project, our team of experts can help you decide whether it’s a good fit for your home. In Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and surrounding areas, contact us here for a complementary consultation, or just come by our showroom in Glenpool to see some samples.

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The Weather Is Cooler.

While hardwood floors can be installed any time of year, fall temperatures often mean the crew can work with the windows open. This can be helpful for ventilating the chemical fumes associated with the staining and sealing process, especially if you’re planning to be home while the work is going on.

Scheduling Is Easier.

At Renaissance, we’ve got busy schedules most months of the year because our technicians are in high demand. But during spring and summer (peak building season), there’s an increased likelihood for wait times to schedule wood floor installations. In the fall, scheduling is a bit more relaxed, so we can usually get to your project sooner.

Your Home Will Be Ready for Holiday Entertaining. 

If you install or replace your hardwood floors now, they’ll be done in plenty of time for the holidays. It will give your home a whole new look for the season. Your guests will be impressed with your beautiful new floors, and you won’t have to worry about any last-minute projects before they arrive.

You’ll Get to Enjoy Your New Floors All Winter Long. 

Wood floors add a sense of warmth and comfort to any space. Getting the floors installed before winter sets in means you’ll get to enjoy your new floors now instead of later. As you cozy up by the fireplace or entertain friends and family this winter, you’ll be glad you took care of your flooring project this fall. (Plus, if you were putting it off till next year, that time is now freed up to focus on other projects!)

If you’ve been meaning to install new wood flooring or replace your existing floors, why wait? Call us now to get on the schedule and have a whole new look for your home before the holiday season. For a complementary quote on hardwood flooring installation or replacement in Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and surrounding areas, contact us here.

The post 4 Reasons to Install or Replace Your Hardwood Floors This Fall appeared first on Renaissance Hardwood Floors.

It’s true. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that hardwood flooring is one of the best flooring options for improving air quality in the home. Not only is this good for our overall health, but wood flooring is also highly recommended for asthma sufferers and people with other types of respiratory problems. Let’s talk about a few reasons why.

Wood Flooring is Hypoallergenic

The EPA says wood flooring is the most effective type of floor to resist the accumulation of pollen, pet dander, dust mites, mold spores, cockroach droppings, and other allergy-causing agents that tend to thrive in carpets. Wood floors are also easy to clean, and any allergens on the floor are easily picked up and removed every time you clean them.

Wood Flooring Resists Toxins

Hardwood floors don’t collect toxins from the outside like other floor types do. We consistently track pollutants into our homes from outside, including pesticides and other harmful chemicals. Wood floors tend not to accumulate these pollutants, nor does walking on the floors release these toxins into the air.

Wood Flooring Is Eco-Friendly

In a more general sense, installing wood flooring is better for the environment, especially when prepared and sealed with non-VOC ingredients. With all the concerns about “greenhouse gases” like carbon dioxide accumulating in the air, trees help balance this effect because they take carbon dioxide out of the air and release oxygen. While hardwood floors are no longer living, they will still absorb carbon from the air throughout their service life. This means wood flooring can effectively reduce the concentration of greenhouse gases both from your indoor air and from the environment in general.

There you have it! If you didn’t need another reason to love hardwood flooring, we’ve given you one, anyway. For a complimentary estimate on wood floor installation in Tulsa, Glenpool, Bixby, Sand Springs, or throughout Green Country, call Renaissance today at 918-298-4477.

The post Do Hardwood Floors Improve Air Quality in the Home? appeared first on Renaissance Hardwood Floors.

These are questions a lot of customers have about engineered hardwood flooring. To eliminate confusion and help you make informed choices, let’s discuss some key things you need to know about it.

Engineered Wood Is Actual Hardwood.

“Engineered” does not mean “artificial,” nor is it a laminate. Hardwood flooring is made of actual hardwood. The top layer, or wear layer, is a solid piece of hardwood (usually 1/16” to 1/8” thick). The core consists of multiple bonded layers of plywood. It’s not “solid” in the sense that it’s a natural wood plank cut from a tree, but there’s nothing about it that’s fake. It’s real wood that’s been engineered for strength and durability.

Engineered Wood Flooring Technology Has Consistently Improved.

When engineered flooring first emerged in the 1960s, you could definitely tell the difference between solid hardwood and engineered wood–both in appearance and quality. But like most things, manufacturers have continually found ways to improve it. Today, the naked eye cannot tell the difference. Engineered flooring comes in virtually any style, color, or finish as solid hardwood.

Engineered Wood Can Be Sanded and Refinished.

Some people mistakenly believe that with engineered flooring, damage can’t be repaired or refinished. That’s inaccurate. Since the top layer of engineered wood is solid hardwood, it can be sanded down and refinished just like any other hardwood floor. In fact, depending on the thickness, it can usually be done several times through its life expectancy. (This is not true of laminate flooring, which cannot be refinished.)

Engineered Wood Comes in Varying Degrees of Quality.

Not all engineered hardwood is created equal. Different manufacturers produce them using different methods–and with varying degrees of quality. If you’ve heard stories about engineered floors wearing out too soon or losing their finish, it’s likely because it was a low-quality grade of engineered flooring. When manufactured to premium quality, engineered hardwood performs just as well as solid wood flooring–if not better.

Quality Engineered Hardwood Can Last (Almost) as Long as Solid Wood Floors. 

We all know that solid hardwood floors can last a lifetime with proper care–sometimes 100 years or more. While lower grades of engineered wood can’t be expected to last that long, the thicker, well-made varieties have a life expectancy of up to 80 years. Since most people will replace their hardwood floors before then, anyway, the difference for most people is irrelevant.

Engineered Hardwood Doesn’t Suffer from Cupping or Crowning.

One notable advantage of engineered wood over solid wood is that engineered wood floors are resistant to changes in temperature and humidity. As a result, they’re not in danger of suffering damage from cupping or crowning the way solid wood floors are. This is a particularly useful benefit to Green Country homeowners considering that Oklahoma’s hot, humid summers and cool, dry winters can do a number on wood floors.

Engineered Wood Is a More Affordable Option.

Finally, for homeowners who want the look and feel of hardwood flooring but might not have the budget for it, engineered wood flooring presents a great alternative. It’s more affordable than solid wood, and as we’ve just discussed, it’s just as beautiful and durable with proper care. So for those on a budget, the look of hardwood is no longer out of reach.

For our customers who desire it as an option, Renaissance selects only the best grades of engineered hardwood flooring to install in homes and businesses. That way, our customers can rest assured that they’re only getting the highest levels of quality they’ve come to expect from us and that their floors are built to last. Contact us here to schedule a free evaluation and a quote on your next flooring project.

The post What You Need to Know About Engineered Hardwood Flooring appeared first on Renaissance Hardwood Floors.

The General Condition of the Flooring

If your hardwood floors only show surface wear (such as dullness, light scratches, scuffs, or color irregularities), then refinishing them may be all that’s needed to bring back their luster and beauty. However, if they’re deeply scratched, gouged, warped, or damaged, it may be time to replace them.

Previous Refinishing

You can only refinish hardwood floors so often. As a rule of thumb, standard wood planks 3/4 inches thick can be sanded down no more than 3-6 times during their life span before they can no longer support refinishing. If you’ve had your floors for a while and you’ve already refinished them three or more times, you might need to replace them this time.

The Type of Flooring

Some types of wood flooring are more durable than others and can withstand more wear and tear. If you have a high-quality, durable type of hardwood like oak or hickory, it’s likely that refinishing will be all that’s needed to restore its beauty. However, if you have a less durable type of wood like pine, replacement may be the better option.

The Age and History of the Floors

It’s not a hard-and-fast rule, but the older your hardwood floors are, the more likely it is that they’ll need to be replaced rather than refinished. That’s because over time, the wood may begin to deteriorate at the cellular level. This is especially true if the floors haven’t been properly maintained over the years and have become dry, cracked, or warped. Some wood floors that have been consistently cared for can be refinished after 20, 30, or even as long as 100 years. But truthfully, this isn’t always the case, especially in older homes. If you buy an old home with its original flooring, for example, you should have a professional check the floors to decide whether they can support refinishing or whether they need to be replaced.

Your Personal Preferences

Ultimately, the decision of whether to refinish or replace your hardwood floors is a personal one. If you’re attached to the look and feel of your floors and they’re in fairly good condition, refinishing may be the best option. However, if you’re ready for a whole new look or if you’re doing a full remodel of your home, your current floors might not serve your purposes anymore, and you may want to replace them for a completely fresh start.

Not sure whether to refinish or replace your wood floors? The experts at Renaissance can help. We’ve been installing and refinishing high-quality floors throughout Green Country for more than 30 years. Contact us here to schedule a free evaluation and a quote.

The post Refinish or Replace Your Wood Floors? 5 Ways to Know appeared first on Renaissance Hardwood Floors.

Presented every year by the Home Builders Association of Greater Tulsa, the Tulsa Parade of Homes features more than 100 homes across the Tulsa metro area, built by some of Green Country’s most reputable builders. This year’s parade features homes in Tulsa, Bixby, Broken Arrow, Catoosa, Collinsville, Coweta, Glenpool, Claremore, Jenks, Owasso, Sand Springs, Sapulpa, and Skiatook.

Renaissance is proud to feature our hardwood floors in this year’s parade in homes by these amazing builders:

• Abbey Homes
• Brian D. Wiggs Homes
• Brumble Construction
• Cobblestone Homes
• Concept Builders
• Coyle Custom Homes
• Dodson Building Group
• Executive Homes
• Farabough Homes
• Legacy Builders
• Old School Construction
• Scissortail Homes
• Briggs Construction
• True North Homes

The 2022 Tulsa Parade of Homes runs from June 18-26 from 1pm-7pm daily. Admission is FREE! For a map of the homes, pick up the Official Guide at your local participating QuikTrip, or better yet, download the Greater Tulsa Parade of Homes App, available at the Apple App Store or Google Play.

Don’t miss the opportunity to view some of the finest new homes in the Tulsa area—and be sure to look for our floors! See you there!

The post Join Us at the 2022 Tulsa Parade of Homes! appeared first on Renaissance Hardwood Floors.

In most cases, the answer is no–but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take a few precautions. While wood floors will expand and contract naturally in response to changes in temperature and humidity, excessive levels can sometimes do damage. Let’s discuss this in a bit more detail and talk about what you can do to safeguard your hardwood floors this summer.

“It’s Not the Heat, It’s the Humidity.”

When it comes to hardwood floors, this saying couldn’t be more true. While wood floors can generally withstand the summer heat, it’s actually the high humidity that can do the most harm. Not only does wood absorb moisture from the air, but the warmer temperatures actually enable the wood to expand and absorb even more moisture. As the wood planks expand, they start pressing against one another, which causes them to flex. This is what often causes the symptoms like warping, cupping, squeaky floorboards, etc.

Now, in most cases, this behavior is normal, and as the temperature and humidity subside, your floors will relax and settle back into place. But in cases where they are exposed to extreme heat and humidity for an extended period, the boards may start to crack and even begin to come loose from the subfloor–and this is damage that won’t resolve on its own. You’ll have to get a hardwood flooring expert to come out and do repairs.

Tips to Protect Your Wood Floors in Summer

The good news is there are steps you can take to reduce the risk that your hardwood floors will take damage from heat and humidity. Keep the following tips in mind:

• Keep wood floors out of direct sunlight, if possible. Not only can the UV rays fade the wood over time, but direct sunshine adds more heat and makes the wood capable of absorbing more moisture. Consider keeping blinds/drapes closed on hot days.
• Maintain comfortable indoor temperatures. Keep the air conditioner running to maintain a consistent temperature–even when you’re not home. In most cases, this will be enough to keep excess humidity at bay since cooler air stores less moisture. If you go away on vacation, keep the A/C on; if you want to save electricity, at least make sure the thermostat is set below 75 degrees.
• Consider investing in a dehumidifier to help regulate the humidity levels in your home. For maximum protection for your floors, a dehumidifier will help maintain proper moisture levels in the air inside when the humidity soars outside. (For best results, try to keep humidity levels around 55 percent.)

If the summer heat and humidity do manage to cause cracking or permanent cupping to your hardwood floors, it’s important to leave repairs to the professionals to ensure the job is done right. Renaissance Hardwood Floors can give you a complimentary evaluation of the condition of your floors and let you know what needs to happen to restore them to their original condition—or if you wish, we can install a whole new floor for you. To learn more about how we can help, contact us today.

The post Can Summer Heat and Humidity Hurt My Hardwood Floors? appeared first on Renaissance Hardwood Floors.

At the same time, your choice of hardwood flooring for the kitchen is very important. Kitchen floors take a lot of wear and tear from constant foot traffic. There’s also a risk of scuffs, scratches, spills, etc. For best results, you want a floor that is durable enough to stand up to this extra activity. Let’s explore some of the best hardwood flooring choices to keep your kitchen looking its best.

What Kind of Wood Floor Should You Choose for the Kitchen?

Generally speaking, harder woods like white oak or maple work best for kitchens because they are denser and more resistant to wear and tear. Softer woods like pine or walnut might feel better under your feet (or look better in the context of the entire home), but they are also more likely to sustain damage. There’s no right or wrong answer–just more or less risk. You must decide whether to trade off comfort for durability and be willing to exercise more care if you choose a softer wood.

What Kind of Wood Finish Is Best for Kitchens?

Some finishes work better than others for kitchen floors. Gloss and semi-gloss finishes can yield an attractive high-polished look, but they also show scratches and scuffs very easily, so many people don’t like them for kitchen floors. For kitchens receiving lots of use, a natural matte finish is usually best. Better yet, if you prefer a more textured look, distressed floors are excellent for hiding scratches and scuffs.

Additional Tips for Protecting Wood Floors in the Kitchen

Regardless of the type of wood flooring and finish you decide to go with, the following tips for care and maintenance will help keep your kitchen floors looking their best:

• Clean spills immediately. Even leaving a spill for a few minutes can cause unwanted moisture to absorb into the wood.
• Use protective rugs/pads under the stove, sink, and other high-risk areas. These are places where spills and splatters are most likely to happen. A strategically placed rug provides added protection against damage while adding support for your feet.
• Clean floors regularly. Use a brushless vacuum or a soft dry mop on the floor at least once every few days to remove crumbs and dirt that could grind into the kitchen floor.

When choosing hardwood flooring for the kitchen, you want to be sure it’s expertly installed and finished for best results. The expert craftsmen at Renaissance are here to help. For a complimentary quote on wood floor installation in Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Bixby, Glenpool, Oklahoma City, and throughout Green Country, call Renaissance today at 918-298-4477.

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