The holidays are a special time when we gather with family and friends to share meals, celebrate traditions, and create lasting memories. However, with the festive spirit also comes increased foot traffic, furniture shifting, and the occasional spill—all of which can pose risks to your wood floors. Without taking precautions, a single mishap could cause damage to your floors and put a damper on your holiday spirit.

 

If you’re hosting holiday get-togethers and worried about the toll these activities may take on your floors, don’t fret. With a few preventative measures, you can easily safeguard your hardwood surfaces. Here are some common-sense tips to enable you (and your floors) to enjoy the holidays in peace.

 

Use Protective Mats and Rugs in High-Traffic Areas

 

During the holidays, your home is likely to see more visitors, which means increased foot traffic and the potential for wear and tear on your wood floors. To minimize damage, invest in high-quality mats or area rugs to cover high-traffic zones such as entryways, hallways, and areas near dining tables. Look for rugs with a non-slip backing to ensure safety while protecting your floors.

 

It’s also worth placing doormats both outside and inside your entrances. These will trap dirt, sand, and moisture brought in from winter footwear before they have a chance to scratch or stain your wood flooring. Encourage guests and family members to remove their shoes at the door, even providing a dedicated space for footwear to make this a seamless habit.

 

Clean Spills Immediately

 

While holiday feasting and celebrations often bring joy, they can also lead to inevitable spills. Whether it’s a glass of red wine tipping over during a toast or gravy dripping during a festive dinner, liquids left unaddressed can seep into the surface of the wood, causing stains or even warping the wood over time.

 

The most effective way to prevent damage is to clean up spills as soon as they occur. Use a soft, absorbent cloth to blot—never rub—the affected area. Follow up with a gentle hardwood floor cleaner like Bona to ensure no residue is left behind. By keeping cleaning supplies on hand and within easy reach, you’ll be prepared to tackle accidents before they become problems.

 

Be Careful When Rearranging Furniture

 

Preparing for holiday gatherings often involves moving furniture to make space for decorations, create additional seating, or accommodate activities. Sometimes, the furniture-moving even happens “on the fly” to make room for more guests. However, dragging tables, chairs, or couches across your hardwood floors without proper care can leave scratches and gouges.

 

To protect your floors, place felt pads or furniture sliders on the legs of all pieces you plan to move. These simple yet effective tools reduce friction and prevent scratches while making furniture rearrangement easier. When moving large or heavy items, enlist help and lift the furniture instead of dragging it across the floor. Also, pay attention to well-meaning guests who want to “help” by moving furniture without asking. With these precautions, you can safely organize your space to host guests without compromising the integrity of your flooring.

 

Trim Your Christmas Tree with Care

 

If you celebrate Christmas with a real tree, it’s essential to take steps to protect your wood floors. Tree sap can be sticky and difficult to remove, while water spillage from the tree stand can lead to staining or warping. To prevent these issues, start by placing a waterproof mat or tree skirt underneath the stand. When watering the tree, use a watering can with a narrow spout and avoid overfilling the stand. Cleanup is also critical—sweep or vacuum regularly to remove fallen needles, which can become abrasive and scratch the floor if stepped on. By taking these steps, you’ll ensure your holiday centerpiece doesn’t cause accidental damage.

 

Establish a Floor-Friendly Cleaning Routine

 

During the holidays, maintaining a consistent cleaning routine will go a long way in protecting your floors. Begin by dry-mopping the floors regularly or use a vacuum with no beater brush. (Avoid anything with harsh bristles that could scratch the surface.) For extra protection, use Bona wood floor cleaner every 1-2 weeks on the floors. Regular cleaning not only preserves the appearance of your floors but also makes your home feel welcoming for guests.

 

Keeping Your Floors Festive and Flawless

 

By following these practical tips, you can protect your hardwood floors from the inevitable hustle and bustle of the holiday season. With the right precautions—like placing rugs in high-traffic areas, cleaning spills promptly, and handling furniture with care—you’ll keep your floors in excellent condition while fully enjoying the festivities.

 

That said, if a mishap does cause some damage–or if your wood floors are already showing signs of wear and could use a little TLC–Renaissance Hardwood Flooring is here to help. Whether your floors need refinishing or a full replacement, our team can bring your floors back to their original beauty or give your space an entirely new look. For a complementary quote in the Tulsa or Oklahoma City areas, fill out our contact form today. Happy Holidays!

 

We all love the elegant look of quality wood floors, but let’s face facts: wood floors can also make a room seem “noisier.” You may especially hear the difference if you’ve just replaced carpeting with wood flooring. Hardwoods can drastically change the acoustics of a room, making it sound more “live” or “echoey.” The reason? Carpet absorbs sound waves, and wood reflects them.

 

Now, some people don’t mind the sound either way, but if you’re the kind of person who likes a room to sound quiet and cozy, the additional noise caused from hardwood floors might bother you a bit. Fortunately, there are creative ways to dampen the sound so you can enjoy the look and feel of your new floors without the added noise. The following five tips should help.

 

Use Area Rugs

 

Strategically placed rugs offer a great way to reduce the “echo effect” in a room with wood floors. Rugs can absorb sound waves, providing an extra layer of insulation that helps to dampen the sound. You don’t have to cover all the floor space for this to work–in fact, you should notice some improvement with every area rug you add.

 

Decorate the Walls

 

Just as rugs diffuse sound from bouncing off the floors, wall hangings do the same for the walls. For best effect, consider adorning your walls textile hangings, which can be an excellent sound-absorbing solution–but if you prefer framed artwork, almost anything hanging on the walls should help somewhat. Even a bookshelf placed against a wall will help to dampen sound. Not only do these pieces absorb the sound waves bouncing off your hardwood floors, but they also add warmth and texture to your room, creating a more inviting space.

 

 

Consider the Kind of Wood Flooring

 

The type of wood flooring you choose can also have an effect on how much noise it reflects. Generally speaking, the softer the wood, the more sound it absorbs. Pine, one of the softest woods used in flooring, will generally produce the least amount of noise. Maple is harder and more “echoey,” while oak (the wood used most often in flooring) is somewhere between them.

 

Consider Wood Flooring Alternatives

 

If the “echo effect” of hardwood flooring truly concerns you, there are other alternatives to consider that will emulate the look of wood floors while also dampening the sound. Certain types of engineered wood flooring can be quite absorptive of sound waves, and luxury vinyl plank (LVP) is even better at reducing ambient noise from a room. Both are technologically designed these days to resemble wood flooring, and many people prefer them.

 

You don’t have to implement all these tips to reduce the echo of wood floors–only one or two should help. And at the end of the day, having a bit of exposed hardwood (along with other materials) can actually “warm up” the sound of your room. (Some recording studios even prefer hardwoods for just this reason.) Just know that when you’re choosing wood floors, you have options for dampening the sound if you’re sensitive to “echoey” spaces and want a quieter room.

 

Whatever you choose, quality workmanship and installation will go a long way to making sure your wood floors last for generations to come. For a complementary quote in Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Catoosa, Norman, and other parts of Green Country, contact us here today.

Ah, spring in Oklahoma—when the weather decides to throw everything it’s got at us. From severe thunderstorms and tornadoes to heavy rains, we’ve seen it all recently–and repeatedly. While our gardens and lawns may be throwing a party for this moisture-rich atmosphere, our hardwood floors are definitely not celebrating. We’re used to humidity this time of year, but this steady stream of storms has caused us to experience excessive humidity for an extended time. And that, believe it or not, can cause damage to your floors. Let’s talk about why it’s important to pay attention to humidity and what you can do to protect your floors,

 

Why the Fuss Over Humidity?

 

To understand why hardwood floors aren’t fans of humidity, we need to take a quick peek into the science of wood. Wood is hygroscopic, which, in layman’s terms, means it likes to play sponge with the moisture in its environment. Humid air makes the pores expand, and drier air makes them contract. Under normal conditions, your wood floors are flexible enough to adapt to these changes in moisture. But in the case of excessive humidity, wood floors can absorb too much moisture at once. As a result, the wood panels may expand, warp, and even buckle, none of which is good news for homeowners. This isn’t just a cosmetic issue; it can lead to significant structural damage over time, requiring costly repairs or replacement.

 

How to Protect Your Floors from Excessive Humidity

 

The good news here is that you don’t have to just watch your floors get damaged. There are several steps you can take to protect them at times like these. Here are a few helpful tips:

 

• Keep Windows Closed: It might be tempting to throw open the windows and invite that fresh, spring air inside, but doing so also invites humidity. Keep windows closed during particularly humid days.

• Keep Shades and Curtains Closed: Direct sunlight on your wood floors can heat them and cause them to absorb more moisture.

• Run Your Air Conditioning: Your A/C does more than cool down your home; it also removes moisture from the air, helping to control indoor humidity levels. For best results, keep your thermostat below 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Invest in a Dehumidifier: In seasons like these, a dehumidifier can be a hardwood floor’s best friend. It removes excess moisture from the air, helping maintain a stable environment for your wood planks. (Bonus tip: If your dehumidifier doesn’t have a hygrometer to measure relative humidity, buy one. To protect your floors, keep indoor humidity at around 55 percent.)

• Use Fans to Improve Air Circulation: Fans can help move air throughout your home, preventing moisture from settling and giving your floors a bit of a breather.

 

By following these tips, you can create a safe environment for your hardwood floors, even when Oklahoma’s weather decides to go off-script. Remember, a little precaution goes a long way in preserving the beauty and integrity of your wood flooring.

 

All that said, if the worst happens and your hardwood floors sustain moisture damage, the team at Renaissance can help. We’ve been serving the Tulsa and Oklahoma City areas for decades, and we’re well aware of how the environment can wreak havoc on wood floors. For a complementary quote on hardwood flooring repair, refinishing, or replacement, contact us here.

Despite the timelessness of wood flooring itself, preferences do change over time as to how these floors look and what people are asking for. Now a few months into 2024, we’re noticing some specific design trends taking the forefront. Some of these are timeless looks that are making a comeback, while other trends seem to be new and innovative. Let’s dive in and explore some of the top wood flooring design trends we are tracking this year.

 

Natural & Light Wood

In keeping with the ongoing popularity of the “modern farmhouse” style, we’re seeing a consistent demand for natural finishes, lighter wood tones, and a more “unfinished” look that embraces the natural imperfections of the wood such as knots, grains, and color variations. This move toward nature and authenticity makes each floor unique and tells a story of its own.

 

Mixed Tone Wood Floors

 

Mixed tone wood floors are gaining popularity as they offer a unique and visually interesting aesthetic. This trend involves combining different shades and tones of wood within the same floor, creating a beautiful blend of colors that adds depth and character to your space. Watch for this trend to grow in popularity this year.

 

Wide Plank Floors

 

While some previously dismissed wide plank hardwood as a fad, its popularity is continuing to rise. The wider planks give a sense of luxury and spaciousness, making them perfect for open-plan living spaces. Additionally, these wide planks can feature natural imperfections and saw marks, further enhancing their rustic charm.

 

Large Format Flooring

 

Hand-in-hand with wide plank floors is a trend known as large format flooring. These floors not only integrate wider planks, but larger and longer planks, to create a dramatic and expansive look. This style is particularly suited to larger rooms where the scale of the flooring can truly shine.

 

Patterned Wood Flooring

 

While patterned styles have been around for centuries, herringbone floors are making a huge comeback in 2024, along with other classic patterns like parquet flooring. There’s also a trend toward more innovative, modern, and abstract patterns as homeowners seek to add a one-of-a-kind look to their homes. This trend truly gives homeowners an opportunity to express their creativity and individuality.

 

Whether you’re renovating your home or planning a new build, these wood flooring trends offer a wealth of inspiration. That said, remember that the best floor is one that fits your personal style and meets your practical needs. At Renaissance, our skilled craftsmen are highly experienced in all wood flooring styles. Whatever style you choose, you can trust that you’re getting the highest level of quality, both in product and in installation. For a complementary quote on your next wood flooring project in Tulsa, Glenpool, Sapulpa, Oklahoma City, or anywhere else in Green Country, contact us here.

 

In recent years, homeowners and interior designers have been turning to environmentally friendly and sustainable options for their flooring needs. One popular trend is to use reclaimed hardwood flooring, which offers a unique and rustic look. But is it worth the investment? Let’s explore some of the pros and cons of reclaimed hardwood floors to help you make an informed decision.

 

What is Reclaimed Hardwood Flooring?

 

Reclaimed hardwood flooring refers to wood that has been salvaged from old buildings, barns, or factories and then repurposed for use as flooring. This practice not only saves valuable resources but also preserves a piece of history. Reclaimed hardwood flooring comes in various types, including oak, maple, walnut, and heart pine. Each type offers a distinct appearance and characteristics, ensuring that no two reclaimed floors are the same.

 

Benefits of Reclaimed Hardwood Floors

 

Granted, there are some advantages to installing reclaimed hardwood into a space. These include:

 

Environmental Sustainability

Using reclaimed wood helps reduce the demand for new lumber and promotes recycling, leading to less deforestation and waste. It also reduces the energy used in processing new wood, decreasing the overall carbon footprint.

 

Unique Aesthetic

Because the wood itself has a history, reclaimed hardwood offers a sense of character, often featuring knots, nail holes, and saw marks that add a rustic charm and texture to the space.

 

Durability and Longevity

Despite its age, reclaimed wood is often quite durable and long lasting, especially if it was properly cared for during its previous installation. It has had time to expand and contract with age, making it less susceptible to warping and cracking.

 

Drawbacks of Reclaimed Hardwood Floors

 

Now that we’ve explored some of the “pros” of using reclaimed wood, let’s look at some of the “cons” as well.

 

High Cost

You might think “used” hardwood would be cheaper, but in fact, the opposite is true. The process of sourcing, salvaging, and preparing reclaimed wood for flooring can be labor-intensive—not only in finding wood that’s in good condition, but also in sourcing enough to cover the square footage of your project. This can lead to much higher costs than traditional hardwood floors.

 

Limited Availability

In part due to the scarcity of reclaimable wood, and in part due to its recent surge in popularity, it can be downright difficult to find. It may take many weeks or months to source the wood for your project, so you’ll need to be patient during the process. (If you’re on a tight time schedule, reclaimed wood may not be a practical option for you.)

 

Installation Challenges

Reclaimed hardwood floors may require additional preparation before installation, such as removing nails or sanding down rough spots. This can make the installation process more time-consuming and complicated—which again may increase costs.

 

 

Are Reclaimed Wood Floors Right for You?

 

At the end of the day, there’s no objectively right or wrong answer. Reclaimed hardwood floors may be an excellent choice if you’re seeking a more sustainable, unique, and durable flooring option—as long as you don’t mind the cost, and as long as you don’t mind waiting. It’s also a matter of personal taste: reclaimed floors have a natural rustic feel, so if you prefer a modern look, you’ll likely do better with new wood flooring.

 

As an alternative, for those who want the rustic look of reclaimed wood but don’t have the budget or the time…with modern installation technologies, our craftsmen can now use advanced distressing techniques to make any floor look weathered and rustic. Thus, it’s possible to make brand-new wood floors appear to be reclaimed without the added cost or delays.

 

Whether your flooring project calls for new or reclaimed hardwood, Renaissance Hardwood Flooring can help. For a complementary quote in Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Claremore, Catoosa, Glenpool, Norman, or other parts of Green Country, contact us here to get on our schedule.

(Photo credit: Flickr/Inhabitat)