How to Clean Your Hardwood Floors

Gleaming wood floors are a thing of beauty. Here’s how to keep them that way

 

By Bonnie McCarthy - Houzz Contributor

 

Although installing hardwood flooring is usually more expensive than rolling out new carpet, it’s an investment worth considering, according to data from the National Association of Realtors. Surveys show that 54 percent of home buyers are willing to pay more for a house with hardwood floors. Cha-ching! The question now: What’s the best way to clean and care for that popular flooring and keep that natural beauty (and value) shining through? Here’s how. 

 

Gast Architects

It’s not the wood — oak, maple, mesquite, bamboo, engineered hardwood or something more exotic — that determines how the floors should be cleaned, but rather the finish.

 

Rebekah Zaveloff | KitchenLab

Surface finishes, often referred to as urethanes or polyurethanes, are among the most popular treatments today and are usually applied to hardwood floors after installation to protect them and make them more durable and water resistant. These finishes create a protective barrier. There are four types of surface finishes, according to the American Hardwood Information Center: water based, oil based, acid cured and moisture cured.

Homes built before 1970, including historic residences, may have original wood floors that were sealed with varnish, wax or shellac. These require a different approach to cleaning. The American Hardwood Information Center says these types of finishes work by penetrating the wood to color the planks and form a protective shield. Using a wax coating after staining provides a barrier against wear and tear and gives the floor a beautiful low-gloss satin sheen. The classic look requires a little extra TLC, however, since water-based products and mopping can damage the finish.

 

Frederick + Frederick Architects

How to Determine Your Finish

To figure out whether or not your wood floors are finished with a polyurethane, shellac, wax or varnish, or have a finish that has worn away and is no longer providing coverage, the American Hardwood Information Center suggests these tests:

• Run your hand over the wood. If you can feel the texture of the grain, the floor has a “penetrating” finish (usually a combination of a natural oil, such as linseed or tung oil, mixed with additives for drying) topped with wax.
• In an out-of-the-way spot, dab on a little paint remover. If the finish bubbles up, it is a surface finish, like polyurethane, which coats the floor in a protective layer.
• In an out-of-the-way area, place a few drops of water. If the water beads up and does not soak into the wood, the finish on the floor is intact. If the water is absorbed into the floor or leaves a dark spot, the wood is unfinished or the protective layer has worn away.
• If you sprinkle on a few drops of water and white spots form beneath the droplets after about 10 to 15 minutes, the floors are sealed with wax. To remove the white spots, use a piece of fine steel wool lightly dampened with wax and rub gently.
• If you suspect a varnish or shellac, take a coin and scratch the surface of the floor in an inconspicuous corner. If the floor has been sealed with one of the older finishing methods, it will flake off.

Crisp Architects

Preventing Dirty Floors

Not wearing shoes in the house is one of the best ways to significantly reduce dirt, scuffs and daily wear and tear, and lessen cleaning time.

The National Wood Floor Association, or NWFA, is more specific and warns against walking on wood floors with cleats, sports shoes and high heels. It also offers this cautionary example: A 125-pound woman walking in high heels has an impact of 2,000 pounds per square inch. Furthermore, an exposed heel nail can exert up to 8,000 pounds of force per square inch.

Whether you got out your calculator or not, the possibility of impact and denting appears to be undeniable. However, while you can’t always ask guests to shed shoes at the door, it might be a policy worth considering for family members.

 

Peter A. Sellar - Architectural Photographer

What Not to Do

No matter what type of wood flooring you have, the NWFA advises against using cleaning products meant for vinyl or tile flooring. Their take: Self-polishing acrylic waxes cause wood to become slippery and appear dull quickly.

Another no-no: wet-mopping wood floors, since standing water can dull the finish, damage the wood and leave a discoloring residue. Along the same lines, avoid overwaxing unfinished wood floors in an attempt to restore luster. If a waxed floor has become dull, try buffing the surface instead.

 

Bradley Van Der Straeten

Regular Cleaning

Cleaning floors with contemporary polyurethane wood finishes (for floors installed after 1970) starts with vacuuming, sweeping or dust-mopping the surface.

Vacuuming. Vacuum wood floors daily, or at least once a week with a vacuum fitted with an attachment for wood floors. For regular machines, the American Hardwood Information Center advises turning off interior rotating brushes or beater bars if possible.

Regular vacuuming helps remove dust and dirt particles that play a leading role in scratching and dulling the surface of the floor.

 

McClellan Architects

Sweeping. The American Hardwood Information Center says choosing a broom with “exploded tips,” also known as synthetic fiber ends, is step one.

Damp mopping. Damp mopping should be done with a simple solution of pH-neutral soap (like dishwashing soap) and water; or one capful of a mild cleanser such as Murphy Oil Soap in a bucket of water; or a solution using products specially formulated for wood floors, such as Eco Mist Colloid W, Dr. Bonner’s or Method.

In conscientious cleaning circles, controversy swirls around whether to use a mixture of vinegar and water for damp-mopping wood floors. Ultimately, everyone has to do what works best; however, within the past 10 years this method has lost favor, and popular belief now holds that the solution causes floors to dull more quickly and is not as effective as simple soap and water.

To begin mopping, dampen the mop in the prepared solution, wring it out completely, and mop in the direction of the wood grain. Repeat as necessary. As the water in the bucket becomes dirty, dump it out and refill. Many experts (including Martha Stewart) believe scrubbing wood floors with a damp cloth by hand is the ultimate cleaning strategy — unless abundant square footage or protesting knees prove problematic.

But avoid cloths or mops dripping with water. If your floors do get wet or worse, dry them immediately!

 

Matthew Mallett Photography

Another technique: After the floor has been swept or vacuumed, put your cleaning solution of choice in a spray bottle and mist the floor, then use a dry microfiber mop or cloth and mop in direction of the wood grain.

It’s important to note that just because a floor is clean doesn’t necessarily mean it will be shiny. If the floor has lost its luster, it may be time to have it refinished professionally. Whatever you do, don’t wax a polyurethaned finish.

What you should know before refinishing your floors

Rikki Snyder

Unfinished or Waxed Floors

Unfinished or waxed floors, like those in older and historic homes, as well as floors in which the protective seal has worn away, should never be treated with water or liquid cleansers, which may penetrate, stain or warp the wood. Instead, according to cleaning experts, sweeping with a soft-bristled broom and vacuuming should be done as the primary line of defense. The NWFA says to step away from the mop: Never damp-mop a waxed floor.

Beyond basic care, buffing and waxing the floors once or twice a year should maintain the shine.

Old-fashioned shellacked floors are not common in most homes. However, if you find yourself the proud owner of this vintage flooring, regular care should include sweeping and vacuuming often. Avoid water and liquid cleansers.

 

Alan Mascord Design Associates Inc

Engineered Wood

Engineered wood flooring is created with a thin veneer of hardwood fused atop a plywood base. The material is stronger and more durable than regular hardwoods, and as a result has become a popular choice.

The cleaning procedure for this type of wood is the same as for hardwood floors with urethane finishes. Keep clean on a daily basis by sweeping and vacuuming and use a slightly damp mop as needed.

See when to use engineered wood floors

Jeanette Lunde

Painted Wood

Painted wood floors make a strong style statement and are a clever way to disguise wood flooring in less than perfect shape. To clean them, sweep, vacuum or dust-mop regularly. Avoid scratching or damaging the painted surface by staying away from abrasive cleansers and opting for a simple soap and water solution for damp mopping. Experts suggest drying the surface immediately by hand to avoid streaking and unnecessary moisture.

What Color Should You Paint Your Trim?

Learn the benefits of painting your trim white, black, neutral, a bold color and more

By Yanic Simard - Houzz Contributor

 

Whether simple or ornate, interior trim is a finishing touch that often doesn’t get much thought, frequently being left the color it’s always been without consideration of the multitude of beautiful alternatives. Whether you’re thinking fresh white, a bold hue or somewhere in between, here are ways to treat your trim to get the look you want.

Brett Mickan Interior Design

White

Classic white works well for plain trim as well as more elaborate molding styles. It’s great with white walls or colored walls, so it really is the ultimate no-fail option, which is probably partly why it’s such a popular choice.

It can be an excellent way to tie various styles of molding together, and it won’t fight historic details like stained glass, so everything becomes harmonized.

Eoin Lyons Interiors

When paired with colorful walls and accents, white trim becomes a bold, fresh focal point, as well as a frame to highlight each room beyond, without clashing with the different colors of each space.

Laura U, Inc.

White trim is also great for toning down a strong color by stealing surface area away from the walls. This lilac shade is actually very bold, but it doesn’t feel like it swallows the room paired with deep crown molding and window trim in all white.

Hanson General Contracting, Inc.

Paired with a neutral wall color, white trim highlights the surrounding undertones so the walls don’t look colorless, while still bringing in a slight modern edge. It’s also a good choice in a space with lots of wood, because it keeps the look contemporary instead of rustic.

Stephani Buchman Photography

Choose white if:

• You want to highlight the subtle undertone of neutral walls
• You want to break up bold walls with a breath of fresh air
• You have simple moldings you don’t want to highlight
• You want to leave all the attention on dramatic furnishings
• You aren’t sure which other color to pick. It’s hard to go wrong with white trim!

Dresser Homes

Neutral

When trim is dressed in a midtone neutral shade, it immediately gives it a certain sophisticated, stately appeal. The trim becomes a feature, for sure, but in an understated way.

valerie pasquiou interiors + design, inc

Although the look is somewhat traditional, you can use more modern furnishings to add warmth and character. This kitchen has sleek cabinets and modern appliances but still feels homey instead of ultramodern. That’s in large part due to the warm gray trim.

Catalyst Architects, LLC

Neutral trim works especially well with a colored ceiling, so consider using the same color overhead in a room where you want a more intimate feel, such as a sitting room or dining space.

Optimise Design

Choose neutral if:

• You love a transitional look (one that balances traditional and modern elements)
• You want an authentic heritage feel in an older home
• You want to highlight doors or windows for an architectural look without touching fresh white walls

Rafe Churchill: Traditional Houses

Bold Colors

Bold, colorful trim can be either part of a wild, eclectic look or actually a very livable element in a more sedate home. Because trim usually has a relatively small surface area, painting it a fun hue like lemon, pink or sky blue adds a pop of color (and definite personality) without adding as much drama as a full wall treatment.

Rafe Churchill: Traditional Houses

Pastel trim doesn’t even feel edgy; rather, as in this case, it creates a romantic feeling that suits a humble cottage-style or dreamy bedroom.

Garrison Hullinger Interior Design Inc.

Choose a bold color if:

• You want to add a new hue without going all-in on the walls
• You want a quirky, eclectic or unique look
• You have colorful cabinets in a kitchen and want to tie the room together

Shirley Meisels

Wood

Wood trim can be anything from rustic to modern, depending on the tone and finish of the wood. Either way, it adds a deeper sense of texture, which can make a room feel welcoming even without much else in the way of decorative elements.

mark pinkerton - vi360 photography

Wood trim is often stained to match the flooring, but it can vary in tone a bit and still coordinate beautifully, as woods naturally mix and match. Just don’t mix more than three wood tones if you want to stay out of rustic territory.

Charmean Neithart Interiors, LLC.

Matching wood kitchen cabinets to wood trim creates the sense that this natural element is integrated in the whole space, creating a sense of consistency and some rustic charm.

Rebekah Zaveloff | KitchenLab

A little wood trim on a window is excellent for warming up a space that’s otherwise cold, such as a white kitchen or bathroom (especially if you don’t want to add window drapery). Choose a deep stain to suit a contemporary space, and leave other trim white.

MANDARINA STUDIO interior design

Wood is also great with wall colors that already add warmth, such as a soft pink. Both have red undertones, so the lack of contrast makes both elements feel like they fit in peacefully.

Johnson Design Inc.

Choose wood if:

• It’s already there. Most trim is MDF or the like, so celebrate real wood if you have it!
• You want to add an element of warm wood but don’t want wood floors
• Your space needs a little extra texture
• You love a rustic look or need a masculine counterpoint to feminine details

Neuhaus Design Architecture, P.C.

Black

Black trim is definitely statement making, yet it’s timeless, so unlike with other bold colors, you don’t have to worry that this dramatic choice will grow dated quickly.

Even more so than white trim, black trim frames each doorway or window like a picture, for instant high-fashion appeal.

McIntosh Poris Associates

 

Black trim is at its most classic and livable when paired with simple finishes like a wood floor and pale walls. It will fight other elements for attention, so you might as well let it be the star.

stephane chamard

As stark as black may be, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Painting just your lower trim black (baseboards and door frames), with the crown molding white, anchors the room while letting the ceiling float away for an airy appeal.

Carson Poetzl, Inc.

Alternately, painting just the crown molding black frames the ceiling, highlighting details like beautiful lighting, medallions and other features. This tactic works well with dark wood doors, as both have a deep richness, making the doors less stark to keep the look balanced instead of ultramodern.

Catherine Boardman Interiors

Choose black if:

• You want a dramatic look that’s classic and sophisticated
• You want to contrast wood floors or cabinets
• Your neutral scheme needs some edge to bring it to life
• Your beautiful views demand to be framed like portraits
  
  Read more reasons to paint your trim black

Toronto Interior Design Group | Yanic Simard

Gloss

Treating trim with a slight gloss finish is a great way to subtly highlight beautiful moldings while maintaining a clean palette for effortless-looking designer appeal. I often use a consistent paint color for walls, ceiling and trim, using a matte finish for walls and a satin finish for trim, so a hint of light bounces off the trim’s curves to subconsciously draw the eye.

Period Architecture Ltd.

You can also cheat the look further with a slight off-white that almost blends into the wall but stands out just enough to catch your eye when you look at the trim, without the trim’s fighting other more attention-grabbing features.

Trim is often more likely to be touched or leaned on than the walls themselves, so using an easy-to-clean paint finish is practical too.

10 Ideas to Make Your Outdoor Kitchen Sizzle

It's the little things that can make a difference, and we're not talking briquettes

 

By Laura Gaskill - Houzz Contributor 

 

Looking to spice up your grilling area this summer? Try adding one (or more) of these fun features, from grill-side seating to a vintage fridge. As long as the weather is fine, you may find yourself cooking outside more than in!

Paradise Restored Landscaping & Exterior Design

Pull up to the kitchen bar. Keep guests entertained with bar seats pulled up to the grill, where they can taste hot-off-the-fire nibbles. On its own, this is a great small-space solution; in a more expansive yard, supplement the grill-side seats with a larger dining table.
See how to make your outdoor kitchen party-friendly

Linova Photography

 

Get the cooking area under cover. A roof over the outdoor cooking area makes it easier for the grill master to keep grilling even when an unexpected rainstorm pops up. The L-shaped counter space with seating and adjacent dining area and fire pit make this a backyard guests will never want to leave.

Browse ideas for installing a covered patio

Key Residential

Add a full-size fridge. If you cook outdoors a lot, a fridge and freezer can be a big help. Keep them stocked with ice, chilled drinks and the food you plan to grill, and that will free up space in your regular fridge. Of course, not just any fridge will do — a retro style in a cheerful color, like the Smeg shown here, will add to the style of your outdoor space.


View outdoor rooms designed for entertaining

Alfonso Designs

Coordinate with color. Grills, decks and outdoor seating tend to be neutral and no-frills, so use a few pops of bold color to wake up your outdoor kitchen. Bright poppy red was used here in artwork, dishes, a chair and a sleek trash can.
Give your patio decor a quick boost with these tips

Terra Firma Design

Pack in useful details. It’s the little things that can make all the difference in your outdoor kitchen experience, so consider what would benefit you the most — better lighting, prep space, music? This Toronto rooftop kitchen includes a mini fridge, dish storage, speakers for an electronic device and night lighting.

See the rest of this rooftop kitchen

J A L A, Jeff Allen Landscape Architecture

Get cooking in the garden. Highlight your love of ultra-local ingredients with an outdoor kitchen located near your veggie garden. A brick surround that matches the low garden wall helps integrate the kitchen into the larger outdoor space.

Get inspired with these beautifully designed vegetable gardens

Harrison's Landscaping

Go modern. Concrete and rich wood are a modern minimalist pairing perfect for an urban environment. This outdoor kitchen is outfitted with a pizza oven — a worthy splurge if you love doing a weekly pizza night at home!


Get the skinny on outdoor pizza ovens

New Eco Landscapes

Double up on grills and storage. If you’re serious about barbecue, it could be worth your while to invest in two grills: one gas (for quick cooking) and one charcoal (for traditional smoky barbecue). A stainless steel gas grill and a “big green egg” perfect for slow cooking are connected by cabinetry in this Red Hook, Brooklyn, backyard. A sink and plenty of counter space make prepping food easy, and hidden storage below means you can keep outdoor cookware and tools close at hand.

Learn more about putting in an outdoor grill

Hursthouse Landscape Architects and Contractors

Put a pergola over the grill. A garden structure like a pergola adds architectural interest to the outdoor kitchen and provides a place to attach sconce lighting. And while you wouldn’t want climbing plants dangling directly over the grill (hello fire hazard!), if your pergola is a safe distance from the heat, you could grow plants over it, giving the area a lush green touch.

Check out ways to improve your outdoor grill setup

Astoria Designs

Bring your indoor style out. The small-scale but well-crafted cabinetry in this outdoor kitchen echoes the interior style. Locating the grill within steps of the kitchen door makes it easy to carry ingredients outside and hot plates of food in, and a built-in bench seat provides a spot for guests to sit and chat while the food is being prepared.

21 Creative Ways With Load-Bearing Columns

Turn that structural necessity into a design asset by adding storage, creating zones and much more

 

By Mariana Pickering - Houzz Contributor

 

The eternal struggle between design and engineering often leaves us with conundrums. It’s easy to glide through the home design process in almost a dreamlike trance, imagining a spacious open floor plan with big, sweeping views that flow from room to room, making the house feel bigger than it is.

Then comes the day when your architect or structural engineer wakes you up with, “Hey! You’re going to need a column to support that roof!” Renovation junkies experience the same jolt of reality when “Let’s just tear that wall down and open this space up” becomes complicated with pesky terminology like “load bearing.”

Indeed, columns are often unavoidable in open floor plans. I’ve been working on a renovation of a space with two such unavoidable columns conspicuously placed right in the center of my open floor plan. So for inspiration, I looked at some of the ways Houzzers have dealt with columns in their homes. Here are some of the great suggestions I’ve stumbled across. 

 

Rikki Snyder

Make a central column tactile. If it’s going to be in the center of activity, then you might as well make it pleasant to touch. Rope was wrapped around this wooden column to accommodate the belief held by certain feline occupants of the home that a large scratching post had been placed in the middle of the room for them. However, the combination of the wood with the rope makes it equally tactile for humans to run their fingers across as they pass by.

 

The Alhadeff Group

Use a column to anchor an island. Consider using your column as a pivot point to which your built-in furniture, like your kitchen island, can gravitate. Notice how the floor remains consistent, but the column, in combination with the similarly sized beams, marks the kitchen space.

 

Claudio Ortiz Design Group, Inc.

Use a row of columns to signal a level change. A row of columns is a perfect place to put one or two steps up to an elevated section of the floor plan. Plus, the row of vertical structures acts as a visual cue to watch your toes.

 

Via Builders Inc

Light it up. Integrate downlighting, uplighting or a lit display box, like the one shown here, to showcase a sculpture or another piece of art.

 

Rick Ryniak Architects

Decorate your columns. Treat the column itself as a work of art and showcase an ornate pattern or carving.

 

Paul Moon Design

Clad a large column in stone. The imposing presence of the masonry column here reminds you of its purpose, while at the same time introducing a tactile material that contrasts with the rest of the soft interior. This could be a good idea for bringing some of the material from the home’s exterior inside.

 

Wentworth, Inc.

Turn it into a media center. Not sure where to place your TV in your big, beautiful open floor plan? Why not turn your structural column into a media center? Even if you don’t place the TV there right away, it could be smart planning to allow for electrical outlets near the column.

 

Urban Abode

Make two columns into a bookcase. Use two columns that are close together to create shelving and lighting for display or storage space. You could even clad them to match other built-in furniture in the room, and no one would even know they’re structural.

 

Visbeen Architects

Make a wine rack. Encase the column and add some cubbies, and you have a perfect spot to store wines. You could do something similar for shoes, CDs or anything else that could fit into cubbies.

 

C & A Builders

Create a spot for a minibar. Forget the wine rack! Use the column as an opportunity to create a minibar or an ice station.

 

CustomMade.com

Let your column tell a story. Consider using a reclaimed structural element as your feature column (after clearing it with your structural engineer, of course).

 

Brunelleschi Construction

Make it a room divider. For a row of columns between two spaces with different functions, consider adding some low storage that can also act as a room divider.

 

Griffin Enright Architects

Here’s another example of storage between columns that are acting as a room divider. The open, floating shelf system here has a very different feel from the previous example but achieves a similar result.

 

Amanda Still, Hill Design + Gallery

Create custom furniture. This bar stretches between two columns to nicely frame the kitchen while providing vertical and horizontal storage space.

 

Context Architects

Use a column to signal private space. This column almost acts more like a screen. The front side is a display case with built-in shelves, but the structure marks the separation between a more public and a more private part of the house.

 

Laura U, Inc.

Display art on your columns. These large white columns are acting as blank canvases for floating typographic artwork. The downlights cast shadows on the columns, making the artwork even more noticeable.

 

Lewis / Schoeplein architects

Use a row of columns to provide rhythm. The eye takes comfort in patterns. Use columns, and even beams, to create a sense of rhythm in an otherwise muted space.

 

Saint Dizier Design

Use the column material to bring nature in. Depending on where in the world you’re located, you may be able to find tree trunks that meet your structural requirements.

 

Glenn Robert Lym Architect

Create seating around the column base. Or even stretch a bench between two columns for an extra spot where people can take shoes off.

 

Elad Gonen

Create contrast between materials. Use the columns like you would a feature wall. Color them or clad them with a contrasting texture to add a splash in a room with minimalist decor.

 

kimberly peck architect

Create contrast between styles. Like with a classical column in a contemporary setting, as shown here.

 

Mullet Cabinet

Get whimsical. Show your playful side, like with these Disney-inspired columns that resemble something from a cartoon.

Instead of trying to make structural columns disappear in your open floor plan, try to celebrate them. Because at the end of the day, the column stands alone!