SVB Wood Floors Blog

Monthly Archives: December 2014

3 Hardwood Entryways We Love

December 16, 2014Wood floor installationSteve Brattin

Posted by Steve Brattin on December 16, 2014

A new year is right around the corner, and a new entryway could be in the cards, too! It’s the first room your guests see when they enter your Kansas City home through the front door. Make an impression right off the bat, by installing one of these three mesmerizing hardwood entryways in your home. If you’re interested in something more unique and personalized, consult our award-winning hardwood floor experts.

Wood Medallions Create a Focal Point

Draw attention to your beautiful hardwood floors in the new year, and have SVB Wood Floors install a wood medallion in your foyer. We have pre-made medallion and inlays, and we can also create custom designs for your home. A Medallion, or inlay, is a spectacular way to create a grand entryway into your home. We can even create medallions and inlays on the risers of your front staircase.

Pretty Patterns Create Character

Another way to draw the eye across your entryway is by creating a gorgeous wood patterned floor. Geometric designs, like chevron, are a great way to create character and force the eyes of your guests to survey the room. It creates a captivating entrance that your guests will not soon forget.

Old Is New

A major trend for 2015 is going back to our roots. Think natural materials and recycled objects. That’s why we are loving reclaimed and handcrafted hardwood floors for the new year, especially in foyers and entryways. The natural colors and textures create a relaxed and soothing vibe. Whether it’s your permanent home here in Kansas City, or your vacation home at the lake, you’ll love the effect reclaimed and handcrafted hardwood floors have on the appearance of your foyer.

Call SVB Wood Floors at (913) 747- 4250 or (816) 965-8655 today for a consultation and free quote on brand new hardwood floors for your entryway this year.

My Dishwasher Overflowed onto My Hardwood Floors – Now What?

December 11, 2014Wood floor repairSteve Brattin

Posted by Steve Brattin on December 11, 2014

Your kids used the wrong type of dish soap in the dishwasher and bubbles and foam are seeping from the seams spilling onto your hardwood kitchen floor, and fast! First, don’t panic. You’re not the first homeowner to deal with an overflowing dishwasher. It’s actually a quite common mishap. After you stop the dishwasher and finally get the bubbles to subside, now it’s time to do damage control.

Look for Water Damage Signs

Survey the damage and write down what you see. The amount of repair you’ll need will depend on how severe your damage is. The following are signs of water damage in hardwood floors in ascending order from least severe to most severe; cracking, peeling, cupping, crowning, and buckling. Cracking and peeling, especially of the finish are easily repaired with sanding and refinishing. When you see more severe damage signs like cupping (when the edges of your planks curl upward), crowning (when the middle of your planks are swollen higher than the edges), buckling (when the plank sticks out above the surrounding floor boards), it’s most likely that your floors will need to be replaced.

Call the Hardwood Floor Repair Experts

After you’ve assessed the damage done, make sure you call the company you trust to repair your hardwood floors to their former glory and give you a fair estimate on the work. The highly trained and talented technicians at SVB Wood Floors can restore your hardwood floors quickly and painlessly. If you call us quickly enough, we can usually decrease the amount of repairs you’ll need.

Partial Replacement Will Save You Money

Even when there is considerable damage, we are able to diminish the costs by replacing only the damaged area and seamlessly weave new planks into the existing floor. Then we can use our advanced dustless sanding technology to refinish your entire area and make sure the finish and stain are uniform throughout the entire floor. You’ll never know there was a problem.

If you find yourself in this pinch, make sure to call the business you trust to do the job right at SVB Wood Floors. Cal us at (913) 213-5187 or (816) 965-8655.

Tornado Damage Makes Replacing a High School Gym Floor a Race with Time

December 10, 2014Wood floor installationSteve Brattin

Posted by Steve Brattin on December 10, 2014

When an EF-2 tornado tore through Orrick, MO, 35 miles east of Kansas City, in early May of 2014, it caused damage to the roof over the Orrick High School gymnasium. The roof damage resulted in major water damage to the gym floor below. Scott Archibald, the principal at Orrick High School, canceled school for the rest of the year and the graduation had to be moved to another location. The first priority was repairing the classrooms. By the time SVB got the call about replacing the gym floor after the roof and building were repaired, it was late July.

SVB Rearranged Our Schedule to Make It Happen

When SVB got the call, there was not much time to get the gym floor replaced before school was scheduled to begin in mid-August. In fact, Principal Archibald was getting nervous because he couldn’t find any other flooring company who could get the job done in time. At SVB, we had a full schedule on deck, but we were able to rearrange some jobs and work some extra hours to accommodate the gym floor job.

Gym Floor Installation Requires a Complete Floor System

The damage to the Orrick gym floor was extensive. It required tearing out and replacing 8,000 square feet of wood floor. We got to work on July 23^rd. First we removed all of the old flooring and flooring system. Gym floors are different from residential wood floors. They are complete systems because they must take into consideration load distribution, shock absorption, vibration control, resiliency, moisture resistance, and more. There are floating floor systems, fixed floor systems and fixed resilient floor systems.

The New Gym Floor Was Ready in Time for the Start of School

In the Orrick high school gym, we installed an AacerCush I floating floor system. Its padded sleeper system gives it resiliency and shock absorption making it ideal for multi-purpose gyms. The wood is precision milled natural Maple. We applied a Bona sports court water-based finish for durability. SVB can also take care of striping and adding logos to the floor. We are your turnkey source for gym floor repair, replacement or installation. When all was said and done, we had the floor removed, replaced, finished, striped and logo’d by August 5^th. We were tired, but we were proud. Call SVB Wood Floors for help with wood floors for schools, churches, commercial wood floors and more at (913) 213-5187 or (816) 965-8655.

How to Protect the Wood in Your Kansas City Home from Holiday Decoration Abuse

December 9, 2014Wood floor repairSteve Brattin

Posted by Steve Brattin on December 9, 2014

While all is merry and bright during the holiday season, it isn’t always the case for the wood in your home. All of the parties and the festive decorating can take its toll on your susceptible hardwoods. But there are ways to keep the wood in your home safe from the abuse. Here are SVB Wood Floor’s top tips to protect all the wood areas in your home this holiday so you can continue being cheery all season long.

Protect Your Hardwood Floors

Instill a no-shoes policy in your home this holiday season. Between snow, ice and salt tracked inside, and high heeled shoes click clacking dents into your floors, you’ve got a recipe for disaster. Asking kids and guests to slip their shoes off in the foyer or garage is a great way to prevent damage.

Also make sure to never drag your Christmas tree (real or fake) across your hardwood floors. This can scratch up the finish in your floors leaving it dull and lackluster.

Safeguard Your Mantel

Most fireplace mantels are constructed of some sort of wood, which means it’s also susceptible to damage. Never use nails to hang your stockings or other seasonal decorations from your mantel. This can leave sizeable holes, especially if your decorations are heavy and continue to pull and drag on the nail all season. A better route is to use weighted hooks.

Save Your Staircase Railing

When it comes to your hardwood staircase, a combination of the previous two principles is a great way to avoid damage. No shoes, and no nails for the holidays. Another thing to be cautious about are little hands full of sticky residue from a holiday dinner and sweets. If this is a concern for you, think about covering your stair railings with wrapped ribbon or another material to avoid irremovable stains.

Call SVB Wood Floors today if you want a pre-holiday refinish of your hardwood floors or stairs at (913) 213-5187 or (816) 965-8655.

Bring on the Holiday Staircase Flair: 5 Decorating Ideas

December 3, 2014Wood floor installationSteve Brattin

Posted by Steve Brattin on December 3, 2014

If you’re like many homeowners, your staircase to the second floor of your home is probably located near or in your foyer at the entrance of your home. It’s a huge focal point of your front room, which gives it the ability to set the mood.

Deck the halls this holiday season by dressing up your wood staircase installed by SVB Wood Floors. Here are a few ideas that will show off your beautiful custom wood staircase, as well as your Christmas spirit.

Spell It Out

Don’t just show off your holiday spirit, but spell it out for your guests. Use the steps of your stairs as placeholders for your holiday letters. Whether you’re feeling ‘joy’, or your favorite song is ‘Noel’, use your stairs to show it off with your statement letters.

Be a Show-Off

If you’re a Christmas collector, like many, show off your stock! Some people collect gingerbread homes, nativity scenes, or intricate nutcrackers. Use the steps of your stairs to showcase your beautiful collection. This allows your guests to see them in all their glory, instead of being hidden behind one another in a big bunch. This makes for a dazzling display of holiday spirit.

Wrap It Up

You’ve probably got plenty of leftover wrapping paper and you don’t know what to do with the oddly shaped scraps. Why not use them to wrap up your stairs! Use long rectangular pieces of colorful wrapping paper and tape them to the risers of your stair steps. This makes for a fun display from below.

Show Your Season’s Greetings

Every holiday season comes with an influx of holiday cards and season’s greetings from friends and family. Much of the time they get thrown into a basket never to be seen again. Show off your season’s greetings by hanging them from your stair railing. This is a great way to showcase cards with holiday scenes, or pictures of your loved ones. It also makes for a great conversation piece for your guests.

Hang It Up

If you’re like many of us, you probably have more ornaments than will fit on your tree. Instead of letting the leftovers sit in a box for another year, showcase them by hanging them from your staircase railing. Tie a ribbon to the top of them, and neatly tie it into a bow from the railing. You can make a pattern with different colors and shapes or just hang some of your favorite unused ornaments.

Looking for a wood staircase facelift? Call the wood experts at SVB Wood Floors at (913) 213-5187 or (816) 965-8655.

Kansas City’s Custom Hardwood Specialists