How to Get Rid of Powder Post Beetles in Hardwood Floors

What Do Powder Post Beetles Look Like

The powder post beetle is one of the most irritating pests, and it can destroy your hardwood floors. If you notice them, you need to take steps to remove them right away before they do so much damage that you need to replace the entire floor. The first sign of powder post beetles is small round holes with fine, powdery sawdust around them. If you have found powder post beetles in your hardwood floors, you need to try one of these methods to eliminate them. Use Borate You can use a pesticide that contains borate to get rid of the …

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Is it Cheaper to Refinish Hardwood Floors or Replace with Laminate?

Refinish Hardwood Floors

Over time, your hardwood floors will experience a lot of wear and tear, and eventually it will be time to refinish them. People often want to avoid this process because it is a lot of work. You have to empty the room, sand, stain, and seal the floors, and then give them time to dry before you move your belongings back in. It is almost always less expensive to refinish your floors than it is to replace them. Laminate flooring may be less expensive, but you still have to account for the cost of pulling out the old floor and …

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When Are Hardwood Floors Beyond Repair?

When Are Hardwood Floors Beyond Repair

Although hardwood floors are sturdy and long-lasting, they won’t last forever. Wood is a natural product, and it degrades over time. How long it lasts depends on the environment where it is installed, the temperature and humidity levels, and the traffic. You will want to look for signs that your hardwood floors are beyond repair. This might include holes in the wood, buckling, warping, or seeing nails come up. There are many different signs that alert you to let you know that you need to address your floors. Sometimes you can repair them, but if the job is too big, …

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Do I Need a Dehumidifier with My Hardwood Floors?

Dehumidifier for Hardwood Floors

Wood is a porous material that takes in moisture and expands or contracts. When you plan to install it, you need to make sure that it has time to acclimate to the environment before you install it. This can take from a few days to a week. Wood floors are sensitive to the level of humidity in the environment where they are installed. They actually need the humidity level to be between 35% and 60%. It is a good idea to have a humidistat in the room so that you can keep track of the humidity level. If the humidity …

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Can You Put Electric Radiant Heat Under Hardwood Floors?

If you live in a climate with cold winters, you may have considered placing radiant heat under your floors. Thai is a cost-effective method of warming up your house, and it can make a huge difference on cold days. You can install radiant heat under hardwood floors. It is important to choose a radiant heat system that is designed to work with wood floors. Some people have heard that heat can damage the wood, but most damage comes from moisture. That said, you have a choice between installing wood floors traditionally, where they are attached with nails, glue, or staples, …

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How to Remove Heat Stains From Wood

How to Remove Removing Heat Marks From Wood

Wood floors are durable and treated to resist heat and scorching, but they still are able to burn. When they do, it leaves a heat stain, which takes a lot of patience to remove. It is important not to further damage the wood in the process of restoring it. No matter what the source of your heat stain is, you can remove it from your wood floor. You need to have patience to follow the steps in the process, from sanding to scraping and applying oil. If the damage is too great, you may need to cut out a plank …

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Can Compressed Wood Be Used as a Subfloor?

Can Compressed Wood Be Used as a Subfloo

Engineered wood comes in a number of different forms. It is a manmade form of wood that is made by combining wood fibers, wood particles, wood shavings, and sawdust. Then, it is often mixed with resin and compressed with high heat. Compressed wood can be used as a subfloor. In spite of this, it is not as strong as plywood, and the drawbacks nearly always beat out any benefits of using it as a subfloor. It comes as particle board, medium density fiberboard, and high density fiberboard, with the fiber board being a better option for a subfloor. What Is …

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What Causes Hardwood Floors to Buckle?

What Causes Buckled Hardwood Floors

Hardwood floors are a warm and inviting addition to any home, but they need to be maintained. As long as you take care of them, they can last for decades. One of the most common problems that can arise with hardwood floors is buckling. It is important to understand what it is and what causes it so that you can prevent it from happening. What Does it Mean for Hardwood Floors to Buckle? When your hardwoods rise up and have bumps and uneven sections, they are buckling. This usually happens when the floor separates from the subfloor as it takes …

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Do New Hardwood Floors Need to Settle?

How Long Do Hardwood Floors Take to Settle

People often choose hardwood floors for the warm, elegant feeling they add to a room. It is important to make sure that they are installed correctly because you want them to last and continue looking great for years to come. It is important to give hardwood floors time to acclimate to the room where they will be installed, and they do need to settle. Once the wood is acclimated to the environment, it can be installed, and it will calibrate its moisture content to the humidity and temperature where it is installed. If you skip this step, your wood floors …

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Can a Wood Floor Support a Car?

Wood Garage Floor

When you build a garage, you have a frame built over dirt. You can choose what type of surface you want on the floor. The most common material used is concrete; however, some people consider using other materials, such as epoxy, stone, rubber tiles, and wood. You can use wood for your garage floor, but it is important to make sure that it can support your car. On average, a car weighs 3000 pounds, so your subfloor needs to be installed to support the concentrated weight. It should also be noncombustible and nonabsorbent, which means that you will need to …

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