Maintain relative humidity between 35% and 50% and temperature of approximately 20°C (68°F) in the room where the flooring is installed in order to preserve the internal humidity of the wood and thus its dimensional stability.
Clean the flooring surface using specially recommended flooring cleaning kits. Spray a small amount of cleanser on a cloth or mop and wipe the surface. Note that only small amounts of liquids are required. Cleaning the surface once a month is a minimum maintenance requirement.

Never use wax, household detergents, or oil-based soap on the floor. These products may discolor and damage the finish and leave a grease film, making the floor slippery and difficult to maintain after ward’s. Mixtures of water and vinegar are not recommended, since vinegar has an oxidizing effects on urethane over time.

Water is one of wood’s worst enemies. Never use large amounts of water to clean wood floors, and never use a saturated mop. Wipe up spilled water, liquids or detergents before they are absorbed by the wood fibers. The combined effect of water and sand is devastating to flooring. This is why it is important to place mats at each door way and in front of the sink, dishwasher, and work areas in the kitchen.

Glue felt pads to the legs of furniture and chairs to avoid scratching flooring when objects are moved. Periodically examine the pads for wear and replace when needed. Avoid rolling chairs with casters on finished surfaces. Put them on rugs or
Plexiglas chair mats. Place floor protectors under narrow casters, or replace them with wide rubber or flexible polyurethane casters.
Do not drag furniture or heavy objects across the finished surface. Lift any furniture to be moved. Regularly trim your pets’ claws to prevent scratches and indentations.
Avoid wearing high-heeled shoes on hardwood floors as they can mar the surface. Heel surfaces are so small that the pressure can easily reach 3,500 pounds per square inch. Worn or broken heels can mark flooring even more. Avoid walking on flooring in footwear with cleats or metal tipped soles.

Protect wood surfaces from sunlight or any source of bright artificial light. Prolonged or repeated exposure to bright light can change the color of wood, even if surfaces are coated with a non-yellowing screen.

TORLYS offers five distinctive laminate flooring collections, each created to fit your design taste and lifestyle. The laminate flooring collections offer style aesthetics with smooth and textured finishes, narrow and wide planks, domestic and exotic wood variations.

Like all TORLYS Smart Floors, a state-of-the-art eco-engineered production process ensures TORLYS® Laminate, created to fit your design taste and lifestyle and environmentally friendly floor. And TORLYS Laminate floors are hypoallergenic: they don’t retain dust mites or allergens, which is a big plus for indoor air quality.

Features of Laminate Flooring

* Impact, wear and stain resistant laminate flooring.
* Laminate floors do not need to be waxed or polished.

Advantages of Laminate Flooring

* Installation of laminate floors are a breeze.
* Cleaning up spills couldn’t be easier.
* Laminate floors offer exceptional value.
* Laminate flooring come in a variety of styles, patterns and options.
* Laminate floors are water resistant.

Benefits of Laminate Flooring

* Is it wood or laminate? Only you will know.
* Laminate flooring offers endless design options.
* Laminate floors are hypoallergenic.
* Laminate floors are stain, fade, and moisture resistant.
* Laminate flooring is environmentally-friendly.

Uses of Laminate Flooring

* Laminate flooring is the perfect choice for living and dining areas, playrooms, bedrooms, mudrooms, entrances… absolutely anywhere!

Click here for your free laminate flooring brochure.

Or visit their website http://www.torlys.com

A one-of-a-kind look in inspirational colors
A look with exotic appeal in alluring colors like Bali Coco, the first choice on your voyage of discovery.

Consistent color through and through
The same rich color runs through the entire thickness of the wood, unlike traditional surface stains.

A responsible, environmentally friendly choice
The choice of Canadian Breza—a local species that is processed naturally and doesn’t have to be shipped thousands of kilometers—is a concrete step toward a sustainable future.

Better dimensional stability
This unique process gives wood unparalleled stability and helps it adjust to humidity variations.

What you need to know about wood…
Wood is a natural product that changes color when exposed to light. All species of wood change color after installation, but some of them, like Canadian Breza, change more than most. Canadian Breza will become much lighter a few months after installation, before leveling off.

Oak Chateau

Mirage Quality

Mirage stands as a symbol of the quest for balance and a better quality of life. Mirage is synonymous with comfort, beauty, and durability. It epitomizes attention to detail and the desire to create a product in perfect harmony with its environment.

• Ranked 1^st in quality by Floor Focus magazine in 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009
• Ranked 1^st in quality by Floor Covering Weekly in 2008 and 2009
• Received the Floor Covering News Award of Excellence in 2007, 2008, and 2009

]]> http://www.toronto-hardwood-flooring.com/new-from-mirage/feed/ 1 http://www.toronto-hardwood-flooring.com/hardness-of-wood-species/ http://www.toronto-hardwood-flooring.com/hardness-of-wood-species/#comments Wed, 22 Sep 2010 16:20:42 +0000 http://www.toronto-hardwood-flooring.com/?p=1 Hardness info

Domestic and exotic species

Ipe / Brazilian Walnut / Lapacho                  3684
Cumaru / Brazilian Teak                              3540
Ebony                                                     3220
Brazilian Redwood / Paraju                          3190
Red Mahogany / Turpentine                        2697
Brazilian Cherry / Jatoba                             2350
Mesquite                                                 2345
Santos Mahogany / Cabreuva                      2200
Merbau                                                   1925
Amendoim                                                1912
Jarrah                                                     1910
Purpleheart                                              1860
Goncalo Alves / Tigerwood                          1850
Hickory / Pecan / Satinwood                       1820
Afzelia / Doussie                                       1810
Bangkirai                                                  1798
Rosewood                                                1780
African Padauk                                          1725
Blackwood                                                1720
Merbau                                                    1712
Kempas                                                    1710
Highland Beech                                          1686
Wenge / Red Pine                                       1630
True Pine / Timborana                                 1570
Kambala                                                    1540
Sapele / Sapelli                                           1510
Sweet Birch                                               1470
Hard Maple / Sugar Maple                            1450
Coffee Bean                                              1390
Natural Bamboo                                          1380
Australian Cypress                                       1375
White Oak                                                  1360
Tasmanian Oak                                            1350
Ribbon Gum                                                 1349
Ash (White)                                                 1320
American Beech                                            1300
Red Oak (Northern)                                       1290
Carribean Heart Pine                                      1280
Yellow Birch                                                  1260
Heart Pine                                                    1225
Carbonized Bamboo                                        1180
Brazilian Eucalyptus / Rose Gum                       1125
Makore                                                       1100
Black Walnut                                                1010
Teak                                                           1000
Sakura                                                          995
Black Cherry / Imbuia                                       950
Paper Birch                                                    910
Cedar                                                           900
Southern Yellow Pine (Longleaf)                        870
Lacewood / Leopardwood                                 840
Southern Yellow Pine                                       690
Chestnut                                                       540
White Pine                                                     420
Basswood                                                      410