As I mentioned in my Boardwalk Hardwood Floors post, we ordered Kempas hardwood for our home. The hardwood floors have been installed throughout the house, with the exception of the two bathrooms and the laundry room. We left the linoleum in those.
Ken, from Owens Improvements in St. Louis, recommended Plaza Floor Coverings for the installation. Of course, we had checked out other options as well, but Ken trusted them and they have done great work for his projects in the past, so we trusted them.
Here’s a peek at our floors…
Kempas is an exotic hardwood. It is rich in color, durable, and is purported to have a long-lasting finish. It does resemble Brazilian Cherry or Santos Mahogany and is a fraction of the cost. Floors made from Kempas are very hard and rank as high as African paduak on the Janka wood hardness scale, which means it is strong and durable. It reportedly withstands years of wear and tear and is supposed to stand up to damage from impacts caused by furniture or klutze’s (like me) dropping things on it (yes, my klutz syndrome played a role in our decision). Because Kempas is more moisture-resistant than many other woods, it also naturally resists mold and decay. YAY!
Of course, having new wood floors means changes to my cleaning habits. For starters, out went the vacuum. For the first few days, I practically chased my dust bunnies around with a broom, cleaning up their tracks. Then we bought the Rubbermaid Reveal Spray Mop Kit and Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner (insert sounds of operatic glee). We chose the Rubbermaid Reveal Mop because 1) we can use whatever cleaner we want with it, and 2) it has washable microfiber pads. The Rubbermaid Reveal Mop Pads can be purchased separately, as well, so we bought a spare so I will always have a clean one. I’ve also ordered a Reveal Dry Dusting Mop Pad and extra Reveal Mop Cleaning Bottle so I can have water in one and cleaner in the other.
I love our new floors! I also love that I am not lugging around a vacuum anymore (as it was contraindicated by my pain specialist). I do have to say, though, that it would be nice to have backpack vacuum for those days when the kidlets decide to track in half the dirt from the backyard!
The floors are quieter than I expected, warmer than I expected, and prettier than I expected. The best part, though? They are not carpet that has outlived its expiration date for several years. LOL.
***Discount received for goods and services to facilitate this post. All opinions are my own.***
BEAUTIFUL! I want some for my house!
We switched from carpet too. I haven’t had carpet in years. Once you get used to sweeping all the time, it is well worth the change. You don’t worry about spills (because they clean up so easy.) Mud? Who cares? It comes right up. It really is worry free living.
The only problem I had was when someone else dropped a mini fridge and took a chunk of wood out of the floor. Now there is a quarter size whole missing. I am not sure how to fix this problem but other than dropping a pretty heafty size object on the floor we hadn’t had any problems in the past 5 years.