March 15th, 2011
After a year of training, Ivan has competed in his first multisport event in New Zealand. Ivan entered the event as an individual, rather than a team, traversing New Zealand’s beautiful country side in a well-known multisport event, the Speight’s Coast to Coast, which takes competitors from Kumara, on the west coast of NZ to Christchurch on the east coast.
Ivan cycled, kayaked and mountain ran (through rivers as well) for a total of 243km. He finished in 22 hours, with a new achievement (and injury…) under his belt – congratulations Ivan!
Tags: Coast to Coast, Ivan, Ivan Kirton, Speights Coast to Coast
Posted in Awards & Recognition | No Comments »
January 3rd, 2011
The Top 7 Parquetry Species we lay in Sydney are:
Blackbutt
- Tight grain
- Highly durable
- Consistent colour
- Light colour
Blackbutt
Brushbox
- Darker colour with light variations
- Hardly durable
- Tight grain
- Oily, resinous timber, which can cause problems with solvent-based Polyurethane
Brushbox
Spotted Gum
- Brown timber
- Good deal of colour variation
- Agreeable grain structure
- Softer timber
Spotted Gum
Tasmanian Oak (Tassie Oak)
- Light colour
- Very soft
- Pinkish hue when first sanded
- Attractive grain
Tassie Oak
Ironbark
- Extreme durability
- Great colour variation within the timber
- Very stable timber in terms of moisture content (therefore lasts the distance with fewer problems)
- Used for fence posts and railway sleepers
This floor is Grey Ironbark stained with Black Japan Chelaic and Tung Oil
European Oak
- Grain that is accepts stain very well
- Beautiful grain structure, especially when cut from the tree in a certain way
- Very light and soft timber
- A common timber used in furniture within Australia
European Oak stained with Black Japan
Jarrah
- Prized for stunning red colour
- Predominantly sourced from Western Australia
- Darkens over time
- The older the tree, the darker the timber
- Considered a premium timber species
Jarrah
Tags: black japan, blackbutt, BrushBox, european oak, flooring sydney, ironbark, Ivan Kirton, Jarrah, parquetry sydney, Spotted Gum, Tasmanian oak, tassie oak, timber floors, Timber Species
Posted in Technical | No Comments »
January 3rd, 2011
In the olden days, there were only certain finishes available. The main finish that people used to use on their floors was boiled Linseed Oil (you may have been to the health food store and bought this as Flaxseed Oil). Some people may remember Linseed Oil from rubbing it into their cricket bats, which achieved a very durable finish with a dull sheen.
The unfortunate problem with this finish is that Linseed Oil needed to be applied every six months to keep up its’ good look. In today’s standards, Linseed Oil is comparable to a Satin finish.
The other common flooring finish used in the 1800’s was Beeswax, which was dissolved in Turpentine in a container held in boiling water. Turpentine is a solvent, which means that it kept the beeswax soft so that it could be rubbed into the floor.
Wax polishing requires plenty of hard rubbing, which is continued until the surface is very bright. Although the surface can appear dull at first, over time, and with the application of more wax, a fine antique finish can be created.
Neither of these finishes are used today. They have been superseded by products such as oil and water-based floor finishes, which provide a similar effect, but without the manpower required.
- Preparations for very old timber floor by Greaves Parquetry and Ivan Kirton Parquetry in 2009
Tags: antique floors, flooring sydney, Ivan Kirton, old fashioned floors, parquetry sydney, timber floors
Posted in Technical | No Comments »
December 15th, 2010
Keep your floor glossy by taking care with placement of rugs in first 6 months
UV light can cause colour changes in both the timber and coating over time. This is particularly evident where mats have sat for long periods, but may not be noticable as colour changes occur gradually in timber. The solution? To sand and recoat your floor.
For solvent-based coatings, we use Polycure 1045, which over time can darken with UV exposure, whilst with the water-based solvent we use, Bona Mega, darkening is significantly less.
Darkening is a normal occurence and something that cannot be avoided in the whole of the timber industry, and to this day, I still have not seen evidence of it myself, excpet in houses where rugs have sat for 30 years or more.
What to look for: Darker or lighter colour variances where the rug/object has sat.
Prevention Better Than Cure: What we suggest is that you avoid the use of rugs and mats for at least 6 months after we have coated your floor, giving the timber and coating time to adjust. Or if rugs are being used, simply move them from place to place, avoiding having them sit for extended periods in the one spot. This will ensure that UV exposure reaches all parts of the timber floor and not just one specific areaa, therefore creating a more even tone to the whole surface of the floor.
Tags: awards, bamboo floor sydney, bamboo flooring, Bona, colour change timber floor mat, colour change timber floor rug, colour changes to timber floors, floor sanding, floor sanding sydney, floorsanding sydney, parquetry, parquetry floor sydney, Parquetry Flooring, Parquetry Flooring Sydney, polycure, small business, st george, St George Leader, timber floor, timber floor care, timber floor changes, timber floor problems, timber floor sydney, Timber Flooring, Timber flooring Sydney, watson
Posted in Technical | No Comments »
November 25th, 2010
Ivan Kirton Parquetry and Floor Sanding was featured in the Oct 2010 issue of Aust & NZ Foooring magazine – one whole page! This is very exciting news for us…..We’re moving and shaking, baby!!!
Tags: floor sanding, floor sanding sydney, floorsanding sydney, ivan kirton blog, parquetry, parquetry floor sydney, Parquetry Flooring, Parquetry Flooring Sydney, parquetry sydney, timber floor, timber floor sydney, Timber Flooring, Timber flooring Sydney
Posted in Awards & Recognition | No Comments »
October 25th, 2010
Got caught sneaking to the fridge for a midnight snack, all because your timber floor was creaking, and gave you away??
It’s not unusual, in fact rather common place, particularly of a new floor, needing time to ‘settle’ in.
This creaking doesn’t necessarily indicate bad craftsmanship or a structural problem. Over the years, the nails or staples that hold down the floorboards can gradually loosen, allowing the boards to move slightly against each other when weight is applied to a floor, such as us walking over it. This alone can be enough to cause that aggravating ‘creaking’ sound.
Other factors contributing to the ‘creaks’ could be due to extreme weather changes or if a floor has not been walked on for some time. Moisture, or lack thereof, may be responsible for the swelling, shrinkage and occasional distortion that can be found in floorboards, again, creating a creaking noise.
Contact Ivan’s team today to see how we can help fix your creaking floorboards.
Tags: creaking floor, creaking timber floorboards, fix creaking timber floor, fix creaking timber floorbaords, sydney floor sanding, sydney parquetry
Posted in Technical | 2 Comments »
October 18th, 2010
Timber Flooring is as important for your health as it is for the environment. Doctors recommend timber flooring for those people with allergies, asthma and lung conditions. Timber floors do not absorb or hide dirt & dust like carpet, and can easily be disinfected, maintaining a squeaky clean home environment. Food or drink spills can be easily wiped off your timber floor, not harbouring any residue.
Timber flooring offers a clean alternative in which we live, especially in those rooms we spend most of our time in.
Did you know that an Environmental Protection Agency study found garden pesticides can work their way into carpet, as these poisons are absorbed by your bare feet. What better of a reason to install timber flooring!
Tags: allergies, allergy carpet, asthma carpet, asthma timber floor, benefit timber floor health, floor sanding, floor sanding sydney, floorsanding sydney, health carpet, health timber floor, parquetry, parquetry floor sydney, Parquetry Flooring, Parquetry Flooring Sydney, parquetry sydney, timber floor, timber floor sydney, Timber Flooring, Timber flooring Sydney, timber floors
Posted in Environmental, Uncategorized | No Comments »
September 26th, 2010
As reported in Aug 2010 Flooring magazine, international research has shown a correlation between timber floors and increased commercial value in real estate properties.
The National Wood Flooring Association of America has reported a significant increase in timber floor installations across the housing sector for the primary reason of increasing a property’s value.
Hardwood floors increase the saleability of a home by a massive 75% according to US real estate agents, up from 44% as cited in a previous survey and 90% of agents stated that homes with hardwood floors would sell for a higher profit margin, compared with 58% according to previous data.
According to US real estate agents, the most common reasons for the likely value increase being placed on timber flooring were simply due to aesthetics, environmental sustainability, easy cleaning and maintenance and health concerns.
Already in the Australian market, we can see the trend in timber flooring and correlating property value, with many of our customers mirroring the US and European markets in installing timber floors purely for aesthetic and resale value.
Tags: ATFA, floor sanding, floor sanding sydney, floorsanding sydney, parquetry, Parquetry Flooring, Parquetry Flooring Sydney, parquetry sydney, timber floor, timber floor sydney, Timber Flooring, Timber flooring Sydney, timber floors
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
August 4th, 2010
Last Friday, I flew down to Melbourne to the Australian Business and IT Expo to accept our award from the Victorian Minister for Small Business, the Hon. Mr. Joe Helper, and awards organiser, John Gannan, for being the Australian Home-Based Business Trade Award 2010 winner!!!
First we were announced a finalist...
Drum roll please….
And then we were announced winner for the Trade section of the Australian Home-Based Business Awards 2010!
Check out www.homebasedbusinessawards.com.au for more information.
Tags: ATFA, australian home based business awards, floor sanding, floor sanding sydney, floorsanding sydney, parquetry, parquetry floor sydney, Parquetry Flooring, Parquetry Flooring Sydney, parquetry sydney, timber floor, timber floor sydney, Timber Flooring, Timber flooring Sydney, timber floors
Posted in Awards & Recognition | No Comments »
July 8th, 2010
Recently, we were mentioned in the ATFA’s Timber Floors Magazine – check out the clipping below. We were also mentioned for other business successes in their monthly e-newsletter a few weeks later.
The ATFA is the peak Australian association for the timber flooring industry providing professional services to members and the community. More information can be found at www.atfa.com.au
- ATFA Timber Floors Magazine
Tags: ATFA, Austalian Timber Flooring Association, australian timber flooring association, floor sanding, floor sanding sydney, floorsanding sydney, parquetry, parquetry floor sydney, Parquetry Flooring, Parquetry Flooring Sydney, parquetry sydney, timber floor, timber floor sydney, Timber Flooring, Timber flooring Sydney, timber floors
Posted in Awards & Recognition | No Comments »
