News
Everyday Cleaning Essentials for Wood Flooring
You can’t beat a beautiful, well-maintained wood floor for good looks, practicality and style. And when it’s well looked after it makes a wonderful backdrop to any home and is a great investment. When buying a wood floor you will spend considerable time researching types, finishes and styles to find your perfect floor that will look good and last for years. How you keep your floor clean has a big impact on those long lasting good looks, yet most people spend little time researching how to clean and protect the floor. Sopping mops, steam cleaners, powerful cleaning products, are often used impulsively without any knowledge of the long term damage they are doing to your beautiful new wood floor. The three biggest enemies of hardwood flooring are water, which can cause your floors to warp and loosen over time; scratches, floor finishes like lacquer and UV oil resist scratching but careful handling is still required; and cleaning products, these often contain harsh chemicals which strip the wood of their natural elements and destroy the protective finish of the floor. These are easy enemies to avoid, and with just a little care in your choice of cleaning methods and products, wood floors are extremely effortless to keep clean and looking like new for years. There are so many cases of deteriorating wood floors where harmful chemical cleaners have been used, often found on high street shelves. There is no need to use a strong cleaner on wood floors. The products are harmful not just to the floor, but often contain ingredients harmful to humans and animals if contaminated, and are also damaging to the environment. A pH-neutral water based cleaning solution is your wood floor’s best friend. The do’s and don’ts are simple for quick, effective and safe cleaning of your wood floor. Do Sweep or vacuum your wood floor regularly to limit the amount of dirt and grit that may build up on the floor. Try to use a brush setting or soft bristle attachment on your vacuum to avoid scratches. Aim to wet clean the floor weekly using a very slightly damp mop or cloth. Only use a pH-neutral water based cleaning product recommended for wood floors. Don’t Don’t use a vacuum setting that could scratch the floor. Don’t move fu iture unless lifting it or moving it with protection pads unde eath to avoid scratching the wood surface. Don’t use excessive amounts of water which will warp and damage floors. It should not be possible to wring water from your mop or cloth. If it is, it is too wet and may cause damage. Don’t use chemical based cleaners, bleach, ammonia, abrasive cleaners, or anything that will leave a residue like fu iture spray or wax. Not only will this damage the wood, but could cause possible harm to you and the environment. Do not use steam cleaners. Steam is water and the high pressure and temperatures produced penetrate the wood, encouraging water absorption and long term damage to the surface finish and floor. Pretty straightforward advice to follow! But to make it even easier for you, V4 Woodflooring has just introduced the Wood’s Good range of cleaning and protection products. V4’s long-standing expertise and passion for high quality wood floors now extends to a range of safe and easy to use cleaning products from the UK’s leading wood floor experts. They make cleaning a breeze, whilst protecting your floor, and you, from the potential harm of certain cleaning products and methods. The Wood’s Good cleaning kits, specified for oiled or lacquered floors, include a safe pH neutral cleaning solution and simple to use cleaning tools. For more information visit the Wood’s Good website www.woodsgood.co.uk
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New V4 ‘Wooden Warehouse’ Opens In Derbyshire
The official opening of V4 Woodflooring’s new midlands distribution and trade centre took place on 4th June, marking another milestone in the company’s history as the popularity of V4’s wood floor products and services continues to grow across all co ers of the UK. The opening of the centre in Castle Donington now enables V4 to facilitate an even better service for its retailers and customers in the Midlands and North, located in an ideal location for the great transport links. Invited guests were joined by Chairman of Castle Donington Parish Council, Shaun Ambrose-Jones, for the ribbon cutting and official launch party at the site, where the new V4 fleet were also rolled out on what was a lovely sunny day. V4 has invested over £600,000 in the new warehouse and trade facility, and the centre will not only have a positive impact on V4’s service and speed of delivery, but also creates new job opportunities for the local community. Chris Vincent, MD said: “Our business is growing year on year and we’ve got exciting and ambitious plans for the future. We hope that the Castle Donington site will grow and expand to complement our main base in Surrey.” V4 Woodflooring is leading the way in the UK for the supply of sustainable and high quality real wood floors. The current range has 50 stylish floors to choose from and this summer will see the launch of several new wood finishes into the range that reflect the most current interior design and wood floor trends.
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Winner announced: Abbie strikes lucky in our Spring Competition
Thank you to everyone who entered our Spring Competition where we were giving you the chance to win £1000.00 worth of V4 Woodflooring. The competition closed on 31st March and Abbie Webb was selected at random as our lucky winner. Abbie, from Lincoln, was over the moon at the good news and came along to meet us at her nearest V4 approved retailer, Tim Rice flooring in Gainsborough. Here she was presented with her voucher, enjoyed a glass of celebratory bubbly, and got a chance to take a closer look at our collection of 50 stylish wood floor finishes. Now all she had to do is decide which one she is going to go for. Abbie said: “Getting the call to say I won was such a nice surprise. I was really excited to come along today and choose my new flooring, which will look absolutely fantastic in my home.” And for anyone left guessing the correct answer to the competition question was Urban Nature. Watch this space for news of our next competition coming soon.
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Watch this space for the chance to name a new V4 Range and win a prize.
Spring is finally here, and to celebrate we are giving you the chance to win £1000.00 worth of V4Woodflooring to get your next renovation project off to a flying start. With 50 floors in our 10 unique collections there is something for everyone, whether you are looking for an authentic distressed look, a natural rustic feel, a handscraped textured finish or minimalist mode style. All of V4 Woodflooring wood floors are manufactured from the highest quality hard wood, with a 4-6mm layer of real wood to provide a natural and durable finish that lasts for years and can easily be refinished and rejuvenated numerous to times to keep your floor looking like new. Our wood floors come with a choice of three finishes to please your own aesthetic and functionality needs. Lacquer to provide a hard wearing finish to enhance the natural grain with a matt or gloss finish, natural oil, the most natural choice that gives a matt sheen and a tactile surface, or UV oil, creating a slight satin sheen that is natural but creates a tougher surface finish. To enter and stand a chance of winning £1000.00 of V4 Woodflooring answer this simple question: *Competition now closed* Good luck! And in the meantime why not view our full range and order some samples to get planning. Competition Terms and Conditions The winner will be selected at random by a draw with all the correct answer entries. Competition closes on 31st March 2015, after this date no further entries to the competition will be permitted and the winner will be contacted by email within 7 days of the closing date. The £1000.00 V4 Woodflooring voucher will be redeemable in any of our approved retail outlets (find your nearest here). No cash alte ative is available. There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this competition. The promoter of this competition is V4 Woodflooring Limited whose registered office is at Greenbays Park, Carthouse Lane, Horsell, Surrey GU21 4YP.
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Six hardwood flooring trends emerging in 2015
Hardwood floors will never go out of style as they are authentic, renewable, stylish and hard wearing. The range of finishes and styles available continues to evolve. Here are a few of our thoughts on some of the latest trends V4 Woodflooring is seeing emerge in 2015. [gallery ids=eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczpcL1wvd3d3LnY0d29vZGZsb29yaW5nLmNvLnVrXC93cC1jb250ZW50XC91cGxvYWRzXC8yMDE1XC8wMVwvVU4xMDEtMDIuanBnIiwidGl0bGUiOiJVTjEwMS0wMiIsImNhcHRpb24iOiIiLCJhbHQiOiIiLCJkZXNjcmlwdGlvbiI6IiJ9,eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczpcL1wvd3d3LnY0d29vZGZsb29yaW5nLmNvLnVrXC93cC1jb250ZW50XC91cGxvYWRzXC8yMDE1XC8wMVwvVU4xMDYtMDIuanBnIiwidGl0bGUiOiJVTjEwNi0wMiIsImNhcHRpb24iOiIiLCJhbHQiOiIiLCJkZXNjcmlwdGlvbiI6IiJ9,eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczpcL1wvd3d3LnY0d29vZGZsb29yaW5nLmNvLnVrXC93cC1jb250ZW50XC91cGxvYWRzXC8yMDE1XC8wMVwvUEgxMDQyLmpwZyIsInRpdGxlIjoiUEgxMDQyIiwiY2FwdGlvbiI6IiIsImFsdCI6IiIsImRlc2NyaXB0aW9uIjoiIn0=,eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczpcL1wvd3d3LnY0d29vZGZsb29yaW5nLmNvLnVrXC93cC1jb250ZW50XC91cGxvYWRzXC8yMDE1XC8wMVwvVU4xMDQtMDMuanBnIiwidGl0bGUiOiJVTjEwNC0wMyIsImNhcHRpb24iOiIiLCJhbHQiOiIiLCJkZXNjcmlwdGlvbiI6IiJ9] Dark hardwood floors. Dark floors continue to grow in popularity. They give a contemporary and classic look that is both warm and striking. A dark floor helps make a statement, especially if creating the setting for a white kitchen or light fu ishings. Grey hardwood floors. The new neutral, grey has been trending in other areas for a while and now it’s starting to emerge in hardwood. It’s sleek and stylish and creates a bit of drama as it’s a little bit different. It forms a great base colour as its not overpowering and won’t fight with other colours in your home so you can accent key dressings, whether opting for a lighter or darker grey wood floor. White wash wood floors. White washed floors are making a comeback. It’s especially popular where homeowners are trying to add both a mode finish and draw light into their home. Dressed with light fu ishings a contemporary and light room can be created, or for more statement dressing darker fu iture and tones can really stand out on this clean neutral back drop. Wider planks. Wider planks are great for making your space look bigger. They look more contemporary whilst giving an authentic and rustic feel. It’s amazing the impact it can make on a room visually and size wise by going with a wider plank. Distressed hardwood. Creating a reclaimed look is another recent trend giving authenticity and an old world look to your wood floor, keeping the natural character of wood and its imperfections. Handscraped woods are a mode and cost effective finish to achieve this look. These floors look older and distressed at a fraction of the cost of original salvaged wood. Mode vintage hardwood. The newest twist on vintage is a blend of old and new. The planks are typically wider and colours sometimes muted to highlight the mineral streaks and natural character and flaws of the wood. A low gloss finish gives these planks a unique and weathered look. At the end of the day though every customer has their own unique taste when it comes to wood floor colour and choice, and our advice is to do what works best for your style of home. With 50 different woods available in our V4 Collection we are certain you’ll find a finish and colour that works for your own interior aspirations. If you’ve seen something you like, why not order a free sample and get planning.
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Why a Hardwood Floor can be a best choice of flooring
If you are looking for quality, a classic feel and a timeless beauty, then a real hardwood floor is an affordable choice for your home. It’s an easy way to add charm and elegance to any setting adding beauty, warmth, value and good ambiance to your home. Though it offers so many benefits, many homeowners often find themselves comparing hardwood floors to other types of flooring. But with its alluring appearance and unbeatable sturdiness, here are some of the reasons why it is such a popular and sustainable option for so many homeowners. Value - Cost is often the first thing that buyers consider while making a decision in choosing the best floor that suits their home. Though hardwood can be more expensive than other flooring options, installing one in your home increases its value and typically they to sell faster than homes with wall to wall carpeting. Upkeep on the floor is inexpensive and it will also last a lot longer. Longevity - Hardwood floors will last years, V4 Woodflooring comes with a 35 year guarantee. The floors can be refinished to bring out their natural beauty if it starts to fade. However carpeting needs to be replaced on average once every seven to ten years, and one of the big differences between laminate and real wood floors is the life span of the floor. Laminate floors last a few years longer than carpet but does not last nearly as long as hardwood. Cleanliness - Wood is a better choice for people with allergic reactions. Installing carpets can trap in dust, dirt and allergens but with hardwood that won’t be a problem. Stinky odors from carpets may become part of your home, introducing themselves to everyone who walks through your door. But with a real wood floor they do not hang onto odors, or hide dust, dirt, hair and other particles as a carpet does. And they are great if you have pets or children. Appearance - Unlike carpeting, tile, and vinyl, hardwood floors do not go out of style and are naturally beautiful adding an attractive look to your interior décor. And with an array of patte s and finishes you can be as creative as you like and install a unique style that suits your own personal design aspirations Installation - Hardwood takes little more effort than laminate or carpets when it comes to installation and done well, and with the sturdiness and lasting quality of a real wood floor, the end results are worth the work of installing these quality boards. Overall, if you’re thinking about installing a real wood floor you should consider the expense as an investment in your home since it will add a lot of value if you ever decide to sell, but is a lasting and beautiful finish for the years you do live there. Though hardwood can be a bit more expensive than some other floor options, it will also add more value to your home than many other types of flooring.
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Urban Nature
We have recently unveiled our latest range of hardwood flooring planks, the Urban Nature range. This new collection was inspired by the beauty of urban landscapes that have been reclaimed by nature. Due to this, the hardwood flooring planks in this range feature a muted spectrum of colours. The colours are complemented by the hand finished effects that are used. These effects make the planks look industrial and natural simultaneously, whilst providing a distressed, weathered and aged appearance. Perhaps the most dramatic site of nature’s triumph over an industrial landscape is the once prosperous industrial city of Detroit in the USA. Jou alists hailed it the “ghost city gradually reclaimed by nature”. In 1950 the city was one of America’s richest. The city successfully averted a potential nuclear disaster which could have been par with Che obyl in the 1960’s. The event occurred when the local nuclear power station overheated and part of the structure actually melted in 1966. Despite this, whole parts of the city now resemble a post-apocalyptic world where the plants have risen up to reclaim the concrete landscape. In many areas the city has become an urban prairie. Grass covers much of the city’s pavements, trees tower over fences no longer able to contain them and electrical lines compete with tree branches weaving an organic web across the sky of the once prosperous city. Numerous species of wild flowers can be found in the over grown car parks and tall trees stand watch over the city’s landscape from the top of skyscrapers. It is not just plants which have reclaimed the former industrial city, native animals have retu ed. Packs of stray dogs hunt through overgrown blocks for turkeys, racoons and pheasants. Pigeons roost in their hundreds in abandoned factories and feral cats are sustained by the city’s rat population. About The New Urban Nature Range It is this beauty which has inspired our Urban Nature range which includes six distinct hardwood flooring panels. The range of 14mm oak engineered floors features the following products: Oak Rustic Foundry Steel Oak Rustic Wharf Grey Oak Rustic Weathered Beam Oak Rustic Fired Brick Oak Rustic Tannery Brown Oak Rustic Limehouse White Each of these six hardwood floor panels in the Urban Nature range is hand finished, stained and UV oiled and can be obtained from a number of our approved dealers. Each of the products in this range is FSC certified, meaning that the timber used is sourced from responsibly managed forests.
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Responsibly Sourced Hardwood Flooring - FSC®
In 1990 a group of timber traders, users and members from human rights and environmental movements met in Califo ia. The group met due to their shared conce s regarding the increase in deforestation, social exclusion and environmental degradation. During the meeting the assembled group agreed on the importance of establishing a system which could successfully identify well-managed forests as the source for ethically and responsibly produced timber and wood products. As a result of the Califo ia meeting in 1990, the concept of FSC® was created. However, it was a further two years before changes began as part of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development was held in Rio de Janeiro. The event has since been termed the “Earth Summit”. Although the summit produced no legally binding obligations for sustainable forest management, it did produce Agenda 21 and the Forest Principles. However the major victory of the summit was that for the first time it produced a forum where non-gove mental organisations and bodies were able to discuss and create support for the creation of a non-gove mental, independent and inte ational forest certifications scheme. This forum met at ten separate occasions in the following year. The discussions held at these meetings led to the establishment in 1993 of the FSC Founding Assembly, which was held in Toronto. In February 1994 the FSC became a legal entity. Following its origins the FSC has grown and developed. This growth is quantified by the substantial rise of certificates which have been issued for both chain of custody and forest management. By 2011 a total of 20,000 certificates had been awarded to organisations globally. The FSC have three main objectives, these are as follows: Socially Beneficial: Forest management which is socially beneficial helps both the local community and the global society. Providing local populations with incentives in order to provide sustainable forest management solutions both long term and short term. Environmentally Appropriate: This approach to forest management ensures that the harvesting of timber and non-timber products from forests maintains the natural bio-diversity and ecological processes. Economically Viable: FSC are committed to ensuring that their forest management efforts remain sufficiently profitable, without profiting at the expense of the forest’s biodiversity or the local indigenous inhabitants. For more information about the FSC visit the FSC Forest Stewardship Council for the United Kingdom at https://www.fsc-uk.org.
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Grand Designs Live, Ticket Give-Away!
Claim your FREE* tickets now!We have teamed up with Grand Designs Live and have;50 tickets to give away. We would be delighted to welcome you to our stand on opening day Thursday 9th October at the NEC, Birmingham. To claim your tickets simply log on to www.granddesignslive.com and follow the link to book your tickets. Enter the code GDLOPEN together with your details and you can then download a maximum of two tickets. T&C’s apply: *Offer valid on standard admission tickets only, offer ends 01/10/14, tickets must be booked in advance, max 2 tickets per household, non transferable, all tickets will be checked and verified on entry, print at home tickets only, tickets valid on Thursday 9th October only, subject to limited availability, tickets allocated on a first come, first served basis.
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V4 Teams Up With Concreate At 100% Design September 2014
After the success of last years show V4 is once again teaming up with Concreate to showcase the latest additions to its hardwood flooring collection. This years 100% Design show runs for four days from Wednesday 16th to Saturday 20th September and as the UK’s largest and longest running contemporary design event it is celebrating it’s 20th edition. To find out more about the show click here. Come and meet the team on stand E221 where we will be displaying are latest FSC® 100% certified floors, including the Urban Nature, Eiger Grande and Phoenix collections. Win Free VIP Entry! If you would like to visit our stand and see the show simply come and join us on Twitter and Facebook and say hello and we will send you and a partner free VIP entry vouchers valid for each day of the show and give you access to the exclusive VIP lounge. Watch this video from the 2013 show and we’ll look forward to see you you at this year's show. https://youtu.be/Yp8Ptnsvb_c
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What Is FSC? An Explanation from V4 Woodflooring®
In 1990 a group of timber traders, users and members from human rights and environmental movements met in Califo ia. The group met due to their shared conce s regarding the increase in deforestation, social exclusion and environmental degradation. During the meeting the assembled group agreed on the importance of establishing a system which could successfully identify well-managed forests as the source for ethically and responsibly produced timber and wood products. As a result of the Califo ia meeting in 1990, the concept of FSC® was created. However, it was a further two years before changes began as part of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development was held in Rio de Janeiro. The event has since been termed the “Earth Summit”. Although the summit produced no legally binding obligations for sustainable forest management, it did produce Agenda 21 and the Forest Principles. However the major victory of the summit was that for the first time it produced a forum where non-gove mental organisations and bodies were able to discuss and create support for the creation of a non-gove mental, independent and inte ational forest certifications scheme. This forum met at ten separate occasions in the following year. The discussions held at these meetings led to the establishment in 1993 of the FSC Founding Assembly, which was held in Toronto. In February 1994 the FSC became a legal entity. Following its origins the FSC has grown and developed. This growth is quantified by the substantial rise of certificates which have been issued for both chain of custody and forest management. By 2011 a total of 20,000 certificates had been awarded to organisations globally. The FSC have three main objectives, these are as follows: Socially Beneficial: Forest management which is socially beneficial helps both the local community and the global society. Providing local populations with incentives in order to provide sustainable forest management solutions both long term and short term. Environmentally Appropriate: This approach to forest management ensures that the harvesting of timber and non-timber products from forests maintains the natural bio-diversity and ecological processes. Economically Viable: FSC are committed to ensuring that their forest management efforts remain sufficiently profitable, without profiting at the expense of the forest’s biodiversity or the local indigenous inhabitants. Currently, six of the hardwood flooring planks contained within our product range proudly bear the FSC label. However we are currently exploring means by which we can increase this figure. For more information about the FSC visit the FSC Forest Stewardship Council for the United Kingdom at https://www.fsc-uk.org.
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Grand Designs Live: What To Expect
We are pleased to announce that V4 Woodflooring will be retu ing to Grand Designs Live this year. The event will be held at the ExCel in London between 3rd-11th May. We will be using the event to showcase the latest addition to our hardwood flooring range, the Urban Nature Collection, which provides a selection of precision made FSC® 100% certified engineered oak boards, which have been constructed to deliver high levels of stability, whilst being fully compatible with mode , low energy underfloor heating systems. The Urban Nature Collection is inspired by places where nature has reclaimed urban environments. In order to provide truly contemporary aesthetics. This range makes use of a number of our surface finishes, in order to provide a rich, hand finished surfaces. We designed our Urban Nature Collection with the designer in mind, due to this, the collection compliments contemporary interior colour palettes. The event is hosted by Britain’s leading contemporary home show, Grand Designs, which appears regularly on Channel Four and is presented by interior design guru Kevin McCloud. This year marks the events tenth anniversary and due to this, visitors can expect an event which is even grander and more spectacular than those of previous years. At this year’s Grand Designs Live event visitors will be presented with displays from over 500 companies. These displays are organised into seven separate categories. These category areas include, home improvement, interiors, kitchens and bathrooms, food and housewares, renovations and self-build. During the event visitors will not go hungry as Miele have announced they will be sponsoring the “A Taste for Design” restaurant, which will provide sumptuous lunches using the best and freshest ingredients. Food from the restaurant will be lovingly cooked by Nigel Smith and his team of expert chefs. Visitors have the option of Lunch which will be served from 11:45am and 3:00pm, or afte oon tea which will be available between 3:15pm and 5:00pm. Booking is required, for more information click here. Visitors to Grand Designs Live will be able to find the V4 Woodflooring exhibit in the Grand Interiors section at stand L335. Once again we will be teaming up with our sister company Concreate, with whom we will be sharing the stand. Members of our team will be on hand throughout the event to provide assistance, advice and insight into how our hardwood flooring planks can be utilised to create exciting build and interior projects. For more information about the Grand Designs Show Live show please visit www.granddesignslive.co.uk.
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