Arch Craft LLC

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Photos | Procedures | Information

Floor Sanding & Dust Containment

DUST CONTAINMENT SYSTEM

Our dust containment system is an efficient cyclone that attaches to the exhaust of the sanding machines.
Cyclones are centrifugal separators that use gravity and air speed to separate material from an air stream.

The cyclone spins the dust-laden air stream and drops the dust out of the bottom into a clear dust cup.
The air stream which now has only a small amount of ultra fine dust in it exits the top of the cyclone and goes through a high efficiency cartridge filter.
The filter removes particles down to below 1 micron in size. There is essentially no dust emission from the filter.

The dust that is separated into the bottom cup is carried away by a vacuum pump through a 1 1/2" diameter hose that transfers
the dust outside the work area to a 35 gal. drum. The drum uses another small cyclone to drop the dust into a plastic bag.
The air stream continues through the pump and through a last filter that removes any fine dust from the air used to convey the dust from the sanding machine.

The results allow for a clean surface when preparing your floors for application of stain and finish and further eliminates
the concerns for any air bourn dust settling into the finish after it has been applied as was the case with the old bag method.

BENEFITS TO HOMEOWNERS

HEALTH
If you have allergies or asthma, we are sensitive to your needs and provides a safe process that will not irritate these types of health problems.

CONVENIENCE
You can avoid moving artwork, books, or keepsakes totally out of the area, because our system will keep the wood dust from permeating in your home.

CLEAN
After your floor project, it will not be necessary to wipe down the walls, mop the floors,
or clean all the surfaces in your home due to wood dust,, because of the containment system.

Finishing & Refinishing

Basic wood finishing procedure

Wood finishing starts with sanding (typically using a sanding block or power sander), scraping, or planing.
Imperfections or nail holes on the surface may be filled using wood putty or pores may be filled using wood filler.
Often, the wood's colour is changed by staining, bleaching, or any of a number of other techniques.

Once the wood surface is prepared and stained, the finish is applied. It usually consists of several coats of wax,
shellac, drying oil, lacquer, varnish, or paint, and each coat is typically followed by sanding.

Finally the surface may be polished or buffed using steel wool, pumice, rotten stone or other materials,
depending on the shine desired. Often, a final coat of wax is applied over the finish to add a degree of protection.

French polishing is a finishing method of applying many thin coats of shellac using a rubbing pad, yielding a very fine glossy finish.

Ammonia fuming is a traditional process for darkening and enriching the color of white oak.
Ammonia fumes react with the natural tannins in the wood and cause it to change colours.
The resulting product is known as "fumed oak".

Types of finishes

There are three major types of finish

Evaporative | Reactive | Coalescing

Wax is an evaporative finish because it is dissolved in turpentine or petroleum distillates to form a soft paste.
After these distillates evaporate, a wax residue is left over.

Reactive finishes use solvents such as white spirits and naphtha. Oil varnishes and linseed oil are reactive finishes,
meaning they change chemically when they cure, unlike evaporative finishes.
The solvent evaporates and a chemical reaction occurs causing the resins to undergo a change.
This change prevents solvents from dissolving reactive finishes.

Tung oil and linseed oil are reactive finishes that cure by reacting with oxygen, but do not form a film.

Water based finishes generally fall into the coalescing category.

Comparison of different clear finishes

Clear finishes are intended to make wood look good and meet the demands to be placed on the finish.
Choosing a clear finish for wood involves trade-offs between appearance, protection, durability, safety, requirements for cleaning, and ease of application.
The following table compares the characteristics of different clear finishes.
'Rubbing qualities' indicates the ease with which a finish can be manipulated to deliver the finish desired.
Shellac should be considered in two different ways. It is used as a finish and as a way to manipulate the wood's ability to absorb
other finishes by thinning it with denatured alcohol. The alcohol evaporates almost immediately to yield a finish that is
completely safe but shellac will attach itself to virtually any surface, even glass, and virtually any other finish can be used over it.

Floor Installations

Custom Wood Inlay

Inlay is a decorative technique of inserting pieces of contrasting, often coloured materials into depressions in a
base object to form patterns or pictures that normally are flush with the matrix. In a wood matrix, inlays commonly use wood veneers,
but other materials like shells, mother-of-pearl, horn or ivory may also be used.
Inlay in wood furniture differs from marquetry, a similar technique that largely replaced it in high-style European furniture during
the 17th century, in that marquetry is an assembly of veneers applied over the entire surface of an object, whereas inlay consists
of small pieces inserted on the bed of cut spaces in the base material, of which most remains visible.

On Site Punch Out

Wood Repair

When Replacing Damaged Goods is Not An Option, Any Onsite Repair Is Possible.
(Grain Matching, Blending Discoloration, Wood Floor Repair, Nail Holes, Scratches And Gouges)
On and Off site Repairs To Veneers, Wood Furniture, Flooring, Cabinetry, ect.. ect..

Decks & Doors

Counter Tops | Cabinets | Built-ins

See Gallery

Stairs & Stairways

Wide Plank Flooring

Touch Ups & Service Repairs

Projects

See Gallery

Meet The Staff