Mesquite floors are one of the mosts stable and durable hardwood floors you could add to your home. It is very resistant and thus it requires little to no effort to maintain.
Just like any other floor, vacuuming or sweeping is a desired to keep regular maintenance and care. A soft-bristled broom keeps loose dirt from building up. When using a vacuum, make sure the power rotary brush head is deactivated to avoid scratching the surface. Dust particles can accumulate in the scratches on the wood’s surface.
For periodic cleaning use a lightly water-damp mop. Water and humidity have an effect on wood. Make sure you don’t soak the mop. Mop on the direction of the grain so dust particles don’t get stuck in between crevices. If a spill occurs, clean it immediately. You can buy special cleaners for an occasional “spring cleaning” make sure you always follow directions according to the label.
To prevent damage when moving furniture, use stick-on felt protectors under the legs of furniture. If you have pets, keep their nails trimmed to avoid scratching. High heels can easily dent the wood, enjoy your hardwood mesquite floor barefoot or lounge with your fluffy slippers. Place a mat on every outdoor entrance to stop dust or stains to track into your floor.
If you see these gaps during the winter, don’t try to fill them in, the wood with expanding again in the summer. A humidifier can be used during cold seasons to prevent wood shrinkage and gaps.
To prevent aging and color fading, use protecting window curtains to block UV rays and excessive heat. On high-traffic areas, like the kitchen, place a rug under the sink to prevent wearing.
Every once in a while try rearranging the furniture around so the sun doesn’t always hit the same spot on your wood floor. Move items around, try putting an armchair or, a rug with a side table or a lamp on top. Move sofas and rugs that always cover the same wood areas to other ones that aren’t covered, this will help your wood always look even as the years pass. By moving things around you are giving your house a new look. It refreshes and changes the environment and style of the room.
Lastly, depending on your floor’s wear and tear, you could give your floors a new coat. Even though it’s not as big as the process of refinishing, it will still require time and to be done properly. Recoating hardwood floors can restore the look of the floor. Refinishing hardwood floors can be done around every 10+ years, this is the process of sanding down coating layers and staining them again. Sometimes you won’t even need to refinish your floors, refinishing is mostly for floors that have deep gouges and the finish is mostly worn out.
Overal you want to keep a consistent care that is as simple as a light sweep or vacuum. This will extend the life of your floor and push back recoating or refinishing them.
Mesquite wood displays rich character and color not found in other hardwoods. The handsome appearance, unparalleled strength and rustic Texas style complete a grand entrance for any stairway. Faifer and Company, Inc supplies a full range of artfully-crafted mesquite wood stair parts to complete simple and elaborate staircases of all varieties.
Faifer and Company’s mesquite wood selections are reclaimed pieces from Texas ranchlands, carefully chosen for their aged charm and inimitable detail. The individual pieces combine to create a striking impression and complementary Texas motif in your foyer, living room or basement. An extensive selection of sizes with nosings, risers and reducers allows you to create any staircase and fulfill your unique elevation, height and aesthetic requirements.
Browse the stair gallery to take a closer look at completed mesquite wood staircases. See the parts listed below to start building your staircase and contact Faifer and Company Inc. for distinctive wooden stair treads and risers in Texas.
Will have clear and possibly small knots, checks and other natural defects allowed, along with the natural varying color of the wood. Sapwood is not allowed on finished surfaces. Lengths vary from 9 inches to 48 inches with tongue and groove. Ends are square cut. On average the lengths will vary between 16″ – 22″.
Will have semi clear, small to large knots, checks and other natural defects allowed, along with the natural varying color of the wood. Sapwood is not allowed on finished surfaces. Lengths vary from 9 inches to 48 inches with tongue and groove. Ends are square cut. On average the lengths will vary between 16″ – 22″.
Wood Blocks – Only one grade available. Knots, checks and other natural defects are allowed. Partly filled with black epoxy. Width is 3 inches and lengths from 2 inches to 5 inches.
The Janka (or side) hardness test measures the force required to embed a .444 – inch steel wall to half its diameter in wood. It is one of the best measurements of the ability of a wood species to withstand denting and wear. By the same token, it is also a good indicator of how hard or easy a species is to saw or nail. Northern Red Oak, for example, has a Janka hardness rating of 1290. Brazilian Cherry, with a rating of 2350, is nearly twice as hard. If you’re accustomed to working with Red Oak and decide to tackle a job with Brazilian Cherry, you can expect it to be much harder to cut and nail.
| Wood Species | Rating |
| Ipe | 3680 |
| Brazilian Teak | 3540 |
| Brazilian Cherry (jatoba) | 2820 |
| Live Oak | 2680 |
| Purpleheart | 2520 |
| Spotted Gum | 2473 |
| Mesquite | 2345 |
| Santos Mahogany | 2200 |
| Sydney Blue Gum | 2023 |
| Merbau | 1925 |
| Jarrah | 1910 |
| Hickory/Pecan | 1820 |
| Padauk | 1725 |
| Wenge | 1630 |
| Brazilian Maple | 1500 |
| Sapele | 1500 |
| Hard Maple | 1450 |
| Australian Cypress | 1375 |
| White Oak | 1360 |
| Tasmanian Oak | 1350 |
| White Ash | 1320 |
| Beech | 1300 |
| Red Oak (Northern) | 1290 |
| Birch | 1260 |
| Iroko | 1260 |
| Antique Heart Pine | 1225 |
| Thai/Burmese Teak | 1078 |
| American Black Walnut | 1010 |
| Black Cherry | 950 |
| Southern Yellow Pine (Longleaf) | 870 |
| Southern Yellow Pine (Loblolly & Shortleaf) | 690 |
| Douglas Fir | 660 |
.Source: Hardness ratings for most species taken from Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material (Agriculture Handbook 72, Forest Product Laboratory, Forest Service U.S. Department of Agriculture; revised 1987). Except for Australian Cypress, Wenge, African Padauk, Merbau and Santos Mahogany, which were provided by International Hardwood Flooring; Heart Pine by Mountain Lumber and Mesquite by Mesquite Products of Texas.
Douglas Fir rating is an average of ratings for coast, Interior West and Interior North species.
(Ranked by percentage of tangential shrinkage from green to oven-dry moisture content)
The numbers in the chart reflect the dimensional change coefficient for the various species, measured as tangential shrinkage or swelling within normal moisture content limits of 6 – 14 percent. Tangential change values will normally reflect changes in plainsawn wood. Quartersawn wood will usually be more dimensionally stable than plainsawn.
The dimensional change coefficient can be used to calculate expected shrinkage or swelling. Simply multiply the change in moisture content by the change coefficient, than multiply by the width of the board.
Example: A mesquite (change coefficient – .00129) board 5 inches wide experiences a moisture content change from 6 to 9 percent – a change of 3 percentage points.
(Calculation: 3 x .00129 = .00387 x 5 = .019 inches).
In actual practice, however, change would be diminished in a complete floor, as the boards’ proximity to each other tends to restrain movement. The chart is best used for comparison.
* Although some tropical woods such as Australian Cypress, Brazilian Cherry, Merbau and Wenge appear in this chart to have excellent moisture stability compared to domestic oak, actual installations of many of these woods have demonstrated significant movement in use. To avoid problems later, extra care should be taken to inform potential users of these tendencies prior to purchase.
| Wood Species | Rating |
| Beech | 11.9 |
| Jarrah | 11.0 |
| White Oak | 10.5 |
| Hard Maple | 9.9 |
| Yellow Birch | 9.5 |
| Hickory/Pecan | 8.9 |
| Brazilian Maple | 8.8 |
| Northern Red Oak | 8.6 |
| Brazilian Cherry (jatoba) | 8.5 |
| Bubinga | 8.4 |
| Brazilian Walnut (Ipe) | 8.0 |
| White Ash | 7.8 |
| American Black Walnut | 7.8 |
| Brazilian Teak | 7.6 |
| Southern Yellow Pine | 7.5 |
| Sapele | 7.4 |
| Douglas Fir | 7.3 |
| Black Cherry | 7.1 |
| Santos Mahogany | 6.2 |
| Purpleheart | 6.1 |
| Thai/Burmese Teak | 5.8 |
| Wenge | 5.8 |
| Padauk | 5.2 |
| Merbau | 4.6 |
| Iroko | 3.8 |
| Mesquite | 3.2 |
| Australian Cypress | 2.8 |
.Source: stability ratings taken from Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material (Agriculture Handbook 72, Forest Products Laboratory, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; revised 1987).
