Category Archives: Flooring
DIY Flooring Home Improvements – Hardwood Floors
Hardwood floors are popular for good reasons. They’re durable, attractive and easy to care for.
Hardwood floors can last a hundred years or more with proper care. Many modern manufacturers feel comfortable giving a 50-year warranty on the hardwood flooring they sell. Their confidence is justified. Look at homes from the turn of the 20th century that have been well-maintained and you might well see the original flooring.
One of the major reasons for this is that the term hardwood floor exactly describes what the material is: hard wood, very hard wood. Brazilian Teak, Walnut, Mahogany, Cherry and many other flooring materials are made from trees with extremely strong and dense fibers. They stand up well to walking, vacuuming where the rotation brushes are often left on and many other forms of daily punishment.
But durability is only one good reason that hardwood floors are so popular, and perhaps not the most significant reason. Hardwood floors are beautiful. Those same trees that offer such long-lasting material are not just attractive while growing. They form the base of flooring material that is esthetically pleasing to nearly everyone.
They appeal to the senses of sight and touch. Whether it’s the dark, soothing brown of a fine Mahogany or the lighter look of Maple, they show color and finish that will dress up any home. The grain lends a flair to any floor design while evoking hints of nature that invites walking on. They may have the rich, sensual look of a deep red Cherry or convey a happy mood from a light Ash.
Hardwood floors are also easy to care for.
Certainly scratches, wear on veneer and other problems can occur with even the hardest of hardwood floors. But no other material allows for sanding, refinishing, crack repair and other fix-it methods like hardwood flooring.
Even everyday care is simplicity itself. Often a little swipe with a cloth dustmop is enough. Spills are easy to remove, thanks to the fine wax or polyurethane finishes applied to hardwood floors. Stains are rare on a properly finished hardwood floor, but when they occur they can often be bleached out, sanded out or covered over with a fresh coat of wood stain.
Hardwood floors are not without their potential downsides, of course. They are more expensive up front than many other options. They are subject to expansion and contraction that can reveal poor installation or even lead to cracking. They can readily look shabby if not properly maintained.
But on balance, those who want a long-lasting, beautiful flooring will often opt for hardwood flooring for one very good reason. It’s simply outstanding.
Caring For Your Floor
A good hardwood floor with proper surface treatment will resist coffee, tea and other common kitchen spills well. But hot coffee can easily melt through wax and before long make its way into small grooves where it’s nearly impossible to get out. Stronger compounds, like grease and acid-containing tomato juice can be even larger problems. Wipe them up completely and your hardwood floor will last for years.
Avoid scraping furniture over hardwood floors. Make the extra effort to lift it up before moving sideways. Once a scratch is made in the surface of hardwood, the only way to get it out is to sand it out and refinish, or use wood putty and stain to cover it up. Felt on table and couch legs will help eliminate the problem before it can occur.
Excess sunlight will, over time, fade even the best hardwood floors. Keeping curtains closed or having a diffuser curtain will cut down the incident UV that does the damage. Using louvres rather than blinds allows you to direct the sunlight up and away from the floor, bouncing it off the walls and ceiling. That drastically cuts down on any UV radiation reaching the floor.
Treat the floor regularly with a protective compound made especially for hardwood floors. That will help deflect sunlight and provide partial protection against stains and scratches.
Brazilian Walnut or Teak, American Oak and other hardwood floor materials will often be sold with as long as 50-year warranties. But that covers only major defects in the plank. Surface scratches, scuff marks and stains can occur in any wood surfaces so they’re not covered. Keep problems at bay as long as possible by the proper care and treatment of your hardwood floors.
Use Cement Flooring For Elegant Marble Look
Cement flooring is one of the opted options by homeowners and designers. Cement flooring when given first thought look like dingy and grey, but if a correct treatment is carried out, flooring can look magnificent. Many concrete or cement floors are generally found at retail stores, restaurants, homes and offices. You can find concrete or cement floors in painted, color, stained and also in nearly unlimited designs. Cement floors have proved a record for durability, cost effectiveness and strength for different applications that include walkways, driveways, floors and patios. Concrete floors are also found in an array of residential backgrounds or settings. Concrete flooring is usually painted for giving a nice effect.
The cement flooring will be transformed into ugly and dull colors because of mixing of new stains with substance used for making concrete floors. Cement floors can give an elegant marble look to a living room and use of right stain can make cement floor look cheery and bright.
This type of flooring costs less and thus makes you save a lot. Interior concrete includes vinyl, carpet and other materials for flooring. Exterior surfaces include materials like granite, brick or stale that meets your budget too. This flooring can lasts forever and there is no need to replace this flooring periodically like tiles or carpets. Life expectancy of cement slabs is more than the flooring materials that are used very often to cover them. Vinyl and carpeting can subject to staining, tears and damage. Concrete floors are healthier than carpets, as carpet collects small mites and dust and people that are allergic to moulds or dust can suffer from serious problems. Concrete or cement floors can be cleaned with the help of a mop or vacuum cleaner.
There are some good brown tones that are mixed up with the texture that look like an expensive stone or marble. Usually, other brown tone is also mixed with the substance in order to achieve spectacular effect. For giving special effects to the cement flooring green and blue shades can also be accented with the substance. It is done in order to make the floor look beautiful, decorative and attractive. Cement can be mixed up with several textures and hues and coloring to make the floor give look of elegance.
Cement flooring are durable, easy to maintain and are sanitary that can last for long time. Different methods that are used for creation of concrete decorative surfaces include:
? Chemical staining:
Special stains are mixed up with the concrete to lightly etch into the cement surface. This option can be applied on old as well as new slabs. However, results may vary from one project to another.
? Integrally colored concrete:
The colorant may be added to the cement or concrete when the mixing is done for making the slab. The colorant used can be in either powdered form or liquid form.
? Concrete stamping
Use of flexible and rigid patterns to imprint textures of tile, slate, wood planks, and bricks are among others. Cement flooring is the most preferred method to uniquely design the floors easily and economically.
Laminate Flooring – Easy Maintenance Option
If you are looking for an easy maintenance option in flooring, laminate flooring would be ideal. It adds beauty and style to your home and is preferred by a vast majority of homeowners. Laminate flooring provides the same kind of classy appearance that is offered by natural stone, tile and hardwood floors. In addition, compared to the natural products, it is more affordable.
Durable Flooring Requiring Minimal Maintenance
Right from the origin of laminate flooring, its ease of maintenance has been one of the contributing factors behind its popularity. This type of flooring is designed with several different layers. The wear layer normally referred to as the overlay layer is made of special melamine resin saturated cellulose. Laminate flooring can be cleaned without using any costly cleaning materials. It does not require frequent refinishing and replacements; laminate flooring can maintain its freshness for several years.
Ideal for All Areas of Your Home
Laminate flooring is resistant to stains, moisture, dents, twists and scratches. Therefore it can be used in almost all the areas of your home which are frequently accessed. You can use it as a safe and durable flooring option for your hallway, living room, kitchen, bathroom and other rooms.
Laminate flooring comes in a variety of textures, colors and patterns to match all kinds of home décor. At present laminate flooring designed using interlocking technology is available in the industry. This kind of flooring completely avoids the use of glues and can be installed within a short span of time.
Recognized Dealers Offer Quality Products, Installation and Maintenance
Laminate flooring can be purchased from authorized dealers who take care to make available genuine products from leading manufacturers. These dealers also take care of flooring installation and maintenance, and offer hassle free services.
Advantages of Vinyl Flooring
Vinyl flooring, often called resilient flooring, is a versatile and durable flooring option that is quickly becoming popular these days. Vinyl floors are an excellent and attractive flooring choice that can bring style and elegance to your interiors. Advantages of vinyl flooring are many.
Durable, Attractive, and Practical
The best features of vinyl flooring are its affordable cost, resilience, and durability. As it can be installed quickly, this flooring product is popular with home owners and business owners. Vinyl floors come in sheet and tile flooring styles, and are perfect to use in kitchens, bathrooms, and laundries. They are available in a wide array of color choices and patterns, and will complement any home or office décor, both traditional and modern. Whatever your preferences may be, there will be a unique choice to meet your needs and specifications.
Elegant Appearance plus Ease of Maintenance
As far as the maintenance process is concerned, it is easy to maintain vinyl floors. The best part is that these floors are resistant to moisture and staining. If needed, you can easily remove and replace your vinyl flooring – this is another added advantage of vinyl floors. You can also get custom designs created for a particular flooring pattern.
Mannington, Congoleum, Tarkett, Nafco, Metroflor and Armstrong are some of the popular manufacturers offering quality vinyl floors. When you are planning to purchase vinyl flooring products, make sure that the dealer you choose to buy the product from, offers professional installation and maintenance services as well.
When shopping for vinyl floors, you can compare prices to get the best deals in terms of both price and quality.
Laminate Flooring Installation – Learn How To Lay Laminate Flooring Like A Pro
Laminate flooring installations have transformed do it yourself novices into property plastic surgery pro’s, confidently adding value to homes all over the world. Home remodeling rookies are clamoring to get their itching hands on boxes of hardwood laminate flooring planks, knowing that the innovation behind this interior design idea will ensure a gratifying, fast-paced, glueless and groutless experience.
Click-together laminate hardwood flooring and tiling are the home improvement industry areas with the fastest growth rates. First-timers tackling a laminate flooring installation have loads of questions. The major manufacturers of flooring ranges such as Pergo Flooring, Armstrong Flooring, Mohawk Flooring, Bruce Flooring and similar products go out of their way to answer these in detail. What inspires many a home renovating junkie is that an average-sized floor can be ready to use and admire within a day – begging for compliments from somewhat green-around-the-gills neighbors…
The days of frustrating, messy, sticky, glued flooring planks are fading into the distance, as companies compete to come up with the most convenient and easiest to install flooring options. The simple click-’n-go designs of glueless laminate flooring ranges ensure a perfect finish plank after plank. You will have to go a long way to find an interior design idea that can be implemented faster, with more spectacular results! Now, let’s get to the million dollar questions.
Am I Able To Do A Laminate Flooring Installation Over Existing Floors?
Absolutely. Quality laminate flooring is manufactured to be laid directly over almost any existing floor, from ceramic to vinyl, tile, or real wood. There is no need to waste time or resources ripping out an old floor. Two exceptions are real wood on concrete floors and carpeting – these need to be taken out before the installation. What is vitally important, however, is to ensure that the sub-floor is perfectly smooth and even before you begin to saw and click. Carefully sand down all bumpy areas or peaked joints. Fill up any irregular spots. If possible, install cabinets or cupboards before you give the laminate flooring installation project a go.
Do I Need To Leave A Gap Between My Laminate Flooring Installation And The Wall?
Glueless Laminate Flooring is designed to be a floating floor product, meaning that it isn’t permanently fixed to the sub-floor area. These flooring ranges constantly react to changes in humidity and temperatures by contracting and expanding. It is therefore vital to leave at least a 1/4″ expansion space between the flooring planks and all adjacent walls or cupboards. Getting this right will prevent unsightly buckling floors down the line. Don’t worry about the gaps being an eye-sore. The Laminate Flooring industry manufactures a wide range of decorative moldings you can use to hide these spaces after installation. These are color coordinated to match the flooring and virtually guarantee a professional finish. Use the recommended spacers to keep your distances even – never trust your eye. A wider expansion space will be recommended if you are tackling a very large floor area.
Can I Do Anything About The Hollow Sound Of Footsteps On Laminate Flooring?
The echoing sounds that often follow your footsteps is the result of the floating floor concept. This is why a quality underlayment is so important. Rather pay a few dollars extra to get an effective sound dampening padding. Another advantage is that a thicker underlayment gives a more comfortable feel underfoot, especially where you will be standing for long periods, such as in the kitchen. Pergo’s SilentStep foam or Soundbloc foam, and Mohawk Silentgard are excellent options. Many manufacturers now pre-attach the underlayment to the flooring planks. This is a time-saving and convenient measure. Just remember that you will probably need to remove this layer if you want to do a laminate flooring installation on stairs. The thickness of the flooring you install is another factor that plays a role in sound dampening.
You will also need a vapor barrier, usually a resin polyethylene film. Examples of this are the Pergo Moisturbloc vapor barrier and Mohawk Moisturegard. This layer protects your flooring from swelling and buckling due to moisture. If the sub-floor is wood, this barrier film isn’t used.
Do I Need To Acclimate Laminate Flooring Before The Installation?
Some manufacturers recommend that you acclimate your laminate flooring planks by storing the unopened cartons on their flat side in the room where the flooring will be installed. This period should usually last between 49 and 96 hours, so take this into account while you do your planning. Don’t ignore this instruction – you don’t want an ugly, buckling flooring fiasco! Displaying that bit of patience can mean the difference between gaping joints and neatly clicked together flooring for years to come.
Is It Safe To Do A Laminate Flooring Installation In A Bathroom Or Kitchen?
The surface of a quality laminate flooring product is usually highly water resistant, so the planks perform beautifully in high humidity areas such as bathrooms and kitchens. To prevent buckling and warping in these areas, the expansion spaces need to be sealed with a product such as Pergo Sealant or a similar mildew-resistant silicone sealant before installing the trim or molding. The same should be done where the planks were cut to make room for cupboards or a dishwasher. It may also be wise to seal the joints by using glue. Your supplier will be able to advise you about the most satisfactory installation process. Keep in mind that, in spite of its water resistance, a laminate flooring installation and standing water will never be friends. If there is a spill, wipe it dry immediately.
Is It Safe To Do A Laminate Flooring Installation On Stairs?
Provided that you follow installation instructions to the letter, laminate flooring may usually be extended to the stairs. Steps are professionally finished with a Stair Nosing. The nosing is adhered with a quality construction adhesive and finishing screws. Although this flooring product has been designed to be a floating range, it must be glued to stairs. This is the only circumstance where adhesive is used to fix the flooring to the sub-floor.
How Do I Ensure A Professional Finish When Installing Laminate Flooring?
The brilliant guys in the laminate flooring industry have come up with a huge selection of color-coordinated transition moldings. You can finish your do it yourself home remodeling project in style and with an elegant touch. Trim doorways with T-Moldings, while end moldings are used along sliding doors and around tubs and basins. If you need to go from a raised laminate flooring area to a lower hard surface such as vinyl, choose a hard surface reducer.
Oops! My Laminate Flooring Installation Has A Puncture! What Now?
Don’t despair! The folks at laminate flooring companies realize that mishaps are inevitable in active households where kids and pets rule. They therefore produce magical products such as Pergo Finishing Putty. Simply neaten the edges of the chipped area with a small knife, make sure the area is clean, and fill the hole with putty. Use a spatula to give the repair job a neat finish. Wipe away the excess, and you’re done. Plank replacements are also possible if a more major repair is needed. Always put away a few spare planks for this purpose, as the range may be out of stock when you need it most.
A laminate flooring installation is likely to transform a beloved family home into a wrinkle-less, stylish and sprightly young lady. Isn’t it about time to let those tattered carpets go?
Learn How to Install Ceramic Tile Flooring in Five Easy Steps
Step One: Get to know your tools.
Learning how to install ceramic tile flooring begins with getting to know the right tools. You can buy most of the tools you’ll need for working on your floor tiling at your local hardware store or home center. For equipment that might be too expensive to purchase like a tile cutter, or hand held micro cutter, try your local home center or tool rental yard. They may have the tools you’ll need at affordable rental prices, or even at discount. And if you’re a newbie at tiling work, they may even help you with information. Here are most of the basic tools you will need for your tiling job:
a) Safety clothing and gear like a pair of safety glasses, heavy leather gloves, and long-sleeved work clothes. These are useful especially if your tiling work involves taking out the existing ceramic tiles. Broken shards and other debris from tearing out the ceramic tiles can cause nasty cuts.
b) Carpentry tools like a tape measure, a carpenter’s square and a bubble level.
c) A tile cutter (which you can rent), some tile spacers, a putty knife, a trowel (preferably, the notched kind), and a rubber grout float.
d) Mortar material for bonding your tiles to your subfloor surface, like a thin set mortar, or tile adhesive, tiling grout and sealant.
Step Two: Prepare your subfloor before installing your tiles.
Most tiling jobs start at this stage. It would be a great experience for you to learn how to install ceramic tile by learning about the type of floors you will be putting your tiles on. Always check for cracks and debris when If you’re working on a concrete subfloor. Make it is smooth and clean. Repair as many of the cracks as you can. If you see cracks that are too large to repair, replace the floor section where they are found with new concrete. For plywood subfloors, be sure that the wood is at least 1 and 1/8 inches thick and is supported by an equally strong underlayment. Otherwise, your ceramic tiles will dislodge easily, or worse, break and need replacing.
An existing ceramic tile floor may add another stage to your tiling job, and present something of a challenge for you. You’ll need to tear out the existing tiles. For starters, all you need to do is use a large flat-bladed chisel and a mallet, and just hammer away. Then, you’ll need to clean out the debris. If you to smoothen your subfloor — you may want to rent a sander to do the job. Be sure to keep yourself protected. Use heavy-duty leather work gloves, safety glasses, and long-sleeved work clothes.
Step Three: Measure and lay out your floor. To know where to start and how to install ceramic tile on your subfloor, begin by measuring the length and width of your floor. This will help you estimate the number of ceramic floor tiles you will need to purchase. Then, find the center point of your floor area. You Measure across floor area and mark the center. Do this in opposite direction and mark the center, as well. The intersection of the two lines is the center of the floor area where you can start your tiling work. To help with your tiling, run chalk lines over the intersection lines. These chalk lines will help you with how to install ceramic tile and help you keep your tiling straight and organized.
Step Four: Start work on your ceramic tile installation
Place the first tile at the intersection of the two lines you made. Then, bond it to your subfloor by using a thin set mortar, or a tile adhesive of your choice. Using a notched trowel for applying the mortar is best on how to install ceramic tile. But you may actually use the more common trowel variety is you don’t have one. To secure the ceramic tile in its place, press down while twisting it back and forth till the tile no longer is set. If some of the mortar or adhesive oozes out, use your trowel (or a damp sponge) to scrape off the excess. Do this process over with the next tile, and so on and so forth, until you’ve finished your ceramic floor tiling.
Step Five: Finish your tiling job by putting in the tiling grout and sealant
After your ceramic floor tiles have set, it’s time to put the tiling grout in. Tiling grout is a material that you should know more about when you want to know how to install ceramic tile flooring. Grout is tiling material made cement, sand and water, and a little color. It is used to fill in gaps and seal in the spaces between tiles. Tiling grout comes in a wide variety of color tints that may be matched to your tile color. Use a rubber grout float and work the tiling grout into the gaps between the tiles. Use your grout float at an angle so that you can fill in the joint gap with as much tiling grout as possible.
After laying in the tiling grout in between the gaps of your floor ceramic tiles, use a damp sponge to wipe off the excess grout. Rinse the sponge frequently to get as much of the excess grout off, and keep each tile clean. You have the option of applying a sealant to the grout lines after they dry.
Don’t forget about the setting (drying) periods that come after you have placed your ceramic tiles, and after putting in your tiling grout (before putting on the sealant). These setting periods last overnight, at the very least, to twenty-four hours, at the most. Your sealant has dried, you are done! Congratulations! Now, you know how to install ceramic tile flooring.