Tag: flooring
Your Hardwood Floors Can Be More Beautiful With A Floor Buffer
by GrantS on Aug.11, 2009, under Uncategorized
Figure out what type of floor you have installed so you can start with proper cleaning. In case you are a proud owner of a sealed floor, then it is most likely a surface sealed floor that will not take much of your time. You probably have a penetrating seal treated floor if you have older floor installed. You will need to apply more oils and wax to maintain this type of floor.
For cleaning hardwood floors, in the case of a surface sealed floor, you merely need to mop using a product recommended by your flooring manufacturer. To be safe, use only products that do not have any oil included. For this type of flooring, one soap and one damp mop would be a safe solution. Since wood floors can be damaged with sitting water, you have to dry the surface completely when you finish your task.
In case you have a penetrating seal floor in your home, you won’t be able to use water based products while mopping. Instead, for routine cleanings, you can simply sweep or vacuum your floor. Every once in a while, for a deeper cleaning, you will need to strip the old wax coating and apply a new one. Usually, you will need to do this two times a year, but you can do it more often.
Manufacturers directions should be follower while using stripper here. Make sure you have a good ventilation so your hardwood floors can dry properly. Check what kind of wax can be used on your type of floor, the manufacturer should tell you this. Follow directions and apply one or two coats, or as many as desired.
Applying home floor scrubber is the last and most important step. It’s necesasry to use process like this so you can achieve beautiful shine and that the wax can properly sink in the floor. Most people think it is a great idea to buy wood floor buffer because it helps them finish the job sooner and with less hassle. I think it is very important to know that a new floor bufer machines you buy will pay itself off after you use it for several times.
Laminate Flooring – Information about Laminate Flooring
by GrantS on Jul.03, 2009, under Uncategorized
Although carpet and hardwood are two of the most popular choices when it comes to flooring, they are sometimes inadequate. Certain areas of the home like the kitchen, or garage, commonly demand a greater degree of durability and resilience. Carpet absorbs stains and moisture too easily, leading to a dingy looking surface that may also attract odors. Hardwood offers a tougher surface than carpet, but it also suffers from problems with moisture. A moist hardwood gradually warps and cracks. After several years of expansion and contraction, moisture damage can become very apparent with a hardwood floor.
Places in which spills and accidents are frequent can cause scratching or gouging in the flooring as well. Laminate flooring is a wonderful solution for water damage and durability issues. With a laminate floor, designers can have the aesthetic allure of hardwood, while dodging many of the typical problems. Laminate flooring is very resilient when it comes to moisture issues and will not absorb water. Stains are not an issue, and as long as they are cleaned up promptly, will cause no lasting damage at all.
Fortunately, laminate flooring is very affordable, and can be found in a wide range of shades, colors, and styles.
Laying down laminate flooring is also relatively simple. As soon as a set of tiles can be unwrapped, check each to ensure that each tile is intact. Once sure that all the tiles are in good condition, give the tiles a few days to acclimate to their new atmosphere. There may be some contraction or expansion that occurs when the laminate flooring tiles change environment.
Make certain to follow all manufacturer instructions that are included with the tile product. Specific instructions on how to glue the tiles are crucial, and can affect the overall performance of the tile. It is also important to give the tile a quarter inch between wall and flooring. Although a great deal of tools isn’t required for in home installation, you may have to cut the tiles to fit around corners, fireplaces, stairs, etc. A wet tile saw would definitely be adequate to cut laminate flooring.
Having a level surface for installation is also important. Be certain to fill any holes in the subflooring, or sand away any protruding areas that might stick up afterward.
For an updated version of discount laminated flooring and more advice about Pergo floors go to best flooring option.
Hardwood Floors – Information About Hardwood Flooring Installation
by GrantS on Feb.02, 2009, under Home Improvement
Visit Best Flooring Options to read more advice about hardwood floor care and installing laminate flooring.
Hardwood flooring installation can be an arduous and sometimes complicated job, but if you feel confident giving it a try, you can end up saving quite a considerable amount of money. Properly installed hardwoods can last for several years, even under moist and humid conditions, such as in a bathroom. With a little advice and a step by step guide, as well as plenty of time, hardwood flooring installation can be done without exorbitant professional services.
Moisture causes the most damage to hardwood flooring. Moisture can gradually warp the surface of the wood as it expands and contracts. This does not imply, however, that hardwood flooring cannot be installed in wetter conditions. Hardwood flooring simply requires a little preventive care in order to work well under these conditions. Installing hardwood with an asphalt felt should provide a great degree of protection against rotting and warping of the hardwood. Take 15 pound asphalt felt, and put it over the subfloor in overlapping sections. The felt should be tacked down with a staple gun.
Leave a minor gap, around half an inch, between the asphalt felt and the wall. A baseboard or base shoe will be secured in these smaller spaces between the flooring and the wall. The first three boards of the flooring should be put down by hand. Board lengths are typically random, so segments of the flooring should be set out as a test before nailing down. When the first boards are laid down, the remainder can be placed with a flooring nailer. This will make it simpler to do an accurate job of laying out the flooring.
When the new flooring results in an uneven surface, you can employ a reducer to create an even surface. When preparing to install a hardwood floor, be sure to safely store the wood. Placing the wood out in the open where it can get wet will lead to warped and cracked flooring that cannot be installed properly. If the flooring must be stored outdoors, be sure to cover it with a waterproof tarp. This can prevent any moisture from causing permanent damage. Do not transport wood flooring in an open bed when weather conditions could give rise to rain or high humidity.
Bamboo Wood Flooring Is a Alternative To Traditional Hardward
by GrantS on Jan.20, 2009, under Home Improvement
Bamboo wood flooring provides another avenue for those looking for something other than hardwood. Growing in popularity as an alternative, bamboo flooring has many attractive features that make it a viable option for modern homeowners. Although harvested primarily in China, bamboo flooring is now widely available in North America and Europe. Many early adopters of bamboo flooring point out its environmental friendliness. The bamboo plant regrows within a few seasons and can be harvested repeatedly without permanent damage. In fact, the bamboo plant is considered a grass, as it grows far faster than a forest. When done responsibly, bamboo plant harvesting can be accomplished in a environmentally friendly manner.
How does bamboo flooring compare with traditional hardwoods? High quality bamboo flooring is harder and more durable than even the most expensive hardwood flooring. Moisture does not affect bamboo in the way that hardwood suffers from water damage. Where traditional hardwood may buckle and crack due to water exposure, bamboo flooring will keep out water without a problem. Bamboo flooring is processed as a laminate and treated under extremely high pressure with a high quality adhesive. This makes bamboo flooring very resistant to abrasions and scratches, where a hardwood floor would end up showing scratches. Bamboo flooring has become significantly more affordable in the past few years as well.
Best of all, bamboo flooring is easy enough to lay down without any professional help. Like many of the newer hardwoods, bamboo flooring is made with a groove that allows the planks to interlock, making them considerably easier to install. Before installing a bamboo floor, allow the planks sit in their new environment for no less than 72 hours. Although bamboo flooring does not suffer from water damage like hardwood, they do need some time to adjust to the new environment before installation.
What steps need to be taken in order to provide upkeep for a bamboo floor? Upkeep requirements are fairly easy for bamboo flooring. Make certain to sweep and mop the floor after it is laid down. Regular dusting and sweeping should be done after installation. This will prevent a build up of dust that can dull the finish. A mat used at the entrance way will keep out a great deal of dust and dirt. Dirt and small rocks can easily scratch the finish, and a mat can go a long way in preventing this problem.
Get more on home flooring here Discount Flooring as well as here Armstong Flooring
Hardwood Floor Choices: Choosing the Right One
by GrantS on Jan.18, 2009, under Home Improvement
Most homeowners truly appreciate the warmth of a natural and non-allergenic hardwood floor. With the right treatment and care they can achieve durability. They can add to the value and appeal to your home.
Types of Hardwood Floors:
Hardwood floors are available in varieties of types, patterns and colors. They are mostly found in three types such as engineered, solid and long-strip .
Engineered wood floors are made of layers of wood that are pressed or glued together. Each layer is stacked on the other in a cross-grain pattern . Furthermore they are pressed with heat and pressure. Flooring with three and five ply are the common engineered wood flooring. They are either pre-finished or unfinished. Selecting a pre-finished floor can be a good idea, it comprises of various wood plies laminated with each other. You can also have a top finish veneer with an exotic wood species.
Solid wood floors, whether they are pre-finished or unfinished, are cut from a tree as a solid piece. They usually react to even subtle changes in the dampness. It is so recommended to choose any above the grade installation. Any solid wood will require the proper room along vertical walls for expansion.
Whether they are uncompleted hardwood floors or job-site finished, you can get the floor smooth. They are available in custom stained colors also which look more handy than other floors . They normally take no less than two to three layers of stains that need to be added to the end. This is quite difficult and messy process.
Long-strip wood floors are pre-finished engineered wood floor. They consist of three plies of wood laminated to each other. They are glued , floated and pin down on any grade level.
Some companies offer glue-less type planks that require no nails or glue needed. You can install them on both wood sub-floors and on concrete slabs. They can also be floated over diverse floors. If you plan not to hire a hardwood floor Oakland contractor then this would be a right sort of floor for to install.
Hydronic In Floor Radiant Heat: How It Works
by GrantS on Jan.10, 2009, under Home Improvement
So, you’re convinced radiant floor heating is the way to go. Of course the question is now “What sort of system do I get?” In floor radiant heat comes in several configurations: electric, hydronic (liquid), and air based systems. The hydronic system is the most popular, for reasons that will be revealed shortly.
The “how” of hydronic in floor radiant heatis fairly straightforward. Water is boiled, and moved through your house. This water flows through a network of tubing that sits just underneath your floor, radiating the heat outwards, giving you a nice, consistent heat that is the trademark of the radiant floor heating systems.
This method makes for quite an efficient system. As it turns out, hydronic system dominate the in floor radiant heat market. Because of the efficiency of liquid in holding and storing heat, hydronic based systems are quite energy efficient compared to other options. However, since you’ll need a boiler, a plumbing system, and installation underneath the floor, they aren’t easy to install. In fact, they are quite a pain unless you’re building a new house or an addition, in which case they can be a great option.
Keep in mind that you’re not going to be getting any cooling from this system. If you need cooling, you’ll need to look for alternate methods, such as forced air, or evaporative coolers. These can coexists peacefully with in floor heating, so don’t worry. Something to think about.
There are two types of hydronic systems available. The traditional “wet” system embeds the tubing into a concrete slab on the floor, which makes it quite efficient, since the concrete slab will absorbs heat and continually radiate it outwards throughout the day.
A “dry” system puts the tubes underneath the floor framing. A series of reflectors and diffusers help contain and diffuse the heat evenly. If you don’t have a concrete slab, these systems work great, but aren’t as efficient. These can still be a good choice if they work for your situation.
If you are building or renovating your house, and you want to try a new, luxurious heating system, be sure to look into radiant floor heating. Because of it many advantages, you just might find that it becomes your favorite thing about your house. Talk to a professional today to learn about this great heating system. Thank you for your interest.