Flooring Hints:

*The most important part of a flooring project is its proper installation. A poor installation can reduce the floor’s life span significantly. Choose a reputable local dealer.

*Take samples of fabrics, wallpaper and paint swatches to the flooring showroom. Take a cabinet drawer for kitchen projects.

*Often customers bring the room sizes to the showroom in order to help the salesperson ballpark the total investment based on different selection options. A room’s dimensions are simple: 1 linear foot equals 1 block.

What’s Your Mental Picture?

Ask yourself the questions below before you visit the flooring showroom. It will help the sales consultant understand your mental picture during your showroom visit. Finding you the right product is the priority. Knowing your mental picture helps the dealer.

*What is the room used for? How much traffic? Children or pets?
*Do kids play on the floor? Is comfort important?
*Is the room the center of activity for family OR is it used for entertainment?
*Is there direct access (soiling) from outside?
*Is there anything I liked/disliked about the existing floor that I am replacing
*What is my color scheme?
*How much natural sunlight does the room get?
*How long do I plan on staying in the house? Is resale important to me?
*Have I ever had a negative experience with a flooring project in the past?
*What needs to happen to avoid that problem again?

*Courtesy of Molyneaux - Carpet and Flooring in Pittsburgh, VA.

A common error some people make about bamboo is that it is a type of hardwood. Not to be confused with common associations of many species of grass, bamboo is actually a type of grass which matures into a material that can rival the hardness of maple! Well adapted to their environment, bamboo plants thrive in areas of fair-to-poor soil quality and still remain one of the fastest growing plants in the world. Controlled harvesting has very little impact on each individual stalk, which will continue to grow long after harvesting. This is what makes bamboo such a renewable source of flooring material, and why it is often associated with environmentally minded choices for flooring. The fact that it is so uniquely attractive makes bamboo flooring an extremely beneficial choice for your own interior environment!

How Bamboo Flooring is Made

Once the bamboo has been harvested, the outer layer of green skin is removed and each stalk is cut into lengthwise strips or fillets. These curved fillets of bamboo are milled along their outer edges in order to flatten them. The excess elements of this process will go into another type of bamboo flooring that is called strand-woven bamboo flooring. The flattened strips of bamboo are then kiln dried in order to remove the natural moisture in the bamboo, and are then boiled. The bamboo fillets are now ready to be glued together to make a solid, dependable surface that is more than suitable for flooring. The bamboo undergoes one final compression stage, which makes it that much more durable and ready to ship. Tongue-and-groove elements are added in order to make installation as easy as possible. The outcome of this manufacturing process is dependent on which kind of bamboo flooring is being made. There are several types of bamboo flooring, both in terms of cut and of color, and some differences in how they are processed.

Horizontal or Vertical Bamboo Flooring

During the gluing process, the bamboo can either be bound with the narrow edges facing up, which results in a thin, channel pattern, or so that the broader surface of the bamboo is bound facing upward, making for a surface that is more akin to traditional hardwood patterns. These styles of bamboo flooring are known as vertical and horizontal bamboo flooring, respectively. There are visual benefits to each one, depending on your personal taste, but both remain decorative choices. The horizontal style is striking for its knuckle or node patterns (the pattern naturally occurring in the bamboo that is the equivalent of growth rings in many hardwood species). The vertical style is a unique surface that remains unmatched by any other natural flooring material.

There is very little wasted material during the bamboo flooring manufacturing process, making bamboo a truly renewable and sustainable source of flooring materials.
Link:

This article was provided by BuildDirect. BuildDirect offers durable and attractive bamboo floors at less than retail cost. Order in pallet or container quantities securely online. Or call BuildDirect toll-free at (877) 631-2845.

posted by Nikki Rollins
nrollins@homerenovationguide.com

Taking care of your new flooring will keep it looking new for years. It is so important to take proper care of it. Please refer to the below guide which will help you.

Ceramic Tile & Sheet Vinyl
Sweep or vacuum regularly to remove dirt & grit.
Wash floor with suitable mild cleaner.
(Do not use vinegar or bleach).
Wipe up spills promptly with a damp cloth or mop.

Carpet

Regular carpet maintenance can enhance indoor air quality and prevent premature deterioration.

Vacuum and spot clean daily.
Implement a preventative maintenance program.
Steam clean when necessary.

Hardwood & Laminate Flooring

Control and monitor indoor humidity.
Use felt pads on furniture.
Vacuum and sweep regularly.
Only use hardwood and laminate floor cleaners.

Chris Paulsen

There are several ways to improve your kitchen without having to incur a great deal of cost and using only a few basic skills.

When the kitchen becomes outdated and you find yourself tired of your flooring … ceilings … light fixtures … even cabinets, it’s relatively easy to repair, upgrade or replace these individually with less cost than an entire kitchen renovation.

First, search for pictures of other kitchens that you like to get inspired. To take a look at others’ projects or get some opinions on your own, the HomeRenovationGuide has an excellent Photo Share site (http://www.homerenovationguide.com/photoshare/), where you can post pictures of your kitchen and see what people have to say.

Some ideas to consider are:
• Changing your cabinet handles or knobs, a small but very simple change that can modernize your kitchen. If you are not interest in painting your cabinets, then ensure that the holes line up to prevent having to drill new holes and fill the old ones.

• Lighting can create a new ambiance, using elements as simple as dimmers or purchasing all new fixtures. These are easily installed, and you can ask the lighting store specialist for helpful ideas to achieve the mood you desire.

• Paint the ceiling and the walls. Don’t be afraid to be bold with the wall colours if you have a lot of cabinets.

• You can paint your cabinets as well, even if they are melamine. Prime with a specialty primer first (this is very important for melamine, so do not cut costs here). After you have primed, add two coats of paint to the cabinets and varnish for durability.

• Flooring renovations are all the rage right now. With click laminate floors, or peel and stick tiles, you can give the illusion of hardwood or ceramic tiles at a fraction of the price.

Remember to take your time and do one thing at a time.

nrollins@homerenovationguide.com

Vinyl flooring is sometimes referred to as resilient flooring.
Resilience describes the floors give or elasticity. A resilient floor returns to its original form after someone steps on it.
But resilience is no longer the only reason to purchase vinyl. New technology has allowed for high resolution images and better, more striking textures and patterns. Today, almost any type of wood or stone surface can be replicated.

The benefits of vinyl flooring include:
• Wide array of patterns, textures and colors;
• Softness and resiliency underfoot compared to ceramic or hardwood
• Highly resistant to stain and moisture
• Inner core insulates against heat and cold and helps to absorb sound
• Exceptional performance in high traffic areas
• Easy to maintain
• Incredibly versatile – can be installed almost anywhere in the home, as long as the sub-floor is solid (even if the sub-floor is not perfectly level) and
• Affordable at any budget.

TYPES OF VINYL
Vinyl flooring is available in two basic forms: Luxury Vinyl and Sheet Vinyl.

Luxury Vinyl
• Stylish appearance
• With advanced technology, it can be made to look like natural wood or ceramic and stone tiles.

Sheet Vinyl
• The vinyl flooring that you have seen for years in kitchens and bathrooms
• Very functional, low cost, easily to clean.

Hardwood floors can turn your house into a home. In high traffic areas, make sure that you regularly maintain them to keep looking new.

Hardwood floors can be installed anywhere in your house, on concrete, plywood, or over existing floors. However, I would not recommend this, as it adds weight to your joists. All wood subfloors must be screwed in place before you install. While you are doing this, use a level to insure that floor is even throughout.

After the subfloor is installed, make sure that the surface is sanded and smooth.Once the subfloor is in place, sanded, smoothed or filled to provide a level, even surface, installation of the boards can begin. Some manufacturers recommend using a foam underlay that is placed on top of the subfloor and underneath the new floor. This helps minimize creeks and noise from the new floor.

Some Install Tips

When you are deciding where to start your install, use a focal point of the room, such as a mantel.

Before laying the first board, draw a line to use as a reference point. In this installation, a manufacturer’s recommended underlayment is placed on top of the subfloor.

Level the first row of planks with the draw line to make sure that all following planks will be aligned.

Before you nail in the planks to the subfloor, map out the area like a jigsaw puzzle. Fit the boards, making sure that the planks fit together and they are staggered with at least 12 inches between one another.

Blind nailing tongue-and-groove boards hides nails. Nails should be driven through one board’s groove, and hidden by the next parallel board. With other installs, nails are hammered through the face of the board, a process called top nailing. Planks can be glued together as well.