5 things to look for when buying on Engineered Flooring

10 June 2010

Engineered wood flooring is one of the latest trends and offers the best in flooring. A permanent coating material of each floor can be laid with many varieties. There are stones, tiles, marble, wood, rubber, vinyl, bamboo and many other substances to cover the ground, and make them beautiful and attractive. But none of these can take the place of the latest and the best invention of man-made wooden floors, the persons named in the mouthPlan.

Traditional Trend

The traditions of many people and families have led them to internal use of marble, stone or concrete for the floors of her. These often have their longevity advantage over other types of soils, due to. But beautification and care are very expensive and often require a lot of stories. Then there's the floor for special purposes, such as rubber flooring andresilient flooring for sports and fitness. Flooring Bamboo & cork floors are environmentally friendly, but not durable.

Latest trends

Floors are the latest trend so far. Floors give a good solid structure to the ground. They return to their freshness and beauty, when sanded and finished again. The price depends on the availability of the right kind of wood. But to have hardwood floorsmany disadvantages. Hard wood floors can warp the expansion and contraction caused by changes due to climate. The changes in moisture in the atmosphere also tend not to damage the wooden floors.

Production

The new invention on the market is now available pre-engineered wood flooring is finished, and has many benefits that do not seem to floor coverings can be seen in other ways. The floor is built together by gluingseveral thin layers. The inner cores are generally hardwood plywood or soft. The tongue and groove system is organized in this. Besides this, a thicker layer of veneer glued. Therefore, the availability of a particular hardwood is not a problem in this engineering.

Benefits

The first and most important developed and implemented on hardwood floors is that the warmth of wood is real and strong asa technical infrastructure. Secondly, wide choice of exotic wood is available. Thirdly have already done and plans to build a time interval 5-10 years. A fourth point is that sub-floor can be attached to each, even on dry concrete. You will find that no damage due to moisture and are easy to install and easy. These floors are versatile in many different colors, styles and sizes. In addition to allThese advantages, dimensionally stable than solid wood flooring.

When purchasing

be careful when buying these products. Color and texture of all types of wood in this area. So instead of a specific color or a specific wood finish, you must consider if there is some in there with space and things. When you click on the years of some finishing safely in the top layer is sliced thick. The top wearLayer with a thickness of 0.6 mm to 6 mm. If the body has lost 0.5 mm thick. The adhesive used between the layers can sometimes be harmful or cause allergies. Create a timeless look is one of the highlights of the wood, but disappears when they are constantly exposed to sunlight. Contact with water can also damage the long term.

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Woodshop Plans – Woodworking Tips and Suggestions

8 June 2010

Blueprints or woodshop plans are only a small part of a successful project. Over the years I have learned that tools of the trade make a huge difference in the enjoyment of the project and a successful completion. Take the work bench in the shop for instance, is one of yours on locking rollers? A bench that can be rolled around the shop makes handling the woodworking project much easier. Just being able to roll the project outside for drying or rolling it into the paint booth without picking it up and having to place the item on another stand eliminates oil marks from your hands and the possibility of dropping it. In either case you are eliminating possible delays or in essence problems.

Is your paint booth in a corner of your woodshop? Placing your paint booth in the corner where you can hang a curtain on two sides of the booth can eliminate many problems. Put the curtain upside down on the bar with the shower hooks put thru the curtain, make your own holes. On the bottom where the rod would normally be insert some small lead weights like you would see on a casting net. Space the weights six inches apart and sew the ends close. Your curtain should be six inches from the ceiling and just touching the floor. This will eliminate 90 percent of the dust particles, bugs, and draft blowing thru the room. It truly makes for a much easier finished product with little or no do overs.

The last item in this article will be about where you store your paints, varnishes, stains, and other smelly and dangerous chemicals and liquid items. Kitchen cabinets are great for putting can type items out of sight and off the ground. Go on Craigslist and you can find old cabinets for just a few bucks and hang them on a back wall. Just inside the doors apply very thin weather stripping so when the door closes it has a little bit of a seal. I have found this can eliminate many of the odors associated with your finishing and stripping products. It is also a lot safer storing these items behind closed doors.

I hope I have given you some helpful ideas to incorporate into your woodshop so future woodworking projects go easier and end on a good note.

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7 Tips on Hardwood Flooring Protection

6 June 2010

Hardwood floors are an investment in the value of your home; protection of these floors is necessary in order to retain the beauty of your investment for years to come. Simple steps can be taken that will provide really big pay offs in the long run by allowing you to avoid the costly and time consuming process of refinishing your floors more often. It is also important to remember that every time your floors are refinished you are actually removing some of the wood that makes up your flooring. The less grinding you must do to your hardwood floors, the longer they have the potential to last.

Must-Do Hardwood Floor Protection Tips

1) Use rugs and carpets in order to protect highly traveled areas of your floors. By using carpets and rugs in high traffic areas, you are minimizing the exposure of your floors to actual damage not only from traffic but also drops, spills, splatters, and any exposure to dirt and other debris that the carpet shields your floors from.

2) Place rubber mats in front of sinks or tubs to prevent unnecessary exposure to water in these areas. Water may not only warp your hardwood floors it can also cause stains or ‘water spots’ that are very unappealing.

3) Use a dehumidifier in bathroom floors in order to remove moisture from the air and limiting the exposure your wooden floors have to that moisture. This will also help limit the swelling and contracting of your floors due to humidity and steam.

4) Never wear shoes that can damage your hardwood floors on them. Heels, golf shoes, and any other shoes with either cleats are scratchy bottoms can bring all sorts of problems to your beautiful hardwood.

5) Trim the nails are of your dogs and cats in order to prevent unnecessary scratches to your hardwood floors. If you can hear their nails on your floors, it’s time for a trim.

6) Use protectors on the legs of all furniture to protect your floors.

7) Never drag furniture across your hardwood floors. If you must move it, use a hand truck or have a friend help you lift the furniture before moving it. If you must drag furniture across the floor, slide a small rug beneath the legs of your furniture before moving it.

Keep in mind that when it comes to protecting your hardwood floors from damage, every ounce of prevention is worth a lot of money in a cure.

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Refinishing Hardwood Floors – Make Your Floor Shine

4 June 2010

Many homes today have hardwood flooring in some of the rooms if not throughout the entire home. These floors become faded, scratched, and sometimes even stained and can require some refinishing. Sometimes refinishing hardwood floors is a task that some feel is beyond their abilities to accomplish and simply hire a professional company that specializes in this area. Many tackle this job themselves and obtain the tools they need and keep a close eye on detail.

Some Preparation

Before one can begin the process of actually refinishing hardwood floors, it is of necessity and great importance that everything is taken out of the room that is to be worked in. This will help to protect the furnishings from any sort of damage and also make it possible to move easily about the room while working on the flooring.

Tools of the Trade

One of the main needs in refinishing hardwood floors would be the tools needed to professionally complete the job at hand. A sander will be needed for removing the old stain and should be relatively easy to use. Other items needed are sand paper and a hammer as well as a shop vacuum and broom. Additionally one will want to have the stain they wish to use along with brushes for applying the stain or in some cases cloths are used. A sealing agent and roller for application should be purchased as well. With the right items available when they are needed the work should run smoothly and in a timely manner.

Time for Work

Before one starts refinishing hardwood floors they should always put on a face mask to prevent inhaling fine particles while sanding. One should also turn off any ceiling fans in the room and shut vents to air ducts. Sanding spreads dust throughout the home, blocking any entrance to the room where one will be working will prevent this. Always begin to sand in a corner farthest from the entry to the room and work towards the entrance. Sandpaper can be used on any spot that the sander cannot seem to remove. After completion of sanding one should sweep the area thoroughly and vacuum to pick up additional particles. Next the stain should be stirred thoroughly and applied. Just like in sanding one should start at a point farthest from the entrance to the room. Last the floors must be sealed and this should be applied in the same manner as the stain. Always take time and care to ensure that the sealant is spread over the whole floor. Allow this sealant to thoroughly dry as directed by your products manufacturer before moving the furnishings back into the room.

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Solid Hardwood Flooring vs Engineered

3 June 2010

Solid Hardwood Floors

Appearance, historical: Solid hardwood floors have been used for centuries, and they never seem to loose their charm and warmth. There are solid wood floors that are several centuries old and are still in good condition today.

Construction: Solid wood floors are one solid piece of wood that come in either prefinished or unfinished styles. Solid is milled from a single 3/4″ thick piece of hardwood: 3/4″ thick plank that is in narrow 2 1/4″ strips. This is the classic strip wood floor but the solid wood floors can be manufactured in a variety of widths and thicknesses. The most popular hardwood species used for solid wood floors are red oak, white oak, ash and maple.

Refinishing: Because of its thickness, a solid hardwood floor can be sanded and refinished over several generations of use. You can refinish, or recoat solid wood floors several times, which adds to their appeal and to their long life.

Moisture, humidity: One of the properties of solid wood flooring is that it expands and contracts with changes in your home’s relative humidity. Normally, installers compensate for this movement by leaving an expansion gap between the floor and the wall. Base molding or quarter round is traditionally used to hide the extra space. The other very important characteristic of solid wood floors is that they react to the presence of moisture. In the winter heating months, moisture leaves the wood causing the floor to contract which leaves unsightly gaps between each plank. In the summer months when the humidity is higher the wood will expand and the gaps will disappear. If there is too much moisture it may cause the wood planks to cup, or buckle. This is why it is important when installing a solid strip floor to leave the proper expansion area around the perimeter and to acclimate the wood prior to installation. Solid wood floors are sensitive to moisture and it is not recommended to install these floors below ground level, or directly over a concrete slab. These floors are for nail-down installations only.

Engineered Hardwood Floors

Prefinished engineered wood floors have become extremely popular and offer many advantages over solid wood floors. These floors are very durable, come in a wide variety of styles and hardwood species, and can be used in almost any room in the home. Engineered hardwood floors are constructed from several thin sheets of wood that are laminated together to form one plank.

Engineered floors are actually produced with three to five layers of hardwood. Each layer is stacked in a cross-grain configuration and bonded together under heat and pressure. These floors will range from 1/4″ to 9/16″ in thickness, and from 2 1/4″ to 7″ in width. The lengths will generally be random and range from 12″ v 60″ in length.

In the manufacturing of engineered hardwood floors the wood plies are stacked on top of each other in the opposite directions. By having plies reversed they help counteract the natural tendency of wood to expand and contract with different levels of humidity and moisture. Engineered wood planks are much more dimensionally stable than solid wood and can be used over wooden subfloors or concrete slabs.

If moisture is a concern, then you should consider an engineered wood floor versus a solid wood floor. The finish layer of an engineered wood floor can be a different wood specie then the plies underneath because this allows manufacturers of engineered wood floors to offer a wide variety of both domestic and exotic hardwood species without driving the costs out of sight. You can use these floors in almost any area in the home because of its dimensional stability. Most engineered floors can be nailed-down, stapled-down, glued-down or floated over many different types of subfloors. As a result, engineered wood flooring is less likely to be affected by changes in humidity and can be installed at all levels of the home.

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Save Money And Refinish Your Hardwood Flooring

1 June 2010

One of the reasons why people don’t start home improvement projects because of the presumed cost of the project. Refinishing your wood floors doesn’t have to be expensive. As a matter of fact, if you have some time, you can save yourself several dollars over what professionals will charge you.

The first step in refinishing your hardwood floors is removing all furniture, rugs, and mats that are on the floor. It’s also a good idea to wear a dust mask as you are going to be stirring up quite the dust storm as you go about your business.

Your goal in refinishing your hardwood floors is to turn back the hands of time to when your hardwood floors were first installed. In order to achieve this feat, you will need to start by renting a heavy-duty sander to smooth out any rough spots and to remove the current stain that is on your floor. Move the sander in the direction that moves with the lines on your hardwood floor, paying particular attention that you do not apply more pressure anywhere. It’s important to make sure that you apply equal pressure to all parts of your floor as you want to avoid creating ‘pits’ in your hardwood floor, which will require more sanding. Do not move across the hardwood floor lines, especially if you have small grooves or beveled edges.

Once you’ve finished with your initial sanding you must sweep and vacuum the dust from your floor and lightly wash it. This part is often not given the proper care it deserves and is very important when refinishing hardwood floors. The reason it is so important is that the tiniest speck of dirt and dust will show up when you stain the floor. It is also important that you use only a damp mop for washing the floor rather than a wet mop. If there is too much water in the floor that has been sanded it will cause stains.

Once your stripped hardwood floors are dry, its time to stain your floor. Depending on the type of hardwood you have, and taking into consideration the room’s current decor, you can choose either a darker stain, a lighter stain, or go natural. Another popular option that protects and coats your floor is polyurethane

While refinishing hardwood floors is time consuming, you do not have to move out of your home in order to accomplish it. The stains and protective coatings do not have harsh fumes so they are not dangerous to breathe. You do want to take care not to walk on your floor until it is completely dry. If you do not wait you will have wasted all that time and effort and have to either start over or try to hide the footprints.

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Basement Flooring Types

31 May 2010


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When it comes to choosing a floor type for your basement, your options are somewhat limited. Basements are generally below grade, meaning below ground level. While some floors are suitable for below grade installation, others are not. Floors that have a higher level of water resistance, such as rubber, linoleum and most tile types, are generally suited for basement floor installation. 

If you want to install hard surface flooring in your basement, concrete, tile and stone are best. Despite concrete’s hard surface, they can still be damaged by spills and must be sealed periodically. Less permeable stone floor types such as flagstones, granite and slate can make for a perfect basement floor. Slate tiles, stone tiles and ceramic tiles can all be installed below grade, but like concrete, also need to be sealed.

When installing flooring over a concrete subfloor, make sure that the concrete is completely level and free from holes and cracks. You should never install over a concrete subfloor unless it passes pH alkalinity and calcium chloride tests. These tests can usually be found in most hardware stores. Sometimes concrete floors can emit moisture over time that can negatively affect the adhesives used in floor installation. You may need to have the concrete subfloor sealed and/or install a moisture barrier (e.g. plastic).

Floor types that are not generally suited for basement installation include floors made with wood materials such as bamboo, hardwood and cork. Wood floors have a tendency to expand or contract when exposed to extreme changes in humidity. In some cases, cork floors may be approved for basement installation if proper precaution is taken. Before installing a wood floor in your basement, make you sure you verify with the manufacturer to avoid voiding your warranty.   

If you want hardwood floors in your basement but don’t want the hassle of constantly repairing moisture-related damage, consider installing high-laminate flooring (HPL). Laminate flooring that can handle high levels of foot traffic can be manufactured to resemble the exact hardwood floor type you like. 

Linoleum and rubber floors are usually approved for basement installation as they are durable, antimicrobial and resilient. This means that in addition to bouncing back upon impact, their surface naturally deters mold and fungi. This is an ideal characteristic for those who suffer from allergies to bacterial growth.

If you want a basement floor that can withstand a below grade environment and is also eco-friendly, look no further than ceramic tiles. When properly sealed, ceramic tile floors can hold up well to moisture exposure. They can also be made with up to 70% recycled materials such as windshield and used glass bottles. In addition to being as strong or stronger as tiles made with newer materials, green ceramic tiles are often cheaper.

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Garage Doors Made of Steel Provide Both Safety and Beauty

29 May 2010

Garage doors are usually an afterthought in the design of our homes, yet they are the largest and most visible entryway into a house. It should have curb appeal and beauty as well as providing safety and security, and now many options now also add energy efficiency. If all of these features are important to you consider purchasing a steel garage door.

Steel provides increased strength and durability over wood, aluminum, or fiberglass. This provides added security for your house.

This added strength need not come at the expense of aesthetics, though. New technology allows for embossing wood grain patterns in durable coatings that can provide the look of wood without the hassles of warping, cracking, de-lamination, or decay. Plus with the added benefit of vinyl or polyester finishes to protect against rust you do not have to repaint or maintain them as much.

In fact many manufacturers warranty against rust for as long as you own your house. On the downside aesthetically steel is apt to dent and can be more difficult to repair than aluminum.

Today’s steel garage doors have insulated cores of polystyrene or polyurethane foam to provide both cold and heat insulation. This not only regulates the temperature in the house but also makes the car park more energy efficient. Additionally the foam cores allow for lighter, easier operation and quieter garage doors.

If the look of the interior wall matters it is likely you should look into getting a door that is double skin constructed. In this construction there is foam insulation sandwiched between panels both inside and outside. The less expensive single skin construction leaves the frame visible from the inside.

Although the beauty and construction are both a matter of serious interest it is also important to examine the weather stripping used to ascertain the level of quality you will be getting. The highest quality doors have vinyl bubble weather-stripping running the full length and width, conforming to the floor. They should additionally have rigid end and top caps along with weather seals between each section.

Finally look into a variety of patterns for your new garage door. Some companies can create faux wood finishes. Other common details are tiles or rectangles across the body of each panel. Still other people opt for a simple plain design. Regardless of which design you choose remember that any dark colored material is going to require more repainting or refinishing due to the effects of constant sun exposure.

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Want to Get Rid of Scratches in Your Hardwood Floor?

27 May 2010

If you’ve lived with hardwood floors, you already realize just how easily they can be damaged. With spills, accidents, and scratches incurred through everyday living, your floors soon don’t look quite as nice as they did when they were new. If this is the case with you, you’d probably welcome some tips for repairing the scratches and gouges on your floors and restoring some of their new appearance again. If so, read on.

It’s possible that if you only have light scratches, they may not have gone down through the wax floor coating to damage the hardwood under it. By looking carefully at the scratch you can determine if any of the lighter-colored wood is showing through. If it is, there’s a good chance that the flooring is scratched. If not, all you need to do is strip off the wax and reapply a fresh coat. Buff the floor well, and the scratches should disappear completely.

There are times when a scratch will penetrate down to the wood without actually scratching the wood itself. In these cases, it may be the stain and/or the varnish that have been scratched. By removing the wax coating and contacting the flooring manufacturer to obtain matching stain and varnish, you’ll be able to repair the scratch. You will follow a procedure that is similar to that used to finish the entire floor, but you’ll use a q-tip as your paintbrush. After repairing the stain and varnish, you can re-wax the floor and buff it back to a new-looking shine.

If the wood underneath has actually been scratched, the repair will be more difficult. You may want to try the repair yourself, but be aware that it is not an easy job. You will need to use an electric sander to sand the scratch out without doing further damage to the floor. If you don’t think you’re up to making a repair that’s this extensive, you will need to contact the manufacturer of the flooring and request a recommendation of someone you can get to do the repair for you.

For the sake of the budget, you may decide to give the project a try. What you’ll be doing is stripping down any boards that were damaged by the scratch to the bare wood. The wax coating will need to be removed first. Then, following manufacturer’s instructions, you’ll have to strip anything else that’s on the boards including coloring agents, varnish, and sealants.

A shallow scratch will be fairly easy to remove using an electric sander. All you’ll have to do is lightly sand the area immediately surrounding the scratch. However, if the scratch is deeper and you have to sand down farther to get rid of it, you’ll have to sand the entire board or boards in order to make the floor smooth and level again. Once the boards are prepared, you can reapply the stain, varnish, and the wax. The final step will be to buff the entire floor until it sparkles like new.

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Engineered Wood Flooring – A Great Alternative To Solid Hardwood Floors

25 May 2010


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Engineered wood flooring has been one of the great innovations in flooring to hit the market. Engineered hardwood is not made from solid wood. It consists of several layers and only the top layer is the actual hardwood that you always dreamed of having for the floors of your home. The layers underneath are specifically designed to give you maximum wear and tear and they give you practical flooring for just about every room of the house. Engineered wood flooring has advantages over solid hardwood that make it very attractive.

For one thing, engineered wood flooring is not as costly as solid hardwood flooring. The other layers of the engineered hardwood flooring are plywood or high density fibreboard. They are molded together under high pressure in a factory setting. Engineered hardwood floors will not expand and contract as solid hardwood does with changes in humidity and temperature. You can install it over just about any type of existing floor and by following special instructions you can install an engineered floor over radiant heat sources.

Engineered wood flooring in one of the most versatile choices that you can make when it comes to flooring in your home. It has many practical applications. You can install it over an existing concrete floor or one made with inferior grade wood. You can glue or nail it down and there are also forms of engineered hardwood floors that are glueless, forming a floating floor. It is an excellent choice in areas where there are drastic changes in temperature and humidity. However, engineered wood does not perform well in rooms of the home where there is an excess of humidity and moisture, such as in bathrooms or mudrooms.

One of the major reasons that many homeowners choose engineered wood flooring is its fantastic price. You have the same look and texture of hardwood, but it seems as if you are getting the hardwood at a wholesale price. Engineered hardwood floors are easy to install and the instructions are clearly printed inside each carton of flooring. You do have to make sure that the subfloor is clean of dust and dirt before you start so that any small pieces of rock won’t work their way up through the flooring.

In the line of engineered wood flooring, you can get various types of wood, stains and finishes. You can also choose prefinished and unfinished hardwood, but if you are looking for an easy project, then it is best to go with prefinished. This way when you have the engineered hardwood flooring installed, you don’t have to bother applying any stain or finish. You can just sit back and enjoy your engineered wood flooring.

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