Archive for the ‘Flooring’ Category
Various Types of Flooring for Your Home or Office.
August 5th, 2010 | 
Author: There is more kind of flooring for your home or office. There’s laminate wood, real wood, bamboo, ceramic or porcelain tiles, roll out vinyl, vinyl tiles, roll out carpeting and even cheap carpet tiles that are great flooring solutions for any home or office. The kind you choose is determined by several factors including the area it’s being used, cost and quality. One a side note: Keep in mind that just because something says it’s cheap doesn’t always mean the quality is cheap. Discount tile is easy to find that is also of very good quality that you can use for any purpose.
Choosing Your Carpet Tiles:
Measure – The first thing you need to do before choosing any kind of flooring is the size of the room. This requires that you measure the area(s) you plan to install cheap carpet tiles before you even begin your quest for the color and pattern you want.
Research- Next, you want to research the various brands, colors, styles and prices. Some good quality brands you might want to consider include Mohawk, Mannington, Nirvana, Shaw and Columbia. Read reviews and research products first.
Price – Comparison shopping and savvy shopping will get you the best price on cheap carpet tiles. A few good tips for getting the best price include looking for discontinued tiles. It is common for companies to discontinue certain patterns and colors every year. This is due in part by changes in ink color batches.
Color and Pattern – Your final step before installing carpet tiles is to choose the color and pattern you want for the room.
If you plan on doing this project yourself, you also need to research how to lay these tiles before you get started. Also buy extra to cover odd areas and to make sure you coverage for mistakes.
There are many kinds of carpet tile options from the kind that you glue on to the glueless type that requires no messy glue, so it’s important that you do thorough research before you begin such a project.
Once you complete these steps and get your cheap carpet tiles installed you can enjoy the efforts of your labor. You can use this kind of flooring for any room in your home or even your office. They look great, are durable and very easy to maintain and clean. This is one of the easiest ways to add value and good flooring to your home or office.
Posted in Flooring | 
Tags: Bamboo, ceramic or porcelain tiles, Flooring, Kind of Flooring, laminate wood, real wood, roll out carpeting, roll out vinyl, Types of Flooring, vinyl tiles | 
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Information About Hardwood Floors
Having new hardwood floors installed in your home, office or business space has many great advantages. Along with the beauty, style, warmth and character, hardwood also brings value to your space. It is a well known fact that properties that have wood floors, as opposed to wall to wall carpet, sell faster and for higher prices. Wood flooring is considered an upgrade to the basic vinyl or carpet floor covering that builders install in new homes. Whether you choose a solid floor or an engineered floor, factory prefinished or site-sanded and finished flooring, you will know that when selling time comes, your investment will return in the form of a higher selling price and/or a faster sale.
Hardwood floors can be installed in most areas of your home. Be it the main level, upstairs or basement, there are several choices for each situation. There are limitations when it comes to the location of the area to be installed. Wood floors are not recommended in areas that are prone to water spills, water accumulation, condensation or extreme levels of moisture( Full bathrooms, laundry rooms, areas without a controlled climate).
In order for hardwood floors to be installed, the existing types of flooring need to be removed.(carpet, tiles, old wood floors). Wood flooring needs a flat, sound surface as a sub-floor, otherwise it will fail and the manufacturer’s warranty is voided.
Depending on the type of flooring that you choose, the processes needed may vary. With prefinished floors, sub-floor preparation and installations are the only steps required. Unfinished floors, on the other hand, also need to be sanded, stained and finished with a minimum of 2 coats of water-based or oil-based finish. In this case, prefinished floors have the advantage of a much shorter down-time, most jobs(under 600 square feet) being completed in one day. Imagine leaving for work in the morning and returning in the evening to find your carpet replaced by brand new flooring. Most prefinished floors present a rounded edge on each board(called bevel), so that when your floors are installed, the joints between each two adjacent boards will give the floor a puzzle-like appearance. Unfinished floors, on the other hand, will have flat, smooth aspect. Any imperfections that you might have in the sub-floor will be more noticeable on your prefinished floors than on unfinished ones, as some level issues can be corrected by sanding.
Posted in Flooring |
Tags: beauty, Carpet, engineered floor, Flooring, Floors, Hardwood Floors, old wood floors, style, Tiles, warmth, Wood floors |
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Bamboo Flooring For Your Home
When choosing bamboo flooring as your home flooring, make sure that you hire the services of a professional to install them in your house. And of course, first ad foremost, study which type of flooring will beautifully match the kind of theme you have in your house. If you are the type of person who always wants to change the theme for his house, then bamboo flooring is the right choice for you.
However, since bamboo flooring is not what would automatically come to one’s mind when speaking about home flooring, it would be best if you could give it a thought and later on, you will be surprised at the countless benefits this type of flooring can give you.
Truly, bamboo materials can be a very efficient way of adding some touch of elegance and style in your home. Bamboo flooring is popularly known as the type of flooring that can match up with several different styles or motifs. What is more they are guaranteed to endure through the years being so sturdy, water-resistant and having stain-guard feature. It will truly give your home the feeling of comfort and relaxation, not to mention the uniqueness that it exudes.
And while a lot of people think that this type of flooring is available in only one color, they immediately opt for the traditional bamboo type floors that exudes the natural color of bamboos. People should be made aware that there are in fact, other colors to choose from. These bamboo materials are also available in different colors such as the dark amber which are actually stained bamboos or dyed.
But still, the decision of which type of bamboo flooring will match your home perfectly well is on you. If you are planning of staying in that home for many, many years, then deciding on the type of flooring that will endure through the years, such as the bamboo flooring is the best decision you will ever make.
But on the other hand, should you have plans of eventually moving out of that house and selling it to someone else, then you might as well still choose bamboo flooring since they are sturdy enough to stand with negligence when there is no one to tend to your house. Or perhaps, that could even be the deciding factor for those people who will be buying your home in the future to jump at the opportunity of having your house and therefore, make it their own home.
Posted in Flooring |
Tags: Bamboo, Bamboo Flooring, bamboo materials, Flooring, home flooring |
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The Different Types of Tiles
Ceramic tiles are created by reducing different types of clay to a fine powder, the mixing with other materials. The tiles are then fired in a kiln at high temperature. When ceramic tiles are glazed, they have been covered with a finely ground glass substance and re-fired. The glass melts on the tile sealing it and creating the hi-gloss surface found on the tiles. The tiles are very durable and resistant to water and staining.
Mixing clays and other materials with a finely ground sand produces the ingredients from which Porcelain tiles are made. These tiles are also fired at extreme temperatures and when the sand melts one sees the glass-like quality of each tile. While these tiles are more durable in many ways than ceramic tiles, they do chip and are not recommended for high traffic areas. When the tiles are installed special equipment must be used to cut the tiles so that do not chip and become damaged.
Agglomerate tiles are made using a combination of polyester resin with marble or granite chips. This tile looks like marble or granite when it is done. It is extremely strong, has the classic look of natural stone, and is resistant to wear. Many businesses use these tiles in foyers and other areas where an elegant tile is desired. This is also a popular tile for counter-tops and bathrooms.
Combining natural clays, one of them being red, results in the earthen red color of the Quarry tile. These tiles provide a beautiful earthen flooring that is water and weather resistant. The clays can also be tinted to create other colors. Quarry tiles are extremely popular in regions with extreme weather conditions because it does not crack or break in freezing conditions.
Similar to Agglomerate tile in the way it is made Terrazzo is a very popular tile for people wishing to put floating tile flooring in a room. The tile, when sealed, provides the resistance to damage of Agglomerate. It is available in a variety of natural stone colors as well as a variety of other colors.
Mexican tiles are beautiful handmade tiles that vary in texture, appearance, and color. These tiles are used primarily in desert regions because they emit cool temperatures in hot areas. The tiles are sealed after being installed and provide a home with a beautiful old world or rustic charm.
The small mosaics are made from ceramic, glass, porcelain, or natural stone. Mosaics are most popular as decorative additions to tile design. They are also growing in popularity as contemporary back-splashes in kitchens.
Floor Heating Systems
Radiation is the transfer of heat through empty space. This type of system works on the same principal as baseboard heaters, but does it more efficiently, by heating the entire floor. Another advantage is that the heat can be felt directly by the inhabitants while walking around barefoot. Radiant floor heating systems can be divided into three categories depending on the heat carrying medium: radiant air, electric, or hot water. There are also two installation methods: wet or dry.
Radiant floor heating systems, when used in residential applications, are not very efficient due to the limited heat carrying capacity of air leaving electric and hot water systems. Electric heating systems consist of cables built into the floor or electrical conductive plastic mats that are usually placed between the subfloor and the floor covering. Electric systems are the most efficient when combined with time-of-use rates, allowing the user to heat the concrete floor during off peak hours. If the mass of the floor is large enough, the heat stored in it will keep the house comfortable for up to ten hours. This can save the homeowner a considerable amount of money compared to heating it during the day.
The most popular type of radiant heating is the hot water system, mainly because it is the most efficient. In this type of system, water is heated in a boiler and then circulated through pipes located in the floor. There are many different ways to heat the water with each one having its advantages. The easiest and probably least efficient way is by using electricity. There are also wood fired boilers available, but then you would have to find a wood supply. If you don’t live in an area where wood is plentiful, this could pose a problem. This leaves gas. Most municipalities provide natural gas service, and when it is not available, propane usually is. These systems can be controlled by a thermostat and valves. The valves control the flow of water into the tubes thus controlling the temperature in the room. Also popular is the under floor electric system.
There are two types of floor systems, wet and dry. When the electric cables or pipes are embedded in a solid floor, it is referred to as a “wet” installation. The most popular way to accomplish this is to embed them directly in the concrete foundation or “slab.” This is the most popular method because of the immense heat capacity of the concrete. The biggest down side of concrete is that it takes a while to heat up initially. When the cables or tubing are run in airspace beneath the floor, it is called a dry system. These systems are gaining in popularity, mainly because they are faster and cheaper to install. One of the downsides to this type of installation is that it has to run at a higher temperature to compensate for the heat loss in the air space.
When it comes time to cover the floor a few considerations must be made. For instance, carpet can be used, but since it is an insulator, it decreases the efficiency of the system. This can be compensated for by running the system at a higher temperature. Most people use tile because it conducts and holds heat well. If hardwood is to be used, then stick to the laminated flooring instead of solid wood. The reason behind this is wood tends to shrink and crack when heated.