Category Archives: Floors

Accentuate Your Home With Floorings

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Different kinds of flooring evoke different kinds of ambience and emotion. Flooring available today comes in a wide array of materials that could be used for any lifestyle and function. Many floors that we see now have ceased to be the floors that we see in old photographs and historic houses. The flooring can be very decorative, elegant, artsy, functional or practical that could suit to any individual’s style, taste and budget. But no material evokes as much warmth, sentiment and a sense of history as the good old-fashioned wood flooring.

Homes with natural wood flooring can be found in any town that in spite of all the advances in fashion and technology for other types of flooring material, the wood flooring has not lost its place in the hearts of many house builders.

In spite of the rise in the prices of wood and increase in other choices for flooring, wood has no substitute in creating homes that has a homey feel to it. Wooden floors, even the traditional cuts do not fail to enhance décor and personal statements of tastes.

A House builder who opts to have a floor with a more modern touch opts for the parquet in place of the quarter-sawn wood flooring popular during the past decades. The new prefinished hardwoods are excellent viable choices even for homes ranging in design from the traditional, country, ranch, Victorian to the contemporary. Color choices and materials are amazing making it adaptable to any look that an individual would want a room to have. The darker finishes are suitable for formal settings, and the lighter the shade become, the more casual feel the wood flooring evokes. Local popular choices like the Ash, Oak and Maple can be combined with varieties of Teak, Brazilian cherry and Bamboo creating a look and texture that has never been reached when wood flooring (aside from concrete) were oftentimes the only choice.

The engineered hard wood of today are designed to perform better than the traditional ones as they are cross layered on top of each other providing a durability and capacity to hold more weight that was never achieved before. Engineered hardwood flooring is not synthetic wood but is made form real hardwood. Engineered hardwood is much easier to maintain doing away with old-fashioned waxes and pastes as these are already treated with several coats of urethane and is IV cured with aluminum oxide. Engineered hard wood will only require occasional mopping with a wood cleaner to maintain its luster.

The most popular flooring options include:

– Oak as flooring is very durable. It has a tight dark grain that is very appropriate for dining rooms and places that requires more subdued and formal atmosphere.

– Ash has beautiful texture and grain uniformity.

– Pine can be found in old houses. This flooring evokes a sense of history. Pines are considered as softwood but they can be very durable and can last for hundreds of years.

– Birch. Also a soft wood with a more playful texture

– Fir is another softwood patched with decorative dark grains

– Bamboo technically is a grass but when harvested in season and treated well can be more durable than most hardwood flooring.

– The more expensive and elegant wood flooring are the walnut, cherry and teak.

Whatever the choice is, wood for flooring has a timeless quality to it that will never be easily substituted even by the most modern materials available today.

Varying Uses For Interlocking Floor Tiles

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What makes laminate interlocking floor tiles so special is that no glue or nails are utilized to secure them to the floor. The tiles can be placed onto nearly any floor type, except, of course, not carpet. They are easy to install and can be utilized in a variety of rooms for varying purposes, such as gym flooring, garage flooring, basement flooring, children’s rooms, commercial kitchens etc. The tiles are placed on top of a thick, padded layer.

They are designed to look like material, such as wood flooring, stone or ceramic tiles, yet they aren’t. They provide a beautiful design factor, at a less expensive price tag, but with great durability and easy maintenance and installation. Distributors also offer a wide variety of interlocking carpet floor tiles. These tiles come in different colors and textures and once again are easy to install and uninstall. Most of the carpeted tiles that you order will come with padding underneath the actual floor tile and thus reducing the time taken to install the tiles drastically. These tiles are commercial grade quality and have a variety of uses, including installation as flooring in basements as well as quickly installed floor tiles for a trade show. They also work well to quickly cover over aged-wood flooring in a residence-this is a great benefit for the consumer who does not want to spend the additional renovation costs to completely rip out and install expensive, new wood flooring. Interlocking floor tiles for commercial kitchens are available for restaurants and other facilities with commercial kitchen areas. These rubber tiles are grease-resistant and have the standard sizes. They are also non-slip for safety while working and standing in the kitchen. With meticulous and regular cleaning, these floor tiles will have a long lifetime. There are varying degrees of thickness to floor tiles and recycled rubber tiles are also an option for the environmentally-conscious consumer. Cork tiles are also available for the consumer sensitive to the environment. These rubber tiles are perfect for gym floors, dance studio floors and weight rooms. They add the desired flexibility and cushion that is needed in these types of rooms.

Interlocking vinyl tiles are excellent for use in areas that need slip resistant flooring such as showers, saunas, pool areas, spas and locker rooms. These special tiles provide the necessary drainage for water to ensure safety. These tiles for pool and outdoor spa areas are UV stable. The vinyl tiles are easily cleaned with an outdoor hose and can be regularly swept clean. Multipurpose interlocking floor tiles are excellent for commercial office buildings or residences, especially rental properties-where an owner may be looking for durability in the flooring. One added benefit is that these tiles are loose laid, so are therefore, not affected by mold or moisture. Polypropylene interlocking tiles are highly durable and work very well as flooring for decks and garages, especially due to their water-resistance as well as salt-resistance. Consumers can find a wide array of interlocking floor tiles for their roof top deck spaces as well.

Distributors offer artificial turf tiles, soft rubber deck tiles, as well as interlocking patio tiles.

Hardwood Flooring Installation – Getting Into It

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Hardwood flooring installation and the finishing process can be a painstaking and meticulous project, but the rewards of a glowing and beautiful hardwood floor can well be worth the time and effort you have put into the task. If you think you have a sharp eye for detail and are ready to tackle the size of a hardwood flooring installation, you can feel confident about getting all the help you need either online or at a home improvement store near you.

The hardwood flooring installation process must follow the manufacturer’s instructions precisely. If you fail to do this, any guarantee that comes with the product may become null and void. Be sure you read and follow the directions that have been provided with your hardwood flooring purchase.

You may feel more comfortable hiring someone to do the hardwood flooring installation for you. There is no shame in this as your new floor is an expensive investment in the value of your home. The proper hardwood flooring installation procedures and techniques are key elements for getting the longest life from your new hardwood floor. You can easily find a hardwood flooring contractor in your area by searching the local yellow pages or asking for recommendations from a friend. Many times the store where you purchase your new floor will offer free hardwood flooring installation. If you find a deal like this, don’t pass it up. Take advantage of an offer that frees you from the worries that a hardwood flooring installation can cause you.

You can also do your research online. Online you will find a host of recommendations from experts and would-be-experts. If you are determined to do hardwood flooring installation on your own, the internet can be a virtual life saver. You can easily look up any problems you may encounter with hardwood flooring installation. This can be done simply and quickly even while you are in the process of hardwood flooring installation.

No matter if you choose to do it yourself, or hire a professional, you will never be sorry you chose hardwood flooring to grace the floors of your home. It can infuse your home with the warmth and glow reminiscent of days gone by and will be an investment that will add more than monetary value to your home.