Alternative flooring
When people remodel their house many people decide to change the flooring in our home to give the room a new look. When you are deciding on a new look for your room you’ll be able to change the flooring to meet all of your needs. There are many different types of flying that you have to choose from so you have to be well aware of all the different types so that you can make an educated decision. Here are the types of flooring you can choose from and some interesting facts about each one so that you have more information in order to make the right decision for the room in your house.
Hardwood flooring is very easy to clean and very easy to install. Hardwood flooring is also a little bit more expensive than any other type of flooring because it uses the hardwood grain as a design when you install it. It is very easy to install and depending on the size of the room you’ll be able to have it done in a couple of hours. The bad thing about hardwood flooring is that it allows sounds to bounce all over the house very easily.
Linoleum is another great way to get the job done quickly and cleanly. This type of flooring does not cost very much and is very easy to install. It will only take you a couple of hours to install this type of flooring and it is very easy to clean. Many people like using this flooring in kitchens and in the bathroom so they do not take all of the time cleaning. The bad thing about this type of flooring is that if it’s wet you will slide all over the place in bare feet.
You can also choose carpeting to put down on a new floor. Carpeting is very easy to install and does not take a lot of time depending on the size of the room. You have to have special tools in order to make sure that the carpet is pulled tight all away across the room so there are no raise areas for people to trip on. This type of flooring also cuts down on the amount of noise echoing across the room.
The Right Choice of Floorings for Homes
The Right Choice of Floorings for Homes
iFloor can provide you with the widest range of wood floorings that will suit your personality, needs, and of course, your budget. They have the most durable and easy to maintain wood floorings that are surely cost efficient. Now for instance you are on a tight budget, you may want to consider having laminate floors instead. This kind of flooring is also extremely durable and does sport an indistinguishable hardwood look but is sold at a more affordable price.
The Home Flooring Guide provides comprehensive information about hardwood, laminate, cork, (and vinyl flooring) as well as other alternative flooring materials like tiles and bamboo floors.
Laminate Flooring
Laminate flooring has proven to customers that aside from its ability to mimic the beauty of most hardwoods floors, it can also prove useful for home use, offering durability and trouble-free maintenance. Laminate flooring will furnish you the luxury of being stain, warp, and buckle proof. one part of laminate flooring production involves coating the material with an aluminum oxide solution, in order to give it a high degree of scratch resistance. With all these features and facts about laminate flooring, like being a water, scratch and stain proof, it certainly makes a suitable candidate for home flooring, especially for areas with heavy foot traffic. That includes kitchens, living rooms and bathrooms.
Hardwood Flooring
Bamboo Flooring
<a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link']);” href=”http://www.ifloor.com/bamboo-flooring/”>Bamboo flooring</a> is very popular in Asia and is used by most people in the construction of buildings for a decade. But it is only just recently when bamboo flooring became a huge hit in home flooring all over the world. Because of its very unique look and adaptability to various types of design, homeowners have become engrossed on purchasing this flooring material for the home. The surprising thing about it is that it is actually a grass-derived flooring product instead of wood. Bamboo is a type of grass that can last long and can maintain its durability and flexibility. This is what gives bamboo flooring similar characteristics to that of hardwood. What’s even greater this material is that it’s eco-friendly and made from renewable resources.
Cork Flooring
Just like bamboo, cork flooring is also created from a renewable resource and thus, is environmentally friendly. The materials being used for cork flooring are harvested from cork trees without necessarily cutting down a single one. Cork flooring has the amazing natural ability to resist mildew growth with the astounding capability to absorb vibrations. Cork flooring is also a great insulator and it will surely keep your house cool in summer and warm in winter days.
At iFloor, you can have all the freedom to choose the type of flooring for your dream house. There a lot of flooring materials featured at iFloor that’s bound to fit your home plans. What’s more interesting about this company is that customers can buy directly from the same company that owns 30 factories of flooring worldwide. This is an undeniable criterion shift in the consumer flooring shopping experience.
Posted in Flooring Guides | 
Alternative Flooring, Aluminum Oxide, Bamboo Flooring, Bamboo Floors, Choice, Construction Of Buildings, Exit Link, Facts About Laminate Flooring, Flooring Guide, Flooring Laminate, Flooring Materials, Floorings, Foot Traffic, Free Maintenance, Hardwood Flooring, Homes, Link Href, Rel Nofollow, Right, Scratch Resistance, Stain Proof, Tight Budget, Vinyl Flooring, Wood Floorings | 
Leave a commentLaminate vs Hardwood
Purchasing a new house or remodeling the existing one is an exciting project every time.
Because of it’s important part in the house and the first thing you will notice as you entering the house, flooring will be usually the most important and careful project.
There are many house decorating styles to choose from like: Asian, Italian, Mediterranian, Modern, contemporary and many more.
Once you decide the color and type of flooring such as hand scraped or smooth finish, you will be able to take care of the rest of the interior decorating things in the house like: kitchen cabinets, living room, and even art.
When time is coming and you need to choose what type of flooring will be good for you, you need to take a few things under consideration.
There are many types of flooring in the market but the most common one when it’s come to house or apartment will be laminate flooring or wood flooring.
Like any other flooring there are pros and cons on both of them.
The pros of laminate flooring:
Cost:
Prices of laminate flooring can start on a minimum price of .99 for 7-8mm and can go up to .50 when it’s 12mm, hardwood flooring prices usually will start on a minimum price of .00 and can go up to even .00-.00.
Installation:
Laminate floors installation is very easy and instead of calling a specialist to install your floor you can do it by your self, today you can find almost in every flooring guide website on the net all the steps that need to be taking care and save more money on the installation part.
Laminate installation can start at .50 per Sq FT.
Not like hardwood flooring that you will have to choose between a nail down or glue down installation, laminate will be very easy to lay down and the only thing you need is the padding underneath the floors.
Prices of hardwood flooring glue can start at 0 per 5 gal and go up to 0, and will be usually covering a Sq Ft amount of 150-200.
Durability:
House or apartments with a lot of traffic as kids,guests,and even pets is more recommend to use laminate flooring because of it’s durability and scratch resistant part.
Maintenance:
Taking care of laminate floors is very easy and you don’t need to spend too much money on cleaning tools, all you need is a dust mop and some water and your laminate flooring will be as good as new.
The cons of laminate flooring:
Add value to your home with hardwood flooring:
When it comes to hardwood flooring, you will be adding more value to your home than laminate.
Selling your house will be with a much more profit, and as soon as the buyer will find out that your flooring is hardwood you will gain more money when you sells your property.
Customized:
Although laminate flooring are coming in a variety of colors and sizes you will not be able to customized your own color, from the other hand hardwood flooring can be stained to the color that you are looking for, if you want a different and unique color all you have to do is buy unfinished wood flooring and stain it with as many shades you want.
Replace/Refinish:
Hardwood flooring does not need to be replaced each time it’s getting old, you can refinish your wood flooring and by that save money on changing your floors once in a while.
You can refinish your flooring 2-3 times depend on your top layer thickness.
Today there are hardwoods flooring brands that carry 4mm top layer and by that you can refinish your flooring for longer period of time.
Laminate flooring that damaged will have to be replaced and there is no other option.
Posted in Flooring Guides | 8mm, Apartment, Apartments, Decorating Styles, Durability, Flooring Guide, Flooring Wood, Glue, Hardwood, Hardwood Flooring, Kitchen Cabinets, Laminate, Laminate Flooring, Laminate Floors, Laminate Installation, Living Room, Padding, Pets, Pros And Cons, Sq Ft, Traffic, Wood Flooring | Leave a commentHow to lay wood flooring
In this article we look at how to lay wood flooring in six steps that you can follow yourself. If you’ve followed my other article on how to lay laminate flooring, then many of the steps are very similar, but there are a few differences when it comes to laying a hardwood floor. If you’re nervous about how to lay wood flooring and about your level of DIY skills in general, don’t be afraid to ask a more experienced friend if they can help out. Technological advancements with in hardwood flooring have meant that the products are both higher quality, and easier to fit as well.
Before we get started with our how to lay wood flooring guide, you’ll need to ensure your wood flooring has been left in the room you plan to install it in for at least 48 hours before you start the process of laying. This is an important step since the boards themselves are composed from a natural material, they must be allowed to acclimatise to the new room temperature and moisture levels they will be exposed to. As the boards adjust to the new environment, they will expand or contract accordingly. You also need to make sure that you clean your sub-floor thoroughly to remove any dirt and small particles that may cause problem when you come to lay the wood flooring.
Let’s make a start and begin our guide to how to lay wood flooring:
Step 1 – tools for the job
a panel saw or electric saw (e.g. circular saw)
tile spacers
safety glasses
a hammer
a pencil
set square
knee pads
masking tape
a sharp craft knife
tapping block
a pulling bar
self-adhesive underlay
Step 2 – how to measure for your wood floor
To calculate the amount of wood flooring you’ll need for your project, you will have to measure you space to calculate the total area squared that needs to be covered. Wood flooring comes in various pack sizes depending on the variety you buy, and these packs tell you both the board dimensions, and the overall coverage achievable per pack. In order to calculate how many packs of wood flooring necessary for your project, first measure the width of your room and the length. Multiply these numbers by each other to give you your total area size. Awkward rooms can sometimes be difficult to measure, but the best way to try and overcome this it to try and divide up your area into smaller spaces that you can be square off, and then add the individual area sizes of these squares together. To calculate how many packs of wood flooring you’ll need, take your total area size (this needs to be in the same units as the ones used on the wood flooring packaging), and divide this number by the total area covered on one packet of wood boards.
It’s highly advisable to acquire at least ten percent extra boards than what you calculated you will need for your project. This is to avoid running out of boards in the middle of your projects in case of mistakes or bad measurements.
Step 3 – marking out your wood floor
Unlike when you lay a tiled floor, there is no need to mark out the position of each wood board that you lay. However, it is recommended that you lay a trial row before you begin installing the self-adhesive underlay. This is to help to determine the direction and position you will begin laying the flooring, and also to help calculate how much of the end-of-row boards you will need to cut when you come to it. A good tip is to start laying your wood flooring in the lightest part of the room. You should try to avoid a layout that will result in you having to cut more than 50% away from the depth of your end-of-row boards, or less than 400mm off from the width of your boards.
Step 4 – laying self-adhesive underlay
We will be installing a ‘floating floor’ through the methods used in this tutorial. This means that technically the new wood flooring is not directly fixed to the old sub-floor. This is a very common, efficient, and perfectly effective way to install wood flooring. With this in mind, begin laying your underlay with the shiny-side up. This is because the shiny side is the one that features adhesive. Ensure you have your spacers in place, and you are laying the rolls at a 90 degree angle to the way you will lay your laminate boards; this is to prevent the seams between the pieces of underlay ever corresponding to the joins between the piece of wood flooring. As you lay the underlay, make sure there is no gap or overlap between the sections as either of these might cause the wood boards to sink or stand proud. The goal here is a nice consistent surface. Tape down the joins between the sections with a bit of masking tape to hold them in place.
Step 5 – laying wood flooring
Using the layout you established previously, start by removing a section of the protective film on the underlay by about the half the width of a wood board. Then gently lay your first board in place (making sure your spacers are still in place). If you’re happy with the position of the first board, peel back more of the protective film to expose the board to the adhesive completely. In the same way you can continue throughout the room, gradually peeling the adhesive film back as you go.
Most wood flooring features a tongue and groove fitting profile. These boards should fit together easily and, and can be joined together by introducing the new board at a 45 degree angle to the previous one, then slotting it in place as you lower it. You can use your beating block or pulling bar to further encourage the boards in place if necessary.
End-of-row boards can be cut using the saw you have available, and by marking the board where the cut needs to be made. Take care to cut the board the right way up as different saws may cause damage to either the top side or underside of the wood. Remember to use your safety glasses as you do this.
Step 6 – applying the finishing touches
It’s recommended that you wait at least 48 hours before applying any finishing touches to your flooring such as trims or scotias. This will allow the floor to settle in further.
Use a mitre box to help with cutting your trims and scotias at an angle. Transition bars can also be used where your new floor meets with a doorway or a different floor surface.
Congratulations! You now know how to lay wood flooring!
Posted in Flooring Guides | Board Dimensions, Craft Knife, Few Differences, Flooring, Flooring Guide, Flooring Tools, Hardwood Floor, Hardwood Flooring, How To Lay Laminate Flooring, How To Lay Wood Flooring, Knee Pads, Masking Tape, Moisture Levels, Natural Material, Safety Glasses, Self Adhesive, Six Steps, Tapping Block, Technological Advancements, Tile Spacers, wood, Wood Floor | Leave a commentHaven Hardwood’s How to Sand and Refinish Your Floor Guide
Haven Hardwood’s
How to Sand and Refinish Your Floor
Guide
Steps
•1.) Safety.
•2.) Determine if you have hardwood flooring.
•3.) Remove any layers of carpet or sub-floor.
•4.) Rent the equipment.
•5.) Sanding with the floor belt sander.
•6.) Sanding with the edger sander.
•7.) Scraping.
•8.) Screening.
•9.) Vacuuming.
•10.) Picking the right finish.
•11.) Applying the finish.
•12.) Screening between coats.
•13.) Floor care.
1.) Safety
The first and most important step is safety. When doing any of the following steps I highly recommend the importance of safety and/or preventive gear such as safety goggles, ear plugs, respirators, work gloves, back brace and knee pads. You only have one body so please take care of it!
2.) Determine if you have hardwood.
Do you even have hardwood that is capable of being refinished? There are a couple ways to find this out. If you have carpet simply tear up a couple corners in an inconspicuous place, such as a closet and peek underneath.
If you don’t have a finished basement ceiling you can sometimes see the flooring from there. Sometimes you can even see the species and grade of wood from below. It gets tricky from there if your floor is covered with tile, linoleum or another sub-floor. If you can not see anything from the basement then you will have to tear up a small section of the sub-floor to reach the hardwood.
3.) Remove any layers of carpet or sub-floor.
Take a sharp razor knife and cut the carpet in three feet wide sections. Roll up the sections and tape. Most garbage companies won’t take carpet any wider than three feet. Do the same with the carpet padding. Next, grab a crowbar, hammer, nail set and snub-nosed pliers. Pop the carpet tack strip up, being careful to pull any nails or staples all the way out. If you don’t they could damage your sanding machine and dull your sandpaper. Any nails that can’t be pulled need pounded down with a hammer and nail set. Vacuum thoroughly.
Wood Sub-Floor Removal
Grab a circular saw and set it to the proper depth of your sub-floor. Make sure not to set it too low, as it will leave saw marks in your floor. Cut lines across the room, then cut lines perpendicular to those, making 2′ by 2′ boxes in a grid-like fashion. Cut as close to the walls as you can for easier removal. Pop the 2′ by 2′ sections up. You can buy a “Gorilla Bar” at a home improvement center if you have a lot of removal work. Be prepared to pull a lot of nails and/or staples.
4.) Rent the Equipment.
Call your local rental equipment company and explain your project. You will need a floor sander, edger and buffer. You also need the lowest available grit sandpaper, medium (36 grit) and fine (80 grit) for the floor sander and edger. For the buffer you need an 80 grit screen (like a drywall screen, except it’s round) and a 180 grit screen. Make sure to get more paper than you think you will need. The rental company should let you return any leftovers.
5.) Sanding with the Floor Sander.
Before you start sanding you need to fill any holes caused by the nails and staples. Buy stainable latex wood putty and fill the holes with a putty knife. The putty should take about thirty minutes to dry.
Grab your lowest grit paper and put it on the big machine. Most rental companies only carry down to 36 grit paper, but if you have any lower grit paper put that on first. Making sure that the machine’s cord is behind you, turn the machine on and slowly let the drum handle down as you simultaneously begin walking toward the wall. Make sure to always go with the grain of the wood. Occasionally, in exceptional circumstances you may have to sand the floor diagonally. This may be the only way to get the floor sanded in extreme cases.
After the first rough cut you need to sand with a medium grit. If you started with 36 grit then you would use 60 grit. If you started with a grit lower than 36 your second sanding should be with 36 grit.
Especially pay attention to the “drum marks”. These are lines where you put your drum down too fast and hard. If you get one, simply run back over it with the machine a few times.
The final cut is the fine sand. Go up another grit of paper, 80-100 grit. Follow the same sanding procedures as above.
6.) Sanding with the Edger Machine.
Sanding with the edger machine consists of using the same sandpaper as what you are using for the big machine. When you fine sand with the edger make sure to get the previous swirl marks from your rough sandpaper out. Don’t push down too hard on the machine, as this will leave gouge marks. Watch when sanding around doorways so as not to leave “half-moons”. These are just from when the machine stops and leaves half of a circle mark.
7.) Scraping.
Now that the floor and edge sanding is completed, it’s time to scrape. Anywhere your machine can’t reach (corners, under cabinets or radiators and stair noses) needs to be hand-scraped down to the bare wood. You can purchase a 2″ wide scraper from any home improvement supply store. A bastard file is used to sharpen the scraper blade. Keep the blade as sharp as possible. Remember to always scrape with the wood grain. You have to scrape any old, existing finish off the floor completely so it will match your newly sanded floor. If your are meticulous and worried about rough spots where you scraped, just take an 80 grit piece of sandpaper and lightly sand where you scraped.
8.) Screening.
Screening is a process used to sand and smooth out any marks or imperfections. An 80 grit screen will work fine for the raw wood. Try to rest the machine handles on your belly. Don’t try to hold the machine out, away from your body. You will lose control if you do it this way. Try to go with the grain as much as possible.
9.) Vacuuming
This stage is vital in order to complete a flawless finish process. Get a vacuum (a simple wet/dry vac will work) with a flat floor attachment. Vac everything. Start at the top (ceiling fans, moldings, windows door sills, heat vents and registers). You don’t want any airborne dust floating in your finish so make sure to get everything! Next, move to the floor. Once again, try to go with the grain.
When this is completed lightly dampened a rag with mineral spirits (paint thinner) and wipe the floor clean. This should pick up any tiny particles which would otherwise impede the integrity of the finish on your floor. During this step I recommend you shut all windows and either take your shoes off or wear protective shoe booties.
10.) Picking the Right Finish
There are three choices here for the first finishing step: a.) Stain, b.) Oil-based polyurethane or c.) Water-based polyurethane.
a.) Stain
This is used when you want to change the natural color of your floor. It can
Posted in Flooring Guides | Belt Sander, Carpet, Coats, floor, Floor Guide, Floor Sander, Guide, Hardwood Flooring, Hardwood's, Haven, Refinish, Sand, Sanding Belt, Sub Floor | Leave a comment