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Laying Parquet Flooring

June 10th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Parquet flooring is one of the most distinctive ways to create a flooring surface for your home.

Apart from providing a durable surface, parquet flooring can be used to create a unique pattern to make a room stand out from ordinary hardwood flooring. This article will cover some of the features and briefly touch on laying parquet flooring.

Parquet flooring is a series of wooden tiles that are laid in a pattern. Each wooden tile consists of smaller wooden or laminate strips that form a pattern. Each tile can be made of hardwood strips or engineered parquet flooring that can consist of a wood veneer with plywood underneath. Plain patterns are a few strips in a vertical direction. More elaborate designs can be produced.

The idea of a parquet floor is sort of like a recurring pattern. One tile has a specific pattern and this pattern can be produced on a larger scale in the room itself by laying the tiles in a specific order. You can also have different types of wood species and colors to create different effects in the flooring like a border or even a checker board effect.

The idea of laying parquet flooring is to start from the center of the room and work out. Split the room into smaller squares based from the center point. As the individual tiles are square you have to turn the room into a sequence of larger squares that will fit the tiles in.

If the room is perfectly square then the job shouldn’t be too hard but rooms are rarely square. In reality you will have to adjust your measurements to fit. The best way to set the layout is to draw the larger squares on the underfloor with chalk or some other substance that can be rubbed out and redrawn.

The hardest bit is at the walls. It may be that the tiles do not fit flush into the remaining space between the wall and the last tile. So the tile will have to be cut to fit the remaining space.

Before the tiles are installed with adhesive, you should do a clean run. Lay the tiles without adhesive or glue. Make sure everything fits and that the patterns are not out or lopsided. Adjust the chalk lines as you see fit. Once you’ve done this once it becomes fairly straightforward.

Once you are happy that the adhesive free layout looks good, it’s time to put down the tiles for good. The adhesive that comes with parquet tiles will retain it’s grip for about 10 to 15 minutes so only spread it out in small patches.

Start from the center of the room and lay the tiles in a pyramid shape towards the walls. Place a tile on the adhesive, ensuring that it is square with the chalk lines or with the tile next to it. When you get to the walls you will have to fit the cut tile so that it is flush with the wall or spacer.

Parquet flooring is not as easy to lay as ordinary hardwood or engineered flooring. It takes a bit of planning to get it just right but it is well worth the effort when you have an original looking flooring surface.

Engineered Wood Flooring – Benefits Over Hardwood Flooring

June 6th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Engineered wood flooring is a product that is made up of a core of hardwood, plywood or HDF and a top layer of hardwood veneer that is glued on the top surface of the core and which is available in almost any hardwood species. This is why engineered wood flooring has the natural characteristics of the selected wood species and so it looks almost identical to the real thing but is less expensive.

In addition to the top layer of hardwood veneer that is on engineered wood flooring, it typically has another three or more core layers as well that give it much greater stability. The core layers may be plywood, high density fiberboard, or hardwood.

Engineered wood flooring is made to be easier to use and install than traditional flooring of one wood. It can come as planks or strip flooring. It can be installed by gluing to a subfloor or by stapling. It can also be installed as a floating floor under underlay to absorb noise and give when stepped on.

If you purchase pre-finished flooring then you do not have to treat the top veneer and it is ready to use as soon as it is installed. As it is made of different layers of wood it does not expand and contract like traditional wood flooring. This is useful in damp rooms like the basement and even the bathroom to a limited extent.

It will never be as long lasting as a traditional hardwood flooring but it can be sanded down and recovered if there are marks or stains on the flooring. This depends on the thickness of the top veneer. Obviously, the thicker the veneer the more expensive the flooring will be. The veneer will give your room the same look as a hardwood flooring using the same species of wood.

There are a myriad of choices for the top veneer, some of which are : Brazilian Cherry, Mesquite, Santos Mahogany, Merbau, Jarrah, Purple Heart, Hickory/Pecan, African Padauk, Wenge, Hard Maple, Australian Cypress, White Oak, Ash, American Beech, Red Oak, Heart Pink, Yellow Birch, Black Walnut, Teak, Black Cherry, Southern Yellow Pine, and Douglas Fir. When selecting a material you probably want to see the finish that it delivers to a room. Looking in showrooms is a good place to start.

Engineered wood flooring is a cheaper alternative to hardwood flooring. It is designed for the home improvement enthusiast and can be installed with limited experience. Although it is not as durable as hardwood, it is more versatile and can be used in more rooms than the traditional hardwood flooring.

How To Install Laminate Wood Flooring

May 13th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Laminate flooring is a man made product that replicates the look of wood flooring or tiling. It is popular because it is durable, versatile and cheaper than the products that it replicates. Each style of laminate flooring may be slightly different from the other but in general the flooring is made up of a protective resin, a decorative layer that gives it the desired look, a high density fiberboard center and a balancing layer underneath the fiberboard.

All these layers are bonded together under pressure. This pressure describes the types of laminate flooring that you can get. Direct pressure laminate is bonded under a 300 – 500 psi pressure. High pressure laminate flooring is bonded under 1400 psi. High Pressure laminate flooring will generally have more layers or the layers will be thicker than direct pressure laminate flooring.

Installing laminate wood flooring is fairly straightforward and can be accomplished by relatively inexperienced do it yourself enthusiasts. It can also be done by professionals but this will obviously cost more money. This article will cover the basics of how to install laminate wood flooring if you plan to do it yourself.

There are two types of laminate wood flooring when it comes to installation. There is the traditional tongue and groove and the snap fit flooring. Tongue and groove flooring requires gluing to secure one piece to the next. Snap fit flooring simply fits together without glue.

All laminate flooring is installed as a ‘floating’ floor, in that there is an underlay between the laminate and the concrete slab or foundation of the building. The first task is to lay the underlay. The underlay will be a foam substance that can also act as a barrier to moisture. Simply roll the underlay out from one wall to the other.

Before you start gluing things together and making then difficult to maneuver, do a trial run. Lay three rows without gluing to begin with. This will help you understand how many pieces you will need for each row and how to end off the row. The chances are that you will have to cut one of the floorboards to get the exact fit. Leave around a quarter inch between the floorboard and the wall. You can use spacers for this. This gives the floorboards a bit of room to expand and contract and makes it easier to install the baseboard.

Once you are happy that you will get the lay out right, you can start to lay the floor boards and glue them together. Place glue into the groove of one floorboard. Squeeze the tongue of the other board into the groove. You may need a tapping block to ensure a flush fit. Use a damp clothe to remove the glue that has been squeezed out.

Once you have completed the installation, leave overnight to allow the glue to set and the floor to become sturdy. After this you can remove the spacers and add the baseboard to the walls. Laminate wood flooring is a great option for any room in the home. It can give you the look of a hardwood floor but without all the maintenance and the high price of that material.

Natural Cork Flooring Can Be A Sound Option For Your Home

May 8th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

If you have never seen natural cork flooring you may be surprised how hardy and versatile a material it can be. Many people might think that cork is flimsy because they have had a bulletin or reminder board that is easy to stick pins into or break if not attached to the wall. This article will cover how natural cork flooring is created and some of the features of this material as a floor surface in your home.

To begin with, natural cork flooring is a renewable resource. This is encouraging from an environmental perspective given the way trees are cut down in vast quantities to be made into flooring or other products. Cork comes from the cork oak tree. It is actually the bark of the tree and is simply peeled off the tree after around 10 years of growth. The trees will grow new bark and the process will continue, culminating in another peeling. In this way the trees are never cut down. Although the process takes a long time, by staggering the planting of the trees a constant supply of cork can be produced.

In terms of the qualities of natural cork flooring, it is noted for it’s thermal and acoustic insulation. This is because there a millions of tiny air pockets in cork. They absorb and insulate a room from heat and noise. When you walk on natural cork flooring you will notice that it gives under your feet and will bounce back after the pressure is removed. This is a tactile illustration of the insulation qualities of cork flooring.

Various colors of cork flooring are also available making its use in a variety of rooms and environments possible. They are made with snap-lock connections similar to laminate flooring and can be installed either as a floating floor covering or glued to a sub floor material.

The natural texture of natural cork flooring makes it feel naturally different from other flooring materials and its natural soundproofing makes it ideal in apartments or in rooms where noise can be distracting to those in rooms below them. Its insulating qualities also helps reduce heating and cooling costs. The durability and life expectancy of natural cork flooring is directly dependent on the quality of the installation and how you care for the material.

Cork is especially useful in rooms that are heavily used, like bathrooms and kitchens. In these types of rooms there is a good chance that moisture may come in contact with the flooring. So many types of natural cork flooring for this purpose are given a top coating of acrylic that seals the material of any spills. Other rooms that may not be subject to this type of wear and tear may have a top coat of waxing. This is a thin coating that retains the bounce back feeling in the cork but also protects it from damage.

It is straightforward to clean natural cork flooring. Simply use a dry mop or a duster to remove hard particles from accumulating on the natural cork flooring surface. The floor should never be scrubbed with and liquid based abrasive cleaners that may damage the protective coating of the cork or be absorbed into the cork material itself.

3 Ways To Select The Ideal Flooring Products For Your Home

February 11th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

So how’s that home refurbishment project going ? The chances are you may be considering replacing aging flooring. This article will cover some things you should consider before you select the next flooring products for your home.

The Price

The first thing is the budget, how much you can afford to spend on the flooring product. Although everybody would like nice floors, not all of us can really afford those luxurious but dear flooring products. Since you will probably need more materials than just flooring when refurbishing your home, you need to make a budget for all the things that you require.

You can do this by listing all the things that are required in the project and then dividing the money appropriately. It is crucial that you stay within the budget as this is one of the most common reasons why the project is unsuccessful or never gets completed. If your projected budget does not extend to expensive flooring products then your decision on what flooring to buy becomes simpler.

Do some shopping around before you buy, for instance, the internet can give you a good idea of best prices for the product you decide on. Avoid the urge to impulse shop, even if the flooring product you have your heart set on appears to be scarce, more will turn up, believe me.

Determine How Much The Flooring Will Be Used In Your Home

Having children and pets in the home can lead to more wear on the flooring product. In most cases, homes with young children and dogs will get  heavy traffic so the flooring needs to be heavy duty. This means flooring of cork and wood could be a no no as they could be easily damaged, stained or spoiled by your pooch. It would be pretty annoying if your newly laid wooden floor was to get scratched or dented so an alternative material might be a better solution for the moment.

The best solution for these types of homes is vinyl, marble and laminated bamboo flooring. Not only are they easier to clean, do not get stained or dented easily but they are durable.

Is Your Family Allergic ?

If anyone in the family has asthma or an allergy, then you may want to avoid carpeting. Carpets are common breeding grounds for dust mites and conceal dust and particles effectively. They are also harder to clean and show obvious signs of wear and tear. Rather than carpeting, you should think about flooring like vinyl or marble that doesn’t conceal dust and harmful organisms.

Vinyl Plank Flooring – Practical Flooring That Will Last

January 23rd, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

The kitchen is probably one of the busiest places in your home. Not only is time spent preparing and cooking meals but it may also be the place where you feed your animals, wash your clothes and eat breakfast. People will wander in from time to time looking for a snack in the fridge or cupboard. Not only is it the busiest room in the house but it is also likely to be the most heavily used. You will defrost the fridge or pull clothes out of the washer that may cause the kitchen to be flooded with water. During cooking you may drop hot implements or food that can mark or stain the surfaces and floors. These are some of the reasons why kitchen flooring has been traditionally made of a material that is heavy duty and hard wearing. A new material that ticks both of these boxes is vinyl plank flooring. This article will discuss the merits of using vinyl plank flooring in your kitchen and any other rooms you may think are suitable.

Vinyl plank flooring has become a popular choice for home renovators and developers recently because it is a very affordable material that has all the qualities that rooms like the kitchen need.

One of the best qualities of this type of flooring is the resilience of the material. Even after a kitchen appliance like a fridge or washing machine has been resting on it, it will return to it’s original shape afterwards. This means you can change the layout of the kitchen without the flooring looking buckled or worn.

Another feature of the material is that it doesn’t absorb stains. For instance, if you were to spill a hot pan of spaghetti bolognaise on the floor you could simply clear away the mess and wipe the floor clean. There would be no marks or stains left over. This saves you time and worry in unexpected situations but it also makes maintenance of the kitchen flooring easier. You don’t need any stain removing polishes and you can have the floor clean quickly with a brush or mop and detergent.

Vinyl plank flooring is a very durable material. Not only will it withstand heavy usage but it will last a long time. This means you won’t have to change the flooring in your kitchen very often and get a good return for the money spent on the flooring. In terms of maintenance to prolong it’s life, simply clean the surface and that’s it. It should last many years and outlast most of the appliances, wall colors and other areas where the kitchen can be remodeled.

Vinyl flooring materials can be made to look like many other more exotic materials like marble and certain wood types. It will be considerably less expensive than these kinds of materials so you will save money in the process. If you are considering a new flooring in your kitchen or any other room for that matter then you should look into vinyl plant flooring. It is also straight forward to install by a DIYer or can be laid by a professional.

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