flooring wood

Properties of the floor tiles.

2011-10-14T05:49:00.000-07:00

Floors are tiles that are designed with beautiful colors and patterns. To be used as flooring in particular. Tiles, the area is notonly beautiful but also strength. No cracks or scratches and canbe easily cleaned. The main features. The tiles are made ofcolored patterns on the surface of the tiles. The size of theceramic coating. And the physical characteristics that control theproduction process. which include

- The strength of the floor tiles. There must be less than thestandard force to prevent cracking of the tile.
- The ability to resist scratching.
- The tiles have water absorption values are not excessive. If the floor with a lot of moisture will cause the color to the floor.

Highlight of the floor tiles.

2011-10-14T05:44:00.000-07:00

Flagstone The aim is to use. The tiles are used to obtain thebeauty of your home or building. In the selection of tiles for use. In addition to the type of tile that are appropriate and quality. The colors of the tiles and the wire is also important. In areas outside the home. Or sweating. Exposed to various contaminants, such as a kitchen or patio tiles must have a dark area. The area within a building or a small area may choose to tile the space with light.For the comfort and make the room look larger. Installation offlooring. Could be taken to install, reliable way to ensure that the experience and expertise in the installation of tiles. It will make a good quality work. When you install tile flooring is finished. Mustbe checked again. Installation of floors that are smooth, uniformor not, the concept of matching tiles and grout between the tiles are grooved. No spaces, which can cause the water to it. It tested their ability to gain weight by using a rubber hammer and throw iton the tile floor. This should not sound clear.

The purchase of floor tiles.

2011-10-14T05:39:00.000-07:00

The purchase of floor tiles.

The purchase of tiles should consider following his example.
- If the floor tiles in the area of water on a regular basis. The tilesshould be used with the rough surface to prevent slipping and accidents.
- If frequent contact with the chemicals needed. The tile area.
- Tiles can withstand the pressure at the surface can be heavy,like a parking lot.
- In a move goods on a regular basis. The tiles should be used with the coated surface to prevent scratches.

To check the floor tiles.

2011-10-14T05:36:00.000-07:00

The building or buildings each week. The tiles are often used as an ingredient. The tiles are durable and beautiful materials. The purchase of floor tiles will have a choice of quality tiles to avoidproblems that may occur along the back. After purchasing the tiles, then it must be controlled. The order in large quantities can have an error occurs in the following way.

1. Make sure the floors are all the same. To get a card that has asimilar total will help to prevent problems like the color of the tilesis not beautiful.
2. Check the quality of the tiles. Each plate should have a thickness of tiles and similar surfaces. To avoid tripping on apaved runway.
3. Make sure that the tiles can be used to pave a few square meters. All you need to calculate the amount of tiles. It must be purchased for 50-10% of the number of tiles needed. Keep aspare tile to repair the damaged area in the future.

prevent flooding of the floor tiles.

2011-10-14T05:31:00.000-07:00

To lay the roughness of the surface of the tiles. The tiles do not have a simple water. Simply adjust the surface at the side of the tiles. This is to allow transfer of water from the surface of the tilesto be more convenient. If you want to use the tiles with differentsurface tiles. We must be careful and give particular attention. In the case of water can cause algae on the surface of the floor tiles.The moss can be cleaned and disappear. Using a detergent,because the algae is caused by the accumulation of dust and dirt stains. Or it may be caused by residues of Malta may also depend on the amount of water retained by When the sun and air,the right amount of oxygen that can cause algae on it, so if youhave the floor of moss' island. I do not need to worry. You can get rid of these algae to disappear in the blink of an eye.

Wood used to make flooring.

2011-10-08T16:39:00.000-07:00

The parquet. Hard wood used to make. For reasons of durability.And support the weight.
Makha wood often used redwood and teak parquet. Each type of wood has different properties.
Redwood is one of the most popular type of wood used to makeflooring. It is a hardwood. Support the weight does not collapseeasily.
Has the disadvantage that the color of the wood is very dark. The wood grain is clearly visible. And the grain growth easily.
The redwood floors. The flooring is inexpensive.
Makha wood is wood that has been done to bring the best quality wood flooring. Since it is a hardwood. The weight is great.
Beautiful wood grain visible. Sticky, not brittle wood. Or expandedeasily. General features are much better than redwood.
Because the brunt. And easy expansion as a redwood. It is pricedwell above the redwoods.
Teak wood is commonly used to make flooring and wood, much less Makha redwood. The wood is a softwood.
The weight is good. When used rarely. It scratches easily and is also rare and expensive.
However, the advantages of teak and redwood top is Makha wood,fine-grained, termites do not.
It 'also used for flooring, teak is sufficient.
Source: http://www.thaiwoodcentral.com/blog/.

Innovative wood materials.

2011-10-08T16:36:00.000-07:00

WPC Wood Plastic Composite or is an innovative material to replace wood, a new type of construction for the production of polyvinyl chloride (poly (vinyl chloride), PVC) and fiber vetiver grass(Vetiver grass fibers) or wood dust and volume. three types of filleris calcium carbonate (calcium carbonate, CaCO3) Metal Cummins(talc) and silica (silica) and Portland cement. Cellulose. Pure silica sand and water through the machine to produce steam at highpressure. It contains no asbestos or stain. These features are not.

Properties of synthetic wood.
- Just like real wood.
- Stronger than plastic.
- Resistant to light, UV rays.
- Insect-resistant wood that is the enemy of wood.
- Customize your every need.
- Faster solid.
- No water.
- It weatherproof.
- The price is less than real wood.

Wood, plastic or composite plastic wood can be attributed, and applications such as unlimited use of the pavilion, a wooden floor, ceiling and doors and fences, furnishings latex on the roof andmuch more.
The disadvantage of synthetic wood is not only a mechanicalexample. The strong attraction. The percentage of stretch at the point of impact resistance and bending properties form and gives me and life is less than normal.

To prevent flooding of the tile.

2011-08-12T07:52:00.000-07:00

To lay the roughness of the surface of the tiles. The tiles do not have water easily. Enough to adapt to the track surface suitable for coating. This is to allow the transfer of water from the surface of the tiles to be more convenient. If you want to use tiles with tiles of different surface. We must be careful and take extra care. In the case of water can cause algae on the surface of the tiles. Algae can be cleaned up and disappeared. With the use of cleaner types of algae are common due to the accumulation of dust and dirt stains. Or it may be caused by a mortar residue, you can depend on the amount of standing water aside. When the sun and air, the right amount of oxygen can cause algae, so that if the tile surface with moss island. No need to worry about. You can get rid of these algae to disappear in the blink of an eye.

"Tile" traditional paving materials, the most popular right now.

2011-08-12T07:47:00.000-07:00

Traditional furniture and flooring are available with a variety of materials. Material that has been most popular. This is an area with floors, patterned tiles, attractive, pretty cool that the show floor at home is an important part of the room because the tiles are not suitable for our needs. Our house is brick, though, how good would not exist. Therefore, the pattern of tiles on the floor, it is equally important. The tiles are of good quality. Floor tiles, there are various types of skin color smooth or rough, to imitate nature. The advantage of this card. Durability, resistance and support the weight well. There are a variety of formats to choose from. Small and large joints for straightening spectacular appearance.

Cleaning floor materials home furnishings.

2010-03-24T19:24:00.000-07:00

For a floor paved with stone, natural stone materials, type the อ่ these materials as granite. When a water-colored sparkling water such as tea when I saw water running six prime need immediate cleaning. Because these rocks are porous physical characteristics. Absorb water so well. Even contrary to, or coating it. If the stain itself already. First, you can use a little dishwashing liquid water brought mixed area wipe the stain. If it does not work, try to find a solution to clean the rocks directly applicable
"Learning Team CMC materials that paved areas like home furnishings each use if the stain has been cleaning what ครับ. Thanks ครับ "honorable spy properties worth Nonthaburi.

Cleaning materials, stain wood floor laminated simple. Initially the following ครับ can own.

For a floor paved with stone, natural stone materials, type the อ่ these materials as granite. When a water-colored sparkling water such as tea when I saw water running six prime need immediate cleaning. Because these rocks are porous physical characteristics. Absorb water so well. Even contrary to, or coating it. If the stain itself already. First, you can use a little dishwashing liquid water brought mixed area wipe the stain. If it does not work, try to find a solution to clean the rocks directly applicable . Name cleaning stone "CONCENTRATED STONE & TILE CLEANER" The solution is neutral PH value is safe with all types of surface rocks. If the surface rocks have a characteristic scale problem means that the white areas that may havebottom under the skin. Or surface area such frequent contact with water. This issue may need to hire expert to make a new floor and stones coated with Sealer or Linux software.

To lay hardwood floor. Or laminated wood. If the body is a characteristic mark of dust, stains and white tea to remove any soft cloth. Compression plate and the dank. Roy used to rub the stain.

The area paved with tiles. Most tile is relatively difficult to infect ครับ. If the tile coating. Roy is the mark of a tiled room that has a vertical seam of the drug itself. Between tiles. Stains that can occur using detergent and scrub with a polished floor conversion. Cleaning can be

But most important to prevent stains on different floor materials. You should clean the floor every day and guard the materials that are easy to spot the simple special

thankyou=http://www.cmc.co.th/homeguide/all.html

HARO laminatefloor

2010-03-24T19:20:00.000-07:00

Laminated wood floors, laminated wood floor, wood laminates from high quality German.

Standard test from. EPLF various countries. Multiple races to be imported product HARO indicate the standard not only within countries only. However, standard global presence and use. Now you're ready to use products that are standard with the world or have been.

1. Floor surface (Overlay and Pattern).
Face plastered with aluminum Gangnam ์ out the site () has a high tolerance of stress and pressure force are strong strain. Does not cause wrinkles in normal use conditions. Although the strain could not set furniture home furnishings in a space of time. Pattern and color photos of the floor is coated Laiamg virtual lap recorder Melamine laminated (Melamine Laminate) with high-pressure (process HPL) face feature not weaken when the heat hit. And heat up to 400 F (about 203 C) and surface drainage does not absorb heat.

2. Layer core (Core).
HARO wood floor finished with the core (Core) is HDF E1 (HDF = High-Density Fibreboard = wood almost macerate powdered. Compressed into a sheet with high pressure. And outstanding moisture standards set 0.05 ppm) nature center. A feature specific only HARO Laminated HDF with a compression pressure over laminated wood floor general. The density (Density) higher than 940 kg / Cu.M. HARO floor of HDF Core with humidity control and prevention steps, including the 2.
- AquaResist a powder mix of wooden materials. Control to prevent moisture penetration.
- AquaTec coated tongue rail top edge. To prevent moisture penetration another step.

3. Floor rear (Backing).
The skin below (Backing) coated with Melamine resin. To maintain the balance of materials. And the strength. As well as a defense an extra layer moisture.

thankyou=http://www.laminatemarket.com/index.php?page=&mo=3&art=306573&pb=8

How to care laminated wooden floor.

2010-03-24T19:17:00.000-07:00

1. Use clean cloth coat water mixed solution. Cleaning a little.

The only clean once a week. If the floor is wood laminated body.

Chemicals such as stain soaking nails. Use clean cloth coat is turpentine.

Wipe out the stain, then lightly coat the fabric cleaning wipe again.

2. If laminated wood floor. The burning of cigarettes is to clean.

Same way laminated wood floors a chemical stain. Because it trace the birth mark.

Roy is not burning. But the nicotine stains. Which can wipe out.

3. Water entered the ground six wooden Michelle Lai Ent. The first thing to do is. Echedngm run dry soon.

If left long because water could seep into the seam between the sheets.

Cause damage. And should not let the flood wood floor for long.

4. If the move. Or moving furniture with legs or a steel base, pungent.

Should be a secondary base fabric before moving. To avoid scratches on laminated wood floor.

But for walking shoes on. Laminated wood floor. Is not concerned.

It can cause the floor is not scratch or damage whatsoever.

thankyou=http://www.laminatemarket.com/index.php?mo=5&qid=372523

Hardwood Medallions & Borders

2010-01-25T00:54:00.000-08:00

Hardwood floor medallions and borders graced only the homes of the elite and industrial barons years ago when they without the use of power tools. Since, times have changed bringing down the costs along with it. These types of additions can add substantially to the resale value of a home, not to mention the personal satisfaction of having something different.

Specifications

Most common medallions and borders are manufactured similar to engineered hardwood floors when considering a 3/4" thickness. The top layer or veneer is approximately 5/16" in thickness. The underlying makeup is generally high grade Baltic birch plywood. Both veneer and ply is glued and attached under intense pressure. Design pieces

Where Are Medallions & Borders Installed?

Medallion designs usually become the main focal point when entering a home. However, leave it to anyone’s imagination, medallions can be used virtually anywhere. Borders on the other hand, usually define a room or area. Some border designs highlight areas or warp around the perimeter of hardwood flooring throughout the home.

How & When Are Designs Installed Into Floors?

Most medallion manufacturers ship templates or guides used to help install a pattern. Exceptions include some designs over 48" in diameter. For others a swing arm method is used. Borders on the other hand are best installed working off the design. All methods are discussed on additional pages.

Designs are typically installed when new hardwood floors are being laid. For geometric or straight cut types, the medallion is often set first then the installer works off the design in different directions. On the other hand, circular designs or radiuses are cut out and installed after the floor has been laid, while keeping a keen eye on where fasteners have been used to install the hardwood.

This kind of work requires planning and patience. When this article was originally written (2003) we considered this work an unfriendly do it yourself project. However, after several wrote to us showing off their work we’ve changed our opinion, providing you are familiar with power tools and especially the router.

Prefinished or Unfinished? Are They Stained?

Many medallions and borders today have the option of arriving prefinished. However, the majority come unfinished only. All 3/4" medallions will require very light sanding. All finer quality medallions and borders are natural hardwoods and not stained.

If you’re seeking colors out of the realm in hardwood floor species in the likes of green, red, and blue, impregnated hardwoods can be utilized, but not all manufacturers offer such; exceptions being large custom orders.

How Does One Finish An Unfinished Medallion?

Unfinished medallions typically arrive with a very smooth uniform surface. All irregularities have already been sanded out prior to shipping. It’s best to install after your unfinished floor has gone through rough, medium, and finer cut sanding. Without doing so and using a heavy grit across the designs, machine sanding markings will be extremely hard to feather out as the hardwood pieces that make up the design are not aligned with attention to which way the grain runs.

Can I Buy Thinner Medallions For My Engineered Floor?

Yes, all manufacturers can produce medallions or borders down to approximately 3/8" thickness, but they will generally be unfinished only. Any experienced floor finisher can finish the project with a sheen level that matches your prefinished floor.

Border Lengths

Depending on the manufacturer, most prefabricated border designs are produced in three to four foot lengths

Hardwood Floor Medallions & Borders - Introduction

(via Labor Costs - Hardwood Flooring - Installation & Refinishing)
themselves are made up from a few individual pieces into hundreds (mosaic) depending on which type of design you’re seeking. Custom designs are always an option.

The thickness of the veneer should not be a deciding factor in making the choice of which one to choose if one is familiar with how traditional 3/4" tongue and groove floors are milled. More traditional 3/4" type hardwoods have a wear layer or usable surface area only above the tongue and groove. Once any floor sanding reaches that area (1/4" deep) the floor needs to be replaced as the nails or staples used to fasten the floor will begin to appear.

Blogger Labels: Hardwood Medallions & Borders
were handcrafted on site

Appalachian Hardwood Floors

2010-01-19T20:16:00.000-08:00

Our view of Appalachian Hardwood Floors is quite positive in that they offer a variety of wide plank premium hand scraped lines in both engineered and solid. Looking for dark stained hardwoods? Appalachian is a good place to start.

Appalachian is part of the higher quality Anderson family of hardwood floors. The company was the industry pioneer in the early engineered hardwood days. A time when seemingly few dared to move away from traditional solid hardwood flooring.

Yes, they do offer lower priced budget type floors, but don't expect your standard Red Oak flooring everybody else sells. In recent years the company has shifted away from the oaks into Hickory, Maple, Pine, Ash, Birch, and some imported exotic hardwood species.

Hardwood Flooring Types, Options - Construction

2010-01-19T20:10:00.000-08:00

Understanding where certain types of hardwood flooring can be used should be foremost in any selection making in order to have a successful installation for years to come. Our google_protectAndRun("render_ads.js::google_render_ad", google_handleError, google_render_ad); illustration on the right gives us an idea where some products can and cannot be used. The brown area represents the soil line and red common floor joist systems. What Type Of Subfloor Plays A Role A vast majority of construction in the United States is plywood over floor joists with basements below. The preferred type of product would be the more traditional solid 3/4" hardwood that will outlast our lifetimes, providing it’s taken care of properly. These products can be completely refinished many times over. In most cases color changes can be made, but requires very knowledgeable professionals. Solid Hardwood And Engineered Other products gaining popularity in recent years would be prefinished engineered. These are constructed in ply fashion similar to that of common plywood with an actual hardwood veneer on the surface, commonly called the wear layer.Wear layers can vary from one prefinished manufacturer to the next. One key to look for in choosing an engineered product would be the thickness of the veneer or wear layer. Nearly all manufacturers produce thin and thicker wear layers, the latter having the ability to be refinished. Often price can dictate the wear layer thickness. Some cannot be completely refinished. How Many Times Can The Floor Be Refinished?How many times an engineered hardwood can be refinished should be a concern for those that plan on living with their new hardwood floor more than 10-20 years, but will depend on what you perceive as needing refinishing. Minor scratches, dings and dents add to the character of hardwood flooring. Some are fine by the added character that comes along with age and use, others may not be. If you’re seeking near perfection and desire a flawless appearance, your floors may need refinishing every five years. Choosing a product with the thickest wear layer should be considered. Most of the better engineered hardwoods have veneer thicknesses of 1/8" and more. With the right professionals and a flat subfloor these can be successfully refinished at least two or three times. Color changes may reduce this number. Finally, engineered products are more stable (minimal if any expansion and contraction)¹ than solid hardwood due to the way they are constructed. They are recommended for in floor radiant heating systems as well. Random Length² or One Size Lengths? All manufacturers are different. Some may offer random length or one set length hardwood. Random length is defined as each piece being different in size between the shortest and longest. For example, one may say 12" - 60" random length. This means the shortest pieces will be 12" and the longest 60" with the others being different sized in between. Random lengths offer a more traditional look. Some products may be manufactured in one length only, but to an untrained eye will look similar to a random length hardwood floor if installed properly.Some confuse one length hardwoods as being too uniform in appearance. One length products should be installed randomly. Creating the random look begins with using different sized boards at the starting area. They should be cut randomly with no particular measurement used. Once starter boards are cut and full length pieces are installed adjacent to them, a random look appears as shown in the first illustration above.. ¹ Floating floors excluded. ² Some manufacturers may indicate random. In recent years many imported hardwood manufacturers have been known to produce other varieties. For instance; 12 - 48 inches in length with 75% measuring at 48. Others may have only three set lengths but specify as random.
Hardwood Flooring Options, Types - Differences To Consider

(via Hardwood Flooring Guide - Reviews, Tips & How To)

Learn How To Install Wood Flooring

2009-02-17T18:33:00.001-08:00

If you want to increase the value of your house then try installing wood flooring. Wood floor is a more popular option than stone floors or slate floors. Wood has a depth and a warm feeling that will make your house feel cozy all year long.

You can find a large range of flooring in a variety of woods. You can choose the kind of wood you want to install in your home based on your taste and the look and feel of your home. Installing wood flooring can be a great asset to your home. Learning how to install wood flooring or hiring someone to do it for you is an investment you won't regret. Wood flooring may not be right for a bathroom or kitchen because of the moisture levels.

Hardwood floors are a very classic choice in flooring. You can choose from wide selection of hardwoods. Try oak, cherry, hickory, maple, walnut or bellawood. You can find these in a natural color or in a stained look. You should think about leaving the wood its own color because some woods have a lovely finish that does not need to be stained. Cherry and walnut are two such examples.

Looking into the options you have for a finish when you have finished choosing the material. You can also buy wood that has been finished already which will make your job a whole lot easier. Usually it is stained and comes with a clear coating on it. This can be more pricey, but often it is worth it for the time it will save you.

You can also put the flooring down and then finish it afterwards. You will have to do the sanding, staining, and put urethane on the floor. After each coat you will have to sand it. This can take a few days to complete this whole process. You more separate coats of urethane you use the better off your surface will be.

You might also want to try reclaimed flooring. This means that it does not have a smooth texture, but they are still very attractive and don't look like any other finish. You will also not have to see scratches on them like you will in urethane flooring.

You can also choose other things besides hardwood floors. Laminate flooring is also a good option for you. You can get these to look like real hardwood floors, but they are generally cheaper. You can hardly tell the difference between hard wood floors and laminate flooring. You can also look into a wide selection of bamboo or cork flooring that can give your home a great look.

Caring for your wood floors will ensure that they last longer and you can practice different things to protect your flooring no matter what kind you are using. Whether it is hardwood, laminate, or any other type of flooring then you'll use most of the same kind of techniques.

You'll want to sweep and vacuum your floor on a regular basis to keep the dirty and dust down. You'll also want to wipe off the floor too to get rid of marks.

Which Will Last Long Wood Or Laminate Floors

2009-02-17T18:31:00.001-08:00

Installing wood floors can increase the value of a house and are therefore an investment. There are many different types of wood floors, engineered, solid, impregnated, pre finished and unfinished floors. Wood floors are also relatively easy to maintain. Engineered wood floors are made from layers of wood that are pressed and glued together. Everyone loves antique wood floors and the popularity has lead manufactures to recreated them, manufactures do such a great job recreating the floors they are able to retain their color and charm of the floors. New floors can also be made to look like antiques. Laminate floors are available in planks or tiles. Wood floors have a warm, inviting, exotic look. The new and upcoming wood floors are bamboo, they are tough and they look fantastic in your home. Not so long ago one would expect to pay a small fortune to have wood floors installed. Wood floors have steadily increased in popularity over the last five years.

One particular choice that is increasing in popularity in North America is laminate flooring. Floating laminate installation can be used on any hard, flat surface and is easy enough to be a do-it-yourself application. A water-resistant glue is recommended by most laminate flooring brands. Laminate floors are fantastic they have many qualities which make them better than real wood, one of the qualities is that they are scratch resistance they are more durable and much more water resistant, but the laminate floors today emulate wood floors and many people have a tough time distinguishing between them. Laminate wood flooring is very easy to install, you do not need to higher a contractor, most floors are floating floors and do not need glue. Laminate flooring is great because it is resistant to stains, sunlight and many time scratches and they are very easy to maintain. Laminate wood flooring is environment-friendly as it makes use of more fiber material than wood.

There are many different categories that hardwood flooring fits into, pre-finished, unfinished, engineered, solid and unfinished. Laminate wood floors originated in Europe and are becoming very popular for substitute for hardwood floors in the USA. Wooden floors date back hundreds of years, the hardwood floors first came into the publics eye around the seventeenth century and have been popular ever since.

Wood flooring has also become very easy to obtain, install and maintain with advancements in technology. You could install one of the many different kinds of natural wood flooring, cork flooring, bamboo flooring, or Pergo or other laminates.

Bamboo forests are mostly found in the Hunan province of China. Bamboo is very similar to wood in color and form. Europeans have been using bamboo flooring for many years now, but it is just becoming more popular in the United States. If you are looking at getting wood floors for your home, you should take a look at bamboo flooring.

For hardwood flooring of course, high levels of humidity or moisture of any kind can really work against their natural beauty.

How to Install Wide Plank Wood Floors Over Concrete

2009-02-17T18:28:00.001-08:00

Wood over concrete can be done. For the longest time, homeowners were warned that wide plank wood floors installed over concrete would result in moisture problems. But that’s not so anymore. A concrete sub-floor is no reason to deny your home beautiful wood floors.

It is true that wood is affected by climate change: wood fibers expand and contract with fluctuations in relative humidity. However, this movement and the resulting moisture problems can be controlled with proper installation techniques and the use of high quality wood products.

If you’re going to be installing over concrete, it becomes even more critical that you understand what part of the tree the boards are cut from and the manner in which the boards were processed; both of these factors are vital to your overall satisfaction with the floor. Wood cut from the center of a tree contains a higher percentage of vertical grain which makes it less susceptible to movement and thus a higher quality material.

Before you embark on this installation process, there are certain rules of thumb to manage moisture and ensure the stability of the wood:

1. Be sure the wood supplier has properly dried the wood.

2. Let the wood acclimate in the home or business for 7-10 days.

3. During acclimation in your home or business, keep relative humidity at 45 percent.

4. Make sure the wood flooring has proper stress reliefs (These ridges on the underside of the wood relieve tension in wood, reduces board movement, and provides a greater glue surface).

There are two options for installation of wide plank wood floors. Both options are driven by the height allowance between the slab and door. To determine height, measure the distance from the top of slab to the bottom of the exterior door or measure the transition to other flooring surfaces. Check accuracy by swinging door completely in both directions.

Here are some step-by-step installation guidelines once you know the height allowance:

Option One: Gluing directly to concrete -- 1/2 to 3/4 inch height allowance

Using an adhesive product, spread one layer of adhesive onto the concrete per manufacturer’s instructions and place your planks, milled to 1/2 to 3/4 inch thickness directly onto the adhesive. Allow 12 hours drying time before finishing your floors.

Option Two-A: Concrete slab with plywood sub-floor -- 1 inch height allowance

Place a layer of 6mm polyethylene onto the concrete as your moisture barrier. Using a fastening tool, shoot concrete nails into 1/2 inch plywood to apply directly onto concrete. Install Wide Plank Floors, milled to 1/2 inch thickness by blind nailing and gluing.

Option Two-B: Concrete slab with plywood sub-floor -- 1 1/2 inches or more height allowance

Lay down 3/4 inch plywood and then follow the directions above.

The cost associated with both options for installing wood over concrete is similar. However, due to the cost of the adhesives, it can be slightly cheaper to use the plywood method.

It’s also possible to install floors over concrete slabs with radiant heat. The installation process calls for using a floating plywood sub-floor.

Wood Floor Cleaning Product Tips

2009-02-17T18:26:00.001-08:00

How many times have you entered a store searching for the perfect wood floor cleaning product and once you arrived at the proper aisle, you were floored to see the vast selection of products on the market for cleaning your wood floors? Which should you pick, the cheap one, the expensive one? Who knows?

The Evolving Wood Floor

Wood flooring was made popular a long, long time ago. Around the turn of the century wood flooring was just about the only type of flooring found in homes. There is nothing better than to purchase an older home, rip up the carpeting, and only hope that beautiful natural wood floors are beneath it. So many consumers are searching for that perfect wood flooring, whether it is a natural wood, or laminate wood flooring.

What to Avoid When Cleaning a Wood Floore

The secret to a beautiful, wood floor is never, ever use water on the floor. If water is spilled it should be wiped up immediately to prevent damage to your wood floor. There are hundreds of wood floor cleaning products. Your job is to read the label. Find out what's in that product. Most wood floors have a finish on them, usually a urethane coating. Never use a wax or waxed based product on your wood floor. You can use a cleaner/polisher to enhance the finish of your wood flooring. Using a polishing mop with a soft material such as terry cloth is recommended to ensure a polished look to your wood floors.

Taking Preventative Measures

Of course the first step in floor care is preventative maintenance. To maintain your wood floor's natural beauty and finish you should use carpet rugs in high traffic areas and around sinks. These rugs will need to be vacuumed often, so that dirt does not collect beneath them onto your wood floors. High heals should not be worn on wood floors as they could potentially dent them. Keeping your pets nails trimmed will also result in less scratching. Along with this, never slide furniture across your wood floors when moving your furniture around. Place a carpet rug underneath the legs of the furniture before moving. It is also recommended to place protector pads underneath legs of all furniture.

The best preventative maintenance is to keep your floors clean of debris. Whether you sweep, dust or vacuum your wood floors, keeping them dirt free is the key. Using a soft duster is one of the best options for keeping a wood floor clean. Dust mops are perfect for pet hair, lint and dust and should be used daily on your wood floors, along with a gentle cleaning product that will clean your floor as you dust. A clean floor leads to a happy home owner. Keep the overall beauty of your wood floors by taking the time to find out exactly what it is you are putting on those beautiful wood floors.

Author Vincent Platania represents the Fuller Brush Company.
Fuller Brush has been in business since 1906, and offers safe, environmentally friendly products for keeping your home and your body clean.
Visit http://www.fuller-brush-products.com

Commercial Wood Flooring

2009-02-17T18:23:00.001-08:00

In the 1970s, everyone had a carpet on the floor of their homes. It kept the heat in, provided a pleasant sensation when you walked on it barefooted and was easy enough to lay. However, it was also a nightmare to clean, picked up direct and bacteria easily and had to be replaced every five or so years because wear and tear took its toll. The bad arguably outweighed the good, but there s a kind of flooring around that is slowly but surely replacing the carpet as the flooring of choice – wood flooring.

Wood flooring is an ideal replacement for carpet for aesthetic and practical purposes. For example, the look that wood flooring can help you to achieve in your home can be anything you like. It can give your rooms a classic air or highlight bold colours. It can make the room appear more spacious by using the light well or imposing by bringing around a darkness.

This all depends on the shade and nature of the wood because there are so many types you can use. You could have oak, mahogany, maple, cedar or pine wood flooring, or indeed any other hardwood you can imagine. It would be varnished or lacquered to give you the effect you want. Wood flooring is extremely practical as well. The majority of the flooring types available are treated to be resistant to water so they will not swell if a little liquid is spilled on them. It does make the clean up a lot easier! Maintenance of wood flooring is a lot easier to carry out because all you have to do is run a vacuum or a brush over it once or twice a week to pick up any dirt.

The wood cannot retain it like carpet can so this makes it much more hygienic. Finally, wood flooring does not wear as easily as carpet and thus will stand the test of time well. It takes years and a lot of activity to wear wooden floors down and even then it is possible to perform maintenance on it so you do not have to go to the expense of buying completely new flooring. When you work out the actual cost over the years, it turns out to be very cheap! As a result of all of the above and no matter what room you need new flooring in, wood is the obvious choice!

Wood Floors Add A Touch Of Class

2009-02-17T18:21:00.001-08:00

When you determine the style and material for your flooring, it is important to consider the areas to be floored, type of subfloor, your preference for pre-finished or unfinished flooring and stain color. The state-of-the-art technology coupled with an almost limitless choice of stains, finishes, styles and designs makes hardwood flooring one of the most practical and versatile floor coverings available. So if you want a home that is beautiful, if you want a home that stops people in their tracks when they walk in, then you need to put down exotic hardwood flooring.

The exotic hardwood flooring will give you that stopping power that you desire and crave. Hardwood flooring has an inverse relation with the moisture inherent in the wood and is independent of the engineering. Low hardness is chestnut, douglas fir, and north american cherry while hardwood from brazilian walnut, caribbean cherry and bloodwood is extremely hard.

Hopefully you can buy one of the popular types of flooring. As the cost of vinyl flooring and carpeting become lower the wooden floors were reserved for high-end applications. The ratio has changed slightly and now with a good quality engineered flooring it can be refinished two or three times depending on the subfloor's smoothness and the experience of refinisher.

Laminate floors are ideal for those who want the style and look of hard wood floors but cannot afford the price. These floors are built with a core, sandwiched between a hardwood finish layer on the top and soft wood ply below.

Wood floors on the other hand is not so much more expensive but need to be installed in the rooms. Actually the entire house can now have wood floors but it is always a good idea to leave the bathroom aside. Except for the cost, another drawback of wood floors is that they can be easily gouged and scratched. But, there are century old homes that still have the original wood floors.

Wood floors have great value in several ways as they need no replacement over even a long time and their installment in a house can bring about an enhancement in the value of the house. This in turn will seriously affect the resell value of your home and make your home a health hazard to its occupants. Of course the appeal lies not only in its aesthetic value of its representation of real hardwood, but also due to its incredible durability and ease of maintenance. A good looking floor will add a lot of value to a home.

If you are interested in design a personally customized floor is easy to create by combining a choice of colors, colored chips, and even glitter options. You have dozens of colors to choose from. The darker colors are often found in formal or traditional interiors while lighter shades go well with a casual and contemporary set-up. Draw attention to your floors with dramatic coverings or soften the feel of the room with soft colors on the floor.

New Marketing Approach for Industrial Flooring Products

2009-02-17T18:18:00.001-08:00

A kit-based approach to selling epoxy floor coatings is now being used to target both industrial and home users. These all-in-one kits have been developed with the recognition that people want to buy solutions not products. This outcome-based concept ensures that all of the goals for the floor are met and that all of the required tools are available during the installation. To compensate for lack of training and for the inevitable unexpected questions and problems, a complimentary 24/7 help line is provided along with the kit so applicators can be assured of staying on track.

The process of obtaining a custom-built kit starts with filling out a web-based, free cost analysis form. The floor's condition, the owner's preferences, and the desired outcome are factored in by an automated computer system. From that point, field technicians prepare a recommended kit of materials and step-by-step instructions tailored to take the project from beginning to end.

This "kit" approach stands in contrast to the alternative of shopping at local retail stores for supplies which, if they can be found, often don't match the needs of the project. When a handle for a roller frame is needed, should it be 4 ft., 5 ft., or 6 ft. in length? Should it have a metal or wood thread? Should it have a 1-inch diameter or 1-¼ inch diameter? If a 60-grit sanding screen for a 17-inch rotary scrubber is required, where can it be purchased? The custom kit concept allows the decades of professional experience of the supplier to be applied to the project so that every tool is precisely matched to getting each specific task completed efficiently and painlessly. Experts replace the untrained and inexperienced store clerks.

By marketing "kits," floor coating suppliers are helping fuel the trend of moving away from bare concrete and wood surfaces toward lower cost, lower maintenance, and healthier floor finishes. Biohazards, mildew, dust mites, spoors, and other contaminants are a serious concern to industry and homeowners alike. In this new millennium, warehouses, food processors, manufacturing facilities, even garages, and basements are being sealed with hard surfaces using industry-proven materials and techniques adopted in the past decade.

Chemically resistant, these seamless floors are made of epoxy and urethane, finishes that flow on and then, by changing their chemistry, become resistant to dirt and stains. Flow-coated surfaces are impervious to water and are often used inside liquid storage tanks, swimming pools, and feed troughs. Unlike tile, these surfaces have no grout to clean and are not glued down with latex- or petroleum-based adhesives. Flow-coated surfaces are great adhesives in themselves. With good preparation, flow-coated surfaces are applied permanently, refinished easily, and require little or no maintenance.

For photo examples and more detail, visit www.concrete-floor-coatings.comFor more information, contact Harvey Chichester at harvey@concrete-floor-coatings.com Phone: 800-466-8910 or 952-888-1488 (24/7)

Kennel floors can be bacteria resistant & skid proof.

2009-02-17T18:16:00.001-08:00

The trend towards upscale kennels is making flooring paramount for good looks and healthful environments. Kennel epoxy flooring is not only seamless but can be Class III Laboratory qualified. Now used not only in veterinary operating rooms but also on kennel runways, divider walls and cages these mold and mildew resistant surfaces are easy to clean with hoses and squeegees. Bleach resistant epoxy flooring can take strong cleaners and heavy abrasion.

Epoxy coatings have been used successfully in swimming pools, laundries, warehouses, garages, and various types of shops for decades. Now they are being used increasingly in kennels with fine skid resistant textured surfaces that are still easy to mop and squeegee clean.

Kennel epoxy floors can be flooded, pressure washed and scrubbed back into service in minutes. Mold, bacteria, and contaminants can be rinsed off. The surfaces are impervious to penetration by liquid-born contaminants. Even diesel, gas, and oil will not penetrate them and can be washed or wiped up. Old technology floorings, including paint, carpeting, vinyl tile, linoleum, and wood, are subject to such severe contamination and damage if flood cleansing is used.

New designs in kennels offer beautiful flood-proof epoxy coated flooring from wall to wall, often including coated vertical surfaces to help further contain liquids. The beauty of kennel epoxy flooring can be enhanced and personalized by using colors. Colored chips, glitter, decorative stains, and artwork and decals can be laminated into these attractive floors. Kennel epoxy flooring is a solid choice when building or remodeling kennel spaces.

Durall Industrial Flooring supplies kits of materials that are customized to owner specification and delivered directly to the job site. Kits include full directions and 24/7 help lines staffed by seasoned flooring experts, so professionals and amateurs alike can successfully install a quality floor.

Web visitors can obtain free, job-specific quotes on materials or nationwide turnkey installations by completing a simple questionnaire at http://www.concrete-floor-coatings.com.

For a high-resolution photo example, visit: http://www.concrete-floor-coatings.com/photos/kennel/

For more information, contact Harvey Chichester at: harvey@concrete-floor-coatings.com Phone: 1-800-466-8910 or 952-888-1488 (24/7)

Choosing The Right Flooring For Your Home

2009-02-17T18:11:00.001-08:00

When remodeling or putting in an addition, you are faced with many decisions. Flooring happens to be one of those important decisions. What type of flooring will look its best and work its best in the particular room you are remodeling? You can choose from hardwood, carpet, vinyl or even tile. But before you rush out and buy just any form of flooring, there are many things that you should consider.

When it comes to flooring, the two most important factors to consider before purchasing include how durable the flooring will be and how stain resistant and easy to clean it will be. Of course you will also have to weigh in how this type of flooring will be used. For instance, will it be installed in a room that receives heavy traffic? If so, the flooring will most likely wear down faster and be exposed to harmful elements such as dirt, food, and liquid spills. This needs to be taken into account when you are deciding which type of floor will survive the best.

You should also pay attention to where you are installing your new flooring. For example, let's say that you are buying a floor for the children's playroom. In this case, you will need a material that can withstand a heavy beating. Feet will be pounding on this surface, bodies will be rolling over this surface, toys will be dragged across this surface and much more. It needs to be durable enough to survive all of these things. At the same time, you will want this surface to provide a soft fall since children will be parading all of it. A hardwood floor might not be as soft as you would like and it will also start to show signs of wear and tear quite easily. Carpet seems like the best match for such a room, but don't forget that you'll need something that resists stains and will be easy to clean up.

If you are flooring a more formal living room, as opposed to a kids play room, you may want to go with something a bit more beautiful and less functional. Consider a beautiful hardwood patterned floor to make the room appear more elegant. There are many different options for wood flooring including both hardwoods and softwoods. Hardwoods are generally more durable and more resistant to damage from impact, but if you maintain your softwood floor it should last just as long. Other wood flooring options include plank widths, patterns, and stain colors.

Kitchens and bathrooms require a certain type of flooring. You want to make sure that floors for these rooms are easy to clean, easy to walk on and durable. Try to avoid textured vinyl where dirt might accumulate in the crevices. Furthermore, tiles with white grout will be hard to keep clean so keep this in mind before purchasing them for kitchen and bathroom use.

Overall, flooring is designed to enhance your home's appearance and serve a functional purpose. Different areas of the home are best suited to specific flooring options. This may be due to safety purposes or perhaps it is because certain areas of the home can be significantly enhanced with particular floors. There are several flooring materials to choose from and it all depends on the quality you desire, level of maintenance, the amount of money you are willing to spend, and the overall appearance you are looking for. The most common flooring options include laminate floors, hardwood floors, bamboo floors, vinyl floors and carpet.

Repair Basement, Kitchen, Garage and Other Concrete Floors: Tips and Tricks That Save Time and Money

2009-02-17T18:08:00.001-08:00

Here are useful tips learned during more than 40 years of installing epoxy urethane floor seals and coatings on Fortune 500 company concrete floors, as well as in basements, garages, and decks. These tips can help you avoid mistakes that can limit the life of your floor.

There are three broad steps to doing your floor project: planning and preparation, repairing, and applying the coating. This article is the second in a three part series, and deals with repairing holes, cracks, and other damaged areas.

General guidelines for applying an epoxy coating to your floor:

Do no harm.
Investing in preparation produces the most years of service.
Let the chemicals and equipment do the work.
What can go wrong, will go wrong, unless you think ahead.
Technique is what separates mortals from Rembrandts.
An once of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Now let's get started with tips on how to repair those holes, cracks, and spalled areas.

Plan the job.
Repairs should be done after the floor has been cleaned, prepped, and dried.
Dealing with old lifting paint or seals.
Bevel the edges of holes left by thick finishes pealing off.
Technique, technique, technique.
Hairline cracks
Expansion joints
Glue together surface breaks and chunks
You get two tries to repair your problem
Screen the floor after your primer coat repairs are made
Sweep your floor with a kitchen type broom before coating.
Vacuum the corners
. Its just too hard to get grains of sand and other small particles out of corners and along baseboards or out of holes unless you use a vacuum. Push brooms just don’t pick up enough of the small grains. A kitchen broom takes a little longer but does a better job.
. By screening your floor with a 60 grit screen after any additional repairs are made, you can usually shave your floor flat. This screening removes bubbles, lint, sand, bugs, leaves, and fillers that are above the desired surface.
. After making your floor repairs, coat with your primer coat of floor seal. Once the primer coat is dry, go back over the floor and use grout to fix any small holes that still show up.
. Often a concrete floor will break when its underlying support sags or is washed away. Using 100% solid epoxy can usually glue the two surfaces back together, unless the sagging has not stopped. You can make a trowel mix with epoxy and filler like colorquartz or sand. Note that any change of slope will remain obvious but the concrete can be made easy to clean and whole again. If you want to just pour 100% epoxy in the openings, make sure to fill the bottom of the cracks with sand or colorquartz to keep the liquid from flowing out the bottom of the floor.
. To quickly fix expansion joints, just use your grout with a gloved hand and apply the same technique as with hairline cracks. Be sure to shave the top flat so that grains will not show up on the surface areas on each side of the joint.
. If you don’t fill hairline cracks, they usually show up again after coating even if the topcoat looks like the hairline cracks were filled. Gravity working against a liquid for several hours before the coatings cure usually wins out and the liquid bridging the gap is drawn down exposing the crack again. A fast fix is to mix up some grout and with a gloved hand push the grout on the crack by moving at a 45-degree angle across or down the crack. Then skim off the surface to level the material so grains don’t show up after the coating is applied. Sweep up any crumbs left behind before coating.
Shallow holes from spalling, deep chipped paint, stones falling out of the concrete, or surface erosion can be approached in two basic ways. Fill with a semi-solid or fill with a liquid. A semi-solid is formed by mixing 100% solid epoxy with a filler like colorquartz or sand to make a peanut butter consistency mix to batter into the holes. This method assures that the hole will stay where you leveled it but grains may show up on the finished repair. Using liquid is easy but can leave the hole concave or convex. One approach is to fill the holes until the surface tension holds a bead slightly above the surface being repaired. After the epoxy hardens, grind it flush with a grinder or a sander. The second method is to fill the hole above the surface and then coat the floor while the 100% epoxy is still wet. When rolling over the wet epoxy with your topcoat use a wet roller and don’t pull out the patch material. Often this will break the surface tension and allow the patch to bend nicely with the surface around it so that no grinding is needed.
Sometimes the layers of old finish are so thick that when they lift off there are deep holes left behind. Use a grinder to bevel those edges at 45 degrees so when you fill them the new product can help keep the old hole from expanding.
During your preparation work, you should have a 4-in. razor scraper on a pole to shave off floor finish as it lifts up during each stage of the preparation. Then go back after the floor dries to get those lifting pieces that often appear as the floor dries. With enough effort you can remove most anything, so use some judgment as to when what remains on the floor seems to be well enough adhered.
Remember that a floor that has 3,000 lbs. or more going over it every day needs much better adhesion than a wall that may get brushed by an elbow occasionally. Stick your coating to something that is not going to move.
For filling large areas, you will want a latex type concrete patch. For expansion joints that don’t need to move and for small hairline to ¼" cracks, you can use a grout compound. For expansion joints that need to move, a urethane chalk works well. For shallow holes and spalling, it is best to use a two-part, 100% solid epoxy. A good first step is to go to a website like www.concrete-floor-coatings.com for a free cost analysis report that also lists everything you need to do your job including step-by-step instructions.

Remember, "Life imitates Star Trek." You may begin to notice in the future that virtually every floor in the galaxy seems to have a flow-coated, two-part coating on it. I am seeing fewer and fewer new wood floors, linoleum, or oriental rugs. How about you?

Follow the rules and your job will turn out with the great look you want.

For more information, contact Harvey Chichester at harvey@concrete-floor-coatings.com or phone 800-466-8910 or 952-888-1488 (24/7).