Flooring
Pulling carpet yourself can save a few bucks and here are 7 tips to make the process go smoothly.
1. Pulling up carpet is a labor-intensive activity, so while you can do it by yourself, it's a lot easier, and a lot less heavy, if you bring in at least one other person to help out.
2. Watch for exposed nails, wear thick-soled shoes and tread carefully. Underneath the carpet, there could be old flooring, or there could just be a collection of junk, dust mites, bugs and other creepy crawly dirt covered items, so you may also want to wear a mask to prevent inhalation of dust. For the same reason, people who have asthma or breathing problems should leave the area to prevent complications.
3. Start in a corner. Using pliers, begin to lift the carpet in a corner; this will start the removal in two directions.
A reader wrote in this question:
What is best to use to melt snow on different kinds of surfaces? We did some damage on our slate steps last year by using rock salt.
We polled some experts including Deren S. Monday and the consensus is that slate is definitely not the ideal choice to use in areas that need to be clear of snow. When designing for snowy climates the exterior selections should be salt-resistant to meet performance criteria.
If you've already got the slate installed here are the options as we see it.
1. Remove the slate and install a salt-resistant paver such as high-quality concrete that is also textured to be more slip-resistant.
2. Remove the slate and install thermal heat elements underneath and re-install the slate or install weather resistant material. Salt shouldn't be needed if you go with this option.
It's difficult for contractors to set level concrete floors especially when they are under time and budget constraints. Unfortunately this flaw is passed on to you and comes into play when you decide to recover your concrete floor with tile, wood planks or carpet.
Thanks to Wired.com we've got a few options to help solve this problem.
Self-Levelers
Concrete floor self-levelers are generally a polymer modified, cement based material that, when poured over the uneven area, basically does just what its name suggest... "self-levels".
Most self-levelers have special plasticizers blended into them to increase their ability to flow smoothly, eliminate shrinkage and cracking, and to increase its ability to bond with the surface below.
In Parts I and II of this series, we learned how to safely approach water damage and identify and stop the source. Now we will discuss preventing the spread of water damage and setting up effective drying systems for light water damage.
Step 4: Prevent Further Damage
Furnishings: Immediately relocate furnishings immersed in water or sitting on damp flooring. This is especially important for wood furnishings, or those that have a stain finish prone to bleeding. Nothing ruins carpet quicker than bleeding, wet furniture. Also, furnishings made from wood composite, like MDF, will swell quickly when exposed to water, and are impossible to dry to their original look and strength.
Wall Coverings: Once the furnishings is out of the way, inspect the walls. If water has wicked up the drywall or plaster, immediately remove baseboard and/or wainscoting or wall-coverings. Water gets trapped behind these items and creates a barrier to drying, not to mention a great spot for mold growth. (Speaking of mold, it begins to grow on porous surfaces after 48-72 hours of dampness. If you encounter mold, cease your demolition and hire an expert. This is especially critical if you have children, seniors or those with medical conditions in your home. Do not disturb the mold, as this releases spores into the air. More on this in a future post.) If no mold is encountered, I recommend leaving the drywall in place. It may be salvageable.
Flooring: Once furnishings are removed and wall-finishes are stripped to drywall, it is time to address the flooring. As a general rule, carpet and cushion (pad) damaged with Category I (see Part II of this series) water can be cleaned and salvaged. Carpet cushion damaged by Category II water needs to be disposed, but the carpet can be sanitized and salvaged. Flooring damaged by Category III water needs to be disposed of immediately and the slab or sub floor treated with an anti-microbial chemicals. Leave this to the experts. It takes proper training to safely remove flooring damaged to this extent.
My daughter loves throwing her pacifier around her room; not yet understanding that throwing her pacifier while in her crib makes said pacifier unavailable for the remainder of her nap. As a result, my wife and I hunt for pacifiers daily, finding them in all sorts of interesting locations. I secretly suspect pacifier-throwing is just my daughters clever way of watching us maneuver furniture and contort our bodies. "Perform for me, circus monkey", she thinks in her one-year-old head. And we do...
It was on one such pacifier recon missions that I noticed a slight bubble in the baseboard. That's odd, I thought. I felt the baseboard. It was a bit too soft. I pulled the crib out further. Uh-oh. No. It couldn't be. I just finished her room 6 months ago. Please, don't tell me. It... is... water... damage!
So what do you (or I) do when we find such a thing? This three-part series highlights steps to take when you notice water damage. Upon reading this series you will know how to safely identify and begin the remediation of water damage. Now, we all now restoration professionals that respond to such situations (or we should). But perhaps the damage is fairly minimal (at least at first glance), perhaps you are not really interested in forking over an emergency response charge or perhaps you are not the type to just sit by while your house is flooding. This series will increase your chance of effectively responding to water damage quickly and efficiently.
This article from One Project Closer is a great starter for what you'll need to install your own hardwood floors that includes a list of required tools.
We received a tip from TheKitchenDesigner about the tool that she finds indispensable and her favorite was the Vacuflo Central Vacuum. We grew up in a home that was equipped with a central vac and underestimated it's convenience.
We've been following this house bloggers basement remodel and he's found a great solution for his subfloor.
I'm using a product called Delta-FL, which I picked up at Rona. It's basically a big roll of dimpled plastic, which sits on top of the basement slab and acts as a vapour barrier, adds an air gap that helps insulate the floor, and also raises the floor up off the ground to avoid water damage in case there is a tiny amount of water.
