Flooring
A lot of consideration needs to go into the flooring you choose for your home. Other than considering your personal design aesthetic and the use of the space, you have to think about what's going to work best for you and your family - especially when it comes to refinishing, replacing, or painting hardwood floors.
I remember agonizing over what to do about the wood floors in what is our master bedroom in progress. There had been peel-and-stick vinyl tiles from approximately 1976 on top of hardwood, and though the tiles were so old they just popped right up, the residue from the glue seemed to damage the wood. Living in a 110+ year old house, we knew restoring the hardwood would not only look gorgeous, but it could potentially add to our home's value.
After a lot of discussion and realization that we hadn't the faintest about wood floors, we had a local wood flooring expert known for his expertise in the historic neighborhoods in the area come out and tell us his opinion on an appropriate course of action.
Who knew it would work out so well...or not.
[via Gizmodo]
CES is all about the gadgets and this automated hardwood floor cleaner certainly fits the bill.
The Mint automatic floor cleaner works with popular cleaning clothes such as Swiffer or Pledge. You simply install the cloth of your choice, turn the unit on and let it run. It will go for 3 hours on a single charge and at the end you'll have a floor so clean that you could eat from it (not really).
There are many benefits to terrazo flooring but before you choose it as a surface make sure you know what it takes to install and care for it.
Terrazo flooring is a complex installation process, most often done by professional flooring experts. But once it is installed properly, it can be remarkably easy to care for and clean, depending on the type of terrazo flooring you have.
Traditional terrazzo flooring, as used in an older or historic home, is likely very porous and absorbs stains easily. More modern terrazzo flooring, the kind installed today is usually made with stain resistant resins. It should also be sealed with a penetrating sealant that helps blocks stains.
Frequently sweeping terrazzo flooring free of soil and debris that act as abrasives and wear down the sealant is important to avoid staining. Because terrazzo stains quickly, removing spills as soon as they occur will make major cleaning jobs much easier.
Many cleansers and floor cleaners often contain either acidic or alkaline components and are too harsh for terrazzo flooring. Oil-based cleansers and sealers will stain terrazzo floors, so be sure to avoid them as well.
Terrazo flooring is an Italian flooring technique that looks like luxury marble, but without the high cost.
To produce terrazzo, pieces of aggregate (marble, glass or stone chips) are mixed with a cement binder. Traditionally, terrazzo flooring is done by a professional, true terrazzo floor is an art form that requires many layers of heavy materials and the vision of a terrazzo flooring artist, making it expensive. However, the recent availability of terrazzo tiles in hardware stores has meant that do it yourselfers have found a new project, with similar looking results for a reduced cost.
The premier reason to choose terrazzo flooring is because of its classic look and timeless appeal. Also, because terrazzo flooring is created by blending materials it allows for a wide range of creative application. You can choose from a wide array of colors and designs to create a picture or an abstract design.
Brick flooring has been an appealing aesthetic for centuries, making up the roadways and walkways for cities. Modern times have brought bricks indoors, where they continue to give an appealing aesthetic sensibility, no matter what your mode of decor.
Whether your home is elegantly furnished or, casual and comfy, brick flooring can be a welcome addition, especially as it easy to care for and very durable.
Here are some basics to brick flooring:
1. Many options - A brick floor can be laid down in a number of patterns, allowing you to match your outdoors and indoor style, or not! It's all up to you.
2. Easy application - Brick flooring for indoor use is usually composed of thinly cut bricks, anywhere from 1/4" to 1/2" thick, and is also available in other thicknesses as well. In terms of installation, brick flooring is applied in the same manner as tile, with a mortar or other adhesive.
3. Durability and Use - Once in place, brick flooring offers the benefit of being remarkably sturdy, wear and tear resistant and even fireproof. Not only that, but brick flooring provides an anti-slip surface that is fade-resistant.
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.
