Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Laminate Floors

BUYING A LAMINATE FLOOR:

Laminate flooring offers the look of hardwood or stone flooring, but without the expense and required maintenance.

Laminate flooring usually is made from high-density fiber or wood particles, with a laminate overlay that is designed to look like wood or stone. A clear, hard layer is placed on top, giving the laminate floor its durability. Laminate flooring has become a popular way to update the look of a home.

Pros of Laminate Floors

Price and Installation Laminate flooring is cheaper and easier to install than hardwood flooring. Prices range from about $1.50 per sq. ft. to $3 per sq. ft, but you can find better deals from wholesalers and from online distributors. Laminate flooring can be placed on top of almost any existing floor, excluding carpet, and several manufacturers offer a glue-free, tongue-and-groove system. The interlocking planks make it an easy installation for weekend warriors and it can be uninstalled without damaging the laminate or the original flooring underneath.

Durability Laminate flooring works well in high-traffic areas and homes with pets. It is scratch-resistant, durable and easy to clean. Just use a dust mop or a mop dampened with water. Most manufacturers offer at least a 10-year warranty on their product.

Resale Value Laminate flooring can add to the resale value of your home. Most home buyers are looking for hardwood floors instead of carpet. Laminate gives you the wood look for less and can make your home look more open and modern. It also is environmentally friendly because it uses less wood – if any – in its construction.

Cons of Laminate Floors 

Noise Laminate flooring does not absorb sound well and can have a hollow sound when you walk on it, particularly in high heels. Using an acoustic underlay will help reduce the noise, but it still may be a nuisance. Laminate also lacks the visual warmth of other materials, including hardwood.

Buyers Know It’s Not Hardwood Although laminate floors will increase a home’s value compared to wall-to-wall carpeting, hardwood floors will increase it even more. Buyers generally can tell the difference between laminate and hardwood or stone, and they prefer natural materials.

Design Options Another drawback is that the look of the flooring is set by the manufacturer. Color and sheen cannot be customized so choices are limited, and a buyer may not like your selection. Hardwood floors can be sanded and re-stained.

Warping The materials in laminate flooring are moisture resistant, but the floors can warp in high-moisture areas. There is a debate over whether it should be installed in kitchens and bathrooms or other rooms that are exposed to heavy water or steam. Most manufactures warn that laminate flooring will be damaged by standing pools of water. This is true of other materials as well, but hardwood floors may be able to be sanded and refinished. Laminate floors would have to be replaced. The material is still relatively new, so it isn’t clear how this type of flooring will hold up over time.

Before You Buy Homeowners thinking about buying laminate floors should visit a few stores before making a decision. Talk with a store associate and research the different manufacturers. Some companies use different materials or construction methods

Friday, June 11, 2010

Laminates

Unlike hardwood, laminate floors will not stain, fade, dent and are far more scratch and water resistant. Entry level laminate wood flooring is designed for light traffic areas and come with warranties ranging from 10 to 15 years. Most people set their expectations too high and expect that entry level floors will perform under heavy traffic conditions and still look good for the duration of the warranty. This is however not the case, as an entry level floor subject to high traffic will start to show wear and tear within three to five years.

Laminate floors come with cores ranging from 6mm up to 12mm. A thicker core is more stable, less vulnerable to buckling and will sound more like real hardwood when walked on. Good quality cores are treated with water repellent chemicals, and resist swelling due to excessive moisture. This is very important especially when considering placing laminate wood flooring in bathrooms and kitchen. For these applications also consider a floor that has Paraffin wax impregnated joints. The Paraffin wax acts as a water repellent and will prevent topical water spills from penetrating down to the core. Also remember to scrutinize the warranty, as certain products are not covered for use in bathrooms and kitchens.

Buying the floors that suits your needs will save you money in the long run. This is not to say that every home requires a high end floor with an extensive warranty. Consider the amount of traffic as well as the amount of time you intend staying in your current home. There is no point in purchasing an expensive floor with an extended warranty if you plan on moving in the near future. Remember, the floor is usually the first thing replaced by people when moving to a new home.

Laminate wood flooring offers the best combination of quality and value in a wide range of colors, styles and designs and are also engineered for exceptional strength and durability and will last for years and years. For a rich and long-lasting experience, at a home friendly price, choose laminate; it's a natural look for your home and for the way you want to live.

Laminate wood floors history

Since their introduction into the US in 1982, the sector has experienced growth of up to 20% per annum at the expense of other floor types, making laminate the fastest growing floor type in the country. 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.

The traditional look of hardwood is timeless; its beauty has brought a sense of comfort and elegance to homes around the world for many generations. Hardwood floors are however pricey, not very durable and require a fair amount of routine maintenance and care. Even the most recent technological advancements in surface treatment have not been able to solve such problems as scratching, fading, denting and staining. This has lead to the invention of laminate wood floors. With its machine made construction and hardwood photographic laminated surface, this floor is the perfect solution for the look and appeal of real hardwood that is more durable and requires less maintenance.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

End Block Flooring

Here's something in the unique category! Doubtful if many of us have ever seen this kind of hardwood floor pattern work. Leave it to anyone's imagination, end block flooring can offer a multitude of designs.

One company that specializes in such is Kaswell Flooring Systems. Currently offering a multitude of different hardwood patterns with hardwood species in the likes of teak(shown above) to bamboo and some reclaimed hardwood.

Products offered vary in four different thicknesses and glued to any proper subfloor. Following installation, sanding equipment is brought in much like traditional hardwood floors.

The appearance offers a busy look, but think about using them for border work or entry ways. If they're installed with solid 3/4" floors, other preparations will have to be considered to reach the same vertical height.

Unlike older methods where lumber was cut on site and dried accordingly, the Kaswell product line arrives kiln dried with some patterns sanded to a 40 grit appearance. Definitely more time saving than the older methods.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Benefits of Wood Flooring

Benefits of Wood Floors

No other flooring offers the warmth, beauty, and value of wood. Wood flooring enhances the décor of any room, and provides timeless beauty that will increase in value throughout the years. In fact, in a national survey of real estate agents, 90 percent said that houses with wood flooring sell faster and for higher prices than houses without wood floors. That’s money in your pocket!

Ease of Maintenance

Maintenance of today’s wood floors is easy! New technology in stains and finishes call for regular cleaning that takes little more than sweeping and/or vacuuming, with occasional use of a professional wood floor cleaning product. You will want to use a cleaning product recommended by your flooring manufacturer, installer, or other wood flooring professional. This will ensure that you use the proper cleaner for your type of flooring and finish.

For more maintenance tips, check out the NWFA’s Wood Floor Maintenance section.

Ecological

Wood floors are ecologically friendly. Since it is a natural resource, wood is both renewable and recyclable. Many of yesteryear’s old wood ships , warehouses, barns, and other structures often find a second life in wood flooring. And, because wood does not collect dust and other allergens, many leading health associations agree that wood floors are the perfect choice for a healthy home.

Affordable

Today’s wood floors are affordable. Over time, wood floors maintain their value. When other flooring options are looking tired and worn out, wood floors will still look beautiful and timeless.

Variety

Wood floors have come a long way in the past few years. Today, there are more styles, colors and species of wood flooring available than ever before. Whether you’re looking for traditional Oak, rustic Pine, exotic Wenge or trendy Bamboo, you’re sure to find a color and style to fit your décor.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Floor post

Renewal & Repairs

Unlike most other floor covering options, wood is very forgiving. Most problems can be prevented with proper maintenance, but when problems do occur, renewal and repair usually is possible. For renewing and repairing stains and scratches on any wood floor, always begin at the outer edge of the stain or scratch and work toward the middle.

To renew or repair a wood floor, you first will need to determine which kind of finish is on your floor.

Wax Floors

If the stain or scratch has penetrated the surface and is in the wood, you are dealing with a wax-finished floor.

Stains

How you tackle renewing and repairing stains depends on the type of stain.

Chewing Gum, Crayon, Candle Wax

Apply a plastic bag filled with ice until the deposit is brittle enough to crumble off. Crayon or candle wax can be removed by placing an ink blotter on the area and applying a hot pressing iron to the top of the blotter. Solvent-based wax also can be applied around the area to loosen the deposit.

Cigarette Burns

If the burn is not very deep, rub the area with fine sandpaper or steel wool. Moisten the steel wool with wax for better results. If the burn is deep, scrape the area with a penknife to remove charred fibers. Rub the area with fine sandpaper. Stain, wax and hand buff.

Dark Spots, Dog Spots, Ink Stains

Rub spot with #000 steel wool. Wax the affected area. If this fails, lightly sand the area with fine sandpaper, and clean it using #00 steel wool and mineral spirits or a wood floor cleaner . Allow the floor to dry. Stain, wax and hand buff. If the spot remains, apply a household bleach or vinegar and allow it to soak for an hour. Rinse with a damp cloth, wipe dry and smooth with fine sandpaper. Stain, wax and hand buff.

Dried Milk, Food Stains

Gently rub the stain with a damp cloth. Rub the area dry and wax.

Mold

Rub with a wood cleaner.

Oil, Grease Stains

First rub the area with kitchen soap having a high lye content, or saturate cotton with hydrogen peroxide and place over the stain. Then saturate a second layer of cotton with ammonia and place over the first layer. Repeat until stain is removed. Let the area dry and then hand buff.

Water Stains, White Spots

Wax Build Up

Strip the old wax away with odorless mineral spirits or a wood floor product made for stripping wax. Use cloths and fine steel wool to remove all residue. After the floor is dry, wax and buff.

Scratches

To renew and repair scratches, wax the area thoroughly.

Heel Marks

Rub in a small amount of wax with fine steel wool and hand buff to a shine.

Surface Finished Floors

If the stain or scratch has penetrated the finish only and is not in the wood, you are dealing with a surface finished floor.

Stains

Chewing Gum, Crayon, Candle Wax

Apply a plastic bag filled with ice on top of the stain until it is brittle enough to crumble off. Clean the area with a product made for urethane finishes.

Cigarette Burns

Most common burns can be treated with a touch-up kit made for urethane finishes. Rub with sandpaper, stain and refinish. For burns that reach deep into the wood, individual plank or parquet boards may need to be replaced.

Food, Water, Dark Spots, Dog Spots

Use a cleaner developed specifically for urethane finishes to remove the spot or stain. More stubborn spots may require additional scrubbing with the cleaner and a wood flooring scrub pad made for urethane floors.