Posts Tagged ‘hardwood’

Installation of Home Flooring

Wednesday, September 28th, 2011

Flooring is the general term for a permanent covering of a floor, or for the work of installing such a floor covering. Floor covering is a term to generically describe any finish material applied over a floor structure to provide a walking surface. Both terms are used interchangeably but floor covering refers more to loose-laid materials.

Before installing your flooring the sub-floor must be sound and moisture free. The moisture content of the sub-floor must not exceed 12 %. Any irregular sounds or faults in the sub-floor must be corrected before the parquet is installed. One layer of builders’ paper, or other suitable underlay should be laid between the subfloor and parquet, to avoid friction sounds.

Wall to wall carpet has been a popular choice for people when installing a new floor in their home. Carpet is a floor covering woven or felted from natural or man-made fibers. Fitted carpet is attached to the floor structure, extends wall-to-wall, and cannot be moved from place to place. An underlay can extend carpet life and improve comfort.

Laminate flooring is quite popular with the do it yourself installers and the home renovators due to its finish and ease of installation. There many advantages to laminate flooring. Laminate floors can give you realistic looking ceramic or stone tile appearances without the hassle of having to clean soiled grout joints and is far less costly to install. Also, if you are concerned with upkeep of a wood floor (especially with large pets) than a laminate floor may be your answer.

The term “ceramic tile” is often used as a generic name for all types of tile. But the composition of true ceramic is very different from that of the other types. Ceramic is made primarily of clay mixed with various minerals and water. This composition is then processed with heat to create the solidified product. Since ceramic material is porous, the top surface is usually sealed with a glaze. The glazed surface is referred to as the design layer since it determines the tile’s finished color, design and texture.

Both hardwood and engineered flooring have become a popular choice of new home buyers and people upgrading their home. Engineered wood flooring should not be confused with laminate wood flooring. Engineered flooring is produced by adhering layers of plastic laminate veneer with real wood. The main difference between this type of wood and laminate flooring is that laminate flooring contains no actual wood.

When buying a home that has been renovated the Barrie Home Inspector has the knowledge and experience to ensure that you fully understand any problems or deficiencies in your Real Estate investment. For Peace of Mind in purchasing property is always recommended that you use a Professional Home Inspector.

Want to find out more about Barrie Home Inspections, then visit Roger Frost’s site to contactBarrie’s Premier Home Inspections for all your Home Inspection needs.

Protect Your Floors And Beautify Your Rooms With Area Rugs

Thursday, September 9th, 2010

An experienced interior designer will tell you that by adding an area rug alongside hardwood, tile, stone or laminate flooring can really improve the look of a room. Area rugs not only help to protect original flooring from wear and tear damage, especially in high traffic areas, but they also help create contrast in texture and color in your living space.

Area Rug Types. There are too many types of rug material and styles that are on the market today to list. It really comes down to an individuals taste and need. A list of the most popular styles, and why they may be a good choice, of area rugs can be found below.

Sisal Area Rugs. An area rug made of all-natural fiber from a sisal plant is referred to as a sisal area rug. Sisal material is an ideal material to make area rugs out of because it is stronger and more durable than flax, jute or even hemp and has been used for thousands of years to make area rugs. Area rugs made of sisal are normally light brown or greenish in color and has a woven style look. Sisal area rugs can be bleached or dyed and are many times fitted with canvas or leather borders.

The Oriental Area Rug. Oriental area rugs often refer to thick, ornate wool area rugs with intricate dyed designs. Persian area rugs are among the most popular style of oriental area rugs as the illustrate mid-eastern designs and have a thick warm feel to them. Oriental area rugs also come in contemporary designs as well ranging from abstract illustrations to country western motifs. There are all types of oriental area rugs out there to match any home design.

Bamboo Area Rugs. Bamboo area rugs are gaining popularity today because not only do they come in a variety of colors and designs but they are considered environmentally friendly as well. Bamboo area rugs come in such styles as the matchstick style, the woven fiber style and the wider slat bamboo style. Color, border and paint on design choices are in an abundance for bamboo area rugs as well. Since bamboo can be grown on plantations and harvested every few years without killing the plant, bamboo area rugs are considered to be environmentally friendly as well.

Seagrass and Mountaingrass Area Rugs. Like sisal, both seagrass and mountaingrass rugs are made by weaving fibrous plant material to create natural looking, durable woven rugs and mats. Seagrass is hard to beat when it comes to looks and price, but isn’t the best material for stairs (it’s slippery), and can develop mold and mildew problems in very humid areas. Mountaingrass is often referred to as hemp in the rug industry, and is an excellent, attractive and tough material suitable for just about any use or space.

If none of the area rugs, mentioned above, sound like what you are looking for, there are other types of area rug styles such as outdoor vinyl area rugs and shag area rugs. To get more ideas on how to beautify your home and protect your floors you may consider speaking with an interior designer. Area rugs are great jumping off points to decorating a room and the possibilities are virtually endless.

Learn more about Environmentally Friendly Area Rugs. Stop by Carrell Rogers Carpet One Floor & Home site where you can find out all about Bamboo Area Rugs and what they can do for you.