Home Improvement Editorial

Archive for the ‘Flooring’ Category

If your renovating your home or perhaps building a new one, you should strongly consider placing your laundry room adjacent to the bedrooms on the same floor. It seems that approximately 90% of the laundry is generated on that level. Bed linens and dirty clothes are the most commonly washed items and an occasional throw rug can always be carried upstairs if need be from time to time.

In a two story house, it is especially desirable as many housewives can truly attest too. Climbing up and down stairs carrying heavy clothes baskets can be murder on the back and legs. Placing a laundry room in the basement which builders did for years, is out of the question today.

A five foot by seven foot room is just a large closet but can accommodate both a washer and dryer either side by side or stacked units. This leaves plenty of space for a nice set of wall hung cabinets and a folding table. If you iron clothes, the room can be slightly larger or use a wall mounted ironing board that folds up when not in use. There are also wall mounted irons available today that save space and can be left in a wall holder when not in use.

Although not critical, a window is always desirable but with or without a window an exhaust fan is a must. Excess moisture can cause mildew to form on the walls, causing both a health hazard and mold stains on the painted walls. I use smooth faced mylar paneling which is easy to clean and takes a great deal of abuse over time. The floor needs to something easy to clean as well. Using either twelve inch or twenty-four vinyl tiles makes installing the flooring easy to do and the care of the floor quick and easy as well.

Any laundry installed today should have a plastic drain pan placed under the washing machine. These pans come with a drain outlet that can be connected to a sewer line. In the event of an accidental overflow of the washer, the water is safely sent down the sewer line and not onto the floor surfaces. A sewer trap must be installed as well to prevent any sewer gases from backing into the house. The pans are inexpensive and can save thousand of dollars in water damages.

Another must is the use of metal clad burst proof hoses. Old rubber hoses can break and will usually do so when your not home of course. Burst proof hoses are a bit more but the extra peace of mind they provide are well worth it.

Cabinets-You may get as fancy or as plain as you wish. Open shelving is also a possibility but clutter quickly becomes unsightly. Good solid cabinets with a melamine finish offer good long life and a very easy to clean surfaces as well. A simple wipe down keeps them like new. I suggest using as light a color as possible to keep the room light and airy. Soap, softener, lint removers and so on can ll be stored out of sight and if you can afford a larger cabinet, toilet paper rolls, tissue boxes and towels and so on can all be stored there as well.

Lighting-People often skimp with the lighting as it is “only” a laundry room. A good quality double tube four foot fluorescent fixture provides lost cost lighting that will light up a five by seven room quite well. Incandescent or recessed lighting can be used but the added cost is really not necessary. Florescent lamps last a good long time and running cost are lower than incandescent bulbs. Make sure the fixtures in any case are placed so they do not cast or create a shadow when you are working in the room. The is often overlooked but will be quite evident if your trying to iron or sort clothes in a dark shadow. There also many many CFL fixtures available now that are small (less then 3 inches in diameter) and cost very little to operate. A sixty watt CFL provides sixty watts of light but consumes only 12 watts of power for example. Many are directional as well for task lighting. Take a good look before you buy and think about long term savings.

Outlets-All outlets in your laundry should be Ground Fault Interrupter type. You will need one behind the washer and dryer units, one by the ironing board and at least one additional convenience outlet at the standard eighteen inches above the floor for vacuuming or other cleaning chores. With a little care in planing you should be able to cross between the cabinets, washer/dryer and the ironing board without crossing a power cord. Accidentally pulling a hot iron off the ironing board and on the floor or your foot is no fun.

If you have a large family and a good deal of laundry and ironing, installing a cable TV outlet can also provide some added down time while you work. Standing in a laundry room for an hour with no TV or radio can be a drag to say the least. You also may want to consider purchasing a rubber mat to stand on while you work. There are many specialty mats available and may save a great deal of stress on your legs and feet.

Laundry baskets-Keeping open top laundry baskets within sight of the door helps train kids (and hubby) to toss dirty clothes into a hamper and not on the bedroom floor. This of course helps Mom or whomever is in charge of the laundry chores, perform the task quicker and easier. You may hope for a color clothes and a white clothes basket but that may be far beyond the kids (or again the hubby’s) abilities. At least all the dirty clothes will be in one place.

Keep your paint colors bright and cheery for walls and ceilings. A good quality washable paint with mold preventer added can again help provide a good long life of your new laundry room.

There’s no doubt about it: hardwood floors are elegant and beautiful. But, they aren’t always the best choice for a busy household. First, hardwood can be very expensive, depending on the plank size and grain chosen. They also aren’t always as durable as the newer laminate options now available. With today’s high-quality laminate flooring rivaling many traditional hardwoods in many homes; it is becoming more and more difficult for some homeowners to decide which to choose when installing new flooring.

Both have their good points, and bad, according to the experts at Bruce Flooring. Here are some of the pros and cons of each:

Hardwood:

While hardwood remains the most popular options for higher-end homes due to its appearance and reputation, it does have a few drawbacks for some homeowners, especially those with pets and small children. While hardwood improves with age, is long lasting, and increases a home’s value more than laminate flooring, it does often scratch in high traffic areas and from pet nails, offers limited options in below grade stock and is not recommended for bathrooms and other high-humidity areas such as basements.

It is also hard to transition from hardwood to other flooring materials such as tile and carpet. The good news about hardwood is that it looks better with age; can be recoated fairly easily when worn (no need to replace it), and is easy to care for and maintain.

Laminate Flooring:

In comparison, laminate flooring is a much less expensive alternative than hardwood, provides an extremely realistic look of wood, tile or stone; is very durable and quite easy to install – even for a beginner. It also provides an easy transition from other flooring materials, is child and pet friendly, made of recycled materials for a more earth-friendly flooring options and lasts for 15-30 years.

The downside to laminate flooring is its inability to be recoated or refinished when it finally begins to show wear and tear and an inability to replace just one or two boards as is the case with hardwood, which can be sanded and stained to match older pieces. It also adds less value to your home than traditional hardwood and can often make a hollow sound when walked on if not installed properly.

Whether you are looming for the grandeur of traditional hardwood flooring, or the durability of today’s less expensive laminate flooring options, the fact remains that today’s homeowner has more choices in flooring options than ever before. Which you choose really depends on your style; lifestyle and budget more than the quality or availability of products.

Marble is a metamorphic rock that varies in hardness, its design and color. It is quite difficult to get two identical marble rocks, maybe they like but never the same.

Depending on the location where it can, the marble is changing, so in many quantities are exported to other parts of the world where needed. In our home we can use it to the floor, countertops and wherever we want. Although it is quite costly, is a material that will last a lifetime. These are not the only advantages of using marble in the house. If you know the rest jump and read on.

The marble will make your home look elegant and beautiful, with a modern twist. It can be used indoors and outdoors, furniture, countertops, floor, bars, tables, showers, windows, fireplaces, and others. It is easy to clean, looks spectacular and is durable.

It is popular among sculptors because of its smooth appearance that (despite the passage of time) keeps its shape, not torn or damaged. If there is heat or fire, marble always low temperature and is therefore used to working with chocolate, for example. If a fire in the house, the marble will stop decreases the effect.

It is important to regularly clean surfaces. If we can buy a specialty product for marble, does not take much more work than that.

This is a perfect material to integrate into the home as it has many advantages.

Is your wood flooring already worn out? Has it already gone through the tough tests and is now looking old and pale? It may be time to refinish your wood flooring and make it look new again.

How do you know it is time to refinish the floor? You can do this simple step. Go to the area where the floor is mostly used, your living room perhaps. Get a tablespoon of water and pour it onto the floor. If the water forms beads and can easily be wiped out, there is no need to refinish it yet. Your floor is still in good condition.

If the water that you just poured slowly seeps into the floor and creates a visible spot, it may already need refinishing touches. You may want to keep it in your to-do list and schedule a time when you can do the refinishing. However, if the water seeps in as quickly as you had poured it, then don’t waste more time. Your floor definitely needs refinishing, and soon.

Refinishing your wood flooring would require equipments such as a drum sander. Other equipments may be needed for other more detailed tasks in the finishing process. You need not buy those equipments, though. These equipments are available for rent in your local home shops such as Home Depot. You can rent them on a daily or weekly basis.

Different grit papers are used in the drum sander for different floor types. The lower the grit paper number is, the coarser it is for use on more damaged woods. Once you have chosen the right grit paper, you can now start sanding the wood using the equipment. It is suggested that you do the sanding diagonally on both ways then along the grain.

Once you are done sanding the whole floor with that procedure, repeat the process again using a finer grit paper (one with a higher number). After sanding the whole floor again, you can now sand the edges using a spinner/edger machine.

Vacuuming is the next step to clean off the sand dusts. Should there be gaps present after the sanding process, fill them in using the sand dust mixed with varnish to form a paste. Then leave the floor alone for some time.

After a few hours, repeat the sanding process again, this time doing it along the grain with a much finer grit. Do this twice using the highest grit number on the last sanding. After which, vacuum the floor once more and sweep off the sanddust.

Once the floor is dust-free, it is now time to apply the coat. You would need a roller to do this. Before using the roller, make sure it is clean first using a stiff brush to remove dirt and loose hairs that might get into the finish.

The urethane coating can now be applied across the floor grain by strips. Once the whole array of strips is completed, go back to the starting strip and make sure there are no roller marks or urethane build up.

Let the first coating dry for some time. When the coat is completely dry, the next step is to sand the whole floor using an orbital sander. Vacuum and sweep the floor afterwards to remove the dust.

Finally, the second coating can now be applied using the same procedure as the first. When you do the second coating, make sure the sun doesn’t shine through the window to any part of the floor to avoid uneven marks.

Refinishing your wood flooring is relatively easy as long as you have the right equipment. The rent may be a little costly though, but not as expensive as replacing your whole floor. You can even save more doing it yourself than hiring somebody to do it for you. Also, wouldn’t you be proud to show off your work and tell your friends you did it by yourself?

Nicely finished or refinished floors make your home look more beautiful. It is also a healthy alternative than carpets. Carpets are known to cause allergies because they are difficult to clean. Having just bare, nicely finished wood flooring will help you have a healthy environment inside your own home. Dusts, pests, molds, and animal stains can easily be cleaned up as well.

The right choice of area rugs can be a wonderful way to add elegance and class to your room. If you are planning to redecorate your room the perfect choice of rug can transform your room and you will find it welcome and inviting. Before you go to online rug store or rug store that can be found easily around us, you will need to consider a few things like the different trends and materials that are offer today. With the variety of area rugs that available in the market you will have the choice of either buying domestic rug or foreign rug that will fit to your budget and taste.

Rug can be a great material in your home that provide you and your family warmth and comfort. I am sure you have found it very useful during winter with the hard floor is stone cold. With rug on your floor you will feel comfortable and cozy walking around in your house. Area rugs not only offering elegance look but also can add a personal touch to your room and will blends totally with any furniture in the house. Rugs also will prevent your hard wood floor from creaking and sound proof your room from echo sounds. But more importantly rug can rest assured you that your small children won’t get hurt even if they fall. For home with a toddler rug provides them with extremely safety.

To get your rugs you can shop online from web stores that offering you with wide variety of options that you can choose from cheap rugs to expensive rigs. You will need to choose rugs that will perfectly match with your room size and that won’t be a hard thing since area rugs come in wide or narrow rug, thin and thick one with various shape from square, rectangle, circular and oval.