FLOORING
Exotic Locking Bamboo Hardwood Flooring - $3.28 » My future plans include replacing the living room/dining room carpet that flows into the kitchen with hardwood floors — a trick for making a small kitchen appear bigger!
Teak laminate floor - $3.00 » Laminate flooring is stain- and fade-resistant and has a tendency to repel water. It's an extremely hard and durable surface, but it is possible to scratch it. It's not possible to repair the actual scratches when they occur, so be sure to buy extra material with your initial purchase and hold onto it in case you'll need it later. Laminate flooring doesn't need any special cleaners or special treatment to keep its looks. It never needs to be waxed or polished. At the same time, it can't be refinished.
Black Slate laminate floor - $3.00 » This laminate floor is mimicking the appearance of black slate. Though not for everybody, there are times and situations when a laminate floor can be a solution. Furthermore, since click-together laminate floors aren't attached to anything, unstalling them is easier than putting them in in the first place. Sometimes they can be used as a temporary fix for a troubled floor.
Armstrong Laminate Flooring - $2.00 » All laminate floors require an underlayment. Sometimes that underlayment is the bottom layer of the flooring material and sometimes that underlayment is a sheet of material that you have to purchase separately. Laminate floors installed directly on concrete or in areas with a lot of moisture need an additional moisture barrier. Again, ask lots of questions before you buy and be sure you're buying the right product for your needs.
Just about everybody has heard the term "laminate floor." but what is one really? This diagram from NALFA explains everything perfectly. A. A transparent, protective wear layer is resistant to dogs, cats, chairs, and high heels. B. The decorative layer provides a high-definition, detailed image. Laminate flooring manufacturers have the technology and capability to realistically simulate everything from hardwood to marble to stone. C. A high-density fiberboard core (or HDF) offers impact resistance, stability and durability. D. A layer of melamine resin offers additional structural stability and moisture resistance. E. Underlayment (which may or may not be built into the laminate floor product) is a requirement for any installation. It’s helpful in absorbing some of the minor imperfections in the subfloor, reducing some noise when walking on the floor, and softening some of the impact. Some underlayments also offer a moisture barrier on one side, which is a good idea for bathroom and wet-area installations.
Pergo Laminate Floor - $3.00 » By buying a NALFA-certified laminate floor you know a few, important things about your floor. First, you'll know that your floor will be installed without glue. This is good for a couple of reasons. Click-together laminate floors are easier to install, and by not using glue, your floor won't emit gasses that can harm the quality of the air in your home. NALFA certification also tells you that a product bearing its logo is recyclable and conforms to all regulations regarding formadehyde emission.
Cherry laminate floor - $3.00 » Laminate flooring was invented in 1977, and the company that developed it introduced Pergo to the European market in 1984. Pergo is just one brand of laminate flooring out of many but since its product was first out of the gate, Pergo is often (mistakenly) used as a generic term for the whole category. The market is flooded with cheap laminate floors that cases of buyer's remorse waiting to happen. Beware suspiciously low prices and look for the seal of the North American Laminate Flooring Association, or NALFA.
6. Refresh old wood floors. Even if you don't want to have your wood floors refinished, there are still ways to make them look their best. What you use to refresh your floors will depend on the type of finish your wood floors have. Floors with a natural oil-rubbed finish can be shined up with wood oil. Really old, worn floors may do well with a wax. Floors finished with polyurethane can be cleaned with a solution of white vinegar and water. Just avoid getting the floors really wet by applying the solution with a barely damp mop and wiping dry with a towel immediately after. Excess water on wood floors of any type can potentially cause damage.
SISAL Pros * Can stand up to high traffic; good for stairs * Gives your room a great natural look while adding texture * Biodegradable and nontoxic Cons * Uncomfortable against bare skin * Can be pricey (but generally less so than wool) * Susceptible to moisture damage * Can be difficult to clean Cost: About $4 to $8.50 per square foot installed
POLYESTER Pros * Very resistant to bleaching, fading and soil-dye reactions * Resistant to water-based stains Cons * Difficult to dye; usually must be solution dyed, which limits the variety * Not resistant to oily stains * Can mat down quickly and will not come back the way nylon does * Synthetic, so it off-gases Cost: About $2 to $7 per square foot installed
OLEFIN Pros * Moisture resistant * Difficult to stain * Great for outdoor applications (pool, stadium) * Chemical resistant; most chemicals and bleaches won’t damage it at all * Fade resistant * Low static Cons * Not a resilient fiber; when crushed it does not regain its original shape easily * Like polyester, extended exposure to oil-based soils may become permanent * Difficult to dye due to its low absorbency rate; almost always solution dyed * Synthetic, so it off-gases. Cost: About $2.25 to $6.50 per square foot, installed
NYLON Pros * Most commonly used fiber; readily available in a wide range of colors and textures * Good elasticity — very important in heavy traffic areas where furniture may be dragged across the carpet * Abrasion resistant, surpassing even wool * Wear guaranties often available * Resilient; can be crushed for long periods and regain its original shape * Responds very well to most professional cleaning methods and treatments Cons * Can have problems with bleaching, fading, urine reactions and so on * Synthetic, so it off-gases Cost: $4 per square foot or more for high grade, best for heavy traffic; $3 to $4 medium grade; $2 to $3 base grade; $2 or less apartment grade
WOOL Pros * Hides soil * Strong, elastic and resilient; great for heavy traffic * Responds very well to cleaning, as moisture makes the fiber swell and release dirt * Naturally flame retardant * Neutralizes indoor air contaminants and does not reemit them * Environmentally friendly Cons * High cost * Prone to distortion by excess agitation * Stains easily, due to its absorbency and ease of dyeing * Very sensitive to chlorine bleach Cost: About $5 to $24 per square foot, installed
Installation Most cork flooring comes in one of two forms: planks or tiles. Planks can either be solid cork or engineered laminate-style (cork veneer with a fiberboard core). They’re available in glue-down or “floating” applications—the latter locks together at the edges and sits right on top of any smooth surface, which makes it especially DIY-friendly. Avoid engineered planks in moisture-prone areas; they’re likely to warp. Tiles, made from solid cork, generally are glued to a subfloor. Installation isn’t difficult, but it can take a fair amount of prep work to get the underlying surface in shape. If you’re opposed to the look of seams, or you want custom-cut shapes and designs, cork is also sold in sheets. However, installation gets much trickier, so you may need the help of a pro. What you’ll pay Cork isn’t inexpensive, exactly, but it’s manageable on a budget. The price tag falls roughly between $2 and $12 per square foot, uninstalled (professional installation generally adds $3-5 per square foot to the total). Don’t skimp on quality—cheap, lower-density cork flooring won’t hold up in the long run.
From the below, it sounds like cork is best used in rooms with no water source. What to consider Although cork is durable, be prepared to put in some maintenance. Crumbs, dirt and other detritus can scar its surface over time, so don’t go more than a week without sweeping or vacuuming. Cork also needs to be re-sealed with protective coats of polyurethane every few years. Alternatively, you can seal it with wax, which is less likely to scratch but must be stripped and reapplied more frequently. Some cork flooring comes pre-finished, although it still will need periodic doctoring to keep it in shape. Cork can bounce back from small nicks, but major dings—for example, sliding a table across the floor and taking a chunk of cork with it—are tougher to fix. Furniture eventually will leave permanent dents unless you place it on protective coasters to offset the pressure. As with carpeting, sunlight will fade it over time. Also, cork doesn’t always work well in damp areas. Although its natural waxiness repels moisture,standing water can permeate the joints and cause damage. If you really want cork in a bathroom, basement or laundry area, it’s worth consulting with a pro about how to w...
The basics Natural cork comes from the bark of cork trees, found mainly in southern Europe and northern Africa. Scraps of bark left over from punched-out bottle stoppers are ground, pressed and baked into sheets that are ready to convert into floor planks and tiles. Portugal is the epicenter of the cork industry and accounts for more than half the world’s production. What you’ll love If you’ve ever noticed how fast a wine cork pops back into shape when it’s released from the bottle, you have a good idea of how springy and flexible cork is. Its shock-absorbent structure translates to comfort underfoot—a real boon in spots where you spend long periods standing, such as in a kitchen or home gym. (That also means dropped glassware or china has less chance of shattering.) Plus, it holds warmth and muffles sound like a champ. Cork also has serious green cred. The trees gradually regenerate their bark after it’s harvested, and the harvesting process itself is strictly regulated in order to keep damage minimal. Because the trees can live between one and two centuries, cork is a long-term renewable resource. And if there’s an allergy sufferer in your home, it’s a dream material: It does...
Salvaged, or reclaimed, wood has been hot for a while now, but the look is also getting a bit tired and overused. I was blown away by this fresh approach to salvaged wood by Wood Block Floors. The company is using sliced 4-by-4 and 2-by-4 reclaimed wood blocks instead of planks to create amazing patterns for flooring. Simply mesmerizing.
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