For the last three decades, the most popular material for the floor among house builders has been the very level, flat, high gloss, and smooth looking wood. In the initial days, it was difficult to achieve the perfection, but with the turn of the twentieth century, the engineered surface material started coming up for use. Achieving a near perfect smoothness become a reality. Naturally it has become a huge success.

However, as with other trends, the love for the hand scraped hard wood flooring is coming in vogue. To get a distinct look, there is the need to replace a floor in an older home. In the case of historical buildings, it becomes all the more important to have the floor reflect the age. The presence of a rugged appearance would definitely be the choice over a shiny, glossy look. The same goes for getting a vintage style to a room.

The use of planks of wood as surface material dates back to the sixteenth century and by mid-nineteenth century, hand scraped hard wood flooring was still the method to even out the differences between planks. The technique involves using hand-held tools, and later on powered sanders, to tweak the natural human imperfections into deliberate styles. Craftsmen started to even out boards while elaborately marking and sculpting the wood. Hammer and chisel were used to give the boards a distinct look.

Today's surface has the design of a hand-made older-style floor that has a natural wear look, but with the modern finishes protecting the floor. The style has all the elements as denting, sanding or scooping of the wood to create little splits or holes (non-persistent worms) and indentations. Often the final level of finish is left up to the customer to fulfill.

One advantage of this finish is to naturally hide any small blemishes that could come up in the future, a dent from a dropped object, a minor stepped upon nail, and things like that. This kind of product could have the right choice for a household where those temporaryities are expected to be inevitable. The addition of modern finishes and stains have given these products the color or tone needed to complement any room. Also hand scraped hard wood flooring is not limited to natural products as one can find the style even in engineered products as well. This has opened up immense installation possibilities.

The imperfect leveling of the material means there is a variance of the width of the floor. So all the way across the product, it is not going to be exactly "" of width, though this is largely irrelevant to your floor.

Laying down garage flooring is a great way to add character too your garage and make it look a little more presentable. This flooring also allows the area to retain more heat and will absorb sounds much better, which means if your drop something on the floor or generally are sooner to making lots of noise in your garage you use it to prevent the noise annoying the neighbors or your family members. Of course there are several different types of products you can buy to get this job done and choosing between them that can be difficult, that's why I've written this garage because they are the best way to go.

Flooring kits have enjoyed a recent surge in popularity over the last few years, home owners are increasingly beginning to realize that they have various advantages over many alternative solutions. First of all they are very convenient; they compile all of the components you require in order to get the job done without the need for any other purchases or return trips. This is invaluable because not everyone has the time to start running around for various bits and pieces which may or may not be necessary.

Secondly, the fact that you're consolidating all of those little purchases into one item means that you will save yourself a bit of money too. Large retail stores such as Home Depot sell these kits at really cheap prices which you will be hard pressed to find cheaper anywhere else. That's right, they'll cost you less and they will not take as long to buy.

Finally, these kits also make it less likely that you will make a mistake. They come with detailed instructions which are easy to follow and the products also allow you to phone dedicated help lines which can offer you support with any difficulties you might be experience using these kits. This just serves to make your life a lot easier and give you access to the support that you need.

So there you have it, most people would agree that garage flooring kits are the perfect solution for those people who do not really feel confident in their DIY skills and do not have time or money to waste. With these benefits you'd be hard pressed to find a reason not to use one.

One of the most important things you should consider when choosing your DIY flooring is the room you will be installing the flooring in. Different types of flooring are more suited to certain rooms than others. This article will help guide you in choosing the right flooring with your room.

Kitchens kits are often high traffic areas. It is important to purchase flooring that is easy to clean and durable. You may also want to consider purchasing flooring with a non-skid surface to prevent falls on a wet floor. Vinyl flooring is the most popular in kitchens, although ceramic tile is on the rise. Laminated wood flooring is also a good choice as it is more durable than hardwood flooring and easier to clean.

Bathroom The most important feature of bathroom flooring is that it is waterproof. If water is able to see below the flooring it can cause mildew, mold and rot damage. Like in the kitchen, bathroom flooring should be easy to clean and non-skid. Good choices are vinyl and ceramic tile.

Living Room Your options for living room flooring are wide open. You can use carpeting, wood flooring, laminate or just about any other flooring type. The important thing is to match the function and decor of the room. For a more formal living room, hardwood flooring or tile may work. For a family room, carpeting is a good choice.

Dining Room The important thing to keep in mind for the dining room is stain resistance. Light colored carpeting is probably not a good choice due to the possibility of food spillage. Wood, laminate, and tile are good options.

Bedroom Carpeting is a very popular choice for bedrooms. They tend to receive little traffic or wear. It is a good idea to use neutral colors so as not to overwhelm the other aspects of the bedroom and leave flexibility in the design of the room.

Hallways & Stairs These areas tend to be very high traffic areas. You want to make sure that you choose a flooring that is easy to clean and durable. Laminate, vinyl, and wood flooring are good choices. Ceramic tiles are also a popular choice for entry ways as they are easy to clean and provide an eye-appealing first impression to your home.

Remember that the most important thing in choosing flooring for your DIY flooring project is to choose something that you like and will match the decor in your home. But if you keep the above recommendations in mind, you can also choose a flooring that will last for a long time and does not require a large amount of maintenance.

Like hardwood, laminate flooring is available in an astounding range of colors and textures. Some laminate goes so far as to have the look and feel of tile or stone rather than wood. When you head to your local flooring store or start to browse for flooring online, you’ll soon be overwhelmed with choices as to the different wood tones available. When trying to decide between the multitudes, bear some basic guidelines in mind.

Blonde Tones

The lightest colors of laminate resemble platinum blondes and are almost white. These choices are contemporary in feel as well as giving your room or home a bright, casual environment. Very light colors in the flooring will make an entire room brighter, but you must be sure that the blonde tone compliments your existing furnishings. If your cabinets or wood pieces are more traditional, an ultra light floor might be too casual to give your design the desired effect.

Honey Tones

Another option is to select your flooring in a slightly deeper shade of brown. A warm honey tone is more reminiscent of most natural wood floors. The brown shades of the honey tones complement the widest range of furniture and cabinets while also giving you a huge range of colors to choose from. Included in the middle tones are light browns with almost no texture as well as rich browns complete with almost black detailing to resemble different stain and finishes that would appear naturally on hardwoods.

Dark Tones

A more contemporary tone for laminate flooring is the dark tone ranging from chocolate browns to blacks. These color choices can be casual or formal depending on the actual finish of the material. Laminate floors with a smooth dark finish give a room a rich feel while laminate with a distressed black finish can give you a perfect shabby chic style to work with.

If you use a dark tone for your flooring, be aware that dust and pet hair settles on the floor and is highly visible if you don’t sweep or damp mop the floor on a very regular basis. A dark floor with a high sheen shows more dust than a dark floor with grooves and texture, but any dark surface will highlight even the thinnest film of dust.

Other Textures

There are now many more selections in laminate flooring than wood designs. While wood is still the most popular of the available selections, you can also choose laminate that resembles stone tiles or even brick. These textures can look terrific in a home that has an eclectic or fun modern feel. Stone laminate flooring may even look perfect in a more traditional home. The best way to test a flooring sample is not to see it in the store, but to bring the sample home to view in your home in as much natural light as possible.

Bamboo kitchen flooring is made from the fastest growing plant on earth. It grows faster that hardwood. Bamboo flooring is quickly becoming the hottest trend in kitchen design today. Because of the rising cost of hardwood and the problems of deforestation bamboo is being seen as a good alternative to hardwood. Besides being quite beautiful it is a more renewable resource.

Although bamboo, like wood, is firm and strong, it is actually a grass, which grows much faster than most trees. The stalks of bamboo reach maturity in only a few years, as opposed to the decades it takes for trees to develop and mature. Certain wood species can take as long as 50 years to mature. The bamboo tree will usually mature in about five or six years.

Bamboo is also known for being versatile. It has at least three floor styles. The first two are vertical and horizontal grain. The third style is called strand and has a woven impression to it. This type has more density and is two times harder that standard bamboo.

Bamboo kitchen Flooring lets you bring the beauty of the outdoors into your kitchen. Bamboo kitchen flooring is known for being quite durable and strong. Bamboo kitchen flooring has some of the same characteristics of hardwood floor when it comes to durability. Among the characteristics of bamboo that has good fire and water resistance.

It is reliably easy to maintain bamboo kitchen flooring. Some light mopping and sweeping is required. This is because bamboo is susceptible to scratches so that dirt, sand and other particles can cause some damage. You should also avoid using household cleaners on your bamboo kitchen floor.

Today you need not be worried about whether or not a bamboo floor will match your favorite color scheme, since it is possible to be able to choose just about any color you want. Many people love the natural look of bamboo floor but want something just a little different. Today some of the major producers of bamboo kitchen flooring are now making this flooring stained in a wide range of color choices. The grain is still visible, and one may be able to choose dark or subtle shades. Therefore there are many color choices is to suit most homeowners. Many homeowners will select the classic natural color options that will be compatible with practically any decor.

Most kitchen bamboo flooring is laminated. The floors are made up of solid strips of bamboo that are joined together into a solid bamboo laminate. The resulting product is a durable, warp- insect- and moisture-resistant flooring material that is warp and moisture-resistant and that looks like wood. It is ideal for use in kitchen flooring.

Locating the best keys on bamboo kitchen flooring is easy when using the Internet. Online shopping permits you to access some of the most beautiful bamboo kitchen flooring for the best price. No where else will you find the selection you can on the Internet. It is also easier to do research and to be able to comparison shop online for your bamboo kitchen flooring selection.

What are Tongues and Grooves?

Each plank has two kinds of edges. Tongues and grooves. Tongues stick out past the finished wood. They slip into the grooves which are notches or channels in the planks. The groove helps lock the tongue in place and that keeps the boards from coming up. You also have to staple into the tongue side. This means that your first piece should have a tongue pointing towards you when you lay it down on the floor.

I lined up the first piece with my two marks and made sure that the tongue was exposed. The planks also have tongues and grooves on the ends. Make sure the first piece is held in place and put a staple in one end. Since this is the first piece, make sure your lined up on your mark and staple the other end. Here’s the fun part. Hold the stapler on the tongue and you can slide it down the wood, pulling the trigger every 4 inches or so. You’ll get to where you almost sound like a machine gun eventually. 🙂

In this case, you can use a level to press up against your stapled piece and draw a line for the next piece. I only needed a short piece to finish out the first course of the hallway. The groove simply covers the tongue and you line things up to make sure you’re straight, then staple it down in the same way.

The Second Course of Laminate

Here is where the trick comes in. You do not want any seams to be within 8 inches of adjacent courses. This means that the next course can’t start with the same size piece as the first course did. If you want to create a random pattern, do not start each new course with a predictable piece (for example going from 36″ to 24″ to 12″). There are several sizes to choose from in the box, and if you’re starting a new course, you always have the privilege of cutting a piece (cut the side that will start at the wall though!) if you need something to fit just right.

The Stanley Bostitch gun we had came with a white block that is used to tap the laminate into place. This is a great tool that did a great job. It was also nice of Stanley to include it with the purchase of the gun. You lay the block up against the laminate and tap it into place. You have to tap on the end as well sometimes. You want a fairly snug fit at all times. Once it’s in place, staple away. You can now go from one end to the other because you do not have to worry about the board moving on you.

You basically continue on in this way staggering your seams and keeping things tight. Every once in awhile measure from one end of a course to the snapped line that you have, then measure from the other end of the course to the snapped line. This will tell you if you’re drifting and if you check often enough, you can ‘fix’ this by tapping harder on one end or relaxing the other end a bit to make up for it. You do not want to do something like that in just 5 or 6 courses though, so check often. Again, we are talking a hallway here, so there is little room for error. It’s short pieces.

Before we go much further, how do we deal with door jams?

There are many different types of floors available in the market. All these types have there own advantages and disadvantages. These are available in different sizes, colors, quality and at different locations. The main reason for having these floors in so many varieties is to accommodate us. People have different liking and disliking, a color that one person likes might be disliked by another. A floor type that one person like will not be liked by another person. In order to satisfy all the people a wide range of these floors is available in the market.

Life has become so fast these days that you can not spend much time shopping for your house. Looking for different materials for your house, looking for contractors and making designs for your house is a time consuming job. Not every one has so much time to go to the market and spend hours looking for the right material. In order to remove this hurdle the concept of online shopping has been introduced. You can now automatically buy anything form these online stores. These stores have allowed a 24 hours shopping service to us. We can access them from anywhere at any time and place our orders.

Floors are also available in these online shopping stores. You can find concrete slabs to marble floors to the latest wooden floors. These floors are available in all sizes and colors that you can expect to find in the local market. You can even receive discounts and great deals while buying online. You may receive a 10 or 15% off when buying from a specific online store. These stores even provide you the same warranty that you would have got the company. They will also provide you with the customer service. Another advantage of online stores is that they will drop the stuff at your doorstep. This also saves you time. The main problem that comes is in quality. You may have selected a different quality types but a different one arrives. If you have a good idea you will be able to judge the fault, other wise just return the stuff in its same form and the store will accept it.

You can get the floors in your desired colors. There is a wide range of colors available online. All you have to do is to select them and place your order. This is known as one click purchasing. With just a click of buttons you are purchasing the whole floor for your house . The payment method is also very simple and wont take long. All you need is an account. The store will charge you and you will pay the required amount online. If some how the transactions gets interrupted during the transfer than do not worry as your money wont be lost. As long as the money has not reached the account of the store the transaction is incomplete and your money is in your hands. Online shopping stores have allowed us to shop while staying home.

Laminate flooring is a relatively new but very popular flooring option. It has only been around for about 20 years but is by far the fastest growing segment of the flooring industry. There are very strong reasons for this incredible popularity but there are also negatives that you should be aware of if you are looking to purchase a laminate floor.

Although most laminate floor styles look like hardwood floors they are not and they are not a type of engineered wood floor either. Because the pattern in most advertisements for laminate flooring is wood grain many people get the mistaken impression that it is a real hardwood veneer laminated to a fiberboard core but that is simply not the case. They are actually paper imprinted with a high quality photographic image, usually of wood, although it can also be printed to simulate ceramic, terrazzo, marble or terra cotta. This paper is then laminated to a high density fiber board (HDF) base. The laminate surface is then sealed with a protective long lasting coating, usually a highly scratch resistant aluminum oxide finish. The idea is to get a tough and durable flooring material that is also very inexpensive and easy to care for. Like any attempt to simulate the look of wood sometimes it is very effective and at other times it is not particularly convincing. The thicker laminate floors (12 mm.) Actually sound like a hardwood floor when you walk on them. Typically, laminate floors capture the look of a hardwood floor but do not always have the warmth, character and beauty. The best way to decide if the look is acceptable for you is to request a sample from the manufacturer. Most companies offer free samples of their laminate floor patterns.

The advantages of laminate floors make it a very convincing option. Quality laminate floors are generally much more water, stain and scratch resistant and will not fade or dent when compared to hardwood floors. Hardwood floors also require more maintenance and are not as durable. Hardwood floors are porous and as such are subject to stains, water absorption and dents. The better laminate floors have water resistant cores and the edges are wax impregnated so they are suitable for use in bathrooms, kitchens and other rooms that have occasional water spills. Most of the high-end laminate floors come with a lifetime warranty and can handle heavy traffic areas. However, the buyer has to be aware of some of the cheaper laminate floors. Many can not be used in bathrooms or kitchens because the core is not protected from moisture absorption. Many warranties specifically state that the product is not intended for bathrooms or other areas subject to water spills. Also, the seal on the top of some of the cheaper laminates will start to show wear after only a few years in heavy traffic locations. Many of the less expensive laminates have only a 10 year warranty. So make sure you match the quality of the floor with the traffic requirements and water exposure of the area.

It is difficult to compete with the time tested beauty, elegance and warmth of hardwood floors. Some people are not comfortable with simulations or artificial anything and will only settle for the real thing. However, if the sticker shock of hardwood floors has you reeling laminate floors may give you what you are looking for at an acceptable price and with better durability and reduced maintenance.

Wood kitchen flooring offers some of the largest number of choices of any flooring material on the market today. When you figure the different types of wood, grain pattern, stains, etc you can come up with an almost limitless number of choices which can be both a good and a bad thing depending on how good you are at figuring what you want.

Other then the type of wood flooring you choice another big option is going to be if you go with strips, planks, parquet, or hand-scrapped flooring and if you are going to go for the unfinished or pre-finished type. I personally recommend the pre-finished type unless you enjoy the task of finishing the wood flooring and are good at it or you will probably end up messing up a lot of the flooring.

As far as the other choice of strips, planks, parquet, or hand-scrapped that is really a matter of personal preference and the look you are going for. Strips and planks are both long narrow pieces of wood that are fit together to form the flooring. Planks are the wider of the two types and most people feel they help give a more spacious look to your kitchen. Parquet wood flooring is put together from pieces of wood flooring and if done correctly can lead to some truly impressive, and unique, looking wood kitchen floors. Hand-scrapped kitchen flooring has a rustic look to it and is great if you are planning on some minor damage to the flooring because it hides scraps, cuts, and other assorted damage better then the other three types.

Wood flooring is obviously a potential fire hazard because it is made of wood and wood burns so make sure that whatever wood flooring you purchase has been treated to help retard a fire in the event that you are unfortunate enough to have it happen to you. Wood is also very susceptible to water damage and needs to be sealed correctly to ensure that you don’t damage your floors the first time you spill something on them. Even with the best type of sealant if you allow water to sit on top of your wooden floors it is going to damage them so I always recommend a mat where water is a potential issue along with making sure that any liquid spill is wiped up immediately.

Pros:

-Hardwood flooring gives kitchen a type of warmth unlike any other flooring material.

-Easy to install

-It can last a lifetime if properly sealed and maintained

Cons:

-Prone to damage from scratches, dents which can cause it to need to be refinished.

-Susceptible to water and fire damage

As far as cost goes hardwood has a pretty wide range because of the number of choices that are available to you as the consumer. A typically wood kitchen floor will run you anywhere from $4-12 depending on the different types of options you pick. Wood flooring today is very easy to install so unless you are going for a truly unique look you can probably avoid the extra cost associated with labor and make it a DIY project.

Doing a DIY project would give a person a sense of pride and a sense of fulfillment. The quality of the finished project would normally be better if done by a pro. But the finished project no matter how lopsided is a proof that you can do it after all.

A bathroom is a pretty small space but quite a hefty sum will still be needed for a makeover. Aside from the cost of materials you still have to pay for the services of the tile setters. Good tile setters charge big fees for a reason.

You can save a lot if you do the tiling yourself. Do not worry if your experience with tiles is next to nothing. Just like any other DIY projects you can learn how to tile a bathroom floor too.

You can easily learn how to tile a bathroom floor by using the following steps as your guide.

• The first thing you need to do is to estimate the number of tiles you will be using. When purchasing the tiles be sure to add about 10% more tiles to allow for breakage.
• The next step is to prepare the base floor. Remove the toilet but make sure that all water outlets are shut off. A damp rag stuffed on the hole would stop the emission of sewer gas.
• The next step now is to remove the old flooring material. Linoleum is easy to remove but you need to pry off old tiles. You can lay the tiles without adhesive so that you will have an idea how the finished project will look. This is most important if you are going to use tiles with designs.
• If you think the floor is all prep up you can spread the thin-set mortar. A double edged trowel will be needed to spread the mortar. The plain edge side will be used to spread the mortar evenly to the floor. Drag the notched edge over the mortar to create furrows. Lay the tiles on the floor and gently press it to the floor to make the mortar stick. To keep the tiles uniformly spaced, use a vinyl spacer.
• The next step is to cut the tiles to fit the hole for the toilet. Use a template to accurately get the shape of the hole. Then cut the tile using a wet saw or a tile nipper. After all the tiles are set, apply the grout.
• Use a rubber grout float to force the grout into the spaces between the tiles. Scrape off the excess grout and use a damp sponge to wipe the surface clean. Allow the tiles and the grout to set for a few days. After which you can now apply the sealer.
• This is the last step on how to tile a bathroom floor. The grout sealer away from enhancing the look of the bathroom floor will prevent dirt and stains from sticking to the grout.

Who says you can not create a beautiful new bathroom floor? Most certainly, a step by step guide on how to tile a bathroom floor can help you with your bathroom project.