All About Flooring

By Jim Ames

Interior remodeling has seen quite a boom in the last year. Since the real estate market has slowed so much, people are re-evaluating their homes and deciding to remodel instead.

One of the quickest ways to upgrade your home is to install all new flooring. If you cannot afford to replace the flooring in your entire house, try just the kitchen and a bathroom, that is a quick and relatively inexpensive way to give your space a fresh new look. Or, if you find that your family room is where you do most of your entertaining then look into revamping the floors in there. You can certainly warm up your home by adding rich hardwood to the family room floors. There are tremendous amounts of product available for your flooring needs. All you need is a budget and a little education on what is best for your space.

We’ll start with the kitchen and bathroom because they are the most popular rooms to remodel. In “wet” areas, or rooms that have plumbing supplies, it’s very common to have some sort of tile. Tile generally comes in ceramic or porcelain, but is also available in many natural stones as well. Of course, your choice will depend on the overall look you’re trying to achieve and how big of a dent you are willing to put in your wallet. When dealing ceramic or stone surfaces, it’s best to go through an experienced tile setter to get the best results.

A less expensive way to acquire a tiled look is to use vinyl sheet flooring. This is a material made of vinyl that comes in a twelve foot wide roll and can be ordered in any length you need. This is usually available in many different colors and patterns in stock at your local home improvement store, and is fairly easy to install. Some of the same colors and patterns also come in easier to handle 12” x 12” self-sticking squares.

Hardwood floors are not recommended for use in those “wet” rooms, but make a fabulous statement in your formal dining room, or are a great alternative to carpet in your homes bedrooms. Hardwoods also come in many different species and stains, as well as different installation options. Hardwood is a little more tricky than tile, and there are a few more things to think about when choosing it as a floor covering. Hardwoods need to acclimate, or sit in your home for at least seventy two hours before they are installed. This greatly decreases the risk of shrinking or swelling to a degree that will cause damage to the entire floor after it’s been laid. It’s also important to pay attention to the recommendations for sub-floor as well. Like I said, hardwoods are very expensive, and more complicated than tile, and should never be installed by someone who is a novice.

The best alternative to hardwood floors are laminated wood flooring or engineered wood floors. These are two different types that often get confused with one another, and they are vastly different. Laminated wood flooring or a “floating floor” is made of melamine with a very good photograph of a wood grain on it. Many people find that they do not prefer this as an alternative because it has a hollow feeling and sound when you walk on it. This is due to the fact that it is laid on a pad, but is interlocked together so it is very literally floating a little bit off the sub-floor, and the hollow sound you hear is the give that it is producing as you step. Engineered wood floors are usually made with a melamine core, but with an 1/8” to a ¼” wood veneer on top. A wood veneer is a thin slice of real wood, and depending how thick it is determines how often it can be sanded and refinished.

There are obviously several things to consider when choosing a new floor. First, determine what rooms are most important and what you would like to see in it. Then figure out how much you want to spend and you should be on your way to a brand new floor!

For more information about flooring, visit: http://www.tipsonflooring.com

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