10 Best Hardwood Floor Tips and Save Money Too!

If you're looking for hardwood floor tips whether you've already installed hardwood floors or are planning to do so yourself or hire a hardwood floor contractor, then here are some quick tips and some money-saving tips to keep in mind.

1. Do plenty of research online and at your local hardwood floor dealers before you make any decisions or purchases. You want to fully understand prefinished and unfinished hardwoods. Talk to the salespeople and take a close look at the hardwoods. If you can't do this in person then go to some websites online and read all you can. Hardwood floors can be an expensive investment in your home and you want to know what the best flooring is based on your budget. Understand the various types of woods and the variation in prices. You can choose a less expensive hardwood and still have a beautiful floor.

2. If you don't plan to do-it-yourself and plan to hire a hardwood floor contractor get quotes from at least four of them. Make sure to ask for references and if possible check their work out at the installation locations. Hardwood costs have a broad range in price from cheaper hardwoods to the more expensive woods. There are many types to choose from including exotic, oak, Brazilian oak, cherry, maple, etc. And many manufacturers including Bruce, Shaw, Mohawk, Mannington and Armstrong, Quotes can vary widely. You can save a lot of money if you take a little time to compare.

3. Try not to use any water on the finished flooring. If you have to use any cleaners make sure they are neutral PH hardwood floor cleaners. Spray or buff them on for the safest approach.

4. If you need to find out how old an old floor is, take a look at the edge wherever you can find it or look at the top of the flooring to see if there are any nails showing through or any groves that are broken thus with gaps in the hardwood flooring. A hardwood floor can last for many, many years and it may not take much work or expense to refinish it.

5. Kitchens are not a good place to install a hardwood floor. The kitchen is subject to too much spilled water, cooking fluids and food messes. If your kitchen has them now, clean up any spills just as soon as they happen to prevent any damage to them. Also before you install them consider this -when the day comes that you want to sell your house, prospective buyers might be turned off by hardwood floors in the kitchen. Save lots of money now by not installing them in the kitchen. Use more appropriate kitchen flooring instead.

6. The cheapest quotes you get from a hardwood floor contractor may not save you any money. If the contractor is considerably cheaper they may not be including some of the important steps in the installation, sanding and finishing. You could end up with a rougher finish or stain color that's not even. Eventually the finish may peel or the boards may gap and squeak. Have the contractor outline specifically what they are going to do for you.

7. To finish hardwood flooring use three coats of polyurethane or three coats of lacquer finish, but in any event make sure to use four coats or more of a water-based finish. Any high use area such as kitchens and entries will need an extra coat of finish.

8. If you have urine-stained hardwood, repairing or cutting out the stained wood usually is easier than trying to bleach and refinish the area while trying to protect the unstained part of the flooring.

9. Try to keep the room humidity levels to a relative humidity of 45% to 55%. This may be difficult to do if you live in an extreme weather environment. But at least avoid extreme humidity changes that amount to 25% or more to protect your floors.

10. Make sure to have everyone leave their shoes at the door when entering your house. This is one of the best ways to preserve your floors, reduce wear and tear on your home and keep out harmful bacteria, viruses and other organisms as well.

These are just a few of the best tips to save your hardwood floors and save you money.

Learn How to Lay Floor Tile

Laying resilient floor tile.

Learn how to lay floor tile with these quick and easy steps. When done correctly, well finished flooring can help promote a sale of your home or at least improve its value.

Prepare the floor

Remove all grease, wax and oil with an environmentally friendly cleaner. Check for any loose floor boards if you have a wooden floor. Nail down any lose boards as they will show through over time and ruin the appearance.

Planning

The first run of tile should start from the very center of the room. When locating the center of the room, mark the middle of each wall. Draw a straight line with chalk to find the exact center. Double check with a measuring tape.

Now lay loose tile down one of the center lines. Once you get to the end check the gab left, if its smaller than 2 inches or larger than 8 inches your going to be left with a nasty tight cut. To fix this move the center starting point up slightly.

When laying multiply colors for your design pattern, plan your starting color as this will effect your selection of starting tiles.

Lay the tile cement

Remember to read the instructions, they can vary from product to product. The cement should dry within 15 minutes. Check with your thumb, if it sticks give it some extra time to set.

Lay the tile

It is vital that the first tile is straight with your markings, otherwise all other tiles will line up incorrectly. Avoid sliding the tile into place, make sure you place it properly. Make sure there are no gabs between tiles.

The finish

You may want to add vinyl cover to make it easier to clean.

Doing the major jobs around the house can be very profitable. Avoid making mistakes by practicing on a friends floor first, so yours will come out perfect. home improvement shows sometimes have advice on flooring, might be worth checking out.

Thinking of Buying Laminate Flooring For Your Home?

Laminate has become a very popular form of flooring because of its resemblance to hardwood and its durability. If you are thinking of buying laminate flooring for your home but have never seen it installed you may have some questions about this type of flooring. Laminate flooring consists of several layers from top to bottom:

* A wear layer
* A pattern layer
* Processed wood - usually MDF
* A balancing layer that acts as a moisture barrier

Most laminates come in planks measuring 7 or 8 inches in width and up to 4 feet in length. Some types of flooring have all the planks the same size, while others are like hardwood with planks of various lengths. When you lay these planks, they look almost like hardwood, if you have the style with the beveled edges. The top layer is extremely wear resistant because of the resins added to this layer.

Laminate flooring is a popular choice in homes because of its versatility and beauty. It is suitable for any room of the home even in the basement areas or in cottages. There are several varieties of laminate flooring, such as preglued, flooring you have to glue to the subfoor or floating floors, in which the planks simply snap together. The glueless form of this flooring is the one most homeowners now prefer to use.

When installing laminate flooring, you have to remove all the furniture and appliances from the room and sweep the subfloor so that it is free of any dust and debris. Then you lay foam insulation on the subfloor attaching it with staples. This insulation comes in large rolls and you just measure the strips you need for each length of the floor. Then you start installing the flooring.

Installing Laminate Flooring - Girls Do It!

More women homeowners mean more women do-it-yourselfers--and more women laying laminate flooring than ever before. And why not? Laminate installation is an ideal project for the weekend home warrior, male or female. If you know how to measure and handle power tools you'll get along just fine.

The hardware market is finally catching on to the fact that their female clients require something a little different from the guys. Companies such as Tomboy Tools and Girlgear Industries are designing and marketing work-gear for the female form. Think ergonomically correct weights, grips and tool-belts for women workers--what a concept!

As for information--let's face it--women are far more likely to ask for and read directions than their male counterparts. And there's plenty of information available on laminate installation if you're looking. Start with the manufacturer's instructions, talk to your flooring retailer, look it up on the Internet, or download an instructional video. Research to your heart's content--you'll save a substantive amount of money and gain classic, affordable flooring by doing it yourself.

Tools you'll need to do the job include a hammer, end pry bar, pencil, t-bar, measuring tape, workbench, tapping block, spacers, broom, handsaw, jig-saw, skill-saw, tape or a staple gun and utility knife. Acclimatize the laminate at the job site 48 hours prior to installation and keep the room temperature at a minimum of 65F or 18C. Read the manufacturer's instructions and use these as your first point of reference. Undercut the doorways and use a 2-in-1 sound vapor barrier as an underlay.

Make sure your starting wall is straight. If it's a new home, you can usually rely on the outside wall of a room to be straight, though using a chalk line to verify it is wise. If the starting wall isn't straight you'll need to scribe the tongue side of the laminate length facing the wall to provide a straight base for the rest of the floor.

Wood Floor Wonder Tips

Wood flooring has become more popular than ever especially with new easy to install options. However, wood flooring isn't maintenance free. Learn how to keep your investment looking great with these quick wood floor wonder tips created especially with Houston wood flooring in mind.

Common Wood Floor Problems

The Problem: Peeling Finish or Excessive Early Wear and Tear. If your hard wood floors seem to show signs of wear and tear, traffic patterns or blisters it may be due to improper maintenance, use of strong detergents and cleaning agents or excessive grit.

Tip: Have your Houston wood floor cleaning done by a professional to make sure it is thoroughly cleaned and then re-coat. Afterwards continue to use a soft mop, minimal water and non abrasive detergents designed with wood floors in mind.

The Problem: Pet Stains or Odor. Hard wood floors tend to be absorbent so pet accidents can result in discoloration, stains and unpleasant odors if not properly treated.

Tip: Clean pet stains as soon as possible to avoid or prevent stains from setting. If stains or odor have already taken place then a deep cleaning is required to neutralize odors. Color correction may be required to fix the discolored areas.

The Problem: Cloudy or white spotting caused by water damage.

Tip: Depending upon duration and how deeply the water damage permeated the wood, it may be possible to clean and buff away the problem. However, most water damage requires the services of a qualified wood flooring professional capable of restoring the luster and shine of the floors.