Things to consider when buying floor coverings 28.08.2010 | Author: Bob Gould | Posted in Home Improvement  Everyone wants their house to look more beautiful and attractive. And they do everything to make their house attractive, like decorating it with unique paintings, painting the house with the colorful paints and filling up the house with all the luxuries and necessities to make a house complete. Everyone wants their house to look more beautiful and attractive. And they do everything to make their house attractive, like decorating it with unique paintings, painting the house with the colorful paints and filling up the house with all the luxuries and necessities to make a house complete. But there is something more important in this entire process and that is the flooring. Flooring is a very essential part of your house and you can make your house look better by utilizing the right kind of flooring. When selecting the flooring for your house it is also important to consider a few other things like the paint color and the furniture of your house. There are various styles and designs available when choosing flooring. Freehold and Monmouth County NJ have a lot of flooring stores, so you want to talk to a few and understand their approach and process before making your decision on which to go with. Covering your floors with stylish and designer flooring will not only increase the beauty of the house but will also add to the overall value of your house. Hardwood flooring and carpet flooring are two of the most popular styles of flooring. Hardwood flooring is best for the ground level rooms as most of our heavy furniture are kept in these rooms, so it?s important that it is very strong as well. When selecting hardwood flooring in Monmouth County NJ you again have a lot of options of who to choose from. You want a store that will take care of all your tasks from helping you in buying the right kind of flooring to installing it on your floor. Hardwood flooring in Monmouth County NJ is very popular among the locals. As these hardwood floorings are not only very beautiful but they are also very durable. The other reason behind the popularity of these hardwood flooring is its eco-friendliness. Hardwood floors are made of some of the strongest and durable wood materials such as oak, maple, cherry, bamboo etc. Hardwood floors regaining favor in US homes
From wire service reports Posted: 08/10/2009 10:42:23 AM PDT Concealed beneath wall-to-wall carpeting in many of America's homes is rich, natural hardwood flooring. Before carpeting became popular, hardwood floors were a common sight, often adorned with a large area rug or one or more smaller area rugs. When homeowners decided that vacuuming was easier than cleaning and waxing, wall-to-wall carpeting became a popular alternative. But the trend has reversed itself of late and hardwood floors are regaining favor. Refinishing a hardwood floor is one of the most cost-effective home improvements. Start by removing all of the furniture in the room. Due to the amount of dust generated by the refinishing process, you should consider removing paintings, wall hangings and other decorations, and sealing off openings to other rooms with plastic sheeting. Remove the carpet by rolling it up and disposing of it. Do the same with the pad. Staples that remain should be removed with a pair of small needle-nosed pliers. Carefully remove the tack strip using a small pry bar and a hammer. Use a hammer and a nail set to countersink any nails that protrude above the floor's surface. It's not unusual to find dark stains once the carpet is up. The staples used to attach the pad and the nails used to anchor the tack strip at the carpet's perimeter also cause blemishes. Most of this is solved by sanding. Rent a drum sander and edge sander, and purchase the sandpaper you'll need to perform the work.The drum sander looks something like a vacuum cleaner and is used on the open areas of the floor. The edge sander is used for the perimeter and hard-to-get-at spots. Most floors should be sanded three times. First use 40- to 60-grit coarse sandpaper to remove the existing finish. Then, sand the floor a second time with an 80-grit medium sandpaper. The floor should have one final sanding with 100-grit paper. Start each stage of the sanding process by using the drum sander and finishing up with the edge sander. Try to sand in the direction of the grain. Once the sanding is completed, the floor should be thoroughly vacuumed in preparation for application of a new finish. Prior to that, a stain may be applied to enhance the grain of the wood. We prefer a heavily penetrating oil-based stain. The easiest way to apply the stain is with a clean soft cloth. Wipe the stain on with one cloth and wipe off the excess with another. Again, be sure to work in the direction of the grain to ensure a uniform finish. Allow the stain to dry overnight before applying the finish. The floor should be dust-free before applying the finish. Vacuum it and wipe it down with a tack cloth to achieve this. There are many floor finishes from which to select. In general, use a china or natural bristle to apply oil finishes and a synthetic brush to apply water-based products. We have found that a polyurethane oil-based finish is one of the most versatile and longest-lasting finishes. Due to the high degree of water resistance that it provides, it's excellent for use in the kitchen or other areas of the home where a floor is exposed to dampness. Water-based floor finishes have become popular, replacing many of the conventional solvent-based finishes. Besides being more environment-friendly, these water-based finishes are user-friendly, being easier to apply and clean up with soap and water. To provide the floor the maximum amount of protection and to minimize maintenance, three coats of finish should be applied. Allow the floor to dry overnight between coats and sand each coat with a 150- to 200-grit buffing screen and a commercial buffer. Wait two to three days for the floor to dry before moving furniture back into the room. For more home improvement tips and information, visit our Web site at www.onthehouse.com or call our listener hotline at 800-737-2474, Ext. 59.
Raised Wood Floors Open the Door to Lumber Sales
By Georgiann Gullett Southern Forest Products Association IN COASTAL and flood-prone areas, a raised floor home makes sense. Sites that experience soil subsidence, even simple room additions and remodeling projects are other examples where a raised floor system can offer long-term benefits. When the job calls for a raised wood floor, lumber dealers can add up to a third more lumber to the typical framing package order. Southern Pine Council has devoted vast resources toward educating building professionals and consumers about the advantages of incorporating a raised wood floor system in a new home rather than a concrete slab. Alliances have been established with APA, universities and other industry organizations. Since its launch in 2000, the campaign has grown to include demonstration homes, seminars and research. On a regular basis, SPC teams up with industry allies, delivering presentations to groups of homebuilders, floodplain managers, and code officials. Ongoing research is addressing common questions and concerns, including cost comparisons with slab construction, moisture control, and foundation design options. Consumers are getting the raised floor message, too. For the fourth consecutive year, SPC is undertaking tv advertising in key markets stretching from Houston to the Florida panhandle, encouraging homeowners to demand raised floor construction, using locally sourced, renewable southern pine materials. Later this summer, the 2009 campaign will be launched, hopefully coinciding with some recovery in home construction activity. Audience surveys have documented proven effectiveness in delivering messages to help turn the tide toward raised wood floor systems. The tv campaign is supplemented with online advertising, too, triggered by popular search engines. As FEMA and local agencies raise the base flood elevations of many areas, SPC's efforts are convincing builders and homeowners alike that a raised floor home is the best option over a mound of expensive fill for meeting stricter federal and municipal guidelines. The homeowner realizes lower flood insurance rates. The builder can market a home with added curb appeal, front and rear porches and decks, plus many other features. The lumber dealer is successful, too, moving more lumber to make it all happen. SPC and APA publish a free monthly newsletter recapping the campaign's progress and listing information about demonstration homes, plus research and training opportunities for dealers and building professionals. Lumber dealers can subscribe by sending their name and email address to mail@sfpa.org. Complete information about raised floors and the television ads can also be found at www.raisedfloorliving.com.
Open floor plan of San Lucas embraces lake views
6:00 a.m., Saturday, May 2, 2009 By GRAVINA, SMITH & MATTE Special to the Daily News FORT MYERS — Views of a large lake are highlighted in the San Lucas, a new single-family model home built by A.R.B.C. Corp/Arthur Rutenberg Homes in Verandah, which showcases the scenery through mitered and sliding glass doors and a covered lanai in the backyard. The model is in the Cedar Hammock neighborhood. The San Lucas has 3,135 square feet of living space, formal living and dining rooms, three bedrooms, three full baths and two office areas — a built-in desk in the kitchen and a den in the back of the home, overlooking the lake. The home’s 4,790 total square feet includes a three-car garage, entry porch and lanai. Interior enhancements include art niches and decorative ceiling treatments throughout and tile detailing in the foyer and dining room floors. The home has a barrel tile roof, paver driveway arranged in a herringbone pattern and its architecture is accented with stucco-clad columns, stone banding and arched windows and bougainvillea. The entry’s two wide archways echo the shape of the dining room window and the entry doors — custom-designed glass and wrought-iron doors with a matching wrought-iron over glass transom. The model’s main flooring is porcelain tile, which resembles stone and has a slight chiseled edge. An inlay in the foyer combines a tumbled natural stone mosaic with a Bandar red travertine border. A similar treatment is repeated in the floor of the dining room, which is to the left of the foyer and separated by a column. From the foyer, the view is directed through a trio of sliding glass doors in the living room to the lake beyond the screened pool enclosure. The foyer ceiling has crown molding and an iron medallion. An art niche is finished with wallpaper that looks like grass cloth and repeats the palette of the floor inlay. Wallpaper is also used on the dining room’s main wall. The room has a tray ceiling with crown molding and fabric-textured wallcovering. Windows overlook the driveway and streetscape. The red travertine is repeated on the surface of the living room’s fireplace, which is built out from the main wall. The fireplace has a wood mantel and wood-framed mirror, which reflects the diagonal lines of the ceiling’s waffle molding accents. Wood moldings on each side of the fireplace frame textured wallpaper inlays. The opposite wall offers a pass-through between kitchen and living room. Its cabinetry has a nutmeg brown on maple finish and a golden granite countertop curves outward to provide bar-style seating. Cabinetry above the countertop has glass mullion doors on both the living room and kitchen sides, and reveals interior lighting and glass shelves. The cabinetry finishes and granite countertops continue into the kitchen, which has a large center island with stainless steel dishwasher, double sink and a raised countertop for in-room dining. Three pendant lights are positioned above the island. The kitchen has a stainless steel refrigerator with French doors and a freezer drawer below. An oven tower is integrated into the cabinetry as is the built-in desk, which offers mail and envelope slots and has a tile backsplash and mullion-door upper level cabinetry. Glass mosaic tiles accent the backsplash above the five-burner cooktop, which has a stainless steel warming drawer below and a wooden hood. A walk-in pantry and broom closet are found in a short hallway leading to the garage and utility room. The laundry room has a sink and cabinetry. Crown molding encircles the kitchen, morning room and leisure room uninterrupted, enhancing this area of the home’s open floor plan. Three mitered windows in the morning room overlook the pool and lake. Zero-corner sliding glass doors in the leisure room add to the openness. The room has a niche with a wall-mounted flat-screen TV and woven wallcovering. Its octagonal tray ceiling has a grid of interwoven dark-stained wood beams and a textured wallpaper inlay that draws upon the fabrics used in the room. An adjoining hallway leads to the full pool bath and carpeted den, which has deeply textured dimensional wallpaper that resembles a subtle crocodile pattern. A painted chair railing appears about two-thirds of the way to the ceiling, where the wall has a painted finish. The ceiling’s crown molding is painted the same hue as the chair rail. The bathroom vanity has a light walnut honed and filled travertine countertop and the tile walls of its glass-enclosed shower are accented with an inlay of colored quasi-glass and honed river pebble tiles — a technique also used on the shower floor. A hallway door leads out to the covered lanai near the summer kitchen, which has a built-in stainless steel grill and hood, a bar sink and tumbled tile backsplash inset with the same decorative tile accents used on the wall of the raised spa and the pool’s waterline. The cabinetry has beadboard fronts and a Zodiac countertop, a manmade granite-like material that is nonporous and virtually indestructible. The raised spa has a bubbler and a sheer descent that splashes water into the pool below. The decorative tile reappears as inlays in the pool steps and its two built-in benches. Double doors next to the foyer open into the master suite. A transom overhead brings natural light into the suite’s carpeted vestibule, which offers a choice of directions — left into the bedroom or right past his-and-her walk-in closets and a linen closet with vented shelves en route to the master bath. The wallpaper in the vestibule’s art niche has a watercolor look with slight metallic tones and is repeated on the highest level of the bedroom’s three-tiered ceiling. The bedroom has large windows overlooking the raised spa and the lake, and a glass door provides access to the covered lanai. Its ceiling is accented with three levels of crown molding and the bed wall has millwork that creates a grid pattern. The bed’s upholstered headboard is accented with nail heads. The bathroom has a porcelain tile floor and offers his-and-her vanities with Navona filled and polished travertine countertops and maple cabinet doors in a dark lacquer finish. Columns rise from the tiled surface of the jetted tub, which is positioned under a window and recessed for ease of entry. Mosaic tumbled detailing accents the tub and a glass panel at its foot introduces natural light into the walk-in, tile-clad shower, which has a built-in bench. The ceiling is accented with crown molding. The bath also has a water closet with window. The two guest suites are off a hallway between the leisure room and kitchen. They share a full bath, which has white tile floor, a suede-hued solid surface countertop, linen closet and a combined tub/shower with white tile walls inlayed with three rows of black tile. Woven rattan framed by wood accents the wall above twin beds in one of the guest rooms. The San Lucas features interior design by Arthur Rutenberg Homes. It is priced at $1,264,985, fully furnished. The model has been built to the Florida Green Building Coalition’s green home standards. Verandah is the 1,456-acre master-planned community created by Bonita Bay Group along a 1.75-mile stretch of the Orange River in Fort Myers. The information center is two miles east of Interstate 75 on State Road 80.
The Fix
Stopping the Squeaks in Wood Floors By JAY ROMANO Published: April 15, 2009 Q. How can I keep my wood floors from squeaking? A. Fixing a squeaky floor is a little like playing a game of rock-paper-scissors. Finding the right remedy can be a guessing game — which is why so many squeaks are left to linger. "There are several different causes of squeaks," said Tim Carter, a syndicated columnist and the founder of askthebuilder.com, a home-improvement Web site. "You have to try to locate the problem by trial and error and use the easiest fixes first." One type of squeak is caused when the subfloor — the material beneath the flooring or carpeting — moves up and down. "As you walk across the floor, your body weight pushes the subfloor down," Mr. Carter said. "The squeak comes from the subfloor moving on the nail." Floors can also make noise if the floorboards were not properly nailed and, as a result, rub against each other. A third cause, Mr. Carter said, is improper installation of the cross bracing — the one-by-threes positioned beneath the subfloor in an X-pattern between the joists to keep them from twisting. One brace in each X is supposed to be slightly higher than the other, leaving a small amount of space between the two braces. "If the bracing was installed incorrectly," he said, "the braces can rub against one another and make a squeak." If the bottom of the subfloor is accessible, you can see if the cross braces are touching. The braces can then be sanded or chiseled, Mr. Carter said. A device called Squeak-Relief ($18 at squeakyfloor.com) can help keep a subfloor from rubbing against a nail. Jim Riesberg, who owns the Accuset Tool Company of Troy, Mich., which manufactures the device, said it was designed with do-it-yourselfers in mind. Squeak-Relief is an aluminum brace that holds the subfloor tightly to the joist by fitting into the 90-degree space formed by the subfloor and the joist on which it rests. A set pin is hammered into the joist through a pre-drilled hole in the brace. A screw is then drilled through another hole and into the subfloor at a 30-degree angle. Then a longer screw is drilled up through a third hole and the joist and into the subfloor. "Since the pin and the screws will only fit the holes they’re supposed to go in, it’s idiot-proof," Mr. Riesberg said. If the floor’s underside is not accessible — if there is no basement or the cross bracings are covered by the ceiling of the room below — the guessing game begins. The easiest remedy is to shoot finish nails through the floor and into the subfloor — or, for an even stronger hold, to use screws with small heads. Varouj Nersesian, the owner of the Floor Sanders Company in Boston, said that in either case, the nails or screws should be driven just below the floor surface and the holes concealed with a filler in a color that matches the floor. The whole floor could then be sanded and refinished, but "if you’re not too fussy, you can just sand and refinish the holes," Mr. Nersesian said. For floors covered by wall-to-wall carpeting, a kit called Squeeeeek No More ($19.95 at squeaknomore.com) allows screws to be used without removing the carpet. The kit, sold by O’Berry Enterprises, a tool company in Ringwood, Ill., includes 50 thin screws, a drill bit and a screw with special threading to detect when contact is made with a joist (other joists can then be located because they are spaced 16 inches apart). The screws are drilled through the carpet, into the floor and down into the joist. Their heads are designed to be broken off with a tool that comes with the kit, leaving the threaded section of the screw in place below the floor surface. Because the screws are thin, the repair is usually invisible (or the carpet fibers can be fluffed to hide them). If, after all this, a floor with an inaccessible underside is still squeaking, it probably means that the cross braces are touching. Tearing the floor apart to get to the source is, of course, an option. But Mr. Carter offered different advice: get over it, he said. "Live with the squeak." WSJ March 9th 2009 US Green Push: Its own buidings. By SARI KRIEGER | THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ASIA The U.S. government's huge inventory of properties is likely to be at the forefront of a national green-building push that will serve two aims of the Obama administration: promoting energy efficiency and boosting infrastructure spending as a way to revive the economy. In a speech Jan. 8 at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., then President-elect Barack Obama said he wanted to modernize 75% of existing federal buildings. Much of this modernization is likely to be energy-efficiency measures, and the stimulus package signed into law last month includes billions of dollars for such efforts. The government owns or leases more than 500,000 properties, according to the Department of Energy -- a number that could mean a big impact. Green-building proponents are hoping that the government's effort will help spur more action in the private sector -- and that wider implementation of green practices will help drive down costs. While green building became increasingly popular in the private sector in recent years, the recession has made the upfront capital costs of both new green construction and renovations less attractive these days for some companies. Green building refers practices such as the use of environmentally friendly materials in new construction and improvements in the energy efficiency of existing buildings through measures such as installing windows that retain or deflect heat as well as more-efficient heating and cooling systems and lighting. The Obama administration's plans are being helped, in part, by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which requires the secretary of energy to revise efficiency standards for all new federal buildings as well as those undergoing major renovations to require the elimination of fossil-fuel energy use by 2030. "It's not only at a time when the administration is strongly behind doing something, but also the regulations to do something are there," says Bob Dixon, head of the efficiency and sustainability business for Siemens Building Technologies, part of Germany's Siemens AG. "And certainly through some of the stimulus package, we should have some of the funds to support the implementation." The U.S. Green Building Council, a nonprofit that promotes and certifies green building practices, estimates that green building measures could save the U.S. government billions of dollars in energy costs. "The federal government spends about $4 billion on energy each year for its affordable-housing stock alone," says Jason Hartke, director of advocacy and public policy for the council. "If [the government] were to make...federal affordable-housing stock more energy efficient by 25%, [it would] save $1 billion annually. In 10 years, the government would save $10 billion." Many experts say the federal government's green building activities could help spur greater adoption of green building techniques by cash-strapped private-sector companies.
Why Hardwood Flooring Is Still A Good Investment
Feb. 24th 2009 By S.A. Smith 1) Hardwood flooring has a timeless air of quality Hardwood floors have decorated some of the most exclusive mansions and estates in history and still exudes a feeling of permanence and classic quality compared to manufactured floors. 2) Hardwood floors are natural Hardwood floors bring the natural outdoors inside, and do not contain man-made chemicals in the wood itself. Homeowners with exclusive design tastes will tend to gravitate towards the quality and natural feel of hardwood floors - there is just something about the feel and look of them that cannot be duplicated in a factory. 3) Hardwood flooring adds value to your home Installing solid hardwood flooring in your home is a true investment that will retain its value. In many cases, installing hardwood floors with generate a return on investment that exceeds the initial cost of installation. 4) Real hardwood colors will never go out of style There is a timeless quality about the natural color of hardwoods that will ensure your house never becomes outdated because of its flooring. Recent advancements in laminate flooring have allowed consumers to pick from a multitude of design styles and colors - unfortunately some of these may become outdated and fall out of favor. 5) Hardwood flooring sounds better If you've ever walked over a floating laminate flooring system you'll hear a muffled echo sound, which is one of the few downsides of laminate floor systems. With proper installation of solid hardwood floors, you will not have this distracting hollow noise. Hollow sounds and vibrations are not an issue with hardwood floors - and this is actually one of the "good feelings" people can literally sense with real hardwood floors. To read more of the benefits and advantages of hardwood flooring visit: http://www.laminateflooringzone.com/hardwood-flooring.htm About The Author S.A. Smith is a freelance writer, contributor, and editor of the Laminate Flooring Zone. http://www.laminateflooringzone.com