Cork flooring is durable, attractive and easy to install. AsktheBuilder.com host Tim Carter shows how to install a cork floor. His tips and instructions make laying cork floor tiles easy.
Duration : 0:1:38
Second only to the walls in terms of surface area, the flooring in your home offers a real opportunity to make a large scale style statement. Unlike walls however, flooring has the added task of standing up to a lot of wear and tear. Finding a good balance is crucial to successful flooring.
Carpeting is currently making a huge comeback. A decade of laminate flooring has left us all yearning for a little comfort and warmth underfoot. Most people ditched their carpet in an effort to toe the minimal line, but today this really is unnecessary as a modern clutter free finish can still be achieved with carpets. The trick is to opt for the pattern free variety. A biscuit or oatmeal coloured carpet will really blend well into a minimal setting whilst creating a warm ambience. Do not be afraid of warm colours when trying to achieve a contemporary look, clinical is not what you are looking for. Generally speaking, it is best to avoid cream or off-white carpets as no matter how careful you are, they will show up any mark- you want to be comfortable not tip toeing all over the sitting room. If you must have a really light carpet, restrict its use to the bedrooms where you are usually barefoot anyway and can also be sure guests won’t be traipsing in and out. If you have children or a dog, you can still enjoy the comfort of carpeting whilst retaining a modern look, simply choice a darker shade. Plum, aubergine, slate, burgundy or even black are all really up-to-the-minute shades that will allow for a few mishaps.
Wooden flooring is probably the favourite of British homeowners at the minute, and not without reason. A wooden floor really does add something indefinable to a space. It natural and comforting and brings a real sense of history and timelessness. Yet at the same time is still amongst the most contemporary and urban chic flooring opting on the market. Available in so many variations it is extremely versatile- a dark oak or mahogany floor will help create some classic British stateliness, whereas walnut or Bamboo creates a real youthful vibrancy. And it is not only the huge array of styles that makes a wooden floor so usable, it is also the unique blend of comfort and durability that means wood is possibly the only flooring material that can be used all over the house. Equally as at home in a light shade in the kitchen when paired up with simple trimmings like a cheap roller blind and chrome bar stools, as it is in a dark stain sitting under the ornate bay window curtains of a Georgian town house, wood really can do it all.
The final flooring must have for the home is tiling. Once restricted to the kitchen and the bathroom, the massive increase in tile variations over the last few years has meant they have began to pop up in less conventional places. This can only be a good thing as a lot of tiles on the market are far too beautiful to be hidden under the bathroom sink. A dark slate floor would provide the ultimate base to a chic minimal living room, and with it being a natural material, it actually won’t appear cold if paired with a big fluffy rug. Mosaic tiles are also a wonderful way to spice up a room. They are available in so many finishes and colours and create an amazing speckled effect on whatever surface they cover. A hallway is a really great place to experiment with tiling. Being the main thorough-fair in the home, it needs to have hard wearing flooring. It is also not a room you spend a lot of time in, so you can afford to add a little more colour than you might in the sitting room.
Terry Henman
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/flooring-fundamentals-698478.html
UofL sophomore Anna Roeder lives in the only “green” residence room on campus, located in Louisville Hall. The Michigan native belongs to a green committee formed by the university’s housing office to promote sustainable living in residence halls across campus.
The room has bamboo flooring, a renewable resource more durable than wood. It has walls covered with natural clay that helps repel dust and insulate against heat and noise.
Students in Jamie Horwitz’s sustainable architecture course designed the room as a class project last spring. Blaine Hudson, dean of UofL’s College of Arts & Sciences came up with a $5,000 grant for the project.
Duration : 0:1:0
http://laminatefloorings.org/blog
As the main defensive mechanism of ages old trees, cork has natural properties that make it resistant to moisture, insects, and abrasion.
Duration : 0:0:42
Nufloors has inspiring ideas for Bamboo flooring and installing bamboo floors into your home when designing your interiors. Bamboo floors provide the durability of hardwood. It is environmentally friendly flooring that can be finished in a variety of shades. Watch the Nufloors bamboo flooring video and receive some helpful tips on buying bamboo flooring. You’ll find brand name bamboo flooring at Nufloors.
Duration : 0:1:10
At UPI Bamboo Flooring we believe that choosing high quality environmentally responsible flooring should not be unaffordable.
Environmental concerns are becoming increasingly important in consumers decision making process and bamboo flooring is a perfect choice for the environmentally conscious consumer.
Bamboo flooring offers unparalleled strength, durability and stability when compared to traditional hardwood flooring.
We pride ourselves on supplying only premium grade bamboo flooring and providing only the highest levels of service and communication to our customers.
With a wide variety of colours and styles there is a bamboo floor for everyone.
We have over 8 Years experience in selling bamboo flooring in the Australian and North American markets and we are here to assist you in the selection of flooring for your home or business.
Duration : 0:3:4
7 Design Trends for 2007! From design tips to the most stylish and durable products on the market, IDeas is a new series of video podcasts that explore interior design options to help you turn your home into a beautiful space!
Duration : 0:6:38
Thinking about changing your flooring ? Whilst carpets make a room feel warm and hardwood floors can be beautiful if well maintained have you given consideration to bamboo flooring? At the end of the day a lot depends on the environment in which you live and what the room is used for when deciding the best type of flooring but bamboo is worth serious consideration
With many more people “thinking green” bamboo is considered a much more environmentally friendly choice. It is a grass and therefore grows at a far quicker rate than trees it is therefore easily renewed and is now “farmed” to provide flooring and other products.
As you would expect prices can vary quiet a lot so it is important to shop around. Initially therefore you need to measure the space, decide how much you are willing to spend overall and then work out the price per square foot. The difference in price is mainly to do with the finish provided. Klumpp lacquer is the finish that most reputable manufacturers will use as this gives an extremely hard wearing finish. Always check the length of the warranty manufacturers give as this will be a good indication of the quality of the lacquer used. Some of the more poplar brands are “Woodstock” “Springwood” “Panda Lumber” and “Envirochoice” although you will find many others as well.
You can choose between vertical or horizontal grain flooring, this just refers to the way the the bamboo slats are laminated together and is a personal choice as to how you want the flooring to look when it is laid. There are more colors and shades becoming available as the poplarity of bamboo flooring grows, so you are sure to find one that matches your requirements.
If you are laying the floor yourself as with any wood flooring you should unpack the flooring and leave it in the room ion which it is to be laid, this will let it acclimatize to the conditions and will help prevent any warping after it has been installed. You also have various choices to make as to how the floor is laid. Many people who are reasonable at DIY choose a floating floor which is just clipped together and laid onto of the existing floor after it has been cleaned and levelled. You also have the choice of nailing or gluing the floor but obviously this is a more complex task which you might want to leave to the professionals
So when thinking about a new floor give bamboo flooring consideration, it can look beautiful and will have a fresh clean look that is probably different from your neighbours.
Friends of ours are building a new home. They love the look of traditional hardwood, over the laminate versions, but would like something with more durability and less maintenance. We’ve heard that bamboo dents easily. Can anyone offer other suggestions? Also looking for different options in bathroom flooring. Thanks!
We have always had pre-finished hardwoods and they are very durable. Pre-finished floors have many coats of polyurethane that were allowed proper drying time giving them a tough finish. I have never found hardwoods to be high maintenance. Quite the contrary. I love them for their ease of clean up. Bathrooms need to be either stone or ceramic. With the moisture in baths, floors have to be able to handle the humidity and stones or ceramics are easy to clean. I much prefer stones as they are not slippery. Travertines and similar choices are very nice options anywhere in a home.
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Home Remodeling may or may not include flooring. The choice of flooring material available is quite impressive. The very choice of such a wide range of products makes the business of choosing comparatively easier. But it’s a Herculean task to decide upon a type of flooring that’s close to the budget and preference.
Flooring has been categorized as Antique, Bamboo, Chestnut, Commercial, Cypress, Engineered, Granite, Hardwood, Laminated, Limestone, Linoleum, Parquet, Refinished and Slate, Vinyl etc., etc.
Wooden flooring can either be new or antiques reclaimed from old homes. For instance, hardwood mix flooring – remilled from salvaged lumber is a good choice where a decision about the type of flooring suiting the need and personal style can’t be made. A first-growth hardwood is hardly available now, it’s better to go in for various types of woods salvaged from old homes and barns. Such reclaimed woods are treated, kiln dried and cut into various lengths.
Bamboo flooring is said to be denser than maple and more stable than red oak. Available in plenty, bamboo is cut into strips, pressure cooked and kiln-dried. Bamboo flooring is consistently colored and needs no staining.
Engineered flooring is modernized production of wood flooring. Made of three or more ply’s of wood, engineered wood has more stability than solid wood. This is available in different stains and finishes.
Floor tiles are available in various finishes, styles and colors. Porcelain tiles are treated in higher temperatures than the ceramic tiles. This makes the porcelain tiles stronger, denser and stain resistant. Porcelain tiles are designed to look like marble and can be used in kitchen and bath.
Ceramic tile is today one of the most used flooring materials. Available in an exciting range of colors including classic black and white, and various finishes, ceramic tiles can be easily installed as seamlessly as natural granite.
Linoleum is one of the most commonly used flooring materials for kitchens. It’s made from natural raw materials including linseed oil, chalk, wood flour, and pine resin. This floor covering comes in a range of over 30 colors in sheet, tile and planks. Linoleum is hard to beat for its durability, easy maintenance and environmental friendliness.
Granite makes an ideal floor covering with its natural hardness and non-porous surface. Unusual shade variations, colors and grain patterns make granite one of the favored flooring materials.
Whatever is the material chosen for flooring, care should be taken to see that it’s suitable for all the family members. Fancy, but hard to maintain or materials that require constant cleaning and are easily damaged should be avoided. Granite or ceramic tiles glow as much as they are polished. But polishing makes the surface slippery. Highly polished flooring proves to be hazardous to even the most agile and young person. When there are elderly people and children in the home, it’s advisable to keep the floor polishing to the minimum. Wooden flooring too needs careful handling and constant maintenance. Expert advice should be called for maintenance and repairs.
Flooring surface is important, but more important is the personal love and care that’ll keep the home warm and happy.
Taisha Grant
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/home-remodeling-materials-118723.html
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