Blog : flooringsupply | Flooring Supply Shop Blog - Part 33Flooring Supplies

budget friendly flooring options

Flooring is an integral part of any house; be it construction or renovation, it is essential to select the appropriate flooring material that not only provides durability but enhances the interiors as well. Amongst the numerous options available in the market, choosing the right flooring option can be overwhelming. Natural hardwood flooring and carpets, though makes a place look great, but are quite expensive and beyond the budget of most of the homeowners. Nevertheless, there are many budget-friendly and beautiful flooring options which can render a great look to your home.

A cheap but nice flooring idea which can make your floor look attractive is the bamboo flooring. Bamboo, a grass, effectively imitates the look of a wooden floor and is generally harder than most of the hardwood flooring. These are available in two shades, the natural light-color and the darker look which is accomplished after the grass is carbonized. Moreover, apart from being budget friendly, bamboo is also an environment friendly flooring option.

Another great budget flooring option is the laminate flooring, which is durable as well as attractive and easily simulates wood or in some cases, stone. These are available in a wide range of colors, patterns and designs which can easily complement the decor of any house. Moreover, the versatile flooring is easy to install and can be done by ‘DIY’ enthusiasts without any professional guidance.

Ceramic tile flooring is a cost effective flooring option, which is increasingly being used in residential and commercial buildings. It is one of the most durable flooring options which is available in scores of color; light, dark and blended colors. Furthermore, the tiles are available in different styles and sizes which can be customized as per your requirement. You can mix & match different tiles to render an attractive look or use mosaic tiles to enhance the look of the interiors. The ceramic tiles resist staining and are easy to maintain, without any special cleaning requirement. However, these tiles can sometimes be slippery, so it is advisable that you apply an anti-slip coating, which is readily available in the market.

Inexpensive than other types of natural flooring, the cork tiles provide natural and rich look to the house. This flooring option is especially perfect for those for those with an ecological bent of mind. Along with lending a striking elegance and finish to the room, one of the most endearing qualities of cork is that it is a great insulator. As a result, it keeps the floor warm during winters and cool during summers. Moreover, its soft texture gives a comfortable feel when you walk on it, similar to that of carpet. Available in both tiles and planks, you can choose amongst a variety of colors and finishes.

Concrete flooring is also a popular budget flooring option which gives the place an unfinished and earthy look. The option is nearly endless as these can be stained, colored, painted and even customized. Furthermore, these are easy to install, inexpensive, highly resistant to various elements, easy to clean and maintain.

Amongst all these flooring option, you can choose the one which best complements the house interiors. The right budget flooring can render a great look to your home, without burning a hole in your pocket.

Benefits of Sanding and Sealing your Hardwood Floor

wooden flooring

Homeowners are increasingly choosing wood as a flooring option for their home. Wooden flooring is not just durable but adds to the aesthetic appeal of the house. In addition, it is also a great insulator which keeps the house warm and comfortable. However, in order to maintain the attractive look of the wooden floor it requires to be ‘sanded and sealed’ from time to time.

Over a period of time, the wooden floors develop scratches, dents and cracks; which tarnish the visual appeal of the interiors. However, such an unpleasant scenario can be avoided by proper sanding and sealing.

Sanding is the process of removing the upper layer of the wooden floor with the help of an abrasive material. Prior to sanding the floor, it is advisable that the defective nails are tightened and cracks are sealed. Proper sanding ads shine to the wooden floor, bringing back its initial rich appearance. Sanding the wooden floor is performed with coarse sandpaper initially, followed by a finer one. The coarse sandpaper removes the gross crudeness and imperfections, leaving behind scratches, which can be removed with the help of finer sandpaper. For a smoother finish, one can use floor polisher or disk sander as well. Proper sanding removes the scratches and stains on the floor.

After the wooden floor has been sanded, it is coated with a layer of wooden floor seal. Sealing is an important process which protects and enhances the life of the wooden floor. It can be done by putting a protective layer of an appropriate sealant. It is advisable not to choose cheap and inferior quality seal as it requires frequent re-sands which results in greater expenses. Quality seal, on the other hand, protects the floor by offering a stain resistant layer which can last years through proper maintenance. The protective sealant layer offers stain resistance, prevents water seepage, protects from dirt particles as well as keeps mold and mildew at bay.

The most important benefit of sanding and sealing, if done properly, is that it provides a whole new look to your floor. The refinishing results in visual magnificence making it look like a newly installed flooring. Due to this, more and more homeowners are resorting to sanding & sealing instead of installing a new floor, which can be time consuming as well as expensive.

Though it can be done by hand, most of the homeowners use electrical machines as these are easily available in various stores. However, before you choose to do this job on your own, you must realize that it requires patience and demands time, apart from money. You can always take professional help to perform this job if you don’t feel confident enough to do it yourself.

Sanding and sealing your wooden floor is highly essential and must not be overlooked. Not only does this process, enhance the visual appeal of the floor but also provides longevity to it. Therefore, if your wooden floor needs a facelift, then you must get it sanded and sealed either yourself or through a contractor.

Cypress and Hickory Unique Hardwood Flooring Trends

Amongst all the different flooring options available in the market, hardwood floors are undeniably the most elegant flooring option which adds an aesthetic look to the whole place. Moreover, the hardwood flooring can be installed anywhere, including kitchen, hallway, dining room and living room. These are increasingly being used in residential and commercial buildings. Amongst the different types of hardwood floors such oak, maple, pine, fir or birch; cypress and hickory are the most unique flooring trends of today.

Cypress has become quite popular among homeowners; it resembles knotty pine with better natural tone. These are available in delicate cream and soft brown shades, sometimes with hints of green. Over time, the natural darkening and aging of the wood occurs giving it an amber or honey-colored appearance. In addition, the knots and swirls gives it a more natural and unique appearance. The cypress hardwood flooring beautifully compliments the decor of the house, including any type of furniture or color of the interior. Harder than red oak flooring, cypress hardwood flooring is durable and can easily withstand heavy wear without any damage.

This hardwood flooring option has become the foremost choice of homeowners who want to give a warm and rustic country look to their dwelling. The rustic country look has gained popularity in remodeling old homes as well as in new construction in the past decade. The availability of Cypress hardwood flooring in a wide range of cream and brown tones with so many knots makes it the ideal flooring choice for this effect.

Moreover, the natural darker knots and striations in the cypress wood, makes it a good option for high traffic areas as the scratches and dents, if any, get camouflaged with the wood’s natural patterns. As a result, it easily hides abrasions and stains, unlike other glossier floors. Furthermore, cypress has also become a favorite choice of many hardwood flooring contractors, they find it easy to work with, since it is easy to sand and cut cypress wood.

Another popular choice is the hickory hardwood flooring which is available in a wide spectrum of colors. These are available in almost whites, to tan, and from soft brown to rich dark brown tones of the heart wood. Installing different shades together can produce quite vibrant, unique and dramatic looking hardwood flooring, which easily compliments any kind of decor. As a result, it prevents homeowners from worrying about fixtures and furniture clashing with the flooring. Next only to mesquite wood flooring, it is the second hardest domestic wood species used for hardwood flooring, and proves quite durable and cost-effective over other hardwood flooring such as oaks and maples. Similar to cypress hardwood flooring, hickory can also be used in any part of the house, such as the den, bedroom, living room or family room, giving the place a whole new look.

Hence in case you are building your new home or remodeling the old one and are looking for a good flooring option, choose the cypress or hickory hardwood flooring to give your place a royal and elegant appearance.

Difference between glued laminate flooring and non glued laminate flooring

Out of all the flooring options, laminate flooring is probably the most popular choice. Laminate offers the same visual effect as hardwood flooring, but with enhanced durability. Other benefits associated with laminate flooring are its low cost, ease of installation and ease of maintenance. Although laminate flooring was quite easy to install earlier, recent advancements have further simplified this process.

Traditionally, laminate flooring used to be glued to the sub floor of the room. Now, you can find no-glue type laminate flooring that can be installed in a much easier and timely manner. No-glue laminate flooring locks together without the use of glue, which makes it much simpler to install.

Apart from the ease of installation there are a number of other factors that make no-glue flooring better than traditional laminate flooring. One such benefit is that the simple installation reduces the chances of anything going wrong during the process. Traditionally, installing laminate flooring required strapping until the glue dried. Furthermore, the installer also had to ensure that the flooring was being laid down in an accurate manner. With no-glue laminate flooring there is no requirement of using strapping, and the chances of the floor’s shape being disrupted are also eliminated.

Generally, the joints of no-glue laminate flooring are made to fit tightly in order to make the flooring stronger. Along with making the flooring structure stronger, this also reduces the chances of moisture seeping through the floor and damaging it.

Although installing traditional laminate flooring was quite inexpensive, getting it repaired in case of any damage can be a costly job. Generally a professional would have to be called to cut out the damaged piece from the flooring and replace it with a new one. No-glue laminate flooring removes all these hassles. All that is required to replace a damaged portion is to unlock it from the rest of the flooring and replace it with another one. This process is quite simple and can even be undertaken as a ‘Do It Yourself’ project.

Although no-glue laminate flooring has numerous distinct advantages, a number of people still prefer the traditional form of laminate flooring. One of the reasons for this is that since no-glue laminate flooring is not attached to the sub floor it would make a loud noise when walked upon. This noise could be a cause of constant disruption in the house. Another reason is that no-glue laminate flooring is not considered to be as strong as traditional laminate flooring. The strength so achieved by gluing the flooring can add a few years to your flooring.

All in all, both glue and no-glue laminate flooring has specific advantages and disadvantages. Prima-facie there is no difference in the cost of these two variants; however, you can save with the no-glue flooring by installing it by yourself. Furthermore, maintenance of no-glue flooring is much easier, and any repairs can be undertaken as a DIY project. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the specific advantages and disadvantages of each type of laminate flooring before selecting one.

Roto Wedge the Evolution of the Wedge

Wedge is a mechanical device that is extensively being used for providing space between tiles, masonry, wood flooring, as well as other similar jobs. Over the years, wedge has evolved into a more dynamic Roto-Wedge Spacer. This is being preferred by most of the professionals as it is efficient and easy to use. You just have to rotate the Roto-Wedge spacer in order to achieve the perfect spacing needed. This device is used for holding an object in place, lifting an object, and for separating two objects, or different portions of one object. By using a Roto-Wedge spacer, you can save significant amount of time and effort, which can be utilized for accomplishing other tasks.

Earlier, one used ordinary wedges, shims, wood and cardboard scraps for spacing that were not effective. These used to hit the walls or collide with the substrate before being utilized completely. For overcoming these problems, tile setters used to stack wedges, or used spacers in conjunction with wedges, or sometimes even resort to using cardboard, folded into numerous layers. These methods not only demanded time and effort, but were also inaccurate, unreliable and unstable, resulting in unequal spacing. Additionally, these often used to move or fallout, subsequently leading to job failures. However, with the development of Roto-Wedge spacer, tile setters found an effective tool, which had none of the limitations of ordinary wedges.

The rotating design of the Roto-Wedge spacer prevents it from hitting the wall or colliding with the substrate; unlike the ordinary wedges. Owing to its unique design, all you need to do is rotate the Roto-Wedge spacer to achieve the desired spacing. As compared to ordinary wedges, the task can be completed in fraction of time; thereby, one can accomplish more in same amount of time. Moreover, this fast and efficient device increases productivity as it aids in completing the job with unmatched accuracy, stability, and speed.

The only effective and efficient product available for masonry, the Roto-Wedge spacer is available in two variants; viz. Roto-Wedge Spacer Small and Roto-Wedge Spacer Large. Depending upon the requirements, you can select either of these durable and tough Roto-Wedge Spacers. The dynamic wedges are nearly 3 inches long, which facilitate finer adjustment than ordinary wedges. Additionally, the Roto-Wedge spacers create flatter and stable surface owing to their angle, which is less than half as steep as ordinary wedges. Both these spacers can be used for creating a wide spacing, varying from 1/16 to 7/8 inches . Since these Roto-Wedge spacers are never buried in the grout joint, these can easily be removed after completion of the task.

A Roto-Wedge spacer provides perfect spacing solution, due to which it is widely being used for tiles, stones and masonry. Hence, if you are still using the ordinary wedges that do not provide effective spacing and adversely affect your job; you need to try the Roto-Wedge spacer. Not only is it affordable, efficient and easy to use, it is the only perfect spacing solution that helps you

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Author: flooringsupply

budget friendly flooring options

Benefits of Sanding and Sealing your Hardwood Floor

Cypress and Hickory Unique Hardwood Flooring Trends

Difference between glued laminate flooring and non glued laminate flooring

Roto Wedge the Evolution of the Wedge

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