Blog : Home Improvement General | Flooring Supply Shop Blog

Benefits of Suspended Ceilings

Suspended ceilings are referred as dropped ceiling or false ceiling, which give the perfect example of modern architecture and construction. These are hanged from the ceiling joists with a metal grid thereby creating a space between the ceiling and the joists where pipes or duct work can be installed and worked on.

Suspended ceilings not only improve the décor of the house but also provide several advantages as well. These ceilings can be installed with utmost ease in any room or building, home or supermarkets. Apart from their practicality in installation, suspended ceilings also offer fire resistance, bacteria & humidity resistance, and insulation at a very less price.

Suspended ceilings are cheaper to install under existing ceilings as compared to renovating the old ceilings. Suspended ceilings are especially useful in industrial and commercial settings where buildings must adhere to strict fire safety rules, as the ceiling tiles offer fire resistance.

Suspended ceilings provide bacteria and humidity resistance, and for this reason these are widely demanded in hospitals. Apart from the medical sector, these are also used as fixed panels in places like changing rooms or shower rooms, as these kinds of places tend to have a lot of humidity. This in turn prevents these places from getting damaged.

Suspended ceilings are highly useful as you can keep cables, pipes, unsightly wires and ducts stacked inside them, which are easily accessible when you want to get some maintenance work done. These tiles can be taken out with ease, and you can conveniently access things which require constant attention.

Besides being a protector to your house against fire threat or moisture attack, suspended ceilings also provide insulation. This is because when ceilings are installed, a static layer of air between the main ceiling and the drop ceiling is created, which acts as a great insulator. The lower ceiling reduces the amount of airspace in the room, which subsequently warms up the place, thus lowering the heating bills.

Not only do these ceilings provide thermal insulation, but are also used as acoustic insulation, as these are capable of reducing noise. One can also choose the tiles with a decibel value that provides extra soundproofing. Suspended ceilings are available in many different designs and can be easily adjusted with new panels being fitted into the ceiling grid. Several different textured and designer panels are available in the market that one can select from. Also, these ceilings come in different shapes and colors that can add beauty to your home or workplace.

Suspended ceilings are rapidly gaining popularity, as these are easily demountable, which and can thus easily uphold the ceilings. These can be conveniently replaced by detaching the grids, and thus are better than permanently implemented ceilings, which are difficult to change in the future. The tiles used in suspended ceilings can also incorporate lights inside, which can hide the bulbs and give the place a contemporary and sophisticated look. With all these benefits, your confusion for insulation and renovation must be over.

Pictures provide by Ceilume – the Smart Ceiling Tile

Basement flooring options

Choosing the right flooring for your home is vital, but selecting right ‘basement flooring’ is all the more important. When it comes to selecting the appropriate flooring for your basement, it is important to take into consideration all the challenges, especially that of moisture and flooding. Basements generally have high moisture content, which can actually damage the installed flooring. Hence, before you choose any basement flooring option, you need to figure out an alternative for the problem of moisture.

Other than this many basements face the problem of flooding, and there are very few flooring options that can withstand the damages caused by it. Hence, it is advisable to eliminate this problem before you spend money on installing your basement floor.

Basements are generally used for the purpose of storage, hence are not accessed too frequently; though some homeowners also use it for other purposes. The use of basement is an important factor in deciding the right flooring option. If your basement is relegated to a storage area only, then you can select concrete flooring. It is the most common flooring option chosen by many homeowners because of its high durability. Concrete can easily withstand a lot of pressure and last for a lifetime. Though it is inexpensive compared to other flooring options, it lacks the aesthetic value. To overcome this, you can add thick carpeting over it, only if the basement is dry and has no moisture or flooding problem. Carpets are available in different sizes, colors, designs and patterns, which soften the look of the concrete floor basement.

If your basement is not merely a store room, then you can use ceramic tiles for flooring. A good alternative to concrete flooring; ceramic tiles are available in an assortment of colors and can make your basement aesthetically appealing. Moreover, tiles are resistant to moisture, thereby solving the problem of moisture as well.

Tiles are highly durable and easy to install, and can be done so without professional guidance. Another great option is laminate flooring, which beautifully imitates the hardwood flooring. The biggest advantage of using laminate flooring is its sound-resisting capability. This helps in reducing the noise coming from the basement, especially if you are using it as a game room or a ‘mini-theater’. Only precaution that you need to take is to use a high grade laminate that can withstand the traffic as well as moisture in the basement.

You can even opt for engineered flooring which is made up of three to five layers of hardwood. Despite the layered construction, it is thin and you can add extra insulation if you want. It also offers higher resistance to moisture and traffic. Apart from this, you can even use rubber or foam mats. These mats are resistant to moisture and also have noise insulating capability which makes these a good choice for busy basements with high traffic and activity.

Hence, depending upon the use of the basement and budget, you can choose amongst any of these flooring options.

Removing Mold From Your Attic

What are Molds?

Mildew and molds are fungi – simple microscopic organisms that thrive anywhere there is a moist environment. Molds are a necessary part of the environment; without them, leaves would not decay and aspects of soil enrichment could not take place. It is their ability to destroy organic materials, however, that makes mold a problem for people – in our homes and in our bodies.

A common issue bothering many homeowners these days is mold and mildew problems in the attic. These problems are caused due to various reasons, which need to be dealt with immediately. Some of the reasons that can lead to mold problem include excess moisture, poor attic ventilation and roof leakage. Moisture, which is a leading cause for mold problem, can also lead to other difficulties as well, such as, it can make the building material to crack, rot, warp and stain.

If appropriate measures are not taken in time and the mold sets in, it can lead to serious health problems as well. Some of the health problems that can be caused due to mold include respiratory problems, allergy, and skin, eye & throat irritation. Continuous exposure to mold can even be fatal as it can cause cancer. In order to avoid these problems, it is very important to remove mold at the earliest.

In case you are also experiencing the mold problem, be it white, green, black or any other color mold, fix it as soon as possible. However, do not commit the same mistakes that most homeowners do; removing mold on their own. You should leave this job for mold remediation contractors. These professionals are licensed by the state to tackle the mold problem in an efficient manner.

Foremost, the mold remediation contractors ascertain the reason behind mold problem; which more often than not is moisture. Once the source of moisture is fixed, they subsequently strive to remove mold. Irrespective of whether the mold is black, white or green, the mold remediation steps are same; starting with sealing off the area. The area is sealed off with plastic sheeting and tape, which help to keep the mold spores contained in the attic. This prevents mold from spreading throughout the house and worsening the situation.

Next step is to ‘wet vacuum’, which sucks up water from all the water soaked surfaces and also cleans mold. Dry vacuum is always avoided because it launches mold spores in the air, instead of removing it. The molds which are not removed by wet vacuum are killed with the help of an approved fungicide; which can either be applied through a sprayer or fogger. Many people have the misunderstanding that bleach can kill or keep away mold; however it is not effective method.

Once the mold is killed, it is time to clean up the area thoroughly. Mold remediation contractors generally prefer HEPA vacuum for scrubbing, scraping and cleaning up dust and debris. They may sometimes even ask you to remove furniture, building material or any other thing that is contaminated by molds. Before disposing it, the contaminated material should be sealed in plastic bags and subsequently labeled. Lastly, dry out the attic with the help of dehumidifiers or fans. It is essential to dry the area completely to avoid mold from resurfacing again. Once done, the restoration work can be done.

If there is mold in your attic and you do not want to risk serious structural and aesthetic damages to your home, along with health damages to yourself; remove mold from your attic as soon as possible.

Proper Care for Your Sub Floor

Sub floor is one of the most important elements flooring. It is the immediate layer above the floor joists and beneath the flooring that you walk on. It is the base on which the finished flooring is laid, such as laminate, linoleum, hardwood or carpet. Sub-floors are made up of different material including concrete and plywood. The sub floor needs to be stable and leveled to ensure the longevity of the flooring laid upon it. However, like other things at home, sub flooring can also get damaged over period of time.

Sub floor is one of the most ignored areas of your home and you often do not pay enough attention unless the problem is serious. Fixing a big problem can be expensive as well as tedious; to avoid this, you need to pay attention to your sub floor from time to time. The problems may vary depending upon the age and type of your sub floor. There may be a problem with the sub floor if there is a persistent musty smell which does not go way even after you have tried everything. A dip or a gap in your flooring also suggests that there is something wrong with the sub floor. It is advisable that the moment you experience a problem try to resolve it as soon as possible.

Depending upon the extent and type of problem the solutions vary. In case of tile flooring over sub floor, you may be able to remove the tiles, resolve the problem, and reinstall the tiles back. However, if you have vinyl or laminate flooring, then you will have to rip out the old flooring and install new flooring after repairing the sub floor.

After you remove the finished flooring on the sub floor take a closer look to find out the cause of the problem. Most of the homeowners use plywood sub floor as it is cheap, light and easy to install. A common problem caused to plywood is rotting, which happens due to water or moisture damage. To overcome this problem you may either have to remove the damaged portion or the entire sheet of plywood; hence proving to be an expensive and taxing option. There may be certain types of damage which you can deal with on your own, but there would be certain problems for which you will need professional help. Therefore, it is highly recommended to keep a check on your sub floor from time to time in order to prevent any severe damage from even occurring.

Like every other part of the house, flooring too is a key part, which carries the weight of walls, roof, furniture and other interiors. In order to have a strong foundation which can withstand weight of everything inside your home, you need to take care of the sub floor as well. Along with providing the strong base to your home, proper care for your sub floor can help you save time, effort and money.

Home Energy Audits

There are many home improvement measures taken by homeowners to enhance the aesthetics of their house. Apart from flooring, painting and other improvement measures taken to beautify the house, homeowners must also take steps to improve the energy efficiency of their house. Though there are numerous things that can be done to make the house more energy efficient, it is important to know about the best solution among the available options.

First step in making your home energy efficient is to get a home audit done which helps you assess the energy needs of your home. This helps you find out how much energy your home uses and what steps should be taken to optimally use energy and improve the efficiency of your home. Care must be taken to implement the recommendations because audits alone cannot save energy; you also need to take energy saving measures.

Some may recommend that you do the home energy audit on your own as hiring a professional may be an expensive affair, especially for those with already tight budgets. However, you need to realize that an audit done by you cannot be as precise as the one done by a pro. Hence, it is advisable that you hire a professional who has substantial experience in performing home energy audits. Once you have made the decision to seek help, contact a professional home energy auditor. The auditor will check your utility bills, examine your property and energy usage as well as perform certain tests.

The standardized tests employed by most of the professionals comprise blower door test and thermographic scan. In the blower door test, professional installs a large fan into the frame of an exterior door of your home and turns it on. As a result, air blows from inside to outside that creates a lower air pressure within the house as compared to outside. Owing to the lower air pressure, the outside air is drawn into the house through the gaps and vents in the structure of your house. In the thermographic scan, the professional makes use a camera or other scanning devices to take pictures of your home on an infrared spectrum. These pictures make it easy for the auditor to identify areas that have gaps or vents from where your home is losing heat or letting in cold.

With all the requisite data in hand, auditor will be able to recommend a detailed plan to improve the energy efficiency of your home. This plan will vary from one home to another as the energy requirements and use of your home will be differ from that of your neighbor’s house. However, most of the auditors recommend measures like improving insulation, upgrading appliances, as well as installing a programmable thermostat and weather stripping, among other steps.

Home energy audit along with the implementation of the recommended steps not only helps in making your home energy efficient but also saves money. On an average, 30% utility savings can be achieved on your pre-audit energy bills if adequate measures are taken to enhance the energy efficiency of your home. Hence, it is advisable to get a home energy audit done at the earliest and save energy as well as money.

Category: Home Improvement General

Benefits of Suspended Ceilings

Basement flooring options

Removing Mold From Your Attic

Proper Care for Your Sub Floor

Home Energy Audits

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