Blog : Flooring Supply Shop Blog | Flooring and Floor Heating Supply - Part 43Flooring Supplies

Tiling ideas for your bathroom

Although you have the option of using a number of different types of materials in your bathroom; most people prefer to use ceramic tiles due to the various benefits these offer. Tiles can be conveniently placed and come in a variety of designs, colors shapes and sizes. Most people prefer ceramic tiles since they are highly durable, resistant to dampness and easy to clean. However, there are a number of other tiling options that you can avail in order to make your bathroom more attractive and aesthetically appealing.

In case you have used ceramic tiles of the same color in your bathroom you can create a contrasting border by using tiles of different colors. Such an integration of colors will significantly enhance the aesthetic appeal of your bathroom.

The grout is an important aspect of your bathroom, and selecting a contrasting grout color can enable you to create an attractive color combination in your bathroom. For example, if you have white tiles in your bathroom, you can select grout colors such as red, blue or green.

You can mix and match the size of tiles that you use in your bathroom. It is not necessary to use the traditional sized tiles; you can easily pick from a number of different options that are available in the market these days. Use your creativity in order to achieve a look that is as per your requirements.

Another great tiling idea for your bathroom is to use metal tiles instead of ceramic. Metal tiles, although a bit costly, are in vogue when it comes to designing the bathrooms, and are being used widely. Metal tiles are generally used to integrate mosaic with stone tiles.

The color combination of the tiles is not meant only to enhance the looks of the bathroom but also to give a soothing sensation. Therefore, you should carefully select the colors of the tiles for the floor or the walls of your bathroom in order to have a comforting experience while taking a shower or lying in the tub.

The colors selected can also make your bathroom look large or small. Dark colored tiles generally reduce the perceived size of your bathroom, while on the other hand light colored tiles reflect light and make your bathroom area look more spacious.

Another idea to improve the aesthetics of your bathroom is to use multi-colored tiles in the shower area and in other parts of the bathroom. Or in case you want to use the same colored tiles in the entire bathroom you can arrange them differently in the shower area and the rest of the bathroom.

These are just a few of the many innovative ideas that you can make use of, while tiling your bathroom. In order to make the right choice of tiles to select for your bathroom you should visit the website of reputed tile suppliers such as FlooringSupplyShop; here you will be able to shortlist and select tiles of colors and designs that best suit your specific taste.

Check out our Installation Schemes Pattern and Tile Calculator

Radiant Snow melting A must for your winter preparation

Although the winter season brings with it beautiful snowfall and visually appealing scenes, one of the major problems associated with this season is that of accumulated snow around the house. Not only is snow accumulation on driveways problematic, but snow can also make stairs and patios dangerous and prone to accidents. Every year, a number of individuals slip and hurt themselves due to accumulated snow. It is for this reason that a product was required that could effectively melt away snow from drive ways, stairs and side-walks.

Thankfully, technological advancements have resulted in a revolutionary product in the form of electric snow melting. The concept of a snow melting mats or spools is relatively simple, yet quite effective. A snow melting mat can be easily installed beneath your driveway, side walk or stairs to ensure that the area remains free from accumulated snow.

One of the most widely preferred uses of a snow melting mat is beneath a wheelchair ramp. Anyone with a person in a wheel chair in their home would know how difficult it gets to clear out accumulated snow from the wheelchair ramp. Now you can easily install a snow melting mat beneath the wheelchair ramp and keep it safe to use all year round.

A numbers of people spray their drive ways and other snow affected areas in the house with harsh chemicals and salts to keep them snow free. Although effective in the short run, this method can significantly erode and damage the areas, and can result in a lot of repairs and maintenance expenses in the future. Further, depending on your specific snow melting requirements, the electricity consumption of these snow melting mats can cost you less as compared to hiring a professional snow remover.

Most of the snow melting mats or spools that you find in the market these days can be installed beneath different types of surfaces; be it concrete, asphalt, tile or brick. Further, you can also cut these mats according to the shape of a particular area to ensure maximum utility. This adaptability of snow melting mats ensures that you can use these mats anywhere in your home to ensure complete safety during the winter season.

It is due to such benefits and high adaptability of these snow melting mats that these are becoming a necessity for homeowners in the winter season. Not only can you ensure a snow free drive way, side walk and stairs, but can also save on the efforts of manually shoveling snow. Further, keeping the surrounding areas of your house snow free would also result in a significantly reduced number of accidents. This would ensure that you keep the liability claims against you to a minimum. Further, in case the area that you want to make snow free is of irregular shape you can use snow melting wires instead of a mat. These wires will offer the same benefits as that of a snow melting mat, with the added advantage of applicability in areas of any shape or size.

The increasing popularity of DIY projects in the current slowdown

Most people refrain from undertaking a DIY project since they neither have the expertise nor the tools to complete it in an effective manner. Further, the fear of expensive repairs and maintenance in the future in case the project goes wrong also deters a number of prospective DIY enthusiasts. However, the current economic slowdown has forced people to look at different ways to save money, and DIY projects instead of hiring a contractor as one such option.

Although there is no comparison between a DIY enthusiast and a professional contractor in terms of the experience and availability of resources, one factor that makes DIY project more attractive is the cost attached to it. What you would be charged by a professional contractor would be significantly higher as compared to what you would incur if you completed the job yourself. This financial motive is one of the biggest reasons why the current slowdown has resulted in an increased number of Do It yourself enthusiasts.

Although financial motive is important, the sense of achievement involved with completing a job is something that is characteristic of a DIY project. The fact that you get to call something your own is what attracts most people to completing a job themselves rather than hiring a professional contractor.

One of the most important benefits of hiring a professional contractor is the years of experience and the resources that they bring into a project. You can easily check on the references provided by contractors to know about the previous work done by them. Further, professionals have all the tools and equipments that would be required to complete a job. Although a DIY enthusiast cannot match up to the experience levels of a professional contractor, it has become very easy to get access to high grade tools and equipment in an affordable manner.

Be it tiling, carpentry, or a plumbing job; you would require a specialized set of tools to complete the task at hand. Without the right resources you would not be able to achieve the right finish; thereby resulting in future repairs and maintenance costs. However, you can easily find highly effective tools and resources such as the grout grabber, Pro Pan, Kirb perfect, tile sealers, Tuscan Leveling System and trowels on the internet. These resources will not only make your job much easier but will result in a much more defined and finished look to your renovation work.

Although the financial slowdown is what is forcing people towards Do It Yourself projects, it is not as easy as it sounds. A DIY work gone wrong can result in more repairs and maintenance expenditure than what a professional contractor would have charged. It is for this reason that you should properly analyze the job at hand and should be prepared with the right tools and equipment before starting your project. A properly completed DIY project will give you a sense of achievement and will save you on a lot of financial expenditure.

Tips to clean laminate flooring

Laminate is a popular flooring option due to the fact that it is highly durable and has appealing aesthetics. A typical laminate floor consists of a top wear layer, a printed image of hardwood and an inner layer of fiber board. The effective composition and construction of a laminate floor makes it one of the easiest flooring options to take care of and to maintain.

One of the most effective ways of keeping a laminate floor clean is by understanding its limitations. Although laminate is a tough material that is not easily stained or scratched, there are certain items that could significantly damage your laminate floor. Water puddles, abrasive cleaning solutions and wax are some of the items that can damage your laminate flooring and can cause it to lose its finish. Further, rearranging furniture and pets with untrimmed nails can also scratch the laminate surface. Therefore, it is important to protect your laminate flooring from these items in order to ensure high durability.

It is important to keep the laminate flooring free from dirt and other impurities; therefore you should mop it with a dry cloth, or vacuum it regularly. However, one of the common problems faced by people is that of dirt getting trapped in between the seams of the laminate floor. It is therefore advised to mop or sweep in the direction of the seem to ensure that no dust or impurity gets trapped in between. You can also damp mop the laminate floor occasionally in order to restore its shine. However, excess moisture can cause the laminate to swell so it is important to be careful while mopping the floor with a damp cloth.

In case you spill high staining substances, such as wine, coffee or orange juice, on your laminate floor you should immediately wipe it off the floor. In order to remove such tough stains you can use acetone based solutions such as nail polish remover on the laminate. However, such chemical based cleaning solutions can discolor the laminate so it is important to test the cleaning solutions on a hidden portion of the flooring first.

Another effective cleaning idea for your laminate flooring is to use a solution of vinegar and warm water. This is an inexpensive and a natural way of removing tough stains from your laminate floor. For maximum effectiveness you can use this solution by spraying it from a bottle and cleaning with a mop.

In case of scratches or dents to your laminate flooring you can purchase a touch up to maintain its finish. A typical touch up kit would consist of either a filler material or crayons & color pencils. When used properly, such touch up material can easily hide the damage to your laminate floor, and can maintain its finish and durability.

With a little care and effort it is easy to ensure that your laminate flooring looks like new for a long duration of time. Laminate does not require much maintenance and care, and is therefore preferred over natural wood flooring by a number of individuals.

Effective tools for a DIY enthusiasts

Certain things are more comforting for a ‘Do It Yourself’ enthusiast than completing a home renovation project without any professional assistance. DIY lovers, although enthusiastic about completing a project all by themselves require proper tools and resources to effectively complete the job at hand. A trip to the local hardware store can get you access to a number of different tools and equipment; however, selecting the right ones can be a difficult job.

Bathroom renovation is one of the most complex DIY jobs since any complications in tiling or waterproofing can result in significant damage to the surrounding areas. It is for this reason that tools such as Pro Pan, ready to tile shower pans and Quick Pitch are widely used in a bathroom renovation job. Pro Pan and ready to tile shower pans come with a standard slope of 1/4” inch per foot, thereby ensuring a perfectly sloped shower floor. Further, Kirb perfect offers an easy solution to building a shower curb, thereby ensuring that water does not spill outside the shower area.

Tiling & grouting is another job that can create a problem for people who prefer to complete their home renovation job themselves without any professional help. Tiles have to be placed at an equal distance to smooth transitions. Further, the grouting job has to be completed in an effective manner so as to ensure proper sealing, and that the water does not seep through the grout. This job can be effectively completed by using tile spacers and grout caulk thinset. Further, DIY enthusiasts can also find a variety of tile trims that can add an appealing look to the tiling of a room.

One of the common problems faced by people while installing stone or ceramic tiles is that of lippage. This not only disrupts the aesthetics of the room but can also result in cracks in the tiled floor. This problem can be easily solved by using the revolutionary Tuscan leveling system. Using this system will ensure a perfectly level tiled floor and will also make the tiling job easy and convenient.

Be it a job for carpentry, landscaping, or plumbing, a number of DIY enthusiasts find it difficult to find that perfect level pitch. An effective slope level indicator can prove to be more than handy in measuring and correcting the slope level of a place. Such slope levels are ideal for use by roofers, contractors, carpenters, engineers and most importantly by ‘Do It Yourself’ enthusiasts.

Finally, safety is an issue that concerns most people before they embark on their DIY endeavor. Certain safety tools such as a face mask, gloves, knee pads and clean up bags are essential in order to successfully complete a home renovation project.

Therefore, it is prominent that there are a variety of choices of tools for a DIY enthusiast to select from in order to successfully complete a home improvement project. Proper tools and equipment will not only help in timely completion of a job but will also ensure that it is completed in an effective and proper manner.

Tiling ideas for your bathroom

Radiant Snow melting A must for your winter preparation

The increasing popularity of DIY projects in the current slowdown

Tips to clean laminate flooring

Effective tools for a DIY enthusiasts

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