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Laminate flooring has become a popular choice of different homeowners. From the simplest to the most discriminating tastes, anyone will find something to meet their fancy with the different patterns, colors, textures, thickness and designs to choose from. Given all these choices, there is virtually no limit to what you can create.

Unfortunately the problem with having so much choices is making a choice itself: deciding what to buy. In part 2 of this series called How to Buy Flooring, we’ll take a look on the must-knows on how to buy laminate flooring.

A quick history

Laminate flooring as we know it now started as a spin-off of a product used in kitchen countertops. It was created in Scandinavia by the firm Perstorp AB Holdings back in 1977 and was first marketed under the brand name Pergo. The brand quickly became a household name when the product was marketed in North America.

Finding the correct laminate flooring

To find the correct material that will meet your needs, it’s best to first learn the basics about laminate flooring: how its made, the different layers, the different abrasion classes and other important considerations like design and function.

One of the reasons laminate flooring is such a popular alternative to hardwood flooring is durability and convenience. Laminates are basically easier to clean and maintain.

Lastly, perhaps the most important consideration is cost. This will determine the quality and appearance of your flooring project. So what are the factors that’ll affect cost? First is the area – its size and location, how much are we covering? How about exposure to moisture and water or the amount of footfall to expect. Then the type of subfloor we are dealing with as they will require a substrate or at times even repair to guarantee that the underside of laminates are well-protected from moisture exposure and eventually, damage. You would also need to think of accessories – trims, moldings, underlayment and even cleaning materials.

In this third installment of our floor buying series, we’ll let you in on the basics of buying great hardwood flooring.

So speaking of basics, let’s start with the ABCs of hardwood flooring. There are generally three types: solid hardwood, engineered hardwood and acrylic-impregnated wood.

Solid Hardwood is the traditional flooring that is hardwood from top to bottom. This type is the kind that adds value to the property and can last for over a century if well taken care of. This type is further classified into:

• Strip Flooring – has a set width but varies in thickness; thickness can vary from 5/16 to ¾  inches wide but is only available in widths of 1 ½, 2 and 2 ¼ inches.
• Plank Flooring – unlike strip flooring, planks come in various widths, they are available in certain thicknesses of ½ or ¾ inches while widths vary from 3 to 8 inches.
• Parquet Flooring – visually different from other forms of wood flooring as they are made up of different geometric patterns.

Solid hardwood flooring is available both pre-finished and unfinished types. Pre-finished is already sanded and coated at the factory, ready for installation then you’re all good. Unfinished on the other hand means it has to be sanded and finished on-site after installation.

Engineered Hardwood Flooring is wood flooring made by layering plastic laminate veneer with real wood. This should not be mistaken with laminates as laminate flooring contains no actual wood. The main difference is that the top layer of engineered hardwood flooring is the real wood. The base is just reinforced to make it more stable and resistant to moisture.

Acrylic-impregnated Wood Flooring is one which is infused with acrylic which is commonly used as surface sealant making it harder and more resistant to scratches. This type is commonly used in non-residential areas.

Known for its classic elegance and timeless endurance, hardwood flooring remains a top commodity among homebuilders and a good selling point to buyers. So what to look for when buying hardwood flooring?

Some simple instructions include:

1. Determining the areas where you want the floors installed, better if you can get the exact measurement (in square footage) of the said area.
2. Determine your budget for the project and make sure that your choose a variety and grade that fits perfectly in your budget including nails, trimmings and other accessories you might need.
3. Identify the subfloor you’ll be working on. Is there one or does it need to be replaced or repaired? Remember that thickness of both the subfloor and the hardwood might require you to change trimmings and other accessories.

4. Think it through if you want your product pre-finished or unfinished. Pre-finished is convenient because once its installed, then its done. Unfinished wood flooring would require more sanding and extra on-site work after installation.
5. Decide whether you’ll go DIY or hire professional installers, remember that hardwood can be a bit harder to install compared to laminate flooring planks or carpet tiles.
6. Provide waste allowance of 10-25% when you decide how much of the material you would get.
7. Shop around – go check out different stores and suppliers so you can compare quality, cost and value-adding services and pick out the one that’ll meet your specific needs.

Also check out all about hardwood flooring, cleaning and repair tips before heading out to buy your hardwood floors.

With a wide range of flooring products available in the market today, buying a new floor can be an overwhelming task. You head out to your local retailer with a couple of things in mind: a simple shade, common pattern, resilient, easy to install and on the budget.

A minute with a salesperson then you might already feel lost with all the questions and suggestion he or she has. Yes, the sales rep is probably trying to be helpful as he tries to close a deal, but it won’t hurt to have done your homework correctly so that you’ll have an idea on what to ask or look for when you walk in the store.

In this series, we’ll try to give you quick and effective points on how to buy specific flooring solutions. To begin with, here are the some things to consider:

• Consider your overall style. This includes your lifestyle as well as the architectural leanings of the property and its interiors. The floor you want to buy must fit perfectly with room you plan to have it installed.

• Home location and market value. This is another thing to keep in mind before you buy a flooring product. The climate in the property’s location will help you determine the right one and the market value will help you decide if you’re not over-investing. Having luxury flooring doesn’t really increase a property’s market value if its in a mid-class residential area.

• Budget and warranty. A budget identifies expense ceiling, it prevents you from overspending and since floors doesn’t come cheap, make sure you get one which comes with a good warranty.

Once you have thought of the points mentioned above, try doing these tips from the World Floor Covering Association:

1. Identify the type of flooring you want to replace and why. Establish the need, is it really necessary to do it and do it now?
2. Identify the subfloor you’ll be working with and if it needs special preparation or treatment before the new flooring is installed.
3. Get an approximate measurement of the area you want to cover, this way you immediately have an idea how many – the quantity of the materials and how much it’ll probably cost you.
4. Keep in mind that the final costs will be affected by some factors like the quality of the material, its quantity, the pattern you wish to create and of course, waste allowance.
5. Try to invite the local flooring retailer in your home prior to purchase and installation so they can examine a flooring product’s compatibility with the rooms and take the exact measurement to give you an exact quote.
6. Also take note of the sources of light as light plays a significant role in flooring visuals or appearance.
7. In terms of longevity, determine traffic pattern – where it is the heaviest and lightest. Knowing the concentration will help you pick the appropriate material.
8. Identify adjoining surfaces for both aesthetics and functionality.
9. Lastly, think of furnishing, electronics and other installations you have in the home or specific areas you want the new floors installed, they should somehow go together.

Buying floors doesn’t have to be a mystery. Keep on the lookout in the next couple of days as we continue with this series for more tips on:

• How to Buy Laminate Flooring
• How to Buy Hardwood Flooring
• How to Buy Natural Stone Flooring
• How to Buy Ceramic and Porcelain Tile Flooring
• How to Buy Cork Flooring
• How to Buy Bamboo Flooring
• How to Buy Carpet Tiles and Area Rugs

For years, people have benefitted with the many uses of enduring cork. Its soft, cushiony and comfortable and some of you might be wondering if it would be a perfect fit as a flooring choice. You might be surprised as some have described cork flooring as indestructible. Though it has been used since 3000 B.C., cork wasn’t able to catch the limelight until Dom Perignon started using cork bottle stoppers for his champagnes.

In this part of our floor buying series, we’ll look into the advantages and considerations when shopping for cork flooring.

For centuries, people have also fallen in love with cork flooring because it has many great properties and advantages:

• its warm and in terms of comfort, it only comes second to carpets;
• however, unlike carpet it is hypoallergenic and contains a natural substance called Suberin which makes it resistant to both moisture and decay;
• cork flooring is produced without harming trees, barks of great cork oaks are harvested by hand, the trees will grow back the bark in a decade or less ready again for harvest;
• it is a great noise insulator; and
• cork is one of the more resilient materials available for flooring.

Just like other flooring flooring solutions there are a few considerations before buying cork flooring. One of them is exposure to direct sunlight. Repeated sun exposure might cause your beautifully colored floors to fade. To prevent this, try asking manufacturers or your local distributor if the material has been treated or if there’s some sort of finish you should apply, otherwise, throw in some curtains or have your windows treated.

Another factor is climate. Since cork comes from wood it is not unlikely that like wood, it will shrink and expand when there are changes in climate – temperature and moisture levels. Prior to installation, let the cork flooring get acclimated into the rooms it’ll be installed, also regulate the conditions in each location by installing heaters, fans and humidifiers or dehumidifiers as needed.

In general, basic maintenance and preventive steps is all that is needed in keeping cork flooring in great condition for a long time. As for the material’s longevity, cork is resilient enough to last for well up to a century or so.

Putting protective area rugs near entries and sinks, regular vacuum or sweeping, occasional mopping and immediately wiping or blotting spills; being mindful of your footwear, furniture and pets will also help your cork flooring last longer.

Welcome, this is part 5 of our floor buying series. We’ve gone over hardwood, laminate, and natural stone, today we’ll look into another popular flooring product and share with you a thing or 2 that you must know before you go shopping.

Ceramic and porcelain have been interchangeably used in referring to one or the other, today we aim to share some important information about these popular flooring products. Ceramic is composed mostly of clay and is mixed with various minerals and water which is then baked at very high temperatures. The product is quite porous which is why it is glazed. Glazing makes the end product harder, and non-porous giving it the following characteristics: stain, scratch and fire resistant, better traction, easy to clean and won’t fade even with constant exposure to the sun.

On the other hand, porcelain tile is actually a form of ceramic tile. It is made up of finer clay infused with the following minerals: kaolinitic, feldspar and quartz, pressed dry and fired at higher temperatures than ceramic tiles.

Porcelain tiles are moisture resistant, they are also resistant to daily wear and tear, deep abrasion and frost which makes them more suitable to harsh climates. They are available glazed or unglazed and comes in various finishes and textures.

One important thing to understand about tile flooring is the PEI Rating. This is a classification ranging from 0 to 5 that can help shoppers, builders and homeowners pick the correct tile based on their needs. This applies to both ceramic and porcelain tiles, 0 denotes the lightest foot traffic and 5 the heaviest.

The PEI rating scale can be described as follows:

• Class 0 – No foot traffic; this types are wall tiles and should not be used for flooring;
• Class 1 – designed for very light traffic to be used in bedrooms, suites and spas;
• Class 2 – meant for light  traffic, generally recommended for second level installation;
• Class 3 – for light to moderate traffic, suitable for all areas except for those where heavy abrasive traffic can be expected: entryways and kitchens;
• Class 4 – means moderate to heavy traffic, ideal for areas with abrasion possibility and heavy traffic – balcony, living rooms, kitchens and entries; and
• Class 5 – heavy traffic suggested for heavy residential and commercial/industrial installations.

Looking at designs and aesthetics including accessories, there are both a lot to choose from between ceramic and porcelain tiles, there’s also not that much difference in terms of cost and prices, the key is knowing your flooring needs and finding if ceramic or porcelain tiles best meet these needs.

Carpet tiles and area rugs are practical and comfortable flooring materials. This is the last part of our series and today we’ll tell you a few essentials when buying carpet tiles and area rugs.

Carpet Tiles

Carpet tiles are slowly but surely becoming a more popular alternative to traditional wall to wall carpeting. Not only does it offer the comfort and warmth of the conventional carpets we’re so used to but it also makes having carpeted floors more manageable and practical as it is easier to install, maintain and eventually replace. Oh, and did we mention it only costs a fraction of the cost of bulky wall to wall carpeting?

And it allows room for more creativity and personality in designing rooms and layouts of colors and patterns since carpet tiles are available in various colors, sizes and types.

While some people are critical of carpet tiles’ performance compared to wall to wall carpeting, others have found it both convenient and functional.

If you’re thinking of getting carpet tiles for your home, here are a few pointers to keep in mind:

1. To make installation easier and ensure that you’ll save from getting additional padding, consider the carpet tiles’ backing when scouting for your bet. Most backing have attached adhesive or a rubbery surface that’ll automatically stick on the subfloor’s surface making it a great DIY choice. Also look check out if the padding is thick enough for you to give your floors not just a comforting feel but a luxurious one.

2. Plan it up and map it out. Visualize your floor and the places where the carpet tiles will be installed think of the design or pattern layout so that you’ll have an idea of how you want it to look like and how much it might cost.

3. Speaking of costs, be sure to talk to salespeople while looking for the right carpet tiles and ask them if there are additional items a particular type of tile will require like underpads or if the subfloor needs any treatment so you can add these to your estimated costs. Also be open to suggestions that might come from the store personnel.

4. Be sure to read manufacturer’s instructions to find out if there are particular cleaning products they recommend and how much it’ll cost you or if the product has certain restrictions like overexposure to heat or direct sunlight so you’ll know how to properly take care of your floors.

5. As a precaution, be sure to buy extra pieces of your chosen carpet tiles, not just as an allowance for waste and error should you decide to install it yourself but also as a remedy should a piece of the installed carpet tiles get stubborn stains or damaged and needs to be replaced.

6. Lastly, compare prices from different stores and the type of services they offer. Always go for the one that offers not the cheapest but the best added value and those that would not only recommend the product but would personally use them.

Area Rugs

Rugs generally have a dual purpose: to protect and to decorate. For areas exposed to heavy foot traffic or damaging elements like sunlight, water and dirt, accent rugs are often placed over the floors for protection. It can also work the other way around, for example they can be put over cold and hard concrete doorstep to give a more welcoming appeal.

For communal areas where heavy traffic is expected and a constant thing, area rugs are placed not just for protection but to accentuate the look of the room – living spaces, kitchens and entertainment rooms are common places where area rugs are used.

They are easier to clean than wall to wall carpeting and can be changed frequently to suit the decor in season and is also relatively cheaper than other flooring products. Area rugs are available in a wide variety of shapes, colors, sizes and textures providing customers with a lot of choices and endless design possibilities.

Before buying area rugs, here are some few things you should keep in mind:

1. Since there is a wide variety of choices, in order to prevent confusion, be sure have the correct measurement of the area you want to put the area rug on.

2. To decide between round or rectangular edges, first, try this trick: put a piece of paper in each of the corners then measure the area so you’ll know the dimensions if you’re thinking of square or rectangular rugs or those with rounded edges. If you’re considering getting a round one, you’ll be able to identify the circle’s radius.

3. Always bring your measuring tape with you so you can double check it the size on the store before buying – while you may be able to get the merchandise replaced, there’s no need to go through the inconvenience. Get it right the first time.

4. Allowance is another important thing to consider. If area rugs are intended to go under furniture – like the couch or dining table, be sure that the part that’ll show will still look good. This is particularly important on dining areas, the allowance should be big enough to accommodate the chairs, aesthetics should bring both comfort and function together.

5. Colors, patterns and overall style should go together with the color of the room and the existing furnishing in it.

Enduring resilience, viable resource, exquisite beauty are some of the benefits and advantages offered by bamboo flooring to a wide range of builders, designers and consumers that are slowly but surely following bamboo and its various uses and applications.

Today we’ll work into understanding the basics of buying bamboo flooring, welcome to part 7 of our floor buying series.

The Bamboo Basics

First off, bamboo is not a tree it’s a grass that  grows abundantly in warmer areas of the globe. It’s been used for over 4,000 years, mostly in early civilizations in the Far East and South America. Bamboo’s uses ranges from the kitchen, the battlefield, libraries, hospitals and the buildings themselves.

Aside from its different uses, bamboo, the grass also ranks high in the Janka Hardness Scale. With a tensile strength of 52,000, this fragile looking tall grass swaying in the direction of the wind is actually harder than most commercial soft and hardwoods used for flooring.

As we earlier said, bamboo is a grass and the shoots are harvested without damaging the roots. Ideally, it is harvested during the fall or winter and the bamboo shoots are cut into strips called fillets, the green covering is also removed. The fillets are then boiled at very high temperatures to remove its natural starches and sugars making it more stable and less attractive to insects.

Before it was not uncommon for the dried bamboo fillets to undergo carbonization to give it more color but since the process entails use of chemical and tremendous amount of energy to carry out, more and more people now prefer its natural  hues.

Bamboo flooring is made in 2 ways:

1. Strand Woven – this type is made by adding byproducts from other wood types during the milling process and having then pressed together into a single material which is both durable and detailed.

2. Horizontal and Vertical Bamboo flooring simply denotes the direction in which the bamboo strips were cut. Vertically cut ones will show a more uniform look while the horizontal ones would look more random and the horizontal ones would look a bit more casual and random.

In an earlier post, we wrote about how bamboo is manufactured and some important facts, deciding whether or not it is indeed an environmentally sound flooring product can take a rather long debate but one thing’s certain, when you set out to buy bamboo floor it will be because it’ll have certain advantages. Aside from its natural beauty and resilience, bamboo is also remarkably easy to keep and maintain making it a great choice of flooring material.

They might look and feel like real hardwood or even stone tiles without the cost but laminate flooring is not indestructible. Just like hardwood planks and stone tiles, laminates are prone to stains from day to day wear and tear.

Below are some tips on how to handle common and stubborn stains on laminate floors:

1. Blood – a quick trick is to spray some window cleaner on the stain then wipe it off with a damp cloth.
2. Liquor – fresh from the holiday parties perhaps, clear it up with detergent and water. If that doesn’t work, grab a rag and moisten it with denatured alcohol, that should take care of it.
3. Grease – better apply an icepack, if you don’t have one grab something from your freezer. When it hardens, gently scrape of the grease with a plastic spoon or a butter knife. Be careful not to scratch the laminates’ finish.
4. Crayons – these easily be removed by using mineral spirits. If that fails, tooth paste and a dry cloth can solve the problem.

5. Ink – warm water and detergent should do the job, however if it doesn’t try using commercial ink removers.
6. Nail Polish – can be a bit stubborn and might cause some unwanted damage so be very careful. Use a little scouring powder, warm water and a mesh pad and gently rub away the stain.
7. Marks and scuffs – any materials that can cause marks and scuffs should be avoided as a general rule but if it is inevitable, make sure to have pencil erasers. Mr. Clean magic erasers are great for these so be sure to keep on handy all the time.
8. Chewing Gum – gently scrape it off using a plastic spoon or a rubber knife, for the residue, wipe it off with a soft cloth dampened with mineral spirits

Before trying any of the tips we mentioned above, its always best to check manufacturer’s instructions about the product first. If they have a blog, sign up for a subscription so you are aware of any updates or product care advices they might have. Some big stores offer support over the phone or through chats and forums, you may want to check that out too.

If you can’t find anything useful and the stain is quite big, always, always test first if the cleaning process or product is effective in a small area or the part which is less visible, should the test create a damage, it cant be spotted easily.

Taking care of your laminate floor properly will greatly ensure you get to keep its perfect and pristine condition for years ahead.

With all these talk of green and environmentally sound flooring solutions, how do we truly recognize if a flooring product is indeed green? Does it end with picking one which came from renewable resources. manufactured in a non-degenerative manner and installed in your property.

What we often forget that thinking green doesn’t end with buying green. Sustainability has to be considered too. After you’ve installed your new eco-friendly flooring product, how do you get rid of the old one? How about keeping and cleaning the new one, is it environment friendly?

A really environmentally sound product goes beyond using trees for raw materials. It involves credentials like manufacturing: the chemicals used in the process or perhaps hazardous compounds created in the process that either becomes component of the flooring material or waste; transportation – if it comes from halfway across the world, imagine the fuel it burned to get to where you are; disposing waste materials from these processes and renewal of resources – all of these are part of the products’ carbon footprint.

We think these are basic stuff we should all consider before we decide to buy a flooring solution – just because it is parading itself as all-natural and not made from trees, just because they claim to be green, it doesn’t really mean they are.

In this series of posts, we aim to inform consumers and homeowners on the different facets and issues on “eco-friendly” flooring products available in today’s market. We hope you find the succeeding posts useful and timely.

• The VOC Connection
• Eco-Friendly Flooring Options