Archive for the ‘Flooring’ Category

How to place tiles in your kitchen by yourself

Tuesday, November 9th, 2010

If you think that you kitchen is looking outdated and ugly, you can use tiles to give it a brand new look. And if you want to save yourself a few bucks then you can do the job yourself. However the most important work is to select the tiles.

Before you start tiling, you will need to do some primary work. You will have to clear off the surfaces that you want to tile, remove the sink and detach the plumbing. You may also need to turn off the power if you need to work around the electrical outlets. Next make the foundation for the tiles with cement backer board or plywood.

Before tiling you will have to do a dry run and mark the cuts that are needed. After cutting the tiles, wet the foundation with thinset using a trowel, apply thinset on the back of the tiles and lay them and place the grout makers. You can remove the grout makers after the thinset has cured.

Comparison between laminate and hardwood flooring

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010

When it comes to flooring options, both hardwood and laminate flooring are good choices. But each is quite different from the other in terms of longevity, cost and durability. So what to choose as the perfect flooring material for your dream home? Few points of differentiation between the two alternatives will make the decision making process much simpler.

When it comes to installation, laminates are much easier to install as they use an interlocking procedure to stick together to the floor. But wooden ones don’t work in a similar way and hence can be tricky to install. But the situation reverses when durability and longevity is taken under consideration. Real hardwood floors are much more durable that laminates. But if not taken care of properly and regularly, hardwood floors lose their texture, shine and color.  But if regular maintenance is not possible, it is always better to stick to laminates, which require much less care.

Besides all these factors, cost is quite a big consideration too. Hardwood is much more expensive than laminates, thus installing a hardwood floor can be pretty pricey. Thus keep your constraints in mind and choose wisely and enjoy your band new floor.

All about engineered wooden flooring

Friday, September 17th, 2010

Engineered Wooden flooring is an excellent option if you are looking to install flooring in your house. It isn’t artificial and definitely more durable than laminate and is less expensive and as good as hardwood.

Its main features are its increased strength and durability. Its topmost layer is pure hardwood and the bottom layers are ply alternating in their grain orientation to multiply the strength.

Since it is immune to moisture you could even use it in your bathrooms and kitchens. The flooring can be glued or nailed or floated unlike pure hardwood. It comes in various finishes like oak or maple.

These products are finished before-hand and you can use them soon after installation, also, they are a green option and eco-friendly. They are an investment in the true sense of the word.

Unlike laminate which has to be replaced if scratched, engineered wooden flooring can be sanded like the traditional hardwood and hence are easy to maintain and long lasting.

Engineered hardwood flooring is a very popular and practical choice. You will have a lot of variety to choose from, so feel free to take your time.

Types of Marble Tiles

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

Marble has been used for constructions since time immemorial. It not only looks elegant with the variety of designs and colors but is also pretty durable. The first type of marble tiles would be the glazed type. They have a supremely polished surface which is why they can easily resist water based stains. They show scratches very easily. They look very elegant and shines almost like a mirror. These tiles do not even need a wax finish.

The second type of marble tiles is known as honed tiles or more commonly unglazed tiles. Unglazed tiles are not very highly polished giving out a matt look. These tiles are scratch resistant and therefore good for areas with higher footfalls (in case of flooring).They can not resist water stains as well as glazed marbles and will need a wax polish for the function. Finally we have the tumbled type where the marble has been tumbled with aggregate and sand. Tiles are chipped and rounded and therefore add an old world charm to your room. Decide on the kind of look you want and then make your choice!

Marble flooring: an elegant choice

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

You want to get the most perfect flooring for your house and surely you will get a lot of variety that might actually confuse you in making your final choice. So to avoid all this confusion and problems prioritize your options and pay attention to some basic requirements.  If however you are looking for elegant flooring options, and then the answer to this is marble flooring. You will get marvellous results.

Marble flooring requires little maintenance and they are easy to clean. Most importantly, the variety available to you helps you to create different patterns and ambience with your selection in different rooms of your house, although you are using the same material for flooring- marble. Such are the advantages of getting marble flooring done. Apart from the elegance factor, marble flooring also adds a classy look to your house. Some varieties to mention are hang grey marble, Nero marquina and gold beige marble. So go ahead for the most perfect marble flooring.

Floor Plan Drafting Explained

Saturday, May 1st, 2010

This is among the services that a drafting firm will provide. Basically, drafting is the business of drawing. When we mention drafting technical drawing comes to mind. What is drawn in AEC is referred to as plans or blueprints. However, due to technology, drawings nowadays are being designed by CAD software’s. In that regard, the term blue print is no longer being used.

When we say floor plan drafting is the process of going to a structure and measuring the floor using a tape measure and a laser to mark out the distance. When using CAD software, you design the floor plan from the measurements that were collected. A floor plan is essential because it offers information about the square feet of the house. In addition, it is also useful when remodeling a room when you want to install new appliances. It includes the measurements for the door openings, bathroom fixtures and walls.

Why granite flooring is hard to beat

Saturday, November 21st, 2009

Granite Flooring, Home Construction,There are many reasons why granite flooring is hard to resist. The granite being the most durable and hard can be used for flooring of every room but the kitchen floor must be granite. The granite floor doesn’t require much look after; just a simple sweep and mop can keep it shining. A wash with stone soap once a week is enough to maintain it. As it is very hard, it will endure fall of any type of heavy utensils or tools and will not get damaged. The spills are common in kitchen but a granite floor doesn’t suffer due to it.

The personal taste and amount of human traffic naturally dictate the type of flooring used but granite floor can be used anywhere and it will never go out of fashion. Granite has many colors, designs and patterns to suit everyone’s choice. Granite floors can increase the beauty of the interiors manifold.

There is just one disadvantage that it can get scratches by quartz. The sand, which comes inside the house with the shoes, contains quartz and they can scratch the granite floor. It can be avoided if the floor is swept regularly.