The Flooring Guru

The versatility of vinyl tile has made it a go-to flooring material for busy homeowners on a budget. The material can be acquired at minimal cost, and the installation process is much simpler than that of wood or laminate flooring. Preparation is important, however. If your subfloor isn’t suited for tiling, you’ll find out about it later – when imperfections become apparent on the floor’s surface.

Vinyl tile flooring can be installed over virtually any structurally sound surface, including preexisting tile, sheet vinyl or bare concrete. The subfloor should be inspected for cracks, dips and bumps, and any of these problems need to be repaired prior to installation. From there, the main idea is to use as many whole tiles as you can on the floor, only filling in a few spots on the perimeter with partial tiles.

When installing vinyl tile flooring, begin by finding the center of your floor. Measuring off the straightest outside wall at either end of the room, make a mark half way across the floor and using a chalk line, snap a line betwen the two marks.

Find the half way point on the chalk line and make a mark. This is the center of your room Starting at the mark, lay the tiles perfectly along the chalk line in both directions.

Working from the center again start fitting the next row of tiles in except fit only three or four tiles next to the first row. Then lay two or three next to that row. This creates a pyramid shape with the tiles looking like steps.

Keep installing tiles making the pyramid bigger and bigger. Installing the tiles in this fashion keeps them going in square to one another.

Once you finish placing all the full tiles on one half of the room, turn around and repeat the process on the other half.

When finished, fit the tiles in around the edge of the room by cutting them with a utility knife. Use a straight edge or framing square as a guide to cut against. Do not cut tiles directly on your new floor, use a small piece of plywood to cut them on.

When finished put on all your trim and moldings. Then…enjoy your new vinyl tile floor!

Designing or finding the right area rug for your room should be fun. By keeping these three elements in mind when choosing… starting with shape first, then size, then color and design elements, defining your space should be a breeze.

Create a focal point to your favorite setting. Using an area rug to define your favorite sitting area within your room is a great way to break up a large spacious room into smaller cozier sections.

Be creative, with area rug designs being more diverse than ever, there is a wide variety to choose from including sculpted rugs, far eastern designs, animal prints,(which by the way are becoming increasingly more popular) and nature scape. Bordered rugs can frame an area perfectly.

Imagine your sun room with bamboo furniture accented with a patterned leopard skin rug, bamboo rug, or even sisal to create the perfect tropical paradise in your home.

How about a custom made sculpted rug that creates a three dimensional graphic in your modern living room.

The possibilities are endless. Simply changing an area rug, painting the walls, rearranging the furniture and adding a few new accents can give your space a brand new look. Its a great way to remodel without the expense, especially if you find a great deal when searching for discount area rugs.

If you are thinking about having a hardwood floor installed over concrete, there are a some things that you need to consider before you move forward with your project.

The first consideration is the type of hardwood floor that you’ll be using. Because you can’t nail into concrete, you will have to determine whether or not your new hardwood will be glued down or floated over the concrete. In some instances, you might want to consider installing a plywood sub floor first before installing your new wood floor. Usually when installing a hardwood floor over concrete an engineered hardwood floor or wood laminate flooring is used for this type of an installation.

Before having your new hardwood floor installed over concrete, you have to make sure that the moisture content in the concrete is not excessive . If there is to much moisture coming up through the concrete floor that you are trying to install over, you will have to take steps to correct the situation first. Moisture testing is a simple procedure and should not be overlooked when having your new hardwood floor installed over concrete. It can be a very costly mistake if the installation fails due to excessive moisture.

Finally, your concrete floor should be checked for flatness. If the floor has hills and valleys that are in excess of the manufacturer’s specifications, then the valleys need to be filled with a leveling compound to create a suitable floor to install over. Failing to level a floor could result in your new hardwood splitting and pulling apart at the seams.

A hardwood floor installed over concrete is more challenging than having it installed over wood. If you are attempting to install your own hardwood floor, make sure that you understand your situation fully before proceeding. Have a professional look at your floor and give you an assessment first. Hardwood floors add value and beauty to your home. It is worth the investment when they are done correctly.

Being a professional flooring installer has its advantages when it comes to working with and understanding the different types of flooring on the market and how they perform in the real world.

Often times I’m asked, “What do you think, should I use ceramic tile or vinyl flooring in my kitchen or bathroom ?”

Instead of giving someone an answer that suits my tastes, I’d rather offer some sensible advice on some of the characteristics of both types of flooring. So let’s take a look at a few of those characteristics.

Ceramic tile is often times cold on the feet, now that’s OK if you live in a warm climate, but in the north during the wintertime you might want to think about using vinyl flooring as a warmer solution.

Another thing to consider is durability. By far ceramic tile is more durable and longer lasting than vinyl flooring. Scratching, denting, and even a knife drop hardly makes an impact on this floor and will be around long after the kids have grown up and moved away.

If you are someone who favors change, then vinyl flooring can be an affordable solution for you and your family as it can be changed a couple of times for around the same amount of money as a quality ceramic tile floor.

Using ceramic tile in a bathroom can be rich and luxurious as well as practical. When installing it on the walls and floor it creates a water tight solution to a very wet environment.

Ceramic tile is also very hard. Chances are good that if you drop a glass or plate while working in the kitchen, you’ll be sweeping up broken pieces of glass. So if someone is really clumsy in your home you might consider a vinyl floor instead. If you are on your feet all day in the kitchen, again hardness becomes a factor.

Although ceramic tile is considerably more durable, vinyl flooring has come a long way and can last for years if it is properly cared for. Another advantage vinyl flooring has over ceramic is the ease of cleaning. Unlike ceramic tile, there are no grout lines to try and keep clean.

When properly installed, vinyl flooring also creates a waterproof surface and can withstand some very wet situations. You know, like when the dog comes in out of the rain and runs around the kitchen shaking off or the kids climbing in and out of the tub : ) ! Be careful, ceramic tends to be slippery when wet!

If you truly like the look of ceramic tile but are looking for a more economical solution, then a vinyl flooring that simulates ceramic is the answer. After installing some of the vinyl flooring on the market today and actually seeing them in the room, I can tell you first hand that they can be very realistic looking and give you the impression that you are looking at real ceramic tile.

So, when asking , ” Should I buy ceramic tile or vinyl flooring ? “, my answer would be to understand the characteristic of each type of flooring and how it affects the way you live before buying.

If you’re anything like me, you like to stay busy with home improvement projects and similar challenges. While I was growing up, I was often told that idle hands are the devil’s tools. Although I’m not necessarily convinced that’s true, I get an undeniable sense of accomplishment each time I complete a project. This summer alone I reshingled the roof and installed hardwood flooring in the dining room.

It was the first time I had ever attempted a flooring job, and I was almost stopped dead in my tracks by the prices. Luckily I had purchased a helpful diy flooring installation guide that provided tips about discount materials. It also offered me a wealth of insight in terms of flooring techniques; without the book, I might have gone about the process of installation completely backwards.

Follow These Stain-Removing Tips!

Area rugs can get super dirty. And, some stains just never seem to want to come out. But most stains will come out if you follow some important instructions. Remember that it is always important to test cleaning agents on fabric before spraying an entire stain area. Here are some tips on how to get stains out your kitchen area rugs fast and efficiently:

1 Scrub the stain from the outside towards the center.

2 Don’t scrub a carpet. The friction can ruin the carpet’s tufts. Instead, remove the stain by blotting. The less brushing the better.

3 Use a clean spray bottle to apply cleaning agents to the material. Do not pour liquids directly on the stain.

4 Don’t mix too many chemicals on the stain. Mixing chemicals can create harmful fumes. If this does occur don’t breathe in, or wear a mouth-and-nose mask.

5 Bleach is never an option in stain removal. Remember once you apply bleach there’s nothing you can do to remove it!

Most stains can be removed with a mild cleaning agent and water if they are organically based.

Grease can be removed with a mild degreaser, gum can be removed by freezing it with an ice cube and carefully scraping it off, citrus based cleaners are great for removing something sticky, and lastly you can use a petroleum based product such as lighter fluid to remove sticky substances or tar/asphalt stains. Remember to test a small area first!

One more tip, never use acetone based products such as nail polish removers!

Hope this helps!

When my wife and I moved into a new home a few months ago, we were generally thrilled with the investment. As you might expect, there were a few small improvements to be made, but the place is far from being a fixer-upper. There was really only one issue that we couldn’t get past – one problem that had to be remedied immediately. Something had to be done about the atrocious tile work in the kitchen.

At first we thought about retiling the space, but that would have cost too much. So we experimented with a few modern area rugs, which effectively obscured the offending tile and actually made the overall design quite palatable. Once we save up enough money, we might just redo the floor, but for the time being the rugs will have to do.