Not too long ago, the only choice you had was the old-fashioned solid wood tongue and groove strips in maple or oak. Today, wood flooring can be planks from old barns, exotic woods, pre-finished engineered wood strips which eliminate the dust and disruption of finishing on site. You even can have wood laminate flooring, which isn’t wood, but looks like wood at a much lower cost.

SOLID WOOD FLOORING – Solid wood floors, although beautiful, can’t be used everywhere. They must be nailed to a sub-floor. This makes solid wood unsuitable for use directly over concrete.

Adding a sub-floor between the concrete and the wood flooring might result in a height problem where the floor meets an adjoining room. Moisture causes wood to expand, so it’s not appropriate in basements. Humidity can lead to squeaking and buckling.

The trend seems to be for homeowners to buy wood flooring with a factory-applied finish. This eliminates dust from sanding, fumes from finishing, and waiting before the floor can be walked on. Another benefit is that the factory finishes are usually much tougher than the polyurethane applied in the field.

The downside of pre-finishing is that since that floor doesn’t get sanded after it’s installed, there are slight bumps and dips where the sub-floor isn’t perfectly level, and where the flooring strips might vary slightly in thickness.

To hide these misalignments, flooring is available with V grooves so that when together, the edges aren’t touching and it’s difficult to notice any imperfections in alignment. Over time, these V grooves will catch dirt and darken, becoming a prominent feature in the floor. Not my favorite scenario.

Another advantage of finishing after installation is that you can have the floor stained to your liking. If you like the grain of oak, but don’t care for the yellowish tone of the wood, you can make it amber, for example. A professional finisher will know how to bring out the natural patina of the wood using boiled linseed oil or tung oil.

Most homeowners have hardwood flooring. There are also softwoods, like pine and fir, which are very attractive. These will get nicked up over time, but they’re meant to be lived on. The more beat up they get, the better they look – especially if you have a country or antique flavor running through the house. These work especially well as wider planks rather than the 2 1/2″ strips.

Prices for solid wood flooring vary from $8 to $10 per square foot for common species, to over $25 per square foot for the exotic variety. This same price range applies to engineered wood flooring.

ENGINEERED WOOD FLOORING – The advantage of using engineered wood flooring is that it can be used directly over concrete (because you don’t have to nail it during installation), or below grade (because moisture doesn’t bother it as much as solid wood). The wood look comes from a thin veneer of the selected wood, which is pressed onto several layers of substrate.

This product is available in strips, planks, or panels that look like planks. It can be nailed down, but is typically installed as a floating floor. This means the pieces are glued to each other, but not attached to a sub-floor. This allows the floor to “float” with seasonal weather changes or changes in humidity.

Virtually all engineered wood flooring is pre-finished, and usually comes with the V grooves mentioned earlier. Some cannot be refinished because that top veneer is too thin. Others can be – once or twice. It depends on the top layer, which can be anything from 1/12″ to 1/4″ depending on the manufacturer. In the end, this flooring costs about as much as solid wood flooring, and the only advantage (in my opinion) is that you can “float” it on concrete.

EXOTIC WOODS – Over the past several years, many flooring manufacturers have included exotic woods in their lines to meet growing popularity. Some of these exotic looks are even available in wood laminate flooring. In solid planking, exotic woods can cost twice as much as comparable domestic species, although engineered woods remain closer to the domestic hardwoods.

The appeal of these species is often in their rich colors and their durability. Many are considerably harder than oak or maple. A number of tropical woods have been acclaimed as environmentally friendly due to their quick growth rate. The quickest self-replenishers are bamboo and cork (neither are a wood).

If the environment is of concern to you, look for the FSC stamp on the product you’re buying. The Forest Stewardship Council is an environmental group that tracks wood production and certifies woods that are harvested in an environmentally friendly manner.

RECLAIMED WOOD FLOORING – This is another way to recycle. It is not new wood that is made to look old. Reclaimed wood really is old. These antique floor boards come from several sources. It could possibly be flooring removed from an old building; or you could get old timbers that are sliced into floor boards.

Salvage companies dive into lakes and rivers to pull up old trees that sank in the 19th century, on their way to be milled. Still other wood is reclaimed when old structures like barns, boxcars, or industrial building, are demolished. Some dealers will provide a history of the product you’re buying.

This is a win-win. You get a distinctive floor, and you help save a forest. Older wood will have a straighter, tighter grain. Decades of oxidation give it deeper, richer colors. It’s not perfect, but it’s got character. You might see nail holes, stains, and even minor insect damage in the boards, all of which contributes to their beauty.

Most reclaimed flooring comes unfinished. Expect to pay about twice the price of standard flooring ($16 to $20 per square foot). This wood should be kiln dried before you buy it. This will kill bugs, expose cracks, and minimize moisture in the wood, which might cause excessive expansion and contraction.

This is like granite in that it’s a one-of-a-kind product. Make sure you request a sample so you know what to expect before your floor arrives.

WOOD LAMINATE FLOORING – This is not made from wood. It’s really a photograph of wood sandwiched between a clear plastic covering and a fiberboard backing. It comes at a fraction of the cost of any of the products mentioned above (about $1.50 per square foot). It’s so easy to install, many homeowners do it themselves.

This product came to the United States from Sweden in 1996 and already accounts for about 10% of the entire residential flooring market. It looks very much like the real thing, but it does sound different when you walk on it. You can minimize this by putting sound-dampening under-layments below the floor. Some have sound-deadening material already incorporated into the planks.

There are differences in quality. Make sure you buy high-pressure laminate (HPL) as opposed to direct-pressure laminate (DPL). For a more authentic look, buy wood laminate flooring that is “embossed in register”. This means that the little lines imprinted on the surface follow the lines of the grain – to look more real.

Also choose a product that has a repeat of at least 6 planks – that means 6 different grain photographs that repeat around the room – and in random lengths, to disguise repeats. Quality wood laminate flooring is generally guaranteed for 20 or 25 years. But unlike wood floors, they can’t be refinished. In the event of spot damage, the individual boards can sometimes be replaced.

Charles Gueli invites you to ask questions about wood flooring, and take advantage of the resources on http://www.continuous-home-improvement-help.com, where guidance, information and support are always available – helping homeowners make better decisions.

By Charles Gueli

Technological advancement has made our life easy and superior. Due to recent advances in polishing techniques and equipments, both new and old concrete floors are attaining high-gloss finish which do not requires coatings or waxes. Due to excellent durability, resilience and performance of concrete polish, many offices, retail, and warehouses choosing polished concrete flooring.

It is possible to polish any concrete slab, regardless of its age. Furthermore, there is no need to make use of special acid agents for preparing the surface. In this process, 12 or more steps are involved for surface grinding. This helps to get a dense surface. After this, the surface is polished by using resin diamond or metal diamond grids. In case of special requirements, surface coatings and floor hardeners are used to obtain the desired sheen.

There are numerous advantages of polished concrete flooring over other flooring material alternatives:

Resilience: Concrete floors are strong and durable. These floors do not stain easily. Further, these floors are not prone to crack or split like tile or linoleum. In addition to this, there is no need to change the flooring time to time as in case of carpets, PVC, marble or stone. With proper care and regular maintenance, it will give best performance for years to come. Properly maintained concrete floors can exist as long as the slab exists. Various features make them the most ideally suited and affordable flooring option in both short and long run.

The concrete floors have dense surface, which help to prevent the oil or chemical penetration of the surface. Due to this particular feature, concrete floors are ideally suited for warehouse, commercial and industrial applications. As the flooring is abrasion resistant, it can be used in tune with the industry standards.

Regular mopping and cleaning will ensure that polished concrete flooring is far less slippery as compared to other flooring substitutes. Besides durability and performance, it offers superior aesthetics. Unlike other types of flooring, excellent looks of concrete polish can be preserved easily with minimal maintenance. The high quality finish and gloss makes these floors best-suited option for a variety of purposes. So, what are you waiting for? No matter whether it is your shop, mall or house, concrete polish is the best flooring option.

Anything that can be formed out of concrete can be polished to a full gloss. While being most commonly found on flooring, polishing concrete can be performed on walls, bench tops and even furniture.

By Casey Bevans

Carpet – There are few homes that do not have any carpet in them; it remains one of the most popular floor coverings available today. Available in a huge variety of colors, quality and styles, many people have carpet in areas like living rooms and bedrooms. Carpet is cozy and exudes a feeling of warmth. At the same time, it may not be the best option in high-traffic areas like doorways, as it will become worn and dirty. And in places like kitchens and bathrooms, carpet gets dirty, and sometimes ruined, rather quickly.

Hardwood – While hardwood is one of the most expensive of the floor-covering options, it probably is the most desirable. If you are selling your condo, replacing the flooring with hardwood is a great way to catch the eye of potential buyers. One of the best aspects of hardwood floors is their durability. Though it is a large initial investment, hardwood can last for decades. It also is easy to clean and maintain. If something spills, simply sweep or soak it up. Hardwood also is available in a variety of colors. It naturally reflects light and lends a more open feeling to your condo, and choosing a light color can actually make your space appear larger. Some people have nothing but hardwood floors and put down area rugs in places like bedrooms and living rooms.

Laminate – Laminate flooring is designed to look and function like hardwood, but at a cheaper price. It is a good option for people who do not want carpet, but cannot afford hardwood floors. It does not last as long as hardwood, but most laminate floors have a longer useful life than carpet. Like hardwood floors, laminate floors can make a room seem larger.

Tile – For many people, tile occupies a small flooring niche. This floor type is a good option in bathrooms because it is not sensitive to moisture and water. Many people also like tile in their kitchens because it is easy to clean up spills. And tile is especially popular in high-traffic spots like doorways. One of the main drawbacks of tile, especially in cooler climates, is that it does not retain heat well. But if you really want tile, and you have a healthy budget, you can always have heating elements installed underneath it.

Andy Asbury is a Twin Cities based REALTOR specializing in Minneapolis condos and helping others discover the joy of urban living. To get the latest on information on Minneapolis condominiums visit http://www.MinnesotaLoftsandCondos.com today!

By Andy Asbury

Before you do purchase one of these products you should consider the following.

Features of Solid

Bamboo Solid bamboo flooring comes in three basic varieties: vertical, horizontal and the strand woven. Of these, horizontal and vertical are the most popular and are manufactured by gluing dozens of bamboo strips with a resin or adhesive. The horizontal design is created by laying sheets of bamboo side by side and the vertical pattern is created by showing the vertical edge of the bamboo. Strand woven is made from bamboo pressed together to form blocks that are sliced like hardwood flooring.

Features of Engineered Bamboo

Engineered bamboo is available in the same styles as solid planks but this design layer or veneer does not run the full thickness of the plank. This veneer sits on top of the substrate and means you can only refinish your floor 2-3 times. However, the benefit of an engineered product is that the substrate provides additional lateral support which prevents the flooring from expanding and contracting as much as solid planks. Another positive of this product is that installation is much quicker and the flooring comes prefinished which means you will save on installation cost and having to hire someone to apply a urethane finish as you would on a solid plank floor.

Installation

Solid bamboo is installed using adhesives or nails. Engineered bamboo is a floating floor application using a tongue and groove system to lock each plank together. The tongue and groove system means you will not have to use messy adhesives or nails during installing and you can walk on your floor immediately after installation since most engineered flooring comes prefinished.

Benefits

Engineered bamboo flooring is much more stable then solid planks and is able to handle changes in moisture without showing the expansions and contraction gaps that appear with solid flooring. The biggest benefit of engineered flooring is the amount of time and money you will save since installation is far easier and cheaper.

Top quality engineered bamboo flooring that’s easy to install and comes prefinished from the factory. To see our full line of engineered bamboo flooring visit http://www.FlooringStoreOnline.com.

By John Countryman

Home remodeling is a costly affair but you can make it cost effective by remodeling only selective areas of your home. If your home floor and walls are in good position then there is no need to tear the floor just to install new tiles. Smart people work smartly and give their dwellings a new look and feel by spending a meager sum. Remodeling only the important areas of your home can help you achieve your objective. Just mark the areas you want to improve and redesign them with designer slate tile flooring. In this way you can make your home look more attractive without spending much money.

Home owners use slate tile flooring because it can with stand stain and resist moisture from entering into the surface. Moisture is the enemy of your home floor and walls. If allowed to enter, it can eat out the construction material and thus make the walls and floor weak from inside resulting in cracking and breaking of the flooring material. With the help of a strong flooring slab, you can prevent your home from collapsing or degenerating. Slate slabs are the strongest of the flooring slabs available in the market and for this reason they are very popular.

Another feature of slate tile flooring that makes them suitable for use on residential and commercial complexes is their resilience towards dirt, dust, moisture and grime that travel with air. Due to its excellent resilience towards dirty elements, slate flooring slabs are called maintenance free tiles. Home owners will be amazed to know that slate floors don’t require regular cleaning as just sweeping the floor with soft bristles broom twice in a day is sufficient to keep the floor sparkling clean. To reduce the burden of regular cleaning from your body, you can vacuum the floor at least once in a week.

Sam Dicousta has volunteered his services for many organisations with his creative expressions in the interior design field like Slate Tile Flooring, slate tiles etc. He has also written various articles on different types of tiles and its best suitable uses.

By Sam Dicousta

Carpet – Carpet is probably the most common cheap floor installed in apartments and rental units. If you know how to look for the right deals it can had be had very inexpensively and installed fairly quickly. You should be able to find entry level, plush carpeting in neutral colors for under $4.50 per yard (maybe even under $4 yard if you look really hard). Cheap carpet padding will usually run you an additional $2.30 to $2.75 per yard for a basic 6 pound density, 7/16″ thick. You can scrimp on the pad by going to a thinner or lower weight pad, but in the long run you will end out replacing pad more frequently than if you went with the basic 6 pound style. If you want to stay a little more current and install frieze carpet or a textured plush you will almost have to double your budget to around the $7.00 per yard and up range. Carpet can be inexpensive as an option for rental property, probably one the cheapest actually but it will also not last as long as many of the other options.

Carpet tile – Carpet tile is a version of carpet but modular. It is manufactured with a built in backing and comes in square pieces designed to fit next to each other. Installation can be very quick and inexpensive and they can be easier to handle than rolls of carpet. An advantage of carpet tiles is that they can be individually replaced if one becomes too soiled or stained to get clean. Using carpet tiles can possibly save you some money over time by not having to replace the entire carpeting in a unit. The commercial rated carpet tiles also handle heavy traffic much better than traditional, cheap plush carpets. Carpet tile can be found for as little as $4.50/yard to $7.00 a square yard range.

Laminate – Laminate floors can be both cheap and very functional in rental properties and apartments. Laminate is virtually stain proof, holds up well against most scratches and handles foot traffic extremely well. Laminate will last much longer than carpet options and can be fairly inexpensive when looking at lower end styles in the 6 mil to 7 mil thickness range. You should be able to buy a entry level laminate floor for under $8 per yard ($.89 a foot). The major drawback with laminate is it’s susceptibility to water. Laminate flooring hates water and moisture. Kitchens and bathrooms are usually not good areas to install laminate flooring.

Luxury Vinyl Plank and Tile – Along with Laminate, a very good choice for economical and longer lasting than other options. Luxury vinyl planks that simulate the look of wood and vinyl tiles that have the appearance of ceramic, slate or marble, can handle spills and constant traffic very well. Furthermore, luxury vinyl planks and tile do well in rental properties due to their ability to resist most scratches. These are not the same as peel and stick vinyl planks and tiles which can be a bad idea for rental units (peel and stick vinyl flooring tends to come back up and can be a maintenance headache). Quality luxury vinyl tile and planks can be found for as little as $1.25 per square foot. This tends to be a touch on the high side compared to some of the other options but will last much longer than most choices.

Traditional sheet vinyl – Sheet vinyl goods actually are fairly rugged and handle abuse pretty well. The knock against traditional vinyl is that it looks cheap. Vinyl roll goods have come a long way and some of the newer patterns look much better than those of the past. The upside to vinyl goods is they do extremely well in wet areas such as bathroom, laundry areas and kitchens. A good way to save money on vinyl for rental property or apartments is to find a source that you can get discounted product that is considered overruns or seconds. If you can find these types of vinyl you should be able to purchase them for under $6 a square yard for a pretty good quality product. You can also find first quality builder grade vinyl for around $6 a yard as well.

Finding deals on flooring for apartments and rental property can be tough at the home improvement chain stores. Try finding a large independent flooring wholesaler to locate some of the hidden flooring deals available. A good place to start your search for carpet deals, discount luxury vinyl and other floor covering choices is Beckler’s Carpet in Dalton, Ga

For more information on flooring for rental properties visit BecklersCarpet.com, or call Beckler’s at 1-800-232-5537.

Eric Dyer is a writer who covers flooring topics.

Originated from China, it is now very popular in many Asian countries and even European countries. What makes it favorable is because it has the same hardness and texture as wooden flooring. However, it is more durable and resistant. It means that you will find less problems than any other products. It resists the cold; you can keep warm inside a house whose floor uses bamboo even in a winter. It also cannot easily be moisturized. Therefore, it can hardly spoiled by the moist air. And, it resists insects. You will rarely see your bamboo is broken by termites.

This product comes in two types. The first one is the natural type. The natural one comes as what it is. It does not use any additional coloring, so the color of the natural bamboo flooring will be just the bamboo itself: golden, and sometimes blonde. The second one is the carbonized one. This is the bamboo that is had carbonization coloring in the finishing process of manufacture. Therefore, you can easily differentiate both two types just by looking at the color. The natural product has lighter color than the carbonized color of bamboo flooring, which is always darker. These 2 types are suitable for many people.

The only problem that comes up with the application of bamboo flooring in houses is its pros and contras. They are triggered by the matter of eco-friendliness. Obviously, it is not eco-friendly, since it is made from trees. There will be so many trees being cut down to produce this product. Therefore, many activists of green movement or save the earth will strictly attack the manufacture and the application of this product. Once again, however, it is based on your point of view whether or not bamboo flooring is worthy to install in your house.

There are many Bamboo Flooring Problems, we can improve them by choosing Carbonized Bamboo Flooring.