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If you are about to install engineered hardwood using the glue down method, I recommend that you read this article. One of the most important factors when installing engineered hardwood is the adhesive. Using the proper adhesive is critical to a successful installation. In this article I will briefly cover the differences between Acrylic and Urethane based adhesives. Let me start with acrylic adhesives. Acrylic adhesives are resin based and contain a certain percentage of water in them. The main problem with resin based adhesives, is the lack of tensile strength. In order for Acrylic adhesives to perform at their optimal level, the sub-floor needs to be well prepared and extremely flat. If the sub-floor is not level and flat and you choose to use an acrylic adhesive, I guarantee you will have hollow spots once the job is complete. Hollow spots are areas in which the wood floor is not adhered properly to the substrate. This problem is common and can be recognized by a popping or hollow ...

If you are looking to purchase a new laminate or hardwood floor and you plan on doing it yourself, then I recommend buying Robina. Robina laminate and hardwood, both feature the Valinge locking system. This locking system is the best on the market today and is the easiest laminate/wood floor to install ever. Valinge produces a 2G and a 5G locking mechanism. The 5G versions are used on all 12mm laminates and all 1/2" wood products. The 2G systems are used on 8.3mm laminates and 3/8" wood products. The main difference between the 2G and the 5G is that the 5G products has a plastic clip on the end of the boards, the 2G does not. However, both locking systems work identically. The big advantage Valinge has against its competition is that there is no need for a tapping block or hammer. This product drops and locks right into place with no beating or banging. The Unilin system requires a tapping block and hammer (which could damage the floor) and is more difficult to install. The V...

This May the floor of the month award goes to Capri plank Brazilian cherry. Made by Forest Accents, this floor features a 25-year warranty, a 2mm wear-layer and is a half-inch in total thickness. The board lengths of this product are 17-84" This makes this product ideal for large rooms. Brazilian cherry is a prized hardwood from South America and will coordinate with most furniture. The color of this product ranges from a rich red and orange tone, to softer brown tones. Over time (Approximately 4-6 months) this floor will darken to a deep red color. I recommend waiting a couple of months before laying down area rugs. Laying down an area prematurely will only cause blending problems down the road. The Janka rating for this product is 2350, which is much harder than domestic oak. Perhaps one of the most important features of this product is its price. Compared to its competition, this product is extremely well priced. I know for certain that this product is around fifty cents per s...

With all the styles and colors available in carpeting, one can easily get overwhelmed when deciding to purchase new carpet. In this article I will try and give you enough information to help make this decision a little easier. Remember, selecting a new carpet for your home can be easy or it can be very difficult depending on your expectations. The first thing you should ask yourself is: Is durability or stain resistance more important. If you have an active home with accident-prone children, stain resistant carpet may be more important. Generally speaking polyester carpet is the most stain resistant fiber and the easiest to clean, however it is not the most durable. Nylon carpet tends to hold up better, but is more susceptible to stains. Not all carpet fibers are created equal. I recommend taking the time to learn about the different fibers and their inherent characteristics. Next you must decide whether you want a plush pile, frieze, or a Berber carpet. If you are in the market for a ...

Before you decide to purchase a hardwood floor, there some important things to know first. In this article I will cover the basics of hardwood flooring and try to make purchasing hardwood a little easier. Hardwood flooring is an upgrade to laminate and has a variety of options. Available options are: Engineered, solid, hand-scraped, wire-brushed, distressed and traditional smooth finishes. If your home has a concrete foundation, engineered hardwood is the floor of choice. This product is made to glue down to a concrete slab and is available in many species and colors. Solid hardwood flooring is recommended for plywood sub floors and should not be glued directly to concrete. In my opinion, the single most important aspect of hardwood flooring is its hardness. With that being said, all hardwood floors will dent, some more than others. Also, hardness does not always equal durability. For instance, maple flooring is harder than oak but does not have as much graining as oak, thus making it ...

Before you decide to purchase laminate flooring, there are a few things you should consider. I this article I am going to talk about the various types of laminate and how they suit ones needs. Laminate flooring is quickly becoming a floor of choice for many consumers, mostly due to price and durability. The single most important factor when purchasing laminate is whether it is high or direct pressure. (Many retail sales people do not even know the difference.) I will not get into this subject to due to post length. I do recommend however checking out Wilsonart's website to learn about the differences. www.wilsonartflooring.com . The next item to consider is color. Laminate flooring has evolved in the last few years and now more colors are available than ever before. What ever color you decide, choose the color of the floor first. You can always change the color of the paint at a later point. Another question you might ask yourself is, whether or not you want a product that is hand...

Most veneers used for engineered hardwood flooring are either rotary peeled or sawn faced. In this article I will cover these two types of veneers and attempt to explain the differences. There are other types of veneers available for hardwood flooring; however these two are the most common. Rotary peeled veneers are peeled from the log starting from the outside working toward the center (Similar to peeling an onion). The logs are first boiled, then peeled and pressed flat to make the veneers. The rotary peel method is the least expensive and is more prone to face checking and other problems. Face checking is when the finish starts to crack from stress within the veneer. The look of rotary peeled floors tends to resemble the look of plywood. Most of the woods flooring manufacturers in the United States use the rotary peel method. Sawn face veneers are sawn across the log just as a solid hardwood is. It has the same visual appearance, is more dimensionally stable and less prone to face c...