01Sep

How to close a joint between a tile and a laminate

Today the laminate is the most urgent and demanded flooring which can be used almost everywhere in the house or apartment. However, using it in the hall or kitchen it isn't very practical and it is reasonable decision. For such rooms the ceramic tile will be the best option. However laminate in the  kitchen can be used in the dining area, and other part of the room can be covered with tile. And here is a question: how to close a joint between a tile...

Hardwood Floors
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01Sep

Repair methods for laminate

Low air humidity In case of strong heating the laminate shrinks and small cracks in joints appear. To avoid  this problem just regularly  air the apartment/house or to establish a humidifier. Uneven floor basis The concrete coupler as the easiest way to make it equal will be the ideal basis for a laminate. Some owners don't trouble themselves equalization of a floor and install the laminate directly on the uneven floor. As a result the laminate spoils, disperses, breaking laminate locks. Wrong laminate stacking It is necessary to...

Hardwood Floors
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01Sep

Right Laminate care

After the difficult choice of a flooring, you stopped on a laminate. Now you are tormented by a question how to take care of it. First of all we will pay attentionon the structure of a laminate. Upper protective layer is the most important. If we damage it in use, then the laminate will lose the gloss and will become subject to scratches and moisture. It is also necessary to put a rug which will detain hit of sand to your apartment in a...

Hardwood Floors
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29Jul

Make Safety a Habit

Make Safety a Habit Like all construction work, installing wood flooring has inher­ent risks. Cuts from edge tools are one obvious hazard. Others are less obvious, but perhaps more readily prevented. Reduce the risks of eye injuries, hearing damage, lung disease, and bad knees with proper safety gear. Comfort is one of the most important factors when selecting safety equipment. I tend to rely on 3M® for safety products, but you may find other brands fit you better. Try out several....

Hardwood Floors
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29Jul

Installation of Wood Flooring

Installation of Wood Flooring Houses under construction are invariably wetter than they will be in service. Allow construction dampness—from fresh concrete, wet lumber, plaster and drywall finishing, and drying paint — to dissipate before delivering the wood flooring. HOW long to wait depends on how much moisture was initially put into the building and what is being used to remove it. Wood flooring should be delivered only once the house is at the correct moisture level. Most manufacturers produce flooring with moisture content between...

Hardwood Floors
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22Jul

Testing Finish Adhesion

How do you know whether the finish you're thinking of re-coating is adequately adhered to the wood? If it isn't, you won't get by with just a screening and a recoat. The floor needs to be sanded to the wood first. What if you've just finished a floor, but for some reason have a nagging doubt about whether the finish is going to stay put? Perhaps you're using a new combination of stain and finish. There's a simple way to...

Hardwood Floors
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22Jul

Finish Problems and Solutions – CRAWLING

CRAWLING CAUSE Finishes can separate into their components if they sit in the can for too long. Inadequate mixing can result in applying only some of the components of the finish, which fail to form a uniform film. Contaminants on the flooring, particularly paste wax that has seeped into the joints and been re-dissolved by the finish's solvents, can also cause crawling. FIX Small areas can be scraped and touched in. Larger areas may require screening the floor or sanding to bare wood....

Hardwood Floors
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22Jul

Finish Problems and Solutions – CLOUDY FINISH

CLOUDY FINISH CAUSE Most often, this is caused by applying a coat of finish before the underlying coat has completely dried. This traps the unevaporated solvents in the lower coat. It can also occur if you use finishes from different manufacturers in successive coats. FIX Screen and recoat. Make sure to allow adequate drying time between coats. Check with a damp rag before reapplication of finish to make sure the cloudiness has disappeared—if the finish appears clear when dampened, the problem has probably been...

Hardwood Floors
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22Jul

Finish Problems and Solutions – BUMPS

BUMPS CAUSE Drips and dirt are two causes of bumps in the finish. Another likely cause is using unstrained finish from a partially filled can. In such cases, it's common for the finish to have partially skinned over and bits of the skin can be mixed into the finish. Two-component finishes can become lumpy if not properly mixed, as can water-borne finishes that have been frozen. Sometimes oil-based finishes develop bubbles that pop but don't fully level out. FIX A few bumps can be scraped...

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22Jul

Finish Problems and Solutions – BUBBLES

BUBBLES CAUSE Contaminants such as soap on the surface of the floor can cause bubbles. Other causes are overworking the finish with the applicator or not allowing bubbles from mixing to escape before applying the finish. Applying a hot finish to a cold floor causes a condition where the top of the finish skins over quickly, trapping expanding air from the wood pores that creates bubbles. Excessive air movement can have a similar effect. FIX Bubbles are hollow and can be distinguished from...

Hardwood Floors
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22Jul

Finish Problems and Solutions – BLACK DOTS

BLACK DOTS CAUSE Common causes for black dots include iron filings that react with tannins and water, as on an oak floor finished with water-based urethane, and leave black stains. The filings can come from sharpening scrapers or a sander hitting a nail or a heating duct boot. Tannins alone can create dots, found at the end of a capillary tube in the wood. Mold can also leave black dots. FIX Avoid problems with iron filings by not sharpening scrapers over the floor...

Hardwood Floors
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22Jul

Finish Problems and Solutions – APPLICATOR STREAKS

APPLICATOR STREAKS CAUSE Finishes that dry before they level out can show the texture of whatever tool was used to apply them. Overly fast drying happens most often with waterborne finishes, and is exacerbated by too much air movement, working in excessively hot conditions, or the finish drying in direct sun. Other causes include not applying enough finish, applying it unevenly, or not keeping a wet edge. An applicator with hardened spots can leave marks. Flattening agents in satin or semi-gloss finishes...

Hardwood Floors
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22Jul

Finish Problems and Solutions – ALLIGATORING

When used as intended, modern wood floor finishes almost always do a good job. Be sure to read and follow the manufacturer's instructions not only during application but, equally important, also during sanding and preparation. Many finish problems relate to working in the wrong conditions — too warm, too cold, or too humid. It's far better to wait for the right day than it is to have to redo the finish. ALLIGATORING CAUSE The surface of the finish doesn't properly coalesce, which could...

Hardwood Floors
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Inspecting a Floor
22Jul

Inspecting a Floor

Inspecting Floor. Do not expect site-finished wood floors to resemble fine furniture. Some irregularities may be present, but they should not be prominent. For ex¬ample, some sanding scratches are acceptable in particularly hard woods such as Brazilian cherry, hickory, or maple. The same is true of soft woods such as pine or fir. What's acceptable in a refinished floor depends on the condition of the floor beforehand. Some conditions may be difficult or impossible to bring to a like-new state. The...

Hardwood Floors
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Replacing a board
22Jul

Replacing a board

Replacing a board. Particularly with solid wood floors, board replacement isn't difficult. If you are not taking out the entire board, the first step is to make clean, square cuts at the ends of the board you're replacing. Guide a razor knife with a square to score the top of the board and prevent splintering, then make the cuts (preferably with a Fein Multimaster tool). Use a circular saw set just to cut through the depth of the flooring to...

Hardwood Floors
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19Jul

FLOOR FRAMING IS A SYSTEM

All parts of a floor have to work together for it to function properly. Posts should be spaced so the main beam is not over spanned. Joists need to be deep enough to support their loads without bouncing excessively, and the subflooring must be thick enough to span between the joists without sagging. Mid-span bridging helps to minimize joist flexing. vapor retarders protect the finish flooring from moisture rising from below. Finish flooring usually runs perpendicular to the joists for...

Hardwood Floors
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06Jul

RADIANT HEAT ABOVE OR BELOW THE SUBFLOOR

Tubing installed above the subfloor and between sleepers is easy to avoid with nails. Installing the tubing below the floor requires shorter fasteners or great care, but adds nothing to the floor height. Installation shouldn't begin until reaching the target moisture content. The ideal is to install the flooring at the average moisture content for the location over subflooring that's at the same moisture content or lower. Both fasteners and moisture-retarding products should be compatible with radiant heating. The fasteners should...

Hardwood Floors
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06Jul

Radiant Heating Under Wood Floors

Under-floor radiant heating is becoming increasingly popular. Pipes, often of a flexible plastic called PEX, are hidden in the subfloor system. Warm water running through them heats the flooring, which in turn heats the room. Because the surface area of a floor is so large relative to that of radiators, its temperature doesn't have to be very high to heat the space. The PEX can be installed in a masonry mix poured on top of the subfloor, or it can...

Hardwood Floors
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06Jul

REMOVING EXISTING FLOOR COVERING. REMOVING OLD LINOLEUM OR VINYL FLOORS.

Removing Old Linoleum Or Vinyl Floors You need to be careful when removing old resilient flooring. Many linoleum and vinyl floors from the 1970s and earlier contained asbestos in their backings or adhesives. Various federal, state, and local government agencies have regulations that require special licensed abatement contractors to remove material containing asbestos. Never remove old resilient flooring without having it tested for asbestos first. it is just not worth possible health problems, breaking the law, and contaminating the home. An alternative...

Hardwood Floors
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06Jul

REMOVING EXISTING FLOOR COVERING. REMOVING CARPET.

If you're installing a hardwood floor in new construction, all you have to worry about is the condition of the subfloor. But if you're working on a remodel project, you'll likely have to remove an existing flooring, which might be carpet, linoleum, or vinyl. Removing old floorings is my least favorite part of installing wood flooring. Removing Carpet No matter how many times a carpet is cleaned throughout its life, removing all the animal dander, dirt, and dead bugs is just...

Hardwood Floors
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