Environment-Friendly Home Improvement Flooring Products Gain Mass Appeal
By Wills Thomas

One of the first things home owners think of when embarking on a home improvement project is pulling up that dusty, stained and frayed old carpet. The next step is deciding what to put in its place - new carpet or some other type of flooring.

A trendy new craze sweeping the country is to replace existing carpet with environmentally friendly flooring such as reclaimed wood, linoleum, cork or bamboo. Such types of flooring are not only helpful to the environment, but are also coveted for their exquisite beauty, texture and form.

People are fast realizing the dangers of using products for the home that can be detrimental to the environment and to the residents who live in the home. Jumping on the bandwagon, architects, builders and decorators are suggesting flooring products that protect the environment and the people who live and work in the buildings.

Advantages of Choosing Environment-Friendly Flooring Over Carpeting

If you've ever pulled up used carpeting in a home or other heavily-trafficked area, you've probably been aghast at the debris and filth hidden in the carpet and padding. The truth is that no matter how fanatical you are about vacuuming and shampooing your carpet, residue, mold and mildew will accumulate in the fibers beneath. The carpet then becomes an allergen magnet, hording germs that can affect humans and pets who come in contact with it.

Besides the advantage of avoiding allergens, the durability and beauty of wood or other environmentally correct floorings remains undisputed. It is easily cleaned and comes in a wide variety of patterns and colors to fit any décor.

Linoleum is resilient and is made from renewable substances of the earth or recycled remnants, but linoleum itself cannot be recycled because of the glue used to install it. Still, the long life gained from using linoleum has made it a popular choice for homes and offices.

The use of "reclaimed" wood found in old buildings such as barns, hotels or railroad cars is an emerging trend across the country. While the obvious character and patina of these woods are lovely and desirable, the cost can be somewhat prohibitive at around $30 per square foot. Furthermore, shoppers need to be careful to ensure they buy from a trusted source. There is also the danger of running out of wood before the project is completed if you aren't sure to measure correctly and buy the right amount of materials.

Newer products, such as cork and bamboo are excellent choices to use in buildings that have energy savers such as radiant heat. Besides saving on energy costs, cork and bamboo can be bought for much less than wood and still have the "green tag" of being friendly to the environment.

Transform Your Home or Office with Cork or Bamboo Flooring

The rapid disappearances of our forests and rainforests have led to the research and development of new products in flooring and the reemergence of some old favorites. Cork and bamboo are forerunners in this endeavor.

Cork flooring has been popular in the United States since the 1950s. The avocado and gold colored carpet of the 70s temporarily replaced its prominence in the flooring market, but cork has now found new acceptance in environmentally conscious homes.

Anti-microbial and cushiony soft, cork is an ideal choice for parents who want to keep their homes free of allergens and also enjoy a tranquil existence by diminishing noise.

Bamboo flooring is both resilient and beautiful. Its colors, ranging from natural to amber, create an excellent background for any style of furniture or accessories. The durability of bamboo makes it a superior choice, and because of its rapid growth, bamboo usage helps to preserve our forests.

While bamboo is lightweight, it is as hard as oak, maple or redwood and has the added advantages of expanding and contracting less. It comes in tongue and groove planks for ease of installation. What's more, bamboo's natural imperfections lend an air of exclusivity to its look.

Jump On the "Build Green" Bandwagon When You Build or Renovate

Almost every decorating or architectural magazine that you see on the stands contains at least one article about being environmentally conscious when you build or renovate.

Indeed, there are many types of flooring that you can select to conserve energy and preserve our forests and other resources while avoiding excessive costs or future problems. Choosing the appropriate flooring for your home or office is a major decision - one that you will probably live with for a long time.

Choose wisely and "build green" whenever you can. It's a great way to show that you care about our earth and its future.

Wills Thomas is the proprietor of the Bamboo Flooring and Cork Flooring consumer guides to environmentally friendly floor coverings. Visitors to either site will discover a wealth of information covering all aspects of purchasing, installing and caring for bamboo and cork floors.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wills_Thomas

Oak Wood Buyer's Easy Guide
By Natalie Aranda

Hardwood floors are part of an established home’s heritage. The look of the wood is what draws a guest in and what adds warmth even on the coldest of days. When you decide to install solid wood flooring in your home or office you are not only going for that old familiar aesthetic, but you are also acknowledging that wood flooring is extremely sensible. There is a treasured stability with hard wood flooring, something that immediately elevates the value of your property. With wood flooring you give a nod to the baroque.

In addition to looking beautiful and lush, wood floors are also unquestionably good for the environment. The flooring is, in a sense, insulation between your home and the elements. This insulation is said to be sixteen times as powerful as steel and four hundred fifteen times more productive than steel. Most solid wood flooring is made in America and therefore must adhere to the nation’s strict environmental codes and ordinances.

What grain of wood you select will determine the overall character of your floor. Nothing exudes dependability like oak solid wood flooring. Within each plank you see the life of the tree: the knots and burrs. Another benefit to choosing solid oak flooring is that it does not scratch easily. With proper care, the warmth of the color will last a very long time.

Engineered oak wood flooring is a less expensive option. You get the same look and character, but the installation is much easier. In most cases nails or screws are not necessary, all that you need is a foam underlay. Since most of the engineered oak wood flooring is made in China some may argue that the quality is lower.

While some of the heartiness of solid oak wood flooring may be lost, and the value of your home or business may not increase as much, the appearance is not sacrificed and most people rarely can detect the difference. The greatest difference is in the cost and the installation. A professional with elaborate and specialized tools must install solid oak wood flooring.

A benefit for choosing engineered oak wood flooring is that you have the option of putting in the floor yourself. With the do it yourself craze at full tilt many new and established homeowners are getting excited about improvement projects that can be accomplished within a weekend.

Most major chain home improvement centers not only offer a large variety of engineered oak wood flooring, but they are now offering workshops that will guide you through the step by step process. An added bonus to doing it yourself is that now under floor heating is becoming mainstream. In the same workshop where you learn about wood flooring you can learn about the under floor heat process and how energy efficient a row of heating coils can be.

Choosing to upgrade your home or business flooring is simple, and in most cases, affordable. Going with solid oak flooring or engineered oak wood flooring is up to your taste and your wallet.

Natalie Aranda writes on home improvement. Hardwood floors are part of an established home’s heritage. The look of the wood is what draws a guest in and what adds warmth even on the coldest of days. When you decide to install solid wood flooring in your home or office you are not only going for that old familiar aesthetic, but you are also acknowledging that wood flooring is extremely sensible. What grain of wood you select will determine the overall character of your floor. Nothing exudes dependability like oak solid wood flooring.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Natalie_Aranda

Hardwood Floor Refinishing - Do It Yourself Tips
By Jeanette Joy Fisher

If you're lucky enough to find hardwood floors hiding under your tired carpeting, you might feel like covering the wood back up. That's understandable because refinishing the floors yourself seems like an impossible task.

Hardwood floors were a common feature in houses until the 1960s. Before that, having wall-to-wall carpet was considered a luxury upgrade. From the 1970s on, most homes had wall-to-wall carpet in nearly every room. However, tastes change, and over the last couple decades, hardwood floors have once again become fashionable and desirable.

Oftentimes, when I'm talking with someone about fixing houses, they ask if refinishing hardwood floors is something they can do themselves. Unless the person has a physical reason why they can't do it, I generally say yes. However, I also remind them that redoing hardwood floors takes a great deal of time, sweat, and elbow grease.

As a general rule, floors of fifty square feet or less can be sanded by hand, but for any floor larger than that, rent or buy a small orbital sander. Everything necessary for doing it yourself will be available at your local hardware store. You can buy a pretty good electric sander nowadays for less than $100, which can be a good investment, especially if you're planning to work on your home on a regular basis.

The first layer to be removed is often a thick wax coating, followed by a coat of either polyurethane or varnish. A heavy duty commercial wax stripper can remove the wax, and then a lacquer thinner or acetone can be wiped on to prepare the wood for the next step.

If there are any carpet tacks or pieces of old nails in the wood, remove them first. The remnant of a nail can tear up sandpaper, damage a sanding pad, and do serious damage to the palm of your hand, so check carefully to make sure all remnants of tacks and nails are gone before you begin sanding.

Fill all nail holes with a quality wood filler, matching the color as closely as you can, and let it dry. Then you're ready to begin sanding the floor with 220-grit sandpaper, whether by hand or with a sander.

When you're done sanding, wipe the entire floor with a damp cloth to remove as much sanding dust as possible. Damp cloths work better than vacuum cleaners. Let the floor dry, and then wipe it again with a tack rag, which is a cloth impregnated with resin to pick up fine dust particles. Again, your local hardware store will have what you need.

After the floor is as clean as you can get it, apply three coats of polyurethane with a paint pad, allowing each coat to dry thoroughly, lightly sanding with 220-grit paper, and wiping the floor with a damp cloth and a tack rag between coats. If you prefer an old-fashioned finish, you can use a 50/50 mixture of linseed oil and mineral spirits and then wax the floors with beeswax or paste wax. Take caution with the chemical mixture and the rags because they can catch on fire.

You can refinish hardwood floors yourself. It just takes time and effort--and a good set of kneepads wouldn't hurt, either! Once you finish, you'll have a gorgeous floor to be proud of and ready for that next "do it yourself" project--perhaps the next room with hardwood floors.

Copyright © 2006 Jeanette J. Fisher

Author Jeanette Fisher, America's "Dream Home" Maker, teaches interior design, redesign, and home staging. You can ask her questions on her Amazon blog or see http://www.designpsych.com for free home decorating teleseminars.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeanette_Joy_Fisher

Flooring Installation Tips 

Replacing flooring can really invigorate a room, but can also be time consuming and expensive. Here a few helpful tips to prepare you for this process:

1. Be aware that floor installation projects are all different and can be tackled from a couple different angles. Just be sure to talk with the contractor and go over the materials and procedures that will be implemented so that you can understand the cost of the project. Also be prepared for the fact that incidental costs are fairly common with this type of work, so plan some room for those in your budget.
   
   
2. Another area that could result in hidden costs is the condition of the existing floor and/or the sub-floor. If the condition of either is poor enough it may require repairs or adjustments, and this will cost more money in the short term. However, doing the job correctly now, and setting a good base will help save you from having to spend more money down the road to fix any problems that could have been remedied during installation.
   
   
3. Appliances may need to be removed prior to beginning the installation.  If working on a tight budget,  you may want to remove the appliances yourself.  Having the flooring installer remove the appliances adds time and cost to the job.  This might also be the time to buy and install a new major appliance if you need one, like a dishwasher or stove.
   
   
4. Hidden cost may come from having to remove moldings and other impediments.  This again could be a job that you try to tackle yourself, or pay a few extra dollars and let the floor installation contractor handle.
   
   
5. Be aware that in some cases putting down a new floor may add some height, especially if work was done to the sub-floor.  This may result in the need to sand down some doors.

Flooring installation contractors may also provide the following services:

• Cabinet Installation
• Carpentry
• Drywall Installation
• General Contractor
• Tile Installation