Laminate flooring. Is it right for you?

With such a wide range of laminate flooring to choose from now a days, which one do you choose and what level of quality.
 Some of the better quality products can cost as much as a solid wood product, so check you local dealer for more info and sales.
 If you are looking for a near maintenance free floor, a laminate floor is a great choice. Laminate flooring is stain resistant and hard to scratch but not scratch resistant. No flooring product is scratch proof.

 Here are a few things to consider,  the cons first;
1) Laminate does not increase the value of your home.
2) Lower grade products do not stay together very long. So take a close look at the click system.
3) High moisture areas tend to make the seams swell and push the flooring apart.

The pro's;
1) It is a great floor for active families with children.
2) It is very stain resistant, nail polish or permanent marker can be removed with nail polish remover.
3) Easier floor to install than most.

 So MOST of the under $2.00 Laminate flooring products, won't last while your children grow up.
 There is also two types of laminate, High pressure and Direct pressure.
 To make it simple, a high pressure laminate has a higher impact rating and has a thicker top layer and has a smoother finish.
 A direct pressure has a thinner wear layer but can be embossed to feel and look more like wood.

There are a few differant rating systems and classifications that can get quite conflicting, so I suggest finding a local dealer and sales person whom you feel you can trust and has knowledge on the Laminate flooring and they should help. If not e-mail Theflooringguy, rich@allflooringinc.com and I will be glad to assist.

Bathroom tile. Do it right the first time.

Bathroom out dated? Ready to remodel? For the holidays, home owners like yourself might want to remodel your bathroom.
 The first question in your mind would be, "Do I want to do this myself or have a professional do it?"
After that question is decided there are a few things that you need to know about the proper tile installation products that should be used and the options available for a longer lasting bathroom shower, tile floor and so on.
For the floor, I recommend a new underlayment. Now this could be a cement board or a pressed fibor board. I preferr a cement board. Either way, this should be installed on the subfloor, so the existing flooring should be removed. The new underlayment should be installed over a bed of thinset or mortar, and  galvanized screws or roofing nails every 4" around the edges and 6" in the field (the field being the rest of the underlayment).
The proper thinset is crusial. Porcelain tile and ceramic tile have different properties so different thinsets are used for each. For you dealers out there, TEC has a web site that will help in the choosing of the right products. For a few more dollars you can get up to a lifetime warrantee against mold and mildew.
 Never use mastic in a bathroom especially in the shower area. The premixed mastic is food for mold and mildew.
 In the shower area 1/2" cement board should be used. Green drywall or any drywall is not recommended. Antimicrobial thinsets are available ,so ask you contractor. Stain and mildew resistant grouts a also available. These do cost more and are more labor intensive but the extra money you spend on the labor and the material may well help you enjoy your new bathroom much longer and the low maintenance to keep it looking beautifull will be worth it.
Thats all for now. Comments or questions are very welcome.
                                                         Happy and safe holidays!

Replacing cracked ceramic tile. Making it easy.

                  This unique tool makes removing a cracked tile much easier than it used to be.

The blade is used for removing the grout, the thinset and can cut various materials with the wide variety of different blades to choose from.

1. 
   
   
   
   First tape off the surrounding tiles. While I am removing the grout with the grout remover the surrounding tiles don't get damaged. Then using a steel putty knife, hold it against the good tiles to protect them from any damage while removing the grout.This is not totally neccessary, but if there is a small grout joint it will help protect the surrounding tile.
   
   
   

PET polyerster VS. Nylon, and the winner is?

 The Big question from consumers is the proformance between Polyester carpeting fiber and a nylon carpeting fiber. In one of my earlier posts I gave a few questions that should be answerd prior to making the decision between the two.
 Basicaly the question becomes stains versus wear.
Nylons is a man made fibor, it has the ability to hold up to heavier traffic more so than polyester. The reason being is the Twist of each strand can be heatset at a higher temperature. Meaning it will keep it's twist and appearance longer. So if heavy traffic is your concern, than a nylon is suggested. Now a "branded" fiber like "Stainmaster" Or "Weardated" uses an advanced technology for both stains and durability.
 I am what you call "old school" and trust a branded nylon over PET polyester.
I you are into the "Green" products than, PET poyester is for you, it is recycled plastic 2 liter bottles and ketchup botttles. Now you know how difficult it is to stain a empty bottle of soda so you can understand why your new PET carpet will be hard to stain.
 A few side notes; BCF stands for bulk continuous filiment. This, in simple terms, stands for less fuzzing and more durability ,even if it is polyester.
 Solution dyed; this means the fibor was made the color it is. Most nylon is made white and has, what the the industry calls "dye sites". The dye sites are filled with dye so the carpet can hold its color, but after it is dyed, the nylon needs a stain resistant coating, like Scothguard, Dupont's Stainmaster. Or Solutia's Wear Dated . Most polyester carpets are solution deyed. Solution dyed products are naturaly more stain resistant.
 Quick over view.
1) Polyester is very stain resistant.
2) Nylon is  the most durable fibor. Besides of course wool and Sisal. that will be for another day.
3) A branded nylon gives you the best of both worlds, durability and stain resistant.
4) BCF. An added feature, less fuzzing and adds durability. Two types BCF and Staple( Short pieces of fiber hight air pressure twisted together)which has the tendency to loose fiber and cause fuzzing.
5) Solution dyed, The best for stain resistance.

Hardwood finishes, Sealer or not

Questions on sealing a new unfinished solid hardwood floor berore it is stained? Well no need to worry, that is the topic of todays posting.
 This seems to be a question that keeps popping up when I discuss the installation procedure of unfinished, or finish on job site, hardwood installation. Depending on the finish that you choose, and there are a few different types of finishes, a sealer may be needed. Let me explain.
 There is basically three types of finishes, waterborne or also called waterbased, such as "Bona Traffic".
 Then there is an alcohol based product such as "Sentyco" and finally good old polyurathane.
None of these products need to have a sealer applied to the flooring before it is stained unless there is no stain going to be applied. The stain is the sealer.
The stain itself will close the grain once it is applied and that is what a sealer does. If you would like to pay for the extra coat, installers and sales people will charge extra for the coat. That money could be used elswhere. For instance the water based Bona Traffic, It does run more per square foot but the benefit of being able to walk on it the same day it is applied is huge, especially if you are living in the house while the installation is being done.

 We tend to use Bona Traffic on the majority of unfinished hardwood installs. Reason being, it drys faster and has the highest customer satisfaction. There is also a water based product "Street Shoe", but some of my installers have heard there has been some issues with color changes using Street Shoe.
 Having a coating dry faster means it can be walked on in less than five hours.  The benefit of giving the customer the ability to use that area just a few hours after the application, thus less interuption of nornal family function.
There is another product that can be used that dries quickly and that is the alcohol based Sentyco. But has a high odor. So a well venatated house is a must. Which then reduces the benefit of normal family function.
 The basic difference between waterbased products and polyurathane is the more natural look water based products have, the ability to apply as many as two coats in a day and walk on the floor that night. Polyurathane takes at least 12 hours to dry. Poly ,also after a period of time, can change a golden color
                    Now why a unfinished floor compare to a prefinished?
 Most prefinished floors have layers of aliminum oxide in the finish. This makes the finish more durable. Now no floor, prefinished or finish on job site is scatch resistant. But in time both will need to be recoated. A prefinished aluminum oxide finish will have to be removed. Meaning down to the bare wood.
A floor that has been finished on the job site or in your home, can be rescreened. Resreaning means we can lightly sand your floors with a light buffer which is normaly 180 grit buffing pad. Put a new coat of finish and your floor have the look close to where it was when they where new.
 On the other hand a prefinished floor has to go thru a series of sandings. Having aluminum oxide in the finish makes it harder to do this because the sanding bels used in sanding the floor is made of aluminum oxide. So the cost to refinish a prefinished floor costs more.

Engineered wood versus solid hardwood

Questions regarding the proper wood flooring to choose? Engineered or solid? The easiest answer is to ask the question, are you on a main level of the house and if so is is it concrete. If it is concrete the recommendation would be an engineered product.

 There are several types to choose from such as a glued together tongue and groove, a click together "floating floor" system or a glue down method. In my opinion, the glue down method is the most stable of the three.

 Engineered wood in it self is a more stable wood product because of the layers of wood glued together,one on top of each other, with the grain going in a different direction each layer. What this does is reduces the amount of expansion and contration. A solid product will absorve moisture in humid climates and expand. While in a dry climate shrink, thus having both climates,your wood will exppand in the summmer and shrink in the winter. Engineered will not go thru this change.
A solid hardwood product is not recommended "below grade". Which means under the main level of your house. I will get more detailed pictures in a few hours.

Laminate install video

Laminate install

Carpet. Nylon or P.E.T. Polyester

Polyester or nylon? A common question when deciding "What carpet should I buy?"
The first question you need to ask yourself is what is more important to you?
 Are you worried about stains in the traffic areas, are you worried about the way it will hold up to
traffic, or is it both?
 There are two basic fibers that manufacturers us in the manufacturing of carpet.
Polyester and nylon. Now since I have been in the flooring industry for about
30 years, I sell  my customers what will have the best results in their situation.
So questions need to be asked.
                                                * Have you had carpet before.
                                                * If so, what did you like about it?
                                                * If so, what didn't you like about it?
                                                * Do you have children?
                                                * How long do you ecxpect it to last?
   With these few questions answered ,you can begin your quest for the perfect carpet.
Tomorrow i will begin the indepth breakdown on the different fibors.
 For now, answer these questions.                                         

Stairs, Spiral carpet installation.

Early next week, I am going to be doing an installation of carpeting on a spiral set of stairs.
Now I have seen some of the videos on line and it looks like there may be some improper ways
being show.
In the near future I will have to show you two different ways to install carpet with padding.
One includes tackstrip, which is also called tackless strip, and the other uses an electric
tacker or also called a Dou-Fast stapler.
 And there are two styles of installation. One is called "Waterfall", and the other is called "Hollywood style"

Notice how the carpet "tucks" under the stair tread on the Holly wood style.

And the set of stairs below Waterfall over the stair tread.

Tile cutting

In this first picture where I have my knife
pointing is where I am marking the tile.
I have the tile flipped upside down in the
same place it is going to be and I am marking
the back. Mark both sides,on the left and the right.
you can slide the tile slightly to the right and left
to see where the tile that is already in place is.



Once both sides are marked I can take a tile to
use as a straight edge and "score" the back of the
tile. Now this is VCT, Vinyl composition tile, which
is much softer than a ceramic tile. Once you score
the back, you can snap the tile and flip ti back over
and it will fit perfectly in place


Now in the bottom picture, I use another trick,
Since the cut is on an angle,I place the tile I need
to cut face up directly on top of a tile that is in place
and use my straight edge cutting tile , place it
against the wall and where it overlaps is where
I make my "score", snap it and put it in place.
the reason I use these methods is because
I don't need a clumsy tape measure slowing
the process down.


Although you can't see the tile underneath the
one I am cutting, You can see the direction of
grain. In VCT installation each tile is set in a
checker board pattern.
this technique can also be used for ceramic tile.
Just remember you are probably using spacers,
so make sure you have a couple of spacers against
the wall when you mark your tile.
Good luck.And feel free to e-mail me at
rich@allflooringinc.com

Flooring

Check all my post archives for different reviews and tips on installations.

DIY Grantite Countertops

Yes.. the granite on top should overlap the tile that is adhered to the front on the countertop.

VCT repairs

 I have a few repairs in a store today. I will be removing Vinyl Composition tile and replacing the damaged tiles. Come back to visit and see a short video.

DIY Granite tile countertops

I recently had a question relating to granite tile and counter tops. "Could granite tiles be used for a counter top instead of slab granite?" The answer is yes. The other question was ,can the tiles be butted next to each other so there is no grout line? The answer to that is no. A small amount of space is needed for expansion, even if it is a 32nd of an inch. Now, most granite tiles have a thikness of anywhere from 3/8 inch to 1/2 inch, so some planning on how the layout of the tiles will be placed and what will be the design for the face ,or edge to make sure the draws will open. What I mean by this is that there is no finished edge on a piece of granite tile and to have a counter top that is only at best 1/2 inch thick is not a stable counter top, thus a stable frame should be built in place of the old counter top.
I do not suggest adhearing the granite right to the old counter top, unless you make modifications to the overhang at the front of the counter top but still I prefer to use a tile underlayment such as Durock or Hardibacker or a material made for tile installation. Plywood is not a suitable substrate.

HGTV retro kitchen design

I can not believe what I saw tonight. The retro kitchen was an unbelievable design. I would never suggest VCT in any home application. Unless you have a professional buffer and someone who knows how to maintain a floor like that, it is not a good idea. It also does not work well on a wood sub floor. Gapping in the VCT( Vinyl composition tile) occurs. I would have installed a ceramic tile floor. A much better floor in any kitchen.

Porcelain tile cutting

Can you see how I eased into the cut all the way around?

I'm sure you notived the hole in the tile, well this was a customers try at it the he came to me to help. One I showed him the technique, he had no problems finishing the cut the proper way.

If you tilt the grinder inward the tile won't chip around the edge. Porcelain is a much denser tile than ceramic, so take your time and slowly follow the mark you made far you cut. I let the weight of the grinder do the work. A new or well kept diamond grinding wheel is a must.

This is a small entry of how to cut a circle in a porcelain tile. Notice the angle in which I start the cutting proccess.

Carpeting to hardwood, tucking carpet to hardwood

 Sorry but this Blog is backwards. So start from the bottom.

This is what the finished product should look like.

When cutting the carpet ,it must be cut at best an 1/8th inch longer or overlapping the hardwood. This gives you some carpet to "tuck" in between the wood and the tack strip.

The next step is to CAREFULLY cut the carpet. There is also a tool called a carpet trimmer which is much safer but can easily cut the carpet too short if you don't cut slow.

The blue handled tool in my hand is a stair tool. It looks like a wide chisel. I am pressing it along the tackstrip and where I just bumped the carpet over the strip to secure the pins of the sytrip thru the carpet. This helps hold the carpet in place.

A knee kicker is the best way to strech the carpet over the "pins" on the tack strip. When nailing the tackstrip in place make sure the "pins" are facing towards the hardwood. This way when you bump the knee kicker the carpet streches over the pins.

Cut the padding back far enough so your lenght of tackstrip can be put in place about1/4 inc from the turn board at the door way.was in the picture.

Most hardwood installers will fold back the carpet and padding so it is out of the way for ease of installation.

This set of pictures will show you how to finish your new hardwood floor to the existing carpet. I get a few calls a month asking me to send some one out to tuck the carpet to their new hardwood. I am going to try and explain the steps taken to finish this.

Tile cutting, Cutting tile

Cutting tile made simple. Ther is an easy way to cutting tile and marking the tile to where in should be cut.

Ceramic tile Installation requirements

I was going to show how a ceramic tile repair this but upon inspection of the floor there was more than meets the eye.
Support of the subfloor itself has to be sturdy no mater what kind of underlayment you are going to use.
Well in this case the underlayment was 1/2" (inch) plywood but that was not the problem.
The problem was 2"x8" floor joist where used to build the room extension. That will not be stable enough to keep a ceramic or porcelain tile floor from cracking or the grout for that matter.
A sturdy foundation is needed.
There are alternatives to this problem. Either extra support in the floor joist, one rule I tend to stand by, is if the floor joist are anything less than 2x10's added support or other flooring alternatives are suggested.
So before your heart gets set on a new tile floor, check to see what you are standing on.

allflooringinc.com

Don't forget to visit my website at allflooringinc.com. checkout the specials on my shop site.

Ceramic Tile Repair

In the next week I will be doing a ceramic tile repair. This will be a detailed instruction on the removal of a couple of cracked tiles and replacing them. I will show you the technique of removing tiles without cracking the surrounding good tiles, removing the old thinset and replacing the tile. In this case there is grout that is left over from the job that maches, so I will be using a blending technique. The blending technique prevents me from having to remove and regrout the whole floor.

Stain resistant grout

"Tec" has a new product out called "Grout Boost". It is an additive that is mixed with the grout instead of water. It can be mixed with other grouts as well. The sizes are 27oz. bottle for a 10lb bag of sanded grout. A 70 oz. bottle for a 25 lb. bag of sanded grout, And a 48oz bottle for a 8-10 lb carton of grout.

I used this product on numerous types of tile, Travertine, porcelain and ceramic. The installers like it as well. It does not have an odor, and clean up is a breeze. Once the grout is cured (48 hours) there is no need for sealing the grout. Not only does it resist most stains but it also makes the grout more durable

This is one product that has simplified the process of having to seal grout.

DIY carpet installation

This is what it should look like after following the steps. A good seam has no gaps, no overlaps and do not over heat.

Next roll the seam roller over the seam back and forth in the direction of the seam directly over the seam. Don't press too hard. Presssing too hard may cause the seam to gap.

One of my tricks to a good seam is to slightly lift the back of the seam iron up to keep the carpet off the seam tape after it has been smoothly slid over the "tape" than using my hand and pressing the carpet onto the seam tape from the "weight tray" towards the back of the seam iron. Doing this is a good way to make sure the carpet does not overlap or gap. A good seam does not peak from over heating and doen not havegaps or overlapping.

Here I am checking to make sure the two pieces are close together and the red line on the seam tape is lined up center with the seam. This is also a way to tell if you are ready to move the iron. Leaving the iron in place too long will burn the seam tape and it will stick to the padding.

Let the seam iron heat the seam tape until you can move the iron the length of the iron, it should "slide smoothly. If not the tape isn't melted enough. Have your seam roller and you tool tray ready for this step.

While you are setting up your two pieces of carpet plug in the seam iron and set the heat adjustment on slightly higher than two (2). The heat dial has a range from one(1) up to four(4),four being the hottest. When the red indicater light goes off, you are ready to set the iron in place. For beginners, I suggest leaving the dial on 2 1/2. That way you can move slowly without over heating the backing of the carpet. Over heating will cause seam"peaking". The cooler the better, but the seamtape still has to melt. So BE CAREFULL! Hot silicone Burns.

Next, gently pull back the carpet at the seam and center a piece of seam tape pre cut to the length of the seam. Notice the red line on the seam tape. That is the center line of your seam.
Make sure both pieces of carpet line up close together. When both pieces lay together ,the backings of each should touch.

Here is a sample of what I mean when I reffer to a relief cut. Where the two pieces come together is where the seam will end. This is ready to seam. When I cut the fill piece,the one edge was straight edged and in the picture I cut the other piece.

While laying out the carpet, you will want to make sure the carpet is lond enough on all sides ,then use you carpet knife to cut relief cuts. Relief cuts help when making your seams. It makes the carpet easier to move into place and lay flat. A fill piece that lays flat and is close as possible to exact size makes for a smoother seam.

While straight edging, be sure not to cut off the nap. Cutting off the nap will make it look as though there is a gap in the seam. The way to do this is to pull back on the knife so it does not cut to deep.

Carpet Tiles
Find everything you need to know about Carpet Tiles

I measured the area to be filled. Then cut the piece three (3")inches larger than needed. Carpet has a direction in the nap (the nap is the direction of the pile), Be sure all the carpet is running the same way. You can tell this by running your hand over the carpet, if the carpet pile stands up in one direction and lays down in another, than the carpet needs to be turned around.

Before a seam can be made the edges need to staight edged.

Most tools used in this post are Orcon. http://fcisd.orcon.com/

The pad is in and now it is time to roll out the carpet. since the room is 13"(feet) wide and most carpet rolls come in either 12",15",or 13.2"(feet), I will have a seam.

This is what the tack strip should look like. Some installers will lay two rows of tack strip down around areas that might cause problems when it comes time to stretch the carpet in. I chose the one row method.

The first step. remove all furniture ,debris and tools from the area to be carpeted. Then lay out enough tack strip to follow the whole perrimeter of the room. Cut the pieces to fit about 3/4" from the wall (in this case the home owner did not install the base board, so for ease of ever having to pull the carpet up in the future, I left it the 3/4" distance.
A hammer drill with a 5/32" masonry drill bit is needed to drill holes every six to eight inches thru the "strip" and the concrete.One inch aluminum concrete "plugs" are used to fasten the"strip" to the concrete.

Now that the tack strip is installed, it is time for the rebond padding. In my expierence, 1/2 inch 8 pound rebond padding gives you the best insulation value, will last the longest and feels good to walk on. Measure the room. In this case the room is 13'x27', most padding comes in a widths of 6', so it was decided to roll out the pad the 27 foot lenght and "fill" the width.
If you notice in the picture, the padding should be cut just along the tack strip. Once the padding is all layed out, the next step is to duct tape any seams that are in the pad. As in the following picture. To keep the padding from moving around I like to use spray adhesive, Camie 363 High strength Fast tack. http://www.camie.com/