Laminate Flooring Installation Guide | Wholesale Laminate Flooring

Add Floor Liners And A Cold Air Intake To Your Christmas List This Year

2008-04-05T16:26:00.001-07:00

Don’t know what to ask for this Christmas? Why not ask for something you can actually use – durable floor mats.
The fresh smell of evergreen and incessant jingling of bells can mean only one thing: Christmas time. Ah yes, the season for giving. But your days of toys and bicycles and games are behind you. Don’t fret, there are plenty of good gifts to get.He’s making a list, he’s checking it twice… Have you been naughty? Have you been nice? Have too many curse words poured out of that cynical mouth of yours? Been flirting a little too much with the new leggy secretary? Hopefully, your courteous and noble deeds have landed you on the nice list this Christmas season. If so, cash in on that good behavior and make a killer wish list. So what should you ask for? Well, you may not be able to get that new truck you’ve been dying for, but you can still get some great accessories. During the winter months, a majority of our country is bombarded with snow and ice. I used to live in Boston so I know how long winter really is. A solid set of floor liners make an excellent present. And although they may not be the “coolest” present, they are a great investment. Plus, they aren’t cheap! Why not have someone else shell out the bills for them so you can spend your money on what really want – beer and season tickets.If you’re like me and enjoy getting to the mountains, then rubber mats are a “must have” item. When I get into my car after a long day of snowboarding, I don’t want to deal with being clean. I just want to rip open some chips and chuck the wrapper on the ground. I also to keep my feet warm, especially after being in ski boots all day. So my car’s floor heater will melt all the snow that my boots have accumulated. Without my floor mats, my feet would be resting in a puddle of water by the time I get home. Any not to be too gross, but my feet usually aren’t too “fresh” after skiing. Actually, I think the smell of damp, sweaty feet will probably make you gag. Now that I have liners, I can just open the door at a red light, pour out the water and be good to go. I don’t want to beat a dead horse, but I highly recommend getting some mats.Now that I have covered the practical mats, the Dr. Jekyll if you will, I want to suggest getting a cold air intake, the Mr. Hyde. There are few “fun” presents to ask for once you hit 18, but I believe this is one of them. I don’t drive a Ferrari, but I still crave performance and get a thrill when I slam on the gas pedal. A cold air intake is an aftermarket air intake that is specifically designed to draw cooler air into the engine, thus giving you more horsepower. And this part will also give your vehicle a nice throaty growl; unlike your buddy’s Honda with the tin can muffler.It depends on your vehicle and what modifications you have, but adding a cold air intake can add anywhere from 5 to 40 ponies. Not bad for a few hundred bucks if you ask me. I recommend these two products because they are moderately cheap and give you the best bang for your buck. If you are really craving performanceHealth Fitness Articles, then you might want to ask for a whole performance exhaust system. But I guess that depends on how naughty or nice you were this year.

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How to install a hardwood floor

2008-04-02T05:49:00.000-07:00

The first decision that you need to make before you get to work choosing the materials for your hardwood floor is whether or not you are going to be doing the finishing on your own.

If you have a lot of experience with hardwood floors, then you might find that this is a good idea. However, if it is your first time installing a hardwood floor, then you should purchase a pre-finished floor. One thing to keep in mind, however, is that you should be careful to make sure that you don’t scratch the finishing during your installation.

You should make sure that you put the wood you’re going to be using for your floor inside of your house for a few days before you actually install the floor. By doing this, you’ll be letting the humidity in your home affect the wood. This is very important as it will lessen the amount of warping that you will experience after the floor installation.

You will need to start with a clean subfloor, so make sure that you clean it off properly before you start your installation. Once you are done with this, you should start with a layer of asphalt felt. This will cushion the boards as well as provide a good base for the floor installation. You should look for 15-pound asphalt felt for this installation.

Before you put down the boards, you need to make sure that you chalk out the lines for where the boards will end. You need to leave a half an inch between your walls and where the boards end. This will allow the floor to expand with temperature and humidity changes. Don’t worry about the half-inch of space – this will be completely covered up by your baseboards.

When you start to lay the boards, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind. First of all, you should use the longest boards against the wall. These will start the floor off right. Then, make sure that you are careful about where you put the seams between boards. In order to minimize any cracks that could appear in the floor, make sure that the seams between two boards are at least six inches apart from each other. You should also make sure that these seams do not line up with the seams in the subfloor.

With a little bit of time, you should be able to install your very own hardwood floor!

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Tips on How to Repair Hardwood Floor Scratches

2008-03-26T11:07:00.000-07:00

Hardwood floor scratches are inevitable. At some point, scratches will happen. If you have hardwood flooring, it's important that you learn how to do simple scratch repairs yourself. However, before you start fixing any scratches, you'll need to learn how to differentiate between scratches and gouges on your hardwood floor.A scratch is typically a visible, but not deep, marking on your hardwood floor's surface. Hardwood floor scratches can be caused by dragging furniture across the floor or by glass that has fallen and cut the surface of the floor. A gouge, however, is much deeper than a scratch. Think of a gouge as a "flesh wound" a hardwood floor could sustain. Dealing with a scratch is much different than dealing with a. For instance, it's useless to apply hardwood floor scratch remover on gouges.You'll need to be sure that you really are dealing with a scratch instead of a gouge before you can initiate any kind of scratch repair work. Between scratches and gouges, scratches on hardwood floors are much more common. It's near impossible to keep hardwood floors from getting scratches. Moving pieces of furniture across or dropping sharp objects like glass are not the only things that can cause scratches. You may be causing scratches on your hardwood floor when you sweep it with a broom with not-so-soft bristles or you wipe off spills using a hard piece of cloth.Again, scratches are nearly impossible to avoid, so the best thing you can do is learn how to deal with the scratches, like learning how to do simple scratch repairs. It's pretty simple; you don't have to hire a professional to do it for you.Follow these steps:1. Using a fine steel wool or sandpaper, rough up the scratched area.2. Rub the whole length of the scratch. Cover both margins.3. Make sure to rub in the direction of the wood grain, or rub in a circular motion to avoid damaging the wood and floor finish too much.3. Dampen a soft cloth with mineral spirits. Use the soft cloth to wipe off any wood and dust particles on the scratched area of the floor.4. Let the solution dry up on the floor. Depending on how big the scratch is, the scratch removal solution and how much of it you use, drying time may take from several minutes up to a few hours.5. Take a fine paintbrush, dip it in the finish originally used on the floor and brush it across the scratched area. Wipe with a soft cloth.6. Be careful and gentle when you brush in the finish onto the scratch. Too much or too little and the area will look much different from the rest of the hardwood floor. Brush in just enough finish so that it looks almost the same as the rest.7. Give the new finish some time to dry. This may take between 30 minutes to a few hours.If you followed the directions carefullyPsychology Articles, the scratch on your hardwood floor should be gone.

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Selecting Wood for Your Custom Hardwood Floor

2008-03-26T11:05:00.000-07:00

Selecting wood for your hardwood floor is often a confusing process if you don’t know what you should be looking for. The type of wood, it’s content of sapwood or heartwood, its durability, whether you’re using for indoor or outdoor applications-all these considerations matter when you’re selecting wood for your hardwood floor.
Selecting Wood for Your Custom Hardwood Floor
Selecting wood for your hardwood floor is often a confusing process if you don’t know what you should be looking for. The type of wood, it’s content of sapwood or heartwood, its durability, whether you’re using for indoor or outdoor applications-all these considerations matter when you’re http://www.fastfloors.com/ selecting wood for your hardwood floor.
There are some general properties to understand before you purchase a wood floor. One such property is the amount of sapwood or heartwood in the product.
Choosing sapwood for your hardwood floor
Sapwood is softer and lighter, and can be more prone to damage. However, its loveliness and relative un-knottiness, plus its reasonable price, make it a popular wood. Sapwood is also more prone to warping than hardwood, so this should also be a consideration when choosing sapwood for your hardwood floor.
Choosing heartwood for your hardwood floor
Hardwood is the most durable wood, and is an excellent choice for many applications, especially hardwood floors. It is made from the outer bark of the tree and is usually darker. It can be more expensive than sapwood depending on the type of wood involved, i.e. whether you choose an exotic wood (more expensive) or a domestic wood (less expensive).
What is the most commonly used wood flooring choice?
There are many species and types of wood, but the most commonly used wood is oak. Oak is the standard that wood manufacturing companies tend to hold other species to, and they are rated on a “hardness” scale.
Choosing the color of your hardwood floor
Color is also a consideration when thinking about selecting a wood for your hardwood floor. There is a wide palette of natural colors, ranging from pink and tan (red oak) to white/beige (beech, hickory, birch) and orange, gold and brown (teak), plus everything in between.
Many woods have various colors; in general, the darker colors are usually heartwood, and the lighter colors are usually sapwoodComputer Technology Articles, although there are some exceptions.

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Restoring Hardwood Floors in Your Home

2008-03-08T14:27:00.001-08:00

While a hardwood floor always starts off by adding a touch of elegance to a room, after a few years of people living on them, they can begin looking ragged.

There are just too many damaging things that can happen to a hardwood floor, such as water damage, furniture moving damage, and scratches from all sorts of sources. It only takes a few gaps, cracks, and deep scratches in the wood before the floor looks awful.

It is not uncommon for an old floor to have wavy corners and loud squeaks that sound as you walk through the room. No matter how hard you try to avoid letting things damage your hardwood floor, short of sealing the room, it will develop damage from normal use.In spite of all this damage, for most people it just doesn't make financial sense to completely replace a hardwood floor. You may not have realized it, but restoring hardwood floors is actually a lot less complex in most cases than replacing a hardwood floor. It can be extremely expensive and inconvenient to have hardwood floors replaced if you have them in several rooms or over a large area of the house. Fixing hardwood floor boards can be as simple as tackling each flaw one by one as you learn tips on how to restore hardwood floors.Even if you've kept immaculate care of your floors and they haves no broken boards or deep scratches, you will still need to renovate hardwood floors. This process makes possible restoring hardwood floors' original elegant shines.It is important to realize that normal use of a hardwood floor will wear off the glossy coating. And, the wood will naturally age and display unfinished areas as it changes shape slightly. Sometimes restoring it is as simple as refinishing the floor panels.You may be tempted to hire a professional to begin restoring hardwood floors in your house. They will, after all, know more about the process. But it will be expensive and most importantly, no matter how disciplined the professionals are, they don't care as much about your floor as you do. If you have a little ambition and patience, restoring hardwood floors is not that difficult and it can be very rewarding.Most people already own all of the tools needed to begin, but some special equipment and accessories may be required from time to time. Most major hardware stores stock all of the items you'll needScience Articles, either for sale or for rent.

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How to choose the right tile floor for your home

2008-03-08T14:25:00.000-08:00

There are several types of tiles out there, depending on the type of floor you want to put in.

Some of them come in different colors and you can make your own repeating pattern that way. Other floor tiles will come in a mosaic, though these are usually designed for wall display instead of floor. (There are some floor tiles that can be used as a mosaic, but you'll end up paying a lot more for them).

The type of floor tiles that you use for your home will depend on what type of a style you're going for. If you are looking for a more modern style, then you'll want the regular, carefully machined tiles. It is also a good idea to get all of the tiles in the same size, as this will contribute to the regularity of your floor and make it easier to install the tiles.

For a more rustic, or historical feel, you should look into finding hand-made tiles. These will have slightly irregular edges and will look far less modern. You can also find tiles that are noticeably different sizes. Keep in mind, however, that if you are going to make a tile floor this way, you'll probably end up needing to cut tiles at the end to fit your space exactly. Floors with these types of tiles need to be preplanned before you start setting tiles.

When you are deciding what type of tile to use, you should first determine how many square feet you need to cover. The tile is going to be sold based on that number, so you should have a good idea of what your maximum price range is per square foot. This will help you look at the right types of tiles for you - or look for a more affordable flooring solution.

If you've determined that you want to go with tiles, ceramic tiles are going to be the best choice for you. Ceramic tiles are the most affordable tiles on the market, and they are also relatively easy to care for.

Another thing to keep in mind is that you should choose your tile based on hardness as well. If you are only placing the floor tile in your bathroom, then you will not need very hardy tile. However, if these tiles will be in an area that you walk through regularlyScience Articles, you should look for a harder type of tile.

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Contemporary floor lamps - Add functional modern lighting!

2008-03-06T05:59:00.003-08:00

If you are thinking about updating the look of a room in your home consider the addition of a contemporary floor lamp. There are several types of floor lamps designed to provide decorative and task lighting to your home and any room is fair game for adding a lamp. Matching contemporary floor lamps to modern home d?cor gives way to many light choices.

From torchieres that provide wonderful uplighting to lampshades that cast useful light downward, the choices are endless. Other floor lamp styles are: swing arm (moveable), gooseneck (head moves), halogen (brightest light), tree (3 individual heads), and adjustable (adjust the height). Adding a new floor lamp gives you the additional light you desire without the hassle of rewiring your house for a new light fixture. And they can also be easily repositioned should you change your mind about the original location.

There may be other reasons for adding a lamp or two to a room. You may want to create layers of light in combination with other light fixtures. Floor lamps are the perfect choice, not just because of the numerous styles and selections, but also the ability to vary the height. Or if your need is more functional, such as additional light for reading, you would want to be sure your choice offers style as well as providing ample light that can be aimed in the needed direction. You may want to consider a multifunctional contemporary style floor lamp: for example, a fixture that combines a gooseneck light or swivel arm for reading, with, say a halogen torchiere for general illumination. Or, you can buy a reading lamp with lampshade swivel arm for greater flexibility. If you really need to brighten a room, halogen floor lamps are your best choice. Dimmer switches are another common features on contemporary fixtures, allowing you to control the amount of light produced.

Once you’ve decided how the light will be used: To provide decorative or accent lighting? Brighten a room or add necessary light? Serve as a focal point? Updating the look of a room? then it’s time to start searching for the look you want. To begin your search for the perfect contemporary floor lamp, take a look online. With lighting manufacturers such as Holtkotter, Kenroy and Lite Source, shopping for a quality brand modern lamp should be no problem. Online lighting stores offer plenty of choices, photos and descriptions which means you can find just what you need fairly easily. Define some parameters to your search before getting underway such as color, height, function and, of course, budget. This will help you to enter a more defined search, limiting the number of choices to a more comprehendible amount rather than the zillions produced by a broad search. For exampleArticle Search, a search using the terms ‘silver halogen adjustable arm floor lamp affordable’ would give you much better result than simply entering ‘floor lamp’.

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Keeping Stone Floors in Tip Top Condition

2008-03-06T05:59:00.001-08:00

I had a customer call me to make a complaint about the Limestone floor we had restored and sealed for them. The building is a state of the art facility in the heart of Covent Garden, in London. The problem was as an up market serviced office block the tenants were complaining that the Limestone Floor was resoling very fast and looking extremely dirty even immediately after the contract cleaners had washed the floor.

I was somewhat surprised by the complaint as we had only restored the floor a few weeks prior to the complaint. I know the floor would take quite a bit of looking after and the right guys with the right cleaning machinery and detergents should be able to keep the floor in great shape.

I had to find out exactly what was being done to maintain the floor. I enquired to my client and he promptly told me that the cleaners where using a strong "washing up" liquid in a warm bucket of plain water to perform the cleaning. I felt that I had found the root of the clients problem and realized he wasn't going to like what I was about to tell him but I soldiered on regardless.

When you are performing maintenance on a stone surface you need relatively neutral pH cleaning detergents. So in this case the "washing up" liquid that had a pH level of around 18 was leaving a greasy residue on the surface of the stone that would be invisible to see but would still be present. The floor would be attracting all dust, grease from shoes etc because of the greasy film.

The second part of the problem would be the amount of clean water used. I know from experience that a "contract cleaner" would only ever use 1 bucket of water on a floor. It would be too much trouble to keep getting fresh water to clean a stone floor and that is exactly what is required. If you continually use dirty water to clean the floor you will simply be washing dirt into the floor from the dirty water.

So I had to explain that Professional maintenance was required to keep the floor in tip top condition and we set up a maintenance regime over the course of a month at the same price the cleaning contractor's had charge and the floors look great.

So, what should you do to maintain your commercial facilities stone floor surfaces?

1. Also have a professional Stone maintenance quote for your work

2. Contract cleaners do not understand stone and will never keep it in great shape.

3. Never use a product that isn't designed to keep the stone in good order

4. Never use a high pH detergent you will leave the floor greasy.

5. Change the water in your bucket a minimum of every 5 sq mtrs.

It needn’t be more expensive for your stone contractor to offer professional maintenance services for regular upkeep of your stone product so always askBusiness Management Articles, we don’t bite.

Marblemasteruk.com offers regular stone maintenance services call for a quotation on 0800 7317232.

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How To Care For Your Encastic Tiled Floor

2008-03-05T00:14:00.000-08:00

If your tiled floor is in an Edwardian property and beautifully coloured you are probably looking at an Encastic tiled floor. Most of the encastic tiled floors we restore have had a real beating. Smashed tiles, glue where carpet was probably stuck to it at one stage, old solvent based polishes.

The point isPsychology Articles, once restored the floors are superb and an absolute joy to look at. It requires quite a bit of work but they really are worth it. The tiles themselves are clay information with the various rich terracotta colours burnt in making them extremely durable. They are made by mixing wax and turpentine and then heat bonded. Even when heavy objects are pulled across the tiles and deep scratches occur the colour will still be there unlike most modern day tiles.

The word encaustic comes from the Greek word enkaustiko which literally means "burnt in" the tiles are still available today for repairs from good stone suppliers such as our www.marblemasteruk.com/shop.

Clean the tiles is a relatively painless task as you can use a mild alkaline detergent and a good stone sealant from the shop to easily look after them.

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Stain Removal Products and your Tile Floor

2008-02-27T14:07:00.003-08:00

If you have a new tile floor and don’t manage to see the stain soaking into your tile until it’s to late, never fear. There is always a solution to tile floor stains and many ways to combat them.

If you have a new tile floor and don’t manage to see the stain soaking into your tile until it’s to late, never fear. There is always a solution to tile floor stains and many ways to combat them.

Stains challenge even the most creative people, but there are a number of ways experienced individuals have come up with to fight stains and keep your tile floors looking lovely and clean no matter what ends up on them.

There are many valuable resources on the internet for cleaning tile stains and a lot of information on how to fight stains, so make sure to do the research before trying your friends ‘special’ method.

Also, remember to always wear cleaning gloves. A surprising number of people forego them and are sorry later on. They protect your hands and allow you to give the floor your all without worrying about dangerous chemicals. They are also important is you’re cleaning up such stains as blood.

An important rule of thumb when cleaning your tile floor is the general stain addict that says you should test a small, unseen spot before actually using the methods all out. Testing is easy; you simply apply the solution to a small, non-visible part of the floor, such as under a couch or chair.

If the product ruins it, you know that it shouldn’t be used. Before doing any stain removal process, you should test it. Do this by applying it to a small area of the floor that is out of sight or covered by furniture. If the remover damages the floor, do not continue. It may be necessary to contact the tile manufacturer for instructions, and ideally you should talk to them about the tile before you buy it, as not all tiles are the same.

For example, how you clean your floor and the stains up off of your floor depends on the material you’ve used. A glass tile floor is going to need different care than a mosaic or a ceramic tile floor because of the different porousness of the materials and how they are made. Different products will have varying effectsFree Web Content, and that’s why it is always important to test and do the research.

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How To give your Garage Floor a Makeover!

2008-02-27T14:07:00.001-08:00

Tired of walking concrete dust through your house? Sick of looking at an ugly stained garage floor?

There is an answer! Tuff Coat Concrete Polyurethane.

Follow these easy steps for a cheap and fantastic looking floor.

1. Hire a polyvac sander from your local hire company ($60-$70 for the day)

2. Sand your concrete garage floor with a med grit paper back to a nice clean surface

3. Buy some feather finish (cementious underlay $50.00 per 5kg. 1 bag should be enough for an average double garage) from your local flooring shop.

4. Trowel your floor with a skim coat of the feather finish. (Must be a very thin coat, just enough to give the concrete a very thin coating. If there are any large holes etc, fill with a rapid set mix from your local flooring distributor.)

5. Allow a few hours of drying time, and then sand again with the same sand paper used for the initial sand. You should be able to see spots that have gone back through to the concrete and also other patches that should have gone a bit shiny. The more sanding you do now the better finish you will obtain at the end.

6. Completely vacuum and sweep the floor so that there is no dust at all left.

7. It is now time for your 1st coat of Tuff Coat Concrete Polyurethane.

8. Work across your garage from back to front. Start by pouring some Tuff Coat Concrete around the edges and brush up close to the skirting with a cheap paint brush.

9. Using a 12mm nap lamb’s wool roller, apply the correct amount of Tuff Coat Concrete (instructions on the can) evenly to the entire floor, working across the garage in even rows. Allow to dry overnight.

10. Once dry, repeat the above procedure of application for a perfect, polished concrete “look” floor that will be easy to maintain, dust free and stain resistant. Your new floor will last for many years without the need for re coating. If you do need to re coat years down the track, just give a light sand and repeat the above procedure.

Tuff Coat Concrete is a high solids, moisture cured polyurethane. It has a high gloss finish like no other on the market. It is simple to use, just pour straight from the can with no messy mixing required. Tuff Coat Concrete may be tinted to an opaque or solid colour or sprinkled with powdered glass for a non slip floor. Colour chartsFree Web Content, Tuff Coat Polyurethane and all the accessories for installation are available from Con-Treat Pty Ltd.

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Hardwood Floor Care

2008-02-26T05:07:00.002-08:00

Realize that if you choose to have hardwood flooring in your home, you'll have to learn the proper hardwood floor care to ensure that your floor remains in good shape. It is especially vital if you have your floor installed in a high-traffic area in your home, such as the living room and kitchen. Over time, hardwood floors lose their shine and texture so care & maintenance is essential.

Maintenance of hardwood floors involves cleaning them regularly. However, you'll need to be especially careful in cleaning your floors because applying the wrong cleaning techniques can ruin your hardwood floor. Follow these do's and don'ts for proper maintenance:-The Do's of Hardwood Floor Care:1. Do use dry cloth to wipe excess water-based cleaning solutions off your hardwood floor. Keep in mind that water and water-based solutions are the biggest enemies of hardwood floors. Quickly wipe off any excess water on the floor to prevent the wood from swelling up.2. Do regularly sweep the floor using a broom with soft bristle.3. Do regularly vacuum to thoroughly clean the floor. It's a good idea to vacuum after sweeping as vacuuming will get rid of dust and dirt between floor boards.4. Do place rugs on areas that may be prone to spilling, such as around tables, beds, desks, etc.5. Do use drapes on your windows to minimize your hardwood floors exposure to sunlight.6. Do take extra care whenever you move furniture back where you have just done hardwood floor care cleaning. This is when hardwood floors usually get scratched.-The Don'ts of Hardwood Floor Care:1. Don't allow water or water-based solutions to dry up on your hardwood floor; otherwise, your hardwood floor will expand and lose its quality over time.2. Don't use a mop to clean a waxed floor.3. Don't clean the floor with a vacuum that has beater bars. This type of vacuum can put scratches on your floor.4. Don't use brushes with hard bristles for cleaning the floor.5. Don't attempt to repair the gaps between boards on your own. It's best to hire a professional who knows what he's doing. Doing repairs on your own can cause even more damage to your floor.6. Don't use cleaning solutions that can potentially damage your floor's finish. Make sure that you use cleaning solutions that work with the type of hardwood finish your floor has. Keep in mind these simple tips and your hardwood floor should last a long time.

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Why Floor Mats Can Save Your Life

2008-02-26T05:07:00.001-08:00

This story about a man’s truck floor mats grabbed my attention and will leave you questioning why you still have those stock floor mats in place.

As the working man’s vehicle has changed over the years, many make it a way of life to personalize their ride. Beyond the additions of mud flaps and toolboxes, the interior to our vehicles is where we spend countless hours driving and it is our home away from home.

To combat the harsh weather conditions in the Southern Northwest United States, Jim Dantun is now a firm believer that quality floor mats are a necessity. “On rainy days, which happen too often up here, I’m in and out of my truck all day doing deliveries. I have had a set of Husky Liners in my Silverado since I bought it and I didn’t know they would help me out in bigger ways than just keeping my floors clean. My partner has always joked around saying I spend too much time and money on my truck, but on one of our runs, he was stepping out of his truck and slipped out, breaking his pelvic bone and collar bone. If he had some mats to help him with his wet step out, his problem would have been solved. He told me that his boots were wetting from dropping off packages and he rushed out of his ride and slipped from the cab to the ground. Maybe Husky Liners should know that their mats can really do more than they would think.”

I researched floor mats and the benefits that I found for them are that they:

* Protect against unpleasant stains that harm the appearance and value of your vehicle
* Stop spilt sodas, fumbled coffees and mishandled snacks from staining your carpet
* Provide year round protection against even the most severe weather conditions
* Trap mud, water, road salt and sand before it gets ground into your flooring
Prevent wear, snags and rips caused by foot friction
* Here's a quick list of some of the most common flooring foes:
* Mud, moisture and grime that are tracked-in on shoes, and then ground deep into your carpet
* Sticky sodas, boiling coffee and on-the-go meals drenched in condiments that spill, stain and become permanent additions to your floorboards
* Foot friction caused by entering, exiting and shifting about in your seat
* Gum on your shoes that transfers to your flooring and dries into impossible slabs of minty concrete
* Crud, muck and filth that catch a ride on our shoes and end up smearing all over our nice, new and expensive vehicle interior

All-Weather vs. Carpet Floor Mats

Constructed from heavy-duty rubber, pliable vinyl or thermoplastic, all-weather floor mats put-up an extreme defense against mud, snow and other shoe-born grime that inevitably finds its way onto your floorboards.

Whether you work out of your vehicle or just play in it, the all-weather floor mats give you a virtually indestructible barrier between your carpet and the world. Not only that, they are also incredibly easy to clean - just give them a quick bath with a hose, and they're as good as new.

Stitched together from durable nylon and Berber yarns, carpet floor mats are soft to the touch, but put up a hard line of defense against your floorboard's enemies. Not only do these floor mats replace the ones that came with your vehicle, they're thicker and heavier to provide added protection and a longer life-span. On top of color selection, you can further personalize your floor mats by embroidering either logos or your own personal catch-phrase.

Who Makes Them

Two well-know floor mats, Husky Liners and Weathertech floor mats are semi-custom-designed. What this means is that these particular floor mats fit well in your vehicle as well as in various other makes and models. Just as GM and Ford reuse the same floor plan in multiple cars, trucks and SUVs, so Husky and Weathertech follow suit. These floor mats are anything but the dreaded one-size-fits-all floor mats that many retail shop are trying to pawn off on its unsuspecting customers. They are still guaranteed to fit exactlyArticle Search, and the manufacturers have over 50 patterns to match your floor with great accuracy. I plan on following in Jim’s footsteps (pun intended) as apposed to his work partner’s and looking forward to getting a set of new floor mats…. :)

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Choosing A New Floor

2008-02-23T22:18:00.001-08:00

Is it time to give that tired kitchen floor a face lift? Are you looking for just the right finishing touch for your new living room? The floor you choose can brighten a dark room, make a small one appear larger, or set the mood and tone for the rest of your decorating. There are so many flooring options available on the market these days that you're biggest problem will be deciding which floor you like best! Here are a few suggestions to ease your decision process.

With all those choices available, how do you decide what type of floor fits your lifestyle and design sense the best? There are a number of factors to consider, including the mood you want to set, the style and colors of your furnishings, and what the room will be used for. The perfect floor for your work-in kitchen may be too dark for your bright and airy living room, and the floor that you love for your living room could be too formal or too delicate for your back patio. Rest assured though, that there is a perfect choice for every room in your home.

Things To Consider When Choosing a Floor

How much traffic will the floor get?

The amount and type of traffic that your room will see should be one of the largest deciding factors in the kind of floor that you choose. A family room floor with a ping-pong table and busy, active life needs a floor that will stand up to lots of foot traffic and the occasional spill. In addition, you want a floor that won't show wear, will be comfortable underfoot, and easy to care for. Vinyl floor tiles or linoleum might be your best choice there, though a good, durable wood laminate floor might do well, as well.

What's the moisture level? Is the floor likely to get wet or is the room naturally 'damp'?

Some floors just aren't suited for damp areas. A basement playroom with a high moisture content, or a bathroom are seldom candidates for a solid wood floor, though there are some choices in wood laminates that might work if finished properly. Instead, you might choose slate or ceramic tiles with area rugs for the bathroom for a dramatic look that wipes up well and keeps its gloss for years.

What's your personal style? What mood do you want in your room?

Want a luxurious feel? A thick pile rug over polished wood is a classic, elegant look that is pure luxury. A floor to accent a spare, modern style? Stone or slate, polished to a high sheen is a beautiful backdrop for leather and steel furniture and ascetic lines. A wooden parquet floor can be a dramatic focal point in an open foyer, or can lend a touch of Continental elegance to a formal living room. Wooden floors can hit any mood from rustic to royal, and the choices of colorFree Reprint Articles, pattern and style in vinyl or ceramic tiles can fit any active room in your home.

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Instructions on How to Install Floating Hardwood Floor Panels

2008-02-23T00:13:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered how to install hardwood floor panels to make your home beautiful inside? There are many methods of installing hardwood flooring currently in use. One of the best do it yourself hardwood floors is the floating hardwood floor. The term floating doesn't refer to a floor that is sitting in liquid. Floating means that, while the floor is fastened to itself, it is not fastened down to the subsurface.
A floating hardwood floor has some disadvantages you should be aware of before proceeding with your installation. These floors will sometimes feel like you're walking on a bubble. And, each bubble you step on will have a creaky sound. On the other hand, those bubbles give the floor a much softer feel than a well-fastened hardwood floor. And, the floating floor is much easier to maintain. Best of all, it is one of the cheapest types of hardwood floors to install.Before continuing with the installation of a floating hardwood floor, we highly recommend that you consider using oak as your hardwood floor material. Oak looks beautiful and provides lasting durability.Tools Needed to Install a Floating Hardwood FloorBroom and Dust Pan - It is important to keep everything clean as you go. It is particularly important to keep the saw dust out from under and between your panels where it can really throw things off kilter. If it gets in there, there is no way to get it out without the very difficult process of hardware floor disassembly. Carpenter's Crayon - You'll have to cut up your panels to make them fit in the corners and make them go around objects that cannot be removed from the room having the hardwood floor installed. You may also want to use your carpenter's crayon to mark a layout pattern of where to place your flooring panels.Circular Saw - Your saw is what you will use as you cut along the lines you drew with your carpenters crayon.Claw hammer - In most places, you will use a rubber mallet to help push the boards together, but in those places near the wall where you don't have enough room to swing the mallet, you can use the claw hammer to fit them together.Cushioning Surface - You can make your floating hardwood floor feel even softer to the feet with the use of a cushioning surface under the floor. You would be shocked by the difference between a floor with the surface and a floor without the surface if you could try the two side by side.Cutter Knife - The cutter knife comes in handy in more places than you would expect as you work on your floor. But the main reason we recommend this tool is so that you can make minor cuts on the panel ends when you just can't quite make them fit together. Glue - Floating hardwood floors aren't supposed to be glued together. However, you might find you get better results if you just put a bit of glue at the end of each panel as you connect them. Of course, this will mean you'll need to be very careful not to get any glue on your floor surface.Nails - You will need to nail the floating floor to the wall strips. It may help to use a drill to do pilot holes to prevent the wood from splitting, but if you're a gambler, you can just hammer these nails in without pilot holes. Most people do that anyways.Rubber Mallet - The rubber mallet is what you use to fit the panels together at the joints. However, you need to be very careful not to hit the panels too hard and damage the panel surfaces.Preparing to Install Floating Hardwood Floor PanelsBefore you install your floating hardwood floor panels, you need to get your cushioning sheet installed. You can use your cutter knife to make it fit. Some people find that making it into many small pieces is much more manageable than trying to fit a large piece in the room. These pieces should be laid in the same direction as your panel rows.One of the nice parts of using a cushioning sheet is that debris on the sheet or lumps in the surface below it have a less dramatic effect on the floor. However, you should still try to get all of these straightened out to the extent you can see them. For debris, just use your broom and dust pan to remove them. It's not such a big of a one-time task when you consider the implications are pretty close to permanent if you fail to remove them.Installing a Floating Hardwood Floor1. Place your first panel in the corner with the ends with a cavity in them towards the walls.2. Put a little bit of glue in the cavity of the next panel.3. Attach the next panel to the first panel quickly after step two.4. You may need to work with the rubber mallet gently to ensure that the two panels come together snuggly. If the wall gets in the way of the rubber mallet, you can use your claw hammer to nudge it in place.5. Continue this until you get to the end of the row where you will need to mark off the excess length of your last panel with the carpenter's crayon. Then cut the panel to fit using the circular saw.6. Use the remaining piece of the panel to start the next row of hardwood.7. If you are using the glue, as in step two, you'll need to be careful to get the entire adhesive off of each row as you complete it or it may do permanent damage to the hardwood surface.8. Make sure you fit your entire pieces well, especially the last corner piece. If you have fit everything together just right, your floor will be much more stable. And, it will look better after the next step.9. Now you go around all of the room walls and place the wall strips. You should nail these strips to the wall and to the floor. This will stabilize your floor. This will also make the edges of your new floor look better.How to Install Floating Hardwood Floor - Clean UpAs with any big woodworking project, you can expect to have a mess as you go. There are such debris as saw dust, cut splinters, glue spots, and more. While you were trying to clean as you went, you should really do a final inspection and cleaning at the completion of the project. You don't want any saw dust or wood chips scraping across your new floor before you even get to admire its smooth shine.After your floor has had a day to settle you can clean it with a mildly wet mop to get everything else up that you might have missed. You need to dry the floor up right away after mopping, of course. Otherwise, your wood will swell and lumps will form.Hindsight Tips for Installing Your Floating Hardwood FloorYou do not need to be terribly careful with the cushioning sheets. Don't spend all day trying to get exact measurements. As long as there are no major overlaps or separations between them, your floor should be just fine.When you are working with your hardwood panels, it is important not to rush. You should not be moving on and placing another panel until the current panel is completely and firmly connected to the other panels. But be very careful when using the rubber mallet and other tools on the panels not to cause surface damage. The surfaces are quite fragile when they are not yet anchored in place. It is very hard to go back and fix later if you missed a panel early in the installation process.Be careful when measuring your panels for cutting at the end of the row that you are marking off the right part of your panel for cutting. One of the most common mistakes is to have the panel backwards while measuring it and then end up with the wrong pieces being the lengths you need. Save yourself some time and be careful.Feeling Good after You Install Your Floating Hardwood FloorYou have saved a lot of money by installing a floating hardwood floor yourself. And, if you don't like it, you've chosen one of the easiest hardwood floors to replace. But, of course you like it. Hardwood floors look great. And, your new floating hardwood floor feels great too with its cushioning surface. Your neighbor's glued down floor may not creak muchFree Articles, but your neighbor's feet don't feel like they're floating when he walks on his floor.

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Basic Hardwood Floor Repair

2008-02-23T00:12:00.001-08:00

In spite of the guarantees you see in the store about how many decades a hardwood floor should last, they seldom last anywhere near that long. There are so many ways in which a hardwood floor can become damaged that it is common for owners to begin repairing hardwood floor boards at some point during the first two decades.

It isn't that hardwood floor repair becomes necessary after so few years because of a flaw in the wood itself. It is just that a floor is something you use regularly. You have people with all sorts of debris passing through the rooms. You have days when you decide to move the furniture. If you kept it cordoned off with ropes in an environmentally controlled room, you would never have to learn how to repair it.Basic hardwood floor repair skills are necessary because it is not cost effective to replace a floor each time it gets dinged up in various places. When you are trying to fix scratches from a dog chasing your cat through the room or a divot from dropping the desk as you passed through the room, it just makes a lot more sense to do some basic repair.Hardwood floor repair begins when you go after each blemish on a case by case basis, finding the best repair method for each blemish. Here are a few ideas to throw into your mental hardwood repair kit:-Floor Scratches - check your local hardware store for some color putty and instructions on how to apply it. Roughly, this process is just cleaning the hardwood floor and then applying a color putty stick to the damaged area.-Deep Floor Scratches - these gouges in your floor will require wood filler matched to your hard floor color tones.-Gaps Between Boards - you floor will naturally shift over time, particularly if you do not have a firm foundation under your house. Most minor gaps should be ignored, but when they become major you'll need a special gap removal tool.-Buckling Boards - this is the opposite of gaps. Your floor boards will buckle when they are pushed together, exist at high humidity, or receive severe water damage. As the floor boards have nowhere to go but up, dangerous tripping areas will be created. You need a heavyArticle Submission, complete flat weight to place on these buckling boards for a few days to make them even again.Tackle each problem on a case by case basis and you'll be able to restore your hardwood floor without spending all that much money.

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A Guide to Hardwood Floor Protection

2008-02-22T03:32:00.000-08:00

Before you can initiate some hardwood floor protection measures, you first need to know what could potentially damage your floor. Basically, your hardwood floor has 5 big enemies: dirt, dust, spills, water and sunlight. We'll cover each of these in this article:

-DirtFoot traffic is how dirt typically gets on and in your hardwood floor. When you, other members of the households and visitors come in from the outside, your shoes carry dirt with them. Not only does dirt make your floor look bad, it can also damage your floor. Dirt is pretty tough to clean. You'll either have to mop the dirt off or scratch it off using a tool. Both methods can damage your floor. If you use too much water in your mop, water will get absorbed and cause the floor boards to expand. If you use a tool to scratch off the dirt, you could potentially scratch the floor.Best thing to do in order to avoid it is to regularly sweep the floor, preventing the dirt from settling on the floor and in between the grooves and solidifying. This way the dirt won't harden and won't be hard to remove later on.-DustIt is not possible to prevent your hardwood floor from getting dusty. What you can do is to make sure your floor is protected from the effects of dust. Sweeping, vacuuming and occasionally mopping are some of the hardwood floor protection measures you can take. These measures prevent dust from settling on the floor and causing your floor to corrode and age.-SpillsSpills are inevitable. Spills in all manners can take their toll on hardwood floors.

You can protect your hardwood floors from spills by placing mats or rugs around those places that are likely to get spills. These areas are typically around tables, counters and desks. Should a spill occur, don't go for a sweeper right away. Get an absorbent cloth and try to absorb as much of the liquid as possible.-WaterLike other liquids, water can cause damage on hardwood floors. Water can cause the boards on your floor to swell and contract. This swelling and contraction are what pushes the floor into the side walls, resulting in cracks.Save for regular spills, water can get on your hardwood floor in two ways: a mop that uses too much water or water that seeps from the outside (e.g., rain or flood). Best is to ensure that you don't allow water to remain on your floor longer than a few minutes. If you clean your floor with a wet mop, make sure you finish off your mopping by wiping off the floor with a dry cloth. -SunlightIf parts of your hardwood floor are constantly exposed to sunlight, they would become discolored. Depending on the type of wood used, these exposed areas of your floor would either become lighter or darker. Whatever the case, your hardwood floor is going to look old and nasty. To protect your hardwood floor from sunlight, use drapes on your windows. You can also cover up areas of your floor that get exposed to sunlight with rugsFree Articles, mats or even furniture.

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Types of Floor Coverings and Basic Floor Care Tips

2008-02-22T03:31:00.000-08:00

There are so many different types of hard floor coverings these days, it's hard to keep up with learning how to care for each of the different kinds. And if

you're a cleaning contractor, you don't want to make a costly mistake by using something on a floor that could be harmful or damage the floor. Listed below are some of the common floor coverings and basic floor care tips:

1. Resilient Floors, especially VCT (vinyl composition tile) flooring is used commercially on high traffic floors such as retail or grocery stores. VCT tile is durable and holds up to heavy traffic. However there is a lot of maintenance involved in keeping these floors looking good. They should have a sealer or finish applied to them, which gives the floor a high-gloss look. The floor also needs to be swept and mopped with a neutral pH cleaner on a regular maintenance schedule to keep the floor looking shiny and clean. The floors may also need interim maintenance with slow speed or high speed floor machines and occasional stripping and re-coating of floor finish.

2. Stone products include marble, granite, and limestone. There has been a dramatic increase in the use of stone flooring in the past 10 years, even though it is some of the most costly flooring available. You must be very careful when caring for stone floors because you could easily damage the surface permanently if using the wrong chemicals. Use of entry mats and daily sweeping and mopping is key to keeping stone flooring looking like good. Mop the floor with a neutral pH floor cleaner or a stone soap, and never flood mop stone flooring. Never use alkaline or acid cleaners for daily maintenance, as this can damage the floor over time.

3. Masonry products include ceramic tile, clay tile, and concrete. Ceramic and clay tiles come in a variety of styles and textures, so this may determine the type of maintenance needed. Ceramic tile will either be glazed or unglazed. Glazed tile are shiny and have a non-porous surface layer and are more stain and moisture resistant, whereas unglazed ceramic tile is more slip resistant. Concrete flooring is now more fashionable with the use of color additives and texture. Concrete floors can be sealed and finished like a VCT tile floor, and will require similar daily maintenance using a neutral pH floor cleaner. Daily maintenance of ceramic tile floors include sweeping and mopping with a neutral pH cleaner. Do not use acid or alkaline cleaners for daily maintenance as it can damage the tile and grout over time. Grout may need periodic cleaning with the use of a slow speed floor machine and a nylo grit brush, which can get into the grout lines where soil accumulates.

4. Wood Floors are being widely used in residential homes. To keep the floor looking good, protection from abuse, stains, soil and moisture is very important.

Basic maintenance of wood floors is similar to other floors, however wood is very sensitive to water, and scratches much more easily than other types of flooring. Extreme care must be used, so avoid dragging anything across a wood floor, and never use excessive water when cleaning. It's best to use a well wrung out mop or microfiber flat mop, which uses less water than conventional mops. Use a commercial wood cleaner, but avoid using oil-based soaps or furniture polish on wood floors, as they can make the floor slippery and leave a residue.

5. Laminate Floors are also being widely used in residential homes. Laminate floors are made of a combination of wood and cellulose products (mostly wood).

Melamine (clear resin) is applied to the surface to make a strong outer layer. Manufacturers say that little or no maintenance is needed on laminate floors.

They recommend regular sweeping and damp mopping using a laminate floor cleaner. As with wood floors, laminate floors are sensitive to moisturePsychology Articles, so never use excessive water when cleaning.

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Floor Stripper and Floor Finish Basics

2008-02-22T03:29:00.000-08:00

If you'd like to offer floor care services for resilient tile in your cleaning business, you need to know some of the terminology in order to understand how the chemicals work. It's also important to know the differences between floor strippers and floor finishes.

If you'd like to offer floor care services for resilient tile in your cleaning business, you need to know some of the terminology in order to understand how the chemicals work. Following are some of the characteristics for floor strippers and finishes, as well as definitions of some of the terminology you need to know.

Characteristics of Floor Strippers:

* The purpose of floor stripping chemicals is to dissolve the existing floor finish, so it can be removed without harming the flooring.

* Floor strippers have a high pH, usually between 10 to 14. High pH chemicals are on the alkaline side of the pH scale.

* Most floor strippers contain high levels of VOC's (anywhere from 10% to 30%), which can be harmful to the environment. There are now "greener" alternative floor strippers, which contain lower levels of VOC's (as little as 6%), if you'd like to offer green floor care services.

* Strippers are created to work with a floor cleaning system, so you want to use a stripper that is designed to work with a particular floor finish.

Characteristics of Floor Finishes:

* Floor finish is a liquid applied to a clean floor in thin layers, in order to protect it from damage and daily use. Floor finishes are used on floors that are not harmed by water, such as VCT (vinyl composition tile).

* Floor finish is primarily made up of polymers, waxes, solvents, plasticizers, and surfactants.

* Floor finishes are created to work with a floor cleaning system, so you want to use a floor finish that is designed to work with a particular line of daily cleaners, burnishing chemicals, and floor strippers.

Definitions:

* pH Scale - Determines the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. The scale ranges from 0 to 14. At the 0 to 6 end of the scale is where solutions are acidic. At the 8 to 14 end of the scale is where solutions are alkaline. Pure water has a pH of 7, which is neutral.

* VOC (volatile organic compound) - Organic chemicals that produce vapors that can be harmful to the environment.

* Solids - What is left on the floor surface after the floor finish cures. Usually expressed as a percentage of weight. The higher the percentage, the more coating that is left on the floor after it dries. However, keep in mind that a higher solid content does not necessarily mean the finish has better durability or gloss.

* Polymer - Synthetic compounds of usually high molecular weight. The solids content of the floor finish usually contains 50% polymer - this is what forms the film on the floor, and is what gives the finish its durability and shine.

* Wax Emulsions - Wax consists of anywhere from 5 - 20% of the floor finish, and is what enables the floor to be "buffed". Synthetic waxes have now replaced natural waxes because of their slip resistance, black mark resistance, and durability.

* Plasticizers - Substances added to floor finish to keep it soft and pliable. Plasticizers allow the chemicals to work together to form a film without flaws and imperfections. They also help the finish to be impact resistant.

* Surfactants - Used to increase the contact of two or more materials, sometimes known as wettability. This allows the floor finish to be spread more easily onto the floor.

Visit your local janitorial supply house for more information on the product lines they carry. Again, do not use a stripper from one product line and a finish from another linePsychology Articles, etc. Floor care products are designed to work together as a floor care system. There are many lines to choose from so ask lots of questions of your supplier before choosing a line to use.

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