There are many benefits if you use bamboo flooring.Long lasting, beautiful and available in many colors, the value-added fact that bamboo can increase the worth of your home is driving many consumers towards installing it.

How to buy bamboo flooring

The biggest obstacle, and many shoppers are looking for bamboo flooring is where buy it. In many cases, there will be no dealer close by which begs the question, so how you shop for it? Online of course. The internet has been a boon in many areas of people’s lives and shopping is one of them. There are some excellent online retailers and a number, requires some due diligence. However, all the sales outlets are not equal.

When arriving at a website, you’ll need to determine:

- how long they have been in business
- their reputation, can they be contacted directly which is extremely important ( if no phone contact move on)
- whether references are available from satisfied customers
- whether they have a showroom base offline.
- can they send you samples including grain styles and colors

Before Buying Bamboo Wood Flooring

There are a number of important factors to consider before purchasing. Here is a checklist:

1. Price will play a major part in your overall decision. You’ll need to work out your budget and coverage area before searching for your flooring. Prices can vary and beware of cheap imitations. Price can also be determined by the level of coating applied as well as whether the flooring is machine manufactured or hand crafted.

2. Installing bamboo wood flooring can be a little tricky depending on the type of installation you prefer. Floating a floor can be achieved usually with the minimum of fuss by someone with a little handyman knowledge as the product is usually pre prepared however, the more involved process of installing an unfinished product will require the services of an expert installer. Discuss this with your seller.

3. Color needs to be determined well before you even start looking at bamboo wood flooring. If you are giving your home a full renovation then your decor will want to match your floor and vice versa, if you are installing only the floor then it will need to match the home’s decor. Obvious but needs to be mentioned! Floor traffic is another aspect to consider when choosing color.

4. Considering the grain of the product is a factor in your overall choice. This is something you will need to decide for yourself.

Choosing bamboo flooring over traditional coverings could well be the best decision you ever made. It’s not a decision you should make haphazardly and the above guidelines will give you some idea of what’s involved.

The growth in popularity in recent years for wood flooring has increased the burden on already stretched timber resources. Bamboo flooring Shares many properties that attract discerning customers to hardwood, is low maintenance, durable, and looks contemporary while a timeless appeal, but without any of the environmental concerns that are attached to your wooden counterpart.

Because of its flexibility as a material, bamboo flooring has a broad appeal that can be manipulated to suit a variety of styles. Its range of applications varies from period homes to offices, designer hotels and bars.

Besides being the environment, bamboo flooring is competitively priced and easy to install. Ease of installation is always a concern for the prospective purchaser, with bamboo flooring the process has been simplified by the formulation of three different methods:

1. Floating Floor : This is hitting the tongue and groove joints of bamboo flooring over a lower layer.
2. Secret Nailing : the bamboo floor is ’secretly’ nailed to a wooden sub-floor.
3.  Gluing down: literally gluing the bamboo floor for a sub-floor.

Each of these methods has its own advantages.

One concern that has arisen with the implementation of bamboo flooring is regarding the use of urea formaldehyde, used as a binder or adhesive in the manufacture of bamboo flooring. Using current technology, their use is inevitable. However, reputable suppliers with bamboo flooring firm environmental principles, make every effort to ensure that its use complies with the E-1 rigid European standards. Importantly, exposure to dangerous chemicals in bamboo flooring is negligible.

The benefits of choosing bamboo flooring are chiefly to be found in the warm and comforting that it creates. Bamboo flooring immediately draws attention and recognition to a room, giving it character and focus. With its high wear properties, environmental benefits and natural beauty, bamboo flooring is the flooring of choice for future generations.

Sweep or vacuum

Dust, sand and other abrasive materials can scratch vinyl, even with the superficial layer of protection. Sweep or vacuum regularly vinyl flooring. Vacuums have trouble suctioning to vinyl, at times, so it might be better to use a broom. Placing mats at all exterior entry areas can greatly reduce the amount of dirt and dust on the vinyl floor.

Wash and Mop

Mop your floor weekly or monthly, depending on the amount of traffic you get and how dirty your floor gets. Stay away from rag mops, as they have a tendency to leak water into the cracks between the vinyl flooring. Wash your vinyl floor with a mild, non-abrasive cleaning agent, preferably one that is specifically recommended by the manufacturer.  Don’t use any abrasive cleaners, paste waxes, or solvents-many of these products can scratch and discolor your floor.

Protection from Furniture

If you’re moving furniture over a vinyl floor, pick it up or slip a sock over the furniture legs. If you have chairs or tables on a vinyl floor, get gliders or another type of protection for the bottom of your furniture’s feet.

Polish

Polishing your floor is a great way to maintain its sheen and add extra protection to your floor. Do it every so often with a polish that is approved by the manufacturer and safe for your floor.

Wipe up Spills

If anything spills on the floor, wipe it up immediately. Don’t use soap, as that can dull your floor with an extra layer of film. Use a clean cloth and regular water to wipe it up.

In all, vinyl floors really are some of the easiest floors to own, and remain one of the most popular types of flooring on the market. Unfortunately, too many people don’t take proper care of their floors, and they grow dirty and dull. But by simply cleaning your vinyl floor regularly and ensuring it gets the proper care, your floor will last many years longer than most, and retain its health and beauty well into old age.

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1. Take note of the room layout.

- Draw an outline of the room or rooms. Indicate where the entrances are placed.

- Measure the room carefully and accurately with a measuring tape. Write down the width and length of a room. Remember to include closets and other areas that need the new flooring. Smaller print patterns can make the room seem a lot bigger.

- Take into account adjoining rooms and the flooring on those rooms.

- Make a note in which direction the room is facing and if there is a sliding door. Determine how much natural light enters the room. You might want to consider a laminated floor, ceramic tile or porcelain tile.

- Bring along swatches of fabrics from your furniture, curtains and wallpaper. These will help you decide on the color and style of your flooring.

2. Answer these questions to help you out in selecting the right floor for your room:

- How much foot traffic does the room get in any given day? The number of people passing or using the room would indicate the level of wear and tear the room would take. This would help you in deciding the type of flooring to get. A room with a high volume of traffic needs more durable flooring.

- What is the main function of the room? A room used mainly for leisurely activities will have less wear and tear. Delicate flooring materials can be chosen in this case.

- How many pets do you have? Pets tend to abuse the surroundings they are in, floorings maybe damage from scratching.

- How many kids do you have in the house? All the roughhousing and playing that the kids do tend to abuse the flooring. The more kids you have in the house, the more abuse your flooring will get.

- What color do you want? Remember that lighter colors make rooms seem bigger.

- How long do you want the flooring to last? We would of course like the flooring to last forever but wear and tear damages the flooring.

Eventually, it will need to be replaced or you may want to simply change the look of the room after a certain period of time.

3. How much is the flooring going to cost?

- Are the subfloor preparation part of the quoted price?

- Is the quoted price inclusive of the installation or is that a separate fee? This is a budgeting concern, you would want to know the actual amount you’re going to spend.

- Is the removal of pre-existing flooring included in the quoted price.

- Is the quoted price inclusive of the moving of all appliances and furniture in the room.

- Are all the necessary materials included in the quoted price? You wouldn’t want to find out during the installation that some materials are not included and that you still need to purchase more materials. That could be extremely annoying and frustrating.

4. Questions to ask the installers and the store:

- Are the installers independent, or are they store employees?

- Whose insurance will pay for installation errors?

- Are all of the materials recommended by the manufacturer so warranty will not be voided?

- Discuss with the salesperson the warranty information of the manufacturer. Keep a copy of the warranty.

- Discuss the maintenance procedure and keep a copy of the manual or brochure.

- Have everything documented including the diagram of the installation. Also, the amount of flooring needed in the room

- Ask who will be responsible for the removal of fixed features in the room, e.g. toilet.

- Always check the website of the store, if any, to give you an idea of the store. Take note of the affiliations to groups or other organizations.

It would be best to email the store in advance to have some questions answered before going there. It saves a lot of time.

- Have all the product information documented. The document should include the name of the manufacturer, product name, color, style and the installation procedure.

Laminate floorings main advantages are that it is easy to install, is very hardwearing and relatively inexpensive compared to real hardwood flooring.

Laminate flooring is a floating floor, which means it does not fasten directly to the sub-floor. Instead the planks are clicked together. This enables the floor to be fitted fast and with no real mess.

Most laminate floors today fit together with a click system with the most common being the UNICLIC system as used by Quick-Step. This is extremely easy and fast to fit. The ingenious UNICLIC-system has a special shape of tongue and groove. You simply place the tongue of one plank into the grove of another at an angle and press down. Their sophisticated and very accurate milled shape makes it possible to create a very tight connection during the installation. The floor can be walked on straight away.

If you are laying laminate flooring over a concrete sub-floor then you will fist need to lay down a damp proof membrane (DPM). This is basically a sheet of plastic usually around 5mm which helps protect the Laminate from moisture. On top of this goes the foam underlay this acts as sound absorption and also helps even out minor irregularities in the sub-floor.

Most manufactories now offer a combined DPM and underlay along with several underlay’s that have better sound absorbing qualities
Most of the leading laminate floor manufactories now also have ranges of flooring that also include built in underlay. This underlay is pre-fitted to the bottom of the flooring and is usually of sound absorbing quality. You do not need to install this type of floor a secondary but if you are laying over a concrete sub-floor you still have to lay down a D.P.M. (Damp Proof Membrane) first.

Laminate flooring has been around in Europe for around 15 years and has seen massive growth in the past few years.  In 2004 over 750 million square meters of laminate flooring was sold worldwide this was an increase of 13% on the previous year. The biggest growth market is in the US with an impressive growth rate of 25%.

What is laminate Flooring Made From?

Laminate flooring is usually made up of four layers:

1. Overlay (Wear Layer)
The top wear layer is provided by the melamine resin, a highly wear resistant material that makes laminate flooring so hard wearing. This top layer is very similar to the top layer on counter or kitchen work tops but is usually around 40% stronger. This makes the laminate flooring highly resistant to scratches, burns, dent’s, stains, etc.

2. DPL (Decorative Paper) or HPL (Decorative Paper + Add High Strength Paper)
It is the decorative paper which gives the laminate flooring its individual appearance, ranging from highly authentic wood reproduction, ceramic or stone designs. An important thing to look out for when purchasing laminate flooring is to understand the difference between DPL and HPL. We will talk about this latter

3. Core layer
This is made up of either high density fibreboard (H.D.F.). or medium density fibreboard (M.D.F.) This is saturated in resins to make it extremely hard.  Most manufactures also add a moisture resistant resin to the core. This is important as it helps keep the flooring protected against moisture penetrating the boards.

4. Stabilizing layer
The bottom layer is the stabilizing layer; this is what gives the laminate floor its stability. It is made up of moisture resistant resins

How is Laminate Flooring Produced.

This is where DPL & HPL are different.

In the direct-pressure laminate process the decorative covering layer and stabilizing layer are pressed together onto the core layer.

While the high-pressure laminate process, on the other hand, the decorative paper and overlay are pressed onto special high-strength paper first. Only in a second stage is this so-called high-pressure laminate glued to the core layer. This makes the flooring a lot more tougher  and more resistant to dents etc.

How is Laminate Flooring Graded

Apart from the different warrantees that manufactures offer and the difference between DPL & HPL the other thing to look out for when purchasing laminate flooring is industry standard load and traffic categories. These are broken into two different categories and are as follows.

Residential

Class 21 – Moderate Loads. Ideal for bedrooms etc.

Class 22 – Normal Loads, Ideal for living rooms etc.

Class 23 – Heavy Loads. Ideal for anywhere in the house (except bathrooms)

Commercial

Class 31 – Moderate Loads. Hotel Rooms, meeting rooms, etc.

Class 32 – Normal Loads. Offices, waiting rooms, etc.

Class 33 – Heavy Loads. Large offices, shops, public buildings.

Thus, it is comforting to know that with the right tools and the right kind hardwood, it is pretty much a do it yourself endeavor. And because prefinished hardwood floor planks are already available in hardware stores and instructional manuals everywhere, then you really have nothing to worry about.

How do you install hardwood flooring? First, decide whether you want to use oak, maple or cherry, or rustic ash. Oak is the most expensive kind of hardwood material, but it is reputably the best and the sturdiest. If you’re working under a particular budget, maple or rustic ash are also okay and will last as long as oak with proper care and maintenance.

Next, prepare the following materials: the hardwood planks, a vapor barrier paper, a pry bar, a hammer, a speed drill and drill bits, a pneumatic flooring pack (which consists of a nail gun, staples, a mallet, a hose, and an air compressor), a staple gun, a tape measure, a chalk line, and, of course, your how-to manual.

It would be wise to study the manual before you go about hammering away so you don’t waste time. Some hardware stores already have prepackaged hardwood installation necessities so you can avoid the hassle of looking for each piece. Of course, you shouldn’t forget your safety goggles and gloves, as all the drilling and hammering could produce wood dust and can be harmful when inhaled.

Before buying hardwood floor planks, measure the surface where you are going to install them. Order planks that are around 10 to 15 inches bigger to allow room for errors. Expect that your initial attempt will be very challenging, but once you get that first plank in place, the rest should be a breeze.

Get rid of squeaks by tightly nailing the hardwood plank into the subfloor. When cutting, always provide extra space. When you’re dealing with hardwood floors, it’s best to go over and make the necessary adjustments than be left with a space that would look awkward to fill.

If you got a prefinished hardwood floor, then the job is done after you’ve installed the planks in place. But if you bought wood in its purest form, you should also pre-equip yourself with sanding and finishing tools and prepare for another challenging task ahead.

Allergies can be a troublesome problem when one has a carpeted home. Pollutants including pollen and dust make home in carpet fibers, where they can begin to wreak havoc on your allergies. Tile doesn’t bond to pollutants like carpet does. This, in return can keep your allergies from acting up.

By going the tile route, homeowners can save a significant amount of money. Although tile might initially cost more, it will save you a significant amount of money in the long run. Tile, unlike carpeting, doesn’t require constant vacuuming or steam cleaning. On a further note, tile doesn’t need to be replaced every several years. It can last forever given that it’s properly maintained.

Although tile does have a large number of perks, it does have its disadvantages. For one, family members might be uncomfortable walking barefoot over the cold surface. This can be remedied by having a tile heating system installed. Tile also has a tendency to make stains more apparent. Thus, whenever you encounter a fresh stain, be sure to quickly clean it.

Tile is a very ideal alternative to carpet flooring. In terms of maintenance, health, and finances, tile couldn’t make any more sense.

Homes with natural wood flooring can be found in any town that in spite of all the advances in fashion and technology for other types of flooring material, the wood flooring has not lost its place in the hearts of many house builders.

In spite of the rise in the prices of wood and increase in other choices for flooring, wood has no substitute in creating homes that has a homey feel to it. Wooden floors, even the traditional cuts do not fail to enhance décor and personal statements of tastes.

A House builder who opts to have a floor with a more modern touch opts for the parquet in place of the quarter-sawn wood flooring popular during the past decades. The new prefinished hardwoods are excellent viable choices even for homes ranging in design from the traditional, country, ranch, Victorian to the contemporary. Color choices and materials are amazing making it adaptable to any look that an individual would want a room to have. The darker finishes are suitable for formal settings, and the lighter the shade become, the more casual feel the wood flooring evokes. Local popular choices like the Ash, Oak and Maple can be combined with varieties of Teak, Brazilian cherry and Bamboo creating a look and texture that has never been reached when wood flooring (aside from concrete) were oftentimes the only choice.

The engineered hard wood of today are designed to perform better than the traditional ones as they are cross layered on top of each other providing a durability and capacity to hold more weight that was never achieved before. Engineered hardwood flooring is not synthetic wood but is made form real hardwood. Engineered hardwood is much easier to maintain doing away with old-fashioned waxes and pastes as these are already treated with several coats of urethane and is IV cured with aluminum oxide. Engineered hard wood will only require occasional mopping with a wood cleaner to maintain its luster.

The most popular flooring options include:

- Oak as flooring is very durable. It has a tight dark grain that is very appropriate for dining rooms and places that requires more subdued and formal atmosphere.

- Ash has beautiful texture and grain uniformity.

- Pine can be found in old houses. This flooring evokes a sense of history. Pines are considered as softwood but they can be very durable and can last for hundreds of years.

- Birch. Also a soft wood with a more playful texture

- Fir is another softwood patched with decorative dark grains

- Bamboo technically is a grass but when harvested in season and treated well can be more durable than most hardwood flooring.

- The more expensive and elegant wood flooring are the walnut, cherry and teak.

Whatever the choice is, wood for flooring has a timeless quality to it that will never be easily substituted even by the most modern materials available today.

No matter what your personal style is, there is a flooring choice for you because of the unlimited selection available. But before you rush out shopping for your hardwood flooring, keep these tips in mind.

Set a budget for yourself. Having a wide variety of flooring to choose from is great, but the downside is that it is easy to get overwhelmed quickly, and this makes you very susceptible to overspending. Remember to balance style with quality with your budget when you make your final choice.

Tip #1
You will be wise to match the room with your choice of flooring, whether hardwood or otherwise. For example, do not try to put hardwood flooring in a bathroom, due to the high levels of moisture a bathroom receives.

Tip #2
Different areas of the house demand different types of wood. For example, wood floors that have very light or very dark finishes typically do not fare well in the kitchen.

Tip #3
Choose a hardwood flooring that has an appropriate finish to match your lifestyle. A sitting room that is seldom used will let you get away with a lighter finish. However a hallway or living room will get continual traffic and requires a choice that offers a tougher finish that can stand up to a lot of wear and tear.

Tip #4
Consider installation – doing it yourself or having a professional installer do it for you? Many people successfully install their own flooring, but only after they have done their homework. It is often easer to hire a professional, but do you due diligence when selecting a hardwood flooring installer. You will want to be absolutely sure that it will be installed correctly.

Tip #5
Choosing the color and style of the floor can be the fun part. Choose a hardwood that fits your personal taste and your lifestyle. The comparatively high cost of the flooring and installation demands choosing a wood that will not go out of style quickly.

What Role Does Your Basement Play in Your Home?
That’s the first question that needs to be answered before deciding on your best basement flooring option.

A Place for Your Things
If your basement is used mostly for storage, and not for additional living space, then a few good coats of paint will give you a good looking and easy to clean floor.  If you want to use your imagination, use tape or masks and create patterns in the floor.  In any case, painting is probably the least expensive flooring options and, if you don’t like the results, simply paint it again!

Living Spaces
Many homeowners finish their basements to add more living space to their homes.  Here again, how you use your basement can determine the type of flooring you need.

Play spaces for your children need a durable, but preferably softer floor.  Carpet is often not recommended for basements because of the high risk of moisture or floods.  However, if your basement is properly waterproofed, carpet and underpadding provide great cushioning and keep the basement warmer.

Flooring for family entertainment rooms can depend on décor.  In a properly waterproofed basement, hardwood floors will make the room feel warmer and more like other rooms in your home.  Ceramic tile is durable and easy to clean, but can be fairly cold to the touch, so an area rug might be useful.

A sub-floor is often built to reduce the cold from cement floors and the damage that might be caused by moisture.  It is important to remember that even a vapour barrier does not protect your basement from damage caused by floods.  Ongoing moisture under your basement sub-floor can cause wood rot and create a home for mold and mildew.

Waterproofing
Regardless of the basement flooring method you choose, you will better protect your floor, home and belongings if you waterproof your basement before installing your floor.  If you have noticed repeated moisture problems, or have ever had a leak or flood, it is best to consult a basement waterproofing professional to get a recommendation for the best waterproofing method for your situation.

The specialists at Clarke Basement Systems will not only recommend and install the best basement waterproofing system for your home, they can also recommend and install your best basement flooring option.