Posted by Christopher Hussey on Fri, Aug 13, 2010 @ 04:41 PM
Well summer vacations are over and we are on the final part of
our three part series. We have discussed nail down and glue down methods and now we are going to discuss the floating method. As with each of the previous installation method's there are pro's and con's. The con's for the floating wood installation are a hollow sound when you walk across the floor and the feeling that the floor is springy or moves. The pro's for the floating wood installation method are more applicable in area's that have high moisture in the ground. Because the floor is actually floating and not attached to the substrate via nails or glue we use a cushion underneath which doubles as a moisture membrane and allows the wooden flooring to be installed on substrates that would normally not be suitable for hardwood flooring. An additional pro for the floating wood installation method is the ability to install over some existing flooring without having to do the demolition. This becomes a major benefit when that existing flooring is tile and the demolition will be extremely labor intensive and expensive.
The floating wood installation method with the advent of click together wood flooring has made this type of installation a great DIY project. As with all installation methods discussed making sure you have prepared the concrete and removed all hi and low spots is critical to keeping your investment from failing at a later date. Don't forget if you are in the Cypress or The Woodlands and need to get some advice don't hesitate to stop by and meet with any of our sales consultants.
Posted by Christopher Hussey on Thu, Jul 01, 2010 @ 09:39 AM
Now to discuss the glue down method for installing your hardwood
floors. Keeping all the assumptions in place from our last article we begin with floor preparation. All wooden flooring requires a flat surface absent of hi and low spots to ensure a proper installation. Keep in mind I said "flat" not "level". This is a common misconception about preparing the concrete for a hardwood floor installation. Your floor can be higher on one side of the house and still be considered flat and suitable for installation. When preparing the concrete proper patching compounds need to be used to flatten out the hi and low spots of your floor.
Because site preparation is so critical to a good installation I encourage you to verify that your contractor is using a good quality patch and will give you an installation warranty on his/her craftmanship.
Now that the concrete is flat and void of moisture you are ready to start the glue down installation method.
The glue down installation method will give you a solid feel underfoot. The benefit of the glue down method of installation comes from the secure bond and sound dampening properties. If you want your wooden flooring to have that same secure feeling as the nail down method but don't want the expense or height differences the glue down method is a great choice.
The largest drawback with the glue down method is of course the glue. If you are looking to change your hardwood flooring out in the future there will be substantial cost and labor time to remove your existing hardwood floor and scrape the concrete clean of the glue. Don't be scared as most engineered wooden floors usually carry extended warranties so unless you just hate the color or design your engineered hardwood floor should last at least 15-25 years.
Well, that's the basics of the glue down method of installation for hardwood floors. Next we will talk about the floating method of installation.
As always if you are in NW Houston (Cypress, Cy-Fair, Tomball, The Woodlands, Magnolia) don't hesitate to visit one of our showrooms for consultations. Remember to ask a lot of questions and spend the time finding someone you can trust to do a great job.
Posted by Christopher Hussey on Sun, Jun 06, 2010 @ 07:37 PM
This is a question we get asked a lot during a normal sale of solid wood or engineered wood flooring. Since each method is unique we will break this topic down into three parts, each part discussing a different installation method.
Hardwood flooring is beautiful and a proper installation will ensure that you are happy with your investment for years to come. There are some different requirements depending on weather you choose solid, engineered, or bamboo flooring. For sake of brevity we will cover each hard wood installation method from the engineered wood flooring perspective.
Before you can decide what installation method you are going to use you must determine what type of substrate you will be installing the hardwood flooring to. The majority of the time you will be installing on concrete or plywood but in some cases especially for those living in multi-level complexes you may be installing on light weight concrete or gypsum. Since the majority of Houston Homes are built on concrete slabs we will assume the installation is on concrete. Now that all of the many variables have hopefully been set we can talk about the installation method. If I have missed something drastic or you just want to chime in comments are always welcomed.
Nail Down:
If you want to use the nail down method for your chosen wood flooring you will first need to install a layer of plywood to the concrete so the staples or nails will have something to fasten to. There are few flooring companies with qualified installation crews to execute this method of installation so ask a lot of questions before you commit to go with any specific company.
The nail down installation method for hardwood flooring is by far the best method since there is a plastic barrier between the concrete and the plywood and then in many cases an additional specially formulated plastic barrier on top of the plywood that creates the best protective barrier from hydrostatic moisture. Also, most of us want our wood to feel stable and secure underfoot and a nailed down wooden floor will feel very stable and secure when you walk across it.
There are con's to this type of installation as the nails used to fasten the plywood to the concrete will, if tear up is required or wanted at a later date, be damaged and require repair. There is also a height difference that will need to be addressed and in some cases require special transitions between existing flooring and the newly installed nailed down wooden flooring.
As I will often recommend if you have other questions that you would like answered please don't hesitate to leave a comment of for those living in the NW side of Houston or in The Woodlands, TX you can visit one of our two locations to get answers to your specific situation.
Next we will discuss the glue down installation method for your wooden flooring.
Posted by Christopher Hussey on Sat, May 29, 2010 @ 10:09 AM
This is a question we get asked many times. The thought of tearing up the tile floors may bring on nightmares of dust debris and damage to our wonderful homes so why not just install over them and avoid all the hassle right?
Not exactly.
There are a few things to take into consideration before we decided to install over existing tile floors.
1. What installation method are we going to use, floating or glue down
2. Does the manufacture support installing over existing tile floors or will this type of installation void the warranties.
3. If the installation method we chose and the manufacture support installing over existing tile floors we need to take into consideration the thickness of our wooden flooring and make sure adding that thickness around the perimeter of the room will cause any major problems.
4. If everything checks out above we need to check our tile floors for voids and areas that are not completely secured to the concrete. (You can use a simple tap test to check if the floor tiles are secured correctly).
Ok, we are going to talk about both installation methods quickly so you may have a lot of questions and if you post a comment we will get them answered. The easiest installation method is the floating installation and requires little to no prep work. If you don’t mind the slightly louder hallow sound a floating installation will work just fine. For those of you wanting a more solid feel to the floor and reduced sound the glue down installation is the most appropriate. However, the glue down installation requires the most prep work. Since the glue down installation is more complicated we will discuss how to prep your tile floors for the hardwood floor installation using glue down.
Since we have established that we are going to glue down our engineered wooden flooring, our manufacture supports installation over properly secured tile floors, and the thickness of our chosen wooden flooring will not cause us a problem we must now prepare our tile floors. The most important aspect is to etch or scarify the existing floor tiles so the glue can bond. Imagine if you will (twilight zone flashback) the glue as a bunch of little fingers reaching out for something to grab a hold of, if the tile was not etched or scarified there would be nothing to grab onto. The etching creates ridges that the glue fingers can latch onto and then cinch down the engineered wooden flooring. If you are planning on floating or self leveling the tile depending on the patching or leveling compound you may still be required to etch the tile floors.
This was a brief answer to the question: “Can I install hardwood flooring over my tile floors?” As with many topics there are a lot of details that need further explanation. If you are still want more information please don’t hesitate to leave a question in the comments and we will do our best to get you the right answers. It is our recommendation that you find a professional that you trust to install your floors and if you happen to live in the Cypress, Texas or The Woodlands, Texas we are more than happy to assist you.
Posted by Christopher Hussey on Thu, May 27, 2010 @ 09:58 PM
STAFF PICK
Well another week has rolled by and our Launch of Tigressa Carpet is in full swing. Running through our blog topics I found one from our Cypress staff who wanted to get updated on the latest bathroom design trends.
Bathrooms are getting bigger....
That's the number one trend for bathrooms. We want to spend more time in them and so they must be more than functional now and for the majority of us that means creating a space that is both relaxing and functional. Well instead of badgering you with reading I thought we would explore some of the trends through pictures since they are worth a thousand words this could be the longest blog ever...
The floor tiles in this bathroom includes black inserts that lend a great design element to break up an otherwise neutral floor.
This bathroom demonstrates how
floor tile can be used to add dimension to a smaller space. The use of subway tile on the wall installed on a brick set creates texture and warmth while the rectangular tile adds depth to the room. The custom cabinetry also adds space with the curve at the bottom.
Taking a modern spin this bathroom uses the grey and black colors to add contrast to the bathroom while the blonde wood cabinetry gives a natural feel with modern twists. This was my favorite of the three bathrooms we looked at for this article.
We hope you have enjoyed these inspiration rooms and encourage you to create a space in your home that you can enjoy.
Till next time,
Posted by Christopher Hussey on Mon, May 17, 2010 @ 11:31 AM
STAFF PICK
Well I know that you can't wait to hear how much a Tiger can eat at one sitting but I wanted to take a few moments and cover why we are supporting the Save the Tiger Fund.
We are proud to introduce Tigressá, soon to be an industry leader in soft nylon carpet. When you think of Tigressá, think of the strength and the power of a tiger, but also the softness of its fur!
The Tigressá nylon fiber system offers today’s consumers many compelling benefits. Its microfiber denier size is half the denier of a human hair giving it the silky soft feel. The super thin denier size also facilitates twice the number of individual fibers per square inch so it’s packed tighter to hold up better. This feature, combined with the inherent characteristics of nylon, produces a carpet that’s stronger than ordinary carpet – giving you one of the best choices for long term resiliency!
In addition, the Tigressá yarn system will feature Ultra Protective Color Technology. This innovative technology is an added benefit which produces a deeper color texture than ordinary carpet, adding to the richness and beauty of your floor.
The assortment we’ve put together is a very comprehensive line up of styles including twists, textures, patterns, and cut and loops -- all updated with the finest color assortments anywhere.
A Social Cause
When looking to connect Tigressá carpet with a social cause, we went right to the National Fish and Wildlife Federation’s Save the Tiger Fund.
Save the Tiger Fund sponsors effective efforts to stop the killing of wild tigers. It not only helps enable wild tigers to recover and flourish, the Save the Tiger Fund also helps empower local people to live in balance with natural resources and provides tangible benefits to them whenever possible.
Through our partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife foundation, Flooring America and Flooring Canada will donate a portion of all Tigressá purchases made between May 16 and August 20 to the Save the Tiger Fund.
Why Tigers Matter
Tigers are on the brink of extinction. The tiger’s range has contracted severely over the course of the last century as humans have hunted them and destroyed their habitats, leaving only about 4,000 wild tigers in Asia. Human welfare and economic development in Asia depends on the same clean water, clean air, natural flood controls and other forest resources that tigers need. Because tigers are poised at the top of the food chain, if we can maintain healthy tiger
Populations in Asia’s wild lands, we can ensure that there are healthy habitats and prey populations present to support them.
Fun Facts about Tigers
Tigers can reach 11ft long and weigh in at 660Lbs
Tigers have a 10-15 year life span in the wild and can live longer than 25 yrs in captivity
Tigers have the largest canine teeth of any land based carnivores
Tigers are mostly solitary animals but have been known to share large kills
Tigers can eat 40lbs of meat in one sitting, and will often go days without eating
Tigers can reach 30-45MPH when hunting prey is small bursts
Tigers require large areas to live on average between 20 Square Kilometers for females and between 60-100 Square Kilometers for males.
In a poll conducted by animal planet the Tiger was voted the World’s favorite animal narrowly beating the dog.
Tiger Resources:
Fun children’s book with games and projects to learn more about Tigers. http://www.wildlifealliance.org/assets/pdfs/amur-booklet_edited-text-final-format.pdf
Save the Tiger Fund Main Page: http://www.savethetigerfund.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home1
One of the websites consulted for Tiger facts: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger
Additional website consulted for Tiger Facts and projects: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/mammals/tiger/
Posted by Christopher Hussey on Sat, May 15, 2010 @ 09:22 PM
STAFF PICK
I know you're thinking "I know I went to a flooring website" and you would be correct. It seems odd that our first blog post would not be about flooring but we wanted to get started with some of our staff picks for blog articles. Now if you were looking for some ideas for laminate flooring, Hardwood flooring, carpet, tile, or a place to verify that the great idea for flooring that you had would work just follow the links.
For those of you wanting the question answered I will get to the point:
It's amazing but the radiant barrier dates back to the early 1920's when it was used in commercial buildings but the Government felt the main supplier was a monopoly so they shut down productions and we lost the radiant barrier until the mid 1950's when Clark E. Beck refined the technology for NASA (you know the space blanket). A fun fact is that radiant barrier technology was introduced into the U.S. Space Agency Hall of Fame in 1996 and was considered a "Top Secret" technology.
Coming full circle most of us are hearing about this technology via radio and TV
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advertisements and the amazing cost savings that we can realize. The U.S. Department of Energy says “when a radiant barrier is correctly installed, it can reduce the heat gains through your ceiling by about 25%.”
The Oak Ridge National Laboratory showed a 24% energy savings in St. Louis, Missouri and 26% energy savings in Topeka, Kansas, when a radiant barrier was used in addition to R-11 insulation.
It appears that there is substantial data to support the use of a radiant barrier to reduce energy consumption. I am including the links to the main websites where I collected my data. I also found a couple Youtube videos that I hope you find useful in making your decision on weather or not to install a radiant barrier in your home.
I promise that at some point we will blog about all the different types of laminate flooring, hardwood flooring, carpet, tile, travertine, natural stone, and LVT but our next article will be all about Tigers since we are launching our Tigressa soft style carpeting and donating a portion of our sales to the Save The Tiger Fund. If you have ever wanted to know how much a tiger can eat at one time don't miss our next blog post.
Resources:
http://www.radiantguard.com/radiant-barrier-history.aspx
http://www.radiantguard.com/radiant-barrier-buyers-guide.aspx
http://energyimprovements.net/230/history-of-radiant-barrier/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiant_barrier
http://www.sti.nasa.gov/tto/Spinoff2006/ch_9.html
A couple of YouTube video's for your enjoyment:
Videos brought to you by http://www.raflect.com/ and http://www.neutralexistence.com/