-
Different Grades of Hardwood
Grade vs. Quality – Hardwood Grading Levels: Does the grade affect the quality? Heres an overview on each hardwood grade, and how to choose which hardwood grade is right for your project. In the flooring industry, we get this question quite a bit. Who knew choosing which hardwood flooring to use had so many variables? Don’t fret; we’re here to help… The grade levels for hardwood are Clear Grade, Select and Better, No 1 and No 2. However, there are terms that are sometimes used such as “Character Grade” for species such as Hickory and Maple. The grading of lumber actually refers to the appearance of the individual planks and what part…
-
The Dustless Sanding System – The Difference It Makes And Why We Use It
Dustless Sanding and Refinishing Many homeowners put off refinishing their hardwood floors, simply due to the fact that they don’t want to deal with the mess that follows a traditional full sanding and refinishing. And who could blame them?! Dealing with the residual dust that settles after the floors are finished, sounds like an unwanted headache to many clients- especially those that are currently living in their home. Dustless floor refinishing is not to be confused with sandless floor refinishing. In fact, sandless floor refinishing isn’t exactly sandless either, but we’ll touch on that in another post! Our dustless system is an added feature when we do both full sanding…
-
Water Resistant Flooring
Water Resistant Flooring Options Do you need a material that’s water resistant? 5 main flooring options on the market that are water and mold resistant, will not succumb to buckling and are ideal for all weather conditions due to their lack of expanding and contracting. One of the most popular known water resistant flooring is tile. Tile is an incredibly durable material. There are tons of choices in color, shape and variation. You can choose many different install patterns for a more custom floor, (ie: specialty designs and custom inlays and borders, herringbone lay, custom pendants, etc) Tile planks that look like textured hardwood is an ever growing trend today. …
-
How Your Homes Environment Effects Your Hardwood Floors
How your home environment can and will affect your hardwood floors- Having a regulated indoor temperature is of the utmost importance when caring for your hardwood floors. Regulating your homes climate should be part of your everyday floor care and maintenance routine. Many people do not realize how the heat, humidity and cold impact their hardwood floors; (specifically, a drastic incline or decline of temperature and/or humidity). Even though hardwood flooring is made from a dead tree, in essence, it reacts to its climate as though it were “alive.” When hot and humid, hardwood planks retain the humidity/moisture in the air, causing them to expand. When the humidity is low…
-
Best Flooring For Your Kitchen
What is the best flooring for a kitchen? Hardwood, tile, laminate or luxury vinyl? In order to choose a flooring material for your kitchen, or any of the rooms in your home, the type of subfloor has to be determined first. (“Subfloor” basically meaning your current floors foundation, or what’s underneath; typically plywood or concrete). Once we determine what kind of subfloor your kitchen has, we’d be able to recommend a floor covering material that makes the most sense, and follows the look you’re trying to achieve. If the subfloor is concrete, then chances are it’s best to install tile or a luxury vinyl. Tile: Tile is easy…
-
What flooring is best for a basement?
Best flooring for a Basement: What flooring is best for a basement? Over the last few years, we’ve definitely seen our fair share of flooding here in Westchester and our surrounding counties… (From harsh winter storms, to Hurricanes Irene and Sandy with their torrential rain, etc…). The ongoing trend has been for hard surface flooring options that can withstand some water in the basement, if not completely waterproof altogether. The hard surface materials do cost more than carpet, but will, without a doubt, last much longer and avoid an unnecessary expense and, not to mention, inconvenience, from flooding, moisture and/or mold. Anyone who has been through the mess (and awful…
-
Sun Damaged Hardwood Floors
Who doesn’t love a light, bright and airy home? I know I do, especially in the warmer months when the windows can be opened to feel that warm cross-breeze throughout the house. We tend to think more about this during the cold, dark winter months. How nice it would be to have the sunlight beaming in through the open windows, warming the house up just enough. But have you ever given any thought to what those glorious beaming rays of sunlight might be doing to your hardwood floors? Not many people realize that prolonged sun exposure on your natural hardwood floor has the potential to cause sun damage. Actually, damage…
-
Asbestos Flooring – Do you REALLY need that Abatement?
This article will explain some options on how to handle the discovery of asbestos tile in your home. Vinyl Asbestos Tile (VAT) – Where to begin? There are countless residential homes here in the northeast that were built before the 1980’s. Needless to say, most of them have asbestos tile installed somewhere inside. Often times the homeowner is unaware of the asbestos tile flooring at all. It’s usually found covered up underneath an existing floor, most often being carpet or even under a layer of plywood. Occasionally, when a home is sold to a new buyer, the existence of vinyl asbestos tile isn’t always disclosed in the proper way that…
-
Installing Tile Where it makes Sense
Installing Tile: Where in your home it makes sense, and areas where it doesn’t… Here’s a quick list of areas in your home where installing tile flooring would make sense: Wet/high moisture areas, like : * Basements; * Mudrooms; * Kitchens; * Bathrooms; * Entry/exit points of the home; * Laundry rooms; * Three-season rooms (screen porches); * Grand Foyers There are certain instances where installing a tile floor makes the most sense over other types of flooring. Tile flooring comes in beautiful styles, colors, sizes, patterns and types- there’s porcelain tile, which come in many different styles and even textures; ceramic tile, which is also made in a wide variety of styles and…
You May Also Like
Hardwood vs. Tile in the Kitchen
-
Installing Coretec
I’m sure that you’ve heard about this great product called Coretec by now. A few years back, it took the flooring industry by storm, and has only improved since its first arrival. Here’s an overview of COREtec flooring; What is COREtec? COREtec is “Engineered Vinyl Plank flooring,” or “EVP” for short, and it’s simply great all around. COREtec created an entirely new category of flooring. It’s not just the water-proof vinyl and soft, eco-friendly cork, with the exception of the COREtec One line which doesn’t have the attached cork underlayment, installing COREtec means you’d get the best of both. It comes in so many styles that you could literally install this in every…
