Bamboo Floors Are Like Real Wood

We all love hardwood flooring but there are many drawbacks which range form shrinking and cracking to water damage. The key is to know what the humidity conditions are and where the flooring is to be installed. For example if you want wood in the kitchen you better have good sealing in place.

Bamboo can accept these challenges quite well. As we have said before in previous postings bamboo floors are not wood but a type of grass. The bamboo grows quite tall and strips are taken from the bamboo stalk and boiled in a solution of water, boric acid and lime which takes out all the starch. You can buy it as a plank or as engineered wood.

In the plank there are two distinct types: normal and vertical strips. The vertical does not have the distinctive “knuckle” that is associated with bamboo. In engineered flooring the backing is plywood with a bamboo veneer.

Bamboo can go over concrete in an engineered form. This is snapped together and placed over a vapor barrier for a floating floor or glued together if the floor is to be solid.

Bamboo wears like iron and, if cared for, will never need refinishing.

Hardwood flooring is a hygroscopic materials which means that water and water vapor can cause wood to swell. The when the water evaporates the wood shrinks but may not go back to the way it was. There may be warping or cracking and twists in the surface. Cupping is also a problem. As bamboo is laminated strips it resists these forces.

12mm Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring has swept the flooring market in the past few years less than a decade after the Swedish company Pergo first introduced it to America. The later models of laminate look so realistic it is becoming harder to distinguish this from real wood or, now, stone.

Laminate flooring is made of of mostly recycled materials and the decorative finish is an aluminum oxide compound. This makes it almost dent, fade and stain proof.

The thicker 12mm laminate flooring is usually moisture-resistant so is popular in kitchens and bathrooms. In addition the great looks and more durable surface makes it a great alternative to hardwood in feature rooms and hallways.

12mm laminate flooring is manufactured in two processes:

1. High Pressure: The decorative and structural layers are heated and then pressed together. The top and bottom layers are then glued for firmness.

2. Direct Pressure: This is the cheapest form because it is easier to make. In this process the layers are stacked and then then soaked in melanin resins. Heat and pressure fuse them together.

Because 12mm boards are thick and have heft they are easy to install. In areas of high moisture it is always good to seal them so that the moisture will not get in the cracks or under the flooring.

Laminate flooring has a long history dating back to 1977 where a Swedish company invented it and later introduced the product in the United state in 1984. You will find many options of 12mm laminate flooring on the internet and you can read the various specifications so that you get the flooring product you desire. You can find a variety of styles that catch your eye and if you do not know where to begin with the installation, you will find a laminate installation guide which will be very helpful. You will find the flooring in several colors including the following. Black walnut, Italian walnut, bungalow oak, ginger oak, northern birch and the list goes on. You will experience a world of difference when you get the laminate flooring for your home.

Climatizing a Floor

One of the biggest complaints against hardwood flooring is the gaps and cracks that occur between the planks. This is especially annoying if the flooring has been installed and then finished in place. This now allows dust, water and everything else to get in the cracks. A way to avoid this problem is through acclimating the floor materials before the installation begins.

Wood, like many materials like leather, is composed of once-living cells that dry out when “aged.” This drying causes the wood to shrink because its cells become dormant. When the wood is taken into the outside air water vapor penetrates the cells and causes the wood to expand. This process is repeated seasonally and affects new buildings as well as flooring products.

When choosing a hardwood make sure that the product is suited for the area where it is being installed. For example, a basement is rarely as good place for 3/4″ hardwood of any species because of the moisture and the concrete floor. For extremes in moisture a laminate or engineered flooring is recommended because these products will not go through an expansion and contraction cycle like hardwood.

Before installing a hardwood floor place the boxes of planks into the room where they will be installed. Open the boxes and let them sit for at least 3 days./ This will adjust the planks to the humidity of the room. Installers will use a humidity meter to test the subfloor and planks before beginning the installation.

Even after the finishing process the hardwood will be affect by humidity. Make sure you keep the levels at a constant by utilizing a humidifier or dehumidifier. In this way the floor will not crack or cup.

Floor Finishing With Urethane

There are two types of urethane finishes water and oil-based. Both are durable but many prefer the oil-base because it is the standard which has been proven over time.

Stir: Before you plan to apply the urethane stir it with a proper paint stick. Do not shake or you might get bubbles in the urethane. Take the stick and lift the boot layers to the top to get the thicker portions into the mix.

Spread: A lamb’s wool applicator works best for this. Pour the urethane in a short line at the beginning of the area you want to coat. Using a broom handle screwed into the applicator push the urethane ahead of the applicator at an angle so that the urethane runs on on the side you are working toward. Only go in one direction and then start again at the beginning of the row. Keep the edge going because premature drying will cause a ridge.

Edges: use a brush to smooth out the edges and around obstacles.

Sand: Lightly sand between coats and wipe with a rag containing turpentine.

Drying: Read the instruction on the can for drying. It is best not to walk on the floor for 48 hours after the last application. In addition, do not move heavy furniture in for 4 days.

Floor Mats and Rug Runners

Many people love the idea of a large expanse of hardwood or laminate flooring. It opens up the home and puts a continuity into the style.

However, the practical applications may not live up to the aesthetics. These floors are slippery when wet, especially a granite or marble floor in the entranceway, and dirt can get tracked in all over the home. This is where the right choice of floor mats and runner comes in.

Floor mats are a multi-function flooring that is just as much an integral part of the home as any flooring. Mats take away the “slippery-when-wet” designation of the smooth floors and track dirt and other debris that could get tracked through the home and causes scratching and scoring to fine hardwoods. The portability of mats means that they can then be easily, and even hosed off, outside.

Kitchen mats not only keep the floor clean and non-slippery they provide cushioning against the hard tile surfaces and insulation against the cold on the feet.

But this is just the beginning because they can also provide style to the entrance way or kitchen. Mats come in many different materials from the elaborate carpet designs to the environmentally-friendly grass or jute mats.

Runners not only make stairs and hallways safe they add a consistent ribbon of color and design between areas of the home. Like mats they can be taken up and cleaned outdoors.

Because mats and runners are not expensive they can be changed periodically, even seasonally, to change the look of the home. Some people with large, older homes have three sets with one festive array for Christmas.

The New Laminate Flooring

The first laminate flooring most people ever saw came from a Swedish company called Pergo. In fact laminate floors were called “Pergo Floors” for many years afterward. They weren’t a snap-lock design but had to be glued together.

Laminate floor is basically a picture of a wood plank that is embossed with a hard finish and fused to a particle board backing. It is incredibly durable and easy to install. In fact it has taken over many of the duties that were once the domain of carpet, hardwood and vinyl flooring. The finish that protects the decorative layer is actually aluminum oxide and can have a satin, gloss or low gloss appearance.

The new laminate flooring products are available in a square-edged or beveled edge tongue-and-groove planks or as square tiles which mimic rock and ceramic tile. Most planking is about 4-feet long but other sizes and lengths are available.

In addition the thickness of the planks is increasing. They started at 6mm, or 1/4″, but the new planking is a hefty 12 millimeters, or 1/2″. As with many other products thickness does affect durability. Laminate flooring price is also geared to thickness. Planking goes from a low 50 cents a square foot to over $2.50.

The styles have also improved. The old standard Pergo was a stock, busy, oak finish with few substitutes. Now the styles and textures have gone to almost every wood species as well as ceramic tile and even vinyl floor designs. Depending on the grade and subfloor treatment it can be used in basements, kitchens and even bathrooms.

Green or Socially-Responsible Flooring Guide

The word “green” is bandied about in many reckless forms from the totally-green floor suppliers to ones who have a bare shade of green. Here is a guide to buying flooring that takes into account a wider definition of the term:

1. Manufacture: The flooring requires no materials that give off volatile organic compounds when made.

2. Renewable Materials: This means that the flooring is made from substances or wood products that either grow back quickly or the tree does not die during harvest, as with cork.

3. Harvesting: The clear-cutting method of taking trees like mahogany from the rain forests and replacing them with crops non-native to the area is not allowed for a “green” rating.

4. Social Responsibility: The workers are paid fairly for they do in a safe environment.

5. Recycling: The materials can be recycled as the same material or made into something else. For example, polyester carpet can be made into plastic for car parts.

6. Recycled Content: Does the product use older flooring as part of its ingredients.

7. Toxicity: No toxic materials like formaldehyde.

8. Maintenance: The product can be cleaned with non-toxic products and not solvents or other VOC’s.

9. Long Life: The product ages well so replacement is not necessary for many years.

10. Local Materials: Fuel is saved and jobs created when using products that have been manufactured nearby.

These are guidelines for looking at the floor with a responsible slant.

Tile Grout

When tile is installed an adhesive is spread to hold the squares to the subfloor. There are equal spaces between the tile and a mixture is put in these spaces to reinforce the tile positioning. Applying grout in the voids not only supports the tile but adds an attractive border.

Grout is made from Portland cement and other ingredients such as powdered latex and acrylic modifiers for tensile strength. There is usually a “fine mix” for showers and kitchen backsplashs which means that it is a powdery consistency. For flooring and large spaces between the tiles the resulting paste is called a “sand mix” because sand is used as the main ingredient. Grout is available is a wide variety of colors and can set off the tile design like a frame does for a picture.

The key to mixing grout is to make sure it is nor to watery or else it will not cure properly and might crack and fall out. Many tile installers will tell you that the mix should be the consistency of pancake batter. So if the grout mix comes out like a milkshake then you have to add more grout powder. The other rule-of-thumb is never mix more grout that you can put down in 30 minutes. And never add more water once the grout has sat for a while.

Grout is applied to the tile in diagonal strokes with a “float,” a trowel with a foam rubber pad. Do this in two direction to makes sure that the mixture goes in evenly. There will be a skiff of grout on top of the tile and this should be wipe clean with a wet sponge. However, wring the sponge to get all excess water out or the grout may get waterlogged.

After the grout has set wipe the floor again with a damp mop. You may have to do this several times to get all the dust off the tile. Like all masonry products grout should be left to dry slowly because quick drying promotes compression cracks.

For kitchens and bathrooms a grout sealer prevents staining which may discolor light-colored tile. It also prevents bacteria from getting into the porous surfaces.

Linoleum Floors

Linoleum is one of the oldest “synthetic” flooring materials. It is made from linseed oil, a joining of the Latin terms “linum” – which means flax in old English – and “oleum” meaning “oil”. It has largely been overtaken by vinyl as a flooring but because of its durability and natural components it is making a comeback.

In the mid 1800’s a rubber manufacturer name Fredrick Walton noticed that a “skin” formed on the top of paint left exposed to air. This coating was elastic and could be made stronger by heating. Then Walton came up with the idea of using thinner layers and laminating them which meant that colors and patterns could be assembled and then covered with a clear sheet. Originally this was called “oil cloth” as the backing was burlap.

Linoleum became very popular in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s as working people were able to afford homes and began building their own. In recent times linoleum was relegated to the kitchen and then was overtaken by vinyl.

Today, linoleum is making a comeback due to its environmentally-friendly labeling. Since the manufacturing of vinyl floors creates off-gassing of volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) many people with allergies are avoiding this product. Linoleum actually lasts longer because it is a stronger material with better backing. Many vinyl floor has paper as a backing while linoleum has jute, burlap or other earth-friendly products.

As far as installation goes linoleum goes down just like vinyl and can be glued with a “green” flooring adhesive. Flooring adhesives until now could advertise low- VOC ingredients but there were still emissions given off. Some new adhesives feature a mixing of 2 non-allergenic compounds on site to form an adhesive and this seems to be taking off.

So, with the new non-VOC adhesives homeowners can be confident in knowing that they can be completely green in their flooring choice.

Painting Floors

If someone were to inform you that he or she was going to paint their floor you would probably think they meant the garage floor or a basement floor. After all, floors are meant to be covered with a material, wood or laminate as examples. Many others are covered with carpet or vinyl. However, painting is never mentioned.

Painted floors are really quite beautiful. In fact you can do a faux finish, a checkerboard look or patterns just like a wood floor. In fact you can get an “antiquing” done which mimics wood, tile or other types of real flooring material.

The key is to have the floor completely blemish-free. tis can be accomplished by leveling compounds or wood fillers. Make sure you use a good, heavy wood filler as the lighter ones can shrink and cause cracks. Then the floor should be sanded with an orbital flooring sander to smooth the surface.

Next comes the primer but make sure you use a flooring primer. This should be an oil-based product as it will adhere to the flooring better than a water-based material. You should apply at least 2 coats of primer to cover the wood grains and any imperfections left after the sanding.

Now comes the fun part. Design your floor and mark the primer so that you know what you want and where you want it. Start with the main color first and let dry for at least 3 days. Now you can do stenciling, pinstriping or other patterns. The last stage is the urethane coatings. Now you can use a water-based product because it won’t yellow over time. Do 3 coats of this and let dry a day between each.

How long does it last? Well this is how they do dance floors and gymnasiums and the paint looks greast with all theta traffic.