Flooring
Choosing a Floor for Your Bathroom
By: Danielle McVicar
Remodeling your bathroom can be a nightmare, and choosing the flooring can be especially painful. All bathroom floors should share similar characteristics; they need to be water proof, durable and attractive. There are surprisingly many different kinds of flooring that meet these qualifications, each offering their own advantages and disadvantages.
Tile is by far the most popular of all bathroom flooring options. It is water proof, durable and easy to maintain. Tile is both stain resistant and extremely easy to clean. Ceramic tile comes in a vast variety of shapes, sizes and colors. Decorating with tile is easy with all the different finishes available, examples being decorative, glazed and matte. Tile does have its drawbacks as well; it is very cold and hard under bare feet and can be slippery when wet. By strategically placing bath mats or carpets around your shower you should be able to lessen these negative aspects.
Vinyl is another good flooring choice for your bathroom. It is relatively inexpensive, and like tile, it is tough, water resistant and low maintenance. However, unlike tile, vinyl is softer and warmer underfoot. Vinyl is also available in an array of colors, sizes and textures, but in addition it can be made to look like any other material as well. You could purchase vinyl flooring that simulates hardwood floors, stone, marble; the possibilities are endless! The only downside to vinyl is that when used in tile form, over time the tiles tend to come up. Sheet vinyl is a solution to this problem but is very difficult to install and requires the use of a professional.
If you want to add a touch of elegance and beauty to your bathroom, try using marble for your flooring. Marble, along with any other kind of stone flooring, is the most lavish and decorative of all bathroom flooring options. Marble will resist water and last an extremely long time. It comes in a variety of colors and shades and can have either polished or satin finish. However, like ceramic tile, it is cold and hard under your feet and is dangerously slippery when wet. The biggest disadvantage to marble, though, is the cost. It is very expensive, both to purchase and to install.
Hardwood floors aren’t commonly used for bathrooms but due to the water proof sealers you can use on them they are becoming more popular. Wood is attractive and can add a rustic or classic touch to your bathrooms décor. It is fairly durable and is warm and comfortable under bare feet. However, a wooden bathroom floor must be properly water proofed and sealed to prevent moisture, which will cause spots and rot. It will also need regular maintenance in order to keep it looking good.
Cork is another bathroom flooring option available. It is very similar to wood; it is warm and comfortable under your feet and adds a natural touch to your décor. It is prone to the same water and humidity damages as wood, but is far easier to maintain. As long as you coat your cork flooring with a PVC coat it will withstand any bathroom conditions.
Carpet is an option for your bathroom, but it is not recommended. It might be the most comfortable flooring underfoot, but it does not withstand water well at all. Carpet stains easily and will mildew or rot when wet. Unless you have your heart set on a carpeted bathroom, it is not an advisable choice.
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Different Types of Carpeting
By: Danielle McVicar
Choosing carpeting for your home can be a much harder task than you’d think. Not only do you want it to look good and match your interior décor, you want it to feel nice and be able to withstand the use it will take.
There are many, many kinds of carpet available and an easy way to categorize them is by their design and texture. There are four basic carpet designs, which include cut pile, level loop pile, multi level loop pile and cut and loop pile.
Cut pile carpeting consists of a carpet that has had its loops cut, leaving behind tufts of individual fibers. This type of carpeting is less durable than other types but is still one of the most popular. It can be broken down into three categories based on the amount of twist added to the carpet’s fibers.
- Plush, or velvet cut pile, is the most formal and elegant looking kind of carpet. The fibers are all cut evenly without much twist, which gives the carpet a smooth, luxurious appearance. Although plush carpet is perhaps the most attractive kind of carpet, it does not hold up well in high traffic areas. Because of its smooth surface, it does not hide tracking. Every foot print or mark will be imprinted into the carpet. The characteristics of plush carpet make it a good choice for formal, less often used rooms.
- Frieze is type of cut pile carpet that has a lot of twist in its fibers, giving it a curly-looking surface. Its twisted fibers give it a more casual look and also make it more durable. Frieze doesn’t show tracking as easily as plush carpet, which makes it a better candidate for high traffic areas.
- Saxony carpet falls in between plush and frieze, having only a slight twist to its fibers. It has a more casual look than plush but also a more formal look than frieze. Its slightly twisted fibers reduce the show of tracking, making it safe to use in higher traffic areas, although its semi-formal appearance may make it look out of place. Saxony is great for rooms that get a moderate amount of use and would benefit from a more decorative look.
Level loop pile carpet consists of loops that are all the same height. This type of carpeting is extremely durable and will withstand even the highest amount of traffic. It doesn’t show tracking at all, which makes it a very good choice for hallways or other frequently used rooms. Level loop pile carpeting has a casual look and is great for areas that will get a lot of traffic.
Multi level loop pile carpeting is made from loops of varying heights, giving it an interesting texture. It is very similar to level loop pile carpeting in all other aspects, including its durability and resistance to tracking. Multi level loop pile carpeting still retains a casual look, but is a touch more decorative than level loop pile carpeting due to the patterns and textures it can have.
Cut and loop pile carpeting is a mixture of cut fibers and loops. This type of carpet is a combination of cut pile and level loop carpeting. It is often more decorative in nature and can be designed with interesting and attractive patterns. Cut and loop carpet does tend to show some tracking and is best used in lower traffic rooms.
Make sure that you choose a carpet that meets all of your needs. Your carpeting should not only look good, it should also be able to withstand the traffic and cleaning that the area will receive. Not all the areas of your home are used in the same way and will therefore have different flooring needs.
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The Hard Facts on Hardwood Flooring
By: Kelly Goldthorpe
Hardwood flooring produces a sense of character, elegance, and charm within a room. With the variety of stains and types of wood you can find the right type of wood to fit your décor. Hardwood floors are great in almost every room, from the kitchen to the den; pretty much everywhere except the bathroom. When renovating your home consider using hardwood to add a splash of sophistication. There are different types of hardwood flooring, which each function differently within a room.
The traditional style is solid hardwood flooring. This consists of planks made from a single piece of wood. They can be refinished easily and in a variety of different ways. However, solid hardwood is very sensitive to temperature changes. Humidity and moisture both affect the stability of the wood and can cause the planks to warp, buckle, or create gaps. Because of this, solid hardwood should not be used below ground level.
Recently popular is engineered hardwood, which is comprised of several wooden slats, called veneers, making up a single plank. These are more stable than solid hardwood because the veneers are positioned in opposite directions. When the wood morphs, it is not all happening in one direction, and the effects are offset by this cross-ply construction. Another benefit of engineered hardwood is that you can use a stronger, sturdier wood for the bottom layers, only putting the fashionable wood on the top layer. If the wood you have chosen for your floor is not strong, using a different type of wood underneath is a great solution.
Laminate flooring is an alternative to actual hardwood flooring. Laminate hardwood is designed to give the appearance of a hardwood floor. However, the pattern used for laminate flooring is typically repeated and does not provide the natural variability seen with authentic hardwood floors. Laminate hardwood floors are great in high traffic areas because they are very durable. Both stain and scratch resistant, laminate floors hold up well. You can not sand or refinish laminate flooring though, so overall their lifespan is shorter than traditional hardwood. Laminate flooring is easy to install though because it just rests on the floor below.
Whether you choose solid, engineered, or laminate hardwood floors they each create a distinct aesthetic appearance. You can manipulate this by the size of planks. Planks are either one set length or a random length, both of which are usually staggered. Set length planks provide a more standard appearance, where as random length can look more dynamic. Random length planks are purchased in a range, with the shortest and largest dimensions given.
Hardwood flooring can provide a facelift to any room. While it can warm up the feel to your living room or kitchen, they do get cold, so buy some area rugs or warm socks to go with!
