Michael Holigan: Prefinished planks are great for changing the look of any room in the house and it's a project you can do yourself over the weekend. Not too expensive. It's not like the other old style hardwood floors where you have to put it down then come back and sand it and finish it and seal it. These prefinished hardwoods go down easily over a concrete slab foundation or plywood subflooring. Just spread out enough adhesive to give yourself some room to work and start laying it down. You want to make sure each plank fits snugly against the ones you've already put down. And then you want to be sure the plank has made good contact with the adhesive everywhere underneath it.
If you're doing hardwood floors on your own, before you get a mallet and start hitting on the floor, check the manufacturer's instructions. Now this flooring they say use a white mallet. Some flooring they don't recommend it. They'd rather use a block instead. Most manufacturers include simple step-by-step instructions in every carton of their prefinished hardwood. So it really is a good idea to read them thoroughly before you begin your installation.
Tongues and grooves have already been cut into each plank at the factory and a stain has already been applied and cured in ultraviolet ovens. On top of the stain, each plank has about four coats of Urethane with each coat also being cured in an oven.
The great thing about a prefinished floor plank is it lasts nearly forever. If you can look at the edge there, you can see that the finish is actually baked into the wood. So it's not going to wear down with a lot of walking. And because the stain and Urethane coatings are applied in a factory under controlled temperature and humidity conditions, this hardwood flooring's going to be much more durable than a floor that's stained and finished on site. The particular weather conditions where you live will have virtually no impact at all. These planks may not look as thick as the traditional hardwood flooring you may have seen, but this is an engineered product. Various types of wood veneers are laminated together to make it exceptionally strong so as long as you keep it clean, this floor will last a lifetime with minimal care.
These modern Urethane finishes mean you never need to wax the floor. Just use whatever cleaner your manufacturer recommends. The finish is going to resist every day spills, so you don't have to be concerned about the hardwood floors getting wet. In fact, they're a great choice for your kitchen floor.
Of course technology has brought improvements to almost every other type of flooring as well. Vinyl flooring, what some folks call Linoleum, continues to be one of the most popular. It's durable for high activity rooms and it resists scuffs and stains very well. It's also very easy to install yourself. Just sweep and clean your subflooring. Make sure your adhesive is spread evenly all over the floor and you're ready to put it down. You'll want to make sure any seams are not placed in high traffic spots so they won't be caught and torn by shoes. But today, the seams will disappear to the eye when you use a seam sealer. And the sealer actually forms a bond that's tougher than the vinyl on top. It's a good idea to make yourself a paper patter to follow when you're cutting the vinyl just because that part of the process is a one-shot deal. But you can opt for 12x12" vinyl tiles which can be a little easier to work with.
Ceramic tile is another type of flooring that's gaining popularity for use all over the house. It used to be that you'd only find it in the bath room or kitchen or maybe an entrance hall. But a larger selection of patterns, colors and textures and the fact that it's so easy to maintain has really expanded its use. At one time you could only set ceramic tile on a concrete slab. But today you can use cement backboards on top of wood subflooring. It's important to plan your tile project well. You'll want any cut tiles to lay next to the wall where the baseboard molding will cover the cut. Today you're not restricted to those little tiles you used to find in the bathroom. 12x12 tiles are common and even 16x16's are very popular. Just remember each tile needs to have mortar underneath at least 80% of it to achieve a good solid installation. Once the tile is in, it's time to grout. You just spread the grout over the entire area filling all the space between the tiles and then sponge away the excess. You'll have to wipe over the surface a couple of times to completely remove the grout from the tile finish, but the process is really very simple. It's a good idea to apply a water base penetrating sealer to the grout between the tiles. Most grouts now have acrylic latex additives that double their strength, but the sealer will make the grout more stain resistant and easier to clean.
With today's busy lifestyles, hardwoods, vinyls or ceramic tiles are all great flooring choices for your new house.
Episode 45 1996 - 97 Season
| Termites | Utility Knifes | Flooring | Changing Shower Head | Choosing Carpet | Painting Tip | The Closing |