Tankless Water Heater Used As Hydronic Boiler For Floor Heating

The traditional boiler works very much like a storage tank water heater. The boiler stores some amount of water in its tank that it continuously heats. The floor heating system is triggered through activation of water circulating pumps. The pump circulates the hot water from the boiler tank through the floor pipes which in turn radiate the heat to the surrounding. The heated water circulates through the pipes in a closed loop and it is heated again by the boiler.

The boiler itself has a low efficiency to begin with and it is lowered over time by build ups in the its tank. It is also not designed to heat the water in the tank rapidly. The rate the heated water dissipates its heat through the pipes to the surrounding and the ability of the boiler to reheat the cooled down water again is most the time not the same. Often the heat is much faster dissipated than it is reheated. This has the effect that the cooled water is continuously circulated through the floor heating pipes. The result is that the heating system degrades more and more over time and it takes much longer to heat the surrounding. This degraded responsiveness not only lowers the comfort level but it also wastes more and more energy over time.

Now how is a tankless water heater better for radiant heating? Well, let's see first how a tankless water heater functions. It has no tank and hence the term tankless. There is no water to be kept hot at all times. The water is heated as needed "on the fly". Water is fed through a super efficient heat exchanger and heated. The water temperature is heated to the selected temperature setting precisely by adjusting the gas burner's flame accordingly. Water temperature sensors monitor the water temperature and the tankless water heater's computer modulates the burner. This means that the water is never over heated or under heated. This means that regardless of the heat dissipating rate of the pipes the water is heated to the set temperature instantly due to the ability of the tankless water heater to vary its heating flame and power. The result is a very responsive system that can quickly replenish the lost heat in the pipes and therefore quickly heat the floor in case of floor heating application.

The traditional tank boiler is not able to do this because it cannot vary its flame intensity. A properly designed and installed system provides then comfortable and efficient floor heating regulated by a standard thermostat inside the home. Besides providing fast heating response the hydronic system enables large continued energy savings for years lowering significantly the operating cost of floor heating.

Joseph Eichler, a renowned home builder constructed many homes in northern California and other parts of the country with very distinct progressive features. One of those features was that these homes had a hydronic system for heating employing copper pipes laid in the floor for heating. The homes are generally known as Eichler Homes were built in the 1950s and 1960s and enjoy great popularity. Their old and mostly deteriorated boiler systems can be revived with new tankless water heater technology with great efficiency and greatly enhanced performance.

We have many years of experience in hydronic system design and installation. We have revived many Eichler Home's floor heating at a very affordable cost. We are passionate in energy conservation that is economically feasible and affordable. Contact us for your next project.

Al Sagafi is involved in Energy conservation and renewable energy production at companies http://www.allied-solar.com and http://www.justtankless.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Al_A_Sagafi

Laminate Flooring is Less Expensive Alternative to Hardwood

Everyone loves the look of hardwood flooring, but the simple truth is that many of us cannot afford to install it: especially in these tough economic times. If you are looking for a way to get the look of hardwood without paying the steep prices, perhaps laminate flooring is a good option for you. When you need to replace a kitchen floor, dining room floor, living room floor and/or a few hallways, here are some reasons why laminate is a good idea.

It's Less Expensive

There's no doubt about it: using laminate instead of hardwood will save you tons of money. It costs less per unit plus it's much easier to install so you will also save substantially on labor costs. It is actually simple enough for the enterprising DIY, which will save even more! Laminate can be placed directly over vinyl, tile, or other non-carpet floors.

It is Durable

The surface of laminate is treated with a hard-coat, so it is actually more scratch-resistant than most hardwood floors! It's a cinch to maintain since it cleans right up with a dust mop and water, and most manufacturers offer a 10 year warranty.

It Adds Value to Your Home

Of course, nothing adds more value to your home than real hardwood floors. But laminate flooring is definitely preferable to carpet in terms of value, and many homeowners prefer it to tile. It is warm underfoot and will never crack or split like tile. If you need your house to have more of an open feel and thus increase its resale value, laminate can help you get there.

If you think laminate might be a good choice for your home, consult with a trusted flooring professional who can help you to get it done right.

Big Bob's Used Carpet ( http://www.mybigbobs.com/ ) has evolved into Big Bob's Flooring Outlet, laminate flooring Yuma AZ and is now more than just a First Quality Flooring Outlet Franchise business. Ryan Coisson is a freelance writer.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ryan_Coisson

Benefits of Under Floor Heating Systems

People who live in the parts where temperatures are extremely low during winters can't do without under floor heating systems. Bearing the chill without these is humanly impossible. According to researchers, the average temperature of the floors must range between twenty to twenty five degrees. Earlier, to keep the place warm, the practice of lighting a fire using wood was very popular. Fireplaces were an indispensable part of the houses. As technology advances these natural fireplaces have been replaced by electric ones. These, though, are not so efficient and do not warm the house to one's wish. Electric under floor heating is the deal of the day. These systems are centralized warming systems that heat the entire floor uniformly.

Types of Heaters Used:

Two types of heaters are being used today. One is based on the theory of convection while the other employs principle of radiation. In the former, the surrounding air gets warmed up and the latter heats the floor. The convection principle has been used since centuries and today is being implemented in the form of blowers.

The radiation concept evolved later and electric under floor heating utilizes the same. These heaters are technologically more sound and efficient. These are also of many types.

The first is the air type. In this case, interconnected pipes are placed under the entire floor of the house. The air is heated by using a central radiator. This is then circulated with the help of these pipes. Such heaters can't remain heated for longer periods of time and so can pose inconvenience.

Next is the water type

It also employs the same mechanism of laying piping throughout. In place of air, water is passed through these. A boiler is responsible for heating the water to the required temperature. A furnace can also be used but it is better to replace it by boilers as they are safe and efficacious. Their drawback is that the formation of air bubbles takes place and there is disruption of water flow. Moreover it is a daunting task to remove these air bubbles.

The most advanced and safest method is the electric type. There is no need of laying pipelines in this case. Coils that conduct electricity are used for radiation of heat. When electricity is passed the coils get heated and emit cozy heat. These electric under floor heating systems are faster and more expedient than the other available systems.

Again there is one major drawback that you have to face a lot of difficulty to get them repaired. Proper installation by skilled professionals is also necessary. If there is any mistake during installation, it may prove to be dangerous for the residents. So getting a reputed company for fixing this system is mandatory.

For any help on electrical under floor heating, check out the info available online; these will help you learn to find the under floor heating systems!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Allen_S._Border

Radiant Bathroom Floor Heating - An Economical and Practical Luxury

It's hard enough to push yourself out of bed on a cold, dark morning, but when you follow that action by stepping onto an ice cold tile bathroom floor, you're actually punishing yourself. Few things can be more miserable, and the experience is likely to cause you to jump back into bed again just to warm your feet. There are fairly simple ways you can treat yourself better when it comes to cold floors. You could invest in plushy slippers or bathmats that will warm up after awhile, or you could add radiant heat underneath your tile. If you're doing a bathroom remodel anyway, you can add thin heating elements that run under your tile in order to give you warm, toasty floors.

Although tile is one of the coldest flooring materials in your home, it would also feel nice to warm other types of flooring, and you can do so with radiant bathroom floor heating. You can also install radiant heat under glass, porcelain, slate, ceramic, stone, marble, and granite floors as well as hardwood and carpeting. One of the good things about installing it during a remodel is that it doesn't raise the floor very much so that doors are still going to open and close over it without needing to be cut off. You can choose between radiant heat that will use hot water, steam pipes, or electricity to warm the floors. Whichever you choose, it's sure to be a treat for your feet.

Many people like to keep their bedrooms cool for sleeping, but then they want to get up to a warm, cozy bathroom. Radiant bathroom floor heating can give you that luxury for a very affordable price. A small master bathroom floor of about 200-square-feet might require a $200 expenditure for radiant mats and another $1300 for installation.

The way this flooring system works is that you have a contractor make a template of your bathroom floor which he then sends to the manufacturer who will custom-make a heating mat to exactly fit your floor. Once it has been constructed, it will need to be installed by an electrician. It's economical to run, because it operates on a 110-volt circuit. Thermostats and timers provided with the mat allow you to heat the floor to the temperature you want and only have it come on when you program it to do so.

For example, you might decide to have it come on at 5 a.m. and then switch itself off again at 7.

Once the mat has been installed, your tile contractor can just mud over the top of it in order to put down your flooring, and no one will know the difference - until they step on the floor! Radiant bathroom floor heating is an excellent choice for small areas. It will actually keep you warmer than forced-air heat, because it warms your feet. When your feet are warm, your whole body feels warm.

For more info on bathroom floor heating including tips on replacing bathroom floor, visit http://www.betterbathroomfloors.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_W_Smith

The Unique Advantages of Engineered Hardwood Flooring

Many people are turning to the choice of engineered hardwood flooring, due to its lower price ticket and larger versatility and resistance to moisture which make it a sensible choice for many applications.

This veneer layer can be oak, pine, ash, teak, or bamboo and gives the flooring the same lovely look of solid hardwoods. The veneer is applied to a core layer made of more cost-effective woods as well as woods that can be re-grown quickly, unlike hardwoods, making this flooring a much "greener" option.

Most flooring makers make flooring with three layers.

You'd think that natural hardwoods would be in a position to take all sorts of weather and have the power to resist any conditions, but it can't. Actually, natural hardwoods can expand and contract such a lot that they cause warping and buckling of a floor. This doesn't occur with engineered hardwoods. The core layers are able to adjust to weather conditions and expand and contract without damaging the floor.

Additionally, engineered floors can be laid right on top of glowing heat without being susceptible to buckling, cupping, or shrinking like natural hardwoods would do.

You may use engineered hardwood flooring to install what is sometimes known as a floating floor which can be installed over any surface without the employment of nails and adhesives. The way it is installed means that you can have a floor with no openings between the hardwood panels, but you'll have to lay down a vapor barrier on the surface you're covering prior to installing the floor.

The construction technology that permits engineered hardwoods to be installed as floating floors is called tongue-and-groove. This is the easiest kind of flooring to install and can be done quite quickly . It's also easy to take apart and reload if you happen to need to take it with you when you move to a new home. A third merit of tongue-and-groove flooring is if one of the planks gets damaged, it's relatively straightforward to take it out and replace it with a new board.

Hire yourself a professional who knows the simplest way to make your floor look as new again.

You know you want hardwood floors - visit RefinishedHardwood.com for more tips on refinishing hardwood floors and Bruce hardwood floors and make have the floor you've always wanted.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_W_Smith

Laminate Wood Flooring - The Best Alternative Flooring Method

Laminate wood flooring is originated from Europe and has been popular ever since because of its versatility and easy-to-install application.

With laminate wood flooring, you can have the same effect that hard wood flooring can provide to your home but without shelling out huge sum of money.

With the same elegance and warm appearance it can provide, it is a great option for those seeking a change of interior design and appearance to either household or commercial applications.

It is comprised of several layers, usually four different types of materials. Each of these layers has a particular use to make the laminate flooring a durable and quality one. The typical materials used for the layers are the following:

1. Top layer - has usually transparent finish with specially-treated application which is the reason why the laminate flooring has high-resistance feature against scratches, dents, stains, and fire.

2. Second layer - is where the aesthetic part of the flooring is integrated, with the hard wood look or effect. Other laminate woods can also be found with stone or ceramic look as well.

3. Core layer - is the main part of the flooring which can be made of either medium- or high-density fiberboard. It is also the core layer which is responsible for containing and enduring the stress provided by feet and heavy objects.

4. Final layer - is, of course, found at the bottom most part. It is integrated to provide more stability and strength to the entire layers of the laminate flooring.

These layers are the reason why laminate wood flooring is easy and low to maintain. This is benefit highly-advantageous than others, not to mention at only a fraction of the real cost of solid wood flooring

If you are going to pick laminate wood flooring, there is a variety of types you can select from. It is available in a variety of types with different designs, sizes, and colors to choose from.

However, when selecting, remember to look for the AC rating which typically comes in the product. It is in relation to the durability levels of the flooring why you should not ignore this factor.

This will help you select one that would suit your needs. In the same manner, it will help you understand better the difference between durability levels there is available.

Installing of the laminate wood flooring is relatively easy. However, if you cannot do the job it would be better to leave it at the hands of the experts in installing floors.

Cork Flooring - Easy to Install and Care For!

Cork flooring is fast emerging as a style statement in most urban homes. Its popularity can be attributed to various factors like durability, comfort, and look. It is also eco-friendly and works well with colorful rugs and other floor accessories. In addition, it has a shock absorbent quality which makes it very comfortable to walk on. It is also great at muffling noises and has excellent insulating properties.

Installation process of cork flooring

The installation of cork flooring is relatively easy. In fact, even amateurs can install cork floors themselves. There are 2 methods of installation:

  1. Floating cork flooring installation is the preferred installation method. Since the flooring has a special edge that is designed to interlock with adjacent pieces, the cork floor can be installed over hard surfaces like ceramic tile, vinyl flooring, and wood flooring. It is advisable to use this form of installation if your subfloor is cracked, dirty, or unstable, since floating cork floors can be removed easily should you need to repair or replace your subfloor.
  2. Glue-down installation refers to the process of gluing the flooring to the subfloor. This should be done only in cases where the subfloor is clean, even, dry, and stable. A paint roller should be used to spread adhesive evenly over the floor, and once the flooring is laid in place, it should be run over by a 100 pound floor roller. The glue-down method of installation is relatively expensive and time consuming, but can be more stable in comparison to floating type.
There are a few things you should keep in mind while installing this kind of flooring.
  • Since it is essentially natural, it will have color variations. If you are considering using it over a large space, you should complete the installation at one go. This way, you can make sure that all the flooring pieces are of the same hue and consistency is maintained.
  • Though this type of flooring is perfectly suitable for bathrooms and kitchens, you should use a sealant before installing the cork floor. This will make your flooring resistant to damage from water spills, and hence more durable.
  • If you plan to use this kind of flooring in your basement, it is advisable to adopt the floating method of installation. This is because the moisture content is relatively high in basements and this can damage your flooring if you don't use a moisture barrier.
Cork flooring can have a very special depth and richness. With vibrant colors and patterns, it can completely change the look of your rooms. So go ahead and install your cork floors and enjoy all the attention it draws!

Los Angeles Cork Flooring - At Contempo Floor Coverings, our mission is to provide flooring products that inspire, amaze, and satisfy your desire for self-expression.

Flooring Supplies - Tips For Flooring Installation

Learning how to install your own flooring will always give you a nice feeling of being able to accomplish something good. You will also get the fulfillment of enhancing your home. These are just a couple of advantages of doing the works on your own.

Additionally, you'll be saving a lot of money since you will not need the services of a professional installer. But to be able to achieve good results, you must learn about the correct way of installation, this way you'll get professional looking floors that you can be proud of.

On the other hand, before you start with your floor installation project, make sure that you have all the tools which you will need for the job. Probably, the tools are the most vital aspect in getting your job done properly. Moreover, if you don't have the proper tools, you could hurt the general quality of your work as well as the end results.

Next, aside from the tools, you will also need some flooring supplies. You know where to buy them, don't you? Some of the supplies which you will definitely need include:

1. Obviously, you will need tiles, a vinyl, or any kinds of flooring that you want to install in the area.

2. Adhesives- get a waterproof adhesive if you're installing the tiles or stone floorings in wet areas of the house like the bathroom or kitchen.

3. You will also need a tile saw. This is for cutting the tile.

4. Grout, for filling in the spaces of your tiles.

Other flooring supplies which you will require if you are laying tiles or stone floorings are sponges, a level, chalk line, and a bucket. You can visit your local flooring stores to get all the supplies you need. Finally, when you have all the correct flooring supplies, you will certainly have no problem while you complete your task.

For more great information on Flooring Supplies visit our new website http://www.dreamhomeimprovementguide.com.

Under Floor Heating - A Useful and Cost Effective Way to Spread Warmth

The feel of stepping on a snug and warm floor in a chilled winter morning is delightful and elating. In colder countries, it is particularly tough to keep the houses warm. The soggy floor affects the overall heat temperature of the house.

The most infuriating thing is to step on the cold bathroom floor. However, there is an economical and effective solution to this problem. Underfloor heating is a convenient and effective technique to provide required warmth to your Home. It is the latest system to provide coziness and warmth during severe winter conditions and also saves on your electrical bills. It is an ideal way to keep your floors warm, especially for the little children and your pets. The underfloor heating system can be effortlessly fitted and maintained in any area of your house.
These heating systems are energy saving and efficient method of heating. They can be easily installed in any area, irrespective of the size and level of surface. You can even get them installed in the bathrooms to offer warmth while bathing.

There are three most popular heating systems that can suit every one's requirements and budgets. They are as under:

  • Electrical underfloor Heating Systems- these systems consists of a mat composed of electric cables that are being placed beneath the floor. It can accumulate heat and so reduces the costs and saves energy.
  • Hydraulic Heating Systems - This utilizes hot water and is amongst the most effective and cost efficient method of heating. The hot water circulates through tubes or pipes under the floor surface and spreads warmth in entire area.
  • Air Heated Systems - Similar to hydraulic systems, this circulates hot air and uses gas, wood, and solar energy for purpose of heating. However, it is not very effective and cost efficient in comparison to the other methods.

You can choose the systems as per your choice and requirement. All heating systems are effective, easy to install and cost effective for your pocket. They can even be installed in an irregular surface area. There are numerous companies that provide heating systems, such as Cable Warm, which is a popular name in the market. The benefit of electrical heating over the other conventional methods is that they are comfortable, customized, cost effective and eco-friendly.

The most essential thing is that these heating systems warm up the entire dwelling in a usual manner, without causing any indemnity in the residence. Underfloor heating system along with the domestic boilers would propose a huge saving on your power expenses. The latest underfloor heating systems are environmental friendly and offer required warmth for a longer time span.

For any help on under floor heating systems, check out the info available online, these will help you learn to find the electrical underfloor heating an instant go!

Engineered Hardwood Floors Can Dramatically Speed Up Your Installation

If you are considering redoing your home with hardwood floors, you may want to consider engineered hardwood floors instead of standard flooring. While you may pay a few more dollars for the engineered hardwood floors, they can actually save you a lot of money in the long run. Not only that, but installation will go much quicker than it would for standard flooring.

Engineered hardwood floors are identical to regular hardwood flooring in every way except that they are already sanded and finished when you purchase them. This is a critical component as it takes several cost factors out of the equation and also makes the entire installation process much quicker. Instead of waiting days or possibly even as long as a week to see a finished product, you will be able to walk on your floors the moment that they are down on the floor.

There is sometimes a misconception that engineered hardwood floors are laminate flooring. This could not be further from the truth. Laminate flooring is actually a combination of melamine infused paper and wood chip composite. Now I don't know about you, but that hardly sounds like hardwood flooring to me.

Engineered hardwood flooring is made from real wood and is genuine from top to bottom. As we stated earlier, the only difference is that it is finished and sanded before you purchase it. That being the case, you will not have to sand it once it is down and you will not have to put a finish on it as well. If you have ever been through this process, you know that you are more than likely going to have to leave your house during this process, especially if you have children and pets.

If you are using standard flooring, you are not only going to have the cost of the flooring, the professional to put it down and the extra supplies that are needed, but you are also going to have the extended time that you cannot use the floors and possibly a hotel bill for the time that you are out of the house during the process.

Of course flooring like this is going to cost a little more, but you can still get it in every style that you would like and in reality, it may be cheaper when you add all of those other costs to the cost of the standard flooring. For some, the fact that it does not have to be sanded and finished is enough for them to be able to put it down themselves. You can see where the savings can start to add up.

If you are considering changing your floors over to hardwood floors, you should seriously consider using engineered hardwood flooring as an option. It can save you time, money and may even turn an expensive contracting job into a nice DIY project. This is another alternative to laminate hardwood floors that will give you the true enjoyment of wood instead of a synthetic floor.

Would you like to learn more? Click Here for Discount Engineered Hardwood Floors

Finding the Right Deck Flooring Material

Choosing the right deck floor may seem to be a difficult decision, but by following a few pointers the decision can be made very easy indeed. Essentially there are only two types of deck floor, and these are either wood or vinyl, and by looking at the pros and cons of these two materials you will be able to make your decision without much problem.

If you use wood for your deck floor you will have a very natural look, and this can be great if it fits in with a traditional decoration in the rest of your house, or if you like to use traditional patio furniture. The negatives to using wood is that you need to make sure the wood is properly treated so that it can cope with all the various weather conditions. The last thing you want is to have to replace your floor after a few years due to weather damage. However, many modern wood flooring types are now treated in a way which makes them fairly weatherproof and so this should not be a problem.

The great thing about vinyl flooring is that there is a huge range of patterns and styles available. If you want to have a Mediterranean feel, for instance, it is fairly easy to find a spiral pattern which will give you the exact design you're looking for. You can also have vinyl tiles which mimic a wood floor and therefore in some ways you can have the best of both worlds.

But no matter which material you choose for your deck flooring, something that you need to bear in mind is the safety aspect. Ensure that you get a flooring material that is anti-slip, especially when wet. Do this and you can rest assured you will be able to enjoy your patio deck in all weather conditions.

Take time to look at the various styles of the flooring in both wood and vinyl and you are sure to find a style to suit your needs.

Garage Floor Coverings - Easy As Peel and Stick Tiles

Finding just the right type of treatment for your garage floors can be a task in itself. Garage floor coverings have changed from simple paint, tiles and mats that worked well enough for a little while but eventually needed replaced or reapplied over time. Today's garage flooring treatments are designed to last much longer and they come in decorative colors and textures which enable homeowners to make garages just as appealing as other spaces in their home. Some products are very easy to install such as tiles and mats while others like paint and epoxy take a little more labor and accuracy to get right. Peel and stick tiles are by far the easiest treatment to install and they are fairly durable depending on which brand and quality you choose.

Garage flooring tiles come in various sizes, colors, and prices. Most tiles are peel and stick but you should always double check because a few require special adhesives which will add to your overall cost for the product. Tiles come in quantities of 10, 20, 40 or more tiles. You can choose from various colors and textures to create a more unique appearance. Before you begin any floor covering project, always be sure to clear everything out of your garage. The floors need to be clean and degreased prior to any application and never install anything onto damp or moist floors. Dry weather conditions are best. Some products cannot be installed during cold conditions while others are highly affected by humid temperatures.

Vinyl garage floor covers come in various sizes including 12x12", 24x24", and just about everything in between. The larger the tile size, the fewer seams you will have to deal with during installation but large tiles are not recommended for uneven surfaces. Larger tiles cause problem areas to be more noticeable and they could crack or peel up with wear over time. Most tiles are resistant to typical garage corrosives like antifreeze, motor oil, salt, and water. Some professional recommend that you add a little bit of silicone sealant to the edges of each tile prior to installing. The silicone forms a barrier that will help the tile adhere better and it will also keep moisture from seeping down under the tile.

When installing peel and stick vinyl tiles you should always begin in the center of the area. Work your way to the edges from there. This method prevents any imperfections from ending up in the most noticeable areas of the floor. The edges are typically covered by other things so the uneven seams will not be as noticeable. A huge benefit to using tiles versus any other garage flooring system is they are easily switched out if needed. If one or more tiles become damages, they can be replaced without disrupting the rest of the flooring. When you purchase cases of tiles, you should also account for a few replacements so you have the same color or pattern available. When it comes to garage floors, there is nothing easier than tile garage floor coverings and they are just as durable as most of the other flooring products available.

Here are some recommended garage remodeling resources for garage floor coating ideas and do-it-yourself garage flooring system tips.

Copyright 2009 Jeremy Yarbro.

Vinyl Flooring Prices - How to Estimate Cost

When it comes to computing for vinyl flooring prices, it is important to remember that the cost of vinyl tiles or sheets is not the only thing that you need to consider. There are other costs involved in laying vinyl flooring.

For instance, you need to take into consideration labor expenses just in case you do not want to do your own vinyl floor or you need to hire someone to remove your old tiles, carpets or other flooring materials before you can start laying vinyl flooring. Read on to learn important tips on how you can estimate the costs when you change your flooring to vinyl.

The first thing that you need to consider, when thinking of the cost of your vinyl flooring is the price of tiles or sheets. The price of each tile will depend on its size as well as design and quality. Most common vinyl tiles are 18 by 18 and 12 by 12 inches. If you plan to change a huge area, you can also opt to use vinyl sheets, which can either be 12 or 6 feet wide. If you are really on a tight budget, there are $1 vinyl tiles.

However, if you want to make sure that the quality and design will last a long time, you might want to invest in vinyl sheets or tiles that cost around $2 to $5 per square foot. So, if you plan to renovate your 10-by-20-foot kitchen, for example, you will have to shell out $400 to $1,000 for vinyl tiles or sheets.

Aside from the tiles or sheets, you also need to include the cost of labor when estimating your vinyl flooring prices. For simple projects, the cost of vinyl installation can be about $1 per square foot. There are also vinyl flooring suppliers who offer free installation, so you might want to inquire about that.

However, if your sub-floor surface has problems and needs to be smoothed out before the installation of vinyl materials, you should expect higher fees. Be sure to ask several installers so you can compare their fees.

Another thing that you need to consider when computing for vinyl flooring expense is the price of vinyl adhesives.

Although there are vinyl tiles or sheets that are self-adhesive, you may still buy special vinyl adhesives to ensure that the vinyl tiles in areas that have high foot traffic will not easily peel off. The prices of vinyl adhesives can range from $9 to $30.

Click Here to learn more about Vinyl Flooring Prices and find Discount Flooring.

Understanding Your Hardwood Flooring Selection

As your old floor has become harder to clean, matted, and simply ready to give up, there is a practical alternative to restoring life back into the room. Hardwood floors add a certain type of warmth and style to any room that other floors can only try to imitate. But as you make the decision to install your hardwood floor, you must first understand how and why some types will last longer, are easier to install, and why it is a fitting choice for you.

Fortunately, hardwood floors are better produced with quality finishes and more advanced construction today than ever before because the consumer demand for them has increased.

There are three types of hardwood flooring: solid hardwood, engineered, and long-strip hardwood. Because solid hardwood is moisture-sensitive, it is not used directly over a concrete slab, but rather nailed down. There are many finishes that are available to recoat your beautiful solid hardwood floor over and over again which adds to their attractiveness for their long life span. Remember, some solid hardwood floors over 100 years old are still in thriving condition.

Engineered hardwood flooring is manufactured with sheets of wood laminated together after being stacked on top of each other to form one flexible strip of wood. Because engineered hardwood uses a cross-ply construction, it does not shrink and expand with humidity like solid hardwood does. Engineered floors of most types can be nailed down, glued, floated, stapled, and installed over concrete.

Longstrip plank floors have similarities to the engineered floors in that there are several wood strips glued together. One plank of longstrip is bigger and wider than the other types to give the appearance of multiple rows wide and several planks long. This type of floor is available in a wide variety of wood species and if damaged is easy to replace.

Understanding the hardwood flooring options will help you be a smarter shopper when it comes to the exciting time of replacing, remodeling, or adding value to your home.

Big Bobs Flooring (http://www.mybigbobs.com/) is a flooring outlet. Billings Farnsworth is a freelance writer.

Floor Heating Mats - The Best Alternative Heating Option

Floor heating mats are best suited for generating heat under wood or tiles. It is also a superb option for laminated floors in sunrooms, entryways, kitchens and bathrooms. Since, these mats have very thin construction they are well suited for home renovation and green field construction.

Mats for floor heating are very famous among consumers due to their do-it-yourself nature. Yes, these mats are easy to install. There is no more spoiling your room's aesthetics with ugly radiators or convectors. All you require to keep your room clean, beautiful and spacious is to use floor heating mats.

A floor heating mat is made of flexible and sturdy fiber glass with thin heating elements fixed unevenly on it. These heating elements consist of metal shielding, fluoropolymer insulation and PVC sheathing. Heating cables used are usually 2.2 mm single conductor that ends on cold leads at the mats ends. The cables may also be a 3.0 mm twin conductor on the outer diameter that ends at one end of the mat.

With the advancement in technology and research in various fields, it has become possible to purchase floor heating mats that will suit any room of your house.

These mats are quite affordable, energy saving and easy to install. The best part is that the mats can be easily controlled via using a huge variety of programmable as well as non-programmable thermostat options.

Floor heating mats can be used with wood and concrete floors. They are also compatible with different types of floor covering such as tile, stone, wood and vinyl. You can use these mats at ground level as well as up stairs when making a heating choice, you need to consider certain factors carefully as floor finish changes may affect overall performance.

You can even use one mat or a combination of different mats for floor heating purposes. You can opt for one according to your specific requirements such as the type and size of your room. There are options to choose from rectangular and square ones in order to benefit from the best heating for the entire room.

Electric floor heating mats are also available for irregular rooms. These are rooms with curved walls or angles. They are also available as a customized solution to fit into exact dimensions of any room. They provide the feeling as if you are getting a gentle foot massage.

If you want to experience the best of floor heating, you must install floor heating mats in your home.

We provide information on heated flooring mats and radiant heating systems. It's time to start lowering your heating bills. Visit our site for more information on this heating alternative! http://www.radiantflooringheat.com

By M. Applebaum

Why Replace Carpet With Hardwood Flooring?

Is your carpet worn and dated? If it is time for you to replace old carpet you should seriously consider installing hardwood flooring instead of replacing old carpet with new.

There are many advantages to hardwood flooring. Consider the environment for instance; hardwood flooring is made from all natural timber which is a renewable resource. Today's hardwood is harvested from managed forests. USFS (United States Forest Service) reports show currently twice as many hardwood trees are planted than harvested to ensure that hardwood is a continually renewed resource. 50 years ago there was only half the hardwood standing compared to today. The hardwood industry has proven itself environmentally responsible. Consider synthetic fiber; it can last in a landfill for 200-500 years.

We hear on the news repeatedly, and the EPA confirms that one of the top threats to our health is poor quality indoor air supply. Wood flooring helps create a much healthier living and working environment with its hard surface preventing dust mites and molds from proliferating as in a carpet. It has been estimated that 35 million Americans suffer from allergies, many of which are mold and dust mite related. Wood flooring is a blessing for these allergy sufferers.

The EPA further reports that chemicals such as garden pesticides can accumulate on floors, especially on absorbable carpet fibers. The hard surface of wood flooring significantly reduces these chemical accumulations. The home environment is also subject to what is termed "off-gassing", the release of toxins by certain synthetic materials. These toxins are known to cause chronic illness to those living within the home. Carpets soak up and retain these toxins whereas wood floors do not.

Cleaning and maintaining wood floors is much simpler today than it was in the past. Modern wood floors only require simple sweeping and an occasional vacuuming. It is essential that your floor be protected against constant moisture and scratches due to heavy wear. It is recommended that your wood floor be cleaned routinely with proper hardwood floor products. In heavy traffic areas, simple preventative measures in the form of rugs will protect the surface from scratching and wear.

One of the truly outstanding features of hardwood flooring is the rug decorating possibilities it presents. You will want to choose rugs that magnify the natural beauty of the wood. Keep in mind that the floor will change color over time and with light exposure, select rugs that you can easily move around the room. Think of the freedom your hardwood floor affords you; no longer are your rug choices limited to only those that would look good with your carpet. Natural wood looks good with any colors and patterns you wish to choose. If you find the perfect Persian rug, go for it since it will be outstanding on your wood floor. With wood you are free to buy rugs for all corners of the room, under the table and the hallway if you want! Hardwood flooring sets your inner rug shopper free.

Your hardwood floor will give you a lifetime of health and pleasure if you maintain it properly and protect it with area rugs.

Keep up to date with Interior Design trends and enhance your home with seagrass rugs.

Rubber Floor Mats Do More Than Just Keep Your House Clean

Do you ever notice the rubber floor mat by your front door? If you are like most people, you probably do not even remember all the times that you've used a rubberized floor mat in your life in order to clean off your feet. Many people do not appreciate the wonderful ability that rubber-floor-mats have to help keep your house clean.

The majority of rubber-floor mats are relatively inexpensive and do a great job at keeping homes clean, businesses clean, and are able to minimize the amount of dirt and other substances that get tracked into a building. It has become very popular for most people to have some kind of rubber floor "welcome" mat outside of their front door. This is because seeing a rubber-floor-mat encourages people to wipe the dust and grime from the bottoms of their shoes before entering your home.

Businesses make use of industrial-sized rubber-floor mats for the same purpose: To keep the workplace flooring clean of all debris. Most blue-collar jobs that require a lot of physical labor actually mandate that rubber floor mats be placed throughout the building in order to help keep their workers safe. If you ever inspected the work area of most fast-food restaurants, you would have noticed that there are plenty of rubber floor mats. The reason that rubber-floor mats are used by most fast-food restaurants is to ensure the safety of their workers.

Often times people will have a rubber-floor mat in their kitchen area in order to ensure stability. You surely do not want to slip in your kitchen while carrying a hot dish or pan of food. Therefore, in order to help prevent yourself from slipping up, it is recommended to lay down some rubber flooring. Not only does a rubber floor mat provide good accident-prevention in the kitchen and help keep work-spaces clean of debris, but it also has the ability to help you from getting your car dirty.

If you have ever taken the time to look down at the flooring of your vehicle, chances are that you quickly were able to notice the rubberized floor mat near the driver's side, as well as in the co-captain seat. The reason that automotive manufacturers give you a vehicle with multiple rubber-floor mats inside is because they want you keep the inside of your car clean. Having high-quality rubber floor mats added to your car can really help maintain your vehicle and prevent dirt granules, pebbles, and mud from ruining the interior of your carpeting.

There are certain types of rubber-floor mats that are more effective at trapping dirt than others, so it is recommended that you look into buying the most effective and durable floor mats for your home, business, and vehicles. Since rubber floor mats are very low-cost, you can buy a lot of good quality ones for a fairly low price. Do some internet research and read up on the latest reviews in order to find a rubber floor mat to best suit your needs.

Hampton teaches people how to buy a good-quality rubber floor mat and also what they should know about rubber matting.

Seven Steps to Installing Hardwood Laminate Flooring

Once you have all your tools, acclimatized your bamboo hardwood laminate flooring boards and have a perfectly level sub floor, you are ready to start installing your laminate floor. The main seven steps to doing this are:

1. Determine what direction the laminate boards will lay. Usually if there is a great deal of light coming from outside through a door or window, the planks lay in a direction away from the light.

2. The first board laid with one end against a wall and one side against an adjacent wall. Place plastic spacers that come with the boards between the board and the walls. When finished laying the bamboo laminate flooring, these will be removed and the space will give the flooring room to expand if necessary.

3. Fit the end of a second board into the the end of the first board, again placing spacers between it's side and the wall. Use the hammering tool you will have received with the boards to lightly hammer each board into the next. Continue to do this until there is not enough room to place a board between the end of the last board and the approaching wall. Measure the distance between the end of the last board and the approaching wall and cut a board to this length (less the size of a spacer). Then place this cut down board into the end of the last board laid and place spacers at the end of the newly laid board and between it and the wall. There's your first row laid.

4. Use the off cut from the last bamboo laminate board as the first board of the next row, if the off cut is long enough. If it is not long enough, then start the second row with a standard board beginning from the end that you finished the first row with. The aim here is to have the ends of the boards in each row staggered so that they do not line up.

5. Use aluminium mouldings to finish off boards that end in a doorway leading outside or into another room that has a different floor covering. These can usually be bought at your bamboo hardwood laminate flooring retailer. Similarly, you can use moulding to connect laminate flooring in doorways between rooms where both rooms have laminate flooring. Alternatively, you can continue the same boards from one room into another but this can be tricky. Sometimes it requires shaving down the tongue in a tongue and groove system so that a board on one side of the door will easily slide straight into a board on the other side. Note that the only way to do this is to have both boards running along the doorway, not through it.

6. Continue with this until the entire floor has been covered with bamboo hardwood laminate boards. Then remove the spacers.

7. If you already have skirting boards and the flooring has been laid up to them, then you will use moulding to cover the gap between the flooring and the skirting boards. Otherwise if the flooring has been laid up to the bottom of the walls, then you will now install skirting boards to cover the gap.

I sincerely hope you enjoyed this article. Bamboo has headed up 6 household renovations over several years. Read more about Bamboo's building and do it yourself experiences, particularly in the area of bamboo hardwood laminate flooring.

'Radiant Heat' Floor Heating

A warm and comfortable home is what most families dream of having. Comfort is a priority of many homeowners during all types of weather, be it hot or cold. When winter season comes, getting the right warmth for the family is of utmost importance. And how do you achieve this? By using the radiant heat floor heating system.

The use of radiant heating goes back to the Roman period. Today, this is a popular source of heat for many homes. Home heating systems that use radiant heat come in different types - underfloor heating systems, wall heating systems, radiant ceiling or overhead panels and overhead gas fired radiant heaters. Among the four, the underfloor and wall heating systems are the most common.

Underfloor heating systems can either be electric or hydronic. In other words, they can produce heat through the use of electricity or hot water. This type of heating system normally involves the installation of tubes or electric heating elements underneath the floor area or the concrete slab. The floor, in this case, acts as a radiator of heat in the entire house.

There are two options when choosing the electric radiant floor heating type of system. For newly constructed homes, the electrical heating wiring can be installed before the concrete slab is poured. For homes with existing concrete floor, very thin electric heating mats are available that can be embedded in thin cement or gypsum overlays without the need to increase the floor height. Cost-wise, the electric radiant heating system can be expensive. It is only when thermal mass or the availability of time-of-use rates can this be considered cost effective.

The other type of radiant heat floor heating is the liquid based or hydronic system. This uses hot water the reason for its name. In this heating system, tubes are buried beneath the floor and it is here where hot water is circulated to provide heat to the home. A boiler is responsible for heating the water and this can be run by electricity or any other fuel. Energy sources that can be used with this type include the standard gas-fired boilers, wood-fired boilers, solar water heaters or a combination of these sources.

The benefits of using the radiant floor heating system are many. First off, it provides a consistent level of heat in the home that is easy to control. Secondly, no noise is emitted because of the absence of a fan. Thirdly, the system does not produce dust or allergens that can cause allergies to people occupying the house. This is because there's no air that circulates inside the home through the vents. What happens instead is convection or the natural circulation of heat as warm air rises from the floor.

The best part of this heating type is its energy efficiency. Compared to a forced air system, this system consumes less energy which translates to lower electricity bills for your family. If you live in areas near the power grid or where electricity rates are high, this could be a major advantage.

This article is brought to you by Gloria Smith of RadiantFloorHeatingInfo.com Help save energy cost with Radiant Floor Heating. Learn more about the simply way it works by visiting our website: http://www.RadiantFloorHeatingInfo.com

Floating Hardwood Floors Can Save You Time and Money

When you are looking to save both time and money for a hardwood floor, choosing floating hardwood floors is something that you may want to consider. You will find that you can find them in just about every variety that is available for standard floors and that depending upon where they are getting installed, they are actually the wiser choice.

Engineered flooring is something that a lot of DIY installers are using. You avoid the time consuming detail work of staining and finishing and they are often much easier to put down. These styles of floors are constructed over several layers with the top layer being a thin sample of the wood of your choice.

When you are looking at the different types of floating hardwood floors, you will see that there are basically three different styles that you will have to choose from. Something that is very popular is the two strip design because it gives the appearance of boards that are lying side by side. In contrast, you have a one strip design that has more of a plank look.

A very big concern when you put down hardwood flooring is how it is going to react to the change in climates throughout the year. Wood will naturally retract as the conditions become dry and will then re-expand as moisture is introduced back into the air.

When you use standard hardwood floors, it is generally attached to a sub floor that is made of plywood. As the conditions change, the floor shifts and is actually fighting against this sub floor and separation is not uncommon. You may also see warping or bubbling of the floor. With floating hardwood floors, the whole unit is moving together and this means that the wood can sustain itself much better under these conditions.

We had briefly touched on the sub floor that has to be put down on a standard floor. This of course means more work for you as you have to not only put down the hardwood floor, but also have to measure, cut and install the sub floor. In many cases, floating hardwood floors can be put down directly over any surface, including concrete and tile.

While you will have just about every wood type imaginable to choose from, there are two styles of fabrication that are separated by both quality and price. One style is actually cut with a large blade that basically peels the wood from the source. You will see a wide grain and it will be much less expensive. For a truer look, choose a sliced cut floating floor that has a tighter grain and a truer likeness to regular hardwood flooring.

If all of this has not yet convinced you to go with floating hardwood floors, all you need to do is look at how long they last for. If they are cared for properly, you are looking at more than 40 years of life from this flooring. When you consider the fact that these floors are very popular in the climates that destroys regular hardwood floors, the decision does not seem so difficult to make.

Floating hardwood floors are becoming more and more popular due to their flexibility, reasonable cost, and ease of use. If you're thinking about a DIY project, don't make a decision until you fully consider floating hardwood floors for your project.

Laminate Flooring History and Timeline in the US Market

Laminate Flooring has made the most significant change to the flooring industry in the last 25 years and continues to make tremendous changes and improvements over is hard surface counter parts.

In Europe they have been enjoying its features and benefits for several decades but not as laminate flooring as we know today. Decorative laminate was really the origins and the beginning of what now is known as laminate flooring. The decorative laminate was widely used in kitchen counter tops and furniture. As the technology evolved in the counter top laminate industry it clearly became apparent that with the endless number of decors that could be created, could also be created and used on the floor.

The idea of laminate flooring was born. There have been many technical challenges the first of which was how can you take a simple counter top laminate and create a flooring product, the flooring product will take far more abuse by being walked on and a wear layer was created.

There has really been no stopping the technical tidal wave of improvements and ideas that followed. Led mainly by the European countries laminate flooring gained more market share year after year, no market experienced such rapid growth as North America. Massive marketing campaigns led by such brands as Pergo who are now synonymous with laminate flooring introduced laminate flooring to the American Public in the early 1990s.

The actual history of laminate flooring is quite short in North America, because Pergo had achieved household recognition with the new flooring products Laminate flooring in North America was widely referred to as "Pergo" floors again the synonymous status and the 'holy grail' of all brands.

In 2000 laminate flooring was a glue product; even so the market share within the flooring industry in North America continued to grow at a double digit pace. Many of the other US traditional floor covering manufacturers of carpet and vinyl added laminate flooring to their portfolio of products.

Then so was born the private label laminate. Laminate flooring was easy to private label you simply changed the insert or the packaging and then that created another brand or line of flooring. This was especially useful for the hardwood and carpet manufacturer's to get on board with this new product. The traditional manufacturers of carpet and hardwood have huge distribution networks and with their own branded line of flooring were able to place thousands of new flooring displays in a matter of months and new brands started appearing everywhere. This continued to drive the growth in the USA.

As traditional US manufacturers of carpet and vinyl presented themselves as laminate flooring manufacturers, advertised the products, placed laminate flooring displays and drove sales.

Time Line in the US Market The next stages of growth were equally fast and I will break them down chronologically:

2000 was particularly painful for the Carpet Manufactures in Dalton, Georgia they were completely blindsided by the aggressive marketing of laminate flooring against their carpet and that is where the laminate took most of their market share from touting the Laminate Flooring product as hypo allergenic and showing close ups of carpet mites and bugs did nothing to help the domestic carpet manufacturers.

All hard surface flooring companies benefited. It was an exciting year for laminate flooring salesmen, even with terrible installation demonstrations and glue together flooring.

2001 Every year that preceded 2000 involved new, exciting and innovative changes to the laminate flooring market. The first change really started in 2001 glue free laminate. This was first introduced with metal clips on the back and during sales presentations as you tried to put it together you almost needed a sledge hammer, it was more difficult than the glue together method. Not very popular but the concept was created all we needed was the design and solution.

2002 A year later the technology of glue-less laminate flooring arrived, introductions of glue-less laminates began again revolutionizing the floor covering industry. Unilin Industries of Belgium introduced Quick-Step into the US market. Quick-Step utilizes the patented Uniclic joint system. Several other manufacturers bought licenses to use the Uniclic joint technology thereby acknowledging Uniclic as the industry standard for Glue-less technology.

Still 95% of the USA market was using glue together laminate, it took yet more aggressive marketing and this time mainly led by the home centers with names like 'Easy-Lock', 'Quick-Lock', 'Speedy-Lock', etc, to drive the consumer towards the exceptionally friendly D.I.Y. glue-less laminate flooring ranges.

It was predicted in 2002 that buy 2004 100% of the laminate flooring industry will be glue-less.

2003 This again proved to be a dynamic year within the laminate flooring industry, sales of the product per square foot continued to climb, but lawsuits with regards to patents over the locking system and who created and who could use it surfaced and would continue on for many years. Aside from the lawsuits the technology now happy with the glue-less free install and now a particularly D.I.Y. friendly product focused on creating the product to be as realistic as hardwood as possible.

2004 This saw some dramatic changes in the quality of the laminate product itself. The standard glue-free laminate flooring product was 7" wide by 54" long and it had a light 'ticking' effect, the panels went together with glue-less free locking system. Mostly all of the products were imports and mainly from Europe.

Towards the end of 2004 laminate flooring factories (though not fully integrated and small in comparison to the European counterparts) started appearing across the USA. The larger US manufacturers of carpets invested in laminate flooring facilities though they were not fully integrated (we can explore the importance of vertical integration later). But this showed the US retailer and distributor that the product was here to and it was time to start backing a horse.

This led to more innovation from overseas, the first was a wood grain texture - the laminate itself had heavier wood texture but it was random and not too realistic in effect a modest upgrade, at first all manufacturers tried to sell this improvement for $0.20SF to distribution but the reality was their was no manufacturer cost increase to produce this texture - it was just a different pressure plate.

2005 The lawsuits over the locking system continued, incidentally the locking system lawsuit is not about the easy angle long joint of the laminate flooring, all the law suits focus on the end locking joint.

The chase to create an exact wood replicate of hardwood flooring continued and this led to a technology called 'Register and Emboss' or 'Embossed and Registered'. The idea of this was for the pattern of the oak for example to be perfectly indented into the wood panel, so the grain of the Oak or Cherry was realistic to the touch.

All the manufacturers soon chased this technology, it required a relatively simple process, create the correct paper (décor pattern) and then have a press plate and the end of the manufacturing process to match that paper décor and then you have the grain embossed.

Legal arguments over who came up with that technology all ensued.

2006 The year of branding, distributors with 'own brand' tried to position themselves as manufacturers - one of the biggest being a vinyl manufacturer tried to position themselves as market leaders. Acquisitions also followed, Mohawk Industries bought Unilin 'Quick-Step' in 2006. This also became the year of the home center business, where having your labeled product in one of the three main US home centers was the ultimate goal.

One of the major carpet manufacturers and distributors with there factory in Dalton gained the business with Home Depot. Pergo was well positioned with a vinyl manufacturer you had private labeled their laminate line into Lowes Home Improvement Stores. Being a vinyl manufacturer and not a laminate manufacturer create a major problem and a crucial weakness as Lowes Home Improvement shifted their purchasing policy to 'only' buy factory direct.

A major Swiss group and manufacturer of laminate flooring also with the world's largest factory in Heiligengrabe, Germany had been quietly building a factory in Barnwell, SC and at the right time were able to replace the vinyl manufacturer as supplier to Lowes Home Improvement.

2007 This really saw the legal issue on the locking system end as two legal systems emerged, one under Valinge Innovation and Uniclic Licensees each with approximately 100 partners paying royalties of roughly $0.04SF to $0.07SF. Licensees were granted all over the world and this led way to the re-emergence of Chinese laminate flooring.

In the mid 1990 China was one of the fastest growing laminate flooring markets in the world and most of this was supplied by shipping in container from Europe, there were huge distributors in China 100 containers a month in size - or 2,400 pallets a month. It did not take long for Chinese ingenuity to copy the process and buy 2001, China had a slew of factories (with large Government subsidies), some of this product came back as imports in to the USA, but the legal issues with locking systems and potential freezes of stock, cease and desist letter flying about scared off most distributors.

2008 China was back, this time the large factories had license agreements and were legal, the machines that made the laminate flooring were from Europe and the product quality was excellent.

There market tactics were equally excellent, instead off going after the low end dog fighting market of the 7mm and 8mm, they created a new look. A narrow plank and beveled the edges, this new narrow plank was approximately 5" wide compared to the standard 8" from Europe, the 5" wide was a one plank look and combined with the bevel, register and embossing they had created the ultimate flooring.

This was it, everything over the last 25 years culminated to this point a flooring that had a narrow board look 5 inches wide, beveled or micro beveled on all four side, realistic textured surface and a lifetime warranty.

The European's adjusted, but they were for once on the back foot, China instead of going after the low end market aimed high with a high quality, the highest quality laminate you could buy and they could make it and make it affordable to the US market.

2009 It is not clear where we can go from here, but the same was probably said in 2005, laminate flooring is now so good in appearance that you cannot tell it apart from real hardwood, the only clue is the price laminate flooring is far less expensive than real wood with more color choices. 2009 will be a difficult economic year and so will 2010. Consumers will focus on quality and price. Brand will become less important as the consumer becomes more educated. The huge price fluctuations four sided beveled and narrow plank from one distributor priced at $5SF and from another $0.89SF and yet absolutely no technical difference in the product. Consumer will research and the gap will close.

Laminate flooring in the US market is a remarkable story of growth and ingenuity. I do not think that a couple of tough economic years will have much impact on its future survival. It is an excellent product and with some effort and research by the consumer you can get incredible value.

For the best in Laminate Flooring products at the lowest possible price please visit http://www.buildersdepotdirect.com/

Kronotex Laminate Flooring only $0.75SF

Original Article from James Adverto
Contact: james@buildersdepotdirect.com

Different Types of Garage Flooring Takes Different Levels of Work

There are a lot of different ways to protect your garage floor with a variety of different types of garage flooring. Though there are many questions to answer when you are trying to decide which garage flooring system works best for you, one of them is, "How much work do you want to put into the project?"

Though there are many different flooring manufacturers, their products are similar, meaning that there are really only three main different types of garage flooring. Of these types, a different amount of effort is necessary for installation. The easiest to install are the interlocking tiles, next is the roll on flooring and last is the epoxy coating. Lets take a better look at each type of garage flooring and what is needed for installation.

There are a handful of companies that make interlocking or peel and stick garage floor tiles, including Gladiator, UltiMate and BLT (Better Life Technology). All of these come in about a 12" square tile. The tiles either interlock together using no adhesive, or are a peel and stick tile. These are very simple to install. They claim that no other tools are needed, but a utility knife can come in handy if you need to trim any tiles along wall edges or around corners.

The next type of garage flooring is roll on flooring. This type of flooring comes in a variety of widths, often ranging from 7' to 10' wide and usually up to 20' long. This type of flooring normally does not require any adhesive, though you may find some exceptions in different brands. Roll on flooring is also very easy to install, but I bumped it up to just a bit more difficult for a couple of reasons. Basically, you just remove everything from your garage, and unroll the mat, then overlap or bump any seems. The reasons I thought it might be a bit trickier is, first, the longer roll is more difficult to handle than tiles, and second, if you have to make any cuts to go around corners or posts, cutting a large piece of flooring is more work than a small 12" tile. But, if no cutting is needed in your garage, a roll type flooring would involve less labor and be quicker than the tiles.

The most intensive type of flooring to install in your garage is an epoxy coating. This process involves having to prep the area (which includes a thorough cleaning) and then often multiple layers of an epoxy coating. The process alone can take from several hours up a couple of days, and often you have to wait about 24 hours before you can use your garage. Obviously, not all system are the same, and the process will vary, but all are more labor intensive than either tile or roll-on garage flooring. But you can get a very nice finish on your floor that will add years of protection, and some companies offer really unique finishes, like the Roll on Rock finish that gives your garage floor a granite type look.

So, if labor is a primary concern, whether you want to do very little or have the time to do a lot, hopefully this information will help as you decide which type of garage flooring will work best for you.

MJ is a freelance writer for ClickShops Inc., where you can find a great selection of garage flooring at http://www.garagecabinetsonline.com.

Floor Heating Benefits From a 7000 Year History

The installation of underfloor heating is an excellent way to improve your home in your next remodelling project. It has been in use for over 7,000 years and modern systems are very efficient and have some significant benefits over conventional heating systems.

History
The Romans have been widely credited with the invention and introduction of floor heating. More recent archeological evidence suggests that the practise probably originated 5000 BC in the Indus Valley, South Asia.

The Indus Valley was home to the largest of the four ancient urban civilizations of India, Mesopotamia, Egypt and China. Undiscovered until the 1920's most of its ruins have yet to be excavated.

There is evidence for the Indus Valley civilisation dating from 6000 BC and continuing until as late as 1000 BC. The civilisation gradually disappeared as a result of significant changes in local river systems.

The archaeological evidence suggests that underfloor heating was invented by these great cultures and came to the Romans via trade and the interchange of people. The Romans used floor heating extensively and they spread the practise throughout their empire as they expanded their dominion.

The Romans used a system of networks under floors and circulated hot air through the walls so that both the walls and floors were heated. This form of heating was strictly for the wealthy as many slaves were needed to constantly tend the furnaces.

With the advent of central heating the use of floor heating became less popular and wasn't really re-introduced until the 1960's as both electrical and hydronic systems became more economical.

Floor heating is now gaining popularity once again as systems become more economical and efficient. This is particularly the case as energy becomes more expensive and the many benefits of floor heating become more widely recognised.

Benefits
If you are looking to remodel your home consider the many advantages of electric floor heating:

  • Energy Efficiency: With radiant floor heating systems, approximately half the energy is emitted into the room as low temperature radiant heat. This process is very efficient as it provides a lower ambient air temperature allowing you to feel warmer at a lower temperature because the radiant heat lowers the heat loss from your body
  • Healthier Heating: Radiant floor heating is healthier than other forms of heating as the entire floor acts as one huge radiator there are no hot-spots to generate big air-currents that carry irritants around the room.
  • Silent Operation: Electric underfloor heating is silent as there are no moving parts so no banging and knocking noises like you always get from radiators.
  • No Radiators: Nothing unsightly (like radiators) projecting into your rooms looking ugly and preventing you from placing that piece of furniture exactly where you want it!
  • Comfortable Heat Radiant heat is the most comfortable form of heat. It gently and evenly warms us in the same way as the sun. It mimics the type of warmth we associate with a perfect summer's day: warm, but not stuffy.

Whoever invented floor heating there is no doubt that the efficiency & effectiveness of modern day systems are bringing a resurgence of this most comfortable form of heating.

James is an expert in floor heating systems and floor heating products.


Garage Flooring and the Benefits of Having It

Garage flooring is probably not the most thought of topic in the world right now; however, having a stain resistant flooring system can add years and value to your home's lifespan.

A garage will usually see a small window of activities being performed inside of its walls such as: oil changes, car or machinery maintenance, storage and perhaps a party every now and then. Overtime, these activities can leave their nasty trails behind in the forms of stains, discolorations or even worse, deterioration. A simple solution to these problems would be implementing a garage flooring system that consists of a gripping binding agent along with an attractive coating that tops it off. This addition will not only protect a garage floor from damage, it will also give an otherwise forgotten room a little sparkle to shine.

A garage flooring system can also provide a sense of safety to its owners. Take the winter months for instance; cars entering the garage may have built up snow on them. Since a garage - if unheated - tends to be a few degrees warmer than the outside temperature, the built up snow will most likely begin to melt and leave large wet areas that can be extremely unstable when stepped on. A garage floor, with the help and protection from a floor coating, will actually provide a greatly reduced slippery surface to not worry about walking over. Plus, a garage floor with a coating applied to it is exceptionally easy to clean. Water and spills can be swept or wiped up without breaking a sweat.

A garage flooring system has multiple positive aspects to it; cleaning and appearance are only two of them. Garage flooring may not be the most thrilling topic to talk about; however, it does play an important role in a home's DNA.


Rubber Garage Flooring - What is it For?

Installing rubber garage flooring can make your place look fabulous. Floors are usually the most neglected part of the house. However, with options now available in the market, people now have a choice to make them look better. They can even protect the floor!

The design of the ground can add expediency and value to any place. They have many advantages and they are reasonably easy to install. By choosing to install a rubber type in your garage floors, this will decrease the dirt in your home. They prevent debris that adhere to the tires and then to the bottom of the shoes.

They also provide a padded surface that does not tire your legs. Using rubber garage flooring can also diminish noise and provide some level of insulation against the cold and hot temperatures. They help protect the underlying concrete facade from grease, chemicals, oil spills and other damaging materials.

However, using this type of material can also have a few limitations. One is that they have a low resistance to petroleum products, which can be a problem if the place is used to park your car. Very high temperatures during the summer can also be a problem with this type. The heat might cause it to adhere to the tires. This type has a very low melting point. Thus in extreme circumstances, it can melt the tires into the mat. Using this type of product is best if the place is only used for additional living space.

Using rubber garage flooring is an inexpensive option for general purposes. Nowadays, garages can be converted into different usages. It can be used as a storage area for unusable items or other purposes.

This part of the house can now be transformed from a simple parking space for the car to a magnificent place for leisure, entertainment, dining, office and workshop. They can also be transformed into a gaming area when there is no car. You can put in a tennis table and play some games as well. Alternatively, you can turn it into a computer gaming place. Some people even put their offices in their garage.

If you plan to convert it into a doghouse, then rubber flooring is good. This can provide insulation against extreme temperatures of the cement as well as extra cushioning. This is also good for converting it into home theater. For this will help reduce noise transmission.

However, installing rubber garage flooring also has an advantage for car parking in that they have a super grip non-slip texture. A design on the floors can help improve your place but before deciding to buy what type to use, it is best that you know what the primary function is.

Our site provides information on garage floor sealers, garage floor treatment and other useful information on protecting your garage floor.
By Naomi Smith

Need Flooring Installation and Restoration?

If you are looking to restore your flooring, either in your home or in a commercial property, there could be a specialist in the Berkshire area to help you.

They are able to use the latest techniques and equipment to remove stains, reseal and restore flooring to its former glory.

Some specialist companies can also supply and carry out flooring installation Berkshire area.

There are a variety of services that these businesses could offer you. These include, the supply of flooring for a range of purposes, whether residential or commercial. Fitting of a variety of floor coverings, including, wood, vinyl and carpet. So, no matter where you need your flooring fitting or for what purpose it is required, there will be a style that is suitable for your needs.

They could also supply entrance barrier systems that enable you to safeguard your new flooring by preventing it from coming into contact with dirt and moisture.

It is essential that once you have restored or invested in new flooring that you get the support you need to keep it looking brand new and some companies provide carpet and flooring maintenance programmes for this purpose.

These include carpet cleaning, dry carpet cleaning and fabric treatments to improve the look of your flooring. This could particularly help to improve customer perceptions of your business in a commercial environment, as first impressions count.

If you are not sure about the sort of services you require to look after your flooring, specialists could carry out assessments on your premises to determine your needs.

If necessary they can also perform on-site demonstrations of equipment to ensure that you get the most out of their products.

Within the flooring industry, new products and methods are always being produced. For this reason it is extremely important to find a company whose staff are continuously being trained in the most up to date techniques, to ensure a professional and quality service.

So, If you are looking to update or restore your flooring either at home or at work look for a quality assured flooring specialist, that can offer you a full service from supply to installation and maintenance.

Written by Danielle Ingram, on behalf of GNC Contractors flooring installation Berkshire specialists.

Danielle Ingram, Content Writer for Creare SEO specialists.

Refinish Your Hardwood Flooring For Beautiful, Fresh-Looking Floors

Hardwood flooring adds timeless elegance to any home, but after years of wear, it can begin to lose its luster. The good news is that even if your wood floor is starting to look shabby, scratched, or marred, you don't have to replace your flooring. Unlike with laminate, tile, carpet, or other flooring materials, hardwood floors can be refinished for a fresh, beautiful new look. Refinished wood flooring looks as great as a whole new floor, but at a fraction of the cost!

The beauty of hardwood is that your floor can be returned to its former glory through a simple refinishing process. You'll be truly amazed at the transformation of your wood flooring from lackluster to pristine. Wood floor refinishing can repair scratches and dings, smooth warped planks, and give your whole floor an even, shining finish. Once your floors have been refinished, they'll look like new.

Refinishing hardwood floors is a relatively simple process involving thoroughly sanding the floor to remove the old finish and smooth out scratches and rough patches. Then a finish is applied to seal and protect the floor. A wide variety of finishes are available, including stains and sealants, so talk to your hardwood flooring installer about which option is best for your home and your needs. Some possibilities include oil-modified (polyurethane), water based, and moisture cure finishes.

Refinishing your floors can be an opportunity to customize their appearance as well as revitalize them. You can have your wood floors stained, dyed, or antiqued to create a personalized look without the expense of custom wood floor installation. Some options include: aniline dye coloration, bleaching, pickling, and oil stains. You can even get the look of inlay without the commitment through stenciled borders and patterns!

Although repairing hardwood flooring sounds simple enough, it's important to use professional contractors. Do-it-yourselfers can damage their floors by over sanding or trapping debris in the finish, so be sure to contract an experienced floor refinishing company. You'll be able to sit back and relax while the pros do all the hard work of making your floors look like new. Contact your local wood flooring company to learn more about having your floors refinished today!

Matt Gallo is a home improvement specialist and the Internet marketing manager for Prospect Genius, offering affordable marketing solutions to small businesses.