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.

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