One of the joys of home ownership is the freedom it provides when it comes to interior design. Some do it with the help of professional interior decorators and architects. Others would prefer to get down and dirty sawing, sand papering, painting, nailing, and hammering the elements in place. Sure, it takes more time and lots of hard work, but the pride that comes from doing it by yourself makes the experience of living in the house all the more satisfying.
Do-It-Yourself Flooring
If you wish to design a room according to your taste, you have a lot of ways to go about it. For example, you can start with your floor material. If you want to have simple yet warm and richly textured rooms, you may choose from a variety of hardwood flooring materials. There is ash, oak, maple, cherry, and other woods to choose from.
Manufacturers often have prefabricated hardwood floors that you install easily. They are engineered to ensure the grooves fit perfectly together, the patterns and color complement, and the wood is treated properly to last a lifetime. For the more hands-on homeowner, there are the unfinished floors.
When buying unfinished floors, make sure you get the specifications right. Allow for 10% additional quantity for cutting waste, as you must do the measurements on your own. You must commit to the project full-heartedly. Otherwise, you may have to call in a contractor to finish it for you.
Prepare yourself to go through rigorous hours of measuring, sawing, pasting, sand papering, coating, and polishing the floor. You will also have to deal with treating the wood to protect it from moisture and other elements.
Preparing for It
To do it right, you must have the right tools and equipment. It will always happen that even with precision cutting, gaps may still occur. To deal with this problem, you will need to sandpaper the uneven planks and smooth the surface.
If you have no previous experience in carpentry or installing floors, you may want to consult with experts and read a lot on the basics of hardwood flooring. You will need to learn about the different coatings you can use to protect the color of the wood and expel moisture, for example.
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Do-It-Yourself Flooring
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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If you wish to design a room according to your taste, you have a lot of ways to go about it. For example, you can start with your floor material. If you want to have simple yet warm and richly textured rooms, you may choose...
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Installing Hardwood Floors
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Hardwood floors can be secured using various installation methods such as floating, glue-down, nail-down, and staple-down. The ¾ inch solid floors can be nailed down. Adapters are used for thin flooring. The hardwood flooring can be stapled down over wood subfloor. The staple-down method is...
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The Benefits of Pre-finished Hardwood Floors
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Pre-finished floors come with an extended factory finish warranty unlike unfinished floors. The heavy duty finishes are urethane-based. Within a few minutes, a number of urethane coatings can be applied on planks using ultra violet lights. However, you also have the option of unfinished hardwood...
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Restoring Hardwood Floors
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Hardwood flooring adds warmth, texture, and charm to any room. The simplicity of the natural patterns and colors compliments any furniture. But while wood lasts generations, it also requires proper care. And even with constant polishing, the floor will eventually show some wear and tear....
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A Look at Solid Hardwood Floors
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Solid hardwood floors should neither be installed over a concrete slab nor below ground level because of high moisture sensitivity. Unsightly gaps appear when moisture dries and the floors contract in the winter heating months. The floors expand and gaps disappear during summers. The wood...
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Custom Hardwood Floors
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Hardwood Laminate Floors
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Hardwood laminate floors are much valued for their being long-lasting, but also for their aesthetic appeal. They need no replacement over even a long time and their installment in a house can bring about an enhancement in the value of the house. A wide variety...
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How to Properly Clean Hardwood Floors
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Good care and maintenance of a hardwood floor enhances its life and appearance. Solid hardwood floors can be easily cleaned, and a daily cleaning routine is a must in order to protect the floors from grit and dirt that are most damaging problems. They create...
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The Allure of Exotic Hardwood Floors
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Exotic hardwood floors are made up of solid exotic wood that is not grown in North America. These wooden planks are imported from Africa, Australia, Brazil, and the Far East. They are known for distinct coloration and wood grain, and can be bought as solid...
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Wood Laminate Floors
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The laminate flooring of today no longer features high-quality photographic paper with an image of wood. More and more often, this effective but not-quite-realistic material is being foregone in favor of very thin slices of real wood veneers. This is a new hybrid product coming...