Flooring
From Floor Coverings
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What is flooring?
How old is flooring in homes?
People used to have dirt floors in their homes and other buildings. That would have been very hard to keep clean. In our time, there are many hundreds of choices for your flooring and most of them are available to anyone. Some of the flooring can be installed by the homeowner, and some need the help of an expert. Of the choices available today, the most popular are ceramic andnatural stone tiles,hardwood floors (including bamboo and laminate) and Carpet. A hard surface is usually the easiest to keep clean and helps when someone in the family is allergic to dust or pollen or pet dander. which can get trapped in a carpet very easily. And you can always put a washable carpet or rug down onto a hard surfaced floor, which makes it a little easier at night if the floor is cold on your bare feet!
Hardwood & Laminate
Which is better? Hardwood Flooring or Laminate Flooring?
Hardwood floors, if of a good quality, can last many generations as can stone or ceramic tiles. Many varieties of sustainable products are available for your flooring choices. Bamboo is an easily renewable resource for floors and often lends a light and airy and very modern feel to your home. A great and eco-friendly source for real wood flooring is using recycled wooden planks from barns or other old buildings, that can be planed down to planks that will look great on your floors. It's an attractive look, with great character, and recycling is excellent for our environment. Laminate is another great choice for flooring. It uses a smaller amount of wood, therefore less trees are used and it can be extremely durable. Laminate flooring is wonderful for a busy family room or other high traffic area.
Carpet
Carpet squares can be a good choice for a family, too. If something is spilled on one then you can replace it while the other one is washed and possibly able to be used again. If you buy carpet tiles, always purchase a few extra ones. The same thing would hold true for ceramic tiles or stone tiles. and even hardwood flooring. Buy and store some extra pieces and you will be all set in case that brand or line goes out of stock. Tiles can get cracked or chipped or even stained sometimes, and hardwood is subject to dampness and even insects. Some flooring can be installed by a homeowner and some is a little more tricky. It could be best to shop online at a reputable dealer for your flooring as some big box stores easily run in and out of laminate and carpeting and ceramic tiles and you can be left with a big gap in your floor plan if you didn't purchase enough. A reputable store that's been around for a while has numbered inventory and can often get you the missing pieces, even a few years down the line.
Tips and tricks to do with old carpet.
If you plan on both painting and replacing your flooring, by the way. paint your ceilings and walls first and leave the old carpet or flooring down as a drop cloth. Then, who cares if you drop paint or spill on it? It's all going in the dumpster anyway. One final tip -- if you are replacing your flooring with new carpet, cut the old stuff into two foot wide strips, roll up, then tape with masking or painter's tape. That way you can carry it easily to the garbage without feeling the burden of a hundred odd pounds of old flooring, and having shreds of padding fall into your hair and eyes.
