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How to install hardwood floors, linoleum or tile. |
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You have many selections for refinishing floors, they are wood, tile, or linoleum. They come in many distinct styles, colors and designs. Each one requires a skill set to install but the plan is the same for any type of upgrade. The flooring and style you decide to use all depends on your liking and wishes for your home.
by BruceContryman
You have many selections for refinishing floors, they are wood, tile, or linoleum. They come in many distinct styles, colors and designs. Each one requires a skill set to install but the plan is the same for any type of upgrade. The flooring and style you decide to use all depends on your liking and wishes for your home.
Hardwood comes in thickness from 1/4" to 3/4" or (6 mm, to 19 mm). The hardwood planks can be solid, or engineered wood. The planks can be tongue and grove or interlocking. They can be pre-finished planks or unfinished, so they must be sanded and finished after installation. The engineered hardwood should have a wear layer of 2 mm to 4 mm thick. The planks can be attached to the sub floor by nails, glue or interlocking floating, 1/4" thick planks cannot be floated.
You need to find out the method that is recommended or required for the flooring you want to use. What is the sub-floor cement or wood? Cement sub-floors are usually on the ground or sub ground level. You need to check the moisture content, and if it exceeds the recommended content then a moisture barrier such as a plastic sheet needs to be placed over the cement. Check the manufacturers recommendation.
You can install this flooring as a do it yourself project, learn all the recommendations, by talking with knowledgeable people. Decide which material you want to use and how are you going to fasten it.
If you are going to glue the floor down, check out the process, does the manufacturer require that you use their glue, they may put a tracer element in their glue to verify if you have used their glue if there is a warranty claim on the installation. Do they require that a professional installer installs it?
Tile floors can be ceramic or vinyl. What is your application, is it in a high traffic area such as hall ways or entrance or high moisture area such as a bathroom?
Ceramic tile can have a glazed top layer that is very pretty but can be scratched easily in high traffic areas. Other kinds or unglazed tile will have the color clear through the tile and are resistant to scratching. Ceramic tile can be installed over a sub flooring of cement or wood which must be structurally stable. A cement board recommended for wood sub floors can be installed and fastened to the sub floor per the manufacturers recommendation.
Vinyl tiles can be the least expensive tile and easiest to install. They may be installed over an existing resilient flooring, over plywood on wood floors or on dry concrete. Clean, dry and level the sub floor, remove all oil, wax or grease. Study all the pros and cons for the flooring you select and the job it must do.
Linoleum can be made from environmental natural materials such as linseed oil, wood or cork powder, resins and ground limestone. They come in many rich colors and patterns. Linoleum comes in a sheet that is usually 2 meters wide (6' 7") and 2.5 mm thick is suitable for residential use.
Linoleum can be placed over most sub floors but if placed over concrete, the moisture content must be below the limits set by the manufacturer. A pH level of 10 for the concrete can break down the adhesive and it may not bond if there is a sealer on the concrete. If two sheets of linoleum are butted against each other, they need to be sealed either with special seam sealer or a color coordinated linoleum rod that is heated with a special welding tool.
Linoleum over time will expand in width and shrink in length so you need to take this into consideration when laying it down.
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