Archive for the ‘Flooring’ Category
Sunday, December 6th, 2009
The hype is all about epoxy garage floor coatings. All those plain grays and browns that are always affiliated with garage floor paint are "SO Yesterday"! Clear and vibrant red garage floor finishes are more common today. If you are watching TV and you see any garage floors that catch your eye, notice if the floors are solid colors or have just specks of color in them because that would mean that most likely they are epoxy. Nowadays, acrylic, resin and epoxy are the most common garage floor coatings, even though numerous people do not have a clue as to what those phrases mean. As you read on, this composition will give you the scoop on what epoxy is and the reasons for its use in current garage floor coating.
Epoxy, What Is It Made Of?
Anyone who has ever glued something together that was never meant to come apart in the first place has probably used either super-glue or epoxy. If you had to mix it, it was probably epoxy. This is because epoxy, by definition, is a mixture of epoxide and polyamine. Once these two chemicals have mixed and cured, they create the rock-hard adhesive or paint that we know of as epoxy. The curing process of epoxy is often varied depending on its application. When it comes to garage flooring, epoxy usually takes hours to cure, whereas in adhesive, it may be mixed so that it will only take minutes.
Why Is Epoxy Such An Effective Garage Floor Coating
The most durable garage flooring is generally accepted to be epoxy. The nature of the chemical mixture creates a compound that will resist everything from UV rays to rainwater, in addition to anything your car may throw at it. Since it's hard, though, it's not always pleasant to sit on, though it is better on your knees and back than a bare concrete garage floor.
How Does Epoxy Compare To Other Garage Floor Coatings?
While you are browsing through garage flooring selections, you might notice some of the garage floor paint being labeled as being acrylic or water based. Conventionally, those are epoxy coatings too, but might or might not have been mixed adversely than the garage floor coatings obviously made to be epoxy. And for various reasons, some businesses appear to believe that labeling something that is the same as something else with an altered name will increase their profits. Take notice of the large labels like Quikrete garage floor or RustOleum being more forthright and blatantly labeling their own products as epoxy.
Is Epoxy The Future Of Garage Floor Coatings?
Although the technology has been around for a while, epoxy is quite capable of resisting even the most destructive of chemicals. Even brake fluid, which is capable of eating clothes if left alone, will flow right off of an epoxy garage floor coating. Eventually we will probably come up with something that is so volatile that it can even destroy epoxy (battery acid from some future electric or hybrid car, maybe?), but we're not there yet. For now, epoxy is the only garage floor coating you should need.
Check out my garage floor site for more information on garage floor coatings.
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Saturday, December 5th, 2009
Rugs are fundamental and can add style and elegance to any room. They are also used for practical reasons. Regardless of why they are used, they do bring the comfort elements up close. Whatever your reason, you will love decorating with rugs. Here are the ABC's of Decorating with rugs.
Rugs seem to smile. They are an inviting beacon luring you to relax. At the same time, these textile friends are acting as a sound barrier to soften the noises and reduce echoes. Rugs are remedies to so many things.
Rugs are often the first thing you see when you enter a home. Usually, there will be a small rug or mat near the door. The purpose of a rug here is obvious. To catch the extra dirt before it comes into your home. These rugs are usually smaller and not horribly expensive as they are used to clean the shoes.
Comfort is a great reason for putting down a rug. They are nicer to walk on then hardwood floors. They are much warmer to walk on to. Almost everybody likes to use a rug in the bathroom so one won't have to step on the cold floor after the shower. The rug serves several purposes her. It absorbs the water and helps minimize bathroom accidents resulting from sip and falls. Shaggy rugs are very cozy and perfect for areas like game rooms or TV rooms where guests often use the floor for seating.
One of the best reasons for using a rug is to fix a problem area. Area rugs are fantastic for covering spots or pet stains or children's spills. It's a very convenient way to fix a problem! Large area rugs can be purchased for as low as $20. 00 if you know where to look. (Try the swap meet).
Sometimes, you will want to do the opposite. You will want to purchase an area rug to lay down before you damage what's underneath. Area rugs are great for game rooms or children's rooms. They are also perfect for covering high traffic areas of expensive flooring.
If you have an open budget available for your rug shopping, you should have no problem finding one that compliments your decor and style. There are some truly beautiful rugs available on the market. Depending on your budget and purpose, you should be able to find the perfect rug.
If you are redoing your home, you will need to know some more about decorating with rugs. There are a ton of bedroom rugs that will make your home pop.
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Friday, December 4th, 2009
Traditional Flokati approaches the ultimate in beauty, glamour, elegance, comfort and durability, and is available in off-white, winter white and designer colors. Flokati Rugs are a plush and soft shag rug and with a natural beauty suitable for any decor. Flokati is a hand crafted wool shag rug that is made from the finest wool for elegance, comfort and durability. It is beautiful, durable and luxurious. Imported from Greece, and made from 100% New Zealand Wool, they are available in pile heights from two inches to virtually five inches, in weights from 2.0 Kilo to 6.0 Kilos per square meter.
Just as they did 1500 years ago in the Pindos Mountains, the flokati is then submerged in a water bath. The wool swells and creates the unique Flokati shag rug appearance. It is then sun dried and the Flokati rug is born. They have been a Greek tradition for centuries. The rugs originally serviced the shepherds, being used as clothing, beds for tents, and keeping them warm during the long winter months. These rugs are still made in the traditional way. These hand made rugs are woven on a hand operated loom. A thick wool backing is woven first, and then the long strands of yarn that will make the shag wool pile are woven into the backing.
Because of the rug's qualities, they are suitable for almost any room in the home, including children's rooms and bedrooms as well as even high traffic areas. The flokati rug is known for it's amazing durability and a quality rug can last with moderate traffic for as much as 25 years if properly cared for. When shag rugs became popular and prominent during 70s, flokati rugs were introduced and quickly rose in popularity. They have continued to maintain stylish popularity, especially for those seeing elegant and luxurious comfort in a contemporary fashionable home decor item.
Should you wish to store your Flokati rug at any time, place it in a cool airy place avoiding direct sunlight. Packaging in plastic bags for an extended period of time is not recommended as the fibers will not breathe and condensation may occur in warm conditions. You may vacuum your rug, but we recommend a non-upright vacuum. Wool is naturally resistant to Soil and Dirt if you look at a wool fiber under a microscope, you can see that its structure is made up of overlapping scales, arranged much like roof shingles. These scales keep dust and dirt near the surface of the pile, where it can be easily released by vacuuming.
They are naturally stain and soil resistant. Hand wash with cold water and Woolite, or another specialized wool cleaner. You may spin to remove excess water. Dry in the air or sun. Keep away from artificial heat. Take care not to place it on a radiator, steam pipe or in front of a fan heater as this may cause damage. Do not tumble dry. The high moisture content of the fiber, along with wool's protein constituents, gives them excellent flame resistance as well. Washing and brushing will restore it's natural beauty and appearance.
For more information about the traditional and contemporary flokati area rug visit hollywoodloverugs.com, featuring a complete line of quality flokati area rugs Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service
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Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009
An excellent way to update your home or apartment would be to lay some ceramic tile or granite. Both of these work well in halls, kitchens, and bathrooms. Ceramic tile comes in many different colors, styles, shapes and cost. If you are averse to doing the job yourself, you could have someone lay the tile but you need to have some idea of the type of tile you want in your home.
Tiles are used for both the walls and the floors. Ceramic tile is a low maintenance covering as it is very easy to clean.
Granite is more high maintenance in that it is harder to install and costs higher than ceramic tile. However, granite once all set up is also easy to preserve without much hassle in cleaning and polishing.
Furthermore, if you wish to improve your walls other than doing a painting job, you can resort to carpet tiles. These are just as effective in transforming a room and much easier to change. If you are an artist, you will enjoy using carpet tiles for your walls.
Granite and ceramic tiles look great on the floor but they can be a bit harsh on the feet, especially come wintertime. The cold floor can send shivers up your spine so placing some area rugs is a good idea. Area rugs are functional, a protection for your feet against the cold and for the floor against scratches and dirt. They are also decorative, adornments that will make any room more appealing in an instant.
A bigger rug will look best as the room's focal point, positioned in the center of the room or as a furniture set base. An alternative to floor covering is to use an area rug as a wall hanging. An area rug can make a space look bigger and it can also accentuate a room even one that is lacking of decorative pieces. Splurging on rugs is a good idea especially if you intend to decorate every room in your house with these very valuable items.
If you enjoyed this information about floor decorating, then you are going to love these contemporary flokati rugs.
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Tuesday, December 1st, 2009
One of the easiest ways to beautify, revitalize and upgrade your home is to decorate with area rugs. Elements of a room can be tied together; add much-needed warmth to the feel and look of floor tiles, stone or concrete; protect carpets and hardwood flooring; create a focal point and add a dramatic aspect with color and design to every room. Area rugs are completely mobile and can be moved from room to room, to a new house and can be changed with the seasons. Inevitably, area rugs provide great interest to the home decorator.
When choosing your rug the color should be the most important element to help you make the decision. A bright colored rug featuring a dramatic design can give the room a new look instantly. If a room has bright colors then tone it down with accessories in earth tones.
Patterns on the wallpaper, curtains, cushions and other fabrics do not want to clash with the pattern on a rug. A room will appear more spacious with light colors and dark colors will add warmth. Dark colors and detailed patterns will not show dirt as much as light colors and are especially beneficial if placed in heavy traffic areas and the home has children and/or pets.
If your area rug is going in the bathroom you will need to choose a rug that is compatible with bath mats and it is the color that you want. You may want to ensure that the rug is stain resistant and it is the right color and design to really hide the dirt.
Adding padding underneath will not only extend the life of a rug; it will also help the rug absorb sound, be easier to vacuum and keep it from moving. A thin under-pad coated rug is the best choice if placing a rug over wall-to-wall carpeting.
If the rug will be covering most of the flooring then you want to have the rug be showing the same amount on each side. Even if you have a closet or fireplace in the room or if the room is not the same size all the way around. If you can't make all four sides balance out you need to at least make sure that two of the sides exposed are balanced out.
There should not be more than two feet of exposed rug behind furniture if you are defining an area for conversational grouping. If a rug is large enough to accommodate at least the front legs of each piece of furniture it will unify the items placed around it.
A large rug need not be centred in a bedroom but you should have the same amount of floor exposed on two or three sides of it. Eighteen to twenty-four inches should extend beyond the length of a dining table. Most living rooms and dining rooms will accommodate an eight-by ten-foot rug. If placing under a coffee table, a six-by four-foot or a sic-by nine-foot rug will be ideal. In this case, the whole of the coffee table should fit on it with remaining furniture being placed at equal distances from it.
Use masking tape to help mark the area of space that you will be using on the area rug before you place the furniture on it. You can lay out bed sheets or even paper in the area that you are putting your furniture so you can see if it will fit or not.
Keep up with current trends in decorating with rugs and enhance your home with modern orange rugs.
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Tuesday, July 7th, 2009
by Ryan Inderwiesen
When it comes to wood flooring, there are tons of products to choose from. You have your hard wood, laminate, and parquet. My family has been in the flooring business for 25 years and know what it takes for a good quality floor. We specialize in hardwood in the Houston area. We also install laminate and parquet. When you go with a hardwood floor, you are investing in a product that is going to last a life time.
Hardwood floors can make a room feel different than carpet or tile. Just looking at a well put together floor can change a persons mood. Most people that are in the real-estate business can tell you a hardwood floor can be a great selling point to a buyer. Some hardwood floors are as old as 100 years. There is no-way that a laminate floor will ever last this long. Hardwood floors can get scratch, as many floors do. This can be caused by furniture being moved, dogs, and even your lovely children's toys. The best thing about this type of flooring is the fact you can re-sand, re-stain, and alter the look if you so choose. Hardwood is more expensive to buy than laminate. The price can range from $4 - $15 a square foot. It all depends on what type of wood you buy. Installation is usually $1.50 - $5 a square foot.
Laminate floors are a cheap alternative to hardwood. If you have done research then you know that the warranty on laminate flooring only goes up to 25 years. That is only if you buy certain types. The bad thing about this type of flooring is, you can NOT refinish it. These types of flooring come already finished, all you do is snap the pieces in place. This can be tricky because if the tongue on the board breaks then that board may not be completely grounded. If the board is not tight then the floor can warp causing ripples.
The difference between the these two products are worlds apart. If you have the resources to get a hardwood floor done, it is worth it. Just a reminder: there are some types of wood out there that are cheaper, like white oak or pine.
If you want a floor that is going to last, then go with hardwood floors in your home. Not only are you going to have a floor that looks great, but can also be altered over time to fit your home improvement imagination.
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US $6.00
