How to Choose Home Flooring Materials: Pros and Cons of Different Flooring Materials

This is a great resource for those of you trying to pick out a flooring choice but just don't know the pros and cons. Take some time to look through this article I found on http://home-flooring.suite101.com to help you decide what matters most to you in flooring.

Laminate
This is one of the fasting growing products on the market. On the pro side, it's inexpensive compared to some other products, it's easy to install, and it's readily available. On the con side, it is not recommended for wet areas such as bathrooms. Kitchens fall in the gray area. If the homeowner is know to splash a lot of soapy water around while doing the dishes, it should be avoided. Also, in large rooms (25' or 7.62 meters), most laminate flooring manufacturers, such as Pergo, recommend adding an expansion joint in the field since this is a floating floor and expands and contracts. Some home owners consider this unsightly.
Traditional Terrazzo
This is a great product to install over a concrete slab. It's durable, lasting for the life of the home. It's attractive and can be installed in virtually any color scheme desired. In some installations a metal grid is first installed into which the mix is poured. The mix is usually a epoxy resin combined with scrap marble chips or even recycled glass, which makes it a green and sustainable building material. The mixture is leveled, and after curing, it's polished with a terrazzo grinder. The downside is the labor cost. It is not really a DIY project and the marble chips can be expensive.
Classic Ceramic Tile
Ceramic tile is one of the most time-tested construction materials. Cost? It's a wide open field. The price ranges from cheap to very expensive. Styles, colors, borders, and shapes are so varied that any imaginable pattern is possible. As long as the grout is well-sealed, it does well in wet conditions, making it ideal for bathroom or kitchen applications. It's a safe bet for raising home re-sale value since its popularity has remained constant, from ancient Rome to today. The downside is that if it's installed over a wood or engineered wood subfloor, the subfloor must be beefed up and covered with cement fiber board to prevent future cracking.
Natural Stone is a Green Building Material
This includes marble, granite, slate, limestone, and onyx. It is a beautiful and durable material, and also a green product (remember the scraps from cutting may be sold to a terrazzo installer). Like ceramic, it demands a sturdy and level subfloor to prevent cracking. Natural stone floor maintenance is rather straightforward. Regular dust-mopping to remove abrasive substances like dirt should be done often. Damp mopping is also recommended. Strategic use of runners and area rugs is helpful. Be prepared for a hefty price tag, but it won't go out of style and will bump up home equity.
Hardwood Floors
Installing a hardwood floor is a great DIY project. Hardwood is generally manufactured from oak, hickory, pecan, poplar and other deciduous trees. Even so, others like pine ( a softwood or evergreen) and bamboo floors (actually a grass) are often lumped into this category. This is a very traditional building material and not likely to go out of fashion. The two most common types are tongue-in-groove planks and parquet tiles. Unlike laminate, these need to be sanded and refinished periodically; but on the upside, when finished with high-quality urethane, they do well in moist conditions, unlike laminate floors.
Economical, High-Maintenance Carpet
This is the old stand-by. It can be had cheaper than any of the other floors. Why else would rapid-turnover apartments use it? The downside is that needs frequent vacuuming vacuuming and shampooing to stay clean and it traps mites, pollen, dust, and animal dander that are bad for people with allergies.

Kid Conscious Design

Kitchens Children can easily be injured in kitchens between appliances, dinnerware and utensils. That is why it’s important to know these key child-friendly kitchen ideas. First of all, keep knifes and sharp utensils out of lower, easy-to-reach drawers. If you choose to use reachable drawers, make sure to put child proof locks on them. When shopping for an oven, make sure your oven has a lock. This is standard with today’s ovens but it’s always something to make sure you have or add. Also, go for reusable plastic ware; it won’t break if dropped and lessens the chance of causing glass injuries.

Storage Especially with young children around, storage is important. Where can you put the toys so it’s not an eye sore? There are several alternatives. You can use storage ottomans. Be careful of the ones that come with hinges to lift the top verses the separate top. Children’s fingers can easily get caught or crushes in the hinges so stay clear of that. Another alternative is shelving with baskets in them for easy clean up.



Offices At home offices need to be functional to be used for other purposes. Usually also used as spare bedrooms which is made possible my using Murphy Beds or alternative. Custom shelving can give extra room because it will be made to fit your needs. Multi-functional rooms are great for big families where space is tight.

Furniture Try to steer clear of glass and sharp corners on furniture. If you want a hard surface top, try to get rounded surfaces that are securely attached to their base. Table clothes are also not a great idea since children will want to play with them or pull them if they start to fall which may cause injury.

Garage Solutions: Organize and Declutter

Here are some easy solutions to organize your garage to return it to original purpose- storing your car and equipment. Many items are stored and projects are worked on in the garage so we look at the best ways to keep your garage organized.

Shelving This is easier then it seems but first tackle your stuff. What do you need? What can you sell? What can you give away? After making these decisions, the first step would be to add shelving. Get yourself organized. Save money by knowing where your stuff is so you don’t end up buying doubles. You can get simple shelves or get special shelving for bikes, sports equipment or painting supplies. Ceiling and wall shelving/hooks will keep you organized and your family safe.

Fold Away Work Benches Work benches can take up a lot of garage space, an easy solution is one that folds away. You can also use the bench as multipurpose table for painting projects, potting/gardening bench, or just for tools. Keep shelving next to the workbench to easily put away any projects/tools. This will keep you organized and save you from any possible mishaps with the tools sitting out and possibly injurying someone.


Cabinetry It’s great if you want your garage to have covered storage. It’s easy to keep items put away and looks better. Open shelving can be an eye sore so this is a great solution if that worries you. Also, can be a great seller if you are selling your home. Most garages don’t have custom cabinetry in their garage, so it would make yours stand out. There are a wide range of finishes you can get. If you're afraid of stratches get a thermofoil finish that resembles metal.

Kitchen Remodeling Trends

I came across this article on craftsmennetwork.com and thought it went through the "green kitchen design" trend very well. Check it out, get some ideas and put them into action!

Going green in home remodeling has taken the real estate industry by storm, and is bound to stay with the long term benefits that it affords homeowners. So before we mince through all the amazing array of stylish craze, let’s understand how it came about with this long lasting effect and makes them so attractive. Green kitchen remodeling trends:

• Are fine integration of fashion and functionality,
• Features advanced components that gets better and better
• Pose no harm to the environment as waste is minimized and resources saved
• Use up lesser energy
• And save you more money in the long run making the investment payback for itself.

Now that I’ve got your interest, let’s get the ball rolling with kitchen remodeling trends that are green and long-lasting.

Eco-Friendly Appliances
Green appliances are great additions to your kitchen remodeling project, not only in keeping things trendy but to make the area achieve its most efficient functionality as well. Today, shopping is made easier with the wide array of style and sizes you can choose from. Advances in technology have not only bred designs that enable the use of lesser energy even for hard-working appliances like ovens, dishwashers and refrigerators. It has also implemented downsizing and manufacturing of smaller units that work as hard as their larger counterparts. This characteristic also makes green appliances ideal for small New York kitchens, making them fit nicely into more limited available space.

Energy Efficient Lighting
Being a place that serves a lot of important functions, lighting is essential and has become one of the least expensive green kitchen remodeling trends that could change how your kitchen looks considerably. Other than opting for cost and energy efficient lighting fixtures, like florescent ones that are Star Energy qualified, the strategic location of these lights is also important.

Bamboo Flooring
Other than being a highly renewable resource, bamboo also have intrinsic durability, beauty, resistance to spills and stains, low maintenance, and resistance to fading from sunlight; that makes them ideal materials to be used as flooring. There are also other areas that you might want to look into and consider having bamboo for them like backsplashes.

Hands-Free Faucets
Other than adding that state-of-the-art feel and functionality in the kitchen, sensor or hands-free faucets have made it to the green kitchen remodeling trends due to drip-free characteristic enabling homeowners to conserve water. Other than having germ-free washing each and every time, these models also come in the most stylish forms.

Going green as a kitchen remodeling trend has revolutionized the way homeowners achieve luxurious looking, versatile, functional and environmentally friendly kitchens. By implementing such trends, you are also ensuring a healthy and excellent quality of living for the whole family.


http://www.craftsmennetwork.com/ideas/kitchen-remodeling-trends.html

Backsplash: What Are Your Options?

There are so many options today so how do you decide? Here is described the pros and cons of backsplash choices. Besides these options, you can always continue whatever countertop you have for your backsplash. Also keep in mind that you don’t have to have a full wall backsplash but can get just a 4” or 5” backsplash of your choice. More commonly full backsplashes are done because of the beauty and easy clean up rather then the wall where grease splashes are harder to get rid of.

NATURAL STONE Granite has stood the test of time and shown it is the most durable natural stone but must be resealed yearly for maintenance. While marble is low maintenance, it is very porous taking in dirt and anything else. Since it is a kitchen, several things can splatter on the backsplash which make marble not the ideal choice.

METALS In recent years, metal tile has become more popular. It gives more of a modern, industrial look that people are looking for. It also can be incorporated with other tile to make a softer look. Easy clean up and metal naturally doesn’t collect bacteria which is why it is commonly used in restaurants for preparation areas.

MOSAICS Using Mosaics gives more of an artistic look in your kitchen. It has been used back in ancient Rome, art museums, civic centers and luxury homes. Mosaics are inexpensive and the materials making mosaics vary such as glass, ceramic, etc.

CONCRETE The industrial look of concrete has been put into homes as flooring, countertop and now even backsplash. With concrete they can create tile, panel or standard 4” backsplash. Now they can also customize the color of concrete by different polishing.

GLASS Since the 1950’s glass backsplash has come such a long way. Now there are several more colors and textures that are available in glass now. It is definitely an option that is able to flow with contemporary, modern or country design.

CERAMICS This has been the most commonly used tile for both backsplash and flooring. It has proven durable and affordable. Something to be aware of is the maintenance. Although it’s not high maintenance, from time to time you will have to clean and reseal the grout.

Winner of Toast of Music City 2010

We won Best Home-Improvement Store at the Toast of Music City for 2010! Followed by Lowe's and The Home Depot. Thank you for all who voted for us! Come in and see why Music City voted us #1!