Month: January 2016

When you’ve decided to finally redo your out-dated or worn-looking bathroom, the flooring you choose will be one of several considerations you’ll have to make. You’ll discover that there certainly are a large number of available options.

Making the choice about the ideal bathroom flooring can be daunting, because your floor must both be practical as well as beautiful. And each type of bathroom floor has its own set of unique properties.

Lovely Linoleum

Linoleum is enjoying a comeback, thanks to the popularity of environmentally-friendly materials. Linoleum is made of all-natural components, and is incredibly strong and durable. It is also available in a wide variety of textures, colours and patterns, giving you limitless options for colour and style. The trick with choosing linoleum that will last through the years and styles is choosing a colour and pattern that is likely to remain stylish for the long term.

Timeless Laminate

Laminate flooring continues to be a popular choice because it can emulate the look of several materials, including hardwood and marble. Laminate bathroom flooring is practical, as it is often water-resistant as well as being stain-proof. Laminate flooring is also durable as well as being easy to clean, which makes it an ideal choice for covering bathroom floors of any size.

Stone and Ceramic Tile

Tile flooring, whether stone or ceramic brings a luxurious air to any bathroom. Stone tile is usually constructed of marble, slate, limestone or granite and presents a great way to add a classy finishing touch. Stone does represent a costlier choice for flooring in bathrooms, but the investment is with it, as stone offers a high degree of durability which means it will retain its beauty for many years.

Ceramic tile combines beautiful looks with a luxurious feel. Available in a wide range of sizes and shapes, ceramic tile can also mimic the look of natural stone, but at a much lower cost. Ceramic tile offers ease of cleaning as well as durability. When choosing ceramic tile flooring for your bathroom, a textured variety is best so as to prevent any possible chance of slippage.

Carpeting

Carpeting is a popular option for bathroom floors, although perhaps not a viable solution for the entire floor. Many love the softness of carpeting in the bathroom, and to ensure it retains its colour and luxuriousness, placing towels or bath mats on top is best. When considering carpeting for the bathroom, consider wool, as this material is naturally anti-mildew and dries far more quickly than other carpeting materials.

Wood Flooring

Wood can give your bathroom a unique and warm look. However, the use of real wood in the bathroom is not recommended due to its tendency to warp when exposed to dampness over the long term. Engineered wood flooring offers a viable alternative, having all of the great looks of real wood, as well as long-term durability. Another option is wood-imitation floors made of vinyl, such as can be had with Karndean flooring.

Rubber Tiles

Another viable option for wood flooring is rubber tiles. Not only are they soft and offer lots of cushioning, but they are also easy to clean and are incredibly durable. There are many styles of rubber tile available, and it’s important to choose one with a style having elements suited to the bathroom in a home.

The answer to which flooring is best for bathrooms may never be found, as this is a hotly-debated topic that has yet to offer a single or definite solution. The ideal solution for your bathroom is one that suits not only your budget, but also your unique style and theme of the room. It will also be the flooring that will stand up to what your home will put it through over the years.

When looking for a rug pad for your home, it’s important to consider the thickness of the rug that the pad will be placed under, as this will ensure that your rug does not become a tripping hazard. However, another thing to consider is the material that the rug pad is made of. This is because some materials offer different benefits than others.

Certification

Many suppliers of rug pads have been environmentally certified, meaning that they can validate the source materials their rug pads are made of. This ensures that any statements about a rug pad, such as that it’s been made of recycled materials, can be verified. The same is true of any rug pad claiming to adhere to regulations for indoor air quality.

Natural Materials

Many claim that rug pads made of natural materials are the ideal choice. The most common types of natural rug pads are recycled felt and 100% natural rubber. However, rug pads made from wool are also popular. The reason natural rug pads are so popular is because rubber, felt and wool materials are very dense, which provide a rug with stability. As well thee materials do no damage to floor finishes, regardless of flooring type. Natural rug pads can work as well on hardwood and vinyl floors as they do tile or carpeting.

Consideration for Felt Rug Pads

If you have or plan to buy an Oriental rug, then a felt rug bad is best. This especially popular rug pad material will provide a luxurious feel whilst at the same time providing heat and sound insulation. The felt rug pad will not completely prevent the rug from moving, however. But the good news is that this is easily overcome by purchasing a felt and rubber combination rug pad.

Considerations for Wool Rug Pads

Wool rug pads are ideal for those with latex allergies, although they may not be the best choice for those with airborne allergies. Not only is wool renewable, but it’s also sustainable and biodegradable. In addition, wool offers safety because it is naturally flame retardant. It also works well in situations where sound-proofing and thermal insulation is required.

Considerations for Natural Rubber Rug Pads

Rug pads made of natural rubber work best where you need to ensure no slipping, but also where there is limited space for clearance, such as beneath a door. Unfortunately, the majority of natural rubber rug pads offer neither cushioning nor insulation as their felt and rubber counterparts do.

Pads for Rugs on Carpeting

Placing a rug on top of carpeting can create an attractive focal point in a room or bring other room elements together. But in order to ensure that the rug doesn’t sink into the carpeting due to foot traffic or the weight of furniture, a dense rug pad is needed. As well, the thickness should be around ¼ inch. Most pads for placement on carpets in Bedford contain one texture to adhere to the bottom of the rug, and a different texture – usually felt – which grabs the carpeting below the pad.

Proper Sizing of Rug Pads

When measuring for your rug pad, ensure that it is about one inch smaller on every side than the size of your rug. This will allow for the relaxing of the rug edges to the floor.

Any rug pad can be cleaned by sponging it or brushing gently using a scrub brush and a water/mild detergent mix. As far as cost is concerned, quality pads made of rubber or felt will typically cost more than their lower-quality PVC counterparts. However, there are many rug pad types on the market, meaning there is a perfect rug pad for your budget.

Although all-to-wall carpeting went out of style for a time – for reasons that are as yet unclear – the fact remains that it is suited to many applications. Not only does it provide a comfortable space to sit no matter where you do so, but it’s also a soft and luxurious alternative to harder flooring.

The Safety Factor

Having carpeting installed in your home can add a layer of safety. Not only are your footsteps cushioned by carpeting, but the chances of slipping are also practically eliminated. Should someone fall on a carpet, they will experience a much softer landing. This is especially welcome news for households with little ones who are just learning to walk, or elderly inhabitants wishing to reduce their injury risk. Pets can also benefit from carpeting, as it provides the traction needed to round corners without sliding into walls.

More Warmth

Carpeting is famous for its insulating properties. Thanks to underlay which keeps the cold at the foundation whilst helping the carpet to hold heat, this floor covering can increase the comfort of many a cold night. As well, all of the benefits of this added insulation can come through in lower costs for heating.

A Quieter Home

In addition to being able to insulate against the cold, carpeting can also make for quieter living with its sound-insulating properties. Carpeting absorbs noise, making it a great product to place in children’s rooms as well as in areas of high traffic, such as living rooms. In an apartment building where neighbours are above and below, the addition of carpeting can certainly be a welcome one, as it provides a between-floor barrier that greatly reduces the transmission of sound to neighbouring flats.

Stress-Free Maintenance

Those with pets understand the constant sweeping involved with other flooring types. Not so with carpet; vacuuming and the occasional shampooing is all it takes. Even pet stains are easily cleaned, thanks to new technology that allows for easy removal when immediate treatment takes place.

Affordable Luxury

Carpets are available in an incredibly wide range of pile heights, from Berber to shag carpeting. It’s also available in a large variety of colours and patterns. Whether you’re looking for the plush of a luxury hotel, or simply want a sound and heat-insulating floor covering that can stand up to what you put it through, there is an option for your needs.

The Durability you need

Whether its Victoria carpets you choose or another of the many available brands, durability is definitely something that today’s carpets possess. Whilst different carpet types will respond differently to foot traffic and wear, there are several other options available which can increase the life and look of carpet, such as stain-proofing.

Versatility

The versatility of carpeting simply cannot be denied. With so many colours and patterns available, any taste from traditional to contemporary can be satisfied. However, this can make it difficult to choose just one carpet colour or pattern.

There’s even an option for those wanting the best of both worlds. All of the benefits of carpeting can be had, as well as the beautiful view of the wood, stone or other flooring below with a ‘nearly rug’ – a large piece of carpeting which has been bound at its edges, but which doesn’t cover the entire floor. This look can be easily achieved by placing carpeting where you’d like it, and then leaving a border of between 12 and 18 inches to expose the flooring beneath.

Carpeting can come in at far less costly than other flooring types, although it depends on many factors including type, materials construction and cost of under padding. But whichever way you look at it, there is no doubt that carpeting can be a great flooring choice.

Whether you’ve chosen to purchase real or engineered flooring, and regardless of whether it’s in a laminate or plank style, there will be one more decision to make before you have it installed: you will need to decide which direction your wood flooring will be placed. This article covers the two main orientations for wood flooring planks to be most commonly laid, which is in the straight and diagonal directions.

The Benefits of Straight-Laid Flooring

Basically, you can run your wood flooring in any straight direction from north to south or east to west if the flooring will run in straight lines. If you’ve decided on the straight route for your flooring, then one way to make the area of your floor look larger is to choose orientation by the longest walls.

Laying your flooring in a straight orientation is very simple, both if you decide to do it or you hire installers to. As well, laying flooring in this pattern allows for very little waste to be created, as no cutting is required. This means that more of your purchased flooring can be used.

Continuity is another benefit of laying flooring in straight lines. When run through an open space or several rooms, such as connected rooms along a hallway, this can serve to bring several elements and features of a home together, as well as make hallways appear to be longer.

Whilst laying floors in this way may not offer the most unique option, nor be the best choice for unusual room shapes, laying floors in a straight direction can take far less time.

Another way to lay flooring straight is by placing it not along the longest line of a room, but perpendicular to it. This too is a straight pattern, but is far less common than laying flooring along a room’s longest lines. Although many more cuts are required in order to lay floor in this direction, the perpendicular style can work very well in situations where the widening of a narrow room is needed, as it emphasises existing width.

The Case for a Diagonal Direction

Laying your engineered wood flooring in a diagonal direction also has benefits. First, it allows for the creation of very long lines, which can increase the appearance of a room’s size by a great deal. Diagonal flooring is commonly seen in flats and condominiums, where it’s important to have an open, large look and feel. The non-traditional placement of wood flooring in a diagonal direction also helps to normalise oddly-shaped rooms, or rooms that contain unusual angles.

Some skill is required to lay flooring in a diagonal direction, as finding a starting point can be challenging. As well, installing flooring in this direction requires mitring at the edges and therefore, causes the generation of more waste.

Despite its challenges, lying flooring diagonally can give it a unique and appealing appearance.

No Direction

Another way to give a unique look to the rooms in a home is to install flooring in no specific direction. This can be done by staining existing flooring a dark colour and then applying sealing. A strategy like this can work well because staining allows the texture of the flooring to come through, whilst rendering the between-board seals invisible.

If you’ve lived in a your home for some time and have found you’ve gotten tired of your existing flooring or feel it’s gone out of style, the above ideas can certainly help to inject some interest. There are also several other directions in which to lay your flooring, including in the parquet, herringbone, square and inset. A future article will cover these styles and more.