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Polyurethane makes a great sealant for brick floors. It's durable and gives the brick a beautiful shine. What’s more, polyurethane will increase the life of the brick because it provides an added layer of protection against wear and tear. If you decide to coat your brick floors with polyurethane, the most important part of the job is preparation. The keys to a successful outcome are getting the brick as clean as possible, letting it dry completely after cleaning, and applying the polyurethane smoothly.
Value Lock floor tiles feature interlocking teeth for easy installation without the use of adhesives or fasteners. Like other rubber flooring materials, these tiles serve as a stable, flexible flooring option for home gyms, where noise and shock absorption are a top priority. Get the most out of your rubber tile floor by taking the time to properly install these tiles based on the manufacturer's recommendations and the specific demands of your space.
Slate tile lends a rustic, natural beauty to the home, and comes in a wide range of colors to fit any decor. While this material offers the strength and density typically associated with natural stone products, maintaining its rich coloring requires regular maintenance and care. In addition to everyday cleaning to remove dirt and dust, slate may also require more aggressive treatment to remove ugly lime deposits and other mineral stains.
You always want to make sure that you're using a few specific tools to help the process of cutting flooring around a toilet become as easy as possible. Cut flooring around a toilet with help from a Foreman for Lighty Contractors in this free video clip.
Shortening a door trim when laying tile always requires you to make good use of a few important tips and tricks. Shorten a door trim when laying tile with help from a Foreman for Lighty Contractors in this free video clip.
You don't have to pay a contractor hundreds of dollars to repair missing grout from floor tiles. Find out how to repair missing grout from floor tiles with help from an experienced construction professional in this free video clip.
Adding linoleum and tile floors to your home doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. Get inexpensive linoleum and tile floor design ideas with help from a remodeling expert, speaker, writer, certified construction manager and LEED Accredited Professional in this free video clip.
Squeaking or noisy floors are not only an annoyance but can be unsightly as well, especially if the gap between the subfloor and joist is large. The squeaks or creaks are caused due to a variety of reasons, including loose nails, rubbing floorboards and improper installation. Instead of replacing the entire floor, you can solve the problem by inserting wood shims into the gap between the joist and the subfloor. Although the repair process is straightforward, locating the exact spot may take some time, which is why it is better to assign a helper during the project.
Vinyl composition tiles (VCTs) are designed for high-traffic areas, such as schools, shopping malls and even busy home kitchens. While commercial VCT tiles are frequently cleaned, buffed and polished, residential tiles can go longer between polishings, especially if the new tile is properly cleaned, sealed and waxed. Ask your installer for the recommended cleaning products; in general, neutral floor cleaning solutions are best for VCT flooring.
Brick flooring for interior environments is not made of bricks. Rather, when you redo a bathroom floor in a fire brick motif, you use a material known as brick pavers -- brick surfacing material that resembles various types of brick, including fire brick. Pavers provide the same ornamental surface as real bricks without raising the level of your floor several inches as real bricks would. Redoing a bathroom with brick pavers is time-consuming but simple to do.
When constructing a new shower, setting the grade in the shower floor is one step that must be taken so that water leads down toward the drain. Sloping the concrete base of the shower toward the drain provides a better fit for the shower pan, and allows gravity to carry water toward the drain easily.
Herringbone flooring has a classic repeating pattern that arranges rectangular tiles at a 45-degree angle. By adding square tiles that equal half the size of the rectangular ones -- which you place at 90-degree angles -- you can create an inserted herringbone pattern on your floor. When you shop for flooring materials to create a herringbone pattern, look for rectangular shapes that have a 2:1 ratio, where the sides are twice as long as the height. To lay herringbone flooring, start along a baseline edge or wall, not in the middle of a space.
A custom tile floor in a shower or laundry room can improve the look of the entire space. Standard tiles are rectangular, but drains are circular. Tiles are also flat and straight, while a drain should be placed in a depression to be most effective. By laying the appropriate kind of floor and using tile snips, you can tile around drains and their curves.
Varnish, the clear coat that covers wood flooring, must be applied carefully in thin layers or the result may be messy and uneven. If your varnish is only problematic in certain areas, it may be possible to either scrape away your mistakes or remove and replace the varnish where the problem is noticeable. If the varnish was applied poorly over the entire floor, however, you need to strip all the varnish and start over.
Saltillo tile is a type of Mexican tile that lends beauty wherever it's used indoors. Although it's not durable enough to withstand severe outdoor weather conditions, this attractive, Mexican tile can add beauty and Old World charm to your decor. It's important to keep the tile floor around your toilet clean and sanitized. You can achieve this by using supplies and methods that kill germs from urine and other substances without damaging the tile.
Concrete panels, also referred to as concrete slabs, are preformed sections of concrete that eliminate the need to pour a concrete floor. Concrete panels are best for ground installation such as patio or basement floors or for patching a basement concrete floor, if a section of the floor is removed to make repairs. The seams are difficult to conceal, but they create a desirable stone or tile effect when used for patio floors. You can buy concrete panels from a block and brick distributor or make them yourself using forms lined with reinforcing steel bar.
PVC flooring is a flooring option that is durable, easy to clean and easy to install. A variety of styles and looks are available, so you can design the flooring to fit with the look of the fireplace. PVC, also known as vinyl, can be safely installed directly adjacent to a fireplace surround or hearth. But you should never install vinyl tiles as part of a hearth. International building codes require at least 12 inches from the fire box to combustible materials. If your fireplace does not maintain this clearance, then the flooring should be installed farther away from it.
Concrete serves as a common flooring material for subterranean and ground-level floor surfaces, such as basements and garages. Concrete floors generally sit directly against a flat area of the ground, so when you remove a concrete floor, you technically dig back toward ground level. To ensure the stability of concrete floors, you should pour them at least 3 inches deep. What this means to you is, if your existing concrete floor is only 3 inches deep, to lower it you must remove the entire floor, excavate, and pour the floor again.
A granite floor in the Siesta Key area of Florida uses a standard tile installation method for a home renovation project, with the exception of controlling the high humidity levels that are common in this area. Granite floors are expensive to have installed by a professional. With a little planning and equipment, you can complete the installation in a weekend. Adding granite floors to a home in the Siesta Keys increases the value and gives the home a luxurious appearance.
Concrete floors last for decades, if properly maintained. While concrete is known for its durability, it cracks if water infiltrates it and it is prone to staining and mold growth if not regularly cleaned. While working on concrete floors takes time and diligence, it is a reasonable do-it-yourself project that saves you money on professional restoration and repair. Proper preparation of the surface is vital when working with concrete to give yourself the best results possible.
Remodeling a basement to add a toilet, shower or sink can be a challenge, but if some of the work has already been done for you, the task is less daunting. Some builders will rough in and plug the plumbing for such future additions as an early step in basement construction, then cover access to it with tile flooring. If you locate the concealed rough-in before you plan the location for basement bathroom fixtures, you can avoid installing new lines. Knowing how plumbing codes affect standard sizes and locations for rough-ins will aid your search.
Walls in a stone house or business building are based on hollow tiles made of cement. These tiles are used to add support to the building while keeping the weight to the lowest amount possible. The tiles are not flat like floor tiles but hollow square blocks connected to each other with a layer of cement. To add support and strength to the wall or floor, reinforcement bars, or rebar trusses, are added to the connecting cement between the hollow tiles.
Charisma flooring is a type of laminate made by Laurentian Laminate. It has interlocking grooves, which makes it easy to install with only a few tools. The flooring is durable and affordable. According to the Laurentian Laminate website, laminate flooring as an environmentally friendly alternative because it is made from paper instead of old-growth wood, like hardwood flooring. You can use laminate flooring in any room in your home because it is resistant to water and can be cut to size.
If your home has a concrete sub-floor, you must prepare it correctly before installing new flooring. While you may prepare concrete floors by hand, the process is a time consuming one. Because concrete isn't limited to sub-floors, prepping the surface for new flooring isn't your only option. Many businesses and even residential homes boast polished concrete flooring. Whether your goal is to prep a concrete sub-floor or transform dull concrete into a vibrant, shiny floor you can take pride in, using the right machine for the task speeds up the process.
Limestone and marble are both natural stones that make beautiful, long-lasting floors. The stones have similar qualities, but create a very different look. Your main consideration in choosing between limestone and marble will probably be personal taste, followed by cost and durability.
Tiles with rectified edges have been ground down to provide a very smooth, even and square tile. Rectifying the edges of the tiles helps to remove any intolerance that a grout joint is usually responsible for removing. Therefore, a tile with rectified edges can be installed with as little as a 1/16-inch grout joint. Despite how smooth the edges are, the tiles do require both a grout joint and an ultra smooth surface to lay them on.
An uneven floor can create problems for your finished floor. Uneven subfloors are most problematic for tiles, hardwood and laminates. If the uneven floor is concrete, you can grind the high spots. You can use a leveling compound for the low spots. You can also fill in low spots on vinyl or linoleum. The floor doesn't need to be level. It only needs to be flat.
Poplars are soft wood trees used in the production of several products, including matches, paper and flooring. Poplar flooring can last for several years if you clean and treat it properly, including laying down rugs to protect the product from wear and tear. But those same rugs used to mask your flooring from scuff marks and damage often will leave behind a yellow discoloration when moved. Eliminate the yellowing from your poplar floors with the correct products to avoid damaging the finish.
Firefighters are not fans of styrofoam ceiling tiles, because during a fire, they melt and drip burning plastic, giving off carcinogenic fumes. Most polystyrene ceiling tiles are used in industrial buildings, but were at one time used to cover damaged ceilings in homes. When homeowners and renovators run across these tiles, they usually want them removed. That can prove to be quite a chore, as they have to be slowly and methodically scraped off the ceiling, leaving behind some rather difficult-to-remove glue and ceiling damage.
Gathering your family around a cozy fire in your brick fireplace is a good way to spend time together on a chilly evening. Over the years, the bricks in the floor of your fireplace are susceptible to cracking and breaking. Depending on how severe the damage is, you may not have to worry about the bricks being a fire hazard, but it's a good idea to remove and replace them just in case.
A cement or concrete wall with a number of cracks or loose material can be unsightly, unsound and typically warrants some repair. A wall that is severely damaged or has excessive loose or crumbling material might be beyond repair and warrant replacement, but minor holes and cracks can be addressed by properly preparing the site, applying a suitable adhesive and laying cement or concrete patch correctly.
The kitchen is a major hub of the home and as such, the decor is a vital part of the space. Creating a kitchen that is visually appealing makes the space more inviting and enjoyable to be in. If you're in the midst of a kitchen renovation, match the floor tile and cabinets to give the space a cohesive look.
Many homeowners find condensation on their concrete floors, especially when cold temperatures arrive. When moisture frequently forms on concrete, mold may begin to grow. There are no products that will keep your concrete floor from developing condensation. Preventing condensation is best accomplished by adding insulation to your home and reducing humidity levels.
When tile floors come to a doorway, you must install a transition strip in the threshold. The transition strip spans the gap between the two flooring surfaces, protecting against people stubbing their toes. Transition strips come in a variety of styles and colors, providing an aesthetically pleasing way to transition between rooms.
Although concrete is one of the most durable construction materials used around the world, it does have limitations. There are thickness requirements for residential and commercial uses, and a structural engineer is required to determine the proper thickness in commercial applications. For most residential construction you can use the minimum thickness for just about every project, resulting in a concrete slab that will last for years to come.
Corian countertops are known for their durability and decorative appearance. However, the surface of Corian may not be as smooth as other surfaces in your home, such as your polished concrete floor. Although Corian can be replaced by a different material by a professional craftsman, replacing counters is often costly. One option is to transform and smooth the surface of the Corian counters using a few basic supplies purchased from any hardware or home improvement store.
Slate tile, whether used as a back splash, wall or floor, is a durable and rustic material. Though available in various colors, patterns, textures and sizes, the cost associated with swapping out slate tile if you want to change colors is high compared with staining the tile itself. Using a two-phase approach to changing the color of slate tile will help you achieve the look you want.
A squeaking floor is a nuisance that can occur in any home, regardless of its age. Whether it’s hardwood, carpet or tile, squeaking is most often caused by a board that is not tightly attached to a floor joist. When someone walks over the loose board, it moves along the shaft of the nail holding it down, causing a squeaking sound. In order to quiet the squeak coming from your tile floor, you will need to eliminate the gap between the floorboard and the joist.
A squeaky floor isn't a threat to your home's structure, but it can get annoying. Most are caused by subflooring that isn't properly affixed to the trusses or joists underneath it. If you catch the sounds during construction and the finish flooring isn't laid down, you can fix it by driving more screws directly through the subflooring and into the truss. In a finished home, the process is different, but not difficult.
If you are a fan of earthy home decor, consider slate tile for your next home improvement project. Unlike ceramic tile, which is made of clay, slate tile is composed of layers of clay, mud and volcanic ash. This gives slate tile the appearance of layered rock – making it ideal for a variety of applications. While you can install slate tile as flooring, you can also use it on walls, in backsplashes and in showers.
Stained and dirty concrete floors can be disheartening when you look at them day after day, but there is a reasonable solution to increase the visual appeal of the floor. By making the concrete floors look like tile, you can give a room or patio area an entirely new look. With some patience and a steady hand, your concrete floor can give the appearance of a brand new tile floor by the time the weekend is over.
Rebar, or reinforcement bars, are long, round, heavy bars of steel placed at intervals in concrete floors and slabs for additional strength, stability and to prevent the concrete from breaking apart in large chunks. More reinforcement may be required in locations that experience seasonal freezing than in a constant, warm environment.
If you have a shower with an exposed concrete wall, not only is it unattractive, it can also cause problems down the road if moisture affects the concrete. A good solution in most cases is to cover the concrete with tile.
Concrete slab foundations are common in mild-weather regions of the United States, such as southern California. They also are used as basement slabs in harsher climates. Flooring material such carpet, wood and tile are often laid directly on concrete floors, but concrete works as flooring material either as is or with additional treatment and coloring. In all cases, concrete floor must be in accordance with building regulations that guarantee durability and safety.
Factory floors are cavernous spaces filled with machinery that requires certain clearances to function properly and safely. In addition, materials, employees, tasks and finished goods may need to flow along a particular path for efficient performance. The most cost-effective way to define those boundaries and paths is through floor layout tape.
If you plan to install a toilet on a concrete floor, the most difficult part of the project is installing the drain. Luckily, installing drains in a concrete slab is possible but it is challenging, if you have little experience. The project requires the use of a jackhammer to break up the concrete and lay in the drainage pipe. It is the same process for installing a toilet drain as it is for installing a tub or sink drain. The only difference is that you use a flange for the toilet base.
Split brick flooring adds rustic or industrial appeal to almost any floor, and complements many decors. Most split brick is made as the name implies: whole bricks, usually salvaged from old buildings, are sliced into thinner sections, resulting in brick tiles. Because split bricks are thin, they are installed with the same methods used to install floor tiles. Unlike porcelain or ceramic, split bricks are not sealed prior to installing. You must seal the entire floor, including the grout, afterward with terra cotta sealer or oil-based polyurethane.
There are many times in a floor tile installation when the floor moves around obstacles such as walls, doors and corners. When installing a tile floor, such as marble, in these areas, the tiles need to be cut to fit seamlessly around the obstacle. Cutting marble tiles to fit around this space requires the use of a wet saw, because marble is a hard, yet fragile, stone that is most easily cut by machine.
Floors are made up of a series of layers. The subfloor is the area located just above the foundation's joists and beams. Subfloors can be made of either concrete or wood. Above the subfloor is the underlayment, an area meant to smooth out and insulate the finished floor. Luan is a very thin, light wood that is used as an underlayment. The material can be applied on both wood and concrete subfloors.
The EZ-8 drum sander by Clarke has a heavy-duty 1-1/2 horsepower, dual capacitor motor and a 40-foot-long power cable for long reaches. The sander can be disassembled for storage and transfer and is made out of cast aluminum for durability. While the sander should be relatively easy to use, problems may arise, such as chatter marks left on the floor. These marks are most commonly due to a wheel that is out of balance. Resolving this issue will require some adjustments on the sander.
