Best Type of Flooring for the Kitchen Authored by Christina Morrison in FurniturePublished on 09-12-2009

Within a home, the kitchen floor suffers more damage than any other location. Spills, stains, scratches, and dents, happen in this room more than any other. The key to picking out new flooring is finding a hardy, resistant material that appeals to you and your budget.Tile flooring is one of the top choices for kitchens, and has been for years. Whether made of ceramic or stone, this flooring is hardy and impervious to dents and spills.This flooring is great for people that are always using the ki

Floor Outlet: Installing Laminate Floors

by Simon Hardwick The advantage of engineered wood flooring is that engineered wood can be sanded after scratches and dings develop. With laminate floors, Laminate is melamine-infused paper on top, wood chip composite on bottom. Unlike solid wood, which must be nailed to a wood sub-floor, engineered wood can be installed in a different number of ways. It can be nailed down, glued down or floated. Floating makes for an easier and more forgiving job. The boards are only glued to the mated to

Do You Make These Habitual Mistakes That Other Hardwood Floor Owners Make?

There are several styles through which you can end up damaging your hardwood floors. Hardwood floors are principally sensitive and should be taken care of. The following are some error that hardwood floor owners make. • Drag: Nothing breaks hardwood floors more than the lines of scratches and dents that scar it. Some homeowners make the error of dragging their furniture across their hardwood floors. In order to stay away from leaving any scratch or nick on your hardwood floors, put conta

Slate Flooring

Slate flooring is a excellent option for both residential and business, giving designers a unique and flexible material to employ in their home. Slate has many advantages, including its affordability and durability. Slate flooring has a very fine molecular structure, giving it a resistance to moisture. Spills should be very simple to clean up, as slate will not absorb the water. Slate is also exceptionally resistant to stains and dirt. Simple care should keep a slate floor clean with a minimum of effort.

Because of the wide spectrum of origins for slate in the natural world, it can be found in a variety of shades and colors. Slate flooring can be purchased in everything from dark charcoal shades, to vibrant reds or greens. Consumers enjoy a very broad selection of patterns to select from when it comes to slate flooring, giving each floor a unique appearance. The cleft texture of slate flooring makes it highly tough, resisting scratches as well as general wear and tear. The slate texture also provides a safe surface that won’t become slippery, making it a wonderful choice for in the kitchen or work areas.

The combination of good stain resistance and anti-slip properties make slate one of the greatest all around kitchen appropriate flooring materials on the market. In addition to its affordability, slate flooring has the advantage of several unique patterns to select from. Glosses can also be added to slate flooring, bringing another dynamic to its appearance. Laying out slate flooring can be done without professional help, but it requires a good deal of time as well as tools. A diamond bladed saw will be required to cut the tiles. Thinset must also be purchased along with the tile, which is used to secure the tile to the underlayment.

With a smooth concrete surface, no underlayment may be needed. With hardwood subfloors, or broken up concrete, an underlayment of concrete will be required to begin the installation the right way. It is important that the right thinset be used with particular tile sets. The thinset bonds the tile to the underlayment, and if done badly the floor can eventually begin shifting. Be sure to have a big bucket and something to clean up mortar that spreads across tile surfaces.

Before laying out slate flooring, check out the packaging of the slate. Tiles commonly end up shattered after arriving at the store. If any are broken, be sure that replacements match the original tile.

Bamboo Flooring

Bamboo flooring provides an excellent alternative to traditional hardwood flooring. Growing in popularity as an alternative, bamboo flooring has many features that make it stand out when compared to hardwood. Although harvested mostly in China, bamboo flooring can now be found easily in both European and North American markets. Many early adopters of bamboo flooring point out its environmental friendliness. The bamboo plant regrows within a few seasons and can be harvested repeatedly without permanent damage. In fact, the bamboo plant is considered a grass, as it grows much quicker than any tree. When done responsibly, bamboo plant harvesting can be accomplished in a environmentally friendly manner.

How does bamboo flooring compare with traditional hardwoods? High quality bamboo flooring provides a tougher surface than even the rarest and most expensive hardwoods. Moisture is also less of a problem for bamboo flooring. Where traditional hardwood may buckle and crack due to water exposure, bamboo flooring can absorb the moisture without a problem. Bamboo flooring is engineered like a laminate and treated under very high pressure with a high quality adhesive. This makes bamboo flooring very resistant to abrasions and scratches, where a hardwood floor would end up showing scratches. Bamboo flooring has become significantly more affordable in the past few years as well.

Best of all, bamboo flooring can typically be installed at home without any professional assistance. Like many of the newer hardwoods, bamboo flooring is produced with a tongue and groove construction, making them considerably easier to install. Prior to laying down a bamboo floor, allow the planks to adjust to their new environment for no less than 72 hours. Although bamboo flooring is very resistant to moisture, they do need some time to adjust to the new environment before installation.

What steps need to be taken in order to provide upkeep for a bamboo floor? Upkeep requirements are fairly simple for bamboo flooring. Be sure to clean the floor after installing it, using a mop with only a little bit of water. Regular dusting and sweeping should be done after installation. This will prevent dust and dirt from collecting on the finish. A mat used at the entrance way will keep out a great deal of dust and dirt. Dirt and small rocks can easily scratch the finish, and a mat can do a great deal to prevent this problem.