Flooring (continued)

Hardwood is a wonderful addition to any home whether it’s a new installation or a refurbishing of an existing floor. Hardwood flooring is a time-honoured tradition for a lot of people that grew up with a hardwood floor only to have it all covered up in the seventies with shag carpeting. Well Hardwood flooring has definitely made a comeback and along with it a price tag to match. For some of us a “true” hardwood floor is all they might ever want, while others can compromise on the “true” part and opt for new laminate flooring. Hardwood flooring not only adds value to the look of your room but it definitely adds resale dollar value as well. The durability of hardwood far exceeds almost any other type of flooring material and when the time comes for a facelift it can be done simply by sanding and refinishing the floor to make it look new once again. Usually the appeal of hardwood flooring is the natural wood characteristics such as the grain, knots or other such markings. A visit to your local retailer will have you wanting this “natural beauty” in your home.

Laminate flooring has made a quick jump into the flooring market. It has allowed many of us to have what looks to be hardwood flooring but for a fraction of the cost. Laminates can mimic hardwood floors and can be dent, stain, and scuff resistant. Laminates can be used in most areas of the home, but probably not recommended for a bathroom or laundry room application because of the exposure to potential water, which could cause the flooring to swell and expand. Like most anything there are varying qualities to laminates, so you need to do your homework and get what is best suited for your application. Laminate flooring is a wood grain pattern on thin paper much like a photographic image and is put under a protective film that is glued and pressed into a backing board. Laminate flooring is user friendly and often requires no glue or nails but it has a snap together system. Maintenance is quick and easy as sweeping and mopping with the manufacturers recommended cleaning product and you’re done. You’ll enjoy many years ahead with your Laminate wood flooring.

Concrete….Who said it was just for driveways and sidewalks. Concrete has proven to be durable and a cost effective material when used in building. There has been a new popular increase in looking at concrete as a “finished” floor product. Today concrete can be treated with stains to create a variety of rich colours and textures. Stamped concrete also patterns itself to replicate natural surfaces such as wood or stone. Decorative finishes applied to concrete have gone from outdoors to indoors, from commercial space to residential and it’s a winner each and every time. To create the decorative finishes there is chemical staining, which is the most versatile method of colouring concrete. Scoring concrete allows small cuts to be made in the concrete that can simulate grout lines, tiles, different shapes and patterns. This is great when your trying to create a border outline to a space or area with the smoother concrete to lie within. Concrete stamping is made by using a pattern to imprint the outline or texture, much like stamping that is popular in craft stores today. When the floor has been completed then a sealer or wax will be applied to bring out the depth of colour tones that were used and give a rich sheen to the patina’s or colour variations. Maintenance is simple with sweeping and an occasional mopping with a floor wax product. A concrete floor is indeed unique and one of a kind.

Written by Sharon @ IDQ