Home Makeover Diva

Home Design Makeover Ideas

Choosing Laminate Vs Wood For Your Home

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Summer is in the air! Have you gotten the remodeling bug yet? With summer, often comes a great opportunity for new flooring. A lot of people out there find themselves confused when choosing wood vs laminate flooring. Truthfully, it just depends on what area you are installing your new flooring in and the traffic to that specific area.

Solid wood – Invest in real wood when you are trying to add value to your home. Real hardwood flooring also lasts the lifetime of your home. Avoid using in overly wet areas like kids bathrooms because real wood is not water-resistant like vinyl and laminate. As real wood ages (like with reclaimed wood flooring), it enhances the beauty of the floor itself. Beware if you have large dogs or kids that are hard on your flooring.

Certain woods resist scratches and dents more than others. South American woods (like Brazilian Cherry) are generally a harder wood than the easily available American Oak. But it depends on the quality and how rough you are on your floors. One thing I like to do to any potential flooring is to try the key test. It’s simple: place said potential hardwood flooring on ground, hold keys at arm level above it and drop. Pick up the flooring and look at the damage. This will give you an idea of how well it will hold up in your home.

Choosing Laminate Vs Wood For Your HomeLaminate – Use for a wood look in wetter areas, or in other areas of your home where durability is number one. Laminate won’t increase the value of your home as automatically as wood flooring. But it might increase the its attractiveness to a potential buyer. Laminate is a great alternative to real wood if you have large dogs or pets. If you get a good rated laminate it will resist most scratches and dents. Just make sure to pick one out with a good coating. Stick an AC rating of 3 or higher if you have pets or children. Laminate is also great in areas where you can’t glue-down or nail into your subfloor. It simply click locks together and rests on a pad. Unlike most vinyls which have to be glued down or the majority of real wood floors that have to be nailed, stapled or glued to the subfloor. The simple fact that it doesn’t need to be nailed or glued makes laminate a good do it yourselfer project.

Whether you are adding value to your home or just looking for something scratch resistant, think of your needs before you go head first into either type of flooring.

Hardwood Flooring Questions

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You may already know the pros and cons of hardwood flooring, but before you go shopping for new flooring make sure you also understand the differences in construction, installation methods and pricing. To help you with this task, I have answered a few of the most commonly asked hardwood flooring questions.

Q.) What is the difference between solid and engineered hardwood?

A.) The difference is based on whether each board of hardwood is made of one piece of wood or multiple pieces.

Solid hardwood: Each piece of flooring is one solid piece of wood. There are no layers; the top part has been sanded smooth, often times a wood stain is applied and then finished off with a protective cleat top coat.

Engineered hardwood: Instead of being one solid piece of wood flooring, engineered hardwood is typically made up of three or more layers of wood with the grain going in opposite directions from one layer to the next. The top layer consists of a thin strip of hardwood, known as a veneer and it is the wear layer. The middle layer or layers are plywood. Usually the middle section is made up of layers of cross-grain plywood for extra strength. Some engineered hardwoods have a MDF (medium density fiberboard) core instead of plywood. And the bottom layer is another piece of rough plywood that sandwiches the middle layers together with the top piece.

Hardwood Flooring QuestionsQ.) Why are there so many different types of installation methods for hardwood flooring?

A.) The installation methods are based on the construction of the flooring. There are two different types of board construction that dictates how the flooring should be installed. Tongue and groove and click together.

Tongue and Groove: Nail Together Installation

Tongue and groove flooring fits together like a puzzle piece. The “tongue” of one board fits into the “groove” of another. If the installation instructions call for nailing the flooring together, then a specific tool called a hardwood nailer must be used. Before deciding whether to install this type of flooring yourself, it is helpful to decide whether you have enough physical strength and endurance to use the nailer. As you have to hit the nailer with a mallet, each time you wish to place a nail. This will need to be done several times per piece of flooring. Pneumatic nailers are also available, and they require less physical strength; however, they are much more expensive.

Tongue and Groove: Glue Together Installation

If the installation instructions call for glue, determine whether it is a full spread adhesion or just glue on the joints. If it is a full spread adhesion, then you will use a notched trowel to spread adhesive on the subfloor. However, if it is a tongue and groove adhesion, then you will also need to purchase foam underlayment. In this scenario, the joints of the flooring are glued together, but the wood flooring is not glued to the subfloor. Instead, it “floats” over the subfloor by resting on the foam underlayment.

Click Together Installation

For click together installations, the flooring is similar in appearance to tongue and groove only the edges interlock. Unlike tongue and groove, when you put two pieces of click flooring together and pull them apart horizontally they will not separate. This is how click together installations stay together without glue or nails. Click together flooring is also a “floating” floor and gets installed over a foam underlayment.

Q.) Which factors determine where hardwood flooring can be installed?

A.) While the construction of the board dictates how the flooring is installed, it also determines what area of the house it can be installed in. Solid hardwood is only warranted to be installed on or above grade. Which basically means ground level or above. Engineered and click together wood flooring can be installed anywhere. This is because it can handle moisture and expanding and contracting better than solid hardwood. Thicker pieces of wood can take in more moisture, therefore, expand further than smaller pieces. If you were to install solid hardwood over a cement floor in a basement, the pieces would start to buckle because as expansion happened the individual pieces would have nowhere to move to. This is why it is especially important to follow the above guidelines for the proper places to install hardwood.

Q.) What causes the cost to vary from one hardwood to another?

A.) The cost of one particular hardwood flooring over another one varies based on species and thickness.

Species of Hardwood: The main reason there is such a large price difference between various hardwoods is determined by the species of the hardwood. One of the most common and least expensive types of hardwood is oak. Some of the more expensive hardwoods are cherry, walnut, hickory, and tiger wood.

An important note about wood species: The type of wood also determines how durable the flooring will be. This is also called the hardness of the wood. And, if you have a busy household with kids and pets, you will want to make sure your wood flooring can hold up to your lifestyle. To find out the hardness of any hardwood species look at the Janka Hardness Scale. The higher the number, the better.

Thickness: Generally speaking, the thicker the board the more expensive it is. This is because it is made of more material. Boards vary in thickness form 3/8″ to 3/4″.

An important note about thickness: If the hardwood is replacing another flooring type, it is important to measure the amount of clearance you have between the subfloor and the bottom of all interior doors in the areas hardwood will be installed. Otherwise, you may have the extra expensive of planing them to fit. It is also important to consider the height difference between the wood flooring and any other flooring that it butts against. This will make sure that you are not creating extra issues during installation. Some height difference is okay, but if it exceeds the height of the transition moldings that connect the two there will be added costs and problem solving to make it work.

Painted Ceramic Floor Tile

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Today Monique H. writes:

I bought a house that was built in the sixties. I have one and a half bathrooms which have the painted ceramic floor tile. They were obviously not done correctly because they are impossible to clean and dirt literally sticks to them. I can only clean them with Clorox wipes and a towel. I am trying to figure out my best option for refinishing my floors and cost is a factor.

I was thinking about stripping them and repainting them myself, but I have no idea what color would work? I would love to replace the tile myself but I have no idea what the subfloor is like? I thought about using vinyl squares, but I am worried about the moisture (and my seven year old son). Please help, this is stressing me out!  Thanks, Monique H.

Monique, you definitely need to know what your subfloor is before undertaking putting new tile down.  Since there is existing tile already down, you may luck out and have a great subfloor that can withstand the weight and thinset already in place.  Then again, you may not.

Painted Ceramic Floor Tile Removal

Another thing to consider is that removing the old tile will take a lot of work and muscle. Not that it can’t be done, just that if the tile was installed correctly you will be chiseling it out by hand….each tile. Make sure you look online and watch a couple of videos on how to remove old tile before you get started.  A lot of people fizzle out before it comes to installing the new tile because they weren’t prepared for how labor intensive it is. To say that it’s hard work, is putting it mildly.

Stripping the paint and repainting the flooring is definitely one way to go. Just be aware that you may have some of the same problems in the future. So it would certainly be the most cost-effective way to go, you should still expect a fair amount of labor involved in the process. Also, make sure if you do go the painting route, that you give the new paint a good coat or two of sealer. This may help stop the dirt from being attracted to the new paint in the future.

As for putting down vinyl tiles, it may entail a fair amount of work as well.  Yes, bathrooms are rarely easy. Because you will have to prep your subfloor, you will need to fill in the grout joints to ensure you get a good surface for the vinyl tiles to stick to. Then I would also use a vinyl seam sealer to go around ever single tile, as well as using caulking around the bathtub, vanity and toilet. It may seem overkill, but this will make sure the tiles can live up the water abuse a seven year old can dish out.

Have you considered going with a floating vinyl plank flooring? It would cause you to be less concerned with water being thrown around the bathroom because most brands are water-resistant and considered to be perfect for wet areas. In addition to being able to be installed over your existing flooring without any prep to your subfloor at all, it is more expensive than other alternatives at around $1.75 a square foot and up. Then again, it could be less work in the long run.

Remember that floating vinyl plank flooring is not fool-proof though. It must be installed exactly to the manufacturers instructions to do well over time. If you can follow the directions to the letter it is a great flooring, then this may be a match for you.  Is it a good product overall? Most of the reviews you’ll find on the internet give the product a bad name. But in my experience they are caused by being installed improperly. So the poor reviews are done according to user error. If you are methodical, then this is the floor for you regardless of those who “screwed it up” and then reviewed it poorly.

Things to be aware of? First of all, you don’t get a second chance to match the planks up. The glue on the edges of each plank is sensitive and you have to take your time and carefully place each plank together. Not doing this will cause the edges to lift over time, especially as the weather changes and the planks expand and contract.

Another reason vinyl plank floors fail is because people fail to give the boxes adequate time to acclimate to the new climate. You must have the boxes in the room to be installed for a minimum of 48hours prior to installation. In this respect, aspects of floating vinyl plank flooring is exactly like laminate flooring.

No matter what option you go with you don’t have to be stuck with a floors that are so difficult to clean you can find awhile around it. Whether you go with stripping and repainting, vinyl tiles or floating vinyl plank flooring you do have options. They just depend on your budget and how much work you are willing to do. Cost vs convenience will be your guide.

Do you have questions about the selecting or the installation of: tile, carpet or wall treatments (window blinds, etc)? Then email me your tale of woe(diva(at)homemakeoverdiva.com) and perhaps I will be able to answer your questions right here at the Home Makeover Diva Blog.

How Do I Prepare Plywood For Vinyl Tiles?

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Recently I received a question on a public forum about how to prepare plywood for vinyl tile:

Concerned reader asks:

So I’ve moved into a home that has wall to wall carpeting in every single room. That includes the kitchen and the bathroom. I was rather amazed and a little appalled that someone would do that on purpose. I pulled up the carpet in the bathroom, and there was vinyl tile underneath. It’s not the best stuff, but it’s not carpet, so there you go.

My problem is really the kitchen. As far as I can tell (I’ve only ripped up a pretty small corner so far) plywood is all that’s under the carpet. My thought is to rip the carpet up and apply self-stick vinyl tiles until I can either afford something better or until I move out. I’ve looked up a whole bunch of pages on laying vinyl tiles, but they all leave me a little bit leery of the plywood I’ve got to work with. Should I sand it before I lay the tiles? It looks like it’s in good shape, as the carpet installation was pretty recent. Do I need to put putty in all the little staple holes from the carpeting? I’m not finding a whole lot of info on this, so I’ve come here for help!

 

2659841176_750e7a7083Here is my response complete with what to be careful of:

If it’s actually bona fide plywood is down. . .not “OSB”, particle board or like that – yes, you can apply directly. When applying vinyl tile, you need to prime the floor first, either with an adhesive primer or a paint primer.

Basically you need to create a surface that the adhesive on the tile will be able to stick down to. Otherwise you could see the corners on the tiles lifting up. You can also go overkill and apply a vinyl tile adhesive down before applying peel and stick tiles, but make sure the correct type of glue is being used, otherwise you’ll have a mess on your hands.

If it is an OSB or particle board subfloor, you will need to put down a 1/4″ underlayment first and then install the vinyl over it.Using underlayment will add too much height to the floor, you can overcome the biggest hassle by checking your doors to make sure you have the clearance – you can always plane these down if need be. Now if ‘planing’ is not an option and/or subfloor is simply not happening, your only option might be a floating vinyl (pet friendly) flooring. Either sheet goods or plank form, can both be used.

Do you have questions about the selecting or the installation of: tile, carpet wall treatments (window blinds, etc)? Then email me your tale of woe and perhaps I will be able to answer your questions right here at the Home Makeover Diva Blog!