Vinyl Flooring Planks: Types and Technical Matters

Vinyl Flooring Planks Types and Technical Matters - For the past couple of years, there has been an increasing interest and demands of vinyl flooring planks. The trend happens in both household and office use. Apparently, the look of this flooring has attracted various housing and interior concepts. Plank wood flooring matches small and spacious rooms, can go easily with many types and gradation of wall paints. But, overall, there are two reasons why consumers prefer this flooring, i.e. for its cool and energizing look and manufactured flooring brings the essence of vinyl flooring. Moreover, installation and cleaning process do not take too complicated efforts. It is suitable for working parents and offices, of course.

Natural versus Manufactured Types

Thinking of getting one for your house or office? There are two basic types of vinyl flooring planks from wood. The first type is it comes from natural wood that being processed and cut like vinyl flooring; and the second type is manufactured vinyl flooring with accents of woods. The first type looks a lot fresher and stronger in patterns, as for the second one feels more comfortable and easy to maintain. For both options, you may purchase each for particular room usage or combine it especially if indoor and outdoor spaces want to be treated in similar tone. Why do demands on wooden vinyl flooring increase? It is because solid wood is hard and heavy to install. It gives an alternative to this heavy task.

Boards of Vinyl Flooring Planks’ Types

As for the size and patter, there are two variations of wooden vinyl flooring planks boards. The first type is single board, and the second one is the multiple board vinyl flooring. What is the difference? Single board exposes a wide plank so it looks like made from one single board. The size is usually around six inches times thirty six inches. It does replicate the look of wood that looks like a log with exactly similar dimensions as described. Multiple boards, on the other hand, replicate the look of smaller boards of wood on the vinyl plank. So, gives a visual effect that it consists of various boards that are assembled into one. The size of multiple broads vinyl plank is usually around six inches times thirty six inches with smaller wooden board looks of about three inches wide combined with many length variations.

Installation and Treatment

Since vinyl planks are easier to install compared to solid woods or tiles, it can be attached as new flooring using adhesive or glue. However, it is noted that glue-down plank does not look as easy as it is. Know well how it should be installed before deciding whether to apply it on your own or getting some helps. As for the maintenance, any types of cleaning possible. Dusting, vacuuming and moping are possible to make the floor fresh, clean and always look ‘new’.

Real Wood Tiles vs. Tiles That Look Like Wood

Real Wood Tiles vs. Tiles That Look Like Wood - Nowadays there are so many kinds of tiles. Some of them are natural, while some other is artificial. Both of them have the same function to beautify your house and protect the floor from scratching. But like any other things in the world, the real wood tiles and tile flooring looks like wood have some advantages and disadvantages.

Plus and minus of hardwood floor

Though hardwood has a good appearance compared to tile flooring that looks like wood. There are some considerations you need to think about before choosing hardwood floor as a floor for your house.

• It is eco-friendly. When you finish wearing it, it can be renewable. So, it will decrease the number of the waste.
• It fits with any color. As the real wood has natural color, it matches the furniture of the room. You don’t need to waste much time to think about what furniture are good for the room, what color makes it beautiful, and what size of the furniture that will fit the floor.
• It is good for your health. Some of the hardwood tiles are antimicrobial, hypoallergenic, and insect resistant. It will keep the germs away, so you don’t need to worry about moping it with disinfectant cleaner.
• The price is affordable.
• Although wood is natural, wood is easy to scratch. Especially when you have a cat or a dog that will stick its claws on the floor. It will make the beauty of the floor decrease.
• The installation cannot be done in every place in your house. You have to consider about sunlight that will shine on the floor. Ultraviolet rays will make the floor dull and less shiny.
• It keeps the house cool in the summer but make the house colder in the winter.

 Important things about artificial hardwood tiles

• It is scratch resistant. When you have guests who wear high heels, you dont have to worry about the floor that will be scratched.
• The shape and the size will never change. While the hardwood will crack or expand in particular environment, the tiles flooring that looks like wood will stay the same.
• You can place the artificial hardwood floor everywhere without thingking about the sunlight because sunlight will be friendly to this kind of tile.
• It is easier to clean. Wet or damp mop will do it good.
• Based on the study in Arizona, it will keep the floor cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

How Can Vinyl Tiles Flooring Be The Perfect Floor?

Vinyl Tiles Flooring is considered as the one of the important things to do in your house. The appearance and the convenience are the things that need extra attention when you choose the floor. It gives you huge impact. Choosing the good floor tiles will affect your mood toward the house. Besides, it will also give the impression about appearance of the whole the house. One of the floor tiles that will be the perfect option for you is vinyl tiles flooring. It has quality that any other tiles do not have.

The look of vinyl tiles

Vinyl tile flooring has a lot of color options for better decoration of your house. It will make you easier to do mix and match with your furniture. The designs are also offered in vary. They are Roman, oriental, and Greek design to make your house attractive. You can pick the color and the design so it can fits your personality or your taste. Months ago, there are also marbles and stripped design.

The quality of this tile

This kind of tile is known for its durability. Vinyl tiles flooring are consisted of plasticizers and polyvinyl chloride. Those substances are known as the substances that make the tiles long-lasting. It can last for years. It also does not require a wax treatment to make the tiles durable. This tile has ability as an isolator. It will prevent you to get electrocuted. It can be good installed in bathroom and kitchen. Based on the previous experiment, the substances on the vinyl tiles make it stain proof and water proof. So you do not need to worry about changing it repeatedly because it never gives an old impression to your house.

Apart of being stain proof and water proof, it is also sound proof. It can absorb the noise. It can be a savior if you live in a noisy environment. It is also good to be installed if you have a rehearsal music room for your kids to rehearse with their band. Installation of vinyl tiles will keep the noise away.

The price

Don’t worry about the price. It is affordable and will not cost you a lot since it is a synthetic material. This kind of material has the adhesive on the back side of the tile. It will help you not to buy extra adhesive. For vinyl tiles are water proof, it will let the water spill and enter the tile. The water will be on the top surface of the tiles. It makes the tiles easy to clean. You need not a special cleaner to clean the tile.

Is Cork Floor Tile Good For Your Kitchen?

Cork Floor Tiles - Kitchen is one of the important rooms in the house. It is like the heart of the house since everyday everybody will never skip going to this room. Thus the decoration and the furniture of this room is very important. One of the elements that need to be picked carefully is the floor tiles. Kitchen floor is not the same with bedroom floor. Durability and easiness in cleaning are the criteria for the kitchen floor. There are some tiles that fit the kitchen like linoleum flooring tiles, ceramic flooring tiles, and cork flooring tiles. Ceramic and linoleum are commonly used due to its durability and ability to resist scratch or stain. While cork tiles are used due to its simplicity, sound proofing, and durability.

What is cork floor and why does it match with your kitchen?

Cork flooring tiles are made of the bark of cork trees. It is the same material used in wine cork. Cork trees grow in Mediterranean forest. It takes 9 to 10 years just to cut the trees. That’s why it will do the trees no harm. Cork tiles fit your kitchen well because it has a lot of benefits. It is insect resistant, fire resistant, moisture resistant, and also antimicrobial. It is important to kitchen floor. No one wants a kitchen with mildew on the floor, right ?

The ability to resist insect and fire will also make the kitchen floor hygienic and safe. The fire resistance does not make the floor disable to burn. It can be burnt, but it will not release the toxic fumes. Cork tiles also have easy maintenance. Since it has suberine substance on it that makes the floor shiny, it will make the floor resist the water or any other liquid that spill on it. The specific cleanser is also not necessary to clean the tiles. Damp mop will do them good. Don’t forget to sweep and vacuum it regularly to keep the dust away.

Stay away from sunlight

The only thing that needs extra attention is the location: where to install this kind of tiles. Experts and scientists in Arizona say that cork flooring tiles will fade if it is placed under the sunlight. The ultraviolet rays on the sunlight will make the color fades away and it will make the floor looks disgusting. It is better to put a table or any other shelves to cover the floor from the sunlight. Though many companies have made a cork tiles with UV protection, it will help a lot.

Laminate Floor Installation on Stair

Laminated floor has typically four layers on it. The top is the layer of the transparent one; then right after it there is image layer; right underneath it there is layer of a core layer; then at the bottom there is layer of moisture-resistant. Since laminate floor has many layers, the installation is not easy. On the flat, ordinary room, it needs right calculation to make laminate floor installation precise and quick. What happens if you want to install it on your stair? Well, stair is the hardest part in your house if you want to use laminate floor. The space is narrow and it has so many stages. If you do not put an accurate calculation and right execution, the appearance of your stair will be awful. Instead of getting a fancy look, you will get disastrous look.

Making the accurate stairs measurement

The decoration experts say stairs measurement is the basic thing you need to do if you want to do laminate floor installation. it is quite easy and simple. Stairs threads usually have width of 36 inches with depth about 10 up to 12 inches. The threads will be 3 square ft. Measure the riser with the same length of the threads. So let say, for the riser, it takes 3 sq/ft, too. Then it will take 6 sq/ft lengths for each stair. If you have 15 stairs, then you need to multiple them with the lengths of each stair. 15 x 6 = 90 sq/ft. Make extra length around 10% up to 15% just in case you do miscalculation.

Can you do that on your own?

Yes you can! If you are willing to install laminate floor on your own, there are some steps you need to do. Do not ever skip if you want to make a perfect laminate floor in your house.

• The very first thing action you need to do is removing all the carpet out of the stairs. The carpet will make the stair wavy. Also make sure that the stair is completely flat. Get rid of the creek of the stair before you do laminate floor installation.
• Get rid of the overhang of the stairs
• Cut the threads of laminate stairs. It will take time, but it worth to do
• Cut the risers so they will fit the edges of the stairs
• Cut the mold part of the stair nose into the right size
• Install the nose of the stairs

How to Pick the Best Laminate Floor Cleaner

How to Pick the Best Laminate Floor Cleaner - Sometimes you will be confused to clean up your laminated. Laminated floor has usually four layers on it. The top layer is transparent one; then underneath it there is image layer; right after it there is core layer; then the bottom layer is moisture-resistant layer. Because it has some layers, the treatment of laminated floor must be done carefully. Or else, the layer will be scratched and the water and the dirt will go into it. Sweeping your laminated floor frequently is a must if you want to keep your floor shiny and dirt free. Or, vacuuming your floor can be an option. But do not forget to use hard-floor attachment.

The best laminate floor cleaner

Since laminated floor needs a special treatment, there is some equipment you need to clean the floor. And here they are:

• Clean, soft broom. Sweep it gently with an indoor broom
• Vacuum cleaner to clean the floor that is out of broom’s reach
• Damp mop. Moping laminated floor can only be done using flat mop with has a thickness of an inch. It will make the mop damp instead of being wet soaked. Clean warm water is recommended if you want to keep the floor durable. Also use a special cleaner that is only used for laminated floor as your laminate floor cleaner.
• You can sometimes use polish or wax
• Use abrasive cleanser sometimes
• Apply a cleaner with soap-based material

 

Don’t do this to your floor!

A lot of people use a mix of vinegar and water (and maybe a little bit soap) to clean the laminated floor. But it is not a smart way to clean it up. The soap will leave the residue while vinegar can make your laminated floor dull. If your floor is less shiny, it will give a dirty impression though it is actually clean. Through a study that is conducted by some researchers in Canada, vinegar is not suitable used as laminate floor cleaner. The low pH will erase the natural glow of the floor because does not lift up the dirt. It will only scratch the layers of the floor. There are also other things that you have to avoid like :

• Using oil soaps. Such laminate floor cleaner will leave residue and thicken the laminated floor layers
• Using tile floor or vinyl cleaner products. Acrylic substance on the product may make the floor slippery and it sure is dangerous
• Cleaner with ammonia on it. It will make your floor dull
• Using high pH balance cleaners like harsher soaps, alkaline. It will also dull the appearance of your floor

A Cork Flooring Review to Make Your Floor Classy

A Cork Flooring Review to Make Your Floor Classy - Cork flooring is a new material used to beautify your house and to make your house looks different. Since it is new, people always search for cork flooring reviews to get more information. Cork flooring is a flooring material from the cork of oak tree. It is known as a eco-friendly material, for it takes nine to ten years to take the cork from the tree. It will not make the tree damaged, too. Cork flooring is sold in planks and tiles. It also is available in glue-less or glue installation. To know more about this kind of flooring, this article will give you a cork flooring reviews.

Things you need to know about cork flooring

• It is built from a bark that harvested from a Cork Tree. Cork tree has ability to regenerate itself after being harvested. The harvest is done once every nine to ten years. As the tree can regenerate itself, the harvest will do no harm to it. Cork trees live in Mediterranean forest like the forest in Portugal and Spain
• It is long lasted. Cork flooring will not rot. It will not mildew, too since in its natural habitat, it used to deal with liquids and gases and can resist it. Cork is also resistant to fire because it makes no toxic gasses.

•  Cork is insulator.  Not like any other flooring material, it can live in extreme temperatures. It will give you the same temperature no matter the season is. Try it by walking with barefoot in the summer and winter. It gives no difference.

• Based on the research by the scientists in Spain, Cork is amazingly light. So it is good to install it for the hotel floor or other high buildings.
• Cork is flexible and healthy. It is good for people who have sickness on their knees, back, and joints because it will rebound your body mass whenever you move.
• It is healthy.  It is dust proof and also anti-microbial. That is why, it is considered as hypoallergenic.

Can you install it by yourself?

Of course you do. The benefits of the cork explained in the cork flooring reviews above will give you reasons why it is possible for you to install it by yourself. It is light and is available on glue-less or glue product, so it is quite simple just to install it by yourself. Just don’t forget to clean the floor before you apply it. The clean floor makes it easier for cork to stick to the ground.