Ask Mr. Fix it

Posts Tagged ‘floors’

Question by : How do you fix hardwood floors that are affected by humidity?
i have hard wood floors on a slab foundation during the summertime when the humidity is higher a section of the floor raise up where you can push the floor down a little. I believe this is because the wood expands due to the humidity and therefore the floor “bubbles” up. Should i rip the floors up and trim off a section against the wall to fix this????The guy who put them in is a piece of shit and won’t return my phone calls anymore.

Best answer:

Answer by rob s
First suggestion for both in the summer and winter is a dehumidifier or humidifier .A dehumidifier for summer..
.And a humidifier for the winter if needed. Having the correct humidity in the air for summer and winter is important.
You don t say what type of installation method was used.
If you have hard wood is should be an engineered wood and glued or floating floor. To help eliminate this , yes I would check if the cut is to tight to a fixed object and it could cause the floors to buckle. If its a glue down floor , you won t be able to do this. But it also means the glue has released and you ve got problems.
Any questions you can e mail me through my avatar. GL

Add your own answer in the comments!

Tags: remodeling, electrical, house additions, home improvement, landscaping

Question by yoga guy: Pros. please: Is it possible to successfully remove the smell of cat urine from hardwood floors?
We are considering buying a renovated (in the mid-70′s,) 1800′s post and beam barn. It is being listed as having a serious cat urine problem ie “cat urine has saturated the hardwood floors.” We’ve not yet been inside this house but I’m thinking that this is probably a huge issue if the realtor is listing this as a “selling point” in the ad. My question: Is it possible to have a professional sand and seal these floors and successfully and permanently get rid of this odor or will this continue to present a huge, ongoing problem. If not, what would you recommend? I know that all the products on the market and those make-at-home remedies really don’t work too well. I’m looking for answers from professionals or really good do- it-yourselfers that have had success with this problem. Thanks for the advice.

Best answer:

Answer by sensible_man
There are many products that actually get rid of pet urine odors. You need to look for one that is an “enzyme” product. This type of product does not just cover up an odor, but gets rid of it with active bacteria, same as a septic tank works.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

Tags: home improvement, home fix-up, electrical, remodeling, house additions

Question by Alyna: is lysol multi surface “pour” safe on hardwood floors?
I looked on Lysol’s site and it said it was safe for “floors” but didn’t say what type. I have hardwood floors and want to know if its safe.

thanks

Best answer:

Answer by Poppy
I would think not, there are hardwood floor cleaners to use. Dust mop often, and damp rag clean your spills, and mud then dry towel it dry.

Give your answer to this question below!

Tags: landscaping, electrical, house additions, home improvement, remodeling

Question by Watisitsu: Which gives a better ROI in BEDROOMS – carpeted or hardwood floors?
For BEDROOMS (not living areas), which would get a better ROI when selling the house later? Currently we have bedrooms with worn out carpet.

New Carpet
Hardwood floors
“fake” wood floors (vynyl) ?? if this is an option?
or something else?
PS – We live in TX

Best answer:

Answer by cvorse_04
I believe true hardwood floors are the best ROI – if you find them for a good price – including installation. Fake Wood – Like a Laminate flooring would be OK – I would stay away from a VINYL product in this room. Carpeting is an OK alternative especially in a cold climate – if you do the wood or laminate you may want to consider a nice rug before you sell. an accent piece not wall to wall -

Give your answer to this question below!

Tags: diy, home improvement, home fix-up, plumbing, house additions

Question by txpsychchick: Isn’t the term “hardwood floors” a bit redundant? Since when is wood soft?

Best answer:

Answer by bowsgirl1
some wood is harder than others

Give your answer to this question below!

Tags: electrical, house additions, home repair, plumbing, diy

Question by Caroline: Everything I mop my “faux – hardwood floors”, water streaks are left behind when it dries…?
I use pine – sol and bleach in the bucket with hot water. Am I adding too much, too little? What can I do to get rid of the water streaks?

Best answer:

Answer by Brittney S
your using 2 much… try half as much and see if that works

What do you think? Answer below!

Tags: diy, electrical, remodeling, home fix-up, house additions

Modern day houses are implementing wooden floors in architectural designs. Wood is perfect for flooring because it is elastic and flexible. It has a smoother effect which is lacking in concrete floors, while its only limitation is its natural characteristics.

Expansion and contraction of wood from moisture and temperature fluctuation puts many dimensional restrictions on solid wood floors. Wood flooring is any product that is manufactured from timber that is either use for structural or aesthetic purposes. Bamboo is often considered as wood flooring when in fact, it is made from grass rather than timber. For contemporary construction techniques, the most significant characteristic of solid wood floors is that they are not recommended to be installed directly over concrete.

Hardwood floor comes in a wide range of dimensions and style, with each plank made of solid wood and milled from a single piece of timber. They are originally used for structural purposes like being installed perpendicular to the wooden support beams of a building.

Modern construction techniques no longer use wood building frames and solid hardwood floors are exclusively use for their appearance.

There are many distributors of hardwood floor in Ottawa that offer large selections of quality hardwood floors from the top brand pre-finished hardwood flooring from Mirage, Bruce, Armstrong, Satin Finish, Riviera, Coswick, Superior Vintage and Torlys. They have earned a great reputation for providing top quality service and products of hardwood floors in Ottawa. Engineered hardwood is the most common type of wood flooring that is used globally. North America is the only continent that has a larger solid wood market than engineered, although engineered hardwood is quickly catching up in the market. Engineered hardwood flooring is composed of two or more layers of wood in the form of a plank.

]]>

The top layer (lamella) is the wood that is visible when the flooring is installed, and is adhered to the core (or substrate) which provides the stability. Laminate flooring is often confused with engineered wood floors because the laminate uses an image of wood in its surface, vinyl, which is a plastic made to look like a wood.

Different installers install hardwood flooring in a variety of methods like tongue and groove, “click” systems, floor connection systems and utilizing the glue-down method. There are distributors and importers of top quality hardwood flooring in Ontario where retailers, building contractors, flooring installers, architects, and interior designers have come to depend upon for service and advice not usually available from other suppliers. Distributors and suppliers alike give services like hard wood floor installation, hardwood floor refinishing, and they also acts as hardwood floor depot. Hardwood floor in Canada comes in Bruce hardwood, natural oak hardwood, oak hardwood floors, red oak, and white oak hardwood. There are hundreds of oak hardwood floor to choose from. They are available in hand-scraped, parquet and antique looks. There are also distributors who do hardwood floor install for different hardwood flooring needs. While there are commercial cleaners for hardwood floors, there is some hardwood floor cleaner that is earth-friendly and biodegradable. A half cup of vinegar mixed with a gallon of water can remove oil, dirt and grime. Just make sure that the floor is rinse before polishing. You can also mix half a cup of vinegar and half a cup of vegetable oil in a bucket. This can be use as a wood floor polish that you can buff into the floor with a soft clean cloth.

Flooring is the general term for permanent covering of a floor. The most popular today in hardwood flooring is the oak hardwood flooring. Bruce flooring in Canada is also well-known in hardwood flooring. Bruce hardwood floors offers premium hardwood flooring designed to keep up with the owner’s lifestyle. Bruce floors come in a large collection of colors and styles of hardwood floors that are incredibly beautiful, highly durable, and extremely affordable. The ceramic tile in Canada is recognized with the production of ceramic floor tile and bathroom ceramic tile. Distributors and suppliers also offer services in ceramic tile flooring, and ceramic tile installation. Floor tile, tile flooring, and ceramic flooring comes in beautifully designed ceramic tiles that are stunning and they come in European designs and unique contemporary looks.

Related Hardwood Floor Articles

Tags: house additions, electrical, home improvement, home fix-up, remodeling

Making hardwood floors shiny requires cleaning them with water and vinegar, which helps to disinfect the floor, but wood conditioning treatments can also be used periodically. Keep hardwood floors looking new with a demonstration from a professional home cleaner in this free video on housekeeping. Expert: Rachel Yatuzis Contact: www.greenkleeninc.com Bio: Rachel Yatuzis is a professional house cleaner in Nashville, Tenn., specializing in using everyday household items for cleaning purposes. Filmmaker: Tim Brown

TUTORIAL How to refinish hardwood floors video. The sanding machines, abrasives and know how, explaining how to sand and finish your hardwood flooring. www.abawoodflooring.ie Dublin Ireland

Tags: diy, home improvement, house additions, landscaping, electrical

Are you searching for the best natural material to tile your floors? Here you can learn where slate originates and why it is as reliable as flooring. You will find out how slate tile is fashioned. How its characteristic variations in colouring are wonderful when using slate floor tiles. You will learn why it is essential to do a dry run, before you actually install your slate tiles. You will also learn what split-faced slate tile is and the reason it adds an extraordinary atmosphere to any area, inside or out.

Slate Flooring Features
Do you know that the most trouble free materials used for flooring are those that need little modification from their natural form? It is true; the earth itself is the most reliable maker of tile flooring.
Slate is rising in popularity as one of the choicest materials for natural stone flooring. Versatility is one of the strongest characteristics of slate tile. Slate flooring is available for many locations.
* Kitchen
* Dinning Room
* Living Room
* Family Room
* Bathrooms
* Showers
* Hallways
* Offices
* Patio
* Pool
Inside or outside, slate floor tiles, features such a natural slip-resistant versatility, it is functional and complementary in any surrounding.
Slate floor tiles are wonderful for areas that see a lot of foot traffic, such as the entrances of public and commercial property. Slate tiles are especially useful for bathrooms, since wetness is to be expected. This is because slate is one of the most reliable surfaces around that reduces the probability of slipping and sliding. It features an attracted durability while being practical and stunning in your surroundings.

A Slate flooring provides wide-ranging benefits. However, where exactly does slate come from, how is it fashioned into tiles?

]]>

The Natural Origin of Slate
Large concentrations of slate deposits originate in continental coastal regions. These areas were ancient oceans, where many mineral elements including silt remain long after the waters are receded. Heat and enormous pressure have pressed on these ancient ocean beds of clay, soil and minerals for millions of years. This pressure and heat forge these ancient seabed into a naturally, rugged and durable stone, we call this slate.
Some of minerals fused in slate are mica, quartz and chlorite as well as many others. They act as stabilizing agents, which lends such a resistance to all manners of stress. This strong naturally random mixture accounts for the various luxurious hues found within slate floor tiles. Since slate is a natural mineral content, the appearance of each will vary. Given its harsh beginnings, slate floor tiles features are remarkably durable, and are a great eye-catching material. Whether you use on the interior or exterior, slate is highly suitable for any project at home or office.

Slate Floor Tiles – Gauge and Calibration
Slate tiles are not only decorative and durable; they are especially easy for any experienced tile installer to work with. For simple installation of slate tile flooring, many manufacturers make the process easy, so that slate stays largely unchanged and natural. Gauge and calibration of slate tile are two processes. Gauge is the process that squares off the edges of slate by precision cutting. This process permits the slate tile to become an easy interlocking material. Calibration is a process of machine honing the back of the slate tile. It can be either smooth or ribbed, depending on the type of tile you choose. Calibration is an essential process that ensures the slate tile lay flat upon installation. Their design features easy installation and a great walking surface.

Split-face Slate Floor Tiles
Spilt-face slate tile flooring features the natural face of slate and is one of the most popular choices for any area. Split-face tile is the slate that is split apart from the bed of slate and removable. This variation of slate tile flooring features the unevenly textured, natural surface, which is distinctive from other varieties of natural stone. It is one of the best choices for a slip-resistant floor surface. It provides a tactile dimension of its own, while adding the sensational character of a slate tile floor that is a great addition to any home of office. You will find split-face slate floor tiles add a wonderfully rich color scheme to your surroundings.

Color Variations in Slate Tile Flooring and the Dry Run
Since slate contains such a vast and random set of elements, there are naturally color variations in every batch of slate tile. Therefore, no slate tile floor offers the same identity as another. When you are in search of a beautiful flooring material for your project, slate tile flooring offers an exceptional choice. Upon receiving your new batch of slate tiles, it is recommendable that you open all the boxes to view the unique range of color that is in your shipment.
Since every slate tile-flooring project is unique, this is your opportunity to discover all the possible layouts in a dry run. To get a better visual idea of what your floor will look like you lay out your slate tiles without using the mortar. Since the tiles will vary in their natural coloring, you can use this time to make a significant difference in the overall appearance of your flooring project. Whether inside or outside, the opening of the boxes and the dry run allow you to check the thickness variation of the slate tiles.
Slate Floor Tiles a Touch of Classy Strength
Slate flooring is useful and popular in any area of commercial of residential structures. Whether inside or out, it features both eye appeal and versatility. It is easy to work with and install while adding a luscious variation in decorative color. It is naturally slip-resistant, practical and classically beautiful. When you use slate, you always have a firm foothold.

Tags: house additions, remodeling, home fix-up, home repair, landscaping

Question by Jonnie Brooks: Apartment Company Charging for “damage to hardwood floors”?
We are living in an apartment complex. When we moved in we were the first tenants, there were scratches on the floor and my husband noted them in the move in paperwork (they were in the dining room). He also called a few days later and said there were further scratches in the hall and living room. He was told by an employee he would note our account and we didn’t need to come in. We have lived in this apartment for 10 months, we moved out 2 months early (they allowed us to break our lease because we were moving due to my husband relocation for work). We received an email yesterday saying we owed 1700.00 due to “damage to the floor”. We called immediately saying the only damage that was there was what had already been there upon moving in. The manager (he is new and wasn’t there at the time) said that we would never have been allowed to move in with scratches on the floor. I asked him why were allowed to move in if we had noted in our paperwork of scratches on the floor? He said those had been minimal and the ones that are there now are much more drastic. How can you scale what is fine and what is not? They say that we have 15 days to pay or this will go on our credit. What can we do? He asked me if our baby was in a walker, I said my “baby” is 2 and she has been walking since we moved in, there has been nothing of the sort there.

Best answer:

Answer by Craig T
You should have taken photos of the damage with a newspaper from the day you took the photos,

Add your own answer in the comments!

Tags: home improvement, landscaping, plumbing, home repair, electrical