Little Girl and Deck Tiles 236x300 3 Choices To Consider For Easy Out of the Box Floor CoveringsA theme that can be traced in this blog, and also in the flooring covering industry in general is the idea of evolving product lines. For instance, the suggestion of an easy out-of-the-box floor covering may once have made consumers and installers assume that these materials are just stopgaps, and that perhaps corners are being cut by choosing them.

But these days, with the building materials industry actively seeking to meet changing consumer demands for easy floors that look great and are made to last, this is no longer universally true.  When you want to install an interior or exterior floor covering quickly, you no longer have to turn to inferior products that are going to let you down in the long term.

To illustrate the point, I thought I’d profile three choices in what can be called out-of-the-box floor coverings.  These are floors that you don’t need tools to install, and that don’t need to be acclimated for days after you take them out of the packaging.  In fact, they are designed for the DIYer  with little or no experience in floor installation, are made to be durable, to look great in the long term, and to be installed as soon as you get them home.  Here they are. [click to continue…]

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Flooring Superhero’s Arsenal: Pads and Sliders

by Rob Jones on July 19, 2010

Birch Wood Floors and Furniture 300x200 Flooring Superheros Arsenal: Pads and SlidersIn the last in our series of 4 flooring superhero’s arsenal posts, we talk about another unsung tool in your utility belt; floor pads and sliders for your furniture legs.

Here’s the thing. Your wood floors are durable, sure.  They’re designed to be.  But, they’re not indestructible, especially where metal scraping against their surfaces are concerned.  Damage can occur when you’re moving your furniture, whether it’s because you’re rearranging it, whether your moving out of your house or into a new one, or whether you have kids and/or pets, who like to jump on furniture, let’s face it.

But, as a flooring superhero, you’re hardly without resources.  And one of these resources is the garden variety floor pad or slider, a preventative measure to protect your wood floors, and make them ready for peaceful co-existence with your furniture, and with the denizens of your household, whether on two legs or four. The fact is, movement of furniture is inevitable, even if you plan to stay in your home for the rest of your life. When someone sits on a chair or a sofa, or climbs into bed, that piece of furniture will move.

Here’s where you can take action. [click to continue…]

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Flooring Superhero’s Arsenal: Tapping Blocks and Spacers

by Rob Jones July 12, 2010

First, the floor boards are not indestructible, as durable as they are. And second, they will do what comes naturally after they’ve been installed, which means that they will move. This means that the expansion gap you leave should be even.

To cover both of these aspects of wood flooring installation, there are two items to consider to see to both of these aspects. The first is the tapping block, and the second are spacers. Both are vital to your success. But, “how?” you ask.

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DIY or Hire a Professional: Tough Call

by Guest July 8, 2010

Today’s post is courtesy of our friends eBuilders.com and specifically writer Chuck Nibblere.  eBuilders is an online resource for finding contractors and learning about building materials .  In this post, Chuck takes on the very important question of how to judge whether your project is something you can take on yourself, or whether it’s better, [...]

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Flooring Superhero’s Arsenal: The Dry Mop

by Rob Jones July 5, 2010

The next in the Flooring Superhero’s Arsenal series is something of an unsung accoutrement for making sure that your wood floors look as great years from now as they do today: the dry mop. This point has been made a number of times, both here on this blog, and elsewhere.  Moisture is the arch enemy [...]

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The Flooring Superhero’s Arsenal: The Pull-Bar!

by Rob Jones June 28, 2010

Installing and caring for wood flooring is becoming a DIY job to a greater and greater degree, particularly a laminate or engineered hardwood floor. But, as the old adage says, you need the right tools for the right job.  This has inspired a miniseries that is admittedly in conjunction with a new set of flooring [...]

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5 Reasons To Buy Interlocking Deck Tiles

by Rob Jones June 21, 2010

As observed in a few posts on this blog, the relationship between interiors and exteriors is being recognized more and more in many regions of the world as being a bit less black and white than before. Extending your property from the inside out, and allowing for continuity from an indoor space to an outdoor [...]

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5 Types of Stone Siding For Homes

by Rob Jones June 17, 2010

Stone siding, or the suggestion of it, has been a popular choice in achieving a transforming a home from the ordinary to the extraordinary. But, much like flooring technology, the innovation involved in creating stone effects for exteriors as well as interior character walls or fireplace surrounds have come a long way. And of course, this means options for stone siding that can get you that unique look of permanence that only stone can give. So, with that in mind, here are 5 types of stone siding that are open to you, and all with distinct advantages.

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5 Things To Expect When You’re Expecting … Hardwood Flooring

by Rob Jones June 10, 2010

Just before my daughter was born, I found myself buried beneath a metric tonne of baby books and related websites, each one designed to prepare me for what to expect as a new parent.  After all, being a dad is a pretty major undertaking.  And I figured it would be better knowing more, rather than [...]

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BuildDirect Makes Pancakes!

by Rob Jones June 4, 2010

Celebration is a huge factor in the life of any successful company.  And it doesn’t have to be a parade to be a celebration. Sometimes, it can be about the small things, like breakfast. We  enjoyed a pre-noon repast earlier this week at a company breakfast, featuring the Secret Booth Family Recipe for banana and [...]

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