|
Frequently Asked Questions
How much extra material can I expect from my flooring installation?
Is formaldehyde used to make carpet?
If I have allergies, am I likely to have a reaction to new carpet?
Should I buy carpet?
HARDWOOD
Which rooms may I install hardwood flooring in my home?
What about high-traffic areas?
Are hardwood floors expensive?
What is the difference between square edged and beveled edged designs?
What type of floor should I use over my radiant-flooring?
CERAMIC/PORCELAIN
What is a porcelain tile?
How do you clean ceramic tile?
Why are soaps not recommended?
Why are steel wool type pads not recommended?
Why isn’t an acid cleaner recommended?
Should vinegar and water be used?
What is the most important step in maintaining a glazed tile?
CORK
Is cork flooring hard to maintain?
Would cork flooring be suitable for home interiors?
How is cork environmentally friendly?
How much extra material can I expect from my flooring installation?
You can expect to have one -two boxes of extra material when doing a hardwood/laminate/tile jobs. Unfortunately, there is no precise method other than calculating waste by a percentage. In a standard job with few cuts and angles, the added percentage should be 5-7% and for jobs which require many cuts, expect to add 10-15% above your actual square footage. Installations of material that are installed on a 45 degree will require possibly up to 20% waste. When purchasing carpet or sheet vinyl your waiste will depend on your room dimensions. Since sheet flooring generally comes in 12 foot widths all cuts will have to be calculated according to 12 foot dimension. So, for a room that is 10’x9’ you would require a 12’x9’ piece of flooring, leaving you with a waste of 2’x9’ .
Return to Top of Page
Is formaldehyde used to make carpet?
No, not any longer. Formaldehyde was taken out of the manufacturing process over a decade ago, even though the quantities were so minute they were unlikely to do anyone any harm.
Return to Top of Page
If I have allergies, am I likely to have a reaction to new carpet?
Billions of yards of carpet have been sold without any problems. In fact more than 70% of all floors in Canada have carpet. Relatively speaking, few people have reported experiencing any allergic reaction with new carpet. However, there are some highly sensitive individuals who claim to have had an allergic reaction to new carpet. These complaints have averaged about 1 in every 200,000 carpet installations.If you consider yourself to be highly sensitive to chemicals and are planning to purchase carpet, you may want to leave the premises while the carpet is being installed.
Return to Top of Page
Should I buy carpet?
Carpet covers more than 70% of all floors in Canada. Millions of people enjoy the beauty, function, insulation properties and performance provided by carpet every day.
Return to Top of Page
HARDWOOD
Which rooms may I install hardwood flooring in my home?
Solid hardwood floors maybe installed into any room within your home that is above-grade, except for a full bathroom. A full bath contains too much moisture on a regular basis. For rooms that are below-grade, use an engineered product.
Return to Top of Page
What about high-traffic areas?
Modern finishes on wood floors give wood durability which didn’t exist 30 years ago. However, there are still precautions you should take with your new wood floors. Always place walk-off mats at all doorways, trim pets’ nails, use area rugs, and place felt pads under furniture legs to prevent dents and scratches.
Return to Top of Page
Are hardwood floors expensive?
Hardwood floors are competitively priced and hold on overall value when compared to other flooring. Hardwood also has been proven to increase the resale value of your home and can last a lifetime with proper maintenance.
Return to Top of Page
What is the difference between square edged and beveled edged designs?
Square edged wood flooring means that the 4 sides of the plank or strip are square. Bevelled edged or Micro-bevel features a slight angle on the top edge of the plank or strip. Bevelled flooring can hide small imperfection in the flooring.
Return to Top of Page
What type of floor should I use over my radiant-flooring?
Engineered hardwood floors – in planks, strips are the best floors to use with radiant heating systems. The manufacturing process of these floors makes them inherently dimensionally stable. This means they are less susceptible to changes in temperature and humidity. It is important to note that when installing any hardwood floor over a radiant heating system, the maximum temperature of the subfloor should never exceed 80 degree Fahrenheit.
NOTE 1: Due to the highly variable nature of radiant heat systems and their operation, most wood flooring manufacturers do no provide warranty coverage over radiant heat systems or provide limited coverage by species. Check with the manufacturer’s recommendations before purchasing.
Return to Top of Page
CERAMIC/PORCELAIN
What is a porcelain tile?
Porcelain tile is a unique type of ceramic tile, fired at extreme temperatures, making the tile much stronger than ordinary ceramic tile and even harder than granite.
Return to Top of Page
How do you clean ceramic tile?
Wipe the tile with a damp sponge mop using a small amount of soapless detergent in warm water
Return to Top of Page
Why are soaps not recommended?
They leave a film which dulls the surface and promotes mildew.
Return to Top of Page
Why are steel wood type pads not recommended?
Because any loose particles of steel left on the grout will cause rust stains.
Return to Top of Page
Why isn’t an acid cleaner recommended?
It could effect the colour of the grout, or damage the surface polish of marble.
Return to Top of Page
Should vinegar and water be used?
No. Vinegar is an acid and, if not diluted correctly, could damage grout.
Return to Top of Page
What is the most important step in maintaining a glazed tile?
The most important step is to keep the floor free of sand or any other gritty material that may act as an abrasive and wear down the surface.
Return to Top of Page
CORK
Is cork flooring hard to maintain?
Although Cork is resilient flooring, certain care must be taken to prevent damage fromfurniture feet, pet nails, etc. Furniture feet should have pads on them; pet nails must be kepttrimmed. Minor scratches in cork floor can be camouflaged. Because cork is a natural product, it is affected by humidity. Cork flooring expands andcontracts. Humidity levels need to be between 40% and 60% to prevent cork flooring fromeither drying out or becoming too moist.
Return to Top of Page
Would cork flooring be suitable for home interiors?
Cork is quiet and resilient (it “gives” under normal pressures) because there are 100-millionplus, prism-shaped, air-filled cells per cubic inch of cork. Cork has an insulating factor ofabout R-2.8 per inch. Its natural insulating properties mean cork flooring can help reduceheating and cooling costs. Cork is naturally fire retardant. It’s used by NASA as an insulator on space shuttles andunmanned rockets. (A ¼” thick layer of cork, for example, is used on the Delta II rocket — theMars Rover II — to prevent rocket fuel from becoming too hot during engine ignition.) Cork is a hypoallergenic product and has natural properties that resist mold, mildew and bacteria.
Return to Top of Page
How is cork environmentally friendly?
In these times of increased concern for the environment, cork remains the only tree which can regenerate itself after each harvest. The cork bark is stripped off two-thirds of the tree. The first harvest of cork is not stripped until the tree is approximately 20 years old. A thin layer of protective inner bark gives the cork oak its unique ability to survive and regenerate itself after the debarking process. Stripping the bark requires great skill, as the inner bark must not be damaged. A specially designed hatchet is used for the stripping process.
Return to Top of Page
Please feel free to drop in or call with any questions or concerns.
|
