DESIGN STYLES

With thousands of colors and styles to select from today it can seem like a daunting task to make the right flooring choice. To narrow the field down it is recommended that you select a flooring style that complements your overall interior design style. Nothing will look worse that a glaring clash of styles, so make sure your new flooring complements your existing (of planned) interior design.

SITUATIONAL FACTORS

Almost every install will have physical or functional requirements that will further narrow down the scope and selection of an appropriate hardwood or laminate flooring system. Here is a brief summary of factors to consider:

FLOOR TRAFFIC EXPECTATIONS

The quantity and type of traffic you expect on your floors will impact the flooring material you can choose. Laminates offer high durability, as well as wood species that have high hardness rankings on the Janka scale. Softer woods are generally not a good selection for high traffic areas.

SUB FLOORING

The quality of any new hardwood flooring installation can only be as good as the subfloor underneath. For the best outcomes, the subfloor should be dry, stable, and level. Concrete subfloors generally are only acceptable for laminate installations, but you should be mindful of installing a quality underlayment the provides an appropriate moisture barrier as well as good sound installation. Poor laminate installations will sound very hollow when walking on it.

HUMIDITY AND TEMPERATURE

To prevent warping and cupping of floors make sure there is adequate ventilation and regulated temperatures thought the year. Laminates work best in areas that experience higher humidity levels.

INSTALLATION

The time and cost of installation is an often overlooked factor in floor selection decisions. Glueless click-style floating laminate floor systems can be a weekend project for experienced do-it-yourselfers, and can save a lot of installation labor. Other flooring installation methods are generally more complex and will require professional installation in most cases.

WARRANTY

Making a successful claim under a flooring warranty often requires that you can demonstrate the product was installed exactly as per the manufactures recommendations and that the damage is not a product of wear and tear or poor workmanship. Hiring a professional installer and dealing with a large brand name product that has an established track record is your best protection.

If you need more help you can read our full article series on selecting hardwood floors to create the perfect hardwood flooring solution to match your interior space.

S.A. Smith is a freelance writer, contributor, and editor of the Laminate Flooring Zone resource site which offers helpful article, tips, and resources on wood flooring solutions.

Adding a ceiling medallion is the easiest thing you can do to change the look and feel of any room in your home. Installing small ceiling medallions, up to approximately 24 inches or so, is a simple job for the average home handyman. As long as you are comfortable with changing a light fixture you should have no problem. If you are uncomfortable with removing your fixture take a look at installing a 2-piece ceiling medallion.

Safety is so important we would like to address it briefly. Always follow approved safety practices. Use hearing and eye protection. When you need to use a dust mask or respirator, be sure to use the right one for the job. Last, but not least, when working in electrical boxes, always make sure the power is turned off.

Plan the Installation-Before You Order

This is probably the most neglected step in any installation, but the most important. It is what makes the difference between a quick and efficient installation or massive frustration and numerous interruptions to run to the hardware store. The first step is to select the ceiling medallion you want to use. If you are using it in conjunction with a light fixture or a ceiling fan, you should note whether the ceiling medallion’s center hole matches the fixture’s trim. If they don’t match you will also need to order a ceiling medallion center or a new fixture trim ring. Now is also a good time to see if the lighting fixture hardware is going to be long enough. Check the building code to make sure that there are no conflicts with your installation plans. In case of conflict, always follow local building codes. NOTE: Most building codes require you to leave access to the electrical box. Using a ceiling medallion with a 3.5-4 inch center hole provides this. Permanently mount the ceiling medallion to the ceiling and use either the fixture’s trim ring or a removable ceiling medallion center to cover the electrical box. Also, make sure that the existing electrical, plumbing and framing will not interfere with your installation.

Order Materials

Now that you have planned your installation, its time to order your materials. When you order your ceiling medallion, don’t forget to order the ceiling medallion center, if you are going to be using one. Order construction adhesive, caulk, fasteners and extra length light fixture hardware. Order your hardware with your ceiling medallion and save yourself a trip to the store.

Assemble Materials

Before you start, assemble all the materials near where you are going to install the ceiling medallion. Double check to see that you have everything you need before you start. Now is the time to prefinish the ceiling medallion if you want to. If you plan on doing anything more than just painting it flat white, prefinishing is recommended.

Remove Existing Fixture

TURN OFF POWER !!! Turn off electrical power at the breaker box and mark the circuit breaker so someone doesn’t accidentally turn it on while you are working. Now you can safely remove the existing fixture.

Layout

We recommend having the product on hand to ensure exact measurements. Layout the area on the ceiling where you want to mount your ceiling medallion. For a small ceiling medallion, you should be able to hold it up with one hand while tracing around it with a pencil. Larger ceiling medallions may require an assistant. If you need to orient a round ceiling medallion use a single register mark at the junction of the ceiling/medallion. Mark both pieces. For oval and diamond shaped ceiling medallions, start by drawing centerlines parallel to the walls and 90 degrees apart on the ceiling. Then make register marks 90 degrees apart on the perimeter of the ceiling medallion. Locate and mark ceiling joists on the ceiling and on the medallion if you are using screws to mount (required on all plaster ceiling medallions and also on polyurethane ceiling medallions over 20 inches). Mark and/or protect wiring and plumbing if necessary to avoid fasteners penetrating them during installation.

Drill

Drill and countersink (1/8 inch deep max.) screw holes for mounting screws. Also, drill the center hole or ceiling medallion’s center hole if necessary. If you don’t have a hole saw of the proper size, polyurethane is easily cut with a razor knife.

Apply Adhesive

Apply adhesive according to the adhesive manufacturer’s directions. Small ceiling medallions may be installed using only adhesive. Temporary clamps or fasteners may still be necessary until the adhesive sets.

Fasten

Fasten the ceiling medallion to the ceiling using coated screws in the predrilled countersunk holes. If you are unable to screw directly into the ceiling joists, the use of toggle bolts is permitted. Ceiling medallions over 20 inches in diameter and all plaster ceiling medallions require mechanical fastening.

Finish up

After the adhesive has dried, usually 24 hours, caulk the perimeter ( if needed ). Use no-shrink spackle, joint compound or plaster to patch screw holes. Feather edge or sand repairs and touch up paint. Hang up your fixture and you are done.

One final step: sit back and enjoy the simple beauty you have created.

copyright 2005 goceilingmedallion.com

Patricia Tomaskovic is the owner of http://www.goceilingmedallion.com. Copyright2005. Visit us soon and register for the monthly drawing. We look forward to serving you.

We are an on-line store offering home decorating products, specializing in ceiling medallions and crown molding, as well as numerous other decorative ceiling items, including tools and supplies for creating your own custom ceilings.

If you have home improvement in mind, hiring a contractor makes more sense than doing it yourself. Firstly, a contractor can work with greater expertise and put his experience to best use. Secondly, contractors work within fixed time and budget, which may otherwise exceed expectations. No wonder, many homeowners are opting for contractors to fulfill their home renovation needs!

You can either hire a general contractor or avail services of a specialized contractor such as flooring contractor, roofing contractor and plumbing contractor. While the services of general contractor are more economical and organized (if you don?t like hassles of handling too many people), services of specialized contractor hold the finesse of experienced hand. All depends on your requirements and the kind of work you are looking at.

Another aspect that you must consider while hiring a contractor for home improvement is whether or not the contractor belongs to your local area. If the contractor is located too far from the construction site, the project will suffer lack of personal attention. Moreover, the local contractor is well aware of the trends of the local market and challenges posed by the local conditions such as weather, economic, social and cultural.

Natasha
For more tips and detail visit: www.allremodel.com

Before sealing your grout, wait at least 24 hours since you have acid washed the floor. If not, the sealer will not adhere to the grout correctly. Also, make sure you are satisfied with how the grout looks, once the seal is applied it will be too late to change your mind. Of course, you should not be sealing your grout unless you have acid washed the floor first.

Not many supplies are needed for this job and there is a good chance you have everything on this list except for the sealer. Buy a good quality sealer, somewhere between $50 to $100 per gallon. It will hold up much longer than the cheap stuff. Measure you floor and buy more sealer than you need, you can always get a refund on extra bottles. Before you start, tape up any surface you do not want the sealer to contact. Also, make sure your mustard bottle is completely clean! I would wash it a few times so there is absolutely no mustard in the bottle or the spout. The mustard will mix with the grout and create some staining on your tile.

Grout Sealer
Masking Tape
White Terry Cloths
Empty Mustard Bottle

Fill your mustard bottle about 3/4 full with the grout sealer. If it is full, it may come out too fast. You can also adjust the spout to get the desired flow needed to perform the job comfortably. It will take you a few grout lines to get the feel for sealing, just be patient and try not to waste too much of the product. Work an area about 30 to 50 sq. ft. any larger than this and you run the risk of having the sealer dry on the tile to a point where you can’t wipe it off with your wet towel. Paint both the vertical and horizontal lines working backwards, so you don’t come in contact with the sealer you have already put down. Use a smooth, even stroke when applying the grout sealer and try to stay inside the grout lines as best you can. After finishing the first 30 to 50 sq. ft. begin wiping off the excess sealer from the tile.

Using a damp terry cloth, begin wiping up any excess sealer from the tile. Work in a circular motion, going over the area two or three times to make sure there is no sealer left on the tile. Wet and wring out your rag often, so it stays clean throughout the entire sealing process. You can even use new rags every 100 sq. ft. if you wish. Repeat process on the next 30 to 50 sq. ft. until you are completely finished. The sealer will need 3 to 5 days to completely cure, so wet mopping is not recommended.

Bobby Walker is a 14 year cleaning industry veteran who owns and operates Carpet Cleaning of Dallas, a carpet, tile and upholstery restoration company. He is also a webmaster for four websites, including two do it yourself sites. His passion for helping people has been his motivating factor for his love and continued dedication in the service industry.

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