Acid stained floors are simply extraordinary flooring alternatives if you are tired of carpet, tile and wood flooring. Acid stained floors offer warm earthy tones or vibrant hues, there are simply unlimited color options and your contractor can even do custom colors.

All concrete surfaces can be stained inside or outside new or existing concrete. The process usually takes about five days start to finish but the results are incredible. If you are thinking about having stained floors there are some simple precautions that should be taken in order to save you money and to assure you that your floor will turn out properly.
New concrete should be covered with plastic to protect it from stains from other trades such as painters plumbers etc… all stains on any concrete surface have to be removed before staining can take place and this can be an added expense to having your floor done. Acid stains are translucent and may not take stain in areas that have previous stains on them such as paint. Rule of thumb is that if you know you are going to have an acid stained floor then you should cover it if possible.

If you have old concrete that has a lot of stains then there are other options such as micro toppings. A micro topping is a new concrete surface that is applied from paper thin up to 1″ thick. Micro toppings can be used to fill imperfections in the surface Micro toppings can also be used for different affects such as a rock texture, slate texture, spray textures etc… and micro toppings can be stained.

A few years ago I started playing around with micro toppings on other surfaces such as plywood, tile and marble. We have come up with a way to put a micro topping over plywood in the interior section of our home that does not have a concrete surface. The result of our new technique is a allergen free and easy to clean surface with vibrant colors and earthy tones. This technique can also be applied over tile as long as the tile is not coming loose. This saves the consumer the cost of tear out and disposal of other flooring products.

Another option that is hitting the flooring market pretty hard right now is metallic epoxy, if you are looking for a real neat effect in a one of a kind floor look at the metallic epoxy. Metallic epoxy is a coating it starts with a prime coat of 100% solids epoxy and then the metallic epoxy is applied a day later. There are different effects that can be achieved with metallic epoxy such as spraying denatured alcohol, or acetone on top of the metallic epoxy when it is wet to achieve a mottled look. Use a leaf blower to blow the epoxy around to achieve a rippled look. These techniques should only be done by trained professionals as you can also ruin a floor if not done properly. When done properly metallic epoxy has a strong look of an acid stained floor.

Maintenance on a acid stained floor is simply done with micro fiber mops, or a mild detergent such as simple green. Do not use any cleaners that are abrasive. If your floor should start to look dull a simple coat of a mop on wax such as uro finish from colormaker floors can be applied to renew the shine and it will make that floor look new again.

If you are looking for ideas you can see pictures of floors that we have done at our website http://www.specialeffexonline.com

My name is Craig Adamson and I am the owner of Special Effex designer concrete floors. http://www.specialeffexonline.com Special Effex specializes in acid stains and dyes, Epoxy coatings, and concrete resurfacing. We service the Rockford Illinois and all surrounding areas. We have been as far as South Carolina with our work. If you have a small concrete surface or a big commercial property there are no jobs to big or to small we can do them all. We will leave you saying “Wow I Can’t Believe It’s Concrete” We also teach decorative concrete and do consulting for company’s doing decorative concrete.

The look of one’s house tells a lot about a person. Everyone has their own style, and there are many ways to change and customize your house, whether its on the inside or outside. One of the best home improvements you can do to your own house is laying laminate floor.

There are many benefits to it, even though it’s a bit costly, and rest assured its well worth it. One variable that greatly determines the total cost is whether you have the skills and knowledge to install it yourself or have a professional install it. Let’s discuss the benefits of laminate in the first place and why you might want to think about switching form carpet to this synthetic hard wood flooring in the first place.

To start of carpet is one of the most dirty, disgusting things a person can have in their house. It traps dirt, bacteria, dust, hair, dander, and sometimes even bugs that you cannot get out no matter how many times you vacuum it. So one of the big benefits to laying laminate floor is that it’s a lot cleaner. There is nothing that gets filtered through and ends up underneath it like with carpet. Carpet traps all of the debris and it ends up getting kicked back into the air when its gets stirred up and so when you have laminate, or any form of hard wood flooring, you eliminate this problem.

Another benefit is that laminate floor does not stain. It does not matter if you spill something on it as you can just take a paper towel wipe it right up. You will not have to frantically look for stain removers or costly chemicals to keep your carpet clean. All you have to do is mop the floor every once in a while and it will keep looking as if it were brand new.

It is also very durable material. It does not dent or scratch very easily, so it will last for a very long time in your house. Even if a piece of the floor does get damaged somehow, you can have a professional come in and repair it rather easily. They cut out the piece or the several pieces that are bad and put new ones in!

So laminate flooring is not only cleaner, easier to clean, repairable, and a very durable material, but it dresses up a house. It really helps your interior from an aesthetic point of view!

It has the appearance of a wood floor, which actually accentuates the other features of the house (i.e. makes the the cabinets, fireplace, or furniture more prominent). It enhances and complements a room which in turn can completely change the entire look of a house.

When people walk in your home it is really impressive for them to see a nice shiny wood floor. Even though laminate only gives the appearance of wood or stone it looks very realistic and if done right one can barely see see the gaps between the individual pieces. It comes in a large variety of shades and styles to fit any home or personal tastes.

Overall laminate flooring is the most cost effective and easiest way to improve your house. It’s cheaper than a real wood floor even though it looks just virtually identical and is much cleaner, healthier, and attractive than carpet.

For laminated floor installation advice its recommended you go to a website that is totally dedicated to educating people about laminate wood floors.

Hardwood floor installation takes a lot of work, but you can save yourself a lot of money by learning how to do it yourself. There are even prefinished strips of wood flooring that you can use in order to make the job easier. Whichever method you choose, the entire process of installing hardwood floors is very similar, so this article will be covering just the basics that will apply to most approaches.

You begin to install hardwood floors with only the bare subfloor. For the most part, you can choose whoever type of wood you like for your floor, but red oak is commonly chosen because it looks nice and is relatively inexpensive. It is recommended that you store your flooring in the same climate that it will be installed in, this way you do not have to worry about it expanding or contracting.

The first official step of hardwood floor installation is to lay your planks down perpendicular to the wall joists. It is a good idea to mark this by placing a reference line to indicate the end of all boards. When doing this remember to leave a gap of one half inch around the entire perimeter of the room in case you need to expand later. For the first pieces, it is important that you choose the longest and straightest boards. You will have to drill holes in the face of the planks that cannot be reached using your floor stapler using a 3/8 inch diameter bit. As you will quickly find out, it is much easier to install hardwood floors when you use a stapler.

The next step to installing hardwood floors is the actually laying down of the boards for your new floor. It will make things easier on you if you choose a location for your first board that is parallel to the reference line you made earlier. You can fasten the first board with screws if you prefer, placing the holes directly over the floor joists. On occasion you may need to cut the boards so that they will fit. Be sure to use a perfectly straight piece of flooring to make sure that your pieces are aligned. You can begin using your pneumatic stapler after you have secured the first row.

The final step of hardwood floor installation is to finish laying the boards, beginning with the second row. It is recommended that you keep the end joints 6 inches apart on rows of boards that are right next to each other. There are many different techniques you can use when laying out the boards for your hardwood floor installation which is beyond the scope of this article to cover. So before you begin, this is a topic that you will want to make sure that you have researched and are comfortable with.

Pieter West travels the world on a regular basis and have written about numerous subjects. He has an extensive knowledge about, finances, DIY, parenting advice and many more subjects. If you would like to read more articles by Peter West, please visit http://www.hardwoodfloorguide.com/

Are you thinking of updating your flooring but you have no idea what you want to do? Perhaps you want to add something a little different? Maybe you are into art and you would like something which represents that interest in your home? If this sounds like you then you may want to consider mosaic flooring.

What is Mosaic Flooring?

Mosaic flooring is often misunderstood and many people often picture a full, massive mosaic picture which should belong in an old fashioned church or building of some sorts. However, mosaic flooring does not have to be huge, you can create as small a pattern as you would like to and you can either do it yourself or get someone to do it for you.

There are so many styles of mosaics and it should be easy to find something to suit you and your style. The main thing that you have to remember is to keep it the same kind of color as the rest of the room. You do not want a mosaic which clashes with the rest of the room otherwise you will end up with disastrous results. You want something tasteful and easy to accomplish which will just add a bit of focus but which will not look odd or out of place.

Where Can I Find Mosaic Flooring?

You can find mosaic flooring in a number of places. Your local hardware store may have various designs to choose from but really the Internet is a much better place to look. There you will find hundreds of designs and you will also be able to find out how to create your own. If you are a good artist then why not design your own mosaic and either pay someone to cut it onto the material of your choice, or hire the materials and do it yourself? It will give you a sense of satisfaction creating something yourself and it will also add a personal touch.

A person’s house says a lot about them and so you should have things which represent you and your style. So keep that in mind when choosing the mosaic flooring. Choose the right color scheme and choose a style to suit you. For example would you prefer a pattern with flowers on or with animals on? Would you like a mixture of things? There literally are hundreds of designs so it does help to know what you are looking for beforehand otherwise it could take you a long time to find a style that you like.

Overall mosaic flooring can really brighten up any room and it would most probably look better within a living room or within the kitchen. The living room is the most personal space which your visitors will see and it generally fits in better there too. So, when looking for flooring ideas consider a mosaic pattern and remember that you can also create a mosaic yourself with the right materials.

If most people had to make a list of products made from cork it would generally stop at wine stoppers and pin boards, however cork is also a wonderful flooring material. Reasons for buying cork flooring is numerous and include, great insulation properties, eco friendly and is even good for those with allergies.

1# Insulation

If reducing you energy bills is something that is important to you then cork floors will certainly help with this. Cork’s insulation properties mean that your home will be kept warm in winter and cool in the summer

Also because cork is a soft material it prevents noise being carried by people walking over it. This is especially useful if you live in an apartment and don’t want your neighbours to hear you walking about at 3am!

2# Environmentally Friendly

Cork comes from the outer bark of the cork oak tree which grows in the Mediterranean. The bark is mainly used for wine stoppers however because so many wine producers are opting for plastic corks or even screw-tops, this has caused economic and environmental problems in the cork producing areas. Cork oak forests are a superb habitat for many species of animals and birds including Barbary deer, Iberian lynx, black vulture and the imperial Iberian eagle. Also, because only the outer layer of bark is used, the tree does not have to be felled. So if people stopped buying cork products what would happen to the cork oak forests? It is estimated that three quarters of forest could be lost within the next 10 years which is why wildlife charities are currently campaigning for a reversal of this trend. If cork growers aren’t making money from their trees then they may be uprooted or burnt.

3# Durable

Although cork is a soft material you’d be wrong to think that it won’t be able to withstand everyday life. When buying a cork floor look to see what protective coating the manufacturers give. If it has been treated with several acrylic, urethane or wax then it should be guaranteed to last for 15 years. Some experts say that urethane is the best option.

4# Health Benefits

With many allergy sufferers these days, you may be looking for a floor covering which is hypoallergenic. Cork does not absorb dust, does not shed microfibres or contain polyvinyl chlorides so is the ideal material.

5# Choice

If you like a wide choice when making a purchase then you will certainly be spoilt for choice when selecting your cork floor. They come in a variety of colors and patterns – some of the patterns are as spectacular as any marble!

You also need to ask the supplier what the density is because this affects how much abuse it can withstand. Look for cork floors with a density of at least 30 pounds per cubic foot. The thickness should also be at least 3/16 inch.

When shopping for a cork floor you will see it in the form of tiles or laminate “floating floors”. Tiles are good if you have a smooth flat surface to lay them on however if your floor it rough and uneven then the “floating floor” is the best choice.

Installation

Installation of both cork tiles and floating floor click systems are very easy to install for the average DIYer. Before you have your cork floor installed make sure that you unwrap the plastic and leave it to get used to the temperature of the room for 3 days. This might sound strange but cork can expand and contract with the heat and cold.

Flooring is normally associated with something you put over the top of concrete to cover it up. Historically, bare concrete is not something considered to be attractive or desirable as a final flooring finish. But with newly developed acid etching, technology concrete flooring as a final floor finish is becoming much more common.

Colored concrete has been around for a long time, but never became very popular. Dye can be added at the concrete mixing plant, or the bare floor can be painted after it cures. But this type of finish generally looks pretty ugly. However, etching and staining concrete flooring goes far beyond colored concrete. The colors and patterns that can be achieved are truly spectacular. Most of the stain and etch colors are earth tones. But the variety of subtle shades in coloration is often as rich and deep as natural marble or granite. Sometimes even a leather or wood look can be achieved with the browns, reds and yellows.

The first step with etched concrete flooring is making sure the bare floor is as smooth and free of defects as possible. Any blemishes, markings, cracks or irregularities will show through in the final floor. Acid staining a concrete floor is a lot like staining wood. The stain penetrates and becomes part of the concrete. It does not just coat the surface. The stain adds to the appearance of the concrete, rather than covering it up. So the original concrete is very important. Staining concrete is almost an art form, so you want to give the person doing the staining as close to a blank canvas as you can.

The next step is for the person doing the artwork to test how the floor will react to the stains and acids he plans to use. Not all concrete is the same. It is almost impossible to precisely predict how it will react. He will have a general idea, but testing on an area that will be under a cupboard or some other out of the way location will give him a much better idea what the final floor will look like. Almost always, the various colors of stain will be put down in an artist pattern of some sort. So the next step is to lay out the pattern on the floor.

Then he applies the stains. Generally he uses a mix of hydrochloric acid, water and metal salts. Different types of metal salts will give different colors. The ratio of acid to water will help determine how deep into the concrete the stain goes. The hydrochloric acid reacts with the calcium hydroxide used in the concrete and slightly etches the surface of the concrete, allowing the metal to penetrate. The metal salts, acid, water and concrete then react chemically, revealing deep and beautiful color variations. The result is deep, mottled and variegated but that is a big part of the rich beauty of acid etched concrete flooring. The patterns and colors are part of the floor and are permanent.

After the pattern is fully developed and dried, the surface needs to be thoroughly cleaned and neutralized. You don’t want the acid left on the surface. As a final step the concrete is sealed with an acrylic or epoxy sealer.

The cost of etched and stained concrete flooring varies widely. It has become an art form, so much of the cost is the time, skill and intricate detail put into it by the concrete etch artist. A lot of work goes into one of these floors. But the final result, if properly done by a talented and trained artist, is every bit as beautiful as a marble floor and will last just about forever.

You might not notice it but it is there! Cork flooring is now fast becoming the flooring of choice for most notable buildings such as churches, museums, hospitals, schools, libraries and hotels. With its excellent noise buffering quality and the comfort it provides to tired feet, who can resist it?

Isn’t cork just for bottle stoppers? What is it really and how is it converted to building materials?

Cork is derived from the outer bark of the cork oak tree, Quercus suber, which is commonly cultivated in the Mediterranean. Among the major cork-producing countries are Portugal (which supplies 50% of the total world’s demand for cork), Algeria, Spain, Morocco, France, Italy and Tunisia. In these countries, the trees are considered valued treasures. And why not? Cork is fast becoming a prime export commodity and having expansive cork oak forests translates to big local and foreign earnings!

The bark of the cork oak tree is typically harvested every nine or ten years. The harvested raw materials are then cleaned, boiled and have their rough outer bark stripped away. The finest slabs in the batch are then selected and from these, cork bottle stoppers are made.

Nothing ever goes to waste in the production process of these valuable resources. The scraps resulting from the manufacture of stoppers are collected and grounded into small granules. These are mixed with an appropriate binding material, molded into larger blocks and then baked to come up with the natural cork material which can be used for construction purposes.

Cork can be used in a variety of ways. They can be used in the flooring, walls and ceilings. They can even be formed into baseboards and moldings. Cork finds its way into most commercial, institutional and residential buildings due mainly to its moisture, mold and rot-resistant attributes. In most modern houses, cork materials can be found in almost all of the major rooms!

What makes cork such a hit in the construction of modern buildings?

Well, aside from the fact that it greatly reduces noise (offers up to 50 decibels noise reduction when used as a flooring underlay), cork has the following features:

. Durable. Cork is naturally resistant and recovers well from compression. Treating it with a protective finish further enhances this feature.

. Provides thermal and moisture insulation. Cork cells are multi-sided and have very strong and flexible cellular walls. They are joined together in a honeycomb fashion making them airtight and very resistant to moisture.

. Provides underfoot comfort. Cork’s natural structure makes it compressible so that it provides a comforting feel whenever you step on it.

. Easy to clean and easy to maintain. Cleaning cork flooring can be done in a breeze! For waxed finished cork flooring, all you need is a dry or damp mop. Liquid solvent wax can be applied occasionally to maintain the glossy finish. Or for a more serious cleaning stint, you can use electric buffing using 00 steel wool discs. Lamb’s wool pads can be used afterwards.

For polyurethane finished cork flooring, routine cleaning can also be done by using dry or damp mop. Refinishing it can be successfully done by using power floor machine with 00 wool disc and then applying polyurethane as per prescribed directions.

. Cork is manufactured without any significant negative environmental impacts. Cork-producing nations strictly enforce laws with regards to the harvesting and manufacture of cork. The barks of the trees are harvested in such a way that the trees survive the process and zero waste management techniques are imposed in the manufacturing procedure.