FloorFacts.com new flooring articles review

Below are some new flooring articles recently added to FloorFacts.com. These may be of great interest to those looking to buying flooring and want to learn more before deciding on a particular floor.

• Buying A Laminate Floor - helpful information for consumers shopping for a laminate floor.
• Floating Floors - some helpful insights in floating floors.
• Ceramic Tile or Hardwood Floors - advice about the different characteristics and usages for selecting hardwood floor or ceramic tiles.
• Glueless Floating Wood Floors - glueless installation systems are no finding their way into wood floors, read the short article to learn more.
  

Todays Premium Laminate Floors Are Amazing

I can remember back when laminate floors first came to the USA. We are all wondering if this new flooring category would catch on with consumers. The designs and realism back then were okay but did look some what fake and had a plastic appearance. It didn't take long for laminate floors, such as Pergo, to took off and become a popular floor covering choice with many homeowners.

Today, we see laminate floors that have really become much more sophisticated and realistic looking with textured surfaces and better tongue and groove locking systems. For homeowners with pets or who want a floor that is extremely durable but looks like real wood or stone laminate floors can be a great option. These floors are very stain and scratch resistant and the premium quality laminate floors offer better warranties and better styling.

By far the most realistic looking laminate floor I have seen to date is Armstrong Laminate Floors Grand Illusions. They have done a marvelous job of adding realistic texture and design to the finish of these 5" planks. Armstrong's Grand Illusions is available at many specialty flooring stores across the country. You can also purchase Grand Illusions online. Click here for Grand Illusions at HoskingHardwood's web site.

Two Must Do Things Before Installing a Laminate Floor

Laminate flooring has become a great product of choice by homeowners wanting a nice looking wood or stone visual design that is affordable and can be installed by themselves. These floors are readily available from the big box stores, lumberyards and specialty flooring stores. At the store everything seems great when buying the floor and sounds pretty easy to install with the clic and lock installation systems. This can be true but there are some things that can make this DIY job mushroom into much more time consuming and difficult task to complete.

First, be sure to acclimate all the boxes of laminate flooring before starting the installation. That means put the boxes of laminate flooring in the room that they will be installed at least 48-72 hours prior to installation. This is critical since these floors are sensitive to moisture and humidity. Plus, they probably came out of a storage warehouse that has a much difficult environment than your home does.

Second, be sure to check the sub-floor to see if it is level. This is critical prior to opening a box! If you floor has any unevenness, such as undulations in concrete slabs or areas that are higher or lower in pitch than others areas of the floor you will have trouble getting the planks' tongue and groove edges to lock together. This can make the installation a real pain to do. So begin by laying a long flat 2-by-4 (at least 10 feet long) or other straight edge down on top of the sub-floor and check for daylight between the sub-floor and straight edge. If you have gaps underneath you need to level them before installation. You may need to go and buy a "leveling compound" to fill the voids and make the sub-floor level and flat. you can also consult the manufacturer's written installation instructions for what they recommend. the point here is don't try to install the floor until you correct the problem.