Home Improvement Tips: Changing Floors

On changing the floor in the room, or maybe rooms, you change that room's entire personality. To update the color or the style of carpet, lay a warm wood, or laminate, or even make any design statement imaginable with the tile and yes, a room can go from a dreary to very dynamite. You may want to consider one of the best, longest, lasting home investments, wood; this allows a home owner to decorate around a consistent color and the warmth that you don't get with the tile or the carpet. Only the disadvantages are that you find something else for the bathroom. You wouldn't want to put hard wood in a full bathroom. The wood and water does not mix. Also, you need a good sub floor. This should not be installed over, for example, vinyl asbestos tile, which a home owner may prefer not to disturb.

The options and creative designs have many selections and they are based primarily on the wood color, the grain and the price. Hardwood flooring comes in two styles, strip and plank. The strips are less than 3 inches wide. The planks are usually about 3 to 7 inches wide. The thickness generally is about three eighths or three quarters of a inch. Most popular finishes include stains, like clear polyurethane and a hand scraped, rustic finish for an older, worn look. The builder grades are less expensive and look more rustic with the occasional knot and graining. The wood is available pre-finished lumber offers a virtually dust free, order free installation, a better wear layer, and also reduced labor cost.