Dog owners know how difficult it is to take care of flooring and furniture. Even if you start out with the best intentions to clean regularly and to keep pets off the sofa, fur from mischievous dogs and comfortable cats will quickly find its way to every exposed surface. Though you might not be able to keep pets from shedding, you can simplify your cleaning duties by making the right choice in laminate flooring. Laminate floors are stylish and easy to clean, which makes them a popular choice with many homeowners. Once you've found the best laminate flooring for your dog, proper maintenance will allow you to enjoy your investment for years to come.

High-Pressure or Direct-Pressure Laminate Flooring: Which is Right for Your Dog?
As you shop for laminate flooring, you'll find that there are two different types available. Both types include several layers such as the core layer, backing layer and decorative layer. In high-pressure laminate flooring, the layers are connected to the core layer in separate stages using higher pressure and heat. This creates stronger flooring with a more durable surface. High-pressure laminate flooring is generally more resistant to scratches, scuffs and dents than its counterpart, direct-pressure laminate flooring. For this reason, high-pressure designs are typically considered to be the best laminate flooring for homeowners with large dogs.

Direct-pressure laminate flooring is comprised of several layers that are bonded together simultaneously. The manufacturing process includes less heat and lower pressure, so the resulting product is less durable than high-pressure laminate. However, direct-pressure laminate flooring is easier to customize and stylize. Many people prefer direct-pressure laminates because they include textures and often look more realistic. Overall, the best laminate flooring for homeowners with small dogs or cats is direct-pressure laminate. Though direct-pressure laminate is less durable, small pets won't be able to harm it significantly.

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Minimize Scratching to Make Your Flooring Last
Whether you choose high-pressure or direct-pressure laminate flooring, it's important to do everything you can to make your flooring last. No flooring is wholly scratch-resistant; you'll simply need to take measures to reduce scratches and dents. It's best to keep pets' nails trimmed regularly, as this will cut down on the amount they can scratch up the floors. You might also want to consider placing a few small mats or area rugs around the room in order to minimize wear on the floors. If the laminate flooring does get scratched, it's simple to fill in imperfections with a repair kit or filling pencil, or by replacing the damaged plank.

Prevent Stains and Spills for Longer Wear
While carpets and hardwood flooring are easily damaged and stained by spills and moisture, laminate flooring is extremely easy to clean. If your pet has the occasional indoor accident or a penchant for knocking over drinks, you can keep your laminate flooring in good shape by promptly cleaning up the liquid. Be careful, however, not to let any spills sit on the floor for too long. Even if you have the best laminate flooring, moisture can easily seep through and damage both your underlay and surface floor. Liquid damage of any type is a serious danger to any type of flooring, so take care to prevent spills where possible and to clean up any moisture at its first appearance.

Ensuring a Good Experience with Laminate Flooring
With proper care, laminate flooring is an affordable, durable and pet-friendly option for your home. After you've chosen the best laminate flooring, consider installing a special noise-reducing underlay to cut back on the noise that your dog's nails will make when he or she runs across the floor. Keeping your dog's nails properly trimmed and filed at all times will also minimize sound. Additionally, make sure to give your dog some time to get used to the new flooring. Some pets have difficulty walking on laminate flooring at first, as they find it to be more slippery than carpet. Encourage your dog to walk on the new flooring, and he or she will quickly become accustomed to the feeling.

• What Is The Cost Of Laying Laminate Flooring?
• Laminate Flooring Installation – Learn How To Lay Laminate Flooring Like A Pro

In this article we intend to condense how to lay laminate flooring into six easy steps that you can follow at home. Remember, if you're not sure how to lay laminate flooring and of your DIY skills in general, it is always a good idea to ask a more experienced friend if they can help you out – even if it's just to get you off on the right foot. The process of laying laminate flooring has evolved alongside the technological advancements with the actual floor boards themselves, and is a perfectly achievable task for even the most humble DIY enthusiast. One important thing to remember before we get started with our how to lay laminate flooring guide is to ensure your laminate flooring has been left in the environment you plan to install them in for at least 48 hours before you start laying. This is very important, as the boards must be allowed to acclimatise to the new room temperature and moisture levels it will be exposed to. The boards themselves will then expand or contract accordingly during this period. In addition to this, you also need to make sure the surface of the floor is thoroughly cleaned, and all dust and debris is removed. Any debris left on the floor surface could cause an inconsistency when you come to lay the tiles as it may alter the level of the sub-floor.

Okay, let's begin our guide to how to lay laminate flooring:

You will find the following equipment and materials very useful, if not essential in most cases:

a laminate cutter
tile spacers
knee pads
safety glasses
a pencil
set square
gaffa tape
a hammer
a sharp craft knife
a pulling bar
tapping block
foam underlay

 

In order to purchase the correct amount of laminate flooring, you'll need to find out the total squared area that you require covered. Thankfully laminate flooring comes in packs (which vary in the quantity of boards they contain depending on the type you purchase), which indicate both the individual board size of the panels, as well as the overall area covered per pack. Therefore, to calculate how many packs of laminate flooring you'll need for your project you'll need to first multiply the width by the depth of your room. This will give you your squared area size. If your room is not completely square or rectangular, simply divide your space up into smaller areas that can be squared off. Now take your new area size and divide it by the area covered as indicated on the packs of your chosen type of laminate flooring. This will now give you a figure which is equal to the number of packs you'll need to purchase to cover your area.

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It's important to purchase 10% extra boards than you'll need just in case you make any mistakes, or there's been any miscalculations. This will avoid the project being potentially held up, or a situation where you realise you need more boards, but they're out of stock or discontinued.

Whilst you do need need to mark out where you will lay each laminate board as you would with laying tiles, it is very important to determine how you will lay your first row, and to get this right. For this reason, before we move onto laying the underlay, decide now where you will begin laying your first row of laminate, and the direction the boards will be going in. It's always advisable to start laying your flooring in the lightest part of the room. Once you have decided where your first row will go, lay your row as a trial, remembering to use spacers between the boards and the skirting board. This trial row will help determine how much of the end-row board you will need cut off in order to make the flooring fit. This is useful to plan in advance since you should avoid a situation where you are having to cut more than 50% of the depth of the board away (the short side), or less than 400mm of the width of the board away (the long side). This is because it will compromise the strength of your floor.

Begin laying your underlay by first ensuring you have your spacers in place, and you are laying the rolls at a 90 degree angle to the way you will lay your laminate boards; this is to prevent the seams between the pieces of underlay ever corresponding to the joins between the piece of laminate flooring. As you lay the underlay, make sure there is no gap or overlap between the sections as either of these might cause the laminate boards to sink or stand proud. The goal here is a nice consistent surface. Tape down the joins between the sections with a bit of masking tape to hold them in place.

Now you come to actually laying the laminate flooring itself. Following the layout you already worked out in Step 3, begin laying your laminate flooring remembering to keep the spacers in place between the laminate flooring and the skirting board to allow for expansion. If you're using tongue and groove laminate flooring, simply introduce each new board at a 45 degree angle to the previous one, and gently lower the new board in place. You should feel the tongue click into the groove, and the boards should sit flush with each other. It is advisable to use a pulling bar and a beating block to help encourage each board into place after you've laid it. Pulling bars are used when you reach the end of a row and don't have sufficient space to use a beating block.

When you come to cut your end-of-row boards, the easiest way to do this is to lay the board in position where you intend to place it, ad mark on either side when a cut will need to be made. Using your set square, join the marks up to give you a nice straight cutting line. Using your laminate cutter, or the saw you have available, cut your laminate board, first checking which side of the board should be facing upward to minimise damage (this will depend on the type of saw you're using). Do not forget to wear safety protection while you do this.

If possible, leave your newly laid floor for 48 hours before adding any finishing touches such as trims, scotias, or transition bars. This will give the flooring extra time to acclimatise to the room, and this is where that 10mm gap we left between the flooring and the skirting boards comes into play, allowing the flooring to expand without running out of space.

Cutting trims and scotias for navigating around corners is made easier with a mitre box that will help you cut perfect angled cuts. In addition to this, you can use transition bars between your new floor, and other floor surfaces that meet in doorways for example. These are easy to fit, and help form a clean transition.

Congratulations! You now know !

 

• What Is The Cost Of Laying Laminate Flooring?
• The Best Laminate Flooring for Dog Owners

Laminate floors are quickly becoming the new fad with homeowners. For those who are still unaware of what laminate flooring is, it is layers of materials compressed together to create flooring. It is capable of taking on any effect and being any color desired.

You can purchase laminate flooring that looks like wood or stone tiles, in a variety of shapes. Not only is laminate flooring easy to clean, it can save you hundreds of dollars in the long run. In fact, you don't have to empty your savings account any longer to get that beautiful hardwood floor. You can purchase a laminate look alike, which is just as durable as a wood floor if not more. For these reasons and more, laminate flooring is gaining in popularity.

Cleaning Laminate Flooring

What is the best way to keep your laminate floors clean? Due to the fact that laminates have several layers, the first layer or the surface protects the laminate floor. With this protection, keeping your laminate floor clean has just become easier. The best tip for cleaning your laminate floor is to purchase a cleaner that is safe for laminates. Do not use wax cleaners, polishes or abrasive cleaning products on your laminate flooring as they can damage the finish.

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Along with using the proper cleaner, there are other tips to assist you in maintaining the natural beauty of your laminate flooring. Unlike hardwood floors you can use warm water to clean your laminate flooring. It is suggested to use a good mop and ring the mop out twice as excessive water will damage your laminate flooring. Do not allow spills to stand on your laminate flooring, wipe them up immediately to keep the quality of your laminate floors in tact.

Protecting Laminate Flooring

As with any hard flooring, using carpet rugs in high traffic areas is also a must with laminate floors. You should also consider using rugs in areas of high use, such as in the kitchen and near all sinks. Carpet rugs help to trap dirt and debris brought from outside your home. Along with providing rugs, you should also sweep your laminate floors often. If time permits, sweep your floors daily. This will help to ensure that your laminate floors remain beautiful.

With so many choices in laminate flooring, it's hard to go wrong when making laminate the floor of your choice. With its easy maintenance and low cost, you've saved both time and money. Remember, to keep those laminate floors looking beautiful, use a product designed to clean laminate floors. If it doesn't say "safe for laminate floors" then don't purchase it. Most laminate floor cleaners are cost effective and save time in the cleaning process. Using a cleaner that is not designed for your laminate floor can lead to disaster. Repairing or replacing a laminate floor takes much more time then reading the labels of the cleaning products available to you.

Author Vincent Platania represents the Fuller Brush Company.

Fuller Brush has been in business since 1906, and offers safe, environmentally friendly products for keeping your home and your body clean.

Visit http://www.fuller-brush-products.com

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Laminate flooring installations have transformed do it yourself novices into property plastic surgery pro's, confidently adding value to homes all over the world. Home remodeling rookies are clamoring to get their itching hands on boxes of hardwood laminate flooring planks, knowing that the innovation behind this interior design idea will ensure a gratifying, fast-paced, glueless and groutless experience.

Click-together laminate hardwood flooring and tiling are the home improvement industry areas with the fastest growth rates. First-timers tackling a laminate flooring installation have loads of questions. The major manufacturers of flooring ranges such as Pergo Flooring, Armstrong Flooring, Mohawk Flooring, Bruce Flooring and similar products go out of their way to answer these in detail. What inspires many a home renovating junkie is that an average-sized floor can be ready to use and admire within a day - begging for compliments from somewhat green-around-the-gills neighbors...

The days of frustrating, messy, sticky, glued flooring planks are fading into the distance, as companies compete to come up with the most convenient and easiest to install flooring options. The simple click-'n-go designs of glueless laminate flooring ranges ensure a perfect finish plank after plank. You will have to go a long way to find an interior design idea that can be implemented faster, with more spectacular results! Now, let's get to the million dollar questions.

Am I Able To Do A Laminate Flooring Installation Over Existing Floors?

Absolutely. Quality laminate flooring is manufactured to be laid directly over almost any existing floor, from ceramic to vinyl, tile, or real wood. There is no need to waste time or resources ripping out an old floor. Two exceptions are real wood on concrete floors and carpeting - these need to be taken out before the installation. What is vitally important, however, is to ensure that the sub-floor is perfectly smooth and even before you begin to saw and click. Carefully sand down all bumpy areas or peaked joints. Fill up any irregular spots. If possible, install cabinets or cupboards before you give the laminate flooring installation project a go.

Do I Need To Leave A Gap Between My Laminate Flooring Installation And The Wall?

Glueless Laminate Flooring is designed to be a floating floor product, meaning that it isn't permanently fixed to the sub-floor area. These flooring ranges constantly react to changes in humidity and temperatures by contracting and expanding. It is therefore vital to leave at least a 1/4" expansion space between the flooring planks and all adjacent walls or cupboards. Getting this right will prevent unsightly buckling floors down the line. Don't worry about the gaps being an eye-sore. The Laminate Flooring industry manufactures a wide range of decorative moldings you can use to hide these spaces after installation. These are color coordinated to match the flooring and virtually guarantee a professional finish. Use the recommended spacers to keep your distances even - never trust your eye. A wider expansion space will be recommended if you are tackling a very large floor area.

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Can I Do Anything About The Hollow Sound Of Footsteps On Laminate Flooring?

The echoing sounds that often follow your footsteps is the result of the floating floor concept. This is why a quality underlayment is so important. Rather pay a few dollars extra to get an effective sound dampening padding. Another advantage is that a thicker underlayment gives a more comfortable feel underfoot, especially where you will be standing for long periods, such as in the kitchen. Pergo's SilentStep foam or Soundbloc foam, and Mohawk Silentgard are excellent options. Many manufacturers now pre-attach the underlayment to the flooring planks. This is a time-saving and convenient measure. Just remember that you will probably need to remove this layer if you want to do a laminate flooring installation on stairs. The thickness of the flooring you install is another factor that plays a role in sound dampening.

You will also need a vapor barrier, usually a resin polyethylene film. Examples of this are the Pergo Moisturbloc vapor barrier and Mohawk Moisturegard. This layer protects your flooring from swelling and buckling due to moisture. If the sub-floor is wood, this barrier film isn't used.

Do I Need To Acclimate Laminate Flooring Before The Installation?

Some manufacturers recommend that you acclimate your laminate flooring planks by storing the unopened cartons on their flat side in the room where the flooring will be installed. This period should usually last between 49 and 96 hours, so take this into account while you do your planning. Don't ignore this instruction - you don't want an ugly, buckling flooring fiasco! Displaying that bit of patience can mean the difference between gaping joints and neatly clicked together flooring for years to come.

Is It Safe To Do A Laminate Flooring Installation In A Bathroom Or Kitchen?

The surface of a quality laminate flooring product is usually highly water resistant, so the planks perform beautifully in high humidity areas such as bathrooms and kitchens. To prevent buckling and warping in these areas, the expansion spaces need to be sealed with a product such as Pergo Sealant or a similar mildew-resistant silicone sealant before installing the trim or molding. The same should be done where the planks were cut to make room for cupboards or a dishwasher. It may also be wise to seal the joints by using glue. Your supplier will be able to advise you about the most satisfactory installation process. Keep in mind that, in spite of its water resistance, a laminate flooring installation and standing water will never be friends. If there is a spill, wipe it dry immediately.

Is It Safe To Do A Laminate Flooring Installation On Stairs?

Provided that you follow installation instructions to the letter, laminate flooring may usually be extended to the stairs. Steps are professionally finished with a Stair Nosing. The nosing is adhered with a quality construction adhesive and finishing screws. Although this flooring product has been designed to be a floating range, it must be glued to stairs. This is the only circumstance where adhesive is used to fix the flooring to the sub-floor.

How Do I Ensure A Professional Finish When Installing Laminate Flooring?

The brilliant guys in the laminate flooring industry have come up with a huge selection of color-coordinated transition moldings. You can finish your do it yourself home remodeling project in style and with an elegant touch. Trim doorways with T-Moldings, while end moldings are used along sliding doors and around tubs and basins. If you need to go from a raised laminate flooring area to a lower hard surface such as vinyl, choose a hard surface reducer.

Oops! My Laminate Flooring Installation Has A Puncture! What Now?

Don't despair! The folks at laminate flooring companies realize that mishaps are inevitable in active households where kids and pets rule. They therefore produce magical products such as Pergo Finishing Putty. Simply neaten the edges of the chipped area with a small knife, make sure the area is clean, and fill the hole with putty. Use a spatula to give the repair job a neat finish. Wipe away the excess, and you're done. Plank replacements are also possible if a more major repair is needed. Always put away a few spare planks for this purpose, as the range may be out of stock when you need it most.

A laminate flooring installation is likely to transform a beloved family home into a wrinkle-less, stylish and sprightly young lady. Isn't it about time to let those tattered carpets go?

• What Is The Cost Of Laying Laminate Flooring?
• Carpeting And Flooring

Laminate flooring is a great alternative to hardwood when you want the warmth and beauty of wood flooring without the installation and maintenance hassles. This attractive flooring solution is available in a wide range of prices, colours and grains. It's also more scratch and dent resistant than hardwood flooring, which makes it the perfect choice for homes with active children or pets. Laminate flooring is the one of the most versatile, durable and well-constructed types of flooring on the market today.

Laminates warranty range from 10 years to lifetime. Entry level laminates come with a 10 to 15 years warranty but they are designed for light traffic areas. Used in a high traffic area, they will begin to show wear and tear usually within 3 to 5 years. Remember that choosing the right laminate flooring is not as easy as it seems, but by doing that, you will save money in the long run. Just think of things like the amount of time you are planning on staying in that house or the amount of traffic, because there is no point in buying really expensive laminate flooring with extended warranty if you know that you are moving sometime in the near future. Also consider buying laminates with Paraffin wax impregnated joints, as this wax acts as a water repellent and prevents water from penetrating down to the core.

Laminate Flooring is made up of six layers, and comes in varying sizes of either planks or squares with a tongue and groove interlocking system. The surface layer of laminate is the melamine wearlayer, which is a tough clear melamine layer with aluminum oxide particles. When fused together with heat and direct to the core the wearlayer becomes an incredibly hard, durable finish. The resin-filled wearlayer is so dense it becomes extremely difficult to stain, scratch, or burn. The second layer is the Print Layer, which is the decorative layer giving the flooring its appearance of real hardwood or tile. The third layer is a clear thin plastic sheet that floats freely above the substrate before the laminate floor is floated. Melamine is a plastic-type resin used throughout the construction process to add durability and stability to the laminated planks. The thickest layer is the core, consists usually of high-density fiber board (HDF), particle board to add resistance and form the tongue and groove locking system. Melamine plastic resins are used to improve moisture resistance of the core by some manufacturers. A thing you should consider when buying laminate flooring for bathrooms or kitchens is it's core. A thicker core is more stable, less vulnerable and sounds more like the real hardwood floor when walked on. Quality laminate cores are treated with water repellent chemicals. The melamine plastic backing is used to add more structural stability and moisture protection to the planks.

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As glueless locking mechanisms has been introduced to the market, laminate flooring has become the perfect choice for households because it has a quicker installation, it's easier to repair and it can be installed by people without experience or specialized tools. This will save you a considerable amount of money. Installing laminate floors eliminates the need to nail or glue your floor in place. It is also a very attractive, low cost and long lasting flooring option. With an easy to clean surface, impact and dent resistance, laminate flooring can be installed over many different types of subfloors and on all grade levels, making it a versatile flooring choice. Installing laminate floors can be used in any room in the house and in most commercial areas as long as they are flat and in solid condition. Installing laminate floors can be done over concrete, wood, ceramic tile and even your existing linoleum floor. Even though laminate floors can be installed in any room in the house, they should not be installed in garages or on outside porches. The biggest reason for this is moisture. Moisture and laminate floors do not mix. On a scale from one to ten, installing laminate flooring requires a skill level of about a four. The most challenging part of the installation process will be clearing your schedule for a couple of hours. The easy to follow instructions and simplified interlocking clicking system mean that most do-it-yourselfers will be able to install an entire floor in one afternoon. A laminated floor that is properly installed, protected and maintained will go a long way to help your laminated floor last as long as your home.

Laminate Flooring is available in one of 2 types, planks and tiles. Flooring planks can be interlocking or tongue and groove where flooring tiles have tongue and groove edges. There are many different manufactures of laminate flooring and as the laminate flooring producers continue to expand colors, styles and increase quality, the growth of laminate flooring industry will continue.

A laminated floor is tough and durable.

A laminated floor is chemical resistant and harsh household chemicals and cleaning agents will not harm your laminate flooring surface.

A laminated floor can resist dropped cigarettes for a time without burning the floor.

A laminated floor will keep its color or design for years. The surface will not fade even when exposed to direct sunlight.

A laminated floor is hypoallergenic, it doesn't contain any hazardous PCB's, dioxins, plasticizers or chlorines. It repels dust, dustmites and other allergy causing particles.

A laminated floor is stain resistant and can be easily cleaned. Cleaning up a spill on a laminated floor is as simple as wiping up the mess. Also, scuff marks can be easily cleaned off a laminated floor.

Installing a laminated floor is quick and easy. It can be floated over your existing K-3/lino, wood, concrete, tile or even low grade commercial carpet saving value time and expense. There is no need to wait, you can walk on your floor immediately after installation is complete.

A laminated floor comes in many different designs and colors.

A laminated floor is easy to care for.
 

 

If you are interested in Toronto Laminate Flooring, please visit Contractors Toronto - Toronto-Contractors.ca: Home Improvement and Renovations

 

• What Is The Cost Of Laying Laminate Flooring?
• The Best Laminate Flooring for Dog Owners