SunTouch Radiant floor heating the best heating option

With the approaching winter season many people worry about how to keep their house warm, without having to shell out too much. There are several ways by which you can ensure warm floors even during winters. Amongst all these available options, the best heating system for any house is the radiant floor heating, installed conveniently under the floor that you do not even realize that it exists. Used since the Roman era, the invisible waves of the thermal radiation, generated through the radiant floor heating mats, heat up every object it strikes. In contrast to the vents whooshing, dust-spewing duct work or radiators clanking, it’s a silent heating system which effectively heats your house. Moreover, it is a highly efficient way of heating the interiors and increasing the comfort of the house at reduced electricity costs.
Many people install other heating systems in their homes to make the house warm; these systems warm the air but not the floor. Walking on the cold floor is quite uncomfortable; hence one needs to look for measures which can keep your floor warm and comfortable during the winter seasons. The radiant floor heating is the perfect solution for this problem. Another benefit of the radiant floor heating system is that these not only warm the floor but the whole room. As a result, you can turn down the thermostat by a few degrees, thereby saving on electricity bills. Moreover, unlike the heat of an air heating system, the heat emitted through this radiant floor heating system does not dry the skin. Hence, along with making the house comfortable, it also proves to be cost-effective heating solution.

Whether your room has stone, ceramic or a hardwood floor, these mats can be installed beneath every king of flooring. Furthermore, it does not hamper the look of the place as these are easily installed beneath the flooring of the room, hence maintaining its aesthetic appeal. Moreover, the advanced manifold systems and controls allow different parts of floor to be maintained at different temperatures. Therefore, depending upon your requirement you can control the heat emitted through these heating systems. Furthermore, these flexible heating systems can also be installed in the bathroom, kitchen or any other part of the house.
Along with indoor heating, it is also convenient and economical outdoor heating solution. It can be used for the snow covered patios or drive-ways; with radiant floor heating systems, snow will no longer be a problem for you this winter. In addition, these can also be installed on the staircase, making it a ’snow-free zone’ and reducing the risk of falling on the floor which is common if it is covered with snow. Radiant floor heating proves to be a convenient and affordable technology for heating indoor as well as the outdoor area of your home. In addition it is easy to install and can even be done by you, without much professional guidance.
All this; convenient, comfortable, cost-effective, easy to install and energy saving features, make radiant floor heating the best heating option to keep the house warm and cozy during winter season.
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Bamboo as an effective flooring option

Bamboo flooring is fast gaining popularity as a flooring option due to the various advantages offered by it over other flooring material. Although bamboo flooring is a variety of grass and not wood it still displays characteristics similar to hardwood. Some of the factors that account for the popularity of bamboo flooring are its strength, moisture resistance, durability and environment friendly nature.
Floors made out of bamboo are generally considered to be stronger than hardwood due to their high fiber rating. Properly cured bamboo floors have very high tensile strength and offer high durability. Along with high durability and high tensile strength bamboo also offers high moisture resistance thereby enabling you to maintain your flooring without any maintenance worries.
Bamboo flooring can generally be installed more easily as compared to other flooring options. One of the easiest ways of installing bamboo flooring is by using the floating floor method. This method involves fitting the bamboo planks together like a puzzle without the use of any adhesives. This not only ensures that the flooring is installed quickly, but conveniently as well. Thus, homeowners can finish their bamboo flooring job themselves without the help of a professional contractor.

Bamboo flooring is also ahead of a number of other flooring options, on count of its style and finish. From light colors to different grain sizes, bamboo flooring can match almost any interior décor. Although bamboo is generally found in light colors, dark bamboo flooring can also be found easily. Furthermore, bamboo flooring is found in high gloss finish, matte finish as well as semi gloss finish. Such a wide range of options to choose from ensures that different rooms can be decorated with different types of bamboo flooring.
Another benefit of bamboo flooring is that it is a green flooring material. As compared to hardwood, which takes 15-20 years to mature, bamboo matures in less than 3 years. This makes bamboo a readily sustainable flooring material. Furthermore, the entire bamboo plantation does not need to be uprooted to create flooring material. Only part of the entire structure is taken, thereby making it environment friendly.
Even though bamboo flooring is hard and durable it is more comfortable to walk on as compared to hardwood. This feature makes bamboo flooring ideal for areas such as the kitchen where you are required to stand for a long duration of time.

Along with other numerous benefits, bamboo also acts as a highly adaptable and flexible flooring material. Bamboo can be laid over a wide variety of sub floors, thereby removing the hassles of preparing the sub floor prior to the installation.
Although bamboo offers a number of benefits most homeowners refrain from using this option due to its high cost. However, bamboo flooring is available in a wide range and in different price range, thereby making it easier for you to choose from. Furthermore, the option of self installation makes this flooring option much affordable and cost effective as compared to other options that require the services of a professional contractor.
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Dont slip use anti-slip additive

In case, you have kids at home, who play inside the house, keep running here and there, may fall down while playing and injure themselves. Sometimes these injuries can be serious; hence it is advisable that one must take adequate measures to avoid such unpleasant situations. An effective way of eliminating risk of slipping and falling is to improve the safety of the floor surface to avoid it. Using anti slip additive is an excellent choice, as it not only maintains the aesthetic appeal of the place but is also highly durable, which will last for years. Hence, one can safely walk or run on the floor, without any risk of slipping and getting injured.
These are increasingly being used in offices and commercial buildings as well. The ‘American with Disabilities Act’ requires that floors, in all public, municipal and commercial buildings, have 0.60 co-efficient of friction to considered safe to walk on. In case the floors are slippery and someone gets injured on your premises then you will be held liable for his injuries caused due to your negligence. This can incur heavy expenses for not abiding by the law, especially if you do not have adequate insurance coverage. However one simple step, using anti slip additive, can help you avoid all these inconvenience and make your place safe for everyone.
Depending upon your requirements and budget you can choose amongst several anti slip additives that are available in the market, however one must wisely select the product which is effective and durable. There are environment friendly anti slip additive solutions as well, which increases the coefficient of friction by creating microscopic tread on different types of natural flooring, such as marble, smooth concrete, travertine as well as ceramic and quarry tile, among others.
Applying anti slip additive may seem to be a daunting task, but it isn’t. A do-it-yourself enthusiast can easily accomplish this task without much trouble or any professional guidance. A word of caution, before you apply the anti slip additive on any surface, apply it to a small portion and see for any side-effects, after treatment. Generally, these additives are not used on metals, wood, fiberglass and any resin type products.
First clean the surface, remove any sealers or waxes on the floor and then apply the additive to the clean surface. After applying, agitate until foaming with the help of sponge or brush and then leave it for five to ten minutes. Repeat this process and in between agitations, check for resistance by pressing and pushing forward with your finger tips and in case there is no resistance repeat the process again. The processing time differs from one floor type to another, for marble the process time is less as compared to porcelain which has a longer processing time. Once there is optimum resistance, immediately rinse the surface with clean water and you can walk freely on the surface without slipping or falling.
Hence, these additives are easy, safe, environment-friendly and affordable way of making the floor anti slip, along with maintaining the aesthetic look of the place.
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Creating custom bathroom designs using standard tiles

Tiles are one of the most widely used home décor materials. Tiles are renowned for their high durability, and the aesthetic appeal provided by them to a room. It is due to these reasons that tiles are ideal for different areas of the house, such as the kitchen and the bathroom. Tiles can ideally be used as tabletops, flooring or a simple wall design. Although tiles can be used on different area, they are generally used to enhance the décor and the effectiveness of the bathroom.
You can easily find tiles made up of different materials; however, ceramic and porcelain are ideal for bathrooms. This is so, since ceramic and porcelain generally do not absorb water, thereby minimizing the chances of dirt settlement and mold. Furthermore, these tiles are easy to maintain and do not require regular cleaning.
Apart from the durability and maintenance aspect, the other major reason for the popularity of tiles is the wide range of colors and designs available. While selecting tiles for your bathroom you should decide on the size of the tiles, as well as the décor that you want. However, if you want a solid colored bathroom then size would not play such a major role.

In case you plan to tile a small bathroom area then it is important to select light colored tiles. Light colors will reflect the available light in the bathroom, thereby making it look larger than it actually is. Furthermore, light colors will also give your bathroom an airy look, thereby making it a lot more comfortable. Along with the colors you should keep in mind that the designs on the tiles should not be too large. Tiles with extensive designs generally do not suit small bathroom areas.
In case you are looking for appealing shades in your bathroom then a mosaic tile design would be an ideal option. For example, you can use a mix of blue and white tiles, with blue tiles forming the lower portion of the walls and the white ones covering the rest. There are various complex mosaic designs available in the market for you to select from, as per your preference.
As far as the floor of the bathroom is considered you can either use the same designs as that on the walls, or you can opt for a completely new pattern. Generally, different designs on the wall and the floor help in balancing the colors of fixtures, in case they are different in color. If you are planning to install radiant heating system beneath the flooring you can go in for warm colored tiles. This will create a comfortable environment inside the bathroom, especially during the winters.
Tiles can be selected on the basis of their color, size, designs as well as material that they are made up of. In order to custom design your bathroom you can either use your imagination, or can take the help of a professional decorator. Whichever option you opt for, you can be sure that tiles are going to last for a long duration and will enhance the visuals of your bathroom.
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Don’t renovate your home only because your neighbor is doing it

Renovating a home is a daunting task which requires time, money and planning, hence, it is not advisable to start renovating your home, simple because your neighbor is doing so. You must renovate your home only if changes in your home are required.
Home renovation is generally done to make living more practical as well as enjoyable for people residing in it. Remodeling the home must ultimately justify the large portion of the cost that is invested, since renovating home is an expensive proposition. Furthermore, it is a time consuming process and hence you must be prepared to take out time from your busy schedule to supervise the renovation process.
In case you ultimately decide to renovate your home, you must be aware of the fact that there are quite a few important things that you need to do before the actual work starts. You need to plan well in advance so as to avoid high job costs or low quality work, along with wastage of time. Even before the work starts, there is so much to be done, such as formulating the plans and taking the necessary permits. Further, once you have the permits and bids, the next step is to arrange finance for the entire renovation expenditure, this will help avoid work-delay caused due to fund shortage. You also need to get a reliable contractor, for which you can take reference from your friends. Planning in advance will help you execute the renovation in an organized & timely fashion. In addition, you can shop around for things and take advantage of various sales and bargains, get the requisite items at less cost and increase your savings.

It is essential that you set aside some time for the planning and even plan to take time off work in order to execute the renovation process under your supervision. The time frame would depend upon the job, for example if you plan to renovate just your bathroom, it may a week; however, if the complete house is to be renovated then it may take weeks for the job to be completed. It is advisable to avoid rainy season for renovation work, generally January is a popular time for home renovations. Sometimes there may be delays in work due to accident or illness of any of the involved parties; hence you need to set aside few days as buffer. Therefore, keeping all these factors into consideration, plan your time accordingly. Moreover, your house can become quite a mess during renovation, with renovation material scattered all around, it will demand your constant attention to ensure tidiness.
The most important thing to be considered before starting any renovation work is the need for it. It is not advised to get into renovations when it is not required to be done. Apart from this, if at all there is a need for renovation then you need to be well prepared for it in advance, with sufficient backup of time & money.
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Build the right rapport with your contractor

A number of people are enthusiastic to undertake ‘Do-It-Yourself’ projects to complete a home renovation job. Although DIY can cut down your expenses significantly, there are few projects that cannot be completed without the services of a professional. It is, therefore, important for you to identify the job that requires the services of a contractor to ensure maximum effectiveness.
Simply deciding that you require the services of a contractor is not enough, since finding the right one is important for the proper completion of your project. A number of people who hire contractors face problems such as delays, hidden costs and inferior quality of work. In order to ensure that you avoid such problems you should select the right contractor and build a rapport with them.
The key to selecting a professional and proficient contractor is having knowledge about this domain yourself. Your initial communication with the contractor should convey to them that you have done your homework. This will ensure that you are able to negotiate the right quote for the job at hand. Furthermore, before meeting with the contractor you can lay out a detailed scope of work for the contractor. This scope of work should lay out the different aspects of the job, plus your estimated budget and the time frame within which you require the project to be completed.
Before signing a contract with your contractor you should check their background to determine their professionalism and their quality of work. This step will ensure that you do not face any problems in the future due to the unprofessional nature of your contractor.
Once you have hired a contractor and signed the final contract with them, it is important to maintain a healthy rapport with them. You should properly convey to the contractor your quality expectations from the job at hand, and should draw a payment schedule. A proper payment schedule will convince the contractor that they will be paid on time, and will help you in keeping a tab on your payments.
It is also important to regularly inspect the renovation site to ensure compliance with your quality expectations. Ideally, you should visit the renovation site daily and convey any disparities that you might find over there. This will ensure that you are aware of the progress on your home renovation project, and that the quality of work is as per your expectations.
Finally, you should remember that not all contractors are going to overcharge you or deliberately use inferior quality material to maximize their profits. You can easily find a number of contractors who take pride in their work and strive to exceed the expectations of their clients. All that you need to do to find one such contractor is some research on your part and a little effort in selecting the right one. Once you find a dedicated and professional contractor it is important to build and maintain a good rapport with them so that you can utilize their services in future projects as well.
Copyright © 2010 FlooringSupplyShop.com

Installing an environment friendly stone flooring

Stone flooring is not a new concept and has been extensively used in buildings and structures around the globe. Stone flooring is renowned for its rich visual appeal as well as high durability and sustainability. Along with these benefits, stone flooring is also moisture resistant and does not release harmful by-products. It is the combination of these benefits and the green preposition offered by stone flooring that it is widely being used in households.
Stone flooring is a naturally green option that can significantly change the atmosphere inside your house. However, a number of households refrain from installing stone flooring due to the relatively high cost of stone as compared to other options. Even with its high cost stone flooring can easily become a part of your green home remodeling plan.

As far as the high cost of stone flooring is concerned it is the main factor that deters households from option for this option. However, experts are of the opinion that the cost of installing stone flooring is not more than that of installing tiles. Furthermore, benefits such as low maintenance, high durability and a healthier home cover for the comparatively high price of stone flooring.
Another benefit of stone flooring is its high thermal mass, which makes it ideal for a green heating and cooling scheme. During winter days stone absorbs the solar heat to ensure that the floor remains warm for a long period of time. Similarly, during summers, stone flooring does not get excessively warm and uncomfortable. Along with these benefits, the high thermal mass of stone flooring makes it ideal to be used along with a radiant floor heating system. A radiant floor heating system beneath a stone floor will be more effective and will consume less electricity.
You can make your stone flooring even more Eco-friendly by installing it in a proper manner. Using recycled stone flooring can be beneficial since it would be available at a lower price and would offer similar aesthetics as a new one. It is also advisable to purchase stone from a local quarry to minimize the labor and fuel costs associated with transportation.

While installing the stone flooring you can take several steps to ensure a completely green installation. Using a low toxic sealer and applying seal grout in high moisture areas are some of the ways to get maximum benefit from your stone flooring. Traditional sealers give off, toxic Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and contribute to a number of health issues. Using a green sealant will eliminate all such issues. Similarly, grout can be a potential breeding ground for mold and mildew. Applying sealer can ensure that your stone flooring remains free from such problems for a long duration of time.
It is evident that stone flooring has a number of distinct advantages, and is a green option as well. The green benefits of stone flooring can further be extended if proper care is taken during the installation process. These benefits will ensure that you get maximum value for your investment in stone flooring.

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