April 14, 2020
Secrets To Installing Laminate Flooring On Top Of Floor Tiling
There are many people who want to change the way their flooring looks, especially if they have old style tiling. This is when laminate flooring is the perfect way to go ahead. It is very simple to install one on top of the other one by simply laying the flooring over. Any person can do it as a weekend DIY project.
However there are some things you need to know before installing it, so you get the best job for your home flooring. Maybe the most important aspect is to adjust the actual temperature for your floors and the room level of humidity. The room temperature should be anywhere between 68 and 85 degrees. Also the best humidity level should be between 45-65%. Anything above or below that will warrant using a humidifier or dehumidifier for regulating it.
When it comes to actual installation, you need to take off the molding and then check that the tiles are all dry, clean and level without any extra bumps. If you feel any bumps on it, you can level it using leveling cement so that you have a smooth surface ahead of you. The next step is to rollout the floor underlayment avoiding the edges from overlapping. This should exactly match the size of the room.
The step on laying the laminate flooring is usually done from left to right and spacers can be used to keep the spaces, or gaps that are between the planks. The space for expansion should be around 1/4 inches. The firs plank should be laid by first placing the plank right against the wall. The second plank should be 1/3 of the size of the first to give your flooring a nice alternate plank look that is so popular nowadays. The third plank will easily be able to connect the first plank right at the end to be locked in place the right way. Then you add the next (fourth) plank that will connect to the end of the previous one to be locked in place as well. Basically this will be the base upon the rest of your flooring will be built further.
What you really need to pay attention to though is to ensure that the very last row is exactly the same with the initial one. Also create a 1/4 inch space between the plank and the wall for expansion. Once you replace the trim, your laminate flooring is readily installed upon the old tiles.…
How To Design A 21st Century Kitchen
The demographic
The first thing an outstanding designer does when putting pen to paper on a home design is find out exactly who is going to live in that home–the exact demographic of the inhabitant. This is specially true about the kitchen which is often the most lived-in space in the house and around which many more activities occur any more nowadays than just cooking. Luckily, today’s demographic in the kitchen ‘mass market’ is easy to define–it is mostly ‘baby boomers’ aged 55-65, followed by ‘leading edge GenX’ers’ aged 45-55 years old. These two demographics between them make up the bulk of the folks looking to design a kitchen as opposed to simply taking what comes with a new house. People older than 65, the ‘seniors’, are no longer the dominant home owning demographic and don’t spend as much time in the kitchen while those younger than 45 are considered entry-level homeowners and are also not as numerous as the first two.
Activities in and around the kitchen
A baby boomer’s kitchen is very likely to have a large flat screen TV as part of it that is easily visible from several activity areas surrounding it. The kitchen is no longer a ‘room’ but a space around which a lot of family activity revolves. This activity could be video games, watching the news, searching for data and even doing homework with access to outdoor grilling and a deck just a step or two away. The common factor is that it all revolves around the kitchen. This often manifests in a ‘living room’ or ‘family room’ area complete with sitting or lounging furniture joined to the kitchen with an informal ‘dining’ area, both divided and united by a cabinetwork peninsula, perhaps with a sink and cooktop on one side and an open area on the other with tall stools for the kids to do their homework on or simply help make dinner.
Baby boomers are no longer willing to risk a back injury by bending down to open an oven door and will likely have wall ovens installed at a carefully measured height. Similarly, the efficiency-demanding boomer will insist on having the pantry close at hand at most 3 or 4 steps away, not in another room and certainly not behind another door. This can manifest as another ‘area’ adjacent to the cooking areas, perhaps with a dividing wall of overhead cabinets and counter spaces open to both areas.
The GenX’er is even more tech savvy and may have several appliances hooked up to the internet with sensors and alarms to remind and warn of upcoming events, like a “cake is ready” message flashing on TV screens all over the house. She may switch on the oven with her phone on her way back from work and set the temperature for baked fish when she is 10 minutes away. Her priority is “get it done quick” and therefore all appliances will likely be electric with a few being dual fuel, all …