Tag Archives: installation

A floating parquet floor is still quite popular and gains in quality. Its most significant asset is that it suits almost any decor. Moreover, its installation is relatively straightforward. Here are the basic guidelines.

  • A few days before the installation, lay the planks in the specific room to allow them to get acclimated.
  • Make sure the solid base on which the floor will be installed has no trace of moisture.
  • There is no need to remove the existing floor (unless it is carpeting) to install the floating parquet floor as long as it is properly levelled so that the surface is clean and smooth.
  • You will need to install a membrane to stifle sounds and vibrations. It will also act as a thermal insulator. It can be made of polyethylene foam or cork.
  • When laying the planks, make sure to leave a gap of approximately 10 millimetres between the floor and wall to allow the wood to move freely when humidity and temperature variations force it to expand. Otherwise, the planks will curl.
  • Begin with the straightest and longest wall, uninterrupted by the door for example, and finish with the wall with the most cut-outs. Thus, the imperfections will show less.
  • All kinds of spacers, long ruler or string, can help you keep a consistent gap around the room’s perimeter. Baseboards or quarter-round moldings will hide the joint along the walls.

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The beauty of wallpaper is that no special skills are needed to install it. Although some wall coverings are more difficult to hang than others, you will need to follow these basic guidelines.

Vinyl wallpaper is the easiest to install. Embossed (or textured) wall coverings and metallic wallpaper are more difficult. Especially the metallic ones, which can be extremely frustrating to install for some.

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The traditional wallpaper is somewhere in between.

You can install wallpaper in every room. However, thick vinyl wallpaper is usually best hung in the kitchen and in the bathroom. Vinyl does not trap dust mites and is resistant to mold and mildew. Note that some traditional wall coverings are more resistant than others. Some materials are preferable in humid conditions.[……]

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You’re on a tight budget and changing your home decor is not a possibility right now. Did you think about molding? It’s cheap, easy to install and it can transform the entire appearance of a room. Here are a few tips.

  • There is a variety of decorative moldings out there, not to mention various types of wood. Take the time to research: ask vendors, search the Internet or look through books at your local library.
  • To install baseboard molding, take the time to find all the studs behind the wall and mark them as you please. That’s where you’ll nail the baseboard and the moldings will fit snugly together.
  • Do you have to remove old molding? With a flat tool, pry the molding away from the wall by sliding the tool between the stud and the molding.
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  • Identify the areas where the floor is uneven before you install the moldings to avoid unpleasant surprises along the way.

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Installing a carpet is not complicated, whether it’s made of synthetic materials or natural fibres, but you have to be an excellent handyman to do it right. You also have to be patient and precise, have specific tools and get advice from a renovation centre professional. Here is some general advice:

-If you opt for natural fibres, remember that you have to allow the carpet to rest for at least two days in the ambient air of the room that it will be installed in, so that it becomes acclimatized. Remember, they are natural fibres and not synthetic materials.

-Seagrass is perfect for the bathroom because it grew in water. However, you want to avoid sisal as it doesn’t like excessive humidity, although it’s elegance makes it perfect for other rooms in the house.[……]

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Today, it’s no longer necessary to choose hardwood as flooring to enjoy its great look. Other options have the same effect. One of them is engineered wood flooring.

This flooring is made of two superimposed parts; the base and the top coat.

Generally speaking the base contains a minimum of three layers of material, which may include plywood, fibreboard and wood. The higher the number of layers, the more the flooring remains intact. It is less susceptible to shrinking and expanding with changes in temperature and humidity.

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The top coat, called veneer, is natural wood. A multitude of species can be blended with the most varied decors. The floor looks exactly like a hardwood floor.

The veneer is usually 0.6 mm to 4.5 mm and sometimes even more. If the top coat is more than 3.5 mm thick, it can be sanded and varnished. It will easily stand up to long-term use.[……]

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