How can a floor that was supposed to be more stable start curling?
Q: I have a vertical grain bamboo floor that I was told would be stronger and more stable than hardwood. After it was in for a few weeks, some of the boards started curling upward at the ends. I was told there was too much humidity in my home, so I turned off the humidifier.
Now, the boards are shrinking and leaving gaps. I am very disappointed because I did my research and purchased a brand that was supposed to be the leader in quality. Can you shed any light on whether this is a common problem or an isolated incident?
A: You are not alone. While I would not call your situation a common problem, it is not an isolated incident.
Carpet padding can now be held to the same standard as carpet for indoor-air quality
At last, a moment many of us have been waiting for has arrived. A testing program is now available for carpet padding that will actually ensure it does not emit unhealthful levels of chemicals.
A lot of people think we already have this through the CRI Green Label program for testing pad. But the CRI Green Label Plus program that is used for carpet is far more stringent, and soon, we will be able to look for this label on carpet padding, too.
The Carpet & Rug Institute (CRI) and the Carpet Cushion Council announced earlier this week that the Green Label Plus program is being opened up to pad manufacturers.
"This offers cushion manufacturers the opportunity to qualify their products according to these more stringent standards and provide additional assurance for consumers concerned about indoor-air quality or potential VOC emissions," a CRI spokesman told TalkFloor.
Weigh all the finishing options before selecting grey hardwood flooring
By definition, grey is: Of a neutral tone, intermediate between black and white. It has no hue and reflects and transmits only a little light.
This line from the dictionary does little to explain the dramatic, contemporary looks grey flooring can create in a room. But discerning homeowners frequently are choosing it for their walls and floors in everything from tile to hardwood.
The grey porcelain tile photos in the post are from a bathroom with a zero-entry shower. The shades of grey and white throughout the room are a popular look.
Backyard deer-feeder adds unmatchable natural touch, felt throughout this home’s interior
Porcelain tile flooring – one style for the kitchen and laundry room, another for the foyer and bathrooms – offers clean lines and extreme durability.
It blends seamlessly with the hand-scraped, prefinished hardwood flooring, which has been used to replace carpet in the dining room.
Triexta carpet – made from corn-based fuel – softens the family room, which is filled with natural light, thanks to large windows there, and in the adjoining foyer. Standing there, something tells you to look again, out of the double glass doors in the family room.
Designer Rosemary Storie found the perfect hardwood floor to showcase the furniture and artwork she loves
“This is how you do it.” Rosemary Storie, an Anderson Township, OH, designer, never suggests that her clients spend a lot of money to accomplish logical goals. Instead, she shows them how to make use of simple objects, sometimes objects they already have.
Take, for example, the table in her newly remodeled kitchen. Storie, owner of Southern Interiors, made it from a planter she bought at a home center, then added a glass top.
“Creating the perfect aesthetic means thought and creativity, not necessarily running out and spending a lot of money,” Storie says.
Wintertime’s dry air means special precautions for hardwood floors
Q. I had solid Red Oak select installed throughout my first floor last summer. It was sanded and finished with low-VOC waterborne polyurethane on site. It was absolutely perfect.
But now that winter is here, there are spaces between the boards. Is it possible that I was sold inferior wood?
A. Gaps between floor boards are common in the wintertime. Your installer should have told you that you have to control the humidity in your home to prevent inordinate gapping. In fact, most hardwood manufacturers recommend maintaining your indoor environment at 40 to 60 percent humidity year-round. But 36 to 50 is better if you want to prevent mold growth.