Introduction to All Types of Flooring (Part 1)
When it comes to choosing the right tools to renovate your house, it is always head-spinning to hear all the different types and names. Coming up with a specific decision can be confusing, overwhelming, and very time-consuming. This article and its following part 2 will help ease the decision-making process and give a quick idea of what would suit your needs the most.
Ceramic Flooring
In the past, ceramic flooring has been trendy. Ceramics are available in a variety of sizes, colors, and designs and are available to customers. The price of ceramics varies according to their size and quality.
Ceramics are available in glazed and unglazed types. The ceramics are covered with a layer that can be matte, semi-gloss, and glossy in the glazed style. The thickness of the ceramic could be from 4 to 12 mm. Their bottom surface is rough, and after gluing, they fill the surrounding area with slurry.
If you are interested in wood design but can not use wood flooring in the desired location, for example, the kitchen, you can use wood ceramic flooring.
One of the disadvantages of ceramic is its cold surface, especially in the year’s cold seasons. Therefore, the use of ceramic flooring is not recommended for areas with cold climates. Also, in case of impact, there is a high chance that the ceramic might break.
Another disadvantage of ceramic flooring is that the seams between them could get dirty because it is difficult to clean them well. In addition, ceramics have a slippery surface, and there is a possibility of slipping on them, especially if they’re wet.
How to install ceramic flooring
Since ceramics are one of the most rigid floor panels, it should be noted that they are uniform. Here we examine the installation of ceramics on concrete, vinyl, wood, and ceramic substrates.
Install ceramic on a concrete substrate
In this method, you must first smooth out all the roughness of the concrete. Note that if the concrete is fresh, you have to wait 28 days. Cleaning the concrete layer is very important, so you should remove grease stains or any other material from the concrete surface.
Install ceramics on a wooden substrate
If you intend to install ceramics on wood, you must pay attention that the underlayment is strong enough to support the weight of the ceramic. You need a smooth layer to install the ceramic, so you need to sand the wood surface before gluing the ceramic. The wood itself must be installed on a suitable substrate.
Install ceramic on vinyl flooring
To install ceramics on vinyl, make sure that the vinyl substrate is strong. Soft vinyl flooring is not the right choice for ceramic installation.
Install ceramic on the ceramic substrate
If you want to replace the house ceramics, you can install new ceramics on the old ones. It is only necessary to pay attention to the fact that the bottom surface must be sanded to achieve a uniform level.
Mosaic Flooring
The use of this type of flooring has been common in the past and continues to this day. Mosaics are produced in large dimensions, and therefore they are installed quickly. The use of mosaic flooring is more suitable for outdoor and open environments.
Installing mosaic flooring
When installing mosaic flooring, you must first create a strong underlayer. To do this, spread a layer of semi-dry mortar on the desired surface. Then, on the surface of the mortar, spread a slurry of stone and cement powder, in a ratio of 1 to 2 and with a thickness of 2 to 5 mm. Then place the mosaics next to each other. Do not walk on the mosaics for 48 hours after installation.
Stone Flooring
Stones are one of the natural materials and are among the most expensive building materials. Stones are mostly used in kitchens and bathrooms. Stone flooring can also be used outdoors and in the building. In addition to its unique beauty, stones also have disadvantages. Like ceramics, they have a cold surface and are not suitable for cold regions and cold seasons. Also, using this type of flooring for the bedroom is not recommended.
Wooden Parquet
The use of these floors creates a warm feeling in the house. Despite their unique beauty, this type of flooring also has disadvantages. Because they are made of wood, moisture and water destroy them, and the parquet blows up after a while.
Using parquet may also cause noise. Other problems that can occur if parquet is used are termite infestation and fire hazards. In general, it can be said that parquet or wood flooring needs a lot of care.
In parquet or wood flooring, wood such as maple, spruce, pine, and oak is used. The wood used in the construction of parquets directly affects their price. If you want to bring an element of nature into your home, we recommend using wood flooring.
Installing wood parquet
As with other floors, to install wooden parquet, a foundation must first be laid to create a smooth surface. A combination of cement, stone powder, and concrete adhesive can be a good option for this. After the infrastructure is done, it is time to install the parquet.
The baseboards are made of wood or MDF (Medium-Density Fibreboard) and HPL (High-Pressure Laminate) surface. You may also be wondering what is the difference between flooring and parquet? In general, we can say that the two are not much different from one another. The only difference is in the ingredients.
Laminate Flooring
Laminate flooring is made to solve the problems of wood parquet. The life of this type of flooring is nearly thirty years. Laminates are made of compressed wood or HDF (High-Density Fiberboard) fibers. Laminate parquet is very similar to wood parquet, but it is not made directly from wood.
Laminates consist of four layers. The primary layer in the manufacturing of laminate flooring is HDF. The other layer is the decorative layer of wood design on which a laminate layer is used. The method of installing laminates is that the laminates are locked together. And under them is a layer of foam.
Replacing laminate flooring is a straightforward task. These types of floors are more affordable than wood parquet. One of the disadvantages of laminate flooring is that it is not easy to clean because moisture or dirt gets under them easily, and it isn’t easy to clean them. However, if you want to know how to maintain laminate flooring check out our article.
Installing laminate flooring
Before installing laminate flooring, it is better to put the panels in the room for about 3 hours to adapt to the ambient temperature. The floor where the panels are to be installed must be completely dry and any dust removed from the surface. Laminate parquets are clicked together, and no glue is required to install them. To install laminate flooring, we must first determine the direction of work. Do not stick the parquet entirely to the walls and try to be at least 8 mm away from the walls.