FLOORING
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Bamboo flooring has won fans both for its look and performance, not to mention its environmental sustainability.
Exotic in look yet inexpensive to buy, sustainably harvested bamboo flooring continues to grow in popularity as an alternative to hardwoods.
With the right tools and some basic skills, you can install laminate flooring this weekend.
I’ve looked at flooring from both sides now. . . and it’s the horrors of applying polyurethane I recall. Apologies to...
My son recently asked for help installing vinyl flooring in his bathroom. So we took a trip to the local home center ...
Vinyl tile and laminate flooring is attractive, durable, and long-lasting, even under a home's highest-traffic condit...
When it comes time to clean concrete, you don't need to be delicate; after all, it's a very hard material. In order t...
Hurricane Sandy proved to be a trial for many of us. My wife and I were fortunate, and our home suffered no major dam...
I have a slate fireplace surround that makes my living room feel really warm and earthy, even if the fire is not lit....
Special problems need special solutions—and that's particularly true of wood flooring. When accidents happen, first ...
The first time I heard about someone painting a wood floor I was skeptical. Would it last? Could you scrub it? And wh...
Recently my wife and I moved into a co-op. It’s kind of like a condo but with a few additional restrictions about wha...
You can't beat the low cost and easy installation of a laminate floor. It's a great do-it-yourself project that can r...
Sustainable, versatile cork floor options abound for today's eco- and design-conscious homeowner.
Something’s stirring underfoot—a growing interest in cork floors. Crafted from sustainable materials and available in...
If you don’t want to spend another holiday season with your worn-out kitchen floor, but the timing’s not right for a ...
After 13 years in our house, the basement was finally dry—or as close to dry as it was ever going to get. The walls w...
Home improvement projects are messy business: Whether you’re painting, re-tiling, or just moving furniture, you want ...
A squeaky floor is easier to fix if it’s a floor that you can access from below. Listen to BOB VILA ON SQUEAKY FLOORS...
60 to 70% of the homes in the U. S. contain carpeting made from nylon, polyester, or vinyl—materials dependent on non...
A couple decades ago, no one would have considered it, but one of today’s most popular flooring products is bamboo. ...
Stenciled floors date back to Colonial times, but these examples represent some of today's best painted floor fashions.
Weathered wood floors grayed from years of wear go so well with the ubiquitous reclaimed wood and industrial furnitur...
Tint your drab concrete floor an eye-catching color with easy-to-apply dye.
Bathrooms are, like it or not, wet areas. Even if the rest of your house has gleaming hardwood floors, they’re not th...
Maryam Montague, author of "Marrakesh By Design," shares her tips for this great DIY project.
An environmentally friendly alternative to wood or tile, remodelers often neglect to consider cork flooring as a viable option—but it is.
Think linoleum and vinyl flooring are the same thing? Wrong. While many people mistakenly call vinyl tile 'linoleum',...
Bob Vila Radio is a newly launched daily radio spot carried on more than 60 stations around the country (and growing)...
Surprises abound when you take on a home remodeling project. You never quite know what you will find; and once you’ve...
Few do-it-yourself projects deliver the "wow" factor as potently as refinishing hardwood floors.
There are a lot of decisions to make when constructing a new home. Having a large production builder as our contracto...
Whether you prefer ceramic tile, natural stone, or hardwoods, there's no lack of stylish options for today's kitchen flooring.
Design, color, and surface are important considerations, but don't overlook comfort, durability and easy care—particularly in kitchen flooring.
Floor sanding and refinishing is unforgiving work. Make a mistake and it will show. However, a refinished floor can b...
Surprises abound when you take on a home remodeling project. You never quite know what you will find; and once you’ve...
Unless you plan to sand many floors in your lifetime, the best choice for do-it-yourself floor refinishing is the ran...
Glass block floors invite more light into your home and provide a unique decorative accent.
Find the type of bathroom flooring that withstands moisture, looks attractive and feels good underfoot.
I expect there's a time for compromise with any home improvement project. If you’ve been tracking my "Green" Nursery ...
Interested in choosing the right floor? Appearance matters, but don't forget the ongoing demands of material maintenance.
The basic requirement of any floor surfacing material—from ceramic to wood—is that the subfloor remain free of moistu...
Flooring products have benefited from green technologies that serve the consumer as well as the planet.
Protect an unfinished home from the elements by building a durable subfloor from new, improved options in engineered wood.
Bob introduces homeowner Howard Brickman. Steve Ivas, an environmental engineer, describes the area wetlands, which must be accommodated. Innovative building tech...
The home's concrete-slab floor is constructed with foam decking and connected to PEX tubing that will heat the home. The ReddiForm foam blocks enable a single con...
Bob explores innovative construction technologies – Insul-Tarp and ReddiForm polystyrene blocks – as the structure is reinforced and the first-floor walls start t...
The walls in the new addition are just about ready for paint. The new fireplace, trimmed with fieldstone, will make this new in-law suite very cozy. Interior door...
A slab is poured in the basement and work is underway to add two new dormers to the roof.
Bob and plumbing and heating contractor Frank Iadarola review the air handler and bathroom in-floor radiant heat.
Bob tours the front vestibule, highlighting the beautiful stencil work done by artist Kim Sweet. He explains how small touches can bring back the feel of an 1890s...
The generously sized workshop has a functional layout and a unique vinyl floor designed by architect Gregory Rochlin.
Bob looks at the new carpet being installed on the third floor and at a bathroom tile installation.
Bob quickly reviews the completed work in the kitchen, and then oversees the installation of a herringbone-patterned floor in the den, which will essentially func...
Basement drainage systems are installed to control moisture and humidity and to eliminate rot and mildew.
Carpet tiles are installed in the basement, and experts discuss storage and organizing solutions for the basement and master bedroom.
The front of the Melrose house gets finishing touches, including a new, insect-resistant porch deck, new trellises, and a porch light.
Bob discusses the installation of a plastic subfloor to prevent water damage and the selection of a basement dehumidifier.
Bob and Anthony Lopez install porcelain tiles for a decorative look.
Jesse Bartuesek joins Bob for the installation of Brazilian Walnut floors
Bob talks to Nick Tagios, of Tagios Tile and Marble, who's laying down the marble tile bathroom floor using a traditional installation technique.
Bob confronts the remodeling challenge of choosing a flooring material that will deaden sound without sacrificing the sleek, clean look of tile or stone. So contr...
Don and Kerry Carlisle (from Carlisle Restoration Lumber) visit the modern Colonial house to discuss the custom flooring being installed in the kitchen area.
Work continues at the sister project house where a new laminated floor system is being installed.
Howard Brickman has begun sanding the old growth Eastern white pine floor in the bedroom of the modern Colonial.
Bob meets with flooring specialist Howard Brickman, who has completed the home's beautiful wood floors. The next challenge is to move heavy appliances across the ...
Thorough Construction's lead carpenter Connor McKenna applies panel adhesive to the tops of the new, sistered joists before laying four-by-eight sheets of Georgia...
Bob checks out Shaw's Chateau wood flooring, which contractor David LaFosse and his crew are about to install in the great room.
Tom Sullivan of Bellawood is in one of the four Mashpee affordable homes where they have donated hardwood flooring for the living room, dining room, and kitchen o...
Bob meets Scott Howard of Dean's Carpet, John Livermore from the Energy Star Homes program, and Damon Markowski from Leviton to show some of the features built in...
Bob is outside the Manhattan Brownstone to show off the refurbished facade of the building and then goes inside to show us the completed living room of the floor-...
Kathy Ireland tells Bob about her Shades of America carpet collection. With a more focused color selection and more descriptive color names, Shades of America mak...
Fred Giuggio (from QuickStep) and his crew are busy installing wood laminate flooring in the barn of the Victorian restoration project house.
Bob and Tim Colgan (from Kahrs) discuss the white oak flooring being installed in the bedroom.
Bob looks at the beech flooring in the key hall, before moving to the media room to discuss the carpeting with Gary Johnston (from DuPont) and the electronic comp...
The crew is using a crane to install the engineered wood flooring system.
Carpenter Bob Ryley joins Steve Yates (from Pergo) to learn installation tips for, and the features of, Pergo wood laminate flooring and installation tips.
Bob visits the Perstop Flooring Factory to see how Pergo, wood laminate flooring, is made.
Bob talks with carpenter Bob Ryley and general contractor Kevin Kalman, as they lay down the subflooring.
Carpenter Bob Ryley and contractor Grady Garrett install a reclaimed Yellow Pine hardwood floor.
Bob meets with preservationist Fred Ecker to go over the process of making repairs to the floors.
Bob meets with Heather Sheehan and Scot Lintz (from Allied Signal) to discuss the production and use of recycled carpet.
Bob learns about hand-stitching carpets, as he watches Peter Mead use a traditional technique.
Bob tours the exterior with general contractor Sam Daniel. Then, he joins architect John Paul Hanbury and interior designer Barbara Page, and, together, they roll...
Bob and carpenter Bob Ryley review the interior construction, which must satisfy stringent fire codes.
Joel Trepitti (from Pergo) talks Bob through the installation of the wood laminate flooring.
The first Elmwood project concerns remodeling a Gothic Carpenter-style home, built in 1871.
The old flooring in the Gothic Carpenter-style home in Elmwood has been removed. Bob outlines the process of installing the new floor and discusses the new suppor...
Bob Riley and Howard Brickman install a reclaimed hard pine floor. The orientation of the boards is explained, and the moisture content of the subfloor is checked...
Joe Murphy installs a direct vent gas-driven fireplace, and Howard Brickman refinishes the hardwood floor.
The second home in the Elmwood project, a Colonial Revival, is complete, after the second-floor bathroom gets a new vanity, new doors for the laundry closet, and ...
Bob takes a final tour of the home workout area, discussing the tub surround and the new exercise equipment.
As part of a Miami kitchen renovation, Bob frames a partition wall made to resemble a banana leaf. He also pours concrete to patch a floor.
Bob and homeowner Gavin repair and refinish a 75-year-old oak floor. Because the new patch floor panels have a different thickness from the original, a belt sande...
Bob visits with Butch and Dennis LeDonne, who are using thin-set epoxy to install an aggregrate product from Rover Tile on the master bathroom floor.
Flooring specialist Mary Docker introduces Bob to Amtico. A flooring product from England, Amtico is vinyl that mimics the look of wood and marble. It's water-res...
Contractor Bob Ryley installs tongue-and-groove yellow pine flooring, as Gary D'Lessio (from Pergo) installs high-pressure laminate flooring.
Bob and contractor Bob Ryley join exterminator Dean Bailey (of Fowler and Sons) to discuss termite control in and around the garage. Also, concrete contractor Sha...
Bob remarks on how much progress has been made in one week of work on the Wayland project home. The footings have been established and the crew has begun building...
Floor tiles are installed in the bathroom after the underlayment has dried and chalk reference lines have been drawn. Tips on cutting and laying tile are given.
Flooring contractor Leo Boudreau shows Bob how to recycle hardwood flooring. First, the floor must be salvaged. A pry bar is used to lift and remove the wood, pie...
Bob helps carpenter Bob Ryley replace the storm windows on the Plymouth project house, and the newly designed bathroom needs tiles.
As tiling begins on the bathroom floor and in the shower, Bob takes a field trip to the factory where the tiles being used in the project house were made.
Bob observes as workmen create a template that's used to cut vinyl sheet goods for an exact fit on the floor.
Bob helps carpenter-contractor Bob Ryley build an insulated floor so as to extend living space into the basement.
Bob tours the newly furnished and appointed Plymouth project house with the interior designer. Throughout, there is a mix of formal and informal pieces, which all...
Bob looks on as tile setter John Boardman applies bathroom floor tile at the Cape Cod project house.
Tile setter Roger Short performs a “mud job” on the bathroom floor before laying the tile pattern.
Contractor Tom Forest repairs a hump in the dining room floor, then revives the floor’s maple finish.
Installer Ed Janecek demonstrates how to add a creative touch to vinyl flooring, while painter Dirk Van Kinette rolls high-gloss paint onto the master bathroom wa...
Bob joins architect Mike Morgan and general contractor Ron Gan in the basement of the coach house to discuss options for making the basement space useful and/or m...
General contractor Tim Berky installs the white oak, tongue-and-groove floor. Since the flooring will be nailed over the hyrdronic heat system, it is critical to ...
