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FLOORING
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Shag rugs are enjoying a resurgence, thanks to their groovy textured looks and comfy feel underfoot. The potential bu...
As one of the strongest, most durable, and longest-lasting construction materials, it's no wonder why concrete is the...
Fall is the season of change. Leaves turn color, the temperature drops, and we slowly start retreating indoors for wi...
Concrete has long been a favorite choice for hardscaping features like driveways and walkways, porch stairs and patios. After all, few things on Earth are as toug...
Natural texture, super strength, stain resistance, and blend of vibrant hues are all reasons that slate tile—the thin...
It’s hard to beat ceramic tile for beauty, versatility, and durability. Perfect for bathroom, kitchen, even entryway ...
Careful preparation is key to the successful installation of hardwood flooring. If you fail to get the subfloor clean...
Even the nicest wall-to-wall carpeting can start to buckle, ripple, or wrinkle over time when it loosens and lifts fr...
Linoleum is a classic and resilient material, often found in high-traffic spaces like kitchens, bathrooms, and hallwa...
Whatever your home's style may be, flooring is quite literally its foundation—and often the first design element visi...
Wool rugs in a home appeal to several senses: Their vibrant colors and patterns improve the look of any space, while ...
Linoleum has been a practical flooring option for more than 100 years. While it fell out of fashion in the late 1940s...
No matter their placement—on the mantel, beside the bathtub, or on the dining table—lit candles instantly create an a...
Is your old flooring carpeted in style, or dirt, grime, and other relics of time? Modernize it by ripping out any fra...
Hardwood flooring offers rich, warm, timeless beauty, and can even favorably affect the resale value of your home. Wi...
DIYers usually welcome a sudden burst of artistic creativity—except when it means their pen goes awry, leaving a splo...
Floors are the unsung heroes of our homes, at once establishing the look of a space even while taking a beating under...
You've just grabbed the mop to clear up a spill or wipe away the day-to-day dirt, but will you actually make your flo...
Part-time workshop, storage center for outdoor equipment, shelter for the family cars—the garage is a do-it-all space...
Fall marks the beginning of shorter days, colorful leaves, and crisp temperatures, but it also marks a season of quie...
Are your floors scratched, worn, or out of style? In the past, there weren’t many affordable alternative to pricy hardwood floors. Today, though, budget options a...
There’s no way around it. Whether you’ve got hardwood, tile, or carpet, all floors must be cleaned of dirt and debris tracked in from outside. But this traditiona...
If your vinyl flooring (or linoleum) has developed a tear, don't despair! There's an easy—and yes, rather unexpected ...
One of the most important (and overlooked) elements of any home? The floors. Hardwood floors add warmth and character to any space, whether modern or rustic. And ...
There's no disagreement here: Concrete ranks among the most durable, longest-lasting of all building materials. That ...
When you’re in the market for new flooring, you weigh a lot of considerations before deciding on a material. You may end up eliminating marble because of its cost...
Routines we use to clean the home become second nature. We may never stop to think if we’re doing it right or if we could be doing it better. Believe it or not, t...
Think wood flooring has to strain your remodeling budget? Think again! Though hardwood flooring typically costs a pre...
Concrete floors are no longer found only in garages and basements. With elegant finishes now available—like stencilin...
Sweeping dirt under the rug: Tempting, sure, but it's no long-term solution. Different rooms in different houses requ...
Trees are classified as either hardwood or softwood according to the structure of their seeds. And while almost all h...
Pets and children put homes to the test. Which types of floors are up to the challenge?
Though it's always been a cost-effective alternative to traditional hardwood, today's laminate flooring proves just how far the product has come. Thanks to new im...
There are so many beautiful finishes available in today’s solid-wood flooring. With so many options, from distressed finishes to finishes that mimic oil-rubbing, ...
Bamboo is one of the hottest trends in flooring. This extremely hard material can take stain just like wood, so it's a natural choice for floors. Bamboo is also s...
As the base of any room, the flooring lays the foundation of a space's style. So what happens if you're feeling uninspired by your concrete or vinyl floor? Instal...
It's October, and fall is here in earnest. You might find yourself searching for ways to reinvigorate your surroundin...
Let's be clear: It's no fun to remove vinyl flooring. Peeling up the material itself is no picnic, but the real trial...
Over the last decade, engineered wood flooring has developed by leaps and bounds, making it more affordable than ever...
Looking to make your garage a little snazzier? Dressing up the concrete floor with colorful epoxy paint may be just t...
Most interior designers agree that in any space, flooring sets the tone. This means that decorating decisions about such things as furniture and lighting should b...
You lavish attention on the bedroom and living room, bathroom and kitchen, but what about the unsung hero of many smo...
Anyone shopping for a new hardwood floor quickly discovers that there's no shortage of options on the market. Homeown...
Engineered wood flooring has made great strides in the last two decades, providing homeowners with options in affordable, stylish, and easy-install wood flooring ...
I’ve removed some carpet and want to refinish the hardwood floors below. What should I use to fill the holes left by ...
I’d like some advice on how to level a concrete floor. We plan to finish the basement in my house, and there are goin...
Homeowners evaluating new flooring owe it to themselves to consider the benefits and beauty of wood. Wood floors are ...
Few things can add as much warmth, character, and charm to a room as hardwood floors. From the amber glow of heart pi...
Homeowners often refer to vinyl and linoleum interchangeably, but they are not the same thing. These resilient floor ...
Engineered flooring might sound like something that's made in a lab from plastics and other chemicals but, in fact, i...
There's no denying the beauty and value of hardwood floors. Their warmth, color and pattern make them suitable for an...
Concrete is porous, which means that it readily absorbs liquids like paint. With this ease of penetration, paint can ...
Cork flooring has been in the news recently, but cork is anything but new. It’s been marketed as a flooring material ...
Floors are an essential and important element in an interior design scheme. Small wonder, then, that the eye-catching...
Laminate floors are so beautiful when first installed, but over time they can start to look a little worse for wear. ...
Unquestionably, marble ranks among the most luxurious and beautiful countertop and flooring materials. Equally beyond...
I am living in Spain and redoing an old house in the country. I'd like some of the floors to be polished concrete. C...
Linoleum rugs are a little-remembered footnote to floorcovering history. These days, unless you uncover one when you’...
In our ongoing quest to make our homes beautiful reflections of who we are, the question of what to install underfoot...
By design, our floors will see some of the most wear and tear of any of the fixtures in our home. Even if you’re normally careful with your floors, life happens. ...
Your garage may be your workshop, your storeroom, your potting shed or the place where you showcase your automotive p...
There's no better time than spring to give your home some serious deep cleaning. It's finally warm enough to wash your windows without freezing them shut, and now...
Here's how to inlay sheet vinyl flooring for a designer look. Measure your design on the floor with chalk lines. Sec...
Here's an inexpensive and creative way to decorate a floor. Roll on a coat of deck enamel (the color of your choice) ...
Though it’s gotten a bad rap in past years, vinyl flooring is making a comeback. Although relative ease of installation has long been one of the material's sellin...
It's easier to cut vinyl flooring to the exact shape and size of your room when you make a template first. Staple she...
Here's how to scribe a floor tile to fit around an uneven edge. Set the closest full tile in place, then use another ...
Ceramic tile has been the go-to choice for bathroom flooring almost since the advent of indoor plumbing. But today there are many alternative—and stylish—choices ...
Homeowners used to think of concrete as being strictly utilitarian stuff, resorted to only when a better-looking mate...
You can't deny the decorative appeal of painted floors, whether they're patterned in checkerboard, stripes, or some o...
Does your floor need a new look? Instead of replacing it with costly broadloom or hardwood, consider painting it. Today’s homeowner has a lot options for painted ...
When you think of flooring options for your home, your mind may turn to images of polished hardwood in the dining room, evocative Spanish tile in the kitchen, or ...
Here's how to lay a no-squeak subfloor. Apply a generous bead of panel adhesive to the tops of your floor joists. Lay...
Wood has proven a popular and durable flooring choice in homes for hundreds of years. Whether you're considering recycling, upcycling, or creating a high-end luxu...
I have various scratches on my wood floors. Some add character, but some are just too big and need to go away. What i...
Homes make strange noises. They’re built of many different materials — glass, concrete, wood — that expand and contra...
Porcelain tile consistently ranks as a preferred flooring choice among homeowners, partly due to its beauty—the mater...
When you're renovating, save and recycle old hardwood floorboards for patching and repairing. Using a pry bar at each...
For our newly renovated attic, we'd wanted solid wood flooring, but that idea, it turned out, wasn't practical: The a...
Here's how to stop squeaks in an old house with original floors you'd rather not replace. Preservationists use an acr...
Here's how to get a warm, dry basement floor over a concrete slab when converting your basement into living space. La...
Here's a way to save time and energy when repairing floorboards. Instead of drilling and chiseling damaged floorboard...
It can be easy to patch cracks in an old wood floor or grout a new wood block floor. Here's how. First, make a mixtur...
For a very unusual floor finish, you might want to try wood blocks. Lay out your floor the way you would any ceramic...
Bottle caps, leather belts, and pennies are just a few of the unusual flooring materials that creative do-it-yourselfers have decided to use to add beauty and int...
Surprise! It's all right to install virtually any type of flooring in your basement. Although hardwood should be avoi...
Here's a way to replace damaged ceramic tile. Remove the grout with a grout saw. Crack the tile with a hammer and co...
Reclaimed wood floors give new life to old timbers. Made from lumber recycled from demolished buildings, heart pine, ...
I am moving to a new house where the living room and dining area have wall-to-wall carpeting. I asked the previous ow...
For durability and ease of maintenance, few materials compare with ceramic tile. Here are some of the hot new looks for 2013.
Laminate flooring enables homeowners to get the look of wood for less, and it's easy to install. In fact, tongue-and-...
Don't miss Bathroom Floor Tile: 14 Top OptionsBathroom floor tile is available in a surprising number of materials. C...
Add some color and pattern to a wood or concrete floor this summer by purchasing a couple cans of paint and a stencil...
Wood remains the most used flooring material. Its warm feel and appearance, affordability, and sheer variety probably...
When it comes to bathroom flooring, you’ll find a wealth of options to fit any budget and style. Keep in mind the nee...
Plywood vs. OSBWhen plywood was developed to replace solid-board sheathing for subfloors and decking, builders were g...
The interest in environmentally friendly floors is growing as people learn about deforestation, air quality, growing ...
Glass block floors add a unique accent to wood, tile, stone, and concrete floors. Consider them a dual purpose floor:...
Cork has been used for flooring for over a century. Finished cork floor can have the look of textured hardwood, the s...
Floors must withstand your lifestyle. They get nicked by high heels, crusted by muddy boots and crushed by furniture ...
If you’ve ever spent any time or money sanding and refinishing a wood floor, you may wonder why anyone would ever pai...
Bamboo flooring has won fans both for its look and performance, not to mention its environmental sustainability.
If you’re looking to install new hardwood floors, why not consider today’s eco-friendly alternative, bamboo?Considere...
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...
There are many ways to invite problems when you lay ceramic tile. Avoid such problems and a tile floor can last for d...
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...
Modern bathrooms are so much more than they used to be. They’ve gone beyond the practical and utilitarian purpose they were originally designed for, and serve as ...
60% to 70% of the homes in the U. S. contain carpeting made from nylon, polyester, or vinyl—materials dependent on no...
A couple decades ago, no one would have considered it, but one of today’s most popular flooring products is bamboo. A...
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...
Dyeing floors is different from staining them. With dye, there is no chemical reaction with the concrete—it simply dy...
Bathrooms are, like it or not, wet areas. Even if the rest of your house has gleaming hardwood floors, they’re not th...
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)...
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...
While design, color, and surface appeal are important considerations, you’ll also want kitchen flooring that can live...
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...
Unless you plan to sand many floors in your lifetime, the best choice for do-it-yourself floor refinishing is the ran...
Radiant floor heating is arguably the ideal home heating system. It’s comfortable, efficient, unobtrusive, quiet, and...
I expect there's a time for compromise with any home improvement project. If you’ve been tracking my "Green" Nursery ...
The basic requirement of any floor surfacing material—from ceramic to wood—is that the subfloor remain free of moistu...
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.
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 ...