Q. I debating on laminate flooring. BKR has caught my eye but i have never heard of it. What brand of laminate is best? 8mm or 12mm. Going on a wood floor in an old house. Ripping up carpet and tile. BKR has the underlayment already attached and the installer said he would put down a moisture barrier. This is just adding up quickly and I want to make sure i get a good brand that will last a long time.

A. The most well known brands of laminate are quik-step, & pergo. The thicker the better. If I were you I would have the real wood floors refinished. Real wood is much more durable, you won't have to buy the new flooring, and wood will add more value to your house. If the wood floor has already been refinished too many times and can't be refinished again, then maybe consider engineered wood flooring. It has a layer of real wood, it will feel more solid than laminate, it looks better, and it can be refinished when it gets worn.

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Q. We are renovating my condo and I want to install wood flooring throughout the living area. What is the best wood flooring material and cheapest?

A. For a good balance between cost and quality, consider using Bamboo Flooring. Also a good choice for the environment.

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Q. I have an invalid living in my house. He sometimes cannot control his bowels and makes a mess in the floor. I currently have carpet over hardwood floor. I need the carpet to be taken out and want to find some sort of flooring that can be mopped with Clorox or Lysol in water to destroy odor. I would like to avoid any type of flooring that would have to be glued to the hardwood. It appears that all vinyl flooring has to glued down. Does anyone have any idea what I can put over the hardwood that will stand up to some serious cleaning?

A. Try laminate flooring, it is easy to install by locking the pieces together like a puzzle and it floats(needs no glue). It also cleans like a dream, we just got it and love it. You can get the kind that looks like wood or tile. We have the ceramic tile type and it really looks like tile. GL!

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Q. I am about to have some vinyl flooring fitted in my kitchen and would grateful for any suggestions as to what I can use for cushioning and to try and keep the floor as warm as possible under foot. I have had vinyl flooring before and it is still hard and cold when standing on the flooring. I have even tried cork tiles and this did not seem to make a huge difference. Would a laminate and wood flooring underlay be suitable or would this be a waste of time? I should add that I am in the UK.

A. An idea, There is a product by DRIcore subfloor which is designed to be put over concrete floors in basements, playrooms etc, this may be something you would want to look into, it would serve all your needs. Lowes carries this by the way, here's a link to the DRIcore website http://www.dricore.com/en/eIndex.aspx

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Q. Aside from the expensive yet beautiful tatami mats, what kind of wooden flooring would impart a Japanese feel to my room? It's a small bedroom and I'm going to place a straw-type, tatami mat-looking, area rug to finish the room off. What flooring would be a nice accent to this?

A. Wood and tatami are expensive! plus real tatami is prone to hold nasty bugs (ticks and fleas and the like) which are bad for allergies so you have to do some serious cleaning and they need to get replaced every X amount of years. do japanese ghetto instead! get tatami mat rolls (the kind japanese take to the beach or instead of a blanket for a picnic or what some may use for a curtain) and lay these out on your floor. for real ghetto, duct tape them to the floor.

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Q. Im remodeling my apartment and my roommate chose white to paint the walls in our entry way and living room? i get to choose the carpet or flooring (hardwood, etc) and color of the trim, does anyone know what color of trim, and what type of floor would go nicely with the white walls?

A. Lucky you! I'd rather be allowed to choose flooring and trim any day! That's a keeper whereas paint can be changed. As for what matched white walls, basically everything! White is not a color in decorating, but the absense of all color and that is why you can match it with anything. So, you can buy whatever pleases you! Do keep in mind that the lighter the floor color, the larger the room will appear and the darker the floor color, the smaller the room will appear. Also, lint, dust, etc., shows up more on dark floors. What you choose to use as material for the floor really depends on your budget. Hardwood floors are definitely the best for getting a return on your money. If you can't afford that, then consider these types of flooring: - laminate wood floor - vinyl soft floor covering - bamboo flooring (my favorite, by the way!) - ceramic tile (did you know that you can get ceramic tile that looks soooo much lilke wood, you have to touch it to know the difference? It's better than hardwood since it doesn't scratch and is very resistant!) Will you be painting the trim or using natural wood? If using natural wood, it is advisable to match the floor. Enjoy!

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Q. I am set to install porcelain tile flooring in a bathroom where the house currently has carpet. Provided it is in good condition (which I am assuming it is), is it OK to install the porcelain directly on the floor? Do I need to prepare the floor? If anyone has any pointers, I would appreciate it! Thanks!

A. First things first.. Is the floor concrete or wood? If it is concrete: Take up the old carpet, pad and tackstrip. Scrape and clean the floor. Check the concrete for any cracks and prepare them with a good crack supression system ( I recommend Protecto Wrap ). After this you are ready to install the ceramic. If the floor is wood: Follow the above with the added steps of a sturdy cement type backerboard, Wonderboard, HardiBacker or DurRock are just a few name brands. Wood floors need this in order to reduce the flex felt in a wood floor. I have known some installers to nail/screw this down without thinsetting ( tile morter) it down with good results. The correct way is to thinset the board down and then nail/screw it. The reason for this is to bond the board to the floor to reduce movement and thereby reducing cracks in the grout and tiles themselves. I hope this helps, Good Luck.

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Q. My living room is going to be laminate wood flooring, but I am thinking of using another surface for the entry area, to create a sort of mudroom space. What flooring should I use? I want something very durable because the kids run in and out with sand and mud. Slate? The style of the house is rustic, so the polished or modern look wouldn't fit. Thanks for your input! If you reply tile or slate, what about the grout? I hate the way old, dirty grout looks. Are there any alternatives????

A. Ceramic tile will last forever if done correctly... At least 3/4" marine plywood screwed down well, two layers if area will allow it, then cementboard screwed down to that. Fill all screw holes with floor patch, also level corners or uneven spots with "floor patch and level". Be sure to use good quality adhesive, and use spacers for even grouting. Use good quality grout and apply it maticulously, then seal it. If any steps are skipped you may get a loosened or broken tile through the years, and you basically have to rip up the whole thing to fix one spot. But a job well done will last decades! Good luck :-)

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