The Internet is a treasure trove of horror stories about awful home contractors that provided poor workmanship and shoddy tile jobs. Homeowners detail the sagas of discovering the wrong size tile after the fact, cracked tile haphazardly sealed, overcharging, laziness, and even contractors who bailed halfway during the job and went off the grid. Basically anything less than the result you expected and paid for, it’s happened to someone. The best way to prevent a contractor horror story is to thoroughly check and double-check his or her qualifications before hiring anybody. Don’t shy away from asking personal questions. It’s your home they’re entering and improving. Here are 20 questions you must ask during any contractor interview, as noted by Contractors From Hell.

1. What are your hourly or project rates and what kind of payment schedule and options do you accept? (Remember: You often get what you pay for!)

2. What is the total cost of my project, as broken down by line item?

3. Does my tile project require any special building permits? (Remember: You are responsible for obtaining these from your city.)

4. Are you licensed and insured in this state? What kind of liability insurance do you carry? (Remember: Make a copy of every insurance policy they prove.)

5. Do you have your own crew or do you hire independent subcontractors? How long have they worked for you? (Remember: You have the right to verify all background checks and insurance papers of any workers in your home-and you should.)

6. Do your employees carry workman’s compensation and liability insurance? (Remember: This is required in most states and your homeowner’s insurance should not be any claim of coverage.)

7. How long have you been in business? (Remember: Verify the office address and beware of P.O. Boxes-this is a red flag!)

8. Can you provide me with references for similar tile jobs? (Remember: Just because a family member or friend recommended someone obligate you to hire them.)

9. Will mine be your only job or will you be juggling multiple clients and subcontractors simultaneously?

10. How much time will you, the General Contractor, spend in my home working each day? What is your work schedule for my tile project?

11. Have you ever had any legal action taken against you or your business in this or any other state? (Remember: Verify any statements with the local courts if necessary.)

12. Have you conducted business in this state under any other name?

13. Have you ever declared bankruptcy?

14. How often do you communicate with your clients throughout the job?

15. Who fills in if you are called away or unavailable on a certain day?

16. What safety precautions do you take each day, and before you leave, do you clean up the workspace for livability?

17. How do I keep my pets and children safe while you are working in my home?

18. How would past customers describe your work? (Remember: Angie’s List is a good source for customer reviews.)

19. Tell me about a customer who was unsatisfied with your work. How did you resolve the problem? What negative constructive criticism did you receive from them?

Even if you forget to ask something before hiring a contractor, at least remember the number one rule of home remodeling: Always get everything-everything-in writing. Before a single tile is bought or cut, hash out all of the estimates, warranties, and timetables with your contractor and if you insist, a lawyer as well. Hiring a good contractor saves you time and stress. Hiring a bad one only costs you more in the end. Take the time to get a good one.

Learn more great tips on home improvement directly from the Denver Tile Installation website, just click through to the blog when you get there.

Born and raised in Ukraine, Youri Naimark was an construction engineer for 20 years (specializing in coal mine construction). In that time Youri oversaw major projects and won several State-level awards. After moving to US in 2002, Youri scaled down and started a Denver tile installation company. Since then Youri’s company has become a boutique home improvement firm. Youri has been publishing articles related to home improvement for over 3 years and recently he started a blog dedicated to proper home improvement practices and some Do-It-Yourself tips, which can be found at http://www.denverstileinstallation.com/blog/

There is an ongoing debate among homeowners as to which carpet type to use: hand knotted or hand tufted. Basically they both look pretty much alike, however there are some basic differences between the two particularly when it comes to the way they are produced. The hand tufted carpets are also known as Full cut or latex carpets, and making them don’t require any particular skill, unlike knotted carpets which take much longer to make and need some knowledge in getting the knots lying the right way.

When making a hand-tufted carpeting, you need to use good quality wool material. On the other hand the quality of the hand-knotted rug is mostly based on how many knots are available per square inch. Many people call the hand tufted types as disposable as they seem to be the lower cost ones that don’t need much labor and expertise in doing them. This means that they are cheaper when bought so they are a better alternative when budget is your biggest motivator.

If the tufted rug is made of low quality wool, it won’t make a good quality piece in the long run and it will start showing signs of wear really fast. Getting a good quality piece means that you will have to shop around and buy it from a company with a good reputation.

There is a third type of rug that can be also used for your carpeting, called flat woven rug. This is quite lightweight and very easy to look after and clean. You can see many of these items as show pieces that are hung mostly on the walls than laid on the floor. You won’t find knots on this type and this makes it a much easier construction than the previous two types.

To properly care for your staircases the best option is to use wood stair treads, while for areas around your staircases where a full fledged carpet cannot fit you can easily go with some beautiful well placed braided stair treads.

Indoor flooring, whether it is slate, stone, wood or vinyl, usually has a great appearance and, depending on cost, offers varying levels of durability and varying designs. Keeping these floors looking good is a challenge, an important one as if not carefully maintained these floors can quickly become stained and dulled over time and with use. Slate and stone and vinyl flooring are two good examples of this and the maintenance of these types of flooring is particularly important. Vinyl, at first glance, appears low maintenance as spillages can be wiped, and the floor is durable. However, spillages can infiltrate the vinyl at the joint and for this reason a sealer is usually applied to proof it.

Slate and stone are obviously durable surfaces, but the grout usually needs some sort of sealant to maintain its aspect, and once again stop filtration and staining. Grout is the material used to fill the gaps along the edges of tiles, and to seal them. Grout is quite a porous substance, as it is composed of a mixture of cement, sand and water – making the need for a sealer paramount. Slate and stone often gains its attractive appearance from a floor polish.

General maintenance such as mopping and cleaning on a daily basis can help protect your floor, but general wear and tear, such as the moving of heavy furniture, spillages not cleaned immediately and walk in grit and particles can mark or scratch a floor. Once this happens, any sealant or polish can be marked or scratched leaving an area where bacteria and soiling can accumulate, dulling the floor’s appearance and causing it to lose its previous charm.

Unfortunately when this happens, general cleaning and maintenance ceases to be effective and a professional floor sealer and floor restoration company will need to be consulted. Such a company specializes in stripping the previous sealer and cleaning the floor to restore it to its previous state. At this point a new sealer is applied to give it added protection.

In the case of slate, it is possible that no sealant was originally applied, and in this case a sealant is recommended as stone stains very easily. A water based impregnator/sealer that is silicone free and non toxic is recommended, and as stated, a professional floor sealer and restoration company will be able to advise you on the best sealer for your floor.

A good floor is generally not cheap, and an investment to protect it could save you future work and cost. For further information, advice or a quote for floor sealer and floor restoration, please contact professional floor cleaners, the clean n simple team.

Rubber flooring is used in many different areas of work and in the home, and there are many different types of rubber tiles to choose from. Here is a look at some of the top tips when it comes to flooring rubber including the best places to buy, cleaning techniques, ideas, and more.

1. Choose a flooring fit for the purpose – not all rubber floorings fit all situations for example in commercial situations, where rubber tiles is most commonly found, rubber is not suited to kitchens because it is not at all resistant to animal fats, vegetable oils, or petroleum-based materials.
2. Maintain the flooring to make it last – rubber is prone to discolouring but there are ways to clean your rubber flooring to maximize its life span such as not using any hard materials as this could scratch the surface.
3. Shopping for flooring rubber – the best places to buy rubber flooring is local hardware stores whether it be an independent store or a large international chain such as B+Q. You can also look online as well; shopping online usually saves you more money than shopping in-store.
4. Gyms use rubber tiles and flooring – you have probably never noticed the floor in your gym before but next time you go have a look and you will notice it is rubber flooring. Rubber flooring is perfect for gyms because it is east clean, and the rubber helps reduce the impact off the body while working out. If you are wanting to install a home gym consider rubber flooring as your base.
5. Rubber floor installation – if you are wanting to lay the floor yourself to save on cost then choose interlocking rubber tiles, they are easy to lay and require no adhesive.
6. Remodelling your garage? – consider using a rubber floor for your newly remodeled garage as it will lend to vehicles, heavy traffic, easy clean up of dirty and mud, and it is an inexpensive flooring option.
7. Cleaning your floor – you can hoover your rubber tiles and flooring and mop with warm soapy water.
8. Options of colour – not only do you get the option of different types of rubber tiles and flooring to choose form but you also get a huge array of colours and so have a think about colour scheme before you set out shopping.

If you are looking for rubber flooring take a look at The Rubber Floor Store’s website.

Wooden flooring can be an inspiration to the home and if you are having difficulty deciding what type of flooring to go for and if it will match with your other pieces of furniture, then hopefully this guide will aid you in making the perfect choice.

Before you even buy your flooring there are certain things you need to consider:

• Are you after a contemporary feel? If this is the case then the boards need to be of a uniform variety and need to have a clean look to them.
• Are you after a rustic farmhouse effect? To create this effect you need the boards to have colour variations and look as though they’ve been cut from a tree, so having knots in the wood will add the rustic factor you are after.
• What’s the layout of your room? If you have a narrow room then slim boards can help the room look much wider than what it actually is and on the other hand wide boards suit a large space enabling the expanse to be contained into uniformed proportion.

So what type of wooden flooring is there for you to consider? There are pro’s and con’s with each type and by following this guide it should allow you to make the ideal choice for living arrangements. Not only do you need to factor in your budget you also need to consider where the floorboards are placed. If the area is a high traffic area such as a hallway, then you need to consider the damage which can be caused by footwear, such as high heels. You also need to take into account the shifting of furniture, such as in a home office, will there be an office chair wheeling about on the boards? If this is the case, then a hard wearing laminate is in order.

Also you need to consider matching or accentuating your current furniture with your flooring, you can always take samples of the flooring so you see how the grain sits with your home office furniture or bedroom furniture. Also consider the weight of the furniture, as a heavy wardrobe could dent a softwood floor and when it comes to changing your room about you will be left with unsightly dents which may need to sanded.

The following wooden flooring is the most requested:

• Laminate Flooring – this is hardwearing flooring and is suitable for high traffic areas, it is stain-resistant and doesn’t fade easily. However if you buy cheap laminate you can end up with boards which do not fit well together. Another advantage with laminate is they can also come with other properties such as antistatic and antimicrobial.
• Solid Wood Flooring – If you are thinking of using this type of flooring and you have under floor heating you need to be aware that it expands and contracts so it is not really suitable, also if the area is quite damp, then this is another no, no for the solid wood aspect. However, it is highly durable and will offer the elegance wanted, plus if scratches appear they can be sanded as needed. It is more beneficial to go for a hard wood as soft woods are prone to denting.
• Reclaimed Boards – One of the most environmentally friendly options to choose from and one of the added benefits is they are already aged and have character about them from years of use. At the same time, they are probably one of the most expensive options to choose from as the installation can prove more time consuming and difficult than the fitting of new boards, although pine is one of the cheaper options.
• Engineered Boards – If you live in an apartment and you have other residents below you then be aware this type of board is louder than solid wood flooring when walking over it in footwear, however it not as expensive as solid wood. It is hard wearing flooring and is as quick to lay as laminate, plus it can be sanded and used with under floor heating.
• Bamboo Flooring – Not actually wood, but well worth considering for the option of flooring. It is durable and a lot more moisture resistant than wood, so ideal for a damp room and it is also environmentally friendly due to the speed of growth the plant. However with bamboo you may not get the wide range of finishes you get with other flooring.

With so many options and the variety of colour choices available buying wooden flooring can be daunting but with using a guide to the pro’s and con’s it can ensure you are buying the best choice for your home.

Riley Coleman is an experienced interior designer specialising in modern bedroom furniture and designing home offices. She has a passion for writing and is a keen on the idea of combining the home and the outside. She also works for a bedroom furniture retailer.

Hardwood floors are a stunning addition to any home and can increase a property’s value. However, caring for them can be a little tricky, but if you are careful your floors will outlast you. Just keep the following tips in mind to maintain the lovely look of your hardwood floors.

1. One of the worst things you can do is start moving furniture around in a room with hardwood without lifting it. The heavier the furniture the more you tend to push it and the more scratches it leaves behind. So if you do want to rearrange furniture make sure you have a few strong friends to help you lift everything.

2. Avoid wheels. Yes, wheels in your home. You know, the ones from computer chairs, your kids’ toys or rollerblades, or even that serving tray. Either make sure your floors don’t see any wheels at all, or at least make sure they are the rubber type. Many children’s toys have hard plastic wheels which will scratch any hardwood floor beyond recognition.

3. Sand, dirt, grit and anything else that may be carried in the house on someone’s shoes can ruin your hardwood floors. Sand and grit are abrasive, and in combination with each other you may as well get a sheet of sandpaper and start rubbing it across the floor. Of course, the ideal situation would be for people to take their shoes off, but this is not a very practical approach. Therefore, make sure you have a mat just outside the doorway and you should consider adding a few high traffic rugs, just to make sure any other debris will fall off.

4. Never wash your hardwood without speaking to the flooring consultant first because wood is extremely sensitive and you may end up ruining your floors. Your consultant will tell you exactly which cleaning agents are good for your floors and which you should avoid.

5. Make sure you clean up any spill quickly, because hardwood floors stain easily. Additionally, water can infiltrate tiny cracks and you may end up with some warped hardwood.

6. Keep the sun away from your floors as much as possible, even if it is a wonderful feeling to have sunlight coming through the windows. In time, the sun can cause your hardwood floors to fade and lose that lovely, deep, rich color. Therefore, keep the blinds closed whenever possible to avoid this.

7. When vacuuming the floor, make sure to use a brush attachment. In fact, it’s preferable if you keep one attachment especially for your hardwood and have a separate one for other areas of the house.

Maintaining hardwood floors may seem difficult, especially since there are many more tips on how you should care for your floors. At the same time though, hardwood floors are so beautiful and charming that they are worth every minute. Everything will become a habit and you won’t notice all the things you do to take care of your floors.

David “Delta” Cooper was an F-14 Tomcat Pilot for the United States Air Force from 1990 until 2002. After he was discharged to civilian life once again, he took what the military had taught him and built his first house. He has since been keeping up with repairs and maintenance on his own and feels that his experiences would be wasted if he didn’t share them with the community. He has just finished installing Hardwood Floors in his sisters house and is currently dealing with his hardwood floors squeaking.

Just like any other consumer product, the cost of floor covering depends on the product’s purpose, quality, and demand. Unless you root out an incredible deal on shipping and handling, for the most part, due to the weight of the item, you should buy your carpeting at a nearby location.

How much does carpet usually cost? The really inexpensive variety can cost as little as $2 per 12×12 square, and those seeking luxury can shell out more than $100 for a square yard, or just under $10 per square foot. On average, carpet and padding can be installed for anywhere from $19 to $38 for nine square feet. The actual final cost is calculated from the quality of the materials plus the cost of installation.

For brainstorming purposes, consider a room that is 144 square feet, or 12 feet by 12 feet. To start, we’ll need to change square feet to square yards, which is the way most carpeting is measured. Get out your calculator or a pencil and paper! Divide the number of square feet, in our case 144, by 9. This gives us a converted measurement of 16 square yards. Multiply this number by the lowest average price for carpeting, $19 per square yard, to get a final amount of $304. In this scenario, it will cost us just about $300 to carpet our room, but keep in mind that we are envisioning taking the cheapest option.

The next step is to take your measurements (and your calculator) to local carpet shops and start checking out prices. Ask a clerk about the cost of padding and installation right away. Is it included? This will dramatically impact your final cost. In other words, don’t just budget the carpet by itself. You’ll need to factor in the price of padding, installation, and removal of old carpeting, too.

Typically, you can plan to spend about $3 or $4 per square yard, and if you’re planning on getting rid of old carpet, another $1 per square yard to have it torn out and removed. If you are particularly industrious, you can save money by ripping out the old carpet and padding on your own, but it is often worth the money to have a professional take care of the whole process.

In sum, the steps to successful carpet buying are: accurately measuring the space you want to cover, deciding the class and quality of material would best fit that space, pricing the materials using the formula above, and deciding if you want to do a little work yourself or have professionals take care of all or part of the project.

Any home improvement task can often be daunting. What you want and what you can afford are not always a match. Finding great carpet prices is just like anything else, you get what you pay for. In terms of carpeting, arm yourself with the facts before you head to the store. See what floor covering and carpet price fits your budget for the space you want to redo, then head out and get the best price and beautify your home!

Bamboo can be used as an alternative means of flooring. Using bamboo for various purposes generated originally in China. Chinese culture has been using bamboo for thousands of years.

Seeing the environmental problems and other host of benefits provided by bamboo, they are used in decors such as bamboo flooring and blinds. Below are some of its advantages:

- Bamboos grow in abundance, hence they are renewable source. They are easily available and ecological balance can be maintained too. Every part of bamboo are useful, therefore, no wastage. Recent terminology calls it a ‘green material’ as it helps in preserving the environment and prevents forest deforestation. It reduces the ‘carbon footprint’.

- You do not need professional help to install bamboo flooring if you are acquainted with its processes. Apart from reducing the costs, the pricing of bamboo itself depends on the quality and the finished product.

- Bamboos add to the style statement of your house. Though manufactured and grown mostly in Asian countries, the concept is catching up with the West. Bamboo flooring are classy, glossy, and come in various colors. They give an elegant feel.

- Bamboo provides durable and strong flooring. They can carry heavy weight even though they are light weight and they last long. With proper maintenance, it will look as good as new till its last day.

- As compared to stone flooring or vinyl, bamboo flooring are very adaptable. They are flexible to suit any type of cutting and installation. They are comparatively less sensitive to temperature variations, unlike other furnishings.

- Bamboos are easier to transport. No heavy materials are required. Also, storage is possible almost anywhere, and hassle free.

- As compared to other materials, bamboo flooring are easy to maintain. They are strong and do not lose shine. Constant re-polishing makes them look new as ever.

Pinky Savika has been writing articles for more than 5 years. Not only does this author specialize on the subjects of health, diet, fitness and weight loss, you can also look at her latest articles about Bamboo Flooring which give you information about bamboo flooring, and Bamboo Blinds which give you information about bamboo blinds.

There are so many different types of carpet and rugs from all over the world, but the Persian rug is in a class of its own, and you will find great rewards when decorating with Persian rugs. An important part of the culture and art, carpet weaving dates back to about 500 BC in ancient Iran. This is in the Achaemenid period.

Although the art of carpet weaving went through many changes during the eras, the materials used remain the same. They are made of cotton, silk and wool, which in itself has a large variety today. Many of these fabulous rugs have unfortunately decayed over the years. The different wools used today are Manchester, Kork wool, and camel hair.

Having the reputation for the production of wools of very high quality, Nain is a small town and the producer of some of these rugs. Their patterns are very like Isfahan rugs, which come from old Persian. Isfahan is the old capital and these became popular in the West. They usually have flowers and branches intertwined in the patterns, many times with a medallion.

Produced by the Tekke tribe, a Turkoman carpet named tekke is also known as bokhara. Bokhara is the main trading area in this region. Tekke rugs tend to have a broad border with geometric shapes, with the colors usually being dark red, blue and white. Kashan, which is located in Iran, uses pure silk and unbleached cotton with Persian knots to make their rugs. The medallion, once again, is a popular pattern.

These rugs can be used in virtually any room in the home. Decorating trends have included these and other rugs as wall-hangings, treated them as beautiful works of art. They may dress up a room very formally, indeed a room that may be for show, as opposed to use. The longer narrower versions of this type of carpet are often used in hallways and foyers as entrance markers and to direct one to another part of the house.

Some of the elements of the Persian Rug are the primary border, the secondary border (another of which may precede the primary border), the ecoincons, the champ, and the medallion central. The layout of these rugs are designed using patterns such as the all-over, central medallion and the one-sided

GCRugs is an online retailer of modern and traditional area rugs, wool rugs, Persian rugs, and more.

Are you planning on replacing the flooring in your kitchen? Changing the flooring in your kitchen can change your whole outlook and opinion of your kitchen decor. This article will discuss what the best kitchen flooring options are for you.

Laminate Flooring

If you are on a budget, the best kitchen flooring you can purchase has got to be laminate flooring. Laminate flooring is one of the cheapest and most durable flooring that you can buy for your money. This type of flooring holds up well against the elements of the kitchen as well. If you spill a little milk on the floor, no problem. Just get yourself a mild cleaning product and wipe it right up.

The great thing about laminate flooring is that when it is old and needs to be replaced, you can just lay more right on top of the existing flooring. Of course, this is not recommended but if you were in a rush and needed to sell your house for example, you could easily replace the laminate flooring with this method and have your kitchen floor looking brand new.

Hint:

Please notice it is recommended that you find a mind cleaning product to clean your laminate flooring. Some stronger, more abrasive cleaning products could lead to unnecessary wear and tear on laminate floors. Some cleaners may leave discolorations in the flooring and some may even be strong enough to leave holes when you apply scrubbing pressure. Be care not to damage your flooring in this manner.

Ceramic Flooring

Today, many home owners are turning to ceramic flooring as their best kitchen flooring choice. And why not, the right ceramic flooring can turn your ordinary kitchen into the kitchen of your dreams. Ceramic flooring comes in many different colors and patterns so it can pretty much match well with any kitchen decor.

The down side to ceramic flooring is that it can be a bit pricey. Make sure that if you do choose to lay ceramic flooring in the kitchen that you have enough money in your budget to cover the cost. Another down side to this type of flooring is that if a heavy object falls onto the floor, it is possible that the flooring may chip or crack. This may lead to an already expensive floor needing to be replaced in certain areas.

If you plan on remodeling your kitchen this year you have many flooring options to choose from. But what is the best kitchen flooring? Well, that all depends on your situation. If you are looking for style and price is no object, than you can’t loose with ceramic flooring. If you are on a budget, than laminate flooring might be the choice for you. What ever you end up with, make sure that you do your research and comparison shop and you will not be disappointed with the end result.

For helpful tips on the best kitchen flooring and more tips on Kitchen Remodeling visit http://www.remodelingkitchen.net