floors Columns
Floorcloths are beautiful to look at, warm underfoot, easy to care for and can convey any style from richly historical to folksy to modern chic....(read more)
...(read more)
Q I'm beginning to panic. We are renovating our upstairs bedrooms and have always had wall-to-wall carpeting throughout these rooms and the hall. I'd like to have hardwood or one of the new laminate floors for the master bedroom. Can you mix laminates and carpeting in the different rooms, or would it look too jumbled?
King Features Syndicate
The Bordeaux-colored leather floor creates a distinct, sensual mood in this modern bedroom/sitting room.
A: While choosing a single floor option does unify the space, it isn't necessary, especially on the bedroom level. There is a trend today toward wood floors, and the variety in laminates, engineered wood and hardwood is huge. You could have carpet in the hallway and one or two bedrooms, or run wood floors throughout and use area carpets to suit each room. It's a personal choice: What do you like to feel underfoot? Are allergies a concern? What's your budget? Easy-to-install (nail- and glue-less) click floors are available in traditional wood varieties, including bamboo and cork. Or why not treat yourself to an exciting new option for your bedroom? If you love the luxe look and feel of leather, an exciting new product -- the leather engineered panel floor -- is here. Thanks to recent manufacturing advances, leather is now a viable flooring option. The panels shown here frombuilddirect.com consist of a 100 percent environmentally friendly leather surface that is 2.5 mm thick. It's as durable as it is beautiful, and has a distinctive style to suit a den, media room or bedroom.
Q: We'd like advice on the downstairs bathroom in our 1920s home. Cracks in the walls were replastered and painted. We didn't realize that under many layers of paint was wallpaper. Near the ceiling it began to sag. The walls are lathe and plaster. Old tile goes partway up the wall; it's in perfect condition. How can we fix the upper walls?
A: There's no fixing the sagging; it's time to remove all those layers of paint and paper above the tile and start fresh. There are solutions available at your paint or hardware store that will help to loosen what's there. Take your time and use a scraper. When you reach the original plaster, sand smooth and wash off any residual glue. Let the walls dry completely, then fill in any repairs with plaster. Prime the walls. You can now apply paint or paper that is designed to hold up in humid bathroom conditions.
Q: Is it possible to cover older square tiles in a kitchen backsplash with new tiles in a different color and design? I'd rather not have to pull off the old tiles (and part of the wallboard).
...(read more)
