Floors
Bathroom Flooring Options for 2015
There are many options for your bathroom flooring, and it is important to find the right one for your budget and needs. The most used flooring in bathroom designing today is vinyl sheet, linoleum, ceramic tile, vinyl tile, stone tile, glass and/or glazed ceramic tiles.
Vinyl is an inexpensive and durable material for a bathroom floor. Vinyl flooring comes in many designs, and can even be made to mimic stone or wooden flooring. Vinyl tiles can leave seams where water can seep through and damage the area below. Vinyl sheets come in rolls and are virtually seamless except for where the sheets come together. With less seams, they are easier to seal and maintain. Vinyl is very durable, and can last about 20 years. Smooth vinyl can be slippery when wet, but there are textured varieties of vinyl that provide better traction. Vinyl is good for a child’s bathroom because of it’s damage resistance, stain resistance, and the amount of design options available with it. Vinyl costs about $1-5 per square foot, plus installation.
Linoleum is a durable and water resistant tile option made of biodegradable materials such as cork and linseed oil. This “green” flooring option has returned to popularity because of its versatility and environmental awareness. The drawback of linoleum is that it can stain easily, but many manufacturers add protective coatings to resist scratches and stains. Linoleum costs about $2-5 per square foot, plus installation.
Ceramic tile is the most popular choice for bathroom flooring. It is durable, comes in many shapes and sizes, and is available with tons of custom patterns. Most designers look towards ceramic tile for bathroom flooring. Ceramic tile is resistant to chips, scratches, and cracks. The downside to tile is that it can be cold to the touch, especially in the morning. Radiant heating under the tile is a quick remedy to the issue. The cost of ceramic tile is about $1 to $20 per square foot; plus installation.
Glass and glazed tiles are durable and provide the most traction. Smaller tiles create more grout lines, for increased traction. Glass tiles are not ideal for the shower stall, because they dull with heavy cleaning. When designing with glass tiles, use a thin, lightly colored set behind them to allow them to reflect light better and sparkle more. Glass and glazed ceramic tiles cost $1 to $20 per square foot; plus installation.
Stone tile is often a high-end option for a bathroom, but there are less expensive choices in stone tile. Stone is durable, beautiful, and water-resistant. Polished, smooth stone is more expensive and can be slippery when wet. Textured stone is more skid resistant. Marble looks beautiful in bathrooms, but can change color if the veins have a lot of iron. To check if the marble you are choosing for your bathroom has a large amount of iron, soak a sample in water for 2 days, then wait 2 more to see if it changes, and how drastic it is. Stone can cost anywhere from $2 to $100 per square foot; plus installation.
To discuss bathroom or kitchen remodeling options that would be best for your home please contact us at (718) 273-6233 or visit our showroom at 711 Port Richmond Ave., Staten Island, NY 10302.
Wood Design Tiles
In your next kitchen or bathroom remodel, get the warmth and beauty of wood with the resilience of tile. Many people love the look of wood floors in a kitchen or bathroom, but do not want to risk the water damage. With tile, there is no risk of warping, water or termite damage; and tile works more efficiently with radiant heat floors than wood.
Many zen bathroom designs utilize wood backsplashes or floors to add to the natural feel of the room. While the imitation wood is not as natural as wood, it holds up to the moisture of a bathroom much better than actual wood. Tiles will not warp from the amount of water in a bathroom.
Modern kitchen designs often go with dark colored woods to make the kitchen feel less hot. The coolness of tile, along with a dark wood design can add to that effect and play into the decor of the room seamlessly.
Tiles can cost few more dollars per square foot, once grout and installation costs are factored in. However, certain wood floors can cost more based on the wood type. Smaller grout lines help the “wood” tiles look more authentic. Just like with regular wood, the tile finishes will usually have variations, so that they do not look uniformly perfect. This enhances the natural beauty of the wood design by keeping it as close to how real wood looks.
To discuss bathroom or kitchen remodeling options that would be best for your home please contact us at (718) 273-6233 or visit our showroom at 711 Port Richmond Ave., Staten Island, NY 10302.
Bathroom Flooring Options
These days there are numerous options when choosing a new bathroom floor. Whether your decision is based on consistency, functionality, the temperature of the floor or overall ambiance, the answer is within the range of flooring materials from tile and vinyl to stone and glass.
If striving for consistency, your best option is tile. The plethora of size, color and design of tiles enables usage in flooring and walling without appearing homogeneous. The functionality of tilework allows the appearance of luxurious marble, contemporary stained concrete, or the more traditional ceramic. Importantly, it should be noted that many bathroom tiles are topped with a texture to prevent slipping.
Vinyl is a common option due to its low cost and practicality. Additionally vinyl offers safety, comfort and ease of maintenance. With vinyl available in a variety of looks it is easy to find the style suitable for your bathroom. A separate flooring which contains many qualities of vinyl is laminate. While hard-wearing and easy to clean, laminate is not as moisture-resistant.
Another popular choice is natural stone. Many times the decision of stone, whether marble granite, limestone, or slate, depends on cost. Natural stone is available in numerous colors and textures including cleft, tumbled, sandblasted, etched and flamed variations. An exotic marble flooring is able to reflect natural light as well as the light of soft, internal bulbs.
Prior to deciding on a specific flooring you want to consider the size of your bathroom. While all flooring can be trimmed and cut, smaller mosaic and pebble stone tiles are suitable for bathrooms with minimal dimensions. Mosaic tiles, available in materials such as aluminum, and mixtures of metal-glass and stone-glass, provide a modern and contemporary appearance while a slip-resistant pebble mesh tile enhances a rustic, alfresco ambiance.
If you would like to discuss the bathroom flooring best for your circumstance please contact us at (718) 273-6233 or visit our showroom at 711 Port Richmond Ave., Staten Island, NY 10302.
The Benefits of a Kitchen Island
On Super Bowl Sunday people will raid the kitchens of relatives and friends for the second biggest day of food consumption in the United States after Thanksgiving. In addition to the 1.25 billion chicken wings and 48 million take out pizzas that will be consumed, the internet is full of recipes for Super Bowl party foods. Considering the amount of food and people a multi-functional and aesthetically pleasing island turns your kitchen into a social centerpiece. An island allows face to face interaction while cooking or preparing food and not staring at a wall.
Previously believed to be a fad a central placed island continues to be a desired and popular addition for kitchens. The size of your kitchen will determine the best and most effective island design plan. With a larger kitchen plan the island can include stove and range fixtures. This enables a person to cook a meal with access to view the room 365 degrees. Also available at this size is an island for use as a breakfast bar, which is convenient for a quick meal and is easy to clean. Additional options include a second sink, oven or dishwasher.
For a smaller kitchen an island provides a great area for extra storage. The use of open and closed storage provides shelves for cookbooks, pots and pans, and drawers for utensils, lids, silverware and dish towels. Even without changing the location of a major appliance, a small kitchen can be used for food preparation or as a breakfast bar.
A kitchen island ensures that a host can cook and clean while socializing with party guests and family. It also allows a family to watch their young children while preparing a meal. The ability to relocate an integral part of the kitchen to an island increases personal interaction between family and friends.
To discuss the island design plan that best suits your kitchen stop by our showroom at 711 Port Richmond Ave or contact us 718-273-6233.
Kitchen Flooring Options
While weighing your options of the best floor type for your kitchen you need to be sure the flooring is durable, easy to clean, and aesthetically pleasing. With many options to consider your selection should adhere to the style of the kitchen furniture and the ambiance of your house. It should be noted that each floor contains pros and cons.
Ceramic tile is extremely durable and available in assorted color and styles to fit all budgets. If dirtied of water, soda, sauce or mud, the low maintenance of tile allows a damp mop. Ceramic tile are available glazed or unglazed. Unlike glazed tiles, the most often used residential flooring, unglazed tiles need to be sealed annually and as often as 3 months in high-traffic areas. The hardened density of tile results in the shattering of glasses and dishes. Additionally, moisture increases the chance of slipping and the temperature of tile tends to remain colder.
Laminate is designed to imitate the look of wood or tile. It is hard-wearing and resists scratching, denting, fading. The durability and polyurethane padding make laminate a great choice for a house with small children or pets. Unfortunately laminate cannot be refinished and needs to be replaced when it begins to age.
Wood is versatile enough to be used in a contemporary or traditional setting. Many people believe wood, natural by existence, creates a warmth to their house. The ability to alter the tone and color of the wood to fit the appearance of the kitchen provides customers the opportunity to feel actively involved. At a time when style changes every other year, wood never goes out of style. Should a drink spill, the flooring needs to be wiped immediately as liquid can damage wood. While not as hard as a concrete or ceramic tile floor, it's not as resilient as vinyl. laminate or cork.
Vinyl’s main advantage used to be price. However, these days the range of designs and finishes, from the mimicking of stone, wood and ceramic tile, provides a pricey material look at a fraction of the cost. Vinyl resilient flooring is comfortable on the feet and easy to keep clean. The biggest complaint from customers is vinyl's susceptibility to scratches from dirt and grit as well as tears from sharp objects. Further concerns are the form of bubbles, curls, or dents and color fade from direct sunlight.
If you would like to discuss the kitchen flooring best for your circumstance please contact us at (718) 273-6233 or visit our showroom at 711 Port Richmond Ave., Staten Island, NY 10302.