| AMERICAN PAINTING AND PRESSURE CLEANING, INC. |
| Home |
 |
 |
|
|
tion tGiving
Your Kitchen A
Complete Makeover...And Doing It On A Low Budget At That--Flooring
Installation: Phase Seven You've chosen a warm and inviting color for your kitchen walls and you complimented the walls color with a lovely matching pastel for your ceiling...and it looks great. Your cabinets are handsome and captivating and the countertops and backsplash are simply beautiful. It's been a long journey but just look at it all; all the hard work; all the sweat and frustration, and what about all the time and labor that you expended to get this kitchen to this point. Wow! It's almost unbelievable--to think, it was only a few weeks ago this same old kitchen was worn, outdated and down right depressing. But just look at it now, look and admire your own handy work and just take a moment and congratulate yourself again. You deserve it kid and you deserve to enjoy this wonderful new kitchen along with your family, friends and love ones. But our work is not completed just yet, we are at the point now where we must install new flooring. That's right. Now that is something to really get excited about. Whatever it was that you had on your flooring previously: linoleum, sheet vinyl, planks, vinyl tiles, or whatever; its time to begin the installation of the new flooring. With all of the old flooring completely removed during demolition--phase one, we are now ready to ascertain what we will be installing and how much it will take to complete the job. Remember, kitchens are put under more stress and duress than any other area in your home. Kitchens must endure some harsh elements--daily: steam, high heat, moisture, hot water, oil and grease...and plain old foot traffic...and a lot of it at that. So whatever flooring you choose to install be sure that it is the type and quality of flooring that can take the punishment and still come out looking good--day after day. Overall, a good quality flooring should give you many, many years of good wear, so go ahead and spend the extra money to ensure that you will have a quality floor that will last for years to come. In our kitchen makeover, our client decided that he wanted a tough, durable floor that looked good and would stay looking good for many years to come. He decided to install a beautiful porcelain tile that complimented his color scheme. Previously, he had linoleum on his kitchen floor and it was about thirty-eight years old. Needless to say it was totally worn out and it didn't look very good at all. But the new porcelain tile (12 inch) did wonders in bringing the new kitchen to life. And after we put in a matching grout and completed the final cleaning, it really stood out. Now he not only has a new and beautiful kitchen floor but he also has a tough durable one as well. So in your choice to purchase kitchen flooring just remember; beautiful flooring must also be tough and durable too. Whatever your flooring choice: ceramic tile, porcelain tile, travertine tile, or some other natural stone; be sure to get as much information as you can about the pros and cons of each one. And always follow the manufacturers' directions to the letter. Never decide to stray away or improvise from the manufacturers' instructions and never be afraid to ask questions if you are unsure about anything. Although I have mention ceramic tile and natural stones as a real good choice for your kitchen flooring, I also would like to mention that there are a number of homeowners who have had hardwood flooring installed in their kitchen as an alternative to ceramic and natural stone. Hardwood flooring is a beautiful alternative to ceramic and natural stone tile, however, it requires more maintenance and you cannot allow any standing water to remain on the flooring for any length of time. Spills must be cleaned up immediately and stains can cause discoloration of the floors. In essence, hardwood flooring really is a beautiful alternative to other types of flooring but just be advised that it is a high maintenance type flooring that will require refinishing sooner than it would if it was in another area of the home --maybe with the exception being the bathroom. Engineered Wood Flooring Engineered wood flooring is a 'modern day wonder,' in my opinion; there was a time when wood flooring could only be installed by season craftsmen with years of experience, but with this type of flooring practically everyone can install it...and it's not a time consuming task either. Of course it all depends on the size and complexity of the room(s) but for all intent and purposes the installation process goes quite quickly. And it is extremely affordable in comparison to hardwood flooring. But be warned, installing engineered flooring in the kitchen will surely put it to the test--quickly. Although it will look great the real question is 'can it withstand the rigors of the environment'. Again, steam, heat, moisture, humidity and ever changing temperatures can take its toll in no time at all.. I have never installed engineered wood in the kitchen before, but we had a client that at least entertained the idea of doing so; however, he finally decided against it. If you decide to install engineered flooring in your kitchen please click on the link "How To Install Engineered (click lock) Flooring" for more installation instructions. Once you work out the kinks you should be able to install it relatively fast. Whatever type of flooring you finally decide to install, whether it's natural stone, ceramic, porcelain, hardwood or engineered flooring ; in my opinion, its all beautiful flooring that will give your kitchen that 'complete look'. It has been said that when a person first enters a room one of the first things he/she does is look down. With that in mind, you really do want to put your best foot forward when it comes to flooring. Conclusion Now that you have completed the installation of your kitchen flooring, that basically concludes our kitchen renovation project. However, there's still so much you can do to enhance your kitchen, for example, installing crown moulding (maybe even three step if your ceilings are high enough), installing wood trim or wainscoting; not to mention so many decorative items that the list is just to exhausting to mention. The design and decorative aspect of your kitchen can really add a personal touch that bears your signature and yours alone. Now is the time to allow your inhibitions to run free and just be amazed at what comes out. In closing, I would just like to thank you all for following the series "Giving Your Kitchen A Complete Makeover...And Doing It On A Low Budget At That". Beginning with Phase One and continuing through Phase Seven, I have truly enjoyed this series and I hope it has been an enjoyment as well as a guide for everyone. I know dismantling and rebuilding the kitchen we did was a 'labor of love' for me. I enjoyed it thoroughly and I look forward to doing more kitchen makeovers in the future. Now in closing, before I start shedding tears how about going into the kitchen and whipping up a good old chocolate cake and home made banana pudding...um, um, good! Thanks and good luck. If you have found this article helpful, please consider making a donation to the author. Thank you kindly. Disclaimer: The author of this article assumes no responsibility for any and all injuries or worst that may or may not occur due to the content of this article or any other articles written by him. All articles written by him are for the sole purpose of entertaining and informing. Please call a reputable contractor in your area. Thanks |
|
| American Painting and Pressure Cleaning,Inc. |