Floor Covering: Whether you plan to lay a new Floor covering or to make a decorative feature of an exposed floor, careful repair and preparation are vital. The Floor should be as level as possible, clean, dry, and smooth. Smoothness is important, since any projections will quickly ruin a covering.
Carpet is perhaps the most common Floor covering in homes. It comfortable to walk over and sit on, and can transform any inte instantly. Made from wool or synthetic fibers, or a mixture of th two, carpet is available in a vast range of thicknesses, patterns, colors, textures, and cost. Its durability as a Floor covering depe on quality and the wear it is subjected to.See Also A Floor Shows:If a Floor shows Signs of dampness, it is important to deal with it. A minor case of rising damp might be cured by coating the Floor with a special latex waterproofing compound, but a Floor that is really damp will have to be dug up and replaced with a new concrete base, damp-proof membrane, and screed. If the damp is simply the result of moisture condensing on a cold surface, this usually clears up when the Floor covering is laid.
Old original boards have been painted a powder blue to make a pretty but practical floor. You can buy specialist Floor paints in lots of colours these days, or simply apply a couple of coats of emulsion then seal with a tough acrylic varnish. Just remember that any pale Floor shows up marks and crumbs easily, so will need more attention than dark boards would do.
On The Other Hand See Where The Floor Is Just:It is just as important for a wood floe smooth and sound as a solid one, so examine it carefully before laying an of floorcovering. Remove any old tac unwanted nails and hammer down a Floor nails that are standing proud o boards.
If the Floor is uneven, then you h; options. The first is to lay sheets of masonite, rough-side up, over the v Floor (lay board smooth-side up onh floorcovering is recommended for I, that way). This seals any gaps and c between floorboards and improves evenness overall. It also has the ad' ling to the floor's soundproofing y. A disadvantage is that it makes it lit to get under the Floor at any future Fyou need access to pipework ing.
Where the Floor is just dusty, vacuum off the dust, then treat the Floor with a coat of PVA glue, diluted one part glue to four parts clean water. This will seal the surface and prevent further dust from arising.
If the Floor has projecting nibs of con¬crete, remove these with a bolster and club hammer.
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