Latest Designer Bathroom Ideas and How To Guides for your Home

Dropped something onto your tiled floor and caused one to crack? Do not worry, this can be fixed.

Assuming you have a replacement tile available, the task of removing and fitting a new one is simple.

First, pierce approximately four holes across the tile from corner to corner using a masonry drill. Wear protective goggles and gloves, tap along the line of holes with a lump hammer to crack the tile.

A dull wood chisel can be used to crack up and scrape away old tile. Ensure all grout is removed from around the edges. Work from both directions to remove tile.

Remove any glue left using the chisel; any ridges in the surface will be adhesive residue. Clean the area sweeping away old tile, dust and dirt, leaving a smooth surface for the new tile.

Apply tile adhesive using a ridged scraper. Slip the tile in place, ensuring it does not sit proud of other tiles. Using the smooth side of your scraper, add adhesive around the new tile where it meets existing tiles. Wipe any excess away with a cloth.

Fitting laminate floorboards is quite simple. However, as laminate flooring expands and contracts, you will need to leave a ten-millimetre space between the edge of the boards and the skirting boards. Use fitting wedges to help you to do this.

Lay your boards lengthways working towards the source of the light in your room. Start to lay your flooring boards from the left hand side.

Lay your first board so that the short tongue is against the wall. Fit the fitting wedges in between the wall and the board, ensuring that it is exactly parallel to the wall.

Lay your next board end-on to the first one. Ensure that the tongues lock together. To lock the boards together, slide your second board in at a 30-degree angle so that it is able to slot-in when it is lowered. Continue in the same way until you have completed a row.

To strengthen your laminate floor, you will need to offset the boards. Begin to lay your second row with the aid of half a board. Angle the long side of the board at 30 degrees. Press forward and down to lock the flooring in place.

Lay the short end of the successive flooring board at an angle against the board you placed down earlier and fold down, ensuring that the floorboard is against the locking strip of the previous row.

Angle the flooring boards at 30 degrees and push them against the front row. When the boards seem to be tight together, push them down.

When fitting the last row, place one board at a time over the top of the previous row. Place a third board atop, so that its tongue touches the skirting, and use the edge of the board to distinguish the cutting line on the flooring board beneath. Cut the board to size and ease it into its position.

Finally, remove the fitting wedges.

There is a large number of different stains for wood floors; some of these include water, spirit or oil-based wood stains.  Regardless of the type you choose, you should sand the floor first and wait a day before staining; this will ensure that the area is clean and free of sawdust.

A water-based wood stain can cause the grain of the wood to rise significantly.  If you decide to use a water-based stain, try it out on a small portion of the floor.  Spirit-based wood stains will be fairly pungent to the nose at first, so make sure the room is well ventilated.  Also, make sure dust and particles will not be blown in from the outside; once a surface is stained, it is hard to remove particles without ruining the stain.

Remember to wear thick protective gloves, especially when dealing with spirit-based stains.  Stains can cause irritation, although the main problem is that they can stain your hands.  Check the packaging for any additional health advice.

Next, stir the stain fully before using it – you should also stir it occasionally while in the process of staining the floor.  Consistent stirring prevents uneven colours from being transferred to the wood.  When you apply the stain, apply it evenly and work backwards to the door of the room to avoid being cornered in.  Use a lint-free padded cloth to get the best coverage.

Laminate Floors

Laying a laminate floor can transform your room into a friendly, roomier space.  Laminate floors are relatively easy to install, are softer than tiles or stone floors, and can typically last longer than a wooden alternative.  They can give a room a modern, clean look and can be kept clean with a brush, mop, or vacuum cleaner.

Preparations

Before you start laying the laminate floor, ensure that you store the material at room temperature.  If you store the laminate material in hot or cold conditions, it will make the planks be more difficult to place properly.  When you buy the laminate planks, always overestimate how much you will need as you will need to cut some pieces to fit into edges, around wall fittings and so on.

Groundwork

Thoroughly clean the surface area on which you will start to lay the new flooring.  Lay out the underlying damp course – a ground sheet – ensuring it covers the entire surface.  Start laying the first laminate planks – typically this is performed by laying the longest plank parallel to the longest wall.  Leave a couple of millimetres between the plank and the wall so that the floor when finished has room to expand according to the temperature.

Slotting Planks into Place

Laminate planks typically slot into place.  They are manufactured as an easy to lay material.  Always verify that the planks fit tightly together along their entire length.  The last plank may need to be trimmed or sanded to fit properly.

An easy DIY job is laying laminate flooring. If the longest wall in the room you are working in is straight and true you can start immediately with the first row along that wall. Lay the first line with the grooved edge facing the wall and a plastic spacer in place every two feet. If the wall is uneven, lay out a line of laminate flooring and, touching the most prominent area, mark the line of the rest of the wall on the boards.

Get a scrap of wood the same width from the wall as the widest point, and use this as a guide to make a pencil mark along the length of the laminates. You should then cut the pieces with an electric jigsaw for ease.

As before, lay out the first length, separated from the wall by the spacer. Each piece of laminate will either snap together or be held in place with a little glue. Make sure you stagger the successive rows by about a foot so as to give them the appropriate look. You can now proceed to lay the rest of the flooring making sure to pack them firmly against each other.

Cutting around doorframes can be tricky, so either make a template of the section you need to cut out or saw a section off the architrave to the thickness of the board and push it underneath.  Once the floor is completely fitted you can then reattach the skirting boards or fill in the remaining gap with a half rounded moulding to hide the expansion space.

Installing an underfloor heating system makes for an excellent DIY project if you are skilled at performing home improvements.  However, there are a few aspects of this endeavour that you should be aware of before jumping into the project.  The following is some advice to follow if you are planning on installing an electric underfloor heating system in your home.

- Remember the old adage “failing to plan means that you are planning to fail”.  This is especially true when you consider installing an underfloor heating system, whether it is a dry (electric) or wet (water) heating system.  Consider what electricity costs where you live in the UK because some areas are more expensive than others.  If the electricity is too costly, then you should consider going with a wet underfloor heating system.

- Depending on the quality of insulation that you have and the number of rooms that you are planning to heat, your usage will vary compared to other homes in your area.

- You can control the amount of energy that is consumed by installing an independent underfloor heating thermostat in each room that is going to be heated.  This is a very cost-effective measure as it will allow a lower temperature to be set in unoccupied rooms.

- Remember that as you are installing the underfloor heating system, the room that you are working in cannot be occupied and must be cleared of furniture.  You should install the underfloor heating system in the rooms that are used most often before those that are rarely used.

Many people are now opting for underfloor heating rather than standard central heating as it has several benefits for the consumer. 

Operating an underfloor heating system can often work out to be a cost efficient alternative to other types of heating.  Using water underfloor heating can be a cheaper alternative as the water is heated to a lower temperature than in a system that uses wall mounted radiators.  This system also runs more quietly than conventional central heating. 

Underfloor heating is often installed as standard in newly built homes, particularly in small buildings.  It allows maximum use of space without radiators taking up wall space.  This also means that radiators are not gathering dust and are not causing problems when it comes to decorating a room. 

This also offers health and safety benefits, as there are no hot pipes or radiators for people to burn themselves on and the fixtures will not harbour dust mites which may be irritating for those who have allergies.  Having to cover radiators defeated the object of having heating as it meant that the heat was restricted. 

When floor heating is used in rooms such as kitchens and bathrooms which are prone to wet floors and condensation, the user will find that they will dry out much more quickly and damp will be less of a problem. 

Having underfloor heating is an advantage to home owners as potential buyers will often see it as an unusual feature that adds value to a property and will offer long term benefits.

One of the best things about underfloor heating is the simple fact that it delivers an almost perfect temperature balance between the floor and ceiling of a room.  This is due to the combination of radiant and confected heat. This is far superior to the traditional way of heating houses that has been used over the years, where a central heat point such as a fireplace, or central heating radiators, have pushed hot air into the space that then circulates up to the top of the room.  This rising air creates draughts as it intermingles with the cool air. This is called convected air, or warm air that rises (as does all warm air) making the ceiling the warmest place in the room. But with heat from underfloor heating systems an estimated 50% of the warmth of the entire room comes from the floor itself, and since the heated floor area releases heat evenly it is therefore more efficiently distributed throughout the whole room.

This is quite possibly one of the most ideal heating situations for any room in the house: warm feet, cool head, and a perfect atmosphere for relaxation. Considering the fact that every individual wants their home to be the ultimate relaxation zone, underfloor heating systems are the most efficient way to create the ultimate in comfortable home environments.

Underfloor heating systems come in a variety of types, ranging from wet underfloor heating systems to underfloor electric heating systems, and they can be used in conjunction with a variety of floor finishes. 

Water or wet underfloor heating is a system of heating using heated water circulating in pipes under the floor. Underfloor heating is a radiant type of heating, which warms rooms gradually using the entire floor as a radiator. It tends to be more cost efficient and longer lasting due to the heat retention properties of the floor, especially if is concrete, stone or tiled.

Installation of water underfloor heating systems, whether done professionally or on a DIY basis using underfloor heating kits, can either use what are known as the open or the closed underfloor heating systems.

The open system uses the central water supply to provide the source water circulating through the underfloor heating water pipes. What this means is that the hot water later used in a bath or sink has passed under the floor first. The open system improves the efficiency of water usage.

The closed system uses one dedicated source of water for the water underfloor heating system. Hot water is circulated and re-circulated through the underfloor system of water pipes in a closed loop. The benefit of this system is that anti-freeze can be added to the water, mitigating the risk of damaged water pipes. Closed systems are common in rural areas that may experience lengthy periods of power cuts in winter. The drawback of the closed system is the double usage of water: one for the domestic usage and one for the underfloor heating system. This limits water use efficiency.

This is a guest post from Jason Hoyle of The Hardwood Floor Store, who are based in the UK and have a range of wide board Oak engineered wood floors suitable for use with underfloor heating.

You know you want to redo your room and you know you want to update your floors, but should you go with carpet or hard floor?
Carpet
One of the key advantages of carpet is warmth; especially in cold-weather climates. And, even if the room isn’t physically cold, a carpeted room gives a greater illusion of warmth than a non-carpeted one. Another advantage is insulation. Carpeted rooms don’t carry sound like rooms with hard floors.

Then there is the cosiness factor; walking, sitting, and/or playing on a carpeted floor is just nicer. And, carpets are less inclined to cause slipping and, if you do fall, much softer (and generally safer) to land on that their hard counterparts.

Finally, carpets can be lower maintenance in both effort and cost. With some hard floors requiring regular dusting followed by mopping and regularly-scheduled stripping and re-surfacing, even if you vacuum daily, the labour required can feel less intensive.

Hard Floors
The above being said, many people choose hard floors because they consider them easier to maintain. Hard floors accumulate less dust and dirt than carpets do, and spills are easier to clean and stains are easier to remove.

Hard floors are also more durable; they withstand high traffic and heavy use much better than carpet. They are also considered to be a better choice for people with allergies

Some hard floors – hardwoods in particular – give a room a timeless feel. And, they can increase the value of your home.