Latest Designer Bathroom Ideas and How To Guides for your Home

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.