Danny Lipford » Flooring

Puresque Carpet Absorbs Odors in Your Home

Jodi Marks — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:48:34 +0000

Puresque Carpeting is an environmentally friendly product that absorbs and decomposes common odors in your home including cooking, smoke, and pets. In addition, it resists mold and mildew.

Puresque carpeting comes in a range of colors and textures and is available at The Home Depot.

Oil Stains on Hardwood Floors

Julie Day — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 14:00:21 +0000

Just what every homeowner wants to see!

You know, normally I try to view life’s little mishaps as opportunities to laugh, but with my house on the market, I feel like a walking disaster! One of my New Year’s Resolutions was to go “paperless,” so I’ve been spending a lot of time scanning and shredding paperwork, which also means I’ve been spending time oiling and repairing my poor overworked paper shredder. The other night, I took it apart and laid the oily parts (carefully, I thought!) on a plastic bag on the floor. Boy, did I ever mess up!

The bag was flimsy, and before I knew what was happening, a big oil stain had soaked its way into my hardwood floors. Now, I just had my floors refinished about three years ago, so after I snapped out of my trance of disbelief (isn’t the whole point of floor finishing to protect the wood from spills?), I scrambled to find answers on how to remove this oil stain.

First I dashed off a few e-mails to my Today’s Homeowner gurus, which were answered with, “Um, it doesn’t sound promising.” Undaunted, I went to the paint department a big box home improvement store, and was answered with “It doesn’t sound promising.” Ever optimistic, I went to my favorite little local hardware store, and FINALLY, someone was able to tell me, “Um, it doesn’t sound promising.”

Since I never believe anything until my knuckles are bleeding, I went home armed with some solvent, dish soap, and a scrubby sponge. I attacked the stain until I, too, could say with confidence that it doesn’t look promising! The solvents didn’t do a thing, but the soap and water had some success. After much scrubbing, the stain is a little lighter, but so is my floor finish, and I eventually had to stop before I turned a small stain into a huge worn spot (with a stain in the middle).

So what happened? All the experts I consulted agreed with me that a well-finished floor shouldn’t have stained like that. Well, I’ll tell you what happened – in typical Julie fashion, a perfect storm of well intentioned, but imperfect decisions came together:

When I refinished my floors, I opted for water-based clear polyurethane. It gives a lighter, brighter finish than oil-based finishes, but it’s less durable. Trust me, it’s less durable.
I didn’t check to make sure how many coats the floor guys applied. I hired the floor company six months into a backbreaking renovation, and I was just grateful that someone besides me was in charge. Once they fired up their big sander, I headed for a hot bath faster than you can say “DIY Floor Refinishing Is For The Birds.”
In setting up my home office, I neglected to put down any floor protection under my desk. I spend a lot of time in my office, and my rolling desk chair had worn off the finish just enough for the oil to soak right in.

So there you have it – all of my mistakes offered in hopes that you can have a better experience. In the days since my scrub-a-rama, I’ve had to resort to feeling grateful that it isn’t the WORST flaw in my 60-year-old floors, it’s simply the newest one.

So far, it doesn’t seem to be affecting the sale of my house (which just went under contract!), so I’m just holding my breath and trying not to spill anything else.

Jig for Snapping Tile with a Manual Tile Cutter

Joe Truini — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:59:44 +0000

A manual tile cutter is great for cutting porcelain or ceramic tile, but it can be hard to break a small strip off evenly. To solve this problem:

Score the tile.
Place the tile between a jig composed of two 1×4s separated by a strip of wood or plywood the thickness of the tile (usually 5/16”) with the scored line even with the edge of the jig.
Clamp jig and tile securely to a workbench.
Push down on the tile to break it evenly.
Watch this video to find out more.

(712) Bath Basics

Danny Lipford — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 23:30:56 +0000

Danny has remodeled a lot of bathroom over the years, but this job is personal, since it’s in his own home. What started as a simple upgrade, expanded into a complete bathroom renovation that included replacing the tub surround and tile floor, upgrading the plumbing and faucets, and installing a new vanity and accessories.

Danny’s bathroom before remodeling.

Demolition

Work began by tearing out a built-in closet and removing the existing pedestal sink. Next, the 20-year-old cultured marble tub surround was removed, along with the tile floor. In addition, part of the engineered wood floor in the powder room had to be replaced to cover the area occupied by the closet.

Wiring

Replacing the two wall scones over the sink with a single light fixture required cutting a new hole in the drywall, rerouting the wires, and repairing the holes in the existing drywall.

Wiring Tip

Always use an electrical tester to check for hot wires, and turn off the circuit breaker before working on the wiring in your home. Non-contact testers can detect electrical current without actually coming in contact with a bare wire.

Plumbing and Fixtures

The faucets for the tub and sink have an oil rubbed bronze finish and are from the Vestige collection by Moen. The tub faucet includes a pressure balance valve that automatically adjusts to changes in water pressure to maintain constant water temperature and prevent scalding.

Flexible PEX pipe was used to connect the existing polybutylene water lines to the copper pipes on the new faucets.

Tile Floor and Shower Surround

Once the plumbing had been roughed in, cement backer board was attached to the studs around the tub. A plastic pan was screwed to a cutout in the backer board to form a recess to accommodate shampoo and soap.

Seams in the backer board were covered with mesh tape and coated with thin-set. Before the tile were laid, the shower walls were coated with a waterproofing compound—such as Durex Blue Shield from Durabond Products or RedGard by Custom Building Products—to prevent moisture from penetrating through the tile or grout. The concrete floor was primed as well, and a floor leveling compound was poured on the slab to make sure it was flat and smooth.

Rather starting the first row of tile on the tub, guide boards were attached to the shower walls to provide a level support for the tile. To minimize the size of the grout lines, toothpicks were used as spacers between the tile.

The walls of the tub surround were tiled with 12”x 12” Crema Cappuccino tiles from The Home Depot. Moroccan Desert mosaic blend glass tile from the Tessera collection by Oceanside Glasstile were used for the bathroom floor and accent band around the tub surround.

Tiling Tip

When applying thin-set adhesive with a notched trowel, use a trowel with small notches for small tile and large notches for large tile.

After the tile adhesive had set, the paper backing on the mosaic tile was peeled off, and grout was applied to the joints with a float. Darker colored grout was used on the mosaic tile floor and accent band, with a lighter grout for the tub surround.

Bathroom Vanity

Once the drywall in the powder room had been repaired, the walls were painted. When all the work was finished, a Socotra vanity with a black Galaxy Granite top and white oval sink was set in place and the plumbing attached.

After a little clean up and decorating, Danny’s bath renovation was complete.

Other Tips from This Episode

Simple Solutions with Joe Truini:
Homemade Tile Snapping Jig

When scoring and snapping tile, it can be hard to break off a small strip. To solve this problem, sandwich a strip of plywood the thickness of the tile between two 1×4s. Clamp the jig to a workbench, and insert the tile so the scored line is flush with the jig. Tighten the clamps, and press down on the tile to snap it cleanly. Watch This Video

Best New Products with Jodi Marks:
SharkBite Plumbing Fitting

SharkBite push-fit plumbing fittings can be used to join copper, CPVC, or PEX pipe without gluing or soldering. Simply push the pipe on the fitting, and you’re done. A special tool is available to remove the fitting for disassembly. SharkBite tees, elbows, couplings, and adaptors for 1/2″ and 3/4” pipe are available at The Home Depot.
Watch This Video

Thinking Green:
Mercury in CFL Bulbs

There has been much concern expressed over the mercury found in compact fluorescent light bulbs, but the amount of mercury in each bulb is so small that it would fit on the tip of a pencil. As long as you dispose of burned out or broken CFLs properly, they shouldn’t pose a problem.
Watch This Video

Should Kitchen Cabinets or Flooring Be Installed First?

Danny Lipford — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:58:01 +0000

When remodeling a kitchen, should you install the cabinets or finished flooring first? -Amy

Hi Amy,

I prefer to put the finished flooring down before installing the cabinets, though it can be done either way. While this approach uses more flooring material, installation is easier since it requires less accurate cutting and fitting. In addition, the finished floor provides an extra layer of protection in case of a plumbing leak.

If the cabinets are installed first, set them on blocks that are the thickness of the flooring so the countertops will be the proper height once the flooring is installed and be sure to floor under any appliances.

Good luck with your project,

How to Determine if a Foundation Crack in Your Home Is Serious

Danny Lipford — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:00:34 +0000

Most cracks in slabs are small expansion cracks that should not pose a problem. If the crack will show, it can be filled with a concrete repair caulk. However, if the crack is 1/4” wide or wider, and one side is higher than the other, you may have a settling problem that should be examined by a structural engineer.

How to Repair a Scratch or Gouge in a Hardwood Floor

Danny Lipford — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 22:27:13 +0000

How do I go about repairing a scratch in my hardwood floor? -Jennifer

Hi Jennifer,

Touch up kits are available for repairing minor damage to wood floors. If the scratch or gouge is deep and runs across the grain, you probably won’t be able to make it disappear completely, but you should be able to fix it so it’s hard to notice.

If you have a leftover scrap of finished flooring, practice on it before trying the repair on your floor. Here’s how to go about repairing your floor:

Scrape: To repair a minor scrape on the surface of the finish, try applying paste wax to the spot. Once the wax has dried, use a clean soft cloth to wipe off any excess and bring back the shine.
Scratch: For a shallow scratch, use a furniture touch up pen that matches the color of the wood. A brown marker or shoe polish will also work if you can find the right shade to match. Wipe off any excess before it dries.
Gouge: For a deeper scratch or small gouge, rub a matching colored wax filler stick or brown crayon on the spot until the nick is filled. Rub the spot with a soft cloth to remove any excess wax.
Deep Gouge: For a deep gouge, fill the hole with matching colored wood putty. You can also use epoxy glue mixed with sanding dust and/or universal colorant. When dry, lightly sand the spot flush and smooth with the floor then apply a thin coat of a compatible finish to the spot.

Good luck with your project,

How to Cut Border Tile Without Measuring

Joe Truini — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 13:00:40 +0000

Here’s an easy way to mark border tile around the edge of the room for cutting without using a tape measure.

Place the tile to be cut directly on top of the last full tile.
Put another full tile on top of the one to but cut, and push it up against the wall.
Using the edge of the top tile as a guide, draw a line on the bottom tile.
Cut the bottom tile to the line for a perfect fit.

How to Create a Custom Tile Floor Design

Jodi Marks — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 13:00:41 +0000

Though it involves additional labor, installing tile diagonally can make for a more interesting pattern. To create even more visual appeal, inset small accent pieces where the tiles meet or add a contrasting border around the outer edge. Watch this video to find out more.

How to Choose Kitchen Flooring

Danny Lipford — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 13:00:07 +0000

There are many options when choosing a kitchen floor and the type you choose will depend on your style and budget. Common options for kitchen floors include:

Tile
Stone
Hardwood