Helge Lange

1. Materials and Preparation - First, prepare the materials that you will need. These are: vinyl tiles, tile roller, chalk, utility knife and measuring tape. Make sure that the surface where you are going to place the vinyl tiles have no bumps, holes or other things that will make your flooring uneven. If you need to chisel off some adhesive from the floor, do it in a clean manner so that the installation of the new floor covering will be even.
2. Measuring the Floor - The first thing you have to do is measure the floor so that you can tile the floor equally. Measure each side of the room and get the midpoint for each wall and mark it with the chalk. Draw a line where all the four points meet. That will be the center of the room. You will start your tiling from there.
3. Layering the Tiles - You can first test the tiles to see if it is enough to fit your room. You can do this by laying down the tiles as the flooring without removing the paper that covers the adhesive. If there are any half tiles in the room, you can adjust the center to accommodate the full tiles.
4. Installation of the Tiles - When everything is set, you can start layering the tiles. Remove the paper sticker from the back of the tile and lay down the first tile starting from the center of the room. Use the tile roller to flatten the vinyl tile and to make sure that there are no air bubbles. Remember to place the tiles as close as possible to each other so that the flooring will not be visible.
5. Edges - If you need to cut the tile when you reach a wall, do so with the utility knife. Make sure that you cut just enough to fit the tile on the floor. You can also use a ruler to make sure that you will cut in a straight line.

1. Creative Edge. The name Creative Edge is fitting for the company indeed, since they were the pioneers of the waterjet technology used in cutting medallion tiles. The nationwide-leading company enjoys an excellent reputation and specializes in both residential and commercial projects. They have worked with various and well-known companies, offices, and public structures. Their website cec-waterjet.com presents a beautifully compiled and comprehensive portfolio showcasing their whole product line. And once you get a glimpse of their designs and selections, you'll get to admire the exquisite craftsmanship behind them. Some of their works include ceramic kitchen countertops and porcelain kitchen tile floors. Unique designs are prevalent, circular shapes are commonly used, but other shapes and patterns, even diamond patterns, can be requested. The colors of the materials they use are rich and brilliant, and some even include touches of gold, silver, and bronze.  
2. Monticello Tile Design. Aside from making high-quality water-jet cut floor medallions, Monticello also makes accent tiles, border tiles with diamond patterns, subway tiles, and stone rugs. They have a standard material pallette that includes natural stones, metal, glass, and porcelain. If specified, the designers can even use materials that clients themselves supply them with. Visit their website and check out their online catalog at mtiledesign.com.
3. Medallion Depot. Medallion Depot boasts of artistry in stone. Specializing in medallion and mosaic designs, they use high technology CAD and scanning software to create a myriad of designs from a multitude of sources: digital images, sketches, photos, and even clip art. One of their specialties is setting official logos and symbols for organizations, groups, or schools onto medallion tiles. Some of their customized works are featured on their website medalliondepot.com.
4. Waterjet Wonders. Decorative tile flooring is the specialty of Waterjet Wonders. They work on residential and commercial projects, creating wall and floor medallions, border tiles, and murals. Their collection of medallions and murals are available online at waterjetwonders.com.

1. Toppstiles.co.uk is an online store that has the most extensive selection of kitchen floor tiling that can also be installed in bathrooms and other rooms around the house. You can choose from the smooth, shiny surface of hard laminated wood flooring, travertine, mosaic, marble, natural stone, ceramic or rough materials like slate tiles, among many others. They sell their materials in your color of choice. You may visit them at their main branch whose address is found on their site, or you may conduct your transactions online. 
2. Homedepot.com is a popular American dealer of home construction supplies and decorations that operate internationally through TV marketing. They sell a wide range of products like kitchen racks, mats and rags, kitchen and bathroom tiles, lumber, everything you need for house remodeling. They install carpets, hardwood, vinyl and stone tiles. You can choose from the different brands they have. You can browse their products on their Web site to find out more details.
3. Barefootfloor.com is not limited to kitchen floor tiling. Just like homedepot.com, it has everything you need to manage, maintain and remodel every part of your house. You can practically buy everything you may need there in a lifetime. As for kitchen tile materials, they offer laminate flooring, natural stone, hardwood and ceramic. Their site offers a page that contains different kinds of products from other leading suppliers so you can compare prices, quality and come up with the best deal.
4. Tustincarpetandflooring.net sells basic kitchen cabinets, countertops and kitchen floor tiles that are easiest to maintain and install: laminated hardwood tiles, carpet and vinyl of the highest quality of resilience. They will even do the installation for you.

Pros

1. No more unsightly radiators and of course the extra space you get from not having them.
2. Unlike radiators the maintenance costs are virtually not existent.
3. On a cold morning a warm floor on your bare feet feels amazing.
4. Water left on a bathroom or kitchen floor will evaporate much faster.
5. Most people aren't aware that underfloor heating can actually be used with almost any type of flooring including: stone, hardwood, carpet, etc.
6. Your heating bill will be reduced around 25%.

Cons

1. Traditional radiators cover a smaller area and as such often heat up faster.
2. Certain furniture such as pianos does not fare well on a heated floor - the list is fairly short but it's worth checking beforehand.
3. If you aren't in the process of renovating or a new build then the cost of pulling up the floor and putting it back to allow installation can be prohibitive.
4. You need to use an expert to install it, for the same reason as point 3, if there are any issues it is difficult and costly to fix.

• Laminate hardwood floor is great for living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, and dens. You might notice some scratches on the floor after several years, but don’t panic because those scratches can be easily repaired.
• Hardwood flooring has an excellent visual appearance. It is also very easy to repair and can last a long time with proper care and nice refinishing.
• Bamboo laminate floors are great for residential use, say in the living room or bedrooms. Their durability is expected to last up to 30 years.
• You may also compare the different brands:
  • Pergo. Pergo presents us with varieties of laminate floor colors and designs that are mostly natural-looking. One look and you would even think that it is real wood. You choose among the many Pergo floor designs through the area where it will be used. For instance, restaurants will need a different floor design than a supermarket. This works similarly for clinics, houses, and offices. For the trust factor, you can still rely on Pergo, since they have been leading the industry for a very long time. In fact, its designs and colors have already created unique identities that only Pergo can offer.
  • Armstrong. When people hear of Armstrong, what comes first to mind are quality ceilings, distinctively designed floors, and uniquely styled walls. Like Pergo, Armstrong has created a very distinct style that only this name has. For example, their bamboo laminate flooring has been used by Oriental businessmen in New York and Texas. The design and color is very distinct, making people think it comes from real bamboo. With Armstrong, people can be sure that they can get their money’s worth.

1. Acrylic impregnated floors. This type of wood floor is hard and durable and works well with unfinished floors. It is known to be resistant to scratches, and that is why restaurants, shopping malls and other busy establishments pick this type of wood flooring.
2. Engineered Flooring. This type of flooring is made up of several layers (usually 3-5 layers) of veneer wood attached together. It is identified to be resistant to humidity and moisture, and that is why it's commonly used in kitchens, basements and function rooms.  It has fine grains, including oak or birch, which makes this flooring more stable.
3. Solid Flooring. This type of wood floor is vulnerable to wetness. Installing it over a concrete slab is not suggested, unless acknowledged by manufacturers. But what makes it stand out from other types of wood floors is the wide array of options. 

1. Strip flooring. It is linear flooring that makes your room look bigger.
2. Plank flooring. It is also linear flooring like strip except for the width. The usual width of Plank flooring is 3"-14".
3. Parquet flooring. Wood flooring pieces that can be formed in a geometric pattern. It will make your home or office look impressive. 

1. Prepare the floor. Any prior engineered flooring you may have been using should be removed. If you used carpet tile, ceramic tile flooring or padding, get rid of those. Make sure you remove all tack strips in the perimeter of the room. Be sure to scrape off any extra padding that may have stuck to the floor. Wipe the floor clean and vacuum it.
2. Take off the baseboards from your wood flooring. Remove the baseboards all around the room. Make sure to get all the moldings too and remove all the doors.
3. Repair the floor. If there are any loose floorboards or squeaking ones, make sure you repair them. Use a leveling compound to smooth the dips in the floor. Remove any nails or tacks that might have been left behind if there used to be a carpet or padding.
4. Put in the underlay. The underlay usually comes in 36" or 42" wide rolls. Do not overlap the rolls as you roll them out, and use duct tape or wide, clear plastic tape to seal the seams.
5. Lay down the boards. Once the underlay is in, you can now lay down the boards. Don’t forget to stagger the joints. And don’t forget to leave at least ¼” clearance at each wall so that when the season changes, there’s room for the board to swell.
6. Connect the boards. You can then join the boards together. Insert the boards such that they will click together. You can use a hammer to gently tap on a block just to make sure the boards snap together. Don’t tap hard, especially on the laminate, since this will damage the piece.
7. Put back the baseboards. If you have finished laying out the laminate flooring, you can start putting back the baseboards and the doors. The baseboards should be easy to put back and nail since you left a gap all around the perimeter of the room.

1. Prepare the floor. Your wood flooring should be laid onto a clean, smooth, leveled and structurally sound flooring base.
2. The baseboards should be removed gently. Trim the bottom of the door casing in order to allow the new flooring to fit underneath. Clean the floor of dust and debris.
3. Cover the sub floor with builder's felt and lay in the same direction as the new flooring. Oftentimes, flooring is laid parallel to the longest outside wall. Using a hammer tacker, ram the felt's edges together to staple down the edges with an interval of every 4 feet. You might need to trim the felt as needed.
4. You can start laying the floor in a corner. Choose to start where there is the longest exterior wall. A ½ inch thick spacer should be placed adjacent the wall to create expansion gaps. Knock the groove-edged long strip of flooring against the spacers. Snug together the ends of long strips with a mallet and fit the strip a ½ inch from the wall at the end of the course.
5. Now that you have placed the first course, you can start toe nailing the floor. Glide the second course of flooring over the tongues of the first course. Snug the strips with a mallet.
6. Use a tapping block to tap each course snugly into place. 
7. Nail down the floor.
8. For the final touches, cover exposed edges with mitered trim pieces. Make sure to take out all spacers and install the baseboard back again. Clean the floor, and then fill all face nail holes with putty.

1. Realize that you are working with concrete. Concrete is a lot harder to paint than sheet rock because it needs extra steps and extra tools. Make sure you are ready for a very difficult time. Save some extra cash for an expensive day.
2. Get your tools and materials ready. Drive to your nearest hardware to pick up some essentials. You will need a mask to protect you from the fumes; eye protection to make sure your eyes are not irritated by the painting process, and gloves to keep your hands clean. To apply the paint, you will need a paint roller, a paint brush and a paint tray and some concrete paint. To prepare the floor, get some scrub brushes, etching acid, concrete primer, trisodium phosphate, hydraulic cement, and a mop.
3. Clean the surface. Remove everything inside the garage. You will need the entire garage floor exposed. Clean the floor thoroughly with a mop and some soap. All the grease and oil on the floor should be removed to ensure the paint sticks. Once all the grease is removed, you can proceed to the next step.
4. Apply TSP to the floor. Mix the TSP in the bucket according to the instructions. Apply the TSP onto the floor using the mop. Once you are done with the TSP, then rinse the floor thoroughly with some tap water. Once the TSP has been washed off by the water, leave the floor for a few hours to dry.
5. Plug up any visible holes. Since you are painting the floor, you will need to repair any dings or holes on the concrete. Apply some hydraulic cement to the holes on the cracks on the floor. This will smooth out your floor and make the paint job look superior.
6. Mix and apply the etching acid. Follow the instructions on the package for the mixing liquid. When mixing the etching liquid, protect your eyes by using goggles and protect you hands with some rubber gloves. Apply the etching acid mixture using a mop. Do this in small increments to make spreading the acid easier. Again, let it dry.
7. Start painting the floor. When painting a garage floor, you start it off by stirring the concrete primer. Make sure that the primer is mixed well. Pour some paint into the paint tray and apply the primer using a roller, then let it dry. Once dry, repeat the same step for the concrete paint and sealer.

• Tiles
• Grout
• Mortar
• Precision
• Measuring Tape

1. Measuring. The first thing that should happen when preparing to tile your kitchen floor is to measure the area of the floor being tiled. This can be done with the tape measurer. Once all the dimensions are recorded and all the old flooring has been removed from the room, it's time to go to the hardware store.
2. Types of Tile. Once at the hardware store, there are several things that need to be done. First, get with a tile or flooring specialist and compare the dimensions of the room with some possible dimensions of tile for the floor, so that the proper amount of tiles are purchased. After doing so, look over the available types of tile and choose the one that best matches the home and kitchen being tiled. Be sure to tell the salesmen the price range for the tile. Otherwise he may show several very expensive varieties of tile.
3. Laying the Tile. Make sure the surface of the floor is completely clean of everything. Don't forget to sweep away any kinds of residue or particles inhabiting the floor. Once this is done, it's a good idea to trace the tiles onto the floor so the positioning will be perfect when preparing to place them. Now, starting from the innermost traced tile, begin filling the tracings up with a thin layer of mortar. Then carefully set each tile in its preordained position on top of the mortar. Try not to move the tile after it's been set on the mortar, at this point it needs to set and stay still.
4. Optional Grout. After all the tiles are properly placed on their mortar beds, they need to be left to dry over night. At this point, the option to grout becomes available. Grout is a purely aesthetic addition and is by no means necessary for a properly tiled floor. Most people go with the grout, as it's cheap and goes a long ways to making the kitchen look more finished. The only thing left is to move the furniture back into the room and admire the great job done.

1. Electric floor heat can be installed on concrete or cement backerboard, and plywood.  Inspect your subfloor.  Make sure that there is nothing sharp in or on it that could damage the heating wire.  If you want to lay down installation beneath the wire mesh, now is the time to do so.
2. Sometimes the mesh comes with the electric wire already in place and sometimes you need to snap it into position.  Once the electric wire is in position in the mesh mat, lay the mesh down.  Cut the mesh to fit-just be sure that it is the mesh that you cut and not the electric cable.  Be sure that you maintain close to the same spacing between the heating elements in areas that you must custom fit.  Never put the heating elements too close together as this could cause overheating.  You may want to make the mesh even more secure by either gluing, taping, or stapling it-once again, staple the mesh and not the electric wire.
3. Do not put heating element beneath fixtures such as the toilet or sink. 
4. Install your floor sensor.  Ideally, you want to place it in an area with nothing above it that might trap the heat.  The sensor is telling the system what temperature the floor is-if it is in a spot where heat gets trapped, the sensor will not be accurate.  The sensor wire should not cross any heating element.  Local electric code in your area may require that the low voltage sensor wire be placed in a separate conduit than the high voltage heating element wires behind the wall.
5. Just as when you're putting up your Christmas lights, if there is a break anywhere in the line for electric heating systems, the rest of the lights won't work-the same goes for your electric floor heat.  Invest in a continuity tester so that you can test as you go, and find a break before you've laid all the mesh down for your electric radiant heat.  Simply test for continuity after laying each piece so you'll know exactly where the break is.
6. Drill a hole so that you can put the wires through the floor plate (just above the subfloor) and fish them up through the wall to the junction box.
7. Be sure that any wiring for your high temperature alarm is also connected for your electric heating.  Also make sure that the cold lead wires do not cross the heating element on their way to the power supply.
8. Now it's time to call an electrician who is familiar with your local codes.  In some areas, it is required that the two wires from the heating roll and the one wire from the floor sensor be in separate conduits. These wires come to the gangbox, which is where the thermostat will be set.   The electrician can double check your work and wire the gangbox.
9. Once you get the okay from the electrician, you can apply a thin coating of thinset on top of the mesh and electric heating element.  Be careful not to knock or bang the heating element as you do so as this can damage floor heating systems.
10. Thinset can take up to two weeks to set completely depending upon the humidity and other factors.  The thinset must be fully set before you turn the electric floor heat on!  Once the thinset is set, put your flooring material on top of it and you're finished.

• Act fast on the first sign of the door rubbing the floor. The usual cause of a door rubbing the floor is improper installation of the door. The door may be too big that it needs more area to swing freely. Another cause may be you’re your tiles or your carpet is too thick for the door to be able to swing smoothly. Trimming the door is easier than replacing your flooring.
• First of all, you will need to trace back the occurrence of the rubbing. If the rubbing starts just recently, check out the hinges, as they may be loose. Loose hinges will make the door hang lower, thus all you need to do is to tighten the screws of the hinges.
• If the tightening does not work, then you will need to trim the door for the excess portion that comes in contact with the floor.
• Work on the trimming by closing the door. Inspect the door when closed, note if there are any uneven portions. Try to open the door and take note of the area that rubs against your floor. Use a pencil or a marker to mark the area.
• Next, you will need to remove the door from the jamb. Unscrew the hinges so that you can remove the door. You will need someone to assist you in holding the door while you unscrew the hinges. Depending on the weight of the door, you may need more than one person to assist you.
• Once you have successfully removed the door from the jamb, you need to lay it flat on a surface. Again, examine the door carefully and inspect the unevenness. At times, the wood may have chipped off, thus the rubbing against the floor.
• If the uneven portion is insignificant, all you need to do is to sand it with sandpaper or an electric sander.
• If the uneven portion extends to a greater width, then you will need a plane to cut off the area. Use the plane with caution and then sand the area for a smoother finish. Remember to use protective eyewear when you deal with sanding to avoid eye irritation.
• When you’re done with the shaving and the sanding, inspect again so that you can give a final look before you put the door back. If you have cut off an area from the door, you might need to repaint the area so that it will not be noticeable. Allow the paint to completely dry before you put back the door as the paint may stain your floor.