Tuesday
How to Install Baseboards
After I discussed How to Install Bamboo Flooring, I realized I probably shouldn't leave you hanging on how to install your baseboards.If you install bamboo, or just about any hardwood flooring, you'll more than likely need to install new baseboards. If you were able to carefully remove your original baseboards and they're in relatively good shape, you're lucky... it doesn't happen very often.
Baseboards need to be replaced when you go from carpet to hardwoods. Or when you go from a thick or thin hardwood to different size. The new flooring is going to go close to the wall and those old baseboards might be in the way (or too high up.)
What You'll Need:
- New baseboards, of course. Measure out the length of each wall and add those up. That will be the amount of linear feet you'll need to buy. Having some extra is always a good idea, in case you have problems or issues with length.
- Finishing nails. Depending on how thick your baseboards are, and how thick your drywall is, you'll most likely need nails that are 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches long. For my baseboards that I used with the bamboo flooring, the recommended length was 2 inches.
- Stud finder
- Mitre Saw
- Hammer
- Nail set
- Wood filler
- Sandpaper
- Paint
I purchased a primed fiberboard base for my room. You can buy un-primed wood or fiberboard and prime it yourself, as well. I recommend that you paint (or prime and paint) the baseboards before you install them. It's easier to do and means less of a chance that you'll accidentally paint your new floors or walls.
Measure your first wall. I started on the wall with the door entrance. I left one side at a 90 degree angle and this would butt up against the molding on the door. Measure out the entire length of that wall where it stops in a corner. At this corner, you'll want to use the mitre saw to cut a 45 degree angle.Use the stud finder to find the wood studs underneath. At each stud, 16 inches apart, pound a finish nail through the baseboard and into the wall. Don't worry about pounding it down flush with the baseboard -- you could damage it.
On the next wall, measure and cut your baseboard. This time, you'll have a 45 degree angle on both ends. Use the stud finder and place your nails. Continue around your room until all your baseboards are installed.
If you get to a really long wall, longer than your baseboard length, you have two options:
- Cut a 90 degree butt joint and put the two baseboards together on the wall. It's hard to match them up and it may not look good. You'll see that seam in there just about every time.
- Cut a 45 degree angle where the bevel faces you. On the opposite baseboard, cut another 45 degree angle where the bevel faces your wall. This is a scarf joint. Those two 45 degree angles should match up to each other. Glue them together with wood glue. You can then put a nail in on both boards to hold them to the wall. A little filler, sanding, and paint and the joint should disappear.
Use your nail set and hammer to pound the finish nails below the surface of the baseboards. Add wood filler to the holes. After the filler has dried (read the directions) you can lightly sand down the excess with sandpaper.
Finally, use your paint to cover up any exposed wood filler or any scratches created during installation. That's all there is to installing new baseboards.
Related Posts:
How to Install Bamboo Floors
Ready to Install Bamboo?
Do you need to install baseboards in your home, but this all sounds too complicated? Consider hiring a professional to do it for you. Our network of flooring pros can install floors and new baseboards for you.
It's easy to find a pro. Submit your request for free to ConstructionDeal.com. It's a fast way to find contractors.
Simply fill out a form and get calls from at least 4 local professionals. There is no cost or obligation. It saves you time - you won't have to call a bunch of people at random from the phone book. They will call you.
Labels: Bamboo Flooring, Baseboards, How To Install
Ready to Install Bamboo Floors?
If you're ready for a new look in your home, or you want something a bit more... exotic, then you might consider bamboo flooring.
I'm remodeling my home to make it more eco-friendly and "green." Green means that I want to use Earth-friendly products, materials that are good for the environment, and things that are more sustainable or even recycled. I want to lower my impact on our natural resources.
Using bamboo flooring is a great way to be more sustainable. Since it's a grass and not a hard wood from a tree, it can be replaced in just 4 to 6 years. The same amount of wood from a tree could take 20 to 40 years to grow.
How To Install Bamboo Floors - Step One
If you like bamboo and you're ready to install it, you need to do a little bit of preparation first.
After you remove the linoleum, vinyl flooring, or carpeting that was there before... you'll want to remove the carpet tacks, staples, or any dried glue that is left over on our subfloors. You want to install the bamboo planks on a smooth, even surface.
Next, you need to inspect your subfloors. If you've got wood or plywood subflooring, or if you have a concrete slab, you need to make sure it is level. If there are peaks or dips in the subfloor, it can put stress on the bamboo (or any material you use) flooring that will rest on top of it. If any of the subfloor is warped, cracked, or rotten then you need to replace or repair it.
If the floor is made of plywood, like mine is, then it was probably nailed down to the floor joists below it. More than likely you've got a squeaky floor and some of the nails might even be popping up. Get yourself some wood screws and screw them into the plywood. This will hold the subfloor down and give you a tight, firm base to put your new bamboo flooring on.
And it should stop most of your floor squeaks.
Next, remove the baseboards around the entire room. Most baseboards were installed lower than the height of the bamboo planks, probably to accommodate the carpeting or tile flooring. This is a great chance for you to also install more interesting baseboards! And perhaps some crown molding down the road.
Vaccuum up all the dust and debris from all your work.
If you're going to install the bamboo floors or if someone else will, it's important to make sure you pick up (or have delivered) the boxes of bamboo several days before you plan to do your work. And leave it in the room where it will be put in.
Letting the bamboo acclimate to your room temperature, humidity, and other conditions will allow it to adjust. Wood (and grass) tends to expand and contract based on weather conditions. To make sure your flooring doesn't want to move too much, after you install it, let it sit for 3 to 7 days first.
Next, I'll be installing the underlayment and the bamboo flooring planks.
Related Posts:
How to Install Bamboo Flooring
How to Install Baseboards
If you're interested in putting bamboo in your home, but don't want to try it yourself, you can always hire a professional to do the work for you. If you need to find a flooring installer, you can submit your request for free on ConstructionDeal.com. It's a fast, easy way to find contractors.
Fill out a simply form and get calls from a few local flooring professionals. There is no cost or obligation. And it will save you time - you won't have to call a bunch of companies at random from the phone book.
They will call you.
I'm remodeling my home to make it more eco-friendly and "green." Green means that I want to use Earth-friendly products, materials that are good for the environment, and things that are more sustainable or even recycled. I want to lower my impact on our natural resources.
Using bamboo flooring is a great way to be more sustainable. Since it's a grass and not a hard wood from a tree, it can be replaced in just 4 to 6 years. The same amount of wood from a tree could take 20 to 40 years to grow.
How To Install Bamboo Floors - Step One
If you like bamboo and you're ready to install it, you need to do a little bit of preparation first.
After you remove the linoleum, vinyl flooring, or carpeting that was there before... you'll want to remove the carpet tacks, staples, or any dried glue that is left over on our subfloors. You want to install the bamboo planks on a smooth, even surface.Next, you need to inspect your subfloors. If you've got wood or plywood subflooring, or if you have a concrete slab, you need to make sure it is level. If there are peaks or dips in the subfloor, it can put stress on the bamboo (or any material you use) flooring that will rest on top of it. If any of the subfloor is warped, cracked, or rotten then you need to replace or repair it.
If the floor is made of plywood, like mine is, then it was probably nailed down to the floor joists below it. More than likely you've got a squeaky floor and some of the nails might even be popping up. Get yourself some wood screws and screw them into the plywood. This will hold the subfloor down and give you a tight, firm base to put your new bamboo flooring on.
And it should stop most of your floor squeaks.Next, remove the baseboards around the entire room. Most baseboards were installed lower than the height of the bamboo planks, probably to accommodate the carpeting or tile flooring. This is a great chance for you to also install more interesting baseboards! And perhaps some crown molding down the road.
Vaccuum up all the dust and debris from all your work.
If you're going to install the bamboo floors or if someone else will, it's important to make sure you pick up (or have delivered) the boxes of bamboo several days before you plan to do your work. And leave it in the room where it will be put in.
Letting the bamboo acclimate to your room temperature, humidity, and other conditions will allow it to adjust. Wood (and grass) tends to expand and contract based on weather conditions. To make sure your flooring doesn't want to move too much, after you install it, let it sit for 3 to 7 days first.
Next, I'll be installing the underlayment and the bamboo flooring planks.
Related Posts:
How to Install Bamboo Flooring
How to Install Baseboards
If you're interested in putting bamboo in your home, but don't want to try it yourself, you can always hire a professional to do the work for you. If you need to find a flooring installer, you can submit your request for free on ConstructionDeal.com. It's a fast, easy way to find contractors.
Fill out a simply form and get calls from a few local flooring professionals. There is no cost or obligation. And it will save you time - you won't have to call a bunch of companies at random from the phone book.
They will call you.
Labels: Bamboo Flooring, Flooring Options, Floors
Wednesday
Bamboo Countertops? Yes, Bamboo Countertops...
Bamboo has been huge in flooring lately. Well, now there is a bamboo option for countertops.Can't imagine using wood on your kitchen counters? There's a company in North Hollywood, California, called Totally Bamboo that carries many bamboo products -- but they've also developed a bamboo counter application.
According to their site, "Ready for contractor installation, Totally Bamboo brand countertop sheets are constructed with cross-band laminates that we call Multilam(TM) (patent pending). In early testing, we discovered that this is the ideal way to glue bamboo. This method keeps the sheet both flat and true, as well as lessens the tendency to twist or warp."
The other great reason to use this for your next countertop, besides the fact that bamboo is a more renewable resource than wood -- it uses a Formaldehyde Free Adhesive. In 2004, the World Health Organization re-designated formaldehyde-based glue as a proven human carcinogen. The company has several styles and several sizes as well as a choice in thickness.
If you're going for a totally unique look for your countertops and kitchen islands, bamboo is an amazing choice to make your new kitchen the talk of the neighborhood.
And if you decide to order your bamboo countertop from the company, you'll need to find a countertop contractor to install it for you. ConstructionDeal.com has a full network of countertop contractors and we'll find someone in your area to install this beautiful and unique product!RELATED ARTICLES:
Considering a Stainless Steel Countertop?
Find a Countertop Contractor
Latest Trend in Flooring: Bamboo
Labels: Bamboo, Bamboo Flooring, Countertops
Friday
Latest Trend in Flooring: Bamboo
It didn't used to be this way, but now, whenever anyone talks about hardwood floors, they always mention bamboo.Which is sort of funny because bamboo isn't even a wood -- it's grass. But it has really been a big trend lately in replacement flooring. Why?
Well, it looks good, comes in a big variety of styles, and it's very durable. Another reason it's taking off could also be that it's a very sustainable, eco-friendly material. And these days... green is good.
Prices vary from $2 a square foot to more than $8. Beware some of the cheaper bamboo (look for a brand with a Klump lacquer coating, which is supposed to be the best in the industry.) There are the standard installation options, similar to most hardwoods (they've got a snap & click variety for easy installation, plus the regular glue or nail versions.) It can come in natural (unfinished) or a stained and sealed style (finished.)
It could be a great new flooring option for you. You could save money and not leave as much of an environmental dent as you do with hardwoods. It can take many, many years (and decades) to re-grow a tree.But bamboo flooring, as an actual grass, can be re-grown in just a few years.
Looking for a bamboo flooring installer? Submit a request to ConstructionDeal.com to find quality floor installers. There's no cost and no obligation to find bamboo floor pros.
(Thanks to Lindsay over at Home Improvement Ideas for the bamboo idea!)
RELATED POSTS:
How to Install Bamboo
Bamboo Countertops?
Labels: Bamboo Flooring, Flooring Contractors, Flooring Options
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