Find a Flooring Contractor

When you need to find a Flooring Contractor, you usually have to choose a contractor, at random, from the phone book. Or ask a friend for a referral.

It's not so easy to find the best flooring company. More and more homeowners going online to search for information, so it made sense to offer an Online Flooring Contractor Network.

Several years ago, we created ConstructionDeal.com to help you find experts and we've been going strong ever since!

On our site, you can:

• Post your Flooring project in minutes!
  

• Receive bids from local Flooring Contractors.
  

• Talk with Flooring Installers and make your decision.
  

• Save time by not calling contractors at random from your outdated phone book!
  

• Save money by getting multiple bids from contractors - and go with the best bid!
  

• Do all of this -- for free -- with ConstructionDeal.com!
  

Homeowners would love new hardwood floors throughout their house. And there are so many new flooring materials to choose from, it might be hard to pick just one.

Today, you can find great deals on bamboo, marble, and tile flooring. Even laminate materials have come a long way with hundreds of new looks, colors, and styles.

If you don't know where to turn to find a contractor, consider our network of installers. Whether you're just sick of old carpet or you simply want to improve the look and value of your home by adding new flooring, a flooring installation company can help.

When you need new residential or commercial flooring, consider ConstructionDeal.com and place your project with us!

It's fast, free, and easy!

Labels: Floor Installation, Flooring Companies, Flooring Installation, Flooring Options

Okay, while it's not for everybody, I did want to talk a bit about a bit of a trend in flooring. If you really want to be the talk of the neighborhood, you could install leather flooring tiles (and maybe some of the wall tiles.)

A flooring tile made of leather would certainly be distinctive. The look and feel would add a cozy warmth to a small den, office or bedroom. The material would be a natural sound-deadening insulator that would also stay warm on cold winter nights. As the material ages, the patina will fade and the color will age.

It's probably not a good idea for a high traffic area or any rooms with a lot of water or moisture, such as a kitchen or bath. The wear and tear and overall product and installation fees are roughly the same as hardwood flooring costs. And, leather doesn't really need to be cleaned so you'd be saving in maintenance time and costs.

Labels: Flooring Materials, Flooring Options, Leather Floors

Here's an interesting story from the New York Times on a couple adding an "earthen" floor in their home: "'It's beautiful,' said Mr. Rowell, 28, as he stood back to take in the whole room. 'It's just what we wanted.'

Mr. Rowell and Ms. Farnsworth, 26, were working with a dozen friends to install a dirt floor - an 'earthen floor,' as it is known - in their newly purchased 50-year-old home in this Oakland suburb.

The floor - which, in addition to the basic ingredient, included lime and sand, two classic components of concrete - would take a few weeks to dry, a period when the couple would camp out in their living room. But once sealed with a mixture of linseed oil and beeswax, it would theoretically be firm and water-repellent. Fans of such floors say that soapy water will clean them without turning them to mud, and that another coat of oil can renew the shine.

The couple are part of a new breed of environmentally conscious homeowners who are willing to forgo traditional floorings like hardwood, carpeting and concrete for the supposed benefits of earthen floors: a reduction in heating costs and environmental impact and, at least in the eyes of some, an improvement in looks.

They are part of a small movement interested in "natural building" on the fringes of green architecture. But they consider green architecture to be overly focused on energy efficiency, while they are concerned with the eco-friendliness of the entire process. The idea, according to Lloyd Kahn, a former shelter editor of the Whole Earth Catalog, is to use "materials that have as little processing as possible, like dirt, straw and bamboo."

It is hardly a new or chic movement: millions of poor people around the globe use natural materials like dirt for their homes whether they want to or not. But with the growing environmental awareness in this country, Mr. Kahn said, there is greater interest in natural building materials like dirt.

Aesthetically, earthen floors are 'really special,' said Frank Meyer, a natural builder who has installed 15 in Austin, Teas. 'After a while they look like an old cracked leather couch,' he said. 'When people walk in, they don't say, 'Oh, nice floor.' Everyone gets down on their hands and knees to admire it.' Mr. Meyer has used natural pigment to create designs in some floors, and he said some builders add the blood of oxen for maroon coloration."

"Michael G. Smith, a natural builder who teaches workshops on installing earthen floors at the Emerald Earth Sanctuary in Boonville, Calif., said that demand for dirt floors is growing quickly. Of course, they are still extremely rare. He estimated that a few hundred, or perhaps a few thousand, have been installed around the country.

He has installed a dozen himself for clients over several years, and said that the number of earthen building workshops like his have increased. Ten years ago, there were at most four people offering them in California, he said, and 'now there are 20-plus.'"

You can read more of the article on NYTimes.com, but you may need to login or register to view it.

Labels: Dirt/Earthen Floors, Floor Installation, Flooring Options

If you're going to have hardwood floors installed in your home, here is something to keep in mind. Many people would love to have the wood arrive and have an installation company show up the same day to put the flooring down. However, it's very important to let the hardwood floor acclimate to the temperature and humidity levels in your home.

Once the wood flooring arrives, let it stand -- in the room you're going to install it -- for at least three to five days. Keep the room at a normal living temperature, usually between 65 and 75 degrees and close to 35% to 40% humidity. Also, if you can, turn your heating and cooling fan on or bring a circulating fan into the room to keep a constant circulation of air throughout that room.

Doing this is the best way to make sure that once your hardwood floor is installed that it has expanded or shrunk to it's normal size after shipping. It's the way to make sure there are no seams, cracks, cupping or noise issues once the floor is installed.

When you need to find a professional installation pro to install your hardwood floors, consider Construction Deal. Our network of flooring contractors will bid on your job - and multiple bids means that you'll save money. And having flooring experts call you means you won't have to call people at random from the phone book - that saves you money! It's fast, free, and easy.

RELATED ARTICLES:
Refinishing Hardwood Floors
Types of Hardwood Floors
Advantages of Hardwood

Labels: Floor Installation, Flooring Installation, Hardwood Flooring

The great thing about having hardwood floors in your home is that they can be brought back to life after years of service. Carpeting, linoleum, natural stone - they all need to be replaced if there are rips and tears, stains, chips and gouges. Replacing these other products can be expensive and it's not environmentally friendly, either. But wood flooring is different. Just about every type of hardwood floor can be resurfaced to remove just about any deep scratch or surface stains.

First, it's important to make sure that you really do have a hardwood floor. An engineered or veneer surface wood floor may be too thin to resurface as they usually have about an 1/8" surface of wood on top of particle boards. Check a small section, near a furnace grate or by pulling up the edging near a door.

Next, you need to consider whether you'll do this project yourself or hire a company to resurface the wood for you. You'll need to clear and prep the room, remove exposed nails or carpet tacks, and rent a sanding machine, an edging sander, and a floor buffer. The project should take you one to three days, depending on the size and complexity of the room. There are also hardwood floor resurfacing companies that will do the work for you.

Finally, you'll need to choose the type of finish you want on your new floors. You can go with either a water-based polyurethane or an oil-based product.

Water-based Polyurethane:

• No-to-low Odor


• Dries Quickly


• Requires More Coats Than Oil


• Higher Cost


• Easy to Clean Tools


• Has No Yellowing or Amber Tint

Oil-based Polyurethane:

• Requires Fewer Coats


• Takes Longer to Dry (6-12 Hours)


• Strong Odor


• Lower Cost


• Adds Rich Amber Glow

So, if you've got quality hardwoods under your carpet or need to refresh the look of your wood floor, consider resurfacing instead of replacing. And, if you don't want to do the project yourself, you can find quality resurfacing companies with us, at Construction Deal. We've got a network of flooring contractors who will bid on your job. It's a fast, free and easy way to find a pro!

RELATED POSTS:
Types of Hardwood Flooring
Advantages of Hardwood

Labels: Flooring Companies, Hardwood Flooring, Resurfacing

Tell people you're installing a laminate floor in your home and many might actually turn up their nose. While there's definitely a stigma attached to laminate flooring, most don't realize that there are some really great options out there in laminates that are not only durable but good looking.

A laminate floor can be the perfect choice for a heavily-trafficked area or in homes with kids and pets. But it goes beyond being able to stand up to a lot of wear and tear. Laminates can have a look of real wood, with wood grains on the surface, or even the look of a natural stone.

Advantages of Laminate Flooring

• Hard to stain, scratch or wear down
• Perfect to help reduce allergens in the home
• Very low maintenance required
• Less expensive than real hardwood or stone floors
• Easy to install
• May come with a warranty

There are some disadvantages to laminates but, as with any flooring material option, it depends on the situation and the application. For example, you don't want to install a laminate in the bathroom or any "wet" household area. The surface resists water, but it's not good to get water around the edging of the laminate where it can get under the surface and cause problems.

In the past, many have complained of a hollow knock or tapping sound when they walk on their laminate flooring. Today, the problem has been solved by adding an insulation barrier under the laminate to prevent this. It can be similar to adding a pad under a carpet. Cork padding usually works best to help eliminate any noise problems.

If you're looking to install a laminate floor in your home, post your project with Construction Deal. We'll match you to local Flooring Contractors to help with the installation. It's free to use the service and you'll save time and money in the process.

Labels: Flooring Installation, Flooring Options, Laminate Flooring

From Yahoo! Finance - "NEW YORK, Jan. 9 -- Positive U.S. economic trends coupled with easy-to-install options have spurred growth in the laminate and vinyl flooring industry, with the market increasing nearly 8% from 2001- 2005 and the supply value topping $3 billion in 2005. As the remodeling boom continues, the market should see healthy gains, exceeding $4 billion by 2010, according to Laminate and Vinyl Flooring in the U.S., a new report from market research publisher SBI."

"SBI's findings show double-digit growth from 2001 to 2005 in the laminate sector, which has found favor with homeowners seeking a wood-flooring look at a budget price. The advent of glue-less, interlocking floors will help laminates grow from $1.2 billion in 2005 to more than $1.9 billion in 2010. Although vinyl flooring still dominates with almost a two-thirds share of the combined market, SBI expects the vinyl sector to grow more slowly than laminate flooring to reach $2.4 billion by 2010."

"'Consumer tastes are changing with a preference towards exotic-looking, hand-scraped, and rustic species laminates.'"

Labels: Flooring News, Flooring Options, Laminate Flooring