Thursday 29 January 2009

Truck Floor Mats Will Protect Your Truck Floor

Owning a truck is something many hard working people in North America take a lot of pride in. Therefore, it is understood that owners of these vehicles like to spend money on them to make them look better and last longer. Truck floor mats are a necessity for all owners.

One reason for the need for truck floor mats is to protect the floor of your truck. Spills can cause stains. Therefore, to keep it clean and looking as good as possible, you will need something to protect the floor.

Many things can be spilled in your truck. This includes drinks like coffee that could stain the floor. If you live in a region that experiences a lot of snow, then truck floor mats will protect the inside of your vehicle from road salt. Mats also help save on cleaning expenses for your vehicle as well.

Sometimes when you take your truck in for maintenance, the service technicians do not always place a temporary boot mat on the floor. Having your truck floor mat will protect your truck from the grease and oil of service technician's boots.

Truck floor mats also provide a layer of protection between the floor and everything that is placed on it. They also add style and generally just make the truck look nicer and more cared for.

Another good thing about truck floor mats is that they are easy to clean. Most are made of high-quality rubber and just hose them down whenever you are washing your vehicle. Put it this way, they are much easier to maintain and clean than the actual carpeting. If you are willing to shell out more cash then there are custom mats available as well. These are specifically made to fit in your truck and are usually made in the color specified by the owner of the vehicle.

In conclusion, you need truck floor mats to protect the carpeting of your truck. They also make your vehicle look nicer and more stylish.

Your guide for everything to do with trucks. This includes truck floor mats, running boards and many other different accessories to make your truck stand out. Visit our site today. http://www.truckpartsinfosite.com By D. Karlson

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Karlson

Monday 26 January 2009

Tips For Refinishing Your Wood Floor

Whether you have a floor that is old and in need of a facelift or a one that you're yearning to touch up, refinishing your floor isn't as hard as you think. With the right materials and a willingness to put in some hard work, your dingy, dirty wood floor can be gorgeous and elegant again.

There are a number of things you'll need for this job before you get started:

1) First and foremost, protective plastic gloves and old clothes you don't mind ruining;
2) Wood Stain;
3) Stripping Agent;
4) Your choice of wood stain;
5) Sand Paper;
6) Putty Knife;
7) Steel Wool;
8) Buffing Paper;
9) Special squeegee for spreading the stain. Ask at your local hardware store if you're unsure;
10) Polyurethane;
11) D-natured Alcohol;
12) Aluminum pan;
13) Good mask or face cover.

Once you've gotten all your materials together, you can begin by removing all covers or carpeting. If the rug doesn't come up clean, you'll need to scrape it with a putty knife to get rid of the excess.

The floor doesn’t have to look perfect, but it should be relatively clean. This includes getting rid of any tack stripping along the floor edges. This is most easily achieved by using a flat head screw driver to pull the tacking up.

After you've finished clearing the old materials and debris from the floor, use the stripper and spread it on an area of around three feet. It seems tedious, but you want to be able to clean the area quickly. Let it sit for five minutes.

Then pour the D-natured alcohol into the aluminum pan and clean the area you just treated with steel wool. As alcohol does evaporate, use it in small bits. Repeat the process from the beginning of stripping until you've covered the whole floor. Smooth any rough spots with sand paper and follow it up with a buffer.

When you've completed this process, apply the stain you chose to floor, allow it to dry completely, and apply two coats of polyurethane. Keep in mind that it will take up to a day and a half or two days for the polyurethane to dry.

The process can take anywhere from a week or longer, but if you work quickly, or with a partner, over several days, you can finish the project without a problem. This also depends how large the space is; if you're doing your house, expect quite awhile. If you're doing the dining room floor, expect significantly less.

Wednesday 21 January 2009

Is There More To A Kitchen Floor Than Vinyl And Tile?

You may think that the most used component of the kitchen would be an appliance however in fact it is your kitchen floor! Choosing the right kitchen floor depends on several factors all of which need to be considered in order to find the perfect flooring material for your space.

It is wise to start by answering a few key questions:

How busy is your kitchen? Is there a lot of traffic?
How much do you want to spend?
What flooring products are available for kitchens?
What is the durability of each product?
What designs are available? What are your flooring measurements and how much material will be required?

When designing your kitchen, it is vital to include appropriate flooring materials that keep durability, style and re-sale in mind. Whether you are designing, remodeling or re-designing your kitchen research on kitchen flooring plays an enormous role as there are several materials to choose from. Unfortunately some of the hottest flooring products today are often overlooked in kitchen design when in fact they are entirely practical and gorgeous too!

Bamboo Flooring

Beautiful and exotic this renewable product is very comparable to hardwood in style, feel and strength making bamboo a fantastic surface to be considered in your kitchen.

Cost - Generally the cost of bamboo can vary from $3.00 sq to $9.00 sq installation not included. Production expense is higher with respect to engineered and stained bamboo flooring therefore increasing cost for the consumer.

Maintenance - Cleaning is relatively simple requiring light mopping and sweeping. Beware that sweeping is very important as these floors can scratch. Dirt, sand, and other granular particles under foot can make good opportunity for damage.

Bamboo is an extremely strong and versatile plant that is actually classified as a grass. It grows rapidly where shoots reach maturity in 5-7 years. At that time the plant actually benefits from the harvesting of those shoots.

If you are concerned about harvestation and its affect on wild life, Panda bears actually feed from of a different strain of bamboo which is located at a much higher altitude than that of bamboo used for flooring products.

Cork Flooring

This marvelous material does not end with bottle stoppers. Cork is a fabulous flooring material that even your kitchen will love. The cellular structure of cork is comprised of millions of air sacs essentially meaning that 50% of this flooring material consists of air!! Cork is another excellent consideration for your kitchen space.

Cost - Cork tiles and planks are priced reasonably starting at $4 for basic tiles where price increases with planks and stains.

Maintenance - Depending on the type of finish you have chosen for your floor maintenance will vary. Wax finishes generally require waxing at least once a year certainly something to maintain. Polyurethane will scratch if those floors are not swept. So keep those floors clean with regular sweeping and dry mopping and the results will be less wear of your finish.

Unlike other natural wood flooring products, cork is obtained from the bark of oak trees generally located in the Mediterranean. The cork oak tree is remarkable as its bark can be harvested every 9 years without cause of any damage to its existence or that of its environment. The best cork is reserved for our other partner in the kitchen as our beloved wine bottles require stoppers. Bottle stoppers account for 60% of the cork market but where there is demand for perfect corks there must be waist. Cork flooring is made from that unwanted material making this flooring product another fabulously environmentally conscious choice for your kitchen floor.

Cork also holds many benefits with respect to a healthy environment in any home. Suberin, the waxy, natural substance found in cork also plays a role in cork’s resistance to mold and mildew. Cork flooring is antimicrobial and has been proven to be insect resistant as well.

The cellular structure of cork also makes this flooring material an excellent choice for people who suffer from back problems or injury.

Linoleum Flooring

Unfortunately linoleum seems not to be the product that comes to mind when remodeling or designing a kitchen as it brings with it old memories of sterile hospital and school hallways. So many new and exciting modifications have been made to more commonly used flooring materials that linoleum is often overlooked. In fact this 100 year old flooring material still has what it takes and is making a huge come back! Here’s why!

Cost - Linoleum is a fairly expensive product. It compares with that of high-end vinyl and hardwood generally at $4.00 a square foot and can be much higher. Sheet linoleum also requires professional installation at an additional cost. However its’ resistance to wear and tear, and its’ life expectancy makes this product a leader in cost effectiveness.

Creative arrangements and various tile hues make linoleum a designer’s dream. Great designs and patterns can be achieved with linoleum where your floors can truly become a personalized work of art.

Maintenance - Sweeping and light mopping makes linoleum extremely easy to clean.

Another area in which linoleum excels as a material for your kitchen floor is in the health department. Linseed oil is a natural ingredient found in linoleum flooring. Its presence allows for linoleum to succeed as being a naturally antimicrobial floor. As linseed oil oxidizes it prevents bacteria such as Salmonella Typhimurium, and Staphylococus Aureus from breeding and multiplying. Other flooring receives chemical agents in order to achieve the same affect however these agents will wear off over time. No matter the age of linoleum or the finishing that it may receive, this product will always remains antimicrobial. It also repels dust, and dirt which is why this product is commonly used in hospitals and schools.

So when it comes to choosing the right material for your kitchen floor, why limit yourself to traditional choices. Do your research and select a floor that best suits your needs as well as your style!

Published At: www.Isnare.com
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Basement Flooring – What Floor Works Best?

Choosing appropriate flooring is difficult enough without the problems that come with finding floors for a basement complicating things even further. The biggest issue in almost any basement is, of course, unwanted moisture. Moisture seeps in from below through the concrete and has the power to weaken the bond of the adhesive used for floors or tiles, to make hardwood floors buckle and warp and to make carpets acquire that elusive basement smell caused by mold growing below the soft veneer.

Before you go dreaming up designs and making plans for your basement, check to make sure that your floor is suitable for such installations. Take a sheet of impermeable material that is about 3’x3’ big, like a trash bag, for example, and lay it flat on the basement floor, sealing it with tape on all four sides to make sure that no air gets in. Do this in a couple corners and areas by walls as well as in the center of the room. Leave it there for at least a full 24 hours and then check under the bags to see if moisture has accumulated.

If it is damp under the bag, then you have a moisture problem that needs to be resolved before you proceed. Depending on the source and extent of moisture, there are solutions that range from the simple to the annoying. This is a whole separate beast covered in other articles.

So, let’s pretend like in this particular Choose Your Own Adventure novel you turned to the page that cheerily informed you that your basement is dry. Now you can begin to think of your different flooring options.

The main floor coverings available are carpet, hardwood floor, engineered hardwood floor, laminate floor, ceramic and porcelain tile and cement.

In general, carpeting, hardwood floor and laminate floor are not recommended for basements. Variations in humidity, which are common in basements, warp hardwood and laminate floors and encourage mold growth in carpets. Even basements that are treated for moisture related problems can have seasonal trouble with moisture or during excessive rain. Exceptional events can have long-term effects that will leave the floor warped or ruined. If you insist on installing one of the above floors in your basement, take some precautions, like the installation of a vapor guard under the floor. A durable and high density polyethylene sheet with 3/8” tall dimples creates air space between the flooring and the cement slab, trapping any moisture and preventing it from traveling up to the surface of your newly installed floor.

Engineered floor is an excellent alternative to hardwood floor in the basement. Engineered floor is flooring constructed from three to five layers of different hardwood materials with either a hardwood or high density fiberboard core. Because of the layered construction, engineered floor has a higher resiliency to humidity changes that keeps it looking good even in finicky basements. Additionally, engineered floors are thinner, so you can add extra insulation and they have a real hardwood floor layer at the surface, so you can pick the look you want just as you would when sifting through solid hardwood floor.

Another option is laminate floor. Laminate floors are composed of a moisture resistant wood based core, a backing, and a resin based melamine or aluminum oxide decorative surface with a clear layer of aluminum oxide, like a finish on traditional hardwood floors, which strengthens the surface and protects against staining and scratching. Laminate floors are floating floors, meaning they are not attached directly to the sub floor, which makes installation directly on the concrete or putting a vapor guard down easier. Most laminates should be fine to use in basements but when looking at laminate check to make sure the manufacturer does not advise against it, as is the case with certain laminates. Make sure you do the moisture tests, because when laminates do buckle they are difficult to fix.

If you’ve determined that your basement is sufficiently dry and moisture tests have shown the floor to be consistently dry, you may also want to consider ceramic or porcelain tile. The tiles can be installed directly on the cement floor, a durable and good sub floor for tiling (or as a precaution, try installing 2 by 4 inch sleepers, cover with plastic and put in plywood to be used as the sub floor). Check for cracks, which are bad in general and should be fixed before any basement remodeling project ensues, but especially for ceramic tile, as cracks in the cement will actually fracture the tiles at the surface.

Finally, the easiest alternative to more traditional flooring options is painting or staining the cement sub floor that is present in most basements. You have a lot of flexibility with color schemes and any problems that may develop in the floor will remain visible, instead of festering under layers of padding and floors. It is easy to insulate the cold cement floor with a thick throw rug.

No matter which route you choose for your basement floor, below ground installations require that you be especially meticulous in preparing the sub floor for installation and making sure that the space as a whole is suitable for your uses. Get a professional to check your basement’s usability and to recommend a course of action for making it usable if it doesn’t seem to be at first. It may be worth the extra investment, as it would be a shame if your newly renovated basement began to creak, buckle and smell from the mold right after you finished it.

Published At: www.Isnare.com
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Wednesday 14 January 2009

Why Floor Mats Can Save Your Life

As the working man’s vehicle has changed over the years, many make it a way of life to personalize their ride. Beyond the additions of mud flaps and toolboxes, the interior to our vehicles is where we spend countless hours driving and it is our home away from home.

To combat the harsh weather conditions in the Southern Northwest United States, Jim Dantun is now a firm believer that quality floor mats are a necessity. “On rainy days, which happen too often up here, I’m in and out of my truck all day doing deliveries. I have had a set of Husky Liners in my Silverado since I bought it and I didn’t know they would help me out in bigger ways than just keeping my floors clean. My partner has always joked around saying I spend too much time and money on my truck, but on one of our runs, he was stepping out of his truck and slipped out, breaking his pelvic bone and collar bone. If he had some mats to help him with his wet step out, his problem would have been solved. He told me that his boots were wetting from dropping off packages and he rushed out of his ride and slipped from the cab to the ground. Maybe Husky should know that their mats can really do more than they would think.”

I researched floor mats and the benefits that I found for them are that they:

• Protect against unpleasant stains that harm the appearance and value of your vehicle

• Stop spilt sodas, fumbled coffees and mishandled snacks from staining your carpet

• Provide year round protection against even the most severe weather conditions

• Trap mud, water, road salt and sand before it gets ground into your flooring

• Prevent wear, snags and rips caused by foot friction

Here's a quick list of some of the most common flooring foes:

• Mud, moisture and grime that are tracked-in on shoes, and then ground deep into your carpet

• Sticky sodas, boiling coffee and on-the-go meals drenched in condiments that spill, stain and become permanent additions to your floorboards

• Foot friction caused by entering, exiting and shifting about in your seat

• Gum on your shoes that transfers to your flooring and dries into impossible slabs of minty concrete

• Crud, muck and filth that catch a ride on our shoes and end up smearing all over our nice, new and expensive vehicle interior

All-Weather vs. Carpet Floor Mats

Constructed from heavy-duty rubber, pliable vinyl or thermoplastic, all-weather floor mats put-up an extreme defense against mud, snow and other shoe-born grime that inevitably finds its way onto your floorboards.

Whether you work out of your vehicle or just play in it, the all-weather floor mats give you a virtually indestructible barrier between your carpet and the world. Not only that, they are also incredibly easy to clean - just give them a quick bath with a hose, and they're as good as new.

Stitched together from durable nylon and Berber yarns, carpet floor mats are soft to the touch, but put up a hard line of defense against your floorboard's enemies. Not only do these floor mats replace the ones that came with your vehicle, they're thicker and heavier to provide added protection and a longer life-span. On top of color selection, you can further personalize your floor mats by embroidering either logos or your own personal catch-phrase.

Who Makes Them

Two well-know floor mats, Husky Liners and Weathertech Floor Mats, are semi-custom-designed. What this means is that these particular floor mats fit well in your vehicle as well as in various other makes and models.

Just as GM and Ford reuse the same floor plan in multiple cars, trucks and SUVs, so Husky and Weathertech follow suit. These floor mats are anything but the dreaded one-size-fits-all floor mats that many retail shop are trying to pawn off on its unsuspecting customers. They are still guaranteed to fit exactly, and the manufacturers have over 50 patters to match your floor with great accuracy. I plan on following in Jim’s footsteps (pun intended) as apposed to his work partner’s and looking forward to getting a set of new floor mats…. :)

Published At: www.Isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=55710&ca=Automotive

Monday 12 January 2009

Keeping Your New Hardwood Floor Beautiful

How do you keep that new hardwood floor clean and shiny, now that its taken its place in your home or office? If its and engineered laminate floor, or true hardwood, snap together installation, the methods are about the same. Remember, large amounts of water can cause more damage than any other product you may use to keep your floors clean. The installation is a lifetime investment, so treat it as such.

Be sure to use runners and mats in high traffic areas. This will prevent scratches and ground in dirt from damaging your surfaces. Be sure to sweep and mop the areas around these runners and mats as well. Only use minimally damp mops and rags on your entire floor. You can use your vacuum cleaner on the floor too. Make sure it has plastic wheels that are clean before you roll it onto your new floor. It’s a fantastic way to get ALL the dirt and dust up from a floor before its damp mopped.

Do not use oil based cleaners on your new floor. They will only catch dirt and cause an oily film to appear on your floors. Remember that most hardwood floors are finished at the factory with polyurethane or some type of urethane. Many hardwood floor suppliers can suggest what types of cleaners to use for your particular brand of floor. Try to use a manufacturer recommended cleaner if possible. Even places like Home Depot, who sell engineered flooring themselves, can suggest and supply these types of cleaners. You can try your Supermarket as well.

And, last, but not least, of all the cleaners that are specifically available for your floor, a good old standby, that works every time, and is very cost effective is, a capful of vinegar in your pail of cleaning water. It is non-toxic, and does not leave streaks when dry and does a great job of cleaning as well.

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Wednesday 7 January 2009

Choosing A Linoleum Floor For Your Home

Nothing can make over your home faster than new flooring. It can breath new life into an old looking living room or kitchen. There are many different types of flooring available on the market today, vinyl, laminate, wood, and linoleum to name a few.

Linoleum is considered by those in the flooring trade to be a resilient type of flooring. A linoleum floor is durable and, with proper care can last up to 40 years, which is longer than vinyl flooring. Regular cleaning of all of your floors will help prolong their life and preserve them. Linoleum flooring can be easily cleaned by damp mopping with clear water and a mild cleaner. Newer linoleums have surface protection applied by the manufacturer which help make them water and stain resistant.

Linoleum floors are almost limitless in design and color choices and linoleum is better suited for areas that will be getting moderately wet than is laminate flooring. Linoleum flooring is perfect for use in a kitchen. Linoleum can be ideal in a foyer area or laundry room as mud and water are easily cleaned up. While many use ceramic and natural stone floors in entry ways and kitchens, they are harder to upkeep than linoleum.

Linoleum can tear. It is therefore imperative that you use all caution when moving any kitchen appliance on a linoleum floor. Lay a piece of plywood down on the floor and carefully slide the appliance onto the plywood. Make sure that when you move the appliance it is resting evenly on the plywood. You don't want to make any impressions onto the floor beneath.

Linoleum is thin and must be laid carefully. The sub flooring beneath the linoleum must be free of any bumps or irregularities or nail heads. These irregularities will come through a linoleum floor.

If you are thinking of replacement flooring check with family and friends to see if they have had any experience with a particular type of flooring or installer. Do your homework. Expect anyone who sells flooring to be knowledgeable, if they aren't, go elsewhere. The best way to get the perfect flooring for any room in your home is for you to do your homework first.

Published At: www.Isnare.com
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Cleaning Laminate Flooring

When it comes to cleaning laminate flooring, you should have a regular routine in place. By doing this you will ensure that your flooring will remain as good as the day when it was first installed.

The first thing that you need to do when cleaning your flooring is to vacuum it on a regular basis. It is important that when vacuuming your floor you raise the beater bar off the floor otherwise you could actually cause the floor to become scratched.

Once you have vacuumed the floor the next stage is to wipe the surface of the floor down using a damp (not wet) mop. Ideally you should use a specialist laminate floor cleaning fluid or just a mixture of warm water with a small amount of detergent.

This particular cleaning routine should be carried out once or twice a week. The rest of the time during the week you can use a large dust mop to help keep dirt and grit at bay. Plus you should also immediately clear up any spills that appear on the floor otherwise it may stain. To remove the spill take a paper towel and blot up the spillage then get a damp cloth and use this to remove any residue. Also if you allow the spill to remain it could in fact damage the floor by making the area where the spill occurred to fade.

Before you start cleaning your laminate flooring it is important that you read the recommendations provided by the manufacturer. As long as you care for your laminate flooring correctly then it will look good and last for years to come.

Tuesday 6 January 2009

Under Floor Heating

Under floor heating systems may be an excellent source of heating a home but if you already have a fuel efficient source of heating your home, you may still find a way to use an under floor heating system. Converting your entire house to an under floor heating system can be a time consuming and costly project. However, many homeowners may opt to utilize under floor heating in only one room in the house such as the master bathroom. In this case the under floor heating system is used more as a matter of convenience than a source of heat. If stepping out of the shower and onto cold tile on cold winter mornings is that unappealing you might want to invest approximately $500 to have an under floor heating system installed in your bathroom to eliminate this problem. Under floor heating systems can provide the convenience of warm floors on a cold morning but they also have a number of other advantages. These advantages include the lack of hot circulating air that can carry germs and bacteria, no maintenance requirements and extreme cost efficiency.

While it may be purely a matter of convenience that is driving you to install an under floor heating system, the consolation is that once installed under floor heating systems are incredibly cost effective and can operate on literally pennies per day of electricity. Under floor heating systems can be concealed under any type of flooring. The basic concept of under floor heating systems requires a length of heat resistant wire to snake under the floor. This wiring is used to radiate the heat upwards through the floor.

Installation of under floor heating systems is relatively simple. The heat resistant wires are 1/8” thick and can be entrenched in thinset concrete that will not require significant elevation of the floor to accommodate the under floor heating system. Although installing an under floor heating system is a relatively simple process there is one aspect of the installation that cannot be ignored. This part of the process that cannot be understated is checking the ohm resistance. This should be done at least three times during the installation process. The ohm resistance should be checked prior to starting the project, after the thinset concrete has been laid and after the flooring has been installed over the heating element. Carefully checking the ohm readings at each of these stages will ensure that the heating elements are functioning properly.

Garry John has written many articles on under floor heating and more general home improvement topics.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Garry_John

Graded Wood And Your Hardwood Floor

If you’ve ever wondered how companies decide how to price wood and which quality is best, there is definitely a method to their pricing and categorization of different wood species and their classifications and specifications.

National standards exist for wood quality, and these standards ensure that each species and type of wood is given a rating, called a “grade.” The percentages of variation and characteristics of different woods completely depend on the set of standards by which every wood is judged. These standards are made by major trade associations and professional organizations.

While grading is usually concerned with hardness of a species, and thus its correlating amounts of hardwood and sapwood, some grades depend on the mix of the two. Woods like hickory, cherry, and many exotic woods have especially contrasting colors of heartwood and sapwood. These woods may be ordered and graded as mixed (sapwood and heartwood), sap-only (only sapwood) or no-sap (only heartwood).

Four general grades exist for categorizing many species of different woods. Classifications are based only on appearance, as the structural soundness of most woods in generally the same all around.

It is the level of aesthetic beauty that is graded and given a score, and it is by this standard that prices for wood are set. A higher grade means a higher price, and a lower grade means a lower price.

First grade or clear wood has to have a surface almost completely free of imperfections, such as knots, dents, marls, or other flaws. Light streaking, burling, or few pinholes may be allowed. Variations in color are ok, but sapwood content has to be extremely minimal and almost non-existent.

Second-grade or Select wood standards accept small, sound tighter knot marks and other small defects as long as they aren’t large. A small amount of sapwood is allowed, as are variations in color.

Third-grade or Common wood is allowed more defects than the previous two, as well as larger knots on the surface. They can have a higher amount of streaking, more variety in color, and a larger amount of sapwood.

Fourth-grade or Lower Common Grade is the lowest wood grade on the scale, and is limited to very little. There may be large knots, heavy grain and surface imperfections, and great differences in color and large amounts of sapwood. It is often described as “rustic,” and is common because of that quality.

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Sunday 4 January 2009

Floor Safes - Proven Protection

With an alarming increase on crime rates these days, more and more people are getting cynical about their belongings and how they can protect them against intrusion and the elements. Thus, manufacturers and entrepreneurs came up with an idea on how to safeguard man’s valuable things and properties through a device that can endure the test of time. And so, floor safes came into the limelight. Basically, a safe has three main classifications or configurations. They are the wall or wall-mounted safes, the freestanding safes, and the in-floor or simply floor safes. Without going into the details of the other two, let us discuss the compositions of floor safes.

1. The Nature Of Floor Safes

Basically, floor safes, like its two counterparts, are specially designed to provide protection and security to valuables and other pertinent documents. As it name suggests, floor safes are exclusively made to be mounted into the concrete slab of the floor. Because of its position, manufacturers of floor safes strongly suggest that the position of the safe must be carefully analysed and considered so as to maximize its potential. If mounted properly end extensively, floor safes can be the best protection against burglary and even tragedies like fire.

2. Installation

Floor safe installations are actually more complicated and more expensive compared to wall safes. When installing floor safes, you have to cut a slab out of the floor first. Then, you have to dig a hole. After which the safe is placed into the hole and more concrete is poured to cover the area. This will firmly ground the safe and prevent it from being physically removed during a burglary.

3. About Floor Safes

Floor safes are under the category of composites safes. That means that they have a combination of two functions, to combat fire and burglary. In its entirety, the floor safe has been tested against all forms of burglary. The ratings that floor safes obtain will also determine the price of the item.

One drawback that consumers find on floor safes is that it has a tick wall covering, which, by practicality, floor safes render smaller space as compared to the typical metal vaults or the ordinary filing cabinets. But people must understand that the main reason why floor safes are designed this way is because of its purpose, and that is to protect the valuables and not just be a mere storage item.

The other feature of floor safes is its electronic lock. It provides convenience to the user because they no longer have to rotate on a counting basis so as to open the safe. Plus, because it is electronic, the floor safe’s combination can be changed as often as you like.

The ironic drawback of floor safes is that, during a burglary, the burglar will have no option to try and take the safe with him, which may instigate him to be more hostile and violent with nearby hostages in hopes of obtaining the combination. Thus, the floor safe should be considered the absolute ideal safe for coverage at night and when no one is present.

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Saturday 3 January 2009

Use of Leveling Compounds When Installing Ceramic Floor Tile

Leveling compounds are ideal for smoothing out a subfloor surface prior to installing ceramic floor tiles. To ensure your ceramic floor tiles will not crack over time, it is critical that they be installed on a rigid and level subfloor.

Leveling compounds are cement based and are easy to apply. They will adhere well to both concrete and wood surfaces.

When preparing a floor for the installation of ceramic floor tile, additional material is typically installed over the home’s existing base subfloor. The existing subfloor is normally constructed out of concrete, 3/4th inch OSB, or plywood. Concrete, backerboard, or exterior plywood is normally added to the subfloor to increase the rigidity of the floor surface. The more level and rigid the floor, the less likelihood of the ceramic tiles cracking.

To ensure that the floor surface is level and rigid, a leveling compound may be needed, The leveling compound can be added to the floor to adjust for any dips or humps in the subfloor. Dips and humps can occur due to imperfections in the concrete slab or floor joists, or from warping in the base subfloor.

The subfloor should be clean and dust free, prior to applying a leveling compound to your subfloor. If it is not, you may get a poor bond between the leveling compound and the subfloor.

To apply leveling compounds, you can use a trowel, broad knife, and/or a length of 2”x4”.

Use the length of 2”x”4, to see how much leveling compound you will need, by running it over the surface of the subfloor to see how much of a dip or hump you have to deal with.

Note that leveling compounds set up quickly. Consequently, it is best to make up small batches at a time.

About the Author: Over the past 20+ years Mark Donovan has been involved with building homes and additions to homes. His projects have included: building a vacation home, building additions and garages on to existing homes, and finishing unfinished homes. For more home improvement information visit http://www.homeadditionplus.com and http://www.homeaddition.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Donovan