Kim and I have recently started a new site all about remodeling and design ideas and pictures. This article was inspired by one of the images Kim found for the new blog – you can find it here: Beautiful Workspaces {Dreamy Desks}.

The floor in the photo above is, for lack of a more boisterous term, totally crazy awesome!

I love the whitewashed finish and the grainy wood used. I also love the way the boards were not staggered and instead a few boards run the other direction separate sections of the floor.

But the thing I notice the most when I look at this floor is the gaps left between the boards. On this particular job that gap may be partially design statement (dark gaps often look good against light wood), but they also serve a practical purpose.

In fact, gaps are an essential part of any natural hardwood floor installation.

Allow For Expansion and Contraction

That’s just the way we say it, but the real truth is that you’re only allowing for expansion. The wood can contract and not cause real issues, but if it expands and you’ve left no gap, it’s a serious problem. See the photo below:

This is what happens when wood is installed too tight and/or without enough fasteners (aka nails). Each plank of wood expands and the compound sum of that expansion can add-up to inches. Inches that aren’t there! The result is a floor that buckles and creates quite a mess.

Severe buckling like seen above usually only happens in the event of a serious water issue such as a flood or broken pipe, but a lesser version of it can happen just as a result of cleaning the floor and/or natural humidity issues.

The Wood Determines The Gap Needed

Wood that is drier and more naturally stable, such as white oak, requires less gap than wood that has a higher natural moisture content, such as pine.

Manufactured wood flooring products like most prefinished floors are not “solid” wood, but rather more like plywood. These don’t expand as much.

Another factor to consider is the normal humidity conditions where you live. I recently saw a forum post where an “expert” was telling a lady her whole floor should be replaced because it was installed with some gaps left in it.

In Florida, where I live, that would not at all be true. We expect floors to expand and usually allow for it by leaving plenty of space around the peremiter and by including some coin thick gaps every five or six feet on a really large room.

Shoe Molding is Your Friend

If you really don’t want any unsightly gaps left in your flooring installation, i can suggest two things.

1. Use a ton of nails and/or glue. Really fasten the floor in-place well.
2. Leave a good sized space around the peremiter of the room and cover that with shoe molding.

Climatize Your Wood Properly

The final bit of advice is to allow the wood to sit in your air-conditioned home for a good while before installing. A couple of weeks is ideal, but if that’s not practical at least a few days.

Happy Remodeling!

~ RG

There are a few things in home design that just totally rock my world, and this is one of them. Reclaimed or salvaged wood is one of those rare items that can achieve perfection on multiple fronts at the same time.

• First and foremost, it’s flat out beautiful
• Second, it’s about as green as you can get. 100% making use of something otherwise to be wasted.
• Third, it’s wood – which means you can do just about anything imaginable with it!

I’ve scoured the web for some images, links, and ideas related to reclaimed wood and I’ve got them here for you to enjoy.

Reclaimed Wood Beams

Salvaged wood can make for some really incredible open beam ceilings. The room above, which is featured at the website of a company that sells reclaimed wood, is undeniably beautiful.

A close look reveals original notches done by barn builders long ago along with years of impossible to fake wear and tear. Question: Is it too much?

————

This kitchen, from countryliving.com, shows the opposite extreme. In this case they’ve either only used one beam, or spaced them widely.

I totally love the way the same barnwood beams are used in both the structure and in the cabinets. This is great design, planning, and attention to detail. Check out how carefully the original mortises (those square holes you see) are positioned to be visible in the island legs. The old wood with a granite counter just looks so cool! (gotta love those stools too!)

Without getting too far off track, let me point out something that might help anyone doing a room addition for the kitchen. Take a close look at this picture. As you can see, this is a real kitchen. It’s not an outdoor kitchen or a porch kitchen, it’s the main kitchen.

Now look at the wall where the door to the next room is. That wall is complete with windows, an exterior door, a porch light, the whole bit. This is either a really well executed “faux outside wall” or this is a kitchen addition designed to leave original exterior wall components in-place. I think it looks cool!

Reclaimed Wood Flooring

Which do you think is better? Really rustic, like in the picture below:

or

Smooth and finished, like this…

or

A cross between the two, like this…

Personally, I love the last one!

I’m starting to realize this post could go on forever! Reclaimed wood is used beautifully in doors, siding, furniture, and more!

To see some awesome etsy finds in reclaimed wood, check out Decorating with Reclaimed Wood on EverythingEtsy.com

I answered a question today over at the new Answers section of the site that had me asking thinking about just how many great looking wood flooring options there are today.

Then, as I was finally making my way through some of the press kits I was given at the International Builders Show in January, I came across this picture from Armstrong…

This is just one of a number of hand-scraped flooring products I saw at the show.

What do you think? Is the hand-scraped look for you?

When I was eleven years old, I spent my first full-time working week on a construction site. It was a fire job and I still remember that underneath the burned and soaked carpet, was a floor that looked to me like it was pretty nice. It was terrazzo flooring. And it was the first of dozens I would find covered with carpet.

Terrazzo floors make this kitchen look clean and modern. HouseBeautiful.com

One look at the photo above and I have to wonder how anyone could ever cover that in carpet, but during the craze of “wall-to-wall” carpeting, lots of really beautiful floors were covered.

Terrazzo is a really interesting material. It’s essentially a mix, similar to concrete, with a colored base (often white) and a decorative aggregate, often (but not always) glass chips in the desired color.

Terrazzo is extremely hard once cured and can be polished to a high-gloss sparkly finish or honed for a more rustic look. The number of uses for this material is impressive.

Terrazzo Floors

Beautiful Terrazzo Flooring!

The most traditional and well known use for Terrazzo is flooring. The picture above shows just how clean and modern of a material it is. Yet I feel like it has a real “retro” quality about it. It makes me think of the Flinstones for some reason. Is that weird?

(time for a design-aside? How awesome is that space above? I love the shape of those sofas.. now that I think about it, I guess that’s no surprise…but check out that stainless shelf in the kitchen, and those drywall room dividers with space to display one’s prized possessions.)

Floors are done by pouring the mixture out over the concrete slab and leveling it off at the desired thickness (usually about 5/8″). Then it’s ground to a flat surface and polished in place. During the grinding and polishing process, the decorative items such as glass are ground flat with the surface of the floor, exposing random shapes of color.

Flooring is just the tip of the iceberg for Terrazzo uses though.

Terrazzo Tiles

An alternative to bringing giant grinding machines into your house, is terrazzo tile.

This is essentially the same product, but the work is done in a factory and the finished product is in tiles of various sizes.

Tiles are a great use for terrazzo in a bathroom, kitchen, or anywhere you want the look without the mess. (New terrazzo installation is a very messy job)

The downside is that you’ll have seams you’ll need to fill with grout. Some would argue this is a plus and can be incorporated into the design.

Terrazzo Countertops

This is one of the most exciting developments in countertop materials. Terrazzo counters are just stunning and they are incredibly durable and easy on maintenance.

I wrote a post awhile back on concrete counters which are a very close cousin to terrazzo.

Beautiful Green and Blue Terrazzo Counters enviroglassproducts.com

The photo above is apparently a house that was featured on Extreme Makeover and I totally LOVE the look. It’s no secret that I like colorful cabinets, and these are no different.

The way the blue and green glass in the counter plays off the other colors in the room is perfect. And the stainless hardware and fixtures finish off an awesome look using terrazzo countertops.

Polishing Terrazzo

Polishing and Grinding requires a big machine!concretetreatmentsinc.com

So, back to all those terrazzo floors we uncovered when remodeling. I’m happy to say that at least a few of them were restored to like-new condition and were NOT covered back up with carpet.

Terrazzo is even better than hardwood when it comes to the ability to make an old floor look new again. A little bit of grinding and polishing and you’re all done.

DIY Terrazzo Floor Polishing? Probably not, but that’s another post.

If so, here are a few ideas for you.  I did this video awhile back, but the ideas are still super-fresh… what can I say… I’m a trend-spotter (wannabe?).

If you have any floor painting tips, ideas, or questions, share them here in the comments!

I was browsing HouseBeautiful.com for pictures (or should I call it “prowling” or “stalking”?) and I saw these two floors. I thought both were worth posting and saying a few words about…

Rustic of Rustic

This is one rustic situation here. I’m especially intrigued by the beam spacing above, but that’s not what we’re talking about here. We’re talking about the flooring…

And how totally awesome it looks!

In this setting…

In somebody else’s house.

Still, it’s very beautiful, don’t you think?

Applied Decor on the Painted Floor

That’s just cool.

I wish I had an ultra 50x zoom option. I can’t tell if that’s done with stain or applied on the floor. But the more I look, the more I think it’s done with stain.

Notice how the seams go through the pattern and you can see each board. There’s also grain in the darker areas so I think the pattern was put in-place using tape while the rest of the floor got the white treatment. Then put the clear over all of it.

That’s my theory anyway.

What do you think? Top one too rustic for your taste? How about the bottom?

It all started with a magazine ad:

This is one Awesome Room! - Nice floors too!

When I saw this ad, I was going to write a post about the room.  You know, one of those ones where I go item by item and talk about how cool the room is.

I was going to talk about the open-beam ceiling, the stone walls, the awesome doors, the cool black framed mirror, and the green rattan chair. That was my plan.

Then I noticed the floors.

I know, I was supposed to notice that first.  It’s a floor ad.  But I’m me and that’s just what I do.  But when I did notice the floors, I really noticed them.

It was the ad copy that got me.

I want a floor that will give my home a look that normally takes decades to earn.

At first I was like, oh please. But then I thought about that a little and I looked at the floor in the picture.  I finally concluded… “why not?”  If I can get a floor that really does have that oldvintage look, and it is real wood so it sounds good and feels good, then why not?

Does It Really Look Rustic?

Not quite as rustic without the stone walls, but still looking pretty good!

As you can see, the ad is from Shaw Floors.  I’ve installed thousands and thousands of square feet of Shaw products over the years and I’ve never had a problem with any of it that I recall.  So it’s good stuff, but does it really look old?  I went to the website to look at this exact product to see what I could see.

Rosedown Hickory Plank

From the Epic Legends collection, this stuff does appear to have a pretty nice rustic look to it.  I think the addition of stone walls and an awesome open beam ceiling can do wonders for any floor, but overall, I thought this was nice.

While I was on the product page at the website, I saw a standard spec sheet.  This is the kind of thing you’ll see when looking at any manufactured wood floor and it’s the lingo your flooring guy will use when he’s talking to you.

I thought maybe I could lend a helping hand and explain some of these terms.  Here is a screenshot from the product page:

Standard Flooring Specs

• Plank Width: 5″ – For a rustic floor, that’s about perfect.  (always get wood that has “real” seams between all planks… sometimes manufacturers will make a product that looks like two or three pieces of wood in every actual piece… this ends up looking fake due to difference between fake seams and real seams)
• Plank Length: Random – This is really important for a good looking floor.  When all the planks are the same length the look isn’t as natural.  The same thing as above applies to end joints.  You really don’t want any fake joints.
• Plank Thickness: 3/8″ –  Usually, thicker means more plies, and thinner means fewer plies.  But it’s the top ply that is the most important.  How thick the actual finished material ply is will effect how well the floor wears over time.  I prefer floors at least 1/2″, but there are many products at only 1/4″.  This one is in the middle as far as thickness goes.
• Micro-Beveled Edges – These are really a pretty good thing overall, especially on a rustic looking floor.  This means that the edges of each plank are slightly angled at the very top, so when you put two of them together it creates a more visible seam.  This is good because it’s forgiving of mistakes in installation and imperfections in your sub-floor.  (the negative is that these can catch tiny amounts of dirt, but it’s really not an issue.  You also don’t want this if you want a “slick” looking floor)

I almost forgot the installation options: Nail, Staple, Glue, or Float.  That pretty much covers all of them.  The more versatility here the better.  It keeps your options open to fit various sub-floors, installer preferences, or easy DIY learning curves.  (The easiest IMHO is nail or staple, assuming you have a wooden sub-floor)

Can you believe all that started with a magazine ad?

I hope this is helpful.  If I can answer any questions, please ask them in the comments.  When I reply, you’ll get an email.

~RG

Do you think hardwood flooring is good for kitchens?

A mystery reader with the initials TS left a comment on the last post asking if hardwood floors really worked in kitchens. NOT the first time I’ve heard that question!

Some people might say it’s a matter of opinion. I say it’s not. To me… it’s a fact. Hardwood floors are great anywhere, everywhere, anytime, for any occasion. Including the kitchen.

However, I’ve found it necessary at times to grab a podium and become an evangelist for my beliefs on this highly important, nay – life altering, matter. Here’s the two most common objections and my response:

1. Water! What if there is a leak, or a spill?
   • There is one floor that will do better in a flood scenario – tile and even that does not always survive a flood (by this I mean a broken pipe) – but tile is cold and hard.
   • With less severe water, wood generally does pretty well. Especially if it’s cleaned-up quickly.
   • Solid wood floors can generally withstand more than manufactured wood.
   • Solid wood floors are easier to repair.
   • Engineered or manufactured wood flooring (plys with a hardwood top) generally do better with water than laminate flooring (which isn’t really wood at all).
   • How often do you really get serious water on the floor anyway? Is it a common enough occurrence to make a decision based upon?
2. Wear & Tear! Can hardwood stand-up to the heavy use in the kitchen?
   • Hardwood floors (solid or engineered) will show some wear in areas that get constant traffic. So if you are an intense cook, hand wash dishes three times a day, or have a herd of teenagers stampede to the refrigerator on an hourly basis you should be prepared for wear and tear.
   • Is wear and tear a bad thing? Or do you LOVE the way a hardwood floor looks when is has a worn spot near the sink, or where your husband stands at the end of the bar? Doesn’t it add character when your floor is worn out in front of the fridge?
   • So is that a drawback, or a benefit? It depends on the quality of your floor and this is one of my biggest reasons for using a solid hardwood floor. Wood that is 3/4″ thick wears differently (better) than wood that is only a few millimeters thick.

The Good Stuff!

• Hardwood is beautiful!
• Hardwood feels fantastic under your feet!
• Hardwood is universal – it goes with any decor. (almost)
• Hardwood is natural and one of the most authentic floors you can get.
• Hardwood is temperate, feeling warm in winter and cool in summer, but never cold.
• Natural wear and tear can make it look more beautiful.
• A quality wood floor can last many lifetimes. Literally hundreds of years and still look great!
• Oh… and dishes that fall on it only break, rather than shatter in a zillion pieces.

Did I miss anything… other arguments for or against? Anyone care to share personal experience with this? ( I had natural clay Mexican tile in our last kitchen and have ceramic tile in this one… to be replaced with wood ASAP!)

~RG

I’ll take everything but the chair…

I came across this picture while looking at wooden flooring at the Armstrong website. I was contemplating the question “Is hand-scraped flooring still a current trend?” I’m not sure I found the answer to that, but I did see some beautiful stuff!

This kitchen in-particular got my attention because it uses a grey stained hickory as a unique alternative to the more common wood tones. I really liked the way it worked with the bright white cabinets. I also thought the use of a hand-scraped floor against the smooth cabinetry was a good mix. Often, I see textured flooring AND textured cabinetry and it tends to be too much. IMHO.

The Knappa Pendant Lamp from Ikea is a pretty hot item and at only $35 bucks you might as well go for two! It looks a whole lot like a fixture I installed a year or so back which was a whole lot more money.

I’m a fan of the wall color. I had a huge room in our last home painted this exact color and it was perfect against the huge white crown and baseboards we had in that room. You can see how well it goes with white.

Great appliances and plumbing fixtures round it off to make a kitchen I’d take pretty much as-is… minus that godawful chair!

~RG

Any thoughts you’d like to share? I’d also like to know if you think hand-scraped flooring is still hot… or on the way out?

Of all the rooms I’ve built, the coolest one of all (literally) was an amazing wine “cellar”. Cellar is kind of a misnomer though. This is Florida. No, this room was right in the middle of the house and it was originally a dining room and a huge laundry room. We turned it into a wine cellar.

Without building a stitch of structure, the tab was about $200,000.00. I said it was the coolest room I’ve done. I wish I had pictures (I’m sure I do in some old floppy disk digital camera). In substitution I’ve searched online for similar stuff. This picture below is close. Bigger, but not as cool.

I wasn’t actually looking for wine cellars when I came across this picture at a blog called Love and Splendor (cool name), but I did find a few.

What I was actually searching for was pictures of the one thing that I think made that room. The thing I dream about. The thing that keeps me up at night. It’s Those real brick floors. I can still remember the way they felt, the way they smelled, and the way they looked. Wow!

We bought pallets of solid used Old Chicago brick and cut them down to thin tiles. When everything went well, we were able to get two faces from each brick and the center was recycled. But often one face would break due to the very fragile nature of a 100 year old brick being sliced to 1″ thick in a huge wet saw.

The secret to installing the brick was a very thick bed of tile setting mortar and one seriously great tile installer. He was painstakingly able to get each piece installed in a herringbone pattern like shown in the photo above from HistoricalBricks.com and, thanks to the thick mortar bed, was able to keep them relatively flat. Hard to do because they each varied somewhat in thickness.

The picture below from AcadianBrick.com shows a similar color to what we used, though when used indoors and sealed with about five coats of stone floor sealer (flat) the finished floor appeared much darker than this. It was a wine cellar after all.

Great for Patios Too!

We did these floors outdoors a number of times. It’s much easier outside because you can just use the full thickness brick.

Inside that wreaks all sorts of havoc on doorways, and transitions with other floors.

Difficult, but worth it!

Hard to install, hard to clean, expensive to buy…

Yes, a real brick floor is all of these things. But not much looks more amazing in the right setting.

If you ever get a chance to give it a try, I recommend it highly! (Old Chicago is still my favorite)