“Formica” is one of those words like “Popsicle,” “Xerox,” or “Band-Aid,” words that are so popular that they’ve come to stand for an entire category of products. Band-Aid for example, refers to “plastic adhesive bandage.” And each of these brands, for a variety of reasons, has earned the top spot—generally because they were the first [...]
Lumber Liquidators’ Bellawood: Go simple. Go big.
February 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Sometimes the best way to describe something complicated—like the science and technology that goes into creating a dependable pre-finished hardwood floor—is to go simple. And in so doing, go big. Lumber Liquidators has done just that with their giant move to increase the 50 year warranty on their Bellawood finish to a century—and it is [...]
QuickFix: Touch up appliances, wood, tile
December 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Life gives the gifts of scratches and dents, and while you can treasure the memories of those moments, you might not want the evidence to last. Especially when you have guests coming over. There are a few simple ways to touch-up little nicks and scratches in your flooring, appliances, tile, and more. No, you don’t [...]
Fixing the Subfloor
June 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Question: I am planning to take up carpeting and install hardwood floors over a plywood subfloor. The floor squeaks when we walk on it. Will installing the new floor fix that or will my new floors squeak too? Answer: There’s a very good chance your new floor will squeak too if you don’t fix the subfloor [...]
Wood Flooring
May 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Pat writes: I found you through HGTVPro.com. Our primary home is in Massachusetts, but we are renovating our home in Florida. We are ripping up the carpet in our 1986 home down there and installing wood flooring. I am researching wood flooring on-line and have found 3/4? pre-finished solid Tigerwood. I have visited a local [...]
Accurate Framing
March 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Question: My house is about 90 years old. It needs work. As I remodel I try to keep things as close to original as I can, i.e I try to match moldings, use the same flooring, and so on. My current project is the porch. The floor boards are coming loose and I know I [...]
Tile Style: Leather, Linen, Wood, and more
February 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Ever since the ancient Egyptians started putting decorative tile in their homes, tile has been showing up in houses throughout the world. Tile actually accounts for 24 percent of installed flooring. When you think about how ceramic tile can last 50 years, and carpet can maybe muscle out about 10 good years of family wear-and-tear, [...]
Wood Flooring
February 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment
I’ve received an advanced copy of Wood Flooring: A Complete Guide to Layout, Installation, and Finishing and I can say it is loaded with outstanding information. From basic wood flooring–including engineered wood flooring–installation tips and tricks to diagnosing wood floor failures the book is cover-to-cover rich with important information. If you’re a beginner–especially if you’re [...]
Tom Silva talking w/ Mark & Theresa
January 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Tom Silva takes a break from his busy FixitUpLife to talk with Mark & Theresa at the International Builders Show. Find out why his home improvement project list makes Theresa’s head spin, why he chose photovoltaics and radiant heat in his home. Why Tom Silva’s wife fought with him about putting in radiant heat. Mark [...]
Thresholds: Laying the floor just right
December 9, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Flooring is a very popular and doable DIY project. Tile, engineered products, solid hardwood, I’ve seen plenty of flooring installs that look great, until… The hardest part about some flooring projects is making the transition from one type of flooring to another, usually in a door or hallway. The key to success is to think [...]
