FloorTalk – for all the latest flooring fashions

This award is for The Green Junkie. It was very reassuring that it seemed almost everyone had something green to offer. There were too many to mention, but I wanted to highlight a few.

One product that stood out was from LG Hi-Macs. LG Hi-Macs, a member of the US Green Building Council introduced the Eden Collection of countertops. These countertops are the first acrylic countertops that are gentle on the environment. These countertops are made with 12% recycled content and come in a variety of beautiful earthy, warm colors.

Another product that I saw was from a leader in the industry. Every Whirlpool product helps people save energy, reduce water consumption and protection of the quality of the air we breathe. They feel their responsibility is global. GO WHIRLPOOL.

Warmboard Radiant Heating System was recognized for being included in the Top 10 Green Building Products for 2007 by Sustainable Industries. These awards recognize companies that are innovators, pioneers and proven performers in creating high quality, high value, resource-efficient products. Winning products may also help builders earn credits toward certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Program.

This award is FOR THE GURU. I couldn’t decide if this product was better suited more for the end user, retailer or the installer, but Custom Building Products has come up with a product that will make customers, retailers and installers all smile. They have taken their top 18 colors and created a product called Prism Sure Color Grout that eliminates some of the nagging problems with grout like shading and that chalky residue known as efflorescence. As a bonus, it is stain resistant right out of the bag. (which is now in a 17 pound bag instead of a 25 pound bag covering the same square footage) You can even walk on it in 4 hours rather than typically having to wait until the next day. For the retailer, it cuts down on your inventory eliminating the need for sanded and unsanded grout because it covers joints from 1/16” to ½” and obviously less call backs. So, the customer gets great results from their grout installation the first time and the installer doesn’t have to go back for service calls. It’s nice to see a great product being improved upon by a company that doesn’t stop with a good product, but continues to find new ways to improve their products to make them even better.

Most Homeowner Friendly Product:

This award goes to Moen’s Mirrorscapes. These guys have solved a problem that all designers run across at some point. When helping a remodel client or a client on a tight budget, one of the easiest suggestions to make in a bathroom is to replace the flat sheet of glass with a beautiful framed mirror. The problem is, it’s not as easy as it sounds. Typically, these mirrors are huge and glued directly to the wall with an adhesive like Liquid Nail. If you have ever tried removing one of these mirrors you know that it takes half of the sheet rock wall with it and generally ends up in a lot of unsafe pieces. This leaves the homeowner aggravated and with the unexpected costs of wall repair and new glass.

Moen has come up with “a custom look without cutting corners”. These quick and easy to install mirror frames give you a custom framed mirror look without expensive custom framing or carpentry. There are no miter cuts involved and your old mirror stays in place so you can upgrade your bathroom yourself! The adhesive mounting brackets glue right on top of your existing mirror providing a guide for the decorative corners and straight cuts. Then, all you have to do is apply to frame to theo mounting strips and you have a transformed vanity. Moen does a great job of offering a variety of styles and finishes such as metallic and wood that coordinate with today’s faucet finishes, accessories and cabinetry.

I have recently returned from The Remodeling Show sponsored by Hanley Wood, NAHB (National Association of Home Builders), NAHB Remodelers and Remodeling Magazine in Las Vegas. I had a great time! There were so many exciting new products to see that I ended up walking away with a rolling bag full of every kind of sample, brochure and catalog possible with my head spinning in new design directions! Since there were so many quality products to see, I decided the best way to share them with you was by giving out awards for those that deserve special recognition.

Some of my awards you can expect to see are for products for the installer, the guru, the person that can’t get enough GREEN in their life and there’s even something for the spoiled in all of us. Be sure to check back because I will be posting a new award each day this week!

  The first award is my TRENDSETTER award! The recipient of this award is a new product that will quite possibly have a dramatic and lasting effect on the design world. I applaud this company for its style, innovation and versatility.

 There are many products that deserve attention here, but I must share with you a new type of countertop called Shirestone.  Matt Jecker also made custom table tops and countertops for these clients. This created the market for Shirestone, a 3/8” to ½” thick pour in place custom blended countertop that looks like natural stone, but has features like custom color, texture and design that only an artist could bring to the table.

 
For the trendsetter, no two countertops are alike. This product can satisfy even the fussiest designers. I tried my very best to come up with an obstacle that these countertops could not withstand. No such luck. These countertops can have as little or as much texture as you like, as little or as much color as you like since all tops are custom colored and sheens from matte to gloss. You can have a 7 inch thick edge profile without the weight of stone (and the cost!). You can inset other materials like metal, natural stone or medallions. You can have any type of sink you can buy or any shape top, edge treatment or backsplash you can draw. Why stop there? Shirestone can also be used for hoods, corbels, columns, fireplaces, furniture tops and most anything you can think of. It even can be installed over existing tops.

 Shirestone is also non-porous so you can’t harm it with cleaners as harsh as bleach. Once sealed, there is no need to reapply  sealer annually like with granite and other natural stones. You can cut on it, set hot pots on it and since it can be poured seamlessly around any shape or object more quickly than special order natural stone you can have it now – with no transport limitations or worries with waiting on another slab if your piece is cut wrong. No wonder it was voted #3 in the Top 25 materials of 2006 by Surface Fabrication Magazine.

As the weather outside starts to turn and the temperature starts to drop, my floors are beginning to feel cooler and I long for warmth under my feet! I have always thought that having radiant heat to warm my floors was a good idea but thought the process was probably more complicated than it was worth. Recently, a friend of mine who was working on a remodeling project called to ask my advice on what type of radiant heat to use. So, I figured now might be a good time to demystify this process and get my friend some answers.The first thing I found interesting was that radiant heat systems work not only with tile and stone floors but also with carpet, vinyl and hardwood! I am from the south where it doesn’t ever get too terribly cold. To me, it made sense to heat tile because tile is cold! But now that I know that I can heat other types of flooring, I ask you, why not have warm floors everywhere? As much as I love to go barefoot and have now relocated to Colorado, this is very appealing.

So here is basically what you need to know: There are 2 different ways to heat your floors. You can heat floors with electricity or with water. What’s great about these systems is the flexibility. You can heat an area as small as the flooring in front of your sink or areas as large as athletic fields, driveways and sidewalks! Electrical systems consist of a thin mat of warming wires that are installed between the sub floor or underlayment and the flooring, much like an electric blanket. Feeling cozy yet? These mats can be custom sized to fit the shape of any room. The wire mat is safe because the wires are encapsulated between 2 layers of insulation. The first layer is the standard plastic insulation that is required. The second layer is the outer braid that is made from stainless steel and protects the wires from being penetrated by sharp objects. It also serves as the ground wire in the event that there is damage.

The alternative to electricity is water or hydronic heating. Here’s how it works; hot water is circulated through plastic pipes in the concrete sub floor. The system is a closed loop so the liquid re-circulates. Warm water is distributed to the individual circuits of tubing within each zone. Because the water is heated in the slab, the warming time to start up can be 4-7 hours. Because of this fact, these units are typically used in colder climates and are left on for months at a time. This type of heating is often used to heat whole homes where electric heating systems are good for warming small areas. Hydronic heating is controlled by a thermostat and is rated the most popular and most comfortable by homeowners with radiant heat.

So, after understanding the two different types of radiant heat I still had questions regarding safety, what to do if it breaks and practicality. As far as safety, I was wondering, was it possible for the floor to get too hot? Could it be too hot for kids or for my magazines I leave lying on the floor? The answer I found out was no. The floor temperature generally ranges from 80-90 degrees and can be controlled with a thermostat. So, my safety concerns were answered.

Now what if the system breaks? While it is unlikely for electrical systems to do so, repairs can be made easily but need to be done by a professional, especially if you are removing a piece of tile or stone. Keep in mind that because hydronic systems have moving parts that are subject to maintenance problems, these systems can be difficult to repair and therefore costly.

The last question I had was regarding luxury versus practicality. Is it worth it to have toasty toes if your electric bill goes through the roof? Good news, again. A 25 square foot area uses the equivalent of three 100 watt light bulbs. For an
average size bathroom, these units operate on less than 10 cents per day! Also, these systems run off 110V or 220V and the variable temperature controls have a built in GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter.) Your initial costs for heating
your floors are more significant with hydronic heating because you have to buy a boiler. So, if you are looking to heat a small area or invest hundreds rather than thousands, electric heating is the way to go. In very large homes where you are
heating the whole house it can be more cost effective in the long run to use hydronic heating. For those of us in existing homes without heated floors, there’s more good news! We can have them, too. Radiant heating systems it can be installed
in the crawl space in an existing home without removing the existing flooring. There are some variables with each type of flooring such as the proper carpet padding and installation method for wood so check with your installation professional before making a purchase.

Radiant heat, in general, has the advantage of warming objects and not the air so you don’t lose heat when the door is open. It also doesn’t stir up dust so allergies are kept to a minimum. Studies show a 50-80% reduction in dust mites with use of these systems! Also, because radiant heat warms from the bottom up, when your feet are warm the rest of your body feels warm, too! So, knowing that the product is safe, effective and efficient I encourage you to see your local retailer for their favorite brands. Why not spoil yourself with warm floors this winter either in a small area or your whole house!