Category Archives: Flooring

Can you recommend a floor for my kitchen and bathroom that will not fail around water. I currently have Pergo, it\’s a false wood laminate plank that snaps together, and it is peeling apart.

Posted on December 16, 2011 by visitor| Leave a comment

Hello, I am familiar with the Pergo and other wood laminate products, unfortunately these products don’t hold up well around moisture.  Your best products are Ceramic, that can be expensive but will give you the richest look. another product that is currently outselling ceramic is a product called Dura Ceramic, or Congoleum Ovations, this product looks just like ceramic but solves every problem that goes along with ceramic. 1st is that ceramics finish height can be as much as 1 inch higher that Dura Ceramic which you have to watch for doors swinging into that room (they may need to be shaved down). 2nd the Dura Ceramic is not as cold as real ceramic. 3rd the grout that you use with the floor is a poly grout that resist staining like regular sanded grout. 4th is that Dura Ceramic is a floating floor, so years down the road if you want to change it you won’t need a sledge hammer to demo it out. and 5th and final the Dura Ceramic lays faster that conventional Ceramic. It is just as expensive as Ceramic though. Also on the market are products like Shaw’s Array that gives a wood look but won’t fail when it gets wet. A more economical floor for those areas with high moisture would be a regular sheet vinyl.

Hope this helps,

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Posted in Flooring, Uncategorized

What is the difference between CDX Plywood and ACX, I want to put down a 1/4\” subfloor for laminate wood, not sure what to get. The kids at the lumberyard don’t know.

Posted on April 19, 2011 by visitor| Leave a comment

The grading system goes like this. A, B, C, and D grade. If you are looking at an ACX plywood you will see a perfect A side with an imperfect C side, and the X stands for eXterior glue. If you are putting down a floating wood floor I would use a minimum of a BCX, and install the B side up. ACX is used for Cabinet construction and CDX is used for Roofing underlayment usually. Hope this helps,

Sincerely, Andy Love

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Posted in Flooring

My husband and I are building a house and I am really interested in using bamboo flooring because of the "green" concept; however, I am having difficulties finding reviews of different manufacturers. What are some quality manufactured bamboo products? Or where can I go to find this information.

Posted on September 15, 2010 by Andy| Leave a comment

There is no question that bamboo is a renewable resource- it is a grass and grows very quickly. Some species grow over 100′ tall, and can have a growth rate of 4 ft in one day! You can actually see it growing like corn on a hot summer night. Where oak takes 120 years to grow to maturity, bamboo can be harvested in three. It is recognized as a green material under LEED. Leed even says “Environmentally, it’s hard to argue with a wood substitute that matures in three years, regenerates without need for replanting, and requires minimal fertilization or pesticides.” I myself have heard good and bad for durability and hardness. I think if I were you, I would purchase a product that has a good warranty, and is made by a reputable flooring manufacturer. If it’s the “green” aspect you are shooting for your selection is larger than just bamboo. Although, bamboo is becoming more popular. Mohawk flooring company is one of the more committed to environmental leadership. Mohawk produces 75% pre-comsumed recycled content. Mohawk estimates that they keep 680 million pounds of material out of landfill. One billion pounds is the weight of the wood waste reused in Mohawk laminate. Mohawk also plants six times the trees that they harvest, saving the destruction of forestry. On top of that the sawdust produced at their mills gets turned into fuel for their plants. Mohawk can be found at most any flooring store, I know Troy West at All Floors on 23rd ave of the cities behind Sherwin Williams in Moline has a huge selection. www.mohawk-flooring.com has a website with some information. Hope this helps.

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Posted in Flooring

We just had a new garage built and would like to have an Epoxy floor. Could you give us the name of local contractors, so we could compare prices?

Posted on September 15, 2010 by Andy| Leave a comment

You have some options with that system. First the Epoxy is one route to take, Rustoleum makes a product that can either be put right down, or the concrete may need to be etched first. That means if you have a really smooth finish on your concrete the surface will need to be etched with a chemical to ensure good adhesion. The etched version should run you about $3-$4 a square foot. For a non etched it should run you about $2.50 a square foot. My friend Mike Esparza can do that, and his number is (309) 7165016 . It’s not a cheap system, but looks great in finished garages with good lighting. It’s an item you see in themed garages, like Nascar, I saw a Ferarri themed garage once that was unbelievable. Materials for a standard 24×24 garage can run about $160.00 found at most hardware stores. Labor depending on prep work can run around $1,200-$2,100. Another option would be to go with the commercial grade rubber mates that can be driven on and taken up, even replaced if needed. Tim Shelton can give you some information on that and pricing, his number is (309) 314-1875 . I hope this helps, tell them Andy sent you from QCGeneral. Thanks for the great question. Andy Love Ask the Expert

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Posted in Flooring, Painting