| Subject | Date Asked |
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| new wood floor in kitchen | 6/6/2009 |
Q: Should the new wood floor under my new cabinet depth refrigerator have been stained along with the ...
A: Lois, Yes, the wood should be stained and sealed to protect it. We try to have the fridge out of ...
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| Armstrong laminate floor chipped | 5/11/2009 |
Q: We had a Armstrong laminate floor installed in May 2005 by a local retailer. (Armstrong Natures ...
A: JoAnn, Yes, I have heard and seen laminate flooring chip. If I were you I would call around to ...
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| laminat | 4/28/2009 |
Q: and thank you for your help in advance. I installed 200 square feet of laminate (oceanic - 8.43 mm ...
A: JR, I would advise you to tear the whole floor up, get new, better-grade flooring, and start ...
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| Exterior door adjustment during hardwood installation | 4/22/2009 |
Q: I am having solid 3/4" oak plank installed in my front hall. When the recommended hardwood installer ...
A: Meredith, Hello and thanks for the question. When a client wants real wood by a door that is too ...
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| Installing engineered hardwood 5" plank | 4/20/2009 |
Q: I'm building a new construction home. I purchased a Robbins oak topaz 5" engineered plank (Armstrong ...
A: Donna, I can't say who is right or wrong without seeing the floor. If the manufacturer says it ...
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| Hardwood Floor | 3/25/2009 |
Q: I accidentally used an oil based polyurethane on my hardwood floor when I really needed to use a ...
A: Ryan, No, I would not try to take it off. Either sand it back down to the bare wood or just apply ...
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| Type of flooring best for a kitchen | 3/20/2009 |
Q: Gutting remodeling a kitchen-the contractor wants to cover entire 172 sq ft of the kitchen and ...
A: Debby, Yes, this is standard practice. I think the floor turns out better this way. You don't ...
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| Protecting hardwood floors | 3/12/2009 |
Q: I have a question regarding protecting and sealing our new laminate wood flooring.We just installed ...
A: Angela, Hello, and thank you for the question. No, sorry, you can't put finish on laminate ...
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| prefinished floor mess! | 3/3/2009 |
Q: 3 yrs ago we built a new home and installed Brazilian cherry prefinished hardwood floors. using ...
A: Kim, Without seeing the floors, I would have to say it is being caused from some sort of moisture. ...
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| Laminate flooring | 3/1/2009 |
Q: Can you installed laminate floor on a concrete slab safely and it not bulk in time?
A: Vicki, Yes, you can installed laminate flooring over concrete. Just make sure your concrete is dry ...
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| can oil-based urethane smells last for months in a cold house? | 2/25/2009 |
Q: I recently moved into an apartment that had the wood floors stripped and urethaned (not sure if oil ...
A: Neil, If your house smells that bad then oil-based urethane was used. It can take a while for ...
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| Oak flooring | 2/16/2009 |
Q: I have laid some Oak flooring (ok the builders did that bit!) but it was over 4 years ago now and i ...
A: Shelley, Hello and thank you for the questions. If you just need to clean your floor I recommend ...
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| sealing laminate? | 2/14/2009 |
Q: Is there any product out that will seal or protect my laminate flooring from scratching? My husband ...
A: Katie, To my knowledge there is not a sealer to protect laminate flooring. The vacuum had to have ...
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| pine floors | 2/10/2009 |
Q: I am restoring a home built in 1892, that has pine floors. What stage do I restore the floors? I ...
A: Joan, I usually tell my customers to do all their drywall work first. Apply all your coats of ...
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| Brazilian Cherry Hardwood Install | 2/9/2009 |
Q: I had 1500 feet of BC installed about a month ago. We let the wood sit in our Denver Home for about ...
A: Carl, I don't think it should be a huge deal. A lot of guys won't glue this wide board, they will ...
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| Brazilian Cherry Hardwood Install | 2/7/2009 |
Q: I had 1500 feet of BC installed about a month ago. We let the wood sit in our Denver Home for about ...
A: Carl, Thank you for the question but I will need more information from you. -How wide are the ...
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| Inspectors | 2/6/2009 |
Q: I have a hardwood flooring business and have installed and finished wood floors for over 30 years. ...
A: Jean, Hello and thank you for the question. I'm glad that you are taking it upon yourself to think ...
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| Oil vs Water Polyurethane | 2/5/2009 |
Q: I just had my floors in my condo apartment refinished (buffed and coated). The work order was ...
A: Peter, If your work order was for water-based then you shouldn't still be smelling the finish. ...
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| Wet Laminate flooring | 2/4/2009 |
Q: My Hotwater tank was leaking and caused water to seep under my laminate floor causing some of the ...
A: Keith, You should tear up all the flooring that got wet to avoid any mildew growth. Depending on ...
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| laminate flooring | 1/30/2009 |
Q: We are going to put down laminate flooring and don't know where to start. They say to start at a ...
A: Typically, the floor would be layed the way you described. That being said, you can start on any ...
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| finishing wood floors | 12/18/2008 |
Q: I wrote to you recently asking about using an oil based stain and a water based poly. Well I sanded ...
A: Brian, Glad that your sanding went well. The urethane should make the floor look richer, not ...
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| wood floors | 12/10/2008 |
Q: I am working on the floors in the two upstairs bedrooms of a house that I purchased a few months ...
A: Brian, Hello and thank you for the questions. Go to my article on how to refinish floors on the ...
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| Laminate flooring | 12/9/2008 |
Q: We have laid down laminate flooring. We believed we left enough expansion but it seems to have not ...
A: Jamie, Hello and thank you for the question. If the problem is expansion, which it seems it ...
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| refinishing wood floor | 12/7/2008 |
Q: Help! My husband is refinishing the hardwood floor that was under the linoleum in the kitchen of ...
A: hand-sand, Hello and thanks for the question. It should be relatively easy to fix the puddles ...
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| engineered floor over concrete | 12/2/2008 |
Q: Three questions concerning Armstrong engineered wood veneered flooring over concrete: 1) What is ...
A: Tom, Hello and thank you for the question. The answers are as follows: 1.) I prefer floating ...
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| Scratches from edger | 11/13/2008 |
Q: I have refinished several hardwood floors and can't seem to get the edging without sometimes leaving ...
A: Eddie, Hello and thank you for the question. If you are edging for a natural or stained finish ...
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| Replacing a few boards of tongue and groove flooring | 11/9/2008 |
Q: I just had 3/4th inch tongue and groove unfinished hickory installed in my family room. After the ...
A: Terri, Yes, it is possible to replace those boards. The problem will be the way that they match ...
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| Engineered hard wood floors | 10/31/2008 |
Q: My children dragged something across the floor - it appears that some boards need to be replaced; ...
A: Raahsahn, It is possible to replace the boards but it would look better if the floor was either ...
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| Refinishing Old Wood Floor | 10/23/2008 |
Q: My husband is trying to refinish a 60 year old kitchen floor that has been covered with two layers ...
A: Nancy, Hello and thank you for the question. I had the same material on my kitchen floor in my ...
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| GETTING RID OF CARPET ON STAIRS | 10/3/2008 |
Q: what would you suggest to replace carpet in stairs(indoor) I already have laminate in my main floor, ...
A: Ivette, Hello and thank you for your question. I can suggest a few options. First, do you have ...
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| trimming installed hardwood for landing nosing | 9/26/2008 |
Q: I have already installed 3/4-inch pre-finished maple hardwood (2-1/4-inch strip) on my second ...
A: Sean, I would try to use a router with a straight-cut bit. This will give you the best quality ...
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| repair of hardwood floors | 9/24/2008 |
Q: My house was built in the 40's and we have the originally hardwoods. They are in great shape ...
A: Unfortunately urine stains usually can't be sanded out. With water or liquid stains such as this ...
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| laminate flooring | 9/15/2008 |
Q: I would like to install laminate flooring in my kitchen. Is it best to remove everything, including ...
A: George, Hello and thank you for the question. No, you don't have to remove everything all at once. ...
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| Laminate flooring underlayment | 8/26/2008 |
Q: I have puchased a laminate flooring with the backing attached. I am installing in an upstairs room ...
A: Charlie, Hello. No, you don't need to put another underlayment down. That being said, it ...
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| Hardwood floors | 8/25/2008 |
Q: We have installed utility grade hardwood floors in our home and are getting ready to do the ...
A: Daphne, Thanks for the question. Well, if you like the knots you can just use wood filler on any ...
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| oak stair raisers | 8/24/2008 |
Q: Our new oak stairs have both oak trends and risers. Initially I thought I would stain everything but ...
A: Eva, Yes, you can paint the oak risers. Just be sure to prime them first. Just a personal ...
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| optimal direction to lay engineered hardwood floor | 8/22/2008 |
Q: We have bought a condominium in which we have a very large living room ending with a bay window, ...
A: Isidor, Hello and thanks so much for the question. Honestly, this is a mater of personal opinion. ...
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| Hardwood Flooring | 8/21/2008 |
Q: I recently replaced carpet with hardwood floors throughout my house. The floor was very uneven as a ...
A: A few questions for you: What kind of hardwood? Thickness? Width? Brand? Lock-together or ...
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| Time to replace the sheet flooring! | 8/17/2008 |
Q: Our house was built in 1976 and it's time to replace the original kitchen floor as the seams in the ...
A: First, thanks for the questions. Let's try to answer them in order. 1.)I would recommend hardwood ...
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| How to install starting steps trim | 7/18/2008 |
Q: I am installing hardwood for our first floor. Our starting steps for the stairway has semi circle ...
A: HM Shuh, Thank you for the question. When we do trim in circular areas we buy a special bendable ...
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| engineered wood floors over terrazzo | 7/8/2008 |
Q: How does one dry out a room's floor with high humidity? I just bought a house in South Florida. The ...
A: Julie, Hello and thanks for the question. To dry out that room you need to make sure there is not ...
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| Cupping of Wood Floors | 7/2/2008 |
Q: I've read about this subject and haven't seen our specific issue...our original floors are all OK; ...
A: Charlene, Thank you for the question. One question for you. Did the installers let the wood sit ...
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| REFINISHING CHERRY FLOORS | 6/28/2008 |
Q: WE ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING INTO REFINISHING OUR CHERRY FLOORS. I HAVE 2 QUESTIONS ARE "DUSTLESS" ...
A: Hello and thanks for the question. Dustless system are just that: less dust. We have a dustless ...
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| engineered wood over carpet | 6/22/2008 |
Q: I have a 36'x24' combination LR & DR that's carpeted. The ceramic tiled kitchen floor is 1/2" ...
A: Hello and thanks for the question. I would not install engineered wood over the carpet. Is there ...
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| underlayment | 6/17/2008 |
Q: We are having Berry Floor laminate flooring installed today. The installers are using a blueish ...
A: I can't really tell you if the underlayment is any good without looking at it. Usually the best ...
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| mildew on stored hardwood | 6/11/2008 |
Q: I left about 560 sq. ft. of prime birch flooring stacked in my insulated garage over the Indiana ...
A: Renee, For finishing your floor I can tell you what I usually use. Minwax stain has always worked ...
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| mildew on stored hardwood | 6/10/2008 |
Q: I left about 560 sq. ft. of prime birch flooring stacked in my insulated garage over the Indiana ...
A: I would not install wood that had mildew on it. Mildew shows that there has been prior exposure to ...
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| Hardwood floor spacing | 6/9/2008 |
Q: I have an apartment that has two small rooms where they were able to salvage the old pine plank ...
A: Rob, Thanks for the question. There are several options. 1.) You can buy caulk made to stay ...
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| uniclic installation | 6/8/2008 |
Q: I would like to take the installer to court but I'm sure I need another professional opionion ...
A: Depending on what state and how much money you want reimbursed you can file in small claims court. ...
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| floor | 6/7/2008 |
Q: we live in Texas - our house foundation is slab - there is an area of our interior floor ...
A: Scott, Thanks for your inquiry. First a few questions for you. Do you have a crawl space? If ...
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| quick.stepunicliclaminate | 6/6/2008 |
Q: I recently had quick.step uniclic laminate Quadra (15 1/2x 15 1/2 inch tiles) installed in my home. ...
A: Sorry about your disaster! It happens sometimes. Do you think the fault falls on the product or ...
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| Engineered flooring on stairs | 6/5/2008 |
Q: I am installing 3/8" thick engineered flooring on our stairs with a stringer on one side and a ...
A: My advice as a professional is to leave 1/2" gap on the sides. This is standard with engineered ...
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| Prefinished hardwood floor durability | 6/1/2008 |
Q: I have a client that has recently purchased a condo with prefinished wood floors. They are ...
A: I will enclose a Floor Care Sheet that you can pass on to your clients if you desire. -Any laying ...
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| Restoration of Lino covered wood floor | 5/31/2008 |
Q: The wood floor has been overlaid with self sticking vinyl squares. It looks like tar paper was used ...
A: Tom, The best way to remove tar paper? That's a tough one. There could be several options. ...
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| hardwood floor refinishing | 5/31/2008 |
Q: I will be refinishing some hardwood flooring that has been stained by cat urine. The house has been ...
A: Ryan, Oh the joys of cat urine! Been there done that and it is not too pleasant! Once it's done ...
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| Floors. | 5/27/2008 |
Q: I am doing a school project where I need to make my own business, and I was just wondering, What ...
A: Jessica, Thanks for the question. My advice would be to put vinyl flooring. It shouldn't get too ...
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| Bamboo, sleepers on slab, what to do? | 5/24/2008 |
Q: We want to install Warner bamboo flooring in an urban apartment. I've cut an opening in the current ...
A: Ed, The sub-floor Liquid Nails should be okay as long as it's rated to come into contact with ...
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| HARDWOOD FLOORING INSTALLATION | 5/24/2008 |
Q: Our home was built in 1923 and hardwood floors were installed at that time. They are oak 3/4" thick ...
A: Simply put, there is no reason to remove anything. You can install right over the existing hardwood ...
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| Bamboo, sleepers on slab, what to do? | 5/23/2008 |
Q: We want to install Warner bamboo flooring in an urban apartment. I've cut an opening in the current ...
A: Ed, Of course I would highly recommend that you nail/screw and glue the sleepers to the concrete. ...
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| laminate or hardwood? | 5/21/2008 |
Q: I'm getting rid of my family room carpet. I have small active children and a not-so-potty trained ...
A: Araceli, Hello and congratulations on choosing a smart flooring choice. Hans down I would ...
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| regarding hardwood flooring | 5/21/2008 |
Q: We currently have laminate flooring. Not holding up well at all. The installers not only put glue ...
A: Sam, Hello. Unfortunately I would have to say that you should tear the laminate up first before ...
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| Bamboo, sleepers on slab, what to do? | 5/20/2008 |
Q: We want to install Warner bamboo flooring in an urban apartment. I've cut an opening in the current ...
A: I'm glad that you are using a ecologically-friendly product like bamboo. I'm also glad that you are ...
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| removing tile from hardwood | 5/13/2008 |
Q: i wanted to know before i got myself into a sticky situation what i would need to do to remove ...
A: Allison, For the minor dips you can use self-leveling floor leveler. Just mix it and pour. If ...
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| removing tile from hardwood | 5/12/2008 |
Q: i wanted to know before i got myself into a sticky situation what i would need to do to remove ...
A: Allison, Thanks for your question. As far as ceramic over hardwood goes, that should be no problem ...
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| laminate | 5/10/2008 |
Q: Is Berry Floor laminate a good brand? And is the regular thin underlayment pad good enough? Or ...
A: Berry Floor laminate is a low to middle-grade brand. As far as quality goes it should be fine. I ...
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| installing laminate | 5/8/2008 |
Q: I cannot get my laminate floors to "click" together on the floor (they do click together when I hold ...
A: If your floors don't click together it could be one of three things. 1.) You are putting them ...
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| radiant heat under hardwoods | 5/8/2008 |
Q: Is radiant heat ok to use under hardwood floors? It doesn't seem like it would work well with wood.
A: Hardwood floors are ok to use for radiant heating. I recomend using engineered wood that "floats" ...
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| eucalyptus Floors and Radiant Heat | 5/7/2008 |
Q: I am very interested in the Lyptus hardwood floor product. I am building a new house and have ...
A: Hello and thank you for your question. First of all let me say that Lyptus is a beautiful and ...
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| Hard / Soft wood Help | 5/6/2008 |
Q: I am the owner of a home built in 1896... The hardwood floors are the ones that were initially in ...
A: Carl, Thanks for the question. First let's start with the EZ sander. Theses machines are ...
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| Remove dried on Urethane glue from laminate surface | 5/5/2008 |
Q: How do we remove dried on spots, of dried on urethane glue used to bond the ENGINEERED wood floor to ...
A: Well depending on the kind of glue that you used you may be able to remove it with a little elbow ...
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| FInishing hardwood floor. | 4/25/2008 |
Q: I am purchasing a home that has a hardwood floor in the kitchen. It looks as if it needs more coats ...
A: Troy, Thanks for the question. Yes you can finish it. It's just a question of whether you want ...
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