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Found 181 results for the keyword(s) ‘floors hardwood finishing’

• Article

  Electric radiant floor heating without electromagnetic radiation!

    In the spring of 2004, a young and dynamic company in Quebec got a new radiant heating cable out of the laboratory and onto the market that has almost no electromagnetic radiation. "FlexTherm" from Longueuil, Quebec came out with what they call their Green Cable. With a sensitive professional...
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  Old fashioned linoleum has found new colours

    Linoleum used to be the kitchen floor covering of choice, but with the arrival of less expensive vinyl flooring which had colourful patterns, it got lost in the market. Yet linoleum has always been one of the most natural flooring materials following wood. It has been and is still made up ba...
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  Applying tile adhesive correctly

  I recently spent some time at the Terrazzo, Tile and Marble Association training centre in Toronto and learned some very basic but surprising things, like just how to apply tile mastic and why it makes a difference.   Using a notched trowel gives you a measured quantity of mastic or thinset m...
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  How to renew worn stairs without replacing them.

  David in Toronto sent us a photo of some very badly worn steps that he wanted to recover with wood without removing the old stairway. It is not easy, but it can be done. First sand or cut the round nose of each stair square. We will put a new round nose on as the last step. Clean the stair off ...
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  Full height basement insulation? An animation explaining why the answer is YES.

  An animation on a CD that I produced with the Reader's Digest several years ago showed clearly why you should insulate the entire wall all the way down to the floor. No, you won't freeze anything outside, as the important footings are below the frost depth anyway and there is always some heat los...
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  How do you trace drains under the basement floor?

  The most effective technique, one that can save you hundreds of dollars of erroneous digging, is to use a "sonar probe".         This gadget is often combined with a video camera designed to look inside sewer pipes.           An emitter probe is snaked into the drain line. You walk...
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  Tips for working with Epoxy Tile Grout

  Epoxy is the most water resistant of all grouts and is probably one of the most durable, making it a good grout for a ceramic tile kitchen counter top where you will be scrubbing it clean all the time. But there are some tips for working with it. It comes as a kit with three pouches: the A and B...
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  Pro: Tiles -- More than you thought you wanted to know

  Probably one of the best ways to learn about good and bad building techniques is to work on the renovation or restoration side of the construction picture. Here is where you see the results of everything done before, especially when the results are a failed system. In the world of ceramic, stone ...
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  Notches in Floor Joists

  It is best not to cut holes in floor joists, but when you must there are some important rules to follow. Never cut into the top of the bottom of the joist. If you do the entire joist is now no stronger than the wood that is left. Always cut holes in the centre of the joist, closer to the suppor...
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  Fixing a chair that won't sit flat on the floor

  Before you start fixing anything, you really need to know if it is the chair or the floor that wobbles. If the chair only wobbles in one or two spots in the room, it is probably the floor that is out of line.   CHECKING THE FLOOR To check the floor, either use a laser beam or a string line tha...