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

  • Article

    Why do floors spring like a trampoline - and how to stop it?

    Floors spring or vibrate when they are not rigid enough for the distance they have to span between their supports. You can always put another post in the basement under the center of the area giving you problems. That solves the problems easily on the top, but often creates an unwanted obstruc...
  • Article

    How can I prevent my tile grout from cracking?

    Barry from Calgary, Alberta writes: "I have a problem with cracking grout on an aboveground installation. I suspect the cause is excessive deflection of the floor joists. I'm wondering if there's any additive that can be added to the grout that will prevent this from happening again when I re-gro...
  • Article

    Important precautions for installing large tiles

    The world of tiles is changing rapidly.  Twenty years ago we generally had a range of tile sizes from 1 ft x 1 ft down to tiny mosaic tiles.  This made tiling relatively simple because slight changes in the flatness of the surface could be adjusted for at the next grout line.  In fact that is...
  • Article

    Fire Safety & Installing Wood Burning Appliances

    Wood heating appliances get hot -- that's why we use them -- but they also burn down houses.  They are only safe if you install them safely.   -- Let's start with the fascinating process of how wood burns; -- and now let's see how that process can happen inside your walls or floors near woo...
  • Article

    Laying counter, floor, wall or shower tiles in a professional manner

    It may surprise you to hear that despite silicone sealants and the like, neither the grout between ceramic tiles nor the tiles themselves are actually moisture or vapour proof. Wherever water can sit on a tiled surface, or steam can soak into grout, the wood below can be destroyed by moisture see...
  • Article

    Heaters for Patio Doors

    Patio doors are actually very large windows and even when the weather-stripping and caulking is in good shape, they can create cold drafts in a room simply because there is so much cold glass that the air at the top begins to cool off, slides down along the glass getting cooler and cooler as it g...
  • Article

    Floor Tiles that drain

    I went to the store and bought a box of really nifty 100 percent recycled vinyl interlocking floor tiles, the kind that stand up above a concrete floor and let the water drain through and under. I needed them to keep boxes off of a basement floor where there was occasional moisture -- and I ended...
  • Article

    Silencing a strange buckling noise in the floor.

    Bruce from Chatham, Ontario had a peculiar noise problem with his floor. His heating ducts were made by simply nailing sheet metal to the floor joists, and every time he walked on the floor the sheet metal would ripple, sending rock-music-like sounds throughout the house. He solved the problem b...
  • Article

    How do you silence a squeaking floor?

    Here's an animation that helps to show you why floors squeak and what you might be able to do to solve the problem.
  • Article

    Weather Restrictions: Thermal Plastic Construction Adhesive

    Connect to your favourite weather forecaster and look for the following conditions:   Category: Adhesives     Product: Thermal Plastic Construction Adhesive Temperature Limitations: -25 C (-13 F)  to +60 C (+140 F) -- varies widely by product Rain Limitations: n/a Wind Limitations:  n/a Hum...