The Complete Guide to Flooring (Black and Decker)
by Black and Decker, The Editors of Creative Publishing international
Book Description
The Complete Guide to Flooring is the only truly comprehensive flooring
book available, combining information on using flooring as a design
element with complete step-by-step instructions for installing virtually
any type of flooring-classic standards to the newest materials. The
book covers ceramic tile, terrazo, natural stone, terra cotta, hardwood,
wood laminate, floating plank, carpet, vinyl sheet, resilient tiles,
cork, carpet tiles, leather, and the new plastic laminates. In addition,
readers will learn how to repair problems with all types of flooring,
how to soundproof and insulate floors, how to refinish hardwood floors,
and how to create decorative paint finishes on wood floors.
Flooring is one of the most visible finish surfaces in a home, and serves to unify the entire interior design. With this in mind, The Complete Guide to Flooring opens with an exciting idea section that shows the many ways in which flooring can enhance the appearance and function of a home. Following this is a chapter that introduces all types of flooring, discussing their merits and limitations. Next, a planning section shows all the preliminary steps-measuring, removing old flooring, evaluating and repairing the subfloor, estimating and ordering flooring. Then comes the heart of the book-complete instructions on how to install all types of flooring, with complete, easy-to-understand, step-by-step details.
With no aspect of home flooring left unexamined, The Complete Guide to Flooring is destined to become a home improvement classic.
About the Author
The editors of Creative Publishing international have created more
than 25 of the best-selling books on home repair, home improvement,
and landscaping. All books are exhaustively researched, written,
photographed, and edited by veteran staff members with years of experience
in their areas of expertise.
Customer Reviews:
Something To Stand On
I suspect that one of the most insane decisions in my life is deciding to redo my kitchen - on my own. This makes all kinds of practical sense, given what labor costs. But I am incorrigibly un-handy. But in a fit of pseudo-parsimony (you never really save any money doing something yourself - you just buy tools instead of labor) and a determination to recover my macho I have sailed into the unknown of plumbing, cabinetry, plastering, tiling, and, worst of all, flooring.
No sooner did it become obvious that replacing the floor was inevitable than I realized that I was completely clueless about what to use and how to go about it. Of course there is no lack of people who will tell you what they would do, but this is one of those things that you live with forever and it needed to be wholly what I wanted. At this point I scanned the shelf of the local handyman's heaven and found this little cheery volume.
For the most part it's quite practical. Chapters on planning, design, and preparation nurse you through the start up and dreaded removing of the old floor stages. Then there are chapters on hardwood floors, ceramic and stone floors, resilient flooring, and carpeting. More follows on finishing and repair. More than enough to answer the basic questions of how to close the knowledge gap and make a sensible decision about how to proceed.
There are countless photos, and the writing style is clear, even if
it is a bit dull. Of course, dull is a good thing when making a major
household change. One gets excited when the day is over and the job
done, not by unexpected drama in the kitchen. This seems as good a
reference as any I've seen, and covers far more than I ever wanted
to know. I expect that someday soon my cats will be walking on something
entirely new. Complaining as they go, of course.
