Tag: laminate flooring

Home Building 101: Major Phases of Construction Part III

For the past couple of weeks, we’ve been walking you through what building a home entails, from the initial pouring, to explaining all of the inspections that take place, we’ve put it all together for you to quickly understand.  Today, we’ll continue to talk about this topic, here’s you can find part one and part two.

Drywall & Interior Textures

After the insulation is installed, the drywall and interior textures are begun.  After this is completed, the interior can be painted with primer to prepare it for the interior paint.

Exterior Textures

The exterior of the house will begin to be installed, this includes finished such as stucco, stone, brick, and siding.

Interior Trim & Paint

The decorative trim for interior doors, window sills, moldings, baseboards, and stair balusters are next installed as well as bathroom vanities, cabinets, fireplace surrounds and mantels.  Interior walls will then be painted or wallpapered.

Exterior Work

At this stage, any walkways, patios, and driveways that you have planned will be poured, though some contractors will wait until the house is completed to pour the driveway.

Floor, Counter tops, Exterior Grading

All vinyl, hardwood, and ceramic tile flooring is now installed along with kitchen and bathroom counter tops (we have a post comparing Corian and granite counter tops which might be helpful to you).  Any carpeting will be installed later in order to prevent any damage.  Not sure which kind of flooring to choose for your home?  You might want read our posts comparing hardwood and carpet, hardwood and laminate, as well as some general information on bamboo flooring.  Exterior grading is complete to make sure that water drains properly away from the home to prevent any foundation issues.

We hope that you’re enjoying reading this series of posts as much as we’re enjoying writing them.  If you’re looking for some home building ideas, it might be helpful to visit our post about luxuries to consider for your custom home, or how to build an energy efficient home on a budget.  Any suggestions?  Drop us a comment below.  See you next week when we wrap up this topic.

Hardwood Floors VS Laminate

Laminate flooring is a great and cost effective option to make your custom home appear that it has hardwood flooring, but is it worth the investment? This post is part of our series on flooring pros and cons, you can read our previous posts about bamboo flooring and hardwood flooring vs. carpet.

Benefits of Laminate

Laminate flooring is significantly cheaper than hardwood flooring and can also be more resistant to scratches, moisture, and stains.  This of course depends entirely on the quality of the laminate and maintenance.  Laminate can imitate the appearance of hardwood or stone, or almost anything.  Because hardwood flooring is susceptible to moisture or direct sunlight, it is not always the best choice for bathrooms, kitchens, or in rooms with harsh sunlight.  Upkeep for laminate flooring is easier than hardwood, there is no need for polishing or waxing, but it should be frequently cleaned. The average cost of laminate flooring averages from $4-8 per square foot, but can often be found for less.

Benefits of Hardwood

Hardwood flooring, because it is made from natural, durable material and finished, can last more than 75-100 years when properly maintained.  In comparison, laminate flooring, made of synthetic fiberboard with a laminate finish will never last that long; top quality laminate will need to be replaced about 15-25 years after installation but repairs and installation can be far cheaper than repairing or replacing hardwood floors.  Upfront costs for hardwood flooring is the primary deterrent of installation, the average price of hardwood floors is $8-15 per square foot (though the cost can range from $2.75-200 depending on the quality and type of wood).  The general rule for hardwood flooring is the harder the wood, the more durable and more expensive.

Care

As a rule, laminate and hardwood are both easy to maintain but that doesn’t mean that maintenance is not necessary.  Both types of flooring will last longer when harsh chemical treatments are not used and when kept clean.  The use of rugs and felt pads on the feet of furniture is also a good way to ensure that your floors last longer.