How I Repair Squeaky Floors in Atlanta

How I Repair Squeaky Floors in Atlanta
No matter how durable a floor material is meant to be, I find repeated wear and tear from daily traffic will eventually show and you may find yourself in need of some floor repair work – whether it is squeaky stains on carpets, scratched surfaces, cracks in tiles or floorboards . Sometimes entire sections are damaged and will need to be refinished or replaced. Most suppliers and manufacturers will advise on repair as well but some repairs are actually simpler than you think and can be attempted by yourself before having to call in the professionals. Here are two common problems that can be easily tackled at home:

Squeaky Floors
This is one of the most common problems I come across and although often not serious, can become irritating on a daily basis. In some cases, it is as simple as sprinkling some talcum powder over the noisy area and sweeping it into the cracks between the boards. For more serious squeaks, you will need to get into the space beneath the floor or the basement and ask someone to walk directly above you to help locate the problem. Once you have pinpointed the area then use a piece of chalk to outline the area. Now look at the joists within this area: anywhere there is a gap between the joists and the subfloor, the floorboards can move which means that they will squeak. Fix this by installing shingles or wood shims into the gaps, this will reduce movement.

However, if the squeaks seem to be originating from the area between the joists, then your problem is a gap between the floorboards themselves and the subfloor. Fix this by pulling the two layers together using wood screws: drill holes through the subfloor and into the squeaky area (this prevents wood cracking) and make sure that your wood screws are long enough to penetrate to the floorboards but at the same time, not so long that they will poke out above the floorboards.

If you cannot gain access to the space below your floorboards then you will need to do repairs from above, using spiral flooring nails. Again, I follow the same procedure for localizing the area of squeaking and determining whether it is from the joists or between them. Then, use two spiral flooring nails angled towards each other in a V-shape and drive them through the floorboards down to the subfloor. If the squeaks are from the joists, make sure the nails drive into the joist as well. Again, drill holes first to prevent the wood splitting.

In some cases, you will have carpeting or even tiling above the floorboards while also not having access from below. This means that access above and below the floorboards is both denied and you will need to remove the floor covering first to get to the floorboards. However, before you do this, try pounding the floorboards with a hammer in the squeaky area – this may provide enough pressure to force nails back and reset any loose floor boards without resorting to major excavations!

Restor-It Flooring Inc. is located at 850 Pickens Ind. Suite G Marietta, Ga 30062 . You can contact Robert Rowley by dialing P:678-535-0895 or emailing him at info@flooringatlantaga.com. For more information, go to http://www.FlooringAtlantaGA.com.

Panorama Press, an Atlanta based marketing firm specialize in internet strategy, sponsorships and web development. Panorama Press has helped many Atlanta based clients grow their business through creative internet marketing. For more information on Panorama Press please contact Paul Kelly at 404.954.0322.

Why Atlanta Chooses Bamboo Flooring:

Bamboo laminate flooring is a great choice for those who want the beauty of laminate flooring in their home without impacting on the environment.

People are becoming increasingly conscious about the environment and want to do all they can to cut their carbon footprints and live in a more sustainable manner.

Among the areas this covers is flooring, with the blog pointing out that homeowners do not need to sacrifice beauty just to be eco-friendly.

With bamboo laminate flooring, couples can enjoy the best of both worlds.

"Bamboo is the perfect resource to use. It grows fast and matures within five years," Enrique Lopez.

The Green Living Guide recently made a similar point, highlighting the fact that bamboo flooring looks like wooden flooring but is actually a grass which will regenerate after a few years.

In addition, cork is a good eco-friendly flooring option, the source said.

Sub Flooring Repair in Atlanta

Since you’re reading this, you probably already suspect you have a problem with your sub floor. In my experience, water damage is the most common of sub floor problems. Whatever the cause, you need to resolve the problem before you begin with the sub floor project itself. So, you need to inspect the suspect area to determine the cause and extent of damage.

The first thing you need to do is remove the floor covering from the area and expose the wood underneath. Sub floor is generally installed using 4’ x 8’ sheets of particleboard or plywood. Sub floor that is spongy or gives when you push or step on it or sags between the floor joists, are signs of water damage. Warped or bowed sub floor can have a variety of causes from years of exposure to the hot sun, to underlying structural issues. Again, make sure you resolve what caused the sub floor to deteriorate before starting the sub floor project.

If the damaged area is a large area or an entire room, the installation is fairly straightforward. First you must remove the old sub floor. Next make sure any nail or screw heads are not sticking up anywhere on the floor joists. This is a good time to inspect the floor joists and assess if there is any underlying damage with them as well. If there is, make sure to repair the problem before proceeding with the sub floor installation.

You can replace your old sub floor with either particleboard or plywood. I personally prefer plywood, but either will work. Make sure that the thickness of the wood is the same as what you took out. If you’re not sure, take a small piece with you to the wood yard. Generally, ¾ inch is pretty common and I wouldn’t recommend anything thinner.

Finally you simply lay the new sub floor panels onto the floor joists and screw them into place. I recommend screws rather than nails as they hold the sub floor more tightly to the floor joists and help prevent squeaky floors.

Now, if you have a smaller area that simply needs patching rather than complete replacement, the first thing you will need to do after exposing the area is to cut out the damaged section. Use a piece of chalk and mark a square area around the damaged sub floor. Try to locate the floor joists by looking for the nail or screw heads in the old sub floor. Make your chalk marks on those two sides along that nail/screw line.



With a circular saw set to a depth a ¾ inch depth, cut along the chalk line. This will cut the sub floor without cutting into the joists underneath. When cutting along the nail/screw line, you should cut slightly to the inside of that line to avoid hitting the nails/screws. With the sub floor cut, pry it up with a crow bar. Remove any nail or screw heads that are sticking up. Use the piece you just cut out as a template for the new piece if you can. If the old piece comes up in pieces, as often happens, you will need to measure the opening. If you have to measure the space, make sure to do so from all 4 corners as your opening will most certainly not be square.

When putting the new piece in place, make certain that both ends rest securely over the floor joist. Now screw it in place, making sure that the edges are particularly tight and secure. If there is a small gap between the old sub floor and the replacement piece, you can seal that with some expanding foam, shaving it smooth when it dries.

Now you’re ready for your new floor covering, but that’s another story.

How to Remove Carpet Stains With Vinegar

Carpet stains are a part of life. Fortunately, common household vinegar can remove them as easily as they came about. Vinegar can remove even the toughest stains, including alcohol, perfume, cola, coffee and pet mess.

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      How to Remove Carpet Stains With Vinegar

     
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Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Instructions

   1.
      Get a clean water spray bottle.

   2.
      Fold several (five to eight is ideal) clean paper towels into a square stack.

   3.
      Pour one part white vinegar with two parts cold water into the bottle, seal and shake.

   4.
      Test the solution on an inconspicuous part of your carpet. Spray the solution and blot dry to verify that the vinegar doesn't discolor your carpet.

   5.
      Remove excess stain-causing liquid by blotting the stained area on the carpet with paper towels.

   6.
      Spray the mixture onto the stain generously. Allow it to soak into the carpet for a few seconds.

   7.
      Press the paper towel stack against the stain and blot so that the staining ingredient will lift onto the paper towels.

   8.
      Continue spraying the carpet with the vinegar solution and blotting carpet until no stain remains. To ease handling, you may choose to spray the paper towels with the solution before blotting as long as you continue to spray the carpet, too.

   9.
      Allow the carpet to dry. The scent of vinegar should fade away while it evaporates


Warnings:

Do not use home cleaning products that contain lanolin or bleach on your carpet. Doing so could cause damage to your carpet.
Avoid rubbing the stains.

Do not spray enough vinegar onto the carpet for it to soak into the carpet's padding.