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What Is A Mixed Media Floor? Planning A Mixed Media Floor

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A mixed media floor is a floor that is made from different materials. Some very elegant buildings have mixed media floors such as government buildings, corporate office buildings and banks. Mixed media floors are often found in grand entrances of very large buildings. A “mixed media floor” literally means it can be made from any mixture of flooring materials. The sky’s the limit for a mixed media floor! Most commonly they are hardwood and metal, stone or tile. Slab granite is growing in popularity. Often, a mixed media floor has some metal, stone or tile elements embedded into a hardwood floor. It may also have a hardwood accent and be mostly tile. A mixed media floor may have a wood floor center and a tile border. Reversely, it may be a tile floor with a hardwood border. Also, if you have an open concept kitchen and dining room (with no walls in between), the kitchen may be tile and the dining room may be hardwood. This is also a mixed media floor. Lastly, a mixed media floor may have stone, metal or tile medallions inset in hardwood. There are so many different factors when you are planning a mixed media floor. The most important piece of advice is to take your time. Pay close attention to every detail. If you make a little mistake, it may become a big mistake later on. Go slowly!

How To Plan A Mixed Media Floor

These floors are very elegant but can cause some problems. Wood and water are not friends! When water penetrates wood, it naturally makes it expand and swell. Wood shrinks when moisture is released. If you are using stone or tile, you are going to be laying it with water. You mix mortar and grout with water. That said, some people will say it is best to lay the tile or stone first and the hardwood after. However, if it is a hardwood center and a tile or stone border, it might be tricky because every floorboard has to fit perfectly snugly. If your tile or hardwood are not perfectly laid, your beautiful design will be compromised! Continue reading to learn more about planning a mixed media floor.

Linoleum vs. Vinyl Flooring

Linoleum and vinyl flooring are both growing in popularity. Both of these floors are very easy to clean and require little maintenance. Also, both of these floor coverings are easy to install and inexpensive. Many subdivisions are using linoleum and vinyl flooring more and more. Just like tile, you can get any floor style effect that you want from linoleum and most styles from a vinyl floor. Most commonly, homeowners choose a wood or tiled floor look. Because they look so similar, many people think vinyl and linoleum are the same thing. Linoleum is the flooring often wrongly called “vinyl”. They both come on rolls. Don’t confuse linoleum with vinyl flooring. They have different characteristics. They both are durable and come on rolls but linoleum flooring comes in basically every color while vinyl is offered in less color variety. Because both linoleum and vinyl are such strong floors, they are the best for dogs, cats and other pets.

Maintenance

Another key difference with linoleum and vinyl is maintenance. Vinyl is pretty much maintenance free. Any cleaner will do on it – you don’t need to worry about anything bad happening to your vinyl floor when you clean it. Differently, linoleum is a bit more fussy when it comes to cleaning products. You have to be careful because some cleaning products that have a high pH will actually do damage to the floor. Maintenance for both linoleum and vinyl is sweeping, vacuuming and using the occasional cleaner on the floors. For linoleum, a pH neutral cleaner is best. It is a good idea to use an acrylic coating once a year. It needs to be sealed because it is not a waterproof floor – only a water resistant floor. Vinyl is totally waterproof so it doesn’t need an annual coating application.

What Are Vinyl and Linoleum Made From?

Both types of flooring are made of completely different materials. Linoleum is more environmentally sustainable. This flooring is derived from natural and biodegradable ingredients. Linoleum is made from linseed, cork, tree resin and limestone. The smell of linoleum is also pleasant. In contrast, vinyl is not made of any renewable materials. It also uses a lot of energy to manufacture. Vinyl is made of synthetic materials. It is made of fiberglass, dyes and vinyl. Vinyl is a petroleum product. Many vinyl floors have VOCs that are emitted right after the flooring has been installed. In fact, a lot of linoleum offgasses formaldehyde. Continue reading to learn about installing vinyl and linoleum floor coverings. Also you can read about the cost difference.

Best Wood Floor For Dogs

Let’s face it, having a dog is a joy but it has its hardships too! A dog can destroy your house! My friend has a very active German shepherd. She just did her floors. She was so excited to get prefinished wood floors in charcoal gray. I told her it was not a good idea because the wood would not hold up to the wear of her dog. She decided not to listen to me. Within a month there were visible dents on her wood floors. Dogs have claws no matter how small they are! They will almost always show on a wood floor! Homeowners often don’t take their pets or small children into account when doing renovations and end up paying for their mistakes down the road. Even if your heart is set on a particular floor, it may not be a good idea. Similarly, you get the wrong couch and it looks awful really fast if it is used a scratching post by your cats!

Flooring Options

When thinking of what type of floor to do when you have furry friend, hardwood floors are ok in areas where they will be less likely to be. In a living room and dining room, your dog may probably be there less so hardwood floors will be ok. In places like a hallway or foyer, it is best to have tile, vinyl or linoleum. Tiles, linoleum and vinyl will not get scratched or scuffed like wood floors. Dog claws are harmless to these types of floors. Some dogs get excited when the doorbell rings. You want to make sure that any of the areas where your dog will spend time and run around should not be hardwood floors. When I told my friend not to get prefinished hardwood floors, she went on and on about how the finish on prefinished floors is very indestructible. This is entirely true. But, the wood is not very durable at all. It is soft and prone to dents. She is angry now that she has dents and gouges in her new wood floors. The wood is just too soft. Now her wood floors look really old even though they are new and she cannot do anything about it unless she wants to rip up her floors and put down tile or get rid of her dog. Not only that, her prefinished floors will be very tricky to touch up. Continue reading on if you have a dog and really want a wood floor!