Jerry Work asked:


Bamboo wood flooring is a truly beautiful form of flooring that will greatly add to the appeal of your home. For hundreds of years, bamboo flooring has taken the form of portable mats made from long slices of bamboo strips bound together with twine, which is often also made from bamboo. This form of bamboo flooring is still popular today. However, modern bamboo flooring (which has only been in existence for around a decade) takes the form of flat, machined planks. These planks can be treated so that the wood is comparable to other forms of hardwood in terms of longevity and toughness.

Bamboo flooring is available in several different forms for use, such as snap-together and floating flooring. Each form has its own advantages. Snap-together flooring has purpose made joints that fit into each other. It is a relatively easy way to install flooring, although there is certainly still cutting involved to get complete floor coverage.
Floating flooring is a very interesting way of laying bamboo flooring. In this technique, a thin bamboo veneer sits atop a high density fiberboard core. Two major advantages of this technique are that the flooring is stabilized by the core and that it makes for a much less messy and complicated installation than nail/glue down solid flooring. You just roll out the underlayment and then lay the bamboo on top.

Bamboo has an advantage over many other forms of wood flooring in that it is a much more environmentally friendly resource. Bamboo is a renewable resource in that bamboo reaches maturity in just a few years, compared to decades for other forms of wood. Bamboo is actually a tall, tree-like grass that grows all over the world, although much of the bamboo used for flooring comes from China. Some species of bamboo grow well in poor geography, and most species can grow very quickly (sometimes as much as three feet a day!). Bamboo reaches full maturity in four to six years and can be harvested at a rate of around 25% per year. So bamboo is a short-rotation plant that can be harvested over and over. In addition to being a good material for flooring, bamboo also has edible parts which can provide sustenance for both humans and wildlife.

From a cleaning perspective, bamboo should be treated like any other wood flooring. Sweep regularly to avoid buildup of abrasive particles and lightly damp (not wet!) mop with a wood cleaner. Any excess water that gets on the flooring during cleaning should be removed immediately. Never use ammonia-based chemicals or cleaners. The flooring should be vacuumed and cleaned regularly. Furniture placed on bamboo flooring should have protected padding. And it is strongly suggested that a high quality door mat be used to prevent dirt and moisture from getting spread to the bamboo.

Bamboo is an environmentally friendly flooring option that is extremely beautiful. If properly cared for, it will last for many years, and there are installation options that can make installing it a breeze. It will add to the value of your home and to the quality of your home life.



CLIFTON

Jerry Work asked:


Despite what some environmentalists preach about the evils of using wood for purposes such as wood flooring, purchasing cork wood flooring can actually be very beneficial to you and this planet.
Cork is prized for its use in flooring for a variety of reasons, the foremost being that is a very attractive flooring surface available in many colors and patterns. Cork is also durable and can be installed on almost any floor. It provides excellent insulation for both thermal and acoustic purposes. Cork flooring is also easy to keep clean, requiring only vacuuming or damp mopping.

Cork flooring is also mold-resistant and hypoallergenic. It is easy to clean and sheds no dust. In fact, cork contains a substance called suberin that repels mold and insects. Cork’s softness makes it a very comfortable surface on which to stand, which is ideal for people with back or leg problems. In other words, cork can actually help make your home a more beautiful, pleasant and healthy environment.

Cork flooring can actually be produced without doing any damage to the cork oak trees from which it is derived. This may seem impossible, but it’s actually quite a simple phenomenon. If only the outer bark of a cork oak tree is used to produce the flooring, then the tree will live on and its outer bark will grow back in about nine years. Then the cycle can be repeated. So every nine years, a cork tree can be harvested for its beautiful wood and still live on.

Contrast this with man-made flooring products and you can see another of cork’s big advantages. Flooring products created from man-made materials are manufactured in a factory, which results in great environmental damage due to the large amounts of fossil fuels required to run those factories. There is no substitute for wood that is renewable and that requires only sunlight to produce.

Cork flooring lasts decades and is biodegradable upon being removed. As opposed to man-made flooring such as linoleum, once it is no longer useful, cork can be returned to the earth without doing any damage.

Another advantage of the harvesting of cork is that the process provides financial opportunities for the inhabitants of areas where cork wood grows. Employment opportunities are limited in some of these areas, so cork is a valuable resource for the people who live there. And no factory is required.

Environmentally managed cork oak forests aid in soil conservation as well as acting as a buffer against desertification, water table recharge and run-off control.

Cork wood flooring is an environmentally-friendly option for your home that will make your home a better place to live. It is good for your health (it is a low-dust flooring option that actually reduces air pollutants), it has low impact on the environment (cork can be harvested every nine years without killing the tree), and it definitely adds to the beauty of a home. So save the earth and save yourself - use cork wood flooring in your home.



ZACHARY

Sergio Marville asked:


If your cookie cutter house is starting to bore you, perhaps it’s time to add a bit of exotic flare. Asia has always been home to craftsmen and specialists in all manner of arts including stonework and woodwork. The products created in Asia are beautiful and ideal for homes that need a bit of spice and ornate detail.

Stone Accents

Stone is gaining in popularity as a durable and beautiful building material suitable for any number of purposes. A stone relief or carving graces an entry way. The large limestone ornamentation is hand carved with your choice subject or art. Regardless of your color scheme or overall decorating style, a stone relief will add a great deal of visual stimulation not only to an entry way, but to a garden or patio as well.

Stone work is also beautiful around patios, swimming pools and indoors in kitchens or baths. Why use basic stone options when exotic stone is available? Stone from Southeast Asia is harvested from volcanic islands and used in many of the most upscale tropical resorts in the world.

It makes sense that Asian stone should help you create your own sense of beauty and sanctuary in your home or garden. Stepping out into your backyard for a swim goes from basic to extraordinary with poolside stone work. Add a bit of creative flavor to your kitchen or bathroom with countertops created from large slabs of polished marble or stone.

Wide Plank Flooring

Wide plank floors are one of the most distinguishable custom features in a home. A wide plank floor is breathtaking upon entry and adds an infinite amount of style and elegance to any home. Not only is the floor attractive, but wide plank flooring from tropical ferns and other trees are durable and very long lasting.

The wide plank flooring created in Asia is done with the same timeless attention to detail and craftsmanship that has thrived in the region for centuries. Despite modern kilns and state-of-the-art saws, the planks maintain an integrity that is truly timeless.

Custom Wood Work

Another extremely popular choice for exotic flavor is custom wood work. Custom moldings and hand carved doors reveal more than the work of a collection of hand tools. Selecting carved doors for you home invites visitors into a house sure to be full of other wonderful treasures and accents.

You won’t disappoint them upon entry with ornate molding on the wall or balconies. A true decorator knows that only the details complete a decorating scheme, so the custom wood work that began upon entry will continue throughout your home in all nooks and crannies.

Regardless of what and how many Asian accents you chose to use in your home, the detail and beauty of the orient will never go unnoticed and will decorate your house with the kind of style most only dream about.



AHMAD

Jesse Akre asked:


There are a lot of reasons you would put a wood console table in your home.

First just the look of a wood console table can bring the beauty of the outdoors inside. Pieces of furniture like a hand crafted wood console table help reconnect with nature, and the past. It can take you back to a time when wood working was an art, and had a very human element involved in it.

If you really want to understand great wood console table craftsmanship, you should look for a wood console table that has been created by the Amish. The Amish community has been creating amazing pieces of wooden furniture for centuries.

While much of the rest of the world has decided to move forward and create furniture and other items using machines, the Amish have rejected those technological advances. Purchasing a wood console table that is Amish made, you will see that every piece, accent and detail were created by hand, in the true Amish tradition.

As a matter of fact, the entire Amish community is still that way, with their whole lifestyle being very much a step back in time. In many communities they do not allow cars or other motorized or electric devices, and instead are still using horse and carriage as the main method of transportation. When things need to be built, like a bar, the whole community comes together and builds it as one. This is a part of the past that many communities have lost touch with today. In the Amish life, the whole community is one large family and they all work to help one another.

The furniture of the Amish people were also originally a part of the community, but once those living on the outside saw the beauty of their wood working, they wanted to have a chance to have a piece of this furniture art in their homes as well. This started a way for the Amish community to be able to make more money for their families.

The desire to own hand-made Amish furniture has only grown in recent years, as there has been a trend to return to a more rustic living style in home décor. A wood console table or dining table is a great way to create that look in your home.

Wood console tables also have the benefit of being pieces that are all unique. While hundreds of tables can be made in the same style and design, the wood is always different. The grains of the wood will differ from cut to cut, and piece to piece, and can create a unique design that adds an extra level of beauty to the table.

No matter whether you are using modern technology, wood crafting techniques or the old world hand carved methods, wood is unique because it has been touched by human hands. Whether it’s the carvings, the smooth finish or the hand rubbed oils, someone touched that piece to make it into what it is in your home.



WILLARD