Parrish Construction

Archive for the ‘Flooring’ Category

Greening Your Home: Consider the Source

Tuesday, August 9th, 2011 Posted in Flooring, Green Building Topics, Materials- Construction, Remodels/Additions, Roofing/Ceilings, Safety Hazards | No Comments »

© Snehitdesign | Dreamstime.comWe've all seen the infomercials and heard the warnings about toxic environmental hazards like asbestos and lead paint.  Staying educated about green building materials can protect not only the environment outside, but it can also create a ...

Q—We have hot-water baseboard heat in our home. We’re planning to add a master bathroom addition, and would like to install radiant heat in the floor. Can we use the existing boiler?

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010 Posted in Additions, Bathrooms, Energy-Saving Tips, FAQ, Flooring, Freezing Temp. Problems, Green Building Topics, Insulation, Money-Saving Tips, Plumbing, Remodeling Concerns, Winter | No Comments »

A—Assuming your boiler has the surplus capacity to handle the extra heating load, you should be able to heat your bathroom floors by using a mixing valve to moderate the water temperature. Radiant floor heating requires somewhat cooler water than ...

Q—We’ve heard about radiant floor heating, and wonder if it would be a good idea for our whole-house remodeling project.

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 Posted in Construction Costs, Design Tips, Energy-Saving Tips, FAQ, Flooring, Freezing Temp. Problems, Green Building Topics, Heating/Cooling, Home Luxury, Materials- Construction, Money-Saving Tips, Remodels/Additions, Winter | No Comments »

A—I’ll list some of the pros and cons, and let you decide: Radiant heat can be more expensive to install—as much as 20-50% or more. Radiant heat does not provide ductwork for ...

Q—We are having a house built, and are concerned about the plywood subflooring. It has gotten wet several times, and is starting to look weathered. Should we be concerned about it deteriorating?

Friday, February 5th, 2010 Posted in Construction Process, FAQ, Flooring, Materials- Construction, New Construction, Safety Hazards, Spring, Structural Issues, Waterproofing, Winter | No Comments »

A—Subflooring sheathing, both plywood and oriented strand board (OSB) are designed with water-resistant glues to resist the amount of rain and snow typically encountered during construction. I’ve seen floors that had been exposed to the weather for months perform flawlessly. ...

Q—We’re planning to install new wood floors. Since they’re so expensive, we’d like to get a good installation job, especially avoiding or minimizing cracks between boards. Do you have any advice for us?

Friday, February 5th, 2010 Posted in FAQ, Flooring, Heating/Cooling, Kitchens, Remodeling Concerns, Ventilation, Winter | No Comments »

A—The key to a good flooring installation is the control of moisture and humidity. Wood expands as it absorbs moisture and shrinks as it dries, making it prone to movement as the humidity in the home changes with the seasons. Here ...

Q—The new wood flooring I had installed this past summer has cracks developing between the boards—some as much as 1/16” wide. Why is this happening? Should the cracks be filled?

Thursday, February 4th, 2010 Posted in FAQ, Flooring, Freezing Temp. Problems, Heating/Cooling, Winter | No Comments »

A—The cracks are caused by shrinkage of the wood as it adapts to Colorado’s extremely dry climate. Most finish-grade lumber, such as flooring, is kiln-dried in ovens to a moisture content of about 6% by weight—dry enough in most states ...