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What Is Engineered Wood Flooring?

Engineered wood flooring is produced through the fixing of several layers of wood together with a solid wood as the top or wear layer. Due to its ability to hold its ground when faced with frequently changing temperature and humidity, it happens to be one of the most popular types of flooring. As a result of its ruggedness, engineered wood flooring can be easily fitted with under floor heating and in special areas like conservatories. And apart from its usually stunning visual appeal and ability to be floated over an underlay, the engineered wood flooring is even becoming a lot more popular amongst home and other property owners.

Given the fact that engineered wood flooring is made up of several layers of wood, it may be almost impossible to tell the difference between it and a solid wood flooring just by looking at both. It can also be mistaken for a laminate flooring which is basically an image of wooden flooring placed onto a high density fibreboard.

The planks of a engineered wood flooring is crafted in such a way to ensure the it does not expand or contract unlike the solid wood counterparts. What’s more? There are several benefits that comes with installing an engineered wood flooring. They include:

• Its very easy and simple to install

• When compared to solid wood flooring, it’s more cost effective.

• It can be utilized alongside an under floor heating

• It can be loose laid, meaning it does not need to be fixed in position

• It is available in multiple varieties of wood and finishes

• It can be incorporated alongside an underlay including thermal barriers

• It can be utilized in areas with a fluctuating humidity and temperature.

• It is available in different kinds of thickness.

Click here to learn more about wood flooring.

1. If you’ve not got an overhang or it’s a fixed deck, fit starter clips along the outside edge of the frame and secure with screws provided with the composite decking. If you are working with an overhang, put the first board into position not exceeding 25mm. If you’re adding a fascia, put an off-cut of board under the overhang so you know it’ll be flush with the fascia.
2. Pre-drill all fixing points, measuring in 30mm from the edge of the board. Secure the board to the joist below with composite decking screws.
3. Slide a hidden fastener clip in so it sits within the groove of the deck board. It needs to be in the centre of the joist to keep the boards secure and ensure an expansion gap of 6mm. Tighten the clips until just tight, and repeat so there’s a clip at every joist.
4. Add the next board, ensuring that the fastener clips sit within the groove – make sure you don’t force it. Repeat step 3.
5. Continue steps 3 and 4 until you’re at the final board, which you should secure in the same way as you did the first.

How Much Plasterboard Do I Need?

Although many people especially contractors have a tough time estimating the number of drywall or plasterboard needed to complete a project, it’s a rather simple task if all factors are taken into consideration. If you’re able to follow the same procedures taken by professionals to count dry wall sheets, you’ll be in the right direction. Let’s have a look at the procedures to follow!

lTake Square Footage Measurement

• Measure the square footage of the area where the plasterboard will be fitted.

• Multiply the height by the width of each wall or ceiling area.

• Add all quantities to obtain a total square-foot amount.

lCalculate Drywall Sheets

• To calculate the number of drywall or plasterboard sheet is very simple once you’ve gotten the total square footage.

• To get started, simply divide the total square footage of area by 32 (that’s if you are using a 4 by 8 sheets) or you can also make use of 48 to make the division (only if you’re making use of the 4 by 12 sheets).

• The answer you get after the division will give you the full number of plasterboard sheets that’s required to complete the project.

We’d recommend you include an extra 10 to 15 percent of whatever you calculate to take care of the possible odd cuts and wastages. This implies that if your total area is 1600 square feet while incorporating 4 by 8 sheets, simply divide 1600 by 32 which equals 50 sheets, now take 10% of 50 which equals 5, then add back the 5 extra to the 50 sheets earlier calculated to get 55 sheets. If you wish to estimate the cost, simply multiply the number of sheets gotten by the price per sheet. Do not forget to include delivery charges and local taxes.

• What you need the shed for
• How much space you have
• How big you need the shed to be
• Which style of roof you want
• What material you would like
• How big your budget is

• Hand-crafted from Nordic White Spruce
• Felt roof reinforced with high-grade polyester
• Tongue and groove cladding makes it more weatherproof so ideal for items that must be kept dry

• High eaves for more head height and to store taller items
• Pent roof and fixed windows allow lots of light
• Ideal for putting up against a wall or fence
• Door can be hinged either side

• Ideal for small gardens or those with fewer tools to store
• Apex roof for water runoff
• Tongue and groove walls
• Tall floor-to-gable door

• Have a step tread width of 900mm – if you don’t want them that wide, they should be no less than 760mm
• Add a central step riser to stairs wider than 900mm to prevent them buckling
• Add a step depth (the vertical distance between each step) of between 150 and 180mm if building your own riser, so the steps are at a comfortable depth

• Step treads (the actual step themselves)
• Step risers
• Coach screws
• Deck screws
• Saw
• Drill

1. Make sure the ground where you want to put your steps is level and firm. If it’s not, consider laying concrete or paving slabs to provide a secure surface for your steps to sit so they don’t sink.
2. Grab some joist off-cuts and cut them to the same width as your step treads. Attach them to the step risers at the top and bottom using countersunk coach screws.
3. Place the steps against the sub-frame of the deck; if you’ve put slabs down for support, make sure the steps sit in the middle of them. The longest edge of the stair riser should be on the slabs, and the short edge against the deck. Drill pilot holes through the step and sub-frame joist, then screw the step to the sub-frame with more coach screws.
4. After drilling pilot holes, screw the treads into the risers at each end with deck screws.
5. If you don’t want gaps between each stair, you can add joist off-cuts or deck boards. Measure the height and depth of the gap, then screw the off-cut or board into the step riser with two screws at each end.

How To Fit Plasterboard

If you’re planning to renovate your house, then here is a must-read guide! Fitting of plasterboard is a crucial step when it comes to renovation. If you’re bringing down an existing lath and plaster for an upgraded surface or adding a new wall, a plasterboard is required for your project to be a true success. If you’re a novice with no prior practice or experience, you can protect your investment by hiring the services of a professional plasterer to guarantee the best results, the first time. However, we’ve put together this guide to give you an insight on how the plasterboard fitting process is done.

To get started, you’ll need a power drill, hammer, plasterboard nails or screws, broad knife, utility knife, measurement tape, pencil, ladder as well as a joint tape.

Before proceeding, you need to identify the number of plasterboard sheets needed to commence the project by measuring the height and width of the wall as well as calculating the square footage. If you possess a stud timber wall, the steps below will get you the best results.

• Measure the walls and mark the plasterboard where you’ll make the cuts. Start with a full sheet and cut pieces down in such a way that would fit

• Score the front paper of the plasterboard with utility knife. Fold the sheet to get a clean cut through the board and make use of the knife to the remaining paper.

• Place the first sheet against the wall and use an offcut to prevent the plasterboard from touch the floor.

• Make the plasterboard rest snugly against the wall in position and screw it firmly on each stud. Once done, fasten it at all the sheets’ edges and in a line down the stud to make for a firm connection. Follow the same process for the remaining plasterboard sheet till the wall is fully covered.

What Is Plasterboard?

The plasterboard is unarguably one of the most common building materials across the globe. Sometimes referred to as gypsum board, gyprock, drywall or wall board, the plasterboard is mostly incorporated for ceiling cladding and interior walls in several homes and offices in recent times. However, despite its global acceptability, it’s a very misunderstood building material.

The plasterboard is manufactured using a gypsum core with a heavy paper covering both sides of the sheet. The measurement of a standard plasterboard sheet is a length of 2.4 metres in and a width of 1.2 metres, with a thickness of about 13mm. The board usually have either a bevelled or a bit flat edge. The bevelled edge makes it easy for the installers to use a plaster to smooth out the surface after nailing the sheets to walls and ceilings as well as taping the edges.

The plasterboard comes in different types. Although various manufacturers provide a unique name for their products, but they’re all included in one of the following categories:

• Water Resistant Plasterboard - This type of plasterboard are best suited to be used in water areas like bathroom, laundry rooms and kitchens.

• Acoustic Plasterboard - Due to its sounding proofing qualities, this type of plasterboard is preferred to be used in home theatres or noisy areas.

• Flexible Plasterboard - This is to be incorporated on curvy surfaces.

• Fire Resistant Plasterboard - Just like the name implies, this type of plasterboard is best suited for use in high fire hazard areas.

If you’re about to kick start some small renovations around your house or office, using a plasterboard to clad your walls is a very simple and worthwhile task. However, if you want to do major renovations or need to apply plasterboard to your ceiling, the best option would be to leave it to a seasoned professional.

Though both solid wood and engineered wood can be installed on a concrete sub-floor, the processes are quite different from each other. Solid wood is produced from a single plank of wood which can be reactive to both temperature and humidity changes which is capable of making the wood expand or contract. Hence, the different approach to solid wood and engineered wood flooring installation on concrete. Here, we’ll discuss how you can lay solid wood on your concrete.

First and foremost, you’d have to determine the method you’ll use to attach the planks to the floor. Is it floating whereby you only have to lay the wood flooring on the concrete after fitting the right underlay? You can also go for the most popular installation method which is gluing your floor with a flexible wood adhesive (to be applied to both the boards and the sub-floor). Or perhaps you’d prefer to use the traditional method of nailing the boards to the concrete (the nails will be covered as you lay the subsequent planks and the groove locks with the tongue).

After making this decision, you’d have to ensure that the sub-floor is well prepared for the installation. This implies checking the wood’s moisture content (mustn’t exceed 7 to 8 percent). Also inspect the floor to ensure its neat, if not, clear out the dirt or debris and make sure the surface is flat to avoid post-installation problems.

In the event whereby you discover a high moisture content, you’d want to acquire a damp proof membrane. This will not only enhance the floor’s stability, but also prevent shrinking or warping of the wood due to changes in humidity or temperature.

It is crucial to note that the preparation of the sub-floor is equally as important as the laying of the planks as this can go a long way to improve the durability and strength of your floor. Click here to learn more about wood flooring.