MindMap Gallery Decoration dry goods series 9 walls, wallpapers, floors, threshold stones
A truly livable home is more than just beautiful on the outside. A home that is decorated to be comfortable, convenient, and worry-free will greatly enhance the happiness of future home life. I have comprehensively compiled the principles and standard techniques of home decoration that you must understand during home decoration, and taught you how to master every step of home decoration: from selecting the contractor before decoration, reading the quotation, grasping the budget, and signing the contract; to dismantling, water, electricity, It is the most clear, easy-to-read, and down-to-earth decoration and construction guide on the entire Internet, covering construction processes such as masonry, carpentry, painting, kitchen and bathroom; as well as how to choose doors and windows, electrical appliances, lighting fixtures, furniture, and whole-house customization. It is suitable for people who have ideas for decoration, are preparing to decorate, and are currently decorating, allowing you to create a home that is good-looking and easy to live in!
Edited at 2023-07-28 10:08:49This is a mind map about bacteria, and its main contents include: overview, morphology, types, structure, reproduction, distribution, application, and expansion. The summary is comprehensive and meticulous, suitable as review materials.
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This is a mind map about bacteria, and its main contents include: overview, morphology, types, structure, reproduction, distribution, application, and expansion. The summary is comprehensive and meticulous, suitable as review materials.
This is a mind map about plant asexual reproduction, and its main contents include: concept, spore reproduction, vegetative reproduction, tissue culture, and buds. The summary is comprehensive and meticulous, suitable as review materials.
This is a mind map about the reproductive development of animals, and its main contents include: insects, frogs, birds, sexual reproduction, and asexual reproduction. The summary is comprehensive and meticulous, suitable as review materials.
wall
wallpaper
1. The debate between wallpaper and paint
Environmental protection
There is a saying that there is no glue without formaldehyde, and no paint without benzene. During the production process of latex paint, benzene, formaldehyde, heavy metals, etc. are inevitably added. One of the environmental measurement standards for finished latex paint is the VOC value (volatile organic compounds). The smaller the value, the more environmentally friendly. The national standard is that the VOC value of qualified products is <200g/L. This value will be marked in the product test report.
Wallpapers are mostly made of raw wood pulp. Qualified wallpaper products themselves will hardly emit harmful substances. The main pollution comes from the auxiliary materials used for wallpapering - base film (chemicals used for wall pretreatment) and wallpaper glue. Be careful, these two things will be explained in detail later.
performance
Finally, there are other performance comparisons between the two. There is almost no latex paint that does not crack, and wallpaper and wallpaper glue can protect the wall very well due to its tension; however, damage to the latex paint wall can be repaired, but damage to the wallpaper is difficult to repair; latex paint The price is approachable. Mid-range domestic paint is the choice of most families. Wallpaper is relatively more expensive, both in terms of materials and labor.
2. How to choose wallpaper
wallpaper area
First of all, you need to know how much wallpaper you need. Wallpaper is generally a roll with a width of 0.53 meters and a length of 10 meters. That is, each roll of wallpaper can cover a wall of 5.3 square meters, excluding losses.
If you need to match the pattern, the larger and more complex the pattern, the greater the loss, and margins need to be left in corners, walls, and door heads. The specific situation requires detailed analysis.
There is a simpler and rough calculation method: multiply the building area by 3, which is the area to be wallpapered.
Wallpapers are mainly divided into two types: pure paper and non-woven fabrics. Of course, there are also high-end products of fabrics and even gold and silver foil, which have relatively narrow applications in ordinary households.
Pure paper is formed by using natural wood fiber as raw material to make pulp, filtering, pressing and drying the pulp.
Pure paper with bright colors and various patterns
Non-woven fabrics often use natural fibers such as cotton and linen, mixed with synthetic fibers to arrange them in a directional or disordered manner, and then use physical (acupuncture, spunlace) or chemical (additive bonding) methods to press the fibers into shape.
Non-woven fabrics have better feel and breathability, and are not prone to warping or mildew.
In addition to materials, different production processes will also affect the price and quality, such as printing, embossing, double-layer non-woven, etc. The more and more complex the processes, the higher the price.
Qualified wallpaper should have uniform thickness, coordinated colors, clear patterns, no wrinkles, bubbling, and no irritating smell. Pay attention to check the packaging on different rolls of wallpaper to see if the number, batch number, and production date are consistent. If there are differences, the collage will be used later. There may be color difference.
Imported brand wallpapers are more expensive, and there are many copycat products on the market. The way to identify them is to check the barcode. As long as the numbers start with 6-9, they are domestically produced. 00-09 represents the United States, 40-44 Germany, and 45-49 Japan. Of course, there are also excellent products among domestic wallpapers. These wallpapers may use imported paper and use various different techniques for design and processing.
3. How to choose excipients
The auxiliary materials related to wallpaper are mainly base film and wallpaper glue
basement membrane
From the inside out, the wall is usually divided into cement layer, gypsum layer and putty layer. The putty layer is not suitable for directly installing wallpaper. Therefore, it is necessary to pre-treat the wall with base film to strengthen the wall, prevent mildew and moisture, make the wall suitable for installation, and facilitate the replacement of wallpaper in the future.
The base film is generally white emulsion with a slightly pungent smell. After the base film is completely dry, ventilation should be carried out in time to reduce air pollution. Some people will use cheap varnish instead of the base film, which is undesirable and causes greater pollution.
wallpaper glue
In order to improve the performance of the glue, wallpaper glue often adds volatile organic solvents containing formaldehyde during the production process. Take starch glue as an example: the starch content in the original starch glue is relatively high, but the viscosity is relatively poor, and it takes a long time to fully It is dry and has average firmness. At the same time, the problem is that the relatively long drying time makes the high-content starch more likely to mold and deteriorate, affecting the bonding effect.
The proportion of organic solvents is generally less than 3%, which can not only improve the viscosity of starch glue, greatly shorten the drying time, and reduce the possibility of mildew, but also a small amount of volatile substances can be removed by opening windows for ventilation after drying. .
There is almost no wallpaper glue that is completely non-toxic. It is nothing more than the relationship between dosage and toxicity. Qualified products are also minimally harmful to the human body. So don't believe the blind boasts of merchants. When purchasing, you have to make a balance between the adhesive effect and the level of environmental protection.
According to the construction operation method, wallpaper glue is divided into four types: glue plus glue powder, wet glue, barrel glue and glue powder-free.
Glue with glue powder is very cheap. Please note that the glue should be white glue instead of transparent glue, because transparent glue has a high formaldehyde content. Barrel glue is mostly imported and more expensive. Glue-free powder is rarely used.
The most popular one at present is wet glue. Merchants like to use food to flaunt their environmental friendliness. There are countless types of potato glue and glutinous rice glue. They want you to take a bite to prove their environmental friendliness. But these products really have nothing to do with potato and glutinous rice. Industrial products are all standardized products produced from factory assembly lines. If they are made with pure natural starch, that thing is called paste.
In short, you get what you pay for, and products from qualified big brands are always more reliable.
4. How to paste wallpaper
It is not easy to put up wallpaper well. It is recommended to let a professional master do it. Generally, physical stores will provide manual services if you buy enough wallpapers. If you buy wallpaper online, big brands have offline stores and will also provide door-to-door installation services in specific cities.
Generally, if you only make a TV background wall, the merchant will not provide free installation services; if you buy a full wall wallpaper or more than 5 rolls (5.3 square meters per roll) at one time, the merchant will provide free installation services, and the installation process will be at the same time. If there is any loss (re-posting due to pattern misalignment or other reasons), it will be borne by the merchant.
Generally speaking, the order of installation of wallpaper, doors and floors is: it is best to install the wallpaper first, so that the door covers and baseboards can press the edges of the wallpaper. The order of doors and floors can be reversed. The two manufacturers must communicate well. Just size.
Before applying wallpaper, make sure the wall is flat enough. First put cardboard on the corners to avoid staining the floor, and then paint the base film. You must wait until the base film is completely dry before you can use wallpaper glue to stick the wallpaper.
5. Estimated cost of wallpaper
For wallpapers throughout the house, medium-grade wallpapers cost about 70 to 90 yuan/square meter; accessories are about 20 yuan/square meter; labor costs are about 15 to 20 yuan/square meter; if three-dimensional effects are required, the design fee is about 25 yuan/square meter.
Some brands have also launched a one-stop service, requiring you to choose a specific variety of wallpaper, choose a full set of auxiliary materials and labor, and spend more than a certain amount. The cost of the entire service is about 90 yuan/square meter.
To summarize the main points of Yifa wallpaper:
①Be sure to calculate the usage before purchasing wallpaper
②Imported wallpaper is more expensive than domestically produced wallpaper, so be careful to identify counterfeit products.
③The most likely environmental problems are base film and wallpaper glue
④Please choose big brands, the quality and environmental protection are more guaranteed
⑤Paste wallpaper first, then install door frames and skirtings
wall covering
1. Advantages and disadvantages of wall coverings
Compared with wallpaper, the choice of colors and patterns of wall coverings is not large, but because it is a textile fabric, the color fastness of wall coverings is stronger than that of wallpapers. If the fabric materials are exquisite enough, the effect of wall coverings on the wall will be better. It looks calm and atmospheric.
In addition to the visual effects, the sound-absorbing effect and service life of wall coverings are also better than wallpapers. In addition, due to the narrow gaps between the fabrics, the air permeability of wall coverings is better than that of wallpaper. If it is pasted with glue with high starch content in a humid and hot environment, wallpaper is more likely to become moldy than wall coverings.
2. How to choose wall covering
①Material
If a single textile is directly pasted on the wall, because the gaps in the textile are relatively large, it will be very easy to seep through, which is the so-called "glue penetration". Therefore, the wall covering is not simply a layer of cloth.
Most wall coverings have a composite structure, at least three layers, from the inside to the outside, the bottom layer, the adhesive layer, and the surface layer. The adhesive layer is glue, only about 0.2mm thick, through which the bottom layer and the surface layer are hot-pressed together.
The bottom layer is usually paper or non-woven fabric. Both materials can be well glued to the wall and can alleviate the problem of glue penetration. In terms of air permeability, the bottom non-woven fabric is better than paper, so the price is often more expensive (of course, imported paper is not cheap either).
The surface layer is cloth, including natural cotton, linen, silk, and synthetic fiber blended cotton and linen.
Cotton has poor wrinkle resistance and is prone to wrinkles when pasted; linen has a rustic and fresh style, but pure linen fiber is relatively hard and has poor stretchability; silk is expensive and is not used much in home decoration.
The most commonly used surface layer is synthetic fiber, and the most commonly used synthetic fiber is polyester. The technology is mature and the cost is low. Polyester blended with cotton and linen can also create the effect of cotton and linen. Most wall coverings currently on the market are made of polyester blended with other fibers.
②Technology
Mainly refers to the craftsmanship of the wall cloth surface, including printing, jacquard, embroidery, etc.
Printing is to print patterns directly on fabric. Printed wall coverings are often brightly colored and rich in patterns.
Jacquard uses a jacquard machine to directly weave the yarn into the required pattern, which can give the wall covering a certain three-dimensional feel. It is divided into single-color jacquard and multi-color jacquard. The cost of multi-color jacquard is higher.
Embroidered ones have a stronger three-dimensional effect, but the craftsmanship is also more complex, and are mostly used in high-end products.
Sometimes in order to give the wall covering more characteristics, other functional layers are added on top of the three layers, such as a flame retardant layer, an anti-scratch protective layer, an anti-bacterial layer, a waterproof layer, etc.
③Glue
Textile itself is a very environmentally friendly material, with almost no volatile harmful substances. Unless the wall covering has a complex structure, many layers, and a large number of adhesive layers (glue layers), it will slightly weaken the environmental protection.
Wall covering pollution mainly comes from the base film and glue used to install wall coverings. (The basement membrane has been mentioned above)
Glutinous rice glue is currently the most commonly used glue for wall covering installation. It sounds very natural and environmentally friendly. In fact, whether it is potato glue or glutinous rice glue, it really has nothing to do with potato starch, because the final active ingredient is just starch.
Simply put, glutinous rice glue is made by gelatinizing starch, adding various additives for antisepsis and plasticization, and then adding white latex to thicken it. Some merchants will use low-quality white glue. In order to cover up the pungent smell of low-quality white glue, they will add benzene aromatic substances to cover it up.
Qualified glutinous rice glue has no pungent smell. If it has a strong fragrance, it is often an inferior product.
Some brands claim that "adding activated carbon and photocatalyst to the surface of the wall covering can adsorb and decompose formaldehyde in the air." This is just a publicity stunt. In fact, the effect is very limited. The best way to remove formaldehyde is always: after applying it After the wall covering is completely dry, open the window for ventilation.
Particularly worth mentioning are wall coverings with complex structures and many layers. Because such wall coverings have a larger overall weight, in order to be firmly attached to the wall, the amount of glue used during installation will inevitably increase, making it more likely to cause environmental problems. It is also necessary to ensure the quality of the glue and extend the ventilation time.
In addition, since glutinous rice glue contains starch, mold and deterioration are also possible problems. Fortunately, wall coverings have better air permeability and the possibility of mold is lower (compared to wallpaper).
④Price
The price of wall coverings is generally calculated based on square meters. Polyester blended materials are about 100 yuan/㎡. Color, waterproofness, antibacterial properties, etc. are the main factors that affect the price.
3. Installation of wall coverings
Wall covering merchants generally provide installation services. If your one-time purchase of goods exceeds a certain value, you can install them at your door for free. If you hire workers alone, the starting price will not be less than 100 yuan. Charges are based on square meters, usually 10 yuan/㎡, which may vary by region.
The service life of wall coverings is generally about 10 years. If the installation quality is satisfactory and the subsequent maintenance is in place, the service life can reach more than 15 years.
Wall coverings are usually installed during the oiling stage of the "water, electricity, shingle and oil" renovation, which is when the hard decoration is coming to an end. First, you need to treat the wall (the outermost layer of the wall at this time is the putty layer) and apply a base film to make the wall cloth and the wall fit better. The base film can also strengthen the wall, prevent moisture and mildew.
The next step is to use glue to stick the wall covering, which can be divided into two methods: hot glue wall covering and cold glue wall covering.
Hot glue wall covering is a wall covering with its own adhesive. It is heated by ironing on the front of the wall covering to melt the adhesive and stick it on the wall. It requires a steam iron and is inconvenient to operate (especially in the inner corners of walls and switch sockets). It may bulge or even fall off when the temperature is high. The advantage is that the glue generally does not show through, and the cloth surface is relatively smooth after completion.
Nowadays, cold glue wall covering is a more popular construction method, which is to apply glue on the base film, then cover it with wall covering and scrape it firmly, which simplifies the operation a lot. Pay attention to the colorful wall coverings, which must be accurately aligned and cut on the ground before being installed.
There is also a kind of seamless wall cloth, which does not require splicing and is directly pasted on the wall. Some use one cloth for one wall, and some even use one cloth for all four walls of a room. The advantage is that no alignment is required and there are fewer seams.
The seamless wall covering has a fixed height and a fixed width, and needs to be cut into place at one time when posting, leaving room for doors and windows. Usually two people are needed to hang the cloth. The wall cloth must be stretched and flattened as much as possible before pressing. Otherwise, skirt pleats will easily appear. At this time, the wall cloth must be lifted and re-pasted.
As a final reminder, the doors and windows of the room where the wall covering has just been installed should be closed and the glue allowed to dry slowly in the shade. If the room is ventilated too early, it may cause bulging, warping and other consequences.
Diatom mud
1 Diatom mud, what exactly is it?
diatoms
Diatoms are single-celled organisms that live in the ocean and are amazingly capable of absorbing free silicon into their cell walls. After the diatom mud dies, these cell walls will not decompose but will settle, and then become diatomaceous earth.
As single-celled organisms, diatoms are extremely small in size. The diatomaceous earth deposited by the diatom cell walls has extremely small pores between each other. This is the biggest advantage of diatomaceous earth.
mud
Then let’s talk about this “mud”. Diatom mud is not composed of 100% diatomaceous earth because diatomaceous earth itself is not adhesive. To put it bluntly, it just can’t be painted on the wall.
At this time, you need to add something to increase the adhesiveness. These adhesive things are called "inorganic cementitious materials". The inorganic gelling materials used in diatom mud are mainly white cement, lime calcium, gypsum or other active mineral materials. With these things, diatom mud can be firmly painted on the wall like other wall decoration materials.
Diatoms, together with these "inorganic gelling materials", constitute the main component of diatom mud.
2 Diatom mud VS formaldehyde
Just like the principle of activated carbon absorbing formaldehyde, the fine pores inside diatomite can also absorb various substances including formaldehyde. From this perspective, there is nothing wrong with the fact that diatomaceous earth can absorb formaldehyde.
But light adsorption is useless. Diatom mud is attached to the wall. Activated carbon absorbs formaldehyde and can be thrown away directly. Diatom mud is always in the house. And when it is fully absorbed, it will be released when the temperature rises. So what is the use of diatom mud?
Photocatalyst
At this time, photocatalyst appeared. The so-called photocatalyst is actually a catalyst (mostly titanium dioxide) that can decompose formaldehyde under ultraviolet irradiation.
So, by adding titanium dioxide to diatom mud, formaldehyde can be sucked in, decomposed, adsorbed, and decomposed again? It's theoretically possible, but the remaining chemistry knowledge from high school tells you that many catalyst reactions seem to require reaction conditions. Otherwise, if you get some photocatalyst, you can get rid of formaldehyde, and formaldehyde will not become a serious problem for many friends when decorating.
The reaction condition required for the photocatalyst to decompose formaldehyde is: ultraviolet irradiation. In most people’s homes, it is difficult for photocatalysts to decompose formaldehyde. Therefore, don’t think about using photocatalysts to remove formaldehyde~
3. Is diatom mud environmentally friendly?
If this "environmental protection" refers to materials like diatom mud, is it itself environmentally friendly and pollution-free? Then the answer is still very clear. Compared with other traditional wall coatings, diatom mud itself is indeed an environmentally friendly material. Its main components are "inorganic gelling material" as a binder and "diatomaceous earth" as a functional agent. Both materials are inorganic and non-polluting.
If the "environmental protection" in the question "Is diatom mud environmentally friendly?" means that diatom mud can remove formaldehyde as advertised by many diatom mud merchants. The answer is a little more complicated.
Diatom mud can indeed adsorb formaldehyde to a certain extent, but it is only adsorption. The photocatalyst added to diatom mud can indeed decompose formaldehyde to a certain extent. However, the effects of adsorption and decomposition are far from achieving the results you want. Ventilation is currently the best way to deal with formaldehyde, bar none.
4 Advantages of Diatom Mud
Anti-mildew
It is porous and can absorb formaldehyde and water molecules. And it is an inorganic material itself, so it is not prone to mold. And to a certain extent, diatom mud walls can also regulate air humidity~
modeling
Diatom mud can be made into various shapes and a series of patterns you want to make. This is probably the biggest use of diatom mud. I won’t explain much about the appearance issue.
5 Disadvantages of Diatom Mud
Dirty and hard to take care of
Diatom mud is still a bit rough, and its adsorption capacity is extremely strong. Unlike latex paint on the wall, children can paint whatever they want and it can be wiped off with some water. Diatom mud won't work. Once it gets dirty, it's best to wipe it off with an eraser, but it's generally difficult to clean it off.
Many friends have also purchased foot pads made of diatom mud. The water absorption performance is indeed first-class and very useful. But after using it a few times, you will find that once the foot pads made of diatom mud become dirty, the degree of difficulty in taking care of them is directly proportional to its super water-absorbing performance. Very difficult to clean.
It's broken and can't be repaired
The surface of diatom mud is easily damaged and is very difficult to repair. If you have children at home who like to use their hands and feet, you’d better give it more thought~
6. Is diatom mud suitable for you?
In general, if you need a wall material that is environmentally friendly, diatom mud is a good choice. Moreover, diatom mud can also be made into different shapes and used as a TV background wall, which is actually quite a good choice.
But it is not cost-effective to use the gimmick of formaldehyde removal as the biggest reason for you to buy diatom mud. Not to mention other things, at least the formaldehyde removal efficiency of diatom mud is not as high as that of ventilation.
The price of diatom mud is also more expensive than ordinary wall decoration materials, and the prices of different brands of diatom mud range from tens to hundreds.
ground
floor
How many types of floors are there?
1.Solid wood floor
It is made from natural logs after drying and processing. It usually starts at 300~400 yuan/㎡, with no upper limit.
There are many advantages: the texture is natural and beautiful; it feels comfortable when you step on the wood; it is a poor conductor of heat, keeping it warm in winter and cool in summer; it is not afraid of wear and tear. The so-called "worn out" means that the paint on the surface has worn off, and it can still be used with new paint. ; No glue, no formaldehyde (except for a very small amount of formaldehyde contained in wood species).
The disadvantages are also obvious: delicate. Jiao means that solid wood has poor stability, expands with heat, shrinks with cold, and swells with moisture. In severe cases, it may separate from seams, warp, arch, or even crack; expensive means that solid wood flooring not only has the highest price among the three types of flooring, but also needs to be used in the future. Maintenance costs.
2. Solid wood composite flooring
Solid wood composite flooring is a derivative of solid wood flooring. It generally costs 150~400 yuan/㎡. It is divided into three layers and multiple layers (the number of layers is usually an odd number). It is made of solid wood surface layer, base material core layer and bottom layer, and is pressed with glue in the middle. .
The surface layer is usually made of high-quality wood species with hard texture and beautiful texture. The core layer and bottom layer are usually made of pine, poplar and other soft woods. The layers are staggered horizontally and vertically and restrained with each other, which is more stable than solid wood flooring.
For multi-layered ones, the surface layer is usually 0.6~3mm thick; for three-layered ones, the surface layer is usually 2~4.5mm thick; only a thick enough surface layer can retain the texture and feel of solid wood to a certain extent.
As for the disadvantages, the laminates of solid wood composite flooring are all pressed with glue (the amount of glue in three layers will be less than that of multiple layers). If there is glue, formaldehyde will be released, and the environmental protection is slightly worse than that of solid wood flooring.
3. Laminate flooring
Also called composite flooring and laminate flooring, it generally costs 50 to 150 yuan/㎡. It is made of a wear-resistant layer, a decorative layer, a fiberboard core layer, and a balanced moisture-proof bottom layer.
The decorative layer is made of melamine-impregnated paper, which can imitate all colors, but artificial patterns will be repeated. The higher the brand's craftsmanship level, the lower the pattern repetition rate;
The wear-resistant layer is aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) wear-resistant paper. The degree of wear resistance is expressed by the number of revolutions. Household flooring requires more than 6,000 revolutions. It is precisely because of its existence that the laminate flooring will not leave scratches when scratched with hard objects. Basically, it will not be smashed into small holes, and its service life is as long as 10 to 20 years;
The core layer is made of fast-growing wood or wood processing residues, ground into fibers, added with a large amount of glue, and pressed at high temperatures. It has good stability but poor environmental protection.
4. Comparison of three types of flooring
Price: solid wood flooring > solid wood composite flooring > laminate flooring
Stability: laminate flooring > solid wood composite flooring > solid wood flooring
Environmental protection: solid wood flooring > three-layer solid wood composite flooring > multi-layer solid wood composite flooring > laminate flooring
Foot feeling: solid wood flooring > three-layer solid wood composite flooring > multi-layer solid wood composite flooring > laminate flooring
What is the environmental protection of flooring?
For all flooring products sold in China, please refer to the national standards to determine their environmental protection.
When purchasing a floor, the merchant is required to produce a test report, and carefully check the brand, sample model and batch of the floor, the testing agency (national standard certification is best from the quality supervision bureau, forestry bureau, etc. at or above the provincial level), and the test results (national standard E1/ E0)
In short, the better the raw materials, the less formaldehyde, the more environmentally friendly the product, and the most intuitive feeling presented to consumers is the higher the price; whether the specific selling price is proportional to the cost has nothing to do with domestic or imported products, but only the conscience of the brand...
Please note that the formaldehyde mentioned above refers to the "formaldehyde release amount", not the formaldehyde content, because the formaldehyde contained in the board has basically no impact on the human body, and only the free formaldehyde released can harm health.
The release of formaldehyde is continuous and can last for 3 to 15 years. Therefore, the effect of activated carbon method and plant method on absorbing formaldehyde is minimal. The best way to remove formaldehyde after decoration is... ventilation, ventilation, ventilation!
How to choose flooring?
How to choose solid wood flooring?
1. Select wood species
Generally speaking, the ordinary grades include birch, elm, and longan; the mid-grade ones include disc beans (iroko), two-winged beans, new beans, merbau (pineapple grid), and ash (water koji). Willow), etc.; high-end ones include teak, oak (oak), ant wood, walnut, cherry wood, balsam wood (red sandalwood), rosewood, etc.
Of course, the same wood species also has high and low levels, such as oak, which has become very popular in recent years: both are oak, and red oak will be more expensive than white oak, because the average grade of red oak currently on the market is higher and the color difference is better controlled.
Sometimes merchants play word games and sell "rubberwood" as "oak". The identification method is:
Oak is generally imported from Europe and North America. It is a high-quality hardwood with a thick feel, clear mountain grain, and smooth and delicate touch;
Rubber wood generally comes from Southeast Asia. Its density is much lower than that of oak. Its texture is loose, light to the touch, with fuzzy texture and many knots and black lines. Therefore, if a merchant tells you, "Our oak is Thai oak and imported from Thailand," please give him a cold look.
There are also some wood species that sound awesome, such as African rosewood and Brazilian rosewood. They are usually ecological solid wood (mixed and extruded with wood fiber, resin, and polymer materials), or other tree species covered with paint. Disguised.
Because these precious wood species are rarely used for floors, even if they are used on floors, they are not the same as those used for furniture. The conclusion is: choose common wood species and avoid uncommon or so-called rare wood species to avoid being cheated.
2. Select the level
The grade classifications of the "National Standard for Solid Wood Flooring" are high-quality products, first-class products, and qualified products, which correspond to the commercial terms A-level, B-level, and C-level (there are also names such as AA-level, A-level, and B-level). National standards shall prevail.
Most of the floors on the market are qualified products, which require the boards to be free of defects such as cracks, bends, bug holes, dead knots, etc.; a small number of first-class and high-quality products are based on qualified products, selected with clear texture, few scars, and Made of plates with small color difference.
The same brand usually uses high-grade boards for light-colored floors and low-grade boards for dark-colored floors, so that the natural floor with varnish may be more expensive than the floor with antique paint, because the antique paint is heavy and is easier to remove the wood itself. Cover up the shortcomings.
3.Choose specifications
Solid wood flooring comes in many sizes, generally 910mm long, 122mm wide, and 18mm thick. If it is smaller than this size, it can be called a non-standard board, such as a short board with a length of 600 or 750mm and a narrow board with a width of 90mm.
For the same kind of flooring (except for two-piece and three-piece pieces), the longer and wider it is, the higher the price. For example, for the same grade of oak flooring, a 910mm long one may be about 50 yuan more per square meter than a 610mm long one; the narrow version is more common in longan, etc. Low-end wood species, including 120mm and 118mm, are 20 to 30 yuan cheaper per square meter than 122mm.
Compared with standard boards, non-standard boards are more cost-effective (because the material is the same but the price is lower). If you have a limited budget, you can consider it.
However, if the merchant recommends you a so-called special price that is lower than common sense, you must first confirm that the floor meets common specifications (the possibility of second-hand floors being refurbished and sold at a low price cannot be ruled out).
Large-size floors have become more and more popular in recent years, with some being 1200mm or even 1800mm long. As the price rises, the stability decreases (especially in the case of floor heating, when the floor is heated, the larger the size, the faster the moisture dissipates, and the easier it is to shrink, causing the floor to separate. seam).
Therefore, a moderate floor size is fine. A simple method is to choose according to the size of the room: if the room is large, use large boards, which will be more atmospheric (small boards will look messy); if the room is small, use small boards, which will reduce losses (usually the smaller the room, the greater the losses).
4.Identification
Solid wood flooring is the most expensive of the three types of flooring. Therefore, businesses may use laminate flooring and solid wood composite flooring to pass them off as solid wood flooring.
The way to identify solid wood flooring is: first observe the cross section of the floor. The grain of the cross section of the solid wood is a continuation of the front grain; then look at the laid floors to see if there are any repeated patterns. Because the texture of natural wood is unique, it is absolutely impossible. Two identical floors appear!
Tips: Ecological solid wood flooring, veneer solid wood flooring
How to choose solid wood composite flooring?
To identify whether the surface layer of solid wood composite flooring is really solid wood, the method is also to observe the cross section of the floor, and you can also find that the grain is a continuation of the front.
Also pay attention to identify the thickness of the veneer. Some unscrupulous dealers dare to sell the 0.6mm surface layer as 1mm or 2mm. From the side, the solid veneer seems to be very thick, but it is actually painted with thick paint.
Tips: Laminate flooring impersonates solid wood composite flooring
Because laminate flooring itself is called "laminate flooring", it is easy to be confused with "solid wood composite flooring". The profiteers will fool you a few times, and the decoration novices will be completely confused...
It’s important to remember that although there are many layers, every layer of engineered wood flooring is solid wood! It's all solid wood!
How to choose laminate flooring?
1.Choose wear-resistant layer
When purchasing laminate flooring, you mainly look at the quality of the wear-resistant layer.
Some store clerks will use a wire brush to repeatedly brush the floor surface to prove how wear-resistant their products are, but wire brushes can be manipulated! You can use a hard object such as the tip of your own key to scratch the floor surface hard. If there are obvious pits, it means that the wear-resistant layer is too soft and the number of revolutions is low.
Another identification method is to observe the aluminum oxide crystal particles of the wear-resistant layer obliquely under the light. The higher the particle density (the stronger the reflection), the more wear-resistant it is. High-quality laminate flooring has a bright surface and clear decorative paper texture, which can imitate the three-dimensional and realistic feel of wood.
As for the RPM, 6000~9000 RPM is enough for general household use, there is no need to pursue higher RPM. If a merchant strongly recommends a high-revolution product, and the price of a high-revolution product is much higher than that of a low-revolution product, you should be careful. Because during production, the difference in cost per square meter between 6,000 rpm and 9,000 rpm is only 3 to 5 yuan.
2.Select base material
The identification method is to observe the density of the base material from the cross section. The more uniform the particles, the smaller the gaps, the higher the density, the lower the water absorption rate, and the longer the service life.
Are there any price tricks?
When buying flooring, be sure to ask how installation fees and handling fees (if there is no elevator) are calculated, as well as the prices and installation fees of auxiliary materials such as baseboards and buckles.
1. skirting line
Many brands will give away baseboards with the floor, but the quality of the gifts may be very poor. For example, they boast about the environmental protection of their solid wood floors, but they end up giving away skirting boards made of density board... If this happens, don’t be greedy. It's cheap, spend a little more money and replace it with better quality.
There are good and bad materials for skirting boards. They are divided into solid wood and density board (which uses more glue). Solid wood is also divided into whole wood strips and spliced wood strips (easy to crack). Whole wood strips are also divided into hard miscellaneous wood. Made of fir (very soft and easy to crack)...
2. buckle strip
Also called beading and edge stripping, the cost is very low, but under the banner of "exclusive use" for the brand, a strip can be sold for hundreds of yuan... This method of selling floors at low prices and making profits from accessories is a common practice for big brands. The price of playing is tricky.
The buckle strips are used at the junction between the floor and the tiles and at the door of the room. They are used very frequently and are easily damaged. Buckles are divided into metal, plastic and solid wood. It is not advisable to use metal buckles on solid wood floors, because solid wood floors expand and contract greatly, and metal buckles are easy to deform, warp, and fall off.
As for whether the floor should be spread throughout the house or use buckle strips, from the perspective of the owner, it must be considered from the aspects of visual effects, loss saving, floor expansion and contraction, etc. However, merchants often recommend that owners use buckle strips.
3. Moisture-proof mat
It is also called moisture-proof film, mulch film, floor mat treasure, and floor companion. It is usually given as a gift by flooring merchants. Even if it is purchased separately, it is very cheap, usually 0.5~5 yuan/㎡.
It is recommended to use a moisture-proof mat as a barrier between the floor and the ground (or keel), which can effectively prevent ground moisture from entering the floor, increase elasticity and improve foot feel to a certain extent, but it does not have a ground leveling function. The moisture-proof mat should not be too thick, generally 1~2mm is enough, otherwise it will be too elastic and will not be conducive to the stability of the floor.
To ensure the isolation effect: When laying on the edge of the wall, the moisture-proof mat should be folded upward, leaving about 10 centimeters above the edge of the floor; two adjacent moisture-proof mats should also overlap by a few centimeters and be bonded with tape.
4. Anti-insect powder
Similar to buckles, there is no brand of flooring that requires a certain type of insect-proof powder. "Specialized" is to obtain more profits. For example, a pack of insect-proof powder can be sold for tens of yuan.
Insect-proof powder is made from camphor wood sawdust and is used to control termites (the wooden keels may contain insect eggs), or small insects attracted by moisture or mold in the corners. If there is no termite phenomenon nearby (such as high-rise residential buildings), it does not need to be used.
5. Sign the contract
For the special needs of merchants (such as how to calculate the installation fee for more complex paving methods such as herringbone shops), it is best to write them into the order contract to avoid wrangling in the future;
Merchants are also required to write in all product promises (such as environmental protection standards E1/E0, wood species, origin, etc.). If merchants dare not write it, don't believe it.
Tips: Bargain
You can visit a few more shopping malls and look at a few more brands. After comparison, use the lowest price you can ask for and compete with any one on the market. Basically, you can succeed.
Tips: Identify whether the brand is reliable
In the flooring manufacturing industry, the general rule is that scale is inversely proportional to cost and directly proportional to quality... To put it bluntly: the bigger the brand, the easier it is to reduce costs and produce higher-quality products.
So, how to identify whether a small brand is reliable? The first is to see if there is an official website; the second is to see if there is a 400 number and it can be connected; the third is to see if it can be searched on a certain website (on the contrary, if there is a store on a certain website but there is no physical store offline, it is basically covered by the Internet. packaging small factory).
What kind of floor is used for floor heating?
1. Stability
Teak has the lowest shrinkage and expansion rates and the best stability. It can be seen that if you use solid wood flooring for floor heating, teak is the most suitable.
After installing floor heating, if you want the room temperature to rise to 20 to 30 degrees in winter, the contact part between the floor and the floor heating will remain at 50 to 60 degrees for a long time. In hot and extremely dry environments, solid wood is at great risk of cracking.
In terms of stability, solid wood flooring is not as good as solid wood composite flooring (three-layered flooring is not as good as multi-layered flooring); laminate flooring is the best, and all products with qualified quality can be used for floor heating.
2. Environmental protection
As mentioned above, the environmental protection of the floor mainly depends on the amount of formaldehyde released, and formaldehyde is usually present in the glue added when producing the floor. The formaldehyde release amount of several common glues is: urea-formaldehyde glue > phenolic glue > isocyanate (MDI glue) > Soybean gum.
The environmental protection standard certification of the floor is tested under normal temperature conditions; in a high-temperature environment, formaldehyde is likely to volatilize in large quantities, causing indoor formaldehyde to exceed the standard. Moreover, phenolic glue is the most widely used in China. In addition to formaldehyde, the volatilization of phenol in it can also cause damage to the human body.
In terms of environmental protection, you should choose flooring with no glue or less glue, and laminate flooring is not suitable.
3. Thermal conductivity
The thinner the object, the better it conducts heat, so a floor that is too thick is not conducive to heating.
Laminate flooring is the thinnest of the three types of flooring (usually 8mm); solid wood flooring itself is thicker (usually 18mm), and some require keel laying, causing the floor to be suspended above the floor heating and causing greater heat loss.
4. Summary
If you have sufficient budget, choose teak lock flooring (locking does not require keeling), the price is usually more than 600 yuan/㎡;
If you have a limited budget and must use flooring (imitation wood floor tiles are not accepted), choose solid wood composite flooring (three or more layers are acceptable), and try to choose a reliable big brand.
How to install the floor?
What should I prepare before floor installation?
Solid wood flooring and solid wood composite flooring (laminate flooring has slightly lower requirements for installation), three points depend on quality, six points depend on installation, and one point depends on maintenance. Excellent construction is the key to reducing rework and after-sales.
1.Weather
Do not install flooring on rainy days.
Usually, after the board is dried and six-sided painted, the moisture content inside the floor is low; however, the floor is always cut during installation. The air humidity is high on rainy days. When moisture enters the floor, the moisture content of the floor will increase. leaving hidden dangers for future use.
2. Ground leveling
Before laying the floor, make sure that the flatness of the ground does not exceed 1 to 3 mm. If it is far more than this value, part of the floor or keel will be suspended, and the floor will creak when you step on it.
The method of judgment is to use a measuring ruler or a linear object (such as a skirting line about 2 meters long), place it on the ground, and observe whether there is a gap between it and the ground. If the gap is too large, use cement self-leveling to re-install it. Leveling.
3. The ground is dry
Be sure to wait until the ground is completely dry before laying the floor.
If the ground is not completely dry, even if a moisture-proof membrane is laid between the floor and the ground, moisture will spread from the edges of the moisture-proof mat, causing the edges of the floor to become moldy and black.
4. Floor cleaning
Before laying the floor, the ground must be cleaned (a vacuum cleaner is recommended), and it is best to apply a layer of floor solids or floor paint.
Especially the corners should be cleaned carefully. The reason is similar to the diffusion of moisture. Dust easily escapes from the edges of the moisture-proof mat.
Brushing the floor can effectively prevent sand from rising on the ground. The consequences of sand rising are: although the room is clean, there is always dust on the floor.
Floor installation method
1. Suspension type
"Suspended" means that the floor is not fixed on the ground. The steps are: first lay a layer of moisture-proof mat, then splice the single pieces of floor one by one, and finally connect them into a whole.
The advantage is that the construction is simple and the construction period is short. If it is partially damaged, it is easy to replace; the disadvantage is that the floor is in contact with the ground (not suspended) and is susceptible to moisture; the floor is not fixed and has no external force to restrain it, so it is easy to deform;
Therefore, the suspended type is suitable for laminate flooring and solid wood composite flooring, but not for solid wood flooring (unless it is locked, or the wood species is very stable).
2.Keel type
The steps are: first fix the keel to the ground with nails, lay a layer of moisture-proof mat, and then fix the floor to the keel.
The advantage is that the floor is suspended above the ground and is not susceptible to moisture; the keel is elastic and can retain the comfortable foot feel of wood; therefore, the keel type is suitable for solid wood floors and solid wood composite floors.
The keel is generally 5cm wide and 3cm thick. It is recommended to use pine wood (Northeast larch, etc.), which has a hard texture and a natural smell to repel insects. Never use fir keels, the texture is too soft and it will easily make noise when stepped on after the floor is laid.
The keel type usually does not require additional ground leveling (unless there are obvious pits on the ground...). The height can be adjusted by stacking the keel itself and the wood chips (the wood chips can be used with leftover scraps from the carpentry stage).
If the local climate is humid, you can place some bamboo charcoal and activated carbon in non-woven bags between the keels; but do not believe that this can purify formaldehyde, because bamboo charcoal and activated carbon placed under the floor will have little effect in preventing the release of formaldehyde into the room.
3. Flat buckle, lock buckle
The single-piece floors are interlocked in sequence, and there are two connection methods: flat buckle and lock buckle. Therefore, if it is a solid wood floor, it is recommended to use a lock.
The locks are more expensive because the processing equipment is expensive, which also means that the brand has a certain scale; the locks are also tight and can effectively resist the deformation of the wood; some locks also have rubber strips to better prevent water from penetrating Floor gaps.
4. Trial shop
Take one room as a unit, unpack the floor, and lay it flat on the ground or keel in advance. Adjust the position of the single floor according to the color difference, so that the areas with larger color differences are located under the bed, under the cabinet, and other places that are not usually visible.
Solid wood flooring must be tested before laying (natural wood has a large color difference), and solid wood composite flooring can be tested while laying (the skin is usually A-grade wood, and the color difference is better controlled).
5. Supervision (at the installation site, the owner should pay attention to several aspects)
Although the masters will also check whether each floor is damaged, peeled, or cornered, they tend to focus on their work, and it is more reassuring to check by themselves;
Whether the gap between each floor is too large: If the gap is too large, ask the master to knock it again; if there is still a gap after knocking, replace the floor; it is normal for the gap that the blade cannot fit in (or try it with a fingernail) one time).
6.Acceptance
Why is there a sound after the floor is laid? There are four possible reasons.
First, changes in dryness and wetness cause the floor to expand and contract. The symptoms are as follows: the gaps between the floors become uneven, the sound is regular (it sounds every time you step on it), and the sound is loud; the sound may come from the friction between the floors, or the friction between the floor and the wall or cabinet;
Second, the newly installed floor is in the running-in period. In this case, when you step on the same position, sometimes there is a sound and sometimes there is no sound;
Third, there are process problems such as the lock being too tight. This situation is relatively rare, and usually only a single floor will make the sound;
Fourth, the ground is uneven or the keel is loose. This situation is the most common. Usually there is noise from a single floor, or there is noise from part of the floor in the room.
self-leveling cement
self leveling
Self-leveling flooring
If the floor is too thin, the requirements for the flatness of the ground are much higher. Because if the ground is not flat enough, the floor and the underlying cushion will not fit well, which can easily cause the floor to deform, arch, and make a rattling sound when you step on it.
High requirements for ground flatness require the use of cement self-leveling as an underlayment for wooden floors.
Therefore, when purchasing wooden flooring, you should pay attention to whether this kind of flooring needs to be self-leveling first when installing it. (The cost may be higher if self-leveling is used.)
Self-leveling for direct use
To put it bluntly, self-leveling is actually a craft. Taking advantage of the flowable properties of the material, spread it on the ground and then let it flow freely to form a flat surface. The surface layer formed can be used as an underlayment for wooden floors.
In addition to being used as a cushion, it can also be used directly as a floor replacement. Although the working principle is similar to that of self-leveling as a floor underlayment, there are still many differences in the actual operation and effects.
There are several popular self-leveling methods currently on the market, including cement self-leveling, epoxy resin self-leveling, cement powder, and the most advanced "Pandomo".
self-leveling cement
Basic treatment
Before starting construction, the treatment of the base layer is very important. Self-leveling does have its own leveling function, but its thickness is really limited. Self-leveling can make the ground very flat, but if there is a difference in height, self-leveling alone cannot do it.
During construction, self-leveling cement slurry is poured directly on the base. If there are large cracks in the base, it is likely that the moisture in the self-leveling will penetrate downstairs through the gaps. Therefore, if there are gaps in the base layer, they must be dealt with.
In actual construction, interface agents are extremely easy to be ignored by master workers. Interface agents can make self-leveling better bonded to the base layer and must not be ignored.
Things to pay attention to during construction
First, be sure to strictly follow the instructions for using self-leveling cement when mixing water. For most construction projects, a bucket of cement mortar cannot be used to finish the house. If there is less water in this bucket and more water in the other bucket, the water in the cement slurry will shrink and evaporate at different times, which is very likely to cause the ground to crack or even crust.
During the construction process, we should also pay attention to "defoaming". If the defoaming is not done well, the finished cement will be self-leveling and will have many white spots, which is very unsightly. There are special tools for defoaming: rollers and spikes.
The construction of cement self-leveling has relatively high temperature requirements. It is not suitable to be too cold or too hot. A temperature of 10-25 degrees is more suitable.
After the construction is completed, the effect is as follows. At this time, be sure not to ventilate it and just let it dry naturally. Otherwise, a few gusts of wind will cause wrinkles... It is self-leveling~
Generally, after the cement self-leveling is done, it will dry completely in about 24 hours.
The above self-leveling cement is just the foundation. If used directly without any other treatment, it will easily develop dust, cracks, etc., which will greatly affect your living experience, not to mention the terrible appearance.
Generally, some additional processing will be done on the basis of the above. Some are directly covered with a layer of varnish. Another option is to add some cement curing agent and then polish the base layer. This effect will be better than the above, but of course, the price will be higher.
Epoxy resin self-leveling
You may not have paid much attention to it, but there are actually many places around you that use self-leveling, such as underground parking lots, factories, etc. This is very popular recently and is often used in cafes and offices.
But there are some differences. This kind of self-leveling is called epoxy resin self-leveling. However, this method is rarely used in home decoration.
Cement powder
In addition to self-leveling cement, there is another method that can achieve the texture of cement. First lay a layer of cement mortar (about 15mm thick) for base. Then on the basis of this cement mortar, mix dry powder high-gloss cement with clean water and apply it over and over again.
In terms of construction, after the base layer is processed, stir the dry powder high-gloss cement: water = 1:0.5 evenly and start scraping.
Generally, scraping is done more than twice, and the subsequent coating can only be started after the previous coating is completely dry. The layer scraped later is called the pink layer. The general thickness is about 5mm. After the powder layer is dry, you need to polish it.
The final effect is of course very good, but if you look at the construction technology above, you will know that the price is not cheap (usually between 100-300 yuan). Even if you don't care about the price, it's not easy to find a reliable bricklayer to do cement finishing for you.
Moreover, it is difficult to avoid cracks with this method. This is the nature of cement. There is no way~
Pandomo
This material from Germany can be used on the ground or as a wall, and it has a full cement texture. Basically, this is the most perfect material you can find to achieve the "cement self-leveling" effect in your mind.
But it has a huge flaw. expensive. The price is above 700
Disadvantages of self-leveling
One is the problem of cracks. No matter how well you do it, self-leveling cement will basically crack, and with any luck, the cracks will be smaller.
Second, there are construction issues.
At present, there are still few people working on construction projects, and even fewer are reliable. If you value the price advantage of self-leveling, you will most likely be disappointed. In actual construction:
1. Today’s labor costs are not low. Although the construction of self-leveling is extremely fast (it may be completed in one day), it generally requires 2-3 workers to construct at the same time.
2. Self-leveling is mostly used in tooling projects. In home decoration projects, the area is small and the price is usually increased.
3. What I said above is just the basics, just the basics! If you add curing agent, polishing, etc... Even if the cement is self-leveling, the cost per square meter may exceed 100 yuan.
4. Cement powder and pandomo? The price has been briefly introduced above, it will only be higher.
Decoration case
Irregular splicing of hexagonal tiles and floors
Preparation
When it comes to the choice of flooring, Cathy chose laminate flooring instead of solid wood flooring because solid wood flooring requires keel installation and leveling is troublesome; and the elasticity of solid wood flooring is very different from that of ceramic tiles, and joints are prone to problems.
Because they are small bricks of different colors, the patterns need to be laid out on the computer first, and then the drawings are printed for workers to lay them according to the drawings (it is basically impossible to point the workers to lay the bricks on site with a gradient effect, and the colors will be messed up if they are laid randomly).
How to construct
When paving, remember to level the ground well, otherwise the height difference between the tiles and the floor will easily occur, which will cause an ugly appearance. After the floor is leveled, you can start to lay the tiles. When laying the tiles, the thickness of the floor should also be considered.
After the tiles are laid, the floor can be laid. At the joints, the master workers cut the floor on site to make the floor and floor tiles seamlessly connected.
The floor at the joints is fixed with glass glue. After fixation, press it with heavy objects at the junction of the floor and floor tiles. Laminated flooring is very thin, and it will easily warp if you just apply glue without pressing it (when buying flooring, you should also check with the merchant first to see if the workers know how to do this kind of construction).
Press it with heavy objects for a day or two, and then just do the beautiful seams.
Herringbone parquet floor
The herringbone floor is the biggest highlight of the home, full of Nordic style. The herringbone pattern is very suitable for matching with large white walls. When choosing the floor, the color should not be too light, otherwise it will weaken the V-shaped visual effect. The lighter wood color is the most versatile. Xiaoyuan originally wanted to use teak color with a richer texture, but when he was decorating, he couldn't find a suitable one in China, so he gave up.
In terms of splicing, the floor should not be too thick and short, otherwise it will look messy when spliced together; in terms of matching, try to match it with a variety of slender and simple furniture with small legs, so that it will not conflict with the floor texture.
Q: Did you encounter any pitfalls during the renovation?
A: The size of the toilet door was wrong, so it couldn't be installed when it was shipped for installation. It took about a month to rework, transport and rearrange the installation. There was a serious problem when the bathroom wall tiles were caulked. The black caulking agent would seep into the tiles, making it difficult for the master to caulk. Later, the responsible master slowly drove in bit by bit and finally solved the problem.
You should also measure it yourself and then check the size with the merchant.
Q: What advice would you like to give to other friends who are decorating?
A: First, you need to communicate more and make it clear to the construction team or foreman. You need to confirm every step before doing it, because many construction workers will make their own opinions and do some things according to their own understanding. This will cause you You will have to bear the cost of dismantling your own losses, so this is very important and must be confirmed.
Second, when signing the contract, write clearly that you will not pay for any additional items that are not part of your will. This can avoid additional items that you are not aware of.
baseboard threshold stone
baseboard
Small baseboards are not simple
The wooden floor is not tightly attached to the wall. why? This is because the wooden floor has a certain degree of elasticity. If it is tightly attached to the wall, it will arch when it expands (the same goes for ceramic tiles).
It's impossible to leave such a big gap like this, right? I promised to pay attention to details. At this time, another function of the baseboard comes into play: blocking these gaps.
Aesthetics of baseboards
Either short or tall
The height of the baseboard is mostly around 8cm. To be honest, this height is really embarrassing, and it’s also aesthetically exhausting, with no highlights. If you want your home's baseboards to look better, you might as well break this routine.
Shorter and more refined.
Choosing a shorter baseboard minimizes the impression of the baseboard and is also very beautiful.
Or, get high.
You must have seen a lot of American-style houses. I wonder if you remember the skirting lines they use. Most of them are at a height visible to the naked eye. And there are many exquisite styles, so you might as well give them a try.
almighty white
Moreover, the skirting line connects the floor and the wall, and the door will also affect the choice of skirting line color. It’s nothing more than the same color as the door, the same color as the wall, and the same color as the floor. And if you are really stuck on the choice of color, consider white~
Regarding the baseboards, I have to say a few things
The baseboards can also be embedded
Tuck the skirting into the wall, which is the so-called recessed/installed skirting.
When installing, open a horizontal groove at the bottom of the wall, and then install the skirting line into the groove. After the construction is completed, the skirting line and the wall will be perfectly integrated and on the same plane.
Beauty is beautiful, but be careful. On the one hand, when excavating horizontal grooves on the wall, be careful not to touch the reinforced concrete, otherwise it may affect the structure of the wall. It is best to excavate horizontal grooves only on the leveling layer and do not cut the steel bars or anything else. And the wall may not be vertical. When digging trenches, the depth must be calculated clearly to reduce errors.
Moreover, this kind of embedded operation also has requirements for the material of the baseboard. Wooden baseboards are more complicated. Wooden materials are not easy to bond with plaster and putty. And although it is said to be a seamless link, there is always a connection. If it is sewn, it will crack easily over time~
The gap that cannot be blocked by the baseboard
There is a gap between the skirting board and the wall. It really has nothing to do with the skirting board. The main reason is the problem of the wall. If the wall is uneven, the skirting board will have difficulty fitting the wall, so it will cause gap.
Usually when this happens, you can only ask the master to apply a little more glue to cover it up.
Tips: When storing solid wood baseboards, they must be placed sideways, one on top of the other.
threshold stone/passing stone
What is the threshold stone used for?
The most practical function is waterproof
The bathroom floor is a place where water often flows. In order to prevent water from flowing into other spaces, the floor height of the bathroom is lower than that of other spaces. This also leads to the fact that when there is a lot of water on the bathroom floor, the water can easily seep into the living room floor or the bottom of the floor tiles from the side. Therefore, a door stone should be made at the bathroom door, and it should be higher than the bathroom floor to maintain the waterproof integrity of the bathroom.
Regarding the bathroom, if dry and wet separation is done (such as a shower room), and the floor drain is located inward and it is difficult for water to flow to the bathroom door, then buckles or ceramic tiles can be used instead of door stones.
If the bathroom is not separated from dry and wet areas, water can easily reach the door, so it is best to use a door stone. Neither buckles nor ceramic tiles have as good a waterproofing effect as the entry stones.
Some people will cut the ceramic tiles and use them as stepping stones to waterproof them (because the ceramic tile glaze is waterproof), but this is not recommended. On the one hand, the ceramic tiles are too thin and difficult to construct; on the other hand, the ceramic tiles are easily made too high and can cause people to trip, and the ceramic tiles cannot be edged to make slopes or chamfers like stones (which will wear off the glaze).
As shown in the picture below, if the ceramic tiles in the bathroom are in direct contact with the wooden floor outside the bathroom, water will slowly penetrate into the wooden floor and even other places, causing the wooden floor to arch and the wall to become damp.
At this time, if the door stone is placed between the two, it can block the water. Place a doorstep between the wooden floor and the ceramic tiles. Because the doorstep is made of stone, it has the function of isolating water, so it can play a very good role in waterproofing.
Although the moisture on the surface is blocked by the stepping stone, the water under the stepping stone may still penetrate. At this time, add a water-stop pier under the door stone, and then paint the water-stop pier with waterproofing. The water-stop pier and door stone provide double insurance.
If you still want to be a little safer, you can try this inverted U-shaped stepping stone. The inverted U-shaped doorstep stone and water-stop pier are the most perfect combination to solve the problem of water seepage at the door. However, most people still use the straight-shaped doorstep stone, and very few people use the inverted U-shaped doorstep stone.
Regarding Zhishui Dun, I would like to say a few more words.
The decoration situation of each house is different. Everyone has a different opinion on whether a water stop should be made at the bathroom door. If the layout of your bathroom and your usage habits will cause water to often come to the bathroom door, , the water stop pier is still very recommended.
Some workers may not take the initiative to help you make this water stop, so if you want to do it, it is recommended that you tell them in advance that after the bathroom waterproofing is completed, you can make a raised water stop at the door. Trick.
The water stop pier should not be too high. Too high may affect normal movement. Generally speaking, a height of 1-2cm is suitable. Finally, add the door stone, which will be higher than the bathroom tiles.
construction
The water stop pier should be made first, and then the door stone should be made. The water-stop pier can be constructed with cement mortar or waterproof mortar. It can be 1~2cm above the ground. If it is too high, if a door stone is added on top, the height difference will be very large and it will not look good.
There are two types of crossing stones, straight-shaped and inverted U-shaped. The inverted U-shaped door stone and water-stop pier are a perfect match and can achieve excellent waterproofing effect. It is recommended to apply an extra layer of waterproofing on the bottom and sides of the door stone.
The order of installation of door pockets and doorsteps is: doorsteps first and then doorsteps. The door pocket is placed on the doorstep rather than directly touching the ground to ensure that water does not seep out of the door pocket.
Moreover, the left and right ends of the door stone and the wall should be tightly blocked to ensure that water does not leak from the doorway.
After the water-stop piers, threshold stones, and door covers are all completed, the gaps at all joints must be sealed with glass glue.
The most universal function transition
In addition to being used to waterproof and pave the doorstep under the door, it also has an important function, which is to serve as a transition between the inside and outside of the door.
Kitchens and bathrooms are generally tiled, and the floors in other spaces generally have three options: full tiles, tile-wood floors, and full floors.
①Wooden floor and floor tiles
The use of door stones between wooden floors and floor tiles has two functions:
The first is to solve the height difference problem. Generally, floor tiles are laid by bricklayers in the early stage of decoration, while wooden floors are laid by merchants at the end of decoration. If the ground is not leveled well, or the thickness of the floor is not determined in the early stage, it is easy to have different heights on both sides.
And we can't go to a lot of trouble to re-level the gap of a few millimeters. At this time, it is most suitable to use the door stone to connect. Grinding the sliding stone to make a slope or chamfer can solve this problem of height difference.
The second is to solve the closing problem. Even if the heights on both sides are the same, because the material properties and construction techniques of floor tiles and floors are different, there will be gaps at the junction of the two materials, and closing is not easy. At this time, using door stones can make closing easier.
Of course, if the craftsman is good at craftsmanship and the cutting is very precise, he can also skip the door stone and let the floor tiles and floor directly form a straight line, but the construction requirements will be higher.
②Full floor tiles
The floor in the house is all tiled. If you don’t want to use door stones, you have to tile the whole floor. The open floor plan is indeed beautiful, especially if you choose the open floor plan for a small house, it will give people a sense of grandeur. But the master workers are not willing to clear the pavement because the construction is too troublesome. In addition, you may not be happy because the labor and material costs will increase.
In order to look good, the tiles in different spaces need to be completely aligned with each other. But it is not easy to achieve true seaming. First of all, very precise drawing planning is required in the early stage, and the drawing description is only a theoretical project. In practice, as long as the gap is slightly wrong by a few millimeters, it is impossible to realize the seam alignment. And even if they are sewn right, the floor tiles against the walls on both sides of the room may need to be cut, resulting in too much loss.
If you add a door stone, you don't have to worry about the problem of joints. Each room can lay its own stone, which makes construction much easier.
③Full floor
Paving ceramic tiles requires leaving gaps, but this is different for wooden floors. Nowadays, most wooden floors use locks, which can achieve seamless connection and there is no seam problem.
Although the floor is easier to spread than floor tiles, it is also very demanding on the craftsmanship, and the floor needs to be cut when it meets the wall. There is a trick: if you don’t want to pave in one room, you can pave horizontally in one room and vertically in another room. This will make it easier to pave, you can cut less flooring, and you can also differentiate the space.
Friends who have floors throughout the house will basically not use door stones as a transition. If there is a need for transition, just use floor battens.
Can I not use the crossing stone?
Compared with bathrooms, which are places that require waterproofing, other spaces do not have such a great need for waterproofing. Generally, only the transitional function of the door stone is used. If something else can replace the transitional function of the stepping stone, you can try to abandon the stepping stone.
Replace the stepping stone with something else
There are no door stones between wooden floors, but buckles.
Fasteners can also be used to cover gaps between wooden floors and floor tiles. It is almost the mainstream practice now. Using fasteners with colors similar to the floor or floor tiles is also very beautiful.
You can also turn the wooden floor sideways to serve as a doorway, which will look better.
Or use ceramic tiles. There are usually leftover ceramic tiles for home decoration. You can cut ceramic tiles that are the same size as the door opening to serve as entry stones.
Between tiles, you can directly cut the tiles to make the transition.
How many combinations of door stone and buckle strips can there be?
① Passing stone
Common stone materials include marble and granite.
Marble has a fine texture and is more beautiful. The disadvantage is that it is relatively brittle and easy to be damaged. Steel bars and wire mesh are usually added at the back, which also results in its relatively high cost.
Granite is slightly lower in appearance than marble, but it is harder and more wear-resistant, making it suitable for pragmatists.
The standard size of the door stone is 800mm*150mm. The price of marble is about 70~100 yuan, and the price of granite is about 30~50 yuan.
When it comes to color, it would be great if you have entry stones that are a similar color to the adjacent floor tiles. You can also choose a color close to the door frame.
construction
Regarding construction, use door stones between the floor and floor tiles, and the door stones may be higher than the floor surface. If it is only slightly higher, you can grind the side where the door stone meets the floor into a small slope to smooth the transition.
If the height difference is too large, it is best to add buckle strips to balance the height difference to prevent wear and tear on the floor, causing the floor to warp.
②Buckle strip
There are many kinds of buckle materials, including copper, stainless steel, plastic steel, aluminum alloy, solid wood, PVC...
There are many kinds of buckle shapes, including U-shaped, L-shaped, flat, and different heights...
In places where there is a difference in height, such as at the door of the kitchen or dining room, you can use buckles specifically designed to transition the height difference.
It is best to choose solid wood buckles or copper buckles that are the same or close to the color of the floor, which will look much more beautiful.
③Copper bar
The copper strip looks more delicate than the buckle strip. It is inserted in the middle of the seam and the copper strips are flush with the ground on both sides, which is very beautiful.
Copper strips can also be used in bathrooms, but they are not as waterproof as door stones, so they can only be used at bathroom doorways that separate dry and wet areas. This kind of copper strip is generally L-shaped. After installation, it is 0.5~1cm higher than the bathroom floor tiles to prevent water from overflowing.
There will be gaps between the floor tiles and the copper strips. The floor tile joints need to be filled with caulking agent, and the floor joints need to be filled with glass glue.
Or use a Z-shaped copper strip to block the floor seam on one side, eliminating the need for glass glue.
④Tiles
In the same way as the buckle strips, if you choose to use ceramic tiles for transition, it is best to choose the same color and style as the adjacent floor tiles.
Generally, a part of the large-sized floor tiles is cut to make a door stone, which is smooth and flat and looks better. If you want to be more creative, there are also flower tiles and mosaic tiles.
Selection and installation of crossing stones
Choose the right stepping stone
It may be a good choice to choose a stepping stone with a similar color to the ground.
price
The price of the stepping stone is nothing too fancy. The general price is about 20 to 100 yuan, 850mm long, 150mm wide. Even if you use door stones, it will cost about 500 to 600 yuan.
Installation of crossing stones
As mentioned above, the door stone installed in the bathroom is generally a little higher than the ground, which can block water. However, the height should not be too high, otherwise the stepping stone will become a stumbling block, which will be bad.
Usually 3-5mm higher than the bathroom tiles, it is already very suitable.
The corners of the door stone should also be chamfered.
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Finally, the leveling of the crossing stone cannot be ignored.
After installation, you can also put a layer of glue around the door stone to make it more waterproof~
Table of Contents -- A must-see for decoration! The most comprehensive and clear knowledge about decoration and construction
Decoration Tips Series 1: Decoration Preparation and Decoration Process
The first step in renovation: house inspection
Decoration preparation stage
Decoration process
clarification on the start of construction
Main material introduction and installation sequence
Explanation of decoration terms
Decoration Essentials Series 2: Decoration Budget and Quotation
quotation
budget checklist
Renovation suggestions
A Guide to Avoiding Pitfalls
Decoration Tips Series 3: Demolition and renovation of second-hand houses
demolition
Old house renovation
Problems with wall & floor renovation of second-hand houses
Decoration Tips Series 4: Water and Electricity Renovation - Waterway, Circuit, and Switch Layout
waterway
water pipe
circuit
Strong and weak electricity
Switch socket layout
Decoration dry goods series 5: Carpentry - panels, whole house customization, ceiling
Board type
How to choose the board?
Familiar board brands
Whole house customization
Finishes, edges and hardware
Formaldehyde release
carpentry ceiling
Integrated suspended ceiling VS gypsum suspended ceiling
wall-mounted system
Decoration dry goods series 6: Bricklaying - ceramic tiles, floor tiles, beautiful joints
ceramic tile
tiling
thin paste method
Floor tiles on the wall
Beautiful sewing
water proof
Drainage slope
Decoration Tips Series 7: Oil Works - Wall Construction, Latex Paint
wall construction
Wall cracks
Wall leveling
latex paint
Decoration dry goods series 8: kitchen, cabinets, bathroom, toilet, shower room
kitchen
cupboard
sink
Nakajima Design
bathroom
toilet
shower room
floor drain
Decoration dry goods series 9: walls, wallpapers, floors, threshold stones
wall
wallpaper
wall covering
Diatom mud
ground
floor
baseboard
threshold stone
Decoration dry goods series 10: doors, windows, sealed balconies
Security Doors & Smart Locks
wooden door
Sliding doors
invisible door
barn door
Broken bridge aluminum windows
Seal the balcony
interior window
Decoration dry goods series 11: Electrical appliances - water purification, soft water, air conditioning, fresh air, smart home
Water Purifier
Water Softener
Central air conditioning
Fresh air system
Necessary items for decoration
smart home
Decoration dry goods series 12: lamps, lighting design, furniture
lamps
buy a good lamp
Common sense about lamps
lamp design
furniture
bed
TV cabinet
Tatami
Decorative panels
Decoration dry goods series 13: Decoration style, soft furnishing design
Decoration style
Nordic style
modern style
Classical
industrial style
Costume Design
curtain
Mattress
Decoration Essentials Series 14: Storage Layout and Space Utilization
A clutter-free home: How to create a storage layout that suits you
Storage system
Use the space
House renovation