Home Flooring and Remodeling

While condo buyers have to look into various factors before deciding on the purchase of a condo, one major aspect that remains very important is the noise factor. Condo living and noise often seem to go hand in hand. Many condo owners are plagued by noise issues. Whether it is due to footfall noise caused by hardwood floors, or the sound transmitting through the walls, condo noise could be very disturbing. This common but unlivable problem can totally disrupt peaceful living, even though the condo may be otherwise perfect.

If you are a prospective condominium buyer, then here are a few points that are worth taking into consideration before your purchase.

Condo buyers are better off inspecting the condo to check if every part of the home is noise proof before finalizing the contract. Mike Komula, is an acoustician with Dudek, a California environmental consulting firm that helps builders assess the acoustic qualities of new buildings. Here are a few tips offered by him for buyers to check for in the condo before they sign a contract.

1. Check for noise by making some - The best way to see if the adjacent units produce noise that seeps through to the rooms in your condo is to test by making noise in the units next door. Test for noise by turning on the radio, flushing the toilets and walking along the floors. One should also check for the plumbing noises made by bath and sink taps which could produce vibrations along the walls or noise when too small.

2. Check multistory floor layouts: Check the layout of the floors to make sure that rooms are placed compatibly above one another. A kitchen or bath above your bedroom, instead of another bedroom, could prove noisy.

3. Sound insulation of windows: Make sure the windows have dual panes for better sound reduction. These absorb more sound than single pane windows. The type of glass pane used for window also counts greatly. Ensure that the panes are a lot thicker for better insulation of sound. Also, larger the air cavities between glass panes means greater noise reduction.

4. Solid doors: Use firmer doors that have a solid core instead of hollow ones to keep out noise effectively.

Builders are increasingly concentrating on noise management especially in multifamily projects and it is recommended that buyers speak to the builder to know about the construction details that enhance noise reduction.

Some of the questions to put across to the builder would be to verify the following:

1. If the shared walls are double walls. A double wall instead of a stud wall of 2×4 foot absorbs more noise due to the wider air gap between the 2 walls.
2. Check for the number of layers of drywall on each side because more the number of layers, better the sound absorption.
3. Check if walls and ceilings have good sound absorbing material such as resilient metal channels.
4. Check the floor for a lightweight layer of concrete topping. It offers substantial noise reduction in airborne and impact noise by adding mass.

Another important thing that Condominium buyers should check is the STC or Sound Transmission Class rating. An STC rating of 65 indicates that the walls and floor-ceiling construction between units are of better sound proofing.

Source: REALTOR magazine online

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Any type of floor requires care, whether it be bare hardwood floors or flooring covered with carpeting or linoleum or tile. Hardwood floors can be scratched by dirt, dented by high-heel shoes, or ruined by water, so care must be taken.

The elegance of hardwood floors improves the appearance of practically any home, with the lustrous brown or golden tones adding a touch of life to the rest of the decor.

When you lay your hardwood floor, you’ll find that there are many styles and colors of wood to choose from, from as to birch to cherry to hickory to maple to oak. The style of the floor also varies, from parquet, to plank, to strip. And finally, the colors vary from blonds to reds to honey to natural. So matter what decor you have, you will find a type of hardwood floor to complement it.

Hardwood floors are durable, but they do need to be taken care of. But then - so do carpets! Unlike a carpet, hardwood floors - properly treated - are not stained irreparably if you spill a glass of cranberry juice or something similar on them - so long as you clean it up immediately. Carpets may hide the bits of grit or sand that may come off your shoes as you enter the home, but they do dirty your carpet. However, it is slightly more serious on hardwood floors, as the finish can be scratched by ground in dirt. So its best to take care to ensure that this doesn’t happen. Prevention is always better than cure.

Mats and Rugs
Mats with bristles placed outside your doors will allow visitors to wipe their feet. Once they enter the house, shoes should be discarded and replaced with indoor slippers to wear instead. (This is a good idea even if you do have carpeting, as it’ll save you having to vacuum more often than necessary.)

Furniture
It’s always a good idea to place felt pads under all furniture legs, so that they may be moved about easily when you’re cleaning. Move furniture carefully so as not to gouge or scratch the floors.

Water
Excessive water can damage hardwood floors just as it will damage carpet. Hardwood floors are usually treated to repel water - nevertheless any spills should be cleaned up immediately. If you have a hardwood floor in your kitchen, area rugs in front of the refrigerator (if it has an icemaker), the dishwasher, and the kitchen sink are essential.

Daily Care For Hardwood Floors
There are no special tools needed to clean your hardwood floors on a daily basis - a broom works just fine.

Weekly Care
Hardwood floors are usually waxed, or have a polyurethane coating over them. Just as with cleaning linoleum, or even furniture made of wood, you’ll want to make sure you use the proper cleaner so that the finish doesn’t yellow. Consult with the manufacturer of your flooring to learn which cleaner they recommend. If you’re going to mop your floor, make sure you use a very dry damp mop - excess water can seep into seams and ruin a wood floor.

However, with the proper care, your hardwood floors will grace your home for a long time to come.

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