Flooring Install & Repair

This summer, I committed what any self-respecting lover of natural building materials would call a cardinal sin. I walked into our old farmhouse with nearly 100-year-old pine floors, and when my husband asked what we should do with them, I replied, “Paint ’em!” Read on to see how to it turned out.

Watch this video for tips on how to lay tile outdoors on a concrete porch or patio, including the right kind of tile, waterproofer, mortar adhesive, and grout to use.

Stains that have penetrated through the finish can be hard to remove from wood floors without sanding, but there are several options you might want to try first. Watch this video to find out more.

Chris asks, “Can you tile directly over a plywood subfloor without using cement backer board?”

To keep the grout or tile from cracking, you need to put down either cement backer board or an underlayment membrane before tiling over a plywood subfloor. Read on to find out more.

Tile can be laid directly on top of an existing tile floor as long as the old floor is in good condition. Watch this video to find out how to go about laying tile over tile.

Find out how to cut ceramic tile by hand using a glass cutter, square, and wire clothes hanger. Watch this video to find out more.

The use of a plywood subfloor topped by cement backer board has made tiling much easier today than when I started my remodeling career. But there are a few important considerations to take into account when tiling over a wood subfloor. Read on to find out more

Dorothy asks, “Can I install laminate flooring over a ceramic tile floor?”

If the tile floor is level and smooth you can install laminate over it just like you would on a concrete slab. If not, you'll need to level the floor first. Read on to find out more.

Do carpet dents drive you nuts? Do this and no one will ever know you rearranged your furniture!