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Installation of Parquet Floors Job Site Inspection Storage and Handling Subfloor Requirements General Information on Adhesives Spreading the Adhesive Installing the Parquet Flooring Completing the Installation Sanding Stain and Finish Maintenance Installer/Owner Responsibility

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Handle and unload with care. Store in a dry place being sure to provide at least a four-inch air space under cartons which are stored upon "on-grade" concrete floors. Flooring should not be delivered until the building has been closed in with windows and doors in place and until cement work, plastering and all other "wet" work is completed and dry. Concrete should be at least 60 days old. Solid oak parquet flooring should be stored in the environment in which it is expected to perform. Air conditioning/heating systems should be in place and in operation at least 14 days prior, during and after installation of the flooring. Check adhesive label for storage limitations.

If installing over inadequate, existing plywood subfloor consider installing plywood underlayment over existing subfloor. Standard 4 X 8 plywood sheet should be cut in four pieces and screwed to subfloor leaving small gap between the sheets to allow for expansion.

NOTE: Test several areas, especially near exterior walls and walls containing plumbing.

NOTE: A "DRY" SLAB, AS DEFINED BY THESE TESTS CAN BE WET AT OTHER TIMES OF THE YEAR. THESE TESTS DO NOT GUARANTEE A DRY SLAB. ALL CONCRETE SLABS SHOULD HAVE A MINIMUM OF 6 MIL POLY FILM MOISTURE BARRIER BETWEEN THE GROUND AND THE CONCRETE

NOTE: When installing UNFINISHED SOLID WOOD PARQUET flooring, allow a minimum of 36 hours adhesive curing time before applying seals, stains and finishes to unfinished flooring. Trowel filling and fillers are required to reduce the possibility of panalization caused by the finish "gluing" the slats together. Test the moisture content of the wood in accordance with the stain/finish manufacturer's recommendations. Avoid installing from the surface of the flooring. If necessary distribute weight using a kneeler board.

Maximum Adhesive Working Times:

Hold the trowel at a minimum 45 angle (figure below) firmly against the subfloor to obtain a 50-60 sq. ft. per gallon spread rate.

Please follow technical specification for working time for adhesive.

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Installation of Parquet Hardwood Floor

home section Interior Design Housekeeping Entertaining Home Improvement Gardening & Plants Landscaping eHow Home & Garden Building & Remodeling Interior Remodeling How to Remodel an Attic Into a Room

Ellen Ciurczak

Ellen Ciurczak has had a career in California in the broadcast journalism field for 21 years. She's specialized in covering politics at the state capital in Sacramento. Her radio reports have aired on National Public Radio, CBS Radio and the BBC. She received her graduate degree in journalism from UC Berkeley.

If your home's attic is currently just wasted space, you may want to remodel it. An attic can be made over into a home office, a bedroom, a child's playroom, a home gym or any kind of room you want. Remodeling an attic yourself, without the help of a contractor, is hard work. Following a series of steps will help make the job a little easier.

Determine if your attic is suitable to be made over into a room. Make sure the attic's floor can support people and furniture. Measure the ceiling to make sure it is at least seven feet high. Check the tresses. If they form a "W" shape, they may be too difficult or costly to design around. An "A" shape is easier.

Decide what kind of room or rooms you are going to put in your attic.

Go to the home improvement store with a list of items required to finish your project. Price the items and make sure you have enough money to buy everything you need to complete the remodel. Have some extra money put away for last minute or unexpected items.

Get a building permit, if required. Schedule time for an inspection if one is necessary.

Go back to the home improvement store and buy the items you need for the remodel. This includes wood, drywall, insulation, wall paneling, paint, hardwood flooring, tools and anything else you need. Think about the amenities you would like--windows, sky lights, ceiling lights, carpet, etc. and buy them at this time or wait until you are ready to install them.

Install insulation if needed. Most attics are very hot in the summer and cold in the winter, so insulation is a necessity.

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How to Remodel an Attic Into a Room | eHow

Every day is like Christmas in Sylvia Hobbs Grays home thanks to her mothers love for red carpet.

She always called this the Christmas house, Gray said.

Her family home in Culleoka built in late 1800s is all decked out for the holiday and as Gray takes her guest from room to room one can see a history of appreciation for things old and new.

The following is Grays winning entry in her own words in The Daily Heralds Best Christmas Ever contest.

It had been six years since we and our children moved from Brentwood to the old Victorian farmhouse in Culleoka to be with Daddy after Mamas death in 1984. Sadly, Daddy passed away a few days before Christmas the year after we moved.

Life was changing fast.

Our children were away in college and we were filled with anticipation for their Christmas homecoming.

Several weeks before, remodeling of our kitchen had begun, and we were assured it would be finished by Christmas. But as often is the case, Murphys Law kicked in and it was not to be.

Our dining room was filled with everything that had been moved from the kitchen. We were cooking with an electric skillet. I grumbled but had to make the best of it.

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Topsy-turvy Christmas turns one woman’s life right-side-up

ELLWOOD CITY Mary Fray in her ballcap frying bacon and flipping pancakes at the grill is a familiar sight that will disappear on Christmas Eve. Frays Ellwood Breakfast and Burgers at 530 Lawrence Ave. will close at 3 p.m. on Tuesday.

I wasnt planning on it, but it is time, Fray said. And Im tired.

Not planning anything special for the closing. Ill just close up and go home. Ill come back and get all my things out before New Years.

The walls of Breakfast and Burgers are covered with the history of Ellwood City, from pictures of the 1926 Ellwood City High School football team to a picture of the Cavert Wire Co. picnic on July 24, 1917. There are T-shirts from Frays other businesses and one from PeWees and a 4-foot-long piece of wood from the Lincoln High School boys gym that was there from 1963 to 2010.

There are many photos of people, customers and friends. One picture is of John F. Kennedy sitting in his rocking chair on a visit to Wampum in 1960. In the picture with him is then-Congressman Frank Clark and then-Pennsylvania Gov. David L. Lawrence. On the wall by the television set is a Howdy Doody puppet that a customer bought for Fray on a trip in South Carolina. She has hundreds of stuffed animals, and some are at the restaurant.

Its all stuff. I got a lot of stuff, Fray said.

Dominating the wall is an enormous Christmas wreath that she and her husband, Tom, made from their Christmas tree at home many years ago. Using a plywood wooden base, they glued on the branches of the tree and put on the ornaments from their tree, and through the years, customers have added to the wreath.

The Frays didnt plan to go into the restaurant business. She and Tom were always buying houses, remodeling them and reselling, and when the Central Cafe came up for sale in 1972, they bought it, and Fray describes it as her best years as she cooked, waited tables and tended bar.

It was a smoky place. Half the customers were junkies, but they never did or said anything wrong while they were there. There were a lot of good people, Fray said. If a guy said a bad word, another guy would remind him that there was a lady there.

After running the Central Cafe for 2 1/2 years, they bought a pizza business on Division Avenue and moved it to Wampum Avenue, where it became Marys Pizza Shop. Their next venture was on Lawrence Avenue, where they opened IMB Frays.

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Mary Fray closing Ellwood breakfast and burger shop

It can be difficult to provide enough light to your houseplants due to seasonal changes or lack of window space. Whether it's for your full-grown houseplants or starter seedlings, check out these ideas for indoor lighting.

Incandescent lights are good for lighting up a room or growing low-light houseplants, such as vines, ferns or dracaenas. They have limited utility for growing plants with higher light requirements. These lights put out only about 10 percent of their energy as light while 90 percent is heat. So, unless you want to cook your plants, they aren't ideal for light-loving plants like many tropicals, cacti or succulents.

Fluorescent lights are ideal for plants with low to medium light requirements, like African violets. They are also good for starting vegetables indoors. These lights typically come in long, tubelike bulbs in a range of sizes including T5, T8 and T12.

The narrower the bulb, the more efficient and brighter it is, due to the smaller surface area. In addition to this, fluorescent bulbs use 75 percent less energy than incandescent lights. So, for example, a 25-watt fluorescent emits about as much light as a 100-watt incandescent light bulb. T5 systems put out about double the amount of light per tube as standard fluorescent lights. They are 6500 Kelvin and also full spectrum, which is very intense light.

Kelvin is a basic unit of color temperature used to measure the whiteness of a light's output; it's the degree of visual warmth or coolness of a light source. So the higher the degree of Kelvin, the bluer, or "cool," the lamp appears. The lower the degree of Kelvin, the redder, or "warm," it appears.

When growing most houseplants, use light bulbs between 4000 and 6000 Kelvin, as the bulb's color temperature will borrow from a full spectrum of colors cools and warms. With these lights, you can actually mimic the growth you would get in a greenhouse or outdoors. Culinary herbs, greens and starter plants can be grown year-round with them. Houseplants that need lots of light, like cattleya orchids, succulents and carnivorous plants, also perform much better under these full-spectrum lights. With starter plants and seedlings, place the T8 or T5 bulbs two to four inches from the plants to mimic the sun. For established plants, including herbs or houseplants, place them a foot or two from the light source.

Compact fluorescents are great for lighting indoor houseplants without having to use a full T5 system and for a fraction of the cost of incandescent lights. Wattage varies, so be sure to ask a specialist what will work best for you and your lighting needs. Carnivorous plants and phalaenopsis orchids do well under compact fluorescents.

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How to Choose the Best Indoor Lighting for Plants : Outdoors ...

In an open letter to Minister for the Environment the architects call for the introduction of a latent defects insurance scheme to protect homebuyers against a repetition of the Priory Hall disaster. Photograph: Alan Betson.

More than 550 architects have joined seven former presidents of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) in calling for implementation of amended building regulations to be postponed.

In an open letter to Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan, they call for the introduction of a latent defects insurance scheme to protect homebuyers against a repetition of the Priory Hall disaster.

The letter says widespread concern among the profession was not reactionary or vexatious but based on a deeply held view that the regulations needed to be improved to produce better buildings and protect consumers.

It notes that these views on the regulations, due to take effect on March 1st next, were reflected in an almost unanimous expression of concern over 500 votes to eight at the recent RIAI egm, probably the largest ever gathering of architects in Ireland.

The architects say they are worried that premature implementation does not end up in confusion or in a delay in the roll-out of badly needed construction projects, forming an essential part of the Governments overall economic programme.

Accordingly, they call on the Minister to postpone implementation until the building control authorities have tested IT systems, the relevant building contract forms are amended and a full registration system is completed for all building contractors.

They are also seeking a meaningful independent inspection system overseen by the building control authorities.

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Architects call for implementation of building regulations to be postponed

The American Institute of Architects has broken the gender barrier for its highest award, the gold medal. The 2014 medal is going to famed California architect Julia Morgan nearly 57 years after her death in 1957 and more than 100 years after the first gold medal was conferred.

Morgan, whose most famous building is Hearst Castle at San Simeon on Californias central coast, was a pivotal figure in the history of American architecture and American women, according to an article the AIA published on its website announcing the award -- the eighth gold medal awarded posthumously.

Morgan practiced nearly 50 years before her retirement in 1951, designing more than 700 homes, churches, hotels, civic and commercial buildings and museums.

GRAPHIC: Best of 2013 | Entertainment and culture

But the AIA's online article noted that her reputation eroded as the more austere modernist movement became dominant and the more lavish Beaux-Arts tradition informing Morgans work fell out of vogue.

The award, open to residents of other nations as well as Americans, honors a significant body of work of lasting influence on the theory and practice of architecture. Its voted on annually by the board of directors of the AIA, a professional organization headquartered in Washington, but with chapters across the nation. The AIA will celebrate Morgans life and work in late June at its annual convention in Chicago. The 2013 award went to L.A. architect Thom Mayne.

Among other winners, 1993 medalist Thomas Jefferson, who died in 1826, waited the longest to be recognized for enduring designs such as his home, Monticello, the Virginia Capitol and original structures at the University of Virginia.

The AIA article noted that Morgans candidacy was championed by several celebrated architects who had backed her with letters of recommendation.

Frank Gehry, the AIAs 1999 gold medalist, disputed the notion that Morgans achievement was irrelevant to later architectural advances: Looking at her work, one can find her playing with symmetry asymmetrically, slipping forms vertically and horizontally, orienting her buildings for climate and daylight, and expressing structure in new ways, pointing the way to Modernism on the horizon.

PHOTOS: Hawthorne's best architecture moments of 2013

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Hearst Castle's Julia Morgan is first woman to win AIA's gold medal

Strong retail construction will continue in 2014

Poland is one of Europe's leaders in retail space under construction

The supply of new shopping center space in 2014 will be similar to that in 2013. A total of 520,000 sqm of new space will be added to the stock, including some 120,000 sqm in six expanded malls, according to Katarzyna Michnikowska, senior conultant at Cushman & Wakefield.

The biggest opening next year will be Atrium Felicity in Lublin (73,000 sqm of GLA) and Galeria Warmiska in Olsztyn (41,000 sqm), Ms Michnikowska said.

This year saw several large shopping malls delivered to the market, with Pozna City Center (61,000 sqm) and Galeria Katowicka in the Silesian Agglomeration (53,000 sqm) marking some of the biggest openings. A total of 650,000 sqm of retail space was completed throughout 2013, 20 percent more than last year.

Poland continues to be one of Europes leading countries in retail space construction. It came in fourth, after Russia, Turkey and the UK in terms of new retail space delivered in the first half of 2013.

Smaller cities in the running

As major Polish cities grow increasingly saturated in retail space, developers are turning their focus to smaller cities with populations of 200,000 or less.

In the next few years developers focus on smaller cities will set the tone for the retail market, said Patrycja Dzikowska, associate director of research and consultancy at Jones Lang LaSalle. New schemes are being constructed in cities like Olsztyn, Kalisz, Elblg, Lublin and Siedlce, Ms Dzikowska added.

Some of those smaller cities are already showing significant saturation levels, such as Rzeszw, with 800 sqm per 1,000 inhabitants, Legnica and Opole. These cities, however, act as retail hubs for several other smaller towns, sometimes even 100 km away, and thus their retail centers may have much larger catchment areas. Still, developers should be very careful when considering a new project there, Ms Dzikowska remarked.

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Poland is one of Europe's leaders in retail space under construction

Restoration Home is a BBC television series produced by Endemol who created the BBC Restoration (TV series). The series follows owners of historic buildings as they restore them into 21st-century dream houses.[1] The show is presented by Caroline Quentin who has an interest in the history and restoration of old buildings, architectural expert Kieran Long and social historian Dr Kate Williams who will investigate the histories of the properties.[2]

A book, Restoration Home by Gavin Weightman published by BBC Publications accompanies the series.

The introduction titles to the program were filmed at Bank Hall which was a building featured in the 2003 BBC Restoration (TV series).

The first building to feature is St Thomas Becket Church, Pensford in Somerset, which is on the heritage critical list. A flood in 1968 led to the church's deconsecration and it has been declared redundant. The owners saw it in 2007 and bought the listed church with plans to convert it into a three-bedroom house. As the church is transformed, its past is revealed.[3]

The second building is Nutbourne Common Pumping Station, Nutbourne, Horsham, West Sussex, which closed in the 1970s. The building is a ruin which contains all its old mechanisms and machinery. The owners aim to turn the concrete carcass into a carbon efficient home. Research by Kieran Long and Dr Kate Williams reveals the history of property.[4][5]

The third building, Stoke Hall in Derbyshire, a 30-room Georgian country house suffered from a leaking roof and widespread rot. The hall's 250-year-old dcor was at risk of being destroyed. The restoration reveals the history of the house, with architectural and social connections to influential people. Research reveals that the hall's architect designed Chatsworth House.[6]

The fourth building, Stanwick Hall in Stanwick, Northamptonshire, was in poor condition and on the Buildings at Risk Register. Years of neglect have left fungus growing on walls running wet with damp and timbers so rotten that one good storm might bring down the roof. Evidence is uncovered showing the hall was built as a result of a financial scandal of the early 18th century.[7]

The fifth building, Calverton Manor in Calverton, Buckinghamshire, is a mixture of different architectural styles, with parts thought to date from the 14th century. It is connected to a legend involving a rich widow, the local butcher, pots of gold and murder. As the building's architectural and historical secrets are revealed, the owners are faced with woodworm problems in the buildings main structure.[8]

The sixth building Big House in Landshipping, Pembrokeshire. Now a carcass, it was once a building of grandeur and influence. Historical and architectural research reveals it was built on the proceeds of the coal industry. The owner bought the property 10 years ago for restoration.[9]

Airing in 2012 Series Two featured six more buildings and their journeys as they are restored by their owners. The introduction piece to camera was filmed at Houghton House

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Restoration Home (TV series) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

home section Interior Design Housekeeping Entertaining Home Improvement Gardening & Plants Landscaping eHow Home & Garden Home Repair & Maintenance Home Maintenance How to Replace Cabinet Shelves

Elizabeth Chaplin

Elizabeth Chaplin has been writing professionally since 2005 and has published articles with various websites. She works as a freelance children's book illustrator and graphic designer and is knowledgeable in crafting, interior design and photography. She is also an amateur hairstylist who has been cutting and coloring hair since 2003. Chaplin has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in illustration from Columbia College.

Cabinet shelving must often be replaced after long-term use. Shelves can bow with the constant weight of cans of food, kitchen appliances and books, and this bowing can cause cracking. Shelves inside cabinets are relatively easy to replace because they do not need to be decorative. This means the shelf can be created from particle board or plywood. Most cabinets have notches along the sides to hold shelf hangers, which insert into the notches and hold the shelf in place. Creating replacement shelves is fairly easy to do.

Measure the inside of the cabinet from left to right and back to front.

Mark and cut a sheet of 1/2-inch particle board or plywood to fit.

Test the shelf for size by sliding it into the cabinet. The shelf should fit somewhat snugly but still be loose enough to slide in and out.

Remove the shelf and sand its outer edge and top. This will roughen the surface and make the adhesive grip better. Vacuum up the dust.

Measure and cut laminate with a utility knife to fit the front edge and the top of the shelf--the parts that will be visible.

Brush contact cement onto the top and the front edge of the shelf and the backside of the laminate.

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How to Replace Cabinet Shelves | eHow