Q. I have an invalid living in my house. He sometimes cannot control his bowels and makes a mess in the floor. I currently have carpet over hardwood floor. I need the carpet to be taken out and want to find some sort of flooring that can be mopped with Clorox or Lysol in water to destroy odor. I would like to avoid any type of flooring that would have to be glued to the hardwood. It appears that all vinyl flooring has to glued down. Does anyone have any idea what I can put over the hardwood that will stand up to some serious cleaning?

A. Try laminate flooring, it is easy to install by locking the pieces together like a puzzle and it floats(needs no glue). It also cleans like a dream, we just got it and love it. You can get the kind that looks like wood or tile. We have the ceramic tile type and it really looks like tile. GL!

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Q. Im remodeling my apartment and my roommate chose white to paint the walls in our entry way and living room? i get to choose the carpet or flooring (hardwood, etc) and color of the trim, does anyone know what color of trim, and what type of floor would go nicely with the white walls?

A. Lucky you! I'd rather be allowed to choose flooring and trim any day! That's a keeper whereas paint can be changed. As for what matched white walls, basically everything! White is not a color in decorating, but the absense of all color and that is why you can match it with anything. So, you can buy whatever pleases you! Do keep in mind that the lighter the floor color, the larger the room will appear and the darker the floor color, the smaller the room will appear. Also, lint, dust, etc., shows up more on dark floors. What you choose to use as material for the floor really depends on your budget. Hardwood floors are definitely the best for getting a return on your money. If you can't afford that, then consider these types of flooring: - laminate wood floor - vinyl soft floor covering - bamboo flooring (my favorite, by the way!) - ceramic tile (did you know that you can get ceramic tile that looks soooo much lilke wood, you have to touch it to know the difference? It's better than hardwood since it doesn't scratch and is very resistant!) Will you be painting the trim or using natural wood? If using natural wood, it is advisable to match the floor. Enjoy!

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Q. I am set to install porcelain tile flooring in a bathroom where the house currently has carpet. Provided it is in good condition (which I am assuming it is), is it OK to install the porcelain directly on the floor? Do I need to prepare the floor? If anyone has any pointers, I would appreciate it! Thanks!

A. First things first.. Is the floor concrete or wood? If it is concrete: Take up the old carpet, pad and tackstrip. Scrape and clean the floor. Check the concrete for any cracks and prepare them with a good crack supression system ( I recommend Protecto Wrap ). After this you are ready to install the ceramic. If the floor is wood: Follow the above with the added steps of a sturdy cement type backerboard, Wonderboard, HardiBacker or DurRock are just a few name brands. Wood floors need this in order to reduce the flex felt in a wood floor. I have known some installers to nail/screw this down without thinsetting ( tile morter) it down with good results. The correct way is to thinset the board down and then nail/screw it. The reason for this is to bond the board to the floor to reduce movement and thereby reducing cracks in the grout and tiles themselves. I hope this helps, Good Luck.

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Q. My dog slobbers a lot on the kitchen floor when we are out. We come home to lots of very watery slobber on the floor. Our current linoleum flooring is old and needs replacement. I would like something in style but it needs to withstand the slobber. Thanks for any suggestions.

A. I would say basic tile. You know, the foot by foot squares? They're very much in style and they don't get ruined by water or anything. You can easily just come home and get a towel and wipe it up! Simple as that. Good luck!

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Q. We just bought a new home in Rancho Cucamonga and we're trying to find a good flooring company to do the entire house for us. Carpets upstairs, hardwood floors downstairs, with tile in the bathrooms. We've stopped by a few stores but something just didn't feel right with each of them. Any suggestions or past experiences would greatly help. Thanks in advance.

A. Try Service Magic in your area by going to their website and putting in a job order. All of their contractors are pre-screened, legal, liscensed, bonded and insured. They will come out and give you estimates of both labor and a time schedule. They will have 3 different contractors give you estimates so you have instant comparision. In my experience, they are fair and honest contractors and with Service Magic behind them, their work is guaranteed. Once you get their estimates, you can verify real customer experiences on kudzu.com for added peace of mind.

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Q. My living room is going to be laminate wood flooring, but I am thinking of using another surface for the entry area, to create a sort of mudroom space. What flooring should I use? I want something very durable because the kids run in and out with sand and mud. Slate? The style of the house is rustic, so the polished or modern look wouldn't fit. Thanks for your input! If you reply tile or slate, what about the grout? I hate the way old, dirty grout looks. Are there any alternatives????

A. Ceramic tile will last forever if done correctly... At least 3/4" marine plywood screwed down well, two layers if area will allow it, then cementboard screwed down to that. Fill all screw holes with floor patch, also level corners or uneven spots with "floor patch and level". Be sure to use good quality adhesive, and use spacers for even grouting. Use good quality grout and apply it maticulously, then seal it. If any steps are skipped you may get a loosened or broken tile through the years, and you basically have to rip up the whole thing to fix one spot. But a job well done will last decades! Good luck :-)

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Q. I wanted to replace the ceramic tile in my bathrooms, dining room and kitchen with travertine marble. Someone told me that travertine would be a bad choice since it can stain easily. I don’t want a ceramic tile that looks cheap. I want something that looks really nice. Can I find a ceramic tile that looks good, maybe even resembles natural stone? What is the best flooring for my house? What do you suggest?

A. Sheet linoleum . I put in kitchen, breadkfast room, downstairs.. it looks like slate, even has a depression in it to simulate the group line BUT no grout to try to keep clean. Armstrong makes good stuff, but I'm sure there are many other manufacturers out there. The secret is getting an installer who knows what they are doing it is worth the price

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Q. My little dog has some leg problems. His back legs are a little numb so he slips around on the tile we have. We are moving to a new home and are looking to put some flooring in. We would like to put anything but carpet. Would you reccomend wood or bamboo flooring? Are either of these better when it comes to slipping and sliding around? Thanks!

A. Cork flooring would be a great option to consider..... see the following page for more info: http://www.building-your-green-home.com/natural-cork-floor.html Bamboo and wood are also good options. Here's a page about bamboo: http://www.building-your-green-home.com/bamboo-wood-floors.html The following page will take you to a green flooring guide with all of your options: http://www.building-your-green-home.com/flooring-types.html HOpe this helps.

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