Hard Surface Flooring-Long Post

[jwasnewski]

I am a California CPA who decided to get into the hard surface
flooring business 11 years ago. I think I'll go back to doing tax
returns. It is less stressful.

General information on hard surface flooring, without being technical.

Granite: Very hard, tough surface, very good for floors and counter
tops. Some granites(some.....very few......) are porous and need to
be sealed. Sealing granite that needs to be sealed is a very easy
process. Granite is very difficult to scratch.(go ahead , cut the
steaks on it, put the wine and beer on it). Typical granites are just
below diamonds in hardness. Natural granites are composed of
approximately 65-75 percent quartz. The granite bacterial growth
myth was developed by companies competing with suppliers of natural
materials. There is not a single documented case of bacterial growth
in granite, that I know of. Generally, granite is not affected by
acid. However, one acid, a component in Tilex, will destroy the
shine on granite. It is hydrofloric acid. Granite can be repolished
by a trained technician but it is expensive. Beware of epoxy filled
and stained material from Asia. It's cheap, and you get what you pay
for..

Marble: A soft natural material, available in numerous colors,
patterns, and forms and comes from various parts of the World. By
nature and definition acidic compounds etch marble. I did not say
stain, I said etch. Foods containing vinegar or other types of acid
will take the shine off of marble in seconds. As well, sand is your
enemy with marble. Marble can be repolished by trained technicians
and is relatively inexpensive to do. Beware of green marble because
it is sensitive to water and tends to turn white(efflorescence or
spalling) if exposed for any period of time. In addition, if you use
normal installation techniques on green marble it will warp, and
generally do weird thing causing you to do it all over again. There
are numerous restuarants in Italy with marble tops. The difference
is this. They do not give a !@#$ if the marble shines of not.

Ceramic Tile: Ceramic tile comes in all shapes and sizes, typically
has a glazed surface and a baked mud body. With proper care, ceramic
will last for years. Typically, ceramic tile is not affected by food
acids. However, sulfamic and muriatic acid can etch ceramic tile. It
is possible to drop something on the glazed ceramic tile and chip
it. If that happens, just purchase a small bottle of appliance paint
and touch it up.

Porcelain Tile: A relatively new type of flooring. It is very hard
and will last for years..Easy to clean and is not affected by food
acids. There are glazed, rough surfaced and through body products.
It must be installed correctly or it will break bond. Breaking bond
means you get to replace the floor, there is no other cure. It is
more difficult to install than ceramic tile and depending on the
manufacturer can be very difficult to cut. (Beware, a broken piece of
Porcelain tile can lay you open like a surgeon.)

I could go on but wanted provide some free info to those interested.

I am not cheap when I do inlaid wood into granite, marble, corian or
porcelain products. Or any combination thereof. . However, it is
beautiful when I complete the job.

I will not get into carpet and wood, that is Ernie's deal but I would
like to say this. And, please, I do not want to hurt anyone feelings
here but if I had 22 year old carpet in my coach, I would off it for
new stuff just because................it is long past time to do so.

Leroy Eckert
1990 WB-40"Smoke N Mirrors"
Niceville, FL