1We've been talking about choosing building materials in the last week.
2Now, a great many factors influence the choice of building materials.
3You can't make a house of cards, right?
4And "people who live in glass houses..." and all that...
5Anyhow, today I'd like to say a few words about flooring.
6Some artificial materials can be used, like plastic for instance,
7which offer mixed blessings when used as a flooring surface.
8On the one hand, plastic is cheaper than nearly any other alternative, short of bare ground.
9Plastic also does not warp like wood.
10On the other hand, the best that can be said about plastic is that it "looks like" wood or stone.
11However, it cannot replace the real materials.
12As I have mentioned, I'm fixing up a new house.
13The decorator my wife hired told me,
14"Plastic does a great job of looking exactly like plastic".
15Besides, it scratches easily, fades or discolours,
16and starts cracking within a year or two.
17So, if you're fitting out a sleazy hotel or plan to live in a trailer park,
18go with the plastic.
19Really, though, for all intents and purposes,
20this leaves us with wood or stone as choices for flooring.
21Stone and wood are alike in at least one respect:
22both go through processing before they can be put to use.
23Since few of us cut our own lumber or quarry our own stone,
24this is not perhaps a pressing concern.
25Still, do-it-yourselfers would do well to remember to buy only properly seasoned wood.
26Unseasoned wood warps and a warped floor quickly becomes firewood
27(and its owner quickly becomes poorer).
28Likewise, except for dull-hued materials like slate or sandstone,
29most stone floors are polished before installation.
30The choice goes well beyond just wood or stone -
31each type requires many further considerations.
32A few special remarks are called for when considering wood, for example.
33As always, aesthetics, personal taste,
34and layout all play roles as well as the type of house or room.
35Oh, and certainly don't forget the cost.
36When it comes to cost, a rule of thumb is that the softer and less exotic the wood,
37the lower the cost.
38In the US, for instance, pine is both ubiquitous and cheap.
39Mahogany is imported and exorbitantly expensive.
40If you're on any kind of budget when remodeling,
41it's really helpful to remember to go for the softer woods.
42Aside from cost, there are still lots of different factors that are important in choosing the best flooring for the job.
43Continuing with the example of wood,
44one must consider the effects of each type of wood on the mood of the room.
45When selecting the best wood to use,
46particular attention needs to be paid to its grain patterns, texture, and colour.
47In rooms where relaxation or deep thought is the aim,
48(say bedrooms or the study) dark, strong grained woods are the rule.
49Here the grain ought to match the furniture for a feeling of homogeneity.
50In rooms where activity and motion are typical,
51(dining room or living room)
52lighter, finer-grained lumber is more suitable.
53In such a setting, the wood grain might be useful in offering a contrast to the furniture.
54This leads to a feel of subconscious excitement, in keeping with the room's function.
55In either case, though, consult a decorator.
56It is a decorator's job to know what materials to use to fit the function of the room.
57Though some things about putting together a room are subjective and based on one's individual taste,
58materials appropriate to a room's function are much more straightforward.
59A decorator takes the needs of the customer and uses a mathematical formula, rather than subjective words.
60Since feelings vary from person to person,
61verbal descriptions of wood types tend to be ambiguous.
62You want the wood you select, not something approximate!
63And if you do decide to do it yourself,
64remember that all wood must be treated with preservatives to enhance its appearance
65and preserve its natural beauty.
66In the case of stone, or "quarry tile" as flat-cut flooring stone is properly called,
67a new set of considerations must be weighed up.
68Simple colour aside, the degree of reflection must be kept in mind.
69This is called the "reflectance rate",
70which is expressed in a number between 0.0 and 1.0,
71depending on the amount of light it reflects.
72At one end of the scale is polished silver.
73At a rating of 1.0, this shiny surface reflects nearly all of the light directed at it.
74Numbers closer to zero describe materials that absorb more light.
75Moving down the scale a bit,
76we see the plastic that has been painted white has a rate of 0.8, which makes sense.
77We know that the colour white reflects all other colours while black absorbs all colours,
78and plastic itself is a relatively reflective material.
79Materials that are denser and darker have reflectance rates much closer to zero.
80The quarry tile I mentioned a while ago has a rate of 0.1.
81As you may know,
82quarry tile is generally dark brown and made from clay so it is quite dense.
83Of course, there is considerable variation among types of quarry tile
84because of the hue or treatment of the clay during its creation.
85Does anyone have any guesses as to what material may have a rate of almost 0.0?
86We can guess most of these materials are black in colour,
87but plastic, wood, and even stone reflect some light.
88One material with a rate of almost 0.0 is black velvet.
89The texture produces almost no shine at all.
90Carrara marble, despite its white hue,
91is actually lower in reflectivity than black onyx!
92In any case, the fact that tiles vary somewhat should not be forgotten.
93A highly reflective floor would not be suitable in a library;
94it would be indispensable in a ballroom (should your home be large enough to feature one).
95Again, a rule of thumb is that "light means lively".
96Since form and material follow function,
97one should only use the more reflective materials in rooms
98where the cultivation and expression of energy is important.
99Bear in mind too that most types of stone cost more than all but the rarest of wood.
100Of course, there is no reason why some rooms of a house should not feature wood floors or other stone tiles.
101You can even mix the two.
102A room with wood panels on the walls can have a beautiful stone floor.
103My bedroom has white birch walls and a light blue slate floor.
104The place looks like a Russian hunting lodge.
105Remember, though, go with what feels right for you.
106Good taste and the "laws" of interior design are the homeowner's servants, not his master.
107It's only beautiful when you decide it is.
108I mean, you're the one who lives there, not the decorator, right?
109OK, are there any questions?