Kitchen Confidential: 9 Trends to Watch for in 2016
If you’re anticipating next year’s hottest kitchen trends, we’re right there with you. So what might the quintessential 2016 kitchen look like? We asked two interior designers for a sneak peek at what’s to come. Hi-tech workstations, ’80s glam and muted color schemes are just a few of the looks they say will lead the pack. Without further ado, here are nine trends they predict will define kitchen design in the new year.
1. Soft, muted color palettes. Good news if you’re already thinking about switching up your color scheme: Kitchen colors are changing, according to interior designer Jane Lockhart. Though white motifs will still dominate, everything from cabinets to backsplashes will be done in less saturated tones. “Charcoal, grays and even neutral pastels like pale blue, pale green gray and tinted whites are the new alternative to the standard white,” she says. She also foresees kitchens sporting lighter wood tones, including walnuts, whitewashed woods and white oak in rift grain.
Bold primary colors, on the other hand, will be placed on the back burner. Interior designer Gail Drury says they’re definitely out as accent colors. “Drier colors will become popular,” she says. “Muted blues and greens and pale yellow pastel will be used as accent colors.”
2. Smart spaces. Get ready for a hi-tech makeover. Both Lockhart and Drury predict more kitchens will have designated spots for smart devices next year. “Look for areas with hidden charging stations to store devices like phones and tablets so that they are always operable, at hand and charged,” Lockhart says.
3. An ’80s reboot. “The ’80s are back,” Lockhart says. Mirrored backsplashes, brass accessories and high-gloss surfaces aren’t dead by a long shot, but they’re more elegant and refined this time around. “An elegance not seen in the ’80s will be an incorporation of a variety of natural materials to remove the ‘plastic’ look of that great hair decade,” Lockhart says. Drury adds that homeowners will opt for brass with satin rather than shiny finishes.
4. Metal range hoods. One of last year’s biggest trends was metallic finishes, be it copper, brass or bronze. However, homeowners went with small helpings of metal, primarily using faucets, pendant lights and cabinet pulls to incorporate this raw texture.
In 2016, metal will assume a more dominant role in kitchen aesthetics and trump wood as the range hood of choice. “Wood mantle hoods are being replaced with metal hoods or ones that are a combination of wood and metal,” Drury says. If you’re planning to follow suit with next year’s fixation on neutral color tones, a metal hood can introduce a burst of contrast into your kitchen.
5. Integrated kitchen-living spaces. Maybe your kitchen feels disconnected from the rest of your home. Maybe you want your cooking space to feel more accommodating. Either way, this trend could be for you. Lockhart anticipates more streamlined kitchen designs in which the kitchen converges with the home’s primary living space. “It will become part of the main living space even further,” she says. Designers will merge kitchens and living rooms by including hidden and integrated appliances.
6. A new kind of tradition. While it’s no surprise that present-day kitchens are embracing simple design, Lockhart expects traditional spaces to hop on board too. “Even traditional kitchens may experience a slightly cleaner feel with bold lines and less fussy details,” she says.
But Lockhart says it isn’t the end of traditional design as we know it. It just means homeowners will opt for fewer frills and more calculated, strategically placed details. “Traditional designs will always remain popular, but future renditions will be more deliberate with an emphasis on key elements like hoods, islands, cabinet crowns and so on,” she says.
7. Texture-on-texture contrast. It’s time to reimagine contrast in 2016. Drury says variations in texture will rule, rather than traditional methods of contrast. “Strong contrasting designs are being replaced with more texture-on-texture designs,” she says.
It won’t be about mixing and matching textures, though. Instead, designers will reposition the same texture in different patterns throughout the kitchen. “The same exact stone can be finished three ways and combined in the same space,” Drury says. “The difference is very subtle but at the same time makes a statement about attention to detail.”
8. A nod to midcentury mod. Lockhart credits this trend to the popularity of midcentury modern furniture and says the period design will trickle down to kitchens. “To some extent, this is already occurring with the increasing use of walnut in islands and cabinet doors,” she says. “But look for more kitchen styles that offer a nod to ’60s modern style, also called Nordic style.” You can get in on this minimalist movement by choosing predominantly white color palettes, designing with light wood textures and clearing away unnecessary clutter. Nordic design is all about simplicity and functionality.
And remember when appliances were clad in color? That midcentury trend is making a comeback too. “Colored sinks, backsplashes and accent cabinets are all items with stronger hues that were previously considered to be neutral elements,” Lockhart says. “Even appliances like slide-in stoves and countertop appliances are taking on color to add a more modern feel with pops of energy throughout the space.”
9. Well-lit cabinetry. Homeowners won’t settle for just ceiling lights and table lamps to illuminate their kitchens. The two designers say extensive cabinet lighting is a trend to watch. “Low-voltage light tape strips are used as accent pieces below cabinets, above cabinets, inside cabinets and below countertop overhangs,” Drury says. “LED lights are the norm.” These features will be grouped with recessed can lights to offer better mood-setting capabilities.
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Mastic vs Thinset – Which should I use?
What is Mastic?
Mastic is an organic glue made from the sticky resin of the mastic tree. It’s available as a thin-liquid, thick glue, or a sticky paste. Liquid Nails® would be a notable example of the thin-liquid form where it comes in a caulking tube and squeezed out along a wall or joists to hold load-bearing walls and ceilings in place. It’s also used as a temporary hold for fixtures so they can easily be screwed into place by one person.
Mastic as a tile adhesive has a number of drawbacks, since it’s organic, it can harbor mold in high-moisture areas, it also will re-liquefy when submerged in water and lose it’s adhesive strength. Some manufacturers are promoting their tile adhesive as water-resistant and safe when subjected to limited moisture exposure, they further claim that it can be safely used to tile the walls of tub surrounds. This is where we personally have questions. It’s not that we take issue with the specific language used by the manufacturers, we just have an issue with what we perceive as a disregard for reality when making their claim.
We feel that mastic tile adhesives are a great time-saver when laying tile, but knowing the laws of physics and nature, we feel that mastic adhesive is not appropriate for use anywhere where moisture is present. Although the manufacturer is correct in stating that tile will hold up to limited water exposure, who’d want to choose mastic over thinset when using it in area where limited water exposure could possibly end up being “more than limited”.
Let’s say you tiled your shower using mastic and you shower in it daily. Everything will work out fine if your tiles remain properly sealed and no cracks form in the grout, and your shower-head performs perfectly. But what will happen if you’ve formed a tiny little crack in a tiny little area of your properly sealed tile where moisture not only penetrates, but has a tendency to wick and spread? Will your mastic adhesive hold up? What if the mastic does hold up when a little bit of moisture penetrates? What about the organic property of mastic? All that’s needed for mold growth is moisture and an organic food source. Mastic is food for mold! Another drawback is that mastic doesn’t provide much structural support and cannot be used to build up minor “off of level” imperfections in a floor. You’ll end up with more “tile lippage”, in the end this tile lippage will have an impact on the overall aesthetics of your tile project.
Although there are drawbacks with mastic, there are advantages. Mastic has superior holding strength, easier to apply, and sets quickly. When used to tile walls it’s strength allows you to set tile, and if you’re good with eyeballing, you can set tile without the use of spacers. If you attempt to set wall tiles using thinset without spacers, you’ll end up with a bunch of tiles that have slid into each other before the thinset has had time to set, resulting in a giant mess.
What is Thin-Set?
Thin-set mortar is like Portland Cement, only thinner. It’s a mixture of cement, finely graded sand, and a water-retention compound that allows the cement to properly hydrate. You’ll find thin-set sold with the words “thin set cement”, “thin-set mortar”, “dryset mortar”, and “drybond mortar”. Whatever name you find it as, we’re talking about the same thing. Thinset is designed to adhere well in a thin layer that’s typically not greater than 3/16? thick. Thinset also provides structural support so that very minor adjustments in height can be made.
There’s also a medium bed thin set mortar which is a variation that’s used for slightly larger applications. This is used with large, heavy or thick tiles. Then there’s yet another variation of thin set for thick-bed installations. Thick bed installations generally are based on the traditional method of packing a mortar bed of a surface before installing the tile. The tile can be adhered to the mortar bed either while the mortar bed is beginning to dry or after the mortar bed has cured.
The advantages of thin-set is that it can be used in areas where there are high amounts of moisture present. Although thin-set is not waterproof, it is isn’t water soluble. When moisture is present, it will not return to a liquefied state as mastic would. Another advantage is that it’s inorganic and thus is not a food source for mold growth.
Glass Tiles
Glass is becoming an increasingly common material for backsplashes. Glass tiles can work as accent pieces or as the basis for the entire backsplash. This tile requires many special materials and processes for installing it properly, and one of these is the mortar. For a successful glass tile backsplash installation, you must use a white, latex-additive thinset mortar. This is crucial because glass is transparent, and the color of the adhesive can affect it. Glass is also nonporous, so mastic cannot dry properly behind it. Thinset cures by chemical changes, so no air is required for it to cure properly.
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How To Clean Your Hardwood Floors -
Although installing hardwood flooring is usually more expensive than rolling out new carpet, it’s an investment worth considering, according to data from the National Association of Realtors. Surveys show that 54 per cent of home buyers are willing to pay more for a house with hardwood floors. The question now: What’s the best way to clean and care for that popular flooring and keep that natural beauty (and value) shining through? Here’s how.
It’s not the wood — oak, maple, mesquite, bamboo, engineered hardwood or something more exotic — that determines how the floors should be cleaned, but rather the finish.
Surface finishes, often referred to as urethanes or polyurethanes, are among the most popular treatments today and are usually applied to hardwood floors after installation to protect them and make them more durable and water resistant. These finishes create a protective barrier. There are four types of surface finishes, according to the American Hardwood Information Center (AHIC): water based, oil based, acid cured and moisture cured.
Homes built before 1970, including historic residences, may have original wood floors that were sealed with varnish, wax or shellac. These require a different approach to cleaning. The AHIC says these types of finishes work by penetrating the wood to colour the planks and form a protective shield. Using a wax coating after staining provides a barrier against wear and tear and gives the floor a beautiful low-gloss satin sheen. The classic look requires a little extra TLC, however, since water-based products and mopping can damage the finish.
How to Determine Your Wood Floor Finish -
To figure out whether or not your wood floors are finished with a polyurethane, shellac, wax or varnish, or have a finish that has worn away and is no longer providing coverage, the AHIC suggests these tests:
Run your hand over the wood. If you can feel the texture of the grain, the floor has a “penetrating” finish (usually a combination of a natural oil, such as linseed or tung oil, mixed with additives for drying) topped with wax.
In an out-of-the-way spot, dab on a little paint remover. If the finish bubbles up, it is a surface finish, like polyurethane, which coats the floor in a protective layer.
In an out-of-the-way area, place a few drops of water. If the water beads up and does not soak into the wood, the finish on the floor is intact. If the water is absorbed into the floor or leaves a dark spot, the wood is unfinished or the protective layer has worn away.
If you sprinkle on a few drops of water and white spots form beneath the droplets after about 10 to 15 minutes, the floors are sealed with wax. To remove the white spots, use a piece of fine steel wool lightly dampened with wax and rub gently.
If you suspect a varnish or shellac, take a coin and scratch the surface of the floor in an inconspicuous corner. If the floor has been sealed with one of the older finishing methods, it will flake off.
Preventing Dirty Wood Floors -
Not wearing shoes in the house is one of the best ways to significantly reduce dirt, scuffs and daily wear and tear, and lessen cleaning time.
The National Wood Floor Association, or NWFA, is more specific and warns against walking on wood floors with cleats, sports shoes and high heels. It also offers this cautionary example: A 125-pound woman walking in high heels has an impact of 2,000 pounds per square inch. Furthermore, an exposed heel nail can exert up to 8,000 pounds of force per square inch.
Whether you got out your calculator or not, the possibility of impact and denting appears to be undeniable. However, while you can’t always ask guests to shed shoes at the door, it might be a policy worth considering for family members.
What Not to Do -
No matter what type of wood flooring you have, the NWFA advises against using cleaning products meant for vinyl or tile flooring. Their take: Self-polishing acrylic waxes cause wood to become slippery and appear dull quickly.
Another no-no: wet-mopping wood floors, since standing water can dull the finish, damage the wood and leave a discolouring residue. Along the same lines, avoid overwaxing unfinished wood floors in an attempt to restore luster. If a waxed floor has become dull, try buffing the surface instead.
Regular Wood Floor Cleaning -
Cleaning floors with contemporary polyurethane wood finishes (for floors installed after 1970) starts with vacuuming, sweeping or dust-mopping the surface.
Vacuuming. -
Vacuum wood floors daily, or at least once a week with a vacuum fitted with an attachment for wood floors. For regular machines, the AHIC advises turning off interior rotating brushes or beater bars if possible.
Regular vacuuming helps remove dust and dirt particles that play a leading role in scratching and dulling the surface of the floor.
Sweeping. -
The American Hardwood Information Center says choosing a broom with “exploded tips,” also known as synthetic fiber ends, is step one.
Damp mopping. -
Damp mopping should be done with a simple solution of pH-neutral soap (like dishwashing soap) and water; or one capful of a mild cleanser such as Murphy Oil Soap in a bucket of water; or a solution using products specially formulated for wood floors, such as Eco Mist Colloid W, Dr. Bonner’s or Method.
In conscientious cleaning circles, controversy swirls around whether to use a mixture of vinegar and water for damp-mopping wood floors. Ultimately, everyone has to do what works best; however, within the past 10 years this method has lost favour, and popular belief now holds that the solution causes floors to dull more quickly and is not as effective as simple soap and water.
To begin mopping, dampen the mop in the prepared solution, wring it out completely, and mop in the direction of the wood grain. Repeat as necessary. As the water in the bucket becomes dirty, dump it out and refill. Many experts (including Martha Stewart) believe scrubbing wood floors with a damp cloth by hand is the ultimate cleaning strategy — unless abundant square footage or protesting knees prove problematic.
But avoid cloths or mops dripping with water. If your floors do get wet or worse, dry them immediately!
Another technique: -
After the floor has been swept or vacuumed, put your cleaning solution of choice in a spray bottle and mist the floor, then use a dry microfiber mop or cloth and mop in direction of the wood grain.
It’s important to note that just because a floor is clean doesn’t necessarily mean it will be shiny. If the floor has lost its luster, it may be time to have it refinished professionally. Whatever you do, don’t wax a polyurethaned finish.
What you should know before refinishing your floors
Unfinished or Waxed Floors -
Unfinished or waxed floors, like those in older and historic homes, as well as floors in which the protective seal has worn away, should never be treated with water or liquid cleansers, which may penetrate, stain or warp the wood. Instead, according to cleaning experts, sweeping with a soft-bristled broom and vacuuming should be done as the primary line of defense. The NWFA says to step away from the mop: Never damp-mop a waxed floor.
Beyond basic care, buffing and waxing the floors once or twice a year should maintain the shine.
Old-fashioned shellacked floors are not common in most homes. However, if you find yourself the proud owner of this vintage flooring, regular care should include sweeping and vacuuming often. Avoid water and liquid cleansers.
Engineered Wood Floors -
Engineered wood flooring is created with a thin veneer of hardwood fused atop a plywood base. The material is stronger and more durable than regular hardwoods, and as a result has become a popular choice.
The cleaning procedure for this type of wood is the same as for hardwood floors with urethane finishes. Keep clean on a daily basis by sweeping and vacuuming and use a slightly damp mop as needed.
Painted Wood Floors -
Painted wood floors make a strong style statement and are a clever way to disguise wood flooring in less than perfect shape. To clean them, sweep, vacuum or dust-mop regularly. Avoid scratching or damaging the painted surface by staying away from abrasive cleansers and opting for a simple soap and water solution for damp mopping. Experts suggest drying the surface immediately by hand to avoid streaking and unnecessary moisture.
Stop by our store or give us a call @ 905-892-5756 and we will provide a free estimate.
What is Formaldehyde? / What is a VOC? -
What is Formaldehyde?
Formaldehyde is an organic chemical commonly used in many applications - from industrial disinfectants to certain kinds of fabric. Formaldehyde is also commonly found in the adhesives used to make engineered and laminate flooring. These adhesives will off-gas trace amounts of free formaldehyde into the air in decreasing concentrations over time. Is this worrisome to have formaldehyde off-gassing into the air in your home? It depends on the concentration.
Formaldehyde is a naturally occurring substance, produced in small amounts by most living organisms. For this reason no wood product can truly be called formaldehyde free. Exposure to formaldehyde in higher concentrations may cause certain irritations such as sore throat, cough, scratchy eyes and nosebleeds. More worrisome is the fact that exposure formaldehyde has been shown to cause cancer. For this reason formaldehyde emissions from flooring products are strictly regulated. Flooring products must meet the E1 standard for formaldehyde emissions, at a minimum, to be legal for sale in Canada. Different resin systems produce levels of formaldehyde emissions. ‘Urea-formaldehyde’ (UF) resin systems are commonly used in the high density fiberboard (HDF) cores used for laminate flooring. Urea-formaldehyde resin is relatively inexpensive, but emits more free formaldehyde than other resin systems. In order to achieve the E1 standard for formaldehyde emissions manufacturers who utilize UF resins must add chemicals that bind the formaldehyde in the HDF; and ensure that their manufacturing process are carefully controlled. Alternative resin systems that may emit less formaldehyde are available, but are more expensive. Our laminate manufacturers achieve the E1 standard for formaldehyde emissions by using resin systems that contain ‘No Added Urea Formaldehyde’ (NAUF). So, it costs a little more to make laminate floors that qualify as E1. Obviously, this is a worthwhile expenditure. Engineered hardwood floors are commonly manufactured using a phenol-formaldehyde resin system. This particular technology emits far less free formaldehyde than the urea system. As such, engineered flooring producers usually have no trouble passing the E1 certification without any extraordinary measures.
What is a VOC?
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are organic chemicals that become gasses very easily at room temperature. Formaldehyde is one type of VOC, but there are many others. Limiting emissions of total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs), as well as excessive emissions of any one type of VOC, is generally considered to be important to maintaining good indoor air quality. VOCs are an important issue in the finishing industry. Major manufacturers in that sector have spent quite a bit of time researching how to minimize the effects of chemicals off-gassing, while finishes are applied. The finishes applied to our solid and engineered hardwoods rely on a special technology that uses UV light to cure the coating, after it is applied. UV light transforms the liquid coating to a solid polyurethane surface almost instantly. This particular process ensures that, in your home or building, no VOCs are emitted by our topcoat. UV finishing processes are also very good at minimizing VOCs emitted during the factory application process.
In 2000, the European Panel Industry set forward a series of standards regulating the amount of free formaldehyde an HDF, MDF or plywood panel can off-gas. In order to qualify for the standard, manufactures must submit samples of the panels they produce to independent laboratories. These laboratories put the panel samples in a chamber and measure the amount formaldehyde emitted into the air in parts per million (ppm). Depending on the amount of formaldehyde measured panels may be classified as E0, E1, or E2. E0 is the classification with the lowest level of formaldehyde, E2 the highest. Mills that submit samples that exceed the standard for E2 are not classified. In order to label a product in accordance with the European regulations the manufacturer must submit panels for regular independent testing to an accredited laboratory. After testing the lab will issue the manufacturer with a certification. The California Air Resource Board (CARB) has also developed a set of standards for Formaldehyde emissions. The program is similar to the European program. Manufacturers must submit panel samples to independent laboratories, those labs measure formaldehyde emissions and issue certifications. Flooring products must achieve CARB certification to be legal for sale in California; but adoption of this standard is very widespread throughout the United States. Like the European program, a product cannot be called CARB compliant if it has not been independently tested and certified as such. The current CARB phase 2 standard for allowable emissions from MDF is .11 ppm. The E1 standard for the same product is .10 ppm. The test methodology differs for the two standards; but both standards regulate formaldehyde to levels that are low and safe. FloorScore is a voluntary standard for indoor air quality developed by the Resilient Floor Coverings Institute and an environmental auditing organization called SCS. In order to qualify as FloorScore certified, manufacturers must control emissions of VOCs and TVOCs at every step of the manufacturing chain. SCS verifies the manufacturer’s claims and issues certifications qualifying companies.
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What to Do About Chipped or Broken Tiles in the Bathroom?
When your bathroom floor has chipped or cracked tiles, it’s wise to take some kind of action.
It may signal something bigger than a simple cosmetic issue.
The good news is that it’s usually possible to replace individual tiles.
It depends on the type of tile, size of the tile and how it’s set.
The most difficult type of tile to chisel out is porcelain tile, because it’s extremely tough and durable, and very difficult to break apart.
Marble, contrary to popular belief, is probably one of the easiest types to break out, because it chips very easily.”
Generally, the larger the tile, the easier it will be to replace, small mosaic-style tiles tend to be the most challenging.
Another variable is the strength of the adhesive used to install the floor, which could be a rubber-based glue or cement-based thinset.
To try removing the tile, start by scoring the grout around it with a utility knife. Then use a chisel to chip the tile at one corner. Finally, take a small chisel or screwdriver and try to pry the tile out of place.
It has to be done carefully and patiently. Otherwise you risk damaging the adjacent tiles, and the problem just continues to grow.
If you’re successful at removing the tile, make sure the subfloor is smooth (you can use the chisel to remove old thinset), then install a replacement tile with new adhesive.
To finish, regrout the whole floor, because new grout typically looks different than existing grout.
If the damaged tile resists clean removal, or you end up damaging other tiles, it may be time for a larger repair.
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