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Engineered flooring looks a lot like a solid hardwood floor, but something is different below the surface. Made up of three to seven cross stacked layers of wood that are glued and laminated together under high pressure, this flooring material doesn’t react to humidity the way traditional hardwood does. Engineered hardwood floors work in almost every room in the home, including kitchens and basements that don’t get much moisture.

You can get engineered flooring in either strips or planks, as well as in the form of parquet flooring – tiles in a beautiful geometric design. Most engineered floors are designed with tongue and grove for fast and easy installation. The is look is almost identical to solid hardwood, and the price is about the same too. However, engineered flooring works better in installations over concrete slabs, in basements, and in other places where it’s hard to install a traditional hardwood floor. Need to install your floor in an area with high humidity, but one that’s not wet? Engineered hardwood is the best choice here, too.

Some types of engineered hardwood flooring are more sustainable than traditional wood, as well. There are all kinds of floors, from those made from hardwoods around a core of hardwood, to hardwood around fiberboard, to hardwood wrapped around a high density board made from wheat waste material. Quality is determined by the thickness of the board and the thickness of the veneer. This is important, since thicker hardwood veneer means a greater ability to refinish the floor. Generally, this veneer is three eighths of an inch to five eighths of an inch thick.

The type and thickness of the finish used over the veneer can also tell you whether or not the engineered hardwood floor you’re thinking about purchasing will be high in quality. Remember that you should always buy a few extra boards in case on needs to be replaced, and look for finishes that include UV cured polyurethane and aluminum oxide. This kind of finish is very durable, and guaranteed for twenty five years of longer in most cases. Prefinished floors are less messy and much easier to install.

Like regular hardwood, engineered flooring can reduce the dust and allergens in your home, enhancing the quality of your indoor air. It is true that they add value to your home but not as much as a solid hardwood floor. However, they’re easier to install, can be put in almost every room, and are incredibly simple to maintain. If you love hardwood floors, take some time to talk to the professionals at http://professionalhardwood.com.com so you can make the choice that works best for your home.

Learn all about Engineered Flooring and get your FREE Buying Resource Guide at Professional Hardwood.com. Visit us at http://professionalhardwood.com.

Dog days are here the days when the heat closes in, when dogs and gardeners are supposed to be especially likely to go mad.

And reasons aplenty! Conditions are as near perfect as at any time during the year for the spreading of fungus diseases. Black spot, mildew, rust, brown patch, dollar spot and the various and sundry wilts all propagate and spread like a prairie fire unless the gardener is alert to their presence and acts quickly to combat them. Fortunately this danger period is relatively short. Many fungicides are readily available, easy and economical to use, Captan is favored by many gardeners Certain sucking insects, prey on shrubs at this time, namely spider mites (red spiders) and lace wing bugs. Both of these can be controlled by spraying with malathion.

Annuals and Perennials

Every gardener knows that keeping old faded blooms removed will stimulate more bloom. With petunias, alyssum, verbenas and snapdragons a severe pinching back will result in a very rewarding, new crop of flowers for the late garden. Short day annuals like zinnias, tithonias and marigolds can be planted from seed now to give satisfactory returns as late summer flowers.

Start seeds of pansy and English daisy in protected areas now for transplanting later. Lemon yellow and orange calendulas are also both good in most parts of the South, especially if given a little winter protection. Have you ever tried beds of pansies in solid colors? For a new thrill with pansies try all white, yellow or blue in double rows as borders in large pansy beds. The massed effect is very stimulating. Try to get pansies planted in permanent locations by October, They can be depended on for much winter color,

Start seeds now of biennials and perennials for next years crop. Protect them from hot dry winds and direct sunshine. Delphinium seeds germinate better at about 60 degrees.

Three old dependable perennials, iris, daylily and peony, need attention now. Do not be over-anxious to divide mature clumps unless there is a definite slow down in quantity and quality of blooming like the night blooming cereus. August is the accepted time for blooming cereus and dividing mature clumps. In dividing, remove all old foliage that will wither away, and plant only the healthiest divisions. Irises should be planted with so little soil over them that when the soil settles the rhizomes will he slightly exposed. Be on the alert for evidence of rot.

Daylily tubers should be well set with the growing point covered. With peonies the growing points should be covered with about an inch of soil. One teacup of Superphosphate dug around each mature clump of peonies will stimulate bud formation for another year. This month give the chrysanthemums the final pinch if they are being grown for pompons, but continue pinching if they are standards. Allow buds to set by early September and feeding with liquid fertilizer until color shows in the bud.

For your information there is much more on the topic of night blooming cereus. Drop by today at http://www.plant-care.com/night-blooming-cereus-perfect-low-humidity-little-space-houseplant.html.