{Re}habitat

Bamboo flooring is an attractive floor material manufactured from the bamboo plant.  The majority of the flooring material used is from the "moso" species harvested from natural and plantation groves in China and other areas of Asia.

Cork is one of the more beautiful and comfortable floor materials available.  Cork is harvested from the bark of the cork oak tree typically found in the Mediterranean countries of Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco.

In architectural terms, the wall base is a band of material covering the lowest part of a wall.  Its purpose is to cover the joint between the vertical wall surface and the horizontal floor surface.  The base also protects a wall from the abuse of vacuum and other cleaning machines, as well as from the damage caused by foot traffic and furniture.

Resinous flooring consists of a combination of chemicals in a solution used as a floor treatment.  This combination of chemicals, which are mixed together just before application to the surface of the floor, will create a stronger and more durable finished floor surface.

Carpeting is a decorative sheet or tile floor covering that is both practical and versatile.  Used in both residential and commercial buildings, carpeting accounts for more than half of all floor covering installed each year.  Carpeting was originally known as "rugs," which were commonly used on walls and tables.  They were not typically used as a floor covering until the 18th century.  The word carpet can be traced to the Armenian “karpet,” “kar” meaning to knot or stitch.  Early hand tied and knotted rugs were spun from plant fibers and the sheared wool or hair of sheep and goats.  Weaving of carpets started prior to the 1600's and flourished through the 1700's.  Carpet manufacturing today mixes old methods and new innovation, providing a low cost floor covering with significant design flexibility and relatively low maintenance, which also insulates for sound and temperature.

This topic includes information related to wall coverings applied during construction.  Wall coverings are an element of interior design used to cover and decorate an interior wall surface.  Common types of wall coverings include: vinyl coated fabrics, cork, wallpaper, and textile wall coverings.  Each type of wall covering is a manufactured product available in a variety of sizes, colors and textures.

This topic includes information related to stone facing installed during construction.  Stone facing is natural stone which as been fabricated to specific dimensions in a variety of shapes.  Dimensional stone facing can be applied directly to a substrate as an interior finish of horizontal, vertical and overhead surfaces.

This topic includes information related to acoustic insulation installed during construction.  Acoustic insulation reduces the transmission of sound waves.  Available in board, blanket and sprayed materials, acoustic insulation is installed walls and ceilings.  Sound Transmission Class (STC) ratings define how effective a specific material is at insulating acoustics within a structure.