Flooring That Will Make Your Day!
Hardwood & Laminate Wood
The Look: Wood has become extremely popular as homeowners are increasingly drawn to natural materials. It’s also becoming more widely used in kitchens.
The Strength: Hardwoods are a practical choice for durability as manufacturers are using aluminum oxides to create harder finishes. The key to a wood’s durability is its thickness and its polyurethane finish. The typical ¾ – inch-thick flooring contains three to seven layers of wood and the top should be at least 1/8- inch. That’s so the floor can be lightly buffed after losing its luster, typically in seven to ten years.
The Feel: Wood is a middle of the road – softer than stone or ceramic tile, harder than vinyl and laminate.
The Clean up: Easy. Grain hides spills and some scuffs.
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Carpet
Color: The selection of carpet color is a very personal choice. You will want to select a color that unites your décor and creates the atmosphere you desire. Lighter colors make the room seem larger; darker colors provide coziness. There are also practical considerations in color selection. New stain and soil resistant technology makes today’s lighter color carpet much easier to clean, allowing more decorating options. Medium and darker colors, tweeds, and textures will help disguise common soil in your home’s high traffic areas.
The Strength: The type of fiber used and the way the carpet is constructed (loop, cut, etc…) determines the basic performance of the carpet. Quality can be enhanced by the way the fibers, or yarns are twisted and heat set, and by the density of the tufts
The Feel:
Textures aka Carpet Construction – how the yarn is “tufted” into backing affects its texture and ultimately, the long-term durability and appearance of the carpet.
Level loop pile with loops of equal height. Generally offers long lasting wear for high traffic areas. Many of today’s popular Berbers are level loop.
Multilevel loop pile with two to three different loop heights to create pattern effects. Provides good durability.
Cut Pile with loops that are cut, leaving individual yarn tufts. Still one of today’s most popular constructions, it’s durability is achieved with factors including the type of fiber, density of tufts, and the amount of twist in the yarn.
- Velvets – Smooth, level surfaces; formal atmosphere.
- Saxonies – Various surface finishes; versatile performance and appearance.
- Textures – Informal atmosphere; suitable for whole house application. Minimizes footprints.
Cut and loop pile: Combination of cut and looped yarns. Provides variety of surfaces textures, including sculptured effects
The Clean Up: There are many kinds of carpet and new carpet stain resistant fibers. It would be best to ask one of our consultants about the best care solution for your style of carpeting.
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Ceramic Flooring
The Look: Natural stone may be the rage, but at about one third the cost, ceramic tile can provide a similar look. Large tiles 18 by 18s and 12 by 12s are more popular than smaller ones. In addition to smooth glazed tiles, there are ones that simulate stone. A variety of grout colors also provide different looks.
The Strength: In kitchens and baths, ceramic is more practical than stone because advances in fired-on finishes have made ceramic impenetrable. While chipping does occur, the grout makes tile more forgiving of wear and tear than stone.
The Feel: A hard surface
The Clean up: Damp mopping is best. (Make sure Grout is sealed to prevent stains.)
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Vinyl & Tile
The Strength: All vinyl is extremely durable, but one advantage of vinyl tile is that if damage occurs, you need only replace a square or two, as opposed to removing a section of sheet vinyl.
The Clean up: It’s among the easiest to clean, though manufacturers sell their own products for maintaining the surface.
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