Month: November 2021

A basement can add much-needed space to your everyday living. Yet it can also be one of the most difficult areas to design.

Many basements across the Front Range are behind closed doors. Descend down the stairs, and you’re often transported to a different world. It doesn’t look like the rest of your home. The decor is off. It’s a little colder down there – which isn’t a good thing in the dead of winter.

But what can you do? Where do you start?

One of the best places to begin is with the flooring. Basement flooring options don’t have to be dull and drab. Install the right basement flooring, and you’ll fall in love with the space, look forward to walking downstairs, and enjoy the space with your family and friends.

Basement flooring can pose a problem. Not any floor will do, especially if your basement is prone to moisture. That means selecting the best floor is not just for aesthetics, but for preventing future health problems too.

What flooring options should you consider for your basement remodel?

Luxury vinyl – it tops our list

When someone visits our showroom floor and asks about basement flooring options, we immediately start talking about the benefits of luxury vinyl. If your first thought was “vinyl, really?” you’re not alone.

Today’s vinyl has the ability to look identical to other flooring options you know and love. Want hardwood? Luxury vinyl can mimic that. Want stone? Luxury vinyl can give you that look too.

Yet luxury vinyl gives you something many other flooring options can’t: the ability to be highly functional below ground level, and offer a waterproof flooring option you’ll love. Yes, waterproof. For many homeowners who have experienced occasional problems in their basement, the thought of waterproof flooring is all it takes for them to give luxury vinyl a second look.

What makes luxury vinyl different from the sheet vinyl you may be used to from years past is how it looks. Luxury vinyl planks (LVP) and luxury vinyl tile (LVT) take on the look of the most popular flooring on the market – hardwood planks and stone tile – yet gives you the benefits they don’t. Luxury vinyl is:

• Waterproof – up to 100 percent depending on the style and manufacturer you select
• Durable – it can stand up to just about anything your family dishes out
• Easy maintenance – it continues to look good with occasional sweeping and mopping
• Styles – whether you want the look of hardwood, stone, or a more traditional pattern, you’ll find it with vinyl
• DIY – click and lock technology makes it easy for anyone to install
• Affordable – because of its popularity, this is one of the most affordable options you can install in your remodel

We could go on and on with the benefits of this flooring material, but the best way to experience it is to come and have a look for yourself. Luxury vinyl planks come in a variety of widths and sizes. Whether you want a light whitewash or the darkest walnut, you’ll find any color combination you’ve anticipated installing into your final design. Luxury vinyl tile gives you an easy way to have the most luxurious stone, without the hassle of adhesives, dry times, and grouting. From marble, granite, or limestone, it’s an easy way to get the look you’ve been dreaming about.

Creating warmth with tile

While luxury vinyl continues to be one of the most popular choices for a basement remodel, if you’re looking for the “real thing,” we suggest taking a closer look at tile.

Tile comes in a variety of styles, shapes, sizes, and materials. Porcelain tile can create just about any look you desire. Want natural stone? Its elegance can build luxury into your basement decor. Have a specific pattern in mind? Ceramic tile takes on just about any color, pattern, shape, and size you can imagine. Whether you have your own design ideas in mind, or have something pinned to your Pinterest board, you’ll love what you can do with tile.

Plus, it installed correctly, it’s a great choice for below-grade living spaces. Its moisture resistance can stand up to whatever happens on your property. In some cases, it can offer waterproof protection.

But what also attracts homeowners is the option for a more efficient way of heating their basement spaces. Radiant heating systems allow you to maximize the potential of turning often unused space into cozy living areas. You won’t have to worry about what your HVAC system can produce.

Porcelain, ceramic, and natural stone are all great thermal conductors. They don’t expand and contract based on hot or cold situations, meaning they hold up well when installed over radiant heating systems. Where tile was once thought to be exclusively for warmer environments, it’s now growing in popularity because of the warmth it can bring to your home.

Carpet is still a great choice

If you’re not sold on hard flooring options, want something warm and economical, carpet is still one of the best choices you can make for your basement living spaces. While it doesn’t have the waterproof, mold and mildew-proof qualities of vinyl, it is a warm option that can give you the cozy feel you may desire.

Carpeting is often a great choice for main living spaces, bedrooms, and staircases. It’s soft to the touch, safer at preventing falls, and provides cushion for walking, sitting, and laying on.

Carpet also offers the perfect look and feel for those that wish to adhere to a budget. No matter what your budget is, you’ll find the perfect color, pattern, and texture to suit your needs.

It can also help you create a quieter space. If your basement brings additional family space, a game room perhaps, or even a media room, carpet can help settle noise and keep it inside the space.

What’s your choice for basement flooring options?

There isn’t a wrong choice when it comes to designing the basement of your dreams. Whatever flooring you desire will ultimately be the one that gives you the most satisfaction when you’re using the space.

Stop by today. We’re happy to show you our wide selection, and help you make the right choice to suit your needs. 

The post Basement Flooring Options Are The Most Difficult To Find first appeared on PRO! Flooring.

This post appeared first on https://pro-flooring.com

What’s the cheapest flooring option available? You’d be surprised at how many times that question is asked.

There are a lot of reasons people want affordable flooring. They are:

• Adding flooring to a rental property
• Fixing and flipping a home
• Living on a budget
• Looking for quick fixes for a problem room
• Wanting to change out decor frequently

Of course, the reasons are endless – sometimes as homeowners, we just don’t want to break the bank by putting in new floors.

Still, if you’ve ever asked yourself that question, you might avoid looking for the answer, worried about the quality of flooring you might get. Thanks to technological advances, there are many inexpensive flooring options available to suit your needs.

Want a do-it-yourself option to save even more money? We can help with that.

Want something that’s as easy to take out as it is to lay into place? We can help with that too.

Whether you’re looking for a DIY project for a bathroom project, or are redecorating a basement on a budget, there are many commonly used flooring materials that are going to give you long-lasting results with a budget-friendly price tag. Here are our favorite “cheap” flooring options.

Vinyl 

By far, vinyl brings the most to the table when looking for affordable options.

Vinyl flooring comes in sheets, tiles, and planks. It’s primarily made from PVC, which helps provide a durable, water-resistant flooring material that works just about any place inside your home. Want waterproof? With today’s technology, that’s available too.

Vinyl is easy to care for, easy to clean, and can stand up to anything your family can dish out. It provides a softer surface than other flooring options, making it a good choice if you’ll be standing for extended periods of time. While it’s one of the most affordable flooring options, it can also provide you with 25 years or more of life, depending on how well you care for it.

Sheet vinyl is one of the easiest to lay into place. You’ll typically find sheet vinyl in 6-foot and 12-foot widths. It can be difficult to handle as you bring it into your home, so it’s recommended you leave installation up to the professionals.

If you want a do-it-yourself option, consider vinyl tile. It gives you the same look and feel you’ll achieve with sheet vinyl in convenient smaller format tiles. Some provide stick-in-place technology, meaning you can have your room finished in just a few hours. No prior experience needed. It’s an easy project for homeowners to take on themselves.

Want to upgrade the look of your space? Consider luxury vinyl planks. It gives you the look of real hardwood or stone without the expensive price tag. Unlike sheet vinyl, luxury vinyl planks come in workable sizes similar to hardwood planks. Many come in peel-and-stick or click-and-lock systems, making installation fairly easy for those looking to do the work themselves.

No matter your budget, you’ll find one of these vinyl products perfect for home improvement projects.

Laminate

For some homeowners, only hardwood will do. They love the look and feel of traditional hardwood, yet the price tag can quickly scare them off. If you’ve been putting off your home improvement project because you think you can’t afford your dream flooring, take a look at laminate.

Laminate mimics the look of traditional hardwood, yet gives you a more affordable flooring option you’ll love. Laminate is created from a composite of materials, and uses a highly refined photographic image of hardwood embossed on its surface. It is finished with a protective top layer that creates the perfect structure for your busy lifestyle.

Laminate is installed as a floating floor, which means the planks click together and lock in place. Without having to be glued down, they are easier to install. If you want a do-it-yourself project, laminate offers user-friendly installation. Floating floors also offer the benefit of being able to be installed over some existing floors. Trying to hide old vinyl? Laminate may be your new flooring of choice.

Carpet

Carpet continues to be one of the best flooring investments you can make. If you’re focused on budget, carpet may very well be a great option.

Like vinyl, carpet offers you a variety of different options. Have one of our professionals install wall-to-wall carpet, or select a do-it-yourself option with carpet tiles. Depending on which you choose, with regular maintenance, you can easily expect ten years or more of wear.

People love carpet because of the warmth it adds to a space. Walk across it, and you’ll feel the warmth between your toes. Carpet also adds noise-canceling qualities. Carpet is a great addition to an upper floor living space where echoing below may present a problem.

Carpet brings added safety too. Install carpet on stairs to create a safer walking environment. If you have elderly at home, carpet can also cushion in the event of falls.

Carpet does not work well in areas where moisture is an ongoing problem. Avoid putting it in places like bathrooms or laundry spaces. It can be a problem with prolonged moisture, which can eventually lead to mold.

Tile

Ceramic tile is available in an almost unlimited color, pattern, size, and style range. If you can dream it, you can complete your floor design with ceramic tile.

It has the added benefit of being at the lower end of flooring material costs. Look for manufactured tile that’s rated at least a three on the Porcelain Enamel Institute (PCI) scale. Too thin and it will be brittle, and won’t stand the test of time when you use it as flooring material.

You’ll also have to take into account labor costs. Tile needs adhesive and grout to be laid into place. That means your cost will increase for installation. But when well cared for, tile can last for decades. That makes it a great choice for places you might not want to frequently remodel, like bathrooms or laundry rooms.

What’s your flooring of choice? 

Just because you start searching for cheap flooring options, doesn’t mean you have to compromise on quality. Find an affordable flooring material that suits your needs, one you’ll love now and for years into the future.

The post Want Cheap Flooring? We Suggest These first appeared on PRO! Flooring.

This post appeared first on https://pro-flooring.com

If the time has come for you to order a new wooden floor, you will need to know how much flooring to purchase. Below we have outlined some top tips and advice on how to measure your room for flooring. Read More

You bought the new-to-you home for its quirkiness and charm. The flooring … that has to go. It’s a nightmare. But the thought of ripping it out leaves you shuddering almost as much as the thought of leaving it in place.

Can you lay vinyl over other flooring options? Or will it shorten its life and make you regret your decision?

Why vinyl flooring

If you’re looking at new flooring, it’s hard to ignore vinyl. Today’s vinyl isn’t what your mother or grandmother installed. Today’s vinyl is a whole lot more.

The global vinyl flooring market is expanding at a rate of 7 percent per year. A lot of that is thanks to the newest segment, luxury vinyl. Luxury vinyl planks and tiles currently make up more than half the total vinyl market share, and are ever-popular because of the looks they create inside a home. Want a waterproof version of your favorite hardwood? Want a softer version of concrete? You’ll find it with luxury vinyl planks and tiles.

Vinyl is the perfect choice for remodeling kitchens, bathrooms, or laundry rooms. Vinyl is both economical and durable. If you have a problem with moisture, vinyl is the go-to choice.

If you’re a do-it-yourselfer, vinyl is also a great choice because of how easy it is to install. Even if you’ve never done it before, you can generally have a small room completed in a day or two.

As with any remodeling project, preparation is everything. If you ensure the base or subfloor you’ll be laying vinyl over meets the criteria laid out by the manufacturer, your vinyl flooring will give you a long life. Checking with the manufacturer’s guidelines is your important first step to ensure a job well done.

If you’re installing vinyl over wood flooring, it’s essential to ensure you have a smooth surface area. If there are excessive gaps between the boards, these must first be filled. If the hardwood is cupped, bowed, or swollen, it may need to be pulled out or have another underlayment laid over the top to ensure your flooring remains stable over time. A professional can look at your floors to help you make the right choice before installation.

If you’re installing vinyl over laminate flooring, the same rules apply as with hardwood. If the laminate is cupped, bowed, or in any way damaged, you might need to fix the area before the vinyl is installed. If your laminate isn’t glued down, and was installed using a click and lock system, you will have better results if you pull it up first. Having a click and lock vinyl plank installed over other click and lock technology may cause trouble in how the product handles over time.

If you’re installing vinyl over tile, it can be installed directly over the ceramic or porcelain tile. If you have cracks, missing tiles, or large gaps or uneven spaces in the flooring, it’s better to fill those in to create a smooth surface. Starting with a smooth underlayment will ensure the quality of the vinyl flooring, and ensure that it continues to look good for the life of the floor.

The most important characteristics for a floor that lasts for years

What makes vinyl flooring a popular home improvement product, especially for do-it-yourselfers, is that you can lay it over existing flooring. Generally, as long as the flooring material underneath is in good shape to act as a subfloor, you won’t have any problems with your new vinyl floors.

Keep in mind that vinyl planks and tile may appear hard, but they are a thin, soft, flexible material. If you have major flaws underneath, they will eventually be reproduced in your vinyl floors. That means cracks, holes, bridge gaps, uneven seams, or other major structural issues in the floor you are laying on top of should be smoothed out before installing your new flooring.

When it comes to laying luxury vinyl over existing flooring, you should ensure the flooring underneath is:

Height

Before you install vinyl flooring over the top of your existing flooring, be sure you won’t have height issues after installation. Measure out transitions between the room you’re installing vinyl in and other spaces around it. Will your new floors be too high for cabinets and vanities? If you have any questions, a professional can help you make the right choice about installations methods, to ensure you have a uniform flooring method throughout your home.

Imperfections

If you’re replacing your current flooring because of imperfections, they can easily show up in your new vinyl flooring if they aren’t dealt with first. They may start to appear over time as more pressure is placed on the vinyl flooring.

Moisture

It’s important to have a dry surface area before you install your new floors. Depending on the vinyl you choose, it can offer you water-resistant or even waterproof features. By laying this new product over water-damaged subfloors, you will lock in the moisture problem underneath. This can allow mildew or mold to fester and grow, with no means of escape.

Seamless

While uneven grout lines or seams between hardwood planks may seem minor to you, they can be exacerbated once your new vinyl flooring is installed. An easy way to solve this is by laying a substrate of large format boards over the top to give you a smooth surface. Installers often use MDF particleboard sheets or 4 by 8 foot plywood sheets to provide a smooth surface and reduce the problems associated with an uneven floor. Don’t lock in problems. If your flooring is suffering from water damage, for example, it’s best to clean the surface area and get rid of the problem before installing the new flooring.

Sturdy

This is your biggest indicator of success. If you are replacing your existing flooring because of unevenness, gaps in the boards, or cracks in the tiles, you’ll only replace one problem for another if you lay your luxury vinyl over the top. Consider removing the flooring if it’s in bad shape and is difficult to repair. Also consider what the subfloor is like underneath your existing flooring. If it isn’t in good condition, is rotted, or cracked, it too could become a problem in the future, reducing the lifespan of your vinyl flooring product.

As a do-it-yourselfer, vinyl can be one of the easiest flooring materials to install inside your home. Without the need to pull out an existing flooring product, you can have your new floors installed in a short period of time.

Is vinyl the right flooring choice for you? Stop by, and we’ll answer all the questions you have about this ever-growing, ever-popular flooring choice.

The post Can You Lay Vinyl Over Other Flooring Options? first appeared on PRO! Flooring.

This post appeared first on https://pro-flooring.com