Month: August 2022

One of the most popular flooring materials in the world is hardwood. Hardwood consistently tops the lists of what buyers want when they’re shopping for a new home as well as what people want installed when designing their dream homes.

Yet hardwood doesn’t always make sense for your lifestyle. Luckily, other choices offer you the classic good looks of hardwood, yet provide additional benefits that may be more conducive to your lifestyle.

Laminate and luxury vinyl are increasingly popular choices in home remodels. Which one is right for you?

Laminate and luxury vinyl – what are they?   

Depending on your age, when you think of laminate flooring, the concept of Pergo flooring may come to mind. Pergo was the entry into the laminate market, being introduced to the US in the 1990s. Today, many manufacturers sell laminate flooring, and it’s vastly changed since the original days of Pergo flooring.

Laminate flooring features planks constructed from four layers:

• A vinyl backing
• A core made from medium density fiberboard (MDF) or high-density fiberboard (HDF)
• A design layer created from a realistic photograph of hardwood
• A durable, transparent top layer that acts as a protector

The core layer is created with a tongue and groove feature that allows installers to snap the boards into place during installation. This allows the planks to float on top of the existing subfloor or other flooring material.

Vinyl flooring has changed vastly over the years. What once came only in sheet or tile format is now available as luxury vinyl planks (LVP.) Like laminate, LVP is constructed in layers:

• A backing layer
• A core center
• A design layer
• A protective coating

Early core layers were made exclusively from vinyl. More modern versions are created from several different materials, including a wood polymer composite (WPC) and stone polymer composite (SPC.) Both offer resilience, rigidity, and enhance moisture resistance.

Luxury vinyl planks can be glued in place to the subfloor. It also offers the popular tongue and groove system that allows the planks to click and lock together, floating into place above the subfloor.

Laminate or luxury vinyl – what’s the difference?   

Reading through the descriptions of what laminate and luxury vinyl planks are can leave anyone a little confused. They seem to be more alike than they are different. That’s true, but there are distinct differences that make them two very separate products.

They are made from different materials. At the core of laminate flooring is a layer made from either moderate or high density fiberboard that gives it its rigidity and strength. Luxury vinyl is also created in layers. At its core is a PVC vinyl layer that makes them even more rigid. This is why you’ll find some LVP products on the market today stating they are waterproof.

They install differently. Laminate flooring only comes as a floating-floor product. You’ll never nail or glue laminate into place. LVP products come in a variety of products that can be installed in different ways. Whether you prefer glue-down, peel and stick, or click and lock, there’s a luxury vinyl product designed to suit your needs.

They feel different. If you want a product that closely resembles traditional hardwood, you’ll lean towards installing laminate. With its wood core, it feels more like traditional hardwood planks. Because of how it’s created, LVP has a smooth surface area which tends to make it look a bit more artificial.

Even though there are several differences you should weigh out before making your final selection, it is important to note that both are excellent choices when you want the look of hardwood, yet traditional hardwood won’t stand up to what your family can dish out. Both laminate and luxury vinyl are:

Easy to install – whatever method you choose, you’ll be happy with how soon it can be put into place. With a little experience behind you, you can easily turn a laminate or luxury vinyl into a do-it-yourself project.

Realistic looks – traditional hardwood doesn’t work in all rooms. That’s why both laminate and luxury vinyl planks were developed. And both provide a realistic interpretation of having a traditional hardwood floor installed.

Low cost – you can find a high quality laminate of luxury vinyl plank for a reasonable price. If you’re sticking to a budget, either can be a welcome addition to your home.

Low maintenance – you’ll only need occasional sweeping and vacuuming to keep both of these flooring choices looking their best.

Lifespans – with care and maintenance, you can easily have either laminate or luxury vinyl in your home for 10 to 20 years or longer.

When is laminate a better choice?

If you’re looking for the look and feel of hardwood without investing in traditional hardwood, laminate is the best way to go. It’s a great way of bringing the look of traditional hardwood into your home without breaking the bank.

Laminate works well in living rooms, family rooms, bedrooms, media rooms, and other parts of the home that stay relatively dry. It has a slight advantage over luxury vinyl if you are looking for a more eco-friendly flooring choice, as top brands work with recycled materials for the inner core.

If you’re looking for a quieter product, today’s laminate isn’t Pergo. With the proper underlayment, you’ll find laminate can be more comfortable and quieter than vinyl, making it an ideal choice for your living areas.

When is luxury vinyl a better choice?

Luxury vinyl is known for its durability. If you want the look of hardwood in places hardwood typically can’t go, luxury vinyl planks are your choice. Install them in bathrooms, laundry rooms, and mudrooms – you’ll love the results.

That also makes luxury vinyl the better choice in busy households. If you have kids, pets, or just love to get messy in the kitchen, luxury vinyl will stand up to all you can dish out.

While laminate and vinyl can both be installed by do-it-yourselfers, luxury vinyl can be easily cut with a knife, while laminate will need a saw for proper cutting. If you want to save even more money by laying your floor yourself, luxury vinyl might be the best way to go.

And if you’re looking for a specific color or pattern, you may have an easier time finding it with luxury vinyl. Due to its popularity, manufacturers are releasing luxury vinyl planks in abundance. Bring in your design ideas, and you’re sure to find the perfect color you’re looking for.

The post Laminate or Luxury Vinyl – What’s The Difference? first appeared on PRO! Flooring.

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

Commercial carpet. Even saying it brings ideas to mind.

Commercial carpet can be durable. After all, it’s placed in high-traffic situations, and has to stand up to a lot of wear and tear.

Commercial carpet is functional. It can be easy to change out small sections due to spills.

Commercial carpet can be economical. If it lasts in a commercial application for years, just imagine how long it will last in your home.

But is it right for you?

Should you consider commercial carpet for your home remodeling project? Is it something homeowners do?

Whatever preconceived ideas you have about commercial carpet, it may be worth a second look for certain rooms in your home.

The differences between commercial and residential carpet

In the flooring industry, carpet comes in two general grades: residential and commercial. The differences are many:

Color and texture – you’ll find more color options in residential carpet because that’s where homeowners let their personalities run wild. Commercial applications tend to be more subdued, able to blend in with a design palette any business owner will like. Office settings tend to have darker colors with more patterns to show less wear and tear, and to hide dirt from the surface.

Durability – while residential carpet only has to stand up to what your family can dish out, commercial carpet may experience hundreds, even thousands of visitors daily. Typically, commercial carpet can last up to 15 years, depending on a few factors. Most often, commercial carpet uses nylon fibers which are easy to clean and long-lasting. Commercial carpet is also denser with a lower pile, which keeps it intact for more activity. Commercial carpet uses extra padding to ensure a long life.

Comfort – because commercial carpet is more durable, comfort isn’t a top priority. You’ll never find the thick, plush carpet you’ll have with residential designs. Commercial carpet is built for walking on, not playing on. It focuses much more on sustainability rather than comfort. However, there are many commercial applications that are designed to create the illusion of intimate spaces. These can be great additions for certain rooms in your home.

Maintenance – residential carpet can be effectively cleaned with periodic vacuuming. Commercial carpet often undergoes professional cleaning regularly. It withstands more vacuuming (sometimes daily,) and is subjected to steaming and cleaning to maintain its looks. Commercial carpet is designed to mask dirt, which can make a great addition to certain rooms where spills might be a problem – media rooms.

Types of commercial carpet

With residential carpet, you may be used to installers bringing in a carpet roll and rolling it into place. While that’s possible with commercial carpet, there are other choices.

Carpet tiles – commercial carpet tiles give people the flexibility of installing carpet in a quick and easy solution. It allows you to create intricate patterns with different colors and patterns. Stick with the same tile, turn it, and create varying textures. Select several different colors and create a checkerboard variation. People love carpet tiles because they allow you to peel up tiles whenever they are stained or damaged. Replace it with a new one, and you’ll prolong the life of your flooring.

Carpet planks – square tile shaped isn’t your only choice. You’ll also find carpet in plank format, giving you a different shape to play with in your final design. It’s a perfect way to create herringbone patterns, and allows you to play with both color and texture.

Carpet rolls – the most traditional carpet comes in roll format, where you roll it into place. It’s less expensive than tiles and planks since it’s easier to install. It’s a great choice for someone who wants flooring installed quickly and economically.

Pros and cons of using commercial carpet in your home

If you’ve read this far and are still considering commercial carpet for one or more rooms in your home, here are a few pros and cons that can help you determine if it’s the right choice for you.

Pros include:

Durability – it’s the most popular reason homeowners move to commercial-grade carpet. They have a room in their homes where they want increased durability. Commercial carpet will ensure you have flooring that can handle heavy traffic, and will stand up to all your family can dish out.

Economical – commercial-grade carpet allows you to get more mileage from your flooring. Commercial carpet can last 10 to 15 years, even longer in home settings, and continue to give you classic good looks for the carpet’s life.

Maintenance – because commercial carpet is low-pile, it continues to look new without the wear marks or crushed fibers wearing thin. They offer stain resistance to make clean-up an easy process.

Installation – while you may still opt for professional installation if you select large format carpet, tiles and planks are self-adhesive and easy to install. Do-it-yourself has never been so easy. And it makes repair work a snap – just peel up the old one and press the new into place.

Cons include:

Lower comfort – commercial carpet is designed for high traffic situations. It’s constructed to focus on wearability, not comfort. Commercial carpet isn’t for you if you frequently lay on the floor to play with the kids, or expect to run your toes through the fibers.

Style – if you have specific colors or patterns in mind, you might be held back by the lack of options. Commercial carpet is designed with businesses in mind, and doesn’t have the flexibility in style like residential carpet offers.

Is commercial carpet in your home the right solution for you? 

With so many options available to you today, the toughest decision may come from having to make a choice.

Commercial carpet may be the perfect choice for high traffic areas where you want something softer than tile or hardwood. Media rooms, home theaters, wine cellars, or even a downstairs living space may be the perfect place for commercial carpet.

When you’re ready to compare options and select the right carpet to suit your needs, stop by and see our entire selection.

We’ll help you fall in love with the commercial carpet of your dreams.

The post Can You Use Commercial Carpet In Your Home? first appeared on PRO! Flooring.

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

Hardwood flooring can transform the appearance of your home, raise your property value, and help your space feel more “you.” When you are shopping for hardwood flooring, you will come across solid and engineered options. To learn which is the right choice for you, keep reading.

Solid hardwood flooring is hardwood flooring made from one solid piece of hardwood. On the other hand, engineered hardwood flooring is hardwood flooring made with several layers of wood. The top-most layer is made from high-quality wood and provides a structurally stable floor.

Solid hardwood flooring is the most long-lasting option of the two. This is because the wood is so thick that it can be sanded and finished several times without wearing it completely down. Because of this, solid hardwood allows for more customization for future home makeovers.

Meanwhile, engineered hardwood floors are more flexible and durable in certain conditions. If you live in an area where the climate changes throughout the year, you may lean towards engineered hardwood because it expands and contracts less than solid hardwood. There will be less seasonal gapping with this flooring option.

When deciding which type of flooring option is more ideal for you, you want to consider your unique circumstance. If you live in a consistent, non-humid climate, solid hardwood may be more suitable for you. However, if you live in a humid climate where the weather changes throughout the year, engineered hardwood is more appropriate for you. The subfloor, or the type of flooring that is below your hardwood, can also affect which selection is more suitable for you.

Additionally, consider if you plan to change the appearance of your floor over time. While engineered hardwood flooring is available in a wider range of customizable options, solid hardwood flooring is easier to change after installation.

Consider all of this information as you shop for hardwood flooring with Flooring.org. You can browse our flooring options on our website and email us at [email protected] with any questions. We are also available by phone at 1-800-689-9006, and we look forward to helping you update the flooring in your space!

This post appeared first on http://www.flooring.org

Guest post by Teri Silver, Featured Image source.

Deciding which home services you can do yourself and when to hire a professional will save you a lot of grief (and some money) in the long run. Make a list of the improvements, maintenance, and upgrades your home needs and whether you can realistically DIY any of them.

When to Hire a Professional

The rule of thumb is measure twice, cut once, then call in a professional. When it comes to dangerous tasks, you may want to skip the first two steps.

Electrical Needs

Circuitry is technical, confusing, and potentially dangerous work if you don’t know what you’re doing. High and low-voltage systems are nothing to fool with, especially in older homes. Before signing a contract for electrical services, get cost estimates in writing. The actual costs may be higher or lower, depending on the “official” diagnosis.

Write down the specific problems before calling the technician. You can sometimes lower the cost by making things easy on your service professional.

• Provide easy access to the electrical panel box
• Be ready to pay the bill at the time of service
• Get the final bill in writing.

Heating and Air Conditioning

Unless you have professional training and certification, heating and air conditioning are not something to DIY. Sure, it’s OK to change a filter in your system, but furnace flue pipes that transfer toxic gases may become corroded and leak. Combustion chambers can shut down.

If you don’t know what you’re doing, the cost of fixing your mistakes can be much higher than if you hired someone in the first place.

Central air conditioning systems are made up of coils, fins, filters, and other components that can drive a novice crazy. Maintaining window air conditioners is easier for DIYers, but it’s best to hire an HVAC company that will: 

• Clean and tighten terminals and connections
• Add refrigerant
• Inspect for leakage and dried seal ducts
• Measure airflow
• Adjust the thermostat
• Grease up motors
• Replace cracked belts.

It may seem strange to fuss with the AC during a cold and snowy Colorado winter. Calling a technician sooner than later — when they’re not so busy — can save you money and have your system ready for the summer.  

Plumbing

Changing a toilet seat or tweaking the flusher is easy, but messing with heavy clogs, broken pipes, sewer odor, water leaks, and the lack of hot water is a job for a professional. Frozen pipes can lead to serious damage. Be ready to hire a plumber when you hear loud noises in the pipes.  

Gutters and Roofing

Is your life insurance policy paid up? Because climbing a ladder to clean out the gutters is a safety risk. Consider purchasing a protective system to keep fallen leaves and debris out of gutter lanes. If that’s not in the cards, hire a handyman (who’s  bonded and insured) to do the job.     

Roof surfaces are angled; even the slightest tasks are dangerous. Roofing inspectors will check on and repair loose rubber, damaged flashing, shingles, and missing mortar.

Do It Yourself?

Inside Cleaning

Deep indoor cleaning is something most people can do themselves. Washing windows, scrubbing bathrooms, and polishing appliances is something you can accomplish in an afternoon.

But when it comes to getting your home ready to sell, having the carpet or hard floor surfaces professionally cleaned lets your buyers see themselves in a more pristine environment. Besides, it’s easier than renting one of those heavy machines you don’t know how to use. Those machines often leave a film on your carpet that attracts more dirt.   

Lawn care

Hiring a company to treat your sod for weeds is cost-effective, especially if you have more than an acre of grass to cover. And lawn care mistakes like applying too much fertilizer can be expensive to fix. 

You can save more than a few bucks by weeding flower beds, pruning bushes, and mowing your lawn before bringing in a pro to take care of the edging, aerating, and fertilizing.

Doing small household chores yourself (or getting your kids motivated to earn a few bucks) is a way to save money. But sometimes, it’s better — and safer — to let the pros handle the big stuff. 

Teri Silver is a journalist and outdoor enthusiast who spends her weekends mowing her 5-acre lawn. She’s an avid do-it-yourselfer who refurbishes anything she can get her hands on. 

The post Home Services: Which to Spend Money on, Which to Add to Your DIY List appeared first on A Personal Touch.