Month: September 2022

Pets and Hardwood Floors: Commonly Asked Questions

There are two things that people love–turning their house into a home and their four-legged fur babies. A good way to improve the former of these two is shopping around for a hardwood floor. There’s a misconception that pets tend to ruin floors of the wooden variety. While the risk of pets scratching anything is always present, there are things every pet owner should know about the relationship between the two.

How Do Pets Damage Hardwood Floors?

Many people assume that just because dogs and cats have claws, they automatically damage hardwood flooring. While the potential for damage is certainly there, a solution is easily remedied. Another issue that many people assume will occur is that accidents will corrode hardwood floors. As long as they’re properly cleaned up after the fact, pet accidents will have minimal impact on your flooring.

Dog on Hardwood Flooring

Is it Possible to Prevent Pets from Damaging the Hardwood Floor in my House?

Yes, there are ways you can prevent damage to your hardwood floors from your lovely little fur babies. Your local pet store will most likely carry special nail clippers that can keep your pets’ nails trimmed down to keep them from scratching the surface of your hardwood floor. Another way to help prevent any substantial damage is to place rugs and carpeting in high-traffic areas. This will help prevent abrasions from pets and visitors of the human variety.

Is Hardwood Better Than Carpet for Pet Owners?

Yes. While carpeting is certainly less expensive, it also has a tendency to track mites, allergens, and various strains of bacteria. Not only will hardwood floors improve the air quality of your home, but unwanted guests will not be nearly as frequent. Pets have a more substantial track record of attracting mites and fleas, so hardwood is definitely the better option.

Should I Get a Hardwood Floor for My House?

It’s up to you whether or not you feel a hardwood floor is ideal for you. Hardwood might cost more, but it’s more along the lines of an investment than a purchase. Hardwood flooring will add to property values should you ever decide to sell.

Flooring.org

The right floor can not only turn your house into a home, but it can also elevate the style and aesthetic to a whole new level. At Flooring.org, we’re the first and last place you’ll ever need to create the floor you’ve always wanted. Visiting our website at www.flooring.org or giving us a call at 800-689-9006 can get your new floor in the works much sooner than you think.

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

6 Tips on How to Protect Your Carpets During Fall

The end of summer is approaching fast – are you ready for fall? As we start spending more time indoors, it’s important to keep your home furnishings clean and ready to welcome visitors – and that includes your carpets. Here are 6 tips on how to protect your carpets during fall (and throughout the year).

Keep Leaves and Debris Outdoors

With autumn comes Halloween celebrations, beautiful displays of fall foliage… and leaves falling to the ground. They don’t stay on the ground, however; those leaves that don’t get raked up are often stirred up by the Chinook winds that blow through the Rockies. These winds can also whip up other debris, dirt, and germs that can get tracked into your home. 

You can reduce the amount of leaves and other debris that enters your home by sweeping outside around your entrances regularly. That way it won’t pile up and stick to the undersides of your shoes. 

You can also decrease the likelihood of tracking dirt, leaves and debris into your home by using a doormat. Put one at each entrance to your home, and be sure both you and your guests actually use them!

Vacuum at Least Weekly

Vacuuming at least once a week is key to making sure your carpets stay clean – if not done weekly, dirt and debris can end up being ground deep down into carpet fibers, shortening the life of your carpets. Try to vacuum your carpets daily, if at all possible, at least in high-traffic areas. Yes, it’s a pain to vacuum that often, but your carpets will thank you for it!

Speaking of vacuuming, check your vacuum filter and bagless container regularly. Be sure to wipe them down, and if your vacuum uses bags, we recommend changing it every three months, or more often if your carpets and upholstery are especially dirty.

Leave Your Shoes at the Door

We can’t stress this enough – not wearing your outside shoes in the house is the number 1 way to keep your carpets clean! They track in leaves, mud, dirt and germs, so going barefoot or wearing socks or slippers indoors is the way to go. Make sure your guests remove their shoes at the door, as well. Afraid of shoe clutter? Use a shoe rack – it will also serve as a reminder for you, your family, and your guests to take off their shoes.

Rotate Your Furniture

High amounts of foot traffic can wear down carpets. Rearrange your furniture regularly to spare your carpets from the damaging effects of high-traffic areas. You’ll also ensure that your carpeting wears a bit more evenly.

Clean Up Stains Quickly

Colder weather brings hot coffee, pumpkin spice lattes and hot chocolate – stains from these and other food and beverages can be difficult to remove if left to sit too long. Be sure to clean up any spills as quickly as possible by blotting them and treating them. Baking soda can be used on many spills – you can also check out our spot removal tips for more information on how to treat common stains.

Get Your Carpets Professionally Cleaned Annually

Last, but certainly not least, you can protect your carpets during fall and beyond by getting them professionally cleaned at least once a year (more often if they get especially dirty). We provide professional carpet cleaning services throughout the Denver metro area, and our technicians will leave your carpets deep-down clean and fresh. The holidays will be here before you know it – schedule a professional carpet cleaning today, and your carpets will be ready to welcome family and friends to your home!

Remember at A Personal Touch, we don’t cut corners, we clean them!

The post 6 Tips on How to Protect Your Carpets During Fall appeared first on A Personal Touch.

Why Subfloors Matter To Solid Hardwood Floors

One of the most important parts of solid hardwood floors isn’t the planks … it’s subfloors.

Think of a subfloor as the base of your flooring. A subfloor is what lies beneath the hardwood planks you’ll walk on and enjoy for years to come. It’s the foundation that gives your flooring a place to rest, a place for strength and durability as you go about your busy days. Without a strong subfloor, your hardwood floors would be compromised, and would not provide the results you’re looking for.

Maybe you’ve been shopping for hardwood flooring for a while now. Maybe you’ve pinned different samples trying to make up your mind on species, color, and width.

Before you settle on what planks to install, it’s worth a few minutes to learn all you can about subfloors, and to make the very best decision there too.

What is subflooring?

Why Subfloors Matter To Solid Hardwood FloorsWhen you do a search for subflooring online, you might find a mix of articles talking about subflooring and underlayment. What’s the difference?

When your house was first built, flooring was created with three parts:

Joists – this is the structural component of your floors. These heavy-duty beams run across every room in your house, giving it structure and stability over time. You can see the joists by looking up if you have an old, unfinished basement.

Subfloors – this is the material that covers the joists. In most cases, it’s nailed into place. The subflooring helps distribute the weight evenly across the joists as you move throughout your day.

Flooring – this is the finished material you can see. This is what gives your home personality and good looks.

Every house will have subflooring in place. This is what creates the structure and stability for flooring installation.

Yet some flooring materials need more than what a subfloor has to offer. That’s where underlayment comes in. Underlayment is a special surface between the subfloor and finished flooring to provide reinforcement. It may be needed for extra strength if you choose a particularly heavy flooring material. It can act as a sound barrier if you’re trying to create a quiet atmosphere. It might provide a waterproof barrier, especially important if the room is prone to moisture.

What are subfloors made of?

Subfloors can be made from a variety of materials. The purpose of the subfloor is strength and durability, and that can come in the form of many different types of materials. A level, smooth, and dry floor is necessary before you install your finished flooring. You can achieve that with one of these materials:

https://pro-flooring.com/do-you-know-how-many-layers-your-floor-has/

Plywood – the most common type of subfloor. Plywood is created from sheets of wood veneer held together with glue. It’s affordable, easy to work with, and provides durability for most flooring installations.

Concrete – you’ll often find basements with a concrete subfloor, and sometimes on the ground-level floor if there isn’t a crawlspace or basement. If you’re working with concrete as a subfloor, it’s important to test for moisture before you install your finished flooring material. A proper vapor barrier will protect your final flooring from moisture, if necessary.

Oriented strand board (OSB) – this material is created from chunks of wood held together with adhesive. It functions like plywood.

What’s the best subfloor for hardwood floors?

When you’re buying hardwood floors, you’ll choose from solid hardwood or engineered. They each have their own set of rules and requirements.

Solid hardwood floors require a sturdy, durable subfloor, especially if the planks will be nailed or glued into place. In both cases, installers will use either plywood or OSB, with the final subfloor being at least ¾ of an inch thick.

Of course, installers may also add underlayment material, depending on the situation.

Installers often lay an underlayment of felt building paper down between the wood subfloor and your hardwood planks. This provides a necessary bond that will lessen the chance of squeaky floors and help control moisture.

For engineered hardwood, they often are installed with click-together floating floors. This means they aren’t attached to the subfloors, with underlayment requirements rarely in place. Just follow the manufacturer’s guidelines and your flooring will be good to go.

Should you replace subfloors before installing new hardwood? 

Whether you currently have carpet, tile, or hardwood planks in place, adding new subfloor material may be part of the process of installing new flooring. If you install new hardwood over a compromised subfloor, no matter how well you maintain it, the hardwood will wear out quickly because it won’t have the necessary support from underneath.

The subfloor sets the foundation for a quality floor. Without a quality subfloor, your flooring material will never give you a full lifespan. That’s why a reputable flooring dealer will always tell you to take a step down in quality of your final flooring selection in order to increase the quality of your subfloor material.

It makes a difference.

When homeowners don’t invest in a proper subfloor, they very quickly start experiencing compromises in quality. They usually complain of:

With any of these problems, fast action is required to prevent the problem from further compromising your flooring.

Do subfloors matter? They are the integrity of your hardwood floors

If you’re reading this, we know you’re on a quest for finding and installing the perfect new floors. Solid hardwood floors are beautiful, and can last for years – decades even. Yet that won’t happen if you don’t install it using the best materials and installation processes possible. Without a proper subfloor in place, you’ll compromise the lifespan of the materials, making you replace your floors long before their time.

Have we answered your questions on subfloors and installing hardwood floors in your home? If you have any additional questions, we welcome them here. Or feel free to contact us, or stop by our retail location.

We’re here to ensure you fall in love with your new hardwood floors from the moment they’re installed. And to keep loving them for years to come. 

The post Why Subfloors Matter To Solid Hardwood Floors first appeared on PRO! Flooring.

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

A Step-By-Step Guide To Choosing Flooring For Your Remodel

Planning a remodel soon? Choosing flooring is more complicated than selecting based on looks.

If you choose the wrong material, you’ll hate your floors from the moment they are installed.

Where should you begin? Follow this step-by-step guide to ensure you reach the best flooring decision right for your needs.

Step One: Is moisture a problem?

While this seems like a simple “yes or no” question, it’s also one of the most important you can ask. You may love hardwood and want it throughout your home, but if you put it in a high-moisture area, you’ll have a variety of problems associated with it.

If you are remodeling a kitchen, bathroom, or even the basement, keep in mind that moisture may be a problem in the future. You can use this to guide you in making a decision that will be based on lifestyle, and not just looks.

Step Two: Dive deeper into the room’s purpose

Different rooms have unique requirements. While there are a variety of different flooring choices available for each room type, it helps to think about your lifestyle and what you consider “normal activities” within the room you’re remodeling.

The concept of a kitchen is unique to every family. Some families barely enter the kitchen, using the refrigerator mainly for storing leftovers. Others consider the kitchen a pivotal room in the home. They create meals together. They work there. They host parties there. They’re active multiple hours of the day.

By considering your daily activities, you can work with a flooring expert to come up with several different flooring types, and finalize it to suit your individual needs.

Step Three: Who do you live with?

You may love white carpet, but if you have three young children and four furry friends, a white carpet wouldn’t be a great choice.

A Step-By-Step Guide To Choosing Flooring For Your RemodelHave elderly relatives living with you? While thick, plush carpet may cause a tripping hazard, a cement floor is hard to stand on, and even more dangerous if they fall.

Flooring provides the base for whatever your family needs most. Dreams and wish lists should be considered, but don’t forget to look at your lifestyle realistically as well.

The good news is there are many flooring choices designed to mimic well-loved choices. Love hardwood but know it’s not practical? Luxury vinyl planks may be just what you’re looking for.

Step Four: Different types of flooring

Depending on when you last replaced flooring, you might not be aware of some of the latest technology available for your home’s remodel. Today’s flooring is more durable and easy to clean than ever before. Whether you’re looking for natural, eco-friendly, stain-resistant, or water-resistant, you’ll find it in today’s flooring.

A few of the most common ones that homeowners love right now include:

  • Hardwood – people can’t resist this classic flooring material. Yet if you’ve had it in the past and aren’t sure about durability, give it a second look. This makes a great choice for many rooms in your home.
  • Tile – this is one of the most cost-effective flooring choices available today. Plus with an almost unlimited color and pattern supply, you’ll be able to create any look you’re going for. Manufacturers have also duplicated other classic good looks, such as hardwood and stone, giving you an option when the more traditional options won’t work for your situation.
  • Luxury vinyl – this isn’t what you remember from your mother or grandmother’s homes. Today’s luxury vinyl comes in plank and tile format, giving you a beautiful design with things like water-resistance or waterproof to go along with it.
  • Carpet – it’s still a good choice when softness and acoustic insulation are required. And with today’s technology, stain-resistance will give you years of quality behind it.

Step Five: Define your budget

With every flooring choice you’ll consider for your remodel, you’ll find a product in an array of costs and qualities. Still, it’s a great idea to define your budget early and adjust your expectations to match what you can afford.

Don’t forget to leave money for underlayment, subflooring, and installation too. They will likely add more to the bottom line, impacting the total dollar amount you’ll spend.

  • Low price – for homeowners with a tight budget, easy to install options can help you save money and time. Laminate and vinyl are often good choices for quick installations.
  • Medium price – you get a great quality product at reasonable prices. You’ll have great choices in every category of flooring.
  • High price – if uniqueness is important to you, you can look for customized flooring choices. Exotic hardwood will show off your personality, or look for premium tile, luxury vinyl, or carpeting.

Step Six: Professional installation or do-it-yourself?

When some people remodel, they look for ways to get involved. Paint a few walls … sure, why not?

For do-it-yourselfers, click-and-lock technology is a great way to go. You’ll find that technology on things like laminate or luxury vinyl planks.

https://pro-flooring.com/everyones-talking-about-luxury-vinyl-is-regular-vinyl-still-a-thing/

For more complicated jobs, hiring a professional is the only way to go. Traditional hardwood is easy to mess up if you aren’t sure of the installation process.

Know your limits, and select based on your needs. Because your flooring is the base for everything in your room, it’s the one thing you should be guaranteed and feel comfortable about. Ensure your flooring will stand the test of time.

Step Seven: Maintenance

Once your new flooring is installed in your remodel, what level of maintenance would work best for your situation? Do you want daily hands-on care? Or would you prefer a lay-it-and-leave-it approach?

Some floorings are more sensitive to daily care than others.

This is where resilience comes into the picture too. Any form of resilient flooring such as vinyl, tile, or even laminate works well because of its hands-off approach. A quick sweep, and you’re set to go.

Yet other things may come into play too. Wall-to-wall carpet may require you to replace the entire room if an accident occurs. With luxury vinyl planks or even carpet tiles, you can replace sections without having to install a new floor.

Final thoughts

Use this step-by-step guide to help you define the perfect flooring choices for your remodel.

With so many options available, there’s more than one choice that will perfectly suit your needs.

How can we help you finalize your selection?

The post A Step-By-Step Guide To Choosing Flooring For Your Remodel first appeared on PRO! Flooring.

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

Confused About Hardwood Stain Colors? Here’s How To Choose

Want to know the most popular question we get about hardwood flooring? It isn’t about durability or maintenance. Instead, it’s about hardwood stain colors.

Homeowners want to feel assured they are selecting a hardwood stain color they’ll love for years to come. They want a color they won’t grow weary of in a few short years. One that will be too trendy, and looks dated before they’re ready to replace it.

They also want a hardwood stain color that adds to the resale value in case they decide to sell. Why add something to your home if it will detract from the looks, especially for potential buyers as they enter your space?

That’s a lot to ask from one question. Yet we’ve been doing this long enough we have a great answer whenever homeowners come in with this question.

The answer isn’t as hard as you might think. By starting with a few questions of your own, you’ll easily be able to select a stain color that best suits your lifestyle. And it’ll bring just the right personality to your home that anyone who enters will fall in love with the aesthetics you’ve created.

The basics of staining

Before we jump into color decisions, it’s important to fully understand what staining is. Staining is a separate process performed between sanding the hardwood planks and applying the clearcoat top cover. Don’t confuse stain with finishing.

Confused About Hardwood Stain Colors? Here’s How To ChooseFinishing is the topcoat process. It contains multiple coats of clearcoat applied on top of the stain.

A floor doesn’t have to be stained. It’s perfectly okay to apply finish to the original hardwood planks. If you prefer the color of natural wood, a clear coat protects the hardwood itself, and seals in the natural beauty of the wood.

If you want to change the color, stain is applied to hardwood planks after it’s smoothed and ready for a surface finish to be applied. This is when you have the option to use a colored hardwax oil, a stain under the oil, or a pre-tinted finish. Each will have different looks; it’s up to you to decide which is the best look for your home.

Hardwood also makes a difference. You can select from many different species of wood. Mahogany, cherry, walnut, pine, and oak all have different characteristics and hues. You may fall in love with the natural qualities of a species. Or you might prefer using it as a basis, then lightening or darkening it with a stain. This is how you build character. Some have more grains and imperfections than others, giving you the chance to create something truly unique.

Of course, you can also go with pre-stained planks, which allow you to select the color before it’s installed into your space. You can see the color applied, and know what it will look like before you install the first board.

How do you choose wood stain color?

If you’ve ever shopped at your local big box store, wandering the paint aisles can have you running for the doors. You’ll find several manufacturers of stains. Each manufacturer offers a selection of different colors, different treatments, and different options.

And if you’re not confused enough, pick up another manufacturer’s information and start comparing. The colors are similar, yet different. Is that too much yellow? Or maybe too much red?

Maybe you start with the fact you want a dark color. But the light color choices throw you into a tailspin – is it the best choice?

Before you finish your planning, step back and think about what you desire. There’s a reason you’re installing hardwood flooring in your home. What were your original desires? How did you see your “dream home” after renovation? That gives you a starting point in the direction you should take it.

Take a look at the latest design magazines. You’ll quickly find an array of color choices. You’ll see some hardwood in the darkest colors, while others stay more neutral, or traditional.

That says it all.

The best choice is always based on what you desire.

Let’s talk about hardwood color choices

Dark hardwood colors are considered stylish and dramatic. But there are a few things to keep in mind.

The darker the color, the less you see the grains of the wood. You can find an array of dark colors – ebony, expresso, true black – but the darker you stain the wood, the less color variation will come through in the wood planks. This can create a clean, minimalistic look that may make it easier to decorate. However, with a more solid line on your flooring, it is more difficult to clean and maintain the look.

Lighter colors remain open, airy, and neutral. They blend well with any decor, letting the aesthetics of your decor shine through rather than the color of your floor. In many cases, decorators will select a species of hardwood based on the color the homeowner desires. The closer you can keep your color choice to the original color, the easier it will be to maintain.

Lighter does tend to wear better, show less dirt, and stand the test of time.

Of course, mid tones might be more of your preference.

Mid tones are more traditional. You’ll see this in older homes, and it hides imperfections well. This tends to have more brown tones than red, but can change based on where it’s applied. How much direct sunlight streams in? What does your decor look like? Keep in mind that every species will impact how the color appears when they are finished and ready for daily wear.

Don’t forget about gray hardwood and whitewash. It’s one of the newest, hottest color choices, and has been popular for the past several years. Gray can be a bit challenging, and often requires mixing several colors to get the right hew.

Going back to resale – what’s the best hardwood stain color? 

Homeowners often move back and forth during the decision process, trying to settle on a color.

Should you go with a color you love?

Or should you choose one based on longevity, resale, and ensuring it holds up well over time?

That’s a personal decision. What’s best for you?

Is this your “forever” home? Then, by all means, go with your instincts, and choose your favorite color.

If you have any doubts, and aren’t sure about direction, it might benefit you to stay more neutral. Grays are very trendy. Reds can feel dated. Whitewash is an acquired taste.

Yet neutral will never go out of style.

What hardwood stain colors are your favorites?

The post Confused About Hardwood Stain Colors? Here’s How To Choose first appeared on PRO! Flooring.

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

Is Balterio laminate flooring any good?

Balterio was founded in 2001 by Balta group and in 2015 was taken over by the Unilin group. The Unlin group is one of the largest flooring manufacturers in the world and Balterio is one of its premium brands. Balterio has 4 core principles which are: DurabilityAll Balterio floors have superior wear, impact and scratch… Read More

The post Is Balterio laminate flooring any good? first appeared on Discount Flooring Depot Blog. This post appeared first on https://www.discountflooringdepot.co.uk

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