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Creak. Squeak. What’s that sound?

If you hear a noise when you walk on certain floor boards throughout your home, they might be trying to tell you something.

Although noise floors are most common in high traffic areas, they can be caused by a variety of things, and exist anywhere where you have flooring. They may be most common in older homes, but if a house wasn’t built right, you can find it in brand new homes that you’ve just moved into.

There are several things that could be making floor boards squeak.

Movement

When every piece is placed into your home during construction, it’s like a giant puzzle where every piece should fit snugly into place. For your flooring, that means each wood piece fits closely together. Floor joists are the large wooden beams that exist as a part of your subfloor, and they bear the weight of the suspended floor boards that sit beneath your flooring. They run perpendicular to give it strength, and are secured using nails. When there is a gap between the joist and the subfloor board, it allows movement to occur. That pressure can cause that creak or squeak sound you hear.

Subfloor … or floor?

It might not be your subfloor that’s doing the talking. If you have hardwood in place and haven’t provided proper maintenance over the years, it could be your hardwood planks telling you they need a little attention. Over time, hardwood can move, expand, and contract many times. That can create small gaps between the planks, and as they move they can squeak and creak. Remember that hardwood flooring does best with little change in the surrounding area. Keep your home at a comfortable temperature, somewhere between 60 and 80 degrees is ideal. Hardwood also likes a comfortable relative humidity between 25 and 55 percent. If you notice a lot of creaks and squeaks, it might be time for a little TLC, and possibly refinishing work.

Change in weather

Suddenly, the temperature spikes to well over 100 degrees. Or maybe it plunges to 10 below, with wind chill moving well past that. So you run the air conditioner or furnace more. A lot more. That can change both the temperature and humidity levels inside your home. In the peak of winter, your floor will naturally be drier. More dry air circulating through your home means drying out would, which creates shrinkage and gaps between the planks. If you haven’t updated your HVAC equipment in a while, and haven’t installed a whole house humidifier, it could make your home dryer than it should be. Pay attention to the inside conditions. It’s impacting your floor boards more than you know.

When two boards meet

Every single day, your house settles just a bit. The subfloor might move. The wood planks might adjust. The sun streams in from the windows. You turn up the heat to feel warm. Life impacts the way your house sits, moves, and adjusts. It’s just a fact. What didn’t exist yesterday may very well be there today. And that can mean two boards suddenly touch and make a sound. Creak. Squeak.

Of course, you can put up with it. That squeaking sound is a sign of age and longevity. It’s the way your house changes over time. It might not impact your home at all … for a while.

But that creak or squeak in your floor boards is trying to tell you something. There’s a difference in the way your house sits, and it’s causing a problem. Please fix me – because it will be a problem over time.

Ultimately, what’s causing your creak or squeak comes down to one of several things:

• An incorrect nail or screw was used to secure the floor boards to the joist
• The nail or screw weren’t fitted correctly and have wiggled out of place
• A gap exists between the joist and the subfloor
• There’s an issue with the way the supporting joists connect with the boards underneath

There might be a simple solution, or it could be the impact of several. If a nail comes loose, for example, it might cause a gap between the boards.

In any of these circumstances, hiring a professional will allow them to get to the heart of the problem, and fix it at its root cause.

How do you find out what’s causing the creak or squeak?

The first step is in pinpointing where the squeak originates. You might notice it as you walk across the floor, but spend a few minutes pressing down and determining exactly where it is. Look for movement in the floor. Listen to where the sound is the greatest.

Once you have determined the exact location, you can assess what might be causing it. Look for loose floor boards. If you have access to the space underneath, from a basement or crawl space, you can see if there is movement or shifting.

Keep in mind that if you don’t get to the root cause, and attempt to fix something yourself, you could make the squeak or creak worse.

The best way to ensure a tight fit

Homes today are built to be safe and secure from all kinds of elements. But even in the best of situations, everyday events cause things to break down.

Your best course of action as a homeowner is to always ask questions.

Make sure you understand the best method for installing new items into your home. When you bring in new flooring, for example, it takes a bit to acclimate before you can install it. Hardwood expands and contracts, especially when it moves from a warehouse to your home. Placing it in your home for a bit will help it get ready for your environment.

Maintenance can also mean regular cleaning. Things like vacuuming, dusting, and mopping may seem simple to keep your home in pristine condition. But don’t forget to ask questions about the products and services you select. Will they do more harm than good? What chemicals are used in the formulas? How will it impact your home?

Do you have additional questions about the flooring in your home? We’re here to help. Just ask.

The post Why Floor Boards Creak and Squeak first appeared on PRO! Flooring.

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

Imagine getting out of bed on a cold winter morning and having it be warm to the touch.

That’s why many homeowners select carpet for the bedroom. Plush fibers hold their warmth better, and make it more comfortable on your feet, even if the rest of you feels the coolness of the air.

Thanks to technology, there are other ways to feel warmth no matter what type of flooring is underneath your feet.

Imagine stepping out of the shower to warm tile. Or standing in front of the mirror getting ready, and the flooring keeps you warm.

Or maybe the kitchen has always been a bit chilly. Not if heat radiates from the floor above. Your feet stay toasty warm as you whip up a batch of cookies for the kids to enjoy when they get home from school.

Sounds great, right? That’s why more people are turning to radiant heating.

But you can’t put radiant heating underneath everything. Certain flooring materials have better thermal conductivity than others, meaning they generate heat better as it moves through the flooring.

You don’t want to wait for heat to move up and through the flooring material. You want good conductivity to allow the floors to heat up quicker, giving you more warmth from the moment it moves into operation.

How underfloor heating works

Before we get into flooring choices, let’s talk about how underfloor heating works. It’s a growing source of heat in homes throughout the Rocky Mountain region.

Underfloor heating works in one of two ways.

Using a water-based underfloor system, pipes are installed underneath the flooring and connected to your boiler. When you switch on the system, the pipes are filled with low temperature warm water, which in turn heats the flooring. Heat rises, which means the heat from the floor continues to rise and heat the air.

Using an electric-based underfloor system, electric wires are fitted underneath the flooring and connected to your fuse box. When the system is turned on, electricity flows into the wires and produces heat to warm the flooring material.

The benefits of underfloor radiant heating are many

Heat rises. It only makes sense to get your heating source as close to the ground as possible to keep your home warm and comfortable. You can’t get much closer to the ground than with radiant heating. But there’s more to it than that.

Think of how your gas-forced air furnace works. On a cycle, it releases heated air through a series of vents in each room. It blows a considerable amount of air through to fill up the room and make it warm. With radiant heating, it’s spread evenly between all corners of your room. Then it moves evenly up from there. That keeps more of the heat at foot level, where you notice it most. That means circulation is also more even as it fills the room with warmth.

It’s also more cost effective. It can run at a much lower temperature and still keep you feeling comfortable. That means less energy use, and a lower utility bill each month. Many radiant heat households report seeing an immediate drop in their monthly energy use.

It can save on space. Radiant heating exists where you don’t see it – underneath your floors. It doesn’t take as much space as other heating units, especially if you use blowers and radiators. Even vents and registers may no longer be needed, meaning you can shirt your floorplan just a bit, and put your sofa where you truly want it to go.

Are you concerned about your health? Do you cough and sneeze more when the dust blows through the ductwork? No more airflow problems with radiant heating. That means particulates don’t flow freely throughout your home every time your HVAC unit turns on.

Are you sold on the idea of radiant heating? Then let’s get to the run part – figuring out which flooring choice is best.

In many cases, the flooring materials seem obvious. But in others, the choices may surprise you. Here are our favorites for installing with radiant heating.

Tile and Stone

We would be remiss if we didn’t start with the most apparent – tile and stone. They have a high thermal conductivity, which means they are a perfect choice for heating up the floor quickly. They also retain their heat well, giving them the perfect qualities for keeping your home warm no matter what the temperatures are outside. That’s why you often find them in saunas, sunrooms, and any place where you want to retain heat. They can easily be heated into the 80s and beyond.

The thicker the tile, the longer it takes for heat transfer. Installers often recommend sticking with a tile ¾” thick or less for the most responsiveness to the radiant system. But don’t think that will limit your choices. With so many tile and stone options on the market today, you’re sure to find one you love.

Wood

Love your hardwood? You’re not alone. People all across the Front Range have a hard time thinking of anything else inside their homes. Different types of wood have different thermal properties. That’s why it’s a good idea to work with a consultant that truly understands hardwood properties. The more dense a wood is, the thinner the board, the better they are at conducting heat.

When you heat the floor from underneath, it can change the moisture content of the wood, so it’s important to choose wisely. You’ll find engineered wood is one of the best to install with a radiant heating system. Always check with a manufacturer before you settle in and make your final selection.

Vinyl

If you’ve been shopping for flooring lately, you’ve noticed the vinyl market is changing. Luxury vinyl planks imitate hardwood so well, even the experts have trouble seeing the difference.

Vinyl has another positive – it works well with radiant heating. Keep in mind that there are often heat restrictions that come along with working with radiant heating. In many cases, radiant heating will max out around 80 degrees. Anything higher will impact the flooring.

Vinyl also heats up quickly, and cools down equally as fast. That may be important to you in places you spend small amounts of time – your master bathroom, for example.

What’s your choice?

With so many choices, you’ll be amazed at what you can do to create the right aesthetics in your home.

If you have your sights on using radiant heating inside your home, select the right flooring to create the warmth you’re looking for in your home. We can help you make that choice. Give us a call today.

The post Selecting The Right Flooring For Radiant Heating first appeared on PRO! Flooring.

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

There are a few different types of underlay, so you need to be sure that you use the correct one for the type of flooring that you have. It is basically a thin layer of material. It sits between the subfloor and your choice of floor covering.  The most popular types are either for sound proofing or thermal resistance. Read More

If you’re wondering how to move furniture on carpet; The Carpet Guys have a trick for you!  Read on to learn tricks of the trade for protecting your carpet from moving furniture.

Move Furniture to Protect from Crushing Carpet Fibers

To maintain your warranty on your newly installed carpet, the manufacturer requires you to vacuum weekly with a certified vacuum cleaner (List of Certified Vacuum Cleaners by the Carpet and Rug Institute) and have it professionally cleaned once every 12-18 months.  This will keep your carpet plush and looking new for years to come.  We also recommend that you change where your furniture sits in the room about every 6 months.  Furniture feet crush the carpet it sits on and over time, it’s hard to bring that carpet back to life.  If you can’t move the furniture to a new location, you can shift the piece two inches to the left or right.  This will allow the previous location to raise back up during vacuuming.

Don’t Slide the Furniture Feet Across Your Carpet

When you’re ready to move the furniture, make sure not to slide unprotected furniture feet across the carpet.  Because of sharp edges on most furniture, it may snag the carpet fiber.  Once pulled, that fiber may begin to “run” causing the fiber to pull through other fibers.  This would give the appearance in your flooring like a snag or “run” in pantyhose. 

There is an old invention that has been improved upon for sliding furniture safely across carpet.  They are called Sliders.  It’s a heavy-duty plastic disk, approximately the size of a coaster, that is smooth on one side and has foam on the other.  You gently lift one leg of the furniture piece to be moved and place the furniture foot onto the foam side of the disk.  Once you have a disk under each foot, you can easily slide the furniture around the room to reposition.  There are long, oval shaped ones for dressers or desks that have a solid panel instead of feet, as well.

If you need to move furniture across hardwood or other hard surface flooring, you can purchase a “sock” to put onto the disks so you can still easily slide the furniture across the floor without risk of scratching it.

Check out these Sliders & Socks on Amazon for moving your furniture on hard surface flooring.

If you are in need of new flooring, The Carpet Guys will go one step further, we will move your furniture for you!  If you set up a Free In-Home Estimate Online or call 855-4-MY-GUYS (855-469-4897), our professional Design Consultant will bring our showroom samples to your home and can explain everything The Carpet Guys do for you during installation, including moving your furniture for you. Call Today!

The post How to Move Furniture on Carpet appeared first on The Carpet Guys.

Looking to purchase flooring but not sure on the perfect colour to match your design? Sometimes you can be left deciding between two, three or even four different shades that are completely different. So how do you choose the right one?

In this blog we will look at design tips that account for other factors you can consider that may help you decide on the perfect colour for your home.

• Room Size: Opt for a lighter flooring in a smaller sized room to give a light and airy feel.
• Lighting: The colour of your flooring will alter when natural or artificial light hits. Test your samples in the room you’re laying your flooring over 24 hours for a realistic view of appearance in all lighting.
• Décor: Create a mood board compiled of colours and textures to fit your décor to see if your flooring will complement this.

 

Room Size

 

One factor that will affect your flooring colour is room size. Different colours of flooring have different impacts depending on space and how you want your room to feel. 

 

Whether it’s a cosy feel you’re opting for, or you’re trying to open up the space, the colour of your flooring can make all the difference and give you the desired effect you’re wanting.

 

Smaller Rooms 

 

If you have a smaller space to work with the most common recommendation is to opt for lighter, natural tones in your room, and flooring. This is a great way to open up your room and add an airy feel to the space. This in turn makes it feel bigger. 

 

Rooms that are often typically smaller such as hallways, bathroom and offices, are great places to exercise this illusion. 

 

 

 

There are a wide range of flooring options available that offer lighter tones that you can incorporate. So you’re definitely not limited and budget shouldn’t be an issue when it comes to wanting to open up your room. 

 

If you’re reading this and thinking, I didn’t want to opt for a light floor when choosing the right colour of your flooring, whether it be for preference or practicality, don’t worry.

 

There is a way to make your room look bigger with darker flooring too. Using a dramatically darker wood with lighter coloured walls and accessories, also gives the illusion your room is bigger, with a sophisticated twist. 

 

 

Similarly, to the lighter coloured illusion, you’re not limited when it comes to options when choosing a darker shade. 

 

The majority of flooring types have a darker option you can opt for. So whether it is EvoCore, Laminate, Solid Wood, Engineered Wood or LVT, there will be a darker flooring option for you. 

 

So when it comes to colours, room sizes and the overall look and feel can be affected by the colour of the flooring you opt for. Knowing the tone you want to set in your room before buying your flooring is important so you know how to work with the size of your space.

 

Lighting

 

The next consideration when it comes to choosing the right colour flooring for you, will spark some discussions in your home. Lighting!

 

Lighting is another factor that can affect your decision when it comes to choosing the colour of your floor. Both natural and artificial light will play a part in the overall appearance of your installation. 

 

With natural light, this is something that changes throughout the day as the sun moves across the day, allowing different amounts of light in throughout the day. 

Ensuring you have ordered samples and laying them out where you plan to install your flooring is a great way of getting a true representation of what your flooring will look like throughout the course of the day as the sun moves around your home. 

 

This will allow you to determine whether the shades and tones the light pulls out in your flooring is something you would be happy with once installed. 

 

The same consideration should be taken for artificial lighting. On a night when you are relaxing with your family with the lamps on, this again will alter the appearance of your flooring. 

 

Placing your samples in this setting too will give you the most realistic view of how it will look once installed. 

 

Décor

 

Next on the list of design tips to take into account when choosing the colour of your floor is the décor you plan on filling your room with. 

 

Furniture, accessories and colour schemes are all great ways of judging what shade of floor will best suit your space. 

 

 

Ordering samples and holding these against your furniture, or making a mood board using images, tones, colours and textures that will be in your space is a great way to get a feel for how the finished overall look will pan out. 

 

Top Tip: If accenting specific pieces is something you’re looking to do, then neutral tones will definitely do the job. 

 

If you’re replacing your floor in a room that already has the furniture you’re planning on replacing, room visualisers are a great tool to use. These are a modern way of giving you a realistic perspective of different floorings once installed into your space, available on lots of flooring sites. 

 

All you have to do is take a picture of the space you’re expecting to install your floor. Then upload this to the site and choose the flooring you wish to see in your space. Innovative, we know!

 

Hopefully this blog has offered some handy tips and tricks to choosing the perfect colour floor for your space judging different factors you may not usually think to consider. 

 

These factors allow you to go the extra mile in making sure you’re overly confident in your decision. If you have any more questions regarding choosing the right colour flooring, get in touch with one of our flooring experts today. 

 

The post Design Tips for Choosing the Right Colour Flooring appeared first on Direct Wood Flooring Blog.

When choosing flooring for a family home, you have a wide range of options.  No doubt, you will want something that is easy to clean, beautiful to look at and will stand the test of time. Here are our top 5 flooring choices for a family home. Read More

Have you ever walked through a home or commercial space and wondered why their hardwood floors look a bit different? They might have texture added to their hardwood floors.

When most homeowners shop for hardwood, they pay attention to color, style, or pattern. But there’s another option you should think about that will impact both looks and longevity over time.

Texture is all about how your hardwood floors will feel once they are installed. When you reach down and touch, is it a smooth surface?

This also lends to how your hardwood floors look. Any type of texture can dramatically change the appearance, which in turn can change the aesthetics of your room. This is especially important if you have different ideas for your living space or kitchen, when compared to the bedroom.

Hardwood floor texture – what’s available?

When you visit a flooring dealer, you’ll find several different types of wood floor textures available.

Smooth – this is the most basic form of hardwood. This is where all discrepancies have been sanded away to make a smooth piece of wood. Smoothness gives it uniformity in appearance, and gives you a solid look from one side of the room to another. This is often what designers mean by giving your home a clean look. It’s also what gives a floor a somewhat unrealistic wood look. Wood without knots and blemishes? For some people, it’s not the best look.

Aged – aged wood floors have the appearance and charm of wood that has aged through time. It highlights imperfections rather than covering them up. However, this look isn’t created with age. Instead, it’s carefully manipulated, with the effects being placed in the wood floor planks either by hand or machines. The wood isn’t old, but instead is cut recently and carefully crafted to have an old-world appearance. The difference is it’s made with today’s technology and resources in mind. It’s a great way to go if you love old-world charm but want safety and security from the newest technology.

Reclaimed – want one of the most eco-friendly wooden floor options on the market today? You can’t ignore reclaimed wood. Reclaimed wood flooring uses wood from old buildings and structures, repurposing them as material for use in remodels or new homes. It’s a stunning way to get a one-of-a-kind look. What gives this wood a unique look is no two boards are ever the same. They are battered, dented, and worn through years of use. This can be an inviting look in some homes, especially if you’re going for a vintage or historic look.

Brushed – a brushed wood floor is created by using a metal brush on every board to develop deep, pronounced grain. This also makes wood floors a little more resistant to scratches as it already has natural blemishes. If you want uniqueness and character, give brushed wood a second look. This type of texture will be aesthetically pleasing in more traditional or classic homes.

Adding texture to hardwood floors – why should you do it?

The problem with having hardwood flooring grow in popularity is you’ll find it everywhere. It’s one of the most popular flooring choices you can make, and statistics show it will continue to rise in popularity in the coming years.

Hardwood looks great in just about any room in your home. It adds beauty, character, and has an appeal everyone loves. No matter what your taste in decor, hardwood floors are sure to complement it perfectly.

But when everyone selects the same finish, houses start to take on a replicated feel. One home is like another, and you lose some of that personalization you might be looking for.

If you use a textured look like brushed or reclaimed, it can give you an authentic look. Depending on your other design choices, that can add resale value, giving it a higher class look.

Another advantage is giving yourself wiggle room on damage control. With brushed wood, for example, the deep grain hides scratches better than other hardwood choices. If you have a busy family where action is the norm, this may be the perfect compromise to satisfy your sense of design along with your maintenance-free lifestyle. If you have pets or kids, this may be the perfect way to go.

Yes, there are drawbacks to using textured wood

Are you sold on installing textured wood flooring in your home? We agree; it’s a great way to add your own character to your final design. But we would be remiss if we didn’t go over a few of the drawbacks to help you finalize your choice.

One of the biggest potential issues is the fact that textured floors are more difficult to clean. Textured grain can collect dust, dirt, and other debris much easier than a smooth floor. If you obsess over clean floors, or if you hate cleaning regularly, you might want to think twice before installing textured floors.

Another disadvantage is maintenance. If you have a potential problem on most hardwood flooring planks, you can sand it out, repair it, then apply finish and have your old floors back. Textured wood isn’t smooth. If you sand out a problem spot, you’ll create a smooth finish that will no longer mesh with the rest of your flooring. That can make small repair work difficult at best, and give you more reason to either sand the entire floor, or replace it with something new.

If you choose the sanding route, keep in mind that you might have to take the wood down a lot to achieve a uniform look. Especially with brushed wood where the indents may be fairly deep, it will cut back a lot of the wood within each plank. That means the lifespan of this type of flooring will be much shorter than a more traditional hardwood floor.

What’s your choice?

It’s difficult to ignore the beauty of textured wood floors. It’s one of our favorite looks.

But like any flooring, this is a personal choice. If textured wood floors are calling to you, stop by and take a closer look.

The post Adding Texture To Your Hardwood Floors first appeared on PRO! Flooring.

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

EvoCore is our ever growing innovative flooring where beautiful designs meet home-wide suitability. With the existing EvoCore ranges seeing great success, we continue to expand with more amazing ranges of EvoCore with our new line: EvoCore Origins. More colours, more styles and at an affordable price. There is something for everyone with EvoCore Origins. 

What is EvoCore Origins?

 

EvoCore Origins is the latest range within the EvoCore brand, offering beautiful authentic wood designs for adding a natural warmth to your home. Featuring in-built underlay, home-wide suitability, high durability and a variety of colours and styles, EvoCore Origins is an ideal flooring for any home, home with any lifestyle, and what’s more, it’s budget friendly. So you can have all of this without breaking the bank.

 

In addition, this beautiful range brings a distinctive charm to your home whilst being highly durable, suitable home-wide and easy to maintain. Stunning and practical without compromising on budget, the Origins range is sure to turn heads.  

 

The Origins range is perfect for any area of any home. So whether you’ve got a house-full or populated office, you can add luxury, comfort and style to your space with EvoCore.

 

Moreover, this EvoCore range is made up of 7 layers as shown below, all coming together to create an extremely resistant and durable flooring.

 

The Benefits of EvoCore Origins

EvoCore Flooring provides many beneficial factors concerning practicality and appearance. So this flooring offers longevity like no other flooring before. Below is a bullet-pointed list of each benefit that this range offers: 

• EvoCore is 100% waterproof
• Anti-slip surface
• No expansion or contraction when exposed to heat and cold
• Pet-friendly
• Durable and hard-wearing
• No glue needed for installation, due to its easy click-lock installation feature
• Real wood look and feel
• Scratch-resistant
• Compatible with underfloor heating
• Hides subfloor imperfections
• Can be laid over existing flooring
• In-built underlay backing

Amazing, right? With a list of benefits that long, you know you’re getting a quality flooring for your home!

The Specification

 

Next up is the EvoCore Origins specification. This range is the closest you’ll get to imitation wood, incorporating a registered embossed true-to-grain real wood feel in it’s boards.

 

Thickness	4.5mm	Wear Layer	0.2mm
Pack Coverage	1.80m²	Board Length	925mm
Board Width	150mm	Species	Oak
Pack Contents	13 boards	Residential Warranty	10 years

 

Installation of EvoCore Origins

 

EvoCore Origins is quick and easy to fit thanks to a click-lock system. It is similar to installing click LVT or tongue and groove and click wood flooring, due to its similar click-lock system. However, the installation of EvoCore Origins is a quicker and easier process thanks to the built-in underlay.  

 

Furthermore, help with installing this flooring is available using our step-by-step guide. It is easy to follow and offers the best practice for a stunning finish. 

 

Shop the Range

 

Finally, the moment you have been waiting for. We’ve talked about the stunning appearance of this flooring, but let’s actually see it! Below are some of our beautiful options available to purchase in our Origins range. 

 

EvoCore Origins Gazelle	EvoCore Origins Elephant	EvoCore Origins Bear
More info	More info	More info
Add Sample to Cart	Add Sample to Cart	Add Sample to Cart

 

In summary, the EvoCore Origins range is host to a stunning range of flooring in many colours, options and styles to suit any design. 

 

If you like what you see and want any more information on our incredible EvoCore Ranges, get in touch with one of our experts who will be happy to help. 

 

The post EvoCore Origins  appeared first on Direct Wood Flooring Blog.

If you plan on installing laminate flooring in your bathroom, you may want to explore a few more options before making a final decision. Laminate flooring, though it is water resistant, it is not waterproof.

If you desire a look of wood or tile that works well with water, then we recommend Luxury Vinyl Plank or Luxury Vinyl Tile. Read on to learn why we don’t recommend installing laminate in a bathroom.

LVP: The Perfect Bathroom Flooring

Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) and Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) flooring succeeds in wetter areas that other flooring won’t. Since laminate flooring is made with wood components, high humidity levels from your bathroom can cause damage. LVP is made of just that, vinyl. Similar to the plastic that your water pipes are made of.

Luxury Vinyl flooring comes in many colors and styles. To achieve a wood-looking floor in your bathroom, go with an LVP. There are also Luxury Vinyl Tiles for a tile-look, without the cost and labor of ceramic tiles and grouting.

LVP is a great flooring selection for bathrooms for many reasons including:

• Water Resistance – Vinyl products resist water much more effectively than natural wood products do. The tight interlocking of the planks also prevents water from seeping down into your subfloor.
• Easy Maintenance – Keeping your vinyl plank flooring clean is simple. Mop from time-to-time, and your floors will look like new.
• Durability – Many vinyl products are durable and wear well. Your flooring will continue to stand strong against your household activity with some proper care and maintenance.
• Budget-friendly – Vinyl products are less expensive than most. You can get the wood look you want at a fair and affordable price.

It’s safe to say that vinyl products make the best flooring for bathrooms, but it won’t perform it’s best without a proper installation.

Schedule your Free LVP estimate today!

If you’re ready to have beautiful vinyl bathroom flooring installed, give The Carpet Guys a call today. 855-4-MY-GUYS (855-469-4897) or schedule a Free In-Home Estimate.

Flooring is what we do, and we guarantee you’ll get the best flooring performance with us at your side.

With The Carpet Guys, you’ll gain many benefits including:

• Free vinyl flooring estimates are available all week long
• Affordable pricing on high-quality products
• Expert installation from the best installers near you
• Complimentary decorating advice
• Multiple samples for you to view in your own home
• So much more!

The post Can you put Laminate Flooring in a Bathroom? appeared first on The Carpet Guys.

The definition of durability is:

The ability to withstand wear, pressure, or damage.

When it comes to flooring, that often tops the list of what homeowners want.

It only takes one spilled glass of red wine, one tear from a moved chair, or one ding from a dropped cast iron pan to realize how quickly your flooring can lose its new look and feel.

Yet you’re still concerned with the aesthetics of the flooring. You want it to look good with your decor, and be beautiful long into the future. What ticks all those boxes? What are the most durable flooring options you’ll love?

Glad you asked. We have some ideas for you.

Classic Hardwood

If you want a durable flooring option, you can’t avoid one of the most popular choices homeowners make: hardwood. There’s just something timeless about the look. It’s also one of the most versatile, giving you options all throughout your home.

When properly maintained, you can expect hardwood to last for decades. Although they can be susceptible to water damage, today’s hardwood is more durable than ever. They are easy to clean, and will stand up to just about anything your family can dish out.

When selecting hardwood, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Pay attention to the wood hardness – that determines how well your hardwood floors will stand up to the test of time. The Janka hardness test ranks hardwood according to its resistance to wear and tear. Pine is one of the softest hardwoods you can install, while a Brazilian Walnut is on the opposite end with one of the hardest woods available.

It starts with a base by selecting the right hardwood for your lifestyle, but it also depends on the finish. Each manufacturer selects and uses its own technology to ensure your flooring wears well over time. Pay attention to manufacturer’s guidelines for care and maintenance, and refinish your floors periodically to ensure the longevity of the floors.

Laminate

Many homeowners are in love with the idea of hardwood. Yet the more they consider adding hardwood to their homes, the more doubt they cast over having this type of flooring in place. Hardwood may not be the perfect choice in every room in your home. Its cost may also be prohibitive in some cases.

Laminate is designed to offer options when hardwood doesn’t work. If you have a high traffic area, laminate may be the better choice. It’s harder than hardwood, and handles well under pressure. In fact, some manufacturers offer as much as a twenty-five-year warranty against wear and tear. That can make laminate flooring a perfect choice in a growing, active family home.

Laminate also provides more durability than what a classic hardwood might. It’s resistant to moisture, and will not fade from sunlight. If you have a bright, airy home with lots of windows, don’t let that be your holdback when selecting your flooring.

Luxury vinyl

If you’ve started looking at flooring, you’ve probably noticed one of the fastest products on the marketplace: luxury vinyl. It comes in luxury vinyl tile (LVT) and luxury vinyl plank (LVP). Both products are durable, inexpensive, and more stylish than ever.

What draws people in is their classic good looks, and their waterproof features. Yes, waterproof. This isn’t your mother’s vinyl. It’s designed to take on the appearance of other flooring products you’ve come to love – like natural stone and hardwood flooring. But it adds all the features you want in a flooring, such as durability, wearability, and lower cost.

Luxury vinyl is designed to closely mimic all types of hardwood planks and natural stone tile. When it doesn’t make sense to install these classic flooring options, luxury vinyl steps up to the plate. Want to install it in the bathroom? Go ahead. Want to install it in the basement? It makes a perfect choice.

And that’s really why we’re seeing such growth in this product line. If you’re looking for an affordable option, yet want the classic look of hardwood or stone tile, this may very well be your choice.

Tile

One of the oldest flooring choices is tile. There’s a good reason for that. Tile is durable, waterproof, and provides classic looks throughout your home. You can install it in the entryway, mudroom, laundry room, bathroom, or kitchen, and never tire of the way it looks or feels.

Plus, it’s difficult to ignore its good looks. Want to go bold and beautiful? Want sleek and sophisticated? Or maybe a minimalist look that blends in with the surroundings? You can create all that and more with the unlimited options you’ll find with tile.

Different tiles provide different aesthetics. If you have an area prone to moisture, spills, or a lot of foot traffic, tile can be the perfect option. Work with your flooring consultant to ensure the tile you select is up for the job. You’ll also be happy to know that tile handles well against fading, staining, and has longevity that can keep its good looks for years to come.

Cork

When most people think about cork, they immediately think about the little stopper in their favorite bottle of wine. Cork flooring differs dramatically. If you’re looking for durable flooring that is environmentally friendly too, give cork flooring another look.

Because it’s soft by nature, it’s one of the quietest and warmest options you can make. That means you won’t hear people coming the way you do with choices like tile or laminate, and in the heart of the winter, it can help hold in the heat. Because it has a little spring in the quality of the material, it also bounces back as foot traffic continually moves over it.

If your daily activities include walking in high heels, dragging furniture across the room, or continually using sharp instruments for your hobbies or work, cork may not be the perfect choice. But if you treat it with care, cork flooring is an easy choice to care for over the years. Regular vacuuming and mopping are all you need to keep its good looks.

You should also re-seal your cork floors on a regular basis to ensure they stay looking their best. Check with manufacturers’ guidelines to understand how often you should schedule this process.

These are some of the top durable flooring choices available today.

What choice are you leaning towards?

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