Using The Perfect Tile For Every Room In Your Home

It’s easy to fall in love with tile.

In fact, most homeowners do at some point. Any time you browse through a magazine, or stroll through your favorite home improvement store, it’s easy to find examples of tiles in gorgeous colors and patterns.

Yet using tile in your home can be a little overwhelming when you finally decide to remodel. What looks beautiful in someone else’s home can be difficult to plan on your own. Where do you start? How do you select tile you love in the store, and still love it once it’s installed in your home?

Benefits of tile flooring

When it comes to home improvement projects, adding new flooring can have a dramatic effect. No other material can change your design structure more thoroughly.

Tile is one of the oldest building materials used for home decor. The earliest use of decorative tile was found in ancient Egypt more than 6,000 years ago. Romans and Greeks wove tile together to make mosaics, murals, and more.

The design potential is unlimited. Stick with a single color for minimalism at its finest. Or mix patterns and colors for a totally customized look and feel.

Plus they make one of the easiest floors to take care of. You can wipe away dirt and grime with a simple swipe of a broom or cloth. By using a high-quality grout and sealant, tile will be protected in all kinds of situations. If one cracks, keep a few extras around the house and it makes repair easy.

Overwhelmed with tile design? Read on for more tips

Whether you’re installing tile in your kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, or all of the above, we realize selecting tile can be hard to visualize from a few tiles on display to incorporating it throughout your home. While you can customize to your heart’s content, keeping a few general rules in mind may help make your selection process a little easier.

Tip #1: Start with a color palette

As a general rule, it’s a good idea to start your decorating process with a color palette of 2 to 3 color choices. Anything more can take away fluidity and make your home look more thrown together without continuity in place. Colors evoke feeling and emotion, so it’s important to select with a gut feeling about the appearance of your room. Play with the color wheel, and ensure your final selections are complementary colors.

If you use a patterned tile or one with multiple hues, it’s a good idea to use that as your starting point, and select single color tiles the same shade. This pulls the colors together and carries them throughout your space. You can use this in other decor features, from the paint on the walls to accent pieces you place throughout.

Tip #2: Choose grout carefully

Many homeowners spend most of their time selecting tile, leaving grout choices as an afterthought. The right color and thickness will impact how visible your tile is. A light tile with heavy, dark grout will make the dark color pop. Likewise, if you make it lighter, it can put emphasis on the tile’s shape or pattern.

When selecting tile, ask for grout recommendations. How would an installer you’re considering use grout in your situation? You may gain advice you’ve never considered, which can further enhance the tile’s overall look and feel.

Tip #3: Form or function, pay attention to both

Different tile, grout, and finishes will create different ambiance and texture. Ever walked into a room and had to touch because the texture stood out? That isn’t always a good thing.

Tile is often installed with pure functionality in mind. You have a desire for water-resistant living with increased durability, and tile fits the bill. Yet there are many ways to dress it up and make it uniquely your own. How about a glaze with a shiny finish? Prefer matte with a subdued look? Special finishes can provide a host of tile finishes with varying texture and appeal.

Like color palette, make conscious choices about how many textures you introduce to your space. Too many and you’ll create a disheveled appearance. Also be aware that certain textures can decrease functionality, making flooring slippery or even more attractive to dirt and grime. Address any of your concerns with a tile expert before finalizing your choices.

Get ready … Here are your choices

Most homeowners have a certain look in mind when they think about tile. Yet as you shop, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how many choices are available to you. You might be familiar with ceramic or porcelain tile, but have you ever considered glass? The most popular tile choices include:

Ceramic – this tops the list in both affordability and durability. If you can dream of a color or pattern, you’ll find it with ceramic tile.

Porcelain tile – porcelain is a finer clay ceramic tile with extra strength and durability because they are fired at a higher temperature. Technology has given these tiles the ability to resemble some of the most in-demand flooring choices such as marble or hardwood planks. Selecting porcelain tile can provide you with a flooring that will last for decades.

Glass – you’ll see glass increasingly being used in shower stalls or backsplashes. It has the highest level of stain resistance, but it is easier to crack or chip.

Marble – more expensive than other options, incorporating marble into your design can give your home a luxurious feel, adding into the ambiance. This natural stone may not deliver unlimited color combinations, but you will find unique grains and designs as natural colors shine through.

Granite – not just for countertops, granite is incorporated into flooring too. It’s relatively waterproof and won’t absorb most stains. It’s a great way to set the stage in an entryway.

Are you using tile in your home? 

Do you have your design all worked out? The good news about tile is there are unlimited ways to incorporate it into your flooring, whether you use it in one room or throughout.

How can we help you select the right tile to suit your needs?

The post Using The Perfect Tile For Every Room In Your Home first appeared on PRO! Flooring.

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

The lovely month of June brings perfect weather to Colorado. It also ushers in wedding season and summer get-togethers with in-laws and outlaws.

What can you do to make your wedding or special event memorable and minimize the effect of the big shindig on your house and floor coverings? 

March down the center aisle of this article with us and we will share a few tips for XX (cue Pachelbel’s Canon in D).

Be firm and kind

Many weddings include a reading from 1 Corinthians 13 that starts, “Love is patient, Love is kind.” Perhaps you have heard it? We all want to be kind to one another, but we don’t all share the same habits or concerns. That can lead to misunderstandings. 

Good communication can help all of us be more loving and patient because it makes expectations clear.Let your summer houseguests know how you would like your home and its environs treated. 

It’s easy for wedding and summer guests to unknowingly track mud, grass and dirt into your house from an outdoor party. So, be a good example. Remove your shoes in your house and ask your family members and guests to remove theirs too.

Provide special mats, boot trays or a specific, obvious place to put shoes near your home’s entrances. If a bit of rain mars your event, be sure to have clean towels available for wiping off shoes or pet paws as well as a basket for towel disposal nearby. You’ll be glad you did.

Consider pre- and post- event care

Before your guests arrive, take a step back and examine your home.

1. How will guests see your living room, dining room, kitchen and family room? 
2. Are the bedrooms inviting (if you plan to host overnight guests)?
3. Do you detect any pet smells or cooking odors? Does your house need a good airing out?
4. Could you make the windows sparkle with a good water and vinegar rinse?
5. Do you see any spots on your rugs or carpeting? 

Vacuum all of your area rugs and your installed carpeting. Shake out kitchen and bathroom rugs. 

If you noticed stains on your carpeting or rugs, check manufacturer instructions and quick-clean spots with club soda, baking soda or other natural cleaners.

Consider hiring professional carpet cleaners to deep clean your carpeting before and after your event. The pre-event cleaning will ensure your house is fresh and welcoming. Post-event carpet cleaning can help you recover from any mishaps and sanitize your home for your family’s comfort and safety once guests have departed.

Think beyond the wall-to-wall

Did you know, your local carpet cleaners, A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning included, offer many different cleaning services? We don’t just clean wall-to-wall or installed carpeting. We also clean wool rugs and area rugs! 

We use a RugBadger to vibrate dirt and solids trapped in your carpets’ fibers. This special tool helps us eliminate sand, dirt, allergens and dust from your precious rugs. 

According to This Old House, a respected home improvement franchise, wool rugs should be steam cleaned professionally at least once a year and deep stain removal is “best left up to the professionals.” 

Act quickly to prevent stains

Spills and accidents should be treated immediately to preserve the beauty of your area rugs and carpeting. 

If a spill is large or one of your guests or pets gets sick (unfortunately, it happens), you can scrape away large bits with a spatula, then blot the stain with an absorbent cloth or paper towel. 

Specialized cleaners should be used with care and always tested on a tiny, unseen part of your carpeting or rug first. It may be best to clean spots with club soda and baking soda.

Call APT for Help

We can help you with all of your summer carpet cleaning needs from installed carpeting to the finest wool area rugs. 

Whether you live in Denver, Parker and Littleton, we can help you with your professional upholstery cleaning needs. We are glad to answer your carpet and area rug cleaning questions. We will give you a free, written estimate without cost or obligation. Contact us at 720.344.2870 or use our online form to schedule a free consultation.

Source

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/cleaning/reviews/how-to-clean-a-wool-rug/

The post Tips To Get Your Carpets and Wool Rugs Ready for Wedding and Summer Guests appeared first on A Personal Touch.

With all of the hotly debated topics in the world today, it may surprise you that the home decor industry has one of its own.

Can you install two different hardwood floor colors in your home?

People have strong opinions one way or the other.

Designers will often tell you it’s one of the biggest faux-pas in the industry. They’ll tell you two different species, styles, or hardwood colors will be a decorating nightmare.

Yet some homeowners don’t mind at all.

If you move into an older home, the previous owners may have installed hardwood in select rooms. It’s in good shape, and you want to keep it. Yet matching it isn’t possible. The grain pattern no longer exists, and you can’t find the exact plank size and width. They don’t want to scrap quality hardwood for the sake of sameness throughout the living space.

And that’s where opportunity rises.

Different species mean different opportunity

Throughout the years, the hardwood industry has had standard manufacturing practices in place. The most common species for hardwood flooring include:

• Ash
• Black walnut
• Beech
• Cherry
• Hickory
• Maple
• Red oak
• White oak

Chances are if you have hardwood already in place, it’s from one of these species of trees.

Of course, there are many other species available. Exotic hardwood has been an industry specialty for as long as hardwood flooring has been popular.

If you go back twenty, forty, or even sixty years ago, processing was different. What manufacturer you chose and the installer’s beliefs all dictated how your final flooring appeared. Each choice created its own unique characteristics and appearance, and it’s challenging to change that today without ripping it out.

If that’s not an option, you’re automatically on the road for having a different look and feel as you move from room to room.

Advantages of using the same hardwood throughout

In many cases, it makes sense to change out all of your flooring at the same time. It creates transition, flow, and provides a color palette soothing to the eye.

It’s a great way to harmonize everything about your living space.

It also creates less of a mess. Installing hardwood isn’t an “in and out” process. The planks will need time to acclimate to your home. Depending on whether it’s prefinished or unfinished, you may need additional time for staining, finishing, and curing. It’s much easier to do this all at once, get in, and spend the time necessary to do it right the first time.

It can also lead to cost savings by buying in bulk. In many cases, you’ll get a better price for ordering more product. The installer is there anyway; why not have them get the entire job done?

It’s hard to argue with these advantages. Which is why you’ll find a strong argument for sticking to one hardwood palette throughout your home.

But it doesn’t always make sense.

Two different hardwood floor colors can make a lot of sense

Just because you can find a lot of arguments about why one color, one floor, makes sense, doesn’t mean it’s the right choice for you.

It’s your house!

And that alone is reason enough to use your own judgment when installing flooring.

The most common reason why people end up with more than one hardwood color and pattern in their homes is due to the cost. It can be expensive to install hardwood throughout your home. If that’s your ultimate goal, it often makes more sense to install it room by room.

That decreases the likelihood of being able to match up your flooring choices.

Hardwood fades as it acclimates to your home. Even buying the same brand, color, and pattern can be slightly off from lot to lot.

If the colors won’t match up, doesn’t it make more sense to move towards complementary colors instead of trying to match?

Tips for using more than one hardwood flooring style

If you’re adding to existing hardwood, instead of worrying about matching, use these tips to place two or more colors together.

Dark and light together

Instead of sticking with the same color hue, go to opposite ends of the spectrum instead. Dark hardwood can add intimacy to a room. It might be the perfect choice for a master suite. For a child’s bedroom, err on the side of light hardwood and light wall color to create a fresh, open appearance anyone will be comfortable “hanging out” in.

Complementary instead of match

People often take a selection of colors home, attempting to match existing hardwood as closely as possible. Choose a complementary color instead. Lay them side by side and determine which is most pleasing to the eye. Then use T-molding or wooden borders to separate rooms where it makes most sense – doorways are great options.

Change direction

People are acclimated to running hardwood planks parallel to the way the room runs. Instead, what if you ran it diagonal across the space? Move away from a constant direction from one end of the house to another. Changing directions can be enough of a change to pull your eye away from the different colors, and focus more on the room design itself.

Refinishing

If you have a specific hardwood in place, you can use the same species, and refinish it to match the new flooring you lay into place. While it still doesn’t guarantee to absorb the new stain and finish in exactly the same manner, it’s the best way to attempt to gain the same color tone for all the rooms that have hardwood.

What’s your preference? 

Ultimately, what you choose to install inside your home is a personal choice, and completely up to you.

https://pro-flooring.com/can-you-change-the-color-of-hardwood-floors/

If you’re not quite sure what to do, come in and use any of our sales associate’s knowledge to help you create a living environment you’re proud to call home.

With so many selections on the market today, there are easy ways to create the home of your dreams.

How can we help you select the right hardwood flooring for each room in your home?

The post Is It Okay To Have Two Different Hardwood Floor Colors? first appeared on PRO! Flooring.

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

Smoked Oak flooring can really add warmth and a richness to your home. Oak is a timeless floor covering with distinctive and classic features.  The natural colour of Oak is a golden light brown.  You are getting the beauty of Oak, but with a darker and richer brown colour.  As with any wooden floor, if you look after it, it can last a lifetime. Read More

As you choose flooring for your home, you have a lot you need to consider. For one, you want to make sure the flooring you select can accommodate your furniture and appliances.

Different types of flooring are designed for different rooms in a home. For example, tile is most appropriate for a bathroom, while carpet is more suitable for a bedroom. If you’re interested in vinyl plank flooring, you need to know what rooms in your home are best for this option.

Vinyl plank flooring is an attractive flooring option because it combines the stylish appearance of hardwood with an affordable price tag. Vinyl plank hardwood is also available in countless styles, so there’s a flooring option for your home no matter your interior design style. In addition to its appearance and price tag, vinyl plank flooring is also great because it can handle up to 500 pounds of weight per plank.

On average, a refrigerator weighs between 200 and 400 pounds. When placed on several vinyl planks, the strength of the planks can easily hold up the refrigerator.

Vinyl plank hardwood is made from heavy-duty plastics. Polyvinyl chloride resin (PVC) is melted and pressure-mixed with plasticizers, white pigments, UV stabilizers, fungicide, and calcium carbonate. This mixture is then added to a backing layer, holding everything in place. Most vinyl planks are made with two to six layers, making them waterproof, scratch-resistant, and cost-effective.

Vinyl plank hardwood is excellent for any room in your home that has heavy furniture or appliances. However, you need to wait to add heavy furniture and appliances to your home after the flooring installation process. Vinyl plank hardwood can require a waiting period of up to 48 hours before you can place anything on it.

Before putting furniture and appliances on your vinyl plank hardwood floors, clean your floors. You also want to avoid dragging your furniture, as this can scratch the floors. Instead, lift furniture and appliances into place. It doesn’t hurt to add pads to the legs of your furniture to reduce scratching as well.

You can shop for the ideal vinyl plank hardwood for your home with Flooring.org. Shop our inventory online and reach out to us at [email protected] with any questions. We hope to work with you soon!

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

As a homeowner, if you’re looking at home improvement projects, installing new flooring can be a worthy project. It gives you a unique design palette to live with, and can add value to your home for years to come.

If you walk into a home improvement floor, it’s easy to feel the pull of hardwood flooring. It remains one of the most loved flooring choices, one homeowners have moved to the top of their wish lists.

But what many don’t realize when they first start out is just how many choices there are. Selecting a hardwood flooring species can be difficult when you see all the color and pattern choices available to you. How do you make a choice?

Domestic versus exotic – what’s the difference? 

When you start shopping for hardwood, you’ll quickly learn it comes in a variety of formats. Different species provide you with different results. Hardness, appearance, and price point will all be determined by your final selection.

Domestic species of hardwood flooring include:

• Birch
• Cherry
• Hickory
• Oak
• Maple
• Walnut

Domestic hardwood flooring provides you with a traditional appearance you’ll most likely see in both commercial and residential settings. It’s the most affordable option, one you’ll likely have the most availability for no matter where you are shopping.

Homeowners often select domestic species because it’s readily available. They offer decent durability, and will acclimate well to your home’s environment. Because the tree is often from your area, it is less susceptible to change with the daily living environment.

Domestic species tend to have fewer patterns and variances, but can feature a wide range of stains and textured effects. If you have something specific in mind, you can achieve it with these classic good looks.

Exotic species of hardwood flooring include:

• Brazilian cherry
• Brazilian walnut
• Jatoba
• Kempas
• Sapele mahogany
• Tigerwood

Homeowners are often drawn to exotic species because of their dramatic color appearance and striking grain patterns. If you want a one-of-a-kind look, you’ll love what you find with exotic hardwood.

Most exotic hardwoods have higher Janka hardness scores, making them some of the most durable flooring choices on the market today. That makes them great for the most popular areas of your home, even hallways and entryways. They scratch and dent less, and will remain good-looking for years to come.

Because they are harder to find and source, you’ll most likely find them in limited widths and profiles. This may not be a problem, but if you’re planning on wider planks, or have a larger room, you may not have the options available in domestic species. 

Have a particular hardwood species in mind? Don’t make these mistakes. 

As you start to navigate your options, and find hardwood species you love, it’s easy to focus on its looks and forget to ask the most important questions that will determine the longevity of your floors.

Mistake #1 – Buy from unscrupulous retailers

We all love good deals. The power of the internet has given us easy access to find the best deals in the marketplace.

If you’ve ever received an order only to find it didn’t meet your expectations, you know one of the biggest drawbacks from ordering online.

While a shirt or a bowl is easily replaced, your flooring is something you’ll have to live with for years to come. Not all retailers select the highest quality products. Even your local discount or home improvement store buys in bulk, from a lower grade than what you’ll find with a flooring specialist.

Lower quality hardwood means the entire production process might not have been top-notch. Cutting, sanding, finishing – every step may have cut corners, meaning it won’t stand up as well under normal circumstances.

When you buy from a supplier who investigates where the product line comes from, you can anticipate the highest quality artistry on the market.

Mistake #2 – Durability can wane

When you install domestic hardwood, the wood may be harvested right from your own community. The final product adjusts easily to your home environment.

Exotics have more trouble. They can be extremely reactive to changes in the environment, which can cause expansion and contraction as it adjusts to your home.

Higher quality manufacturers understand this, and take the necessary precautions. They know how to work with the product throughout production, and understand what it takes to install it inside your home.

Many exotic hardwood species retailers will recommend acclimating the planks for a much longer time period than with a domestic floor. Build that into your time schedule so you don’t have problems down the road.

Mistake #3 – Chemicals and toxic reactions

Do you have allergies? Do you react to certain reactors out in nature? While you might understand your reactions to common hardwood species, you may not have an understanding of how you’ll react to an exotic species. Some people can find certain species highly reactive and cause mild or even severe reactions to the chemicals and makeup of different materials.

Why? Certain species have different chemical makeup that can trigger different responses. Brazilian walnut and teak, for example, are known to occasionally cause a reaction. If you aren’t sure, it’s a good idea to apply a small amount of wood dust to your skin with a bandage for a day and see if you have a reaction.

Not all processing is the same. As you make your final selection, you can work with a sales associate to understand the entire production cycle, to ensure you or a family member won’t suffer a reaction.

Mistake #4 – Hardness

Many homeowners move to exotic species to install a harder floor. While a harder floor can be more durable, it also has the potential for installation problems.

Be sure you hire an installer who works with exotic hardwood regularly. Nailing can be more challenging to ensure the planks are set into place. With the hardest species, pre-drilling is often necessary to ensure a clean look and a tight fit.

It’s also something to remember when you refinish your flooring down the road. Exotics may need a finer grit when sanding it down. They may need a different finishing process to ensure a high quality look.

Do your due diligence throughout its life, and you’ll love your hardwood flooring for as long as they are in place.

The post Don’t Make These Mistakes When Selecting Hardwood Flooring Species first appeared on PRO! Flooring.

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Do you want a completely FREE estimate for flooring? The Carpet Guys were founded on the principle that no one should have to pay for an estimate. Joe Zago decided as a fledgling entrepreneur to never charge for estimates or exceptional service. Read on to learn more.

Who gets a Free Estimate?

Everyone! You don’t have to spend a certain amount to get it. As a matter of fact, you don’t have to spend ANY money at all.  We will send a professional Design Consultant to your home. They will bring our Showroom of samples with them. Our experienced Design Consultants have all the knowledge they need to help you decide what type of flooring would be best in your home and with your budget. No obligation to buy. Many big box companies wait until the contract is being written to share hidden costs. Their online pricing doesn’t match the total paid.  Some other flooring companies say it’s a free estimate and they will refund the cost AFTER installation.

What comes with a Free Estimate?

Our most powerful asset is our amazing Design Consultants and Installation Contractors. Both teams want you to purchase with confidence and information.  If you’re doing a large remodeling project, our Design Consultant can work within the scope of the plan to get all the necessary components on the estimate. They can let you know if your floor needs leveling. We know what is needed for your floor rip-up. Even, what furniture needs to be moved, and more! If the kitchen floor needs replacement, and you aren’t sure what type of flooring would be best, we can help. We carry the best American manufactured products in carpet, hardwood, engineered hardwood, laminate, sheet vinyl, and luxury vinyl plank or tiles.

When is the Free Estimate?

We have residential appointments available every day of the week and on weekends for an in-house estimate. If you need a morning or evening appointment, we have those too. We will work around your schedule.

Where to get this Estimate?

In the comfort of your home is where you get your free estimate. If you are moving into a new home, we will be there too. We will do all the necessary measurements for you. Our Design Consultants will bring all the tools to give the best price for any flooring service needed. We have consultants near you all over Southeast Michigan. So, we can be at your door and give you an estimate in any weather conditions.

Why get an Estimate?

Why not? If it’s free, there’s no reason not to call today. Don’t forget to ask about all our other inclusive items. We offer Free Furniture Move, Free Installation Warranty, or our Free Referral program. The referral program pays you to tell friends about your wonderful experiences. Need a Free Square Foot Calculator? Check out ours at www.carpetguys.com/calculator/. At The Carpet Guys, we have friendly schedulers standing by to help you at 855-4-MY-GUYS (855-469-4897) if you want to talk to a person. You can also schedule online at www.carpetguys.com/schedule

Some other things The Carpet Guys recommend that are FREE:

After the flooring is installed, will you need a free estimate for painting?

1-800-PAINTERS

Have foundation issues or water damage and need a free estimate for repair work?

Basement Waterproofing of Michigan

The post Free Estimate appeared first on The Carpet Guys.

Home improvement projects can be expensive. Even simple tasks can become overwhelming when you see costs grow right before your eyes.

The average cost of new flooring today can range anywhere from $3 to $22 or more per square foot. That adds up to thousands of dollars, depending on the size of your room and the flooring choice you make.

How do you ensure you don’t have buyer’s remorse from the moment it’s installed?

Buying new flooring is a big decision. Even if you have a flooring type in mind, it’s best to head to your flooring dealer with a few questions in mind, to ensure you select a product best suited for your lifestyle.

As flooring consultants, we love helping homeowners select flooring they’ll love for years to come. When we advise flooring clients, we ensure they’ve thought about these questions and more.

Is this the right flooring product for my lifestyle?

We can’t tell you how often homeowners have come in with a particular product in mind, only to install something they’d never considered before. That’s because it’s easy to fall in love with a floor when you view it online or in home improvement magazines, only to discover it would be a disaster inside your own home.

If you have a busy household with kids and pets, a white carpet probably isn’t on your list. Yet there are different flooring choices that might be better suited to your busy lifestyle.

Before we even get into looking at flooring choices, we like to gain a better understanding of what a home is like. Where will you be placing the new flooring – kitchen, living space, or bedroom? We also ask questions about an average day in the room you’ll be replacing. Take a kitchen as an example. Do you use it simply to warm up leftovers? Or are you in there morning, noon, and night, whipping up creations to present to family and friends? Messes are commonplace, and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

Flooring type doesn’t necessarily determine final looks. With today’s flooring products, even if you love hardwood yet know it wouldn’t handle well in your home, there are other products that can satisfy all of your needs and desires. How about luxury vinyl planks? Or tile that takes on a hardwood appearance?

Instead of coming in with specifics in mind, sometimes an open mind will lead to a better product that will be perfect for all of your family’s needs.

What are the hidden costs?

Have you seen the ads on television that promise to install new flooring into a room for a very low price? Something inside tells you it’s too good to be true.

It is.

These companies market to bring you in with a low price. But once they meet you in your home, they start adding on additional costs. And depending on how far along you are in the process, it can be a little unnerving to see just how high the final price grows.

Before you say “yes” to anything, it’s important to understand all of your costs first. That includes the cost for the flooring product, installation fees, underlayment charges, delivery charges, discarding old flooring materials, and any other handiwork needed to install your final flooring product.

You can ask this question in different ways:

• What other costs may be charged during the entire process?
• What unexpected items may be added to my final bill?
• What isn’t included in the cost listed here?

You can also use these questions to get a better understanding of the ethics of the flooring consultant you’re talking to. A reputable company will give you complete answers and bring up concepts you may not have thought about. If they are hiding something, you’ll feel it as you dive deeper into asking questions.

Trust your gut when buying new flooring – you’ll know if you’re working with a reputable company after spending even a little time with them.

What about warranties and guarantees?

A lot of places with prices “too good to be true” won’t stand behind the work they do.

New flooring products come with warranties from the manufacturer. This protects you from any defect within the product itself.

Reputable flooring retailers will also stand behind the products they sell and install. They want to make sure you’re happy with your flooring and the way it’s installed.

Get all warranties and guarantees in writing, and ask questions if you don’t understand. This is the best way to stay protected in the weeks and months to come.

What about the installation process?

Did you know hardwood floors need time to acclimate to your home before installation? That adds time to the full installation process.

Or did you know that some flooring choices are better suited with different types of subflooring? If you have a concrete subfloor, that can influence the final product you install.

Because you don’t install new flooring regularly, you might not understand the full installation process. If you have certain expectations about how fast the installation occurs, this can impact what product you select.

A reputable dealer will be able to walk you through the entire process, so you understand it from beginning to end. This also gives you a chance to ask about additional costs if something pops up along the way.

What about maintenance?

We find a lot of people ask questions about products and installation, but forget to ask about maintenance for the years to come. This can shorten the life of your flooring product, or even null and void the warranty.

Different manufacturers require different maintenance items to keep the product in good condition. For instance, some manufacturers have specific cleaning processes for daily maintenance as well as deep cleaning. Knowing this ahead of time can ensure you keep the proper tools on hand, and aren’t tempted to grab cleaning solutions that might harm the floors.

Is new flooring in your future? 

If you’re in the process of buying new flooring, focus on what questions to ask before you settle on a product.

The more you know about the flooring you choose, the happier you’ll be once it’s installed.

How can we help you find the right flooring for you?

The post Here Are The Questions To Ask A Flooring Consultant Before Buying New Flooring first appeared on PRO! Flooring.

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Hardwood floors are eye-catching, timeless, and can improve the value of your home. If you currently have carpet, but you’re interested in making the switch to hardwood, you may have some concerns. One of those concerns is probably cost. If you want to know if updating carpet floors to hardwood is expensive, keep reading.

There are endless perks to having hardwood flooring in your home. For one, it improves the value of your space. If you plan on selling your home any time soon, adding hardwood floors to your home can allow you to sell your home for more money. This means installing hardwood can basically pay for itself. Additionally, hardwood flooring is longer-lasting. Unlike carpet, hardwood takes a lot longer to wear down. Hardwood flooring can last for generations in a home, making it a worthwhile investment that can benefit your family and families to come for years.

Carpet may feel nice on your feet, but it’s difficult to clean. If you have pets or children, you may struggle to keep up with maintaining your carpet. This can lead to mold, mildew, dust, allergens, and dirt collecting on your floor. Not only is this uncomfortable, but it’s also unhealthy.

The average cost to remove carpet from space is between $0.11 and $0.22 per square foot or $1 to $2 per square yard. Let’s say you want to remove the carpet in your 330-square foot living room. That would cost between $37 and $73. However, you can actually remove the carpet on your own without the help of a professional. Just be sure to do your research beforehand to avoid causing any damage to your floor.

Once the carpet is removed, it’s time to install hardwood. Installing hardwood costs, on average, between $6 and $12 per square foot. This price depends on a variety of factors including the subfloor type, the hardwood material, the location of the flooring, and so on.

Overall, removing carpet and installing hardwood flooring is an investment, but it’s a doable purchase that is worth every penny. To discover affordable and high-quality hardwood flooring options for your space, shop with Flooring.org. You can browse our inventory online and call us at 1-800-689-9006 with any questions. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

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You may sit on your furniture every day and not really think about what it goes through. 

What if you were a couch or perhaps an easy chair? Put yourself in its, ah… armrests.

Did you imagine, for just one moment, what a day-in-the-life of a couch might be like?

Did you picture coffee spills, splattered yoghurt, popcorn showers, or puppy drool? Your upholstery is regularly subject to all of that and worse if you have a busy life and an energetic family. 

Summer pool parties, graduations, and birthday celebrations or that first backyard cookout to test grandpa’s secret Texas barbecue sauce: Each event brings friends, family members and a new onslaught of wear and tear to chairs, ottomans and couches.

Pick up the Hoover

As the first line of defense, we’ll remind you of an old adage: A vacuuming pass makes upholstery last! 

Don’t remember that saying? Well, honestly that’s because we just made it up. 

But, it is true. Vacuuming your chairs and couches keeps food and grit from being ground into the upholstery fibers. Consider vacuuming weekly or as often as your schedule allows.

You can also remove dust and dirt from upholstered surfaces with a soft-bristled brush.

When possible, consider turning and rotating your cushions to give the fabric a break as well.

Treat that spill

When they come from the factory, many upholstered furniture pieces have a protective coating. However, such protectants will only delay spills from being absorbed into your furniture, they don’t mean a spill will bounce off the couch like Elastigirl.

If your overexcited teenager or enthusiastic friend flings soda, tea or chili all over your sectional sofa, it’s important to clean it up immediately. Blot the spill gently with a clean, folded towel. The blotting may help you remove the spill completely, if you do it quickly enough.

Before spills happen, it’s good to check your furniture manufacturer’s care instructions. Do you need to use a water or a solvent based cleaner for stubborn stains? Many times, a mild cleaning product (test it first) can be applied in a circular motion with a soft brush to remove a spill. Vacuum the area when it is completely dry.

If you need help, call your local carpet cleaning professional in Denver, Parker or Littleton.

Schedule a steam cleaning

Next, consider refreshing your furniture with a deep, professional upholstery cleaning. Truck-mounted steam cleaning can be like a face-lift for your furniture. Regular steam cleaning is just as important as consistent vacuuming. Upholstery cleaning with a truck-mounted steam cleaning system:

1. Helps restore dulled colors to their original luster and resurrects flattened textures. 
2. Can eliminate odors from guests or pets who use couches or loveseats for sleeping.
3. Aids in removing dust, dirt and germs trapped deep in your upholstery fibers.

According to Statista.com, consumers spent $114.5 billion on bedding and furniture in 2019! Quite clearly, we invest so much in our homes because they are important to us.

How important? In an April 2012 article “Why Our Homes Make Us Happy,” U.S. News and World Report said, “Humans, however, add layers of significance to home and place. Physical places endure while memories and people fade, so homes and neighborhoods become ‘memory machines’ that help us keep alive some of the strongest sources of what has given our lives meaning, well-being, and happiness.”

It may seem dramatic to say your upholstery can affect how much you enjoy life, but it seems a clean, well-maintained home can make you, your guests and your loved ones feel better now and far into the future.

Reach out to APT

A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning’s technicians are thoroughly trained to care for many upholstery varieties.  Whether you live in Denver, Parker and Littleton, we can help you with your professional upholstery cleaning needs. Reach out before birthdays, reunions, anniversaries, or if your house needs a good sprucing up. 

We are happy to answer any upholstery cleaning questions, or to give you a free, written estimate without cost or obligation. Contact us at 720.344.2870 or use our online form to schedule a free consultation.

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