Wooden floor door bars explained

Wooden floor door bars are a great accessory that help you to close the gaps between doorways when fitting a floor.  There are a few different types to choose from depending on the type of floor that you have on the other side of the doorway.  Sometimes you will hear a door bar called a ‘threshold’, which is just another name for it.  We have a range of door bars including solid Oak door bars, and metal door bars. Read More

Sometimes, you feel like a kid in a candy store, with so many choices you aren’t sure which to choose.

If you’re redecorating, you may feel that sensation every time you head into a new store. What do you choose? How do you create the aesthetics you’re looking for?

When you’re working with home design, one of the first places to start is with flooring. It’s the base of your design. You’ve settled on carpet, but even after you make that decision, you still have difficult components left to choose.

How do you choose the right carpet color?

What about fiber?

Is a pattern better than a solid color?

Sometimes you walk right up to a particular style or fiber – you know what you want. But then it comes down to color.

Color can often be the most difficult decision of all. That’s because color can have a big impact on your overall design. How do you select a color from a tiny swatch and have it installed into a large space and hope it’ll look okay?

What if you choose wrong?

Are you replacing or upgrading?

A brand new design is different from upgrading something already in place. If you’re starting with a clean palette, new floors, new wall colors, new furniture, new window coverings, you can select anything you desire.

If, however, you already have certain things in place, it narrows down your choices considerably. Are you building around existing wall color? Do you have a sofa you love? Will the drapes stay in place? That gives you your starting point. This gives you something to build upon.

No matter where you are in the process, we recommend starting with a color theme. What’s your preference, greys, tans, blues, or greens? Select base colors, and build from there. Once you have that in place, then choose the color of your carpet. It’s much easier to paint walls, select a new sofa, or even add design pieces than it is adding new carpet. If you start with your base, the rest will fall into place.

What about your lifestyle?

Do you lead a quiet life, just you in your home? Are you married with kids? Do you have a dog and a cat … and add to it regularly? Do you throw wild parties with friends, or do you prefer a quiet evening at home?

Use your lifestyle to lead you to make the right choice.

Often, people think carpet color is controlled by an active lifestyle, but other things come into play. Fibers can play a big role in how easy clean up will be. Do you want stain resistance? Pay attention to durability as well as how easy it cleans.

Yet no matter how much stain resistance is in place, carpet colors like white, light grey or beige, or any light neutral color will be more difficult to keep clean. Coupling that with durability, and lifestyle is more important than ever when finalizing your decisions.

In highly active areas, we often suggest darker neutrals, fibers with various flecks and shades, or patterns that well wear and hide small problems. If you move towards patterns with multiple shades of color, it will be less noticeable when accidents happen.

What about neutral colors?

We’ve mentioned selecting neutral carpet color several times for a reason. While trends come and go, neutral carpet colors tend to stick around. Walk into a home with a bright color carpet – orange, green, red. You’ll notice it. It can also date it, depending on the color. But if you walk into a home with a well placed neutral carpet, it’s the canvas for the home’s design. You notice the aesthetics of the decor, not follow your eyes to the floor.

Greys, beiges, browns, and even moving into shades of blue are considered to be neutral carpet fibers. If you can blend different decor into the room, without countering the effects of the carpet, it’ll stand the test of time.

Start with your budget in mind

Walking into a flooring dealer and seeing aisles of carpet can be a daunting experience. Before you walk down the aisles, finding samples you lean towards, talk with an associate first. Give them an idea of your project. Clue them into your budget. Then ask where your money will be well spent. They can lead you to manufacturers and products that suit your needs well.

This eliminates the potential of falling in love with a carpet way outside of your budget. It also gives you a chance to see carpet samples specifically made for your lifestyle, and will serve you well.

Then you can start sorting samples into different categories. Do you like patterns? Do you like specific textures or fibers? Do some samples draw you in, while others say: no way?

When you’re first starting out, pull what pleases you. What can you envision in your own home? Quickly you’ll start to see patterns in your approach. When several samples are laid out together, you’ll also find some stay in your maybe column, while others instantly seem out of place.

That’s the point of this exercise. When you see several potentials together, you’ll lean towards some over others. When you’ve narrowed it down to a few final selections, it’s time to get a few flooring samples and live with them for a bit. View them in a different light. See them next to the color of your walls. Compare them to the fabric of your sofa, chairs, and drapery.  One will quickly pull away from the pack, and you’ll know which will serve you best.

Choosing carpet color wisely

The color of your carpet sets the stage for the aesthetics of your home. It’s not something you should select in a day.

Instead, consider your options wisely. Look at design websites. Pay attention to trends. Consider your own lifestyle. And after careful consideration, choose the one that suits you best.

You’ll love your carpet for years to come.

The post How Do You Choose Carpet Color With So Many To Choose From? first appeared on PRO! Flooring.

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Are you wondering why or if you should go for bamboo flooring instead of the other types of flooring out there? Let us help you out with the known benefits of bamboo flooring and why it should decorate the floors of your home instead. First off, let’s get this out of the way: bamboo is not wood; it is grass from the kingdom of plantae.

Benefits of Bamboo Flooring

Moisture-Resistant

Seeing that bamboo is grass, as mentioned above, your follow-up thought could be that it would easily be damaged by water or any form of moisture. Well, that is incorrect. Bamboo flooring has the same level of moisture resistance as hardwood flooring; this means that you get to use it for many years while it retains its original shine.

Vast Growth Locations

Do you know what bamboo forests are? They are a community of bamboo grasses. These forests have the capacity to grow the raw materials for bamboo floorings in different parts of the world. While the ideal growth location is hot/tropical locations like countries in Africa and South America, some variants of bamboo are known to grow in less tropical regions; these variants can also be grown indoors as well.

Bamboo Flooring Variants

As with other flooring types, bamboo flooring has variants to offer, so you get to choose from a list instead of being stuck with a specific type. There are engineered bamboo flooring, stranded bamboo flooring and horizontal bamboo flooring; of these three, the stranded bamboo flooring variant is the best version of it, lasts longer and has lots of colors to select from.

Easily Renewable

Bamboo, the raw material for bamboo flooring, is easily renewable and quickly regenerates after stalks are cut from it. Rather than take years or a decade to grow, it grows many inches within a day and continues to grow.

We have variants of bamboo flooring here at Flooring.org. For any questions answered you may have, or if you’d like to place an order today, please give us a call at 1-800-689-9006!

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Firstly, Engineered Oak herringbone is a beautiful floor that will transform your room completely.  Herringbone is a geometric pattern that is created by using parquet block flooring.  It is the most popular pattern created and gives a distinctive looking floor. Read More

There’s carpet. And then there’s Berber carpet. If you’ve ever heard someone talk about Berber, you might assume it’s in a class of its own.

You’d be correct.

If you trace Berber back in history, you’ll find that Berber comes from native North Africa. Thousands of years ago, these native “Berbers” had a unique weave they used when handcrafting textiles. This weave created multi-colored flecks and loops or knots of various sizes. This was the original Berber weave used in the rugs they produced.

Today, this is one of the defining features of Berber carpet. It consists of looped construction where the loops are sewn or tufted into the carpet’s backing. They are crafted into a rugged looped pile, though they can range in size from tight to loose. You’ll find Berber carpet created from one of three fibers:

• Olefin
• Nylon
• Wool

What fiber you choose will ultimately determine the price you pay, the carpet’s durability, and stain resistance over time. Olefin may be the most common fiber found in Berber, but you’ll often find blends between the three as well.

Olefin is popular because it’s resistant to moisture and mildew. Berber is often used in busy places such as the family room or basement, which gives it an added bonus of standing up to all your family can dish out. It looks and feels like wool carpet, but is a more cost-effective option. It’s colorfast, meaning the fibers are dyed before the carpet is made. It can fade in direct sunlight.

Nylon is one of the most common fibers used in the carpet industry because it’s strong and easy to clean. It’s also non-allergenic, and both soil and mildew-resistant. It’s a great choice for high-traffic areas. Keep in mind that nylon can be prone to static, and piles easily. If you’re setting up a home office, it’s something to consider before installing.

Wool may be the hardest to find, but it does create a sophisticated look. Many homeowners search it out because it’s an environmentally friendly option. It’s naturally hypoallergenic, non-toxic, easy to clean, and has natural stain resistance. It will also be the most expensive option.

Why do people love Berber carpet so much? Glad you asked. There are many benefits that will move Berber high up on your list.

The advantages and disadvantages of Berber carpet

The unique knotted weave of Berber carpet can be a distinct advantage in durability. Its unique look is also something homeowners often search out. If you’re thinking about installing Berber in your home, here are a few reasons why it’s a great choice.

Durability

If you want a durable carpet, you won’t have to think twice about installing Berber. That’s why you’ll see Berber in a lot of commercial applications. The main reason for durability is that the fibers are woven directly into the backing rather than having exposed ends. Berber will never unravel because it won’t leave the ends exposed.

However, what gives it its unique texture can also put it at risk. If you’re active on Berber, drag furniture across, or somehow catch the loop, it can tear away from the backing, leaving a snag in its place. This can be a problem if you have active pets that love to run and play. You should also ensure a high-quality vacuum that won’t catch the fibers as it performs.

Stain resistance

While stain resistance isn’t necessarily built into Berber, and is impacted more by the fiber material you select, it is worth mentioning that Berber’s tight weave does bring stain resistance to another level. Instead of settling into the fibers, potential stains sit on top longer, allowing you to fully clean the area before it settles in.

The drawback comes if you don’t know the spill occurs. Once it settles into the tight weave, it can be more difficult to remove. Be conscious of your weekly cleaning habits, clean spills immediately, and you’ll love your Berber carpets for years to come.

Cost

Because Berber carpet is more in demand today than ever before, you’ll find prices all over the board. Set your budget before you come in, and we’ll easily be able to direct you to product lines that meet your criteria.

Just be aware that some Berber carpets require special carpet pads to perform well over time. Be sure to consider that as you’re making your final decision.

Does it pay to look for brand names you recognize? 

Occasionally you’ll find flyers and ads come into your home offering you “good” deals. They often tout Berber carpet because it’s a popular choice.

What they fail to mention is who created the Berber carpet. By using a recognizable brand name – Stainmaster, Shaw, just to name a few – you’re assured all that comes from working with a reputable brand. Likewise, by working with a reputable dealer, you’re assured the installation process will move smoothly from beginning to end.

Without a brand name, you may be impacted by products that don’t come with warranties, or installation processes that don’t stand the test of time. If your carpet pulls away, buckles, or snags from the beginning, without recourse, you’ll be left contemplating full replacement in a very short time frame.

How do Berber carpets compare to other types?

If you’ve researched carpets, you know they are often lumped into several categories to make it easier to understand and shop for.

Berber is known for its durability and functionality. Its unique look gives it away. But if you’re still not sure if it’s right for you, here’s how it compares to several other popular categories.

Berber or plush carpet? Plush carpet is soft and luxurious. If you want to dig your toes into softness, this might be the way to go. It’s a great carpet to lie on, snuggle on, and create a warm feeling. It will show footprints easier, and won’t last as long as other choices. If you have a busy household with kids and pets, Berber is the better choice.

Berber or frieze carpet? Friese provides a looser or shaggy appearance, while Berber provides the tight weave. It tends to be a bit softer, and is excellent at hiding foot traffic. It is a cut pile carpet, so that it won’t wear as well over time.

Berber or saxony carpet? Saxony is known for its softness. It’s a great choice in the bedrooms, where warmth and luxury are at the top of the list. But it’s not known for durability. In high traffic situations, you’ll be replacing saxony carpets more frequently than Berber.

What’s the right choice for you? 

Many homeowners love Berber carpet. It’s a durable option for every room in your home.

If you’re ready to consider installing Berber, stop by today and see your many options.

The post For The Love of Berber Carpet – Here’s What You Need To Know first appeared on PRO! Flooring.

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Customizing your home is a great way to make it more personal. You want to wake up every day excited to spend time in it. Upgrading your flooring is a fantastic way to do just that! Wood floors make any space feel more luxurious and warmer, and we’re here to help make sure you get the most value out of them.

One of the most important things to consider is the functionality of your flooring. High-traffic areas of your home will need durable floors. Think bathroom, kitchen, and family room. Wherever you spend the most time is where you’ll want to ensure you have a strong floor. Options cherry, walnut, or oak are best for these busy rooms to ensure they will last for years and look just as new as the day you have them installed.

Professional installers can make just about any design dream come true. You’re able to put fun patterns like chevron or herringbone in your home. Keep in mind that simple and timeless will give you the best resale value. Lighter-colored woods will help keep your home feeling light and airy, but darker colors will more easily hide dirt and stains.

Quality should also be a top consideration when choosing your floors. You don’t want to skimp on wood so that it will last you for years to come, but you also need to know your market. Keep in mind that your current home may not be your forever home. Are the other houses in your neighborhood decked out with luxury high-end flooring or simple, cost-effective options? You want to make sure you don’t stray too far away from most current homes to ensure your ability to resell for a profit later.

When you’re ready to upgrade your flooring, get in touch with us here at Flooring.org. Online ordering is available 24/7 and you cannot beat our huge inventory at incredible prices! For immediate assistance, please give us a call at 800-689-9006!

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If you were building your dream home today, what kind of flooring would you install?

According to a National Wood Flooring Association survey, just more than half of homeowners – 52 percent – say they currently have hardwood somewhere in their homes. But when you ask them what kind of flooring they would install in their dream home, two-thirds say hardwood floors. That includes 81 percent of current hardwood flooring owners, with the most common reasons given being it’s durable, easy to clean, and attractive in every room in the home.

While those numbers are based on averages from homeowners across the country, we would bet the statistics actually rise here in Colorado. Coloradans love hardwood. Maybe it’s because we’re right at the base of the Rocky Mountains. The idea of a mountain retreat is appealing to us because it’s our normal. The scent of pinewood, the look and feel of pine throughout a home, even adding another log to the fireplace are high up on our wishlist.

If you’re changing out the flooring in your home, and wondering if hardwood is the way to go, even a little bit of research online might leave you confused and overwhelmed. Do a quick search and you’ll find articles touting all kinds of issues with installing a hardwood floor. You find articles on:

• How difficult it is keeping hardwood floors clean
• Why hardwood flooring is a bad choice in busy households
• Why hardwood flooring is fragile, dents easily, and is a wrong choice in homes with pets and kids

Of course, it’s easy to start questioning everything when you read these words of advice.

But before you form your own opinion, especially if you’ve never lived with hardwood floors before, we suggest you stop by and speak with an expert to learn more before you make your final choice.

What can you do to make hardwood floors look their best?

Clean up spills quickly

In many cases, what turns people off of hardwood flooring is the look and feel of hardwood after spills penetrate the wood.

Because wood swells and shrinks depending on moisture levels, both on the wood itself and in the air, it’s important to keep moisture at steady levels all throughout the year. If moisture seeps in between cracks in the planks, and slips down into the subfloor, it can quickly start to damage the wood. Swelling, expanding, contracting, warping and more can occur rapidly once moisture impacts the wood.

That’s also a reason to ban wet shoes at the door. Set up a mat as soon as you enter and require all shoes to be left at the door. That creates less of a mess throughout your home, and prevents water from accumulating in small puddles without you noticing.

Water and hardwood can also cause another potential problem – slip hazards. Water puddling combined with a hard lacquer finish can make the flooring slippery. This is especially dangerous on staircases or areas where the potential of falling increases.

Sweep and dust daily

Cleaning daily may seem a bit excessive, but it’s a great way to ensure the look and feel of hardwood floors stays in top condition.

Even if you’re a “no shoes” household, dust, tiny rocks, and other particles can easily make their way into your home and onto your floors. Baking cookies? What happens when a little bit of sugar spills underneath your feet? It’s easy for fine particles to be ground into the finish, dulling the look. You might not notice one or two tiny scratches, but over time, they can have a heavy impact on the finish or your flooring.

It doesn’t take much to run a broom or swiffer across the hardwood once a day to pick up these small amounts of dust and remove them from the finish.

Then once a week, go for the deeper clean. Run a vacuum over it and pick up things you missed. Be careful about using a wet mop as too much moisture on hardwood can quickly cause damage.

Use furniture pads

Scratches are one of the biggest problems for hardwood flooring. Those tiny scratches quickly add up, and can mar the look of your floors.

While some scratches are inevitable, others are preventable. Be aware of what items in your home have the potential for causing the greatest damage.

If you have island chairs, a breakfast nook, or dining room chairs, they will be pulled out and used every day. Adding furniture pads to the legs will help buffer the potential of damage caused by daily use.

Don’t ignore sofas, tables, and other furniture with tiny wooden or metal legs. These furniture pieces may be stationary, but it’s possible to bump them and have them move even a fraction at a time. Because of their weight, they can produce severe damage to the flooring underneath, especially if you bump and move the item regularly. You’ll notice it when you move the piece and add something new, or redecorate and change things up.

Use approved floor cleaners only 

You want clean floors. You find a product at your favorite market that promises clean wood floors. What could be wrong with picking up this product for weekly use?

A lot.

Many of the products on the market contain chemicals and other by-products not meant for use on wood floors – even if they state they’re safe for wood floor use. If you use the wrong product, you can damage your floors, and possibly null and void the warranty that came with your flooring.

Before you select a cleaning product, check with your flooring’s manufacturer first.

Schedule refinishing every three to five years

A single homeowner who travels a lot is different from a busy family with lots of kids and pets. Only you know how much activity your floors see on a daily basis.

With that in mind, schedule refinishing every few years to keep your floors looking good, and ensure they have a protective layer that helps prevent spills from penetrating. This will ensure the wood underneath lasts for years, and continues to look good no matter how often you change your decor.

The post How To Keep Hardwood Floors Looking Their Best first appeared on PRO! Flooring.

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When purchasing a new wooden floor, you are more than likely going to have lots of questions running around in your head.  Here are our top 5 questions most asked by people buying a wooden floor. Read More

If you have an existing décor or have a new one in mind, you may be wondering which flooring will match your décor. The beauty of hardwood flooring is that the neutral and natural colour tones will give you a timeless appearance and usually match most decors. The tones and colours of hardwood are usually determined by the wood species, but some floors do have a colour stain added to give them different shades, such as greys, caramels and dark browns. Read More

Flooring isn’t something you replace regularly. When you decide it’s time for new floors, you start your search in different ways.

Maybe you’ve visited your local big box store to see what’s on sale. Maybe you’ve searched online to find out what’s popular.

With those ideas in mind, you start your search. Yet if you’re relying on “truth” from those two sources, you might not have a clear picture of what’s the right flooring for your home.

Let’s look at bamboo flooring. While it’s been growing in popularity over the past few years, if you come across an older website discussing the pros and cons of bamboo as a flooring choice, you might not fully understand this resource. Bamboo has been growing in popularity because manufacturers have been getting better at turning it into a flooring choice that works well for your home.

When you really know the facts about bamboo flooring, it’s going to rise to the top of your list for every room in your home.

Fact: Bamboo is a hard, durable flooring material

Bamboo is often compared to hardwood, yet it isn’t hardwood at all. Instead, bamboo comes from grass, not a tree.

To create hardwood, it requires you to harvest trees and produce them in plank format. That process can take several decades of growth. Bamboo is a fast growing plant, and can be harvested within five to seven years. What’s even better is it is a sustainable crop, meaning once it’s cut down, it grows right back to the same height in another five to seven years. That makes it a perfect choice for people who are trying to reduce their carbon footprint, and look for building materials that add green technology into their homes.

Yet don’t let the fact that it’s a grass make you think it isn’t durable. All hardwood is sold based on a Janka rating for telling consumers just how hard the product is. The Janka test is performed on a sample 2×6 inches in size. The rating is calculated by determining how much pressure it takes to push a 0.444 inch steel ball halfway into the wood sample. Oak is ranked around 1360. Brazillian cherry is at 3650. Strand woven bamboo registers at 4000.

A lot of misrepresentation happened with the original bamboo put on the market back when it was first introduced in the 1990s. Today’s bamboo is nothing like the original building material. If you want a durable floor that will last through all your family can dish out, bamboo may be the right choice.

Fact: Bamboo is a great choice for kids and pets

One of the most common questions we have from homeowners is in finding the perfect mix between a flooring they want, and one that handles well to all their family can dish out. And we get it; your kids and pets aren’t going to stop being kids and pets just because you installed new floors.

You may tell them to be careful the first few days. But after a while, all bets are off – you’ve got living to do.

Older generations of bamboo were soft enough that pet’s nails and other sharp objects could easily scratch the surface. But if that happens today, it’s because the bamboo flooring you installed is of poor quality.

Because bamboo is one of the hardest surface materials, it can take all your family can dish out. With the right finish in place, it can withstand years of use, even with the heaviest of dogs walking over the floors each day.

Fact: Bamboo can be installed anywhere

Homeowners love hardwood – they want it everywhere. Yet if you’ve ever tried placing hardwood in your basement, for example, you know that is a recipe for disaster.

Yet this can be a perfect place to install bamboo. Bamboo is so versatile, it can be installed below grade on a plywood subfloor, or even right over concrete. It does well in most climate conditions; just be sure you check with the manufacturer of the product you select to ensure it meets the standards of where you’ll install it.

Fact: Bamboo isn’t automatically made with chemicals

If you read enough online, you’ll find many stories about how bad bamboo flooring can be for your health. They have high concentrations of formaldehyde, and can cause a host of problems, especially with vulnerable family members.

This simply isn’t true. Yes, you can find some materials that are made in less than honorable ways. But high quality manufacturers are going to create products that stand the test of time.

This is also an example of why you should pay attention and do your due diligence as you shop. If you find a low cost source that seems too good to be true, it probably is.

All sorts of products on the market today are created using chemicals. The more aware we become of how they are impacting our health, the harder some companies work to reduce the chemicals in their product lines.

Ask questions about the products you’re interested in. If you want truly sustainable bamboo flooring materials that are chemical free and will help you live a cleaner life, we’re happy to show you products that meet your guidelines. Can you find that on a fly-by-night resource online? Of course. But when you choose reputable dealers, you’ll be able to dig deeper into the sources to choose from, and understand your product on a deeper level.

Fact: Bamboo flooring provides a great looking floor

If you want a durable flooring product that looks great throughout your home, bamboo can be the resource you’re looking for. If you want a product that can be refinished to give it an even longer lifespan, bamboo might be a perfect choice. If you’re looking for a flooring product that comes in a variety of colors and patterns, and will work well no matter what your family can dish out, we highly recommend you give bamboo another look.

As flooring dealers, we understand that individual homeowners have a variety of wants and needs. Stop by today and we can share with you a variety of flooring products perfect for your busy lifestyle.

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