Our Response to COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

At
Express Flooring, we value our customers as much as they value a great deal.
That’s why we are the Happy Home People…and each and every one of you is a
member of the Happy Home Family.

With
concern continuing to grow about the spread of Coronavirus and the resulting
illness, COVID-19, I wanted to take a moment of your time to personally assure
you that Express Flooring has your safety at the forefront of everything we do.

We’re taking numerous steps to protect our
family…including yourselves, our team, and our partners from the spread of
infection during this concerning time. 

We are diligently monitoring the situation as
it evolves while adhering to the guidance published from the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

We regularly give these reminders to all our associates:

Wash your
hands frequently and thoroughly (20 seconds, minimum)
Adopt an alternative to the handshake
Avoid contact with sick people
Avoid touching your own eyes/nose/mouth
Stay home if you or someone in your home is feeling sick

In
order to maintain a safe work environment, we have also increased the cleaning
and sanitizing of our offices and warehouses.

In
addition, we have advised our in-home Design Consultants on specific practices
to ensure the safety of our customers, as well as themselves as they are
invited in to homes.

We’ve
put these measures in place because we want you and your loved ones to stay
safe, healthy, and comfortable until this public health issue is behind us all.

So,
to the members of The Happy Home Family, I again want to affirm that we’ve got
your back!

Thank you for being a valued member of The Happy Home Family!

Sincerely,

Michael
Hirsch, GM

The post Our Response to COVID-19 (Coronavirus) appeared first on Express Flooring.

Have you noticed almost every home you go into across the Front Range has wood floors? There’s a reason for that.

Head back in time, and you’ll find homes predominately used wood for floors. This wasn’t expensive wood, rather it was whatever fit their budgets, often being little more than particleboard. Of course, they didn’t have our modern day finishes and varnishes, so they used sand and wire brushes to level it out, occasionally bleached it with lye to bring it to a neutral color. In most cases, they used paint as a decor statement, or simply covered it up with their handmade rugs. These floors weren’t beautiful. They were functional at best.

To make them beautiful, they started having fun with decorating techniques. They’d use paint to create borders and patterns. They’d do what they could to “pretty” them up.

The sign of wealth showed up when a homeowner had rugs or carpet installed. Rugs were handcrafted by true artisans. They often came from different parts of the world. If someone could afford a rug, you knew they’d found success.

Is wood flooring good?

The industrial age brought on many new things in our lives, including mass production. Whereas people used to have to forage local areas for the wood necessary to build their homes and install flooring, now they could be selective about the type of wood they used.

And that meant humans started focusing on quality.

We also became better at building. We learned to use subfloors and insulation for protection and warmth. Flooring was no longer a mishmash of materials based on what we could find nearby.

And that changed everything.

What are the 7 main benefits of wood flooring?

1. It’s good looks

You can never go wrong with the classic looks of hardwood flooring. They’ll never go out of style. Maybe that’s because there are so many looks to choose from.

When you first enter our store, you’ll find a large variety of choices. Light or dark wood? Something more traditional, or do you prefer exotic? Want something eco-friendly? Want something that will look good for decades? We can point you in the right direction.

What’s more, with hardwood, you also have the opportunity to refinish it when it starts aging, and its classic looks begin to fade. Some hardwoods have been known to last fifty years or more.

2. It’s durable

Today’s hardwood is no longer taken from a local tree and installed without proper processing. Instead, they are kiln-dried, manufactured, and finished to meet specific standards. Depending on the materials you choose, they can be durable enough to last even in commercial applications.

https://www.nwfa.org/technical-standards.aspx

If strength and durability are something you are particularly concerned with, learn more about Janka hardness test. The Janka test lists hardness values for all types of wood used for flooring applications, ranking them for how well they sustain denting and wear.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janka_hardness_test

3. It’s easy to maintain

Wood floors are one of the easiest flooring types to keep clean, no matter how busy your household is. They don’t accumulate dirt and debris, nor will they stain under most circumstances. If you spill, simply wipe it away. A weekly cleaning is often nothing more than running a vacuum over it to remove the debris, with an occasional damp mop for a deeper clean. Be sure not to let the water pool, wipe up spills immediately for best results.

4. Variety

While we’ve mentioned it’s classic good looks above, it’s worth another look at the different options you can find in the hardwood flooring industry. It’s no longer just about using standard species like oak or maple.

Have you ever thought of using cork? Cork is an environmentally friendly option that is processed from the bark of a tree rather than the inner wood itself. That makes it sustainable, as the tree doesn’t have to be harvested for the product. It can reproduce bark every few years, and last for decades to give the farmer a recurring revenue stream. That’s good for the environment, and good for your home.

You can also select from a wide variety of species, and even change the look further by selecting your own stain and finish. Darken the wood to produce a dramatic space. Lighten it up for an open, airy appearance.

5. It’s a great investment

If you’re at all thinking of selling your home in the future, you can’t go wrong by installing hardwood floors. Wood floors are shown to consistently hold their resell value, and you’ll find it boosts your home’s price enough to recoup as much as 80 percent of the installation costs.

https://www.realtor.com/advice/home-improvement/what-type-of-flooring-should-i-install-for-best-resale-value/

 

Why? Because new home buyers demand it. There’s nothing that makes a home look cleaner and more up to date than walking into wood floors throughout.

6. It’s healthier

Indoor air quality is no longer on the fringe, something that only scientists or medical practitioners consider. If you have a family, chances are you do your research well, and want only the best for each member. Of course, you want to create a home environment where everyone thrives.

Wood floors are healthier, depending on which manufacturer you choose. If you’re concerned with quality, be sure to ask us for the best products on the market. We’ll steer you to the ones that are produced without harsh chemicals, and that won’t require glues with higher levels of VOCs. And because they don’t harbor dirt, dust, particles, dander, or allergens the way other flooring does, you’ll breathe a sigh of relief, knowing your house is as clean as it can be.

7. It’s ageless

If you want a floor that will last years – decades – wood flooring is your choice. Long after other flooring options look tired and worn, hardwood will keep on looking its best. And even when it starts looking dull and tired, you can sand it down, stain it, refinish it, and it will pop right back into great shape.

https://pro-flooring.com/refinish-your-old-hardwood-floors-or-replace/

If you install hardwood flooring today, rest assured it has the possibility of being in your home as your family grows and ages.

And that can be a very good feeling, knowing you’re installing a flooring that will do well by you for years to come. It’s more sustainable – meaning it will lower your carbon footprint. And you won’t have to sacrifice good looks during the process.

Are you ready for wood floors in your home? If so, we can help. Stop by today and see our complete selection. We’ll help you choose the right floors for your space.

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

I stopped by a friend’s house the other day. She’d invited me over for coffee and conversation.

“And bring your dog.”

Our puppies grew up together and were great friends. As we entered, I bent down, wiping her paws off with a towel.

“Don’t worry about it. The floors are beyond repair anyway. There isn’t a flooring choice out there that can survive when you’re a pet owner.”

What!?

And as I looked around, I saw what she meant. Her hardwood was scratched, possibly beyond repair. The living room had threadbare carpets in place where her furry friend dug into the floor. I’d never noticed it before, but her flooring was truly a mess.

I compared it to mine when I got back home. Without my dog by my side, you couldn’t tell pets resided in my home. The flooring looked great! What was the difference?

Is it possible to have great looking flooring when you live with pets? I was determined to find out.

What pets do to flooring

People own all sorts of exotic pets. But in general, dogs and cats far outweigh any other kind of pet ownership.

While dogs and cats are distinctly different in the way they impact flooring, you’ll face three different categories of problems that affect how well your flooring wears:

Pets make messes. Their fur accumulates everywhere, meaning you’ll be sweeping and vacuuming more. They spill their water and food when they eat and drink. They may knock things over as they run and play.

Pets scratch. They like to run across the floor, playing with a ball, or fetching a toy. They dig in for traction. They dig … who knows what may be underneath the flooring, or at least in their minds.

Pets have accidents. Just do a quick search in Google on pet urine, and you’ll find millions of entries making recommendations for how to remove unsightly stains. It’s bad enough when you see the accident. If it goes unnoticed for days, you may never be able to remove it entirely without stripping the flooring down to the core.

Factors to keep in mind when selecting pet-friendly flooring

If you want to have great looking flooring and have pets in your home, it does take a little extra work. Still, with a bit of research, before you make your final selection, you can choose wisely and be happy with your decision for years to come.

The best flooring when you have pets should be:

Scratch-resistant. While both dogs and cats can have sharp nails that dig into the flooring as they walk and play, dogs have the added issue of weight. A one-hundred-pound dog playing as they run from room to room has the potential for doing a lot more damage than a twelve-pound cat. Pet-friendly flooring is one that stands up to high levels of scratch-resistance, no matter how hard your pet plays.

Stain-resistant. When you bring a puppy home, you’re going to face a lot of accidents. But even a well trained pet will occasionally have accidents on the floor. Even food and water can be a problem, especially when it sits in place for too long. The perfect flooring stands up well no matter how much your pet dishes out.

Safety. If you’ve ever watched a dog trying to gain traction on a slippery floor, it might look like it’s straight out of the funniest home videos show. But it can be a safety hazard that has the potential to injure your pet. Your pet walks, plays, and lies on the floor all day. Shouldn’t it be something that’s safe and comfortable?

What is the best flooring for pets?

Now that you have a better idea in mind of what factors to look for in a flooring, let’s talk about what options make great choices.

Hardwood. We start with hardwood only because it’s one of the most popular choices here across the Front Range. Most hardwoods aren’t meant for the abuse that typically comes with owning and caring for pets, especially larger dogs. If you don’t want to sacrifice your hardwoods for the sake of pet ownership, however, spend the extra time looking for the hardest wood you can find. Check the Janka hardness factor for specific types of hardwood, and select on the side of the hardest of woods. You might even consider adding even more protection by applying a urethane coating to minimize damage from scratching and messes.

Laminate. If you love the look of hardwood, but want added strength and durability, consider laminate flooring instead. Laminate is designed to imitate the look of hardwood, yet depending on the product you select, it can actually be as hard as stone. Laminate is made up of several different layers of materials, giving you the freedom to select many different looks, while having a durable product that can stand up to whatever your pet dishes out. What’s more, laminate flooring is easily cleaned and rarely stains, making it a great product to stand up to those occasional accidents your furry friend may make.

Vinyl. We love vinyl flooring, and recommend it all the time to pet owners. Don’t think you’ll have to compromise on looks to have vinyl installed in your home. Today’s luxury vinyl flooring mimics the most popular flooring on the market so closely, even experts have to lean down to tell it isn’t real. If you want hardwood without the hassle, look at luxury vinyl. If you want a softer version of stone, check out the options with luxury vinyl. Plus, it’s one of the lowest costing flooring choices, meaning it’s economical for all budgets.

Stone. Natural stone is one of the most expensive options, but its timeless beauty also makes it one of the best. If you’re worried about scratches in your flooring, you won’t have to think twice when you install stone. Even large dogs will have little impact against stone. And when it comes to clean up, as long as you have a proper sealant in place, clean up is as easy as wiping away the mess for good. We also love stone because you can install it over radiant heating, something your furry friend will love on the coldest of nights.

What pet friendly flooring choice is right for you?

These are our top flooring choices for homeowners that own pets. Though a lot of it depends on your style, personality, and the pets you care for.

If you’re thinking of changing out your flooring, what choice is moving to the top of your wish list? What questions can we answer for you?

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

When you are choosing flooring for a bathroom your main priority should be that is waterproof.  Bathrooms are often the wettest room in your home.  Even with the most careful family members it is inevitable that water will get splashed outside the bath, shower and sink.  You will need a floor that is resilient, waterproof and long lasting. Read More

Just like trends in fashion, trends in home furnishings also
ebb-and-flow.  Whether it’s because of
the Summer Olympic Games coming or because it goes so well with this year’s
Pantone Color of the Year, going for the gold is what’s new in flooring trends.

This year’s Pantone color of the year for 2020 is Classic Blue.  When choosing to decorate with this beautiful, cool color, it’s important to find ways to bring warmth back into the room.  One of the easiest ways to do this is by adding a warm-toned flooring like gold.  Gold flooring doesn’t have to mean a mustard-yellow shag carpet.  There are plenty of warm-toned, neutral ranges that will blend with any décor.

Gold Carpet

Gold flooring can come in lights and darks or even add a sense of texture. Choose a carpet that has a blend of colors and it will help hide dirt and wear-and-tear.

• 

• 

Gold Hard Surface Flooring

If carpet isn’t what you’re looking for, there are plenty of hard surface options to be found in these rich gold tones.  Check out some of these options to bring in some warmth.

• 

• 

• 

Gold in Sheet Vinyl

If you want something that looks like tile or stone, instead of wood, here are some sheet vinyl options that utilize the gold coloring in their design.

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While you’re deciding on which flooring types and colors would be best in your home, we have several blogs to help guide you in this process.  In addition, we have professionally trained Design Consultants that can come to your home and answer your questions.  They will bring samples of whatever color you prefer so you can see the flooring in your own lighting and next to your furniture.  The Carpet Guys provide all this free of charge to our customers.  Be Wise!  Let The Carpet Guys help you find the perfect gold flooring trends for your rooms, at 855-4-MY-GUYS (855-469-4897) or fill out our Free In-Home Estimate form and we can provide you with a consultation weekdays, weekends and even evenings.

The post Going for the Gold (in Flooring Trends, That is) appeared first on The Carpet Guys.

According to the Oxford dictionary, the word acclimate means:

To become accustomed to a new climate or to new conditions. To respond physiologically or behaviourally to a change in an environmental factor under controlled conditions.

Whether you’re redecorating a room or remodeling sections of your home, the word acclimate as it applies to your flooring is a term you should learn well.

What does acclimate flooring mean?

Certain types of flooring have more needs and requirements throughout the installation process than others. With some, what you see is what you get. If you install carpeting, for example, you stretch it and tack it into place, knowing it will stay exactly how you place it for a very long time. Only after wear will it start to stretch and move and change, requiring maintenance work to bring it back to original condition.

But some types of flooring aren’t as easy to work with right out of the box. Wood floors are one of the most popular flooring choices throughout the Rocky Mountain region. Colorado also happens to be an arid climate, much drier than other parts of the world, where many of the most popular wood floor choices come from. What’s more, the various types of wood move through a variety of steps during the manufacturing and shipping processes. They can be stored in cold or hot environments, and face many different temperatures and humidity levels before making it into your home.

How do you acclimate flooring?

When you install new flooring, you do so with the hopes it will last for years to come.

Now imagine your new flooring buckling, cupping, warping, almost before your eyes. Not a pretty picture.

That is where acclimation comes into play. Acclimating your flooring allows your new floors to adjust to your home’s environment before it’s laid into place. The planks adjust to the humidity levels and temperature before the installation process.

Most manufacturers will tell you that for most wood floors, the planks must be within 4 percent of the moisture levels of the subfloor before being laid into place. If you’re using solid hardwood with plank size of 4 inches or wider, you should drop that down to 2 percent to ensure the wood stays looking great for years.

If it’s lower than the specified range, it will absorb moisture and swell. Higher moisture content will cause the new floors to lose and shrink up. With a near perfect balance, your new flooring won’t change once it’s laid into place.

What happens if you don’t acclimate laminate?

Acclimating new wood flooring is important for all kinds of wood, including laminate.

Acclimating allows the individual planks to adjust to the temperature and humidity levels found in the room they will be installed in. All forms of wood, including fiberboard used in laminate production, have tiny air pockets that allow it to adjust to current environmental conditions. These air pockets must settle before you lock the flooring into place.

You’ll find every manufacturer has their own specific policies in place to ensure their product is ready for the installation process. Some manufacturers say their products will need a minimum of 48 hours to fully acclimate, while others can go a week or longer. Talk with one of our representatives before you make your final selection to ensure you have enough time built into your remodeling process to ensure your final flooring selection will be in your home in time for the specified timeframe.

How do you acclimate hardwood floors before installing?

Whether you’re having a contractor install your new flooring, or have selected a product you can install yourself, make sure you understand the process before you make your final selection.

Know what type of wood flooring you’re planning to install to fully determine the amount of time it will take to acclimate it into place. Not all hardwood is the same. Some species of wood will change and adjust to your humidity levels faster than others. Exotic species are used to a more tropical climate, not something we have here in the Colorado region. That means it might take longer to acclimate it properly.

As you narrow down your selections, you can check in with the manufacturers to determine their guidelines for the acclimation process. It’s always best to use their guidelines, as it will ensure any warranties hold through the life of the product. You can also find charts online to help calculate the proper acclimation periods based in your area and region.

Always acclimate the product in a closed environment that closely resembles your home’s living arrangements. Be sure to use both your furnace and air conditioner, so the flooring adjusts to the proper moisture levels of your home. On a construction site, contractors can mimic the expected living conditions as closely as possible.

Don’t “guess” at moisture levels. Contractors will use a moisture meter to get an accurate reading of the interior of your home. They will check upon arrival to see how much acclimation is necessary, and check again throughout the process. Keep in mind that results can change plank to plank, box to box.

Because of this, it’s important to pull the product out of the box and lay it as closely as possible into place before the installation process. You don’t want the boxes stacked in a corner, packaged up, until the day of installation. This gives every board the chance to adjust as needed.

If you have questions about the process at any time, it’s better to ask first. It can be the difference between beautiful floors, and flooring you’ll have to replace shortly after the installation process is complete.

Do prefinished floors need to acclimate?

In short, yes. Wood floors are wood. It doesn’t matter if you use solid hardwood, exotic wood, or laminate, prefinished or unfinished, if you want a high quality flooring that lasts for years, you need to acclimate them to ensure they do well in your home.

It’s installed, now what?

Immediately after installation, it’s a good idea to let your flooring adjust further to your living space.

Don’t plan a party to celebrate. Don’t plan on moving in a bunch of heavy furniture the following afternoon.

This gives adhesives a chance to fully bond, or the planks to settle in and adjust without having the added force of movement right away. This will help minimize scratches and dents as well as prevent undue stress on the seams of your floors.

Are you thinking about adding wood floors to your home?

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

When renovating or designing a home, cork flooring may not be high on your wishlist, but at Flooring.org, we absolutely love cork floors and think they’re a fantastic choice for all types and styles of homes and businesses.

Here are 6 great reasons you shouldn’t rule out cork flooring:

1. It’s environmentally friendly.

Cork refers to the bark of the Cork Oak and although the bark is stripped from the tree, it does no harm to it. The bark begins growing back immediately and nine years later, it can be stripped again, making the practice incredibly sustainable.

2. It’s unique.

Many homes have carpet, tile or hardwood, but cork flooring is much less prevalent. Not the go-to for most people when building or renovating a home, it is a great choice for those who like to choose the road less traveled and stand out from the crowd.

3. It’s safe.

Cork is naturally antimicrobial, repelling insects, vermin, and bacteria that reside on well-traversed floor surfaces. It also makes a terrible home for termites, mold, and mildew.

4. It’s durable.

Lasting upwards of 40 years, you’ll find cork floors in banks, schools, and libraries. Their durability is due to the material’s softness and give that causes minimal grinding action from foot traffic. It can also be repaired when damaged, rather than having to be replaced.

5. It’s beautiful.

Cork flooring probably looks better than you expect. It can be shiny and smooth, as well as come in a variety of colors and styles. When done properly, it doesn’t appear cheap and can emulate hardwood and tile if you prefer the look of different flooring.

6. It feels good.

Unlike hardwood or tile, cork isn’t rigid, but has give and will bounce back as you walk across it. This makes it a great choice for those with painful joints or back pain. Furthermore, cork doesn’t get as cold as wood or tile if you like to walk around the house barefoot.

Now that you know the incredible virtues of cork flooring, we hope you’ll put it on your list of beautiful and eco-conscious flooring options when shopping at Flooring.org. You can send any questions to us at [email protected], utilize our live chat tool or give us a call at 800-689-9006.

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

On the surface, tile grout cleaning seems like a feasible DIY project. However, when you consider the time and expense involved, as well as the risk in causing permanent damage to bathroom walls and backsplashes, the smart play is to hire a professional like A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning.

Tile Grout Cleaning – Overview

The difficulty associated with tile grout cleaning is two-fold. For one, the places in your home where tile grout is found, i.e. the kitchen and bathroom, are high-use areas. Here, tile grout is constantly exposed to water, soap, dirt, and foot traffic (the bathroom), as well as water combined with food splatter (the kitchen). Secondly, it is notoriously difficult to achieve full clean tile grout with traditional cleaning supplies, given the nature of the grout itself and the fact that long-term discolorations and stains become entrenched and virtually impossible to remove.

Tile Grout Cleaning – The Solution

When you hire a Denver-area professional cleaning company like A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning, you benefit from  decades of collective experience. This is important from a process standpoint, in that we have developed a tried and tested process to make our clients’ tile grout look brand-new again. Our experience is also vital in terms of the choice of cleaning supplies, some of which can be harmful if applied by an untrained person.

Bring us on board and we’ll get started straight away by applying a top-quality commercial-grade grout and tile cleaner proven to remove even the most ground-in dirt, soap scum, and grime. Depending on how long it’s been since your tile grout was last cleaned, you may have also detected an unpleasant odor associated with the tiling. This is the product of the grout absorbing moisture over time, which ultimately results in the accumulation of mold and mildew – the things responsible for the bad smell. This fungi is not something you want in your home, for aesthetic as well as health reasons – but with our first-class cleaning services, you can expect the complete removal of mold and mildew, along with any associated stains.

Our technicians don’t quit until your tile grouting has been thoroughly scrubbed and freed from any and all dirt, mold, and soap scum. Once we’re satisfied with the scrubbing portion of the cleaning process, we move on to phase two – the application of a top-rated sealant to the grout lines in your tile. This goes a long way to preventing stains, spills, and detritus from causing any problems in the future, and it’s an essential step towards maintaining the tile and the tile grout’s original color.

Rest assured that whatever the level of cleaning required to make your tile grout shine again, we take great care to not damage the grout or surrounding tile in any way. Also, we’ll give you some tips for regular tile maintenance that goes a long way in the quest to keep your tile grout looking great.

Contact Our Cleaning Experts Today

Don’t let dirt, mold, and soap scum get the best of your kitchen and bathroom – contact the experts at A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning and sign on for professional tile cleaning today. Whether you decide to get in touch online or over the phone, expect a free quote from our professional cleaning company in Englewood. Remember at A Personal Touch, “We don’t cut corners, we clean them.”

The post Why You Should Hire a Professional to Clean Your Tile Grout appeared first on A Personal Touch.

Come winter, we Michiganders like to make our homes a little cozier, comfier, and warmer. We want our winter home improvements to embrace us. We want to match the feeling we get when lounging in our favorite robe and slippers. Here are some design tips from The Carpet Guys and Leen Designs.

With the right planning and winter decor, you can transform your home from a cold tundra to a warm and comfortable sanctuary with these winter home improvement projects.

Design Suggestions for Creating a Cozy Environment

1. Faux Fur – Whether you use faux fur as a blanket, bed set or sofa piece, it is sure to keep you warm and cozy throughout the winter. Not only that, but fur styles look great as a rug or a pillowcase. With texture being a top design component, faux fur adds a wonderful sense of sophistication to any contemporary or rustic setting.
2. Candle Holders – Using a combination of beautiful candle holders will bring out the ambiance and warmth of any room. Use your favorite scented candles and place them on the fireplace mantel or tables.
3. Lampshades – Even though gray is the fashion neutral that many enjoy, try mixing up your lampshade colors. Blue is calming. Green adds a natural element. Warm colors like gold or red are wonderful for the chilly season. You can even embellish lampshades with crafts or ribbons for the holidays.
4. Recliner – Today’s recliners come in all shapes and sizes, and their popularity is steadily on the rise. Formerly known as “the dad chair”, they can now work for any age group. Set it up by the fireplace and prepare for a warm winter.
5. Carpet or Rugs – If your current carpet is worn, the padding beneath may not provide the best insulation to hold the heat in your room.  New carpet can provide warmth beneath your feet, add a cozy element of design and insulate the room.  If you have a hard surface flooring like hardwood or laminate, adding a large area rug will bring warmth into the room. It can also be a texture or color design addition.

Cozy Winter Home Improvement Ideas

Looking to cozy up your winter home improvement? Let The Carpet Guys help you find the flooring that will create that comfortable, safe space you’re dreaming of!  Be Wise, Call The Carpet Guys at 855-4-MY-GUYS (855-469-4897) or fill out our complimentary In-Home Estimate form.  We can send all our cozy showroom samples to your home with one of our professional Design Consultants.

The post From Cold to Cozy: Winter Home Improvement and Design appeared first on The Carpet Guys.

One of my favorite things to do is to visit the homes taking part in the Parade of Homes each year. There you can see the latest-and-greatest of everything for your home. Ideas are in abundance, and you can take a lot of them home with you and implement them into your own remodeling plans.

Of course, what you see in these million dollar houses might not be practical in your own home. Do you really want cement countertops? Can you really remodel your home with all of the eco-friendly solutions presented in something new?

Should you invest in something new – trendy – or stick with the tried but true? We get questions all the time from people wondering if hardwood flooring is the right choice. Let us put your mind at ease and answer some of the ones we receive all the time.

Are hardwood floors still popular?

Hardwood flooring will never go out of style. How do we know that? All you have to do is look at the current trends to know this is true.

Manufacturers know people want hardwood. So they’ve created the look using a variety of other products, ones that mimic the look of hardwood but give you different results.

Want affordability? Check out vinyl that looks like hardwood but gives you a water-resistant flooring.

Can’t install hardwood in your basement? That’s why laminate has grown in popularity.

Want something even more durable? Even stone tiles can now be engineered to give you the look of hardwood.

With all of that in mind, if hardwood is on your radar, don’t worry that your choice in flooring is no longer a popular one.

Are hardwood floors worth it?

You only have to do a quick search online to discover that hardwood flooring can cost more than other choices. And if you’re remodeling on a budget, it may have you looking at other options.

A recent article on Realtor.com stated it best: Wood floors are one of the best investments you can make. According to real estate experts – the ones who get into homes every day – the average ROI for hardwood is between 70 and 80 percent, and having hardwood in your home can boost the sales price of a home by as much as 2.5 percent.

Hardwood can last for years, decades if cared for in the proper manner. And in most cases, it’s easy to do. With today’s product lines, you can select hardwood perfect for your lifestyle, making daily maintenance a snap.

What is the best hardwood floor?

This is a tough question to answer because we can go in so many directions. It’s tough to pick “what’s best” until we understand what you’re looking for.

Let’s start with the installation process. You can install hardwood either unfinished or finished, depending on your needs. An unfinished floor is good if you’re looking at customizing the look, or want to match the color of other existing floors already in place. Prefinished flooring makes the process easier – just lay it in place and it’s ready to go. You won’t have odors from staining, or the wait time to ensure it’s dried and properly cured.

We can also discuss if it’s better to install solid hardwood, or if engineered hardwood would make a better choice. Solid hardwood comes ⅝ to ¾ inches thick, and can be sanded and refinished many times. But manufacturers don’t recommend solid hardwood in certain places in your home, like below-grade basements. For those rooms, engineered hardwood can be a better choice. It’s a hardwood veneer glued to several layers of wood underneath. This product is a good choice to continue the hardwood look into areas not suited for hardwood. But keep in mind, it can’t be sanded and refinished more than a couple of times, meaning you will have to replace it sooner than more traditional styles.

And we’d be remiss in talking about “what’s best” without touching on species. One of the very best – you guessed it – is the species most readily available, and also the hardest. Oak, maple, and cherry are ever-popular because they are the most durable. And for most families, they provide a great look and stand up to whatever they can dish out. Of course, they aren’t the only choice, because homeowners come in all shapes and sizes.

Bamboo is growing in popularity. Cork is an eco-friendly option. You can go with something more exotic, like teak or mesquite. Whatever you choose, just before you get to know the source, and be sure they are using sustainable methods for production.

Why install hardwood flooring?

If you’re already considering hardwood flooring, we don’t have to tell you why they are one of the best choices you can make for your home. But we’re still willing to throw in our two-cents on why they continue to be at the top of the wish list for remodeling projects.

They’re timeless – hardwood flooring has been used for centuries, and they will be used well into the future. It’s because they are one of the most beautiful options you can add to your home.

They’re versatile – no matter how often you choose to redecorate, hardwood looks good with everything. They are perfect additions to almost any room in your home.

They’re durable – you don’t have to worry about staining it like other flooring choices. You can keep it clean with just a quick vacuum or sweep. They can live up to the punishment your family dishes out, and still look good in the end.

They’re hygienic – because clean-up is a breeze, you don’t have to worry about dirt hiding in the fibers, or pollutants wedging into the corners.

They may be the last flooring you have to install – depending on your lifestyle, hardwood flooring can last for decades. And unlike other forms of flooring, you can fix hardwood when damaged.

Plus, with all of the styles, designs, and options available, the possibilities are endless. If you’re thinking about installing hardwood flooring in your home, the best place to start is by coming in and seeing our entire line. We can help you narrow down your options, and find the right flooring choice for your needs.

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