Flooring

Flooring Options

Flooring options continue to expand and there are many choices that are aesthetically pleasing, colorful, durable, insulating and more environmentally friendly than ever before.

Popular options today include:
Is hardwood a good choice for your home?

Unlike other flooring types, hardwood floors have been around for years and have stood the test of time. While they may need to be refinished from time to time, few other materials have the proven track record of natural wood.

Advantages of wood include:

• They are warm, beautiful and provide a natural look
• They are durable and easy to clean
• They are hypoallergenic
• They increase home value

• Hardwood can be noisy if not sound insulated
• Hardwood can be scratched and dented
• Hardwood should not be used in rooms that are likely to get wet frequently (bathrooms, entryways)

• Different types of natural solid wood have different strengths, colors, and styles of graining.
• Oak is the most popular choice and comes in red or white varieties with a range of hues within each of those.
• Red oak flooring has an open grain that makes it more porous than white.  Red is also a hard and heavy, wood which makes it durable.
• White oak flooring is harder than red oak and it has a more uniform appearance. It is a heavy and hard wood and resists wear.
• Maple ranges from pale white to a light reddish brown. It is a very hard wood which makes it less likely to dent or scratch.  It has a very uniform texture which makes it attractive.
• Pine is considered a soft wood and is more susceptible to dents and scratches.  Pine is less expensive than oak or maple.
• Solid wood boards come in random lengths with tongue-and-groove edges for installation. They often come unfinished, so you may use any finish you like.  However, you can also buy pre-finished wood.

Engineered Wood

Engineered wood is made by attaching a layer of hardwood to a softwood base, often with a plywood bottom.  The plywood base improves moisture resistance and stability.  The boards are pre-finished and are installed fitting the tongue and groove edges together as a floating floor.

Carpet Considerations

Your carpet choice can set the tone to a room. So when choosing carpet, consider the area of your home you are carpeting and traffic, dirt and other elements to which it will be exposed. Be sure to identify your individual preferences and expectations to your carpet professional including the look and feel of carpet, maintenance requirements, lifestyle and number/type of family members.

There are more carpet choices than ever and frankly, carpet is popular. In fact, carpet has outsold every other type of flooring for the past 50 years, and accounts for more than half of all flooring purchases made each year.

Carpet Options:

• Nylon carpets are the most popular synthetic carpets. They are economical, durable and easy to maintain.
• Acrylic carpets have the appearance of real wool but cost less. They are moisture and mildew-resistant and also resist stains and fading due to sunlight. Acrylic carpets are not recommended for heavy traffic areas.
  
• Polyester carpets have a soft feel and are known for their vibrant colors. They are resistant to fading and easy to clean.
  
• Polypropylene or Olefin carpets include Berbers, level loops and outdoor carpets. They are highly stain, static, mold and mildew resistant.
  
• Wool carpets offer great performance and an elegant look. Although expensive, wool is a renewable resource making it the most environmentally friendly choice of carpet fibers.
  

Carpet Trends

With hardwood and tile being selected in more living areas and hallways, this is allowing bedrooms and rooms off the hallway to have their own identities and themes. Carpet in the hallway can dictate that the surrounding rooms be the same material because when the doors are all open it doesn’t look so great for the hallway carpet to be seamed to several different colors or patterns of carpet. Hardwood or tile serves as a neutral divider. Because of this, rooms can have patterned carpets that compliment the theme of the room, bedding, drapery or wallpaper.

Trends

Color-Beyond Beige -The trend in neutral carpet favors incorporation of – layered color or flecks of color adding interest to basic backgrounds.  Also, new “neutral” colors of pale yellow, shades of blue and soft greens.

Bolder colors also are increasing.  Carpet color can be a neutral foundation or a vibrant focal point.

Texture and Patterns-A major shift in new products is toward soft texture in carpet. A combination of texture and pattern will always be popular because it minimizes soil and vacuum marks. New manufacturing capabilities have produced many new looks in carpets constructed with cut and loop yarns and in high- and low-loop yarns. Examples include swirls, bows, lattices, plaids, pin dots, and fleurs-de-lis.

Carpet tiles may be the perfect choice for your lifestyle. With a wide choice of colors, patterns, and textures, along with an uncomplicated design system that allows simple installation, you can create a space that conveys your individual style and personality. In addition to creating your own unique design with carpet tile squares, you also benefit from the advantage of easy replacement to keep your room looking as good as the day you installed your carpet tiles.

Modular carpet is the easiest of all carpet options to install. With modular carpet, you can easily place the sections in any direction to create a virtually seamless overall appearance. Although carpet tiles are also easy to install, there is a method and directions you must follow to install it properly.

Modular carpet allows you to easily create a beautiful floor covering with minimal effort. When you choose the option of modular carpet, you get functionality, affordability and style.
With rooms having their own themes and identities, it’s easier to use multiple patterns and colors.  Color and texture offer more distinctive styling and fashion appeal.

Tile Flooring

Tile flooring continues to be a popular flooring choice for homeowners. Tile has a natural, handcrafted look that is easy to maintain, is durable, works well in high traffic areas and has limitless design opportunities.

Selecting a tile that fits your needs is easy if you keep in mind a few factors and make sure it is rated for your needs.  Most homeowners choose tiles ranging from 4”x 4” to 24”x 24”, but other options are available including different shapes and sizes.

Additional characteristics that must be considered are hardness, abrasion resistance and moisture resistance. All tiles feels hard, but some types of tile are actually harder than others. Tile is rated by a series of standardized tests. The tests evaluate a tile's relative hardness (the Moh scale), its ability to stand up to wear and the percentage of water absorbed.

The Porcelain Enamel Institute hardness ratings are:

• Group I - Light Traffic: residential bathroom floors where bare or stocking feet are the norm.
• Group II - Medium Traffic: home interiors where little abrasion occurs. Don't use in kitchens or entries.
  
• Group III - Medium-Heavy Traffic: any home interior.
  
• Group IV - Heavy Traffic: homes or light to medium commercial areas.
  
• Group V- Extra Heavy Traffic: use it anywhere
  

Important Note: Although hardness ratings are important, you should also pay close attention to the ratings test that measures the percentage of water absorbed, or porosity. A tile's porosity is critical especially when choosing tile for kitchens and baths, since these areas need moisture proof flooring.

The classifications for the porosity of tile are:

• Impervious (least absorbent)
• Vitreous
  
• Semi-vitreous
  
• Non-vitreous (most absorbent)
  
  

• Bamboo - environmentally friendly
• Carpet - warm, economical
• Cement - durable
• Cork - environmentally friendly, warm, comfortable
• Fiber Floor - easy installation, portable
• Hardwood – elegant, warm
• Laminates - durable, can provide many design options
• Rugs - many decorating options, portable
• Vinyl -economical, low maintenance, many design options

Flooring choices set the tone for a room and when deciding on flooring options you should always consider the use of the room, individual preferences and costs.