7 Things That May Make Tiles The Perfect Choice

Tiles. They are one of the most popular flooring choices around. You can use them anywhere in your home, inside or out, and give each room a clean, rich appeal.

7 Things That May Make Tiles The Perfect ChoiceAnd while most people know the benefits of using tile simply through use, there may be a few things you never knew about tiles – a few things that may make them the “flooring of choice” as you are considering your flooring options in the future.

1. Ceramic tiles are an eco-friendly option. Tile is made from clay, natural minerals and water. Because tile doesn’t retain any bacteria, allergens or odors, it’s the perfect choice for a home where a family member suffers from allergies or asthma.

2. Ever wonder why you find so many home kitchens and bathrooms with tiles? Because ceramic tile will not absorb moisture. When you spill liquids, no need to worry – just wipe up and know your tiles will retain their look and feel. Also, the humidity in bathrooms will never impact your tiling – allowing it to retain its natural beauty from year to year.

3. Ceramic tiles are a mixture of different clays pressed into shapes, then fired at very high temperatures to give them their hardness. They are given a hardness classification as to how much weight and stress they can sustain. Group I tiles are suitable for residential bathrooms with light foot traffic – this is also where wall tiles are placed. Group V tiles are for heavy foot traffic and dam areas, such as food service facilities, exterior locations such as swimming pools, etc. And of course in between – group III tiles – are suitable for most residential installations.

4. Tiles are one of the easiest flooring choices to care for long term. Ceramic tiles resist odor, stains and dirt, and can be wiped up any time with a damp sponge, or for larger spills, a wet mop. Most ordinary household cleaners will work well – or try a natural solution of vinegar and water for a clean and easy clean up anytime.

5. Worried about the dog’s nails, high heels walking across the floor, or your kids pulling their favorite toys, and what that will do to the appearance of your tiles? Stick with a Group III or Group IV tile and you’ll experience a tile very resistant to scratches and scuff marks.

6. To be a true ceramic tile, a tile must be made from clay or other nonmetallic minerals and fired or baked above red heat – at least 1800 degrees Fahrenheit.

7. Tiles come in all characteristics, durability and costs.

  • Cement tiles are usually low cost, high durability with low to medium maintenance.
  • Stone tiles are available at costs from low to high, have a medium to high durability factor, and require a medium to high level of maintenance, depending on type and where installed.
  • Porcelain tiles are at the more expensive end of the spectrum, have a high durability factor, and require very low maintenance once installed.
  • Glazed tiles are available at all price ranges, which means their durability and maintenance changes depending on the type of type selected.

For all of your Denver Hardwood Flooring needs visit our site today.

3 Reasons Carpet Tiles Are Perfect For Your Commercial Location

Is your commercial location the place that lives for messes? The floor is always wet. Spills are a natural occurrence. Dirt? Everyday.

3 Reasons Carpet Tiles Are Perfect For Your Commercial LocationYet you still meet with customers on a regular basis. You don’t want the “warehouse” feel. You want to make sure they feel comfortable when they step through your doors.

You know traditional flooring choices are going to be a mistake. What options are for you?

You may be tempted to install drab, dreary flooring in your commercial location. However, times have changed since the days of boring, institutional flooring. Today, you can easily decorate your commercial location with carpet tiles to help bring some style and flair into your place of business. Here are three reasons why carpet tiles may be the right choice for you.

1. Carpet tiles are easy to transport and install. When compared to traditional rolls of carpeting, you can easily load up a box of carpet tiles in the back of your car, take them to the location, and install them. They are made to be easy to install. You will not have any trouble getting them to fit in an odd-shaped room or around large pieces of furniture.

2. You can save money with carpet tiles. Instead of having to invest in padding and possibly a new underlying floor, you can install carpet tiles right over vinyl, concrete and other types of flooring. Carpet tiles have a reinforced backing, so you do not have to worry about adhesives or any of the other headaches associated with installing rolled carpeting.

3. Carpet tiles bring ease of maintenance to your commercial location. If something gets spilled, you can swoop up the tile, address the stain, and then put it back. If a tile is damaged, it can easily be replaced rather than replacing an entire room of traditional carpeting.

Now that you know some basic reasons why carpet tiles may be the answer you need for your commercial location, take the time to speak with a carpeting professional about other benefits of this versatile, affordable carpeting option.

For all of your Denver Hardwood Flooring needs visit our site today.

Hiring A High Quality Hardwood Flooring Contractor

Redoing the flooring in part or all of your home can be a tricky process. You must manage the maze of flooring options, price points, pros and cons, and places to buy flooring.

Hiring A High Quality Hardwood Flooring ContractorOnce your Colorado flooring has been chosen, you will likely be confronted with a new decision: what contractor to hire to do the job. Before you make your decision, here are a few qualifications you should be looking for.

1. Check for recommendations – Word of mouth is an excellent way to filter through the seemingly endless list of contractors. Ask friends, family, co-workers, realtors, builders, etc. if they have a contractor they have worked with satisfactorily in the past.

2. Get a second opinion – Always get at least two quotes for the job. Prices, inclusions, timelines, quality, and customer service can vary drastically from one contractor to another. Talking to multiple contractors before hiring one will help give you a better idea of what services are available to you.

3. Ask about past work – What type of experience does your potential contractor have? Have they worked primarily in residential or commercial settings? Do they have any experience installing the type of hardwood you want put in? Do they have any pictures of previous jobs, or past customers you can contact?

4. Ask for a detailed contract – You don’t want to start a project and be surprised half way through with a costly delay or problem. Be sure your contract details the work to be done (in detail), the anticipated timeline, the milestones for work and payment, etc. The more detailed the contract, the better your leverage if things go poorly.

5. Be careful about paying up front – All contractors will require a portion of the cost up front to cover initial costs. However, you should be wary of contractors that require a majority of the price up front.

6. Take time to think – You are under no pressure to sign a contract today. Take a night (or two) to look over provided estimates and consider if this is truly the contractor you want to install your floor.

For all of your Denver Hardwood Flooring needs visit our site today.

A Starter’s Guide To Buying And Caring For Slate Flooring

Slate flooring can be an excellent option for your home. However, since it is not as common as carpet or hardwood, many people don’t know what to look for or what to expect from this flooring type. Here are a few things that you should know as you are looking at potentially using slate for your flooring.

A Starter’s Guide To Buying And Caring For Slate FlooringReasons to consider slate flooring – Slate flooring has several positive qualities that make it an excellent choice for your floors. Slate flooring is created from clay, silt, and volcanic ash. These elements, naturally resilient, are made even harder through the process of creating tiles from these materials. As a result, slate flooring is an extremely durable flooring material that is resistant to scratching or the effects of temperature change. The materials used in slate flooring, also create a texture that is highly slip resistant.

Color options – Slate tile is typically grey. Variations of composition materials can cause variations in the coloring of the tile. Some of the more common alternate colors include bluish-grey, red, green, and ivory. Since the materials themselves are responsible for the tile coloring, slate tiles are highly resistant to fading.

Uses – Slate works especially well in high traffic areas. Kitchens, bathrooms, and utility rooms are excellent locations for slate flooring tiles. Bedroom floors can be laid with slate tiles if you are looking for a more modern feel. Another great place for slate is your patio. The natural, earthy tones of slate allow this type of flooring to blend well with the great outdoors.

Care – Slate tile flooring is an extremely easy flooring option to care for. The key to keeping up with slate tiles is regular sweeping. This will help remove loose dirt and debris. For more stubborn spots, simply mop with warm water. Since the flooring is naturally porous, it is especially important to allow the flooring to completely dry before placing floor mats and the like.

For all of your Denver Hardwood Flooring needs visit our site today.

Best Choices In Flooring For Wet Locations

Trying to find the perfect flooring choice can always be a difficult and overwhelmingBest Choices In Flooring For Wet Locations task. Add in extenuating circumstances, such as a room that is subjected to a lot of water or humidity, and your choices become that much more difficult.

Wet locations provide a particularly difficult challenge when it comes to flooring.  For dry areas, your choices can be mainly guided by budget, personal taste, or functionality.  When you are considering flooring for wet locations, your main consideration centers around how well your flooring will wear over time.

So, what are the best options for flooring these wet areas of the house?

Concrete is one of the best options for flooring in wet locations.  If you concrete is only for patios and garages, think again. With today’s new modern technology, concrete floors can look good anywhere – from your laundry room, to your kitchen, to your front entry and more.

Sheet Vinyl is another good option for wet locations. Sheet vinyl today is not what you remember in your parents or grandparents’ homes. Today its stylish and functional, giving you a sophisticated look in any room in your home.  If vinyl is your choice, go with the sheet vinyl and avoid the vinyl tiles. Since sheet vinyl comes as one solid piece, there are no crevices for water to seep through the flooring and damage the under layers or the sub flooring itself. [Read more…]

For all of your Denver Hardwood Flooring needs visit our site today.

What Type of Flooring is Best for Resale Value

If you are thinking about selling your home, it is important to make it as aesthetically appealing as possible. This will help increase its value and make it stand apart from the many other homes on the market today.

One of the largest areas to consider is the flooring. A new floor in your entire home or even a small part can make a huge difference in how it looks, as well as increase its value.

Replace Carpeting

If you can afford it, you should replace any or all carpeting in your home. Pay close attention to areas where pet messes or other disasters have occurred. One stain on your carpet can take away the aesthetic appeal of the entire room. Most potential buyers would prefer to see laminate flooring or any other cheap alternative to stained carpeting in a potential home. If replacement is not in your budget, make sure you have the carpets cleaned by a professional to ensure their beautiful appearance. [Read more…]

For all of your Denver Hardwood Flooring needs visit our site today.

Is Pre-finished Or Unfinished Hardwood Flooring Better?

Hardwood flooring is an elegant and durable option for almost any flooring project.  The graining creates a unique look for each board, while the finish provides protection and durability that will last for years.

Years ago, if you wanted the best quality and the greatest variety, you had to get a professional to install an unfinished hardwood floor.  But advances in the industry have made pre-finished hardwood floors a very reliable and comparable alternative.  So, which type of flooring is right for you?

Convenience – If you are looking for a fast and easy installation, definitely go with the pre-finished flooring option.  Unfinished hardwood floors require sanding and finishing be done in your home after the product has been placed.  Drying and curing can last for weeks, and the dust generated from sanding can get everywhere.

Finished look – Unfinished hardwood floors must be finished on site.  This means anything in the environment could potentially interfere with the finishing process.  Dust, hair, etc. in the air can easily get stuck in the finish as it is drying.  Pre-finished flooring on the other hand, is finished in a matter of minutes using ultraviolet light and perfected application techniques.  As a result, the finished look is typically much smoother in pre-finished flooring. [Read more…]

For all of your Denver Hardwood Flooring needs visit our site today.

Sanding or Replacing Hardwood Floors: Which Should You Do?

Hardwood floors are one of the most popular flooring choices of today. Hardwood floors provide durable, beautiful flooring that works well with almost any interior design. Sometimes, no matter how beautiful your hardwood flooring is, you need a change.

Maybe your hardwood floor has become damaged or scuffed beyond repair. Maybe you just want to change the look of your home. Either way, it comes down to deciding between sanding and replacing your hardwood floors. So, what should you do?

If your hardwood flooring has already been sanded and refinished several times, it will probably need replacing. A good way to determine this is to examine the flooring. If you can see nail heads at the seams, your floor has been sanded and refinished too much – you need to replace it. [Read more…]

For all of your Denver Hardwood Flooring needs visit our site today.

What You Should Know About Flooring Before You Refinish Your Basement

Basements can present a bit of a challenge or a source of untapped potential for homeowners.  In their natural state, basements are rather cold, damp, uninviting areas; acceptable for storage, but not preferred for living space.

If you decide to refinish your basement, one definite obstacle will be the flooring.  Plain pressboard or cold concrete will not do a very good job creating the warm and welcoming environment you probably had in mind.  But how do traditional flooring materials hold up to the basement test?

Hardwood: Hardwood flooring would be a very poor investment for basement flooring.  The moisture that is always present could quickly warp the boards, leading to an uneven, unattractive floor that would be expensive to replace.
[Read more…]

For all of your Denver Hardwood Flooring needs visit our site today.

Understanding Laminate Flooring Classification

Are you changing out your current flooring? Are you looking into laminate flooring? There is more to keep in mind than color and style.

Laminate flooring has a specific classification system.  Understanding this system will help to ensure that you choose the right laminate flooring for your home.

There are two methods of manufacturing laminate flooring – Direct-pressure laminate and High-pressure laminate. DPL flooring is made by bonding four layers at about 400 degrees and at a pressure of about 600psi. HPL flooring is made by treating the two outer layers separately, then bonding them to the inner layers. HPL flooring is more expensive than DPL flooring.

The AC rating of laminate flooring refers to foot traffic:

AC1 – light residential foot traffic
AC2 – moderate residential foot traffic
AC3 – heavy residential/moderate commercial foot traffic
AC4 – general commercial foot traffic
AC5 – heavy commercial foot traffic

Both products work. And both can be functional additions to your home for many years to come. The key is to consider your options and choose the right flooring for you home and situation. [Read more…]

For all of your Denver Hardwood Flooring needs visit our site today.