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.

Top Flooring Choices In Denver Colorado

If you’ve ever traveled, you know different regions consider different types of flooring to be “the norm”. Head to Arizona and you’ll likely find many homes with tiling throughout all living spaces. Head overseas to places like Spain, and you’ll likely find homes filled with native tiling in bright colors.

Top Flooring Choices In Denver ColoradoIn many ways, it’s the environment and the lifestyle that impacts flooring decisions.

Here in Denver Colorado, we are no exception to the rule.

If you visit today’s showhomes – have you checked out this year’s Parade Of Homes – you’ll find the latest choices in flooring that you can incorporate into your own remodeling plans. Here in Denver, people are choosing:

Hardwood floors – nothing says “timeless” quite like hardwood flooring. Hardwood floors today can mean a variety of things. Stick with the basics – floors like oak hardwoods are always a great choice. Or turn to one of today’s eco-friendly options – bamboo is growing in popularity as a great choice throughout your home.

Tiling – if you have an active household, tiling is the perfect choice. Tiling is durable, low maintenance and available in just about any style and color option you can dream of. It’s the perfect choice in mud rooms where you track in snow and dirt, or in kitchens or bathrooms where there are always unexpected spills. Tiling doesn’t have to be cold – check out radiant heating under the flooring to always wake up and have warm tiles under your feet.

Carpets – carpets are still a great choice for Colorado homes. Carpets help you keep the warmth in your room on those cold winter mornings. Nothing feels better on your toes as you get out of bed than a thick carpet. Colors, styles, textures – anything is possible in today’s world. And if you’re only doing a few rooms – maybe just the bedrooms – it can be an affordable way to have a new look and feel in your home.

Combine all three? Of course. With space on different floors, all for different lifestyles, its easy to find a way to combine all three looks into one fantastic layout. Hardwoods are a classic look for your living areas. Worried about the performance in the kitchen? Change it out with a tile that blends naturally into the color of your wood. Lay hardwoods up the stairs and down the hallway. Then compliment the look with carpet that adds warmth and style to the bedrooms. Continue the look of tiles to your bathrooms – and of course add the radiant heat underneath – and you’ll quickly have a Colorado home anyone would be proud to own. Let us show you have Colorado flooring choices can enhance your home today.

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.

The History Of Flooring

The History Of Flooring

We all love the soft sinking sensation of carpet between our toes, or the cool firmness of tile on a really hot day.  Hardwood floor is definitely pleasing to the eye, and vinyl tiles are a study in resilience.  But as you enjoy your flooring of choice, did you ever stop to think about what lead up to the vast variety of flooring options we enjoy today?

The very earliest flooring option was no flooring at all.  Homes were built in the dirt, on the dirt, and the floor was…dirt.  If this isn’t bad enough, for much of history, any waste was thrown on the ground and became part of the floor (and I do mean any waste).  If the animals spent any time indoors, their waste was simply added to the new flooring material.

Thankfully, flooring has come a long way from clinging quite so close to nature.  Eventually, people began using thresh or sand to cover the dirt floors.  When the material got too dirty, the housewife would simply sweep the material out with the trash and lay fresh thresh or sand.  In case you were wondering, the term threshold came from this time.  The threshold was the barrier at the door that served to keep the thresh in the house. [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.