
A basic understanding of our products will always lead to making a well-educated decision. Purchase flooring is not a simple process and we understand, there is an infinite selection of floor coverings out there for you, how do you know which one is right for you? Selecting your new floors is a big decision, often not easy, but luckily it is our lifestyle, so we are here to ease the process for you and help you understand the difference between all the different types of flooring available out there for you.
Carpet:
Which sounds better, walking across a soft, warm floor feeling the fibers of cozy carpet flooring against your bare feet, or stepping onto a cold, hard slab of tile? While tile, hardwoods, and other flooring options do look nice, nothing feels as good as carpet.
- Carpet Keeps rooms feeling warm & well-insulated.
- Softness is a plus for safety.
- Carpet Can be comfortable to walk and sit on.
- Carpet Absorbs sound and reduces noise.
- Huge range of styles, textures, and colors.
- Appealing to the eye.
With this in mind, it is important also to consider the downsides to every product as well. This will allow you to better understand if the specific flooring is right for you.
- Must be cleaned regularly.
- Can stain if you’re not careful.
- May cause health issues.
- If wet, it may need to be removed.
- Not as durable as other flooring options.
With this in mind, if carpet is your number 1 choice, we have the one to fit your needs. We offer a substantial amount of brands, styles, and colors. Whether is it is commercial or residential, we have the right carpet for you.
Laminate flooring:
Laminate flooring can be found in a variety of settings and while it is the closest thing to wood it certainly is not the only. While offering a refreshing, ample and more elegant look to your home or office, laminate flooring is constructed of dense fiberboard with a photo beneath a clear-plastic protective layer, laminate can mimic almost anything. On the mid to high-end selection, certain textures are applied to the finish to give it an even more realistic look. Some brands use a cork backing underneath, which they claim can help muffle sound. The best laminates resist scratching and discoloration from sunlight better than most wood products. Laminate flooring can be extremely tough to beat.
The repetitive pattern can compromise realism, so when installing, mix planks from different boxes for a less repetitive pattern. In terms of durability, you might be able to touch up minor flaws, but you’ll have to replace the flooring once its top layer has worn through because it can’t be sanded like wood.
In short, laminate flooring can make or break your home or office in the long run. Things to consider is what type of use (or abuse) is it going to be exposed to, sunlight? Many things need to be considered and many questions need to be made, we are here to answer those for you.
Solid/Engineer Hardwood Flooring:
Wood flooring is often thrown into a bag mixed all together and that sometimes can be confusing for consumers. With the technological advance in our ever so changing industry, wood flooring is a product that will never go out of style however it is often overlooked. So how do you know it its right for you? First, we need to understand that there are different types of wood flooring, solid and engineered (among other subcategories). Solid wood flooring has a natural warmth and impressive wear resistance and it can be sanded down and refinished several times. Prefinished floors can hold up better than those finished on-site, and their warranty comes from the factory, not the installer, giving you the reputability of a big company standing behind its product. Engineered wood flooring is typically made of thin layers of wood “sandwiched” with adhesives, it can usually withstand higher levels of humidity and would be less likely to expand when compared to solid wood flooring. Engineered wood flooring uses a thin veneer of real wood (or bamboo) over structural plywood making it a cost-effective choice. When installed properly following manufacturers specifications, high quality engineered wood can be as durable as solid wood.
This being said, you should also consider that solid wood will expand and contract with different humidity levels and can dent easily. Some types can show wear even quicker and can become discolored from sunlight, with this in mind you must consider that wood flooring is not a recommended choice for the basement and other damp spaces. Lastly most engineered wood don’t wear as well as solid wood or laminate. It also dents easily, depending on the thickness of the veneer, some engineered wood flooring can be refinished as many times as solid hardwood however most can be refinished once or twice, some may be never so always it is important to consider finding out if and how many times your engineered wood flooring can be resurfaced.
Tile Flooring
Understanding tile can be difficult if one is not aware of the many differences available to the consumer. Step number one is to always remember can be ceramic tile, porcelain tile, natural stone tile such as marble, travertine, limestone, slate, even granite. Tile can be an extremely elegant and durable choice but from our experience, its quality goes hand in hand with pricing, so when considering the price you must always remember, the lowest cost price will never be the best quality (no matter someone advertises otherwise).
But tile is tile? It’s square, it’s rectangular, or maybe plank, sure however things to consider with tile flooring (as well as other floorings as well) is that there may be size and color variances within the boxes or pallets of the same product. Often we encounter different cost-effective tiles from your local home improvement store and when put side by side to other boxes, you can find up to 1/8” difference from tile to tile! This can create a real problem when it comes down to installation.
On the upside, tile flooring can offer you a product that if installed correctly can last you close to a lifetime (see manufacturer for life expectancy of your product of choice) you can find tiles with a dull finish, glossy finish, from 2”x2” to create your ideal backsplash, 6”x6” for a subtle and elegant wall application, 12” tiles, 16” tiles all the way up to 24”x24” and beyond are available for every need and every budget. Other than typical defects found when looking at cost-effective options one of the very few downsizes to tile flooring may be that if it is installed correctly (including the right thin set) it will be a floor you will have there for a substantial amount of time, and if you are one that loves redecorating or changing you your home or office every few years, a permanent choice like these may need to be reconsidered
Luxury Vinyl Flooring
The very first thing to understand when talking about luxury vinyl flooring it is important to know that luxury vinyl tile (often referred to as LVT) it is a product that looks like stone or ceramic tile, complete with amazing natural colors and surface texture that feel like the real thing, some styles are even made to be installed with grout to make it even more realistic. There is also luxury vinyl plank (often referred to as LVP), this luxury vinyl flooring is manufactured to look just like wood plans in everything from color to species. Surface textures often include the look of scraping or embossing which takes making a product look realistic to the next level. Just like in wood flooring, planks may be installed in a variety of sophisticated ways to complement any dream of beautiful floors you may have had.
Last but certainly not least, most if not all luxury vinyl flooring available is completely water resistant.
So what are some things to consider when actually considering luxury vinyl flooring to make your dreams a reality? Thickness is important but not always, also the wear layers, more is not always better, sometimes more (past a certain point ) is just more expensive. Luxury vinyl can be found in 8mil 12 mil or even 20mil wear layer, it is important to understand that the mil wear layers are going to go hand in hand with the thickness, also the material it is made from in its core (definitely where you want to pay attention when thinking durability) you will find vinyl, PVC core, rigid core and many more, so understanding these will definitely get you one step closer to making the right decision .