What Is A Floating Floor?

Floating floor – it sounds fascinating, doesn’t it? The concept of being able to move a floor in quickly and “float” it into place has a certain appeal. Yet from talking with a lot of homeowners who are contemplating which new floor to install, we’ve also discovered there’s a lot of misinformation around it too.

What is meant by a floating floor?

In today’s modern homes, there are two parts to the flooring inside your home: the floor covering and the subfloor. Subfloors can be made from a variety of materials, including concrete and wood. Depending on what your subfloor is made from determines how your new floor covering will be installed.

A floating floor is designed to “float” on the subfloor without having to be secured to the floor. The installer won’t use nails or glue to ensure it stays in place. Instead, it is secured by the edges of the room as it is installed under base moldings and transitions. This requires a knowledgeable installer to ensure your flooring of choice is put into place properly to prevent movement through wear and aging.What Is A Floating Floor?

Because floating floors have their place in modern home design, today’s homeowners have a wide variety of materials to select from, most of which have a “click” technology that helps lock planks together, and hold them tighter for a better fit. The three most popular choices include:

Engineered Wood – if you love the look of hardwood, yet want something that is more durable and that fits better into your lifestyle, engineered wood is often the best choice. Engineered wood is constructed from multiple layers of thinner wood and plywood, with a finished layer of solid wood. Engineered wood is created to be a lightweight alternative flooring choice that’s easy to care for and fits a wide variety of lifestyles. The bottom layer is often created from sustainable materials, making it a more eco-friendly option too. Because of its popularity, you’ll find engineered wood available in both floating options and glue down.

Laminate – while engineered wood is made up of different layers of wood designed to look like real hardwood, laminate takes a different approach to give you the classic look of hardwood. Laminate is a multilayer product where the hardwood look is created with a lifelike photograph. It has a protective top layer that gives it its durability. When you choose laminate planks, they’ll float into place through click technology. People often choose laminate flooring because it’s less expensive than other flooring choices, and it’s easy to use. You can often lay it into place over existing flooring, meaning you have fewer labor costs for removal.

Luxury Vinyl – while most vinyl isn’t floating and requires glue to hold it in place, the exception is luxury vinyl planks (LVP) and luxury vinyl tile (LVT). These two products are designed to imitate hardwood and ceramic tile, and come with click installation process. They interlock to make it easy to install, and have a multilayer backing that makes it a softer choice than hardwood. It can be easier on the budget too. It’s a great alternative if you’re worried about moisture, as these products stand up well in areas that typically are associated with water problems, like bathrooms and basements.

Cork – one of the newest floating floor options is cork. They come in planks, and click together in similar fashion to laminate flooring. Cork is a sustainable product, as it is harvested from tree bark, meaning the trees don’t have to be cut down for production. It’s also a hypoallergenic product, making it a good choice for homeowners that are conscious of the materials they bring into their homes.

Why would you want to bring a floating floor into your home? 

There are a lot of reasons why a floating floor makes sense for your remodeling needs.

You want fast installation – depending on the flooring you already have in place, you can often lay and of the floating floor options right over the top. This saves you time as you won’t have to rip out old flooring, and fix the subfloor for any problems that occur during the process. It means you can have your flooring installed in hours, and be ready to use your home again in no time.

You want an economical option – homeowners often select floating floors because they want the look of a more expensive flooring choice with a more budget-friendly price tag. And because it can usually be installed over existing flooring, it can save money on labor if you choose to have a contractor install it.

You have an uneven subfloor – sometimes, no matter how hard you try to create a smooth, even surface for your new flooring, your home’s flooring structure won’t cooperate. A floating floor is a forgiving floor. Because it doesn’t directly connect with the subfloor, it’s easier to lay it in place over small problem areas without causing more maintenance work down the road.

You are dealing with asbestos issues – asbestos is a dangerous product that can cause a lot of problems in your home. Unfortunately, in some older flooring products, asbestos was used in production. It’s not only dangerous to remove it from your home, but it also can be a very time consuming and costly process. In some cases, unless you’re properly certified, it can be illegal too. Being able to float a floor over this existing product is the wisest move.

You want radiant heating underneath – a floating floor is a great option when installing it over radiant heating. Because it doesn’t require nails or glue to hold it in place, it keeps the space between the perfect place to install a radiant heating system. It’s also easier for repair work because you can lift up the sections you need, and put them quickly back into place.

What’s your decision?

If this article caught your eye, it may mean that floating floors might be the perfect choice for your home. Floating floors are perfect for do-it-yourselfers, or if you’re wanting to make a quick change with less than perfect conditions. When you’re ready to talk about your remodel in more detail, we’re here. Stop by today and see the many floating floor options available to you.

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Are Vinyl Flooring and Linoleum The Same Thing?

It’s easy to mistake vinyl flooring and linoleum. After all, they both look similar when you’re shopping for sheet flooring for your home.

You might also find that a lot of homeowners don’t know the difference, and use the words interchangeably when referring to their own flooring. They both offer tough, easily maintained surfaces that can be installed just about anywhere.

But even though they are similar in the way they perform, there are distinct differences between vinyl and linoleum that you should understand before you select one for your home.

How vinyl and linoleum are constructed

Vinyl flooring comes in a variety of styles. You’ll find it in sheets, where you roll it out and cut it to fit the length and width of your room. You’ll find it in tiles – perfect for a do-it-yourself project around the house. You’ll also find what’s referred to as luxury vinyl tile, or LVT, which can take on the appearance of other floorings such as hardwood or stone.

No matter which style you prefer to install, they are all made in a similar fashion:

  • Top wear layer – a top coat made of urethane or other materials is laid into place to protect the floor from scratches and stains.
  • Image layer – this is what gives the floor its classic good looks. Manufacturers create the image layer by taking high quality photographs of materials and using them to create specific appearances. Yet this process also gives the ability to stretch what’s possible, giving you access to more colors and patterns then you would find with more natural products.
  • Core – the core gives vinyl it’s strength and durability. Depending on the product use, this can produce dent-resistance, water-resistance, stain-resistance, as well as rigidity too. While some products like vinyl sheets may feel flexible before you install it, other products like LVT are firm, almost plank-like, designed to resemble the look of hardwood or stone.
  • Underlayment – different vinyl flooring choices have different underlayments. Some add cushion to make the floor softer when walking on it. Some are designed for noise reduction. Some add additional strength for a more durable flooring choice.

Are Vinyl Flooring and Linoleum The Same Thing?While linoleum may look a lot like vinyl, it’s a completely different product. One of the reasons it’s growing in popularity again is because it’s a mix of renewable natural materials. Linoleum is made from linseed oil, which comes from flax seeds. It also contains a variety of other materials such as cork powder, wood flour, and tree resin. The design layer isn’t a separate layer, but is instead embedded throughout the material. You won’t have the patterns and color options associated with vinyl, but the natural looks can be beautiful.

Because linoleum is a natural product, it needs a wear layer to protect it from day to day living. Many require a protective sealant to block out stains and scratches, and may require reapplying it more regularly than with other flooring materials.

Which is better vinyl or linoleum?

Better is a subjective word. Better for one homeowner might not be the same as for the next.

If you want variety, vinyl flooring might be your choice. Vinyl flooring comes in a variety of styles, patterns, and looks. If you’re trying to match a specific color, vinyl may be a better choice. If you want the looks of hardwood or stone without the high cost of those products, vinyl is your better choice. Vinyl offers:

  • Highly realistic image layers that can take on the look of just about anything
  • Greater trend options, giving you choices of everything from reclaimed and rustic hardwoods, to wider planks and more color choices
  • More options for installation – sheets can have your floors rolled into place in no time; planks may be the perfect choice for a do it yourself project.

Linoleum has an equal amount of perks:

  • Linoleum is made of natural products, helping you stay on track if you’re attempting to go green
  • It has anti-static properties, which can be perfect if you’re using it where static can impact equipment
  • It’s resilient, meaning it’s softer underfoot
  • It’s antimicrobial, giving you anti-bacterial and hypoallergenic flooring choices
  • It’s also more consistent with coloring because the pattern is all the way through the material

How do you tell if a kitchen floor is vinyl or linoleum?

Both vinyl and linoleum have been around for years. If you’re moving into an older home and you aren’t sure what type of flooring is in place, we have a few ways you can tell.

Start by looking closely at the material. Get down on the floor and look at the wear patterns, especially in high traffic areas. Is the pattern still in place? Or can you see through the pattern, with a more natural color peeking between the wear marks? Vinyl has an image layer that doesn’t bleed down into the core. If that layer is penetrated, it will start to show as the image layer separates. Linoleum has the pattern throughout, so no matter how the flooring wears, the pattern will remain in place.

You can also tell by the coloring of the flooring product. Because vinyl is human crafted, it can take on any color or pattern the manufacturer can create. If it’s vibrant in color, no matter how old it is, chances are it’s vinyl. Linoleum takes on a yellowing color, especially over time due to the linseed oil base.

What about durability?

Both vinyl and linoleum are easy to care for. For daily maintenance, simple mopping, sweeping, and vacuuming will have your flooring looking good. Linoleum is a little more sensitive to cleaners as it’s a natural product; check with the manufacturer to ensure you don’t use a product that will strip the finish. Linoleum also requires periodical waxing and an annual sealant to keep it in top condition.

Be sure to purchase extra product when you install linoleum or vinyl. If one section is damaged, you can patch it or replace it in sections without complete replacement.

While vinyl, in general, is less expensive than linoleum, they are both excellent choices for budget-minded homeowners. Vinyl can be expected to last ten years or so, depending on where its installed and the traffic levels. Linoleum will last 20 years or longer.

In areas where water is a problem – kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, basements – linoleum can wear well if properly installed. But nothing holds up to water the way vinyl does. If water is an issue, vinyl will always be your best choice.

Which is the right flooring choice for you – vinyl or linoleum?

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Who Sells Flooring Near Me?

Are you in the market for new flooring? What kind are you in the market for? There are a variety of choices you can select from to improve the looks of your home.

How about hardwood throughout? Or maybe new carpet to keep your floors warm. Want to try something new? You’re going to love today’s luxury vinyl tile; it looks so real you’ll swear it’s hardwood plank, stone, or granite.

No matter what kind of flooring you’re considering, you have a lot of options for making your final selection. But who should you trust?

If you’ve been asking – who sells flooring near me – you have a lot of choices. Let’s look at how you should make your final decision.

Many start with an online search

Chances are if you’re reading this article, you’ve already started your search online. You might have even found us through a search like: Who sells flooring near me?

Google today is a very sophisticated program. No matter what you type into Google, it has the structure to deliver you results you expect to see. It knows what city you reside in. It understands your preferences. It will give you lots of options: from recommendations, to maps with potential locations, to other questions people ask related to your search. You’ll be able to click and learn as you go.

You may even be able to find online retailers that offer really good deals. In fact, this may be one of the cheapest ways to buy flooring. Online retailers buy in very large quantities, which means they can pass the savings on to you. But cheap prices come at a cost.Who Sells Flooring Near Me?

  • They may buy huge quantities to lower the cost, but shipping it to you isn’t easy, and in most cases, you’re going to pay the price.
  • If you have a question, you may have to rely on an automated response system to answer your question. At best, a customer service rep might be there from 9 to 5, but chances are they know little more than selling and billing.
  • They don’t care about the installation process. Their entire goal is to sell you product. If you have a problem with installation, or ruin material because you aren’t sure what to do, it’s your issue.
  • You can’t see what you’re buying until it’s delivered. And what you see online isn’t always what you’re going to get. Depending on policies, you might not have much recourse.

Selecting the right flooring is a complicated process. While buying online work for some industry experts who know how to navigate and what to pay attention to, this isn’t easy for most homeowners looking for flooring that will last for years.

How about buying from big box stores?

As you cruise through the aisles of your local big box store – think Home Depot or Lowe’s – you can find just about anything for your home, including flooring. There’s an aisle of tile, a rack filled with carpet samples, and several shelves of hardwood planks. You’ll even find laminate and vinyl tucked into a corner.

But what you won’t find are a lot of choices. Or a lot of expertise.

If you happen to get lucky, you might find someone working who actually knows about flooring. But it’s a hit or miss – you can’t depend on it from store to store, or every hour of the day.

Big box stores also look for great deals on what the average consumer wants to buy. That’s why their selections aren’t huge. Because they also buy in bulk to satisfy the needs of shoppers in every store across America – or the world – they can get very low costs on the few products they do buy.

If you’ve ever found “deals of the month” at places like Costco, you know your choice dwindles even further, to one. They have stacks and stacks of laminate, for example, for a coupon shopping best deal. You can choose that – or move on.

Do these have their place in our society? Of course.

But if you aren’t sure what you want, or have something in mind that is a little different than what you see in all of your neighbor’s homes, you’ll only find that by working with an expert flooring retailer.

What we do differently

What happens when you shop with a local independent flooring shop like ours?

Let’s start with the “feel good” side of our business. We’re local. We’re a small business that opened up to do something we loved, and to be a part of our community. We treat our employees differently than they do at the big box stores because they’re more like family. We only have the need for a small number of people, so they really have become a part of our family.

We strive to ensure we offer the best products and materials to the people who buy from us. We do our research, know our product inside and out, and care about everything that leaves our shop with our name on it. We’re not in this for the quick buck; we’re in this for our full time income, and will be for many years into the future.

Plus, it’s nice knowing you’re keeping your money with someone who’s a neighbor, who shops the same stores as you, whose kids go to the same school as yours.

And when you come in and talk flooring with us, you’ll find we know more about flooring than just about anybody. Every single person you’ll come in contact with here is educated about flooring. There’s nothing they won’t know; know questions they’ll leave unanswered. And if by chance that can’t answer your questions, they have many other people right here in our store they can call upon to help.

They are also more invested in their jobs. When people come to work for us, it’s because they love this industry and truly want to be here. They are in service, wanting to help every customer who walks through our doors.

We all know we wouldn’t survive without customers like you. So we take our jobs very seriously.

Who do you want to do business with?

If you’re trying “who sells flooring near me”, we suggest you give us a try.

We’re a great fit for people who know they want new flooring, but aren’t quite sure which to choose. You might have some ideas, but want help to finalize your decision.

We’re here when you’re ready to make the right flooring choice for your home.

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What Flooring Is The Warmest?

If you’ve lived in Denver for any length of time, you know temperatures can vary significantly every month of the year. The coldest month is usually January, but that doesn’t mean cold fronts can’t cause temperatures to dip unseasonably low every month of the year. Even in the summer months, you might have to pull out a blanket to take away the chill in the air.

While our houses are built stronger, sturdier than in decades past, going green means using building materials to help conserve resources wherever possible. While your HVAC system is designed to heat and cool the air supply to your desired temperature, why not do what you can to warm your house in other ways?

Heat rises. When you heat air, the air around it expands. It decreases in density, and rises above the cooler air that falls underneath. In a house, that’s why you’ll usually find the warmest rooms in your home upstairs rather than downstairs in the basement. Every time your furnace pushes out heated air, it naturally flows upstairs. That can be a good thing in the wintertime when you’re sleeping, and trying to stay warm.

Of course, this process also dictates the materials we use to put down on our floors. If you’ve ever stepped out of a warm bed and onto a cold floor, you’ve experienced this first hand.

While the HVAC in your home can control the overall living environment, your flooring dictates comfort level too. If your feet are warmer, you’ll be warmer. What flooring is the warmest? Which flooring is best for you to install?

The obvious flooring choice to stay warm

What Flooring Is The Warmest?Let’s start with the most obvious flooring choice to help keep your home as warm as it can be: carpet. Carpet is made up of plush fibers tufted into a fabric back. It’s laid into place over a thick padding, which further insulates the flooring from the cold. It takes heat in and absorbs it, holding it in place to help keep your feet warm.

Carpet is a great way to keep your bedrooms warm. Carpet is also a great addition to family rooms, where you may lie on the carpet and play board games, or let your kids play with their toys.

But carpet doesn’t work in every room of your home. Imagine carpet in the kitchen or bathroom … it’s not going to work.

Vinyl flooring works to keep your room warmer too

If you desire to have a flooring that is more durable, water-resistance, and easy on the budget, you can’t go wrong with vinyl flooring. What’s more, today’s vinyl flooring isn’t what your parents had installed in their homes.

Luxury vinyl tile is available to mimic some of the most popular flooring choices in the world. It can resemble hardwood planks or stone or marble tile. In some cases, it mimics other products so well, even flooring experts have to move closer to see if it’s real. Yet luxury vinyl tile is made up of several different layers, including a core layer that adds stability and warmth overall.

And because luxury vinyl tile is built in layers, including an insulator layer, it’s softer than what you’d get with ceramic or porcelain tile. That makes it a great place where you frequently stand, including your kitchen or bathroom.

What if you want the more traditional hardwood?

While hardwood is a better choice for warmth than ceramic or porcelain tile, it’s still going to be one of the colder flooring choices you can make. That’s why you’ll find most homeowners that have hardwood also install area rugs.

Area rugs add the warmth of carpeting without installing it throughout the room. You can stretch the area rug close to the edges of the room, leaving just a border of hardwood. Or mix and match throughout the room, using smaller area rugs to add a punch of color. Rugs are designed as much for decor as they are for their insulating capabilities.

Why not try cork flooring to increase warmth?

Coloradans love hardwood. It’s by far one of the most popular flooring choices we sell. But if you’re focused on remodeling your room to make it a warmer place to live, there’s another option you should consider. Cork flooring looks like wood, but because of how it’s produced, it has an insulating quality that makes it warmer.

Cork is an eco-friendly flooring option that has a springy surface. If sealed properly, it is stain-resistant, moisture-resistant, and can offer the same qualities hardwood does for your home. Because cork comes from the bark of a tree rather than the tree itself, its a more sustainable product – perfect if you’re trying to live greener too.

Why stone or tile may be a great choice

When you think of adding warmth to your home through your flooring choice, one of the last that comes to mind is stone or tile. It’s hard. It’s cold. And you’re most likely to find it spread throughout a home located in the hottest states in the country. Colorado isn’t one of them.

But there is a reason why you might want to give stone or tile another look: radiant heating.

Stone or tile is the perfect choice for kitchens and bathrooms. It’s one of the most durable choices you can make, especially where water resiliency is an issue. And if you include radiant heating underneath, it can be one of the warmest flooring options you can make.

Radiant heating works by installing a heating element on the subfloor before you lay the stone or tile in place. Think of it as a warming plate for your flooring. Then you control how much heat you use depending on the overall conditions outside. Remember, heat rises. So it’s a great place to start warming your home. You’ll love it on the coldest winter mornings, and you’ll find yourself gravitating to those rooms instead of running away.

So what’s your choice? What flooring is the warmest and the most beautiful to include in your home? If you need a little inspiration or help to select the right one, stop by, we can help. View our entire selection, and make the right choice for your home.

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Can Your Office Flooring Be Making You Sick?

We’ve been changing the way we work for a long time.

Think back to the offices of yesteryear. Almost everyone who worked outside of the home went to the office. Individuals had offices where they could close the doors. Even workers had partitions between them, helping to define their workspace.

No more.

According to a report by JLL, flexible space has been growing at an average annual rate of 23 percent since 2010, with no signs of stopping.

It really comes as no surprise. Large companies are changing the way they do business. Employees are demanding different ways to work. And because it’s easier than ever to find talent anywhere in the globe, and let people set their own hours, flexible office space is becoming our new norm.

But this new way of working is also bringing in a different set of problems. Open floor plans are great; they can create a cohesive space that brings people together for collaboration and brainstorming. But it can also make us sicker. Recommendations for personal space vary greatly, with only 60 square feet per person in open environments.

There is evidence that if you share office space and are closer together, you’re more likely to get sick.

Choosing the right flooring for your office space

The first thing to realize is not every room in your office space needs the same type of floor. Office space receives a lot more traffic than your residential home. And in most cases, we aren’t as careful to pick up after ourselves in a work environment as frequently as we do at home.

In an office, what would you consider to be the most germ-infested place in the building? If you said restroom, you’d be wrong. One study found the worst place in an office building to be the break room. That’s because there’s a lot of action and a lot of spreading germs between people who never meet.

Can Your Office Flooring Be Making You Sick? What’s more, this same study found that in the restrooms, germs might not be lingering where you’d expect them. Nope, they aren’t on the toilet seats or even the door handle; the germiest place is actually the floor.

What works in the break room or restroom might not be the best choice for the lobby or for conference rooms. What makes a good choice for office floors?

Lobby areas

This is where people enter and exit all day long. Durability and ease of maintenance are your two key considerations. The lobby is also the place of first impressions. It should be able to withstand everything visitors bring in, as well as make it easy to clean on a daily basis. Some flooring choices to consider are:

  • Luxury vinyl tile – this can give you the impression of hardwood plank, stone, or even granite, with the ease of use of vinyl. It’s a budget friendly way to create a great first impression.
  • Hardwood – nothing says elegance quite the way hardwood flooring does. This is a great option for office buildings that want a flooring that will stand the test of time.
  • Stone – one of the hardest flooring choices can give you longevity too. Stone tile can deliver no matter what the office building occupants can dish out.

Open office space

Office spaces can vary greatly in desire and need. Your flooring should be chosen based on aesthetics, noise levels, and production requirements. Meeting clients for financial advice would have different needs than meeting patients for medical treatment. Durability might not be your biggest factor, but it should be easy to maintain and look good in the process. Suggestions would be:

  • Carpet – commercial grade carpet can hold up well under all kinds of pressure. Consider carpet tiles for easy replacement, as needed.
  • Luxury vinyl time – another great choice to give you the look of hardwood or stone, while being easier to maintain overall.
  • Hardwood – for elegance and sophistication, it’s hard to ignore the classic good looks of hardwood.

Kitchens and break rooms

This is where the action is. All flooring should be slip-resistant, spill-resistant, and water-resistant. Expect water, food, coffee, and other items to be spilled, yet not cleaned in an urgent manner. How well will it stand up under pressure? How easy will it be to clean?

  • Tile – always makes a great choice, and with the right tile and sealant, it will look great for years to come.
  • Luxury vinyl tile – this is one flooring choice that’s easy to clean, even when spills stay in place for minutes (or hours).
  • Linoleum – if you want a more eco-friendly option, don’t forget to check out linoleum. This is as beautiful as it is durable.

Conference rooms

Conference rooms are a continuation of your business, it’s the place where first impressions can be everything. Consider who uses it most: employee meetings, potential clients, training, board meetings. What do you want your conference room to say? Consider your aesthetics carefully too; you don’t want private conversations to echo and filter out into general working environments. In general, you have less square footage while increasing the number of attendees shuffling around in the room. Equipment may be prevalent. Chairs will constantly be scraping the floor. Be sure to choose a flooring that’s up to all of those challenges and more.

  • Hardwood – if you go with hardwood, be sure to select a harder substance that can take the abuse. Consider moving to an eco-friendly option like cork or bamboo for a new look.
  • Carpet – carpet can warm a room as well as cut down on noise and echo. Plush carpet can increase the look and give a sophisticated feel.
  • Stone – natural stone can also add a touch of elegance to a conference room. Play with different sizes, styles, and shades to create a one of a kind look.

What office flooring will you install in your space?

With so many choices to choose from, there really isn’t a top recommendation. Instead, carefully weigh your wants with your needs, and select the perfect office flooring to suit your office space best.

From wood finishes to luxury vinyl tile, to carpet and stone,  the perfect solution for your office flooring needs is waiting for you.

How can we help you?

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What Flooring Do You Use For Underfloor Heating?

Think back to the coldest day this past winter. There was more than a chill to the air; you might argue you were chilled to the bone.

As homeowners, we’re trained to drop the temperatures in our homes while we sleep or while we’re away all day at work or school. Why pay to heat a place when you’re not there?

But you start to think twice when your foot touches the floor, and that chill sets in a little deeper.

That’s why underfloor heating – radiant heating – is growing in popularity.

According to a report by Component, Underfloor Heating Market, the underfloor heating industry sat at $2.53 billion in 2016, and is expected to rise to $4.23 billion by 2023 – almost doubling in less than ten years. Clearly, people want a better way to be comfortable in their homes, and underfloor heating may be the solution.

Why underfloor heating?

If you’ve ever experienced underfloor heating, you probably don’t need a lot of convincing to know its a great option for your home. Imagine stepping out of bed on a cold morning and being greeted by warmth on your toes. Sounds great, right?

What Flooring Do You Use For Underfloor Heating?One of the biggest reasons people start exploring their options with radiant flooring is because of the comfort. It sounds great, and that’s one of the best reasons to consider it in your options. But homeowners also find that it’s a great investment, especially if they know they will be selling their home in the near future. Today’s home buyers look for the little extras that separate a house from the pack. Underfloor heating can do that.

Of course, you can’t just pick up your current flooring and through heating underneath. There are things you’ll have to consider as you lay underfloor heating into place.

What type of flooring can be heated?

There are certain types of flooring that are more conductive than others. That’s why it’s important to explore your options first, make your best flooring choice, to ensure you gain all the benefits of what this type of heating system offers. Most people aren’t surprised to learn underfloor heating works well under stone or tile, but did you also know you can lay it under carpet? You just have to learn the different types of radiant heating, and install the one that works best for you.

But before you look at types of underfloor heating, it’s important to narrow your flooring choices and pick the best for your home and personality.

Stone and tile

We’ll start with the obvious because, well, it’s obvious. Stone and tile go hand in hand with underfloor heating. You’ll never find a better match for the two. And you’ll never be sorry for your flooring choice.

Both stone and tile have conductivity that makes them perfect for heating up as well as holding heat over time. You can use both stone and tile throughout your home, wherever you want warmth from the ground up: kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, family room, sun rooms, and more.

In most cases, if you install a thicker tile, it will take longer to heat up. But a thicker tile also has more mass and will stay warm longer than a thinner tile. Plus, tiles are already well loved because they are easy to maintain and come in so many different possibilities.

Wood and laminate

Here in Colorado, we love the look of hardwood. Maybe it has to do with being so close to nature. We want to bring all we love about the outside, inside into our homes. And what better way to do that than with hardwood flooring.

Most hardwood and laminate products are designed to take heat up to 80 to 85 degrees. Check with the manufacturer before you finalize your decision. But once installed, you’ll be able to bring warmth to every room in your home and create the look you love in the process. This can be especially beneficial in cold basement remodels where you’re looking to combine good looks and functionality. Laminate may be your obvious choice.

Vinyl

Today’s vinyl flooring is soaring because of its beauty and maintenance-free qualities. What’s more, technology has created luxury vinyl tiles that can mimic just about anything, from stone and tile to hardwood planks.

Vinyl flooring is also a great choice to lay over underfloor heating. Vinyl heats up quickly, giving you quicker results on those frosty mornings. They do have a lower threshold of temperature restrictions, so it’s important to do your research and select the right option for your needs before you install it into your home.

Carpet

What may surprise you most is that you can lay underfloor heating below carpet. Your first step, if this is your choice, is to find a carpet that doesn’t act as an insulator. This will block the heat, defeating the purpose of underfloor heating. Thickness is everything when combining these two options to heat your home. Pay attention to the heat and tog-value or R-value guidelines listed for both product lines.

What are the advantages of underfloor heating?

Most homeowners start looking at underfloor heating because of the warmth. It’s appealing to have a warm floor on the coldest mornings of the year. But very quickly they learn there are a host of other benefits to installing radiant flooring as well.

Lower utility bills – by having heated floors, you’ll feel warmer as your feet are surrounded by warmth. No more turning up the thermostat again and again as the heat from your vents and registers rise. Your toes will stay warm all day long.

No ductwork – it doesn’t require expensive modifications to your home. Radiant flooring is installed directly to the subfloor, underneath your flooring, meaning out of sight, out of mind. You won’t even have to worry about where vents and registers have to be placed.

Better indoor air quality – gas-forced heating and cooling means airflow is consistently pushed through the ductwork before entering each room. That has the opportunity to send dust, pet dander, pollutants, mold spores and more circulating throughout your home. With underfloor heating, it doesn’t circulate the air, meaning less opportunity for allergens to flow freely throughout the air supply.

Uniform heating – with radiant heating, your entire floor is your heat source. It starts at the bottom and keeps you warm from the floor up. Vents and registers are usually only located in one or two places in each room, and work hard to blow enough air to adequately heat the space. It’s continually overcompensating and mixing with the cold air to try and keep you comfortable.

Is underfloor heating right for you? 

The best place to start is by stopping in and seeing our complete selection of flooring. We’ll point you to the best products that are perfect for underfloor heating.

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7 Reasons Wood Floors Are The Best

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.

7 Reasons Wood Floors Are The BestAnd 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.

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How To Love The Flooring You Select When You Have Pets

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.

How To Love The Flooring You Select When You Have PetsWhile 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?

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Why Does Flooring Need To Acclimate?

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.

Why Does Flooring Need To Acclimate?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?

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Why Are Hardwood Floors Always Popular?

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.

Why Are Hardwood Floors Always Popular?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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