Blog - PRO! Flooring

Carpet, Flooring
June 13, 2016

Mistakes To Avoid When Adding Carpeting To Stairs

Nothing makes a grander entrance than a beautiful staircase leading from the upstairs down into your entryway. The wood. The trim. The carpet.

Yet nothing takes away from that look more than a poorly installed carpet. And not only will it become an eyesore, but it can also be dangerous as well.

From measuring properly to attaching the carpeting firmly into place, there is a lot of room for error in making sure it’s done the right way. Whether it’s a runner or full carpeting, it requires correct installation to keep looking its best for many years to come.

Tackless Strip Mistakes
One of the most important features used to install carpeting on stairs are the tackless strips. They shouldn’t be placed right next to the corner of the stairs. They should also be completely parallel to the crotch of the stairs. A common mistake is to place the tackless strip with upward facing pins instead of leaning them towards the crotch. When using a runner, make sure the tackless strip is cut and placed so the runner extends one inch to either side of the strip.

Padding Mistakes
Never cut the padding in long strips to flow down the stairs. Instead, cut individual lengths for each riser/tread combination of each stair. Also, verify that the padding is cut to size to avoid having to stretch it too tightly. Never using padding to overlap the tackless strip. Instead, cut it so it rests right up against each strip.

Carpeting Mistakes
With a carpeting runner, a common mistake is to neglect to fold each long edge over by scoring it along the backside of the carpet. This makes sure the frayed edges are invisible. Staircase carpeting is installed in one long piece. If you precut it lengthwise, be sure to cut it accurately for the total length, including risers and treads. Another common mistake is cutting it too short, which leaves a seam in a less than perfect location. Also, be sure the staircase is clean and free of debris during installation. Anything that can cause a bubble or a less than perfect installation will show up in the final texture, providing a less than flush appearance from stair to stair. It can also be dangerous, depending on where the problems lie.

Flooring, Hardwood Flooring
June 9, 2016

3 Critical Issues When Selecting Flooring

Whenever you purchase new flooring, there are several critical issues to consider. It may start with selecting color and design, but you’ll quickly find many other considerations that are equally as important.

Select the right floor and you’ll be happy for years. Select incorrectly and you’ll be disappointed almost from the getgo. High traffic areas in your home need different flooring choices than low traffic areas, such as the bedrooms. Low traffic commercial locations – small business offices – require different characteristics than high traffic commercial locations – a school.

Yet regardless of which flooring material you ultimately choose, it’s important to always select the highest quality possible. Low priced products may seem like a bargain until you have stability issues soon after installation.

Choose the correct flooring for the location
Above all, flooring must fit the function. While pattern and style, color and design are important to create the look you’re going for, it’s equally important to choose characteristics that match performance.

Install it properly and according to manufacturer’s guidelines
Flooring must be installed properly by contractors or individuals who are experienced and knowledgeable about the flooring material they are working with. This isn’t a place to skimp. Fixing errors immediately after installation can be costly procedures, and in some cases can nullify your warranty altogether.

Properly maintain it
Once flooring is installed, it’s important to service and care for it according to guidelines. Every floor material has specific procedures for maintenance, from wet cleaning to sweeping, to applying finishes. If you follow the plan, your floor will have less damage potential, and remain under warranty for the extended amount of time.

Flooring isn’t a quick decision purchase; instead, it’s an investment that can last for years. If you choose wisely, you’ll be happy with your purchase and provide full life expectancy, and have the best-looking floors possible.

Have additional questions? Just call.

Flooring
June 4, 2016

Knowing The Characteristics Of The Perfect Commercial Flooring

In today’s world, we spend about 93 percent of our time indoors. And of that time, the average person spends about one-third of it in their workspace. Choosing the right commercial flooring is important will impact not only how visibly appealing your space is to potential customers, but also to the feelings and work ethics of your employees. With so many patterns, shapes and textures available, what characteristics should you be looking for?

In many ways, carpet tiles lead the way. They range from 18 to 36 inch squares, planks, hexagons, diamonds and everything in between. They have various textures and designs that can create just about any look you desire. And because carpet tiles are the most highly engineered textile flooring in the industry, their attributes give you everything you need for longevity and wear. And while they offer provide years of wear, there’s something nice about knowing you can replace individual tiles if and when accidents do happen. It makes it economical in high traffic areas.

While carpet tiles tend to top most commercial flooring lists, it’s by no means the only flooring choice you have. Besides carpet tiles, numerous hard surface materials can help create an environment conducive to your workplace. Try luxury vinyl tiles or planks, ceramic, or wood. You can also move into marble, granite, polished concrete, rubber, or a variety of wood options that will add life to your commercial location.

When choosing a floor for commercial locations, pay attention to acoustical considerations. The last thing you want is a loud clicking sound as your employees walk down the hallway, again and again. And while wood may look nice, it can quickly turn into disappointment if it dents or scratches as desks, chairs and high heels navigate it every day. Choosing something like porcelain made to mimic the characteristics of wood may be a wiser choice to add stability and performance.

Have questions about what commercial flooring choice is right for your business? The best place to start is with a call. We’d be happy to help you select the right flooring for your needs.

Flooring, Tile Floors
June 1, 2016

Why Travertine Tiles Are Perfect For Indoor Use

Trying to decide on the perfect tile for your home? Want to update your bathroom or remodel your kitchen? Travertine tiles may be the perfect addition to your floors.

Travertine tiles have increased in popularity for use within the home for many reasons.

Versatility – travertine is natural material that has been used for centuries in home design. Go back to Roman times and you’ll find travertine in place on their walls, floors, even countertops and more. Because of their aesthetically pleasing colors and styles, they can pull together any home décor.

Durability – travertine is a stone that is part of the limestone family, and is one of the most durable substances used in flooring. In ancient times, it was used as roads and can take a great deal of foot traffic. When installed correctly and maintained on a regular basis, you don’t have to worry about decay, breakage or other issues.

Beauty – natural stone is always pleasing to the eye and never goes out of style. Unlike other tile options, travertine has been used in homes for generations and maintains its looks for years. It blends well and adds the perfect background for any design theme you choose. It can be incorporated into many areas, including your hallways, shower and tub design, as well as your countertops and backsplashes.

Flowthrough – Travertine can be used in both indoor and outdoor applications, which makes it the perfect choice to add to your outdoor rooms. Travertine can be the perfect look to tie your décor together, both inside and outside of your home.

Natural stone tiles will always be in demand, adding value to your home from the moment you lay them in place. Talk with one of our professional designers and you’ll quickly gain ideas that will help you incorporate travertine into any of your remodeling plans.

Flooring
May 24, 2016

Best Floors For A Home With A Wheelchair

Remodeling your home to make it a safe place to live for every member of your family? Choosing a flooring material that is both safe and secure for a family member in a wheelchair can be tricky.

There are many things you should avoid:

High transitions from room to room
Slippery surfaces
Loose carpeting or rugs

Durability is also an issue, as wheelchairs are heavy and can quickly wear down some flooring choices.

Hardwoods and Laminates

Hardwoods are a great choice throughout your home. Not only are they ADA-compliant, but attractive and in high demand. When choosing hardwood, make sure you pay attention to the hardness of the wood. Softwoods such as pine and fir dent easily, while hardwoods such as maple and hickory can sustain the bumps and marks of daily wheelchair traffic.

Laminates are also a good choice. Because laminates are manufactured and produced to be harder than most woods, they can sustain a good deal of traffic before showing wear. It resists dents and scuff marks come off easily without marring the finish.

Ceramic Tiles

Ceramic tiles are water resistant, which makes them good options in both the kitchen and the bathroom. However, large tiles are fragile and crack easier under the weight of a wheelchair. If choosing ceramic tiles, pay attention to the slipperiness factor of the tile, and choose smaller tiles around two inches square. This provides a small enough size to be durable, without creating potential grout issues for both scuffing and cleaning problems.

Vinyl

Vinyl is water resistant choice that’s perfect for the bathroom and kitchen. It’s less expensive and easier to install, meaning it’s also easier to replace on a more frequent basis. Pay attention to the slip resistant factor, as different types of vinyl are more appropriate for being ADA-compliant. Also, be careful of luxury vinyl that provides too much cushion to be durable under the weight of daily wheelchair traffic.

Carpet

Thin pile carpeting is also slip resistant. Thick carpets are difficult to navigate in a wheelchair, and shouldn’t be used in main traffic areas. If you are using carpeting, make sure the maximum pile length is ½ inch. Shorter pile makes propelling the wheelchair easier. Also, make sure it is firmly attached to the subfloor to avoid slippage, where ripples can form and cause movement problems.

Flooring, Hardwood Flooring
May 21, 2016

The Advantages Of Installing Unfinished Hardwood Flooring

With so many options when installing hardwood flooring, why should you select unfinished hardwood flooring?

Prefinished flooring is the perfect option for homeowners who need a quick turnaround with the installation process. Or for homeowners that want an easy, click into place system for creating the look they desire.

But there are certain benefits to installing unfinished hardwood flooring.

You can customize your unfinished floor

One of the biggest advantages is the flexibility. With raw wood, it’s like working with a clean slate. You can choose how your flooring will look, colors and patterns, and design in any way you choose.

In contrast, prefinished flooring comes from the manufacturer with stain and finish already applied. There is no changing it. If you have an idea in mind, it’s difficult to create it without destroying the underlying benefits of having a prefinished system in place.

It can give you unlimited options, and it also makes it easier to coordinate and match up to existing floors.

Less risk

With unfinished flooring, there’s no risk of conflict when matching up old and new finishes. You can apply virtually any finish without having to worry how it will look with existing flooring. You can also experiment with colors and finishes to achieve the results you desire. It’s easier to blend and test out colors to find the perfect look.

Create your own look

If you’ve always loved the look and beauty of natural grain, there’s no better way to let it show it off than with unfinished flooring. You can site sand it to create beveled edges that give it a unique, hand finished and rustic look. You can finish it with very little stain, allowing the natural wood to shine through.

Of course, unfinished flooring does take more time to install, more time to complete the job. But if you have the time necessary to create a unique look for your home, it may be the perfect choice for you. We stock a variety of prefinished and unfinished hardwood flooring to meet every need. Call us today to find the perfect flooring choice for you.

Flooring, Hardwood Flooring
May 16, 2016

Fisheyes In Hardwood Flooring? Here’s Why

You love your hardwood flooring. But what about those unsightly fisheyes you see periodically throughout the room? What causes them? Can you get rid of them?

Fisheyes are light depressions in the hardwood finish. They have smooth, rounded edges with a concave center. They are the result of some sort of contamination, usually created during the recoating process.

They are several common causes for fisheyes.

The biggest cause of fisheye is when solvents from a previous coat of finish haven’t fully evaporated before a new coat is applied. Liquid solvents must have ample time to evaporate and disappear from the hardwood before a new coat is applied. The solvent’s interaction with a newly applied coat of finish creates tension on the surface, which a new coat of finish cannot penetrate. What is left is a process known as “wetting out”, and is what produces a fisheye.

Because fisheyes form during refinishing process, they can sometimes be caused by years worth of damage. Over the years, a homeowner may use oil soaps, citrus based cleaners, wax or silicone based products that build up, penetrate into the depths of the finish, and contaminate the flooring for when the next layer of finish is applied. To prevent chemicals from seeping into the hardwood floors, make sure to follow instruction on the product packaging. Always go with guidelines established by the manufacturer of your hardwood floor. Using more of a product will not make it cleaner or provide more protection.

If you’ve owned your home long enough to be the original installers of hardwood flooring, you understand the care its received over the years. Yet in most cases, that’s rarely the case. Because you can’t be sure how a previous owner cared for the wood, it’s important to test and go slow when refinishing a hardwood floor. Sanding down to the bare wood and applying completely new finish allows for a contractor to overcome potential problems that can cause fisheye.

If you are recoating a current finishing process, it’s important to move slowly starting in an inconspicuous place. If you notice marks appearing in the finish, stop working and determine the source before fixing and moving on.

Whenever you finish a floor, be sure to leave ample time between coats. Proper air circulation ensures that each coat dries before the next coat is laid into place. Be sure to read the finish manufacturer’s drying instructions, paying close attention to suggestions made about the best conditions to ensure you are leaving enough time between coats.

If you have any questions about your current flooring, or how to gain the perfect look with any upgrades you have in mind, give us a call today.

Flooring, Hardwood Flooring
May 12, 2016

Maple Hardwood – The Perfect Choice For Sports Floors

Whether you’re installing a new floor in your rec center, or placing a new floor in your gym at home, selecting the best flooring will ensure longevity and easy maintenance for many years to come.

And while you may not have considered what flooring is under your feet as you race down the court with a basketball in hand, or dance to in your latest Zumba class, chances are it’s maple. Maple is used so widely in the industry that the Maple Flooring Manufacturers Association even defines standards for sports floor installation and maintenance.

So what makes maple hardwood the best choice of flooring?

It Starts With The Hardness Rating

Maple is dense. It also has a higher Janka rating when compared with other common woods. The Janka hardness test was designed to rate the relative hardness of wood – on a scale of 0 to 4000. The test involves measuring the force required to embed a .444” steel ball into the wood to half its diameter. The higher the number, the more it can withstand. Maple’s Janka rating is 1450, considerably higher than ratings for other domestic species, including pine, walnut, and oak.

It Has High Shock Resistance

Maple is also the wood of choice thanks to its high response in bouncing back from foot traffic, thus reducing potential fatigue and injury on an athlete’s joints. Its shock resistance contributes to the bounce of the ball, which is important when installing a hardwood floor for multipurposes. It’s high shock resistance makes it better to sustain heavy wear. You’ll find bowling alleys use maple wood and pins, providing bounce as it continually receives pressure from play. And maple provides stability over time, which means the wood is less responsive to changes in the environment, meaning it won’t contract and expand with changes.

Appearance

Maple has a light, bright wood look. It’s grain texture is smooth, which means it’s perfect for staining and painting. And because maple trees are extremely common in the US, it’s a sustainable product that can be easily grown and harvested again and again.

Installing a home gym, or looking at replacing your commercial flooring for something new? Maple can be the perfect choice for you. Give us a call today and find out how to incorporate maple hardwoods into your construction plans; you’ll be happy with the results.

Area Rugs, Flooring
May 9, 2016

How To Choose The Perfect Area Rug

Remember your childhood home? If it was like mine, it had wall to wall carpeting, even brightly colored in a choice we wouldn’t even consider today.

Today, when we choose to move into a home and create the ambiance we desire, hardwood in some format is almost always at the top of our wish list. But as much as you love your hardwoods, I’m guessing on some days you crave a little coziness too.

That’s where area rugs come into play. But finding the right area rug isn’t always easy. And in fact, can be a several month long journey. It’s not as simple as saying “I like the color.” You should also learn about many other things, including the pile, durability, size, shape, pattern, texture, weight, dye, practicality, manufacturing process, and of course cost.

Because different area rugs are made for different areas of your home. If you put the wrong area rug in your breakfast nook or running down a hallway, you’ll be unhappy from the moment you bring it home.

When I talk with people about selecting the perfect area rug for their space, I usually give them three pieces of advice.

1. Consider it’s purpose
An area rug in a dining room is susceptible to spills on a daily basis. You’ll clean a rug in a dining room more than you would a bedroom. It’s important to consider where it will be placed and the kind of maintenance required to keep it in top condition.

2. Longevity
Purchasing an area rug can be a difficult decision. They can be expensive. They can last many, many years. When you choose an area rug, is it something that can be incorporated into your design over and over again? Will it work in the family room and the bedroom? Can you use it year after year? While it’s fun to change things up every once in awhile, if you invest in a quality rug, make sure it’s something you’ll love for years.

3. Cleanability
Rugs get dirty. No matter where they are located in your home, they’ll eventually need cleaning. How difficult is the process? How will you clean it? Is there a lot of hassle involved? How does cleaning impact the rug? If you know before you buy, you’ll have less of surprise down the road.

Buying an area rug can be a fun process if you start with the right frame of mind. Want additional tips? Stop by today.

Flooring, Hardwood Flooring
May 6, 2016

What’s Causing My Squeaky Floors?

It’s one of the most common questions we receive. And it’s a problem almost every homeowner faces at some point.

And while every squeak that exists in your home can be fixed, you must first determine the cause.

Cause #1: Wintertime weakening
When did the squeaking first occur? As temperatures get colder, the heat kicks on in your home. And as the warm air filters through your home, the air becomes drier.

Wood is susceptible to the changing moisture levels inside your home. As it gains moisture from air conditioners in the summer and loses moisture from the heat in the winter, the wood changes and moves.

In the winter, the wood contracts. The planks rub against each other or against the nails that hold the planks in place. If the squeaking is caused by flooring gaps, its more than likely the wood’s reaction to winter weather. Although winter squeaks may be annoying, there’s no cause for alarm.

The easiest way to combat the problem is by introducing moisture into your home. A humidifier will not only keep your flooring happy, but it can make your environment more comfortable to live and breathe in too.

Cause #2: Flooring joists
If your flooring squeaks year round, no matter what the temperature is outside, it might be a problem with your flooring joists. Joists are part of the base of your floors. They provide the support for your flooring above. In order to determine if the source is your joists, go to the floor beneath (if you have access) and look at the subfloor. If you see that the joists appear to be loose, you can buy a repair kit to drill down through the floor and tightly secure the joists back into place. Repeat until the squeak subsides.

You can also attach a special brace to the subfloor to tighten the joist into place.

Cause #3: Uneven subfloor
If a subfloor is built or moves and becomes uneven, it can cause gaps between the flooring and subfloor. When you put weight on the floor, it causes the subfloor to rub against the flooring joists, causing the floor to squeak.

Again, return to the basement or floor beneath the air of concern. Have someone walk over the area with the squeak. If the subfloor moves, it may be a gap problem. A loose subfloor can be fixed by drilling up from below into the subfloor, drawing the subfloor and the flooring closer together. Be careful not to go too far, or you’ll come through the flooring into your living space.

Have additional questions about your flooring? We’re here to help.