Blog - PRO! Flooring

Flooring, Hardwood Flooring
September 29, 2015

Home Flooring Trends: Choose Light Color Hardwood For Optimal Appeal

Ready to remodel and upgrade your home? If you’ve looked through design magazines, you’ve noticed a wide array of trends.

While Radiant Orchid was 2014’s color of the year, by 2015 the color changed to Marsala, a terracotta red shade rich and grounded in earthtone shades. Head back in time and you’ll discover the color choices bounce from one shade to the next. What works one year changes the next. And while some bring out the beauty by keeping a home light and airy, the next year may find the trends moving to dark and majestic.

What’s a person to do when they’re ready to make final selections in the remodeling process?

A good designer will tell you to ignore the trends and go with what pleases you the most. Because your home floors will be put to good use for years, it’s important to choose flooring that works for you. Flooring that makes you happy, enhances your desires and décor, and provides an easy platform to care for and maintain throughout your busy days.

If all of that appeals to you, you may like the current design trends that show light colored flooring lead the way. Light colored flooring is attractive, it opens and lightens a space by reflecting more light into it. It also takes advantage of some of the most popular wood shades on earth – think light oak and birch.

Light colored floors have one major advantage over dark floors – maintenance. If you’ve ever had a dark floor, you understand how difficult it is to keep dust bunnies from materializing in the corners and around your furniture.

There’s also the issue of scratches – they are much easier to see on a dark floor than on one that is light.

If you have a family that walks on, plays on, and in some cases abuses your floors, a light floor is the only way to go.

While some people feel that elegance comes from rich, dark flooring choices, nothing can be further from the truth. Yes, light floors can take on a casual, airy appearance. But they can also make a person feel instantly welcoming and comfortable. Because they are neutral in tones, you can dress up the rest of a room’s décor to make a room pop.

Light colored flooring is the perfect addition to any room in your home. From kitchens, to hallways, to bedrooms, you’ll love the light and airy feeling of having light colored hardwoods throughout your home.

Area Rugs, Flooring
September 25, 2015

Storytelling Starts With Your Area Rug

A good area rug can be the centerpiece to the entire room. It can give your room depth, can warm it up, and can even protect the flooring underneath. But rugs can do even more … they can transpire your home by telling a story.

Yes, in times past, the area rug wasn’t simply something used to protect the floor or warm the space; rugs were designed to tell a story and preserve a piece of cultural history.

There are all kinds of textiles used throughout the world. Rugs became an art form in many ancient civilizations, including from China, India, Mongolia, Persia and Egypt, dating back thousands of years. Even in the Western world you’ll find amazing art pieces from ancient indigenous cultures, from the heart of Mexico, to the Maori people in the South Pacific.

Watch a weaver today in action and you can see why each piece became so personalized. By pulling a thread tight there, weaving in a different color there, or even incorporating different threads into the work, you can easily see a work of art appear.

You’ll find religious symbols representing faith in all its glory.
You’ll find mythology or pictorial representations of life changing events.
You’ll find symbolism to depict a family’s honor.
You’ll find cultural inheritance, a sense of community that runs deep within.

And even though many of these symbolism’s no longer have meaning in our modern world, we can still gain a sense of pride by displaying them in our homes for all to see.

In today’s world, many of the area rugs you’ll find on display were created using computer applications, woven by a machine. They are high quality with perfect density, ensuring a quality product from the beginning. Yet in some cases, you can still find old-world rugs designed through hand-planning, and hand-weaving, giving it that one of a kind look and feel that has been cherished for generations.

Area rugs today often start with a story. They have a background, a look rich in culture. And while the process may be automated and turned towards production, nothing can take away that original look and feel when you introduce it into your own home.

And let your own storytelling begin with an area rug.

Tile Floors
September 23, 2015

Tiles Make The Perfect Companion For Outdoor Entertaining

Here in Colorado, we love our sunshine. And the best way to enjoy the sunshine is by being outside.

Maybe that’s why today’s favorite, most easily sold houses include outside space for entertaining. Sitting and relaxing, entertaining with friends, even creating a feast before the big game is all a little easier when you have gourmet cooking available when your space is built the right way.

Having an outdoor kitchen and entertaining area is the key to making all of this happen.

Here in Colorado, many people find they use their outdoor kitchen space all year long. In fact, it’s the perfect place to cook on those warm evenings when you don’t want to heat up your home, just as it’s the perfect place to enjoy a burst of warm air that hits in the middle of winter. (And we always get a stretch of those days every year!)

Planning your outdoor entertaining area can be part of the fun. As you plan your space, be sure to include:

BBQ and cooktop space
Plenty of counter and work space
Open oven
Cooler and refrigeration
A place for television or projection

And while it’s easy to dream big with your outdoor space, the one material that will help put all your dreams in proper place is with the use of tile.

Tile is the most versatile material available for all of your remodeling projects.

Tiles can be used to finish off everything in your outdoor entertainment area.

Back splashes
Countertops
Flooring
Planters
Built in walls and seating

Tile creates a solid look that’s easy to clean, easy to maintain.

And when it comes to selecting your tile, the possibilities are endless. Why not choose travertine? Or natural stone?

If you want to create a seamless transition from your kitchen and eating space inside, to your kitchen and entertaining area outside, why not use the same tiles for the entire project? Even here in Colorado where temperatures easily dip below 0 degrees a few days of the year, tile is the perfect choice to create elegant and sophisticated spaces inside and out.

Ready to start planning your new space? The best place to start is with a few ideas. Stop by today and see our complete selection of tile, and let your imagination kick in.

Flooring, Tile Floors
September 19, 2015

The Beauty Of Travertine Flooring

Some materials work better than others at creating a beautiful and efficient home. They work so well we see them pop up again and again throughout history, an important part of the structure of where we live.

Travertine is one of those materials that has not only stood the test of time, you can also find it spanning across many geographical locations. Travertine is plentiful in many regions throughout the world, making it an all-around reliable and easy-to-find building product. Travertine was used in Ancient Egypt, was used by the Greeks, and used to build the long withstanding buildings we still can see scattered across Europe representing the Roman Empire.

Head to the Roman Coliseum and you’ll see travertine on display as one of the key building materials. And if it can stand the test of time in a place still on display today, it can be the perfect addition to your home, from flooring, to backsplashes, to pavers, to sinks and more.

While travertine might not get the press in décor magazines that you’ll find with granite or stone, you will find it a viable option for every room in your home. We’ve seen travertine used in:

Hallways and Entries – travertine can add a touch of class and elegance, and make a grand statement as people pass through your door.

Bathrooms, Tubs, Showers and Vanities – travertine is a popular surface to bring a relaxing look and feel to every corner of your bathroom. Because of its versatility, you can use it in many ways, from small detail work, to large tiles on your floor.

Family and Living Space – while travertine tile may not be the first choice in our colder Colorado climate, it can be a good choice, especially when combining it with radiant heat or with cozy area rugs. It’s the perfect choice for creating a calm and serene environment.

Kitchens – the kitchen is the hub of the family home. Because so many activities take place – from cooking, to parties, to homework, to relaxing – travertine offers the perfect flooring choice for easy care and maintenance.

Courtyards and Patios – the look and feel of travertine doesn’t have to stop at your doors; carry the look from inside to out. It’s a great addition to your outdoor room space, including patios, courtyards and eating and grilling space.

Flooring
September 17, 2015

Choosing The Right Flooring For A Home Office

A growing number of Coloradans are working from home. From self-employed entrepreneurs running small businesses, to telecommuting employees for large, national companies, many are enjoying the convenience of working from a home office at least once per week.

And that number is expected to increase in the coming years by as much as 63 percent.

Why? There are a lot of reasons for it. People are happier. People have more flexibility in the way they lead their lives. It’s convenient. And you can tap a larger pool of qualified personnel when you aren’t limited to those who can drive in each morning.

But working from home doesn’t mean hanging out at the kitchen table every day. If you work from home on a regular basis, setting up a home office in your home is an important addition to have. In fact its one of the most popular remodel jobs, and its one of the most requested items on any real estate buyer’s checklist. The desire for a home office is growing, and adds value to your home overall.

Whether you have a space specifically designed for a home office, or convert an existing bedroom into a working space, the needs of office space are different from the rest of your home. Chances are you’ll need a chair or two, a table, and shelving or cabinets. All of which can add weight, and more importantly cause problems if you don’t have the right flooring in place.

Carpeting, for instance, adds warmth to the space. But if its thick, luxurious carpet that works well in your bedroom, you might not have the same results in a home office. Thick carpeting can be difficult to maneuver with chairs, rolling filing cabinets, and other work stations.

So what makes a great choice in a home office?

I have two favorites: hardwood flooring and tile.

Solid hardwood flooring is a natural pick for people all across the Rocky Mountain region. And because you may already have it installed in some areas of your home, it’s the perfect choice for your home office too. Hardwoods make it easy to move on, and can take the weight you give it with a desk, shelf or cabinet. And if you scratch the surface, you can always buff it out and refinish them again and again.

Tile is another great option. Tile wears extremely well and is durable. It’s easy to maintain and looks great for years. You can choose from simple ceramic tiles, or get sophisticated with natural stone. And it fits every budget … choose a classic design, or look for one-of-a-kind styling. With tile, the options really are unlimited, and it can help you create a home office you’ll be proud of, and want to work in every day.

Need help selecting the right flooring for your home office? Stop by today.

Flooring, Vinyl Floors
September 12, 2015

Why You’ll Love Luxury Vinyl Tile

Do you love decorating your home? Do you like changing things up again and again?

Thanks to HGTV, many of us have become our own home decorators. We love changing out a few décor pieces and having a new room as fast as the changing seasons. We love being able to get great ideas from a show or a magazine, then following it up by spending the afternoon in a home improvement store.

Yet for many, we also want to step beyond buying a few throw pillows and changing the color on the walls. We want complete change, from floor to ceiling. Sound familiar?

If so, it may be time to look at luxury vinyl tile. Modern vinyl tile isn’t to be confused with the tacky, glue down tiles from yesteryear. They offer many unique traits that are perfect for any room in your home.

Any look, any style
Luxury vinyl tile comes in many colors, patterns and choices. In some cases you can have the look and feel of a hardwood, stone, or even ceramic tile floor, all laid easily into place because its vinyl. And because it’s easy to lay, you can transform any room in your home in a short period of time.

Install today
While many flooring choices require acclimation to its new environment, not so with vinyl tile. It can be purchased and installed the same day if you choose. It’s ready to go right from the box, and can be used to instantly transform any room in your home.

Easy process
Luxury vinyl tile gives the DIYer a chance to try out their home improvement skills, or can be easily installed by a professional if you prefer. Because luxury vinyl tile fits together life puzzle pieces, its easy to put into place. And if you make a mistake, simply reposition the boards and continue on. It’s that easy. Yet because the tiles are created to work together, you’ll never find seams and joints that pop up and out of place, leaving you with messy floor you don’t want in place.

Overall, luxury vinyl tile is the perfect way to get quick results any time. If you have any questions, I’d be happy to answer them here, or give us a call today.

Flooring
September 10, 2015

Choosing Flooring For A Home With Toddlers and Kids

Transitions. There are certain points in our lives when we leave the old behind and start down a new path. If you have kids, or are planning on starting a family soon, you know how much they change every aspect of your life.

It’s no longer all about you. Instead, you begin thinking about what’s good for everyone in your home. It’s also why many new families decide to trade in the condo and move to their very first family home.

With kids, you need more space. They need room to grow and to play. For you, that might not mean a brand new house in the suburbs; instead, it may mean trading in a two bedroom for a three bedroom in the city. Yet do you really want to stick with the same flooring used by the people before you? Do you want your baby lying on the floor where Friday night parties once occurred? Or have your toddler learn to crawl on several years old carpeting?

What should you replace it with?

Carpet

Carpeting is a great choice for a home with small children. It offers a soft, warm surface that’s easy to crawl, walk and play on. The surface is slip resistant, perfect for running and playing on. And depending on your choice, it can be stain resistant, and be easy to clean and maintain.

Bamboo

Bamboo offers a soft flooring choice that has the appeal of hardwood flooring. And because bamboo is considered environmentally friendly, it can check off multiple boxes on your list of requirements for a great flooring choice. Bamboo comes in a variety of choices and styles; be sure to invest in quality urethane finishes that can take the wear and abuse your family dishes out. In some cases bamboo can be refinished when scratched or stained, giving it added benefits to a longer life span.

Cork

Cork is a soft flooring choice that absorbs impact, which makes falling and roughhousing a little less painful. Cork creates a warm surface area perfect for living spaces where you’ll spend a lot of time playing and hanging out with the family. It also is hypoallergenic, resistant to fungi and mold, making it the perfect choice for family members that may be prone to allergies or asthma.

Hardwood

Hardwood flooring is a good choice no matter how old your kids may be. It offers a versatility factor that gives it its appeal, no matter how you dress up or dress down the décor. Hardwoods offer a very durable surface area, and depending on the thickness of the wood, can be refinished multiple times. By using area rugs, you can add a splash of color into the room, and change out the look and feel whenever you choose.

Linoleum

Linoleum flooring offers convenience and durability in one package. Linoleum creates a hard surface area that resists scratching and is easy to clean and maintain no matter what your family dishes out. It can have hypoallergenic qualities, depending on the linoleum you choose. Today’s linoleum offers a wide array of design and color options, with many taking on the appearance of your favorite flooring choices – think wood and stone. It may be the perfect choice for the highest traffic rooms in your home.

Flooring
September 4, 2015

The Perfect Flooring For Your Mudroom

Today’s mudrooms can be anything from a simple entryway, to a dramatic room filled with storage and functionality. If you browse through remodeling or design magazines, you can gain hundreds of ideas to make the mudroom the most functional room in your home.

Yet before the shelving units and baskets can go in, the most important place to start is at the bottom … with great flooring as a base.

Since the purpose of a mudroom is to enter and remove all of your outdoor gear before you enter the home, first and foremost the flooring must be durable to withstand any kind of abuse your family can dish out. It’s best to choose a material that is durable, long lasting, and will blend in easily with the rest of your interior décor.

Some of the best flooring options for your mudroom space include:

Ceramic tile
Ceramic tile is one of the best options for a mudroom entry because it’s durable, easy to clean, easy to maintain, and environmentally friendly. It’s an affordable choice, and can be an easy do it yourself project, or one that can be professionally installed in no time. Because ceramic colors come in many styles, colors, patterns and materials, the look and feel can be almost unlimited in potential.

Natural stone
Natural stone offer unique, one of a kind beauty. Depending on your selection, you can find a variety of color variation, texture and patterns. Unlike ceramic tile which is man-made, natural stone is manufactured from quarries all over the world, making no two stones alike. When natural stone is properly sealed, natural stone is durable and easy to maintain.

Wood floors
Wood floors have always been some of the most dependable and sturdy types of flooring around. And here in Colorado, its been a long time favorite for high traffic areas. Because a mudroom is one of the most high traffic areas in your home, choosing hardwood would be a good recommendation. However, keep in mind that wood does show wear and tear over time. Mudrooms are often susceptible to standing water due to wet boots and shoes. It’s important to wipe away any excessive water so it doesn’t penetrate the wood.

Vinyl
Vinyl flooring can be an inexpensive and durable solution for a mudroom. Yet today’s vinyl is anything but boring. Luxury vinyls can imitate any look and feel you desire – from wood, to stone, to laminate, to bricks – if you have a look you desire, you’ll find it in vinyl. Vinyl provides a tough surface that is durable and essentially maintenance free. And depending on what style of vinyl you choose, you can find anything from peel and stick tiles or planks, to luxury vinyl sheets.

Choosing a material that works for your setting all begins with your ideas. Want a little inspiration? Stop by and see all the options available to you.

Flooring
September 1, 2015

Choosing The Right Flooring To Help Fight Allergies

If you have allergies, you may face allergy symptoms year-round. And according to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, more than half of the population does.

Cranking up the heat in January can cause more air movement than in the summertime, meaning those dust bunnies can spread into all corners of your home. Tree pollen may peak in the spring and early summer as trees come into full bloom. And as fall’s cool air brings a change in your landscaping, it can trigger all kinds of symptoms once again.

While you can’t change what’s going on outside of your home, you can do your part to control the presence of allergens in your personal space, and improve the air quality overall.

The most common forms of allergens around your home include dust mites, mold and pet dander. Because the environment in our homes changes on a daily basis, its not possible to eliminate allergens, but it is possible to make them easier to clean and maintain.

Cork Flooring
Cork has antimicrobial qualities due to the presence of suberin, a naturally occurring substance that reduces mold, mildew and bacterial growth. Cork flooring provides a hard flooring surface that makes it easy to clean with a mop.

Hardwood Flooring
Hardwood flooring is one of the most beautiful and in demand flooring choices, and with good reason. Hardwood provides a hard surface area that makes it difficult for dust mites to hide, and allows them easily to be cleaned and removed with a simple swish of a mop or vacuum.

Laminate Flooring
Laminate flooring is manufactured by gluing together layers of wood composite. Depending on the manufacturer, these layers can contain dangerous VOCs that can trigger allergies both immediately and over time. Always check the product documentation and talk with a sales representative for the emissions rating before you purchase laminate flooring. If VOCs are low, laminates can be a good choice, much like hardwoods, they are easy to clean and do not harbor dust mites or dander.

Bamboo Flooring
Bamboo offers the same surface qualities as hardwood, yet also offers a water resistant quality that makes it less likely to retain water than traditional hardwood. This reduces both mold and mildew over time. Like laminate, bamboo can be manufactured in a variety of ways, so it’s important to check manufacturing and VOC qualities before installing.

Tile Flooring
Tile flooring is one of the best choices for allergy prevention. It’s easy to care for and easy to spot dust accumulation to clean. When installing, make sure to use low or VOC-free adhesives and keep grout in good repair to avoid moisture from seeping beneath the floor where mold can start to grow.

What’s your favorite flooring type? Have any of these made a difference in your allergy symptoms?

Carpet, Flooring
August 25, 2015

4 Myths About Carpeted Flooring

I love watching the HGTV shows. Some of the design ideas you can gain from 30 minutes of television are simply amazing.

But I’ve noticed one thing on virtually every show I watch about redesign and remodeling … people hate carpeting. It’s a common trend throughout these shows.

Yet I always have to ask why? I love hardwood flooring and porcelain tiles as much as the next homeowner. But in some rooms in your home, you simply can’t beat carpeting.

A lot of myths are floating around about carpeting. Do you believe any of these?

Myth #1 Carpeting is poorly manufactured

When most people think of carpeting, they picture the indoor/outdoor carpet from their elementary school days, or the buckling, fraying, stained carpet that was in their very first apartment. Yuck. Like any other product sold on the marketplace today, carpeting has undergone a lot of changes over the years. And today, some of the leading names in the business offer some of the most luxurious carpeting in the world. You will find innovative patterns, the highest quality around, and in some cases handmade, original works of art created by true artisans. Today’s carpeting can add value to your home.

Myth #2 Carpeting is unattractive

Yes, carpeting can be unattractive when you choose a lowgrade quality carpet sample, install it with seams in incorrect places, and leave it alone and unmaintained for years at a time. The stains, ripples and tears can leave a lasting impression (even as you move on to house number two and house number three). Yet with the carpeting in today’s marketplace, the range of options is truly limited only by your imagination. You can get just about any color or pattern you desire.

Myth #3 Carpeting is unhealthy

There’s a big myth around what is harbored within your carpet fibers. Yet in reality, carpeting can be a good thing if you know what to look for. Many people today are worried about VOCs, which can release chemicals into the air of your home. Laminates, tiles and even subflooring and glues can have a world of toxic chemicals in them if you don’t pay attention to the brand and type you are purchasing. While at the same time, if you choose a natural fiber carpet, you can introduce a clean and healthy option into your home. It also depends on the care you give your carpet. Avoid wearing shoes and tracking in dirt and debris from the outside. Vacuum with a quality vacuum, and clean regularly with a green carpet cleaner, and you’ll have a flooring choice that beats out many the other options.

Myth #4 Carpeting is high maintenance

People love the “sweep and go” mentality of a wood or tile floor. Which is why many people shun the concept of carpeting; its too high maintenance, right? With today’s technology, many different products have been introduced into carpets, making them soft and luxurious, while at the same time strong and easy to maintain. They can be stain resistant, yet still provide a beautiful look and feel. With simple and routine vacuuming, and an occasional deep clean, your carpets can retain their beauty for years.

Do you love the carpeting in your home?