Flooring Archives - Page 53 of 58

Flooring, Vinyl Floors
July 4, 2015

Dealing With Seams and Your Vinyl Floor

Depending on the size of your room, chances are you’ll have a seam somewhere in your room after you install your new vinyl floors. When seams are handled in the proper way, you’ll have a floor that looks great and lasts a long time without any problems. Yet if you’ve ever had vinyl floors where the seam begins to pull back and fray, you know the problems that can quickly arise if not handled correctly.

Like any flooring, there is a proper way to install and maintain your new vinyl flooring for the longest life possible.

How wide is vinyl flooring?

The standard width of a roll of vinyl flooring is 12 feet. It comes on a roll, so there is no set length. If your room is wider than 12 feet, the room will be pieced together to create one seamless look.

How do you conceal vinyl flooring upon installation?

When vinyl flooring is laid, the best way to conceal seams is by treating them with a seam coater. This creates a virtually seamless floor and prevents the seams from opening through wear.

Where should the vinyl seems be in a room?

When it comes to piecing together vinyl flooring, there is no right or wrong answer. In most cases the seam will lie in a spot agreed upon between the installer and the homeowner. Try to seam the pieces of the vinyl flooring in a low traffic area. It should never lie where furniture will be moved across it continuously, such as under a kitchen table.

Do I need extra vinyl if it requires piecing together?

It depends on the pattern of your flooring. In order to match patterns at the seams, it may require an additional amount of vinyl flooring at the time of purchase. Talk with your flooring consultant to make sure you have enough for finishing.

Do vinyl flooring seams require extra maintenance?

In most cases, no. Vinyl is a low maintenance flooring, that requires regular sweeping, vacuuming, and a damp mop to remove stains and spills. However, you may find over time the edges of the seam coming loose. If you have an open seam, don’t procrastinate. Repair it quickly to maintain the look of your vinyl flooring longer. You can do so by using a seam sealing kit, apply adhesive to the edge of the seam, and press it back into place. Remember, the faster you fix the problem, the less likely it will have of escalating into a larger problem overall.

About Pro Flooring Brokers

We are a one stop shop for all of your flooring and installation needs. Located in Denver, CO, we have been family owned and operated for over 30 years! Our passion is your project.

Have a Flooring Project in the Denver Area?

Commercial and residential customers love our huge selection of carpet, hardwood, porcelain tile, natural stone, luxury vinyl tile/planks, laminate flooring, and sheet vinyl flooring. Check out our products to learn more. Visit our showroom, meet our team, and let’s start your flooring project together. We offer:

Complimentary on-site measuring
Flooring estimates based on floor plans or blueprints
Installations performed by trained and qualified installers
Full one-year guarantee on all workmanship (in addition to manufacturer’s warranty)

Flooring and installation are made easy with the PRO! Flooring Brokers. Contact us, visit our showroom, or call today at 303.788.0113. We look forward to helping you.

Flooring
July 1, 2015

Tips For Choosing Commercial Flooring With Style

When choosing commercial flooring, you can create a fun and inspirational space for both employees and customers, while blending in practicality for easy maintenance and long wear. Choosing the right commercial flooring depends on a variety of things, including your budget, foot traffic, tastes, care and maintenance requirements.

A medical office will have different needs than a CPA; a retail store will have different requirements than a CEO in a penthouse suite. The most important place to start is by considering how much wear and tear your floors will get every day, then choose from there. With so many styles and options available, there is a perfect choice for every situation.

Carpet or Carpet Tile

Do you need commercial flooring that will provide noise and sound insulation, with an overall softness to walk on? Do you want warm ambiance throughout? Carpeting may be the perfect choice. Carpet or carpet tile is the perfect choice for keeping a low profile and allowing sound to not carry throughout large, open spaces. It’s the perfect choice for hotel meeting rooms, offices and more. Remember that carpet can get stained and may require more maintenance over time. Installing carpet tiles give you flexibility to change out individual tiles on an as needed basis.

Vinyl or Vinyl Tile

Vinyl flooring is durable, resilient, low maintenance, and always at the top of the list when it comes to creating good looking floors. Vinyl flooring offers long lasting performance, making it the perfect choice for high traffic locations, such as hospitals, retail stores, or large open spaces in offices or buildings. When properly installed by professionals, vinyl flooring is resilient and will withstand high levels of wear and tear, dents and scratches. And with vinyl tiles, you can create unique looks that help you create the perfect atmosphere for your business.

Wood Floor

Wood floors provide a timeless, classic look with great aesthetic appeal. Wood floors never go out of style. And with today’s options, you can have any look you desire, from country charm, to elegant sophistication. Keep in mind foot traffic when making final selections. There are many options for installing wood, including hardwood, laminate and engineered. Talk with a flooring consultant to help you choose the right flooring option for your needs.

Flooring
June 27, 2015

Can I Lay New Flooring Over Self Stick Tiles

“We moved into a home where the previous owners laid down self stick tiles in the kitchen and bathroom. I hate them and want to remove them and install something else. Is it difficult to remove self stick tiles? Can we lay other flooring materials over the top? What’s the best way to get rid of this ugly look?”

That’s the thing about buying a new-to-you house. You get a great house with unlimited potential … as long as you’re willing to put in a little work here and there. And when you hate the flooring in certain rooms in your home, its an easy fix to make.

Self stick tiles are often installed because they are easy to do. As a DIYer, its easy to make a quick change anywhere by laying them end to end across the floor. Yet if they aren’t well taken care of, they can begin to show wear and tear almost immediately. Not a look you want your kitchen or bathroom to have.

When self stick tiles are laid into place, the bonding agent on the back adheres to the floor. If they were laid directly on the subfloor, the sticky residue will reside on the subfloor. The only way to remove it is with a little work. For a large tile area, you can rent a stripper machine that uses a steel blade to shear the tile from the floor. For smaller areas, a long handled floor scraper comes in handy to lift the tile away from the floor. And when you get into the really tough spots where tiles won’t come up, nothing works better than a heat gun and a putty knife to pry it off the floor.

Yes, removing tiles takes work. Which usually leads to people asking the next most popular question we hear … can you lay new flooring over old self stick tiles? While you can find many sites online that will tell you how to do it, keep one thing in mind.

What is the current condition of your flooring? If you have peeling edges, a floor that is coming up or bubbling in certain areas, remember this will be the base for whatever new flooring you choose to lay into place. If you pull off the old layers and bring it down to the subfloor, you can create a subfloor in perfect condition for the new flooring you lay. If you lay over currently laid self stick tiles, you’ll be dealing with existing problems that may either be visible or not to the eye. Self stick floors may be peeling and in disrepair because of years of use … or it may be from problems with the subfloor. Without taking it down to the subfloor, you won’t know.

Is removing self stick tiles extra work? Yes. But to give your new flooring the longevity it deserves, and the peace of mind you’ll have from knowing it’s installed correctly the first time, it’s worth the effort.

Flooring, Hardwood Flooring
June 24, 2015

How To Choose Hardwood Floor Width

For many homeowners across Colorado, deciding on installing hardwood flooring into your home is the easy part. The difficult decisions come in when you realize there are many more decisions from that point forward, such as color, type of hardwood, and width.

Classic hardwood adds an upscale look to any home. And because hardwood is durable, it can be a welcome addition for many years to come. Yet when you’re deciding on what hardwood flooring choice to install, choosing a suitable board width can be one of your major hurdles.

Plank width will convey a different message in different rooms. It will change the look and feel of your room, depending on the room size, and will set different moods depending on the color. A dark, wide wood plank, for instance, will create a very country, natural feel, while parquet flooring can add a touch of elegance to any home.

Strip

For most homeowners, when they think of wood flooring, they think of long natural strips of wood to cover their rooms from end to end. A typical board width used in strip flooring is less than 3 inches in width. You’ll often find strip wood floors in older homes because they used the wood that was readily available to them. Narrow floor boards create a contemporary, linear effect that can open up any room. The elongated appearance can also make a smaller room appear larger. By keeping the boards uniform, all in a lighter color, you can accentuate a modern feel throughout your home.

Plank

Plank wood flooring is a popular choice because of the variety and styles available to compliment your tastes and décor. Plank wood flooring typically is 3 to 8 inches in width. The broader the width, the more rustic in appearance. When dealing with plank wood, originality is only limited by the imagination. You can find wooden planks that keep their original look and feel with knot holes and original grain characteristics, all interwoven into the planks through hand scraping. The weathered appearance can bring out rustic, country, or even a modern look, depending on how you combine it with décor inside your home. Wide planks will make large, open rooms feel more cozy and warm; avoid large planks in small, dark rooms as it will make the look even smaller.

Parquet

Parquet wood floors will add a touch of elegance throughout. Flooring blocks are often created in one to two foot blocks using assorted strips of wood in various lengths and widths. Parquet flooring creates a variety of geometric design options, such as standard, herringbone, block or baroque styles. Parquet comes in solid wood construction, as well as partial wood, depending on your budget choices.

As you narrow down your choices, be sure to see your final selections in your room. Bring home samples to see how the coloring meshes with your décor, how the size looks against your walls. And if you need advice, just ask. We’ve been helping families like yours make flooring choices for years, and are happy to guide you to make the right choice for your home.

Flooring
June 19, 2015

What Flooring Do I Choose To Warm A Cold House?

Do you have a room in your house that never seems to be warm? Do you have a room or a basement with a concrete slab for a floor? When the temperatures dip well below freezing, the ground gets cold, which transfers coldness to the concrete slab. Without the right flooring choice in place, that coldness continues to seep into your room, making the entire environment chilly at best.

Concrete floors are a rather common problem here across the Front Range, and there are several approaches you can take to warm them up.

In some cases, your best choice may be to insulate the concrete slab before a flooring is installed. Depending on your budget, you can install panels of foam insulation along the perimeter of the slab. This will help protect the concrete from the elements, preventing the cold from seeping into your room.

A second choice is to install radiant heat. Radiant heat coils can be added under flooring choices like hardwood and tile, then used on cold mornings to heat the area before you use it. It will not only heat the flooring and make it more comfortable to walk on, it can also make your room more energy efficient by not requiring the furnace to run as hard.

Finally, you can also choose a thick, plush carpet and high quality pad to help insulate the concrete and protect your room from the cold. Remember, padding is equally important to the overall comfort and quality of the carpet. Talk with a flooring consultant about your needs, and have them point you to a carpet choice with insulating qualities, one that will add protection during winter evenings.

Flooring
June 16, 2015

Choosing Flooring With National Safety Month In Mind

Every June, the National Safety Council celebrates National Safety Month. This year the theme is “What I Live For”, and they are focusing on several different topics to keep you safe in your home, one of them being slips, trips and falls.

About 2.5 million nonfatal falls were treated in emergency rooms last year. More than 250,000 hip fractures are reported each year, with 95 percent of them being caused by a fall.

Since flooring is one of the major factors in contributing to a severe fall, using materials that reduce the risk of falling or slipping is important especially if you have an at-risk person living in your home. What is the best type of flooring?

Carpeting offers several advantages. Carpets offer a slip resistant surface, and a cushioned surface that may reduce injury if a fall takes place. However, carpets can be a hindrance especially for elderly that may need assistance with walking. Wheelchairs can find if difficult to move over plush carpeted surfaces. Also, canes and walkers can get caught up on carpet surfaces and lead to falls.

If carpets are overly soft or plush, the cushion may interfere with mobility, especially if a family member has difficulty maintaining balance (which may be the case with people suffering from Parkinson’s or a stroke). While carpets can be of benefit, its important to understand your family’s needs.

Another choice may be in choosing vinyl flooring. Vinyl flooring is improving all the time, with luxury options available in many colors, styles and patterns. Vinyl can provide a more stable surface to support balance – important with mobility or balance issues – and can be cushioned to prevent injury in case of a fall. Keep in mind that vinyl can be slippery in some cases in wet conditions, so it is important to maintain vinyl and keep it dry in high risk areas.

Have additional questions about the right flooring choice for your home situation? Stop by or give us a call today; we’d be happy to share our experiences with you.

Flooring
June 13, 2015

Flooring Comparisons Before You Buy

If your in the market to update the flooring in your home but feel lost in choices available that work best for your house, you are in luck. We have put together a list to help narrow down your selections.

Bamboo Flooring

Pros:

Environmentally friendly – one of the fastest, most renewable products on the market
Strong and durable
Easy to clean and maintain

Cons:

Can darken or fade in direct sunlight
Can warp if left wet for extended periods of time

Carpet

Pros:

Soft, quiet and warm under foot
Most cost effective flooring choice on the market
Easy to replace and upgrade
Brings color and texture into your room décor

Cons:

Can stain easily
Low quality carpets will show wear quickly

Ceramic Tile Flooring

Pros:

Durable
Water and stain resistant
Wide choice of colors, textures, patterns and shapes

Cons:

Grout lines can be hard to clean and can stain easily
Low quality tiles can chip
Glossy tiles can be slippery when wet

Cork Flooring

Pros:

Natural product
Soft and warm
Resists mildew
Easy to clean
Polyurethane finishes last up to seven years before refinishing is needed

Cons:

Wax finishes need reapplication every 6 to 12 months
High moisture situations can cause damage

Engineered Wood Flooring

Pros:

Maintains its shape more than wood
Quicker installation time
Comes prefinished so stain and finish will be consistent and harder

Cons:

Cannot be refinished
Offbrands may have weaker cores
Ends may split in high traffic areas

Laminate Flooring

Pros:

Durable
Affordable
Easy to clean and maintain
Excellent do it yourself applications

Cons:

Easily scratched
Off brands may chip and peel easy
If installing in a high moisture situation, make sure laminate was designed for water situations

Linoleum Flooring

Pros:

Made of natural materials
More durable than vinyl
Color extends through entire material

Cons:

Must be resealed annually
May scuff if not polished
Susceptible to water damage

Stone Flooring

Pros:

Extremely durable
A timeless, classic design
Natural beauty

Cons:

One of the highest cost flooring choices on the market
Some materials can absorb dirt and stains – all stone should be sealed
Can be difficult to repair

Vinyl Flooring

Pros:

Durable
Water resistant in sheet form
Easy to clean
Less expensive than other flooring choices

Cons:

Difficult to repair
Offbrands may discolor
In tile form, moisture can seep between seams

Wood Flooring

Pros:

Durable, wears well over time
Long lasting
Provides a warm look
Can be refinished

Cons:

Vulnerable to moisture
Soft woods can dent easily
May darken or fade in direct sunlight
Can shrink or expand in certain conditions

Flooring
June 10, 2015

How To Choose Flooring For Hallways and Stairs

One of the highest traffic flow, most susceptible areas for wear damage in your home are the hallways, entryways and stairs within your home. Because a definitive traffic pattern exists, you’ll want to choose flooring that’s designed for heavy use, especially if the flooring is accessible to outside entryways. For your main entry, you will also want flooring that makes a dramatic entrance, warm and inviting to all that enter.

The Best Flooring for Stairs and Hallways

Not sure what type of flooring is best? Here are a few ideas.

Carpet

For high traffic hallways and stairs, a low profile carpet can add more life expectancy. Choose pulled down nylon or loop construction for durability. Also select a high quality padding to increase the wearability. Carpet also offers slip resistance, which makes it an excellent choice for stairs.

If you choose to have wood throughout your home, and want the sleek lines to carry upstairs as well, you can consider carpet runners for added protection in high traffic areas, and to add color and personality in different parts of your home. A secured runner on the stairs can add safety, especially in homes with small children or elderly.

Hardwood

Hardwood is one of the most popular materials used throughout the Front Range, and with good reason. Hardwood is durable, hides potential dents and scratches, and can hide dirt and debris easier than other types of flooring, depending on the color. When choosing hardwood, you’ll have to decide between solid or engineered hardwood. While both are made from 100 percent wood, solid wood is more susceptible to damage from excessive moisture. Engineered woods are constructed to allow planks to grow and contract with environmental changes, so they make great floors in entryways that lead to the outdoors. Mats with rubber backs are not recommended as they restrict the hardwood floor from breathing.

Laminate

Laminate gives you the look of real hardwood in an easier to maintain, lower cost method. The biggest advantage of laminate is its finishes, which are extremely resistant to fading, scratching and scuffing. Laminate flooring is also easier to install, which can be a bonus to do it yourselves. Because laminates come with a click and lock plan installation, they can be tricky for stairs. Some manufacturers offer a one piece laminate stair tread option.

Tile & Stone

One of the most durable flooring options in high traffic areas is tile. Today’s ceramic tiles include large selections of colors, styles, sizes and patterns, and can create unlimited possibilities when piecing together patterns and designs. Tiles are easy to clean and maintain, but grout may need periodic cleaning and sealing to keep it looking fresh and new. For an upgraded appearance, natural stone offers a sophisticated look that can add ambiance to any home environment. Consider slate, marble, granite, travertine or limestone, which can help you create a luxurious look anywhere.

Need additional guidance to make the right choice for your hallways and stairs? Stop by today and see all the many options available that can make your home unique.

About Pro Flooring Brokers

We are a one stop shop for all of your flooring and installation needs. Located in Denver, CO, we have been family owned and operated for over 30 years! Our passion is your project.

Have a Flooring Project in the Denver Area?

Complimentary on-site measuring
Flooring estimates based on floor plans or blueprints
Installations performed by trained and qualified installers
Full one-year guarantee on all workmanship (in addition to manufacturer’s warranty)

Flooring and installation are made easy with the PRO! Flooring Brokers. Contact us, visit our showroom, or call today at 303.788.0113. We look forward to helping you.

Flooring
June 6, 2015

Choosing Flooring For Children With Autism

What is happening in our day to day lives determines how we choose to decorate our homes. A young bachelor will have different needs than an empty nest couple. An individual with a dog will have different needs than a family of five. And if you have a child with autism, you’ll begin to look at décor in an even different manner.

Many children diagnosed with autism have shown a chemical sensitivity that is often increased around vinyl. While the link is still being tested and documented, if you have vinyl in your home, or are considering changing the flooring in your home, it may be worth considering a move from vinyl to more natural products for the floor.

For many homes with autistic children, carpeting becomes the logical choice for both noise reduction and for safety features. When choosing carpeting, look for natural fibers – a 100 percent wool carpet created with a jute back is best to eliminate toxicity and to minimize the potential of inciting allergies.

Don’t just focus on the carpets; talk with the flooring contractor about the best padding as well. Padding can be made from a variety of materials; choose natural materials to ensure a low toxicity home.

While the type of flooring is important, color is also an issue. Color is a major issue when designing spaces for children with autism, and researches have found ways to reduce stress simply by changing colors and patterns within the décor.

Autistic children see color in a different manner than neurotypical children, with most see seeing color with greater intensity. Red would appear nearly fluorescent, vibrating with energy.

Muted colors, however, can have a calming effect. Cool colors such as soft blues or greens can be soothing. Designs and patterns should be non-linear and non-obtrusive. Anything that can appear as stimuli and energizing should be removed.

Flooring
June 4, 2015

Trends In Commercial Flooring For Senior Care Centers

By the year 2030, one in five people living in the US will be age 65 or older. And while the population continues to age, a lot more space will be dedicated to taking care of seniors when they need it most.

Facilities are opening up all the time, dedicating themselves to different levels of care. Some individuals are taking matters into their own hands, and redesigning their homes with aging in place in mind. Yet no matter what level of care you provide, seniors have special needs that begin with the way a site is designed and the way it functions on a day to day basis. It’s a fine line between choosing a floor that will be safe, sanitary and easy to maintain, and one that looks good too.

Safety
As we age, our balance continues to decrease, and the chances of falling goes up. To avoid injury, the harder a floor is, the more likely a fall will turn into an injury. Soft floors can cushion a fall, and give a person more protection as they land. Soft flooring choices include cork, carpeting, padded vinyl and rubber.

In addition to softness, it’s also important to pay attention to traction, as tripping is one of the number one reasons behind a fall. In bathrooms, kitchens and other areas where water and liquid spills are a possibility, it’s important to create a surface that doesn’t become slippery when wet. Also focus in on transitions as a person moves from room to room. Shuffling feet can easily get caught up in even the smallest of adjustments in height, and give walkers a reason to fall.

Maintenance
While safety is a number one priority for any facility created for seniors, maintenance should also be a top concern. When mobility is an issue, accidents are more prone to happen on a regular basis. To be able to clean and disinfect floors each time an accident occurs will create a healthier environment overall, and keep the facility looking its best with simple cleaning methods.

Different types of flooring can also effect indoor air quality within the space itself. Some flooring choices, such as vinyl, can give off small amounts of Volatile Organic Chemicals, which can impact some residents with allergies or breathing problems. Some flooring choices, like carpeting, can allow dust and dirt to accumulate in the flooring, and ultimately end up in the air as movement occurs. It’s important to understand the purpose of each room, and make your final selection wisely depending on your needs.

Have any additional questions about flooring for your senior facility? Give us a call today.