Floorcovering Choices & Tips

bamboo • carpet • tile • cork • hardwood • laminate • linoleum • marmoleum • vinyl • decorating tips • shopping checklist

Bamboo

Unlike hardwood, bamboo is not a product of trees, but instead a fast growing grass. Bamboo can grow from sprouts to harvesting in three to five years, thus an acre of bamboo can provide more flooring than an acre of trees can. When bamboo shoots are cut the roots remain intact and fresh new sprouts grow in their place. The dense root mass of bamboo helps prevent soil erosion and provides a viable crop opportunity in hilly acres where other crops cannot grow. The species used for flooring is sustainably harvested from selected groves in Southern China. This species is not eaten by Pandas. Bamboo is 27% harder than Northern Red Oak, 13% harder than hard Maple, and can be either nailed-down, glued-down or floated. It is also resistant to flammability.

More tools to help you select the right floorcovering for your project:

• Floors Comparison Chart (PDF)
• Buyer's Guide to Green Flooring Materials (PDF)
• Decorating tips
• Shopping checklist to make selection easier
• Tips for floor shoppers (PDF)
• Janka Hardness Scale (PDF) compares different types of hardwoods

To download PDF files, get Adobe Reader:

   Helpful Tips: Why Bamboo? (PDF)

Carpet

   Link to our All About Carpet page for more information.

There is no doubt that carpet offers homeowners more warmth, softness and comfort than any other floor covering. Today’s carpet styles, colors and textures blend well with a variety of other flooring products. From casual to formal you can always find carpet to enrich any interior setting and your lifestyle. There are carpets for all areas of the home where fashion and function are both important in selection.

• Carpet adds warmth and is soft under feet and easier on children’s knees.
• Carpet is much quieter than hard surface floors.
• Carpet comes in a wide variety of color tones and hues.
• Carpet is easy to decorate with and offers many solid color tones for rooms with patterned wall coverings.
• Carpet can hide many sub floor irregularities that would not be permitted with hard surface floors.
• Carpet can go over a variety of substrates and on all grade levels, even concrete slabs in basements.
• Carpet is economical and the installation costs are much less than some of the hard surface products.

    Helpful Tips: Why Carpet? (PDF)

Tile

Ceramic tile has been around for centuries and with today’s technology there are many design and application possibilities that were not available a decade ago. If it has been a long time since you have looked at tile possibilities you will be amazed at the variety of sizes, shapes and new textures that are now available.

Ceramic tile is a natural product made up of clay and a number of other naturally-occurring materials. Glazed ceramic tile has a ceramic coating applied to the tile body, which gives the tile a shiny appearance.

• Durable – a properly installed ceramic tile will outperform and outlast nearly any other floor covering product created for the same application.
• Easy Care – glazed ceramic tile resists stains, odors, and dirt and can be cleaned up with a damp mop or sponge or common household cleaners.
• Scratch Resistant – Grade III and Grade IV glazed ceramic tiles are extremely resistant to scratching and you never have to worry about a cut or tear as with other types of floors.
• Environmentally Friendly – ceramic tile is manufactured using natural materials and does not retain odors, allergens, or bacteria.
• Beautiful and Versatile – modern ceramic manufacturing technology has created virtually an unlimited number of colors, sizes, styles, shapes and textures that add rich beauty and character to any room décor.
• Fire Resistant – ceramic tile doesn’t burn nor emit toxic fumes. A lighted cigarette, when dropped on the floor, even if allowed to sit, will not do any damage. Even hot kitchen pans or skillets will not scorch or melt the surface of glazed ceramic tile.
• Water Resistant – most glazed ceramic tile has a dense body that permits little or no accumulation of moisture. This means spills from common liquids is not a big concern.

Other types of tile available are:

Unglazed Floor Tile (Pavers)

There is no glazing or any other coating applied to these tiles. Because these tiles are porous it is recommended that a special coating/sealant be used to maintain this type of floor and to help prevent stains from seeping into the pores of the tiles. Their color is the same on the face of the tile as it is on very durable tiles that do not show the effects of heavy traffic. The most common unglazed tiles are the red quarry tiles or the granite looking porcelain in heavy commercial areas.

Marble

Marble is a natural product and is not made in a factory. For this reason no two pieces of marble look the same and the veining is a natural character trait. There are special marble sealants to help protect from staining of the face. Extra care should be used when cleaning and all abrasives and acidic cleaners should never be used for cleaning marble. Colas, some juices and possibly ammonia may destroy the marble finish.

Granite

This is another natural stone and is not manufactured in a factory. Granite can be used indoors or outdoors and is less porous than marble. It is still recommended you use a sealant to protect the finish from staining.

Saltillo Tile

This is a Mexican tile made of unprocessed clays.

Listello

A narrow tile used to accent field tiles.

Ceramic Mosaic Tile

Tiles that are less than 6 inches facial area and may be either porcelain or natural clay composition.

Quarry Tile

Tiles made from the extrusion process from shale or natural clays and usually are 6 inches or more in facial size and come unglazed.

Wall Tile

Glazed tiles with that are designed for indoor use and generally non-vitreous.

Porcelain Tile

Porcelain tile is denser and less porous than ceramic tile and highly resistant to moisture, odors and even harsh cleaners. For homeowners, porcelain tile is especially resistant to staining, scratches, fading and is available in both polished and matte finishes. Porcelain also comes in a wide variety of sizes, colors and textures.

Slate Tile

Slate is a natural product that was formed millions of years ago. Slate must still be hand split to reveal its warm earth tones and weathered veining; therefore each piece has its own unique design with no two pieces being the same. Slate has long lasting durability and is virtually maintenance free.

    Helpful Tips: Why Tile? (PDF)

Cork

Cork is a natural product that is sustainable harvested from the bark of the cork oak tree in Spain and Portugal. The outer casing of the tree can be harvested every 9 years without harm to the Cork Oak. After the bark is harvested, it is drilled for wine bottle corks. What is left is reclaimed and ground up to make other products such as flooring. The ground up cork granules are put into large presses and heated up. The high pressure and high heat causes the cork to use together and become large blocks of agglomerated cork. This large block is then cut into cork flooring. Cork flooring offers a distinctive and natural beauty rare to find in other flooring materials.

• The unique cellular structure of cork gives this flooring excellent impermeability, resilience, thermal insulation, and sound absorbency and fire retardation.
• Incredibly durable that will not deteriorate by high heels or furniture.
• Cork naturally warms and enriches any interior when used on the floor.
• Cork is very chemically resistant. It is unaffected by ethyl alcohol, sulfuric acid, acetic acid, benzene and tricholoroethylene.
• Cork is highly abrasion resistant, proven to withstand decades of high traffic in schools, shops, hospitals, homes, restaurants, offices and museums.
• Cork is less expensive per square foot than some hardwood floors and is priced similarly per square foot to tile and slate.

    Helpful Tips: Why Cork? (PDF)

Hardwood

The rich look of hardwood floors adds warmth and charm to any room in the home. Through advancements in finish technologies and superior construction techniques hardwood floors are able to produce tougher finished and more stable products. This means engineered hardwood floors can go in almost any room in the home and over a wide variety of sub flooring including dry, fully-cured concrete slabs. Today’s hardwood flooring comes in a variety of wood species. Besides the popular North America hardwoods (like oak, maple and ash) many companies now offer hardwood species from all over the world. Exotic hardwoods offer unique and unusual looks that give homeowners the chance to better express their personal decorating tastes.

There are three different types of wood flooring:

• Solid Hardwood Floors – are a solid piece of hardwood cut into wood planks that are generally ¾” thick. (Above ground level areas only. Not recommended for concrete slabs).
• Engineered Hardwood Floors – are several plies of wood that are glued and laminated together to form a wood plank. Range in thickness and can be installed almost anywhere in the home, including over dry concrete slabs.
• Exotic Hardwood Floors – are used to describe hardwood species from around the world. These hardwoods are not found in North America and come from Africa, Brazil and the Far East. Exotic hardwoods offer unique wood graining and colorations. Most exotic floors are available in both engineered wood and solid hardwood planks as well.

    Helpful Tips: Why Hardwood? (PDF)

Laminate

Originally from Europe, laminate flooring has quickly become a major flooring category in North America. A wide selection of designs and colors are easy to find. Laminate floors are incredibly durable, easy to care for and come in a wide variety of realistic stone and hardwood looks. If you love the look of real hardwood but are concerned with the upkeep, concerned with tearing up old flooring or are budget-minded than laminate flooring may be a great choice for you. Laminate flooring has a tough outing coating that is impervious to most stains, spills, burns and is extremely scratch resistant. Both planks and tiles can be floated over most substrates including concrete slabs and existing floors. Laminate flooring textures offer the realism of hardwood graining and natural tile etching. You can echo any dark wood grains as well as warm or cool tones to compliment any room décor. Stone and tile patterns will give you the elegant look of tile without the concerns about grout cleaning or cracking tile.

    Helpful Tips: Why Laminate? (PDF)

Linoleum

Linoleum has been a mainstay floor covering for over 100 years because it is one of the few products made from primarily natural raw materials, such as linseed oil from flax, wood powder, limestone, resins and some colored pigments. The backing is mostly natural grass. It is a tough yet visually striking floor covering, highly resistant to heavy rolling loads and foot traffic. Because linoleum is a natural organic product, its performance is enhanced by time, as exposure to air serves to harden and increase its durability. Although linoleum continues to harden over time, the floor remains quiet and comfortable under foot. Linoleum is also cost effective because of the long-lifespan (40 years) and low maintenance costs. It is extremely durable, burn-resistant and allergen-free

    Helpful Tips: Why Linoleum? (PDF)

Marmoleum

What is Marmoleum?

It’s not carpeting - it’s beautiful, durable, clean and allergen-free. And it’s not plastic; vinyl has gone the way of, well, vinyl! What Marmoleum is, is perfect for unique floors. Got a design for the bedroom? Marmoleum. For the rec room? Marmoleum. The kids’ room? Marmoleum. The kitchen? The living room? The bath? Marmoleum!

Serious About the Environment

It all starts with nature: Linseed oil pressed from flax. Wood flour from timber grown in controlled forests where every tree felled is replaced. Pine rosins mixed with linseed oil for a flexible texture. Jute fibers woven as the backing. Marmoleum is biodegradable.

Even the adhesives used to install Marmoleum are environmentally friendly, totally free of solvents, and meet all low VOC (volatile organic compound) requirements. You won’t find harmful substances in our floors: no lead, no formaldehyde, and no chlorine. Nothing.

• Marmoleum is the product of clean living. Natural anti-static properties mean that dirt doesn’t stick to Marmoleum very well.
• Both the finish and cleaner are made from environmentally friendly ingredients. When you’re done using the cleaner, feel free to pour it down the sink in good conscience.
• Marmoleum is antiseptic, allergen-free and easy to clean.
  

    Helpful Tips: Why Marmoleum? (PDF)

Vinyl

No other floor category offers the variety of colors and patterns as vinyl flooring! The unique manufacturing processes used today can replicate the look and textures of real ceramic tile, stone and wood grains. Plus, the resilient manufacturing process makes vinyl floors more tear and stain resistant.

The wearlayer is critical to the performance of a vinyl floor. The thickness of the wearlayer varies with each manufacturer’s collection, or series and is generally measured using the thickness of a millimeter (about the same as a page in the telephone book). A 10-mil wearlayer would be comparable in thickness to about 10 pages in your telephone book. Your expectations for how long your vinyl floor will look like new will depend on the wearlayer’s performance. Wearlayer performance characteristics are:

• Easy to clean
• Stays looking like new
• Resists staining from normal household products
• Doesn’t show scratches easily
• Resistance to tearing, gouging, ripping and indentations

The new, high-end vinyl floors have better technology to help resist showing wear and staining far better than any of the middle to low-end vinyl floors made. Urethane finishes used on today’s residential, high-end vinyl floors will give you a richer looking floor, better designs, better tear-resistance and much better performance.

    Helpful Tips: Why Vinyl? (PDF)

Decorating Tips

• To make a room appear bigger use lighter colors and smaller patterns.
• Rooms with a lot of sunlight consider using a laminate floor, ceramic or porcelain tile.
• For a more unique wood look consider the hand-scraped or exotic hardwood floors.
• Around a fireplace hearth try picture framing the hardwood flooring planks for a more stunning and professional touch.
• Adding a rug is a great way to freshen up the appearance of any room without the costs of doing a complete room makeover.
• Before installing, try changing the direction of the flooring to see how it enhances the visual appearance of the room.
• Where lots of sunlight enters a room you may want to add window treatments to prevent your new floor from fading.
• Darker color tones tend to be more traditional, while lighter color tones appear more casual or contemporary.
• If walls and fabrics in the room have large patterned designs, try to keep the flooring pattern small so the visual is not too overwhelming.

Shopping Checklist

   Download Helpful Tips for Floor Shoppers (PDF)

Suggestions for Easy Selection of Your New Floor:

Before making a trip to About Floors:

• Draw a simple outline of the room(s) and where the room entrances are located.
• Carefully measure the room(s) you want to cover with new flooring. Use a metal measuring tape and write down both the width and length of the room(s). Be sure to include closets and any other areas that will need flooring.
• Make a note of what are the adjoining rooms and what flooring is currently in those areas.
• Make a note about how much natural sunlight enters the room, which direction the room faces, and any sliding patio doors.
• If possible, make a note of what is under the existing flooring? (Sometimes if you have a forced-air heating system with in-floor heating ducts you can pull up the heat vent cover and look inside to get an idea as to what is really underneath your existing flooring.)
• Whenever possible take along any furniture, wallpaper, and drapery fabrics from the room(s).
• Decide what you want done with existing baseboard and moldings.
• Think about answers to these questions to help you select the right floor for your needs:
  • How much traffic does this room get each day?
  • What is the room used for?
  • How many children and pets do you have?
  • Do you have a certain color in mind?
  • What are your personal expectations for the flooring? How long do you want it to last?
• Ask about price quotes for additional work:
  • all sub floor preparation
  • removal of existing flooring
  • moving of all furniture and appliances
  • all installation costs
  • all necessary materials for installing your new floor.
• Before choosing a floor have the salesperson review with you the manufacturer's warranty information as well as the manufacturer's care and maintenance procedures. Keep a copy of both brochures for your reference.
• Be sure to understand who is responsible for removing toilets, portable dishwashers, and any other fixed room fixtures.
• Check out our web site to give you some idea of what kind of establishment we are. You can see which groups and organizations we are associated with. You may also set up an appointment with us, either before, during or after our regular business hours, to save you valuable time when you get to our store.