What Hardwood Flooring Brand Should I Choose?

 After years of research, several in house flooring mill tours as well as working with pretty well every major manufacturer of hardwood flooring over the last 15 years I can answer this question with confidence and I will tell you Mirage every time. Mirage is dedicated to quality without compromise!


 Anyone can tell you that a product or the product they sell is the best, however this blog is being written to explain exactly why we at Owen Flooring will all tell you Mirage is the best. 


So lets start with what most consumers feel the most important part of a wood floor is THE FINISH.

Thanks to this cutting edge technology, Mirage Nanolinx finish is made up of the smallest particles possible, nine times smaller than a hair, each particle moulds perfectly to the shape of the hardwood floor, creating the clearest and most flexible finish in the industry.  The Nanolinx finish is also highly resistant to scratches, marks and nicks. Actually the Mirage Nanolinx finish is by far the most resistant I have seen in my eight years installing hardwood flooring, however for those more technical people out

there, Mirage has done their own testing to ensure their finish exceeds the common norm, and is much better and more resistant than all of their competition. In fact Mirage maintains an in house active researchand development department which conducts many thorough tests on all products including the competitions products. As you can see in the chart above the Nanolinx finish is %50 more wear resistant than most other finishes.

Mirage Hardwood is available in three different approaches Solid, Engineered and Lock. All three approaches have their own Reducers, T-mouldings and Stair-nosing made and finished in the same Canadian manufacturing facility as the flooring products themselves to ensure a perfect colour match.


The Solid approach has a very exclusive manufacturing process to ensure the wood stays at the proper moisture level of %7. This level is very important because if the product is milled higher or lower than %7 there is a higher chance of cupping and bowing after the product has been installed in the home. Board widths in the Solid approach are available in 2-1/2, 3-1/4 and 4-1/4 inch thicknesses and can be sanded 3-5 times. 

The Engineered approach is real hardwood flooring over a plywood base, keeping it structurally sound to resist against moisture problems associated with wider planked solid hardwood and is my personal favourite. Mirage has one of the largest wear layers in the industry that can also be sanded down 3-5 times. The wear layer from Mirage is Dry Sawn unlike most of the Chinese competition is a Rotary peal. A Dry sawn approach is the absolute best way to create a wear layer because you will get less grain repetition than that of a rotary pealed product giving you the same look as the solid  wood approach with the availability to go to a wider board without the risk of cupping and bowing. Mirage Engineered can be glued over concrete as well as radiant heat, or it can be nailed or stapled over wood subfloor. Mirage Engineered is available in various widths 2-9/16, 3-5/16, 5 & 6-1/2 inches. In my opinion the biggest advantage to Mirage Engineered over their competitions engineered is the core they use. The core is a baltic birch marine grade plywood made by Wisa plywood a company from Finland that is considered the best plywood manufacturer in the World. Wisa plywood does not contain urea-formaldihyde because urea-formaldihyde does not stand up to water whereas Phenol-Formaldehyde which is what is used in the Wisa/Mirage product does stand up to water making it marine grade and superior to the competitions products. We did our own testing at Owen Flooring on Mirage engineered hardwood vs. The HGTV competition product, we put both in a bucket filled with water for over 24 hrs. The water did not effect the Mirage Engineered product at all the finish was still perfect and the product did not expand while it was wet or contract when it dried. Unlike the HGTV product that would no longer tongue and groove together because it had expanded so much and the water completely destroyed its finish. Although your flooring is highly unlikely to sit in water for 24 hrs. it is nice to have the peace of mind to know that this product is made to stand up to life's challenges.


The Mirage Lock approach is real hardwood boards with a High Density Fiber Core or HDF.  This product is designed to be installed using the float method. A float method is great for basement floors or homes that were built on slab, at the same time it can also be installed on wood subfloors making it a great option for any level on your home. This is also your Greenest approach because the HDF is made of recycled saw dust and the production uses the least amount of new wood product. The boards are available in a 4-5/16 inch wide. The lock system is great because it allows you to have a fast, easy and installation with no nails or glue, while still taking advantage of the Mirage quality. 

Mirage has one of if not the best Warranties in the industry and they actually stand behind their warranty. The warranty is a Lifetime limited structural warranty, warranting that the wood will not delaminate for life . A 25 year warranty on finish wear through for residential applications as well as 3 year for commercial. 

Ok, so now lets talk about Mirage and our environment, Mirage is FSC certified, meaning the product comes from certified producers committed to meeting healthy forestry management standards. Mirage also recycles %100 of the wood waste generated in the manufacture of their floors. All Mirage products are packaged in recyclable cartons made of %100 recycled materials. None of the finishes contain VOCs or Volatile Organic Compound. Top quality Mirage products qualify for LEED. If only all the flooring mills cared this much about the future of not only our industry but the World as a whole.

So above has pretty well summed up why myself and my associates at Owen Flooring feel Mirage is the absolute best product on the market and if you are still uncertain about what brand to choose, read below as I copied this directly from the Mirage website.

Mirage stands as a symbol of the quest for balance and a better quality of life. Mirage is synonymous with comfort, beauty, and durability. It epitomizes attention to detail and the desire to create a product in perfect harmony with its environment.

Twenty-three times recognized for outstanding quality*, Mirage is indisputably the # 1 hardwood flooring brand in North America. Retailers and other industry professionals have rated Mirage 1^st for quality 23 times in the last decade on surveys conducted by the following magazines:

• Ranked 1^st in quality by Floor Focus magazine in 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2014
• Ranked 1^st in quality by Floor Covering Weekly in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013
• Received the Floor Covering News Award of Excellence in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014
• Boa-Franc, manufacturer of Mirage floors has also received the highest honor at the Grands Prix québécois de la qualité awards in 2012. This award is on par with the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in the United States.
• Boa-Franc, manufacturer of Mirage floors has also received the prestigious Gold Trophy Award at the 2013 Canada Awards for Excellence

I think in a nutshell by now I have proven my point and I am sure I have left several key aspects of this company out of this blog. So if you think there are any other companies out there that you feel even come close to meeting the standards set by Mirage please contact me because I would love to see it! 

 



   
  

Why Choose Owen Flooring?

Owen Flooring is the next generation of flooring stores setting the standard for quality products and service in Chatham-Kent. We have been a retail store in Chatham-Kent for three years now. Over the last three years Owen Flooring has proven itself to be among the best of the best in the flooring industry accepting the Chatham Daily News Best Flooring/Carpet Store in Chatham-Kent runner-up award for 2014 and 2015. Considering Owen Flooring does little to no advertisement with the Chatham Daily News and given Owen Flooring is a relatively new business in the area this is a great accomplishment and says a lot about where this business is headed.

The vision of Owen Flooring is to sell and install the best possible flooring products for the best possible price all the while treating our customers as they we would like to be treated and our customer’s home as if it were our own home. Owen Flooring is also dedicated to CHANGE, People need change in their life, either in their floor coverings, paint, or maybe just with whats for dinner tonight, having this said it is just as important for business’s to change very similar to the way people do. At Owen Flooring we do things differently which is a change that most of our customers enjoy and appreciate. Mainly keeping an open mind for change during a flooring project or renovation is key because the definition of renovate is “to make changes”.  At Owen Flooring we “Embrace Change” not only from a renovation aspect but also in the way we do our day to day work. To be a business dedicated to change means that as a customer you are sure to see or hear something that perhaps you have never seen or heard before and because people need change, you will probably like it! We also take the time to ask our customers questions about how they live in their home, so we can better understand what product will suit their needs and wants. 

Owen Flooring takes pride in “One on one Project Management.” At Owen Flooring we have made things easy for you, from the time you walk in our doors and we introduce ourselves to the time we install your beautiful flooring product, you will be talking with your own personal flooring project manager. Meaning the person selling you the floor will manage, look after and observe your entire flooring project. We find this system to work great and our customers seem to really enjoy the relationship we have with them. Customer service is Owen Flooring’s focal point, we are well aware of who our customer is and we do everything we can do to impress them. After purchasing a floor and having an installation done, we want our customers to be so impressed with us that they tell their friends not only what a nice job that was done but also how clean and neat we left their home. 

This brings us to our expert flooring installation service, at Owen Flooring we settle nothing less then the best. This is why we hire our own in-house installation teams and are RenoMark Certified. What is RenoMark? RenoMark is a renovators mark of excellence all RenoMark renovators must be a member in good standing of The Ontario Home Builders Association, abide by the OHBA code of ethics, provide a detailed contract or quote for all work, carry a minimum of $2 million liability insurance, have WSIB coverage, carry all applicable licenses and permits, maintain a professional level of knowledge on building codes etc., maintain a safe and organized work site and return phone calls within two business days. We wouldn’t want an under qualified installer working at our own home, therefor we won’t send one to yours! 

It is not only our expert installers and our management team that makes us a change from most other flooring stores, it is also our products and the partnerships we have created with our manufacturers and suppliers. Owen Flooring has partnered up with some of the best flooring and carpet manufacturers in the world, known for not only their premium quality but also their design style and service. These exclusive partnerships include include Mirage Flooring, Wickham Hardwood Flooring, Masland Carpet & Dixie Home Carpet.

At Owen Flooring we are very proud to cary the absolute best quality flooring products in Chatham-Kent and look forward to installing them in your home.

Extra Long & Ultra Wide Hardwood Flooring

Gord displaying two new Ultra long
products from 12 Oaks

Over the past thirty five years a lot has changed in hardwood flooring trends, going from 1.25” wide strip flooring in the 1970’s to 2.25” wide strip in the early 90’s to more of a 3.25” wider plank in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. 
That is when everything changed… All of the sudden there were more and more 5” wide planks with distressing, hand-scraping and even wire brushing. Unfortunately there were many moisture related problems with these floors, as wider wood cups and bows far more than a more narrow strip flooring does. At this point flooring manufacturers and retailers began re educating customers on the importance of engineered hardwood. 
Engineered hardwood is nothing new and was nothing new in the year 2000. Engineered hardwood was originally designed in the 1970’s when building on slab concrete was more prevalent. Engineered hardwood provided people building on slab the convenience of a hardwood floor. 
Today flooring trends say the longer, the wider, the better and without an engineered product hitting the market place in a big way, these new styles and trends would not be available in 2015.  At Owen Flooring we have products that are 7.5” wide 6.25ft. long and products that are 7” wide and 6ft long. When you read it, it doesn't really seem that long or that wide, however most solid hardwood flooring has an average length of 3ft and width of 3 inches making these ultra long and extra wide engineered hardwood products big time head turners!

Kevin displaying the new products
that are as tall as he is

Owen Flooring is currently working with two new Ultra long and extra wide product lines from one of their favoured flooring manufacturers Twelve Oaks Forest Products. Twelve Oaks released the two new engineered product lines early 2015 to select dealers and both lines have proven to be a beautiful, quality floor with a great price point.

Lake Huron Collection was the first to arrive. This product line is 6" to 6.5" wide and 6ft long and is available in Hickory, Black Walnut & White Oak. This product includes tongue and grove construction, making it available to be installed by using the nail down, float, or glue down method. This product also includes a Smooth Authentic PPG Alluminum Oxide Reinforced Finish, and it has a 35 year wear layer warranty. This product also comes E1 certified, meaning it has low emissions and is environmentally responsible. This product line is not only a stunning extra long, ultra wide quality flooring product, it comes with a remarkable price tag of only $6.29 sf for White Oak & Hickory & $6.99 sf for Black walnut.

New Master Artisan Line 

Owen Flooring is also displaying the brand new product line from Twelve Oaks called Master Artisan Collection. This heavy character engineered wood flooring product line features a board length of over 6ft and a board width of 7.5inch on a rustic White Oak species. Like the Lake Huron Collection This product includes tongue and grove construction, making it available to be installed by using the nail down, float, or glue down method. This product also includes a Smooth Authentic PPG Alluminum Oxide Reinforced Finish, allowing it to have a 35 year wear layer warranty. This product also comes E1 certified, meaning it has low emissions and is environmentally responsible. This product also has an aggressive price point of only $6.75 sf.

Owen Flooring is also an exclusive dealer in Chatham-Kent to the worlds finest hardwood flooring, Mirage. We are very excited to continue selling our quality products however adding the absolute best in the world is something to be thrilled about. Why do I say Mirage is the best? Well there are so many reasons it is difficult to go over in this blog, so click here "WHY MIRAGE" to find out.

Thanks for checking out our Extra Long & Ultra Wide flooring Blog post! Remember be very careful with wide plank hardwood, we urge our customers to purchase engineered hardwood to reduce the risk of future problems.

The Beauty of Hardwood Flooring & The Comfort of an Area Rug

There is not a doubt in my mind that Hardwood Flooring or Engineered Hardwood Flooring is the most desirable type of flooring available to North Americans today. There is something about a hardwood floor that screams out luxury and elegance. To me hardwood and engineered hardwood is so luxurious because a floor will be made up of hundreds or thousands of boards and every board has its own unique look, meaning there are not two boards the same throughout the entire room, which makes for a very stunning look.

My family at 6:00 am ready for playtime

Although hardwood flooring is very luxurious and rich looking, after starting a family my wife and I have come to the conclusion that an area rug not only adds warmth to the luxurious hardwood as well as the room, it also provides a great spot for kids to play and crawl around. We have two dogs and a beautiful 4 month old girl named Evelyn Grace, our home has hard surface in the living-room, kitchen and hall with carpet in the bedrooms for comfort. We love the hardwood look! However we don't want our little baby playing on the hard surface, not only because of comfort but also because we don't want our flooring destroyed!An area rug was perfect solution to our problem because we wanted our home to look luxurious but at the same time we are very practical. We put an area rug in the living room for our girl to play on and she loves it! We also like the feel of it on our feet while watching TV as well as the warmth it adds to our room. At first we thought it would be hard to keep clean, however it is really no harder to clean than a hardwood floor and according to the CRI (Carpet & Rug Institute) a carpet will actually provide a home with a better air quality over a hard surface floor.

Sometimes it is difficult to find the perfect colour, size, shape or pattern in a stock area rug. At Owen Flooring we custom cut and bind any one of our carpets to the size, shape, style and colour of our customers wants or needs. There are many pattern and colour options available as well with Masland Carpets, Dixie Home, STAINMASTER as well as Phenix Flooring. If your family is anything like mine, once you find that perfect area rug made for your home or room, you will certainly become a big fan of the comfort and style it brings with it!


 

What is the Best Carpet to Buy? Vol#4 Under-pad

"What is the best carpet to buy?" is a question that can not be answered, or at least will not have the same answer for everyone. When I began my career as a carpet salesman I received some great advice from a good friend and mentor Glen Matton of Deacon Flooring in London On. He said "Don't always sell the customer what they want, you should sell them what they need!" Oh??? I said?? "You wouldn't sell a loose looped carpet to a customer with a bunch of cats because the consumer likes that particular carpet, the cats will destroy it in no time!" he said. That was great advice from a great guy, and since then I do my best to sell customers on products that better fit their needs while certainly still respecting their wants. If you are a serious capet consumer do yourself a favor a read my next few blog posts, so that when shopping for a new carpet, you not only purchase what you want in a carpet but also what you need in a carpet.

Over the next little while I will be posting about carpet to hopefully educate you on what is the best carpet to buy FOR YOU! 

Vol#4 Under-pad 

Carpet underpad is very important feature to know about when purchasing a new carpet. Many homeowners and carpet customers seem to think that the thicker the underpad the better the underpad and this is certainly not the case, not the case at all! Remember carpet underpad does much more than provide a cushion for you to walk on. A good underpad will actually keep your carpet from wearing out too fast and save you money in the long run! A good pad is firm keeping the carpet from compressing down, the firmer the pad the longer your carpet will last making you a much happier customer.

The Carpet Cushion Council have set a standard for residential carpet underpad at 3/8" thick and 5ib weight. This is most certainly not good enough pad, in fact I won't even sell it! At Owen Flooring we recommend a 3/8" firm 8ib chip foam underpad with a vapour barrier. Why? I am glad you asked! 3/8" is the thickness of the tack strip that is installed all the way around the pad therefor making a nice level carpet appearance all the way around your room. If I were to use a thicker pad the carpet would dip down when it meets the tack strip. The reason we use an 8ib firm pad is that I feel an 8ib pad is heavy enough to withstand the abuse that an average family will give it. Why a vapour barrier? The vapour barrier goes in between the carpet and the pad, this prevents spills and dirt from leaking through the carpet and into the pad, it keeps the spill on the pad for an easy clean up, rather than the spill leaking into the pad and being in there forever.

There are plenty of types of under-pad available, and stores have been trying to upsell them for years and years, however know that a 8ib 3/8" firm pad with a vapour barrier will work great in your home for years to come regardless of the Carpet Style, the Carpet Fiber, or the Carpet Twist. In my opinion a 3/8" 8ib firm pad is the best pad dollar for dollar available on the market today. If I were going to try to upgrade, I certainly would not go thicker or softer, I would still choose 3/8" but perhaps a bit heavier of a pad or even a rubber pad with a heavy heavy weight to it.

Do yourself a favour ask your salesman about the under-pad, be sure it is a 3/8" firm pad with an 8ib weight, or something very close to these numbers, because if you get too thin or too thick of a pad it will affect your carpet appearance and if you get to light of weight, it will affect the longevity of your carpet.

What is the Best Carpet to Buy? Vol#3 Twist

"What is the best carpet to buy?" is a question that can not be answered, or at least will not have the same answer for everyone. When I began my career as a carpet salesman I received some great advice from a good friend and mentor Glen Matton of Deacon Flooring in London On. He said "Don't always sell the customer what they want, you should sell them what they need!" Oh??? I said?? "You wouldn't sell a loose looped carpet to a customer with a bunch of cats because the consumer likes that particular carpet, the cats will destroy it in no time!" he said. That was great advice from a great guy, and since then I do my best to sell customers on products that better fit their needs while certainly still respecting their wants. If you are a serious capet consumer do yourself a favor a read my next few blog posts, so that when shopping for a new carpet, you not only purchase what you want in a carpet but also what you need in a carpet.

Over the next week or so we will be posting about carpet to hopefully educate you on what is the best carpet to buy FOR YOU! 

Vol #3 Twist
A carpets twist is in my opinion is the third most important thing to look for when purchasing a carpet, however often times a customer does not even know about the importance of a twist. Most carpet consumers think the weight or the pile is most important mainly because that is what some uneducated big box store carpet sales person told them. The truth is weight and pile are important features in a carpets construction, however in my opinion the first thing to look at is Vol#1 Style  the second being Vol#2 Fiber and the third is the Twist. The twist of a carpet is not relevant in a loop constructed or berber style carpet because of the way berber is made differently from plush or frieze style carpets, however you should already know this if you have read Vol#1 Style.To me the twist is oh so very important to a carpets quality because the twist of a carpet is what makes the carpet stand up right, if that twist is loose or unravels the carpet will (wear) or fall down and look matted. The twist in a carpet is very similar to the twist in a hair braid, the tighter the braid the more braids you get and the stronger that braid is.
This will likely be the shortest and easiest blog post in the

The twist is often rated in carpet stores as TPI and it stands for Turns Per Inch. It is quite simple really the TPI is the number of times the carpet fiber is twisted in an inch. Some companies don't advertise their TPI however it is easy for you the customer to see if a carpet has a good number of twists to it or not. This is one of the reasons Frieze Style carpet is my favorite style, the carpet is longer allowing the carpet manufacturer to twist the carpet more times, which in turn makes frieze wear so well even when made out of a Phenix Flooring PET Polyester fiber.

If you read Vol#2 Fiber you will see the Stainmaster Nylon is my favorite fiber and I mostly explained why, however I left out gauge. The gauge of a carpet strand is how thick the strand in the twist is and the thinner the strand the better. Why? Because the thinner the strand the more times it can be twisted also allowing for more carpet material to be place in the carpet. Similar to linen sheets thread count, the smaller the thread the more material gets into the sheet creating better performance. Nylon carpet can be made much thinner than a PET or PTT creating a much higher quality product.

So if you are looking for that thick plush carpet that so many people are these days, spread the carpet with your fingers, count the twists and pick the highest number. If you purchase a plush Stainmaster nylon carpet with a high TPI and you clean your carpet regularly, you will have a beautiful plush carpet for years to come!
If you are looking for the Frieze or short shag, the TPI is still very important so do yourself a favour and be sure to count those twists! 

What is The Best Carpet to Buy? Vol. #2 Fiber

"What is the best carpet to buy?" is a question that can not be answered, or at least will not have the same answer for everyone. When I began my career as a carpet salesman I received some great advice from a good friend and mentor Glen Matton of Deacon Flooring in London On. He said "Don't always sell the customer what they want, you should sell them what they need!" Oh??? I said?? "You wouldn't sell a loose looped carpet to a customer with a bunch of cats because the consumer likes that particular carpet, the cats will destroy it in no time!" he said. That was great advice from a great guy, and since then I do my best to sell customers on products that better fit their needs while certainly still respecting their wants. If you are a serious capet consumer do yourself a favor a read my next few blog posts, so that when shopping for a new carpet, you not only purchase what you want in a carpet but also what you need in a carpet.

Over the next week or so we will be posting about carpet to hopefully educate you on what is the best carpet to buy FOR YOU? 

Vol#2 Fiber

There are several types of fibers available today, however today we will be only discussing the four main types that are generally used in a residential setting. Although most carpet consumers think pile height and weight are the most important thing to look for in a carpet, I strongly disagree. I feel the material used is one of if not the most important features when purchasing a carpet. The only thing that is as important or more important can be read about in Vol#1 Style  because your first step is picking a carpet style, the next step is the fiber, then we will talk about a carpet twist in Vol#3 Twist

Stainmaster Nylon Carpet 

Nylon fiber has been being used in carpets since the early 1960's and has proven itself to be the strongest of all the carpet fibers today. Nylon fiber is very versatile, you will find carpet styles such as berbers, plush's, patterned as well as frieze's made out of nylon fiber.  Nylon is my personal favorite fiber, actually STAINMASTER Nylon is my favorite fiber. The reason Stainmaster nylon is my favorite nylon is they have the strongest nylon 6.6 as well as the best treatment for their nylon which in turn gives them an advantage of giving the best warranties as well as the best product. Having that said there is still another important area to cover when it comes to a quality carpet and that is the twist, however we will address that in Vol#3 Twist.

Phenix Polyester 

Polyester or PET fiber is very environmentally friendly in fact some people call it pop bottle carpet because it is made from recycled water or pop bottles. Polyester is naturally very stain resistant as well as very soft and is generally less expensive than nylon giving a customer a more affordable carpet. When polyester first came in to the market there was many issues with it wearing far too quickly, however with today's advanced technology it stands up allot better! A polyester carpet when woven and twisted properly can last a long time in a home. A polyester plush carpet would be recommended for area rugs, bedrooms, living rooms etc. and in todays market is likely what is installed in the average home. If using a polyester in a high traffic area like stairs or hallways, I would generally suggest a berber or pattern style  because they are the best for wear in a high traffic area.

PTT Polyester or Triexta Polyester fiber is what the Mohawk SmartStrand is made out of. Mohawk has marked this product as #1 is stain resistance and has used videos of zoo animals walking on it to market its quality. This product is polyester so it is naturally great for stains and is naturally soft just like a PET polyester however it has it's own classification of PTT. Again PTT much like PET is amazing for stains and is ultra soft, however it is on par with the cost of a Stainmaster nylon but it wears similar to a PET, therefor I believe it is not the carpet it markets itself to be. Until educating myself about carpet by reading third party articles, talking to installers and carpet salesman over the last few years, I was fooled by the clever zoo marketing as well, however this zoo carpet might be excellent for stains and ultra soft, however I am not alone when I say dollar for dollar it will not outlast a carpet made of nylon. I generally suggest anyone looking at this type of carpeting to purchase a PET Polyester because you will get a very similar look and feel with a reduced price tag.

Kraus Berber 

Polypropylene or Olefin fiber is amazing for sun resistance and fading because of the way it is made. Olefin fiber will not absorb water and it is very stain resistant. Olefin is a weak fiber therefor I do not recommend it for any carpet style other than berber. I recommend this for a berber because when making a berber carpet it is not as important to have a really strong fiber because of the loop technology used.

Below is a chart I made that shows the qualities of each of the four main carpet types

Fiber	Stain Resistance	Texture Retention	Style and colour options
Stainmaster Nylon	Great	Great	Great
PET Polyester	Great	Good	Great
PTT Triexta Polyester	Great	Good	Great
Polypropylene or Olefin	Great	Poor	Poor

What is the best Carpet to buy? Vol. #1 Style

"What is the best carpet to buy?" is a question that can not be answered, or at least will not have the same answer for everyone. When I began my career as a carpet salesman I received some great advice from a good friend and mentor Glen Matton of Deacon Flooring in London On. He said "Don't always sell the customer what they want, you should sell them what they need!" Oh??? I said?? "You wouldn't sell a loose looped carpet to a customer with a bunch of cats because the consumer likes that particular carpet, the cats will destroy it in no time!" he said. That was great advice from a great guy, and since then I do my best to sell customers on products that better fit their needs while certainly still respecting their wants. If you are a serious capet consumer do yourself a favor a read my next few blog posts, so that when shopping for a new carpet, you not only purchase what you want in a carpet but also what you need in a carpet.

Over the next week or so we will be posting about carpet to hopefully educate you on what is the best carpet to buy FOR YOU? 

Vol#1 Style

When it comes to carpet style these days it seems there are so many options from, however there is really only four main residential types.

.

Berber has become a very popular choice over the years because it is generally cheap and it wears very well. Berber is made with a loop construction, so if you have pets (specifically cats) I do not recommend this option. If looking at a berber carpet I strongly recommend a tight loop because it is harder to pull, snag, or run and it wears much better than a looser loop. There are several companies that make berber carpets out there, however I recommend Kraus berber because of their "Zipperlock" technology. Zipperlock has been created to guarantee the berber will not run and it works fantastic. With the Zipperlock, the carpet may still pull or snag but the pulls and snags can be easily cut off leaving a minor visual, however much better than the look of a run right through the middle of a room. Berber is a great way to spruce up a room on a budget and can last a very long time if properly maintained.

Plush is probably the most consumer known type of carpet, it is a very flat usually solid color carpet that provides a thick soft feel while you walk. Plush carpet is a cut pile carpet, so there is no fear of pulls, snags, or runs, however because it stands upright, it generally wears more than a berber because it gets crushed or matted down over time.  Plush carpet is making a huge comeback in the marketplace with the new virtually stain free Stainmaster Pet Protect fiber as well as the ultra soft Stainmaster Truesoft fiber. When made of nylon & properly maintained plush carpet wears really well, when made of a polyester it generally wears faster because nylon is naturally stronger than polyester, however we will discuss this more in Vol #2 Types of Fiber. My favorite plush carpet is the Stainmaster Luxerell and Stainmaster Pet Protect carpets because you get a nice soft feel with a great stain warranty. When buying a plush carpet that you want to last a long time go with a nylon carpet, I suggest STAINMASTER because I feel Stainmasters nylon 6.6 has proven itself to be the best over the years. A really good nylon plush carpet will range from about $4.75- $10.00 sf installed with premium under-pad. You can also buy a less expensive plush carpet made of polyester that is great for stains however will not last as long as the nylon these carpets will range from $2.75- $5.00 sf installed with a premium under-pad and these carpets will last from about 5-12 years, so if you are planning on moving soon, or you want something to last long enough to get your children out of the house or if you like frequent change in your home, this could be what you're shopping for. This less expensive carpet is also great for rentals because it looks great, is stain resistant and provides a nice soft feel on the feet and again will not pull, snag or run like a berber. Less expensive plush has its place in the market, providing the customer knows what they are purchasing.

Sculpted/Pattern carpet seems to be a fast growing type of carpet, there are so many styles and patterns and colors available these days! Pattern carpets are generally a mix between a loop and plush carpet so be cautious if you have pets! This carpet generally wears great, again a nylon generally lasts the longest but polyester does have its place in the market. A pattern carpet can really make a room look rich and give it, it's own style, I also recommend this type of carpet for stairs and area rugs because of its beautiful style as well as it's great wearability. I believe a pattern carpet is the most luxurious of the styles of carpet and they generally come with a bit higher of a price tag because of this. A quality nylon patterned carpet should cost aprox. $4.00-$9.00 sf installed with a premium underpad. Masland Carpet is a great choice when it comes to a pattern carpet because of its cutting edge high quality products. Dixie Home  is like a sister to Masland providing similar cutting edge products with a more affordable price tag, both companies use Stainmaster nylon to make most of their products so rest asure that you are purchasing a quality product. There are many other companies on the market that sell beautiful patterns, and some priced better, however know what it is you are buying and why it is so much less money, because it is difficult to tell just by looking at it. I am just a big fan of the quality you get with Masland and Dixie Home products.

Frieze or Short Shag is probably my favorite carpet! Frieze is longer than a plush and does not stand straight up, it kind of lays down giving it a really nice perfection in an imperfect world kind of look. Frieze carpet wears great, even when made with a polyester, I have a Phenix Flooring polyester frieze in the bedrooms in my home, I love it and would suggest it to anyone, it wears great, looks great and polyester naturally repels stains, and is ultra soft. With a polyester frieze carpet you get a luxurious feel & look with a great price tag. It's a great carpet for dogs, cats, kids etc. Frieze is an all round great family carpet. Although frieze comes with a bit higher of a price tag than a berber, it really gives you that extra soft cushion like feel under the foot, as well as a worry free family life. I do however suggest that you get at least a 40 oz. frieze. this should cost aprox. $3.65-$6.00 sf installed with a premium under-pad. There are plenty of cheaper products available now, however if you can swing it spend a bit of extra money because it will pay off a couple years down the road, and clearly if you are reading this blog post it is because you are interested in purchasing a quality carpet.

Waterproof, Scratchproof, Sunproof, Kidproof, Dogproof Hardwood Looking Flooring, Does This exist??

It seems that most flooring consumers would love to have a beautiful hardwood floor that does not scratch,  is waterproof, will not be damaged by the sun and of course  is easy on the budget. Unfortunately this product does not exist.

There is no product on the market that the sun will not fade! However there are some alternatives to hardwood that will not scratch as easy and that might handle water and sun a bit better than your traditional hardwood. This blog post is being written to help consumers choose not only the floor fashion they want, but also the floor fashion they need. Below there is a list of flooring products, how they look and how they handle scratching, water, and sun.

Hardwood Flooring is stunning! every piece of a hardwood floor has its own distinct look and there are not two pieces the same. In my opinion hardwood is the most beautiful type of flooring available on the market today and is certainly the most prestigious. However hardwood scratches and dents when dogs run on it, kids play on it, people drop things on it and people drag things on it. It is recommended that you have pads on the bottoms of all your furniture to avoid scratching and denting. Hardwood flooring is not waterproof, in fact just a drop of water left on a hardwood floor and not wiped off can wreck the finish. If you have a flood, major fridge, dishwasher, laundry tub or sink leak, your entire hardwood floor will likely need to be replaced. The sun will damage a hardwood floor, If you have an area rug in the same place for a long period of time and the sun come in through a window, you will likely have a light or dark spot in that area. All that being said there is a certain prestige associated with hardwood, people know it is expensive to buy so although it may not be ideal for their circumstances (kids, dogs, etc) they still seem to want it for their home.

Laminate Flooring has come along way! There is still a picture that repeats itself several times throughout the floor, however they seem to have made the picture larger and managed to move the pattern around on the boards. This makes for less of a pattern repeat and a far nicer appearance than the early days of laminate. In fact many people can’t even tell the difference between a good laminate and hardwood these days Certain laminates with AC3 & AC4 ratings have heavy residential and light commercial warranties and ratings. These laminates are very difficult to scratch. In fact I installed an AC4 laminate in my own home, with two dogs, one being a lab, we do not have a scratch or ding on it. There are several different brands to choose from http://www.chathamkentflooring.com/#!about/c1ger and it seems like all the brands have good, better, and best lines. Most laminates also fade less in the sun, however they are still subject to some fading. Laminate is a great choice for the young family,  however although laminate is far better than hardwood for scratching and sun fading, it is still horrible for wet areas. If laminate takes on any kind of water leak, it will be destroyed.

LVP (Luxury Vinyl Plank) is the newest product on the market and for me the jury is still out. Most of these products look similar to a laminate and they, resist scratching similar to a laminate. Most companies claim these floating products to be waterproof, however if a consumer puts it in their basement and the basement takes on water, the entire floor would need to be removed, dried out and reinstalled. So technically the product itself is waterproof because water will not damage it, however there will still be work to do if there is a water problem. The likeliness of a consumer being able to remove the floor and reinstall it without damaging the product is slim to none. So my biggest issue with Vinyl plank is not the product, it is the way it is being marketed. Vinyl also expands and contracts with any kind of direct sunlight so be very careful with these FreeFit or EasyLay floors because I have found they are not what they claim to be. If you do purchase one of these floors be certain you read the installation instructions thoroughly before you do-it-yourself. Also we find that the glue down installation method to work great, however it is still not %100 waterproof, yetCongoleum very water resistant. Therefor if you are going with a vinyl plank product, I strongly recommend a glue down installation.

Vinyl Flooring has also come a long way, this is not your grandmother's floor!!!! There are several products available that have an incredible visual and is great for scratching and wear. I generally suggest the Congoleum AirStep because it is protected with a built-in Scotchgard protector. It also has a silver antibacterial guard that protects against mold, mildew and common allergens. As far as I know Congoleum AirStep is the only sheet vinyl with these kind of protectors, therefor I believe it is the best, when it come to residential vinyl flooring. Sheet vinyl is a product that can withstand a good amount of water, however it is not %100 waterproof!

Porcelain or Ceramic Tile Can be a beautiful wood looking product, it is very scratch resistant, and in my eyes the closest thing to waterproof there is. One issue with this product is, like laminate and vinyl plank it is a picture that repeats itself several times, giving the same engineered look. Another potential problem is tile can be cold on the feet and hard on the joints. With tile you will also need a new subfloor which adds to the already high cost associated with the tile and the installation of the tile.