slate-floors

Slate:Get to Know Your Flooring

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slate

Known for its natural beauty, low maintenance and extreme durability, slate is a great choice for flooring.

Slate can transform any room in your home into a dynamic and natural space in ways that few other materials can. Slate is a beautiful, highly durable rock material that, applied properly, can also raise the value of your home. Here are a few important details to consider when using slate stone tiles for your next flooring project.

Slate is best known for its natural beauty, low maintenance and extreme durability. When compared to other types of flooring such as wood or linoleum, slate flooring is far more versatile as it can be used both indoors and out without any trouble. Its natural strength guarantees a good-looking floor for far longer in almost any condition with very little upkeep. Additionally, high quality slate is slip and stain resistant and offers added protection as it is impermeable to both fire and water, making it an excellent investment. Of course, like most natural building products, slate comes at varying degrees of quality. Choosing the right slate tile will depend on the nature of your project and how you wish slate to work for you.

High quality slate comes from beneath the ground, making it the most durable and making the cost of extraction much higher. Though high quality slate is pricier, it is well worth the investment as the stone is virtually unyielding and requires minimal care. This is ideal for outdoor projects in nearly any weather as well as high-traffic indoor spaces such as bathrooms and kitchens.

Low quality slate on the other hand comes from the ground’s surface, which means it’s exposed to the elements for up to hundreds of years, making it porous and much less durable than slate mined underground. If surface slate is not regularly and properly polished or sealed, it’s extremely vulnerable to liquids and staining. With lower grade slate, your floors will require greater care and maintenance throughout the life of your home.

Though high quality can be costly, remember that it adds great value to your home and ultimately can save you from spending thousands on maintenance costs. Be sure to consider your options in order to see what works with your budget and determine what’s right for your project.

This post was written by Thais Sousa. Follow Thais on Google.

Bella Cera Floors

Monthly Manufacturer Spotlight: IndusParquet

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Indusparquet

One of the leading exotic hardwood flooring companies.

Since 1970, IndusParquet has been providing beautiful exotic, Brazilian hardwood floors. Founded in Sao Paulo, Brazil by Kiko Uliana and Jose Antonio Baggio, IndusParquet is a very family oriented company and they pride themselves on having many original employees still with the company.

After 40 years of hard work, IndusParquet has established themselves as one of the leading exotic hardwood flooring companies. Equipped with over 500 employees, three manufacturing plants in Brazil, and distribution centers all over the world, IndusParquet is able to export their exquisite hardwood floors to all five continents. The top-notch flooring can be seen in many of the world’s most distinguished settings like Louis Vuitton stores and Ferrari showrooms in Italy.

IndusParquet prides themselves on their selection of exotic hardwood flooring. Each exotic collection includes quite a few Brazilian woods, ranging from Brazilian Cherry to Brazilian Walnut. Each of these woods in the smooth collection offers a silky smooth look that enhances the grain of the wood. The expansive range of colors will ensure that you will find a wood well suited for your room. If you are looking for a wood that really highlights the different directions of the grains, check out the textured collection. The grains are a little darker, making them really pop against the lighter shade of the wood.

If you are interested in something a little different, the metallic, mosaic, or wall collections are worth a peek. Although the metallic collection only houses two options, they are sure to wow you. The metallic gleam is sure to enhance the surroundings to really take your room to the next level. The four exotic woods in the mosaic collection will stun you right away. The different shades, colors, and the uniqueness of the patterned squares are one of a kind. The beauty is embodied in the difference and it is breathtaking. The final collection, the wall collection, houses your checkerboards-style patterns. The smaller wood squares are all different, and placing them all together is very visually thrilling.

All of the different exotic woods are topped off with a durable finish to ensure that they never lose their brilliance and shine.

This post was written by Thais Sousa. Follow Thais on Google.

carpet-design

Buyers Guide Series: Perfect Carpeting

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carpet

Styles range from plush to fringe, to texture to frieze.

Looking to refurbish your dingy old carpet but questioning yourself as to where to begin? Here are some tips and tricks to buying the perfect carpeting to spice up your space.

Start from the bottom up. A good padding will add support, strength, and that little bit of added cushion that you will treasure. The rubber or foam carpet padding also helps insulate your home to help control the temperature. Padding will also help keep your carpet stay young by preventing carpet backing and fibers from deteriorating. Don’t be afraid to ask for a professional opinion before you choose your carpet padding!

Choose your carpet style wisely because it will be looking up at you for years to come. Look at all the styles before you pick “the one”. Styles range from plush to fringe, to texture to frieze. Instead of picking the carpet based on looks, be sure to consider your lifestyle and how you will be using the carpet. If you plan on lying on the carpet and playing with your kids, maybe you will benefit from the plush style. Is the carpet going in the “special events only” dining room? Go for the fancier style that matches the room perfectly.

Don’t break the bank. Be sure to request an estimate for the materials and the installation separately. This way you will know exactly how much each element of the process will cost you. Be smart about the carpet choices for each room. To keep costs low, opt for a more affordable carpet for you guest rooms, while a stain-resistant carpet may be best for the family room.

Know the maintenance your new carpet will require. If you aren’t looking to vacuum every single day, don’t choose a carpet that is high maintenance. Textured rugs will more easily hide footprint marks and level loop carpets will resist dirt to make carpet clean up easy.

No matter which carpet you pick, be sure to be smart in your decision. Don’t skimp out on the high quality padding, pick the style that best fits your lifestyle, budget correctly, and do your research on all things maintenance. Soon you will be making carpet angels in your brand new carpet with a huge smile of satisfaction on your face.

This post was written by Thais Sousa. Follow Thais on Google.

wood alternative

Greener Flooring Decisions: Which Companies Have Policies & Practices that are Environmentally Friendly?

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wood alternative

Chic eco-friendly floors is more popular than ever.

As consumers embrace environmentally friendly living, demand for green building materials continues to rocket.  When it comes to flooring, having chic eco-friendly floors is more popular than ever.  Companies are rising to meet the growing demand, offering durable and stylish alternatives often more efficient than traditional materials and even garnishing the deal with competitive pricing.  Here are just a few examples of ways to make your floors eco-friendly and the companies to help you do it!

Wood

Though it may seem counterintuitive, hardwood flooring is still a great and eco-friendly way to turn your house into a home.  Working with organizations like the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), companies like GreenFloors.com and EcoTimber offer a broad-range of wood produced in FSC-certified forests, ensuring the conservation of trees and the protection of delicate ecosystems.  For a more exotic option, companies like IndusParquet work closely with the Brazilian government to preserve wildlife and make sure that absolutely no piece of wood goes to waste.

Wood Alternative

Cork is the latest and among the most exciting new outbreaks in flooring trends.  Produced from the bark of the cork oak tree—which grows back every three years—cork is as green as gets!  Cork is every bit as cool as hardwood, but it neither outgases nor sheds microfibers, improving indoor air quality by just by being there.  USFloors is dedicated to keeping the earth green and offers great, quality cork flooring at reasonable prices.

Reclaimed Materials

Making your floors from recycled or reclaimed materials is another great way to make your home look good while diminishing your carbon footprint.  Eco-Friendly Flooring offers an array of flooring options made from green reclaimed materials including sustainable hardwood, glass and even metal.  Fontenay’s Vintage Barrel Collection is another great environmentally friendly option.  Made up of entirely reclaimed-wood from old white-oak wine barrel, the Vintage Barrel Collection is every bit as beautiful as you’d guess!

Today, flooring options are more diverse, exciting and innovative than ever!  From vinyl to bamboo to cork, more and more companies are delivering environmentally conscious and cost-effective flooring alternatives.  Whichever style and material you choose, going green will spruce up your home and help you do your part to preserve the environment.

This post was written by Thais Sousa. Follow Thais on Google.

engineered wood

Get to Know Your Flooring: Engineered Hardwood

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engineered wood

Engineered hardwood goes beyond the limitations of solid plank wood.

Along with its practicality and durability, Hardwood’s iconic look makes it one of the most valuable and desirable flooring products in the world.  But with the corroding effects of moisture-prone climates, bringing its charm into every home hasn’t always been simple.  Today, engineered hardwood goes beyond the limitations of solid plank wood, making it possible to implement both the beauty and long-lasting value of wood flooring just about anywhere.

Making Wood Accessible

Whether your ground floor is built on a concrete slab or you wish to install hardwood flooring in your basement, engineered hardwood makes it possible.  Even more, engineered hardwood is far more flexible, less expensive and much easier to install than traditional wood.   Engineered hardwood is specifically designed to reduce the wood’s rate of natural expansion and contraction, offering protection from the elements in regions with difficult, humid weather.  While wood can never be impervious to water, engineered wood floors are significantly more resistant to moisture than the alternative, allowing for below-grade applications and offering greater, continued stability than solid wood is able to provide in such environments.

How Engineered Wood Behaves

Engineered hardwood behaves differently from solid wood.  Though made of 100% wood product, the engineered plank consists of several layers.  The top veneer is the desired wood type while the remaining layers consist of plywood and unfinished white wood.  The greater the thickness of the veneer (and overall plank) the more expensive the wood will be.  The key to getting the most out of your engineered hardwood flooring is to be aware of how the material will fit and interact within your project’s setting.  Top quality should be priority for high traffic environments.

The Benefits of Engineered

Engineered wood can be inexpensive but as with most things, paying a little extra for quality can go a long way.  Top quality engineered hardwood has a thick top layer veneer that gives you the same reassurance of solid wood and saves you money over the long term, allowing you to refinish your floors more often over time.  From exotic Brazilian Cherry to American Ash and Oak, there are no limitations to the species and grade of engineered hardwood products available so feel free to explore.  And perhaps best of all, top quality engineered hardwood is virtually indistinguishable from solid wood and with proper care it will last a lifetime.

This post was written by Thais Sousa. Follow Thais on Google.

exotic hardwood

Monthly Manufacturer Spotlight: Triangulo

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exotic hardwood

From Brazilian Cherry to Tigerwood to everything in between, you are sure to find the perfect Triangulo Exotic Hardwood flooring for you

Triangulo Exotic Hardwoods offer both engineered and solid hardwood flooring. For the engineered hardwood selections, Triangulo uses only the best quality engineering process to ensure that their product is the best. To help produce strength and durability in the floors, Triangulo glues under layers of real wood together in different directions using pressure.

Due to this cross-ply method of contracting the flooring, the engineered hardwood flooring is much more stable than solid hardwood. One factor in the stability of Triangulo flooring is environmental conditions effecting the shrinking and expanding of the hardwood. Due to this extra stability, Triangulo engineered hardwood floors can be installed in ways that a solid hardwood floor cannot, such as in multiple applications and over a matured concrete slab.

Triangulo also offers Exotic Solid wood flooring that is ¾” thick and has tongue and groove sides to help join the boards together. No solid hardwood floor will look alike due to the random nature of the product so you will be able to say there is no other floor like yours! To ensure maximum durability and to enhance the beauty of the solid hardwood flooring, Triangulo uses a crystal pre-finishing process that applies as many as nine coats of Aluminum Oxide.

If you are looking for beautiful hardwood floors, check out Triangulo. All of the engineered and solid hardwood options are spectacular and with such an array of woods to choose from, from Brazilian Cherry to Tigerwood to everything in between, you are sure to find the perfect Triangulo Exotic Hardwood flooring for you.

This post was written by Thais Sousa. Follow Thais on Google.

solid wood

Get to Know Your Flooring: Solid Wood

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solid wood

Solid wood is among the greatest flooring products and with proper care

Any realtor or flooring expert will tell you few flooring materials are as durable, practical or increase the value of your home quite like solid wood. Among the most popular flooring types in America, solid wood flooring is famous for its inviting and iconic beauty. But the most important thing to consider when working with solid wood is the nature of your project and how the material will fit and interact with the space. Here are a few more things to keep in mind when working with solid wood flooring.

Climate Change

Extreme changes in climate can cause your floors to expand and buckle or conversely, contract and create gaps between the planks. Solid wood is vulnerable to moisture and must be nailed or stapled down to a wood subfloor, limiting its use to above ground level.

Quality is Timeless

While solid wood may be more susceptible to humidity, its thickness and interlocking tongue/groove milling offers your floors greater overall structural strength and its thick top wear layer can be sanded and refinished many times over; which means that quality solid hardwood can go on keeping your home looking lovely (and valuable) for over a century.

What’s Your Flavor?

Another important thing to consider is the wood species and grade. From Oak to Ash, each species of solid wood has distinct grain patterns which make them unique and valuable. Once you’ve decided on the species and grade you prefer, you can narrow your search to materials well suited to both your project and your budget.

Factory Finish vs. Install Finish

Wood floors that are stained and finished prior to installation tend to be more expensive, but a factory finish is much more convenient and longer lasting than the alternative. That means your floors look great far longer and you save money over the long term.

Solid wood is among the greatest flooring products and with proper care, top quality solid wood will add natural beauty and ageless charm to your home for a lifetime.

This post was written by Thais Sousa. Follow Thais on Google.

Wesley Chapel Flooring

Buyers Guide Series: Vinyl Flooring

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Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl is one of the most exciting and cost-effective flooring options in the market.

Vinyl flooring has become increasingly popular and is among the top choices for durable and vibrant floor designs. Available in a wide range of colors, textures and patterns, vinyl is more varied and resilient than ever. Best of all, Vinyl’s true value is in its impeccable ability to imitate first-rate products such as wood, stone and even tumbled marble, giving you great flexibility and just the look you want at a fraction of the price.

Why Vinyl?

Vinyl comes in countless stylish designs and is among the top eco-friendly flooring materials available. Whether concrete slab, old ceramic tile, or old wood floors, using the right tools and with good surface preparation, vinyl flooring can be installed over just about any surface. Great stability and superior water resistance make vinyl a great choice for any space in your home, be it below or above grade level.

A Vinyl for Every Type

Vinyl is available in three styles—sheet, plank, and tile—allowing for great versatility and a broad range of installation options.

• Sheet vinyl usually comes in rolls between 6’ and 12’ wide, which makes an excellent option for large rooms. It is ideal in moisture-prone spaces such as bathrooms and basements, and its seamless application makes for a simple DIY installation.
• Plank vinyl looks nearly indistinguishable from hardwood flooring while being much easier to maintain, providing greater comfort and only at a fraction of the cost.
• Tile gives you the freedom to choose from limitless styles and with easily replaceable precision cut tiles, keeping your floors looking elegant and uniform is simple.

Wear Layer

When shopping for vinyl, pay close attention to wear layer. The thickness of your wear layer determines the longevity of your vinyl. While thicker wear layer is pricier, the increased protection from everyday damage saves you money over the long term. There are three types of finishes available for wear layers: no-wax vinyl, urethane and enhanced urethane. Enhanced urethane is the strongest of the three, ensuring your floors are durable and resilient.

Whatever style you choose, vinyl is one of the most exciting and cost-effective flooring options in the market and is sure to make your project come to life.

This post was written by Thais Sousa. Follow Thais on Google.

vinyl flooring

Resilient Vinyl Floor

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vinyl flooring

Once vinyl floors are installed, they are guaranteed to last in your home for years to come.

When you think of vinyl floor, you may picture the traditional black and white checkered floor of your grandparents’ kitchen, but gone are the days of these limited options. Vinyl floor manufacturers have created modern vinyl floor sheets to match your every design need. From tile to stone and even stunning wood visuals, vinyl floors offer a vast array of unique flooring options at nearly half the price of traditional floors.

While your vinyl floor may look like realistic wood or ceramic tile, vinyl sheeting is a much more resilient option. Vinyl’s forgiveness and resistance to wear and tear makes it a great alternative for highly trafficked areas like your kitchen or bathroom. It is also a great choice for adding a personal touch to your laundry room. And its resistance to moisture will prevent any warping that may occur due to spills, regular cleaning or general humidity. In fact, vinyl floors do not crack or curl.

Vinyl floors are traditionally covered in a polyurethane coating that prevents any spills from soaking in to your floor and makes clean up a breeze. Vinyl’s durability even holds up against floor scratches and indentations that our furry friends are known to make.

Vinyl floor sheets are not only inexpensive compared to traditional flooring, but vinyl’s design makes for a quick and easy do-it-yourself project. Vinyl sheets can be placed over existing floor in your home and won’t require any regular maintenance. In fact, once vinyl floors are installed, they are guaranteed to last in your home for years to come.

This post was written by Thais Sousa. Follow Thais on Google.

Indusparquet

Get to Know Your Flooring: Parquet Tiles

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Indusparquet

parquet tile flooring is a classic and dramatic flooring option that will add artistic beauty and sophisticated flare to your home.

Parquet’s sophisticated designs and vibrant geometric patterns have distinguished it as one of the most elegant flooring materials in the world since the 17th century. Parquet flooring effortlessly combines the natural beauty of hardwood with bold artistic design conveniently packaged in geometric and angular patterns, transforming the look and feel of your home and bringing your floors to life.

Whether employing square, lozenge or triangle designs, parquet flooring is all about the patterns and gives you a myriad options to work with. From classic herringbone to the more modern chevron patterns, each intricate parquet design looks great, creates personality and adds instant class to the grandest spaces in your home.

Parquet tiles are most often made with Oak or Walnut material but are available in virtually any type of wood, though more exotic wood types will be significantly more expensive. Parquet flooring is often thinner than solid or engineered wood flooring, which means refinishing your floors can be tricky after damage.

Just like hardwood planks, it is best to have your parquet tiles factory or pre-finished. A factory finish is often guaranteed by the manufacturer and lasts much longer than an on-site finish, meaning you save money over the long term.

Parquet tile flooring also offers added flexibility and convenience. Though still prone to damage from exposure to high humidity, parquet tiles are more resistant to moist environments than traditional hardwood planks. Additionally, parquet tiles generally only require a glue-down installation, which makes it just about the only instance of wood flooring that is as easy and convenient to install as regular tile.

Whether installing parquet in your living room or your dining room, parquet tile flooring is a classic and dramatic flooring option that will add artistic beauty and sophisticated flare to your home.

This post was written by Thais Sousa. Follow Thais on Google.