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Quality Flooring For Your Beachfront Getaway

Quality Flooring For Your Beachfront Getaway

Every beach fanatic has driven by the beach and wished they had a home near the coast. As convenient as it is to live right by the water, there’s a lot you’ll have to keep in mind such as water resistant and easy-to-clean flooring. When living near the beach, you can expect water and sand to make it into your home. With the right flooring to eliminate the extra hassle, you’ll find that it’s easier to manage and maintain year-round. Below we’ll recommend some of the best options to consider for your beachfront home or getaway.

Ceramic Tile

Tile flooring is vast in its varieties, giving you the option of porcelain, ceramic, mosaic, vinyl, travertine, and so many more! As for your beachfront getaway, consider ceramic tile. Ceramic tiles provide easy maintenance and durability. Not only are there wood-like tiles, but they come in various sizes to customize the style of your home. Also scratch and moisture resistant, ceramic tiles will be a good flooring choice for young ones.

Luxury Vinyl

Luxury vinyl flooring has become increasingly popular and will fit perfectly in a beachfront home. In addition, vinyl installation is easy and affordable. Very water resistant, vinyl is ideal for moisture prone areas in your home. You can order your vinyl in planks or tiles, giving you options that will suit your style preference. Unlike harder flooring surfaces, vinyl offers a softer underfoot and dampens the sound in the room.

Hardwood

Fitting in nearly any kind of space, hardwood flooring is a prime choice for families. Ironically, wider planks make for easier cleaning rather than smaller planks. With its strength and durability, hardwood is able to be refinished and built to last for many years. Additionally, they come in all kinds of colors whether you want to create a dark or bright living space. When it comes to sound, hardwood provides excellent acoustics for the room. Another benefit of hardwood flooring is that it can add value to your property. If you plan on selling your home in the near future, buyers will most likely pay more for a house that has hardwood rather than carpet, for example.

Stone Tile

Stone tiles such as, limestone, granite, travertine, and marble are a luxurious alternative. These kinds of flooring fit especially well in areas such as bathrooms and kitchens. On top of their refined and elegant features, stone tiles are also easy to clean and require little maintenance. In warmer climates such as here in Florida, stone tile flooring helps to keep temperatures lower in your home. Finally, stone tiles can add value to your beachfront property as well.

Choose Go Mobile Flooring

Whenever you’re ready to renovate your home, choose Go Mobile Flooring to do the job. For any questions about what we offer or installation, visit our website or give us a call. For neighborhoods in the Tampa area, our mobile showroom is ready to present all the flooring varieties we install here at Go Mobile Flooring.

Tips & Tricks Moving Appliances Without Damaging Your Floors

Tips & Tricks: Moving Appliances Without Damaging Your Floors

There will come a point when you’ll feel the need to rearrange your living space. As new ideas and trends arise, homes are being updated accordingly. Clearly, appliances come in all sorts of different sizes. While smaller equipment is easier to relocate, larger appliances can potentially cause damage if improperly moved. Without necessary precautions, you could unintentionally scratch and dent your walls or flooring. Take these safety precautions into consideration the next time you find yourself wanting a rearrangement.

Measure Your Space

Before you start to move anything, you need to be sure everything will fit nicely. Appliances such as refrigerators and stoves have limited entry space, so it is important to make sure that it will have exact or enough room. Not only should you measure the area in which you plan to secure your appliance, but measure the passageways you might take during the moving process. For example, if you are hauling a unit to your second floor, know if it will be able to fit up the stairs.

Plan Your Route

Moving furniture takes strategic planning. Not all homes have an open floor plan. Especially in tight and narrow passageways, you will want to plan exactly how you will get your appliance from point A to point B. At times, large appliances will have trouble fitting through even the front door. In this case, consider using your sliding door. Also, create more room by moving some of your current furniture out of the way.

Clean The Area

Dirt and dust accumulates in every region possible. You should regularly clean your entire house. But don’t forget about areas hidden under your furniture. Before you place the appliances where they belong, clean the flooring on which they will be placed. Nobody wants to be, much less, live in an environment full of germs and dust. A clean and sanitary home never disappoints.

Gather Your Tools

Once you’ve measured and planned your route, it’s time to engage in the manual labor. Gather all the necessary tools you will need along the way. When you have everything handy, you can avoid running back and forth during the process. Some helpful tools could be dollies, hand carts, carpet squares, or any preferred alternative. Never drag the appliances across your flooring. That is the easiest way to cause scratches and damage. Move at your own pace. As much as you’ll want to get through the process quickly, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Try Go Mobile Flooring

At Go Mobile Flooring, we can install any flooring of your choice form our mobile showroom. If you’re thinking about remodeling your home prior to rearranging your furniture, give us a call or visit our website to see our many selections of hardwood, laminate, carpet, tile, and vinyl. We bring our mobile showroom to homes in Brandon, Clearwater, Land O’ Lakes, New Tampa, Pasco County, Pinellas County, South Tampa, St. Petersburg, Wesley Chapel, and are more than happy to guide you through the selection and installation processes. Contact us today.

Manufacturer Spotlight Daltile Stone

Manufacturer Spotlight: Daltile Stone

With the help of our manufacturers, Go Mobile Flooring is able to provide the best quality flooring. Being #1 in the Tampa Bay area, we work hard to satisfy our customers. We are proud to partner with Daltile, the largest ceramic tile manufacturer in the U.S. and one of the largest in the world. Daltile was founded in 1947 in Dallas, Texas. The company carries a rich history through the manufacture of ceramics, mosaics, porcelain, quarry tile, and a variety of stone products. With its durability and easy maintenance, stone has become one of the most popular flooring options. Here are some of the beneficiary factors of Daltile and stone products.Manufacturer Spotlight Daltile Stone

Why Choose Daltile?

With its abundant selections, Daltile is the country’s leading manufacturer and distributor of ceramic tile and natural stone. There are 56 collections of stone tile you can choose from. Daltile provides an unparalleled assortment of elegant tile and stone products and a wide range of looks that’ll suit any taste. On top of all that, their exceptional warranties are further proof of product quality. Available both domestically and internationally, Daltile has the most comprehensive single-source tile and stone installation warranty in the nation.

The Benefits of Stone Flooring

Deciding on flooring options is one of the most important aspects when it comes to your home. Keep in mind that the floor you choose will act as a base. Therefore, it will determine how you go about decorating the rest of your living space. Stone can meet the needs of many different style preferences. With its diversity in colors, textures, and patterns, there is a finish that will fit every home. Stone tile is not only durable but also moisture resistant. These qualities make it the perfect fit for areas such as kitchens, bathrooms, or homes with children or pets. Learn more about stone tile in this previous Go Mobile Flooring article.

Earth and Environmentally Friendly

Daltile advocates the use of earth-friendly, recycled materials to manufacture their products. In fact, more than 98% of the manufactured products contain pre-consumer recycled materials. Additionally, Daltile has helped prevent an average of over 175 million lbs. per year from ending up in our nation’s landfills. One of Daltile’s missions is to ensure that all processes are as environmentally responsible as possible.

Trust Go Mobile Flooring

When preparing for a home remodeling project, you should always trust the experts. Go Mobile Flooring will bring a mobile showroom to your Tampa neighborhood including Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco county communities. Our installation team will be more than happy to help you through the process. Check out all our selections and give us a call today.

Prepare For the Winter with Radiant Floor Heating Systems

Prepare For the Winter with Radiant Floor Heating Systems

Although Florida isn’t prone to snowy weather, it does get quite chilly. Everyone deserves to escape the bitterness of winter climate and come home to warm and comfy luxury. This winter, you can prepare by installing radiant floor heating systems. There are many different systems you and your family can consider. With radiant floor heating, your home will be warmer than ever. The cozier your home, the less dreadful your winter experience can be. Read on to learn more about how these systems will benefit you.Prepare For the Winter with Radiant Floor Heating Systems

Electric Radiant Heat

One way of installing heating systems is by electric radiant heat. A system of pipes and wires run below the surface of the floor and gently radiate heat into the room. Electric radiant heaters bring comfort to your feet and are very flexible when it comes to types of flooring. They are especially effective on flooring surfaces that tend to be naturally cool. For example, a bathroom. Check out one of our previous articles to see what heated flooring in your bathroom can do. Various techniques exist to install electric radiant heating systems such as by using rolls, cables, or floor mats.

Hydronic Heating Systems

Another method of installation is by hydronic heating. Having great energy efficiency, this alternative uses heated water through a system of tubes and is ideal for wiring an entire house. Not to mention, there are three different types of hydronic heating systems: baseboard, hydro-air, and hydronic radiant heating. Painted steel on the baseboard units hides hot water pipes that are surrounded by metal fins. This helps to radiate the heat. Similarly, hydronic radiant systems use hot water pumped through plastic tubing installed beneath the floor’s surface. As for hydro-air, ductwork and at least one air handler are required.

Air-Heated Radiant Flooring

Being the least common, air heated radiant systems circulate hot air as the heating method. However, because air can’t hold a great deal of heat, they are not commonly installed for residential purposes. Radiant heat does not change the air moisture content in the home. Therefore, humidifiers and heaters are no longer necessary in order to maintain a comfortable living space. This results in additional savings to your electricity bill.

Contact Us

Go Mobile Flooring has many flooring selections to consider. Electric radiant heating systems can be installed above any flooring type. Some better than others. Visit our website and contact us today to get started on a new project!

 

Manufacturer Spotlight: Naturally Aged Flooring

Manufacturer Spotlight: Naturally Aged Flooring

Hardwood flooring has long been a favorite option for homeowners, as hardwood’s beauty is quite distinct. However, due to maintenance, expense, and upkeep, hardwood isn’t always the most practical option for busy families or those with pets. So, Naturally Aged Flooring and Go Mobile Flooring teamed up to offer Tampa area residents all the beauty of hardwood floors with the benefits of durability.Manufacturer Spotlight: Naturally Aged Flooring

Lasting Looks

Naturally Aged Flooring offers six distinct flooring collections. Each one features a different look, feel or material to give homeowners as many options as possible. Here’s a quick rundown of the different product lines you can choose from:

  • Regal Collection – Vinyl Plank flooring that is 100 percent water-, scratch- and fade-resistant. Still maintains the look of hardwood at a fraction of the cost.
  • Premier Collection – Wire-brushed white oak in a variety of stains and finishes.
  • Medallion Collection – Our bestseller! A collection of oak, hickory and walnut flooring that includes a variety of finishes, including wire brushing.
  • Royal Collection – A new choice for discerning homeowners. Features hickory and oak to complement many different interior designs.
  • Wire-brushed Series – A more cost-effective option that mirrors the look and feel of our Medallion Collection.
  • Naturally Aged Collection – Our original engineered hardwood flooring line. Still known for its quality, versatility, and durability.

Our collection also includes matching moldings and accessories to complete the look, as well as custom designed options and Acacia flooring choices.

Quality Choices from a Quality Source

For over 30 years, Naturally Aged Flooring has been a hardwood flooring manufacturer and distributor in Southern California. This combination of quality materials with a quality retailer like Go Mobile Flooring is the perfect match.

When you contact Go Mobile Flooring, our mobile showroom will come to your door, complete with a selection of Naturally Aged Flooring and additional flooring options. Our customers receive the option of choice and convenience when selecting interior design elements.

The Go Mobile Flooring mobile showroom serves the greater Tampa Bay area including Pinellas and Pasco counties, Clearwater, Brandon and New, and South Tampa. Contact us today to begin your next in-home flooring project.

The Look of Marble, The Benefits of Porcelain

The Look of Marble, The Benefits of Porcelain

There is no doubt that marble floors and countertops lend an elegant look to any home. However, the costs of marble are often prohibitive for many homeowners. Additionally, traditional marble has other drawbacks, including discoloration and sensitivity to corrosive liquids. Enter a new generation of porcelain tile that mimics the look of marble without its natural disadvantages. Let’s examine more ways that porcelain tile is the better choice for you, even if you’re looking for the grandeur of marble.The Look of Marble, The Benefits of Porcelain

Marble Isn’t Perfect

Marble is mined from mountains around the world and is often considered the height of luxury. However, over time it was discovered that marble didn’t necessarily withstand prolonged use. Marble was easily discolored, for instance, when used in countertops and flooring. Accordingly, if you dye your hair in a marble shower, chances are the hair dye will be absorbed by and discolor the marble.

Other disadvantages of marble include:

  • Added Costs: Marble is heavy, making it costly to ship. Additionally, marble often needs to be specially treated for in-home use. Everything from the finish on a marble countertop to the edging to the installation can significantly increase costs.
  • Decreased Durability: While marble kitchen countertops look amazing, they are actually very susceptible to acid like that found in common foods, such as tomatoes and lemons.

Why Porcelain Is Better

New manufacturing techniques have allowed porcelain tile makers to mimic the look of marble without the above disadvantages. Here are five of the best marble-lookalike porcelain tiles:

  • Carrara Pietra
  • Marfil Pietra
  • Ice Aria
  • Calacatta Pietra
  • Statuario

Porcelain Offers More Options

The other benefit of these porcelain tiles is the number of options available. Different tile sizes make it easier to create countertops, floors, or backsplashes. Additionally, larger tiles mean there are fewer grout lines, which leads to less scrubbing.

See For Yourself From the Comfort of Your Home

To get a closer look at these different porcelain tile types, contact Go Mobile Flooring today. We are happy to bring our mobile showroom to your Tampa area neighborhood. We also serve Pinellas and Pasco Counties, Clearwater, Brandon, South Tampa, New Tampa, Wesley Chapel and Land O’ Lakes.

How Can Your Floors Maintain Good Quality Throughout Rainy Weather Climate?

Ways to Maintain Flooring Quality Throughout Rainy Weather Climate

Hurricane season is here again, and that means wind and rain and all the trouble that comes with it. Even without a storm, summer rain showers in Florida are so regular you can set your watch by them. This type of moisture can wreak havoc on floors of all types. Plus, kids and pets can track mud and debris inside, causing long-lasting stains that may be hard to get rid of. Below are some of the best ways to maintain flooring quality even during the rainiest weather.

How Can Your Floors Maintain Good Quality Throughout Rainy Weather Climate?

Designate An Indoor Area

Having a mudroom or small vestibule inside your entryways is one of the best ways to maintain flooring quality; essentially, keeping this dirt, mud, and moisture contained in one area. You can also limit the number of entries into your home; when the kids are playing outside and it’s rainy, have them come back inside through a single entry. The same for pets. Once again, this keeps the extra water and mud from being tracked across your floors.

Designate An Outdoor Area

Installing an outdoor awning will make it easier for guests and kids to remove their shoes and keep the water outside. Also, having a gutter near your doorway will help to siphon water away from your welcome mat. It’s important to keep gutters clear though so that they work properly.

Prep for Wet Weather with Household Supplies

Sometimes, the simplest solutions are the best. Keep towels by doorways to wipe down pet paws and pat down wet clothes in the case of a storm. Outdoor mats to wipe off shoes and interior rugs will further keep mud and water at bay.

Install Waterproof Flooring

The best way to prevent warping and cracking of your flooring is to use a waterproof material such as laminate flooring. For wetter climates like Florida, this solution might be one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to maintain flooring quality. Laminate flooring ranges in cost from fairly cheap to expensive, so it’s best to examine all options in determining the best choice for your home. Go Mobile Flooring is happy to bring our mobile showroom to you, so you can easily evaluate the best laminate flooring for your needs.

For more information about waterproof laminate flooring please contact Go Mobile Flooring today. Our mobile showroom serves the Tampa Bay area including Pinellas and Pasco counties, Brandon, Land O’ Lakes, South Tampa, New Tampa, Wesley Chapel, and Clearwater.

Bathroom Hardwood Flooring

Bathroom Hardwood Flooring

Hardwood is one of the most desirable of all flooring surfaces. But the obvious question is whether or not bathroom hardwood flooring is a good idea? The environment in a bathroom is much different than the rest of the home. Humidity, moisture, water splashes, and spills can do severe damage to wood.

Bathroom Hardwood Flooring

Some people in the industry would steer you away from bathroom hardwood flooring and recommend engineered wood.

Faux-hardwood surfaces – floors that imitate the look of real wood so well it’s nearly impossible to tell the difference – will work well. Many vinyl based floors can be matched to the look of hardwood quite nicely so that your faux-hardwood floor will appear nearly indistinguishable from the real wood

Remember that solid hardwood and engineered hardwood are still both consider to be REAL hardwood. Don’t let that word “faux” fool you.

The fact is that you absolutely can install hardwood flooring in bathrooms but there are common sense choices that need to be made:

Type of Wood for Bathroom Hardwood Flooring

Do NOT use:

  • Pine
  • Fir

These are woods that are very absorbent softwoods that are more likely to be damaged by exposure to water or moisture.

These are the woods you SHOULD use:

  • Oak
  • Cherry
  • Cedar
  • Maple
  • Ash
  • Hickory
  • Walnut

Using the right materials is always the best advice for any type of project.

Finishing for Bathroom Hardwood Flooring

Any of the above mentioned woods in their natural, unprotected condition are vulnerable to water damage. Application of a finishing agent is a necessary precaution to keep your floor beautiful and enduring.

The most common finish is polyurethane based sealers. It seals the wood and provides a protective coat. The ultimate type would be a marine grade sealant that is designed for outdoor exposure. It is critical to apply the coating several times and especially where joints or seams are present.

Maintenance for Bathroom Hardwood Flooring

Protective sealant can be re-applied as it ages, giving extended life. Mats and throw rugs can collect water after someone showers, but it is not good to allow a wet item to lay on the wood for lengthy periods of time.

Water under the sink can leak and spill onto the wood floor. This is not a problem unless you allow it to sit. Likewise splashing children getting out of the tub can quickly cover the entire floor. Again, the key is to not allow water to sit for a long time.

Watch for an uneven floor that may collect water at one side. This is not usually the case if the bathroom was correctly built, but a very small grade in the pitch of the floor, unnoticed to people, can collect hidden water behind toilets, etc.

Soaps, shampoos, and other cleansing chemicals can damage wood. Keeping them off the wood is the safest option.

The biggest advantage of hardwood is that it can be really beautiful. It lends a sense of nature and wonder to a space, while also providing an environment with a unique personality, that can be seen in the one of a kind features found in every plank.

Enjoy your magnificent bathroom hardwood flooring project. It’s worth the cost and effort, and it will certainly increase the value of your home.

Pitfalls of DIY

DIY Pitfalls

There are countless ways a handy person can save money by doing-it-yourself projects (DIY), but we also need to beware of DIY pitfalls, and writer Kevin Stevens came up with a very complete list for general DIY projects . . .

DIY Pitfalls

  1. Underestimating Project Complexity
  2. Unrealistic Budget
  3. We didn’t plan for that
  4. Scope Creep
  5. Lack of Tools or Skills to Use Them
  6. Material Selection / Over Build, Under Build
  7. Aggressive Timeline
  8. Improper Sequence of Tasks
  9. I want it now
  10. Oops, I changed my mind     Care2 Website

Several of his points are particularly true in the flooring industry, so let’s focus on four of them:

“Underestimating the Project Complexity” is one of the DIY Pitfalls

Flooring is the area you really use the most, so it’s smart to think about the fact that your whole body weight walks all over it every day. It needs to be LEVEL, SOLID, STRONG, and DURABLE every day without end. It’s a common mistake for home or business owners to overlook many details as they take on the floors.

Professional flooring companies like Go Mobile Flooring understand this, and therefore approach this work with the advantage of years of experience and training.

“Lack of Tools or Skills to Use Them” is one of the DIY Pitfalls

The reason carpet, laminate, or hardwood installers do such beautiful and precise work because they have the right tools. Many of these tools are too expensive for a DIY one-time project. But because of the finest tools, along with skill training to use them, our installers consistently get rave reviews. It’s a fact of life that if you lack the proper tools, it’s nearly impossible to produce a satisfactory result.

“Improper Sequence of Tasks” is one of the DIY Pitfalls

“Oh, did I need to put padding under that carpet,” is the terrified comment of a DIY’er who got it wrong, and even worse scenarios are when glue or finish comes into play. Neglecting to get the floor level can result in an expensive and complete do-over. Underlayment or structural repairs need to happen first, but we know that and that’s why we get it right the first time, and our faithful clients happily refer us to their friends and associates.

“Material Selection” is one of the DIY Pitfalls

At Go Mobile Flooring, we have learned the wisdom in using only the best materials. It may be possible for you to save a few pennies per square foot by picking up sale items at a local big-box store but in the long run, however, you are compromising the end result and the longevity it provides.

You can save a lot by painting (sorry painters) your own rooms but when it comes to flooring, why risk it? And do you have the time? Call Go Mobile Flooring today, and we would love to plan out your next project with you.

History of Hardwood Floors

Hardwood Floor History

Having a hardwood floor means different things to different people. Most of us would think that a hardwood floor is very classy and expensive. Many home buyers today prefer hardwood floors. But there was a time when flooring in a home was simply cut boards or planks. It was not particularly considered special, even though they used solid wood.  (For the sake of brevity, this very short hardwood floor history will only cover hardwood flooring in America since the late 1800’s.)

History of Hardwood Floors

Technological advancement, the economy, and war all played a role in the development of the modern hardwood floor industry.

Hardwood Floor History: Technology’s Effect

Prior to the 20th century, the labor demands were extreme to create a hardwood floor.

Hardwood Floor History

Hand Scraping Harwood Floor

The first wooden floors in colonial America were wide, thick planks cut from the continent’s abundant old-growth forests.    Old House Online

In 1885 they developed tools to make tongue and groove flooring. This greatly reduced the labor requirements of installing hardwood flooring. Of course, everything changed drastically after power tools were invented, especially circular saws.

Hardwood Floor History: Economic Effect

In the 1800’s and early 1900’s, wood to be used for flooring was all hand-cut. The time required for laborers to install hardwood floors meant that most people could not afford it.

For centuries, wood floors were the domain of only the wealthiest people in the world. Expert craftsmen labored for years on the same floor, meticulously cutting each intricate inlay or pattern by hand. The only other wood floors in existence were the rough, hand-hewn planks that formed the surface of some commoners’ residences. Either way, each wood floor was the result of a painstaking hand-cutting process.  – Hardwood Floors / nwfa

Hardwood Floor History: The Effect of War

In the 1920’s many people had an abundance of money. The flooring industry was growing and advancing. But everything stopped when America entered World War II. All efforts were directed at winning the war. It was a matter of necessity and survival. If we had lost the war, today we would likely be speaking German and using German technology. Woodworkers were assigned to provide wood flooring for barracks and vast factories to help the war effort. Fortunately, the result of the war allowed our free enterprise to grow.

Today there are more options than ever to install beautiful hardwood flooring. Modern technology and tools make it more affordable for most Americans. The labor is still intensive but what used to take months or years to install, can now be done in days.