From hardwood floors to carpet, no surface is immune to the holiday chaos. With some thoughtful preparation and a few clever tips, you can protect your floors from potential damage while still fully embracing the magic of the season.

Start with Strong Defenses: Floor Mats and Doormats

Picture this: your guests arrive, stomping snow, mud, and debris onto your welcome mat—or worse, your floor. A sturdy floor mat or doormat is your first line of defense against messes. Look for drainage mats to trap moisture and doormats with bristles to catch dirt before it makes its way inside. Place mats both outside and inside every entrance. Layering them creates a double barrier, ensuring debris doesn’t sneak in when guests rush to escape the cold. While they may seem like small additions, these mats can save you countless hours of cleaning and prevent long-term damage to your floors.

Protecting Hardwood Floors from Holiday Wear and Tear

Hardwood flooring is beautiful, but it’s also susceptible to scratches, dents, and spills. During the holiday season, the risk of damage skyrockets. Adding rugs in high-traffic areas like the living room and dining room not only protects your hardwood floors but also adds a festive flair to your décor. If you’re moving furniture to make space for a holiday party, use felt pads under heavy pieces to avoid scratches. A well-placed tree skirt can catch needles and sap from your Christmas tree, while a waterproof mat under the tree stand will prevent leaks. These simple holiday floor protection measures are great tips if you’re trying to shield your floors against Christmas trees, fallen ornaments, or the occasional holiday gathering.

Guarding Carpets Against Stains and Spills

Between wine spills, food crumbs, and muddy footprints, your carpeting faces endless threats during the holiday season. Consider using small rugs in dining areas to shield the carpet beneath from spills. Scheduling a deep carpet cleaning before and after the holidays can keep your carpets looking fresh and ready for all the festivities. For quick cleanups, having a plastic bag or small bin handy can be a lifesaver when accidents happen. Taking these proactive steps ensures your carpet survives the holiday season unscathed and looking its best.

Kitchen Floor Protection During the Holidays

The kitchen is the heart of holiday festivities, buzzing with activity as meals are prepped, cookies are baked, and drinks are poured. But with all that action comes the risk of spills, scratches, and scuffs that can take a toll on your kitchen floors. Whether you have hardwood, tile, or vinyl, taking steps to protect this essential space can save you from a post-holiday headache. Your festivities may vary, but there are plenty of holiday floor protection methods you can use to keep your floor pristine.

Start by placing a durable runner or area rug in high-use spots like in front of the sink, stove, or prep area. These rugs not only protect your floors from spills and scratches but also add a cozy, festive touch. Anti-fatigue mats are another great option, providing both floor protection and added comfort for those long cooking marathons.

Spills are inevitable during the holiday rush, so keep a microfiber mop or cloth nearby for quick cleanups. This prevents liquids from seeping into the flooring or creating stains that are harder to remove later. For added protection, consider placing felt pads under chairs and stools to minimize scuff marks from constant movement.

With a little foresight and effort, your kitchen floors can weather the season’s challenges and remain spotless, ready to shine for your next holiday gathering.

Holiday Floor Protection Must: Managing the Christmas Tree Mess

There’s no denying the charm of a real tree, but it can wreak havoc on your floors. Pine needles, water spills, and sap are just a few culprits. A decorative tree skirt isn’t just for aesthetics—it catches falling needles and shields your floor from sap and sticky residue. For those with hardwood flooring, placing a protective mat underneath the stand can guard against scratches and moisture. By regularly checking the tree stand for leaks and keeping the area tidy, you can enjoy the beauty of your Christmas tree without the stress of floor damage.

Flooring Options for Holiday-Ready Homes

If the holidays leave you pondering a flooring upgrade, consider durable options that can handle the hustle and bustle. Hardwood flooring is timeless and elegant, but it requires proper care to withstand heavy use. Tile floors are scratch-resistant and easy to clean, making them perfect for high-traffic areas like entryways or kitchens. Luxury vinyl flooring combines style and practicality, offering a durable solution for homes expecting a flurry of activity. These options not only enhance the beauty of your home but also provide peace of mind during the busiest times of the year. And remember, durable flooring isn’t just for the holidays—it’s an investment in your home’s long-term functionality and style.

Post-Holiday Floor Protection and Care: Cleaning and Restoration

When the holiday buzz finally settles, your floors often bear the brunt of the season’s celebrations. From pine needles and spilled eggnog to scuffed surfaces, it’s time to show your flooring some love. With a little post-holiday TLC, you can restore their beauty and ensure they’re ready for the year ahead.

Hardwood Floors: Begin by sweeping or vacuuming to remove any lingering debris, such as glitter, crumbs, or holiday tree remnants. Follow up with a gentle hardwood floor cleaner to restore its natural shine and protect against further wear. Avoid using harsh chemicals or excessive water, as these can damage the finish or seep into the wood.

Carpets: Your carpet likely endured spills, foot traffic, and maybe even a dropped plate or two. Professional carpet cleaning can help remove deep-set stains, odors, and dirt that regular vacuuming might miss. For smaller stains, spot cleaning with a carpet-safe solution can work wonders.

Tile and Grout: Tile floors are holiday workhorses, especially in kitchens and entryways. Tackle dirt buildup by scrubbing the grout lines with a mixture of warm water and mild detergent or using a grout-specific cleaner. A quick mop will refresh the tile’s shine, leaving your floors looking brand new.

Post-holiday floor care doesn’t just preserve appearances—it protects your flooring investment for years to come. A little effort now can make a big difference later!

Conclusion: Keep Your Floors Festive and Flawless

The holiday season is a time for joy, laughter, and making memories, but it doesn’t have to come at the expense of your flooring. With a little forethought and a lot of heart, you can keep your floors looking their best while fully embracing the season’s festivities. Whether it’s strategically placing rugs to catch crumbs during a lively family dinner, using a tree skirt to shield your hardwood from falling pine needles, or deep cleaning your carpet after the last guest has left, every small effort helps.

It’s also worth noting that caring for your floors during the holidays can make your post-season cleanup much easier. With the right precautions, you’ll spend less time dealing with scratches, stains, or wear and more time cherishing those holiday memories. And if the season leaves you inspired to refresh your flooring altogether, consider exploring durable, stylish options tailored to your needs.

Ready to ensure your floors are holiday-proof and ready for every occasion? Schedule an at-home appointment with Empire Today®. We are here to guide you, offering solutions that combine functionality, beauty, and peace of mind. Let us help you create a home that shines not just during the holidays, but all year long.

The post How to Protect Your Floors During the Holidays: A Comprehensive Guide appeared first on Empire Today Blog.

Cut Pile Carpet for Cats

Pile type is one of the most important factors to consider when trying to choose the best carpet for cats. Every cat owner has, at some point, had to deal with their scratching at anything they can get their paws on. While they’ll commonly go for couch arms, table legs, and other pieces of furniture, it’s likely that your floors will also end up a victim. Opting for a cat-friendly carpet is integral to both your pets health and the survivability of your floors, and that starts with choosing a cut pile carpet.

Carpet fibers are finished in one of two ways: loop pile and cut pile construction. As their names suggest, loop pile fibers form a loop at the carpet surface, while cut pile carpets are trimmed so the ends are loose. When a cat scratches at a loop pile carpet, its claws are likely to snag on the looped fibers, often pulling the fibers from the carpet base, causing the surface to look uneven and leading to premature wearing. 

One way to prevent this is to opt for a carpet that has cut fibers. With no loops to grab onto, it’s less likely that your pet will be able to rip the fibers from a cut pile carpet, which will help to extend its longevity. Think of the difference between combing hair that’s full of knots compared to a smooth, well-groomed mane. Your comb will get hung up on every knot, pulling at the hair, instead of gliding smoothly through it.

And a cut pile carpet isn’t one of the best carpets for cats just because it’s more likely to endure their playing—it’s also safer for the pets themselves. In addition to being a good way to damage the carpet, clawing at looped fibers can can also hurt your pets’ paws. It’s not uncommon for a cat’s claws to get stuck in the carpet loops, which can cause them anything from minor discomfort to serious injury. So instead of a Berber or pattern carpet, try a plush or frieze style for a comfortable, cat-friendly carpet. 

High-Density Carpets

The density of a carpet greatly affects its level of comfort, with denser carpets typically offering a springier, more cushioned feel underfoot. It can also play a significant factor on the stain-resistance of the carpet by helping limit how deep a typical spill will seep into its fibers. As a pet owner, you may not catch every spill or accident your cat has on the carpet. And the longer that accident goes unnoticed, the deeper it will penetrate into the carpet backing and even the padding below.

But the denser a carpet is, the less quickly liquids tend to soak in, helping give you more time to address the mess. The extra time can help you clean up more of the accidents before they fully soak in and cause permanent stains or long-term damage. Aim for a high-density carpet to lower the risk of accidents ruining your flooring. 

Polyester Fibers

An extremely popular choice for homes with pets, polyester fibers are used in many of the best carpets for cats. Polyester fibers are non-porous, which means they won’t absorb liquids. That makes them more stain-resistant than other carpet materials, and also less likely to absorb the odors that tend to linger from a cat’s accident long after you’ve cleaned up the liquid. If you’re looking for a stain-resistant carpet for cats that is easy to maintain, polyester fibers are the way to go. 

Carpet with Darker Colors 

Of course, even with all of the best materials and technologies in place, there’s no way to completely pet-proof any carpet. Stains, whether from missing the litter box or those tiny paws tracking mud in from the yard, are an inevitability in any pet-friendly household. One simple way to mitigae their impact is to skip the white or light carpeting and instead opt for a dark-toned carpet. Dark carpets, or even multicolor carpets with a mix of dark and medium tones, can help conceal minor stains.  

Pet-Protected Carpet

In addition to seeking out each of these specific technical specifications, one easy way to ensure your floors can better stand up to life in a pet-friendly household is to choose a carpet that is specifically crafted to deal with pets and their accidents. Empire Today® offers a range of pet-protected carpet, which is specially designed to help protect against pet urine.

Carpets with PUP® (Pet Urine Protection) are built specifically to resist the penetration of pet urine. These carpets will usually also have additional protective features, like SureBlok Stain Protection for overall resistance against soiling; or Microban®, which inhibits the growth of mold, mildew, and other odor-causing bacteria. These carpet features will all help ease your worries when your cat misses the litter box, and go a long way to letting your carpet and cats peacefully coexist. 

The Bottom Line on Carpet for Cat Households 

So many pet owners think that just because they have a cat, they can’t also enjoy the comfort of carpetted floors. But you can have both, with minimal headaches, simply by choosing a cat-friendly carpet for your home. Choose a carpet style that will accommodate their habits and mitigate their occasional bad behavior, and both you and your cat will be happier in the long run. The Empire® selection of cat-friendly carpets runs the gamut of styles, so you don’t have to compromise on your design goals either. Schedule a FREE In-Home Estimate today to see a selection of carpet that would be ideal for your kitty.

The post Best Carpet for Cats appeared first on Empire Today Blog.

However, even more important than knowing the best ways to care for your floor is knowing how not to care for your floor. Because years of proper maintenance can quickly be negated with just a few of the wrong moves. Want to learn about the top things to not do with your new flooring? Here are five ways to quickly ruin your floors.

Using Homemade Cleaning Solutions

The Internet is the greatest repository of knowledge that has ever existed. On it, you can find information on literally anything, from how to perfectly poach an egg to what color shoes look best with your navy suit. However, it’s important to recognize when you’re getting advice from someone who might not really know what they’re talking about—and on the Internet, that can be the case more often than not. While this might not be a big deal when it comes to cooking your breakfast or dressing for your cousin’s wedding (though no matter what the blogs say, you should not wear those sandals with your suit), it can spell catastrophe when it comes to maintaining your floors.

DIY bloggers love to advocate cleaning just about everything with white vinegar. And in many cases, the advice isn’t totally off base. From a clogged bathroom drain to a grease-caked baking pan, there are many things that vinegar excels at cleaning. But your floors shouldn’t be one of them! The acidity in vinegar—the very property that makes it such an effective cleaner in the first place—is strong enough to strip the protective coating off of most vinyl, laminate, and hardwood floors. This can lead to your floors looking extra dull, plus becoming even easier to stain and scratch. In most cases, there’s no fix for the damage besides completely replacing the entire floor.

Even when diluted, cleaning floors with vinegar can still be risky. Now, it’s not a guarantee that vinegar will damage your floors, but it is highly likely that it will. The best and safest way to clean your hard floors is always by choosing a manufacturer-recommended cleaning product or simply using a slightly damp mop.

Not Using Quality Furniture Pads on Chairs and Tables

It’s important to accept that no matter how tough a flooring material you choose and how good its warranty is, if your floors are actually lived on, they will eventually begin to show signs of wear. This can be especially so in busy homes with kids or pets. But while the occasional scuffs that come along with daily traffic might be a fact of life, just a little foresight can prevent many of the big scratches that become eyesores or require costly repairs. One of the best things you can do to protect your new hardwood or laminate floors is to invest in high-quality floor protectors for the legs of the tables and chairs in your home.

Vintage design is experiencing something of a renaissance these days, with mid-ccentury modern furniture leading the charge. While those robust wood chairs and tables look amazing, especially in a room finished with a fine wood floor, old furniture will often have no included floor protection or protection that has since degraded. Before you get comfortable on those vintage dining chairs, make sure they are equipped with heavy-duty felt floor protectors. These pads let your furniture slide freely on hard floors while greatly reducing the likelihood of any scratches.

And, of course, this advice applies to even brand-new furniture. Sticking protective pads onto all of the furniture in your home is a quick and inexpensive way to avoid lots of bigger issues a few years down the road.

Steam Mopping Laminate, Vinyl Plank, or Hardwood Flooring

Steam mops are tools that can work wonders in certain applications, but many users underestimate just how much damage they can do to specific floors. After all, it’s just a bit of water and some heat, right? Yes, but those two elements are not friendly to most flooring types, especially when combined and applied under pressure. Even many waterproof or water-resistant floor products can get damaged by steam mops.

Steam is made up of millions of tiny micro-droplets of water, each much smaller than a typical raindrop or drip from your faucet. In a normal situation, that steam would turn into condensation when it lands on a cool surface like your floor. But because it comes out of the steam mop under pressure, those microscopic droplets can work their way between seams that would be highly resistant to a regular household spill—and even in between the individual layers that make up a plank of wood laminate or vinyl floor. This damage can happen almost instantly, resulting in telltale bubbling around the edges of each individual plank. And it can’t be reversed or repaired, which means entire sections of your floor would need to be replaced. In short: keep the steam mops away from your laminate, wood, or LVP flooring.

Bleach-Based Cleaners

Bleach is yet another powerful cleaning solution that excels at specific tasks, but its very strength is what makes it a hazard when used on many flooring types (you might be noticing a pattern here). Roughly opposite of vinegar on the pH scale, household bleach is a highly alkaline solution, which makes it corrosive to many materials. So, similar to an acidic cleaner like vinegar, using bleach on your hardwood, vinyl, or laminate floors can remove the protective top layer and even weaken the actual flooring material itself.

There is also rarely a good reason to actually need to use bleach when cleaning your hard surface floors. Specialized floor cleaners will be just as effective as getting stubborn stains off of hardwood, laminate, or vinyl flooring, without the risk that bleach carries. And if your goal is disinfecting your floors, there are also safer store-bought options that can achieve the same goal. As always, it’s best to reach out to us at Empire® or the flooring manufacturer to find a recommended cleaning product.

Not Regularly Sweeping

We know how it is when you’re busy. Life can feel overwhelming, and you might look for any opportunity to skip a chore in order to gain some free time. Who among us hasn’t looked at our hardwood or laminate floors, seen the dust bunnies hiding in the corner, and then decided that the floor wasn’t dirty enough to warrant getting out the broom and dustpan? But just because you don’t see any large chunks of dirt or debris strewn across the floor, you shouldn’t skip the regular sweeping. Because oftentimes, it’s the smaller stuff that can be just as damaging as a stray pebble or other big bit of debris.

If you’ve ever swept even when your floors look clean, you’ve probably been surprised by the amount of fine dirt and dust that ends up in a pile. That small pile of dirt might look harmless, but depending on what’s in there, it can be bad news for your floors. Think of it like a piece of sandpaper. Each grain of sand is tiny, but it’s the sheer number of those grains and the application of a little force that makes it an effective tool for quickly removing a layer of wood. The same idea applies to the dirt on your floors—under the soft sole of a shoe or a slipper, it can become surprisingly abrasive. In high-traffic areas of the home, that can eventually add up. Of course, that doesn’t mean you should be sweeping every day. But it’s best for your floors if you do it on a regular basis.

The post Five Ways to Ruin Your New Floors appeared first on Empire Today Blog.

While you don’t need to be an acoustical engineer to understand the benefits of particular surfaces and their influence on noise levels, a basic background on how sound travels will help illustrate why certain rooms can “feel” much louder than others. Sound travels in waves of energy which, like a tennis ball, bounce off of hard, flat surfaces with predictable strength and direction. Throw it straight down at a concrete driveway, and it will bounce straight back up with nearly as much force as you used to throw it.

But try to bounce it on a lush lawn, and it will either simply stop with a thud in the grass, or bounce a tiny bit in an unpredictable direction. In short, the harder a surface is, the more easily a soundwave will bounce off of it. A bounced sound wave becomes an echo and contributes to a louder sounding room. But soft materials greatly cut down on the reflection of sound waves by absorbing the energy or scattering it in many different directions at once.

Carpet is King for Quieting a Room

From that very brief science lesson, you might guess that a carpeted room will sound quieter than a room finished in ceramic tile or real hardwood floors—and you’d be correct. A fully carpeted floor can help reduce ambient noise levels by upwards of 20 decibels compared to tile or vinyl floors. That can mean the difference between being able to hear someone who is in the same room whisper vs them needing to speak loudly. In general, the thicker and more dense the carpet, the better its sound-reducing characteristics will be. So, you can usually expect a frieze or plush carpet to be a more sound dampening floor that a pattern or Berber carpet.

Another factor to consider is what type of carpet padding is used. Based on the same scientific principles as before, the thicker and denser the carpet padding is, the better its noise reduction properties will be. And here’s where auditory and tactile comfort converge: those thicker and denser carpet pads will also be more comfortable to walk on. This combination makes carpet the ideal flooring for gathering areas like the den or a dedicated playroom. After all, the benefits of having an isolated home office or a dedicated playroom for the kids aren’t as great if noise still becomes a distraction.

It’s also a smart choice for kids’ bedrooms that are on the upper level of a home, as the noise-insulating properties of carpet will help keep more of the ruckus from coming through the floor and reaching the rest of the home. This is one of the main reasons that many multi-level buildings in major cities have an “80% carpet rule,” which stipulates that the majority of hard floors should be covered by rugs or carpet in order to help isolate noise within a unit.

But even with the practical noise-reducing properties of carpet, for many people, carpet simply will not fit into a décor scheme. And even if a quieter home is a high priority. Recent industry surveys have shown that if homeowners could choose their “dream floors,” they would overwhelmingly opt for hardwood flooring. So what can those shoppers do if they’re caught between their desire for a quieter home and the floors of their dreams, which are made from wood—a notoriously “noisy” floor material? That’s where WhisperHome® from Empire Today® comes in.

WhisperHome®: An Engineered Hardwood Sound Dampening Floor

WhisperHome® is an engineered hardwood flooring material that has been specifically optimized to prioritize quietness. In a typical use case, a WhisperHome® sound dampening floor can absorb almost as much noise energy as a carpeted floor. That means much less of the clacking and tapping that often comes from typical foot traffic on a genuine hardwood floor.

And because WhisperHome® is an engineered flooring material, you still get many of the benefits of genuine hardwood floors: the real wood top surface with its truly unique grain patterns, and the ability to be refinished one or more times in its lifespan.

There are, of course, other variables to consider when shopping for new floors if controlling noise levels is a high priority. The type of subfloor already installed in your home and the multiple types of available underlayment materials can help create a more sound dampening floor. With all of the options to consider, it can be nearly impossible to come to any solid decision on your own. And that’s why the Empire® In-Home Shopping Experience can be so valuable. Being able to see and feel hundreds of samples of carpet or other flooring types while picking the brain of a season flooring professional—all in the comfort of your own home—takes all of the guesswork out of buying new floors. Click the link or give us a call to set yours up today and you’ll be enjoying the benefits of sound dampening floors in no time.

The post How a Sound Dampening Floor can Make Your Home a Calmer Place appeared first on Empire Today Blog.

Stick to Hard Surface Floors

One of the most common tactics for allergy-prone households is to avoid carpeting and rugs as much as possible. Because carpet is more prone to trapping allergens than hard surface flooring, it’s much easier to keep a tile, vinyl, or wood floor clean of things that can aggravate allergies. After a quick sweep and damp mopping, you can be almost certain that there’s nothing left on your floors that will make its way back into the air—and then your respiratory system.

Opting for hard floors is simply one of the easiest ways to minimize the amount of allergens that lurk hidden in your home. Of course, avoiding carpet floors also eliminates a level of comfort that many homeowners find important in certain areas like the bedroom or family room. Thankfully, there’s a way to have your carpet, er, cake and eat it too.

Hypoallergenic Carpet

While choosing products like tile or vinyl flooring has always been the easy way to keep your home environment a little fresher, it’s no longer the case that consumers are limited to hard floors. Thanks to hypoallergenic carpets like the Home Fresh line from Empire Today®, you can now enjoy the comfort of a soft surface beneath your feet—without worrying about how it might affect your breathing.

HOME Fresh carpet uses a special integrated padding designed to greatly improve airflow, allowing the typical household vacuum’s suction to reach deep into the flooring and even beneath it. This makes vacuuming much more effective at removing dust, dander, and other allergens that will often stay trapped in the fibers of a traditional household carpet. Additionally, HOME Fresh carpets are all made with hypoallergenic fibers and are certified to not release any VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) into the air in your home.

Look for Low-VOC or VOC-Free Flooring

While it’s often a consideration when carpet shopping, it’s a good idea to look for the potential VOC content of all flooring types, including hard surfaces. VOC “are gases that are emitted into the air from products or processes” and it’s important to note that while certain VOCs are dangerous at any exposure level to any persons, the presence of many other VOCs is not automatically a cause for alarm and may only be an issue for those with certain allergies or sensitivities. In fact, some can be nearly impossible to avoid, as many items in the typical household can release small amounts of VOCs, including candles, air fresheners, and even some forms of cooking. Still, eliminating as many as possible is a good idea for allergy sufferers and is an added bonus for everyone in the home.

Some pressed wood materials—a key component of wood laminate and engineered wood flooring—can contain VOCs. Empire® always strives to offer the highest quality flooring products from trusted manufacturing partners, and these often prioritize the use of VOC-free materials. Still, there are some products where the presence of minor levels of VOCs is unavoidable. If your allergies are sensitive to any level of VOCs, make sure to ask your flooring professional whether the products you are considering have been certified to be VOC-free and that any installation materials needed are also safe.

Easy-to-Clean Flooring Can Help Eliminate Other Sources of VOCs

When attempting to eliminate as many allergens or allergy triggers as possible, it’s easy to overlook the way that certain products might encourage the introduction of a different set of triggers—even if the original product is allergy-friendly. For instance, a genuine hardwood floor might be VOC-free, but it’s possible that certain hardwood floor cleaners might aggravate your allergies. Meanwhile, a waterproof wood-look vinyl floor that can be cleaned with warm water and mild dish soap could offer a more pleasant overall environment for allergy sufferers. There’s no catchall answer to this idea, but it stresses the importance of holistically thinking about your flooring solutions to see how the big picture will affect your life.

Don’t Hesitate to Ask for More Information on Flooring Types or Materials

When it comes to a topic as expansive as personal allergies, it’s impossible to cover every potential xxx to avoid or feature to look for in new floors. While the most commonly requested info is usually easy to find, some more obscure stuff can be buried in manufacturer data sheets. If you have a specific question about the makeup of a flooring product or the materials used during its installation, don’t be afraid to ask! The flooring professional you work with when selecting your new floors will be more than happy to find that info from you.

The post Flooring Features for Allergy-Prone Households appeared first on Empire Today Blog.

After coming to this conclusion, many shoppers will automatically opt for porcelain or ceramic tile. These flooring stalwarts have been the go-to choice for bathrooms and kitchens for ages due mostly to their durability and high level of water resistance. And they are a great fit for these rooms, with a large variety of styles and features to choose from. However, though tile is an incredibly popular choice for moisture-prone areas of the home, it can come with its own set of disadvantages.

The properties that make ceramic or porcelain tile such a durable waterproof flooring option are also the source of its main downsides, and those downsides are especially evident in the rooms where you most want waterproof floors: the bathroom and the kitchen. If you’ve ever stepped barefoot onto a cold tile floor during a middle-of-the-night trip to the bathroom, you know that they can get uncomfortably cold. And while ceramic and porcelain’s incredible material hardness is a huge advantage when it comes to durability, that same asset can become a source of discomfort if you spend a lot of time walking or standing on a tile floor. Many home chefs (or dishwashers!) can relate to that point. Lastly, tile can make a room sound echoey and harshly loud.

Luxury Vinyl Tile and Plank Are Stylish, Durable Waterproof Flooring Options

Thankfully, there is a type of flooring that solves each of those nits without sacrificing water resistance or style—and it may even fit your budget better. That miracle material? Luxury vinyl flooring. While not a new product, luxury vinyl flooring options have continued to fly under the radar because of their association with the flimsy products many remember from decades past. But today’s luxury vinyl plank and tile are a far cry from the rolled linoleum that graced the floor of Grandpa’s basement.

Thanks to Aqua Defense technology, both luxury vinyl tile (LVT) and luxury vinyl plank (LVP) are fully waterproof flooring products. They offer incredible durability—on par with or better than ceramic or porcelain tiles—with many luxury vinyl products from Empire Today® covered by limited lifetime warranties against wear. But aesthetes need not worry that LVT and LVP are some kind of homely utilitarian flooring materials that prioritize function over form. In fact, the truth is the exact opposite.

Advanced construction methods lend luxury vinyl floors a high-end look and feel that, in many cases, can be nearly indistinguishable from real tile or hardwood floors. The photorealistic surface image accurately recreates the appearance of tile, stone, or hardwood, while the embossed textures convincingly mimic the feel of those materials. Many people don’t realize that LVT and LVP are man-made materials, even when they’re standing right on the floor. And as the product category has continued to grow in popularity, the selection of LVT and LVP available from Empire® has come to offer significantly more style options that traditional tile.

Best of all, as waterproof flooring products, they match tile’s best qualities while avoiding the aforementioned downsides. Though it is a hard surface flooring, there is a small amount of flexibility inherent to the vinyl material, which goes a long way when it comes to underfoot feel. Luxury vinyl flooring will be noticeably more comfortable to walk barefoot or stand on for long periods of time. The synthetic surface will also feel warmer than a tile floor when the temperatures dip. That flexibility also tends to make rooms with vinyl floors a bit quieter than if the same surfaces were covered in porcelain or ceramic tile. Additionally, a variety of underlayment choices can further augment each of these benefits—an option not possible with traditional tile, which needs to be installed on a totally rigid surface to prevent the risk of cracking.

Overall, vinyl products offer perhaps the most comprehensive solution when having waterproof floors is your main goal, but also strongly value style and comfort. If you’ve been debating new floors for your kitchen, bathroom, or anywhere else where water damage is a risk, but aren’t thrilled by the idea of ceramic tile, then luxury vinyl flooring might be exactly what you need.

The post The Best Waterproof Flooring for Your Bathroom or Kitchen (That Isn’t Tile) appeared first on Empire Today Blog.

The major worry that comes along with having new carpeting installed in a basement is the potential for water damage, which is a very valid concern. It’s important to stress that these recommendations are all intended for basements that do not regularly take on water—if yours does, then that’s something that you should address before making any cosmetic or livability updates to the space. But if your only worry is above-average dampness or an overall musty environment, then having carpet installed just might be the first step to creating your family’s new favorite room.

Carpet in the Basement? Really?

Yes! If there were only one upgrade we could give to a basement in order to make it more livable, it would be hard to choose something besides having new carpet installed. A simple soft surface between you and a concrete basement floor can completely transform how the space looks and feels. And it doesn’t have to be the headache that many imagine carpet in the basement will end up being. Here are some of the top reasons why you might want to install carpet in the basement:

It’s a warm, soft surface: Bare concrete is the most uncomfortable surface imaginable for an area where kids will play and the family will gather. Even a hard surface like vinyl flooring can still feel cold, both literally and figuratively. But a cozy carpet in the basement can turn that dim cave into a welcoming retreat. The added warmth and softness will let you kick off your shoes and really relax.

It helps muffles noises: While the basement is probably the best place to corral kids and pets when you want to cut down on noise in the rest of the home, all that ruckus in one spot can get irritating. As large spaces made entirely of bare, hard surfaces, basements can get pretty echo-y and make everything sound louder. A basement carpet floor can cut down on the noise for those who spend time down there, plus it can significantly improve the acoustics of your home theater sound system.

Carpet conforms to surface irregularities: This is an important consideration if you’re still deciding what type of flooring to install in the basement. If your basement floor is like most, it’s not perfectly level. Basement concrete is often not leveled to the tolerances that an above-grade floor would be, especially since upper-story irregularities can be fixed with various forms of underlayment between the subfloor and your choice of flooring. But these irregularities in your basement floor can either fully prevent products like tile or laminate flooring from being properly installed or will rack up additional costs for the labor required for leveling it. But if you don’t mind the slight waves or unevenness of your current basement floor, carpet can be installed right over them, hugging the surface and making that cold slab much more welcoming.

Do You Need to Have Special Carpet Installed in A Basement?

As mentioned in the opening, this article is based on the premise that your basement does not regularly flood. And if yours does stay dry year-round, then any carpet suitable for busy areas of the rest of the home, like a frieze or Berber carpet, will also work as a basement carpet. However, there are some optional features that can be of great benefit in your basement. Here are some things to look for when choosing a basement carpet:

Solution-dyed fibers: Odds are, the basement will be one of the major spots in the home for the rowdier activities. That means heavy foot traffic and a higher likelihood of spills. Solution-dyed carpets are highly resistant to fading and staining and can endure the use of strong cleansers. That means your basement carpet will stay looking new for longer.

Mold and mildew resistance: Even if your basement never takes on water, it will still most likely stay damper than the rest of your home. Add in the lack of natural light and regular air circulation, and it’s an environment perfect for mold and mildew growth. Empire Today® offers a variety of carpets with Microban protection, an antimicrobial treatment that inhibits the formation of mold, mildew, and bacteria.

Odor-reducing carpet: Regardless of your best efforts, it’s common for the basement to always have a bit of a funky smell. It’s just the nature of below-grade space with a lack of natural air circulation. And if that’s where the pets hang out and the kids make their messes, those can contribute to stale smell. Opting for an odor-reducing carpet like HOME Fresh from Empire® can go a long way to cutting down on the dank odors. HOME Fresh is built with natural minerals that actually destroy the compounds that cause bad odors, instead of just covering them up with a fragrance.

Hypoallergenic carpet: This feature often goes hand-in-hand with odor reduction. Hypoallergenic carpets are specially designed to greatly reduce the amount of dust, dander, and other allergens that get trapped in their fibers. They’re also certified not to contain or create any allergens on their own. Look for carpets that have a CRI Green Label Plus certification to be sure you’re getting the low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) carpet.

With all of that said, we know there are some of you who may have been converted to the idea of putting carpet in the basement but are now bummed because yours occasionally gets some seepage. If your basement does take on the rare bit of water but you’d really like to soften those cold floors, then indoor/outdoor carpet might be an option worth considering. It will give you many of the benefits of a traditional Berber carpet while adding a little bit of color to your basement, but it’s built to withstand regular exposure to the elements. That means it should shrug off the occasional exposure to standing water without any issue, plus it’s built to be highly resistant to wear and the formation of mold and mildew.

Want to learn more about whether carpet is the right choice for your basement, or see other possible basement flooring options? Contact us to set up a free in-home estimate and flooring professional will guide you through all of the best choices, letting you see and feel samples of each product, all in the comfort of your home.

The post The Best Carpet for the Basement appeared first on Empire Today Blog.

Choosing a Carpet for a Pet-Friendly Home

Let’s clear this up right away. These days, pets and carpets can peacefully coexist in the same household. Thanks to continuous advancements in stain-resistant carpet fibers, overall durability, and other pet-specific features, you can now happily enjoy soft and cozy carpet floors without constantly worrying about your cat or dog ruining them.

Carpet with PUP® Pet Urine Protection

Perhaps the single biggest concern that pet owners have with carpeting is the issue of any “accidents” that will happen. Even the most dependably house-broken pets can have them, whether Spot gets nervous during a thunderstorm and leaves, well, some spots, or Nala gets lazy and misses her litter box. It’s almost an inevitability that every pet owner will, at some point, need to deal with pet urine on their carpet. This is where carpet with Pet Urine Protection (PUP®) saves the day.

PUP carpets from Empire Today® are specially crafted to resist the penetration of urine and other liquids into the padding underneath. When a pet accidentally goes to the bathroom on a typical carpet, even an immediate clean-up response might be too late because the urine has already begun soaking into the padding. Once that happens, it’s nearly impossible to fully clean—and it’s that soaked-in urine that ends up causing the lingering smells often found in pet-friendly homes. But because PUP carpet resists the soak-through of urine, you’ll have more time to thoroughly clean up any messes, greatly reducing the chances of any lingering smells. As an added bonus, PUP pet-friendly carpet will usually also have other valuable features, like enhanced resistance against stains and the formation of mold and mildew.

Today’s general stain-resistant carpet will go a long way towards preventing urine stains and can often be enough protection for the rare bathroom boo-boo.  But for households with pets that tend toward more frequent accidents, it’s worth upgrading to a PUP pet-friendly carpet from Empire®.

Odor Neutralizing and Hypoallergenic Carpets

A pet’s bathroom habits are only one aspect to consider when it comes to choosing carpets for cats or dogs. Regardless of how well-behaved they are when it comes to bathroom breaks, or if they never so much as roll around in the backyard, there will always be certain lingering odors that come along with owning a pet. A major source of these odors is pet dander—microscopic flakes of skin that are shed by your cat or dog. All animals that have fur release dander, and though regular bathing will reduce it, there’s nothing that can be done to totally prevent it. And what can be even worse than the resultant odor is dander’s effect on air quality.

Pet dander is a very common allergen and is, in fact, the underlying cause of the majority of pet allergies. After being shed, it floats in the air and then settles on every surface in your home, working its way into the nooks and crannies of your carpet. Once there, it can be hard to fully remove and gets thrown back into the air every time the carpet fibers are disturbed. The good news is that there’s a product that addresses both of the issues caused by pet dander.

Exclusive to Empire Today, HOME Fresh is a 100% hypoallergenic carpet with advanced odor-neutralizing capabilities. Its innovative design greatly increases airflow through the carpet and padding below, letting your vacuum’s suction reach deeper and remove more allergens like dander. Plus, an odor-neutralizing mineral is integrated into the fibers, actually canceling out the substances that cause odors once they hit the carpet. The result is cleaner, better-smelling air in your home—a must-have when it comes to pets and carpet.

Cut-Pile Carpets Keep Claws Comfortable

Choosing the best carpet for cats and dogs should be about more than just making coexistence more convenient. It’s also important to consider how your floors can impact your pets’ comfort and even health. Carpeted floors in a pet-friendly household often come with one major, unfortunate snag—pun intended. The loop-pile construction used in some of today’s popular carpets is notorious for ensnaring cat and dog claws, sometimes trapping their paws. When the pet reacts and pulls their paw away, the yanking can cause them great pain and, in some instances, actually tear their claw off.

So, if you’re shopping for carpet for cats or dogs, it’s highly recommended to stay away from loop carpets. A common misconception with new shoppers is that a low-pile product like Berber would be the best carpet for pets. While it’s true that Berber is well-equipped to stand up to wear and tear and some of the staining that often comes with pet life, it Is, in fact, a loop-pile carpet. And though they’re relatively low-profile loops, they still pose a risk to your pets. Instead, look for carpeting with cut piles, like plush or frieze carpet. As a plus, many of the frieze and plush carpets available from Empire offer the aforementioned benefits like PUP treatment or hypoallergenic construction, making them an ideal carpet for pet-friendly homes.

Waterproof or Water-Resistant Flooring

Waterproof or water-resistant floors offer a double-whammy of convenience when it comes to pet households. First is the protection they offer against the liquid messes caused directly by pets. Whether it’s a knocked-over water bowl, a potty accident, or a trail of wet footsteps tracked across the kitchen, knowing your floors won’t be damaged by that wetness is a huge stress reliever.

But the benefits of waterproof floors extend beyond just protecting against your pet’s liquid mishaps. They also make cleanup of all sorts of messes—liquid or solid—much easier. And that’s because a waterproof construction means you don’t have to be concerned with how wet your mop is or if you let a caked-on stain soak for a few minutes before you begin scrubbing. Even if your pet never has an accident and never plays in the mud, waterproof or water-resistant flooring can be a serious blessing when it comes to cleaning up after your pets.

Scratch-Resistant Coatings

Hard surface floors have long been the favorite for pet-friendly homes, but even those don’t always play nicely with pets. Anyone who’s ever caught a stray claw during an aggressive play session knows how sharp they can be—and many flooring materials are no match. While ceramic and porcelain tiles are naturally scratch-resistant, they can be a little cold for many areas of the home. While materials that are slightly softer—like hardwood, laminate, or vinyl flooring—will be more comfortable, they’ll also be easier to scratch. That’s where scratch-resistant coatings come in.

Empire offers an extensive range of scratch-resistant laminate, vinyl plank, and hardwood flooring. These products are finished with an ultra-tough aluminum oxide top coat, which helps guard against the scratches and scuffs that would damage an unprotected floor. That means your pooch can run laps till through the house until he’s pooped, and you won’t have to worry about your new wood floors getting destroyed in the process. As an added benefit, this coating also protects against fading caused by the sun’s UV rays, and eliminates the need for any regular polishing or waxing.

The Best Flooring for Dogs and Cats Can Be the Best for Humans, Too

The great thing about all shopping for pet-friendly flooring today is that you don’t have to compromise on what you really want just to make life with a cat or dog a little easier. You can get all of the beneficial features discussed above, without sacrificing on style or comfort. We know there are a lot of factors to consider when shopping for flooring, and as always, we’re here to help. Give us a call or contact us online to set up a free in-home consultation, and you’ll quickly be on your way to finding the best floor for your pets—and the rest of your family.

The post Five Must-Have Flooring Features for Pet Owners appeared first on Empire Today Blog.

Not Matching Flooring Type to Your Overall Needs

Aesthetics will almost always be a top criteria when shopping for new flooring, but it’s important to not let your style desires overwhelm your practical needs. Durability and maintenance requirements should always be top considerations when selecting the types of flooring for the common rooms in your home. And, of course, adhering to a budget is a major part of the equation. Each of these factors carries a different significance to each shopper, and to maximize your long-term happiness with your new floors, it’s critical to find the products that check all the boxes on your list. Here are some common scenarios flooring sales professionals see:

• Hardwood and high traffic: You may have your heart set on genuine hardwood floors, but you need to be realistic about whether they are a good match for your home. Have pets or active kids who run though the house in their soccer cleats? A laminate flooring for a wood look with added scratch resistance or engineered hardwood to handle potential scratches and scuffs will likely be a better option, without giving up your style goals.
• Carpet in heavy traffic areas: As a way to save some money, you may be considering carpet for a heavily trafficked den or hallway. But even the most durable, stain-resistant carpet can quickly begin to show wear in extra-busy households. Instead, you may be able to find an affordable laminate or vinyl plank that fits your style wants and can better handle the traffic.
• Tile in large spaces: You might be in love with the easy maintenance of porcelain or ceramic tile in a large living space, but that tile can make the space noisier and colder than you’d like. Depending on your durability needs, the right carpet or a vinyl plank floor may be a better option.

Bottom line: consider your needs both from durability and style standpoints, then weave in budget realities, too. There’s likely a perfect type of flooring for your unique situation, but sometimes it’s easy easy to overlook it by focusing on a single aesthetic characteristic you’ve fallen in love with.

Flooring Mismatches

If you’re choosing new flooring for just one room, you’ll want to consider the existing floors that will be staying in the home. Generally speaking, most interior designers will caution against installing too many different types of flooring in a home—especially in adjacent rooms. For example, if you have a tile foyer that connects to a hardwood-floored hallway, which in turn leads to a den whose floor is done in a plush carpet, the overall space might have a patchwork look. Not only can this undermine an otherwise beautiful, cohesive design scheme. mismatches like this can often be a turn-off to prospective homebuyers. Two different types of carpet butting up to each other is another situation that interior designers might caution against.

While interior design is all about personal taste and bending the rules, there are always common guidelines that are worth sticking to. In general, a smaller home should have fewer types of flooring installed throughout its space to keep things looking well thought out. In fact, sticking with one dominant floor throughout most of the home may even help make a small rooms look bigger. This suggestion mainly applies to each level of a home, as different stories offer a natural separation between flooring types.

Forgetting About Tomorrow

We know it’s easy to get caught up in the vision you have for your home today, but it’s also important to consider tomorrow’s needs—especially if you’re shopping for your forever home. A child or a new pet a few years down the line could drastically change your flooring needs, and going back to the flooring drawing board in a couple years is something you’ll want to avoid. If any major life changes are on the horizon, even years down the line, they’re worth thinking about when floor shopping now.

Choosing Trendy When It Doesn’t Work

Sometimes the hottest flooring trends of the day just don’t fit your situation. You should never feel like the current popular option is the right floor choice for your home. More and more interior design today is transitional, merging traditional and contemporary elements. Contemporary design trends are always changing, but you’ll find many classic flooring options never really go out of style, even if they do slightly decline in popularity. These stalwart styles could be exactly what your home needs.

Attempting DIY Flooring When You Really Can’t Handle It

Flooring installation is best left to experienced professionals, for a variety of reasons. In addition to having honed their installation skills through in-depth training and constant practice, pros need to be up to date on building codes and other industry best practices that you might not find in a DIY book or blog. If you decide to give it a go on your own, you take on all of the responsibility for any installation errors. While some mistakes may only be visual, others can result in floors that are dangerous or more prone to premature wear.

For most homeowners, the cost of hiring a flooring installer is worth the added peace of mind in knowing the installation has been done by a licensed professional who carries the appropriate insurance and qualifications to perform the work.

Considering new flooring for your home and want to make sure you avoid the mistakes common to first-time shoppers and do-it-yourselfers? Schedule a FREE In-Home Estimate today.

The post Mistakes to Avoid When Buying Floors appeared first on Empire Today Blog.

Whether you prefer sticking to tradition or chasing the latest trends, affordable flooring is not as hard to find as you might think. Here’s where to start based on what look you want to achieve. 

Get Realistic Wood-Look Floors Without the Cost of Hardwood

For many years now, hardwood floors have been the fan favorite when it comes to sophisticated flooring. Nothing classes up a room like the clean look of white oak or the richness of a cherry wood floor. But, of course, that upscale aesthetic usually comes with a price tag to match. What many homeowners don’t know is that they can get a designer look without the designer price, thanks to modern affordable flooring options that accurately mimic the look of real wood. 

Laminate Wood

Though it’s not a solid hardwood, laminate flooring is made in large part from wood materials, lending it a real wood feel when you touch or walk on it. The photorealistic surface gives it the high-end look of real hardwood, while a robust wear layer and dense backing provide impressive durability. That trio of features makes it an impressive replacement for real wood, and because it’s easy and inexpensive to manufacture, it’s still quite an affordable flooring option. 

Vinyl Plank

Vinyl flooring is another wood-look floor option that has taken the design world by storm in recent years. What was once a last resort flooring consideration only talked about in hushed voices has now become an affordable flooring product at the forefront of the industry, thanks to advancements in design that have greatly improved its look and feel. Like laminate, vinyl plank flooring is not only resistant to scratches and stains, but is also highly water-resistant—and in many cases completely waterproof. Vinyl plank presents another more affordable flooring choice when compared to hardwood, while still providing a realistic wood look and texture.  

Porcelain Tile

When you think of wood flooring alternatives, tile is probably not the first product that comes to mind. But today’s modern wood-look tile can give you the style you’re after—plus the high resistance to moisture and mold that tile is known for—while still being more affordable than most real hardwood floors. Similar to laminate and vinyl plank flooring, wood-look tile uses a highly realistic wood grain image to simulate the look of hardwood. But below that is the durable ceramic or porcelain tile that has been used in homes for ages.  

And don’t think that tile should be restricted only to rooms that deal with heavy moisture, like the bathroom and kitchen. With a variety of stylish and functional options, wood-look tile can fit well in just about any area of your home.   

Modern Trends in Affordable Flooring

A common question that comes up when considering the affordable option of many stylish products is something along the lines of “Okay, but does it actually look nice?” Essentially, many people equate affordability with a low-quality product and a compromise in style, and they fear that any affordable floors in their budget will look dated before they’re even installed. But we are here to say unequivocally that yes, you can get beautiful, affordable flooring in all of the same on-trend styles as today’s high-end products. Here are a few trends you can use to modernize your home at a lower cost than hardwood. 

Add Space to the Room with Wide Planks

If you have a small room that you wish looked larger, it’s a good idea to go big with your planks. In addition to giving your home an authentic, rural aesthetic, wider wood planks are often chosen because they create the illusion of a bigger space. However, this sought-after look comes with a price; in the category of genuine hardwood flooring, the wide plank products tend to be the most expensive. But thankfully, those on the hunt for a more affordable flooring option can find the wide plank style in laminate, laminate vinyl plank, and even tile flooring. 

Get a More Natural Look with Reclaimed Wood

Reclaimed wood is popular for both its eco-friendliness as well as its unique character. There’s no denying the natural, warm look and feel that the material can give your home. And although you might think that a flooring material has to be made from wood to get the distressed wood look, you can duplicate that character in a non-wood material. Finding affordable rustic flooring is easier than you think—the style can be found in both vinyl plank and wood laminate products. 

Bring a Sophisticated Touch with a Matte Finish

While glossy finishes on wood and tile are perennially popular, matte and satin have become increasingly sought-after finishes. Not only does a matte finish give a sophisticated touch to your home, it makes it easier to maintain a tidy look. Dents, scratches, and dust don’t appear as readily on a matte finish as they do on a glossy floor. Easy maintenance and style create a perfect combination for functional flooring. 

Get Distinctive Flooring with Pattern Carpet

While it might not be as popular as it was in the 70s and 80s, carpet is still a classic, practical choice for many rooms in your home. With its soft and warm touch, it’s a perfect way to add comfort to a bedroom or living room while still being stylish. One of today’s most popular styles of carpet is pattern carpet. Constructed with a combination of cut and looped fibers, it uses variations in the fiber structure to create visual patterns. Pattern carpets are a popular affordable choice for living rooms, studies, and other rooms that demand a certain level of sophistication when the budget doesn’t allow for a genuine hardwood floor. 

Choose Trending Tones

Whether you go with carpet or a hard surface, the visual tone of your flooring can make a huge difference in your overall design scheme. Choosing an affordable floor product won’t limit you on this front—you can find all of today’s hottest hues in budget-friendly options.  

Dark and Moody Tones

Dark floors give a chic and edgy look to your home but usually come at a cost. The style is often achieved with fine hardwood or stone flooring materials, but plenty of affordable options exist. Look for a dark wood laminate floor or a luxury vinyl tile that mimics marble. 

Neutrals: Grey and Greige

A color everyone seems to love lately is gray, and it appears to be here to stay. Its popularity is thanks mostly to its ability to match almost any interior design scheme imaginable, while still helping make rooms feel brighter. Because it’s such a popular choice, multiple gray options are available in every category of affordable flooring. Greige is another neutral flooring “must have” that has come to the forefront in recent years. A mix of grey and beige, this tone makes it easy to coordinate your flooring with other décor and gives your home a modern touch. 

At the end of the day, modern style does not have to come with a big price tag. You can get most of today’s hottest design trends for your home even if you’re on a tight budget. Floors tend to take up a massive chunk of the average renovation budget, and by shopping wisely and choosing affordable flooring alternatives to high-priced products, you can save a pretty penny. Feeling overwhelmed by all of the available options? Start updating your home by contacting Empire Today®. Schedule a Free In-Home Estimate to start shopping for modern, affordable flooring for your home. 

The post Modernize Your Home with Affordable Flooring appeared first on Empire Today Blog.