With the holiday season being such a common motivator for minor aesthetic tweaks, it also becomes a popular time to consider your home’s appearance on a deeper level. Before the winter gatherings start, is it time to repaint walls, rearrange furniture, or replace appliances? Maybe your carpet looks a little tired, and you’re wondering if it makes sense to get new floors installed right before the holidays.  

Of course, we fully support the idea of prepping for the holidays by having new carpet installed. But there’s more to it than just wanting to impress guests. New floors can make your life much easier—during the holidays and throughout the year—and this is also often one of the best times to score flooring promotions. Still think it’s a crazy idea? That’s why we’re here! Here are a few reasons why you may or may not want to get new floors before the big day. 

Spills are a Certainty. Stressing Over Them Shouldn’t Be. 

Accidents are a regular part of life and practically an inevitability during big celebrations. Usually, that means stubborn stains on your carpet, which in turn means your holiday cheer has been replaced with anxiety. But imagine a scenario in which you watch a nephew’s heaping helping of gravy-smothered mashed potatoes slide off his plate onto your plush new carpet and you don’t even flinch.  

With the right carpet, that fantasy can be a reality. Stain-resistant carpets from Empire Today®, especially those protected by the R2X® Stain and Soil Resistance System, make cleaning up accidents quick and painless. Even if spills continue to happen throughout the evening, you’ll have little reason to stress. So, if your carpet already has stubborn stains that just won’t leave, and you’re worried about collecting new ones, it may be time for some new stain-resistant carpet.  

While appearance is a worthy concern, another important consideration is how your carpet can affect your home’s environment. Old carpet is often rife with dust, dander, and other allergens. Even though you may consistently vacuum, older carpets tend to trap more of these particles, which get released when the surface is agitated, leading to itchy eyes and runny noses. This can be especially painful for overnight guests who aren’t accustomed to the air inside your home. New carpet is a great way to get rid of your dirty old floors, and choosing a hypoallergenic carpet like HOME Fresh from Empire® means you can greatly reduce those issues going forward. If you’re expecting lots of guests this holiday season, that might be a good reason for some new carpet. 

And lastly, you can’t overlook comfort! The holidays are a time when you want your home to feel especially cozy. Threadbare carpet with compressed padding makes for a very uncomfortable surface to stand, walk, or play on. And flooring comfort is paramount to making guests feel at ease, especially during “shoes off inside” season. 

Carpet: Get It New or Get it Cleaned? 

So, what if you feel like some of these factors apply slightly, but your carpeting is just a few years old and you’re certain it has more life left? The holiday season is a great time to give your carpet a deep cleaning. Commercial carpet cleaners can be rented at your local hardware store or even many grocery stores. For a reasonable fee, you can steam-wash all of the carpets in your house, restoring much of the look and feel they had when first installed. Just be sure to not wait until the very last minute before your party—steamed carpet needs ample time to dry before it can be walked on! 

Ultimately, the question of whether or not you should replace your floors before the holidays is really about whether you should replace your floors, period. The holiday season simply offers a few extra motivations compared to the rest of the year. Increased time off of work means you won’t have to waste a vacation day to be home for the carpet installers. The end of one year and the dawn of the next is a always popular motivator for any major life upgrades. And, of course, the holidays are just a great time to unveil a new look you’re proud of to your friends and family. Think of it like getting a fancy new ‘do or an amazing outfit right before an important occasion—but for your home.  

Do You Really Have the Time for New Floors During the Holiday Season? 

The holidays can be chaotic and adding carpet replacement to your to-do list may seem daunting. However, that’s one more reason to trust Empire with the task. We make it easy to get quality flooring without the added stress of visiting flooring stores and by offering minimal wait time for installations. Schedule your in-home estimate today and you could have durable new flooring installed by Thanksgiving, so you can eat your turkey without worry. 

The post Should You Have New Carpet Installed Before the Holidays?  appeared first on Empire Today Blog.

Happy employees mean happy customers, and we want to ensure satisfaction on both ends. Thank you to the Empire family for being the backbone of beautiful new flooring. It only gets better from here!

The post Empire Today® Celebrates Rise on Forbes List of America’s Best Mid-Size Employers appeared first on Empire Today Blog.

Schedule your FREE In-Home Estimate to get flooring with professionals who put you first.

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While Empire Today has received numerous awards for customer service in the last decade, we’re excited to have our first Golden Bridge Award. At the 10^th Annual 2018 Golden Bridge Awards, Director of National Customer Service Tina Binette is thrilled to be accepting the Silver Award for Customer Service Department of the Year.

“Empire Today is excited to be recognized at the Golden Bridge Awards, especially for customer service. Our mission is to make beautiful floors easy, and that’s not something you accomplish without having a leading customer service team,” Tina remarks.

“This award is a fantastic reminder of what you can achieve when you put customers first.”

For more information about Empire Today, please visit EmpireToday.com. For a full list of award winners, visit GoldenBridgeAwards.com.

Ready to experience world-class customer service for yourself? Schedule a FREE In-Home Estimate.

The post Empire Today Wins a Golden Bridge Award for Customer Service Department of the Year appeared first on Empire Today Blog.

1. How Much Foot Traffic Does My Business Have?

Not every area within the same building will have the same amount of foot traffic. For example, an entryway in a busy hotel will have higher durability needs than the conference rooms and administrative offices within the same building. Take note of the volume of foot traffic in your business on a daily basis. Then think about where the majority of that traffic is. This will help give you a rough idea of what sort of durability rating you’ll need.

How is durability measured in commercial floors? Commercial carpet and carpet tile durability is measured on the Texture Appearance Retention Rating (TARR). TARR ratings are broken down into three main classifications; Moderate, Heavy, and Severe. The more foot traffic you have, the higher the TARR rating should be on your new flooring.

For commercial grade vinyl plank or commercial vinyl tile the wear layer is a really helpful indicator of how durable the flooring will be. A product with a thick wear layer will tend to be more resilient in the long run.

2. Which Areas of My Business Are Prone to Daily Spills from Food & Drink?

Similar to foot traffic, certain areas of your business can be prone to daily spills from food and drink. For example, an office building cafeteria where employees eat their lunches on a daily basis calls for commercial vinyl tile or plank, which wipe up easily with regular mopping.

On the other side, the main area of a library that has restrictions of food and beverages in the building may not need a flooring that can withstand daily spills. Therefore, a commercial carpet tile may be a better option for that space.

3. Which Areas of My Business Are Exposed to Moisture?

You might be surprised to realize all the various spaces within your business that can be exposed to water. Beyond the obvious areas such as bathrooms, areas with water coolers, sinks, and coffee stations all necessitate flooring with built-in moisture and stain resistance.

Exposure to moisture and spills can play a big part in determining the best flooring solution for your business. We certainly don’t expect you to identify every potential source of moisture. That’s where the expertise of a flooring professional can be a huge help.

4. What Kind of Entryway Does My Business Have?

Did you know that around 90% of soil found in carpet may come from the bottoms of shoes? Additionally, it takes at least six steps to get the bottom of shoes “clean”. Knowing this information, it’s important to have the right flooring in your entrance ways beyond your walk-off system.

A reception area in a doctor’s office may require two separate flooring types – a durable, vinyl tile for the entryway is a great start. The actual seating area could have carpet tiles installed. This way, any liquid, mud, or snow could be tracked in on the tile and have less impact on the carpet. That’s just one example of many – your space will be the deciding factor in what solution is best for your entryway.

5. How Often Will the Commercial Flooring Area Be Cleaned?

Do you have a nightly cleaning crew or do you clean the space yourself? Answering this question will help play a key role in determining the kind of floors you’re going to need. Some floors have special treatments for specific applications, such as waterproof, mold resistance, frost resistance, and slip resistance that can help reduce maintenance time and costs.

A high traffic employee lunchroom calls for a floor with excellent moisture resistance and daily mopping. Bathroom and conference room floors can also get messy fast, and there’s a good chance you’re not responsible for cleaning those.

On the other hand, a space you clean yourself has very different flooring requirements. Commercial carpet and carpet tiles in an office setting can be easily vacuumed every couple of days. Even the worst stain could be easily replaced with a carpet tile setup. It’s easy to replace an individual carpet tile.

It’s crucial to know what sort of maintenance is required to keep your new floors looking great and avoid costly cleanings and replacements down the line.

Bonus Question: Why Haven’t I Called Empire Today for Business?

When deciding how to choose the right flooring for your business, it’s important to know the answers to these questions. And that’s where Empire Today for Business comes in.

Schedule a FREE one-on-one consultation at your business with an experienced Flooring Professional. They will help answer your questions, take accurate measurements of each area, and walk through your business with you to find the right flooring solutions for your spaces. We’re not just selling flooring – we’re selling the best solution possible for your space. That way, every possible angle is covered and you can feel confident you’re picking out flooring that will last a long time.

Empire Today for Business makes it easy.

The post 5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Choosing New Floors for Your Business appeared first on Empire Today Blog.

Empire Today® is both fortunate and thrilled to receive FIVE major awards for company excellence in 2018, including three Stevie® Awards from the American Business Association, a Confirmit® Achievement in Customer Excellence (ACE) Award, and an Employee Engagement (EE) Award.

Empire is no stranger at the Stevie Awards, with recognition for customer service and business ethics every year since 2012.

At the 16th Annual American Business Awards, Empire received the following:

• Gold Stevie Award for Company of the Year, Consumer Products – Durables
• Gold Stevie Award for Human Resources Department of the Year
• Bronze Stevie Award for Customer Service Department of the Year, Consumer Products – Durables

We encourage you to visit the full list of 2018 winners. We’re in excellent company!

Another big recognition is the 2018 Confirmit® ACE Award for the “Voice of the Customer” category.

ACE stands for Achievement in Customer Excellence, and businesses who receive a Confirmit ACE award are honored for their rigorous application of Customer Experience best practices and their outstanding performance as measured by those practices, driving change that will deliver a world-class customer experience. Put simply, we could not have won this award without your continued support. For a full list of winners and more information, please visit the ACE Awards website.

Finally, Empire won SMB Organization of the Year at the 2018 North American EE Awards.

The award is the first and only global, dedicated employee engagement award opportunity. Empire has been recognized as a company that has undertaken a project in the past year that has driven employee engagement. For a full list of EE Award winners, please visit EE Awards.com.

Empire’s mission is to make beautiful floors easy.

At the core of this mission is our customer-first attitude. We view each Empire purchase not as a one-time event, but as the beginning of an ongoing partnership. The same goes for the happiness of every employee at the organization.

Being recognized at the Stevies, Confirmit, and EE Awards is a testament to Empire’s continued drive to make the whole process of updating your flooring easy. It means helping you choose products based on your needs. It means answering your questions and easing your concerns with installation. And it means that we fulfill our promises in every way we can. At the end of the day, if you’re not satisfied with us – we aren’t living up to our mission.

Cheers to a strong start in 2018 and to your continued happiness on your flooring journey! Schedule a FREE In-Home Estimate below to experience our award-winning flooring service right at home!

The post Empire Today Wins Five Major Awards for Company Excellence in 2018 appeared first on Empire Today Blog.

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Windy City Live has always been an extremely gracious host to Empire Today. The following segment, courtesy of Windy City Live, features Val Warner and new Empire spokesman Ryan Salzwedel talking all about how to achieve a wood look.

The weather is getting nicer. You’re looking to change things up. Is it finally time for wood look floors in your home? Not only do wood looks offer stunning visuals as a backdrop to your home’s decor – they can also add value to your home. Let’s explore ways to achieve a wood look.

Solid Hardwood

The wood look is extremely popular. Why not spring for the real deal? Made from a single piece of wood, solid hardwood remains #1. It can last many years with proper care and build your home’s equity. Choose from a variety of stains, plank sizes, species, and finishes in our hardwood flooring product gallery.

Engineered Hardwood

Think of Engineered Hardwood as a genuine wood floor with even more versatility than Solid Hardwood. It can be installed in rooms where Solid Hardwood cannot. Engineered hardwood also has multiple layers stacked on a high-density fiber core, which helps improve its overall durability. It’s even less likely to expand or shrink from humidity changes. See all engineered hardwood products here.

Laminate

If you need to make every dollar count in your home renovation budget, but still want to achieve a wood look – you’ll love the latest laminate flooring options from Empire Today. Advanced high definition printing technology and a large roster of Laminate floors manufactured in the USA exclusively for Empire make it nearly indistinguishable from genuine hardwood. Laminate has really come a long way – it’s highly durable and a great value.

Luxury Vinyl Plank

You can use Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) anywhere in your home. Rooms with high humidity or moisture such as bathrooms or basements are not ideal for real wood, but vinyl plank makes an incredible substitute. High durability, excellent stain and moisture resistance, and realistic wood looks make LVP an easy choice. See luxury vinyl flooring from Empire for yourself.

Wood-Look Tile

Not a lot of people associate wood looks with tile, but that is about to change. Thanks to advancements in manufacturer technology, wood-look tile is more popular than ever. Popular gray tones, realistic stains and textures, and the durability of real Tile allow you to achieve a wood look anywhere in your home. Tile isn’t just for bathrooms anymore. Living rooms, bedrooms, and hallways can benefit from the elegance of wood look tile.

Shop for wood look floors at home. We’ll bring you an amazing selection and answer any remaining questions you have. Best of all, your rooms are measured for free. Ready to get started?

The post How to Achieve a Wood Look for Your Floors: Empire Today on Windy City Live appeared first on Empire Today Blog.

Empire Wins Two Stevie Awards in 2016

Empire joins the Stevie Awards Winner’s Circle for the fifth year in a row, and we have you to thank.

Our mission is to make beautiful floors easy. At the core of this mission is our customer first attitude. We view each Empire purchase not as a one-time event, but as the beginning of an ongoing partnership.

Being recognized at the Stevie Awards is a testament to Empire’s continued drive to make the whole process of updating your flooring a little less scary. It means helping you choose products based on your needs. It means answering your questions and easing your concerns with installation. And it means that we fulfill our promises in every way we can. At the end of the day, if you’re not satisfied with us – we aren’t living up to our values.

To see the final list of winners for 2016, visit the Stevie Awards website.

The post Empire Today® Takes Home Two Stevie Awards appeared first on Empire Today Blog.

See an Empire Today review from our customers The Paynters. Learn more about their experience with receiving new carpet in their home and the Empire Today installation process.

“We just bought a new house,” says Mike Paynter, Empire Today customer. “Our number one priority was getting carpet.”

And, we’re expecting a baby! We have a lot going on right now, so we called Empire,” says Krista Paynter, Mike’s wife.

“Our sales associate was great. He brought us all kinds of samples,” adds Mike.

“Installation was super easy! They even double-checked the order with me before they started,” Krista says.

“Actually, the carpet changed the whole look and feel of our house,” says Mike.

It’s so soft you could sleep on that,” says Krista.

“I might have to a few times,” jokes Mike, to which Krista replies, “Yeah.” The couple laughs.

The video concludes with the Empire jingle: 800-588-2300 Empire Today.

If you’re ready for a similar experience, don’t hesitate to schedule a FREE In-Home Estimate:

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