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.

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.

Layers of Flooring

The floors in your home are made up of several layers, beginning with the joists below, the subfloor and underlayment in the middle, and the actual flooring material at the top. 

Joists

Joists are the first, lowest layer of flooring and support everything above. These are the beams that run from wall to wall, creating the “bones” of the floor. If you have a basement with an unfinished ceiling, you should be able to see the joists running the length of the home.  In most areas of a standard home, 2×8 or 2×10 lumber is used for joists. When more strength is needed—to span large distances without a supporting wall, for instance–larger joists made of engineered wood, laminated wood, or dimensional lumber will be used. All floors are supported by joists, except for concrete slabs. 

Subfloor

Directly on top of the joists, you’ll find the subfloor, which acts as the foundation for both the underlayment and surface levels of flooring. In a finished basement, the subfloor will often rest directly on the concrete slab, oftentimes with a thin moisture barrier between the two. The subfloor is what creates the stable, level surface you walk on and gives your flooring installers a material to which they can attach the new carpeting, laminate, hardwood, vinyl, or tile. 

Underlayment

Underlayment is the third layer, above the subfloor and immediately underneath whatever flooring you have chosen. While not an absolute necessity, underlayment is typically used because of the numerous benefits it can offer. Various materials can be used as underlayment, with each type offering different benefits. While the subfloor provides structural support, the underlayment serves as a finishing layer that can act as a sound-deadening barrier, provide extra insulation against temperature swings, or help protect your flooring against moisture. It’s often used simply to help smooth out any gaps or warps in the subfloor material. This prevents any irregularities from being felt through carpet and helps reduce any unevenness under hard surface floors that can lead to cracks or premature wear. 

Surface

This, of course, is the visible layer—it’s your floors. The surface layer doesn’t add a structural purpose to your home but should still be chosen wisely based on your lifestyle and how the room is used. If you are expecting high traffic or have pets and/or kids, it’s best to get flooring that is highly durable. 

Different Types of Subfloors

Aside from concrete slabs, subfloors are almost always made of a wood product. The type of wood product will vary, and this can influence what type of underlayment is (or is not) needed and may even have an effect on how your floor feels and performs. 

Plywood

Plywood is made from large, thin sheets of wood veneer that are stacked like a giant sandwich and bonded tightly bonded together with heat, pressure, and an industrial-strength adhesive. In addition to being dependably flat and strong, it’s much more affordable than solid wood sheets of the same size, making it a popular choice for subfloors in residential homes. It also resists expansion and warping better than solid wood. 

Oriented Strand Board

Competing in popularity with plywood is a relatively new material known as oriented strand board (OSB). OSB is fabricated with smaller pieces of chipped wood that are arranged in a crisscrossed pattern before being glued and pressed together.  Because OSB compacts a large amount of smaller wood pieces into one sheet, it results in a denser and more consistent structure than plywood, with a surface that is less likely to have flaws or low spots. OSB is also more resistant to moisture than plywood, although plywood will usually dry out faster if it gets wet. But OSB is usually less expensive than plywood. It’s best to weigh your options and do the proper research to see if OSB subfloor is right for your home. 

Particleboard

Particleboard is made from sawdust and very small chips of wood that are bonded with resin and pressed into sheets. Though similar to OSB, it lacks the strength provided by the solid wood chunks in OSB or plywood. Because of its weak structure and because stronger, affordable options like OSB exist, particleboard is no longer recommended for use as a subfloor material. However, because it can be crafted with a very smooth, flat surface, particleboard makes a suitable underlayment material. 

Concrete

Concrete subfloors are most commonly found in basements of single-family homes, and often on any floor level of high rises and condominiums. While incredibly durable, concrete floors are still susceptible to cracks or variations in surface smoothness. Some types of flooring can be installed directly onto concrete, but an underlayment is often suggested to help prevent seepage, regulate temperature, and provide an overall more comfortable surface. 

How to Identify a Damaged Subfloor

Years of wear and tear, especially from moisture, can have adverse effects on your subfloors. How can you tell a subfloor is damaged? Some signs include: 

• Squeaking sound when you walk on your floors. This sound may be common if you have older wood floors. The problem arises when you haven’t heard this noise before. This means the noise may be beyond the surface and may be a sign of a damaged subfloor.
• Sagging floors. If sagging is visible, or you feel it when you walk across your floors, this is a sure sign that your subfloor has worn out its welcome.
• Foul Smell. Not every subfloor has visible signs of damage. Sometimes, you can detect subfloor problems by strange, unpleasant smells (often from mold accumulating in damaged areas).

If any part of your subfloor is damaged, you may need to have it removed and fully replaced or have a new subfloor installed on top of it. This can be the same material as the original, or maybe even something with a better structure. For instance, if you have a damaged particleboard, adding a layer of plywood above may be an option to consider before choosing new flooring. 

How Subfloors Can Make a Difference

Knowing the state of the subfloor is a necessity before having new floors installed. Providing a smooth, stable surface, subfloors are the structural base for your flooring. After all, a floor is only as nice as its foundation. The aesthetics play an important part in completing your home’s décor, but the subfloor is the most important factor in making sure your floors stay strong and beautiful for a long time. 

Subfloor issues can’t easily be diagnosed just by sight alone, so an inspection or conversation with a flooring professional is highly recommended. Knowing the status of the subfloors beneath you will also help you make an informed decision on your new flooring while allowing for a more accurate estimate before any work starts. Schedule a FREE In-Home Estimate today and ask a flooring professional about your options.

The post What is a Subfloor? The Foundation Beneath the Beauty appeared first on Empire Today Blog.

1. All Furniture and Décor Should Be Considered

Professional installers can do really good with moving your furniture and keeping it protected during the job. But as a courtesy, ahead of time, alert installers to particularly heavy or hard to move pieces. And if there are areas with clutter, a flooring installation team will greatly appreciate you clearing them out. It’s also good to talk to the installation company to get an understanding as to any limitations crews have with regards to moving furniture. You’ll probably also want to disconnect certain electronics and remove fragile wall hangings before the job starts.

2. You Should Designate a Cutting Area

Your professional installation team wants to make the experience a positive one, but the plain truth about some flooring types, such as hardwood, laminate or tile, is that putting them in can be a dusty affair. Installers need an area where they can cut and prepare materials that does not disturb other areas of the home. Before installers arrive, figure out what area of your home – whether it’s a garage, patio, driveway or somewhere else – is okay for this activity. And If a dust barrier system is needed either get one or make sure the team has one before the job starts.

3. Existing Floors Should be Protected

When you decide on good pathways for installers to come in and out of your home, you should also consider the floors in the home that are staying in place. Will the crew be walking on them? Will dust intrude those areas, and what if there isn’t a door to stop dust from traveling into the space? Your installation team might be able to help with coverings or dust barriers, but it’s a conversation you should have up front, and be prepared with your own coverings or barriers, just in case.

4. Climate Matters

Hardwood and laminate don’t perform so well with humidity and ceramics don’t offer much warmth, especially in cold climates. Factors such as these are why it’s so important for you to consider the climate of your home’s location. You wouldn’t want cold tile if you lived in a region that has frigid winters. If you do live in a climate that has high humidity and still want hardwood, be sure to add a dehumidifier to your home to help offset the damaging effects.

5. Subfloors Can Make or Break Your Flooring Installation

Before you have a team come out for the installation, you’ll want to understand the subfloor types in your home, as well as their condition. Here are some common subfloor situations that trip up homeowners.

• Carpet: Do you have existing tacking around the perimeter of the room, or does an install team need to install fresh tacking? Is the floor underneath your future carpet concrete or wood? That could affect the cost of the installation and the amount of time it takes to install your carpet and/or new tacking.
• Wood Looks: Is this a floating floor that rests on a pad, or is an adhesive used to install the plank? Is the subfloor wood? If so, you may need a special floor preparation before wood, laminate, vinyl or other flooring types are installed. Again, this could all impact the time and effort it takes to install the floor.
• Tile: If your subfloor is uneven or cracked and you choose ceramic tiles, you’re buying a product that is more likely to crack over time as the subfloor shifts.

These are just a few examples of how the subfloor can impact an installation. During a sales consultation, it’s a good idea to ask how the subfloor in your home will impact the new floor you desire. It’s better to get any bad news about cleaning, preparing or repairing a subfloor upfront; then you can budget time and dollars to make sure the installation is done properly.

Picking the right floor is one part of the experience, but with a smooth and easy flooring installation your new flooring experience will be that much better. Are you ready to take the leap with a new floor installation? Schedule a FREE In-Home Estimate today!

The post 5 Things You Never Knew About Replacing Floors appeared first on Empire Today Blog.

1. Professionals Know Their Stuff

Doing thorough research is a given for any homeowner trying to invest in something as big as new flooring. However, nothing compares to the knowledge of someone who installs floors for a living. They’ve basically seen it all. This makes them perfectly equipped to handle unique situations should any problems arise.

Not only are they ready to handle problems, but they know how a specific type of flooring should be installed. Laminate shouldn’t be installed the same as real wood, and even solid and engineered hardwood have their differences. With each room and flooring type possibly requiring unique installations, it’s better to get a professional to do your flooring installation than to trust tutorials from the internet.

2. Get Flooring and a Peace of Mind

Between work and the kids, your life is probably already hectic. A DIY project may seem fun in the beginning, but it requires hard work and dedication to detail. Moving furniture, removing the old flooring, and taking the time to lay down your new floors with no mistakes can be heavy tasks in your busy life. Sit back, relax, and let the pros handle your flooring installation while you continue tackling your everyday projects. Why add on to your stress when you can let someone else do the work while you take it easy?

3. Fewer Mistakes for a High-Quality Finish

Installing floors may seem like an easy process on paper, but actually working on the project may tend to be harder than expected. Mismeasurements, scratches, and the wrong cut can ruin the aesthetic of the finished look. With a professional to do your flooring installation, this is less likely to happen. If it does, they’ll be better equipped to rectify the situation. Having a carpet stretcher, for example, is imperative to getting the carpet installed right and knowing where the seams should go can make all the difference.

4. Professionals Can Get the Job Done Faster

You shouldn’t have to wait forever to get the flooring you want! Not just because you can’t wait to get new home décor, but delaying the process can be an inconvenience. With the furniture moved and your foundation exposed, your home can be cluttered and even dangerous. That’s why it’s best to get the job done as quickly as possible. With more experience and better tools, a professional is more than likely to install your floors faster than you.

Empire Makes Getting Floors Easy with a Quality Professional Flooring Installation

When it comes to something as important as flooring, it’s best to leave it to the pros. Not only will you save time and energy, but you also have a better chance of achieving your look with fewer mistakes. Get flooring quick and easy when you schedule a FREE In-Home Estimate with Empire Today.

The post 4 Reasons Professional Installation is Better than DIY appeared first on Empire Today Blog.

Here’s how shopping at Empire® works:

1. It starts with a FREE In-Home Estimate scheduled online or by phone at (800) 588-2300.
2. An experienced Sales Representative will come to your home with hundreds of products to choose from—that way, you can feel the different textures and pick out the right colors that work best with the décor in your home.
3. A Sales Representative will accurately measure your rooms, give you a fully installed price with no hidden fees, and even provide attractive financing options on approved credit.
4. You won’t have to wait weeks for your new floors-it doesn’t matter if you chose Carpet, Hardwood, Laminate, Vinyl or Tile. A professional installation team can usually get to work as soon as the next day for in-stock styles.
5. Installers will move your furniture, remove your old flooring, install your new floors, put your furniture back and clean up after the job is done. These experienced pros treat every job with precision, skill, and pride.
6. Empire stands behind our work with a one year installation warranty.
7. Before the installers pack up, you’ll walk through the rooms with them to make sure the job is done exactly to your satisfaction.

Finally, look down and smile—you have the new floors you’ve been wanting and, of course, your room looks fantastic. That’s why Empire is a lot different.

Ready to experience the Empire difference for yourself?

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