Downers Grove: 630.963.2000 Directions · Palatine/Rolling Meadows: 847.788.8000 Directions · Chicago/Oak Park: 773.889.7500 Directions
A busy household can often be unusually lively. Homes full of children, pets, and guests may experience more wear and tear than usual. For this reason, consider choosing the right flooring to help ensure that your floors remain functional and unscuffed. Durable flooring options withstand the hustle and bustle of daily life and retain their appearance over the years. This guide will help you understand the best flooring materials for households that demand resilient and stylish flooring.
Hardwood flooring is one of the most classic and durable choices for any home. Its natural beauty, sustainability, and versatility make it a popular choice for both traditional and contemporary interiors. While hardwood can be susceptible to scratches and dents, its durability may depend on the type of wood, finish, and how you take care of it.
Engineered hardwood offers the aesthetic benefits of solid hardwood but with added durability and moisture resistance. Made from layers of wood bonded together, engineered hardwood can provide better stability than solid hardwood.
Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) is a highly durable, water-resistant alternative to hardwood flooring. It’s made of multiple layers, including a wear layer that can protect against scratches, dents, and stains. LVP can mimic the appearance of natural wood, stone, or tile, offering the aesthetic appeal of high-end materials at a more affordable price.
Tile is possibly the most durable flooring option available, especially in high-moisture areas like bathrooms and kitchens. Both porcelain and ceramic tiles are known for their strength, resistance to stains, and relatively easy maintenance.
Laminate flooring is a budget-friendly alternative to hardwood. It offers durability, easy upkeep, and a wide range of designs. Laminate is made of thin, compressed wood fiber and is available in various facades, including wood, stone, and tile.
When choosing the right flooring for a busy household, it’s essential to consider the material’s durability and your personal aesthetic, comfort needs, and maintenance requirements. Each material comes with its own set of benefits and considerations, so the best choice ultimately depends on your family’s needs and your budget. With the right flooring, your home can accomplish both comfortability and sustained durability.
Searching for the ideal home on the market is a troublesome feat. Attempting to sell your house may be even more challenging; from its age, foundation, plumbing, insolation, and amenities, infinite attributes could decrease or increase a home’s property value.
Though often overlooked, having quality flooring could be a deciding factor in the potential purchase of your home. But how much does refurbished, expensive, or high-grade flooring actually increase one’s property value? Here is everything you need to know about the impact flooring has on your home’s worth on the market.
As a homeowner, it’s easy to locate other areas of your home for reconstruction. Making over the kitchen or the bathroom are typical projects that many sellers latch onto to increase their potential offers, but those spots shouldn’t be the primary places to examine.
Like it or not, buyers will be checking out your floors, and installing new floors will ultimately get you in a beneficial position for desirable offers. People looking into your home will want to know what kind of floors you have when installed and how easy it is to maintain them.
Homeowners who’ve sold houses with new flooring experience a 70% on their ROI (return on investment). Up-to-date floor installations are essential for better profit, but it mostly depends on what types of panels you’re installing. To sell your home, check on what flooring you’ll need to replace and what planks are the best, economical option for each room.
The next part of your property value quest will be to identify what type of floors you have and which you’d like to install. For most, hardwood floors are a coveted asset to an apartment or house, but does hardwood always increase a home’s value?
The simple answer is yes, wood flooring is exceptional for selling a home, but it’s not just for its stunning appearance. Hardwood is the most durable flooring material, so new owners won’t have to reinstall or refurbish it constantly. To increase property value, ensure places with high foot traffic, like kitchens and living rooms, have quality wood panels.
Hardwood floors are also great for buyers who don’t want to clean incessantly. Wood is easily cleaned by sweeping or mopping and is more challenging to stain than carpeting. Just be on the lookout for scratches on your flooring, but other than that, laying down hardwood will sustain itself longer than most other materials.
Though hardwood may seem like a simple solution for better property value, pay attention to which rooms you want to redesign. Wood’s primary opponent is moisture, so applying this material to bathrooms or laundry rooms could deteriorate the flooring quickly. Authentic wood is susceptible to rot, so make sure you’re installing hardwood in areas that don’t have excessive humidity.
Hardwood may also be a poor choice for homes in warmer, moist climates. As stated previously, the quality of your panels can decline if there’s too much humidity in the room. An awareness of your general climate will help you make beneficial choices for revamping your home to increase its property value.
Just because hardwood is the most impressive and aesthetic flooring doesn’t mean that other types of flooring won’t help your home’s value increase. Laminate floors are an excellent, versatile choice for various rooms in the house while being a good solution to hardwood’s limitations.
Unlike wood, laminate can hold up better in moisture-prone areas like bathrooms or mud rooms. These floors are comparable in durability and have styles that resemble hardwood’s classic and rustic appearance. Laminate flooring is also less expensive than wood, so if you’re flipping your house on a budget, these panels are cheaper and more effective.
Though hardwood won’t give you as high of an ROI, replacing rotting or unstable panels with laminate will be favorable for your home’s value. Choosing new flooring, regardless of type, will ultimately help bolster the overall desirability of your house and will aid in its expeditious sale on the market.
Vinyl can also be a great alternative to hardwood because of its sleek look and cost-efficiency, but will it benefit your property value?
Replacing old floors with vinyl will help your pocket since vinyl is cheaper and highly durable. This material is water-resistant, so applying these panels to bathroom floors is an exceptional plan for your home and wallet.
Some buyers will unfortunately notice vinyl flooring instantly since they can’t disguise themselves as wooden planks. Still, purchasing quality vinyl flooring will increase your property value for specific rooms or rotting, old planks that must be disposed of.
Carpet is the least desirable for buyers wanting a new, refurbished home. Many of us can feel the disgust at seeing wall-to-wall carpeting in high-foot-traffic rooms like living rooms and dining rooms, but that doesn’t mean that rugs are a deal breaker.
If your home has wall-to-wall carpeting, make sure that it’s cleaned and pristine before inviting potential buyers to see the property. Spotless, beautiful carpeting can attract buyers, but purchasing new floors should be reserved for cheaper, easier-to-clean options like vinyl or laminate.
When it comes to interior design, flooring is often overlooked when incorporating personal style. While walls and furniture typically steal the homeowner’s focus and attention, a bold floor can set the tone for an entire space, offering a striking foundation that compliments the respective room.
Creative flooring ideas featuring bold patterns and colors can add personality to a room and reflect your unique outlook and style. Here, we’ll explore various creative flooring options, provide tips for achieving a harmonious look, and discuss balancing bold flooring with your room’s decor.
Flooring may seem uninspired, but there are plenty of options homeowners can choose to enhance their unique perspective. Whether you opt for primary-colored tiles or a statement carpet, there are great, easy ways to add vibrancy and excitement with available flooring options.
Geometric tiles have surged in popularity, offering an array of shapes, colors, and sizes. These tiles, from hexagons to chevrons (inverted V pattern), can create mesmerizing shapes that instantly elevate a room. You may also consider choosing a bold color, like blue, red, or yellow, to make a statement in kitchens or bathrooms.
If you’re worried about overwhelming your guests, try using geometric tiles as a focal point in a more conventional room. Making a statement wall or placing tile in a small, specific area like a foyer can invoke needed vibrancy without overpowering adjacent furniture.
Modern vinyl and laminate flooring come in a variety of designs that mimic natural materials like wood or stone but with added flair. Look for options featuring bold prints, colors, or textures that can withstand wear and tear while making a statement. A patterned vinyl in a mudroom or bathroom can inject brightness into an often overlooked space.
Carpets are no longer just about neutral tones. Bold, patterned carpets featuring floral, abstract, or geometric designs can add warmth and character to a beige or white-painted room. Use them in living rooms or bedrooms to elevate the style and vibrancy of more modest areas.
A great tip on styling statement carpeting is to pair it with neutral furniture. This allows the flooring to shine while maintaining a cohesive look.
While traditional hardwood flooring is a classic choice, consider selecting engineered wood with a distressed finish or a unique stain. Dark, rich hues or lighter, washed-out tones can add depth and intrigue to your home. For a fresh take, you might also explore wood tiles in unexpected colors or patterns.
Concrete is an unusual choice for promoting coziness and style in your home, but polished concrete floors can provide a modern, classy aesthetic to many unassuming spaces.
Concrete can be enhanced with stencils, etching techniques, or dyes to create stunning designs. This floor style is particularly popular in industrial-style homes and urban lofts but can improve any space with its impressive flexibility and durability.
Mosaic flooring is a timeless choice that allows for incredible creativity and vibrancy. Whether you opt for classic Mediterranean tiles or modern glass mosaics, these colorful designs can turn any floor into a work of art. Utilized for centuries, the magic of mosaic flooring is also complemented by its incredibly low maintenance upkeep.
While bold patterns and colors can breathe life into a space, balancing them with your decor helps create a harmonious, comforting environment. Here are some practical tips to achieve that balance:
If you opt for a bold floor, consider using neutral colors for your walls and larger furniture pieces. This allows the flooring to take center stage while keeping the overall look cohesive. Shades like white, gray, or beige work well as backdrops for vibrant flooring patterns.
When working with bold patterns on the floor, you may feel overly excited to mix and match colors and designs. But for unequivocal cohesion, try limiting additional patterns in your decor. Mixing too many patterns can create visual chaos for you and your guests. Instead, make your unique flooring shine with solid colors or subtle textures in your furniture, textiles, and accessories.
Consider using a color wheel to find complementary colors that can tie the room together. For those unfamiliar, the color wheel is divided into primary, secondary, and tertiary colors, using a visual aid to show what hues complement or conflict with each other.
If your flooring features a dominant color, you can incorporate accents of that color in your decor, such as cushions, artwork, or curtains. An example could be choosing blue as your dominant color, selecting adjacent colors on the wheel, like purple, and picking fuschia or violet decor to accent the room.
Area rugs help define spaces within larger rooms and provide comfort on darker and cooler flooring styles. Use a neutral or complementary area rug to soften the look if your flooring is particularly bold. This can add needed texture and flair without overwhelming the space.
Lighting can play a crucial role in how patterns and colors mesh or clash. Ensure your space has adequate lighting to highlight your bold flooring. Consider combining ambient and accent lighting, such as lamps or string lights, to create depth and enhance visual appeal.
When working with bold patterns, choose furniture with clean lines, solid colors, or minimal ornamentation. This helps maintain balance and allows the flooring to remain the focal point. Choose pieces that complement rather than compete with your flooring design.
Once you start embellishing a room, it might be hard to stop. Instead, try selecting decor accessories that enhance the overall aesthetic without cluttering the space. Opt for a few statement pieces that echo the colors or patterns of the floor rather than embellish overzealousy. Artwork, vases, and cushions can be perfect accents that tie everything together without overwhelming the space.
Making a statement with your flooring through bold patterns and colors is an exciting design choice that can transform any space. A homeowner’s possibilities are endless, from geometric tiles to striking carpets and unconventional flooring materials. By balancing vibrant designs with thoughtful decor choices, you can create a cohesive and inviting atmosphere that reflects your unique and lively personal aesthetic.
There are plenty of decisions to consider when picking out proper flooring for your home. Factors like humidity, children, noise, and comfort are imperative to selecting the ideal floors that will suit your family’s needs perfectly.
On top of having younger children, many households have furrier, messier kin to take care of that can easily damage your expensive flooring. Yes, dogs and cats, though we love them, can often ruin our fanciest furniture and dirty our favorite carpets. Fortunately, there are great care tips for refurbishing and maintaining flooring, even if your home has some feisty canines or felines. Here are some of the best options for pet-friendly flooring and the optimal ways to preserve them.
Though we know our pets like to scratch, run, and shed, there are ways to navigate these issues to secure ideal flooring. The first part of the process is identifying the major problems your dog produces in your apartment or home. If your pet has long nails or likes to scratch often, ensuring that your flooring is scratch-resistant is a must. If you are afraid your dog might go to the bathroom on your carpeting, finding water-resistant or easy-to-clean flooring is the path to follow.
You’ll also want to consider the general upkeep for your flooring and how much damage your pup could do to your new addition. If you have a dog that sheds massively, steering away from wall-to-wall carpet will help for easier hair clean-up. If you have larger dogs or energetic ones, purchasing rugs for specific areas of your home could keep wear and tear to a minimum. Flooring is not a one-size-fits-all process, so thoroughly analyze your and your dog’s needs before refurbishing or installing new boards.
Some general options most suitable for all dogs, regardless of size, are tile, vinyl, and laminate. These three flooring styles are some of the most popular due to their cost efficiency and easy management.
Tile is one of dog owners’ most popular flooring selections because of its durability. This type of flooring can withstand all types of horrendous messes, from large spills to rain-covered pooches; tile is easily mopped and wiped without fear of floor damage. Though stone tiling can be indisputably expensive, modern porcelain flooring is an exceptional, economical option for pet owners who don’t want to empty their bank accounts.
Vinyl and laminate are also great for any type of dog. These flooring options are relatively waterproof and generally uncostly, which makes them perfect for the most energetic canines. The best part about vinyl and laminate is they often come in styles that mimic quality hardwood flooring, allowing you to get the best of both worlds: luxury and longevity. If you’re worried about your food getting scratched up, laying down laminate boards is perfect for keeping your home looking polished.
Unfortunately for carpet lovers, practicality may be a better choice for your household than comfort. Due to carpet’s fibrous nature, it is the easiest flooring option for a dog to destroy, whether from paws, teeth, or bladder accidents. If your mind is set on comfort, try purchasing smaller area rugs to keep your pets safe without extensive cleaning hassles.
Households with cats usually follow the same flooring rules that households with dogs do. Fortunately for feline owners, domestic cats live inside, meaning less opportunity for dirt and grime to ruin your lovely floorings. But any cat owner knows these creatures can get up to their own mischief, like knocking over plants, water glasses, and expensive knick-knacks. Because of cats’ troublesome nature, purchasing flooring that’s painless to clean will make a world of difference for you and your family.
Like houses with dogs, homes or apartments with cats should lean towards vinyl and laminate flooring as a cost-efficient alternative to hardwood. Purchasing this flooring is not only significant for your wallet but also incredibly long-lasting and won’t show cat scratch marks like natural wood does. It’s also water resistant, perfect for the potential liquid messes a cat loves to create.
If carpeting is what you’re set on purchasing, you may be able to get away with it in a cat household. Just make sure to purchase carpets that aren’t loop styles since cat nails can get caught in these fibers more easily. Purchasing cut pile carpeting can be a better option for a more permanent and durable flooring option.
Now that you’ve selected the perfect flooring type for your household, how do you ensure its longevity with rowdy animals running around? Here are some simple things you can do to keep your home and floors looking nice and gleaming.
An obvious tip, but an essential one, is to maintain your pet’s health. Keeping your dog or cat clean and groomed is the best step to ensuring your flooring will sustain its durability and sleekness. If you’re most worried about your flooring getting scratched up, make it a point to cut your pet’s nails more frequently. Suppose you don’t have time to vacuum your floors daily; you can brush your cat or dog’s fur to cut back on the loose tumbleweeds of hair and dander. Focusing on your pet’s hygiene will ultimately see wonderful results for your expensive flooring, so ensure pet care is at the top of your to-do list.
Utilizing the correct cleaning solutions will also help protect your flooring from pet destruction. If you have wood flooring, avoid mopping with lots of water or solutions with furnisher polish. You should opt for products like Bona that are suitable for pets and gentle cleansers for your flooring. Most floor providers will also know the recommended cleaners for each style, so if you’re unsure what product to buy, you can always ask an expert.
Another excellent tip for prolonging your floors’ beauty is cleaning pet accidents quickly and thoroughly. If your dog tracks in mud into your home, leaving it to cake into your floorboards will cause more significant problems down the road. Cleaning up spills or dirt expeditiously is the only way to keep your floors looking like you just installed them.
Taking care of carpeting in your home is a labor of love. Purchasing cleaners, specialized vacuums, and fabric pilling removers is a great way to ensure your floors are in peak condition, but they don’t cover every flooring style.
With stair runners, cleaning and maintenance are slightly more challenging. Because of their shape and size, taking proper care of this carpeting style can be a hassle. If you’ve ever had problems keeping runners pristine, here are some great tips that’ll efficiently spruce up your stairs while sustaining your carpet’s longevity.
What makes a stair runner different from all other carpeting styles? Simplistically, a stair runner is a strip of carpet or fabric that covers the center of a staircase, leaving the edges exposed. It is a common decorative function that adds style and flair to any regular, wooden staircase. Additionally, these runners apply warmth, color, and texture to your staircase, enhancing and matching the overall aesthetic of your home.
Stair runners also provide practical benefits, such as reducing noise, preventing slips and falls, and protecting the stairs from wear and tear. For families with kids and pets, adding extra fabric to a staircase can help keep them safe and stop painful injuries. Stair runners come in various materials, patterns, and colors, allowing homeowners to choose one that best suits their style, needs, and budget.
Though it is common knowledge for all floor types, maintaining your stair runner also starts with regular cleaning. Frequent vacuuming is essential to remove dust, dirt, and debris. Using a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment can be particularly effective. Be sure to vacuum in the direction of the pile to avoid damaging the fibers. For a thorough job, don’t forget to clean both the treads (horizontal fabric) and the risers (vertical wooden part).
Spilling on your stair runners may be more uncommon than in your dining room, but they still occur. When a stain appears, prompt action is vital. Start by gently blotting the spill with a clean, dry cloth to absorb as much liquid as possible. Avoid rubbing the stain, as this can push it deeper into the fibers. Use a mild carpet cleaner suitable for your stair runner’s material for tougher stains. Always test the cleaner on a hidden area first to ensure it doesn’t cause discoloration or damage. Following the carpet maker’s instructions for cleaning products is crucial to prevent potential harm to your stair runner.
After cleaning up spills and stains for a few years, you’ll realize that DIY maintenance won’t completely revitalize your runner. In addition to regular cleaning, hiring professional services is an important aspect that’ll enhance your runner’s durability and renew its overall appearance.
Scheduling a cleaning at least once a year can help remove deeply embedded dirt and refresh the fibers. Professionals have the expertise and equipment to clean your stair runner thoroughly without causing damage. Hiring professionals when needed is essential to keep your stair runner looking its best while prolonging its lifespan.
So, you have all your cleaning knowledge down, but how do you prevent your runner from everyday wear and tear and repair slight damage? Stair runners require regular maintenance to ensure the carpet’s upkeep and longevity. This maintenance includes periodically inspecting your stair runner for signs of distress. Regularly check your runner for any loose threads, frayed edges, or other signs of damage. Addressing these maintenance issues promptly can prevent them from worsening. If you notice any significant damage, it might be time to consider repairing or replacing the stair runner.
If you notice some small wear on your stair runners, there are a couple of solutions you can apply as a DIY maintenance trick. For little tears, a fabric adhesive or carpet seam sealant can be applied to the damaged area to keep it from worsening. Be sure to follow the product instructions carefully and allow it to dry completely before using the stairs. For larger stains and rips in the runner, you’ll have to hire a professional or replace the carpeting altogether.
Ensuring that your stair runner is properly secured is also crucial for maintenance. Over time, stair runners can become loose, which can create a tripping hazard. Routinely check the adhesive or hardware that holds the runner in place and tighten or replace it if necessary. Keeping the stair runner securely fastened which will help maintain safety, reduce noise levels, and prevent accidents.
Taking care of your stair runner involves both regular cleaning and proactive maintenance. By vacuuming frequently, promptly addressing spills and stains, and scheduling professional cleanings, you can keep your stair runner looking fresh and new. Apply these monitoring techniques to ensure that your carpeting is safe, clean, and effective.
Regularly inspecting and securing your stair runner will also ensure its safety and longevity. For large families or homeowners with pets, fastening a runner properly is the best defense against slips, falls, and unwanted injuries. With proper care, your stair runner can continue to enhance the beauty and functionality of your home while preserving the welfare of the household.
When picking out flooring for your house, factors like moisture, weather, pets, and easy cleaning are all essential to the equation. However, several other conditions make flooring more perplexing for a kid’s room. Especially if you’re choosing between carpet and hardwood, here are some components to consider to ensure your child’s room fits the whole family’s needs.
Though wood might not be the softest or comfiest for young children, there are plenty of advantages to purchasing hardwood.
The most evident reason for choosing hardwood is its simplistic maintenance. Sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming wood floors is relatively simple, while most dirt and grime will have trouble staining the wood’s facade. Since we all know kids can get messy and are prone to spilling, laying down wood flooring instead of carpet can save tons of cleaning time.
Installing hardwood can also benefit kids who have dust or pollen allergies. With carpeting, common allergens are more prone to stick in the fibers, making them harder to remove. If your children have sensitive sinuses, leaning towards hardwood could be a better move for a clean bedroom.
Though hardwood doesn’t get as dirty as carpet, it can’t endure harsh scratches and scrapes like other flooring. If your kids like to roughhouse or enjoy ample playtime, purchasing wood with a durable finish is absolutely essential. Buying pretreated flooring is relatively simple, with many different finished hardwood options available on the market. If you do purchase untreated wood, you can always apply a finish after it’s installed, though it takes more work and time to execute.
An alternative to wood flooring is laminate, which often appears like regular wood. Laminate is relatively affordable, easy to install, and has varying designs and finishes. If you are against wall-to-wall carpeting, but wood flooring isn’t an option, leaning towards laminate could be a great substitute.
One of the only drawbacks to laminate flooring is its thinness. Hardwood’s thick planks prevent noise from permeating through the floors, while laminate doesn’t have that same effect. You might hear your kids running around in their bedroom if you decide to install laminate. If your kids are rowdy, putting down high-grade underlayment can improve noise reduction coming from their rooms.
Carpet is an obvious go-to for a children’s bedroom due to its comfort and safety. Especially for young children, carpet provides a secure playspace for crawling, curiosity, and general rowdiness. If you’re concerned that harder floors might lead to an injury, installing carpet might be your best bet. Carpet is an imperative tool for sound insulation, as well, and helps keep noise levels to a minimum in your home.
As stated previously, a carpet’s main drawback is its cleaning difficulty. If your children like to bring food and drinks into their bedroom or play outdoors consistently, excessive dirt and general spills may provide immense flooring issues. If keeping your kids’ floors clean is crucial to you, then choosing something that doesn’t stain easily might be a better option.
Buying an area rug could also be the answer if you’re between wall-to-wall carpeting and wood. Providing a smaller, soft carpet can reduce the amount of weekly cleaning while ensuring your kids’ bedroom is comfortable. Area rugs come in infinite shades, textures, designs, and shapes, so tailoring the flooring’s aesthetic to the bedroom will be a reasonably simple task.
No flooring option is inherently wrong for a kid’s space, but it’s essential to determine your criteria to build your optimal bedroom. Discussing factors like noise levels, comfort, and cleanliness will definitely help narrow down your flooring options.
Carpets are one of the most popular flooring choices in homes nationwide due to their comfort, warmth, and aesthetic appeal. However, maintaining them once they’re installed can be an irritating hassle. Fortunately, homeowners have plenty of tools to keep their rugs and carpets looking fresh, clean, and vibrant.
If you don’t know where to start when it comes to cleaning and maintaining carpets, we’ve got you covered. Here are some of the best, comprehensive tips on keeping your carpets in pristine condition and ensuring they remain an attractive and comfortable feature of your home for years to come.
So why is carpet upkeep essential? Anyone who owns fibrous flooring knows how easy it is to stain, muddy, or lose its vibrancy. Regular carpet cleaning is vital to maintaining its general appearance and protecting its longevity.
Consistent cleaning helps remove dirt, dust, and allergens that accumulate over time, contributing to a healthier indoor environment. Regular upkeep also prolongs the lifespan of the carpet by preventing the fibers from breaking down due to dirt and debris. Lastly, clean carpets enhance the overall appearance of your home, making it look well-maintained and inviting to your family and guests.
Many might not like it, but vacuuming consistently is the best protection against a dirty carpet. Vacuuming removes surface dirt and prevents it from settling deeper into the carpet fibers. Getting rid of dirt and dust quickly is a guaranteed way to protect your carpet’s overall look and lifespan.
Vacuum at least twice a week in high-traffic areas, like a dining room. One vacuum session a week will suffice in less frequented areas, like a bedroom or den.
If your main concern with vacuuming is technique, a solid tip is maneuvering your vacuum around your flooring slowly. Use steady overlapping strokes on your carpet to ensure thorough cleaning. Make sure you pay extra attention to corners and edges where dirt tends to accumulate.
Now that we’ve covered dust and debris, the following common carpet problem is spills. Spills and stains are inevitable, so prompt and proper treatment will prevent them from becoming permanent.
Time is the most crucial aspect of carpet cleaning, so you’ll need to take action as soon as a spill occurs. First, plot (do not rub) the area with a clean, dry cloth to absorb as much liquid as possible. Then, treat the stain with a carpet stain remover or a homemade solution (like white vinegar and water). Apply the solution to the stain, blot with a clean cloth, and repeat until the stain is gone. Rinse with water and blot again until the area is dry.
Unfortunately, not every stain can be treated the same way. For pet accidents or dark liquids like wine or coffee, specialized cleaners might be necessary. At any general store, you can find specific carpet cleaners that intentionally target harsh stains to ensure your carpet will look stain-free.
Your carpets or rugs will need a deep cleaning every once in a while. Deep cleaning procedures are essential for removing embedded dirt and refreshing the carpet fibers.
Two popular types of deep cleaning are steam cleaning and dry cleaning. Also known as hot water extraction, the steam cleaning method uses hot water and a cleaning solution to deep clean carpets. The machine sprays the solution onto the carpet, agitates the fibers, and vacuums the remaining dirt and water.
The second deep-treatment method is dry cleaning, which uses a specialized powder or foam. The formula is spread onto the carpet, worked into the fibers, and then vacuumed up, successfully removing dirt and stains. Deep cleaning treatments only need to be performed every year or 18 months, so don’t worry if your carpet is new or located in a low-traffic area.
You’ve vacuumed, scrubbed, and deep cleaned your carpet, but the dullness and harsh stains still remain. Your final step in the cleaning process will be hiring professional cleaners with the right products and techniques to properly deep clean even your dirtiest flooring.
The best benefit of hiring professionals is that they can access advanced cleaning equipment and solutions that can achieve better results than standard DIY methods. They also have the expertise to handle different carpets, effectively removing stains and debris.
Taking steps to prevent dirt and stains on your carpet is just as important as regular cleaning. Here are some of the best tips for maintaining your flooring’s appearance and longevity.
Door mats and area rugs are your best friends for keeping a clean home. You should place mats at entrances to reduce the amount of dirt tracked onto carpets. Area rugs are also incredible for high-traffic areas and can be placed over wall-to-wall carpets for maximum protection.
Taking shoes off before entering your home is also an excellent way to ensure dirt doesn’t settle into your carpeting. Encourage family members and guests to remove their shoes before walking inside, saving you time and energy when it comes to your routine vacuuming.
Home carpeting requires regular maintenance to ensure it is in tip-top shape. Move furniture occasionally to prevent indentations on your flooring, and use furniture coasters to distribute weight evenly. You can also keep your carpets looking brand-new by trimming any snags or loose fibers, which helps prevent further damage and a disheveled appearance.
When it comes to keeping your flooring in excellent shape, all it takes is regular maintenance and upkeep. Implementing regular vacuuming, prompt stain treatment, periodic deep cleaning, and preventative measures will help elongate the lifespan of your beautiful flooring. By following these tips, you can extend the life of your carpets and ensure they remain a beautiful and comfortable feature of your home. Whether you prefer DIY methods or professional services, consistency and attention to detail are the most imperative factors for an aesthetically pleasing and spotless carpeting.
Changing the layout of one’s apartment is usually done with a few simple fixes. Installing some shelves, switching out a couch, or buying new light fixtures can do wonders for alternating a room’s ambiance and aesthetic. Sometimes, though, flooring is the most crucial aspect of refreshing and restarting your living space. Here are some of the best carpet trends to transform your home in 2023.
Carpets already have a natural texture, but some weavers and makers add different textiles to create varying feels. Mixing fabrics as well as patterns is a popular trend that many big carpet sellers have started incorporating.
Textured carpets are categorized as carpets with fibers that have different lengths. The varying sizes produce these rugs’ unique feel, adding captivating dimensions to your flooring. These carpets come in both synthetic and natural materials, making them affordable and accessible for all types of homes.
One of the most substantial benefits of textured carpets is their durability and capability to hide wear and tear. With fibers of varying lengths and materials, it’s easier to disguise rips, snags, and other accidents as part of the original flooring. With standard carpets, it’s more noticeable to spot inconsistencies due to their flatness. Textured rugs are also excellent for households with kids and pets who consistently lounge and play on your flooring.
In 2023, buying recyclable or reusable products is more imperative than ever. With household decor, sustainability is not only a trend for some consumers but an absolute necessity. As rugs and carpets have moved to synthetic materials for cheaper, quicker outputs, a resurgence in natural materials has taken the flooring world by storm.
Carpets made of wool and seagrass have gained popularity over the past few years. Sisal rugs, made of fibers from the agave plant, are incredibly durable and can be weaved in various patterns. These rugs made from natural materials may be more expensive, but their long-lasting nature and sustainability often make up for their lofty costs.
If wool rugs are too pricey, nylon carpets are an eco-friendly alternative to natural materials. Frequently, nylon threads have been recycled before they reach the weavers, continuing their path of sustainability and reformation. Though nylon is synthetic, don’t let that name fool you; it’s one of the best materials for threading due to its longevity and reusability. Going for nylon is still an environmentally friendly option if you can’t find a wool or sisal carpet within your budget.
Just like in fashion, what’s old in flooring trends often becomes new again. Patterned carpets, a quintessential staple in the 70s and 80s, have made an understandable comeback in the 21st century. Even a decade ago, homes mainly incorporated neutral carpet and decorating trends with plain, single-colored flooring. Today, ornate patterned area rugs and carpets have become more desirable to transform a space’s look and ambiance.
If one of your living spaces utilizes neutral-toned couches and chairs, placing down an area rug with vibrancy can flip the entire room. Mixing and matching your graphic wall decor with patterned flooring can add brilliance and sophistication to a previously dull space.
Often, flooring isn’t perceived as a possible canvas, allowing homeowners and renters to relegate the space to uninteresting carpets. Instead of perceiving flooring as an afterthought, place a colorful, detailed rug in your bedroom or dining room to refresh your room for new, infinite possibilities.
Even if you love your home decor, it’s easy to yearn for change and excitement in your home after a while. If certain rooms feel drab and no amount of wall art or lighting is fixing the problem, adding detailed, fashionable carpeting of the latest trends could be the necessary remedy.
There are plenty of design elements that make a house truly feel like a home. Whether you’re picking out one-of-a-kind antiques or acquiring the right light fixtures, pulling a space together to match your vision is a full-time operation.
Sometimes, the accouterments get more focus than the housing basics; while flooring may seem less exciting and with fewer options, the types of floors available are incredibly diverse and can turn your average room into a design marvel. This ultimate guide to choosing your ideal flooring type will pave the way for a brilliantly elegant, timeless, and undeniably personal home.
Highly coveted yet understandably ubiquitous, hardwood flooring is essential for elevated rooms, apartments, and family homes. Hardwood is not a monolith; it has many types, finishes, and manufacturers that individualize their panels’ exteriors. If you want the perfect base for your living room, bedroom, or dining room, here is some imperative information on different wood flooring before you make a lofty purchase.
Solid hardwood flooring is the best go-to for any room. This type of flooring uses single planks cut directly from the tree, creating the familiar staggered wood pattern. Solid hardwood flooring is optimal for rooms with heavy foot traffic and is common in prefinished and unfinished styles. Installation is best for at or above-ground rooms since wood reacts to moisture and could be damaged by excessive humidity.
If you’re looking for that classic aesthetic without the cost of solid hardwood, engineered wood flooring is another way to go. This flooring utilizes thin layers of wood molded together through heat, pressure, or adhesive.
When choosing between solid or engineered flooring, knowing what tree species are used for floor paneling will help you make more informed decisions.
Hardwood gets its name from the firmness of a tree’s planks. Species harvested for flooring, like oak, cherry, and maple, are widely prevalent for their sturdiness. Most hardwood floorings come from those three trees, though homeowners recently have been delving into more exotic, expensive species.
Bamboo, cork, and Brazillian cherry are three wood types that have gained a strong foothold in home design over the last decade. Brazilian cherry is known for its rustic, reddish hue, while bamboo has a yellowish tone popular with greener construction due to its fast regrowth. Though oak still makes up more than two-thirds of home flooring around the country, these imported species may pique your interest depending on your design outlook.
Though some might prefer the appearance of unfinished wood, adding a protective coating to your floors is a proactive and economical idea. Finishes not only conserve the wood’s durability and longevity but can also alter the look and design of the entire flooring. There are many different finishes to choose from, but the two most popular types are polyurethane and wax.
Polyurethane comes in two separate categories: oil-based and water-based. Oil-based finishes are often less expensive but effortlessly reliable, perfect for surfaces that experience high foot traffic. This type of polyurethane has a yellowish finish, which often deepens over time. Those looking for a more rustic, warm tone to their flooring should look no further than this hardwood finish.
Water-based polyurethanes don’t contain the synthetic resins and tough oils the previous finish has, meaning that only specific types of hardwood should receive this coating. It’s usually great for a final sealer since it dries quickly without excessive odors. A pro to water-based finishes is that it doesn’t add extra coloring or artistic change to the wood. If you’re satisfied with the type of wood you’ve selected for your floors, utilizing this polyurethane will be best to maintain its original look.
Hard oil waxes are the best of both varnishing worlds; wax finishes combine protective oils with a pigment option if you want added color. Utilized in Europe for centuries, the United States is relatively new to the oil wax craze. These days, this particular wax is used for low-sheen floor finishes, which also extend the lifespan of hardwood. The only downside is that it needs more maintenance than sweeping and mopping. A layer of oil must be reapplied every two to four years. If this added upkeep isn’t a dealbreaker, and you want to accentuate your hardwood’s natural appearance without extra sheen, hard oil waxes are a great choice.
Laminate floors are a more recent trend in home design. They’ve become more popular due to their long lifespan and similar likeness to hardwood. If you’re welcoming new pets into your house or have a large family under your roof, durable flooring like laminate options is the answer.
A huge benefit of laminate floors is the cost. They’re generally less expensive than hardwood since their comprised materials aren’t as costly or labor intensive. Its installation is one of the quickest for flooring projects, with a simple lock-together system and limited additional components. If DIY is your style, choose laminate flooring for undemanding installation without hiring expensive contractors.
Homeowners frequently mistake vinyl flooring for laminate ones or interchange the two. Though they might appear similarly, vinyl floors have many differences beyond the materials they’re comprised of.
While laminate floors are wood-based, vinyl has a PVC or stone base layer. Vinyl planks are placed on top, ranging from hardwood lookalikes to off-white, white, and black facades. A critical proponent of these floors is their waterproof nature, something that hardwood floors can’t withstand without upkeep and cleaning. For bathrooms, kitchens, or basement rooms, vinyl could be a great option to withstand moisture-rich environments.
Vinyl floors are equally as easy to install as their laminate counterparts. Its click-together installation process makes it an excellent project for home renovators as well as those looking for flooring on a budget.
Tile flooring is exceptionally self-explanatory: flooring made of a tile formation. The material is usually stone, porcelain, or clay-based ceramic. The gaps between the tiles are filled with grout, a cement mixture that hardens and connects the flooring.
Natural stone is one of the most popular tile options, usually made of granite, slate, or marble. Though its maintenance is fairly easy, buying stone floors are expensive, and their installation is laborious. A major pro of stone floors, though, is that they’re completely water-resistant, making them perfect for bathrooms and outdoor areas.
A cost-efficient tile option to look into is porcelain. Porcelain is a ceramic material with sufficient hydrophobic properties. These tiles are just as heavy and difficult to install as other ceramic or stone floorings, but porcelain’s economic advantage is nothing to right off.
Tile has some of the most diverse styles on the market compared to hardwood or laminate flooring. While wood, vinyl, and laminate mostly stick to their paneled shape, individual tile shapes range from squares and hexagons to half moons and diamonds. Tile layouts can be relatively simple or widely intricate, from checkerboard formations to asymmetrical, abstract designs. Depending on whether you’re going for a vintage, modern, or futuristic vibe, you can find tile flooring that will adequately suit your needs.
Now that you’ve found your flooring, you can pivot to floor adornments such as carpets. A carpet is a wall-to-wall floor covering typically made of woven fabric. If you’re looking to install one for a bedroom, living room, or anything in between, here are some critical pieces of information to consider before moving forward.
Broadloom carpets are the most ubiquitous style of carpeting in America. Its name comes from the type of loom they’re crafted with, which is wider in length than a standard loom. Since each manufacturer has standardized looms, buyers often have little control over a carpet’s width. For example, if a buyer has an eight-foot by eight-foot room, but the manufacturer’s loom only produces carpets with ten-foot widths, a ten-by-eight carpet must be bought first before cutting it to fit the desired space. Knowing this information about broadloom carpets can save buyers money and time while searching for the perfect floor covering.
Hand-tufted carpets also get their name from their crafting method. These coverings are made by putting a canvas over a frame, then tufting the canvas with threaded yarn. Though it might seem time intensive, this rug-making technique is often quicker than a loom, allowing for more economical carpeting.
Though carpets are often made of wool, synthetic materials have also become more common in their composition. Synthetic fabrics like nylon and polyester are routinely found in carpets and rugs, which help decrease their general cost. But if softness and comfort are what you’re striving for, then wool coverings are a clear choice. Though paying for yards of wool carpeting can be expensive, having an exceptionally comfortable carpet for your kids’ playroom or master bedroom can make a world of difference.
Adding an area rug is ideal if you want the coziness of carpet without it taking up an entire room. These coverings come in different shapes, sizes, and patterns, allowing you to match the rug to your room’s aesthetic.
Classic area coverings that are undeniably distinguishable are Persian rugs. Though the name comes from fabric carpets woven in Iran, their unique designs have spread across the globe and are now manufactured worldwide. These carpets are known by various styles, from a basic pattern that covers the entire rug to a “medallion” that occupies the rug’s center with contrasting images along the corners or sides. Persian rugs often have noticeable motifs or symbols that reoccur, like the Buta, a pinecone or almond shape with a sharp, curved top.
Though many reach for vintage rug styles, hand-tufted, modern area rugs are gaining more popularity in homes across America. These rugs often utilize neutral colors and gradients to soften a space instead of adding a visual statement. Contemporary rugs can come in many designs, too, like waves or geometric patterns. Circular and ovular rugs are also wonderful for placing under a light fixture or coffee table. Whichever covering you choose, an area rug is an exceptional accentuation to any space without enveloping an entire room.
The flooring world is exquisite and wonderful, even when it’s slightly daunting or convoluted. Don’t let the vernacular fool you; finding the perfect flooring isn’t difficult if you’ve got the right information and an allocated budget. With this compiled knowledge, you can guide yourself through picking out your home’s hardwood or carpeting easily and confidently.
There are plenty of design elements that make a house truly feel like a home. Whether you’re picking out one-of-a-kind antiques or acquiring the right light fixtures, pulling a space together to match your vision is a full-time operation.
Sometimes, the accouterments get more focus than the housing basics; while flooring may seem less exciting and with fewer options, the types of floors available are incredibly diverse and can turn your average room into a design marvel. This ultimate guide to choosing your ideal flooring type will pave the way for a brilliantly elegant, timeless, and undeniably personal home.