Issue 46

Beautiful Home Interiors Begin With

f loors FABULOUS

No. 46, 2015

™

www.fabulousfloorsmagazine.com

Porcelain · Haven

Adura ® · Rushmore

Laminate · Treeline Oak

WHY MANNINGTON?

Styles, performance, and durability that can’t be found anywhere else.

Resilient · New Castle

Hardwood · Mercado Oak

manningto n. co m 1.800.35 6.6787

We’ve been making quality flooring for nearly 100 years.

International Edition No.46 | 2015 Welcome to the Summer 2015 issue of FABULOUS FLOORS, a consumer magazine

Van Gogh Collection Salvaged Redwood from Karndean

On the cover: Bali in Nutmeg outdoor rug from Stanton

DEPARTMENTS

FEATURE STORIES

4 CARPET COUTURE

7 STUNNING STAIRCASES

Home is where the heart is and a real home is meant to be lived in. There is nothing as comfortable and elegant as carpet.

10 TILE IN STYLE

Tilin’ and Stylin’ in the good ’ole summertime! Current trends in tile let us bring the outdoors in!

18 WOODN”T IT BE NICE

Summer inspirations. Most of us are cutting back on extravagance, even cutting back on summer vacations and turning our time and treasure to what matters most.

HOME 24 ON THE BOARDS

Living on Laminate...talking about new tastes for summer?

Laminate has become as fashionable as the trendiest New York eatery.

28 ALWAYS RESILIENT

Resilient Floors are tough and tasteful, practical and elegant.

38 ALONG MAIN STREET

High fashion, easy to maintain and stands up to high traffic, flooring in every category, carpet, tile, resilient laminate and wood.

Dressing up stairs with carpet...of course it’s TUFTEX. 15 THINNER- Slim, lightweight, porcelain, perfect

New slim tiles from Florida Tile, is about to revolutionize the way you decorate.

36 GREEN SOLUTIONS

Sustainable Lumber Company is so much more than just a “lumber company.” Walls, floors, wall panels and doors, all from magnificent MONTANA! 41 RHYME IS THE REASON FOR A LINEN LOOK IN TILE

Featuring the monochomatic look of linen from Florida Tile.

40 DISCOVER CUSTOM PRINTED CARPETS

How far can your imagination take you?

48 THE NEXT GENERATION VINYL

One of the most sought after flooring options today.

49 THE MAGIC OF COLOR

Start from the floor up! when designing your new space, begin with the rooms foundation... the floor.

62 THE BUYERS GUIDE TO PURCHASING A VACUUM CLEANER

Interesting facts that you may not have known about vacuum cleaners.

42 DESIGNERS WALK

Four easy home improvement projects to tackle this summer. Plus... Custom colored hardware to dress up home interiors.

50 NOTHING BUT THE BEST

Let’s take a look at premium materials.... underlayment, sundries and more.

54 FOCUS ON RETAIL

Discover the World Floor Covering Association and CarpetsPlus Color Tile, America’s favorite Floor Store!

59 COOL TOOLS

What you can learn on social media.

60 FIND FLOORING FAST

A buyers guide to what’s inside this issue

Subscribe online today!

For more useful information and complete back issues... visit us online!

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SUMMER 2015

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Elizabeth Andrews

So, what’s NEW for 2015?

floors FABULOUS

point of view |

Welcome from Andrews, North Carolina!

We recently relocated our family and business to Andrews North Carolina, a sleepy little bedroom town in the valley, at the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. Life is beautiful here. It is true that with big moves, comes stress and frustration, but I always try to see the opportunities available… like redecorating my new home!

And with the summer hard upon us, this is the time when we all look about our indoor space and dream about the design possibilities. [It won’t be long and the holidays will be upon us]. This issue is devoted to the latest trends for 2015, to give you ideas and show you how you can decorate your own home using Carpet, Wood, Tile, Laminate, Rugs, Resilient and precious designer materials like Leather and Wool.

We deliver on the promise of the possibilities, illustrating what YOU can actually do in your own home. See, for example, what you can accomplish with the new luxury woodfashion vinyl plank; or the amazing décor of porcelain and ceramic tile.

How about the timeless inspiration of woods, like American Hardwoods for floors, furniture, cabinetry?

The glory of carpet backed by the performance of a stain- and odor-protecting cushion?

And let’s not forget the splendor, colors, patterns and carved surfaces afforded by wool for carpet and rugs. One message should be clear as you read through these pages: There is always something new.

™

2015 No. 46

SUBSCRIBE ONLINE! www.fabulousfloorsmagazine.com MARGO RODGERS LOCUST Publisher & Editor-In-Chief margo@fabulousfloorsmag.com LISBETH CALANDRINO Associate Publisher & Director of Social Media lcalandrino@nycap.rr.com RON TOELKE Creative Director ron@toelkeassociates.com EMMANUEL LOCUST Director Trade Show & Event Operations KAREN GEORGE Director of Accounting and Finance karen@fabfloorsmktg.com STAN MICHELSON Director of marketing stan@fabfloorsmktg.com BARBARA KEMPLER-TOELKE Editorial Assistant RAY STEWART Production Manager ALEXANDER & ASSOCIATES Newsstand Director JIM CARROLL media developer jimcarrollstudio@gmail.com SPECIAL FEATURE WRITERS BRIDGETTE KELLY Contributing Writer, UK ALEX ROSS fabfloorsalex@gmail.com JEANETTE CHASWORTH Jeanette@thecolorwhisperer.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Seth S. Rodgers, T. C. Lovett, Jasmine Grey, Betty Isaacson Karly Tedford, Barry Briskman

 SONNA CALANDRINO  Founder and Publisher Emerita Editorial & Advertising Offices

916 Main Street Andrews, NC 28901 678-761-5002 or 828.321.9191

Margo Locust Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

FABULOUS FLOORS MAGAZINE is published quarterly

by Fabulous Floors Magazine, LLC, PO Box 2166 Dalton, GA 30722, a Georgia LLC. Fabulous Floors assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photos, images or artwork.

The FABULOUS FLOORS logo is a trademark of Fabulous Floors Magazine, LLC. Although every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and timeliness of information, FABULOUS FLOORS cannot be held responsible for discrepancies, discontinuance of product nor color reproduction.

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PRINTED IN THE USA Copyright 2014 Fabulous Floors Magazine.

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

Full-text content licensed to EBSCO Publishing research databases at www.ebscohost.com.

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FABULOUSfloors

Mallorca…

A gorgeous new addition to the Naturals Collection.

This elegant scroll pattern blends a floral vine design with the influence of natural, handcrafted materials.

Constructed of STAINMASTER® Luxerell® nylon fiber and part of the Active Family™ brand.

www.tuftexcarpets.com

Available in broadloom and area rugs.

SUMMER 2015

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carpet couture |

Home is where the heart is, and a real home is meant to be lived in!

BY KARLY TEDFORD

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FABULOUSfloors

Elegant patterns in wool from Couristan.

W

e want our flooring to be beautiful, durable and affordable. When it comes to color, style, patterns and textures, carpet’s back in fashion. Today’s carpeting has evolved into softer and more durable flooring, but it’s also become much more stain and odor resistant.

Aside from its many performance benefits, carpet has incredible aesthetic appeal. Carpet manufacturers today, are some of the world’s most creative artisans developing a wide array of captivating patterns and textures. These include velvety cut piles, florals, geometrics, friezes, boucle’s, shags and textured cut and loop piles.

Color it! Anyway you want to!

Many people prefer a neutral shade of carpet because it allows for greater flexibility, when adding furniture and accessories. Neutral, palettes, have changed from browns and beiges of yesteryear, while they are still neutrals, they have been joined by shades of greys, greens and blues. The newest called “Greige”, combines grey and beige tones. However, saturated shades provide tremendous creative freedom. Dynamic colors can create stunning effects and therefore help to define areas of the home with exhilarating style. >>

Left: Mallorca from Tuftex.

Modern pattern from Custom Weave.

SUMMER 2014

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carpet couture |

Stunning Staircases!

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S

tair carpet and runners are gaining popularity in home décor like never before. Tuftex Carpets of California, the premier residential carpet division of Shaw Floors, offers gorgeous patterns that are just perfect for staircases. Some of the newest introductions from Tuftex make quite a statement on the stairs. Whether you are looking for an elegant diamond pattern or a Moroccan tile design, Tuftex products provide a beautiful design aesthetic and great performance on the stairs.

Carpet is a great option for the stairs for a multitude of reasons. Some of these reasons include design aesthetics, safety, acoustics, and cost. u Design aesthetics are a key reason to install carpet on a staircase. What better way to add design flair and color to the stairs than with a glamorous pattern and color. Tuftex Carpets of California has a fantastic array of the hottest designs and colors that work with every décor. u Safety is another important reason for installing carpet on the stairs. Carpet is much safer than hard surface flooring on staircases because wood floors can be slippery and can easily lead to a fall. Carpet offers a softer surface on the stairs which could help reduce the likelihood of an injury if a fall did occur. u Acoustics and sound reduction can be achieved by adding carpet to the stairs. Walking down a staircase with hard surface can be noisy and disturbing for others in the house. Carpet provides great sound absorption which leads to quieter steps down the staircase. u Cost savings are yet another reason to consider carpet for the stairs. Carpet tends to be much more affordable to install on a staircase than hard wood floors due to time and labor costs.

Keep in mind that all of the Tuftex products are available in broadloom and area rugs. This makes it very easy to coordinate a stair carpet with a matching area rug. For more information on Tuftex Carpets of California’s products and to find a local retailer visit tuftexcarpets.com. ■ Opposite: Spiral Staircase dressed in Casablanca from Tuftex. Above: Sweeping staircase featuring Arbor also by Tuftex.

ANIMATION WINDOW

www.shawfloors.com | www.tuftexcarpets.com

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carpet couture |

You can have it all!

Combining texture, color and pattern with the toe-curling soft comfort of carpet, makes a carpet that is as pleasing to touch as it is to see. Let’s face it, with the pace of today’s busy schedules, we like to surround ourselves with a carpet that beacons for relaxation.

Carpet draws us to the floor, inviting us to curl up with a good book or play games with the kids. ■

Right: Aberdale Antelope from the SkinsII collection

by Helios.

Below: Satin Beauty 200 in Satin Lustre from the Eco Choice Flooring Collection

by Shaw.

The Ashbury Collection from Silver Creek Carpet

S

ilver Creek Carpet, a division of Bloomsburg Carpet, is proud to expand its design library with the Ashbury Collection. The collection combines modern interpretations of geometric and floral patterns with highest quality one can expect from all Bloomsburg products.

The Ashbury collection achieves a balance of subtle, yet striking patterns by utilizing the highest quality wool accented by lustrous nylon.

The Ashbury collection features four designs, Maisey, Baisey, Casey and Gracie, all with four colors. Maisey is an exciting take on traditional floral patterns. Whereas Casey, Gracie, and Baisey are all adaptations of geometric patterns ranging in size from small to large, respectively.

As with all Silver Creek and Bloomsburg Carpet products, the carpet is woven at the highest quality in the Bloomsburg, PA home. Utilizing only the finest wool and craftsmanship, the new Ashbury Collection is an exciting addition to the Silver Creek line. ■

Gracie Ocean. Silver Creek offers customers exceptional quality products, woven with the finest wools here in the U.S.A., featuring a wide variety of colors and patterns.

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tile in style |

BY BETTY ISAACSON

Tilin’ and Stylin’ in the Good Ole Summertime!

It’s about time to bust out your beach wear and travel gear, because summer is in full swing and it’s bringing on the heat! For those who will be enjoying these fine Summer days outdoors, current trends in tile will allow you to bring the outdoors in and enjoy them right from your living room!

C

onsider adding tile to your Summer makeover or remodeling. Not only does it showcase your good taste, it’s great for easy cleanups after summer BBQs and family gatherings. The newest palettes feature natureinspired colors, from desert to shore to woods. Many patterned designer tiles are also nature-inspired, with stylized grass looks, snake skin, bright fish scales, leaves, peacocks and organic geometrics. The trend in white is definitely toward warmer champagnes and creams. >>

Faggio from the Woodstyle Collection by Ragno USA; at left: Level 10 HDP-High Definition Porcelain® by Florida Tile.

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FABULOUSfloors

Continental 13" Ă— 13" mosaic tile in Ocean Breeze from Shaw.

SUMMER 2014

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tile in style |

Traditional styles of tile, like porcelain and ceramic, are now being paired with natural stone, and are available in abstract and geometric shapes and sizes that will add unique texture to your design.

Thinking about new tile for your bathroom renovation? Think BIG! Larger format tiles in either tile or plank styles, can add new dimension to your bathroom or kitchen areas.

Varieties of tile include ceramic, porcelain, glass, metal, natural stone, mosaics, and handcrafted concrete, and now come in square sizes from 1-inch to 24-inches; rectangles up to 18 × 38 inches; and even “planks” up to 6 × 36 inches. >>

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FABULOUSfloors

Left: Avondale

by DalTile.

Below left: Origins Glass

by Crossville.

Below: Zebrine from the Perseo collection by Marazzi USA.

DESIGN TIP: Enhance the outdoor feeling of your home by adding a few succulent gardens around the house, or a large piece of driftwood as a centerpiece. No green thumb necessary.

Top Left: Virtue

by Crossville Left: Floor and wall tiles in different formats

by Mohawk.

Background: Detail of Faggio from the Woodstyle Collection by Ragno USA.

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tile in style |

Stone tiles can be polished, hammered, chiseled or brushed and can be had in natural colors ranging from black to violet, green and pink.

With inspiration from the beauty that the Summer season brings, there are a few ways that tile can complete that outdoor look you’re after. Are you looking for a unique faux bois made from porcelain that will bring the comfort of the woods into your home? Today’s tile possibilities run from ancient Mediterranean terracotta to photorealistic ceramic tiles that can transform your floor into a riverbed, a lush lawn or even a city street, right down to the manhole covers! Even your garage floor or basement workshop can gleam with interlocking aluminum tiles. >>

Left: Glass Reflections by Dal Tile available from CarpetsPlus Color Tile. Above: Morello by American Olean.

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FABULOUSfloors

RICHARD HOWLAND

THINNER — slim • lightweight • porcelain • perfect Just when you think you’ve seen it all, there’s a whole new take on thin tile which could revolutionize the way we decorate with tile.

A

s this issue was going to press, Florida Tile was unveiling what is seen as an all-new tile category, a large-format, thin, true-porcelain tile as little as 3mm thick and up to 10 feet long, yet with multiple benefits for new construction and makeovers.

Appropriately called “Thinner,” the new lines are incredibly lightweight, durable, flexible and easy to cut and handle, allowing countless installation options, only a fraction of which have been explored. Colors range from solids to the gritty urban look to the look of antique American hardwoods, right down to the plank format.

The Florida Tile manufacturing process compresses each tile to greater than 15,000 tons psi, resulting in a very dense, strong, thin tile with increased flexibility and breaking strength.

An 0.5mm fiberglass mesh backing is adhered to each panel for additional strength and also allowing for ease of drilling, cutting and handling. This process allows us to create a single 3.5mm thick panel with a size up to 1m x 3m (39" × 118").

Depending on the product, Thinner is available in 3.5 and 5.5mm thicknesses There actually are two “Thinner” thinnesses. The 3plus line (3.5mm) is suitable for interior and exterior, wall, floor and countertop applications in residential and light commercial construction. 5plus (5.5mm) has been rated for “extra heavy”

duty service, making it appropriate for commercial floor, wall and exterior applications as well as all residential floor, wall, countertop, stairs.

Thinner can be applied over properly prepared existing tile floors and will accommodate many curved surfaces. Thinner is non-absorbent, easy to clean and resistant to acid, stains and pollution. Furthermore, installation is easy, since Thinner is lighter, easy to cut and drill. In fact, installation time, even for the extremely large pieces is reduced by 40 percent over traditional tiles,” he continues.

The first three products are: ❚ Time/2.0, featuring a modernist minimal monochromatic graphic with a solid color palette of 6 colors, Snow, Black, Beige, Carbon, Cream and Silver. ❚ RestoreHDP which takes on the look of 150-200-year-old barn planks, complete with worn character. ❚ Aventis, which is inspired by urban landscapes and definitive of contemporary design, this is another 6-color palette of strong grey and olive tones for cool, minimal looks.

For more information, visit www.floridatile.com/thinner. ■

Left: Time/2.0 in Silver; below: RestoreHDP Weathered Dock; right: Aventis in Eclipse.

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tile in style | Whether you use glass, ceramic, metal, porcelain, natural stone, or even if you mix it up, Like the summer season… Tile is Hot! ■

Left: Brushed Suede Blend listello by Mannington. Above: Alpina indoor-outdoor tile from Venus Cerámica.

Ora from the Livingo collection by Marazzi USA.

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Hand-Crafted Inspired by their travels abroad, owners and makers, Paul and Esther Halferty have designed a tile line that evokes culture, history, time, and place.

Lilywork is committed to using old world methods and techniques, bringing back the human hand to every space.

Every Lilywork tile starts with a block of clay. The block is thinly sliced and prepared for pressing.

A hand-carved mold is then placed onto the clay and stamped to the desired thickness. Excess clay is trimmed and used to create the next tile. Tiles dry for a week before being glazed & fired to about 2200 degrees F. Orders are then sorted, packed, and shipped to homes across the country.

Men were not intended to work with the accuracy of tools, to be precise and perfect in all their actions.

J Ruskin

Lilywork Artisan Tile Stonington, Connecticut • www.lilyworktile.com • contact@lilyworktile.com 215-859-8753/860-599-6050

SUMMER 2014

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woodn’t it be nice |

Summer Inspiration

BY MARGO LOCUST, PUBLISHER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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FABULOUSfloors

More of us are cutting down on extravagance, even cutting back on summer vacations, and turning our time and treasure to what matters most. Home.

We decorate for a sense of ease, comfort and solace. For connection to family.

There is no doubt that hardwood flooring is just what any home needs to put the finishing touches on the summer renovations.

If you are seeking dĂŠcor with depth, elegance and a sense of permanence and continuity, consider authentic hardwood.

Wood’s rich patinas, subtle textures and distinctive grains, flares and flecks offer unparalleled and genuine beauty. Even the sound underfoot seems solid, rich and comforting.

Wood imparts grace and value to an entry, hallway, kitchen, bedroom, stairway or living area, whether formal or informal. >>

Left: Pebble Hill Hickory available from CarpetsPlus Color Tile. Above: Heirloom Hickory Antique Natural from Mannington.

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woodn’t it be nice | More and more consumers are concerned about the environment. Sustainable and eco friendly wood products are growing in popularity. Cork flooring is not only eco-friendly, but also sustainable. Cork proves to have a natural elasticity and is also fire resistant, a natural bug repellent and is hypoallergenic all of which contribute to a healthier home! Bamboo is a sustainable exotic that continues to grow in demand. Naturally blond, it can be transformed into medium and dark browns though steaming, an environmentally friendly process requiring no dyes. Technically a grass, bamboo is renewable, tough, moisture resistant, elastic, affordable and decidedly chic. >>

Far Left: True Bamboo Natural from Mannington. Left: From APC Cork easy to the touch and friendly to the earth. Above: Lucky Day from Shaw Hardwood. At Top:Elegant and warm hardwood flooring by Mohawk

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FABULOUSfloors

Left: Maple Natural HillShire from Mullican.

Below: Rustic Accents engineered hardwood from Armstrong features the classic looks of both American and Asian Walnut hardwood flooring.

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woodn’t it be nice | The trends in wood flooring this year are sleek, stylish and fun! They will bring warmth and comfort to any home making it the place to be this summer!

If you’re less inclined to risk these days and more inclined to investment — emotional and financial — consider the beauty, tradition and value of a hardwood.

When it comes to flooring, it remains the gold standard. ■

Cozy and warm hardwood from Homewood. Below: Black Silver from the Shine Collection by Kahrs

Check out the newest trend in wood flooring, wide plank! By adding just three inches of width to wood you can give your space a whole new look!

Wider boards with rustic or Old World looks tend to feature more satiny (almost matte) finishes. With the introduction of more subtlety in handscraped and distressed looks, higher glosses and burnished glazes are gaining attention. Exotic looks continue to emphasize higher glosses, including elegant “piano finish.”

Find a style with a dark espresso or ebony finish to give your office a modern and professional look , or a white washed hand-scraped wood look reminiscent of will a resort on the beach or your lakeside summer escape.

If your looking for a neutral colored wood flooring but still want to make a statement, check out hardwoods in “50 shades of grey” that are sure to complete any design beautifully .

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Oshkosh Designs specializes in customizing any wood or stone inlay to fit your design needs. Medallions can be any shape or size, ranging from four inches to over 46 feet, and will create a focal point in any room. Borders can help define an area, accent stairways and fireplaces, or transition two floors with a radius border. You can place floor medallions in stone or hardwood flooring. Oshkosh Designs prides ourselves on being American made, producing quality products in a timely manner. Our wood inlays are as beautiful as well as durable because of our 5/16" wear layer, which allows for refinishing as needed, to last for years to come.

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on the boards |

BY SETH S. RODGERS

Living on Laminate

Talk about new tastes for the Summer!

L

aminate has become as fashionable as the trendiest New York or Los Angeles eatery. That’s because manufacturers and colorists are pushing the envelope with advancements in technology and structure.

No longer just a hard-wearing, low-cost substitute for wood or stone, there’s a laminate for every taste, including many with real materials infused into the decor layer. Today’s laminate designs, finishes and larger formats, together with improved noise and moisture control, means a designer, architect, builder or home decorator can dish up an inspired decor.

Warm, traditional or exotic wood looks, textured stone, the evocative glow of tile or revolutionary multi-dimensional effects, laminate is about styling, versatility, quality and attention to detail.

Today’s laminate has eclipsed the old notion that this is cheap alternative to higher end flooring. In the flooring industry, it is a distinct category all its own, with a long list of individual characteristics customers demand: Breath-taking beauty, versatility, low price, ease of installation, moisture and mold resistance, sound insulation, a tough wear surface, and infinite design possibilities. >>

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Hard to believe its not wood! Left: This is Australian pepperwood laminate by Kronotex and here, this realistic look by Mohawk.

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on the boards |

Reclaimed Values laminate flooring from Shaw.

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FABULOUSfloors

Homeowners everywhere are falling in love with the cutting edge technology that is laminate flooring. Laminate flooring has a cult-like following from designers and homeowners worldwide because it delivers extreme realism and also that it’s a green option for consumers seeking environmentally friendly flooring options.

These days, budget conscious homeowners are gravitating toward laminate floors that are eco-friendly. Most laminate manufacturers can guarantee that at least seventy percent of the materials used in laminate floors are recycled. They gather materials from U.S. landfills and wood waste to create a luxurious and high quality product that replicates natural wood and stone patterns, textures and colors.

Wider planks, some displaying microbeveled edges with V-grooves, let designers recreate estate or Old World looks. Choose narrow, tailored strips in oak, maple or exotics for a more formal traditional or contemporary appearance.

Left: Antique Walnut in Curry from Mannington, and below: Acacia in Cayenne Pepper Spice from Armstrong.

Simply stated, the final effect can be superior. Look for precision manufacturing of tight joints and very long, matched pieces, often unavailable or prohibitively expensive in hardwood. These laminate planks create a seamless and uninterrupted look of refinement.

Laminate flooring is an easy-to-install, interlocking, tongue-and-groove flooring system of planks or squares. When entertaining friends and family this summer season, you won’t have to worry about your floor fading, being scratched or dented. That’s because laminate delivers up to five times more scratch resistance because of the wear layer that features aluminum oxide (nearly as hard as diamonds).

This layer provides unsurpassed durability, stain and fade resistance, and easy maintenance. Laminates are also antibacterial, antimold, antistatic, and sound insulating—boasting warrantees extending upward to 30 years!

Laminate proves to not only be durable, but is also easier to maintain. Talk to your flooring retailer about the floor care products they recommend for cleaning and maintaining your new laminate floor. ■ SUMMER 2015

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always resilient |

BY JASMINE GREY

Resilient Floors.

Tough and tasteful.

Practical and elegant.

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FABULOUSfloors

R

esilient is a broad term for flooring that includes vinyl, linoleum, rubber and often cork, among others. Today’s resilient blends stunning design with cutting-edge technology, bringing beauty, versatility and performance at decidedly affordable prices. Resilient floors are engineered from both natural and synthetic materials allowing them to have unique qualities like being firm, yet having “give” or “bounce back”.

But let’s admit it. Some of us see linoleum flooring or vinyl flooring as a yesterday’s flooring, a fossil from another age. That’s no more accurate than mistaking the multi-featured cell phone for Edison’s crank box.

The latest resilient materials offer the remarkable looks and textures of realistic wood grain, natural stone, metal, leather and even fabrics like sisal and linen.

Today’s designers have embraced the resilient innovative flooring options that feature a wide and enticing array of colors and textures, as well as designs and formats. Modern resilient comes in sheets (6 and 12 feet wide), planks and tiles, and provides endless custom design possibilities. >>

Opposite Page: Armstrong Alterna Premium Tile. At Top: Karndean MX 92 Umbrian Nero with Cube border. Above; Flexitec Touch of Comfort in Hudson from IVC.

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always resilient | Luxury Vinyl Tiles, (LVT) available in tiles and plank formats, can allow you to blend the look of stone, wood and metal along borders or as inlays. Imagine resilient sheets and tiles that offer the high-end looks (textures, colors, and patterns) of glass, marble, slate, leather and wood, all at more affordable prices. Blending the contemporary movement toward opalescence and gloss with old world looks, for example, is easy to do with resilient. Remember, however, that installation of borders, medallions, or other custom inlay work not only finish your design, they also add market value to your home.

Tough and tasteful. Practical and elegant.

Resilient is ready, willing and able to play a supporting role, or take the lead in any floor design you can envision. â–

Left: Avingdon Stone Mountain from IVC, and here, beautiful wood style from Karndean.

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Resilient flooring works great in kitchens, baths and utility areas, because it is water resistant and extremely durable for those high traffic areas throughout the house. Thanks to easy installation, luxury vinyl is a great addition to your home renovations this summer.

Left: Easy Vision Tile in Curry from Shaw. Above: Sanibel in Seawater from Mannington

Repose in Reclaimed Grey from Tarkett.

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always resilient |

The Van Gogh Collection by Karndean

F

or centuries, wood has been the base material for furniture, cabinetry, flooring and other construction projects. Over time, natural wood undergoes a number of processes as it ages, and following trends seen in fashion and interiors, product designers are now looking to introduce these aging processes to new woods to give them a rustic, reclaimed and repurposed look. Following this trend, our new Van Gogh wood look planks replicate the unique look that comes from this transformation of wood over time through burning, liming and smoking.

We are excited to announce the addition of 12 new planks to our pioneering Van Gogh collection this fall. Our expanded Van Gogh collection features designs inspired by salvaged and reused woods — meticulously developed to suit today’s top trends.

The collection includes four lightly lime-washed oak looks, three designs inspired by American redwood railroad ties, three rich, brown smoked designs, and two unique wire-brushed cypresseffect planks.

These floors have a story to tell. They bring character and a unique spirit to your home. Redwood railroad ties, seasoned from years of bolstering Californian tracks; oak casks, tinctured from aging amber ales; or majestic Mexican cypress trees, painstakingly burnished to a rich, sophisticated finish. These are just a few of the diverse designs available in the expanded Van Gogh collection from Karndean Designflooring.

To browse the complete collection and find the perfect floor for your home, visit: www.karndean.com/en/floors/range-overview/van-gogh. ■

Left: Irises (detail) by Vincent Van Gogh (1853–90). Above: Art workshop in Hessian Oak; right: kitchendining area in Charred Oak.

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VAN GOGH COLLECTION

by Karndean

VGW102T

Made for America and inspired by nature, Karndean introduces 12 new reclaimed wood designs

Based in America

Made for America

Following the trend for rustic and reclaimed woods, our twelve new Van Gogh wood designs replicate the unique look that comes from the transformation of wood over time. And these square edged, 48� x 7� planks are backed by Lifetime Residential and 15 year Commercial Warranties. With the ability to service your business within 48-72 hours from one of our three distribution centers, you can rest assured that the product will be in stock and available when you need it.

Visit our website today or call us to find out more: (888) 266-4343 | www.karndean.com/vangogh

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green solutions |

The Sustainable Lumber Company • Walking the Walk

T

he Sustainable Lumber Company offers eco-friendly wood flooring that enhances a range of décor. In fact, there are five collections that give you unequalled choice in sustainable wood flooring. All of these floors are produces from reclaimed, salvaged and certified wood that is sourced within 100 mile radius of their Montana headquarters.

The Sustainable Lumber Company uses helicopters to ferry Douglas fir trees out from the wilderness to avoid scarring the landscape. No living tree is harmed with our method of harvesting. We take only dead, standing trees, which encourages reforestation.

All #2 grade flooring is donated to Habitat for Humanity.

All unusable wood, chips, and sawdust are donated for animal bedding to local ranchers and/or used as clean biomass energy to heat our facility.

The Sustainable Lumber Company’s Flooring Collections The Barnwood Flooring Collection features micro-beveled and end matched boards that come in 31⁄8", 51⁄ 8" and 7" widths.

This flooring has mixed grain, grain patterns with a weathered texture. The silver, gray and light brown tones of the floor is finished with a hand-rubbed penetrating oil and multiple layers of low VOC water based, catalyzed protective top coat that is used in all the Collections.

The Canyon Collection is a wire brushed and sanded finish that creates deep canyons and smooth plateaus, producing a naturally aged appearance.

The Mountain Collection features circle sawn Douglas fir flooring that is skip sanded and hand rubbed to create a Western plank flooring. This collection comes in five stains.

The Vintage Collection is a hand-scraped Douglas fir flooring.

This is truly hand scraped with a hand tool and countless hours of hard work. This collection comes in four stains.

The Beetle-Killed Pine Collection presents the one-of-a-kind, artisan milled flooring that is aged and slowly kiln dried. After milling, every board is inspected and any defects cut out by hand. Each individual flooring and paneling board is then end matched (tongue & groove on the ends). ¢

Left: Barnwood flooring in brown; below: in Grey.

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If These Walls Could Talk If these walls could talk, their tales would be many. The Barnwood Collection panels might talk of 4-H kids getting their heifers ready for the county fair; whereas the pallet wall panels could trace commerce across the nation; some of the older lumber in beetle-killed pine paneling might have sheltered the Lewis & Clark expedition.

Today, the conversation that surrounds these walls invariably contains words like beautiful, stunning and ecofriendly. The Sustainable Lumber Company holds to the creed of sustainable timber and wood management to the extent that it is part of the company’s name.

Panel wall treatments The interlocking system that delivers a seamless wall of reclaimed lumber is exclusive to the Sustainable Lumber Company with a patent pending. Installing the panels is simple and within the range of a do-it-yourself enthusiast. Rather than a panel, Beetle-killed pine is available in board lengths suitable for a wall application that resembles paneling.

The wall panels are crafted with staggered ends so where they are joined disappears, giving the visual of an uninterrupted expanse of lengths of distinctive, hand chosen wood.

Grey Barnwood Collection Paneling

Barnwood Collection panels The Sustainable Lumber Company’s Barnwood Collection panels are made from reclaimed wood that looks like it’s from the abandoned barns that dot the high country. The Barnwood Collection comes in the natural shades of weathered barn timber — an array of silvers and pale browns that only nature can provide.

Left and below: Barnwood grey paneling.

Pallet panels If you’ve ever had anything delivered on a pallet, you know what question may arise — What do I do with it? Sustainable Lumber wood pallet panels are the answer. By upcycling a leftover byproduct of the transportation industry into panels that are best-in-show in terms of both aesthetics and eco-friendliness. Pallet panels come in a silvered barnwood stain, or natural with browns, creams and grays.

Beetle-killed pine walls Stands of trees killed by beetle infestation are made usable

by Sustainable Lumber. Lengths of the beetle-killed pine are crafted into lengths that display the fabulous graining and natural color variations of the wood. The amazing variations in this wood draw and hold the eye.

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along main street |

High Fashion, Easy to Maintain, Stands Up to High Traffic

C

ommercial flooring has grown to encompass high concept design options including polished concrete, wool carpet printed carpets and LVT tiles and planks, along with traditional workhorse staples like resilient and porcelain tiles. Almost all manufacturers now offer sustainable, LEED-friendly choices.

Whether in carpet or luxury vinyl, commercial flooring tiles bring performance, style and ease of maintenance to your commercial floor. With a sophisticated color palette and refined patterns, installation of modular tile flooring is seen increasingly in the commercial environment. Speaking of installation, carpet and LVT tiles are straightforward to install; if there are any unresolvable stains, the damaged tiles can be replace, not the entire floor.

Maintenance of commercial flooring is another consideration. For instance, commercial hardwood manufacturers have developed heavy-duty finishes that are easy care and scuff and scratch resistant while offering the aesthetics and class associated with hardwood.

In terms of commercial flooring, sustainability applies to manufacture and performance. Environmental, health and safety requirements, including formaldehyde emissions guidelines are met and exceeded across flooring that is designated sustainable.

Tile manufacturers have stepped up and are using recycled materials to produce their hard wearing products. With interlocking installations that need no adhesive and efficient manufacturing maximizing yield, eco-friendly laminate flooring qualifies as low-emitting and is eligible for LEED points.

These types of products are often used in facilities in the areas of healthcare, education, and hospitality. â–

Florida Tile’s Time 2.0 Thinner in style Silver is perfect in this retail space.

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BY RICHARD HOWLAND

Rhyme is the reason for a linen look in tile T

hroughout the history of interior and clothing design, linen looks have been sought after for their textural richness yet the simplicity of natural fibers.

Consider that today’s combination of textures in interior design is more popular than ever. This is especially true as designers experiment with the mix of natural stone, glass and other elements.

Just look at just about any page in this issue.

Into this environment comes Rhyme, a tile with the look of traditional linen fabric, only in tile! It’s from Florida Tile, renown for pushing the boundaries of style and design.

Though Rhyme’s linen look is monochromatic, it yields a mix of simple but elegant textures. So, it can be contemporary and timeless, depending on your design needs.

Achieving such a look takes technology and skill arising from the company’s proprietary design process that allows Florida Tile to replicate the fragile texture of fabric in the surface of its tile. Rhyme (one of dozens of designs manufactured in this fashion) is created by combining the natural-looking and physical texture of fabric as each piece is stamped and a visual graphic that replicates the subtle tone-on-tone effect of the material.

Rhyme colors are what you might find in classic linen couture in your own closet — Ivory Staccato, Silver Melody, Almond Note, Desert Harmony and Stone Chamber.

The Rhyme collection comes in a large, 12 × 24-inch format and includes two 12-inch mosaics, M 1 × 6 and three Roman-patterned multicolored blends, as well as a full bullnose package for each of the 5 colors. As with virtually all Florida Tile products, Rhyme is entirely Made in the USA of 40% pre-consumer recycled content and is GREENGUARD® and Porcelain Tile Certified. ■

Above: Rhyme Silver Melody office; right: Rhyme Ivory Staccato; left: Rhyme mosaics.

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along main street | Designers are actively exploring the new display and branding possibilities that digitally printed carpet provides, such as this example at the Miami Museum.

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BY DEL WILLIAMS Del Williams is a marketing and technical writer based in Torrance, California.

Custom-printed carpet for Target.

Custom, Digitally Printed Carpets: Transform Blank Floor Space into a Canvas for Powerful Visual Impact Custom carpet creators challenge designers to ask themselves how far their imaginations can take them

D

esigners looking to create a visual impact can now transform floor space into their attention-getting canvas with custom, digitally printed dye-sublimated carpets.

Now, savvy designers are taking advantage of the new “blank canvas” they have found in custom digitally printed dyesublimated carpets to make a powerful, visual impression as far as their imaginations will take them.

“The floor is a huge empty space that can be transformed into your personal medium with custom digitally printed carpets, which represent an exciting design element,” says Ilene Haber, Creative Director at the Marketing Project, a New York City-based marketing specialist of healthcare and nonprofit organizations.

Convention centers, schools, colleges, universities, museums, corporate offices, retail spaces, and residential spaces are just some of the venues where custom, digitally printed carpets have been used for creating a visual impact.

“Today digital dye-sublimation printed carpets can be printed in the full color spectrum from any electronic image in sizes and shapes limited only by the designer’s imagination,” says Jim O’Connor, CEO of Enhance a Colour (www.eacgs.com), an innovator in the large format digital printing industry.

In digitally printed dye-sublimated carpets like Enhance a Colour’s, however, the carpet colors are actually transferred into the fibers of the carpet using extreme heat and pressure during printing, a process the company pioneered by designing and building its own custom machinery. This means that the carpet colors are color fast. The carpet can be shampooed, machine washed, or steam cleaned and still look picture perfect — even in high-use areas.

Now that designers have a versatile new creative tool in custom, digitally printed carpets, the only question that remains is how far their imaginations will take them and their clients.

For more info, call 800-894-0264 toll free; Fax 203-730-8413; visit www.eacgs.com; or write to Enhance a Colour at 43 Beaver Brook Road, Danbury, CT 06810. ■

Left: UConn Huskies custom carpets can be used as a recruiting tool. Below: Circles and shapes are possible with custom-printed carpets.

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Designer’s WALK 4

Easy Home Improvement Projects to Tackle this Summer

Courtesy of WarmlyYours Radiant Heating, www.warmlyyours.com

After “hibernating” for much of the winter season, homeowners can finally bask in the sun with family and friends for a few months of summer.

However, on days that are rainy or too unbearably hot to go outside, it’s the perfect time to take care of a few minor home renovations.

When the weather perks up again, though, everyone will want to be right back outside. That’s why quick home improvement projects are the best kind during the summer season. Below are four radiant heating projects that homeowners can start and finish in just one afternoon. These projects will prepare the home for the cold weather ahead without the need for breaking into any floors or walls. u 1. Mirror defoggers For steam-free bathroom mirrors, mirror defoggers can add spalike luxury to any bathroom.

Similar to countertop heaters, mirror defoggers simply adhere to the back of a mirror. However, they work by transmitting gentle warmth across the surface of the mirror to prevent steam from collecting on the mirror during a bath or shower.

u 2. Towel warmers Installing an electric towel warmer in the bathroom adds luxury and comfort to the room year-round. During the warmer months, it will stylishly showcase towels. During the colder months, it kicks into high gear to deliver toasty warm towels after every shower or bath.

Mirror defogger

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Right: radiant panels; below: heated countertops

Electric towel warmers are available in a variety of styles, sizes and finishes at an affordable price range. Plus, they’re very economical to operate and can be mounted to a bathroom wall in just a matter of minutes.

u 3. Radiant panels A lesser-known heating accessory for the home is the radiant panel. These panels got their start overseas but are growing in the North American marketplace. They function by mounting to a wall — just like a picture — and emitting radiant heat into the room.

The main benefit of radiant panels is that they emit clean, energy-efficient heat throughout the room without circulating dust and other allergens, like forced air systems do. They’re also easy to incorporate into the design of a room since all that’s needed is some wall space.

With these four radiant heating projects, homeowners can accomplish great renovations this summer in just minutes.

u 4. Countertop heaters Radiant heating accessories aren’t only for bathrooms. Homeowners can easily warm up their kitchen counters by installing countertop heaters.

Electric countertop heaters simply adhere to the bottom of a countertop overhang and plug into a standard outlet. They’re so thin that they’re virtually invisible, and they can be purchased in custom or standard sizes.

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Designer’s WALK

Splash

A

Amerock™: Custom Colored Hardware to Dress Up Home Interiors

merock® Hardware, a leading designer of home hardware since 1929, introduces Splash by Amerock™, a new interactive design and shopping experience that allows users to truly customize hardware for cabinets and furniture, with more than 20 vibrant colors and 400 different combinations.

The interactive site and first-of-its-kind product line allows people to test various cool colors and shapes of cabinetry hardware and view the various looks on cabinets of different styles and colors. From kitchens and bathrooms to bedrooms and living areas, anyone easily can make rooms pop with bold colors, truly customizing without much effort. The online ordering process makes it easy to wield decorating prowess.

An exclusive online program, Splash brings together an assortment of popular Amerock Hardware styles that can be color customized and ordered online through Amerock.com. A simple design template serves as the starting point: Pick a product, pick a color, drag to the cabinet visualizer and pick a cabinet color. Twenty unique color options ranging from choices like Firecracker, Dragonfruit, Sea Glass, Sapphire and Surfside, to name only a few, offer colorful, stylish options for every room in the house.

For kids’ bedrooms, it’s an especially easy way to transform the look of the room as kids grow and their tastes change. “No need to purchase new cabinets or furniture.

To view how fresh, fun colors may look in your home, visit www.amerock.com.

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NEXT-GENERATION VINYL Laura Neuman, Allied ASID, NKBA

Like stained concrete and carpet squares, vinyl is the latest commercial floor product to be reinvented for residential use. Unlike faux flooring of yesteryear, a new generation of vinyl floor products offers quality, low maintenance, and durability. Replicating the look of stone, tile or hardwood, advanced digital technologies create detailed images of natural-looking textures in an endless array of colors and tones. Available in sheets, tiles, or plank-style strips, vinyl is ideal for high-traffic and high-moisture spaces.

“

Owners don’t want to worry about the preciousness of a wood floor, the hardness of tile or the dirt that will show on the carpet.

Vinyl presents something that’s relatively affordable and looks like an expensive floor.

“

O

ne of the benefits of working with a professional interior designer is being privy to insider options—trends and new products to which you’d otherwise be oblivious. For Laura Neuman of PepperJack Interiors in Loomis, Calif., vinyl flooring is her current residential pitch. Beautiful, easy-to-install, durable, and affordable, she’s been suggesting vinyl as an alternative to hardwood on recent renovation projects. Seeking a good-looking product that they won’t see in every other home on the block, many clients are embracing the smart, cutting-edge choice.

For a classic contemporary in one of the most soughtafter neighborhoods in the greater Sacramento area, Neuman selected wood-look vinyl flooring for the renovation of an en suite master bathroom and adjoining walk-in closet. The owners marveled at the final product, wishing they had made the practical choice years earlier.

LAURA NEUMAN Allied ASID, NKBA

Award-winning designer Laura Neuman, an Allied Member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), is the founder of PepperJack Interiors in Northern California, where she serves clients based primarily in Loomis, Granite Bay, Roseville, Auburn, and Lake Tahoe. Armed with design and engineering degrees and a love of fine art, history, and literature, she offers residential clients her unique take on inspired luxury for new construction and remodeling projects.

ASID | 40 years. One Voice.

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PepperJack Interiors 9751 Clos du Lac Circle Loomis, Calif. 95650 916-834-9751 pepperjackinteriors.com

asid.org |

718 7th St. NW, 4th Floor, Washington, DC 20001

BY JEANETTE CHASWORTH

The Magic of Color

Y

our floor is the foundation of your home’s color palette and should work well with all the existing colors in the rooms where it’s used.

Typically, people are more likely to have the same flooring throughout a home, as it provides some continuity.

Your floor should not be the same color as your furniture, but should provide contrast. Many of today’s flooring options have several different tones to complement the interest and depth, while also blending with more different types of décor. The floor should make the colors of the rest of your furniture more apparent. When you are creating your home color palette, you are telling a story as each color means something different. Your floor should bring out all the other colors in your home. Ideally, you should create the look all at once, but that is not always possible With so many flooring options to choose from in wood, stone, tile, resilient, LVT, and carpet, the colors, textures and patterns are endless. Be creative with the patterns for something truly unique.

Color is an intrinsic part of your home’s decor and the flooring that you choose will be one of your most important decisions. It is the foundation of your color scheme, and just like foundation makeup, it should enhance all the other colors that work with it. Your home décor tells your story and should make you feel good. Select several colors and bring them home to try in order to make sure that you will select the right flooring for you. This is a decision that will last many years, so make sure it’s right. Don’t be afraid to ask a professional designer for help if it’s overwhelming. Your floor is a sizeable investment, and a little help will reap many rewards. ■

Jeanette Chasworth, nicknamed The Color Whisperer by her clients, believes in the transformational power of design and color.

Jeanette draws inspiration from the homeowners’ lifestyle, taste and experiences and also attunes herself to the house itself. Her clients often describe their newly designed space as a visual expression of their personality.

There is a sense of peace and comfort created by colors and textures that now harmonize with the energy of the clients — and with their homes. As a result, Jeanette’s portfolio illustrates great diversity in design. Her philosophy is unbounded by a particular style — her inspiration drawn from the desires that houses may “whisper in her ear.” www.thecolorwhisperer.com

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nothing but the best |

Float It, Nail It, or Glue It! Versatile eco-friendly multi-use VersaWalk™ acoustic underlayment can do three installations with one product

C

ontractors installing a variety of hard surface flooring in new homes, condos, multi-family housing, and hospitality settings can now stock the jobsite with one “universal” underlayment, VersaWalk™ that offers superior performance under nail-down or glue-down wood, floating laminate, engineered wood, and luxury vinyl tile flooring. Float it, nail it, or glue it!

Odorless and non-allergenic, VersaWalk is composed of at least 90% post-industrial/pre-consumer textile fibers, scrap material otherwise destined for landfill.

Randomly air-laid filaments create a capillary effect to cushion the floor, dampen ambient sound, and absorb impact sound. VersaWalk both suppresses noise within the room and inhibits the transfer of noise into rooms below.

VersaWalk also adds an R-Value of 0.50 to the floor system, creating a thermal break to the flooring assembly that helps keep floors warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

VersaWalk also features a very effective Moisture Management System. The attached 3 mil moisture barrier protects wood, laminate, and LVT floors from harmful moisture. Provided the source of water such as a leak is stopped, VersaWalk’s absorbent padding will wick water and disperse it throughout the pad until it eventually evaporates or escapes through the subfloor.

Available in 3' width 100 sq. ft. rolls, VersaWalk is suitable for residential and commercial use over most types of industry approved new and existing substrates including concrete, ¾" plywood and OSB and radiant heated floors operating below 85 degrees F. VersaWalk carries a Transferable Lifetime Warranty.

MP Global Products L.L.C. is an innovator and leader in the manufacture of high performing earth-friendly acoustic floor underlayment. ■ For more information on VersaWalk and other MP Global Products www.quietwalk.com or 888-379-9695.

VersaWalk acoustic underlayment.

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Plan ahead…

Supplemental electric radiant floor heating systems are cozy and comfortable underfoot come winter Summer weather is here and home renovation is in the air. Planning to install new or replacement flooring this season? Here’s a perk for added comfort indoors when cold weather returns — a supplemental electric radiant heating system that installs under your new finished floor.

Supplemental electric radiant heat installed under the floor is a great choice to add coziness to kitchens, bathrooms, family rooms, laundry areas, and anyplace else babies and toddlers play on the floor or family members relax.

Because the installation is hidden under the floor, you can put the heat where you want it, without concern for furniture placement and window treatments.

Plus, the generated heat is clean, silent, and dust free.

Systems are available that are engineered specifically for under a wide range of finished flooring.

For example, QuietWarmth™ Radiant Heat Film for Floating Floors is suitable for under laminate, engineered wood, hardwoods, luxury vinyl flooring, cork, bamboo, and some floating tile. And QuietWarmth™ Peel and Stick Radiant Heat for Tile Floors is engineered for use under traditional tile, stone, or marble flooring.

Both options install quickly and easily as rollout panels and do not detectably raise the level of the floor, minimizing any need to undercut doors to match floor elevations from room to room or room to closets.

Each product uses unique conductive ink technology embedded in a flexible thin film and generates gentle highly efficient supplemental heat without any hot or cold spots, using just 12 watts per square foot. ETL Listed in the USA and Canada and maintenance free, the systems disperse gradual evenly consistent supplemental warmth from low wattage resistance heating of the radiant heat film.

QuietWarmth Radiant Heat Film for Floating Floors is just 0.016” thick and can be installed over just about any subfloor or underlayment suitable for a floating floor. For maximum enhancement of the overall floor installation, it can also be installed over QuietWalk®, a fiber acoustic underlayment for floating wood and laminate floors that is designed to dampen ambient sound in the room and inhibit sound from traveling into the room below.

QuietWarmth Peel and Stick Radiant Heat for Tile Floors is integrated in a waterproof anti-fracture membrane which helps isolate cracks up to 3/8” wide.

Just 0.05" thick, it installs in place of a generic underlayment pad that otherwise might be used under a tile floor.

Both systems are available in four convenient pad sizes — 3' × 5', 3' × 10', 1.5' × 5' and 1.5' × 10' — so you can plan for placement of warmth in rooms of most any size and configuration. For more information, contact MP Global Products, www.quietwarmth.com or call 888-379-9695 ■

Easier than Kindergarten! MP Global Products QuietWarmth Peel and Stick Radiant Heat for Tile Floors — low-profile warmth.

MP Global Products QuietWarmth Peel and Stick Radiant Heat for Tile Floors — cold feet will be a memory.

MP Global Products QuietWarmth Radiant Heat Film for Floating Floors.

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nothing but the best |

MP GLOBAL VIDEO

Why MPG Luxury Flooring?

I

n today’s economy it is important for companies to streamline, diversify products and add value to the customer base in the market. MP Global has been manufacturing products to the flooring industry since 1997.

MP Global has invested time and detail into the Luxury Vinyl Flooring category.

They are not a factory converting machinery over to make Luxury Vinyl because of the market surge. “We have explored the options and are committed to bringing a quality product made at a 100% vinyl plant for the USA market at a competitive price with little investment required for our valuable customers”.

“Our entry into the Luxury Vinyl program has been developed after the learning curve to assure a superior product. While Luxury Vinyl Flooring is flooding the market right now we feel it is important to provide the right combination of products without totally disrupting and displacing the customer’s floor covering mix or overcommitting to inventory”. With production capacity over 100M SF/Year of cutting edge technology and design, MP Global offers 4 different finishes, a multitude of core thicknesses and wear layers to suit the customer’s needs.

The MP Global Luxury Vinyl Flooring Program is made for America designs and is available along with all their other fine flooring products and accessories. ■

www.luxuryvinylflooringproducts.com/product 50

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Searching for the Perfect Flooring Begins with the WFCA

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When you’re designing your home, an unbiased perspective is exactly what you need. The World Floor Covering Association is the flooring industry’s only unbiased resource. Visit wfca.org and learn everything you need to know before you buy, find inspiration with the flooring gallery, learn how to care for and clean your flooring and get connected with a qualified WFCA retailer near you.

Our retail members abide by a code of conduct focused on integrity, trust and a high quality experience for customers. So, when it comes to a WFCA retailer, a quality customer service experience is not just a guarantee, it’s a requirement. Find your local WFCA retailer at wfca.org.

Your search for perfect flooring begins here.

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focus on retail |

The Advantage of Shopping Local at CarpetsPlus COLORTILE

A

Live Free carpet available at CarpetsPlus Color Tile.

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ll CarpetsPlus COLORTILE stores are individually owned and operated by people in your community your neighbors. It’s a benefit for each neighborhood to support its neighborhood CarpetsPlus COLORTILE because that keeps so much more of your money in your town that can go to local charities, sponsor sports for children and will be spent at other businesses.

There are also other reasons to choose CarpetsPlus COLORTILE for all your flooring needs. CarpetsPlus COLORTILE offers you a comprehensive selection of styles and colors, with the most up to date designs and fashions at prices right for you.

With more products to choose from, more helpful and knowledgeable salespeople and stores that are easy to shop — there’s really no reason to shop anywhere else.

When you visit CarpetsPlus COLORTILE, you’ll discover quickly that they’re on your side. Staff members are hand picked for their ability to provide complete customer satisfaction from the minute you enter the showroom until after the installation.

Striving to go beyond your expectations every time you walk in — that’s CarpetsPlus COLORTILE. You don’t want an amateur to sell you just any old floor.

CarpetsPlus COLORTILE salespeople are highly trained experts who not only help you choose the floor that matches your decor, but also your lifestyle. Trust your flooring needs to CarpetsPlus COLORTILE and you’ll get flooring that fits your needs and your budget, as well as your home.

They are trained professionals who make certain that every installation is perfect. It’s a difference you see. Every installation is handled with the utmost care and highest degree of craftsmanship. In fact, customers receive the same high degree of professionalism and courteous assistance as they do from salespeople in the retail showroom.

To find your local CarpetsPlus COLORTILE retailer, visit www.CarpetsPlusColortile.com. CarpetsPlus COLORTILE is your first step to a beautiful home. ■

Wall Tile in Travertino.

CPCT video

Above: Mango Maple Hardwood. Center: Laminate in a lovely tile format. Right: Luxury Vinyl Tile Stuart Plank in Auburn Cherry

www.carpetspluscolortile.com SUMMER 2015

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Get The Credit You Deserve When purchasing your next floor, ask about credit promotions offered by your specialty flooring retailer. No longer is credit merely a way to spread out payments.

It’s become something far different—a money management tool for today’s family chief financial officer. More than a way to manage payments, credit represents the opportunity to buy better merchandise, especially when the timing’s right.

Flooring is an investment as much as it is fashion because it becomes part of your home’s structure.

When purchasing flooring, consider how long you plan to keep that floor and how long it will take to pay it off with credit. Wood lasts generations. You may want to change your carpet every five years or so.

Ask yourself if the floor will add substantially to the value of the home. Credit options may turn out to be a bargain if you can comfortably pay off the purchase in a year or two, plan to keep the house for a long time and plan to buy lasting, quality fashions.

Your project will likely begin with a budget. So, with flooring comprising as much as a third of one’s renovation cost, your credit plan can actually keep costs contained by helping to track and limit expenditures.

Plus, credit lets you purchase economically—for example, when that special flooring goes on sale. Smart money managers also look to store credit as a way of keeping their regular credit cards open for routine— even emergency—expenditures.

Because credit impacts your overall cost, look for stores that promote their own store card and offer specials to new cardholders.

Ask about long-term special programs such as one and two-year “same as cash” offers. As a matter of course, better stores should be able to offer 60 to 90 days with no interest. At that time, your purchase either is paid off or rolls over into a revolving charge with interest starting on the purchase date. As a credit customer you can call ahead and plan future purchases with your specialty flooring retailer. Ask to be added to its VIP list for private offerings, too, and look for special shopping days and special products offered to credit card holders.

COOL TOOLS

BY ALEX ROSS

Be a Social Butterfly Dear Readers,

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s summer emerges from the newness of Spring, so does the need to spread our wings and explore ways to brighten up our homes with the season. And since this is the 21st century, what better way to find out what’s hot than to use the “social butterfly” approach! Today’s social media sites offer a wealth of ideas and inspiration to help you give your home a breath of fresh air.

Arguably the world’s most popular social network is Facebook. Any company worth its salt has a Facebook page, and many of them frequently post helpful tips, product news and project spotlights. A good example is Calico Corners, a fabric retailer. Their Facebook page is called Calico Home and it’s full of advice on choosing fabric, trends, sales, and design services. They even have an expert blogger who offers tips on design, color and fabric choice.

Continuing to grow in popularity among of photo-sharing sites is Pinterest. With categories like Architecture, Design, Home Décor, and Products — there’s no shortage of inspiration here (just don’t get me started on looking for what to make for dinner — their foodie boards are to die for)! For ideas that go beyond the floor, check out the Mannington Mills boards. The pins are not only of their own flooring ideas and rooms but include color trend boards (the latest is “Groovin’ on Green”), and room-specific boards like “Haute Home Offices”.

Once your rooms are repainted and re-floored, of course you’ll need to re-accessorize. You may want to hop on over to Instagram for some ideas from the folks at HomeGoods. This site takes a truly social approach by asking people to post and tag photos of their favorite HomeGoods purchases. The stores are a treasure trove of low-price, high-style home décor items and its Instagram will help you envision how to use some of those finds in your own home.

Whatever your plans are this spring, don’t do anything until you’ve embraced your inner Social Butterfly and explored the colorful options that await you!

Till next time — Alex

SUMMER 2015

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Find Flooring

Couristan sisal tweed.

new dimensions |

FAST

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF INTERIOR DESIGNERS www.asid.org

BLOOMSBURG CARPET 212.688.7447 www.bloomsburgcarpet.com

CARPETSPLUS COLOR TILE ECOCHOICE FLOORING 800.261.6456 www.carpetspluscolortile.com www.ecochoiceflooring.com

FLORIDA TILE INC. 800.789.TILE www.floridatile.com

KARNDEAN DESIGN FLOORING www.karndean.com

LILYWORK CERAMIC ORNAMENT www.lilywork.com

MANNINGTON MILLS 856.935.3000 www.mannington.com

MP GLOBAL PRODUCTS www.quietwarmth.com www.quietwalk.com 888.379.9695

OSHKOSH DESIGNS oshkoshdesigns.com

OVERNITE CAPITAL 800.957.4309 www.overnitecapital.com

SUSTAINABLE LUMBER COMPANY www.Sustainablelumberco.com

TUFTEX CARPETS OF CALIFORNIA The Premier Carpet of Shaw Floors 877.224.7429 www.tuftexcarpets.com

WORLD FLOOR COVERING ASSOCIATION (WFCA) www.wfca.org 828 INTERNATIONAL www.828rugs.com ALLWOOD 855.245.1080 www.allwoodgrp.com ALTOGETHER HOME www.altogetherhome.com AMERICAN HARDWOOD INFORMATION CENTER www.hardwoodinfo.com AMERICAN OLEAN 888.AOT.TILE www.americanolean.com AMTICO www.amtico.com

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ANN SACKS 800.278.8453 www.annsacks.com ANDERSON HARDWOOD FLOORS 864.833.6250 www.andersonfloors.com ANSO® NYLON/ SHAW INDUSTRIES www.ansonylon.com APARICI TILE www.aparici.com APCOR www.realcork.org APC CORK 866.222.3241 www.apcork.com ARMSTRONG FLOOR PRODUCTS, which include Bruce®, Armstrong® and Robbins®, offer hardwood, resilient, laminate, ceramics and Genuine Linoleum™.

To see products, go to www.armstrong.com BELLAVITA TILE www.bellavita.com BERRY FLOOR www.berryfloor.com BLISS CARPETS Beaulieu of America Inc 800.227.7211 www.beaulieuofamerica.com BONAKEMI www.bona.com BR-111 800.525.BR111 www.br111.com BRINTONS www.brintons.com BRITISH WOOL MARKETING BOARD www.britishwool.org CAMPAIGN FOR WOOL www.campaignforwool.org CAPRI CORK www.capricork.com CARLISLE WIDE PLANK FLOORING 800-595-9663 www.wideplankflooring.com CARPENTER CO. STAINMASTER™ Carpet Cushion System www.carpenter.com CARPET ONE FLOOR & HOME www.carpetone.com CARPET & RUG INSTITUTE www.carpet-rug.com CENTIVA www.centiva.com 888.CENTIVA COIR BOARD Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises Government of India www.coirboard.gov.in www.coirboard.nic.in COLONIAL MILLS (CMI) 800.343.9339 www.colonialmills.com

A BUYER’S GUIDE

COLUMBIA FLOORING www.columbiaflooring.com CONGOLEUM CORP. www.congoleum.com COURISTAN www.couristan.com CREATIVE EDGE MASTER SHOP 641.472.8145 www.cec-waterjet.com CROSSVILLE INC. 800.221.9093 www.crossvilleinc.com CUSTOM WEAVE By Mohawk 800.2.Mohawk www.mohawkind.com DALTILE CORP. 800.933.TILE www.daltile.com DB COVER Fabricushon, Ltd. 800.475.0801 DIXIE HOME 800.273.8546 www.dixie-home.com DOMCO-TARKETT www.domco.com www.tarkettusa.com DREAMWEAVER CARPET www.dwcarpet.com ECODOMO LLC 301.424.7717 www.EcoDomo.com EGE SERAMIK www.egeseramik.com ELDORADO STONE www.eldoradostone.com ELIANE CERAMIC TILES www.elianeusa.com EMMA GARDNER DESIGN, LLC www.emmagardnerdesign.com EMIL CERAMICA www.emilamerica.com ENGINEERED FLOORS LLC www.engineeredfloorsllc.com EPRO TILE www.eprotile.com EXCELSIOR WOOD PRODUCTS, LLC 845.339.6630 www.excelsiorwood.com EXPANKO www.expanko.com 800.345.6202 FABRICA INTERNATIONAL 800.854.0357 www.fabrica.com FAUS GROUP INC. 888.231.3287 www.fausinc.com FCITS www.fcits.org FLOOR COVERINGS INTERNATIONAL Nicole Perry — 770-992-3913 To Find a FCI Franchise near you: www.floorcoveringsinternational.com FLOORMAX DIRECT 800.423.1823 www.floormaxdirect.com

FORBO LINOLEUM 866.MARMOLEUM www.themarmoleumstore.com FORMICA www.formicaflooring.com FORTIS ARBOR www.fluxstudios.com GOODWIN HEARTPINE www.heartpine.com GODFREY HIRST 800.480.7135 www.godfreyhirstusa.com HB FULLER Construction Products www.groutboost.com HEALTHIER CHOICE http://www.healthierchoice.com HELIOS CARPET www.helioscarpet.com HOMERWOOD www.homerwood.com HOMESPICE DÉCOR www.homespicedecor.com HOME LEGEND 877.630.1800 www.homelegend.com IDG • INTERNATIONAL DESIGN GUILD • JUST SHORN 800.205.4345 www.justshorn.com www.design-guild.com www.dabbiericollection.com blog.dabbiericollection.com ILVA www.ilva.com.ar IMAGINE TILE www.imaginetile.com INTERCERAMIC USA, Inc. 214.503.5500 www.interceramicusa.com INTERNATIONAL VINYL CORPORATION 706.278.8008 www.ivcgroup.com IVC US www.Ivcfloors.com JMISH CARPETS www.jmishinc.com JOHNSONITE www.johnsonite.com JUST SHORN www.justshorn.com KAHRS INTERNATIONAL 404.206.9910 www.kahrs.com KAINDL www.kaindl.com KARASTAN www.karastan.com KARLSON HARDWOOD FLOORS 404.422.2264 www.karlsonshardwood.com KATHY IRELAND www.kathyireland.com KORUS –NYDREE WOOD www.koruswoodflooring.com KRONOTEX USA www.kronotexusa.com LAND PORCELANICO www.landporcelanico.com

LAUFEN 800.321.0684 www.laufenusa.com LAUZON DISTINCTIVE HARDWOOD FLOORING 877.427.5144 www.lauzonltd.com LEA CERAMICHE www.ceramichelea.com LIORA MANNE www.lioramanne.com LUMBER LIQUIDATORS 1-800-HARDWOOD www.lumberliquidators.com MARAZZI USA www.marazzitile.com MARBLE INSTITUTE OF AMERICA www.marble-institute.com MASLAND CARPETS & RUGS 800.633.0468 www.maslandcarpets.com MEDITERRANEA 305.718.5091 www.mediterranea-usa.com METROFLOR www.metroflorcorp.com MILLIKEN CARPET & RUGS 800.528.8453 www.millikencarpet.com MINWAX® 800.523.9299 www.minwax.com MIRAGE HARDWOOD FLOORS FROM BOA FRANC www.miragefloors.com MOHAWK CREDIT 800.2MOHAWK www.mohawkflooring.com MOHAWK INDUSTRIES Smart Strand 800.2MOHAWK www.mohawkflooring.com/green MOMENI www.momeni.com MOTAWI TILEWORKS 734 213 0017 www.motawi.com MULLICAN 800.844.6356 www.mullicanflooring.com NAFCO by Tarkett www.nafco.com NALFA www.nalfa.com NATIONAL WOOD FLOORING ASSOCIATION www.woodfloors.org NATURE’S PALETTE www.TheColorWhisperer.com NORTH AMERICAN LAMINATE FLOORING ASSOCIATION (NALFA) www.nalfa.com NOURISON www.nourison.com OCEANSIDE GLASS www.glasstile.com OLD AMERICAN LUMBER reclaimedwood@charter.net

FABULOUS FIND

Check out WFCA.ORG! PARTERRE FLOORING www.parterreflooring.com PERGO 800.337.3746 www.pergo.com PLANETA PEDRA www.planetapedra.com QUICK-STEP, INC www.quick-step.com ROGER OATES www.rogeroates.com RUGSTREET 480.635.8643 www.rugstreet.com SAINT GAUDENS METAL ARTS 760.891.0300 www.vsgmetalarts.com SHAW INDUSTRIES/ SHAW LIVING www.shawinc.com SAFAVIEH 866.422.9070 www.safavieh.com SCHUMACHER www.fsco.com SENECA TILES www.senecatiles.com SHAMROCK PLANK FLOORING 866.473.3765 www.shamrockplankflooring.com SHAW FLOORS 1.800.441.7429 www.shawfloors.com SICIS The Art factory www.sicis.com SONICLEAN The Bare Floor Pro 800.946.9149 www.BareFloorPro.com

SOUTHWIND CARPET MILLS (a division of Cherokee Carpet Ind.) www.southwindcarpet.com 800.272.2808 SPHINX, DIV. OF ORIENTAL WEAVERS 800.832.8020 www.owsphinx.com STAINMASTER CARPETS STAINMASTER CUSHION 800.438.7668 www.stainmaster.com STANTON CARPET 516.822.5878 www.stantoncarpet.com TARKETT www.tarkett.com TERAGREN Fine Bamboo Flooring, Panels & Veneer www.teragren.com 800.929.6333 TERRA LEGNO (800) 393-7424 www.terralegno.com TILE CIRCLE www.tilecircle.com TILE OF SPAIN® 305.446.4387 www.spaintiles.info TORLY’S www.torlys.com 800.461.2573 TOUCH UP PRODUCTS www.exactmatchwoodtouchup.com 1.855.YOU.TOUCHUP UNIQUE CARPETS www.uniquecarpets.com US FLOORS/NATURAL CORK 800.404.2675 www.naturalcork.com www.usfloors.com

VILLEROY & BOCH www.villeroy-boch.com WALKER ZANGER www.walkerzanger.com WEAR-DATED CARPET FIBER 800.845.5270 www.weardated.com WELLMADE PERFORMANCE FLOORING www.wellmadefloors.com WF TAYLOR www.wftaylor.com WHITE OAK CARPET MILLS www.whiteoakcarpet.com WICANDERS www.wicanders.com WOOLS OF NEW ZEALAND www.woolpremierpartner.com www.wonz.com WORLD FLOOR COVERING ASSOCIATION (WFCA) www.wfca.org WUNDAWEVE COLLECTION

By Mohawk 800.2.MOHAWK www.mohawk-flooring.com YAREMA MARQUETRY www.yaremamarquetry.com YERRA RUGS www.yerrarugs.com

WE CAN HELP Overnite capital wants to be your financial partner. We advance money to commercial Customer receivables that are on payment terms.

HOW DOES IT WORK? Overnite Capital advances 80–90% of the invoice amount prior to your customer paying.

WHAT CAN I USE THE MONEY FOR? Use the money for operating costs or paying your supplier so you can take the next order right away.

WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS? Our factoring credit line ranges from $100K to $5M. Your business can have as little as $20,000 a month in receivables. We can help you if you are a startup or a seasoned company. The main criterion is receivables or purchase orders from credit worthy customers.

IS THERE A MINIMUM? We have no monthly minimums so you use our funds at your discretion.

Even if you only have one credit worthy customer to factor, we can help your cash flow.

2933 Bunker Hill Lane, Suite 210 Santa Clara, CA 95054-1152 800 957-4309 www.overnitecapital.com (Disclaimer: Overnite Capital only serves the commercial or business to business market)

Use Our Money to Make Money!

The World Floor Covering Association’s (WFCA) website offers all the resources and tools necessary to make informed purchasing decisions about flooring. Better yet, WFCA is a nonpartisan, floor covering advocacy association — they do not manufacturer or sell ANYTHING — so the website offers completely unbiased, FREE information on all types of flooring.

With help from teams of designers, trend scouts and industry experts, the award-winning WFCA.ORG provides in-depth overviews on every type of flooring available — hardwood, carpeting, area rugs, ceramic, stone, laminate, resilient, even green products. It showcases an everchanging line-up of content, including new trends, product introductions and technologies. An overview of each category provides the pros and cons, manufacturing details, things to consider before you buy, cost estimates and how to prepare for installation. In addition, it provides answers to the most common floor covering questions.

When you’re ready to buy, WFCA.org offers a searchable database of reputable WFCA retail members across the country. All you need to do is enter your zip code and you will receive a list of retail stores in your area.

In These Challenging Economic Times, How Can You Maintain Your Cash Flow?

SUMMER 2015

59

JOHN GREGORY

The Buyer’s Guide to Purchasing a Vacuum Cleaner The vacuum cleaner as we know it hasn’t been around for that long.

T

John Gregory refers to himself as the CSE (Customer Satisfaction Expert) of Kick Ass Vacuums and is located in Albany, New York.

He is a 32 year veteran of the industry, having sold vacuums door to door as well as owning several vacuum cleaner stores.

His recently published book, “The Official Vacuum Cleaner Buyer’s Guide,” is available FREE from http://vacuumdealerdirectory.com/ or www.kickassvacuums.com/.

For more information, John can be reached at 800-263-KICK (5425)

he first motorized vacuum cleaner was invented in 1901 by Herbert Cecil Booth. It was pulled by a horse and dragged a 100-foot hose. It received the Royal Seal of Approval after it was used to clean Westminster Abby for the coronation of Edward the VII. In 1907, James Murray Spangler, a janitor from Canton, Ohio, developed the first portable electric vacuum cleaner. His design used a rotating brush to loosen dirt. Unable to produce the design himself, he sold the patent in 1908 to William Henry Hoover, who redesigned Spangler’s machine with a steel casing, casters, and attachments — Hoover’s first vacuum was the 1908 Model O, which sold for $60.

The vacuum cleaner is an important tool used to protect your biggest investment — your home and furnishings! However, we probably don’t take more than a few minutes to purchase a vacuum. Like it or not, we will be vacuuming and cleaning for many years, and the better the tool, the better the result.

You can’t stop dirt from coming into your home, but you can get rid of it with the right vacuum.

If you take a poll of vacuum cleaner owners, you will find that many people have more than one; in fact, some have three or four. This happens because they don’t buy the right one to start with, or they buy one that doesn’t last. Before you buy anything, it’s important to take an inventory of what you actually need.

All vacuums are not created equal. If you buy an inexpensive ‘throw away vacuum’ it may work well in the beginning, but eventually you will have to purchase another one. Instead, choose one from a company that spends its money on research and development so you can buy one vacuum cleaner that will last. Consumer Reports magazine periodically has articles on vacuum cleaners showing the best and the newest models. You can also check with your friends, and also read reviews on both the best and the newest products online.

You’re probably wondering where the best place to purchase your vacuum is located. These days there are endless sources to purchase from, including the Internet. Research shows that if you want to get the most for your money and purchase the right machine, you should buy it from your local vacuum cleaner retailer. In general, people who purchase their vacuum from their local dealer are usually happier, and keep the vacuum longer, than those who purchase elsewhere. Don’t forget to ask if the store offers maintenance on their products.

Before you start the buying process, here are some questions to think about: Left: “Thuro Electric” vacuum cleaner offered in the 1923 Montgomery Ward catalog. The $34.95 seliing price is equivalent to almost $500 today.

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■ What type of floors do you have?

Do you have hard-surface flooring as well as carpet? If you have both, you will need a different type of vacuum ‘head’ so you don’t damage your hardsurface flooring. If you have very thick carpets, that calls for still another type of attachment. Make sure you have the attachments you need.

■ Try it before you buy it.

You wouldn’t buy a car without testing it, so why buy a vacuum without a test drive? There are vacuums with revolving brush rolls (power nozzles) that are good for deep cleaning. The vacuum store should have ‘test’ products for you.

■ Do you have pets or allergies?

If you are wondering whether the machine will really pick up your pet hair, bring the rug with you and see if it does all it says it can. Some vacuums lose suction power as soon as you start using them, because the filters become rapidly clogged.

■ Should you go ‘bag or bag-less?’

Every vacuum pumps in air and dirt and then exhausts the air. The idea is to exhaust all the air without letting the dirt out go back out with it. If you decide on one with a dirt cup, they are usually messy, and you have to decide if you want to touch or breathe the dirt you’ve just picked up. With a bag, you won’t have to touch or see the dirt. Purchasing bags will add to the expense of your machine, but may prove to be more convenient.

■ Do you have concerns about indoor air quality?

Years ago, we were not concerned with the vacuum cleaner’s ability to filter. These days, however, we want to keep our indoor air sanitary, especially if someone in the house has allergies. It’s more efficient and easier to keep the air clean if you have a bagged machine that has a good filter.

■ How much should you spend?

Purchasing online probably won’t save you money, plus you won’t have an opportunity to ‘try before you buy.’ Consider your vacuum cleaner an ‘investment’ rather than just a purchase. Is it worth it to spend two hundred dollars on a machine that has to be replaced after two years, and requires repairs twice during that time? Or would you consider spending seven hundred dollars on a machine that you can keep and use for fifteen to twenty years? Consider that if you don’t purchase the right vacuum cleaner, you will be one of those with a house full of them! ■

SUMMER 2015

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Beautiful as Wood, Create a Luxurious Convenient as Tile.

Oasis Representing a whole new category in porcelain tile, THINNER by Florida Tile is a unique product. Designed to be as thin as 3.5mm, yet have the same technical properties and durability of much thicker porcelain tile, this new product will open the door to a whole new world of design possibilities. Imagine being able to renovate your space without the cost, delays and inconvenience of tearing out your existing floor or wall finish. Florida Tile continues its legacy of design and innovation in the tile industry with THINNER. For more information visit us on the web at www.floridatile.com/thinner.

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