Your pet probably has as much a run of your house as you do. In most homes, pets are treated as members of the family. However this does present some décor and cleaning issues.

Let’s look at your home décor from your pet’s perspective and try to find ways to overcome the challenges your pet creates.

Pet: I love the comfort of the sofa, the couch and everything else that’s cushioned.

There should be some boundaries as to what you allow your pet to lounge upon. If you allow your pet to lounge on the sofa, your bed, etc., you are allowing your pet to think they are your equal. For a better behaved pet, you should be the dominant or authoritative figure. By not allowing your pet on the furniture, your pet will respect you and the rules you make for them. It is ok to have a pet bed in your living space. By creating separate spaces for you and your pet, you will have cleaner furniture and your pet will see you as the authoritative figure. Just to be on the safe side, only have fabrics and upholstery that are washable. Pets will get on the furniture when you are not around, unless you block off certain spaces while you are away.

Pet: *shake shake* I’ll shed where I like.

Your pet’s hair will sometimes be difficult to clean up. Invest in a good vacuum with strong suction power and try to vacuum daily; at least vacuum two to three times a week, in order to maintain a grasp on shedding.

Pet: A carpeted floor! Ooh la la!

There are some things you’ll have to deny yourself and your pet, if you want to stay within the same premises. A carpeted floor is one of them. Pet stains can be quite stubborn and a wall-to-wall carpet is not always a good idea. If you do want to have the feel of carpet beneath your feet, opt for an area rug, which is relatively low-maintenance and easy to clean (because you can remove them from the space for a deep clean; unlike wall to wall carpet).

Pet: Can you get me a toy? Please…

Get attractive wicker baskets or containers for your pet’s toys. These will help keep them in one place and blend in with other décor. Particularly opt for a container with a lid that can be open or closed per your discretion.

Happy day after the 4th of July!  We hope you and your family enjoyed your holiday weekend!  If you were barbequing at all, we thought we’d share some tips with you on how to remove barbeque sauce from the carpet, just in case there was a spill.  We hope you don’t have to use this, but if you do, we hope you find in useful!

Solvent – A non-flammable spot removal solution, or dry cleaning type solvent, is preferred. Exercise caution when using a solvent. Never pour it directly onto the carpet or allow it to reach the backing, because it can damage the latex that holds the primary and secondary backings together. Acceptable solvents include Carbona®, Energine®, K2R®, Goof-Off®, etc.

Detergent Solution – Mix one fourth (1/4) teaspoon of a liquid dishwashing detergent per one (1) cup of lukewarm water. NEVER USE A STRONGER CONCENTRATION! Thorough rinsing is necessary to remove detergent residues that may cause rapid soiling. It may be necessary to rinse with warm water several times to completely remove residues. (See Residue Precautions.) Care should be used in selecting a detergent. Never use a laundry detergent of any type, because laundry detergents may contain optical brighteners (fluorescent dyes) that dye the fiber. Do not select an automatic dishwashing detergent because many contain bleaching agents that destroy dyes and some fibers.

Vinegar Solution – Mix one (1) cup of white vinegar per two (2) cups of water. White vinegar is a 5% acetic acid solution. It is used most often to lower the alkalinity caused by detergent solutions or alkaline spills.

Warm Water – Lukewarm tap water should be used in most cases to rinse the cleaning solutions from the fiber. Failure to completely rinse the solutions from the fiber may cause accelerated soiling.

Ammonia Solution – Mix one (1) tablespoon of household ammonia per cup of water. Please note: Be aware that ammonia, if used improperly, can cause a color change. Be sure to test a hidden area.

Call a Professional – Professional cleaners have the ability and the equipment to use more aggressive cleaning solutions to remove stubborn spills. Always consider consulting a professional cleaner regarding any spot removal question. CRI – 1-800-882-8846.

Shopping for new flooring for a room can be overwhelming. If you answer a few questions before you start, you may find the shopping process easier and more successful.

• Take a look at whether the room has a different purpose than its original one. Perhaps what had been an office is now a child’s bedroom. Or as empty-nesters, you have converted an old bedroom into a sewing or guest room. Now is the time to decide whether the flooring should be changed to reflect its new purpose.
• With the change in purpose, your new flooring may need to fit new goals. Do you need low maintenance, or is style the first consideration? Make up a list of those expectations and bring it with you when you shop.
• Do you still have the same style preferences you had in past years? Do you find yourself leaning more toward modern elements or have you gone more traditional lately? Be sure to choose a floor that will reflect the way your taste is headed rather than how it used to be.
• Do you have any color requirements or preferences? Once again, choose flooring for what you want rather than what you have.
• Have you determined your budget for the floor? If possible, give yourself a range. If you choose a floor that will have more value for resale it may be worth spending some extra dollars.

Answering these questions can help direct your search and reduce confusion, making the purchase process more streamlined, easier and more fun.

Question: I want to redo some of our home’s flooring but I’m nervous about going to a showroom. It’s been so long since I’ve shopped for anything like this. What can I expect in terms of help from the showroom? Is there anything I can do before visiting the store to be more prepared?

Answer: You’re in luck. Our sales team can help you throughout the process. They are trained to help you make the right decisions for your home, your taste and your budget. Remember, we want to create a happy customer, not just make a sale. If it’s been a while since you’ve looked at flooring, take advantage of our website to get an idea of what’s available now. From carpet to tile and laminate, the choices are broader and more exciting. You can browse through our product catalog by category and take advantage of the tools we offer to help you define your needs and goals. Make a list of the rooms you want to redo along with any ideas discovered on our website, and then come visit us. You’ll have a fun time discovering all the fresh options you have to update your home.

One of the most important decisions you’ll face when decorating your little one’s nursery is what to type of flooring to install. With toxins and airborne pathogens emitted from some materials, you’ll want to take special care in your selection. Appropriate flooring options are available and can be easily located with a little research. However, there are many things to consider and harmful things to steer clear of in the nursery.

Wood and Laminate

• Toxic sealants—use a water-based sealant or natural wax.
• Chemical emitting stains—buy nontoxic pre-stained wood from the factory.
• Toxic emitting glues—install floating interlocking flooring instead of gluing down.
• Use of formaldehyde in manufacturing process—buy organic laminates.
• Slick high-gloss surface—choose a matte or low gloss finish to reduce chance of slips and falls.

Cork and Bamboo

• PVC or vinyl backing—opt for a natural jute backing available on tiles and sheets.
• Use of formaldehyde in manufacturing process—confirm none has been used.

Natural Linoleum

• Odor of linseed oil—can be uncomfortable for baby’s sensitive nose and respiratory system.
• Toxic emissions—choose from other flooring above if fear even low toxic emissions.

Vinyl

• Not recommended for nurseries due to high emissions of toxic chemicals.

Carpet and Area Rugs

• Synthetic materials—choose organically grown materials such as wool, cotton, jute or sisal.
• Toxic synthetic dyes—opt for all natural vegetable dyes.
• Adhesives—pick natural backings from rubber or jute.
• Treatments and stain protectors—choose alternative natural carpeting.
• Synthetic foams, synthetic rubber, latex and plastic—buy felt pads in untreated wool.
• Dust Mites—find products which do not harbor them.
• Glues—nail down carpeting or use water-based adhesives.

Being aware of these dangers gives you a good foundation for choosing the safest flooring for your baby’s health and well being.

Looking at this paint color in a store chances are you would not select it, but in this room it works perfectly.

Although the paint is dark, the room is not. The white ceiling and moldings combine with the wainscoting to balance the dark wall choice. At the same time the light carpet adds a nice brightness to the space.

Pattern takes a strong position in the room, with the loveseats and draperies dominating the eye. The chair by the secretary and the carpet show a more subtle approach to pattern that works well in the room.

In the past few years, patterned carpeting, once perceived as old fashioned, has gained a new following with more interesting combinations of colors and embossing. This carpet takes full advantage of its traditional design and colors while still creating a fresh look. The matching rug with its border in a contrasting design helps maintain a consistency with the flooring while adding interest.

While this room stays in the traditional mode when it comes to style, the chances taken with color and contrast show a daring approach. It demonstrates that traditional doesn’t have to mean boring.

Do you take chances with your décor? No matter what your style, think about challenging yourself to do something unique with color, pattern or flooring.

Besides the standard fibers like nylon, wool, polyester and olefin, there are several natural fibers currently in use for carpet manufacture. Coir, seagrass and sisal carpets are becoming popular for their environmental friendliness, as well as their fashionable architectural designs.

Coir, incredibly strong, is harvested from coconut husks. About 90% of the coir used in carpet production comes from India and Sri Lanka. Coir generally comes in its natural color, which ranges from golden brown to reddish brown.

Seagrass is a thick and tough fiber, grown underwater mostly in China. Because it is virtually impermeable, it is almost impossible to dye. As a result, you will nearly always find seagrass in its natural green-brown colors.

Sisal is a product of the agave cactus with long fibers, which are spun into yarn and often dyed before manufacture into area rugs or wall-to-wall carpet. Most of the world’s production of sisal comes from Brazil, Tanzania and China.

Each of these fibers results in carpets that are anti-static and organic. They are completely biodegradable and of truly renewable resources. Remember that like all natural fibers, they will vary in color, which simply adds to their beauty and character.

Don’t let the fact that they’re biodegradable give you concerns about performance! With normal maintenance, any degradation will take up to 20 years! Though sisal has some maintenance challenges because of its affinity to dyes (stains), all three are easily maintained with regular spot cleaning and vacuuming. When necessary, any commercially available dry cleaning method works well (never use wet cleaning).

WWII was raging and the United States was operating in a wartime economy. Of critical interest to both the government and industry was the dwindling supply of silk used to make parachutes and other military textiles. DuPont’s chemical and textile engineers came to the rescue with a synthetic replacement for silk, which they called nylon. This new fiber quickly found its way into myriad markets, including both commercial and residential carpet manufacturing.

Now, 60 years later, the essential chemical structures of nylon carpet fiber remain virtually unchanged. What have continued to change and improve are ancillary processes like dye methods, carpet construction and finishing technologies. What this means to finished carpet is a constant improvement in on-the-floor performance in places like your house! And the exceptional performance extends to both plush (cut-pile) and loop pile constructions.

Critical to nylon’s success as the world’s most-used carpet fiber is its characteristic colorfastness. Solution-dyed nylon (where color is introduced prior to nylon’s extrusion into fiber) is essentially impervious to the color-damaging effects of exposure to direct sunlight or bleach! Even those nylon fibers dyed after extrusion are intensely colorfast due to the latest technologies for preventing soiling and staining.

Nylon carpets will easily retain their original shape and appearance when they are properly constructed, installed and maintained. They respond well to current commercial cleaning methods, promising years of satisfactory use. The reality is that today’s nylon carpets will never wear out; they simply get ugly at the end of their wear lives.

Carpet colors, trends, styles and fashions have come and gone, but carpet fiber options have remained essentially the same! Nylon and polyester are today’s leaders in residential carpet sales as their quality has continued to improve. Still, despite wool owning but a fraction of the overall market, it remains the standard for luxury. Stay tuned for upcoming blog entries, where each of the fibers will be highlighted.

Nylon. Owner of all the sales records for 50 years with products and styles that have continued to lead the residential market. Today’s nylon carpets look good, resist stain, and perform well at reasonable prices. Sensibly maintained and installed over a quality cushion, nylon carpet easily performs well for 10 – 20 years.

Polyester. Once scorned as poorly performing, polyester carpets have made a significant comeback. Creeping into nylon’s market share, polyester carpets now account for up to one-fourth of residential carpet sales. The draw is price;  The key is to ask for yarn with multiple plies and multiple twists.

Wool. For hundreds (maybe thousands?) of years, wool has been a fiber known for distinctive beauty and charm. Nylon “uglies out” as it ages, but wool – as it gracefully grows old, looks good year after year. Given basic maintenance, wool carpets will perform wonderfully for 20 years or more. It’s not unusual to find beautiful 30-year-old wool carpets – even if they do have a threadbare spot or two!

Looking for a way to take your child’s room to the next level with a little extra style and design? We’ve got just the thing! Disney and Shaw Floors have teamed up together with a collection of Disney inspired carpets and area rugs.

Collections include:

* Winnie the Pooh

* Disney Fairies

* Cars

* Disney Princesses

* Toy Story

* Hannah Montana

The collections include wall to wall patterns and area rugs that show off each theme. If you are concerned about how the wall to wall carpet will flow into other areas of the house, no worries! There are complimentary patterns for the whole house or adjoining hallways or rooms. There are even wonderful shags in each collection that can be used in the same room or other rooms.

Think of the possibilities of creating a design inspired room for your child or children! We can help you decide if a patterned wall to wall carpet is right for you or if your child’s room calls for a Disney area rug. Let’s explore the options together!