Choosing the Best Carpet for a Home with Pets
Pet-friendly Flooring
If you live in one of the 85 million homes in the U.S. that have a pet, you know how important it is to take your pet into consideration when replacing your flooring. Carpet continues to be a popular flooring option in homes with pets because of its many desired traits. Regardless of the type of carpet that you select, you may appreciate the fact that it is soft under your feet. It adds colorful texture the home, and it buffers noises to promote a comfortable ambiance in active households. However, issues like pet stains, hair, and more can be serious challenges when carpeting covers your floor. These factors may transform a beautiful carpet into an eyesore. The good news is that some styles of carpeting are well-suited for homes with pets. When you know what to look for, you can take full advantage of the benefits of carpet without pet-related concerns.
Best Color of Carpet for Pets
You may assume that the best color of carpet for pets is the darkest color available, but this is not necessarily true. Light-colored pet hair will stand out on a dark rug. When selecting a color, try to settle on a color that will look great with your décor and that is closely matched to your pet’s fur color. To minimize the appearance of everything from stains to muddy paw prints, hair and more, look for carpeting with a tight pattern or an intricate design. Also, it may be easier to vacuum pet hair from a carpet that as a shorter, tighter pile.
Best Carpet to Resist Stains for Pets
The three main types of carpet are nylon, olefin and wool. Even the most well-behaved, potty-trained animals can have an accident from time to time. This type of mess can be combined with spots from an upset tummy and other issues. Among the three primary types of carpet available, nylon is often viewed as being a top pick for pet owners because it balances wear, cost and stain resistance. Because of the dying processes used, the color is embedded in the fibers to resist fading from wear as well. Nylon carpet is available in a wide range of styles, and some styles mimic the look of wool. However, if you prefer wool carpeting, you can apply a stain-resistant product to it to promote its continued longevity and appeal. Olefin shares some of the same stain-resistant properties as nylon, but its fibers could be damaged by pet nails. This can be prevented by keeping your pet’s nails trimmed neatly.
Top Carpet Styles to Consider
As you search for the right carpeting for your home, your pets are an important factor consider. However, you also need to find a material that is affordable for your budget. It should be easy to maintain and complementary to your décor. A great place to start your search is with nylon carpets that are both textured and multi-toned. You can also consider products that have specifically been created for homes with pets and that are pre-treated for stain resistance. Keep in mind that even carpets that are not pre-treated during the manufacturing process can be treated properly during the installation process. Your regular cleaning and maintenance efforts will also play a major role in the presence of stains and pet hair regardless of the type of carpeting that you select. The care requirements will vary by carpet material and type, so look for a material that is easy to maintain.
Contact Classic Floor Designs Today
It may initially seem as though your options for new carpeting are significantly limited because of your pets. However, you can expect to find at least a few beautiful possibilities that would look amazing in your home when you shop at Classic Floor Designs. Our experts are happy to help you explore the options that are within your price range and that meet all of your aesthetic preferences.
Best Flooring For a Flip Property
Flipping houses is hard work, but the return on investment on a flip property can be worth it. Houses that are ideal for flipping often have an outdated style with damaged materials and other cosmetic issues. Because many buyers prefer to purchase a home that is in move-in-ready condition, properties that are ideal for flipping may be undesirable to others. One of the more common ways that house flippers improve décor and value is by installing new flooring in most or all rooms of the home. This is because flooring has a dramatic impact on decor, ambiance and overall appeal. However, choosing the right materials for flooring and for all other improvement property projects will affect your return on investment.
Choosing a Suitable Property
The best time to think about the materials for a renovation project is before you finalize your purchase plans. Flipping is usually most cost-effective when the property only requires superficial or cosmetic enhancements. This includes replacing the flooring, painting the drywall, and tackling other similar projects. More significant efforts, such as replacing the roof, can dramatically increase cost and may reduce your overall return on investment. When you are touring potential homes to buy, you can also search for homes with materials that may be refinished rather than replaced. For example, refinishing a hardwood floor is often more cost-effective than installing a new hardwood floor.
Selecting the Right Materials for a Flip
Some of the most common types of flooring used when flipping a home are hardwood, carpet and tile. Everything from the color and style of the material to its cost and how easy it is to install should be taken into consideration. Because time is money when you are flipping a home, the immediate availability of the material should also receive your full attention. You also need to focus on the the décor of the home as well as the functionality of each room while selecting flooring. For example, installing carpeting in the kitchen or bathrooms may decrease the home’s appeal dramatically, and this could reduce your return on investment.
Optimizing Your Return on Investment on Your Property Flip
When selecting flooring and other materials for the renovation, your goal is to find the materials that offer the greatest financial return. This does not usually mean that you should install the most expensive materials that you can find. Everything from the appeal that a material has to a potential buyer to its ease of maintenance, its cost of installation and its impact on décor should be considered. Your goal is to choose a material that is desired by buyers and that is cost-effective to install.
Installing the Flooring Promptly
Finding Quality Materials with Competitive Prices
When you search for quality materials that bring true value to the home, everything from the cost of labor and materials to how coveted those materials are to prospective buyers should be reviewed collectively and comprehensively. Savings opportunities on different types of flooring materials will vary over time. With this in mind, you will need to conduct thorough research on current deals for different flooring types for each new project that you work on.
Installing new flooring in an older home with outdated style is a relatively fast and easy way to improve its ambiance and to erase years from its visible age. However, the right materials for the home as well as for the target buyer must be found, and these materials must be cost-effective to purchase and to install. You can begin exploring some of the wonderful possibilities available today for your next flipping project by browsing through online inventory.
Wool Area Rugs – Why We Love Them
After installing a beautiful hardwood floor in your home, you understandably want to dress up the floor with the perfect area rug. The right area rug can enhance the ambiance in your home by buffering sounds, infusing the space with color, and more. However, with so many types of area rugs for you to consider, how can you know which rug is a good fit for your home?
For many homeowners, a wool area rug is the perfect option. Wool is a natural material that has numerous exceptional benefits. In fact, once you get to know more about its attributes, you may be ready to start searching for a new wool rug for your space.
The Versatility and Durability of Wool Area Rugs
A typical synthetic fiber will bend approximately 100 times before it breaks. Synthetic materials are also prone to staining, and they often must be specially treated with chemicals to reduce the likelihood of staining from spills and other mishaps. In comparison, wool has natural properties that make it highly stain resistant. Furthermore, wool fibers can bend up to 20,000 before you notice signs of wear. With this in mind, you can expect your next wool area rug to provide you with many years of low-maintenance use.
A Flame-Resistant Area Rug
A Sustainable and Recyclable Material
The Positive Impact on the Home Environment
The Natural Beauty of Wool Area Rugs
Contact Classic Floor Designs
Hardwood Flooring Patterns: A Guide
Hardwood Flooring Patterns
You love the idea of having hardwood floors in your home. But before your beautiful hardwood flooring can be installed, you must decide on the installation pattern. The pattern design selected will ultimately play a major role in the look of the finished project and the overall style in the room. There are six primary installation patterns that you should learn about before you finalize your decision.
Straight
Through a straight installation design, the hardwood planks are installed either vertically or horizontally across the floor. Generally, they follow the direction of the longest wall in a smaller room or along the direction of the shortest wall in a larger room to take advantage of optical benefits. While this is a plain and common installation method, it continues to be popular because of its simplistic appeal.
Diagonal
If you prefer the long lines created by a straight design, a creative alternative is a diagonal installation method. The diagonal design generally runs at a 45-degree angle from the walls, but you can take creative license with the severity of the angle. Because of the precision needed to cut each board precisely, this design requires the skills of an experienced floor installer.
Random
The random design can be used in conjunction with straight or diagonal installation methods. While the straight and diagonal methods use boards with comparable dimensions, the random installation method uses boards with different lengths and widths. This results in a floor with fascinating personality.
Parquet Pattern
The parquet design may also be referred to as a brick design. It is appropriately named because the wood slats are cut into small pieces with equal lengths. These pieces are laid in a manner that visually creates square shapes. The flow of the slats alternates for a stunning and interesting visual effect.
Basket Weave
A variation of the parquet design is the basket weave style. It incorporates small square pieces surrounded by longer wood planks. The unique design creates a woven look that is both sophisticated and interesting. This type of installation design generally looks best when wood with deep color variations is used.
Chevron
The chevron design is both classic and increasingly popular in modern décor. The wood planks are installed in a V-shaped pattern that zigzags across the room boldly. The overall look of the design can be adjusted by the number of boards used in each V-shaped angle and by the dimensions of the boards.
Herringbone
The herringbone design is visually similar to the chevron pattern with one significant difference. The boards in the chevron design have mitered edges. The herringbone’s boards are not mitered. Like the chevron design, the herringbone look is visually fascinating. However, it may be slightly easier to install because no mitering is required.
Hardwood Flooring Style Selection Tips
With many beautiful design possibilities to consider for your upcoming floor installation project, how can you make the right decision for your space? While the overall look of the design is a matter of personal preference, you should keep in mind the shape of the room and the overall line of sight from common entryways. In addition, the installation recommendations from the manufacturer may reveal helpful insight. Your budget may also play a role in the design that you select. More complicated designs require more skill and time. Designs with more cuts may require the use of more materials.
Are you eager to see a beautiful improvement to your home’s décor? At Classic Floor Designs, we have the expertise to bring your vision to life. During an initial consultation, we can help you to review the beautiful hardwood materials that may work well with the look that you have in mind. To schedule a consultation with one of our designers, contact Classic Floor Designs today.
How to Remove Wine Stains from Flooring
Few things can ruin a relaxing evening at home more quickly than a red wine spill. Red wine is well-known for causing permanent stains, so you may understandably believe that your floor is ruined after a mishap. However, whether your red wine spill is on carpet or wood flooring, you may be able to prevent permanent damage if you act quickly and use the right techniques.
Soak Up the Liquid Immediately
Regardless of the floor type, the most important first step is to soak up as much of the red wine as possible. Grab a roll of paper towels, and start blotting up the wine. Continue doing so with clean paper towels until all liquid has been absorbed. You should never scrub or even wipe the red wine. Doing so could cause the red wine to penetrate deeper into the material. This can make it more difficult to remove the stain.
If you are dealing with carpet stains, diluting the stain with clean water is helpful. Pouring a substantial amount of water on the stain can cause the damage to spread. To prevent this from happening, blot up as much of the liquid as possible. Then, add a small amount of clean water to the stain. Blot up the liquid again, and repeat this process until you cannot extract any more wine through the effort.
Strategies to Remove Wine Stains from Carpet
The specific composition of your carpet will affect which stain removal method is best for your situation. Because carpeting varies so dramatically, always consult with the manufacturer to get removal recommendations before you get started. If your carpet manufacturer does not have specific instructions for red wine stain removal, you can try a few different options depending on the supplies that you have on hand.
One option to remove red wine stains from carpet is to use a combination of detergent and white vinegar. Mix a few drops of a cleaning detergent with a cup of water. Apply this to the stain. Allow it to penetrate the stain for a few minutes. Then, blot the liquid. The next step for this process is to apply undiluted white vinegar to the stain. Cover the stain with a thick blanket of clean paper towels. Apply a book or something equally heavy on top of the paper towels so that they can absorb as much of the liquid as possible. Allow the vinegar and paper towels to remain in place overnight.
Another option to remove wine stains from carpet is to use a baking soda paste. Mix the baking soda and water together to create a thick paste. The amount needed will vary based on the size of your stain. Apply the paste thickly over the stain. Once the paste has completely dried, vacuum the remnants. If you notice any remaining discoloration from the red wine, use a stain removal product that is suitable for use with your carpet type.
Tips to Remove Red Wine Stains from Wood Floor
Red wine that remains on wood floor for more than a few minutes can cause staining as well. The stains may be more pronounced on light-colored floors. After you have thoroughly dried up as much of the wine as possible, clean the floor with Murphy’s soap or another oil soap. Mix the soap with water according to the instructions on the label. Scrub the stained area until the stain has been removed.
You can also try to remove red wine stains from your wood floor using mineral oil and baking soda. Using these supplies, make a thick paste. Apply the paste to the stain. After it has thoroughly dried out, use a clean cloth to remove the debris. If these efforts do not work, the floor may need to be refinished.
Contact the Professionals
At Classic Floor Designs, we want our customers to enjoy their home’s flooring. While red wine stains can be removed from carpet and wood floors in many cases, there are instances when replacing the floor is a better strategy. Contact Classic Floor Designs today to explore the many beautiful possibilities available for your home.
What’s the Difference between Berber, Frieze, and Plush carpeting?
Deciding between Berber, Frieze and plush carpet for your upcoming carpet installation project is not an easy feat. These are all beautiful styles with extensive benefits and undeniable appeal. However, they have unique benefits that you need to understand before you select a gorgeous material that is a good fit for your expectations and lifestyle at home.
Exciting Variations in Carpet Styles
Wool and nylon are popular materials used to make many types of luxury carpets today. The material used to make your carpet can impact stain resistance, wear and other factors. In addition to the differences in materials, there are variations in the thickness of the pile, if the loops are cut or intact and more. These and other variations affect everything from the look and feel of the carpeting to its longevity, its ability to hide dirt and more. Because the more popular styles of carpeting in homes today are Berber, Frieze and plush, a detailed review of these options is the next step in your search for new carpet for your home.
Berber Carpet
Berber carpet has a unique look thanks to its closed-loop design. The loops have a tight weave, and this makes Berber carpet highly durable against wear from foot traffic. The design also has reduced absorbency. Because of this, you will have more time to clean spills before they are set in the carpet. The loops also may feel soft and cushy underneath your bare feet.
Berber carpet does have some disadvantages. For example, the closed loops can snag easily, and this damage creates a frayed, worn look. Generally, Berber carpet is not practical for homes with children or pets for this reason.
Frieze Carpet
Frieze carpet, on the other hand, has an open-loop design. The tufts are wound tighter than with the traditional plush carpet that you may be familiar with, and the piles are cut to create an ultra-soft surface. The unique design of Frieze carpet results in the fibers laying in a haphazard fashion rather than straight up. As a result, Frieze carpet is ideal for rooms with heavy foot traffic. The carpet shows minimal signs of wear, and it also will not show vacuum marks. Because of these factors, the flooring may look clean and well-maintained for a longer period of time.
Plush Carpet
Like Frieze, plush carpet has open loops. The pile is available in a wide range of heights, and this impacts the overall softness of the material underneath your feet. An important difference between plush and Frieze carpet is that plush carpet is sheared evenly during the manufacturing process. All of the piles are one height and stand erect. As a result, plush carpet will show foot and vacuum marks more easily. Nonetheless, plush carpet can be durable in high-traffic areas when a quality material is selected.
Choosing Carpet for Your Home
Most styles of carpet may look gorgeous in your home immediately after installation, but you want your carpet to continue enhancing the ambiance for many years to come. While color and style are undeniably important factors to consider when choosing new carpet, think about the type of traffic that the specific area of your home will receive. Will the carpet be exposed to mild foot traffic or heavy pet traffic? Are spills and stains likely? After defining these factors, narrow down the options based on your budget and style preferences.
Learn More about the Beautiful Carpet Options Today
At Classic Floor Designs, we are your full solution for quality home flooring. The many carpet styles available for you to explore in our current inventory include Frieze, Berber, plush, and many more. Contact Classic Floor Designs by calling (202) 872-9860, or connect with us online for more information about the beautiful flooring options available for your home.