Making Flooring Last

I have the privilege working with customers who are thrilled to see their new flooring put in and looking forward to a lifetime of enjoyment.  We pride ourselves on our quality products and friendly service and more than anything else; we want to provide you with a product that you are proud to claim as your own.  However, just like a car eventually loses its new car smell, flooring can lose a bit of its luster if not cared for properly.  The first step to proper floor care actually comes before the flooring is installed during the flooring selection process.

High traffic areas demand a high quality product that will stand the test of time.  In many of these areas I recommend using either a hard surface or a carpet such as the Mohawk SmartStrand that is built to endure.  Ceramic still continues to be the most durable flooring option the industry has to offer.

There are a few tried and true tips that are spot on in most situations and should be carefully considered before purchasing any type of flooring.  Pets are very hard on all types of flooring.  Mohawk offers a warranty against pet stains, but you still have to be very careful of your pet’s claws.  Young children are also very capable of doing a number on your flooring, so be sure to ask about our kid-friendly options that are known for durability and stain resistance.  Generally speaking, rugs and walk off mats remove 80 percent of the dirt off of shoes, but taking it one step further and removing shoes is even better.  Bare feet are hard on carpets as the oils from your skin get into the carpet and latch onto any dirt making it more difficult to remove and slowly untwisting the carpet fibers.

There is a remedy for all of your carpet care needs: professional hot water extraction cleaning every 12-18 months.  This cleaning will put the twist back in the carpet and is very effective for carpets looking drab and weathered.  Many people find rental carpet cleaners such as the RugDoctor work well, but our experience has shown they often do more harm than good as most homeowners don’t remove all of the water or allow proper drying time.  It is recommended to vacuum your house as many times per week as the people living in your house.

Stop by today and talk with our flooring professionals about all of the new options for your home.

Until Next Time,

Loren

March Mattress Mayhem

There are few things that feel as good as waking from a restful night’s sleep.  Stress, eating habits, and family situations can all influence the amount and quality of sleep received, making it very important to take advantage of those blissful, but often too few hours of rest.  

We offer high quality mattresses built by Restonic.  For many years, we carried Sealy beds, but after trouble with both quality and customer support, we made the switch to Restonic four years ago and our customers have been thrilled with the results.  Restonic offers a great product and backs it with unmatched customer service including one of the best warranties in the business.  There are several factors to consider when purchasing a bed.  In the past, beds were designed to be very firm and your body would lie above or on top of the bed, creating several pressure points on the shoulders, the rear end, and the back.  Today’s beds are designed to allow the body to sink in to the bed and show natural body conformation up to an inch and a half in many models.  This allows the body to be supported all the way down and the muscles actually heal themselves while you sleep.

The lifespan of most beds that sell for $500 and under is only three to five years.  Increasing the initial investment to $800 will give you a bed that will last ten to fifteen years and allow your lower back to have better support from advanced foams and better technology in the spring system.  Our newest TEMPAGEL beds carry a 25 year warranty, which is virtually unheard of in the bedding industry where the best warranties are usually 15-20 years.  The industry standard to attain a repair or receive a complete sleep system replacement is a one and a half inch sag in the middle of the bed. HealthRest

Restonic carries both a ComfortCare Collection including all spring system beds and a HealthRest Collection that does an even better job than the interspring beds of allowing the body to stay off any pressure points.  Within the HealthRest system there are three types of beds that start right at the $1299 price point.

Latex mattresses will bounce back immediately when pressure is taken off and breathe fairly well.  Typically these have a softer feel to the bed and do have some motion transfer.  Memory foam mattresses are similar to latex, but have less motion transfer.  One complaint some have about memory foam beds is heat retention.  Memory foam also responds differently to temperatures and has soft foam when it’s warm and becomes firm with cooler temperatures. 

TEMPAGEL has taken the best of memory foam and latex and addressed the temperature issue and actually cools your body as you sleep.  These gel infused sleep systems are the most advanced product on the market and even come with a 60 day trial period.  With a starting point that rivals the traditional latex and memory foam sleep systems, this is the best mattress the industry currently has to offer.

Stop by today and talk with our staff about your options. 

It’s time to get some rest,

Jeff

Trends in Window Shades

While for many years shades were an aesthetic afterthought, today’s design savvy customers are looking to shades to add interest, functionality, and character to homes.  As a retailer for the top selling blind company, Hunter Douglas, we now have the opportunity to pass a high quality blind to our customers.  Shades are a great way to add a design feature to homes that most overlook.  I love the fact that with shades we can find the best of design and practicality and combine them to add functionality to a space.  

 (Hunter Douglas Skyline: gliding window panels)

At their heart, shades are about three specific things: functionality, energy efficiency, and design.  From the functionality aspect, shades add privacy, allow light to be controlled with room darkening technology, and can set the ambiance in a room.  Motorized shades have added another dimension that has been very popular in recent years and also is extremely beneficial to individuals with disabilities. With today’s push to continually be more and more energy efficient, shades allow owners to cut on utility costs throughout all seasons by providing solar insulation from the sun.  This protection also serves another valuable purpose—protecting your furniture and flooring!  Shades give any room a visual element that is often lacking in homes and tie a room together. 

(Hunter Douglas Screen Shades)

In the past, mini-blinds dominated the marketplace and consumers were happy to find a window covering that worked and never gave it a second thought.  Today’s design world is texture-driven and offers a wealth of options in the window covering market.  Woven wood shades are very popular right now along with skyline, which is a new vertical concept that adds depth to a space.  The old fashion roller shades are also making a comeback in screen shades, which simply add a modern twist to the dependable classic.  Roman shades, of course, are also a fashionable option.

(Hunter Douglas Provenance- woven wood shades)

 (Hunter Douglas Roman)

If you’ve found yourself wondering what other options are available to give your windows a facelift, stop by anytime.  We’d love to discuss your options over a warm cup of coffee.  

Looking forward to seeing you soon,

Patti