The Benefits of Carpet

If you’re thinking about putting carpet in your home, good thinking!

Carpet may be the most popular floor choice of all time. It covered the floors of ancient homes and probably covers the floors at your neighbors.

Carpet is relatively inexpensive (hooray!), generally easier to install (and remove), and for folks like you who want lots of choices, carpet comes in a zillion styles, colors and textures that blend with all décors, yours included.

Carpet stands up to your life. Developments in carpet fiber technology and construction are producing carpets that are more stain resistant and wear better – they can endure what families dish out.

Carpet is your warmth and comfort buddy. We don’t want to get too technical but you should know that carpet provides thermal resistance. (Called R-value.) In cold weather the carpet in your living room will retain heated air longer. Great for your energy bill…and bare feet!

Carpet softens and protects. Falls can happen. Better to land on a nice soft carpet. It goes without saying that carpet is a comfortable place to sit, play and, ugh, even work on.

Carpet pipes down the noise. That big screen TV of yours and modern sound system can be a blast, but if you need to tone it down, carpet softens the blow, acts as a sound barrier between floors, walls – and your neighbors!

If you love lists (and who doesn’t) here are ALL THE BENEFITS OF CARPET:

• Carpet is the floor covering of real value

• Carpet is easier to install and live with

• Carpet styles, colors and textures are vast

• Carpet matches your style and home décor

• Carpet durability is greater than ever before

• Carpet warms the home, heart and happening

• Carpet cushions falls, tiny feet and all knees

• Carpet absorbs noise, quiets the home front

• Carpet effectively hides subfloor irregularities

• Carpet can be placed over a variety of substrates, on all grade levels, even over concrete slabs. Don’t hesitate to leave a comment here – we’d love to hear from you!

The Solid and Singular Benefits of Stone

I love telling you about the advantages of this product because I know how much you value the true and the genuine in life.

Natural stone is the real deal. Strong, solid and stable to live with (be still our heart), this is the world’s oldest building material. It was the material of choice for Egypt’s pyramids, Grecian temples and splish-splashing in Rome’s ancient baths. (Imagine you in a marble bath in your home!)

Natural stone is beauty solidified. From granite, the hardest, most dense stone, to luxurious marble, from soft limestone to “touch me” travertine, natural stone exudes elegance, transforms your home – speaks to your soul.

Natural stone has a unique personality. Quarried from Mother Earth, natural stone’s “complexion” is impacted by temperature, pressure, minerals and underground springs. Each slab cut from this environment is one-of-a-kind. You’re not imitation. Why should the “face” of your home be?

Natural stone invented variety. You only need to walk a seashore, lakeside or riverbed to experience the variety of stone. Colors, patterns, finishes and textures beyond imagination – all available for the walkways of your home.

Natural stone can be affordable. (Now we’ve really got your attention.) Today’s stone quarrying and processing technology is more efficient than ever before. Automated equipment cuts the stone in thinner slabs for less cost and, being lighter, it’s cheaper to transport. You’re the solid winner.

For the joy of you list lovers, here are ALL THE BENEFITS OF NATURAL STONE FLOOR COVERING:

• Natural stone is genuine, timeless and authentic

• Natural stone embodies beauty and rich character

• Natural stone is singular, exclusive, one-of-a-kind

• Natural stone offers variety, choice, imagination

• Natural stone has become more cost conscious

• Natural stone virtually always adds resale value

• Natural stone is ideal for radiant heat applications

Feel free to call me for more information or to ask a question.

And don’t hesitate to leave a comment here – I’d love to hear from you!

Child Safety Solutions with Window Coverings

Our children and our pets are so valuable to our lives, today I wanted to share with you some ways that we can enhance the look of your home without sacrificing the safety of your children and pets!

Hunter Douglas is committed to making window fashions safe for homes with infants, young children and pets. Below are some of the products from Hunter Douglas that are kid and pet friendly and some of the reasons that their products are safe choices.

Hunter Douglas Vignette® Modern Roman Shades are the industry's only roman shade with no exposed rear cords.

Hunter Douglas developed the first Break-Thru® Safety Tassel, which is designed to break open under pressure should a child or pet become entangled in the cord loop.

Their innovative motorized lifting system, PowerRise® with Platinum™ Technology, allows you to raise and lower window treatments with just the press of a button.

Their cordless LiteRise® system has no operating cords; it just pushes up and pulls down from the bottom. The shade or blind raises or lowers evenly to the desired position, and then holds that position, locking in automatically.

If you have children, pets or other special needs that these products could help in your home or office, please let me know and we will set a time to talk about your needs and the different options that may help improve your lifestyle!

Hunter Douglas Energy Efficient Window Fashions

Did you know that almost 5% of all energy consumed in the U.S. passes through the windows of residential homes. meaning as much as 50% of a home’s energy is lost through its windows. Hunter Douglas is the worldwide leader in creating innovative, energy-efficient window fashions that can significantly reduce this energy loss, helping you and your family to stay more comfortable, save on heating and cooling costs and contribute to protecting the environment.

Here’s how Hunter Douglas products help conserve energy:

• Insulation: Reduce heat flow (both heat loss and heat gain) through the windows.
• Solar Heat Control: Help to control solar heat (heat generated from the sun) by allowing it into your home in the winter and minimizing the amount that comes in during the summer.
• Daylighting: Enhance daylighting (the use of natural light) by diffusing and dispersing sunlight deep into a room, reducing your need for electrical lighting.

The most recent innovation from Hunter Douglas, Duette Architella honeycomb shades, takes energy conservation to a whole new level. Its patented honeycomb-within-a-honeycomb construction forms three air pockets to dramatically reduce heat flow at the window to save on both energy and heating and cooling costs.

What does that mean?

If installed in every window of every American home, Duette Architella shades have the potential to cut the country’s annual energy consumption by 2½%. This may not sound like much, but it’s the equivalent of a 33% increase in fuel mileage for all passenger cars on U.S. roads — which would save almost 450 million barrels of oil annually and reduce C02 emissions by about 200 million tons.WOW! Those are real numbers!

For more detailed “green” product information, visit the Our Products section of the Hunter Douglas website. Once you select a window fashion, click on the “Hunter Green” tab inside Product Details.

Have you used any of these products in your home? Have you seen a difference?

Kitchen Backsplash Design Ideas

The full backsplash is often forgotten because people think they have the backsplash covered with the 4″ splash that generally accompanies the countertop. A tile backsplash not only serves the functional purpose of protecting the wall, but it also serves as a design element that can tie your whole kitchen together. Why not do all you can to decorate with your backsplash in addition to using it for wall protection?

In this kitchen example, Dal Tile does a great job of coordinating the floor tile with the wall tile. The floor tile and the wall tile are actually from the same collection, they are just different sizes used in different patterns. Note that the floor is one pattern while the field of the backsplash is another pattern with the accent behind the stove an additional pattern.

Let’s focus on the accent design behind the cook top. Dal has used a few simple elements to create a dramatic and stylish focal point for this kitchen. As already mentioned, the tile used here is the same as the floor and the field tile of the backsplash, but is used in a diagonal installation in the center behind the cooktop. Taking the diagonal installation one step further, dots were placed in the intersections of the tile to coordinate with the countertop.

To make the area stand out even more, the diagonal tiles are framed with a chair rail creating dimension and depth in this area. The introduction of the additional color does a great job of drawing attention to the picture frame as well as providing a tie in to the cabinets.

To keep everything from being a solid color in the kitchen, Dal used a mosaic to create an additional border around the chair rail or picture frame. This makes the whole area behind the stove feel larger and brings in multiple additional colors that can be used for coordination of other decorative items in the kitchen such as dish towers, artwork, dishes or fabric.

This design is artful, timeless and a great example of how to use multiple tiles in multiple sizes to create a beautiful kitchen tile design.

This photo features Continental Slate Brazilian Green 18 x 18 , 12″ x 18″, 12 x 12 , 6 x 6 field tile with 4 x 12 border and Fashion Accents Antique Pewter chair rail. Modified Hopscotch (Cont. Slate) pattern shown on floor.

Experiment with tile designs using these products in our virtual room designer. Or upload your own room to see what these tiles will look like in your home!

How to Remove Gravy Stains at Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is not here yet, but we want you to be prepared before you need this advice. Don’t fret if Little Nephew Johnny spills gravy on your floors this year. Here’s some simple advice on how to remove gravy stains.

Gravy Stain Removal

Nail Polish Remover – Two types of nail polish removers are available. One type contains acetone, a dry cleaning solvent. Use the same precautions as with other dry cleaning solutions. The second type contains amyl acetate, which is used in many paint, oil, and grease (POG) removers. Many POG removers leave residues that may cause rapid soiling. When using a POG remover, always rinse the area thoroughly with a dry solvent.

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 (flourescent 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.

When in Doubt – 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

Sealing Natural Stone

Even though natural stone is very hard and strong, it can also be very porous. Because of this feature, you want to protect your natural stone investment by using a quality sealer.

If left unsealed, stains can penetrate deep into the stone. Using a sealer allows the sealer to penetrate deep into the pores of the stone, filling them so that stains cannot penetrate  those pores.

There are different types and qualities of sealers on the market. At Pierce Flooring, we recommend and use Miracle Sealants. They offer a variety of products including cleaners, color and gloss enhancers, abrasives, penetrating sealers, water based sealers, natural look sealers and one step sealers and enhancers. Everything you need to protect your stone floor, countertop or backsplash.

Keep in mind that not all sealers are the same. There are topical sealers and penetrating sealers. To get the best job, you want to use a penetrating sealer.  A penetrating sealer fills the pores of the stone so that when a stain tries to fill those pores it can’t because the sealer is already there blocking the pores.

How can you tell if you need to reseal your natural stone? Simply pour some water on your stone. If after half an hour your stone does not turn dark, then your sealer is still working.

Protecting your investment is easy. Call us today at 888-123-4567 or stop by to discuss your project so we can help you determine what product is right for you.