New Carpet! Buy Today

If you are in the market for carpet or any other type of flooring, You are in luck!
The retail flooring business is stagnant at best, foot traffic is down and attitudes are suffering. Many retail sales people are struggling to survive. They are much more willing to negotiate right now, which makes it a great opportunity to purchase new flooring. Prices now could never be cheaper. There is essentially to much supply, but not enough demand. It is truly a buyers market. In the coming months, prices are going to remain stable, due to anticipation of the fall season. If retail traffic improves, you may find it more difficult to negotiate. When that happens the demand will grow and cause prices to climb. As consumer confidence grows, the market should find its equilibrium point, where supply equals demand. Labor is cheap now too. Many contractors are cutting rates just to put food on the table. Just remember to do one thing. Shop smart and know the products as well as its limitations. You can have a direct impact on the economy, by purchasing today!
Good Luck,
The Floor Man

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Solid Vs. Engineered Hardwood. Which is better?

In this article I will cover the difference between engineered and solid wood flooring. I often get asked; is engineered hardwood actually real wood? The answer to that question is: Yes! There are some who think that engineered wood is inferior to its solid counterpart. Solid wood has its benefits, however it is not necessarily better than engineered. Actually, the opposite just may be true. Engineered hardwood has a cross-plywood construction, with a solid wood veneer laminated to the top. Solid hardwood is just that, solid. Both styles range in thickness from 5/16 to 3/4 inch. Both types of floors come prefinished or unfinished and come in a variety of widths and styles. There are several benefits to engineered hardwood. Here are just a few. Engineered hardwood is more dimensionally stable than solid wood flooring. Engineered floors can be glued down directly to concrete, floated or stapled. They can be installed above, on, or below grade. Engineered floors are less prone to cupping

Urethane vs. Acrylic adhesives

If you are about to install engineered hardwood using the glue down method, I recommend that you read this article. One of the most important factors when installing engineered hardwood is the adhesive. Using the proper adhesive is critical to a successful installation. In this article I will briefly cover the differences between Acrylic and Urethane based adhesives. Let me start with acrylic adhesives. Acrylic adhesives are resin based and contain a certain percentage of water in them. The main problem with resin based adhesives, is the lack of tensile strength. In order for Acrylic adhesives to perform at their optimal level, the sub-floor needs to be well prepared and extremely flat. If the sub-floor is not level and flat and you choose to use an acrylic adhesive, I guarantee you will have hollow spots once the job is complete. Hollow spots are areas in which the wood floor is not adhered properly to the substrate. This problem is common and can be recognized by a popping or hollow

The Valinge Locking System

If you are looking to purchase a new laminate or hardwood floor and you plan on doing it yourself, then I recommend buying Robina. Robina laminate and hardwood, both feature the Valinge locking system. This locking system is the best on the market today and is the easiest laminate/wood floor to install ever. Valinge produces a 2G and a 5G locking mechanism. The 5G versions are used on all 12mm laminates and all 1/2" wood products. The 2G systems are used on 8.3mm laminates and 3/8" wood products. The main difference between the 2G and the 5G is that the 5G products has a plastic clip on the end of the boards, the 2G does not. However, both locking systems work identically. The big advantage Valinge has against its competition is that there is no need for a tapping block or hammer. This product drops and locks right into place with no beating or banging. The Unilin system requires a tapping block and hammer (which could damage the floor) and is more difficult to install. The V

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