What is the Difference between Engineered Hardwood and Laminate Fooring?

There are many differrent types of wood flooring, with the main three categories being full hardwood, engineered hardwood and laminate flooring.  While full hardwood is pretty self explainitory, consumers can get a bit confused by the other two types of flooring.

Laminate flooring is a multi-layer synthetic flooring product, designed to imitate the appearance of real wood. The core layer of laminate flooring is manufactured primarily from melamine resin and fiber board material with the top layer imprinted with a textured image made to look like real wood.

Engineered hardwood flooring is a type of wood floor that consists of several wood or plywood layers. Bottom and middle layers are manufactured from cross-laid solid wood or plywood planks with a top layer consisting of a solid sawn wood, often stained and prefinished.

In essence, while solid or engineered hardwood flooring is manufactured from real wood and preserves the unique textured grain and appearance of natural wood, laminate flooring is only an imitation.

Although in appearance some high quality laminate floors may look like real wood, repetition is unavoidable, as uniqueness of an authentic wood is impossible to replicate.

In deciding which type of flooring to invest in, you need to look at the amount of traffic, the type of room and your budget when deciding between laminate and engineered hardwood.

If there is any moisture that is consistenty present, like in an entryway, you may want to consider engineered wood over laminate.  Laminate does not stand up well to moisture and can swell and shrink, leaving gaps in your flooring.

Come into our showroom and see the different possible flooring available for your home or office.  Our experts will talk you through what your needs are and show you the many options that you can choose from – and even give you samples to take home and try out!  We are here to help you make the right decision for your space and for your budget.  We look forward to seeing you!  Stop by the showroom at 451 Park Ave in Scotch Plains or give us a call on 908-464-2653.

Should I Refinish or Replace My Wood Floors?

This is a question that we get asked many times!  We actually answer this question by asking more questions!  Has your solid wood floor lost its luster? Does it lack a good shine? Is the wood floor finish worn?  Is the damage shallow? Or do the scratches go deep into the wood?

At Sparkle Floors and Carpet, we specialize in determining if your floors need to be refinished or replaced.   We do an inspection to make sure the wood is solid and determine if repairs are needed or if it is necessary to replace the entire floor.

We will look for the following:

1. Water Damage
2. Chips
3. Dents
4. Deep Scratches – exposed wood
5. Wear marks – scuffed, dulled patches of wood
6. Warping
7. Cracking

According to the National Wood Flooring Association, “….preserving hardwood floors makes economic sense because they can last for hundreds of years.”

Please give us a call to come out and assess your wood floors.  Our experts will determine if you need to refinish your current floor, or if new flooring is warranted.

We have ‘dustless’ machines, so you can remain at home during the work if you choose. When we have completed the work, we clean and put everything back into place.

We want to take  your floors back to their former glory!  Give us a call to book  your free, no obligation quote.  Call today on 908-464-2653.  We look forward to hearing from you!

Wood Trends

It’s very common to see hard wood floors in kitchens and bathrooms. This is the “great room concept”, where hard wood is a consistent part of the flooring plans. Hard woods are being spread all thru out the house, from room to room. This trend has caught on and is spreading. Designers are always having new conversations about placing wood in the kitchens.

Laminate flooring is quite popular today. It is another route to wood-like finishes or appearances. What exactly is laminate? Laminate floor is made of pressed wood. The top of it looks like real wood because it is actually a picture or photo that is covered in a clear “wear layer”. Laminate is nice to use because it can create structural stability. Which is good because there is less movement in the floor. Most important laminate is less expensive, which saves a lot of money on the budget and pocket.

Wishing You Happiness In 2018

We hope that everyone  had a great holiday season and that you are ready for all the new possibilities that 2018 has to offer. Now that the holidays have come and gone, it is time to settle down and get ready for new ideas, new business and much success.

We would like to say “thank you” to everyone on our team, and extend a heartfelt “thank you” to our customers. We appreciate the dedication of all our employees and support staff and we are so “thankful” for the continued patronage of all our customers, large and small.

Our business last year was wonderful. We have future  plans and many expectations to have an even greater year for 2018. We are making plans to serve our customers better, by offering more choices. We are making these changes because we value our customers. We remain committed to always improving and always making you happy. All of our staff, customers and clients help contribute to our successful enterprise.

We take pride in our success. We have had achievements that we can be proud of from last year, 2017. Our success is due to daily, weekly, monthly and yearly hard work, great customer service, repeat business, and referrals.

We want to thank each and every one of you, for a very successful year. We could not have achieved any success without. We are a team. You are what makes our business successful. We strive to keep you, your family and friends coming back year after year.

We look forward to seeing you in 2018!

Eat Healthy for the Holidays

Lets entertain a little healthier this holiday season. It’s really easy and quite simple to do.  Every year we say “we’re gonna do it”. It does take a little planning and some creativity. It will be fun and so entertaining for you, your family and friends.

This year, get rid of all the refined sugar, sugar filled and over processed foods, snacks, and treats. It’s not hard to make this holiday healthy, fun, nutritious and delicious.

The Benefits of “Low-Pile” Carpet

Most aspects of life tend to have “trends” that come and go over time.  Given enough time, they often come back into fashion.  This is true for everything from the brand of fashionable handbags to the width of the bottom of pants – think bellbottoms.  And flooring is not much different: vinyl, tile, hardwood, etc. have all come in and out of vogue.

But carpet is the one flooring type that seems to never go out of style!  It has been one of the most popular forms of flooring on a near continuous basis since it was invented in 1791.  It is soft to walk on and comes in various colors, styles and colors.  It can add beauty and color continuity to a room and easily impress people in your home and business alike.  There are many types of carpets: deep pile, low pile, cut loop pile, woven etc.

Pile refers to the fabric loops of your carpeting—the soft surface that’s made carpet so popular and enduring. If a carpet is called “high pile,” it means the fibers are taller and looser.  Low pile carpeting, on the other hand, has shorter carpet fibers and tighter loops.  They style that has stayed in the highest demand over time and the focus of this article is the low pile variety.

The style that has continuously stayed in high demand and is the focus of this article is called “low-pile” carpet.  Some of the benefits of low pile are: easy maintenance, easier on indoor allergies and more “kid friendly” than high pile and other types of carpet.

Easy maintenance:

Low pile carpets have a smoother surface as compared other varieties and this leads to easier maintenance.  Your vacuum cleaner will be more effective and efficient as the short length of the fibers allow for less of a place of dirt and grime to hide.  The tight weave prevents from staining to occur as often.

Great for children’s bedrooms and playrooms:

Anyone with children will probably tell you that falls while “rough-housing” are bound to happen more often than not.  Harder surfaces such as wood and tile can lead to nasty bruises or worse.  Carpet along with a proper padding can soften your kid’s landings and the soft texture of low pile help to limit those painful “rug burns”.

At the end of the day, it’s all about use and personal taste when it comes to selecting the type of carpet for your needs.  Please come and visit our showroom at 451 Park Avenue in Scotch Plains and let our staff of flooring specialists answer all your questions!

Deciding Flooring Type Based on the Space’s Purpose

There are always many questions when a client begins to look at what type of flooring they should use in a particular room.

The first question I like to ask is, what will the room be used for?   This will help guide the selection process.  If the room is being used for a family room where children and pets will be playing, then the flooring needs to be durable and able to stand up to a lot of activity and dirt!

In this case, a hardwood floor would be a possibility, providing lots of durability and it is easy to clean.

However, if the room has a more formal use, then it might be time to look at a variety of carpets.  For a really formal room, there are carpets with patterns and borders that really make a room look and feel “top of the line.”

At the end of the day, its all about use and personal taste when it comes to selecting flooring.  Please come and visit our showroom at 451 Park Avenue in Scotch Plains and get all your flooring questions answered!

Going “Green” With Wood Flooring

When selecting flooring for your home, there are many choices to be made and criteria to consider.  But how often does environmental impact come into play when deciding what flooring to use to replace the carpet in the family room with or what to put in that new home construction?  The answer may surprise you!

It turns out that different flooring types and their production have a wide range of varying impacts on the planet.  So, just like the decision on whether to install solar panels on your roof, what you put on the floors of your home can have a big impact on your home’s carbon foot print.  And while it may sound counter-intuitive to many, wood flooring maybe the way to go when it concerns the environment!  This is a result of two main factors: how the flooring is produced and the renewability and sustainability of wood.

The production of most popular flooring materials, such as vinyl and carpet, can involve the use inorganic and often toxic materials.  The processes also creates large amounts of Carbon Dioxide, the most abundant green-house gas on the planet.  According to a study by the University of Wisconsin, wood is actually a carbon-neutral material.  And wood flooring actually uses LESS water and energy to produce than other flooring options.  Once the product has reached the end of its life cycle, it is far easier to recycle or reuse wood flooring compared to other popular options.

The other thing to consider is the availability, sustainability and renewable of the material.  And this is where wood flooring really is a much better option than many people might initially think.  Here are a few statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service.

• Average annual net growth for hardwoods is greater than average annual removals.
• Harvesting trees has minimal environmental impact. For every acre harvested, 1.66 are regrown.
• Standing US hardwood volume is currently about 328 billion cubic feet.

And since wood floors can last for hundreds of years, they do not need to be replaced nearly as often as other flooring options.

If you wish to do any additional research on your own, the National Wood Flooring Association would be a great place to start.  And as always, the professionals at Sparkle Flooring are here to provide their expertise in choosing and installing the flooring option that best meets your needs and requirements.

Ceramic Tile That Resembles Other Traditional Flooring

For many years, hardwood was considered one of the best options for creating a beautiful floor in a home.  However, technology has given us many other options!

One of the hottest trends in the flooring industry is the production of porcelain tile that looks like natural wood.  Because it is manufactured and not grown, the consumer is not limited to traditional sizes.  And, thanks to advancements in technology and the manufacturing process, ceramic “wood” tile contains a level of detail that was not previously possible.  It is now possible to mirror the look and feel of a hand scraped wooden floor!

We carry several different manufacture’s in the area of ceramic “wood” tiles that were designed with the focus on performance and durability as well as how they look.  This type of flooring is appropriate for both residential and commercial applications, and thanks to the sophistication of the manufacturing techniques they are extremely durable.

In addition to “mimicking” wood flooring, there have been new products introduced to the market place that are made to mirror other traditional flooring options.  Ceramic tiles are available in the style of stone, brick, slate and even marble!  Your home can have to look and “feel” of these traditional favorites for a fraction of the price.

If you are unsure about your next choice of flooring, please come by our showroom and look at all the possibilities.  We will work with you to determine what type of flooring will best suit your needs in particular areas of your home.

Be sure and ask us for our no-cost, no-obligation measure and quote service.  We look forward to helping you create the ultimate home environment for you and your family!  Stop by and see us at 451 Park Ave in Scotch Plains or call us on (908) 464-2653.  We look forward to hearing from you!

http://www.scarlettryanconsulting.com

Preparing for Fall

Fall is here, the leaves are falling and the air is crisp. This means that you will be spending the next few months, bundled up in your home. If your floors seem to be worn out, and have been bothering you, now is the time to make a change! Sparkle Floors and Carpet can help you with any of your flooring needs. We can review all of your options including, the installation of new flooring, cleaning of your carpets and tiles, and refinishing your wood floors.