What kind of tile do you need for your project?
There are many types of tiles. Does it matter what you choose? What is the difference between them? Let's look at some of the more common tile types.

Quarry Tile
Quarry tile is made from clay or shales. You might think of it as the same material as brick manufacture - except this is formed into tiles. Often, quarry tiles are used in the following sizes: 6x6; 4x8; 8x8. You may also see tile in a 12x12 size. Quarry tile is very durable. 

Glazed Tiles
Glazed tiles are one type of ceramic tile that is fired in a kiln to create an almost glass-type coating. Glazed tiles are highly recommended because the coating seals the tile. This makes it waterproof and easy to clean. Any grouting used should be sealed in addition to the glazing on the tile. Be sure to look for (or make) a non-toxic grouting material for your tile floors. If you plan to implement passive solar in your home, then darker grout will absorb and hold the heat more efficiently than light colored grout. 

Ceramic Tile

• Ceramic tiles are a clay body tile that is covered in a thin glaze. Ceramic tiles are always suitable for wall use, and some also may be suitable for floor use.
  
• Ceramic tiles can be produced from wet clay that has been extruded or machined into long sections that are cut into tiles, or they can be produced from compressed dry clay dust. If a ceramic tile has been fired once, it is only suitable for wall use. If the tile has been fired twice, it can be installed on the floor.
  
• Ceramic tiles may be hand or machine made, and come in a variety of styles, sizes and thicknesses.
  

Porcelain Tile

• Porcelain tiles are a heavy, dense clay tile made of compressed clay dust and fired to extremely high temperatures. The color of a porcelain tile frequently is added to the clay itself, giving the tiles a "color through" body. If a porcelain tile were to chip, it would be less noticeable than if a colored glaze were to come off.
  
• Porcelain tiles are so dense they can be polished to a glossy surface or left matte. They can be glazed or printed with additional patterns on top of the surface.
  

Terracotta Tile
Terracotta tile is a type of floor tile that picks up the clay color from which it is made. Colors may vary from brown to orange to numerous other shades, according to the chemical composition of the clay. 

Recycled Glass Tiles
These tiles, made from post-consumer (what you recycle from household use) or post-industrial (what manufacturers recycle) glass. They are becoming extremely popular because they are Eco-friendly and use a substance that used to end up in landfills.
Since glass comes in a multitude of colors, recycled glass tile is available in a wide spectrum of shades and can be designed into all types of patterns. 

(Some excerpts are from building-your-green-home.com)

Ceramic Tile vs. Porcelain Tile

• Many ceramic tiles produced today are meant for wall tile use only. They are fired once, with a glassy glaze that is not durable for foot traffic. Ceramic tiles can be decorative, with embossed designs, dimensional handcrafted images or hand painted with a range of colors and designs.
  
• Ceramic tiles designed for floor tile use will be thicker and typically will have a textured or matte glaze finish. A ceramic floor tile also can be installed on the walls.
  
• Porcelain tiles can be used anywhere inside or outside the home. Porcelain tiles are non-porous and extremely dense, so they do not absorb water or moisture, making them perfect for showers, high-traffic floors and exterior uses as well.
  
• Porcelain tiles can be glazed in finishes to resemble leather, metal, wood and fabric but rarely have highly decorated designs. Because of the way they are made, they always are produced by machine and, therefore, have a higher rate of consistency and less variation than ceramic tiles.
  

Porcelain tiles also can be vitrified, meaning that they are manufactured and fired to high temperatures to produce a tile with extremely straight lines, square corners and high density.
Now... does that help? Or are you still mystified?

If you are shopping for carpet, you may be interested in the definition of carpet styles that are available. Yes, there really are definitions of carpet styles!! 
Carpet can be grouped into three main constructions of loop pile, cut pile, and cut and loop pile. Each of these types may be used in the home; although cut piles s most popular for residential carpet.

Carpet Loops

• Berber carpet is fashioned by weaving big, bulked-out, flecked yarns into loops, which range from small and precise to shaggy. The flecking gives the carpet visual interest. The loops in Berber carpet, which can be all one level or multi-leveled, create many of its most important characteristics. The loops make the carpet durable, provide softness and comfort, are resilient to crushing, add to its visual interest, hide vacuum marks and footprints, and make the carpet a better insulator. The loops can be sculpted or cut into basket weave, herringbone and ribbed patterns, or uniform across the surface.

Materials
Today American Berber carpet is made of wool and a variety of other fibers including silk, nylon, olefin and PET, which is a material made of recycled plastic bottles. The term Berber refers to the weave of the carpet, not the material from which it is made. American Berber is machine-made. Nylon and wool Berbers are the best quality, easiest to clean and most long-wearing. Wool is a natural fiber that is resistant to the growth of bacteria. Olefin and PET carpets are less expensive than other materials, but they do not last as long and they are more difficult to keep clean. They are also likely to crush more easily and are not as comfortable underfoot. 

Buying Berber Carpet

• The most important factor to consider when buying Berber carpet is material. Wool and nylon Berber is much higher quality than olefin or PET. It will look better longer and last longer. Berber carpet comes in a huge range of colors and loop patterns, so you will probably be able to find what you want in any material.

Loop Pile Carpet

• All carpet actually begins as a loop pile and the loops are cut during manufacturing to provide the cut pile appearance. As the name implies, cut and loops are a combination of cut loops and uncut loops to provide texture or patterns. Most cut and loops are primarily cut piles with some loops left uncut for patterns; although a few styles utilize the opposite effect.
  

Cut Pile Carpet
Cut pile constructions can be used in both residential and commercial carpet installations. However, cut piles are used far more widely in residential applications and comprise the largest share of the residential market. There are numerous subcategories of cut pile carpet. Each category provides a different appearance or finished look. The following categories of cut pile can be found when shopping for residential carpet.


Saxony Carpet

• This is a cut pile carpet in which two or more plies of yarn have been twisted and heat-set so that the tip of each carpet tuft is distinguishable on the pile surface. Saxonies have the tendency to show footprints and vacuum cleaner sweeper marks. This is based in light reflection of the fiber when pile direction is changed. When brushed in one direction, the pile may assume a darker hue, while adjacent yarns brushed in the opposite direction may present a lighter hue. When viewed in the opposite direction, color hues of darker areas will appear lighter. This is not a defect of any kind, but merely a characteristic of this carpet construction.
  

Plush 

• Sometimes called velvet because of the velvet or velour appearance obtained by using staple yarn (see fiber) and high-density construction. Plushes provide a more formal appearance than other cut pile constructions. They are subject to revealing vacuum cleaner sweeper marks and footprints due to light reflection similar to a saxony. Delustred (non-shiny) yarns may reduce this shade variation. Plushes tend to be more subject to pile reversal or water marking. Water marking is the result of permanent pile reversal in localized areas. Watermarking provides the appearance of a wet surface in darker shaded areas. The shape of these areas may appear irregular, which reinforces the appearance of a wet area. This is considered a normal occurrence for Plushes and is not considered a manufacturing defect. The occurrence of water marking may be a result of local conditions or other unknown causes. In previous examinations, products that have been replaced with similar problems develop watermarking in the same areas, suggesting local influences.
  

Textured 

• Textured cut piles also may be called “trackless”, “foot-print free”, “stuffer-box”, and mistakenly, “frieze carpet”. These names describe the tendency of this construction to show fewer footprints and sweeper marks than other cut pile constructions. It should be noted that no cut pile can be classified as being completely free of shading. These constructions are obtained by stuffing yarn into a steam box (stuffer box) and providing a kinked or curled yarn. The fiber is exposed to live steam to set yarn memory in this curled position. This curling of the fiber reduces light reflectance, thus reducing the appearance of footprints. Generally, when viewing a texture from the top, kinked yarns may provide a two-tone effect as a result of shade variations from reflected light.
  

Frieze Carpet

• A true frieze carpet is similar to a texture in that footprints and vacuum cleaner marks are disguised. The textured appearance is acquired by placeing a high twist level on the plied yarns (see fiber). This high twist level causes the tuft to twist back upon itself providing a kinked appearance. In general terms, higher twist levels provide enhanced performance characteristics, when compared to lower twist products with the same construction attributes. True frieze carpet styles tend to be more costly because of higher costs of production and they may not provide the same perceived value as lower twist, textured products.
  

While other cut pile categories exist, these constitute the most popular styles of residential carpet. These include shag carpet – a low density, high pile height product popular during the 1970s. This construction tends to increase and decrease in popularity depending upon design trends. Also, multi-level cut piles, sometimes called carved saxonies, utilize higher and lower cuts to form patterns.

I know this is a very long post-- but there are a lot of terms being misused out there and it can make things confusing as a shopper!  Hope you find it helpful!

Flooring 101- Which floor covering is right for me?
This is the million dollar question and it seems like there are nearly that many “correct” answers!
Here are a few things to consider when trying to make your choice of what surface to use in your home.

• Do you want soft-surface flooring like carpet or hard-surface like laminate, vinyl or hardwood?  Sometimes this is an easy answer based on which room the floor covering is going in. Be aware that hardwood is not recommended in areas of humidity, potential for puddling, or basements.
• How long will you be in this home? If you plan to be in the house for longer than 5 years-look at the best quality floor covering you can afford. No floor covering is indestructible and knowing the life of the product you are buying will save you frustration when you have to replace an inexpensive product.
• Do you have children or pets? We often work with young families who are looking for inexpensive carpet for playrooms, bedrooms and family rooms. The average life of carpet can be anywhere from 3-12 years, mostly depending on quality of carpet and upkeep. Daily vacuuming can do wonders for the longevity of carpet!
• Are you the type of person who sees minor imperfections in a floor and is bothered by them? Sometimes it’s the little things that bug the heck out of us that can be a deciding factor in floor covering. Some people can’t stand to see scratches on their wood floors or are bothering by contraction gaps that can occur in the winter. Some people are               bothered by the “sound” that a laminate floor makes versus the hardwood walk. Does anyone else know a person who vacuums themselves out of the house because they can’t stand to see footprints in the carpet? Sigh....it’s all about knowing what is important to you! 
• Is your flooring choice determined solely on price? For many consumers, price is a big factor. Start with deciding how much you can afford for the project. Then research what is available to you to achieve the look you want. If you want hardwood floors but can’t afford it, look at “wood” options in laminate, vinyl and even tile! Be open to new ideas on how to achieve a similar look.

Congratulations if you know exactly what type of floor covering you want--You are on your way to taking the next step of choosing the actual product! Next week we’ll talk about pros and cons to different types of floors. Have a safe and fun holiday weekend!

Installing new carpet in your modular office space can be a breeze.Instead of the normal 12’ commercial broadloom carpet, install modular carpet tiles and leave your office systems in place!
Most medium to large offices have  Workstations, Cubicles, or Modular Office Furniture systems. Office systems are usually comprised of 3 panel systems or modular walls and shelving. When the time comes for remodeling your offices, disassembling these systems can be the source of much anxiety and many headaches.

Based on your carpet selection, you can approach your office remodel two ways.

The first is using broadloom goods.  The office is disassembled and moved to another location. Then we remove all flooring and install the new broadloom carpet. In a medium size office, this process will take a few days to disassemble, a couple of days to remove and install new flooring and another few days after that to reassemble the office furniture.Of course this is dependent upon the square footage of your particular project. While broadloom carpet tends to have a lower cost per square foot, the negative side is that this process causes a major disruption for the employees, who experience down time, and often have relocation connectivity problems.

The second option employs using a furniture “Lift System” that we own and installing modular carpet tiles.
In this process all office furniture systems stay in place.  All items that sit on the floor including waste baskets, computer towers, etc. are collected by employees and moved to their desktop leaving the floor free from objects.  
The installation is done in phases, working about 150 to 200 square yards per night.
We simply “lift” a section of your existing office systems furniture, remove the old carpet and place the carpet tile beneath. No moving, packing or disconnecting existing data or electrical wires that reside within the furniture system. The day before installing, we place cards on employee desks in the area we’ll be working, so they have time to get items off their floor area.
We have used the “lift system” in call centers, banks and office remodel projects. Carpet tile on average, is more expensive per square foot, than commercial broadloom carpet. However, when you factor in down-time, managing the displacement of employees, and the longevity of carpet tile --it leads us to conclude this method has many advantages. 
The summary of benefits of using a “Lift System” ---

• 25% - 40 % savings over traditional broadloom replacement.
• No additional space requirement - No ‘swing space’ required to warehouse displace workers.
• Minimal lost productivity — Computers, telephones and electronic/electrical operating systems are not disturbed.
• Work routine not disturbed — personal effects and work routine remain undisturbed.
• Work efficiency and moral increase — impact of new carpeting on appearance of the space has   positive impact on workers perceptions of their work environment.

If you are considering a remodel project for your office environment we are always glad to take a look at your
project and provide an estimate for either method you choose!

Here's a subject near and dear to my heart...BUY LOCAL.

As the last, independent, locally owned, retail flooring store still in business located on a mainstream highway that used to be home to at least four other carpet or tile retail stores--- 
I'd like to take a minute to ask consumers to consider giving their local businesses the opportunity to get their sale.

Here's why. If you don't help support local businesses, they will no longer exist.

Just like small grocery stores, independent pharmacies and clothing stores, sporting goods and hardware stores, flooring stores find themselves in a constant battle against the Big Box stores who run unrealistic "specials" to drive consumers into their store. 

Make no mistake that this is a tactic. 

The bottom line is equally important to Big Box stores and they find a way to make back what is given away in such "specials". It may be the carpet style that is available in this special is so cheap most people don't want it and end up "up-grading" to a higher priced carpet. It may be they make it up by charging for every single nail and tack strip used or over priced padding. Or the consumer pays trip charges, delivery charges and paying for an in-home
measure. And on...and on. 

When we have provided estimates for flooring against Big Box stores, and many times people are surprised with the results. 

If you want locally owned, Mom and Pop stores in your community..give them the chance to get the sale!
We know that consumers are shopping for the best deal. In this economy there aren't many who aren't trying to 
make good choices with their money. 

We don't run specials, we don't mark up inventory every other week, we don't charge for necessary items like nails and tack strip. We provide an on site measure (within 20 miles of GR) at no cost, we provide a drawing if you have multiple rooms, you receive an estimate that spells out the costs, we track your order, we genuinely like working with people on their projects and our customers benefit from our years of experience. 

In contrast to the Big Box stores, we know our installers. In fact, we often find ourselves sitting across from
them at Sunday dinners! The 8 primary vendors that we buy our materials through are local. We make a conscious 
effort to also support other local business.   

Here's something to think about...Grand Rapids Local First commissioned a study on how locally spent dollars effect the community. According to research firm Civic Economics, when West Michigan consumers choose a locally owned business over a non-local alternative, $73 of every $100 spent stays in the community. 
By contrast, only $43 of every $100 spent at a non-locally owned business remains in the community.

Interesting isn't it? I think sometimes we forget that little changes can have surprising impact.

"The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live." ~Flora Whittemore

Alright, I'll get off my soapbox...but I want to encourage you the reader, wherever you may be - to support your local business community. It will make a difference!

We have ideas of subjects to cover in this blog...but wondered if YOU have any flooring projects, ideas, DIY questions that you are looking for another opinion on?
When you've been in the flooring business as long as we have, odds are good that we've come across a similar situation. 

Let us know what flooring interests you have!