Chances are that you've heard all about vinyl flooring in your recent floor shopping escapades. With vinyl becoming the fasting growing flooring segment, manufacturers and distributors are working hard to expand product lines, innovate with new technologies and offer durability & stability that has never been possible in a floor before. There is just 1 problem---there are multiple subcategories of vinyl flooring that most people don't understand! Below we will explain a few terms and product types that you will definitely run into when shopping for you next floor!

LVT/LVP - Luxury Vinyl (Tile/Plank) is mostly made out of PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) with a digital print of wood or tile grain on top for excellent visuals. A wear layer sits on top of the digital print to increase durability. This isn't the most stable option in the luxury vinyl segment, but can often be found with one or more layers of fibreglass to minimize expansion / contraction. 

WPC - Wood Plastic Composite is an engineered flooring under the luxury vinyl umbrella. Its core consists of wood pulp and plastic agents that are adhered to create a stable and durable product. On top of that core you will find a vinyl top layer for comfort, a digital print for visuals and wear layer coating for scratch and dent resistance. This type of product is generally superior to a standard LVT/LVP.

SPC - Stone Plastic Composite is also an engineered flooring in the realm of luxury vinyl. As its name suggests, its core consists of stone material, such as limestone, as well as other synthetic agents to provide extreme stability. This type of product is generally thinner than its WPC counterpart, but the main drawback is that it will be slightly colder and less comfortable (imagine walking on stone vs. wood). 

Terms to aware of:

Loose Lay: A loose lay vinyl is a type of product that requires no nailing, gluing or even clicking together. You simply start your install right up against your wall and lay each plank tight with the next. Be careful not to leave any gaps, or you will have a lot of movement within your floor!

Glue-Down: A glue down vinyl system means that you MUST full spread glue the material to your subfloor. Follow the manufacturers guidelines to trowel your specific adhesive to the subfloor and then lay your vinyl in your desired pattern. 

Click: A Click system vinyl product is exactly that... click in place! Each piece floats on top of an underpad on your subfloor and fits together to the previous piece like a puzzle. Be sure to leave a perimeter expansion gap of at least 3/8".

Carpeting in the home hit a bit of a downturn several years back, while hard-surface flooring like hardwood, engineered, laminate and even vinyl grew in popularity and use. Many experts, however, believe that carpet may be back on the rise---within the last few months alone, we've seen an increase in our carpet installations throughout bedrooms, staircases, basements and even some living areas! There are several pros of using carpet in your home rather than hard surface flooring; read below to learn more!

1. Carpet is comfortable:
When thinking about a flooring surface that is easy to walk on with the most amount of comfort, carpet is the best way to go. A high quality underpad paired with a dense pile carpet provides comfort that will last for years to come.

2. Carpet is warm: 
Especially through the cold winters in Canada, you'll be thankful that you chose carpet! Carpet and underpad provide the most warmth and insulation, especially in a cool basement. Plus, it's always nice stepping out of bed in the morning to a warm, soft carpet!

3. Carpet is cost-efficient:
Carpeting is one of the most cost-efficient ways of changing the flooring in your home. Costs range on average from 2.50 - 4.50 per square foot, which includes the underpad and installation, whereas hardwood will average around 7.50 - 10.00 installed and laminate will average between 3.75 - 5.50 installed.

4. Carpet is stylish:
The advances made in printing and dyeing allow for intricate carpet patterns, colours and designs to suit the style of all homes. Plus, new textures add a modern touch to certain products, while maintaining durability and longevity at the same time. 

5. Carpet is safe:
Carpet is the safest form of flooring, offering unmatched cushion and anti-slip properties. This makes it ideal for households with children, pets and seniors that could be more prone to falling or tripping. Just make sure to also choose a product with great stain warranties!

Need more info? Visit our showroom today or call us at (905) 873-7955.

With room sizes becoming larger and larger in new build homes, our clients often find themselves in our showroom looking for oversized rugs in non-standard sizes. Although we do offer rugs as large as 10' x 14' in standard collections, sometimes that just isn't large enough. For example, one client wanted a rug large enough to go underneath all of her furniture in her great room in order to tie the entire room together--the necessary area rug size was 13' x 20' ! This is where our custom rug collection comes in. Tuftex Carpets of California and Stanton Custom Carpets and Runners offer a plethora of designs, styles and colours of custom rug options-- all you need to do is measure your ideal size (we can help you with this), choose a pattern that works with your room theme and then choose your complimentary colours! This way of selecting rugs offers almost endless possibilities in design and colour without limiting you to certain sizes. 

We often hear that clients are concerned that "custom" means big $$$. That is certainly not the case! Although the custom offerings by Stanton and Tuftex can sometimes be more than our standard area rug collections (depending on size) they're also often the same or less in pricing! Please feel free to visit our showroom so that we can walk you through some of these options--you'll also have the option to bring some samples home to view them in your own home! If you have any other questions about our rug or custom rug programs, please email us at 1carpetpalace@gmail.com or call us at (905) 873-7955. 

With new technologies in flooring being introduced every year, there's a reason why laminate flooring is still a very popular option for a lot of households. When you're looking for a floor covering that is cost-effective, extremely durable and easy to install (very little mess, no glue, no nails) laminate flooring should be one of the first products you think of. Listed below are the reasons we recommend laminate flooring to our customers!

1. Cost-Effective - still one of the least expensive flooring options available.

2. Easy to DIY - it's as easy as clicking one piece into the next--no nails & no glue.

3. Scratch Resistant - hard to penetrate top layer performs great against kids and pets.

4. Dent Resistant - resists denting more than hardwood.

5. Authentic Looks - nowadays it's often impossible to see the visual difference between laminate & hardwood.

Have any more questions about laminate flooring, or any other type of floor covering? Feel free to contact us! Otherwise, come visit our showroom to view our hundreds of laminate flooring options available every day. 

A lot of people struggle with choosing area rugs for different rooms in their homes. Let some of our tips guide you into making the right selection!

1. Size: Don't go too big or too small. The rug must be large enough to anchor your furniture and to bring the room together into a comfortable and uniform space. However, a lot of people make the mistake of going too large--they cover nearly all of their flooring and make the rug the most noticeable part of the room. Others make the mistake of going too small--you don't want the rug to get lost under all of your furniture and become irrelevant in the space. 

2. Colour: It's important to consider colour while making an area rug purchase. Neutral colours work well if you plan on changing your decor often, but don't want to invest in new rugs every couple of years. Rugs with neutral tones also work well if you are already using a variety of colours in your decor and design elements in your rooms. Neutral tones consist of whites, greys, blacks, taupes, creams, greys, etc. Colourful rugs (blues, reds, greens, etc.) work great to give your room an accent colour. Colourful rugs are also great if you want them to act as focal points or conversation pieces.

3. Pattern: Choose a pattern that fits with the style of your room: are you looking for a modern style? Try a zig-zag or herringbone pattern. Do more traditional styles suit you? Try a floral pattern with an ornate border. It's important not to incorporate too many patterns into your room--it can quickly become an eye-sore and look far too busy and overwhelming. Ask us if you need an opinion!

4. Underpad: Use an underpad! We cannot stress this enough. There are several benefits to using a good underpad with your area rug. Firstly, underpad can protect your hard surface flooring. Often, the backing of an area rug can be rough and textured and if consistently rubbed against a floor, can cause wear-and-tear. Secondly, area rug underpad protects the backing of you carpet--your entire rug is basically held together by the backing of the rug and an underpad protects that backing, allowing the rug to last longer. Thirdly, comfort! Underpad creates another level of comfort to your area rug. Depending on the type of underpad you select, an underpad can add some cushion to your rug. Lastly, area rug underpad is made to stop your rug from moving around. You want to ensure that your rug stays in the spot that you need it to stay--the rubber backing of an underpad will provide that benefit. 

Got more questions? Feel free to ask us!

Most people don't know that the number one request from homeowners and tenants for potential homes is hardwood flooring. There are several reasons for this demand, such as the timeless beauty in hardwood flooring, the durability in most species, the ability to refinish and spruce up existing hardwood floors and even the overall warmth factor. Since hardwood flooring is an investment in your home, it's important to choose a great quality flooring that is going to last over many years to come without looking drab or worn out over a longer period of time. We recommend Canadian manufactured hardwoods or engineered hardwoods that are properly processed, manufactured, dried and milled for the Canadian climate. Some of the top brands include Superior Hardwood, Mirage Hardwood Floors, Vintage Hardwood Flooring, Antique Impressions and more--we carry them all!

Hardwood flooring is not the only floor covering that can offer increased value in your home; porcelain tiles and natural stone also offer incredible durability, potentially easy maintenance and a very rich look. With the proper installation services and regular maintenance you are sure to have flooring that will last you years. Look for brands such as Sarana, Olympia, Ceratec and more for lasting beauty!

Visit our showroom to get an idea of all of the different types of flooring, new technologies, trendy styles and patterns and newest colours available in the market!

There are a number of common concerns regarding nearly every type of flooring in the marketplace; tiles and stone are too cold and uncomfortable-- hardwood flooring scratches too easily-- carpet is hard to keep clean-- laminate flooring ruins with water-- these are the most common concerns we hear every single day and that is why we continue to point our customers in a more technologically advanced direction. Consider TORLYS Everwood & Evertile when you start shopping for flooring in your home. It really is "The Ultimate Flooring"...

1. It is Waterproof - Neither the core or the top layer can be damaged/altered by water. 
2. It is Warm - The cork underlay attached to the product makes it warm to the touch, even when the room is cold.
3. It is Durable - The ultra-thick wear layer is designed for commercial use. 
4. It is Quiet - The attached cork underlay allows the room it is installed in as well as the room below to remain quiet.
5. It is Dent-Resistant - The high-density core and top layer resist wear-and-tear damage.
6. It is Easy to Maintain - Spills and messes are easily wiped up with a damp mop -- stains don't easily penetrate. 

TORLYS Everwood & Evertile is built tough for kitchens, bathrooms and basements while also being beautiful and comfortable for living rooms and bedrooms -- Plus, it's easy to install -- it just clicks together and floats on top of your subfloor (for all you DIYers). 

Before we start talking about the benefits of engineered hardwood flooring versus solid hardwood flooring, lets talk about what the difference is between the two popular flooring options. Solid hardwood flooring is a 100% natural product made only of the wood material and the finishing products (stain/varnish/oils/etc.). Engineered hardwood flooring consists of 2 or more layers that are adhered together with incredibly strong adhesives. The top layer is called the "wear-layer" and is made of wood veneer. The following layers (anywhere from 2-9) can be made up of plywood, HDF (high density fibreboard), softwood or even more layers of hardwood. The bonding of these layers under extreme pressure make for an incredibly dimensionally stable product. That means that engineered hardwood flooring will respond less to changes in temperature and changes in humidity levels, whereas solid hardwood flooring is more likely to change with the temperature/humidity. With our Canadian climate where we can have extremely dry winters and painfully humid summers, solid flooring--especially with wide planks--tends to expand and contract if the relative humidity in the installed area is not regulated somewhere between 35-55%.  This can cause buckling in the floor during summer months and gapping in the floors during winter months. Relative humidity for specialty engineered products can be a lot more broad, ranging anywhere from 20%-85% (depending on the product/brand). If you don't want to be worrying about regulating your relative humidity strictly from month to month engineered hardwood flooring is for you.

With that being said, there are ways to make sure your solid flooring stays in perfect condition. First of all, the flooring must be installed in the correct manner with an expansion gap around the entire perimeter (as recommended by the manufacturer). Most importantly during and after installation is to make sure that you are using your heating and air conditioning properly when needed. Just as important is ensuring that you have a properly functioning humidifier in the winter and dehumidifier in the summer. This will add/subtract moisture as needed to regulate the relative humidity. Furthermore, you can make sure that your cleaning processes are not adding too much moisture to the floor--no wet mops or soaking of the flooring whatsoever. All of these points go for engineered hardwood as well!

The greatest part about engineered hardwood flooring is that once it's installed, it's impossible to tell whether it is solid or engineered until a piece is removed--the top layer is real wood! You get the beautiful look and feel of solid hardwood, but with less denting, less expansion, less contraction and much more dimensional stability--and at all price-points so it won't break the bank!

Have any more questions about solid or engineered hardwood flooring? Contact us!