Cut Pile Carpet for Cats

Pile type is one of the most important factors to consider when trying to choose the best carpet for cats. Every cat owner has, at some point, had to deal with their scratching at anything they can get their paws on. While they’ll commonly go for couch arms, table legs, and other pieces of furniture, it’s likely that your floors will also end up a victim. Opting for a cat-friendly carpet is integral to both your pets health and the survivability of your floors, and that starts with choosing a cut pile carpet.

Carpet fibers are finished in one of two ways: loop pile and cut pile construction. As their names suggest, loop pile fibers form a loop at the carpet surface, while cut pile carpets are trimmed so the ends are loose. When a cat scratches at a loop pile carpet, its claws are likely to snag on the looped fibers, often pulling the fibers from the carpet base, causing the surface to look uneven and leading to premature wearing. 

One way to prevent this is to opt for a carpet that has cut fibers. With no loops to grab onto, it’s less likely that your pet will be able to rip the fibers from a cut pile carpet, which will help to extend its longevity. Think of the difference between combing hair that’s full of knots compared to a smooth, well-groomed mane. Your comb will get hung up on every knot, pulling at the hair, instead of gliding smoothly through it.

And a cut pile carpet isn’t one of the best carpets for cats just because it’s more likely to endure their playing—it’s also safer for the pets themselves. In addition to being a good way to damage the carpet, clawing at looped fibers can can also hurt your pets’ paws. It’s not uncommon for a cat’s claws to get stuck in the carpet loops, which can cause them anything from minor discomfort to serious injury. So instead of a Berber or pattern carpet, try a plush or frieze style for a comfortable, cat-friendly carpet. 

High-Density Carpets

The density of a carpet greatly affects its level of comfort, with denser carpets typically offering a springier, more cushioned feel underfoot. It can also play a significant factor on the stain-resistance of the carpet by helping limit how deep a typical spill will seep into its fibers. As a pet owner, you may not catch every spill or accident your cat has on the carpet. And the longer that accident goes unnoticed, the deeper it will penetrate into the carpet backing and even the padding below.

But the denser a carpet is, the less quickly liquids tend to soak in, helping give you more time to address the mess. The extra time can help you clean up more of the accidents before they fully soak in and cause permanent stains or long-term damage. Aim for a high-density carpet to lower the risk of accidents ruining your flooring. 

Polyester Fibers

An extremely popular choice for homes with pets, polyester fibers are used in many of the best carpets for cats. Polyester fibers are non-porous, which means they won’t absorb liquids. That makes them more stain-resistant than other carpet materials, and also less likely to absorb the odors that tend to linger from a cat’s accident long after you’ve cleaned up the liquid. If you’re looking for a stain-resistant carpet for cats that is easy to maintain, polyester fibers are the way to go. 

Carpet with Darker Colors 

Of course, even with all of the best materials and technologies in place, there’s no way to completely pet-proof any carpet. Stains, whether from missing the litter box or those tiny paws tracking mud in from the yard, are an inevitability in any pet-friendly household. One simple way to mitigae their impact is to skip the white or light carpeting and instead opt for a dark-toned carpet. Dark carpets, or even multicolor carpets with a mix of dark and medium tones, can help conceal minor stains.  

Pet-Protected Carpet

In addition to seeking out each of these specific technical specifications, one easy way to ensure your floors can better stand up to life in a pet-friendly household is to choose a carpet that is specifically crafted to deal with pets and their accidents. Empire Today® offers a range of pet-protected carpet, which is specially designed to help protect against pet urine.

Carpets with PUP® (Pet Urine Protection) are built specifically to resist the penetration of pet urine. These carpets will usually also have additional protective features, like SureBlok Stain Protection for overall resistance against soiling; or Microban®, which inhibits the growth of mold, mildew, and other odor-causing bacteria. These carpet features will all help ease your worries when your cat misses the litter box, and go a long way to letting your carpet and cats peacefully coexist. 

The Bottom Line on Carpet for Cat Households 

So many pet owners think that just because they have a cat, they can’t also enjoy the comfort of carpetted floors. But you can have both, with minimal headaches, simply by choosing a cat-friendly carpet for your home. Choose a carpet style that will accommodate their habits and mitigate their occasional bad behavior, and both you and your cat will be happier in the long run. The Empire® selection of cat-friendly carpets runs the gamut of styles, so you don’t have to compromise on your design goals either. Schedule a FREE In-Home Estimate today to see a selection of carpet that would be ideal for your kitty.

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But like many of the most in-demand features in modern design, real tile or hardwood floors can be something of a budget-breaker for many homeowners. Thankfully, the abundance of high-quality alternatives means that it’s still possible to get a modern flooring look while saving some money. One of the best choices for achieving this goal is vinyl flooring. What exactly is vinyl flooring, and what makes it such a popular alternative to the real deals? Keep reading to find out.

Vinyl Flooring Types: Know the Difference

Vinyl flooring is, as its name states, a type of floor product made primarily out of the synthetic material polyvinyl chloride—better known as PVC. An incredibly versatile material, vinyl gives manufacturers the ability to mimic an endless variety of textures and styles in a durable, convenient flooring product. The wider category of vinyl flooring is separated into three subcategories: sheet vinyl, luxury vinyl tile (LVT), and luxury vinyl plank (LVP). Each type has its own unique characteristics and benefits that should be considered when choosing a vinyl floor that will best match your personal style and practical needs.

Sheet Vinyl

The most affordable of the three options, sheet vinyl is crafted in large flexible sheets that feature a repeating design. This gives sheet vinyl the look of a typical tile or hardwood floor, as well as a natural point at which to line up the seams of each vinyl sheet.

While sheet vinyl flooring is prized for its reasonable cost, it still more than holds its own when it comes to durability. Empire Today® offers some sheet vinyl products that are backed by limited lifetime warranties against fading, staining, and wear.

The biggest obstacle to a customer choosing sheet vinyl is often the unkind reputation of its predecessors. Most shoppers over a certain age will remember the linoleum flooring of yesteryear, which was a synthetic floor product known not only for being very inexpensive but also for having poor all-around quality. But thankfully, today’s sheet vinyl floors are leaps and bounds ahead of their ancestors in nearly every aspect.

One practical downside to sheet vinyl is that its large sheets don’t allow for much design customization and can limit installation orientation.

Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT)

As the name suggests, vinyl tile is a luxury option that provides the realistic look and texture of traditional ceramic, porcelain, or stone tiles. Unlike sheet vinyl—which mimics an entire floor’s worth of tiles in a single continuous sheet—each vinyl tile is a separate piece. Some LVT floor products can even be grouted to create a fully authentic tile look.

There are a few common reasons why LVT is often chosen over a traditional tile, with comfort being a popular one. Though beautiful, stone or ceramic tile floors are a very hard surface that will usually feel cold to the touch, a combo that can be uncomfortable for bedrooms or family rooms. A very hard floor can also lead to foot, back, and knee pain in rooms where you might find yourself standing for long periods of time—like the kitchen. LVT reduces both of these issues, offering a floor that feels a bit warmer underfoot while providing just enough compliance to significantly improve comfort while walking or standing.

Luxury vinyl tile floors also require less maintenance than stone or traditional tile and can often be more durable. The ultra-dense vinyl core and robust wear layer are highly resistant to scratches and scuffs, and vinyl tiles are unlikely to chip like some ceramic tiles might do when struck with a hard object. Many natural stone floor products need to be regularly treated with a sealant, as should the grouting in a typical ceramic floor. Most LVT floors are “set it and forget it,” requiring nothing more than regular cleaning for their entire lifespan.

But one of the biggest advantages LVT has over tile is that vinyl will almost always be more affordable than a similar style of porcelain or ceramic tile.

Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP)

Similar in construction to vinyl tile, luxury vinyl plank mimics hardwood flooring in style and shape. At first glance, a piece of LVP can often be indistinguishable from a plank of genuine hardwood. LVP has a realistic wood look and feel, and some models even install with similar tongue-and-groove construction.

As with the other vinyl flooring products, LVP is often chosen for its durability and low maintenance when compared to the real thing. To get even more specific, vinyl plank is prized for its water-resistant or full waterproof construction. That makes it an excellent choice for applications where genuine hardwood floors should not be installed: bathrooms, kitchens, basements, and any other spaces where exposure to water is a regular occurrence. Having LVP installed in those areas means a homeowner can still get the modern look of hardwood flooring without the downsides of wood.

And, like sheet vinyl and luxury vinyl tile, perhaps one of the biggest draws of LVP is that it offers a less expensive option that real wood floors.

How Durable is Vinyl Flooring?

Overall, even the most basic vinyl floor products offered by Empire Today® meet an impressive baseline of durability, with different products offering extra levels of protection against scratching, staining, fading, and overall wear. Many vinyl floor products in the Empire® catalog are covered by limited lifetime warranties against each of those risks.

Of course, no flooring material is totally invulnerable, and if you expect your vinyl floors to see extreme levels of traffic, it’s worth considering what happens after any damage occurs. While sheet vinyl can offer overall durability on par with LVT or LVP, it’s trickier to deal with in the event of a serious scratch or puncture. Because it’s installed as one large, seamless piece, you cannot simply replace the individual tile where the damage occurs. It may be possible to cut a matching patch from a piece of remnant, but in doing so you’d compromise one of sheet vinyl’s greatest assets: its seamless waterproof surface.

Where Vinyl Flooring can Fit In Your Home

Hard-surface floors often have expectations or requirements about where they should and shouldn’t be installed. For instance, genuine hardwood floors are a no-go for bathrooms and kitchens, because of the risk of water damage. And most homeowners will avoid putting ceramic or porcelain tile in bedrooms because it tends to feel too “cold,” and can be uncomfortably hard underfoot.

But because it comes in so many styles and textures, and doesn’t have any inherent material limitations, vinyl flooring is a great match for any room of your home, including the basement. The realistic wood look and texture of LVP can give you that hardwood aesthetic in the kitchen without any worries about exposure to moisture. And LVT is a great option to give your bedroom the look of stone or tile floors, but not the cold feet that often accompany every late-night trip to the bathroom.

Each category of vinyl flooring can be installed over a variety of subfloor types, including concrete slabs. This benefit, combined with its durability, water resistance, and ease of maintenance all make vinyl floors a common choice for laundry rooms and basements as well.

Preparing to Have Vinyl Flooring Installed in Your Home

Vinyl flooring has quickly grown from being a barebones budget material to one of the most popular flooring types being installed today. Advancements in the look, feel, and durability of vinyl have made it a worthy opponent to any other flooring products—even high-end materials. While we hope this primer on vinyl flooring styles has helped you narrow down a product for your modern floor plans, we know that any real decision needs to be based on actually seeing and handling the products. If you’re just about ready to choose your new vinyl floors, we encourage you to schedule a FREE In-Home Estimate to get a closer look at your options, all without ever leaving home.

The post Why Vinyl Flooring Might Be Your Best Option for a Modern Look appeared first on Empire Today Blog.

When on the hunt specifically for carpet like this, there are four main factors to consider: carpet that resists stains, carpet that helps hide stains, a product that resists overall wear and fading, and one that doesn’t easily show footprints and traffic marks. Some homes may need only one of those traits, while many homes—especially those with pets or children—will benefit greatly from carpets that offer some measure of each of those features. One type of carpet may be better with one feature than another, while some carpets excel in every aspect. Here is a closer look at how each type and style of carpet holds up to stains and wear marks.

How Carpet Materials Handle Stains, Wear, and Footprints

Polyester Carpet

Polyester carpet provides some of the most beautiful color variations, because the fiber material is easier to dye. And because it is usually solution-dyed (the color permeates the entire fiber, not just its surface), it has excellent fade resistance as well. Finished polyester fibers are hydrophobic, meaning they will not absorb liquids-and that in turn makes them more resistant to liquid stains. Polyester carpet is often made from recycled materials, making it eco-friendly, and tends to usually be budget-friendly. Its main downside is that it’s not as durable as other common carpet materials, which means it may begin to show wear earlier than, say, nylon carpet.  So if you’re not terribly concerned with physical wear but are looking for the best carpet to resist stains, polyester carpeting is a safe bet.

Nylon Carpet

Nylon is one of the other most common carpet materials, alongside polyester. Nylon carpet shares many traits with polyester, including its overall soft feel and ability to be woven into many different styles of carpet. It’s crafted from very durable, elastic fibers that tend to bounce back into their shape. This trait gives it superior resistance to wearing and matting compared to polyester carpets. Nylon fibers’ main downside is that they are absorbent, which means it’s more likely for an untreated stain to stubbornly set in a nylon carpet. In short, the pros and cons of nylon carpet are almost exactly the opposite those of polyester carpet. These features make it the best carpet for those whose primary concerns are long-term wear and minimizing marks from furniture or daily traffic and have fewer worries about stains.

Polypropylene Carpet

Polypropylene, commonly known as olefin, is a material that’s growing in popularity for certain residential carpeting applications due to its affordability and high resistance to mold and mildew growth. Like polyester, olefin fibers repel moisture and dry quickly, which is what gives the carpet its mold and mildew resistance. Those same properties also make it resistant to liquid stains. However, the polypropylene material can actually be more susceptible to oil-based soiling, like those that might happen if a piece of food is dropped on the carpet. Olefin is also not as durable a material as nylon, which makes in unideal for high-traffic areas. Overall, polypropylene/olefin carpet is best suited for rooms like the basement, or areas that get light to moderate traffic, and where liquid spills are the greatest stain concern.

Dark and multicolor carpet

Most homeowners have come to accept that when daily life meets carpeted floors, stains are going to happen. And despite the best intentions to deal with these stains, they’ll often happen quicker than they can be treated and may end up hanging around for a while. If that sounds like a likely situation for your floors, prioritizing a style that disguises stains may end up being the best type of carpet for your home

When you just know that stains are going to happen regularly and probably linger, a dark or multicolored carpet can be the key to staying sane. The typical carpet stain will be much less visible, or even completely undetectable, on a darker carpet like black, dark blue, or a deep brown. Of course, those hues may not match your home’s aesthetic. If that’s the case, we recommend a multicolor carpet. These styles can have an overall lighter look, but with a mottled design that includes flecks of darker color throughout. While today’s stain-resistant carpets and powerful carpet cleaners can get most stains out, opting for a carpet that simply makes them less visible can save you significant stress.

Carpet Construction Types

Plush Carpet

Plush carpet is known for its clean, classic look. Also often referred to as Saxony, velvet, or texture carpet, plush carpeting features a smooth, level surface that provides a blend of soft comfort and traditional style. This soft, springy construction helps to hide footprints in high-traffic areas, while the dense, twisted fibers help keep dirt near the surface—making for easier cleanup. If you are looking for a great “whole house carpet,” a plush carpet can be the best choice due to its universal style and versatility.

Frieze Carpet

Frieze carpeting is made by tightly twisting fibers together to create a casual, shaggy look. This shaggy style can do more than just give your home a fun look—it also makes frieze one of the best carpets for hiding stains and footprints. Many frieze carpets are multicolored, so individual stain spots are less likely to be seen. And because frieze fibers are of varying length and look slightly disheveled by nature, footprints, vacuum marks, and other temporary impressions don’t obviously stick out.

The one catch is that the properties that make frieze great for disguising stains and footprints also make it more difficult to clean. If dirt does make it down into the depths of those shaggy fibers, you may need quite a powerful vacuum cleaner to reach deep enough into the carpet to get it fully clean.  Overall, frieze carpet is a great choice for common rooms that will see lots of activity and will have to deal with the typical small spills that happen in daily life—but probably not in rooms that will see heavy amounts of crumbs, dirty shoes, or other solid contaminants.

Berber Carpet

Berber carpet’s low profile and dense construction make it the best carpet type for all-around resistance to stains, wear, and footprints. Because its fibers are short, thick, and tightly packed, it resists matting and compacting better than high-pile carpets. That means furniture marks and footprints are less likely to linger. This dense construction also keeps stains near the surface, making for easier cleanup. Berber’s main downside, however, is that its resilient build can be less underfoot cushioin than other carpet styles. Overall, Berber carpet is a great choice for practical performance in rooms that see the most activity in your home.

When searching for a carpet that hides stains and footprints, there are quite a few variables to consider. And like just about any subjective choice in home renovation, there’s not really one “best” carpet for all situations—rather you’ll have to find the best carpet for your particular needs. But that’s where Empire Today® comes in. We’re here to guide you through the carpet shopping experience and ensure you end up with floors that fit all the requirements of your life. Schedule a FREE Empire® In-Home Estimate today to find out which carpet type is the right one for your home.

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The floor is perhaps the main factor influencing your bathroom’s character, greatly affecting how it looks and how it feels—so you don’t want to pick just any random bathroom tiles when redesigning. If that statement sounds daunting, it doesn’t have to be. Empire Today® is here to help you choose bathroom tile you’ll love for years to come.

Know Which Bathroom Floor Tiles are Better for Your Home

There’s no one overall best tile for bathroom floors because every homeowner will have different needs. Before you begin shopping for bathroom floor tile, it can be very helpful to get a quick primer on the available options and what benefits they each can add to the room. While aesthetics are probably your primary focus, there are plenty of optional features to consider—features that can influence how comfortable your bathroom is, how safe it can be, how easy it is to keep clean, and more.  Getting to know these options will help you best understand which product will be your ideal bathroom flooring. 

Porcelain vs Ceramic Tile:

Porcelain and ceramic tiles are quite similar and usually impossible to tell apart with just a glance, but they do differ in durability and sustainability. Although both tiles are clay-based, the raw material used for porcelain tile is more refined and heated at a higher temperature. This makes porcelain bathroom tiles harder than ceramic, which in turn makes them a bit more durable and less porous than ceramic. Those features will make porcelain a better bathroom tile if you expect your floors to encounter high levels of moisture, lots of traffic, or things being dropped on the floor often—all common occurrences in, say, a kids’ bathroom.

While ceramic is technically a less robust material, it’s no slouch itself. Ceramic tile is still highly resistant to water, scratches, and stains. And it’s usually a bit more affordable than porcelain tiles in a comparable size and style. That makes ceramic a good choice if you’re on a budget but you still want bathroom tiles that can stand up to typical traffic.

Whether you choose ceramic or porcelain bathroom floor tiles, both materials offer some available options that can make your bathroom floors safer and easier to keep clean. Non-slip bathroom tiles are worth considering for any home, and especially those with young children or elderly residents. Both ceramic and porcelain tiles from Empire® are available with a non-slip finish.

Persistent moisture and condensation buildup doesn’t just turn floors into a slip hazard—it also creates the perfect breeding ground for mold and mildew. Despite most homeowners’ best efforts, moisture will collect in a bathroom. But having mold and mildew-resistant bathroom flooring installed will go a long way towards keeping nasty growth at bay, making for a healthier, cleaner room.

Vinyl Tile

Vinyl bathroom tile is an option that has rapidly grown in popularity since first hitting the market. Because it’s usually a more budget-friendly product than porcelain or ceramic tiles, vinyl has become a common choice for homeowners shopping for affordable bathroom flooring. One of vinyl tile’s greatest advantages is being able to offer the aesthetics of a material with certain features that the same product usually does not offer. For instance, a stone-look vinyl tile can give you the look of fine marble, without the worries of needing to reseal the floor every few years.  

Many of the vast variety of vinyl floor tiles from Empire also offer the same practical benefits of porcelain or ceramic tile. You’ll find products with high resistance to scratches, scuffs, and wear; slip-resistant textured surfaces; and even enhanced mold and mildew resistance. One of the ways that vinyl tile can be a better choice for bathrooms than ceramic or porcelain tile is that a great many vinyl products are completely waterproof instead of being just water-resistant. The ability to endure heavy saturation or standing water for extended periods of time can be a great benefit in many bathrooms.  

One additional benefit of choosing vinyl tile for a bathroom floor is how the material feels underfoot compared to a tile floor. Vinyl flooring will be a bit softer and usually feels warmer to bare skin, making for a more comfortable floor when you’re barefoot. That’s something worth considering especially for those who have experienced the bite of a bare tile floor during a late-night bathroom visit in the middle of the winter. 

Choose a Style You’ll Love

Here’s the fun part: choosing the look! This is when you can stop thinking about what practical functions the room needs and focus strictly on style. And because bathrooms are typically closed off from the rest of the room and don’t need to perfectly mesh with the rest of your interiors, they’re a great place to get creative with your style and maybe even do some experimenting with your bathroom floors. 

Want your bathroom to feel like a tropical island retreat tucked away in an otherwise neutrally styled home? Choose a waterproof wood-look vinyl floor and go crazy with the bamboo plants. Want to make it feel like a literal throne room? Consider some stone-look tile for a palatial look. 

Get Bathroom Floor Tiles That are Built for Your Lifestyle

Now that you’ve been introduced to some of the best flooring choices for a bathroom, it’s time for the potentially difficult process of choosing just one. Since no household’s needs are exactly the same, the decision ultimately boils down to personal preference. What features will benefit you the most? Are you getting new flooring for the bathroom in your master bedroom that only you and your spouse share or is it for a bathroom that your kids will also use? If it’s for an adults-only bathroom, the difference in durability between porcelain and ceramic may not play a big factor in your decision. Similarly, if you live in a warm, dry climate, mold and mildew resistance might not be a high priority for your bathroom floor. 

When it comes down to it, your best bet is to start with the must-have features and work backward from there, finding a material and style that fits your budget and design goals. No matter the style, Empire Today offers bathroom floor tiles that can elevate your home’s décor while taking your lifestyle into consideration. A flooring professional from Empire can help you make that journey. 

Schedule a FREE In-Home Estimate to see all of your potential bathroom flooring options, without ever leaving your home. 

The post How to Choose the Right Bathroom Floor Tiles for Your Home appeared first on Empire Today Blog.

Whether you prefer sticking to tradition or chasing the latest trends, affordable flooring is not as hard to find as you might think. Here’s where to start based on what look you want to achieve. 

Get Realistic Wood-Look Floors Without the Cost of Hardwood

For many years now, hardwood floors have been the fan favorite when it comes to sophisticated flooring. Nothing classes up a room like the clean look of white oak or the richness of a cherry wood floor. But, of course, that upscale aesthetic usually comes with a price tag to match. What many homeowners don’t know is that they can get a designer look without the designer price, thanks to modern affordable flooring options that accurately mimic the look of real wood. 

Laminate Wood

Though it’s not a solid hardwood, laminate flooring is made in large part from wood materials, lending it a real wood feel when you touch or walk on it. The photorealistic surface gives it the high-end look of real hardwood, while a robust wear layer and dense backing provide impressive durability. That trio of features makes it an impressive replacement for real wood, and because it’s easy and inexpensive to manufacture, it’s still quite an affordable flooring option. 

Vinyl Plank

Vinyl flooring is another wood-look floor option that has taken the design world by storm in recent years. What was once a last resort flooring consideration only talked about in hushed voices has now become an affordable flooring product at the forefront of the industry, thanks to advancements in design that have greatly improved its look and feel. Like laminate, vinyl plank flooring is not only resistant to scratches and stains, but is also highly water-resistant—and in many cases completely waterproof. Vinyl plank presents another more affordable flooring choice when compared to hardwood, while still providing a realistic wood look and texture.  

Porcelain Tile

When you think of wood flooring alternatives, tile is probably not the first product that comes to mind. But today’s modern wood-look tile can give you the style you’re after—plus the high resistance to moisture and mold that tile is known for—while still being more affordable than most real hardwood floors. Similar to laminate and vinyl plank flooring, wood-look tile uses a highly realistic wood grain image to simulate the look of hardwood. But below that is the durable ceramic or porcelain tile that has been used in homes for ages.  

And don’t think that tile should be restricted only to rooms that deal with heavy moisture, like the bathroom and kitchen. With a variety of stylish and functional options, wood-look tile can fit well in just about any area of your home.   

Modern Trends in Affordable Flooring

A common question that comes up when considering the affordable option of many stylish products is something along the lines of “Okay, but does it actually look nice?” Essentially, many people equate affordability with a low-quality product and a compromise in style, and they fear that any affordable floors in their budget will look dated before they’re even installed. But we are here to say unequivocally that yes, you can get beautiful, affordable flooring in all of the same on-trend styles as today’s high-end products. Here are a few trends you can use to modernize your home at a lower cost than hardwood. 

Add Space to the Room with Wide Planks

If you have a small room that you wish looked larger, it’s a good idea to go big with your planks. In addition to giving your home an authentic, rural aesthetic, wider wood planks are often chosen because they create the illusion of a bigger space. However, this sought-after look comes with a price; in the category of genuine hardwood flooring, the wide plank products tend to be the most expensive. But thankfully, those on the hunt for a more affordable flooring option can find the wide plank style in laminate, laminate vinyl plank, and even tile flooring. 

Get a More Natural Look with Reclaimed Wood

Reclaimed wood is popular for both its eco-friendliness as well as its unique character. There’s no denying the natural, warm look and feel that the material can give your home. And although you might think that a flooring material has to be made from wood to get the distressed wood look, you can duplicate that character in a non-wood material. Finding affordable rustic flooring is easier than you think—the style can be found in both vinyl plank and wood laminate products. 

Bring a Sophisticated Touch with a Matte Finish

While glossy finishes on wood and tile are perennially popular, matte and satin have become increasingly sought-after finishes. Not only does a matte finish give a sophisticated touch to your home, it makes it easier to maintain a tidy look. Dents, scratches, and dust don’t appear as readily on a matte finish as they do on a glossy floor. Easy maintenance and style create a perfect combination for functional flooring. 

Get Distinctive Flooring with Pattern Carpet

While it might not be as popular as it was in the 70s and 80s, carpet is still a classic, practical choice for many rooms in your home. With its soft and warm touch, it’s a perfect way to add comfort to a bedroom or living room while still being stylish. One of today’s most popular styles of carpet is pattern carpet. Constructed with a combination of cut and looped fibers, it uses variations in the fiber structure to create visual patterns. Pattern carpets are a popular affordable choice for living rooms, studies, and other rooms that demand a certain level of sophistication when the budget doesn’t allow for a genuine hardwood floor. 

Choose Trending Tones

Whether you go with carpet or a hard surface, the visual tone of your flooring can make a huge difference in your overall design scheme. Choosing an affordable floor product won’t limit you on this front—you can find all of today’s hottest hues in budget-friendly options.  

Dark and Moody Tones

Dark floors give a chic and edgy look to your home but usually come at a cost. The style is often achieved with fine hardwood or stone flooring materials, but plenty of affordable options exist. Look for a dark wood laminate floor or a luxury vinyl tile that mimics marble. 

Neutrals: Grey and Greige

A color everyone seems to love lately is gray, and it appears to be here to stay. Its popularity is thanks mostly to its ability to match almost any interior design scheme imaginable, while still helping make rooms feel brighter. Because it’s such a popular choice, multiple gray options are available in every category of affordable flooring. Greige is another neutral flooring “must have” that has come to the forefront in recent years. A mix of grey and beige, this tone makes it easy to coordinate your flooring with other décor and gives your home a modern touch. 

At the end of the day, modern style does not have to come with a big price tag. You can get most of today’s hottest design trends for your home even if you’re on a tight budget. Floors tend to take up a massive chunk of the average renovation budget, and by shopping wisely and choosing affordable flooring alternatives to high-priced products, you can save a pretty penny. Feeling overwhelmed by all of the available options? Start updating your home by contacting Empire Today®. Schedule a Free In-Home Estimate to start shopping for modern, affordable flooring for your home. 

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Human Smell is Interesting… and Weird

Let’s take a quick journey back to fifth grade science class. How does your sense of smell work? To put it simply, tiny sensory cells high up in your nose have odor receptors. The smell after a rain storm and the smell of a poodle that was just playing in it both release different odor molecules. These microscopic odor molecules are detected by your odor receptors, which send a message to your brain that identifies a particular smell. There’s one catch: you have only have a limited number of odor receptors.

Human smell is influenced by thousands of nerves working together.  Volatile, evaporating materials all around us have odors, but we can only detect a small portion of them . Whether you absorb aromas through your nostrils or your throat via taste, your sensory neurons are providing a unique smell to your brain. Smells that truly reek – like garbage dumpsters on a hot day or freshly cut onions, are a result of your nerve endings on your eyes, mouth, nose, and throat working together. Carpet is in a league of its own when it comes to smells.

How Does Carpet Trap Smells?

Detecting the source of a smell in the home can get really complex, really quickly. It’s one thing if food liquid leaks from the bottom of a garbage bag into your trash can. There’s a quick fix for that: run some soap and hot water and scrub the inside of the trash can. And the same goes for cleaning a non-porous hard surface floor like vinyl plank. A quick mopping and boom—smell  eliminated. But what about a family cooking with aromatic spices all the time? Or a house full of smokers? These odors don’t have a visibly identifiable source, but still seem to perpetually linger in the home

Carpet is often a prime suspect for trapping smells. The source of a carpet smell isn’t always what you think. Thick, shaggy fibers seem like a great hiding place for old food and cooking oils. But it’s not just about particles resting on or among the carpet fibers—if that were the case, then vacuuming would eliminate the smell. As you know, vacuuming isn’t enough.

Carpet smells originate from liquids seeping into the backing layer of the carpet. Quite often, this is a latex pad that the fibers are attached to. When liquids find a home in the padding (and in the subfloor beneath it), that’s creating an environment ripe for bacteria, allergens, mildew, and eventually strong odors that never seem to go away.

Easy, At-Home Odor Remedies for Getting Smells Out of Carpet

Your adorable cavalier puppy just peed all over your new carpet. As a homeowner, this often induces a fight-or-flight response. We frantically scramble for a rag (or anything) to clean up the spill and make sure a spot doesn’t remain. This is great for carpet stain prevention, but it doesn’t address the liquids or particles that make their way deep into the padding and begin a new lifecycle of annoying smells.

Baking soda is also a common suggestion for deodorizing a carpet. Simply pour a little bit of baking soda on the spot, let it sit for a few hours, and finish the job with a thorough vacuuming. But this usually needs to be done immediately after a clear spill for the best chance of fully deodorizing the carpet. Also, keep in mind that kids and pets need to be kept out of the powder zone.

Other suggestions for deep cleaning are not as advisable. Many of these “tips” you see in social media feeds suggest mixing hydrogen peroxide and soap. If you’re unfamiliar, mixing chemicals incorrectly can be extremely dangerous. Another suggestion seen recently is to use cinnamon to help get odors out of your carpet. That’s a good way to permanently stain your carpet, especially if it is lighter in color. Plus, do you really want your home smelling like a Christmas candle year-round?  If you’re considering any of these ideas, use extreme caution and run a test on a small portion of the carpet before blasting your whole house with your new creation from the internet. Our advice? Trust a professional carpet cleaner for deep cleaning.

How Does Carpet Deodorizer Work?

Most of us will try anything to save some time and money before hiring a professional cleaning company. That’s perfectly normal. So we turn to carpet deodorizers.

Carpet deodorizers can be a great way to counteract smells from pets, moisture, or carpet that hasn’t been cleaned in a long time. Most deodorizers are available as a powder or spray, and application methods will vary as well. In a world of quick fixes, carpet deodorizers are definitely one of the first household utilities that come to mind if you need to mask a musty basement smell or wet dog before your guests arrive.

So, does carpet deodorizer work? Unfortunately, while these products may make carpet smell good in the short term, sprays and powders are often unlikely to solve the smelly carpet problem completely. Think of carpet deodorizers like deodorant on armpits. Deodorant can be great after an afternoon run if you need to freshen up and don’t have time to shower, but is not actually removing the source of the body odor.

Every thread you read online will have a similar set of rules to keeping your home smelling great: Don’t have carpet. Don’t have pets. Don’t cook. Clean every inch of your walls and ceiling. Use carpet deodorizer. But if you’re actively searching for ways to make your carpet smell good, you’re probably not a fan of the idea of completely ridding your home of all carpets—or pets!

There’s no mistaking it: carpet can and probably will trap a lot of dust, dirt, mold, and allergens. For a long term solution that throws all the above restrictions out the window, it’s time to rethink how carpet is constructed entirely.

HOME Fresh is the World’s First and Only Hypoallergenic, Odor-Neutralizing Carpet

It’s no secret that we love carpet—in fact, it was the first flooring product we were really known for. So we’re always dismayed to learn many people are willing to sacrifice warm, soft comfort because they are worried about odors in the home. The truth is, odors are going to happen no matter what. In fact, part of what makes someone’s home unique is how it smells! When you go to a friend’s or relative’s home, it most likely has a familiar, but not unpleasant smell.

As a solution to the odor issue, we set out to provide a carpet that doesn’t just mask smells—it actively neutralizes them. HOME Fresh helps get rid of smells from cooking, smoking, and pets on the carpet completely. Here’s how HOME Fresh can make an unforgettable impact in your home.

HOME Fresh helps cancel out odors in your home. The secret? A natural, odor-neutralizing mineral breaks odor molecules into separate compounds, effectively removing unpleasant smells that come into contact with HOME Fresh’s carpet fibers over time.

Another plus? HOME Fresh’s carpet fibers and premium felt padding are one unified piece. This construction allows for better airflow in the carpet, making vacuuming and cleaning much more effective. HOME Fresh also doesn’t absorb liquids, so it’s much more difficult for odor-causing spills to take hold, and for mold, mildew, and allergens to develop (some of the most common sources of a bad carpet smell).

Carpet deodorizer does not reduce smells as much as you think. At-home remedies are nice, yet short-term. And sometimes even professional cleaning isn’t enough. That’s where HOME Fresh excels—helping your home smell fresher than it did with your musty old carpet.

To learn more about what makes HOME Fresh awesome, see our hypoallergenic carpet blog and our in-depth HOME Fresh carpet guide.

If you’re ready to see HOME Fresh samples in the natural light of your home and feel the softness for yourself, Schedule a FREE In-Home Estimate today. Sniffs included!

The post Carpet Deodorizer Does Not Remove Smells from Carpet as Well as You Think appeared first on Empire Today Blog.

1. Keep Allergens Indoors 

Close your windows and rely on air conditioning during pollen season. We know a cool breeze at night can be relaxing, but it’s not worth having puffy eyes and a sore throat the next day. If you want to keep your windows open, be sure to clean off any mold, condensation or pollen from the window, window frames, and sills.

2. Spring Cleaning Isn’t Just for Spring

Spring cleaning should take place every season. Deep cleaning your home, such as dusting the collection of knickknacks on the shelf or organizing your junk drawer can help get rid of dust, dirt, and allergens. This is also a good time to organize your belongings and donate, sell, or get rid of items you no longer need. We know it’s hard to part with possessions and cleaning can be time-consuming, but you can do it!

3. Don’t Forget Your Curtains and Blinds

It’s easy to neglect your curtains and blinds when you’re regularly cleaning your kitchen counter, bathrooms, and floors. But they can hold quite a bit of allergens. During the months when your allergies typically kick into full gear, bring them outdoors to remove the dust and/or follow the washing instructions to keep them clean.

4. It’s All About Where You Sleep

If you suffer from persistent allergens in the house, consider encasing your pillows, mattresses, and box springs in dust-mite-proof covers.  And, it goes without saying, wash those sheets at least every one to two weeks!

5. Finally, the Floors

Carpet and flooring are Empire’s specialty. It’s what we love talking about the most. When it comes to your floors and allergies, it’s all about how easy they are to clean. Laminate, vinyl plank, or any floor with a durable finish can help get dirt, dander, and dust off the floor easier.

And don’t be afraid of carpet if you have allergies – we have the perfect carpet for you! HOME Fresh is the world’s first and only hypoallergenic carpet, meaning it was designed with asthma, allergy, and nasal issue sufferers in mind. Dust, dirt, pet dander, pollen, and soil are vacuumed up easily, helping keep your home clean. Also, fibers don’t absorb moisture, which helps prevent the growth of allergens and microbes.

If you have old carpet or flooring and professional cleaning isn’t doing the trick anymore, it’s time to replace it. Schedule a FREE In-Home Estimate with Empire to see all the allergy-friendly (including hypoallergenic HOME Fresh carpet) options you can choose from.

The post 5 Easy Ways to Reduce Allergens in Your Home appeared first on Empire Today Blog.

Vinyl Flooring

First, is vinyl flooring. Vinyl plank, vinyl tile, and sheet vinyl are all great options when you have a pet, as they are highly resistant to staining, soiling, and scratches. And when accidents happen, vinyl flooring is easy to clean. Finally, vinyl floors can be more comfortable and more slip resistant than other flooring options available. As an added bonus too, vinyl is made to mimic the look and feel of real wood and tile, so it looks great in any home.

Laminate Flooring

Wood-look laminate flooring is also a good option for homes with pets. The finish on laminate flooring can help resist scratches, stains, and soiling. Look for laminate floors with a textured finish, as smooth finishes can be slippery for our furry friends.

Hardwood Flooring

If you want real wood in your home, opt for engineered hardwood, which is constructed with a thick solid wood veneer and a sturdy engineered backing to make it stronger than solid wood. Look for an engineered hardwood with a textured finish to help with slips.

Tile Flooring

Porcelain and ceramic tile are both good options to help prevent scratches and lasting damage from liquids. Be sure to look for a tile flooring that is slip-resistant, so you don’t need to worry about kids and pets running around, especially if there’s a wet area.

Carpet

Carpet and pets can co-exist! Not only is it soft and comfortable for pets, there are some great carpet options with added stain and soil resistance. Plus, Empire carries carpet with added PUP® Pet Urine Protection that helps protect carpet fibers from stains due to pet urine. If you’re looking for a carpet, keep in mind pet’s nails can snag and cause damage to carpet. We recommend keeping your pet’s nails trimmed or look for a carpet that won’t snag – the best carpet types for pets is plush, frieze, or HOME Fresh – an Empire exclusive.

Having a pet means loving them every day, from dirty paws, pee stains, and nail scratches – pets are family, and when you come home from a long day, they are the first ones to greet you with a wagging tail or soft cuddle. Whether you’re looking for carpet, vinyl, tile, laminate, or hardwood, finding floors that make you and your pet happy is easy when you work with Empire. Schedule a FREE In-Home Estimate to see our pet friendly flooring options in your home.

The post A Quick Guide to Choosing the Best Flooring for Pets appeared first on Empire Today Blog.

To celebrate this milestone anniversary, we hosted a barbecue celebration for employees. Along with delicious food, employees enjoyed taking pictures with the iconic Empire Man.

“It gives me great pride to celebrate the company’s 60^th anniversary,” said Keith Weinberger, CEO of Empire Today. “We’ve come a long way since the business started in 1959, and we look forward to serving many more homeowners during the next six decades.”

More than 3 million satisfied customers continue to choose Empire Today because we provide a convenient and professional home improvement experience through quality products, great prices, and outstanding service. From the convenience of shopping in your own home with a Free In-Home Estimate to setting an appointment around your schedule, Empire Today provides quality products from the same leading manufacturers you’ll find in retail stores.

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Size Up Your Room

When updating your home, it’s important to design each room with its measurements in mind. While small rooms look best with a minimalist design, bigger spaces can allow you to add more décor without appearing overcrowded. Think of this when considering your flooring. Narrow planks have more lines, making the floor appear busy. While they can be a fun and stylish choice for big rooms, they may not be so great for smaller ones. Instead, for smaller rooms consider wider planks. The room will have fewer lines and, therefore, provide a cleaner look, helping a small space to appear bigger. This doesn’t mean aim for the widest planks you can find. If they are too wide they can contrast with the room and become overwhelming.

Consider the Grain

What makes wood looks so special is that each style has a unique grain. These grains can make the overall design of your room and home. They’re even a factor when choosing your flooring plank size. Because wide planks mean a larger surface, they can be ideal for wood with knots and unique characters. Narrow planks, on the other hand, are better for a more refined aesthetic and a smoother surface.

You Don’t Have to Limit Yourself

While choosing one width may seem like the best route, just know that you don’t have to limit yourself. It’s your home, feel free to explore looks outside the décor box! Not only can you change up flooring plank size on a room-by-room basis, but you can also use various sizes within one room. Empire® offers styles of wood look flooring, like Country Bungalow, that has varying flooring plank sizes! This can give it a more unique and organic character. Just be sure to consider your existing décor before deciding on this option.

Remember: Your Home, Your Choice

Your wood look flooring is a long-term investment, especially hardwood, and you want to make sure it leaves you completely satisfied. After considering all the important factors for picking your flooring plank size, the final decision lies in your style and preference. Are you going for the latest trends? Do you prefer your space to be modern or more traditional? Decisions like these can make all the difference in whether you choose wide or narrow planks.

No matter what style or plank size you choose, Empire Today has an array of wood-look choices that are likely to satisfy your flooring needs and a flooring professional will come to your home and help guide you into choosing the perfect flooring. Schedule an In-Home Estimate today.

The post How to Choose the Right Flooring Plank Size for Your Home appeared first on Empire Today Blog.