Flooring

Flooring

Soft Floor Coverings: Carpets and RugsPROS• Insulate cold floors• Provide sound control• Comfortable to walk on• Add color and texture

CONS• Show wear • Hard and/or expensive to

clean.

Carpet Construction• There are two main ways to construct

carpet; tufting and weaving.

Tufted Carpet• Pile or “tufts”

are injected into a backing material, and then bonded to a secondary backing to provide stability.

Styles of

Tufts

The different styles of

tufts create

different carpet looks.

Determining Carpet Quality

• Fiber – Usually made of nylon, acrylic or polyester

• Twist – the tighter the twist the more the carpet will resist changes in appearance

• Density – how close the tufts are to each other. With the tufts facing outward, bend the carpet into a U shape to see how much of the carpet backing shows. The less backing you see, the more dense the carpet.

How Tufted Carpet is Made

Woven Carpet• Created on looms by interlacing face yarns and

backing yarns eliminating the need for a secondary backing.

• A small amount of a special back coating is applied to woven carpets to create bulk.

Weaving allows

carpet to have many different patterns

and colors like fabric.

One other method of making rugs is by knotting, often by hand.

• Quality is often determined by “knots per square inch”

Carpet and Rug Padding

• Provides a soft surface for walking

• Extends the life of the carpet/rug.

Calculating for Carpet• Measure the width at its widest point. Measure

from the deepest portion of a bay window to the opposite wall if there is a bay window adding width to part of the room

• Measure the length at its longest stretch, through the space of a door opening and up to walls or baseboards

• Multiply the width by the length for the number of square feet

• If needed, divide by 9 for the number of square yards.

• Standard carpet widths are 12’, 13’6” and 15’

Vinyl Flooring: How Its Made

Vinyl Flooring• Available in:– Sheets (for no seams) or tiles– Various colors, textures, or patterns

• Comes as solid vinyl or as a layer of vinyl over a design layer.

Tiles Sheet Vinyl

Laminate Laminate flooring has four

layers:• Wear layer – clear top layer

that protects the floor from stains and fading

• Design layer – a photographic image of wood, stone, brick or ceramic

• Inner core – plastic resin that keeps the laminate stable and flat

• Backing – creates a moisture barrier that protects the floor from warping

WOOD FLOORS

Pros• Coordinates with all

furniture• Resilient and durable• Long-lasting

Cons• Can be scratched and

dented • Expensive.

Plank Flooring

Strip FlooringParquet Flooring

TILE FLOORSPROS• Wide range of sizes,

colors, finishes, and patterns

• Durable• Easy to clean• Feels cool to the touch

CONS• Slippery when wet• May need to be sealed• Grout difficult to clean.

Ceramic Tile• Flat piece of fired

clay that can be glazed or unglazed

• Glazed ceramic tile is water- and stain-resistant

• Color is on the surface of the tile.

Porcelain Tile• Highest quality

ceramic tile• Expensive• Very strong so can

be used in- and out-doors; will withstand freezing temperatures• Color penetrates

the entire tile.

Quarry Tile• Fired terra-cotta• Black, golds, beiges,

reds, browns, and grays

• Resists grease, chemicals, moisture and temperature changes

• Can be glazed or unglazed

Natural Stone: Marble, Slate, Flagstone

• Used in their natural state or can be cut

• Can be rough or polished

• Easy to maintain but must be sealed

• Expensive