Featured Flooring: COREtec Luxury Vinyl

COREtec: Natural looks and premium comfort for any room in the home

Luxury vinyl flooring is certainly one of the best-performing flooring options for any home setting. It offers a combination of style, performance, and comfort that you simply cannot get with anything else. But, not all luxury vinyl options are created equal. In fact, one option seems to stand tall above the rest: COREtec. COREtec offers enough natural style, performance, and comfort for any area in your home!

Style

COREtec is specially-engineered to look exactly like real wood or stone flooring. In fact, these looks are all so authentic that it’s often difficult to determine whether or not a new COREtec floor is actually hardwood or stone! Also, most COREtec flooring options, including COREtec Plus and COREtec Plus HD, feature embossed-in-register technology for real-life surface textures.

Performance

Performance is really what sets COREtec apart from other flooring options. Every COREtec floor has COREtec’s unique core structure, which is made from recycled wood, bamboo dust, limestone, and virgin PVC. With this core structure, COREtec floors are extremely strong and stable so they can handle heavy foot traffic and other potential impacts much better than hardwood, laminate, and other hard surfaces.

In addition, because of the core structure, COREtec is 100% waterproof! Any spills can simply be wiped from the surface without any long-term consequences. Moreover, the COREtec planks will never expand or contract under moist or humid conditions; therefore, COREtec is suitable for below, on, and above ground settings, including kitchens, bathrooms, and basements.

Comfort

Every COREtec floor (with the exception of COREtec One) includes an attached cork underlayment. Cork is flexible compared to wood and stone, and it also remains warm to the touch regardless of environmental conditions. Given this cork construction, the cork underlayment; therefore, provides COREtec with extra softness and warmth, so COREtec is rather comfortable underfoot. The cork underlayment also resists mold and mildew, so it helps keep COREtec healthy enough for any home setting.

To learn more about everything COREtec has to offer, be sure to visit Dalton Carpet One Floor & Home in Athens, GA.

Best Floor for Pets

When building a new home or remodeling an existing home, flooring choices are everything. With pets present, this becomes even more important, because pets are just as hard, if not harder, than people on flooring surfaces. What are the best flooring choices for pets in the home?

Vinyl

Vinyl flooring is a popular flooring option for families with pets. Luxury vinyl and vinyl sheet are highly durable, long-lasting, and resistant to moisture, scratches, and dents. They are also easy to maintain. And here’s another benefit of vinyl: it softens the sound of your pet’s nails when they walk across the floor.

Earthscapes

The unique construction of Earthscapes™ Vinyl Flooring provides a comfortable and long-lasting choice for carefree everyday living. With beautiful designs and textures that so closely mimic hardwood, tile, and stone, we promise you’ll be tempted to reach out and feel these floors.

LVT/LVP

The breakthrough new flooring – giving you waterproof protection, tough as nails durability and high-end, handcrafted designer looks. Backed with a warranty that includes LIFETIME coverage for wear, fade, stain, gauges, dents, water and more – Invincible™ H2O™ Luxury Vinyl offers the ultimate peace of mind. Carpet One Floor & Home’s premier luxury vinyl tile collection, Invincible™ LVT features cutting edge technology to give you a floor that is so realistic, yet is super tough and virtually care-free. This means no expensive or time-consuming maintenance for you!

Laminate

Laminate for LIFE

Laminate is an excellent choice if you have a pet who has the run of the house. The easiest care, lowest maintenance flooring available – you get the luxurious great look of authentic hardwood or tile but you also get to keep your life easy – with the maintenance or hassle of the real thing. Not only will you have a beautiful floor – but you’ll you more time to enjoy it. Why spend another minute on tedious maintenance?

Hardwood

Hardwood flooring and pets aren’t typically a marriage made in flooring heaven. If your pet creates any spills or puddles on your hardwood floor, you have to mop them up immediately because the boards can stain and warp from moisture. Pet nails and toys can also wreak havoc on a hardwood floor.

Invincible Hardwood Collection

Utilizing the most advanced milling and finishing techniques, the Invincible™ Hardwood Collection brings authentic distinction of hardwood flooring to your home in a product designed to withstand years of use. Intensity Surface Shield™ is engineered with multiple layers of aluminum oxide infused with nano-particles offering the strongest resistance to scratches, scuffs, and wear.

Carpet

When it comes to pets, carpet is likely the worst flooring choice one can make, simply because it is easily damaged by pets. Even normal wear and tear on carpet in a pet-free home happens faster than with other flooring options. If carpet is the only choice because it is the most cost-effective option for home flooring, the best thing to do is choose a carpet without loops as pet nails can snag on the loops and cause the carpet to wear faster.

Relax It’s…Lees

Lees® is the toughest carpet, offering both stain resistance and style. It repels spills to make cleanup quick and easy. So it stands up to everyday life – the parties, spills, messes, even new puppies – while ensuring a beautiful-looking carpet for years to come. Only Lees® combines the product performance technologies, after-sale assurance and historical track record that allow you to relax know that you’ve made the best purchase for you and your family.

Bigelow Stainmaster

One of America’s premier carpet brands, Bigelow Stainmaster offers the assurance of Bigelow’s long-standing reputation for quality and Stainmaster’s trusted stain-protection technology. Together, this carpet provides you with the best possible choices for your home.

Tigressa H2O

From kids to pets, life can be tough on your floors. Tigressá® H2O™ is the revolutionary new carpet offering waterproof construction, that prevents liquids from soaking into the carpet padding and subfloor. Perfect for young, active families, Tigressá® H2O™ carpet is exceptionally durable and easy to clean.

Smart Strand Forever Clean by Mohawk

The most durable, easiest-to-clean carpet on the planet just got better. SmartStrand Forever Clean carpet now features All Pet Protection and Warranty, the only pet-friendly carpet protection system that covers all pets, all accidents, all the time. Now SmartStrand is an even smarter choice for pets and pet owners.

• 0% moisture absorption to reduce pet odors in the carpet fiber
• Nanoloc™ spill and soil shield for quick and easy cleanup
• 3X easier to clean dirt, hair, and pet dander
• Lifetime, built-in stain protection

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While budget and ease of installation will be factors impacting the flooring decisions of a home, taking the time to consider the best flooring options for pets beforehand may save money in repairs and frustration in the long run. Cutting corners on flooring to save money is not a good choice if the flooring needs to be replaced in a few months or even a year due to the wear and tear from the pets.

Buying Guide: Vinyl

BUYING GUIDE: VINYL

Vinyl tiles and sheet goods are called resilient flooring — they’re flexible and slightly soft underfoot. They’re tough, durable and virtually maintenance-free. Vinyl comes in an array of colors and patterns at relatively modest cost. Although you’ll pay as little as $1 per square foot, there are fewer style options among the less-expensive types.

Vinyl products are backed with a layer of felt. Cushioned vinyl is backed with a thin layer of foam that offers an extra measure of comfort and safety. In general, a thicker vinyl surface means better quality and higher price. Thicker vinyl can have a textured surface that looks like real stone and wood.

Vinyl flooring has a wear layer on its upper surface that helps resist stains and scratches. The best vinyl products provide warranties on the wear layer of as much as 15 years, and you can expect good-quality vinyl to last 20 years.
Pros: Especially good at fending off wear, dents, scratches, discoloration from sunlight, and stains. Easy installation, particularly for tiles or planks, and more color and design choices are available these days.

Cons: While the premium brands can mimic the look of stone, tile, and even oak, even the best products still look like vinyl up close. Top-of-the-line vinyl can cost as much or more than the best solid hardwood and laminate floors.

Waterproof vs. Water Resistant

Knowing the difference can save  your floors

It doesn’t seem like there is much of a difference, but there is. Waterproof means that it can withstand any amount of water, from a small spill to a flood, and be just fine. Water resistant means that it can take on a little water for a short time. Anything after that will more than likely cause damage.

Many types of vinyl flooring are waterproof and/or highly water resistant. Laminate, on the other hand, is made out of recycled hardwood, so it is not waterproof.  Due to its melamine wear layer, it has a tough finish, which resists scratches and may have minor protection against a small amount of water. But, like hardwood, laminate does not do well with standing water or high humidity, regardless of whether this water is topical (on top) or seeping into the subfloor from below. If laminate floors become really wet, they will get ruined and buckle.

Water resistance in flooring means that the particular element of flooring has been designed to withstand water better than it normally would. With hard surfaces, most flooring is designed to be able to have some water on top for a while before it will soak through, giving you time to take care of the spill before it can affect the floor. Just about every laminate product claims this. The aluminum oxide coating most of them have is pretty much waterproof, but the seams or gaps between planks, aren’t, so the floor isn’t. In those gaps, you usually have an exposed core, and may eventually soak in water.

So, laminate flooring is NOT waterproof.  There is a common misperception out there that laminate is waterproof, and I believe this is due to the fact that many customers mistakenly confuse vinyl and laminate flooring.

If you feel that hardwood is not a good option for an area due to water or humidity, it is also a good idea to avoid laminate.

Laminate warranties usually do not apply to water damage, including but not limited to water damage caused by flooding, standing water (water that remains on the floor longer than 30 minutes), leaking pipes, mechanical failures, appliance leaks, or pet urine. be aware of what you are getting yourself into before purchasing!

BONUS: Scratch Proof vs. Scratch Resistant

The terms scratch proof and scratch resistant are different by definition, but used synonymously by manufacturers to promote their products. Scratch proof, if taken literally, would mean that the product is able to withstand any kind of abrasion and not bear any scratches. Scratch resistant, on the other hand essentially means that the product is able to withstand minor scratches. Scratch proof, therefore, stands for more durability than scratch resistant products.

General Floor Buying Guide

Today’s choices in flooring are more varied than ever, running the gamut of styles, finishes, and installation options. Product innovation is clearly blurring the lines between many flooring categories, and the raw materials used to create flooring types include gin bottles, corn sugar, and the staves from old wine barrels. The winner in this underfoot mash-up is the consumer, who benefits from an astonishing array of choices that fit any lifestyle and budget.

Sampling is Smart
Before you buy, bring home samples of your top flooring choices. Compare them side-by-side where they’re going to be installed. Getting an opinion from a salesperson, who is trained in interior design, is always ideal.

Measuring Avoids Mistakes
To determine how much flooring you’ll need, a member of our sales staff will measure the room’s square footage (at no charge!). We recommend that you buy 7 to 10 percent more than what is measured. This allows for possible mistakes and bad pieces. Plus, a little extra flooring on hand is great for repairs down the road.

Location
Carefully consider the location of your new floor. Is it below-, on- or above-grade? Basements are susceptible to ground moisture, so your flooring choice may be different from a bedroom on the second or third floor. Likewise, kitchens and bathrooms are prone to water damage and humid conditions, which should be a heavy factor in your decision-making process.
Also, be sure to observe the space throughout the day. Does it get a lot of direct sunlight? UV light can fade or darken certain flooring, so look to purchase resistant products for these spaces.

Function
Common high-traffic areas are entryways to rooms and to the house itself. If you have pets or kids, the family room can also be a busy place. These spaces require flooring that can stand up to the wear.

Ways to Save
Cooperatives work together to gain buying power and scale. This allows independent, family businesses, like Dalton Carpet One, to provide the most competitive pricing and value. Together, our cooperative of over 1,000 member store owners is the largest buyer of floor covering in North America. This means that we can negotiate great prices and pass those savings on to our customers- you.

Questions to Ask Yourself

A number of flooring choices are available for every room, so it pays to ask yourself the right questions:

• How long will you live in this space?
• What is the look you want to achieve in the room:  rustic, traditional, contemporary, elegant, cozy, chic?
• Will this floor be installed on, above (second floor) or below grade (basement)?
• Do you have or plan to have children or pets?
• Are seniors or those with physical disabilities living in or regularly visiting your home?  What sort of modifications will you need?
• Does anyone in your home have allergies?
• Is this a floor you’re willing to repair or replace over time?
• What type of routine cleaning are you willing to do?
• What is the room’s function:  the first stop from outside, catchall, family night, entertaining?
• Have you factored trim, thresholds, padding, waste, etc. into your budget?
• Have you factored installation costs into your budget?

The Dalton Carpet One Difference

Even More Reason to Purchase from Us

Locally Owned and Operated
When you shop at Dalton Carpet One, you are among neighbors. We live side-by-side with you, shop in other local stores with you, and send our children to the same schools. So we are dedicated to our customers and we care about our community.

Competitive Prices
We are a member of a cooperative, a larger company owned by us and other independent, family businesses like us. Being a member of the Carpet One Floor & Home® cooperative gives us the scale and buying power to offer you, our customer, the most competitive pricing, service, and innovative flooring in the industry, all while maintaining our local and independent identity.

Cooperatives work together to gain buying power and scale. This allows independent, family businesses like us to provide the most competitive pricing and value. Together, our cooperative of over 1,000 member store owners is the largest buyer of floor covering in North America. This means that we can negotiate great prices and pass those savings on to you, our customers. We also benefit from shared best practices and business tools that help us run our business better and provide extraordinary service.

Exclusive Brands
We have more than 20 brands exclusively offered through Carpet One, as well as others. These brands include Bigelow, Lees, Tigressa, Innova, Resista Cutting Edge, Invincible Hardwood and LVT, Rustic River Hardwood, Vero Stone, Laminate for Life, and more!

Leading Flooring Experts
When it’s time to choose a new floor for your home, there are many things to consider. Whether you’re looking for a carpet perfect for active families or a hardwood that stands up to moisture, knowing and understanding the different products and attributes available can help you narrow down the selection. Our amazing sales staff can provide the information you need to understand the different types of flooring materials and the installation process. Dalton Carpet One has more than 1,000 years of combined flooring experience!

Community Focused
As an independent family business supported by our membership in a cooperative, we are dedicated to giving back to our communities and helping others. We live, work, and play in this community, just like you. We are fully invested in keeping our community vibrant and strong. We are your neighbors, friends, and family. In addition to giving back directly to our community, we provide local jobs and a positive work environment.

Every year, we hold two 3-Day Sale events- one in the spring and one in the fall. We offer to install carpet in your home for free if you donate a designated amount to a charity chosen by us. On Oct. 20 – 22, come out to support The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s with our $38 whole-home carpet installation.

 

 

Best Flooring For Your Kitchen

Hardwood, Rubber, Tile, LVT, or Laminate?
Kitchen options to fit all needs.

Floors take a beating, even in fine environments, but nowhere more so than in the kitchen. Command central for preparing dinner, math homework, family gatherings, and more, it’s important to find a kitchen floor that can endure continuous traffic and make the style statement you want.

In your search for kitchen floors, durability, affordability, maintenance, and softness should be considered. Because of the possibility of water, spills, and messes, water-resistance and friction should also be taken into consideration. You wouldn’t want to slip in a puddle of water while holding the main entrée!

Just about any interior design style can be complemented with tile or wood. Because of their versatility, durability, color and texture variation, and timeless beauty, they make up 72% of kitchen installations (Builder Practices Survey).

Tile

Tile makes up about 41% of kitchen installations. In the event that a tile does crack or chip, it can easily be popped out and replaced. Tile can cost anywhere from 99 cents to $30 per square foot, depending on the quality of the tile. The great thing is that tile has a wide variety of colors, styles, shapes, sizes, and textures. Even cheaper tile can be glazed to mimic certain looks, like marble or wood planks. Tile does just fine when it gets wet, so cleaning it is a breeze.

Hardwood

Making up about 31% of kitchen installations, hardwood flooring comes up second on kitchen flooring. Unfortunately, hardwood is not quite as durable as tile, as it can scratch and dent. Another downside is that it doesn’t do well when it gets wet. In the event a child adds dish soap to the dishwasher by mistake (guilty!) you would have to completely replace your floors. Hardwood has such a naturally gorgeous appearance, it can be hard to pass up!

Other 28%:

Stone

A more expensive option, but only because it is very durable. Stone (quartz, slate, granite) does not absorb very much water and is also very easy to clean. A great option for a luxurious kitchen.

Laminate

As with most things, laminate made with higher quality materials will be more durable. The better-made it is, the more expensive it will be. Most options are fairly cheap, though. Laminate typically comes in a pattern that mimics the appearance of wood. It is fairly easy to clean, just use a damp mop.
Contrary to popular belief, laminate is not waterproof! If there is a leak from a burst pipe, you will most likely have to replace your floors. Fortunately, it can be so cheap this may not that big of a deal. It was time to replace that pattern anyway!

LVT/Sheet Vinyl

Luxury vinyl tiles or sheets are a very versatile option, as it comes in a wide selection of colors, patterns, and sizes. Like laminate, vinyl is more durable as the quality goes up. Vinyl tiles or sheets are a very cheap option for flooring, especially for how durable and versatile it can be. It is very easy to clean and is more water-resistant that laminate.

Rubber

Used mostly in commercial space, rubber is making appearances in residential homes. Rubber flooring can be expensive but is so durable it is worth it. It is resistant to water and slips, making it a great option for your kitchen. Rubber floors come in a wide assortment of colors, textures, and can be cut into pretty much any shape you may desire. Even that fleur-de-lis I am so fond of! One of the few downfalls is that it stains easily with oils, but it is easy to clean otherwise.