Today's flooring choices has become overwhelming with often hundreds of options to choose from. Improvements in manufacturing methods and in installation systems has created many additional flooring options for home decorating. Discovering what is the best choice can seem mind-boggling for many homeowners. Let Pence and Sons help you decide today. Call for consultation (859) 209-4241

Bamboo Flooring

Did you know bamboo flooring is actually made from a grass? The bamboo that is used in flooring comes from the Far East in places such as China. Bamboo has been used for centuries as a building material and when made into flooring is actually very similar to hardwood flooring planks. Bamboo floors are moisture-resistant, insect resistant and fire resistant. It is a natural grass product that can be harvested every few years and quickly re-grows.

Bamboo flooring planks have tongue-and-groove edges and installs the same as any wood flooring. The bamboo planks are prefinished and are offered in several natural, distinctive colorations

Carpet

Carpet not only quiets a room but also offers homeowners more warmth and softness to touch than any other flooring product. Carpet is also more forgiving when installed over uneven subfloors, such as an uneven concrete slab.

The newest trends in carpet are more sophisticated elegant patterned designs. Many patterned textured carpets such as multi-looped berbers are becoming popular with homeowners. The result gives a more three-dimensional appearance and pattern-on-pattern gives carpet a more artistic and elegant look and also helps hide traffic patterns.

Advancements in carpet fiber technology and in carpet construction are making carpets softer, more stain-resistant and helping retain their like-new appearance far better than ever before. Among the most popular choices in carpet construction with homeowners today are berber carpets, patterned carpets and textured cut pile saxonies that don't show foot prints or traffic patterns.

Even carpet cushions have dramatically been improved. Carpet cushions are now available that will block spills from penetrating the cushion and soaking into the subfloor. Some cushions help eliminate odors in your carpet as well.

Listed below are some of the advantages to using carpet in your home:

Carpet adds warmth and is soft under feet and easier on children's knees.
Carpet is much quieter than hard surfaces floors.
Carpet comes in a wide variety of color tones and hues.
Carpet is easy to decorate with and offers many solid color tones for rooms with patterned wall coverings.
Carpet can hide many subfloor irregularities that would not be permitted with hard surfaces floors.
Carpet can go over a variety of substrates and on all grade levels, even concrete slabs in basements.
Carpet is economical and the installation costs are much less than some of the hard surface products.

Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring is a great choice for active areas of the home.

It's amazing to see how many new laminate flooring styles and colors are available today. As laminate technology has improved so have the designs, realism and plank shapes of laminate flooring. Laminate flooring is not just offered in wood plank designs, many manufacturers offer a wide range of colors in realistic stone, slate and tile designs with grout lines.

Laminate flooring is often confused with laminate wood floors. Laminate wood flooring is really engineered wood floors and are constructed totally from wood plies laminated together. Whereas, laminate floors consist of some type of fiber core body with a print layer and a top coating of melamine.

There many advantages to laminate floors. Laminate floors can give you realistic looking ceramic or stone tile appearances without the hassle of having to clean soiled grout joints and is far less costly to install. Also, if you are concerned with upkeep of a wood floor (especially with large pets) than a laminate floor may be your answer. If you are concerned with tearing up your old floor than a floating laminate floor may be a great alternative for you. (Floating refers to the floating installation method, where the individual planks are locked together but never attached to the subfloor underneath. Laminate floors have a special tongue and groove locking system that tightly join the planks & tiles together. No glue, nails or staples needed.)

Ceramic Tile

With today's technology advancements manufacturers many new tile designs and tile applications are available for both homeowners and commercial facilities. If you have never used ceramic tile before or it has been a long time since you have done so, you will be amazed at the wide selection of colors, sizes, shapes and new textures that are now available.

Ceramic tile is a natural product made up of clay, a number of other naturally-occurring minerals and water. Ceramic tile comes in both glazed and unglazed tiles. Glazed ceramic tile has a ceramic coating applied to the tile body which gives the tile its color and finish. Ceramic tile is a popular choice for your interior floors and walls and offers unlimited decorating possibilities.

Some characteristics of glazed ceramic tile are:

Durable - a properly installed ceramic tile will outperform and outlast nearly any other floor covering product created for the same application.
Easy care - glazed ceramic tile resists stains, odors, and dirt and can be cleaned up with a damp mop or sponge or common household cleaners such as Mr. Clean, Top Job or Spic and Span.
Scratch resistant - Grade III and Grade IV glazed ceramic tiles are extremely resistant to scratching and you never have to worry about a cut or tear like you do with some other types of floors.
Environmentally friendly - ceramic tile is manufactured using natural materials and does not retain odors, allergens, or bacteria.
Beautiful and Versatile - modern ceramic manufacturing technology has created virtually an unlimited number of colors, sizes, styles, shapes, and textures that will add rich beauty and character to any room decor.
Fire Resistant - ceramic tile doesn't burn nor emit toxic fumes. A lighted cigarette, when dropped on the floor, even if allowed to sit, will not do any damage to ceramic tile. Even hot kitchen pans or skillets will not scorch or melt the surface of glazed ceramic tile.
Water Resistant - most glazed ceramic tile has a dense body that permits little or no accumulation of moisture. This means spills from common liquids found in a kitchen are not a big concern.

Some of the other important things to consider when selecting a ceramic tile are:

Slip-resistance of ceramic tile
Size of tile compared to the overall room size
Width and color of the grout joints
Thickness of the tile
Height variations of the floors between adjoining rooms
Suitability of the sub floor for ceramic tile
Cleanability of the ceramic tile

Porcelain Tile

Porcelain tiles are growing in popularity with homeowners and interior designers. They are more dense and less porous than glazed ceramic tile. Plus, porcelain tiles are highly resistant to moisture, stains, bacteria, odors and even harsh cleaners. For homeowners, porcelain tile is especially resistant to staining, scratches, fading and is available in both polished and matte finishes. They are available in a variety of sizes, colors and textures.

Porcelain tiles come in either a glazed porcelain or a through-body porcelain tile. Through-body porcelain tiles have the same colors all the way through from front to the back of the tile. If they are chipped or scratched the color will not change. Glazed porcelain tiles are similar to glazed ceramic tiles. They have a design layer (glaze) on top of the tile body that is a different color and will be noticeable if chipped.

True porcelain tiles have a 0.5% or less water absorption rate, making these tiles freeze-thaw stable. This is why porcelain tiles can be used outdoors in exterior settings, as well as indoors. Porcelain tiles are formed under extremely high pressure and fired at very high temperatures. This make these tiles much denser and stronger than the common glazed ceramic tiles so they are ideal for enter ways, corridors and other high traffic areas. Porcelain tiles do require specialty setting materials for bonding to the sub-floor.

Many manufacturers such as DalTile, Crossville, Mannington, Mohawk and others are offering reasonably priced porcelains with great styling and in many colorations. Homeowners who want great styling with extra durability and performance should look at porcelain tiles as an option.

Vinyl Floors

Vinyl Floors - unlimited style & color!

No other floor covering category offers the variety of colors and patterns as vinyl flooring! Thanks to some great advancements in styling and technology, today's vinyl floors (also called resilient floors) have been changed forever. (Vinyl flooring is often mis-spelled as vynil flooring.)

The unique manufacturing processes used today can replicate the look and textures of real ceramic tile, stone and wood grains. Vinyl floors are manufactured in both sheet and tile. The vinyl sheet floors are offered in both 6 foot and 12 foot widths and the vinyl tiles come in various sizes and thicknesses. Both types of vinyl floors come in a wide array of patterns and colors.

The more expensive vinyl and tile floors have better resistance to staining, scratches, gouges and tearing. Not only is the performance better but so is the the warranty on the high-end vinyl floors. Also, as you go up in quality you will also notice improved styling and more textural realism in these floors.