FloorMall.com Newsletter THE LATEST FLOORING NEWS, TRENDS, & SALES Connect With Us Join Our Google Group! Interested in keeping up with the latest flooring industry news and products? Join us on our Google Group! Dear marc, Have you checked out our incredible selection of quality flooring products lately? Whether you are a homeowner, or flooring professional, you will find amazing deals and flooring resources at FloorMall.com! Keep reading for valuable coupons and news! SAVE 10% Save an additional 10% on our entire selection of Blowout Sales! That’s right, simply use discount code BLOWOUTS10 on any products found in the Blowout Sales. View selection by clicking here. Offer Expires Soon! FloorMall Introduces Luxury Outdoor Furniture Collection The Simple Patios Product Line is exemplary of everything FloorMall has based its success on, including beautiful, well-made products at remarkably competitive prices. This selection of quality patio furniture has specifically been priced lower than any of the other brands found online. And to prove that FloorMall stands behind the quality of the Simple Patios product line, each piece of furniture is covered with a 50 year warranty! When you buy from Simple Patios you get peace of mind, free shipping and great outdoor furniture at rock bottom prices. And while it’s true that FloorMall has only recently entered the patio furnishings market, they’ve already managed to amass a huge collection of outdoor furniture. So whether you’re looking for chaise lounges, swings or wood tiles-Simple Patios will have products you can trust. Attention Installers! Sign Up To Install Our Floors! Looking for some exposure? Many of our customers ask us to point them in the direction of a qualified professional that can install their floor. We can drive this business directly to you! Visit our flooring installer sign up page today and add your professional listing to our state-by-state directory! Product Spotlight! In the coming weeks we will be featuring one amazing deal in this Product Spotlight section! This week you will want to check out our Blowout Section to learn more about this Mohawk Natural Inspirations Hard maple Natural LongStrip at the incredible price of $1.99 / sq. ft. (for purchase of more than 1,000 sq. ft, $2.99 for purchase of less than 1,000 sq. ft.) We have LIMITED STOCK. Regular price is $7.99! You can also apply coupon code BLOWOUTS10 to your purchase for even greater savings! As always, thank you for your interest in FloorMall.com, the leading online retailer for quality flooring at fantastically low prices! Sincerely, Marc Henderson FloorMall.com

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Your 4th of July festivities may have fizzled, but cue the fireworks once again, because FloorMall.com, the leader in quality flooring online, has announced its Step Into Summer Flooring Sweepstakes!

FloorMall.com has partnered with Brand Ambassador and mom blogger Crissy Page, of DearCrissy.com, to bring you an incredible opportunity to enter and win 500 square feet of beautiful Mohawk Engineered Hardwood Flooring, at over $1,200 in value, with free shipping to one qualifying winner!

“As a long-standing customer of FloorMall.com, I am beyond thrilled to have been selected as a FloorMall Brand Ambassador, and to be hosting the Step Into Summer Flooring Sweepstakes on my blog. My family and I adore the laminate flooring that we purchased from FloorMall in 2008, and I would recommend FloorMall.com to anyone seeking great flooring and a wonderful online shopping experience.”
—Crissy Page of DearCrissy.com

FloorMall.com offers a wide variety of trusted brand names in traditional flooring materials, as well as the latest trends and innovations in popular eco-friendly flooring options including cork and bamboo. Pair this unmatched selection with great prices, and FloorMall.com sparkles, clearly standing out as your best choice when buying flooring.

Summer is the season for home improvement, so whether you are a weekend warrior with a knack for DIY flooring projects, or plan to hire a local flooring installer, the FloorMall Step Into Summer Sweepstakes is a great way to enjoy premium hardwood flooring this summer, and for years to come.

Best,
Crissy

Crissy Page

http://dearcrissy.com

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Are You Sliding Into The Dogfood?

Are you sliding on your floors, even though you don’t want to?   Some floors become tilted due to earthquakes and settling.   Test your floors by carefully placing a tennis ball in several parts of the room.   If the ball rolls, there’s a tilt, and you can call in an expert to give you an evaluation.  They may have to level off your floors by jacking them up with concrete pylons.  This may sound horrendous but it’s not usually that bad.  Watch your roof though — some timbers become bowed up do the pressure.  Once your floor is level you will probably have to put some new flooring in.  Take a look at the floormall.com website and it can show you the wide variety that’s available.

Your subfloors need to be smooth and glue and nail free if you’re putting in some flooring.  Scrape off any old bumpy products and sweep them up.  Test the level of it by using the old tennis ball again.  Make sure that you have the proper adhesive or nails and the proper underlayment if required.  There’s new bamboo flooring out that snaps together and it already has attached cork backing to cushion your steps.  That’s one easy floor to lay down for the do-it-yourselfer.  Bamboo flooring is a great and very renewable flooring because it grows so fast and it’s not a tree.  Be careful of using a small office chair with hard wheels on it, because you can dent it.  A chair mat is a very easy solution.  There are all kinds of bamboo flooring options at floormall.com.

Old houses often settle quite a bit due to age.  Most of the time there’s not a problem but if you feel like it’s happening a lot you can get a professional to come out and evaluate your “tilt factor”.  Flooring choices depend on several factors.  If you want a cushiony feel then you may not want tiles.   If you want carpet, make sure that no-one in the family is allergic, as well as knowing how to clean it.  How many people walk around on which room’s floor every day, and how often.  It’s not easy to pass by the general versatility of real hardwood floors.   Take a look at some of the gorgeous colors and types of woods they show on floormall.com’s site.

Today, we can choose whatever we fancy in the way of flooring.  Materials can be imported from most any area of the world.  There’s exotics like Tigerwood or Mahogany, renewable resources like bamboo, beautiful marble and granite and manmade linoleum (part of which is often recycled), plus almost anything else you can think of. Some floors are made from polished concrete or glass.  Now, the latter is enough to make you dizzy because it seems like you are walking on air!  If you want to keep your feet on the ground, take a look at the floormall.com website and choose from some of the hundreds of different kinds of flooring they list for your shopping pleasure.

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What about an old floor?  You could have a floor or floors in your home that are damaged and really are old.  Or, you can install or refinish floors to look old on purpose.  Hardwood that’s made to look old may be stronger because real old hardwood could have been damaged through the years, from normal wear and tear or even water.  Today, we can purchase engineered planks that are old-looking in several different ways such as beaten up or stained with an antique look.  We can also buff off old and stained finish on real hardwood then apply a smooth or antique look finish.  There are a lot of options and at floormall.com you’ll be able to find some answers for questions you may have regarding the process.

Real antique hardwood can also be reclaimed.  There are barns in the country and even reclaimed or recycled lumber and hardware stores and lots.  People here take old wood that has a lot of life left in it and make it smooth and even and of a fairly consistent size, then sell it to people wanting the genuine article.  There are even companies that recycle timber which has been sunken at the bottom of a lake or river for a hundred years or more.  This is in logging areas that have usually been abandoned.  This wood has a beautiful sheen and texture to it because it’s been underwater.  A homeowner can install this wood into their homes and know that it is really old, and that it will add a fantastic look to their modern or period home.  At floormall.com they have a body of knowledge which anyone can access, and it has many tips on flooring and related products.

If you are refinishing your own hardwood floors, it’s good to see what thickness remains so you don’t find yourself buffing through to the back of the planks, and maybe even see daylight coming through!  If there’s enough thickness left for buffing and if you don’t own a floor buffer, then renting one is a great option.  After buffing and smoothing then you can seal and apply stain in the proper sequence and then finish as appropriate.  You may have a damaged section of flooring that needs replacing and this can be a little trickier.  Perhaps you have some saved sections of the flooring and then you can replace the damaged part, buff off and then re-stain the entire floor etc.  Check out what stain you want at floormall.com, as well as a huge selection of different hardwoods if you need to redo your entire floor.

Any which way you look at it, old floors, whether real or created, add ambience to any type of home.  Of course, you may decide on an entirely new type of floor for a brand new look.  See what floormall.com has to offer — and they have professional installers as well as all of the materials you could ever need!

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As we move into Summer, thoughts of the holidays may already be looming in the back of your mind.  If there’s always a large crowd over at your house for Thanksgiving or Hannukah or Christmas and New Year’s, consider re-doing your dining room.  The floors may need replacing, and the walls repainting, and perhaps you need a new dining table.    What type of flooring is best for a dining area?  A solid and non-porous surface is easier to clean.  It could be hardwood, laminate, tiles, linoleum, or something else.  If you have no idea what you’d like then looking through a virtual catalog, such as the ones they have at floormall.com, may inspire you.

Some flooring is easier to install than others.  Click and lock or floating floors are the easiest.  A piece of linoleum would be okay and it’s super-easy to put down, and there isn’t any worry that it’ll look old-fashioned, these days.  That would be good for an informal dining room but if you have a more formal one as well, then hardwood flooring or stone or ceramic tiles may work better.  They can be a little harder to install but a pro could be hired as well as getting more info on the process through floormall.com.  Spacers should be used and there are different placement patterns for ceramic or stone tiles. 

Sealing the floor that’s in a dining room is crucial because of spills.  Tiles and their grout can be sealed, as well as hardwood flooring.  Linoleum is already sealed and vinyl is as well. After you install your new dining room floor, or have it installed, get some advice on what type of cleaning products to use.   When the dining room has been refreshed you can decide on whether you want to use your old dining table and chairs, or get some new ones.   Whatever choice you make you’ll want your new floor to be showcased!  A homeowner may also want a rug (cleanable) under the dining table.  After everything is done you can work on the extra-fun part — a centerpiece.

Centerpieces can be seasonal and changed, or year round and an eclectic grouping of your favorite things.  If you have candles in your centerpiece and plan on burning them, then be aware of what’s touching their bases, as well as the fact that unscented candles need to be used around food.  Guests want to smell your good cooking and not orange blossom or another strong scent.  You can create a centerpiece from found natural objects or a few interesting flea market finds.  Don’t overpower the table and leave room for the dinner plates!  Themes around holiday time work wonderfully, but be sure that the decorations are in keeping with the rest of your house, and subdued rather than flamboyant.  For flooring tips about the rest of your house, check out the pages at floormall.com

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       Ever wanted a real man-cave — perhaps a cozy pub or media room?  Many homeowners want to make a dedicated “man cave” but don’t really know how to go about it.  Think of the flooring first.  If you want the real cave look, then dark hardwood is the way to go.  This also works for the darkened aspects of a media room.  You can’t have all of those big games reflecting off a light wood floor!  Real rock or pebbles can be added for that genuine cave feel, and perhaps they could be on an accent wall or around a fireplace.  These can be hard to stick to a vertical surface so get a bit of advice if you aren’t too confident in this aspect of your room creation.  There’s also an option of painting your walls, and an accent color on one of them always draws attention to the TV or fireplace, or behind the bar.   Take a look at all of the engineered hardwood in darker shades that they have at floormall.com.

After you figure out your floors, and always be sure and calculate for a little extra in case of damage a few years down the road, and you’ve decided on how you want your walls to look, then determine what type of furniture you want, and if there’s room for a nice wet bar over in a corner.  If you have a larger room or basement you can put the bar against a back wall for that real pub look.  There has to be room for a big-screen TV so figure out where that’s going and if you have the right satellite or cable connections.   Allow space in case you want a bigger TV down the road, and look to make some built-in storage for the satellite receiver, PVR etc.  A rug is always nice on the floor and it can help define the seating area.   For some great alternative floor coverings, check out floormall.com.

If your home is a bit tight on space for guests, for instance, there’s furniture out there that can make you man cave into a guest room/office/media room, so it will be truly multi-purpose.  Murphy beds come in modern configurations and there’s one that, when it’s folded up, has a desk that you can use.  Bookshelves are available and putting one on either side could counterbalance your TV wall at the other end of the man-cave. Think about your sofas and chairs.  Arranging them on the floor in a shape that enables everyone to see the TV will create the right atmosphere.  Consider buying some carpet tiles from floormall.com and use them under your coffee table.  If you buy a few extras, there will be no worry about stains on the carpet, because you can just replace that piece. 

You can sketch you man-cave concept out first and then rearrange (in your head) anything that doesn’t work out.  If you reach a stumbling block then a visit to the “university” at floormall.com may help you over it.  Because your man-cave may be subjected to several parties, always be sure that your flooring and furniture are durable, attractive, and easy to keep clean!

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Stone Tile at Floormall.com

     If you live in the country, or an urban area that gets a lot of dust or mud or rain or snow, then the room or rooms that your family enters first, may need a new floor.  A solid floor may prove invaluable. Linoleum or vinyl tile could be put down in a mud room or a family room entered from the patio.   If entry is through a front door then a tiled entryway will work, which can then lead into your hardwood or other flooring in a living room.  A tiled foyer could also lead to carpeting or rugs.  If there’s a mat that is washable and put down right as people enter your home, then this can hold any dust or moisture.  Check out a few ideas for these critical areas, on floormall.com.

Stone tiles are also a beautiful addition to any room whether it’s subjected to dust and moisture, or not.  They come in many colors and can include slate, granite and even marble (for those mansions!)  Because natural stone tiles are not made in a factory and are cut to size, the measurements do vary quite a bit.  This will be noticeable if you lay them square-on in a checkerboard pattern.  These kinds of tiles need to be laid in a staggered pattern so any slight variances will blend right in, and you won’t see them.  To view a huge variety of stone and other tiles, check out floormall.com.

Sealed hardwood may also be used when there’s concern over “tracking in”.  Real wood is easier to keep clean than you might imagine, as long you don’t let any pools of water sit on it, there shouldn’t be any problems.  To clean hardwood floors all you need is a damp mop that was dipped in warm water and a little vinegar.  No need for that expensive balsamic kind — just the plain sort should work fine.  For cleaning up any of your other floors you can take a peek at floormall.com’s university of info.  There’s no tuition involved, which might be a relief now that the kids are out for the Summer!

Before you renovate or replace a section of your flooring, think about the use it will get and what may be walked in or spilt on it.  If you can tie in usage and purpose and how it looks to your floors, then they will last a lot longer.  If you want to compare colors or properties of stone tile, hardwood floors, ceramic tile, linoleum or any other kind of floor, look at the floormall.com website today.  The better the job at matching your floors to a room’s purpose, the more functional your home will be.

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  Perhaps you have a picture in your head of linoleum or vinyl flooring that’s of a long ago kitchen floor in grandma’s kitchen?  It could have been grey or green or even yellow.  You don’t have to replace your floor with something like that.  Vinyl flooring and linoleum (and linoleum is now “greener” than ever) comes in a huge variety of gorgeous colors and thicknesses and designs.  They even have retro designed linoleum and vinyl if you really do like grandma’s style.  Vinyl flooring is enduring and very easy to install.  It usually comes in uniform tiles and they are easy to glue down, or even just rip of the backing and voila, they are down.  Taking a look online is useful for this type of flooring, because it does come in this huge variety.  Imagine trying to compare this flooring in a home store?  It would take hours.  Check out floormall.com and you’ll see how easy it is.

Vinyl flooring can be inexpensive.  There are even patterns that make these tiles look exactly like stone.  The normal size is 12″ x 12″ and the boxes are easy to handle.  If you get them sent to you after purchasing on the Internet, you can just stack them in a corner until you are ready to use them.  Because vinyl flooring can be placed on several surfaces or in several different climates, check out what glue is available.  If you are chemically sensitive then some glues offer low or no VOC varieties.  Prices vary as do amounts in the container.  Don’t buy more than you need as it can deteriorate, but just a little more than you estimate you’ll need.  Make sure that your subfloor is smooth and level before you lay the tiles or you could get buckling later.  Manufacturers’ recommendations for drying time are on the glue container, and adhesive suggestions always come with the tiles themselves.

Vinyl flooring can even be placed in your garage.  It just depends on what will be parked there, or what will be placed on it.  Usually, in a garage, homeowners install vinyl flooring in the workshop area.  Black and white tiles give an area a retro look, as they would in kitchens.  The 1950s is a popular era right know and people who have installed black and white checkerboard vinyl flooring could have colored appliances to go along with it.  Stainless steel is also good and that gives a retro, yet modern look, without being too kitschy. 

All in all, vinyl flooring is a great product because it’s durable, easy to install, and reasonably priced.  If you simply don’t have the time and inclination to do the vinyl flooring installation yourself, then there are a few excellent professionals out there.  Take a look at floormall.com.  Choosing your patterns and colors is fun, but get help if you need it.

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 If your floor or floors are in disrepair then Summer fun plans may have to be put on hold.  Starting your renovation or floor repair now will get it done in plenty of time for barbecues and outdoor parties.  Hardwood flooring repairs can be as simple as renting a sander, buffing the old finish and scratches out of your floor, and then resealing.  Your flooring has to have a few years of life left in it for this to happen, though.  You can’t refinish what’s not there.  Floors must be made from solid hardwood and not be engineered, for you to be able to sand them.  Good hardwood flooring can be refinished several times.  Poor quality maybe only once.  If you have a period home then the floors are probably quite thick and you’ll do just fine refinishing them.  Grab some free advice from floormall.com and you can see what you may need to buy for your project.

Perhaps there are a few planks that have become damaged in your hardwood floors.  When hardwood flooring is first installed it’s always a good idea to save some pieces of the wood.  Of course, if your house was built a couple of centuries ago, that’s not going to happen.  If you have had your home built, or put in a hardwood floor recently, then  replacing those few planks is pretty easy.  Basically, you have to pry up the damaged ones, cut the new ones to size and then glue and nail them down.  All old glue and nails or staples have to be removed.  Refinishing with a stain and sealer can be a little tricky because it has to be matched and integrated into the old floor.  Some stores can color match stains and paint, because computers are used, so check that concept out if you don’t have a can of the old stain in your garage or shed. 

If you are going to be installing or have installed, an entire room of hardwood flooring, then the choices are many.   Do you have hardwood floors throughout your home or just in this one room?  If you have other rooms with floors like this and if there’s a room separation (perhaps this room has tiles etc.) then there shouldn’t be any problems.  If this room where you are installing or replacing the hardwood in butts up against another hardwood floor, then you may want to get as close to that one’s color and type of wood as you can.  If you have to match hardwoods with another floor, then look online at floormall.com and you can find hardwood flooring of all types.  You’ll be able to match up your old floors that way. 

Whatever way you go, hardwood flooring is an enduring, warm, durable and extremely attractive flooring choice.  Along with stone and ceramic tiles, it’s been around for a very long time.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Have you gotten tired of those funny sounds that floors sometimes make when you walk on them?  Old floors can get really waxy and gummy and look really, really dingy.  Perhaps it’s time to check out some new types of floors that are becoming popular.  Cork flooring is becoming an excellent choice for flooring.  It’s environmentally friendly (cork oak trees re-grow this inner bark in a few years) so it’s renewable, like giant bamboo is.  Although giant bamboo is cut down, it’s just a grass and it does get big really fast so that’s the feature that makes it very “green”.  Cork flooring usually comes in tile form and these do vary in quality and coloration, so checking out some samples online at floormall.com will steer you in the right direction.

One advantage to cork flooring is that you will not be sticking to it.  Cork can be sealed quite nicely so you won’t worry about the porosity very much.  Cork provides warmth and insulation and a certain “bounciness” to your floors.  It’s a new and quite in vogue flooring product for offices, especially.  There are some sound insulating qualities which make it a great choice for the home office.  Libraries, if you are so fortunate to have one of these book repositories in your home, or a den, also are good candidates for cork flooring.  A lot of homeowners can install cork floors themselves but the product may not be available in all home improvement stores.  You can look online at the various types, availability, and installation tips.  Visiting a good site like floormall.com will get you on the right track.

Cork is used for many other things in homes, and not just for the floors.  There’s every college student’s dream of a giant bulletin board where they can stick schedules and photos from home.  In the home office you can also make a section of cork on the wall in front of a desk.  To make this bulletin area more home-like, wrapping a few diagonals of ribbon so that it crisscrosses a bulletin board enables you to slip in photos and notes without having to use pushpins etc.  In fact, if you have a few cork tiles left over from your cork flooring project, you can make one of these as a unique gift.  Always save a few pieces or sections of any flooring you install, for repairs at a later date.  Store them where you’ll be able to get them out if needed!

If you want some information on any types of flooring products, cork flooring included, or any advice or tips for buying or installation, then take a look at floormall.com.  There’s a ton of info on this site that will help you.

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Popularity: 9% [?]

Well, your floor may not be literally blue (or maybe it is) but if it’s sad, then you might consider replacing it.  Sometimes, flooring such as tile flooring or any hard surface, can get stained or damaged and even if it’s a little corner of the floor, that may detract from your overall nice look which you have worked hard to maintain.  If your tile or other flooring has aged, the color difference between old and new tile can be striking.  You may need to purchase all new tile flooring, and there are many different types to choose from.  If you are looking for a bit of solid info on installing the floor yourself, then check out floormall.com.  They have a university section where you can learn all kinds of things about flooring.

Tiles have been around from ancient times and can be made from a host of different materials.  Today, they are ceramic or porcelain or vinyl or real wood (parquet tiles) or cork or leather or stainless steel, or even exotic woods and other substances.  A tile is a square, usually 12″ x 12″ for floors or sometimes 18″ x 18″ or even 6″ x 6″.  Tiles can also be rectangular.  Octagonal tiles can be used for tile flooring and they fit quite nicely together. Think about how a beehive looks inside and the honeycombs all lined up snugly.  Maybe you’d like a blue floor.  Really. 

Different shades of blue tile flooring can depict a sea theme, or lend a nautical air to a seaside cottage.  Be careful if you do blue tiles in a bathroom.  On the floor and on the walls and in the shower could become overpowering.  All one color and you’d feel claustrophobic.  Too dark a color on the floor would be hard to keep clean.  If you need any advice on what type of tile flooring to get, cruise on over to floormall.com.  They’ll offer plenty of great advice.  The ancient Greeks loved blue tiles.  The ancient Egyptians did as well.  If you have a small room, then laying large tiles diagonally makes it look much bigger. 

For our modern floors there are so many choices for tile flooring, or any other kind of floor.  Installation materials and temperature really do matter as to the end results you get when flooring is installed.  Always make sure your floor is level before performing any kind of tile flooring job.  There are cement-like levelers you can pour to make it even.  Installing a subfloor is also a great idea.  Grout is necessary for tiles after you have got them stuck down and this can be either matching, or a different color.  The grout should match the tiles as if it’s too stark a contrast, the tiles can look weird.  Be sure and place spacers between your tiles or your floor may look like a tornado hit it and wrongly laid tiles can be a real mess to get up.  If you need help installing your tile flooring, check out the pros at floormall.com.

Popularity: 1% [?]

If you are starting from scratch and either building a home yourself or having one built, then a first thought should be about what type of flooring you are going to install.  And, do you really want to do it yourself or call in the pros?  If you are replacing one or two floors inside of your already completed home, then that can be a little bit different as to how you will approach the problem.  There are so many floor types these days that a self-installation can be easy.  It depends on the flooring itself.  New homes are usually a combination of tiles (stone or ceramic) and hardwood flooring.  You may choose an easier to install high-quality laminate or engineered flooring, which comes in snap together planks. 

Also under consideration these days is whether your flooring is environmentally safer than some products used to be.  Bamboo, for instance, is a terrific, easily-renewable flooring product.  It can range from glue down planks to cork-backed (therefore already ready to go straight down), snap together planks.  Bamboo comes in light natural colors, or caramelized varieties that add interest.  There are also several ways that the bamboo strips can be placed and this also adds additional contrast.  Gluing down planks requires good knees if you are doing it yourself.  Planks and a high quality glue help.  If you aren’t very up n all of the products available, then a look at a variety of them, plus info on a few professionals, can be had at floormall.com. 

Tiles are a good choice for the home do it yourselfer.  They come in a vast range of materials and can be super easy (peel and stick vinyl) to large, natural stone tiles that can be quite difficult to install.  The thing with natural stone is that it’s always one of a kind because the stone it comes from (limestone, granite, marble etc.) is varied as to thickness and color.  With a truly natural stone tile you need to place the tiles staggered, like you do with a brick wall.  If they are placed in a grid pattern, then you will get quite off kilter at the end of your room.  There is always a variance in the size of natural stone tiles for your flooring, so be sure and use a high quality glue, grout and get a bit of advice from floormall.com.  Don’t forget the tile spacers!

Finally, hardwood floors are so loved and have been used for centuries.  Back in the day, wide planks were used for flooring and today, hardwood flooring comes in random widths and lengths, sometimes engineered (real wood but in layers) and even reclaimed or refinished wood.  Reusing wood taken from a house in another, or refinishing old barn wood or even wood that’s been in a lake for a century, is the ultimate in recycling.  And, you get a product that’s unique and beautiful.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Shaw Floors Brushed Suede Parchment is a lovely color and it’s done in an engineered hickory real wood.  Installation is by floating (snap it together) or nail or staple gun and/or glue.  If you need any installation tips, floormall.com has a ton of great info on just about anything to do with flooring.  The finish on these planks is ScufResist and the name says it all.  This is a great flooring for a family room or perhaps a breakfast area that leads out to the patio.  Keep your floors looking great throughout many Summers of backyard activity!  The width is a sturdy 4.5″ and it’s .5″ thick and there’s 18.30 square feet per box.

Shaw Floors Brushed Suede Buckskin is a gorgeous color.  As the name suggests, it evokes memories of Westerns and soft leather and cowboy boots.  Of course, it would look great in any style of home.  The planks are made from engineered hickory and they will install via a floating method (click and lock) or with a nail gun, staple gun and/or glue.  If you need any info on installation or about any other flooring topic, check out floormall.com and their “university” section.  You can get a real education there.  The finish on this flooring is ScufResist so it’s wonderful for those high traffic areas of your home, and the width of the planks is 4.5″, with a .5″ thickness and there’s 18.30 square feet per box.

Shaw Floors Brushed Suede Fedora is the most wonderful shade of soft grey.  It does remind you of those old films with detectives, in their fedora hats, taking on the case of a beautiful woman.  The color and style would really suit your home, no matter what era it’s from.  The planks are engineered Hickory and the finish is ScufResist.  You can use this flooring in a which traffic area such as a busy library or perhaps the family or media room.  Installation is by floating method (snap in) or via nail gun, stapler, and/or glue.  The planks are a hefty 4.25″ wide by .5″ thick and there’s 18.30 square feet per box.  Check out floormall.com if you need any help with installation or just have some questions.  Rent an old Humphrey Bogart movie and give an occasional glance to your new Brushed Suede Fedora floors as you sit on the coach, eat popcorn, and watch the movie!

Shaw Floors Brushed Suede Bison is a wonderful color for your new floor.  It’s made from engineered Hickory and the installation is by floating floor (snap it in) or by nail gun, stapler, and/or glue.  The finish is ScufResist so it will take the wear and tear of a family room.  The width is a nice 4.25″ and the thickness is a solid .5″.  These are not flimsy planks.  There’s 18.30 square feet in a box.   Seek out any help you need, or ask any questions you’d like, from floormall.com.

View more Shaw Flooring Products Here

Popularity: 9% [?]

Mohawk Rivermont Cherry Oak Strip is the most beautiful cherry color you’ll find in flooring.  This one is oak, and applied by means of nails or staples.  The finish is Aluminum Oxide and the planks are 2.25″ wide by .75″ thick.  There’s 18.25 square feet per box.  This would make an absolutely beautiful floor in your period or contemporary home.  If you’re library or den or dining room needs a new floor, then this could be the one.  If you need any advice on installation or finding a professional installer, then take a look at floormall.com.  They will be able to answer any of your questions, especially if you look through their university section.  It’ll be a great, instant education!

Mohawk Maple Ridge Ginger 2 ¼” is a superior flooring plank that’s made from solid maple and applied by means of a nail gun.  If you aren’t experienced at using nail guns then you can seek advice, or round up a professional installer at floormall.com.  The finish on these planks is Aluminum Oxide and the color is just gorgeous.  This type of flooring was used back in Colonial days so if you have a period home, then this would be the flooring to look at.  It’s 2.25″ wide by ¾” thick, so there’s plenty enough would for several rounds of sanding and buffing and re-staining.  This floor will last for generations.  There’s 18.25 square feet in a box and they do have matching accessories which you may purchase, such as baseboards an molding.

Mohawk Pastiche Uniclic Cherry Oak is as its name suggests — one click and it’s installed!   What could be easier?  It’s an engineered real wood product and the finish is Aluminum Oxide.  If you are looking for an easy install, then this one is absolutely worth a look.  If there’s more advice you need or just a few facts, then floormall.com’s university section will be able to answer any of your questions or concerns.  The width of these planks is 3.25″ and the thickness is 3/8″.  There’s plenty in a box at 29.25 square feet per.

Mohawk Hand-Sculpted Santa Barbara Saddle Oak evokes that beautiful small Spanish-themed city of Santa Barbara, right on the Pacific ocean.  This city has a huge range of homes from luxurious mansions to charming craftsman-style cottages and period Victorians.  Merchant seamen used to bring cargo loads of flooring into the harbor of Santa Barbara, and many large homes at the time overlooked the sea.   If you’d like to redo a few floors in your own home, then this engineered hickory flooring may be just the ticket.  You can install it by way of a nail or staple gun, and glue may also be used along with that.  Any advice needed on any kind of flooring topic, may be easily gotten from floormall.com.  The finish on these planks is Aluminum Oxide and they are a hefty (and very period looking ) 5″ wide by .5″ thick and there’s 19.69 square feet per box.  This flooring will last for many generations.

Popularity: 9% [?]

     If you are looking for some exotic flooring but don’t know quite what to go for, or what the prices and availability might be, then check out floormall.com.  They have a wide variety of flooring that will suit just about anyone.  Armstrong has a fantastic (and exotic) Global Exotic Brazilia Tigerwood floor, which is an engineered floor that’s 4-3/4″ wide.  As you may know, Brazilia is the capital of Brazil and this title certainly suits the color and style of these planks.  This flooring is dark and rich looking, and made from striped Tigerwood and it requires glue, staples and nail installation, depending on your subfloor of course.  The finish is Dura-Luster Plus and the width is 4.75″.  Thickness is 3/8″ and there 27.9 square feet per box.  If you have any questions  about flooring installation, be sure and look at floormall.com’s university section, where you’ll find a wealth of info on most any subject to do with flooring. 

On the other hand, if you like a lighter kind of flooring, there’s always Armstrong’s Global Exotic Brazilia Taupe engineered planks, which are also 4.75″ wide so the look is nice and sturdy.  You can compare colors and styles at floormall.com on this, and the other Armstrong floor types.  This taupe color is somewhat lighter than the other Tigerwood species, but it also has a Dura-Luster Plus finish for durability and the installation is the same — glue, nails and staples, depending on your subfloor.  There’s also 27.9 square feet to a box so it’ll cover a nice portion of your floor.

If you are looking for Mahogany, then floormall.com has that too, in the usual high quality of Armstrong.  Their Global Exotic Natural African Mahogany, in the 4.75″ wide engineered planks, is fantastic and would be superior looking in a library or den or period home.  The species of tree is an African Mahogany  and installation is glue, nail and staple, or a combo.  The thickness is hefty at 3/8″ and there’s the Dura-Luster Plus finish to protect your floors and keep them looking great for many years.  At 27.9 square feet in a box, you’ll be able to finish up your floors in no time. 

Armstrong’s Grecian Series American Cherry is deep and rich and warm looking.  The finish is Aluminum Oxide and at 36.62 square feet per box you’ll be able to complete your floors with just a few boxes.  This engineered flooring is installed by means of glue. Nail, staples or just clicked together, because it can be a floating floor as well.  The width is 3-9/16″ and the thickness is 13/32″.  If you need help in installing this lovely flooring, or just have a few questions, then check out floormall.com and their interesting and comprehensive section and the university pages.

Popularity: 9% [?]

If you have been considering redoing a couple of rooms in your home — perhaps with bamboo or hardwood or even a spiffy natural stone tile design, shopping for nice area rugs could serve you well. They are both decorative and protective. Of course, all good quality flooring, such as can be found at floormall.com, can withstand most kinds of foot traffic. There are some types of flooring that may benefit from a nice carpet or rug, but even if they are just decorative, checking out the latest designs will add warmth and comfort to your home, and bare toes!

Today’s bamboo flooring, for instance, is both attractive, very “green”, and wears well. If you have a pathway in your room, with newly laid down bamboo, it doesn’t hurt to protect against some of the “hard knocks” of life, such as children running inside with their sport shoes on, or large dogs playing, etc. If you have bamboo in a new office, and are using a small-wheeled office chair, for instance, protecting the area behind your desk protects the floor from dent marks if your large uncle Charlie visits and sits in that chair. Even the very sturdy hardwood or tile floors are protected from moisture after Summer pool parties, and some of the smaller area rugs are very easy to both air and dry out, and keep clean. They are also an anti-slip agent for the wet feet of little ones. If you are considering putting down a good quality of wood but are unsure about how to do it, free information can be found at the floormall.com university.

Choosing an area rug is really about two things — do you like it, and does it compliment your flooring and home? As there are so many floor colors, so are there colors of carpeting and rugs. Bamboo flooring, for instance, especially if it’s that lovely darker caramelized color (check out the many variations of bamboo flooring at floormall.com), takes well to a lighter tan carpeting with a nice border. Something in a natural pattern would be great and would suit the theme and airiness of bamboo. If you have a darker hardwood or laminate floor, a richer-toned color for your area rug will suit you. If there’s just a pathway through the room or an area in front of a sofa, for instance, then a carpet runner will be perfect. Many runners are regular area rugs, that is, no more of that indoor/outdoor weave in a solid bright blue or dark green. You can get that still, but it would probably not be for your living room.

All in all, pick out what type and color of flooring you need to install and take a look at floormall.com for inspiration, knowledge and supplies, then after it’s been laid down, grab an area rug or two and your new room or rooms will be finished off perfectly!

Popularity: 1% [?]

Independence Day is coming up in just a few months and you may want to start planning those parties and celebrations.  Besides the usual decorations and food, invitations and such, take a quick look at the floors in your home that may need renewal, refurbishing, or renovation.  Family rooms, certainly kitchens, patios and dens, basements and great rooms — all could be involved in the big July bash.  A site that can help you plan, or just learn about new innovations in flooring, is at floormall.com.  They also, besides the free advice, have a lot of information on ordering flooring materials and getting hold of a professional flooring installer, if you need one of those to help you out.

Because July is a big barbecue month, how does your patio look?  Are the stone or ceramic tiles chipped or cracked or faded?  Natural flagstones and other stone flooring, or even patterned or colored concrete, looks great as the decking for a patio.  It does need some maintenance and often, a few repairs are all that’s needed.  Perhaps the carpeting in your family room is past the point of no return and your kids can see themselves in the shiny linoleum underneath it.  Maybe a good flooring of real hardwood, engineered hardwood or a high quality laminate would serve you well in that area.  At floormall.com they have so many types of wood planks and also bamboo (a great flooring that can be easy to install) that the only choice could be what color and when can I get it installed?

Your kitchen may be in good shape or poor, but there are lots of things you can do to either refresh, or replace it.  If the real wood is scarred or dull, then stripping, buffing and then re-staining would make it look wonderful again.  Perhaps a new piece of the modern and eco-friendly linoleum would be a simple and durable solution?  Have you considered ceramic tiles or even porcelain tiles in there?  If you go to floormall.com and see what they have for your kitchen, then check out the handy info on their floormall.com university.  It’s free, and extremely informative.

Finally, don’t forget the guest bathroom!  It may be a small area, but all of the people at your party will be taking a look at the floor at one time or another.  Natural stone tiles look great in a bathroom and using larger ones, usually 18 inches by 18 inches, and laying them diagonally, will increase the space visually.  Take a quick look at floormall.com and perhaps a manufacturer has a small run of tiles which can be bought a little cheaper.  You won’t need many for a normal-sized bathroom.  Subway (ceramic) tiles can be used, plus even vinyl tiles (some look like real stone tiles).  Vinyl tiles could be a quick and easy fix and along with a vase of fresh floors, and some new towels and a shower curtain, the bathroom will be spa-like and ready for all of your guests. 

Hardwood Flooring

Popularity: 8% [?]

Why walk around on dingy old floors, when it’s almost Spring?  Some flooring installations take a little longer than others.  Many are super easy and others are a bit harder.  If you visit a site like floormall.com you can see what’s involved with each type of flooring installation, and make an informed choice.  The easiest flooring installation would probably be a nice new piece of “green” linoleum.  The next would be peel and stick vinyl tiles.  Don’t think of the old school vinyl tiles.  There are so many new varieties these days that some floors look exactly like natural stone or high quality patterned laminate.  You really can’t tell the difference and would have to get a magnifying glass out to be sure.

The next easiest would be a floating floor, or laminate.  These are snap together planks and only require cutting to fit, then interlocking like a jigsaw puzzle.  Underlayment (foam sheet for cement or paper for wood) is all that’s required, plus a small standing jigsaw.  You don’t need glue or anything else, but kneepads are a wise choice plus a small mallet and an extra piece of wood to tap the planks in place.  I’d say that hardwood planks would be the next type to consider.  Check out the variety and woods at floormall.com and see if this kind of flooring is for you.  Nails are required if your subfloor is wood and glue if it’s cement.  You can rent a nailer or get a professional flooring installer to do the job for you.  Consider lighter wood for those new Spring days or get ready for a cozy Fall and Winter with gorgeous darker woods such as mahogany or walnut.  Hardwood floors can be composed of only a certain type of wood, or engineered wood (top layer of the wood then other woods for the rest).  Engineered woods can be in many different stains and colors and types, such as the antique look. 

Tiling is perhaps a little harder than most other floor installations.  If you study a few details as to what type of materials to use for sticking the tiles to your floor, how to space the tiles and what pattern to use for which type of tile, how to grout when they are dry, what types of tiles wear better than others, etc., then the job will be made much easier.  There’s a storehouse of knowledge on flooring at the floormall.com university online.  See what suits you to DIY or perhaps hire a professional flooring installer.  Look at what’s available in tiles, which would be good for your space, and go from there.

Looking through the online varieties of tiles at floormall.com and seeing what appeals to you, is fun and saves a lot on gas and wear and tear on your shoes.  Patience may be a virtue but if you have to traipse all over town in order to see what’s out there, then it can wear a little thin!  Save your precious free time and do other Spring things, like stopping to smell the roses. 

Cork Flooring

Popularity: 1% [?]

No — not unless you want them to look really old, really, really fast.  But, there are special dance floors you may buy, especially if you take a look at floormall.com.  Professionals use them — they are like a very sturdy linoleum.  But, if you only feel the urge occasionally, and can restrain yourself from tapping on your hardwood, thcn perhaps you can utilize an outdoor space with an old piece of linoleum down on it, or the basement.   Even so, Rockette on over to that site right away and see what they have.  Spring is soon upon us and your floors may be all worn out from the regular dancing that your guests enjoyed during the fantastic New Year’s Eve party you threw for them.  Perhaps you’ve sanded and buffed until there’s barely any wood left in your hardwood floors.  Ah, but what about laminate flooring, you may sigh.  No good for tap dancing either.  You’d be bouncing up and down like you were on a trampoline.  They don’t call laminate a floating floor for nothing. 

Hardwood floors can last a very long time, sometimes a hundred years or more.  Careful cleaning and the

occasional sanding and buffing or staining, or both, will keep them fresh for generations.  Clean them with a damp mop dipped in warm water and vinegar If you want the antique look, then recycled hardwood is the answer.  Of course, holding a tap dance party would do the trick in no time at all.  The wood used for hardwood floors can come from most anywhere on the planet.  We have to be a little cautious these days so that the rain forests are not denuded, or a species of tree goes extinct because someone wants a one of a kind floor in their mansion.  There are certainly varieties of exotic woods, such as zebra wood, that will lend an international air to your room, without denuding the planet of the species.  These rarer woods do cost more, but that’s probably to be expected.  Check out a few exotic species of wood flooring at floormall.com.  They have a lot more substance than a “regular” mall with its corn dogs on a stick, or major appliances in electric blue.

One solution for your tap dancing tendencies, if you don’t have  a basement, money for a dance studio, or it rains all the time, is to make yourself a portable section of flooring that you can practice on.  Perhaps a company has a scrap left over from a dance floor installation and you can buy it at half price.  All you need to do is frame up a couple of sheets of plywood, attach the floor, and voila!  You’ll be Ginger Rodgers or Fred Astaire in no time.  Play a CD of Singing In The Rain and perhaps Gene Kelly will be your inspiration.  Just tap on over to floormall.com (virtually of course) and see what they have.  Spring will soon be upon us and it’s time to get those toes a tappin’.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Make Your Spring Even Greener with Green Flooring

 It could be your innermost desire to get a literally green floor by St. Patrick’s Day (thin green paint or stain over an old hardwood floor, for instance), but by green we mean a new floor that is environmentally friendly and renewable.  These days, getting a wonderful new floor installed or perhaps making it a DIY project, is easier than ever.  Floormall.com has great resources like a university (full of knowledge about flooring), a blog, and an online mall where there are hundreds of flooring options available.  Spring is  the season of renewal.  Why not let it apply to the flooring, or even one room, of your home?

Green Flooring at Floormall.com

A hot and very green flooring resource these days is bamboo.  This is a fantastic product in the looks department, and knowing that it is made from an extremely fast growing variety of grass, and produced by farmers on land in China (therefore enabling many people to get jobs), is a real A plus in the flooring material arena.  Floormall.com can show you photos of the planks and installations, in the several colors that bamboo flooring comes in.  The natural light color is super in an urban loft type of room and the caramelized variations offer a warmer and yet somewhat darker option.  There are even types of bamboo planks that have strip variations and these may offer a designer touch, and an exotic one as well.  Bamboo needs a certain type of glue to stick it down on concrete and although it does snap together, there are more complicated installation methods than laminate, with this flooring.  You can do it yourself but it takes elbow grease and flooring pros may be called for.  It depends on what you’d like to do. 

Green Floors at Floormall.com

Any type of recycled flooring is a green option of course.  Barn wood makes superior and antique looking flooring.  If you are so lucky as to be close to or friends with a farmer who has an aged barn that needs removing, then that’s a good source for these beautiful planks.  It all needs planing down, sanding then sealing to a uniform thickness and length.  Some places specialize in this if you don’t have the expertise or time to do it.  Floormall.com can give you more info on recycled lumber and also some places to look for it, and possible installers as well.  Real hardwood flooring is a bit harder to install than laminate, but it lasts a long time and depending on thickness, can be re-sanded and refinished several times.

Perhaps the best thing about shopping online at Floormall.com for your “green” flooring needs is the fact that you are not polluting the environment by driving all over town (or even the next city) to look at samples of flooring in various retail outlets.  You can compare looks and use and prices online.  No gas usage, no wearing out of shoe soles, no stress and no need to buy a disappointing lunch at a food court somewhere.  This mall will only help you, not hurt your wallet or waistline.

 Buy Flooring Online at Floormall.com

Popularity: 7% [?]