Rick's Carpet & Flooring

Tips for Selecting the Right Types of Tile to Use in Your Bathroom

According to The Toilet Paper Encyclopedia, a hotbed for consumer information about industrial paper supply and use, the average person spends three years in the bathroom over the course of his or her lifetime. Keeping this in mind, you want to use the best judgment when making any decisions pertaining to the design of your bathroom. With so many types of tile flooring available, you may find it useful to consult a guide such as this one when selecting tile for your bathroom construction or remodel.

Consider a Material’s Properties
When selecting a flooring material for your bathroom, you want to choose something that will be durable and water resistant. Vinyl and laminate, two popular flooring options that can be found in impressive imitations of natural stone and other high-end materials, can be sealed to provide you with ample water resistance.

Assess Your Color and Pattern Options
You can find tile flooring for your bathroom in just about any color or pattern, but not all types of tile are available in all colors and patterns. Take a close look at the options available to you, and have a flooring store representative answer any questions you have so that you can narrow your selection down. Do not make any design compromises; you should be able to find a flooring type that simultaneously meshes with your bathroom theme and meets your functional needs.

Think About Price
Before you agree to invest in new tile flooring, make sure you can afford it. Granite or marble may be your desired floor material, but laminate or vinyl tiles may prove to be just as aesthetically appealing and far more practical.   

For additional information about the high quality flooring products and services provided by Rick’s Carpet & Flooring, call (571) 482-7575 today. You can also view our selection of high quality flooring options by visiting our showroom in Alexandria, VA.

Tips for Buying New Carpeting for Your Home

Carpet is one of the most important features in your home. Not only does your carpet provide a soft and luxurious walking surface, but it also gives your home’s interior a beautiful and aesthetically-pleasing look—that is, unless your carpet is flat, worn, or stained beyond repair.

In this video, Angie’s List founder Angie Hicks describes the signs that it is time to replace the carpet flooring in your home. Intense matting, stubborn stains, and an age of more than 10 years are a few surefire signs that it’s time to buy new carpeting for your home. She also discusses factors to consider when choosing a carpet type, most notably the purpose that the area of the home that is to be carpeted serves.

Could your home use some fresh new carpet flooring? For a range of flooring options and professional installation service, call Rick’s Carpet & Flooring at (571) 482-7575. We are proud to be one of the leading flooring stores in the greater Alexandria area.

Damaged Hardwood Floors Are No Laughing Matter

Smooth, eco-friendly, and luxurious, hardwood flooring is great to have in almost any room of a home. Without the proper attention and care, however, hardwood flooring can take an expensive turn for the worst. To avoid having to deal with a hardwood flooring disaster in your home, familiarize yourself with the following common causes of damage and seek to protect your home’s floors from sustaining any.

Floor Scratches
Furniture legs, sharp pet nails, and glass or ceramic that is dropped on the ground can all result in scratches on your hardwood floors. The number one cause of scratches on hardwood floors, however, is shoes. Shoes with spikes, cleats, and hard heels can all cause scratching, as can tennis shoes that accumulate dirt, grime, and pebbles. To prevent scratching your home’s hardwood floors, keep a “shoes at the door” policy in your home. Make sure that only socks and house shoes are worn on your nice hardwood floors.

Water Damage
Even if your hardwood flooring is water resistant, you should take great care to ensure that it is never exposed to a significant volume of water for an extended period of time. Clean up spills immediately, and do so thoroughly. When cleaning your floor, mop in accordance with the advice offered by your flooring installation expert. Use dry mops or specially designed floor cleaner, and never leave water or cleaner on the ground to air dry.

Dark Stains
Many homeowners elect to install hardwood flooring in the dining room, where food and drink spills are inevitable to fall. If treated immediately and properly, all evidence of most spills can be removed before stains develop. Never leave a food or beverage stain to sit on your hardwood floor, as these can result in dark stains that are quite difficult to remove.

Virginia homeowners who are looking for first-rate hardwood flooring to replace their old, damaged flooring should call Rick’s Carpet & Flooring at (571) 482-7575. We offer a terrific selection of beautiful and durable hardwood flooring options. Visit our website or stop by our Alexandria showroom to learn more.

Take a Look at the Resources Below to Learn More About Choosing the Right Type of Flooring

At Rick’s Carpet and Flooring, we are dedicated to providing you with top flooring options. We offer installation of all types of flooring, including hardwood, carpet, ceramic, and vinyl. Our prices and service simply can’t be beat. To learn more about choosing the right type of flooring, take a look at these helpful resources from around the web.

• Mayo Clinic gives tips on allergy-proofing a home, including what flooring to install.
• Check out Aladdin commercial flooring options from Mohawk, available at your nearest Rick’s Carpet and Flooring.
• Are you considering going green in your home? TLC has the lowdown on how to choose green flooring.
• If you see tile in your future, check out this article from HGTV on choosing the best tile type for your needs.

To set up an appointment with a design consultant, call (571) 482-7575.

Flooring Options to Help the Allergy Sufferers in Your Household

Selecting flooring for allergy sufferers poses a unique challenge. While it is important to choose a flooring type that will not contribute to or aggravate allergies, you should also not feel the need to sacrifice comfort and style. Fortunately, there are a number of flooring options available that can help allergy sufferers without sacrificing the beauty of your home. Some examples of hypoallergenic flooring options include:

Eco-friendly hardwood – Hardwood flooring is one of the most aesthetically valued flooring materials available. It is also fairly hypoallergenic, since it is a hard, sealed surface that leaves no room for dust and hair to hide. It is easily cleaned, and the eco-friendly options ease the worry of allergy-inducing underlays, as cork or wool felt is usually used instead of traditional felt that may harbor irritating chemicals.

Stone and ceramic tile – Stone and tile are some of the best flooring choices for a home with allergy sufferers. They are beautiful materials and make a bold design statement. They are also easy to clean, offering no pockets for dust, mold, or moisture to accumulate. However, it is important to install an underlayment moisture barrier to prevent the growth of mold below the tile. Cork and foam rubber are hypoallergenic choices for allergy sufferers.

High-end vinyl flooring – High-end vinyl offers many of the same benefits as other hard surfaces such as stone, tile, and hardwood flooring. Vinyl is easily cleaned and does a terrific job at repelling dust and other allergens. In addition, some vinyl flooring will even come with antibacterial agents built in. It is important to only select high-end vinyl for allergy sufferers, however, as lower-end options may actually contain allergy triggers.

Here at Rick’s Carpet and Flooring, we have plenty of flooring options for allergy sufferers. We offer hardwood flooring, ceramic tile, and high-end vinyl. Our team members can take up, remove, refinish, and custom install any type of flooring you choose. To learn more about our beautiful hypoallergenic flooring options, call (571) 482-7575 or visit our website for more information.