Rick's Carpet & Flooring

How Carpets Are Made

The efficiency of creating carpets has drastically improved in the last century. In this video from the Science Channel, you will get a first-hand look at how modern carpets are made.

Large machines are responsible for almost the entire process of making carpets. They create the yarn through mechanic carding, drawing, twisting, and heating. Once the yarn reaches the tufting department, needles stitch the yarn into the carpet’s canvass backing. Completed carpets are then dyed, either with a Chroma jet, a dye reservoir, or in an autoclave.

Rick’s Carpet and Flooring has hundreds of carpet options for your Virginia home. To find out more, or to schedule an appointment with one of our professional design consultants, call (571) 482-7575. You can also get a look at some of our carpet options by visiting our website.

Tips for Selecting Commercial Flooring

Commercial spaces often require a skilled eye when it comes to selecting new flooring. Unlike residential flooring products, commercial carpet or hardwood flooring must be able withstand high traffic while still providing a comfortable and aesthetically pleasing environment for employees and guests. To help get you started, here are three areas that you should pay close attention to when selecting commercial flooring for your business.

• Durability – In a high-traffic work environment, flooring must be extremely durable. In addition to normal wear and tear, accidents are also bound to occur in an area with such a high volume of individuals. Selecting a tough, durable, and tightly-looped carpet is a wise choice for many commercial areas. Vinyl can also be incorporated for areas where heavy traffic or water damage may occur.
• Comfort – If durability were the only factor necessary in choosing commercial flooring, concrete would be everywhere. However, people need a comfortable setting to be happy and productive. To provide the best experience to your employees and customers alike, select flooring that is comfortable as well as durable. Commercial carpet and carpet tiles can offer the soft underfoot feel most people crave without sacrificing strength or durability.
• Safety – When selecting commercial flooring, you will want to consider the safety of those in the building. Some of your employees may have allergies, for example, or a lowered immune system. The common assumption is that hardwood flooring is more hygienic, but commercial carpet is specifically created to prevent dust, pollen, and other allergens from circulating in the air. Many commercial carpets even offer antimicrobial additives to protect against mold, mildew, and fungus.

At Rick’s Carpet and Flooring, we offer the best in commercial carpeting. We also offer premier vinyl, laminate, and eco-friendly options to fit any budget. We will set and install any type of quality flooring that you purchase from us. Visit our website or call (571) 482-7575 for additional information about our commercial flooring solutions.

Looking for More Information Before Selecting Flooring for Your Home or Business? Click These Links to Learn More!

New flooring can refresh the look of your home or business. Learn more about your green flooring options, as well as popular hardwood flooring wood species, by checking out these great resources.

• In this article from GreenLivingOnline.com, you can get tips on finding green flooring options that are truly eco-friendly and will have the least impact on our Earth.
• Take a look at several popular hardwood flooring species and compare Janka ratings for each wood with this webpage from the World Floor Covering Association.
• HowStuffWorks.com provides the ultimate hardwood flooring guide for home and business owners looking to purchase new hardwood flooring.
• For a look at a wide array of hardwood flooring options, explore the information provided in this article from BuildDirect.com.

For quality flooring and superior service, call the flooring specialists at Rick’s Carpet & Flooring at (571) 482-7575.

Common Wood Species Used in Flooring

When you’re looking at hardwood flooring, one of the key features of wood species is their hardness and durability. The Janka rating system allows you to compare wood species based on how hard the wood is. The number for each type of wood on the Janka scale represents the amount of force required to embed a .444-inch steel ball into each wood so that half the ball’s diameter is protruding. Therefore, the higher the number on the Janka rating system scale, the harder the wood.

With the Janka Hardness Scale in mind, here is a look at some of the most popular wood species used in residential and commercial flooring.

• Red Oak – Red oak is a hardwood with a coarse grain. Although red oak is not quite as hard as white oak, it is the most popular hardwood flooring choice in the United States. Red oak has a light color with a slight reddish tone. Red oak has a Janka rating of 1290, which places it in the middle of all wood species.
• White Oak – White oak is similar in grain to red oak, but can have more swirls and burls. The color of white oak is primarily light brown but this wood species can also have a grey or silver tone. White oak is also harder than red oak, with a Janka score of 1360.
• American Beech – American Beech has a reddish brown color and a consistent grain pattern. With a Janka rating of 1300, the hardness is similar to that of white oak. Beech also has excellent shock absorbing characteristics.
• Pine – Pine has a natural resistance to insects and a Janka hardness rating similar to that of red oak (1225). Pine has a yellow brown color, and is characterized by swirls on knots throughout the grain. Due to extensive logging in the early 20th century, most of the pine wood available today is recycled virgin-forest slow-growth timber.

Would you like to learn more about the different wood species for your flooring project? Schedule a consultation with Rick’s Carpet & Flooring. Our flooring specialists would be happy to help you select the perfect hardwood flooring for your Virginia home or business. Call us today at (571) 482-7575.

Tips for Selecting the Perfect Flooring for Your Remodeled Kitchen

Remodeling your kitchen can be just the facelift your home needs to look stunning and meet all of your cooking, entertaining, and family needs. Flooring for your kitchen is an excellent way to create the overall feel you’re looking for.

Watch this helpful video for five facts about kitchen flooring that will help you pick the right material, style, and finish for your new kitchen floor. This video explores the role of lifestyle, feel, natural or manmade flooring options, and maintenance when selecting your kitchen flooring.

At Rick’s Carpet & Flooring, we pride ourselves on offering quality flooring products and service that go above and beyond your expectations from the get-go. To learn more about flooring products and services, please call (571) 482-7575 or visit our website.