Flooring Tips CARPET      Offers a broad price range, extensive selection to meet most decorating styles and budgets. Carpet is soft and warm underfoot, creating a luxurious feeling. Most carpet fibers are either nylon, olefin, polyester or wool. They vary in wear and stain resistance, resilience, cleanability and price. Types include saxony, plush, texture, cut-loop, level loop, multi-level loop and frieze. Carpet works well in living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, hallways, family rooms, dens. LAMINATE       High-performance laminate flooring can look like wood or tile, is extremely durable and easy to clean. Laminates feature engineered, layered construction and can stand up to just about anything. Laminate flooring does not scuff or show wear-through. The surface is burn-resistant and resists scratching from pets. The surface will not indent with normal family usage nor will the color fade. Clean-up is easy, requiring only a damp cloth or vacuum. Good for moisture-prone areas: Kitchens, bathrooms, foyers, family rooms, dens, laundry rooms, as well as all high-traffic areas. CERAMIC AND STONE TILE      Creates an elegant, natural look. Ceramic and stone are almost indestructible, easy to maintain. Ceramic tile can be glazed or unglazed. Stone tiles vary in texture and color for a distinctive look. Both tiles are suitable for moisture-prone and heavy-traffic areas such as kitchens, bathrooms, foyers, laundry rooms. VINYL      Vinyl is easy to maintain and very durable, making it suitable throughout the home. Sheet Vinyl - Available in 6 foot and 12 foot widths, in any length needed. Tile Squares - Available in rich, luxurious squares, perfect for the finest interiors. Colors and Styles - From warm, subtle colors to bold brights, today's vinyl has it all. Vinyl comes in an extensive variety of patterns, designs and textures available in a stylish palette of color combinations. Performance - Vinyl is great for active families. It can withstand heavy household traffic, children and pets, providing years of carefree beauty. Quality vinyl is available in good, better and best categories, enabling you to plan your flooring investment according to your budget. HARDWOOD      Many people prefer the natural, rich beauty of genuine wood floors. Upscale and elegant, they create a warm, inviting look. You can choose from two categories: Solid wood and engineered wood. Solid Wood - The most common wood flooring consists of solid, one-piece boards. Solid wood flooring is usually nailed to a subfloor of wood. Solid wood is not recommended below-grade or for basement installation. Engineered Wood - Consists of two or more layers of wood laminated together. The top layer is usually a hardwood veneer of varying thickness. The lower layer is a softwood backing. Installation - Most engineered wood floors are glued down, rather than nailed down. Some are installed as "floating floors", meaning the edges of the panels are glued together but not attached directly to the subfloor. It can also be glued directly to a concrete slab which means it can be used below grade. Variety of Styles - Most wood flooring is available in three formats, the most common being the familiar wood strip. It is also available in wider width planks or as parquet squares. Finishes - Unfinished floors, installed on-site, allow you many choices for colors and types of finishes. Most solid wood flooring is unfinished, while most engineered floors are prefinished.