A carpeted floor serves more than just an aesthetic purpose. The humble carpet cushion hides beneath your lovely carpet, but it?s the cushion that gives your carpet functionality. Depending on what you?re looking for in a carpet, the carpet cushion can be what insulates your home, protects your carpet and floors from wear and tear, or just makes your carpet a comfortable place to be.

INSULATION: Propercarpet cushion can reduce energy costs and help keep your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The measurement of the carpet cushion?s ability to resist heat flow is called the R-factor. Mathematically, the higher a carpet cushion?s R-factor value, the better it prevents energy transfer from one part of the house to another. Typically, carpet cushion R-values fall between R-0.2 and R-2 but can be somewhat higher, particularly once the carpet?s inherent R factor is considered.

CARPET PROTECTION: It?s seems perfectly logical to equate great cushion withlayers and thickness. But be careful ? while it may seem that thicker is better, that isn?t always the case when it comes to carpet cushion. When choosing carpet cushion, it?s best to rely on a carpet and flooringprofessional who can assist you in selecting the density and thickness of carpet cushion foam. As a general rule. most commercial carpet cushions range from about inch to about 7/16ths of an inch thick.

COMFORT: Thick or thin, what truly rules a carpet cushion?s feel is the density. For residential carpeting, you?ll want a carpet cushion with a 6 to 8 pound density rating. For commercial carpeting, which is replaced more frequently and typically doesn?t emphasizecomfort, a carpet cushion with a lower density rating works best. Carpet cushion with a higher density often incurs a higher cost, but it?s absolutely worth it in the long run: high-density carpet cushion keeps your carpet from wrinkling and buckling in ways that are both unsightly and damaging to your carpet.

Types of Natural Stone Tile

With all the types of natural stone tiles available, picking out a new floor can seem daunting. Which level of porosity do you need? Which tiles are better for outdoors? Indoors? How willyou ever choose?

Here?s a list of the seven most common types of natural stone tile to help you make your decision.

Flagstone: Flagstone is not a type of natural stone, but refers to any type of paved, flat stone. Mostly used outdoors, flagstones are perfect for walkways, fire pits, and pool decks. The surface is usually non-slip and water resistant, and can withstand heavy traffic and sunlight?however, the irregularity in color and shape can make replacing broken flagstones difficult.

Granite: Granite is the hardest natural stone on the market, which makes it ideal for flooring and countertops. Because the surface is scratch resistant, you can chop vegetables directly on your kitchen counter?no cutting board needed! Granite comes in hundreds of natural colors, making it perfect for almost any room, but some people prefer it as a counter rather than flooring because it?s heavy and cold to the touch.

Limestone: Limestone is a porous stone that?s actually just a young marble! It?s made from seashells and other organisms crushed together, which sometimes show up in the grain of the tile. Limestone is good for flooring, but it does hold moisture due to the natural holes in the stone.

Marble: Marble is an elegant natural stone tile that has been used as a luxurious building material for centuries. The high-contrast veining pattern sets marble apart from other types of stone. Because marble is softer than granite, it is susceptible to stains and scratches?especially from acid-based liquids.

Sandstone: Sandstone?s rough, textured surface is one-of-a-kind. This natural stone is biodegradable, making it perfect for both indoor and outdoor applications. The grains in sandstone weather over time, meaning that the stone will look different five or ten years after installation, but some people prefer the aged look of the stone. Sandstone is extremely porous, so it?s not ideal for bathrooms or kitchens.

Slate: Slate is extremely versatile and comes with a wide variety of colors and sizes. It?s made from clay and shale, so the tiles are both water resistant and slip resistant due to the textured surface. Unfortunately, slate tiles can be uneven, which makes installation and uniform floors tricky.

Travertine: Travertine is similar to limestone and marble, and is the natural stone that was used to build the Coliseum in Rome. These tiles are comfortable to walk on, and come in a range of colors. Travertine has a tendency to scratch and stain, especially if untreated, and will hold liquids if not sealed properly.

Interested in one of the oldest types of carpet pile used by man? Yes, wool rugs and wool carpets date back over two thousand years. Today, fleece shorn from the coats of sheep or lambs is still considered one of the finest yarns available for carpet fibers.

Wool is obviously a natural fiber. It?s a top choice among the environmentally-conscious, as it?s made from a sustainable (and willing) source. Itsproduction doesn?t require much energy, and its?s biodegradable and recyclable. Furthermore, unlike some synthetic carpets, it won?t take up much space in a landfill.

Wool carpeting behooves your indoor environment, too! Wool carpet fibers can absorb about thirty percent of their weight in moisture, without getting damp. This makes wool carpet a cheap and efficient natural dehumidifier. A bonus benefit here is that moisture causes wool?s fibers to swell, thus releasing dirt! Plus, wool rugs? natural fibers can absorb and retain chemicals such as formaldehyde and nitrogen dioxide, thereby filtering out unwanted byproducts of heaters, fireplaces, and stoves.

Now let?s talk about wool?s fiber structure. It hasthe benefit of thousands of years of evolution (yes, sheep have roamed the Earth that long), meaning wool is naturally engineered to withstand quite a lot. For starters, wool fiber is naturally coiled (go look at a flock of sweet, curly sheep!), lending it built-in ?bounce-back,? or resiliency, that outlasts synthetic fiber carpets. Wool fiber?s outer, cutaneous structure is built to shield the inner part of the fiber, allowing it to naturallyrepel dirt and liquids, and holding spills near the surface of carpet, which makes everything a lot easier to clean. What?s more, wool?s layered cuticles render it able to withstand plenty of bending. And, because wool is naturally white, it readily accepts dyes, locking in color intensely and quickly. You can go as vibrant and statement-making as you like with wool?check out these examples ofbeautiful wool rugs over at Houzz.

Wool, quite strong and elastic, can withstand the heaviest of foot traffic (think hotel lobbies) and still look gorgeous. Also, wool is flame-retardant and won?t melt. Need something soft to cover the floor near your fireplace? Burning embers have nothing on wool?you?ll be able to simply brush off any charred wool fibers. Plus, thespiral structure of wool?s fibers makes them excellent insulators. Wool carpeting also has top-notchsoil-hiding capabilities. This is because it?s an opaque fiber (as opposed to synthetics, which are transparent), meaning it doesn?t refract or reflect light. The property makes soil much less apparent to the human eye.

Remember how we mentioned that wool absorbs dye so well? The flip side is that it stains easily. It?s also prone to distortion (think jet streaks), and sensitive to high-alkaline chemicals. This means exposure to substances such as chlorine bleach tends to make wool brittle, discolored and prone to dissolve. The take away here: be sure you use water-based cleaning solutions!

Other cons of wool? Like the animals it comes from, it?s rather prone to shedding and fuzzing?meaning you might be covered in fibers after a wrestling session with Fido. And if you?re a moth or a carpet beetle, then boy, are wool fibers delicious! This bears the question: do you want chemical substances (i.e., insecticides) on your carpeting? And of course, wool is typically the most expensive carpeting choice?processing, cleaning, and preparing this type of carpet pile runs manufacturers a pretty penny.

However, wool rugs made with quality dye tend to age beautifully, like healthy, shiny hair. And of course, the feeling of walking on wool in bare feet is unparalleled?its fibers are oh-so-soft. Tempted to join the flock of wool lovers? Our experts would love to tell you more. Give us a call today at (910) 685-7353.

The Pros and Cons of Shag Rugs

In the United States, wewent through a shag craze in the 1970?s, when the hot home design trend was wall-to-wall shag carpet in colors like maroon, harvest gold, and avocado. While the shag carpets of the disco decade fell out of style, modern shag carpets and shag rugs continue tofeature prominently in many professional interior designs. These rugs weren?t invented in the 70?s either? shag rugs have been around for hundreds of years in various cultures, from Greek flokati rugs, to Scandanavian rya rugsthat originated in the 15th century.

Shag rugs are stylish, adding a touch of flair to a room. You can incorporate these soft, textured rugs into just about any room design, from bedrooms to living rooms to home offices. They also have insulating properties and are a great winter accent, providing a warm, cozy respite from cold tile and hardwood floors when the temperatures drop here in Wilmington, NC.

While shag rugs are extremely comfortable due to their soft wool fibers, they are hard to clean for the same reason. Here are some things to consider before adding a shag rug to your home.

• Dirt, crumbs, lint, and just about everything else gets stuck between the fibers, and vacuuming a shag rug isn?t necessarily recommended (unless you follow this tip from Marta Stewart). Therefore, although a shag rug could work well in a living room or bedroom, it may not be the best choice for a dining room or a heavily trafficked area where food particles and dirt abound.
• Still, shag rugs are not impossible to clean. Washing them every 18 months to 24 months is the easiest cleaning method. But be sure to treatspills and stains on shag rugs almost immediately, otherwise they?ll become a permanent addition to your dcor ? especially if you opt for a white shag rug to create a vintage or mod look.
• Those long, soft, shaggy fibers also trap pesky allergens like dust and pet hair, too, which could reduce the air quality in your home or be a source of discomfortfor people with allergies.
• If you?d like to skip the hassle of cleaning your shag rugs yourself (shag rugs are heavy when wet, especially larger ones), you can get them professionally cleaned. Bear in mind, though, that carpet cleaning companies often charge more per square foot to clean shag rugs because it?s not easy for them either!
• Because shag rugs need regular cleaning and maintenance, they can become an expensive addition to your home over the course of their lifetime. But, for many a stylish homeowner, the stylish look and luxurious feel are well worth it!

Installing carpet on a stairway can be difficult, but with the information provided in this short video, you can get a good idea of the basic steps to install carpet on a stairway. First, you need to install the carpet one step at a time, and not all at once. Otherwise, it will come undone in about a year. You need to measure the width of the top of the stair and the width of the base all the way to the top of the padding. Then you cut out your piece of carpet. You lay it over the stair and it should be a little big because you will be tucking it into the carpet on the next step. Watch part two in the series for more information.

http://www.ehow.com/video_4426084_install-carpet-stairs-part-1.html