When you’re ready to select flooring, it’s easy to find the variety of choices overwhelming and confusing. If you do your homework and approach the purchase as an informed customer, the process will be easier and more fun for you.

There are four issues to consider as you plan your flooring purchase.

1. The function of the room. Is it a high traffic space or a room that you rarely use? Do you have children or pets? Any elderly relatives living with you? Think about issues such as how waterproof the flooring choice is, problems with stains or spills, sound absorption, and cushioning. Your flooring consultant can help you determine your best flooring choices for your needs.
2. Maintenance issues. Do you have the time and energy to manage a floor that requires high maintenance, or would you rather have something that cleans up with a damp mop? Do children or pets make an easy to maintain floor a requirement? Decide before you buy so you don’t regret a floor that can’t hold up to the demands of your household.
3. Style goals. Traditional, modern and eclectic homes look best with floors that match the style. Consider color and contrast also when making your flooring choices. You may find it helpful to bring a few samples with you when you shop.
4. Budget requirements. Make and (try to) stick with a budget. You may want to have a range so you can stretch if your dream flooring is a bit more expensive than you’d planned, or if a bargain choice allows you to spend more money on other elements in the room.

A bewildering array of flooring options is available in the market that could completely confuse you as a customer. To be an informed customer, you need to make a list of functions that the floor needs to perform before you set out to buy flooring material.

Spend the time to become an informed shopper, and make easier and better flooring decisions!

When confronted with a wealth of choices on what to purchase, whether it’s flooring or other design elements, it’s easy to get confused. This can lead to purchases you later regret. There may be a point when you can make the best decision by not deciding at that moment. Taking a day to walk away and consider your options at home may help you clearly define your goals and determine what will work best. If possible, take photos or samples of your choices with you. When you see them in your home, or with the perspective of time, you will make a better decision.

Now, every store wants to generate a sale, but smart stores like ours think it’s more important to generate a satisfied customer. Particularly for a large purchase, a good flooring consultant will understand and appreciate your need to ponder. If you do want to bring samples home or take a photo, please just ask.

Once you’re home, set everything aside for at least a few hours, if not a day. Then consider your options with fresh eyes. Ask the opinions of others in your household, if any. Chances are very good that you will find one choice stands out over the others. When you buy it, you can relax in the realization that your decision was well thought-out and will work well for you and your home.

Reader Question:

My dog is incontinent and as a result my floor has a urine smell. I thought that my ceramic tile floor would be easy to clean but the smell doesn’t go away. We are now moving and I want help with a flooring option in our new home that will not absorb the smell and will be easy to clean. Any help is welcome.

Sincerely, Melanie from Miami

Melanie,

Thanks for your question! There is a general misconception that ceramic tile is easy to clean and the ideal option in a home with pets. Unfortunately, ceramic tiles can be porous, and combined with unsealed grout will allow the urine smell to remain. Going over the offending areas with an enzyme cleaner – available at pet specialty stores, or a diluted white vinegar mix should help your current situation. Once clean, have your grout sealed to avoid a repeat problem.

Porcelain tiles are a good option for your next home. They are not porous like ceramic tiles and will not absorb liquids. Be sure to have the grout sealed to prevent it from absorbing urine or any other liquids. Avoid stone – this option also tends to be porous and much harder to deal with on this issue.

You may also want to consider picking up a few inexpensive machine-washable rugs such as those designed for bathrooms and place them where your dog likes to lay. Your dog will find them comfortable and they may help you by absorbing a good part of the urine before it hits your floors.

We hope this helps!

Your friends at Dolphin Carpet and Tile

The style of a home is reflected in its flooring. Whether you have a modern home style or a ranch home, a Tudor style home or the great American home style- the log home – you need a floor to match.

Traditional style homes look best with traditional style floors. Hard wood floors for the formal rooms of ranch homes or log homes lend a sense of elegance to the entire home. If your home is located in a warm place, composite or stone floors look just as good as hardwood floors and provide an easy-to-clean option. Hardwood floors with a lighter shade of wood also work well in traditional home styles in warm locations.

Modern home styles offer the opportunity for more flexible flooring options. New and sustainable flooring types such as cork, bamboo, tiles or linoleum that look good in a trendy modern environment may look out of place in a traditional home

Contemporary homes let you experiment with different types of flooring material in an array of patterns and styles. You can use flooring material to suit the needs of your family in a contemporary home style. Contemporary styles do not have specific themes and lend themselves to invention and innovation when choosing flooring.

If you let your floor serve as a strong reflection of your home style choice, you can achieve a cohesive and dramatic visual effect.

Do you like wood floors but feel they are too traditional for your taste? Well, before you dismiss them, take a look at an ebony wood floor. The dark cool tones are made to complement the most modern of tastes.

Versatility shines in this flooring option. You can take a black and white sculptural look and the floor will support it. If you want to stay contemporary but want a Moroccan market of rich colors, the dark contrast of the floor will balance your bright colors and help them pop. The tones work with virtually all art as well as standard wood tones, as you can see from the photo.

This particular ebony floor – African Oak – has a wide tonal variety, creating an interesting style. This allows you to keep furniture to a minimum while still providing an interesting and visually arresting room. Other ebony floors are completely dark, providing a strong base to your modern furniture and art choices.

If this look is for you, stop in our showroom and let one of our salespeople show you the possibilities with ebony. It’s a wood floor made for today’s homes.

If you are drawn to light colors and muted pastels such as the tones shown in this photo, consider adding a dark wood floor to create a space that is formal and rich. Adding the dark wood floor creates the feel of a high-end spa and keeps the room from being too delicate.

If you appreciate a more formal mood in your home, a dark wood floor is a good starting point. This Brazilian cherry floor has a muted grain and consistent color with a rich warm undertone. This contributes to the feeling of formality.

The table and chair in the foreground, as well as the sinks and faucets, fit a more modern taste, and then the colors and the floor bring in the traditional connection. This style of room is called transitional, because it combines elements of both modern and traditional. You could place an antique wood armoire on one wall and the floor would make the piece work.

If you are drawn to this look, plan for a balance of modern and traditional, using color and texture to pull everything together. With a little effort, you can create a bedroom suite to rival the best of the classic hotels.

The rich variety of wood floors available can make it challenging to pick the right one for you. If your style is casual, here are some characteristics you may want to consider for your floor.

Go light: lighter tones are less formal and more comfortable. They naturally complement casual furniture choices such as simple woods and wicker. Notice how this floor works well with the casual wicker chairs around the dining table and the basket by the sofa.

Look for personality: floors with stronger grains and more color differences among the boards provide a more casual feel. The color variety allows you to more easily mix woods and other materials in your furniture choices. The mix of medium-to-light tones in this floor provides an interesting look while still allowing the furniture to play an important role in the room. No need for rugs with this floor’s personality.

Wider planks are more casual: a wide-plank floor echoes the pioneer past and feels more handmade. These five inch planks in varying lengths make the floor feel like it was laid without a formal plan, just set in place as each board came into someone’s hand.

Consider hand-scraped floors: these floors feel more handmade and each plank is different. This variety of texture creates a more casual environment. The floor in this photo isn’t hand-scraped, but you can see examples of this type of floor in our showroom.

Want the casual look? Your choice of wood floors is your first step in creating a home that matches your relaxed style.