Flooring Options that Keep Allergies Away

The average person spends 12-15 hours in their home every day. Although you may not realize it, the flooring chosen for your home can help impact your allergy symptoms, especially during the fall and winter months. Dust mites, which can dwell in carpet or on cloth surfaces in your home, are known to cause allergies/asthma symptoms to almost 90% of people who suffer from allergies. Spending so much time at home with the potential of these dust mites living in your carpeting can worsen your allergy symptoms!

Carpeting might not be the best answer for your home flooring; here are some other types of flooring that can help air quality in your home:

Vinyl floors
The smooth surface of vinyl flooring minimizes the accumulation of dust or other allergens on your floor. If you suffer from allergies and want to install vinyl flooring, be sure to use low-VOC glue to prevent having an allergic reaction to the adhesive.

Cork flooring
Another innovative and environmentally-friendly source of flooring is cork flooring. Cork is not only warm and cushiony beneath your feet, but it also has a distinct surface that prevents dust from being absorbed into it.

Ceramic tile
As one of the most hypoallergenic flooring options, ceramic tile offers a hard, slick surface on your floor, reducing dust, mold, and other allergens. Although this flooring is the number one choice of people who suffer from allergies, ceramic tile is known for being very cold, limiting its installation to certain rooms.

Wood, bamboo, and laminate flooring
Wood, bamboo, and laminate flooring are other hard surface floors that help reduce dust and allergens and are much easier to clean; one dry mop is enough to eliminate any dust or allergens present on your flooring. In addition to wood flooring, try using wooden blinds in your home instead of curtains or drapes.

When making purchase decisions regarding the flooring in your home, it’s important to realize the benefits of using alternate forms of flooring rather than carpeting. These simple substitutions for carpet can help make all the difference in your indoor allergy symptoms!

Color: What’s Popular Now

daltile Glass Reflections in Leafy Green on Shower Walls

 

Let’s talk color! Nowadays, consumers are much more comfortable living in an environment filled with color. Earlier this year, “FloorTalk,” the official blog of the World Floor Covering Association, shared the top color predictions for 2012. These color trends impact all facets of home design – from paint and light fixtures to tile floors and carpets. Here’s a recap of what’s popular for 2012:

Earth-Inspired – The overall color palette this year reflects a tribute to tradition and heritage, with many earth-inspired colors. Think browns, greens, blues, and grays.

Reds – A wide variety of reds are very popular this year, including blue-reds, violets, red-purple, corals, and red-orange.

Blues – Blue is an important, emerging color this year. Think bright and “Made in America,” like denim. Blue is also predicted to be big in fashion and electronics for 2012.

Yellows – Yellow is bringing a big splash of color this year, brighter and more vibrant than ever. Think mustard yellow and egg yolk yellow!

Greens – Clean, bright greens – like those observed in outside landscapes – are popular this year. Think forests and botanicals, and agricultural greens.

Neutrals – Neutral colors always play an important role in home colorscapes, as they often provide the foundation from which brighter colors can thrive. This year’s neutrals are earthy and organic – think linens, straws, and natural grains.

To discover which colors will work best for you, and how you can incorporate color into your next flooring project, stop in, give us a call, or drop us an email.

 

 

Laminate Flooring Options

Mohawk laminate flooring

Laminate products feature a newer type of wear surface that resists scratching, denting, and burns better than many existing products. They also offer extended product warranties to back up these claims for superior performance. Mohawk Laminate Flooring features Uniclic – no glue, no drying time; floors are ready to walk on immediately after installation. GenuEdge™ Technology – superior realism and maintainability. InstaForm™ Moulding – a revolutionary 4-in-1 profile which makes it easy for customers to finish their Mohawk Laminate Floor. See the newest trends for 2012: Visit www.heritage-floors.net or our showroom to choose your beautiful new laminate floor.