Sustainable flooring choices and you

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If you’re interested in pursuing environmentally friendly design, one of the choices you can make for your home is to use sustainable flooring. Every room in your home or office has a floor, so these products make up a substantial part of the materials you’ll be using. A lot of carpet tiles, carpet, and wood choices are not so good for Mother Nature, so by consciously using green options you will greatly reducing the carbon footprint of your home thereby helping to ensure a greener Planet.

Sustainable flooring is any type of flooring that is environmentally friendly, because they are made using renewable or recycled materials, thereby reducing our demand on the environment and also helps to make buildings healthier to live in as less harmful compounds are used in the manufacturing and installation process. 

Certain companies have gone through the effort to be certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council. FSC-certified wood is harvested in accordance to strict standards. Getting certified can be very expensive, so there are small timber mills you may want to check on their harvesting and manufacturing processes. They might be just as environmentally friendly as FCS-certified mills but cannot afford to go through the certification process.

Many types of sustainable carpet are manufactured from plant fibres, such as jute, sisal or wool. Other carpets that are made from synthetic fibres may be considered sustainable depending on the source of the materials.

Sustainable flooring can refer to a wide range of products that are made from renewable, ecologically sound resources. The main purpose of sustainable flooring is to avoid depleting natural resources by using a variety of functional alternatives. There are several categories of sustainable flooring, including hardwood substitutes, natural fibres carpets, and linoleums. Rubber floors can also be sustainable if they are not made from petroleum products. Using these types of flooring materials can help create sustainable buildings when used in conjunction with other efforts.

The various types of sustainable floors are often contrasted with traditional floorings made from non renewable resources. Wood that is traditionally used for flooring typically takes a very long time to mature, rendering them an unsustainable resource. Several alternatives are available that can offer comparable functionality and looks. Bamboo flooring is one sustainable option that is made from a quick growing grass. It offers good durability, pleasant aesthetics, and relatively easy installation.

A variety of non-wood flooring options are also sustainable. One choice is natural cork, which is obtained from the bark of a particular type of Oak tree. The cork oak can usually be harvested about once a decade without harming it, so this type of flooring requires no logging at all. Another woody plant that can be used for sustainable flooring is the rubber tree. The sap of these trees can be harvested for natural latex, which may be turned into a durable and resilient flooring material (refer to our previous article on cork flooring).

Which would you have? Solid wood or engineered wood flooring

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We have been asked this question many times over the years, so let’s see if we can help with a little information. If you are still undecided, just send us an email and we will give you our unbiased opinion as we are not tied to any manufacturer, we deal with all of the major flooring manufacturers, from Quick Step, Khars, Xylo, Kersaint Cobb, Boen, Junkers and many more.

 It can be difficult to choose between solid and engineered wood flooring, because there is such a wide range in the qualities of wood flooring.

Engineered wood floors are constructed from three layers of wood (the top layer is the wood, the middle layer or core is made of a soft wood and the bottom layer or backing is a thin layer of soft wood). This form of construction makes engineered wood floors very stable.

Engineered wood floors are mainly pre-finished

Engineered wood floors are installed with underlay giving your home added insulation.

With the patented installation systems such the click method, this allows you to replace individual planks easily and the flooring can actually be moved easily to a different location.

Solid wood floors mostly have a bevelled edge affecting the appearance when it is laid.

Solid wood floor come regularly unfinished.

Solid floors on average have a thicker top layer (the wood above the tongue) giving it a thicker sanding surface.

Due to the thickness of the planks, solid wood floors are installed by nailing the planks to the sub floor.

The limitations of solid wood floors are that they must not be installed directly onto concrete sub floor

It is not wise to have it installed in basements or in areas with under floor heating.

Solid wood floors come in planks making them susceptible to opening leaving gaps between the planks and if they are of a poor quality, regularly warp giving them an uneven finish.

The top layer of either flooring is made of the same wood giving them the same level of hardness and durability; however solid wood floors can be sanded more times than an engineered floor.

Since engineered floors are fitted as a floating floor they are easier to repair. The cost of fitting solid floors is typically more than the engineered equivalent. Engineered floors are substantially more stable than their equivalent in solid wood floors. Engineered floor planks are generally longer, wider and uniform where as solid wood floors normally come in random lengths and narrower planks.

Please take a few moments to ensure your flooring comes from managed forests.

For further information email us at info@carpetplusflooruk.com

carpet plus floor: What you need to pamper your feet.

carpet plus floor: What you need to pamper your feet.: "www.carpetplusflooruk.com If you are of the opinion that is important to pamper your feet all the time then i t is very important you fact..."

What type of Wood Flooring are you going to choose?

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With several choices from

-      The type of wood

-      The width of the planks of wood flooring

-      The thickness of the wood flooring planks

-      The installation methods, floating or nailed

The choices may seem unlimited. It is true you will have a wide assortment to choose from, but your considerations should include

-      What finish? - lacquered or oiled

-      What pattern? – parquet or planks

-      What type of wood flooring? – Solid or Engineered

-      What type of sub floor? Wood or concrete

-      How much wear?

-      What is your budget?

-      Does your choice of wood flooring come from managed forests?

Each wood type will provide its own unique advantages and appearance. The most common types of wood flooring are Oak, Maple, Cherry, Larch and Walnut. As for colour and pattern you will have choices such lacquered which give the flooring a shiny finish or oiled which leaves a matt finish, others finishes will vary depending on which colour stain you decide on.

Solid wood flooring is milled from single piece of timber, comes in a wide range of dimensions and styles and is available finished (lacquered, oiled and hand scraped) or unfinished (the final finish is applied in situ) as strips and as planks.

Engineered wood flooring is composed of layers of wood in the form of a plank. The top layer is the wood, then a middle layer (the core) and finally a backing. This form of wood floor construction makes the flooring extremely stable.

Choosing unfinished flooring may save you some money with your initial purchase. However you will need to sand your floors before you will be able to apply a stain and finish and this process will cost you extra.

Pre-finished wood flooring will cost you more to purchase but you will not have to worry about sanding, staining and finishing and sometimes you are not guaranteed a perfect finish as you will do with machine finished wood flooring.

Remember wood flooring is a lasting investment which compliments either an old, period or a modern house, giving you, family and your home many years of enjoyment.

KNOWING HOW WELL YOUR ROOM WILL PERFORM

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Picturing what a change of interior will do to your home can be tricky, that’s why at Carpet Plus Floor we have included a design room on our website. This inter active part of our website gives you the opportunity to see what different types of floor finishes and colours will look in a room.

The living room matters because when people come to your house the area they are going to notice most is definitely your living room. This is why you would need to put special attention to choosing the right floor covering for your living room. If you value your own personal image, then you would need to choose the most exquisite carpet, wood or laminate flooring to compliment your living room furniture, colours, window dressing and wall hangings.

Your bedroom should normally be a serene oasis where the worries of the day melt away. Let the choice of carpet or wood flooring set the tone, while big furniture, accent pieces, lighting, and wall colour define your personal style and taste.

Formal dining areas tend to be in a separate room, while informal dining areas are more commonly open plan —frequently attached to the kitchen or other living areas. Dining room floors should be inspired by a sense of grandeur, impression, and elegance. To truly make a dining room formal you need to pay attention to details from the window treatments down to the place mats. These can be colour co ordinate with the carpet or type of flooring in the dining room.

When visiting and using our inter active design room, you have to decide which room is being designed – living room, dining room or bedroom – click on your choice. Next decide what type of floor covering – carpet, wood or laminate – click on your choice. Finally choose the colour from the colour palette – click on it and see the room with your choice. 

KNOWING HOW WELL YOU PERFORM

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Not long ago, I came across a statistic, and I was quite shocked!

When a sportsman starts assessing his achievements regularly,

his success rate is at least 20% greater!!!

 

No extra trainings, no new equipment... nothing changes at all.

Think about this, just KNOWING HOW WELL YOU PERFORM, makes you do even better!

Now if this is true in sports, it could pretty much be true for anything else.

Well, I won't promise that your children will grow faster if you measure their height each day

And, remember what I told you before: regular checks ADD UP 20% TO

YOUR SUCCESS.

Even a clock which has stopped working is correct twice a day!!!

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Entrances give visitors their first impression of a building. A dirt infested entrance creates the wrong impression to people. This is even more crucial if the entrance is the welcome area to your office, place of work or your building.

Having a quality entrance mat will do wonders to protect your carpet or flooring. Good entrance mats combine different materials to act as a dirt and moisture barrier preserving the cleanliness of a buildings’ carpet or flooring. Most entrance mats have a course large filament scraper which is designed to help remove dirt and a soft pile material to remove moisture. With several manufacturers producing entrance mats in open or closed construction choosing the right one is not always simple. In large buildings a combination of primary barrier mats and secondary barrier carpets at different locations provide an attractive and final solution.

Improvements in the manufacture of barrier mats have produced several designs to compliment any building. Entrance mats are the dirtiest part of a floor so a regular cleaning regime is very important. Proper and timely maintenance not only keeps your carpets or flooring looking first class, but also ensures that the maximum life cycle is achieved.

So, like a stopped clock or wrist watch we are definitely correct in this matter.

Ensure you have a good, attractive durable mat to help protect your carpet or flooring

For green alternatives contact info@carpetplusflooruk.com

Playing for Change Brings Together Musicians Around the World To Sing

Playing for Change Brings Together Musicians Around the World To Sing

You don’t know me but...

You don't know us but we would like to know you and thanks for knowing us in the Twitter world and/ or the world of Facebook.

Carpet Plus Floor and our affiliate Charles Henderson Construction have the ability to make your dream home become a reality.

From increasing the space in your home (loft or basement conversion), a total remodelling, a house facelift, a beautiful new kitchen, bathroom and/ or an extension to your house we consider each project our opportunity to impress.

We have served North, North West, South West  London, London Boroughs of Barnet, Brent and Enfield areas including Ealing, Barnes, Kensington, Richmond, Mill Hill, Borehamwood, Edgware, Cockfosters, & St Albans for over 16 years, we cover both residential and commercial properties. Carpet Plus Floor offer a wide selection of sale and discount carpets

We do not only install carpet, wood and laminate flooring, but design floors to our clients’ specification; working with a lot of flooring made from recycled materials such as sisal floor coverings, wool carpets, rubber flooring and stone resin floors.

We also advise on and supply and install non allergenic floor coverings.

Our professional service includes working from plans and /or site visits. Our large professional team of experienced and fully qualified fitters can deal with any project from conception to completion.

Every project is our opportunity to impress.

Previous projects have included private homes, offices, nursing homes, hotels, embassies, night clubs and everything from a canal boat to places of worship.
Whether a room, a house, offices or a whole development

Carpet Plus Floor can devise an installation programme to suit all budgets.

Visit our interactive "design room" at www.carpetplusflooruk.com and see how a carpet or flooring colour will change your living room, dining room or bedroom.

Our interactive room allows you to choose which room (living, dining or bedroom). Decide which type of flooring (carpet, laminate or wood).

Choose a colour from the colour palette, clic on it and see it in the room

Remember you are someone else’s reason to smile!!!

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Wednesday the middle of the week so let your hair down, put on a smile and start your march towards the weekend. Whether you are working over the weekend or have nothing planned, remember you are someone else’s reason to smile!!!

Mr Bill Cosby a wonderful man, full of wit and lovely quips.

Here are a few to help you get the smile going.

-Every father says the same thing: "Where's your mother?"

-Always end the name of your child with a vowel, so that when you yell the   name will carry.

-I said to a guy, "Tell me, what is it about cocaine that makes it so wonderful," and he said, "Because it intensifies your personality." I said, "Yes, but what if you're an asshole?"
-A word to the wise ain't necessary. It's the stupid ones who need the advice.

-I am not the boss of my house. I don't know when I lost it. I don't know if I ever had it. But I have seen the boss's job, and I don't want it!

-It was because of my father that from the ages of seven to fifteen, I thought that my name was Jesus Christ. He'd say, "Je-sus Christ!" And my brother Russell thought that his name was "Dammit". "Dammit, will you stop all that noise?! And Jesus Christ, sit down!"  One day, I'm out playing in the rain, my father yelled, "Dammit will you get back in here!" I said, "Dad, I'm Jesus Christ!"

-Human beings are the only creatures that allow their children to come back home.

-Gray hair is God's graffiti.

-People will frighten you about a graduation. They use words you don't hear often: "and we wish you Gods speed." It is a warning, "Gods speed." It means you are no longer welcome here at these prices.

Frizzy hair or electric shock ?

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There several steps you can take to reduce the build up of static in your body.

The earliest method used to control static was to place pans of water in a room or the use of indoor plants that require watering.

If sufficient water is added to the air, it will eliminate the static problem, but too much moisture can produce condensation on windows.

Humidify the air in your house. There are several ways to add humidity to the air. Humidifiers do a wonderful job of returning much needed moisture, but they will end up costing you money because they need electricity to operate. After you wash your clothes, hang them in various rooms of the house, not very attractive or orderly, but it works. As the clothes dry, water evaporates and humidifies the air.

Fill vases with decorative shells or stones and add water. Leave potted plants all over the house especially in areas where static electric shocks are a problem, replenish the water regularly.

Fill a spray bottle with water and mist the air. Add a drop or two of your favourite essential oil to add a fresh scent. Adding freshly squeezed lemon juice to the water vases also adds a clean fresh smell to your home.

As you add humidity to the air in your home, you will find your clothes will have much less static cling, hair will cooperate better and your children won't run around the house having shock fights.

Do you have a problem with static electricity?

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There are many variables that contribute to static electricity in individuals. Weight, walking habits, and the type of soles on your shoes are all contributing factors. Other contributing factors are the construction of the carpet, the backing, type of underlay, the kind of floor, the cleanliness of the carpet and the amount of moisture in the air.
Carpet can help in the build up of static electricity. Just from walking across a carpeted floor, you can give someone or yourself quite a shock. When you walk across the carpet, the friction from each step you take builds up in your body and you can eventually build up to 20,000 volt, shocking for your family and friends with a friendly touch. In a darkened room you can actually see the discharge of electricity in the form of a blue light. However, humidity is the biggest factor in the creation of static electricity.

Static electricity can cause harm to electrical appliances such as televisions and computers. The static electric charge can even ruin a computer. There are simple things you can do to reduce the amount of static charge that builds on your body.

The term antistatic electricity refers to a condition where static generation is inhibited during contact and separation with a different material. In general, antistatic carpet is any carpet that will generate less static electricity than standard carpet. Antistatic carpet is not conductive but it is not possible to ground anti-static carpet. Antistatic carpet usually contains bi-component yarns. The reason for specifying antistatic carpet is to establish a space that will be free of static shocks, or zaps. Most new antistatic carpet will prevent shocks as long as the relative humidity (RH) is above 25%. Anti static carpet should NOT be confused with conductive or ESD carpet. Antistatic is not a permanent property.

During periods of low humidity, static electricity can be generated simply by walking across a carpet or other surfaces. While you will find this irritating, it does not mean that the floor covering is defective. The generation of this condition can be reduced or eliminated. This reduction can be accomplished by having a carpet treated with anti static products approved for the carpet during the manufacturing process or applied after. 

Contact info@carpetplusflooruk.com for more information.