What's New Underfoot? The latest in Flooring Options

One of the best investments in a home comes with the flooring decisions made by the homebuilders and owners. Floors set the tone of any room. Whether formal or casual, the decorative ambiance for an area starts at the bottom and moves up.

Think of your floors as the foundation for your design scheme. Versatile choices will accent the present décor and fit in with future redecorating as well. New flooring products reflect today’s environmental concerns and include such products as green flooring derived from corn and leather tiles made from recycled car seats. Public awareness of environmental issues is at an all-time high, and increasingly customers are doing their part by choosing products that have a minimal impact on the environment.

THE SKY’S THE LIMIT WITH HARDWOOD FLOORING

Today’s hardwood floors include more distressed planks, wider widths, and exotic woods like bamboo. Floor retailers have been quick to catch on to this consumer inclination towards greener products. Many now offer a comprehensive range of quality bamboo floors in various styles and colors. The bamboo plant (technically a grass) reaches maturity in considerably less time than the trees used to make wood floors and addresses concerns about deforestation.

According to Kim Miller, Vice President of Preferred Flooring, bamboo is one of the most popular new flooring choices. Since it comes in 65 colors including purple and pink, it is the perfect flooring for that special look in a little girl’s room. “Bamboo is a soft wood,” explained Miller, “with a sleek look of elegance. Manufacturers, like Solida, custom prefinish the 4” planks in a wide color range, which makes it an interesting possibility for someone wanting a special effect.”

The manufactured bamboo flooring commonly found in North American markets is highly processed. The bamboo is split and flattened, dried, and then laminated in layers with glue under high pressure. The process of steaming bamboo material under a controlled pressure and temperature is called carbonization, in which bio-organisms and sugar break down, and the color of the material turns brown. The natural and carbonized bamboo floors are typically referred to as solid bamboo, although in fact the structures are layered, similar to a plywood. Maintenance is easy, as it needs no wax. Simply clean it with a slightly damp mop or vacuum.

Miller also described new woods inspired by the popularity of beach homes which are weathered wood, gray tones, and sun bleached in appearance. The cottage look has long been popular, but magazines like Cottage Living and Coastal Living have made the style more widespread than ever with monthly suggestions for applying the casual chic décor to residences located far from the ocean.

“Engineered wood is also a new product—prefinished or site finished—where a five ply layer under the wood gives it remarkable stability,” continued Miller. A prefinished engineered hardwood flooring is sold as strips made up of a hardwood surface (called the wear layer) glued onto a plywood base. Developed for installation in areas with variable humidity levels, engineered flooring is more stable than solid wood. The quality of an engineered wood floor can be determined by looking at four factors: the thickness of the wear layer, the number of plies that the plywood is made of, the surface cutting procedure used, and the precision of the cut. Engineered hardwood should not be confused with laminate flooring, which is made up on laminated planks that only look like wood, finished with a plastic polymer coating.

Miller also cited resurgence of the popularity of the maple, birch and walnut woods for use in contemporary homes and condos, accenting the straight simple lines of the modern style.

Miller’s advice to homeowners: “Before you make a flooring decision, talk to a reputable flooring company who knows their product. There are plenty of flooring choices out there; find the product that matches your budget and lifestyle.”

ADD A SPLASH OF COLOR WITH AREA RUGS

New carpeting options broaden selections for homeowners and open fresh decorative possibilities with endless patterns, colors and textures. With the upsurge of wood floors, homeowners are buying more and more area rugs, the hottest decorating feature this year.

Rugs provide versatile splashes of color around a room, giving it personality and function. Interior designers often recommend area rugs as the fastest and simplest design element available to totally reinvent a room or to revitalize existing décor. Luxurious shag rugs are a big hit with decorators.

Contemporary designs are showing up more and more in rug manufacturers’ lines. “I have seen clients and/or designers incorporate these contemporary designs in very traditional areas,” said Betty Eatman Nelson of Eatman’s Carpets & Interiors, a family-owned business in operation for more than 50 years. “This has been going on for years, but the South has just started to understand that it is okay to mix contemporary with traditional. It gives a very sophisticated look.”

Many clients are concerned with environmental issues and go with products such as wool, that are environmentally friendly, and carpets with low VOC emissions or made of recycled yarn.

Nelson’s advice to those purchasing rugs: “Buy as good a quality as you can afford (preferably wool). Understand all the positives and negatives of the fiber and construction before purchase. If you make a wise investment and protect your investment, it can last forever.”

COMBINE BEAUTY AND CREATIVITY WITH TILE & STONE

As always, tile and stone offer timeless beauty and durability. Becky Summerlin of Designer Flooring and Interiors points out some of the new applications seen in the industry. “Homeowners are using tile and stone not only to cover the floors of their baths and kitchens, but also on the walls, up to chair rail height, a style that came from the West Coast,” Summerlin stated. “Custom designed glass and stone mosaics are focal points on floors as well as on the kitchen walls or in showers. Tile incorporating river rock recreates the feel of walking outdoors.”

Glass tile accents are becoming even more prevalent now that there is more of a selection. Mosaic glass can easily be found in every possible shape and size, not to mention a staggering range of colors and textures. The gem-like quality of glass tile—subtle or bold, contemporary or traditional, energetic or serene—lends
distinction to any installation and works beautifully with both other glass (mosaic or field) as well as traditional materials such as stone, marble and ceramic.

Glass tiles are found not only on kitchen backsplashes, shower walls, and in mosaics, but also as a striking threshold or carpet design in a foyer or living area. With its freeze/thaw resistance as well as aesthetic appeal, glass tile is the perfect choice for an outdoor spa, patio, fountain or feature wall. For the environmentally conscious there are glass tiles made from recycled glass sources such as bottles, jars or window glass.
 
“We are creating floor designs integrating stone tiles into hardwood latticework frames in foyers, hallways or living areas,” continued Summerlin. “It makes a stunning statement and creates a focal point in their homes.” The possibilities are only limited by one’s imagination.

Another new product is the radiant floor heating system that can be installed in bathrooms under the tile. A very thin waffle layer containing the electric element is positioned over the thinset and under the tile or stone. The mat is wired to a rheostat, a type of thermostat for your floor, whereby the homeowner can adjust the amount of warmth desired. This system can also be added under carpeting or wood flooring, even area rugs.

Summerlin’s best advice: “Wherever you choose to do a tile or stone accent, do it well so it’s not trendy.”

ACHIEVE DECORATIVE LONG-TERM RESULTS WITH CONCRETE FLOORING

Stained concrete is becoming one of the most desirable flooring options for basements, providing an alternative to Berber carpeting or tile. Popular for many years
in the western states, decorative concrete finishes are commonplace not only in interior areas of homes, but also on patios, porches, driveways and pool surrounds. Decorative finishes can be applied on most concrete surfaces, from a brand new slab to one that is old and may need repair.

Tom Cramsie, owner of Advanced Concrete Coatings, keeps busy creating decorative concrete finishes in high-end homes in North Raleigh, where the hilly lots frequently produce large lower levels opening into back yards. Although these rooms could hardly be called basements, their stained concrete floors are not only attractive but are pet and child friendly and lend to easy entertaining. Scoring can be added to floors to create designs that define areas and add decorative interest. Maintenance of these floors is confined to mopping and applying a high traffic wax every few months.

“The process for acid staining starts with buffing and cleaning the cement floor,” explained Cramsie. “Then we spray the stain on multiple times, getting the effect needed for a good finish. Since all concrete floors vary somewhat in their consistency, the stain varies as well, giving a unique look on each floor. After neutralizing the acid, we buff and clean the floors again, and finish off with two coats of epoxy or urethane sealant.”

Slightly more expensive and much more labor intensive is the dye stain method used primarily in commercial locations but applicable to homes as well. In this process a polisher hone is set in the floor, the concrete is polished and the pores are closed. The acetone based dyes come in vivid colors, often used by restaurants to display their logos on their floors, but the possibilities of color in a basement room can make it really come alive.

Outdoor areas can be locations for Cramsie’s applications as well. Decorative concrete finishes are found on patios, porches and driveways, enhancing both the curb appeal and the backyard look of a home.

Decorative scoring combined with a custom mixed color palate can break up the monotony of standard gray concrete.

A heavy-duty outdoor sealer creates a barrier to ward off the elements of nature. Garage floors can be enhanced by a textured Epoxy coated floor that is attractive and easy to clean.

Loft-style residential units, both those built as brand new buildings and those located in renovated structures, typically have cement floor, many times the original flooring of the former warehouse or manufacturing building. Long popular in major metropolitan areas like New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles, lofts are just making their appearance in southern cities where young professionals are attracted to the center city location and to the contemporary styling of the loft décor.

Coupled with the environmental emphasis on reuse of buildings, otherwise destined to be torn down and the resurgence of respect for the historical origins of these areas, lofts present many opportunities for experimental decorating.
 
Advanced Concrete Coatings acid-stained 21 of the 30 loft style housing units in Pavilion East at Lakeview Park, located across from Duke Medical Center in Durham. The high gloss red or black floorings add style and pizzazz to the two-story units, reflecting the light from the oversized windows and giving character to the decorating climate of the rooms. Concrete floors are extremely durable, do not trap allergens, and absorb and radiate heat, cutting on heating and cooling bills.
Cramsie’s advice for anyone considering stained concrete: “Don’t settle for the ordinary. Create a floor that’s uniquely yours.”

STEP OUTSIDE THE BOX

The decision of selecting flooring products can be inspired by new trends, decorating magazines, television decorating shows, or eye-catching displays in a flooring store. The goal is an overall effect of good taste and attractive décor. Wise choices pay off in the long run, as good products are timeless as well as hardy.

Don’t be afraid to step outside the box and try something new and different, but always consider the family’s lifestyle and the use you will make of the area. A house isn’t someplace that will always look perfect. It’s a place you call home.

The ultimate test comes when you look at the flooring long after it’s been installed. Are you still smiling?  

BARBARA HOBBS IS A FREELANCE WRITER

Hardwood Flooring photos courtesy of Anderson Flooring/Preferred Flooring

Carpeting photo taken by Ray Strawbridge

Outdoor concrete photo courtesy of Advanced Concrete Coatings