Sleigh Dark Floor Decor with These Three Decor Tips

The holiday season is upon us, and that means breaking out some festive and beautiful decor. For some, the interior of a home is a chance to showcase their keen eye for style, while others are overwhelmed by all the possibilities. What will look good? What if it looks awful? How do I even start decorating? We at Hometown Flooring have you covered with these three tips if you want to wow your loved ones with an ambiance that compliments your rich dark floors!

Contrast with the Color White

Whether it’s your throw pillows or your door trim, the color white is a stark contrast that has complimented darker colors for centuries. Ying and Yang- this color combo is a safe and effective choice that will leave your room feeling balanced and refreshed. A great way to incorporate white into your space is through the architecture, painting the walls, or decorative pieces, such as lamps or end tables.

Incorporate Pale Wood

Another contrast that we’ve seen work wonders with dark floors is incorporating some pale wood pieces into the space. The paleness of the wood adds some dimensional levels to the space, while offering some authentic texture that many desire. We suggest a table and chair set, which will pop in the foreground against your dark floors!

Add a Pop of Color

If white isn’t your color of choice to decorate with, it’s not the only color that will add some contrast to your space. Any stark pop of color, such as a teal or coral color, are great ways to add life to a room that will both compliment your floors and stand out as stylish pieces. We suggest staying away from any deep, dark colors, as it has the possibility of making the space feel very dense and dull.

The holiday season should be a joyous time- don’t let the look of  your home be a stressor. Follow these simple tips and you’ll have an eye-catching and inviting space in no time. For more information on the services and products at Hometown Flooring, you can visit our website or give us a call at (304)-841-6526.

Ruff Life: Training Your Dog to Walk on Slippery Surfaces

Here at Hometown Flooring, we love our dogs. It’s a simple fact that brings a lot of joy to our lives. And much like any other dog person out there, it breaks our hearts when we see our pups struggling in any kind of way. For some dogs, they struggle to walk on slippery surfaces, making life “ruff” for all parties involved. Here are some helpful tips for you to aid your dog in overcoming their fears of slippery surfaces.

Exposure at an Early Age

The best way to help your dog master the art of walking on any surface is to start them out young. If you have a puppy, their prime learning period is in the first three months you have them, so this is the time to really focus on the tricks of the trade. And even if you have a dog that’s older, it’s possible to train them out of their fears with dedication and persistence in teaching them how to walk on all kinds of flooring. The first, and most important step, is committing to teaching this skill right off the bat.

Diagnose Reason of Fear

Should you notice that your dog is having issues walking on slippery floors, one must ask herself, “What is the root of the problem?” This isn’t always the easiest answer to acquire, as you may not have been around when the defining incident occurred. Maybe your dog had a bad wipeout when you weren’t home or even before you had him, or perhaps there is an illness (like arthritis) that makes it painful to walk on floors with little traction. There could be one or many reasons, but doing your best to diagnose where the stem of your dog’s fear is coming from is a vital part of this process.

Practice Makes Perfect!

The old saying rings true here. The best way to break a bad habit is to create as many positive experiences as possible so that they begin to override the fear that manifests in your dog’s subconscious. Do not force the experiences until your dog has built up enough trust with you, such as dragging him onto a slick floor or holding him there. This increases the risk of deepening the fear and dissolving trust between you and your dog, which can create a higher level of aggression in dogs. We promote patience, practice, and a reward system to let the dog know that they are doing something right by walking across slick surfaces.

We want you and your dog to experience any kind of flooring you choose from us at Hometown Flooring. To see our selection of flooring options, you can visit our website or give us a call at (304)-841-6526.

Lamenting Your Flooring? Choose Laminate.

The month of October- filled with horror, gore, and trick-or-treating, may just be the perfect month to start remodeling your floors after scary amounts of scratches, stains, or water damage. Afraid of picking a flooring that will come back to haunt you years down the road? You may want to look at investing in laminate flooring. Yes, that’s right, it’s still around with a new-and-improved look.

The Pros

The list of pros is long when it comes to choosing to install laminate flooring in your home. It’s extremely easy to install with a click/lock or fold/lock design, and there’s no extra maintenance in keeping it clean. Sweeping and vacuuming will do the trick!

If you’re worried about durability, laminate flooring is a great choice due to its “wear layer” that protects against dents and scratches. This kind of flooring is also resistant to certain levels of moisture, so you shouldn’t have to worry about leakage or mold. Stains are also no match for laminate flooring; with a simple mop or swish of a wipe, your floors will still look good as new.

Laminate flooring can be made to look like any natural surface that you’re looking for, including wood and stone as its most popular choices. Every piece is manufactured to be the same in appearance and quality, so you never have to worry about having faulty pieces mixed in the bunch.

The Cons

While we’re huge fans of this particular kind of flooring, we think that it’s only fair to talk about the not-so-glamourous side of laminate flooring to help you make a fully educated decision. While laminate flooring can resist some levels of moisture, if too much seeps through, it can cause swelling of the boards. This can be problematic in bathrooms and kitchens should a water leak ever occur.

While its durability is one of its biggest selling points, the inability to sand or refinish the flooring can cause some problems if you are looking to do some upkeep. Laminate flooring can only be replaced instead of refinished like hardwood flooring.

Finally, the resale value for a home with laminate tends to be lower than homes with hardwood flooring. While functionality is important, you should also think of what is going to add to your home in the long run and what will help you get your money’s worth.

At Hometown Flooring, we know that committing to a flooring type can be terrifying. Let us help you take the scare factor out and help you pick a flooring that you won’t be lamenting a few years down the road. For a full list of our flooring choices we provide, you can visit our website or give us a call at (304)-841-6526.

Carpeting: The Kind of Soft Support You Need in Your Life

When you come home from a long day at work, your comfort should be your top priority. Laying down on hardwood floors and playing with your furry companion or contemplating life doesn’t sound ideal. You want a kind of flooring that is comfortable and soft; the kind of support everyone needs in their life. While there are pros and cons to any kind of flooring, we at Hometown Flooring like to think that with some upkeep, you’ll be happy overall for these three reasons.

1. Comfort

The easiest reason to see why people choose carpet is its comfortability. Yes, hardwood floors may be easier to clean, but carpet provides cushion and is comfortable under your feet or when you’re laying on the flooring watching television. As an added bonus, carpeting can add a pop of color to the room, helping to create the perfect aesthetic for the room.

2. Insulation

A more uncommon fact about carpeting is that it provides an extra layer of insulation inside of the home that can really come in handy during the colder months. Carpeting helps to reduce drafts in the winter months and confines the heat from spreading in your home during summer. Who doesn’t love lower energy bills and warm floors to wake up to on the cooler mornings?

3. Noise Reduction

Hardwood floors have that sleek look to them, but when heels click clack, heavy feet thud and seem to shake the whole house, those hardwood floors can make for a noisy household. One of the greatest pros of carpeting is that it creates a sound barrier, softens footsteps around the home, and can ultimately make your space quieter and more peaceful.

With these three reasons, carpeting can add to the value of your home, and overall add to your happiness as a homeowner. Whatever your needs and desires are when it comes to flooring, Hometown Flooring has a wide variety of options for you to choose from. For more information on the types of carpeting we carry, you can visit our website or give us a call at (304)-841-6526 today!

Hardwood Flooring vs. Dog Scratches

 

We love our furry companions, there’s no doubt about it. And while we think that they’re perfect in every way, we just have to take a moment and shake our heads when they cause a ruckus in our homes that we work hard to keep tidy and clean. Accidents happen, and can be a pain to clean up. Scratches on hardwood floors, however, can take a lot of time and money to fix- or so we’ve been told. 

Surface Scratches

Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to fix the scratches in hardwood floors; it just depends on the severity of the scratches. If they’re surface scratches, you can try a stain-filled marker to make some touch-ups. Not sure how the color will look? We suggest starting with a lighter stain color, and if you have to go darker, you can simply go over the area until you reach your desired color. 

Deep Scratches

Deeper scratches in the floor can be corrected by sanding down the area and staining to match the surrounding area. We find that resealing the area with polyurethane, which can sometimes be challenging, can really goes a long way in keeping the floors protected. Choosing the right product with the right sheen can also be beneficial by coating the entirety of the area you’re repairing.

Helpful Tips For the Future

Preventative care is just as important as knowing savvy solutions on how to take care of scratches on hardwood floors. We suggest using more coats of a tougher finish on your floors so that should any scratches happen, they will be in the plastic of the finish, and not the actual wood part. Another precaution you can take is keeping your pup’s toenails clipped to minimize any damage as they race around in the high traffic areas.

At Hometown Flooring, we understand the beauty of hardwood flooring, and the care that it needs to stay in top condition. Don’t let your pets deter you from hardwood flooring- trust the professionals to help you make the best decision. You can visit our website or give us a call at (304)-841-6526 today! 

The Perks of Having Laminate Flooring

Stephen Chbosky once wrote, “We accept the love we think we deserve,” in his novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower. At Hometown Flooring, we believe you shouldn’t have to accept less than you deserve - especially when it comes to your flooring. You should be able to get exactly what you’re looking for, and not have to settle for a kind of flooring that you’re not happy with. With many flooring options to choose from, we have found that laminate flooring has been a popular choice for our customers, and with good reason!

Installation & Functionality

One of the perks of investing in laminate flooring is the installation process. No one likes a complicated process that makes you feel like you’re wasting your time. Installing laminate flooring is fast and easy with its puzzle-piece-inspired click/lock or fold/lock design. The functionality aspect of the flooring is also a plus with its underlayment layer, giving that light, springy feel under your feet.

Appearance & Durability

Laminate flooring can take on the appearance of almost any kind of flooring-making your options endless. Laminate flooring can be made to reproduce the look of wood, stone, and other natural resources. Because it is a recreation-based type of flooring, the quality in appearance is consistent across the board. It’s nice having a type of flooring you can count on- especially when it comes to durability as well. Scratches and dents are no match for laminate flooring, which also proves to be stain resistant.

Cost

The low prices for laminate flooring is one of the qualities that attracts so many customers and is the deciding factor for investment. You get the best bang for your buck, all while receiving a good-looking floor that is dependable and durable. What more can you ask for when it comes to flooring?

At Hometown Flooring, we believe that everyone deserves the best type of flooring, and that no one should ever have to settle for less. For more information the laminate flooring options we offer at Hometown Flooring, you can visit our website or give us a call at (304)-841-6526 today!

Choosing a Carpet For High-Traffic Areas

 

When it comes to your space, you want it to be perfect. While the aesthetics of a room are extremely important, the practicality of all the pieces fitting together needs to be at the top of the list. When you’re thinking of choosing a carpet for high-traffic areas, you need to keep these three things in mind:

Materials:

What is the carpet made out of? There are many different types of carpeting, and if you’re going to be placing it in high-traffic areas, our advice would be to choose a fabric made out of nylon or polyester. These carpets also tend to have a denser weight, which is a benefit because the fibers are woven closer together for a tighter, sturdier weave.

Durability:

The next big question you have to ask yourself: how durable does this carpet have to be? In high-traffic areas that will be used quite often, you’re going to want to invest in a high-quality and durable carpet spread. The two options we suggest are shag and berber- both having pros and cons. A shag carpet offers more comfort, yet it can also matte down quicker. It may be harder to keep clean if you have small children or pets. A berber carpet keeps dirt and debris on the surface while the flatter style keeps it from matting.

Color:

Color is not only a stylistic choice, but also a practical one! Those white and light colors may look great on the cover of a magazine, but in high-traffic areas, that can spell disaster for trying to keep up with the dirt and debris that is tracked in from outside. We suggest a carpet that has a bit of color variation or a pattern to it so that dirt and stains are less likely to show through.  

Bonus Tip- Invest in a high-quality pad:

Investing in a high-quality pad to go along with your carpet may cost more upfront, but will save you time and energy keeping your floor clean and will add the life of your carpet and its durability!

At Hometown Flooring, we help our customers pick the best kind of flooring option for their needs. For more information on the products we offer, you can visit our website, or give us a call today at (304)-841-6526.