Carpet Express' Flooring Blog

Installation is probably one of the most important issues when purchasing your floor covering. As a consumer, we will spend hours (and sometimes days!) making a decision on what kind of style, color, or particular product we want to beautify our home. Now after the decision is made, we will ask, “how soon can you do the job?”

No time has been spent and no questions have been asked about installation. All the time and effort spent has now been wasted, because the installation is a disaster.

Please take the time to ask questions about the labor. Find out as much as you can about what you are being charged for. Ask for some referals or maybe even a job you can go and look at.

If you are hiring the installers yourself, beware of the shade-tree mechanics. Ask if they have the proper insurance or carry worker’s compensation on their hired help. Get two or three quotes from different installers, and then go with the one that you feel the most confidence in.

Don’t let a cheaper price be the deciding factor, because usually this is the installer that will cost you the most in the long run.

For more information about installation, call (800) 922-5582, or email info@carpetexpress.com.

Question: I am in New Jersey and have remodeled a sunporch with concrete floor that has wet kids coming in from the pool in the summer, but is also used year round as a TV/game playing room.

The indoor/outdoor carpet has been removed, and we want to re-carpet with something low-pile, but would like a little more cushion. What would be a good pad to put down that can get a little wet (not too wet, just some wet feet and swimsuit bottoms)?

Thanks,
Frank

Answer: This is a great question because padding can make a big difference in the performance of your carpet. Based on the information that you gave me, it sounds like the only water that will be getting on the carpet or padding is just what the kids bring in from the swimming pool. I would compare this to a situation very similar to walking out of the shower into a bedroom with carpet in it.

This is not a lot of water, but is still something to be concerned about. They make pads with a moisture barrier on them, such as Stainmaster pad to name just one of many, so I would check out some of these type pads which would seem to be the most suitable for your situation. If I can be of any more help in finding you some of these type of pads, please just let me know.

Thanks for the question,
Mike Jones

Carpet Express, Inc.
(800) 922-5582
915 Market Street
Dalton, GA 30720

Laminate flooring is a wonderful product that can give you the look of natural oak or exotic wood at a much more affordable price. But one complaint about laminate flooring is the clicking or hollow sound it makes when you walk on it with heard sole shoes. This sound can be annoying, but there is a solution – use a good underlayment. Laminate underlayment is an important moisture barrier, but it is also a very important ingredient in producing a floor with a quality sound.

You have lots of choices in laminate underlayments. They range in price from about $.20 per square foot to about $.50 per square foot. They are usually 6 feet wide and 100 square feet per roll. Laminate pad is easy to install with an adhesive edge on one side that overlaps.

Choosing the correct pad is fairly easy. There is an obvious difference between the cheap pads and the best pads. Pads range from vary light weight and flimsy, to a much heavier and sturdy construction. In most cases, a good pad underlayment is well worth a little extra expense. Our premium sound barrier, our most popular pad, is an excellent choice at $.40 per square foot.

Question: We have installed Knight-Tile KP107 in our motorhome.  A professional installed it for us, but The trim is a 11/4″ dark brown trim and stands out like a sore thumb.  We were told that there is no matching trim.  What do other customers use as trim.  The rubber trim makes our floor look cheap.  I am very upset with the appearance.  Can you help me with my problem?  I thank you in advance.

Bill
Mahomet, IL

Answer: I am not quite sure of what trim you are speaking of weather it’s a wall trim or a transition piece.

Whatever the case may be there is some manufactors that specialize in trim.   To name a few:  Roppe Rubber, Johnsonite, Burke Rubber Co. You can look these companies up on the internet and maybe they will have what you are looling for.   By the way they have so many colors to choose from you will think they are owned by Crayola. If you need any help to decide what you actually need please feel free to call us and we will be glad to assist you.

Thanks,
Mike Jones
General Manager

Question: A great informative site. I sure wish I had seen it before my install. I laid Bruce’s cabin (tavern) grade. I knew about all the minor imperfections it could have, in fact I even like them. Makes it look a bit more real. What I do not like though is the edging where the planks come together. The lock and fold is not nearly engineered as the 1st quality. Overall, it is nothing like the 1st quality Bruce flooring I have used in the past. Is there any thing I can do to make the seams more level? As they are right now, not all of them, you can catch a toe on it if not careful.

Thanks so much for you valued input,
Jim – Garland, Texas

Answer: Jim,

There are some things that can be prevented during the time of the installation to help level the ends or edges but it would be very difficult for me to give a correct answer without actually looking at the floor.  One way I personally like is rolling the wood with at lest a 75 lb roller when setting it in the adhesive.  This helps give a smooth surface and it will also give a better adhesive transfer or bond.  You will always have what we refer to in wood the business overwood and in the cabin grade quality it will be a little worst.  Still it should be something that you could live with.   One way to test your overwood problem is to take a credit card and set it on the lower side of the wood and match it up to the higher side.  If the height difference is less than the credit card then it should be within the industry standard. One problem with overwood is that in some of the darker colors you can actually see the wood where it is not stained.  In this case you can get a stain marker pen that matches the existing stain and color the edges.

You can purchase the markers at a local Home Depot or Lowe’s.  Be sure to take a piece of your wood to match the proper stain color.

Thank you for your question,

Mike Jones

Question: Hello,

I’d like to get wood floors. I have carpet, and under it there is asphalt tiles (30 or 40 years old) and the 2 contractors suggest to have an asbestos contractor to remove those tiles before they do the wood.

What do you suggest?

Thank you,
Sandra

Answer: Sandra,

I would say that your contractor might be right about the ashpalt tile having asbestos in it. But just to make sure, here’s a few things to help you. If your tile was installed before 1982, then there’s a good chance it’s asbestos. Also, if your tile is 9″ x 9″, then, again, it probably has asbestos.

But here’s the good news – you don’t have to take up that old tile! There are some wood products on the market now that you can loose lay, or what we refer to as floating floors (example – Bruce Lock and Fold).  This is what I would recommend in your case because removing that asbestos tile from your home will be quite an expense, and there’s even a great chance that the adhesive used on those tiles will also have asbestos.

By using this floating floor method you can install a new wood floor without removing that old tile, saving you time and expensive labor.

If we can be of any help, please call (800) 922-5582 or email us, info at carpetexpress.com.

Thank you for your question, and good luck on your remodeling project.
Mike Jones

Question: I am installing a powder room. I plan on ceramic  tile for the floor. Does the tile need to have grout under the toilet, and if so does the grout need to be sealed under the toilet, and if so, how long do I have to wait after grout and/or sealing before I can install the toilet?

Thanks,
Sue

Answer: At the time you’re grouting the tile, it would be just as easy to grout under the toilet. The toilet will be removed at this time, so there won’t be any extra time involved in doing so. As far as sealing the grout under the toilet, it really isn’t necessary, but if your toilet hasn’t been put back at the time you’re sealing the rest of the floor, go ahead and seal it, also. Either way should be fine, whether there’s grout or sealer under the toilet or not. It’s best to install the toilet back after the tile has had time to bond to the floor, which in most cases is approximately 24 to 48 hours. You could even grout the floor after the toilet has been reset, if you wish.

Hope this helps,
Mike Jones

Question: I am considering Mohawk Wunda Weve Highrise Retreat carpet for the dining and family room. I would appreciate comments regarding the quality and wear ability of this carpet.

Thank you,
K.

Answer: This carpet is in the Premier Series from Wunda Weve, and should provide long lasting durability. I would highly recommend using a certified installer for Highrise Retreat, because of the pattern. This type of carpet is a good example of why carpets need to be power stretched, and not knee kicked.

Also, being a Weardated nylon, this carpet should keep its beauty for years to come.

Thanks for the question,
Jim Young, Jr.

Although we’ve been an authorized Stanley Bostitch retail/repair center for quite some time now, we just recently added the tools to our website. You can view a partial list of the hardwood flooring nailers and staplers we have available here. Remember this is not a complete list at the time being, so if you don’t find what you’re looking for, chances are we still carry it. Give us a call at (800) 922-5582 to be sure.

Question: When you say “prices listed are cut prices,” what does that mean? Does that include the pad and installation? For example, I see a Stainmaster saxony carpet for $38.95 a sq-yd. Is that just the carpet price or does it include installation and pad?

-Russell

Answer: Cut pricing means buying less material than is on the standard roll. For transparency in our prices, materials and installation are priced separately. Roll sizes from most manufacturers are between 134 square yards and 200 square yards per roll, depending upon the style and weight of the carpet. As a rule, higher end carpet usually has only one price.

If you have a style in question, please call me at (800) 922-5582 or email jim@carpetexpress.com and I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Best regards and thanks for the quesion,
Jim Young, Jr.
Carpet Express, Inc.