FloorTalk – for all the latest flooring fashions

If you are planning a tile design and are stuck looking for options besides plain tile, one way to add some punch to plain tile or inexpensive tile is to use listellos or other decorative tiles with these tiles. This can be done in many different ways. When thinking about decorative tiles, think of them as the accessory or jewelry to an outfit. They aren’t necessary, but they sure do make the outfit look more stylish, designed and complete!

Below are some of the ways you can use listellos or decorative tiles.

• Decorative band in a shower or tub surround – install a listello at eye level forming a band in a shower or tub surround
• Sink splashes – listellos are often the perfect size to place 1 behind the sink to serve as a sink splash
• Wainscoting – these are not necessary to create a tile wainscoting, just a way to make it look better!
• Framed mirrors – you can either build a mirror with listellos or if the thickness is right, apply them directly to the wall outside the mirror
• Garden tub splashes – this is typically a focal point to begin with – why not make it more of a focal point by adding a decorative band or accent tile?
• Backsplashes – decorative dots or listellos are perfect to give backsplashes some pizazz!
• Area rug – use listellos as borders to create an area rug look
• Counter top liners or borders – install listellos around the perimiter of a countertop to create an outline effect
• Accents – mix decorative tiles in with other tiles as dots, at each corner or scattered randomly

There are endless ways to use listellos and decorative tiles. You can even use 4×4 decorative tiles as coasters! Your imaginiation is the limit when it comes to using decorative tiles and listellos. Have you used a listello or decorative tile in an interesting or unusual way? If so, send us a picture!

There are a lot of misconceptions out there about Murphy’s Oil Soap and hardwood floors. After a long conversation with technical support at Murphy’s here’s what I found out. These questions and answers as well as more information are available on their website. If your concern with Murphy’s was like mine and concerned the rumors about Murphy’s leaving a film on hardwood floors, check out a previous post addressing this concern.

What is Murphy Oil Soap made from?
Murphy Oil Soap is a safe, naturally gentle soap, specially formulated for cleaning wood floors, furniture, and other household surfaces. And it leaves your home smelling fresh and clean. Murphy’s contains no harsh detergents, ammonia, or bleach.

Will Murphy’s products leave a residue?
Murphy’s leaves no residue at all! Be sure to dilute the Original Formula and use products according to label directions.

Is rinsing necessary?
Because Murphy’s leaves no residue behind, rinsing is not necessary. Be sure to follow label directions for best results. Always remove excess water.

How can a water-based cleaner be safe for wood floors, furniture, and other wood surfaces?
Murphy’s is recommended for cleaning finished wood. It is not recommended for cleaning unfinished or waxed wood because the wood may be water-sensitive. Most wood flooring and furniture items have water-resistant finishes, and Murphy Oil Soap is perfectly safe for use on these types of surfaces.

Is Murphy Oil Soap biodegradable? Are the bottles recyclable?
Yes, Murphy Oil Soap is biodegradable, and it’s possible to recycle the bottles.

Is Murphy’s safe for cleaning wood floors?
Yes, Murphy Oil Soap is safe to use on all finished wood surfaces, such as wood floors finished with polyurethane. So cleaning hardwood floors with Murphy’s is safe as long as the surface is finished. For extra cleaning convenience when caring for wood floors, try Murphy Oil Soap Squirt & Mop — it’s ready to use on wood flooring with no mixing or diluting.

Remember, Murphy Oil Soap should not be used on unfinished, unsealed, or waxed wood surfaces because they may be water sensitive. Test an inconspicuous area with plain water before using Murphy Oil Soap. Discoloration or dulling indicates the wood may be waxed or needs refinishing.

Can I dilute Murphy Oil Soap and use in the spray bottle?
Due to differences in formulation, do not use Murphy’s Original Formula or Squirt & Mop liquid as a refill for the Murphy’s Spray.

Is Murphy Oil Soap safe to use if I plan to recoat my wood flooring?
Yes! Tests show that new polyurethane coats adhere perfectly to wood floors cleaned with Murphy’s.

On what surfaces can I use Murphy Oil Soap products?
Murphy Oil Soap is ideal for cleaning finished wood floors, furniture, and cabinets. You can also trust Murphy’s to safely clean no-wax floors, tile, painted surfaces, laminates, marble, linoleum/vinyl, fabrics, and more! Murphy’s is the safe all-purpose cleaner.

How can I tell if my wood flooring has a finish or polyurethane coating?
Most wood floors are coated with either a penetrating oil or a surface finish such as polyurethane. You can determine the type of finish on your wood floors by rubbing your hand on the floor. Do you feel a slight oily residue? If so, your wood flooring has been coated with a penetrating oil.

If there is no oily residue and the wood floors have a shiny or glossy appearance, then it likely is coated with polyurethane. In an inconspicuous area, scratch the surface of the wood flooring with a coin. If the finish flakes off, a surface finish such as polyurethane was probably used. Learn more about wood finishes.

Question: We were hoping that you could help get us some information about how to remove residue (we think it is MOP & GLOW) from our laminate wood floors. Any information?
Anything you can tell us would be helpful.  Thank you.

Answer: From the Mop and Glo website:

Q:   What causes a build-up on my floor?

A:   As with any wax or polish, MOP & GLO® Triple Action™ Floor Shine Cleaner should be removed periodically to prevent a build-up of old polish. This can occur if the floor is polished too frequently, and/or if not cleaned thoroughly in-between polishing.

Q:   How do I remove this build-up?

A:   Use a solution of 1/4 cup all purpose cleaner (such as LYSOL® All
Purpose Cleaner with out Bleach) and 1 cup household ammonia in ½ gallon of
warm water. Wet the area with the solution and mop.

I would test this in an inconspicuous area first. I would also recommend cleaning the floor with an approved laminate cleaner first, just to be safe. This may require extra cleaning with some elbow grease! If that doesn’t remove the Mop and Glo, then I would try what the Mop and Glo website recommends.

(CALHOUN, GA – DECEMBER, 2008) – Mannington Commercial is searching for the most promising rising talent in design who will compete to win the creation of their own carpet collection plus a $7,500 cash prize. Launching December 1, tx:style is a design challenge for certified architects and designers with no more than seven years professional experience, and it uses the favorite tool of their generation—the internet—in a unique online interface with voters who will decide the top honors.

“tx:style was born from the successful collaboration Mannington Commercial had this past year with 25-year-old Kaitlin Phelps, which yielded the fashion-forward and stylish Adorn collection,” said Natalie Jones, Vice President, Commercial Brand Development and Creative Product. “We realized there is a whole new crop of untested talent who are bursting with fresh ideas and thinking, and who, like Kaitlin, deserve a showcase for their work. We created tx:style to help bring these promising stars into the spotlight and acknowledge their future potential.”

According to Jones, while online competitions are nothing new these days, tx:style utilizes the concept of a social networking Web site to encourage the entire A+D community not only to vote, but also offer their own comments and opinions on the submissions. “The A+D community is at the heart of our business and with the limitless reach of the World Wide Web, we believe tx:style will be the most exciting and effective way to involve them in the design process.”

Via a dedicated online portal, www.manningtoncommercial.com/txstyle, contestants will have until February 6 to upload their design ideas for a new commercial carpet pattern. They’ll be invited to submit, as well, accompanying visuals and personal written statements that help articulate what inspired and fueled their concepts. Online voting to determine five tx:style finalists will be conducted through February 15. Then, these top five designers will attend a weekend seminar at Mannington’s Calhoun, GA, headquarters, where they will have the opportunity to work with the experts, tweaking and refining the product samples that the company will develop based on their submissions. In late April, photos of the actual product samples will be posted to the Web site, where Mannington will once again rely on the design community to vote for its top choice. Additionally, at NeoCon 2009, the samples will be on view in the Mannington Commercial showroom, and voting will continue through the first day of the show, with the tx:style grand prize winner announced the following day, June 16, at a showroom reception honoring all of the finalists. In addition to presenting the grand prize award, each finalist will receive $3,000.

To enter Mannington Commercial’s tx:style competition, or to view the submissions and cast your vote, visit www.manningtoncommercial.com/txstyle.

Mannington Commercial has distinguished itself as one of North America’s premier manufacturers of high quality floor covering designs encompassing both soft and hard surfaces. Its deep range of choices in both categories is unparalleled. A leading voice in sustainability, the company is relentless in pursuing innovative measures to improve closing the recycling loop—reducing the waste streams from the manufacturing process while reusing waste materials. For more information visit www.manningtoncommercial.com

In case you haven’t noticed, the posts this week are all about making flooring selections that are not the standard, plain jane selections. Earlier in the week we posted on different hardwood widths and patterned carpet. Today, we are talking about tile and stone that is something other than beige/neutral.

This topic is particularly important because tile and stone are products that are very rarely replaced in the life of a home because they are so durable. The objection I hear the most to tile with pattern, color or range is that it DOES last so long and there is a fear of growing tired of the product. My thoughts are that you will grow tired of a “beige” or “safe” choice far more quickly than a choice with some punch!

Here are some things to keep in mind about tile with pattern, color or range:

• Dirt is much easier to hide. For example, if you have dark hair and beige tile in the bathroom you will see every piece of dark hair on the floor. This makes cleaning maintenance more frequent and more of a headache.
• The floor appears to have more depth. When there are a variety of colors in a floor the floors appears to have more depth and richness.
• It gives you options to pull colors for your color scheme. The more colors and range of colors there are the more choices you have to paint, use fabrics and choose artwork.
• With the right grout color, the floor can seem more uniform and less grid-like. When the floor is uniform in color the only thing left to look at is the lines in the tile.

Tile with pattern, color or range can give life to a floor and to a room. These choices make a room much more versatile and acceptable of change in the long run. One thing to be cautious of is resale. You should consider the next purchaser of your home if you don’t plan to keep the home for a long period of time. Another school of thought here is that you are installing floors for you and your family and if the next person doesn’t care for it – they can change it!

The point here is, don’t be shy when it comes to choosing a floor with color. When shopping, it is best to view several samples of the same color tile to get an idea of what more of the floor will look like as well as the range of color change.  It is also best to lay the tiles on the floor and walk several feet back from the samples. Many people examine the colors in the tile only a few inches from their face. This isn’t how you will see the tile everyday! Looking at the tiles this way can give you a false sense of what the floor will actually look like because the tiles are designed to be seen at a distance.

Have you ever walked into a carpet store looking to buy new carpet and walked past all of the patterned carpet, running your hand over the patterns thinking, “I wish I had the guts to do that!” Then, you end up purchasing a nice plush….wondering all the while what a patterned carpet would look like in your home. Don’t worry, most people have trouble making this decision!

Patterned carpets are nothing to be scared of. First let’s look at the definition of a patterned carpet.

According to wisegeek.com Patterned carpet is imprinted with a pattern in several different ways. One method is carpets are made with pre-dyed yarn to form a pattern while some have multiple colors printed on the surface of the carpet.

The patterned carpet that is created with pre-dyed yarns worked to form the carpet itself at the same time the pattern is being made can be considered the pre-dying method. The three main kinds of pre-dyed patterned carpets are woven, knitted and tufted. A tufted patterned carpet is made with tufts of pile inserted by needles into the backing material. Woven carpets are available in many different textures such as looped or velvet.

When considering patterned carpet a good rule of thumb to follow is: Large patterns work best in large rooms and smaller patterns work best in small rooms. This is because large patterns can be overwhelming in small rooms and small patterns can get lost in larger rooms. This goes for any type of patterned carpet.

When you think of small patterned carpet, don’t focus too much on the pattern. When there is a room full of small patterned carpet you tend to only see texture rather than the pattern. When considering large scale patterned carpets, don’t assume that the pattern will take over the room. It can be a compliment to all of the other design elements in the room.

Patterned carpets can be used as a focal point for a room. If you need a design element to give your room some character or personality, patterned carpet can achieve this for you. Keep in mind that if you are using patterned carpet in a room that you don’t need too may other patterns such as patterned wallpaper (especially of the same scale) to compete with the floor pattern. This can become confusing and cluttered.

If you have a printed carpet pattern with multiple colors, this can serve as your color scheme giving you flexibility and ease of choice with other selections in the room. You can pull paint colors, upholstery colors, art colors and more from the colors set in the carpet pattern.

Keep in mind if you are using a patterned carpet such as a linear stripe and the room is out of square these patterns may make that issue more noticeable.

Patterned carpet can be fun and exciting. It can open up your design scheme to new possibilities. If you are considering patterned carpet, but have hesitations try the Virtual Room Designer on the WFCA website to preview what patterned carpet will look like in a room.

There are many different size widths of hardwood planks to choose from. How do you know which one is right for you?

First, let’s look at the different sizes available. Most hardwoods are available in 2 1/4″, 3″, 5″, 7″ and sometimes widths even wider. Boards are classified into two different groups. Plank and Strip. Strip refers to boards that are narrower than 3″. Plank refers to boards that are 3″ or greater.

Board width can change the look of a room as well as set the tone for the design style or scheme. For example, narrow boards like 2 1/4″ are usually found in older homes and more traditional homes. They are found in older homes predominantly because this was the only width available. In some really old homes you will find extremely wide widths. However, in some contemporary settings, you will find strips of natural maple and other species that are uniform in color and grain.

Board widths of 3″ are found in many types of homes including traditional and transitional. This look does not commit you to any one design style or type and therefore is a good choice when you have an eclectic look or one that does not fit into any one design category.

Wider boards are now being seen in all types of homes because of their ability to expand the look and size of a room. Wide boards such as 5″ and 7″ are helpful in creating a rustic or country look. This is why you will see a lot of wider width planks that are distressed.

An exception to choosing one particular width of flooring is to mix widths creating a random width installation pattern. This is often used when the boards being used have come from reclaimed sources.

A great tool to help determine what width hardwood is right for a room is the Virtual Room Designer found on the WFCA website.

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