Question:

What type of flooring do you recommend for a beach house to prevent scratching from sand and warping from dampness?

Answer:

You posed a very good question. Beach houses are unique in their flooring requirements. You have multiple conditions to consider: sand being tracked in, excessive moisture in the air, and possible ground moisture from below. The fact that you’ve ruled out stone or ceramic is interesting, because either one of those choices would actually have been a great solution. Before you rule out porcelain or ceramic all together, did you know that new tile designs include leather-simulated looks, and even some wood parquet looks? Unglazed tiles offer slip resistance as well. Care and maintenance of a porcelain floor for a beach home would be minimal, and that would be a huge plus.

But here are some other options to consider: Historically speaking, real hardwood floors have not been ideal for beach climates because the moisture in the air can cause excessive expansion of the wood. Expansion and contraction of hardwood floors can result in warping and splitting–never a good thing. However Shaw Industries has a line of hardwood floors called “Epic” that have been engineered to overcome extreme climate conditions. It is a tightly milled product line that has a 5-ply, cross-core construction. This gives the product excellent stability. It’s important to note that only oak is used in the core (for its exceptional hardness), as the core is compressed under extreme heat to produce the stability you are looking for. That process should eliminate entirely the problem of expansion and contraction. If you are environmentally conscious, an added benefit is that Epic hardwoods take half as many freshly cut tress to produce. Look for a wood within this line that has an aluminum oxide top coating to guard against scratching, and always place walk-off mats at each entrance to the house to capture as much dirt and sand as possible. Choosing a lighter toned wood with a low sheen will do well against sun-fade.

One more alternative: laminate floors give the look of real hardwood, but are much more family-friendly. If you like the look of wood for your home, this may be the solution for you. You need to be sure that you choose a laminate that has a moisture resistant core (your local flooring retailer can help guide you) so that it is dimensionally stable. Laminate needs to be installed as a floating floor, with a moisture barrier material beneath, to protect it from ground moisture seeping up. With minimal care, laminate floors will look good for many years to come AND they have superior stain and fade resistance. I hope this helps.

Annette Callari, ASID; CMG

With the subtle, luxurious look of travertine, Wilsonart Flooring’s new Rectangular Tiles deliver the same high level of color and shade variation found in nature. The tiles are available in three desert-inspired colorations that blend beautifully with today’s interiors.

“The rectangular format adds the ‘pop’ of high style to traditional interiors,” says Tammy Weadock, Wilsonart Flooring marketing manager. “The characteristics of travertine turn a room into a place of tranquility and relaxation.” These new designs come with a 20-year residential warranty for wear, fade, stain and topical moisture and a 5-year commercial warranty for wear, fade and stain.

Sonora Sage

A complex mix of dark and light brown, cream with gold highlights, and taupe throughout. This combination blends warm tones of chocolate and cool tones of grey together in one material.

Sahara Gold

Cream and gold are fused with light and dark browns to create a coloration that addresses the more traditional honey tones found in oak cabinetry.

Mojave Breeze

– The lightest of the three tiles, Mojave Breeze incorporates the warm/cool color trend combination, using taupe mingled with cream, beige and brown. This light floor would contrast nicely with espresso stained cabinetry.

“All Wilsonart Flooring is made using High Pressure Laminate (HPL) construction, versus the other residential products made from thin low pressure or Direct Pressure Laminate (DPL),” explains Weadock. “In comparison, the HPL wear surface atop Wilsonart Flooring is 3-5 times thicker than DPL. This thickness translates into superior impact and dent resistance, providing assurance against the demands of everyday life: dropped cans, heavy furniture, children and pets. Every product in the Wilsonart Flooring portfolio is applicable for commercial environments and as such, it remains the best-performing laminate flooring option for consumers seeking unsurpassed durability for their home.”

World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) Provides Trend Report from Premiere Floor Covering Show

Anaheim, CA (PRWEB) March 11, 2009 — If the devil wears Prada, then the fashion-conscious demon must walk on animal prints, nude tones, layered looks and leather. For these are just some of the hottest trends in flooring uncovered by the World Floor Covering Association’s fashion scouts at this year’s Surfaces – one of the home market’s top international trade shows – which took place in Las Vegas in February this year.

WOOD AND BAMBOO TRENDS
There were no limits at Surfaces when it came to treatments in wood. High-gloss piano-finish floors that reveal your reflection were seen. As were innovative wood tiles in a surprising variety of whimsical shapes and sizes, including Tetris patterns, puzzle pieces, bricks and even fish scales! New wood surface stains now offer 0% VOC, no off gassing, are non-toxic and of all things, are even edible. Another new process extends the lifespan of hardwood floors with stains that run throughout the wear layer resulting in a highly durable floor that offers everlasting beauty that can be enjoyed for a lifetime.

Bamboo floors were also a hit at the show with one company presenting an assortment of oil-finished “woven” bamboo floors infusing cork strands for added dimension, anti-bacterial properties, soundproofing and insulation.

CARPET TRENDS
Carpet and area rugs were all about texture this year — from shag to loops to contemporary felt discs. Also fashionable are rugs and carpets bound with a hint of metallic fiber just to catch the eye. Animal and nature-inspired looks are also the rage, including panther and leopard skin, tropical leaf and flower patterns, tree textures and tribal designs.

In addition to eco-friendly products, manufacturers were paying close attention this year to allergen reducing products and manufacturing methods. One new line includes a broad selection of carpets that incorporates silver and zinc release, which offer the strongest anti-bacterial technology on the market. Another company debuted new friezes using dye-accented color choices achieved through an eco-friendly solution that saves water and is zero-effluent into streams.

One earth-friendly standout at the show was a new shag carpet made with 80% bamboo fiber yarn and 20% cotton. It has the look and feel of silk without the price tag.

TILE TRENDS
As in the wood and laminate categories, high sheen and transparent shine were the hot trends in the tile category. Long, thin rectangular tiles reminiscent of flowing streams were seen, as well as tiles made from authentic crystal and semi-precious stones. New heat slumped glass tiles impart a sculpted, embossed effect giving the illusion of raindrops on the surface, linen textures, crinkled fabric, sand and slate effects.

LAMINATE TRENDS
The hottest trend in laminates this year was highly reflective, glossy finishes in exotic wood formats, as well as stone looks with “natural” embossed patterns and beveled edging. A brand new introduction includes a hybrid product containing natural cork, leather and linoleum surface-treatments that are stabilized on planks.

RESILIENT TRENDS
New resilient products, including vinyl, cork, leather and linoleum, offered not only environmentally friendly introductions, but product launches that were also easy to clean and offered healthful benefits.

One new launch in the linoleum category achieved the Asthma and Allergy Friendly certification mark — which has never been given to a flooring product before. Another debut was a cork and linoleum hybrid called Corkoleum. It is an eco-friendly alternative to vinyl and laminate flooring that is resilient, warm, scratch and abrasion resistant, and easy to clean and maintain. 100% recycled leather planks were also presented in a broad spectrum of natural shades and textures — from glossy bright red crocodile to supple lizard.

“With today’s economic challenges, people everywhere are focusing more on their home environments and creature comforts,” said Christopher Davis, President and Chief Executive Officer of the WFCA. “Manufacturers across the globe have listened to customers and have delivered an array of introductions that are certain not to disappoint.”

The WFCA’s website – WFCA.org — offers detailed information about these flooring categories. In addition, the website provides answers to the most common floor covering questions. Visitors can also find detailed information and practical tips on every flooring category available, including carpet, hardwood, laminate, ceramic, porcelain, resilient, vinyl, cork, stone and area rugs. An overview of each category provides the pros and cons, a product catalog, manufacturing details, varieties and styles available, things to consider before purchase and how to prepare for installation.

When it’s time to buy floors, WFCA.org offers a searchable database of reputable WFCA retail members across the country. All a user needs to do is enter their zip code to receive a list of suppliers in their area.

The WFCA, official sponsor of Surfaces, is the floor covering industry’s largest advocacy organization, representing floor covering retailers, contractors and allied service providers throughout North America. For more information about the WFCA, visit WFCA.org and WFCA-PRO.org.

First, we started off with an overview of Surfaces. Here we talked about the presence of design elements, color themes and upcoming posts on the different products shown at the show.

Then came a breakdown of trends in hardwood, tile, carpet and area rugs.Later in the month we presented an overview of the company Wicanders and their line of products and a post on how to use the hot trends of 2009.

In the middle of the month came a report on Tuftex of California. They were not at Surfaces and choose to have their own regional shows in which I was invited to participate.

Every month (or longer) we present a reader poll to get your opinion on a particular topic. Included this month is a recap of the results of a poll on laminate flooring.

To round the month out, we finished up with some industry news on ThermoSofts Warm Step radiant heat system.

A lot of February was dedicated to Surfaces, the trends presented and the products shown at the show.

In the month of March we will get back to more answers to the questions you have asked as well as what’s new in the industry. If you have any topics that you would like to see more information on, please just leave a comment!

Thanks for your subscriptions, your interest and your loyalty to Floor Talk!

WarmStep from ThermoSoft International Corp., a manufacturer of do it yourself radiant floor heat systems, is specially designed for installation not only under the usual floor coverings: ceramic tile, marble, porcelain and stone, but it can also be installed under all types of laminate, engineered wood and wood floors.

WarmStep installs on virtually any subfloor and under any floor covering. WarmStep is so versatile that this one system can meet the heating demands of almost any floor. WarmStep can even be installed under carpet, vinyl tile and glued down floors under a layer of self-leveling cement, for heated floors anywhere throughout the home.

“Most radiant floor heating systems must be embedded in cement mortar before laying laminate and other floating floors,” said Dr. Eric Kochman, President of ThermoSoft International Corporation. “But not WarmStep! WarmStep is installed above the underlayment pad and directly under floating laminate, engineered wood or wood floors — without cement! This can save consumers expensive installation costs in addition to reducing their energy costs.”

WarmStep also reduces installation time. WarmStep’s standard sizes can be stocked for easy on-site fitment to any floor; its heating cable is factory mounted on rolls of fiberglass mesh which can be rolled out and the mesh can be cut so that WarmStep can be turned in any direction to fit the floor. No on-site splice connections or special tools are necessary.

WarmStep’s construction-grade fiberglass mesh provides an anti-fracture membrane that strengthens and prevents floor cracks in ceramic tile and other cementious floors. ThermoSoft also provides an InstAlarm(R)monitor that that will sound an alarm if the floor warming mat is damaged resulting in a short or open circuit, ensuring contractor and installer peace-of-mind, trouble-free installation and perfectly heated floors and warm tile.