Category Archives: Guest Post

What Elements to Look for in a Carpet if You Have Active Kids

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TETRRF-00022680-001If you have kids you know that it is nearly impossible to keep your home as clean as you would like. Try as you might to clean up their messes it always seems like a new one pops up in its place. And your carpets? Forget about it! Active children trample dirt, spill liquids and leave their mark on every surface throughout a home. On a hardwood or tile floor dirt, scuffs and spills are fairly easy to clean, but on the carpets throughout your home footprints, snags and traffic tracks are a different story. But fear not, there are numerous kinds of carpets that you can choose from which are better at holding up to the wear and tear of an active lifestyle.

When selecting a carpet it is important to factor in the type of activities that will occur in the room. For a room with heavy traffic and children activities you may consider installing the following styles of carpet:

1) Textured Carpets are very popular styles for families because they are great for all areas of the home. These are cut pile carpet with alternating twists of yarn that create a two-tone appearance. Its textured surface is great at hiding footprints, track marks and vacuum marks.

2) Frieze Carpets are extremely durable and ideal for active areas in your home. The frieze style is also a cut pile with a very high twist level. This means that each strand of yarn is twisted so tightly that it actually curls over at the end. The feature creates a textured and durable surface that will minimize the need for carpet repair.

3) Looped or Berber Carpets are durable due to the fact that the yarn tips are not cut. This makes them ideal for hiding footprints but may not be the best selection if your children play with toys on the carpet because they have a tendency to snag. But, for high traffic areas this carpet is a must have, especially nylon threaded Berber.

Style is not the only element to take into consideration when purchasing a carpet for an active family. You’re will want to select a color that minimizes the appearance of dirt. Having kids you are going to want to the darkest color possible, in order to cover up stains and dirt tracks. At the same time no one really wants a black carpet and you still want something that matches the other elements of your home, so here’s a little trick to help in deciding what color will minimize your necessity for professional carpet cleaning.  Get a sampling of carpet swatches and compare them to any existing dirt tracks you have in your house. Once you have a match you should go a shade darker and then you’ll have the optimum color for your home and budget.

Finally, consider soil resistance and cushioning. Many carpets have stain resistance built right in, but that does not mean they are soil resistant. To protect your carpet, you will want to look for carpet brands like Stainmaster, Anso, Wear Dated or Shaw’s R2X which are specially designed to resist soil mark.

Not only will your family track dirt through the house but there will probably be a spill or two. You can protect against spills on your carpet with a high quality cushioning and a spill barrier. This will prevent any spills from seeping through to the padding and protect your home from mildew and mold.

Author:

Sam Presnell, Owner, The Rug Gallery

About the Author:

Sam Presnell, Owner of The Rug Gallery, a Cincinnati-based company that sells and maintenances rugs for clients.

Colors of India – Part II Guest Post

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India Arlene's Camera 195Today’s post is a continuation from yesterday’s guest post from Sam Presnell of The Rug Gallery where Sam talks about his first trip to India. Today, he shares some of his knowledge about how rugs are made.

After 37 years I thought it was finally time to share and help you understand some things that I know and take for granted. I have also included a video that gives you the visual to go along with the short version of the processes.

I love this business it has kept me interested for all these years. I hope I can help you understand what goes into making a rug and understand what a hand woven oriental rug is all about.

Weaving is a cottage industry done at home or in villages. Vegetable dyed, handspun, hand woven oriental rugs take many steps, but usually starts with the wool. After shearing, the wool is washed and dried then sent to be separated in order to remove debris from the fiber. Next, the wool is hand carded which straightens the fibers which allows it to be handspun. Hand spinning causes the yarn to be inconsistent, allowing it to be tighter and looser, which produces an evenness when dyed that we call a brash, giving more depth to the design. Vegetable and natural materials were the original methods used in dyeing . They can painstakingly remove the colors from any material. Vegetable dying is usually done in small batches which produces constant change from lot to lot. That is why vegetable dyed rugs look slightly different in every rug woven. Synthetic dyes  are commonly used so we can be more consistent from dye lot to dye lot and certain colors can only be achieved this way. After dying, the wool is weighed for each color used in the rug. This allows for a quality control check. When the rug is finished it is weighed again to insure all the wool was put into the rug. Rugs are woven from graphs called Nak-Shar.  Each grid depicts the placement of a knot. Stringing the looms is laborious and literally thousands of stings are aligned to produce the quality of the rug. These strings are what form the fringe at the ends.

Hand knotting involves the tying of two basics knots: one called Persian or Senneh which is shown here. The other is Turkish called Ghorides.

Washing produces the shine and velvet  touch we all enjoy. Drying , then blocking allows the rug to lay flat and straight. A final shear, then finishing the warps to fringes. After fringing , a final inspection, then wrapping for shipping.  A 9 by 12 rug can take anywhere from 7 months to 2 years from start to finish.

Thanks again, Sam for sharing your knowledge and your experience with us! – Shannon

Adventure to India – Guest post by Sam Presnell

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India Arlene's Camera 235Sam Presnell of The Rug Gallery has been an owner and retailer of rugs and carpets for 37 years. He has graciously provided us with today’s post about his first trip to India. This post gives you a little insight on his experience and what a trip to India is really like. Tomorrow will include a follow up post called The Colors of India where Sam will help us understand what goes into making a rug.

Sam writes:

It’s funny, I never needed to go to India in today’s world because it comes to you via trade shows and the internet. On my first trip to India, we landed in New Delhi after a long 15 hour direct flight from Newark, where we were met by a gentleman who was to drive us to our first night accommodations. We immediately drew 2 extra people who I assumed were with the driver. Well to my surprise, they were there to help with luggage and of course seeking a tip, and we had not asked or were we looking for help. My first comment was to the driver asking him “Are you going to take care of them?” He immediately acted as if he didn’t understand English. I pulled out a 100 rupee note and gave it to one of them; I later learned that would be a whole day’s work for somebody like this. Wow 2 dollars?!?

The next day, we arranged for a driver to take us to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. I had no idea the drive would be 5 hours and was like playing dodgem all the way. Once there we checked into the Oberoi.  WOW, that was like living like a king!  I would highly recommend this place and was well worth the splurge. Every room has a view of the Taj Mahal. The room and grounds were meticulous.

The Taj Mahal was worth it, it truly is deserving of  it’s reputation of one of man’s greatest achievements. We had a personal tour which began at 6:00AM (to beat the crowds). We also visited the fort where the Moguls lived. That was worth the 650 rupees. (approximately 13 dollars)

Then on to Varanasi, a holy city for the Hindu’s on the banks of the Ganges. What a eye opening experience.

My first impression was shocking, as in culture shock. I had seen the pictures and heard the stories, but I still had no idea and I am having difficulty in describing it for you . The best way may be by telling you about an incident. After visiting a Carpet expo in Varanasi, about dark and with major traffic,while attempting to cross  at a rail road crossing the gate went down. First, I noticed anyone  that was walking, using a bicycle or motor bike kept ducking under the gate where the train stopped and waited. Then, the lanes to the right of us (which you would think were for the traffic going the other way) filed in with cars, trucks and pedestrians. The same was happening on the other side of the gate. Then, the begging children started banging on our windows and refused to leave unless we paid them. One even badly washed our window, streaking it worse than the dust that had existed. After it seemed like an eternity, a police officer came down with a big switch and started beating the people who kept trying to cross. Eventually, he cleared the tracks and the rail cars passed. When the gate lifted it was a free for all.  My first thought was there was no way we were getting out of this mess, but some how by inching and honking  – without a scratch we were able to get through. That’s  it -  organized chaos,  but it works for them and it seems very normal after a while. You come to accept and understand that this is normal to them and there is nothing that can be done, just go with it. The indifference by the people is also understandable to just ignore it or you and dare anyone to run them over, somehow it works.

In Cincinnati, I was on my way to Starbucks and turned a little early. The car which saw me honked, screamed and gave me the bird. I had to laugh because  in India someone comes down the road on your side and you move over like it is nothing. Boy we expect a lot don’t we? There are such things as rules and rights! Sorry leave them at home. It’s everyone for themselves and just go with the flow….

Come back tomorrow for more from Sam. Thank you, Sam for taking the time to share your experience with us! – Shannon

A Little Holiday Entertainment

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Courtesy of our friends at T/S Carpet and the Hardwood Flooring Orange County blog I would like to share with you a little holiday entertainment with a flooring twist.

On the twelfth day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me

Twelve counters topping

Eleven carpets padding

Ten blinds a-blinding

Nine corks a-cov’ring

Eight “green” prods saving[1]

Seven stones a-holding

Six lams a-fooling[2]

Five area rugs, (on sale now for ONLY $149.99 ea.!!!)

Four grout-less tiles

Three vinyl floors

Two hardwood cleaners,

And a room full of hardwood floor!

[1] Green products help save the environment and your health.

[2] Laminate flooring is known for its ability to mimic other products like hardwood and tile.

To see the entire post, click  here. If you enjoyed this song as much as I did, leave a comment for Cecil. I’m sure he’s appreciate it!

Guest Post from Industry Blogger Rob Jones on Transformative Flooring

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Today’s post is a guest post from a fellow flooring blogger, Rob Jones. Rob’s posts always keep my interest and I look forward to new contributions from him. I hope you will enjoy this post from Rob as well. Thanks, Rob!

When I began contributing to the BuildDirect blog in 2007, one of the things that I wanted to bring out is the idea that flooring, and indeed all building materials, are more than just products that people shop for and buy. I wanted to get down to the key reason as to why people buy these products, beyond just their practicalities .

Consumers want to buy building materials that will perform well, and for a long time. This is particularly true in this economy, when large expenses like this are more than just a purchase. A flooring project, for instance, is an investment. A durable floor adds lasting value of all kinds, including the value of a home or commercial space. That is understood.

Natural stone tile, like slate, granite, marble, or travertine, brings the look of strength and permanence. Wood flooring like hardwood, bamboo, cork, and laminate flooring brings a unique source of visual warmth and style. And ceramic tile adds unmatched refinement. Beyond the extremely practical benefits, flooring surfaces like this can really activate the potential in any space. They have the potential to transform. And that’s why homeowners seek them out.

Whatever the tastes, whatever the space, I think this is idea of transformation is the overarching reason why people undertake flooring projects, or any other renovation project. They want to build a home, a place they can call their own, matching the reality with the way they’ve envisioned that space in their imaginations. They want to take flooring materials and use them to personalize their spaces, to imbue their homes with something of their own identities.

In this, the choice of flooring is really just a means to an end. And I think as sellers of flooring and other building materials, it’s our job to present the range of surfaces, and materials to match those imaginations, or better yet to feed them. When we source, and then sell, what people are looking for, and sometimes the things that people didn’t know they were looking for, we’re helping consumers bring their ideas to fruition.

This is an exciting prospect, and in this way it kind of feels like we’re not just moving wood and stone back and forth in a supply chain. In a small way, we are collaborators in that process of transformation.

***

Rob Jones has been in the marketing department at Vancouver BC-based BuildDirect for close to five years as a copywriter, blogger, and social media enthusiast. BuildDirect is an online-only flooring and other building materials company. You can follow BuildDirect and Rob on Twitter @BuildDirect, and join the BuildDirect Facebook page for frequent blog posts and videos about flooring and other building materials.

5 Quick Tips for Purchasing a New or Used Oriental Rug

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colorful-palmette1. Condition is Everything: Well, in 98% of cases condition is everything. Pet stains, moth damage, uneven wear, color run… All going to severely affect the value of your rug. On the plus side, there are ways to prevent the majority of the above. Always be wary of reduced rugs missing minor borders, side borders or severely off-center medallions. Even for new rugs, check for even weaving (or signs of uneven), shearing and symmetrical shape.

2. Don’t get tied up in knots! Relatively speaking, Knots Per Square Inch (KPSI) means little in the scope of purchasing a rug. Sure, it may aid in attribution, perhaps differentiate it from other rugs of that type or genre. In the majority of cases, knot count should not bear any more weight in deciding whether a rug is “a worthy buy.” It’s the rug you’re going to live with, not the knots!

3. Country of Origin: Province or City Does not dictate Quality. Exceptional rugs come from many weaving countries. Excellent goods are being imported from India, Pakistan, Iran, Armenia, Turkey and many other weaving areas. Additionally, just because two rugs have the same name does not indicate they are of equal quality.

4. Is Relevant Information Readily Furnished? Perhaps an elaboration on the above. However, if a seller does not readily display the item’s country of origin, beware. Proper ID of a rug should be as follows in this example: A Chinese Rug with a Persian design should be called an “Chinese Rug with Persian Design”, or “Chinese Interpretation of a Persian Design.” It is not uncommon to find some sellers simply state “Persian Rug”!!! Although not integral, it’s important to know truncation of a country in addition to a vowel may indicate Country of Origin: Indo (Indian), Paki (Pakistani), etc. Check out Standards for Sellers.

5. Quality of wool and dyes: If a new rug has coarse & dry wool at a very high price point, be wary. Determining quality of dyes is not simple, and years may be the only real determining factor. However, there are ways to test! If you suspect dyes may be inferior due to over-saturation of color, grab a worn out but fine cotton/linen handkerchief you don’t care about. Moisten with cold to lukewarm water and wipe with firm pressure on colors throughout the face/pile of the rug going with the direction of the pile. If a significant amount of colors pull from tested areas, this may be an indicator of potential color migration after a future wash or spot cleaning. Either negotiate a fair price accordingly or keep looking.

When and where possible, take the opportunity to see a rug in person. There are many, many well-trusted and established rug sellers in the states. Purchasing at a well-known importer or retailer showroom does not necessarily mean you will pay more than online! If you ever have questions, we are here to help.

Thanks, Rug Rag for this very informative post on oriental rugs!