From the Floors Up

Honeycomb by Guest Blogger: Tracy Daves

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We are beekeepers.  There are a few hives on our little homestead with 18,000  🐝’s pollinating our flowers, garden and giving us fresh local honey. It is a labor of love, great for allergies, and just plain delicious. 

Here are a few of our pretties:

So I have gotta ask if you have heard the buzz?

Hexagon geometrics are not only timeless but on-trend. Honeycomb-inspired cell structures are popping up in fashion, home decor, and of course on your Shaw Floors and tiles! It is nature-inspired and brings in the outdoors.

I am smitten over these BEE-utiful honeycomb styles we offer:

  • Molten Glass Mosaic
  • Molten Glass Mosaic
Forest Glass Mosaic 
Pro 12 Panhandle (sheet vinyl….Wait. What?!?)
Estate Collection Hexagon mosaic  
Golden Gate Over-sized Hexagon

  • Del Ray Hexagon
  • Photo by Becky Crosby Designs for Sabal Homes

Sweet as honey, right? 

Are you using this farm to fork trend to turn your home into “Comb Sweet Comb?” If so, please tag us at #shawfloors. 

Remember to do your own sting, becuzzzzzzzzz you are the bee’s knees!

Hive Five, Tracy

Understanding Your Flooring: Carpet Tiles

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Carpet tile is an excellent choice for commercial application. Where most carpet fails to keep up with heavy traffic, carpet tile succeeds. Being able to swap out individual tiles in case of stains or wear marks can also save you thousands on replacing the entire floor. While carpet tile is great, it is not for every application. Functionality, affordability, and durability can all be determining factors in your flooring. Here, we break down the pros and cons of carpet tiles to help you decide if they are right for you.

Carpet tiles are incredibly durable. With their low-profile pile, they will rarely show wear or traffic patterns.
Unlike hard surface flooring options, rest at ease with carpet tiles. You will not have to worry about scratching carpet tiles ever; this is why many businesses have been placing them in high-traffic areas such as malls, airports, and offices.
Though carpet tile is extremely durable, it would not be suitable to install it in areas prone to water. Your carpet tiles will absorb wetness and can lead to molding or breaking down the glue on the subfloor.
Carpet tiles will serve some level of comfort. They are a soft commercial floor option, but like most commercial floors, durability, and longevity come before comfort.
Most carpet tiles are treated and stain resistant. However, the longer a spill or accident is left untreated, the deeper it can infiltrate into your carpet fibers. Luckily, if a carpet tile is damaged, you can simply remove it and replace it with another. You should consider investing in an extra box or two depending on the size of the space that you are looking to install this floor.
While soft and durable, pet accidents can damage your carpet tile. You will be able to replace damaged tiles but may not want to have this option with infants or untrained animals.
For a commercial grade floor, this should not be overlooked; however, competitively on the market with residential floors, this can be a tad pricey. If you are looking for an extremely durable carpet solution which you can replace easily if damaged, this is your ticket.

Most commercial flooring options are very durable; however, they do not offer comfort. Carpet tiles can add comfort, aesthetics, and durability to your floors. For more insight and analysis on different flooring types, make sure to subscribe and check out more of our series!

Understanding Your Flooring: Tile

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Homeowners and business have been using tile in their design for centuries. This timeless flooring option has evolved way beyond just ceramic and porcelain tiles. Today, granite, marble, glass, limestone, terracotta, and more, flood the industry with many gorgeous designs. These incredibly entrancing floors can turn any bathroom or kitchen into a beautiful masterpiece. From floor tiles to backsplashes, tiles are adorned for their high aesthetic appeal and sophisticated designs. While functionality, affordability, and durability can all be determining factors in your flooring, we will give a better understanding of tile and see if it is best suited for your needs:

Tile is an extremely durable floor. While tiles can crack, they are suitable for extreme heat like around fireplaces, can be put in wet environments like showers, and some can even withstand the treacherous conditions of the outdoors and be installed on patios.
Scratch resistance will simply come down to the tile you choose. While most tiles can withstand some scratching, painted tiles and glass tiles are not recommended in these areas. Make sure you know if your tile will scratch easily because this can determine if it needs to be sanded or feature unsanded grout.
Tile is porous, which means water can travel through it. However, tile is usually treated and will have a waterproof underlayment to allow it to be installed in shower systems or as a backsplash. Tile is one of your best routes to go when installing floors in a wet area.
Unfortunately, if you fall on tile, you will notice. This is not the most comfortable or forgiving flooring option. If you worry about slipping, make sure to invest in a slip-resistant tile in wet areas.
While spills and accidents will be easy to clean, the floor is not forgiving for falls. Be cautious of installing tile in areas where kids may fall or slip.
Because tile is porous, it is susceptible to staining. Your grout can stain as well. Most grout and tile are treated to prevent staining. Make sure you keep up on the maintenance of your tile to avoid unwanted staining.
While not the most expensive flooring option, tile is generally a little more expensive. Installation for shower systems and backsplash can be on the higher end as well.

Tile can really enhance your home’s look. Consider adding tile to your kitchen or foyer to create your dream oasis. Tile has been around for centuries and rightfully so. This timeless option can truly make a room stunning. For more insight and analysis on different flooring types, make sure to subscribe and check out more of our series.

Introducing Our Guest Blogger: Tracy Daves

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It is a bloggy-blog world, and Shaw Floors is here for it. Tracy Daves is the Director of Design for the East Coast with Shaw Floors. She is a time-juggling wife, mom, designer, and chicken lady who travels extensively chatting up single and multifamily designers. You may have seen her representing Shaw Floors in HGTV’s Green and Smart Homes, several episodes of Lifetime’s Designing Spaces, Ship Shape TV, and Shaw Floors YouTube channel. Tracy is the resident blogger at Shaw Floors and is published in many online publications.

Backyard Chickens 🐓 We get some popular lingo from chicken life. 

  • Fly the coop
  • Ruffled feathers
  • Shake a tail feather
  • Henpecked
  • Pecking order

Cooped up…are all happening in backyard chicken pens taking over rural and urban dwellings. 

Back to Basics is a lifestyle trend that people are craving in our overly stimulated technology age. The yearn to unplug and connect with nature is catching on. Community neighborhood gardens are attracting home buyers, and farm-to-table is only growing!

I must admit. I too am a crazy chicken lady.  I have 13 sassy chickens that give my family and friends beautiful organic rainbow eggs. We also have over 18,000 bees 🐝 for our garden and for local honey. 

Today, I am sharing with you four back to basics hard and soft surface flooring looks that complement this homestead style for some modern farmhouse inspiration.

Golden Gate Color Pacific Heights:

Farmhouse style lends itself toward old world brick and brick pavers. Not only are they beautiful, but they are practical. This textured 4×8 porcelain ensures it is suitable for indoor/outdoor use. The coloring is very forgiving if you have been working hard on your garden or with your critters. Be as creative as you want with the pattern installation and coordinating grout choices.

Floorte Lazio Plus Color Pino:

Wide Planks, hand-scraped texture, multiple hues and colorations, waterproof and pet proof–this is a winner for any homesteader to clean up after a hard day’s work. Plus, it is muck boot approved!

Park Avenue Color Astor:

Farmers used powdered lime (limestone) to white-wash their homes and fences. They did this because it was safe for animals, effective, and inexpensive. The whitewashed look is on-trend today. You can achieve that clean minimal look with our white oak on your floors, walls, ceilings, and island fronts for a new twist on shiplap, and in herringbone? (Shut up!)

Presidio Tonal All Colors:

Durability and cleanability are key with carpet today. Our patented R2X combined with our Endurance Carpet Fiber Technology makes our carpet ideal for high traffic areas, and bonus, it is super soft to boot! Tonals cover a lot of sins in between vacuuming–one less chore to fool with today.

Do you have a farmhouse inspired project? Swing by Tractor Supply for fun country inspired accents. Order your fashionista chicken/farm decor from Fluffy Layers (egg aprons, duvet covers, linens, and shower curtains.)

And get your Shaw Floors country chic on. Tag us folks at #shawfloors so we can take a gander. Now, you are officially as country as cornbread!

Y’all come back now ya’hear,

Tracy

Understanding Your Flooring: Luxury Vinyl Planking (LVP)

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LVP has come a long way over the years. Now being the fast grossing floor in the industry, this versatile option has many beautiful planks available that can replicate wood or tile. It is an excellent solution for rooms that you want hardwood, but the application would not work. While functionality, affordability, and durability can all be determining factors in your flooring, we want to help give you a better understanding of LVP and see if it is best suited for your needs. Let’s take a look!

LVP and LVT are both extremely durable flooring options. Typically, these floating floors are a substitute option for areas that you would like a hardwood or tile look. With high-quality replica flooring, which is more durable, this is an excellent option for any room in your home.
Vinyl planking flooring is very durable; however, it is not “scratch proof.” That being said, most mills would consider most LVP floorings a commercial grade flooring, so it should hold up great in most homes.
One reason LVP has taken over the flooring industry is not just for its durability but for that fact that most LVP’s today are 100% waterproof. This means you can install these floors in basements, mudrooms, bathrooms, and kitchens without hesitance.
Hard surface flooring is not typically considered “comfortable.” Some LVPs may be equipped with an attached backing or underlayment. This may dampen sounds and make the floor a tad softer, yet you probably will not want to kneel or lay on this kind of flooring for long periods of time.
LVP is an excellent stain resistant flooring option. If you are afraid of staining carpet, consider installing LVP in your home.
Spill-proof, accident proof, and pet-proof: LVP tends to claim it all. Remember, it can still scratch under extreme circumstances, and it may not be the softest floor for your child to crawl around on when they are young. Yet, this floor is excellent for messes and accidents.
While not as affordable as carpet, LVP will last longer. If you consider yourself to be “handy,” you may be able to save some money and install these flooring systems yourself.

LVP is one of the most versatile floors on the market. It has proven itself in many applications and has passed the test of time. LVP can be installed in any room in your home. It is great for children, heavy traffic, aesthetics, and much more!

For more insight and analysis on different flooring types, make sure to subscribe and check out more of our series here!

From the Floors Up

From the Floors Up blog was created with the goal of providing a destination for consumers, designers and those interested in the flooring, design, and kitchen and bath industries. Here you’ll find, current, accurate and informative information that is always just a click away!

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