Floors for Less: January 2015

1017 Applegate Rd., Suite 200

Madison, WI 53713

Phone: 608-442-1200

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Monday, January 19, 2015

Choose Pre-Finished Hardwood Flooring for Your Home

At Floors for Less, we only sell products that we can buy directly, to save you money. Therefore, our hardwood comes from local distributors! Almost all of the major American brands are controlled by distributors who then sell to retailers and they resource wood from many parts unknown by the average customer. When you purchase flooring from our Madison flooring company, you know your getting the best value around!

Unfinished vs. Pre-Finished Hardwood

Why should you use pre-finished hardwood? The short answer is no muss, no fuss. The finish is applied at the factory and all you do is nail it down and you're done. Generally speaking, due to mass production, pre-finished hardwood costs less overall. Unfinished hardwood first needs to be nailed and then sanded, which creates a lot of fine dust that is a challenge to clean. Once the sanding is done, stain and a final finish is applied. This process generally costs more than pre-finished flooring because of the labor. It also adds time to the houshold disruption while each layer dries. Also, if anyone in your household has repiratory issues, using pre-finished flooring is the safest choice for their health.

Pre-Finished Hardwood Flooring

With pre-finished Madison hardwood flooring , the urethane finish is applied under factory controlled conditions using nultiple thin coats. The urethane is instantly cured, first with UV lighting and then a ceramic based material, usually aluminum oxide, is mixed into thhe urethane which in turn makes the water-based urethane much more rugged and abrasion resistant. The result is a floor that will hold it's original beauty longer than a job-sanded-on-site application.

Most quality pre-finished hardwood has a microbevel on all four sides, which ensures that you don't vatch splinters if you run your feet across the floor. If your sub-floor is not perfectly level and the wood is square edged, there's a chance you would catch a tiny edge and splinter the floor. Many low-end hardwood floors, especially some of those found in big box stores, are beveled only on the sides and not the end joints.

Wearmax Finish

Our supplier uses a patented formula and much higher level ceramic in it's finish and produces one of the very best, if not the absolute very best finish available today. The "Wearmax" finish is actually tested to the industry standard (Taber Test) and it has almost double the wear than it's competitors with normal aluminum oxide! Wearmax also brings out the natural beauty of the wood and grain. Wearmax offers a 50 year wear warranty and also offers a superior commercial finish.

At Floors for Less, we specialize in "hard-to-find at resonable prices" hardwood flooring. Since we buy factory direct in large quantities, we can bring you fine quality wood in the popular 4 inch width and we can often do so for the price of the 3 1/4 inch wood. Our flooring store in Madison, Wisconsin has all your flooring needs covered. We also buy special manufacturing lots of first quality wood, so be sure to ask about our specials!

For all your flooring needs, contact the BEST flooring company in Madison, WI!

1017 Applegate Rd., Suite 200

Madison, WI 53713

Phone: 608-442-1200

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Wednesday, January 14, 2015

The Four Basic Elements of a Quality Laminate Floor

Many people assume all laminates are equal, but they're far from it actually. As the customer, you are in control when it comes to color and design, but what about the quality of the Madison flooring? Quality can range from acceptable to completely unacceptable. Knowing more about laminates will assure your long-term satisfaction with your choices. Here are the four basic elements of a quality laminate floor.

1. Density

A laminate floor fails not because the surface wears out, but because the mechanical locking systems in some flooring permit micro movement. This slight opening of the seams allows fine grit and dirt to get in-between the seams. When that happens, the boards never close quite as tightly again and a build-up of fine dirt and grime begins. Eventually you start seeing a gap around each board that is outlined with this fine dirt. If any moisture gets in, that fine grit and dirt turns dark, and the gap is emphasized.

To prevent this gap, get a laminate floor made with a high-density core that is thick enough to allow the click system to have enough locking integrity. With a patented, recognized click system, the laminate floor stays together with no micro movement. Your floor will stay looking new throughout the life of the floor. When you are out looking at laminates, click the samples together, and if it wiggles...run!

2. Texture

Remember when refrigerators were made with smooth enamel finishes? Everyone was constantly nagging about handprints or footprints, depending on how they closed the door. Then textured enamel was invented and the problem was solved. Melamine, the hard-wearing finish on laminate floor, is similar to that textured enamel. Texture on the surface hides those marks.

3. Thickness

The reason laminates have such a wide range of prices is that bargain laminate is typically made of low or medium density core, is thinner and has no texture. Even some higher-end laminates are made with medium density cores. Ask about the core density when choosing your flooring in Madison Wisconsin. Texture can easily be seen and felt, and we suggest a minimum of 8 mm (about 3/8 inch) for thickness. You will be able to see and feel these basics.

4. Treated Bevels

A forth element to a quality laminate is how the beveled edges are handled during manufacturing. The most sophisticated plank laminates are often beveled for aesthetics and most importantly these floors always look flat to the eye. Beveled plank laminates truly look more like the real thing. Melamine, the material that creates that wonderful rugged surface on all laminates, cannot bend to the bevel.

This inability is not a problem because you cannot walk on the bevels, but in order for the floor to be maintenance-free , those bevels need to be treated with LVT (vinyl). On lesser quality laminates, those bevels are merely painted and they will not be maintenance free. Run your fingers down the bevel; if it is smooth, it is treated with LVT and it's a good quality floor. If it is raspy and rough, it is painted and the dirt and grime will stick. Dropped food and liquid is inevitable in a kitchen, so a quality beveled laminate will release the inevitable dirt.

At Floors for Less, all our laminates, even our basic one, has all elements of quality flooring. If you want to ensure a good choice, come see us and we'll take the time for you to see and feel the difference. Our Madison flooring company emphasizes service, knowledge and the ability to help you find the perfect flooring for your home!

For all your flooring needs, contact the BEST flooring company in Madison, WI!

1017 Applegate Rd., Suite 200

Madison, WI 53713

Phone: 608-442-1200

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Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Welcome to Our Blog!

Why FloorsforLess.com?

It's simple! Our Madison flooring company is focused on a select group of reliable products. We emphasize service, knowledge and the ability to help you get started, whether you are going to install the flooring yourself or have someone do it for you. We have significant experience in the flooring industry.

At Floors for Less, we buy our products directly from the factory, so our prices provide a real savings without resorting to a sale on inflated prices. However, low prices don’t matter unless the flooring is good. Low-end flooring quickly looks dirty and old, and in the long run most people regret choosing it. It just doesn’t perform well.

For All Your Flooring Needs

Hardwoods
Laminates
Engineered
Green Products
Carpet

Good flooring at a great price adds to the beauty and value of your home. Choose the BEST flooring company in Madison Wisconsin for all your flooring needs. Give us a call today at 608-442-1200. Be sure to follow our blog for information on the flooring industry, flooring tips and more!

For all your flooring needs, contact the BEST flooring company in Madison, WI!

1017 Applegate Rd., Suite 200

Madison, WI 53713

Phone: 608-442-1200

LIKE Us on Facebook