Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Thank you all for taking the time to read and comment on my blog. I hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday season.

Chance

CARPET TALK 1

So being a giant flooring geek I thought it would be fun to send out a questionnaire to a couple of Rep friends and ask a few questions about carpet and get some outside opinion to offer you. This is the result of one on them.

I have known Treg since he became the territory manager for Tuftex, He and I have very similar backgrounds. He is from a floor covering family as well and knows carpet.

Flooring Savvy: In you opinion what is the best fiber used in carpet?
Treg: BCF Nylon.
(BCF = bulk continuous filament)
FS: What are the trends you are seeing in style and color?

Treg: Carpet trends are going to textures and LCL's(Loop Cut Loop).

FS: Why do you feel the tends are leaning towards textures and LCL's? And by the term texture to you mean friezes or more the shorter textured plush?

Treg: Total Tuftex LCL business went from 15% to over 40 % in 2009. Textures...both friezes and textured plush. Cables are non-existent and frieze business is way down.

FS: What do you foresee carpet prices doing in the future?

Treg: I think they are going up a little. Expect price increases beginning of 2010.

FS: Do the manufactures expect the increases to come from the petroleum or other chemicals used in the manufacturing process?

Treg: When oil goes up so do carpet prices.

FS: What is the newest technology your company using to prevent staining and soiling?

Treg: We are using a new type of yarn called TRB at Tuftex. It is a soft nylon yarn. As far as soiling and staining. R2X, Anso, and Stainmaster fiber, all day long baby!

FS: When will see TRB in samples soon? What does it stand for? Is it an ANSO yarn?

Treg: You will see TRB yarn soon. Twin Roller Box. It's inexpensive non-branded BCF nylon.

FS:What is the warranty differences between wear and texture retention?

Treg:Interesting question. For exact warranties, log on to shawfloors.com for exact warranties.

Thanks Treg I really appreciate you giving me some of your time.

If any of you readers have carpet/Tuftex questions please feel free to leave a comment and I will get an answer from Treg.

Mannington Laminate Flooring

Here are what I think are some really fun newer colors from Mannington Mills. Laminate flooring colors and patterns get better every year. Patterns like these are so fantastic, it's hard to believe they are laminate.

Laminate is a very durable flooring. It will not wear, fade or stain and is a great weekend "do it yourself" project

Asian Plum Collection

                                                                              

                                                      

 Time Crafted

These are just a few colors in a much larger palate. Make sure you follow the Mannington link so you can see the full color line and read about all Mannington has to offer.

Photography by Kam

It's about that time of year again when my family starts to think about having our portraits done. Last fall we had a good friend take our portrait and can I just say WOW! I have a very attractive family but she even made me look good.



Let me tell you a little about Kam and the work she does. Kam in addition to being the best photographer in Idaho and a brilliant artist she also is very philanthropic. She has a program called Little Heroes where she at no charge takes portraits of terminally ill children so their families have something physical to remember them by. Please check out her web site so that you can see the wonderful work she does http://www.photographybykam.com/. If you can watch her slide show without shedding tears I will be surprised.

Product Review: Next Big Thing

Next Big Thing

Tuftex is a mill based out of California that does a really good job creating carpet trends. NEXt BIG THING is a new 73oz Stainmaster introduction. It is a longer frieze with very small deniered (looks like spaghetti) yarn. Most would call it a shag but its not really that long. The 12 colors are predominantly earthy with two tones and a black yarn.

This type of carpet is very durable, However you will need to understand how the carpet will perform. The yarns will lay down and to get them to stand back up again you will need to vacuum. Don't panic this isn't a bad thing. When you walk on the sides of yarn it will becomes very hard for that yarn to come untwisted and bloom. When this happens it is very unsightly.

Also the tone on tone colors and black yarn will hide allot of day to day wear, stains and soil.

Another great option for this carpet would be to build area rugs. It is already equipped with a soft back to protect your wood.

Please come in and take a look!

Goodman Real Estate

One of the things I enjoy about blogging is the opportunity to show off my friends.



My friends Greg and Laree are the best realtor's in Idaho. I went to school with Laree and have known her a longer time than I care to admit. When my family was selling our commercial building in Nampa we choose to use 3 different commercial realtor's that had great reputations. So our expectations were very high..........picture us two years later at our wits end and having shown the building only twice. Bigger isn't always better.


Enter Laree and Greg. At the time they didn't have gobs of commercial experience having done mostly residential. No lie, it took them 2 weeks to sell our beautiful building. Since that time they have handled both my brothers and my homes. They are my Realtors because they have a solid work ethic, passion for real estate and the drive to help their friends and family accomplish their goals. I will not purchase property they will not be involved in.


So please, the next time you are looking to buy or sell call Greg and Laree at Goodman Real Estate. You will not be disappointed.

Product Review: Shangri-la

OOH LA LA it's Shangri-la

Wa WOW!!! This is one of the most amazing carpets I have ever seen! Thick, soft, truly luxurious. This carpet uses about 125 ounces of Stainmaster's softest yarn Luxerell and is available in 25 colors

Masland has been making carpet for a long time (since 1866) and really are the cutting edge of style and color. Shangri-la is a wonderful option for any home, suggested rooms would be perhaps a master bedroom or family room. This carpet may not be ideal for higher traffic areas due to it's long pile height.
I personally would love to step out of bed into this amazing broadloom carpet. It would be like stepping into a cloud. oh lala!

Avimor birding blog

Avimor Birding Blog

My very good friend Robert has one of the highest ranked blogs in the world. Please check it out. Robert is one of the smartest men I know and has been a tremendous help to me with Flooring Savvy. Thanks Robert!

Long time no blog

YEA! ITS HERE!!

Great new carpet line from Tuftex

For the girls....................................

For the boys.............................

These are just a few pictures, all of these carpet have other styles

attached to the with very vibrant color lines. I am really impressed with this new offering from Tuftex.

Funny how hectic a down economy can be. It has been a very, successful summer. I am thankful every day for the great company that I work for. No matter what the economic times R.C. Willey remains dedicated to their customer and employees.

The truth about "off -gassing"

Recently I had a customer who had never purchase carpet before call in and ask for a chemical make up of the carpet because they had heard how detrimental to their health having new carpet can be



Folks, carpet is a petroleum product and they use chemicals to make it. If you have a aversion to certain smells you might want to leave the house for a couple of days with the windows cracked. Or just change the way you think about it. I never hear anyone complain about "that new car smell" Think of it as that "New House Smell" . The same thing is occurring in your new car, the fabrics and cushioning are off gassing



According the the CRI (Carpet and Rug Institute)most "off-gassing" happens within the first 24 hour period



Following is one article for the EPA's web site



Can carpet make people sick?




Like many other household products and furnishings, new carpet can be a source of chemical emissions. Carpet emits volatile organic compounds, as do products that accompany carpet installation such as adhesives and padding. Some people report symptoms such as eye, nose and throat irritation; headaches; skin irritations; shortness of breath or cough; and fatigue, which they may associate with new carpet installation. Carpet can also act as a "sink" for chemical and biological pollutants including pesticides, dust mites, and fungi.
Individuals purchasing new carpet should ask retailers for information to help them select lower emitting carpet, cushion, and adhesives. Before new carpet is installed, they should ask the retailer to unroll and air out the carpet in a clean, well-ventilated area. They should consider leaving the premises during and immediately after carpet installation or schedule the installation when the space is unoccupied. Opening doors and windows and increasing the amount of fresh air indoors will reduce exposure to most chemicals released from newly installed carpet. During and after installation in a home, use of window fans and room air conditioners to exhaust fumes to the outdoors is recommended. Ventilation systems should be in proper working order, and should be operated during installation, and for 48 to 72 hours after the new carpet is installed.
Individuals should request that the installer follow the Carpet and Rug Institutes's installation guidelines68. If new carpet has an objectionable odor, they should contact their carpet retailer. Finally, carpet owners should follow the manufacturer's instructions for proper carpet maintenance.





This next link leads to a pdf from the CRI about the Myths and Truths of Carpet.







Unfortunately carpet is made up of numerous chemicals, some of them can effect people with allergies, and other sinus problems. Follow the CRI's guide to carpet and you will have a pleasant experience

FIN

FIN

The Idaho House is now complete.

It was a fun job to be a part of.

From the designer to the trades, I think all really put forth great effort. It is truly a job that all involved can and should be proud of

Special thanks to the State of Idaho for the opportunity to serve them, and to R.C. Willey for all the support and freedom they give sales staff.

Idaho House update

I thought I'd start with the last part of the project to be finished. This is the area I'm most excited about. Colby and I have some very interesting tiling in store for the master bath, I can't wait to see the finished project.

Working for R.C. Willey has given me the opportunity to show what fun things can be done in floor coverings.

Here are pictures of the upstairs wet bar and bathroom vanity. On this vanity we had to search for a light shade of green and gold that would match existing cultured marble and the new paint colors.

The great room before and after.

This is the travertine floor in the second master bath

To save cost we found product that would compliment the existing tile that was in great shape. I have always disliked the idea of getting rid of something because of its age. I really think you can incorporate old and new.

All the carpet in the house was purchased from

Tuftex and the tile and stone from Emser and Dal-tile.




Coming soon........................ powder bath, conference room, library, prep kitchen, staged furniture and that last master bathroom