Monthly Archives: November 2017

5 Tile Pattern Ideas to Consider for Your Renovation

5 Tile Pattern Ideas to Consider for Your Renovation

Thinking about flooring renovation? If your heart is set on tile or stone, there are a few things you’ll have to consider. Obviously, you’ll need to choose a size, type, and color of tile best for the room you’re renovating. And, you’ll have to select a tile pattern in which your flooring will be placed. To help, we’ve come up with a list of tile pattern ideas to consider before you go out shopping for your flooring!

Choosing Between Various Tile Pattern Ideas

How you lay your tiles is completely up to you. But, there are a few pros and cons to each style of tile layout. So, it’s important to weigh these pros and cons before you select and buy tiling. This way, you’ll be confident with your selection, even once it’s already installed!

Straight Pattern

This is obviously one of the most commonly chosen tile patterns throughout the world. It’s a classic choice which goes well with any size, material, and color of tile. It’s done by placing tiling next to one another, matching corner with corner to create straight, even lines.

Pros: Can look great in any room of the home for virtually any tile need. And, it’s the easiest of all tile patterns to install.

Cons: Not the best selection for smaller, more narrow rooms as it can trick the mind into thinking the room is smaller than it really is.

Otherwise referred to as the running bond layout, this is the pattern most commonly seen used with red brick. To start, a single row of tile is laid like the straight pattern. Then, the second row is placed by arranging the first tile at the center of the tile directly underneath it. While it can be done to square tiles, this pattern is mostly used with rectangular tiles. It’s mostly seen with subway tiles or glass kitchen backsplashes.

Pros: Can be used in a number of settings like shower walls, kitchen backsplashes, flooring, hallway tiling, and much more. It’s relatively easy to install, so you may not need professional help if you’d like to attempt it. And, even you do make a mistake, the pattern is not symmetrical, so the natural eye usually doesn’t even spot it.

Cons: It’s not the most dramatic pattern. So, if you’re looking for a pattern to wow your home guests, this may not be the style to choose.

Diagonal Pattern

This is practically the same pattern as the straight layout, but tiles are tilted at 45 degrees so that they sit diagonally. The style calls for square tiles. And, when placed, these square tiles are no longer square, but diamond shaped. So, it’s also commonly referred to as a diamond pattern.
Pros: This pattern, rather than make a small space look smaller (like the straight pattern), causes the mind to think that space is larger than it actually is. And, it’s relatively easy to lay yourself.

Cons: This is obviously not the style for you if you want to go with rectangular tiling like subway tiles. And, it’s not the most strategic pattern out there. So, if you’re looking for something you don’t see every day, you’ll want to choose another style.

Herringbone Pattern

This European pattern was named after the bones of a herring, which is a fish. It involves placing rectangular tiles into a “V” shape and repeating this pattern. It’s completed by placing one tile at a 45 degree and placing the next perpendicular to one of the ends of the first tile and repeating the process.

Pros: When used in a narrow space, this pattern can also be used to make it look much larger. So, it’s a great choice for hallways and bathrooms. This is because the eye draws to the “V”, rather than recognize the sizing of the area.

Cons: It’s relatively difficult to place this pattern of tile. So, it may be more costly to hire a professional. Additionally, when used in large rooms or spaces, it can be too busy if you’re looking for a more subdued setting.

Versailles Pattern

This pattern is one you may think is set at random. But, it’s actually set with 4 sizes of tiles, placed in a repeated pattern. The sizes of tile are both rectangular and square. When set, this style provides a naturally-organized style you can’t find with any other placement style.

Pros: Great option for large areas in almost any room of the home. Provides a unique look that no other pattern can offer.

Cons: Because of the complexity of this pattern and the high risk for making mistakes, it’s best to choose to have a professional lay tile in this style. Also, because it’s pretty busy, it’s best used for flooring only.

Dust-Free Floor Removal before Deciding on Tile Pattern Ideas

Now that you have some tile pattern ideas for your own home, you’ll have to think about the demolition of the flooring you have currently. Of course, you could go about it yourself. Or, you could have the professionals come in with innovative dust-free technology and get your floor prepared for install within hours! To find out more about our dust-free floor removal services, visit our website or give us a call at 866-883-8783.

 

Deciding Between Options for Pet Resistant Flooring

Deciding Between Options for Pet Resistant Flooring

Having pets is proven to reduce anxiety and stress levels, helping us to live healthier, happier lives. But, if you’re a pet owner, you know that owning a pet isn’t always so stress-free. Dogs and cats can do a number to a home, especially one which isn’t prepared to house pets. If you’re reading this article, you’ve likely experienced the damage pets can manage to floors. So, whether you’re remodeling or looking for a better solution this time around with a brand new home, you may be wondering about pet resistant flooring. Fortunately, there are a few options to choose from. Essentially, it’s up to you to weigh the pros and cons of each type so that you can select the best option for you, your family, and your pets.

Carpet as a Pet Resistant Flooring Option

You may think that carpet is the best solution for your pets since it provides a cushion. And, you’re right about comfort. If you have older pets who need a cushioned surface, carpeting is your best bet. But, as many pet owners will tell you, the carpet may not be the best choice for all pet owners. That’s because it can be challenging to clean, holds moisture (urine included), claws may get snagged, and traction can lead to damaged areas. But, there are some pet resistant carpeting options, designed specifically for pets.

Hardwood Flooring as a Pet Resistant Flooring Option

Who doesn’t love a beautiful, classic wood floor? While it may look beautiful upon installation, it may not after several years of owning a pet. Wood is not water resistant. And, leaks and spills come with owning a pet. If you’re determined to have wood floors, it’s best not to keep your pets who are not potty trained in areas of the home with wood floors. Also, wood flooring can be softer than other flooring options like tile. So, they’re more prone to scratches, especially for a home with pets. If you are going to choose wood flooring, to best prevent scratches, choose a wood which is harder like oak, maple, or hickory.

Laminate Flooring as a Pet Resistant Flooring Option

If you like the look of wood floors but don’t want to have to worry about the high price or scratches from pets, you may want to consider laminate. It’s a less expensive, easy-to-maintain option. And, it’s relatively impossible to damage. The biggest concern pet owners may have when it comes to laminate flooring may be its high gloss finish. Typically, laminate doesn’t offer any texture to offer traction. So, pets may slide when running on laminate flooring. This is obviously not a great option for older pets who may have joint issues.

Stone Flooring as a Pet Resistant Flooring Option

Stone flooring, much like hardwood, is a beautiful but costly flooring solution. And, it’s easy to maintain and clean. But, there are some considerations when it comes to pets. Marble and other softer stones may be more at risk for scratching. So, you may want to choose a harder stone for your tiling. These types of flooring can also be quite slippery. This means it might not be best for pets who like to run, run, run!

Bamboo Flooring as a Pet Resistant Flooring Option

If you’re looking for the flooring solution which offers the most pros when it comes to pet solutions, bamboo is your way to go. It looks beautiful, much like hardwood. It lasts a long time. And, it’s virtually indestructible. It won’t soak up liquid and it’s easy to clean. If you have a home with high traffic and need floors which are undamageable, you should definitely consider the pros of a bamboo flooring solution.

Getting Flooring Removed Professionally

Whichever flooring solution you choose, you’ll likely need to remove old, damaged flooring first. There are a number of concerns when removing flooring yourself. So, let the professionals at Dustbusters Floor Removal help! To hear more about our dust-free floor demolition and waste removal services, please give us a call today at 866-883-8783.

 

Removing Old Carpet: Five Reasons You Should

Removing Old Carpet: Five Reasons You Should

Deciding on any home renovation project is going to cost time and money. So, you want to make sure that you really need or want to even do the renovation. When it comes to old carpeting, you may be wondering when it’s the best time to replace. So, we’ve come up with five different reasons for removing old carpet. This way, you can determine whether or not it’s really worth the renovation you have in mind for your home.

Stains, Dirt, and Life

After a while, there is no telling all that your carpet is holding. Life happens, we get it. Spills, tracking in mud, and just life, in general, all take a toll on carpeting. But, after years, all of this life is going to start to show. And, while there are hundreds of carpet cleaners, rentable steamers, and even professional carpet cleaning services, sometimes, nothing is enough to make carpets look fresh again. So, if your carpets have gotten to the point where they are unmanageable as far as cleaning, it may be time to remove it and decide on an alternate solution for flooring.

Old Age and Wear and Tear

It’s obvious that with time, your carpets are bound to see a lot. This includes some wear and tear. While you can prevent certain accidents and even maintain carpets well with frequent cleanings, after 10 years, even with great maintenance, it will most likely be time to remove old carpeting.

Removing Old Carpets because of Smell

Again, there are cleaning solutions and professional cleaning services which may be able to take care of stains and smells, but these options don’t always work. Especially for stronger smells like pet urine and tobacco smoke. It’s often that individuals will purchase a home and find carpeting gives off a smell. If this is your scenario, chances are high that the previous owners attempted at removing old carpet smells before you purchased the property. So, removing old carpeting may be your only option at this time to get rid of the smell.

Experiencing Heightened Allergic Reactions

>Carpeting is porous and can hold many allergens which may affect the health of your family. These may include mold, dirt, pet hair and dander, pollen, and dust. And, no matter how you may clean your carpet, it may still be affecting those with severe allergies. If your family is affected by allergies, you may wish to remove old carpeting so that your loved ones experience allergic reactions less frequently.

Removing Old Carpet to Keep with Style of Your Home

For most, removing old carpet is a decision made based on aesthetic wants for a home. Carpeting just simply isn’t in style as much as it was, say 20 years ago. While it provides some benefits, it’s easy to see that tile, vinyl, and wood flooring are being used more in newer homes and home renovations nowadays. And, while other options are more popular currently, they are even easier to take care of. Rather than soaking up liquid like carpeting, tile, vinyl, and wood floors keep liquid puddled until you can clean it up. And, rather than needing vacuuming and routine steam cleaning, tile, vinyl, and wood floors only need sweeping and mopping.

Removing Old Carpeting for You

Now that you know the reasons for removing old carpet, you may want to go ahead with the flooring renovation process. At Dustbusters Floor Removal, we pride ourselves on removing all types of flooring, including carpeting. And, we do it all with our dust-free system. If you need professional help removing and discarding your carpeting, we can be in and out of your house in as little as a few hours! To get an estimate for your renovation, please give us a call today at 866-883-8783.