The big questions this blog will cover are the massive different choices of flooring that is available to you and how to make the right choices. The what, why, when, who and how to knowledge from a 35+ year expert who went from owning a flooring store to now bringing flooring samples directly to your home via a mobile showroom to dramatically offer the lowest cost, highest quality and experience to help you.

This process also makes it much, much easier to matchup your décor, get expert advice instead of going to a store and getting a cabinet salesman or kid who is completely clueless on the subject of flooring and to boot you save gas! We’re family owned and operated by Greg, Judy and Brandon our son who is trained and is ranked one of the highest CFI (certified floor installers) and lives by the highest standards we’ve lived by and putting it into practice with every job and taking great pride into every installation.

Ok, first up is what kind of different flooring choices are available? The links below will lead you to our website covering the different types of flooring and related information. You can also ask questions or comment on articles on this blog if you are unsure about something related to the type of flooring you are interested in and receive prompt answers.

1: Carpet 2: Ceramic Tile 3: Laminate 4: Hardwood 5: Vinyl

Brandon and I just returned from Somerset Hardwood Manufacturing Mill trip last Friday April 27, 2012. Somerset Hardwood has been a really great vendor of wood flooring for us at Home Based Carpet and Flooring, located in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Their mill is located in Somerset, Kentucky and the hardwood they manufacture there comes from forests within a 150 mile radius of Somerset.  They own some of their own trees and also purchase trees from independent sources. The  logs undergo a rigorous examination to determine the age, specie and quality of the wood. I met a man at the saw mill who inspects and qualifies each and every log that comes into the saw mill that is to be used in the manufacturing process.

Upon our arrival in Somerset we were invited to a private cruise on the Somerset houseboat which is docked at Lees Ford Marina at Cumberland Lake. There were seven or so Somerset Mill reps who were a part of the boat trip out of a beautiful Cumberland lake. Dinner was served while we cruised the waters that include some 4 counties in Southern Kentucky.  The cruise lasted about 4 hours and we met other Somerset dealers from Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.

Friday morning we toured the saw mill and the went to the finish mill. This is where they plane the wood into the lengths and widths of the particular product they are making that day. We were able to see Character Grade made that day. The styles made are Color Collections,  Specialty Collection,  Home Style, High Gloss Color Collection, Value Collection, and American Country Collection. It was really interesting the number of inspections that Somerset makes during the manufacturing process. And prior to finishing they go to great lengths to dry out the  lumber before it ever goes to the finish plant.  They have large kilns can hold up to 200,00 board feet of material.  Material is dried for up to 90 days to get the moisture level down to about 6 %. When logs are brought in initally they are 60-70 % moisture weight; so it is very important to get the moisture out of the wood prior to finish work. The picture to the left is the saw mill in Somerset.

After the wood has dried they begin milling the wood  to the spec that will create a finished product.  It could be  3/4″ solid or 1/2″ engineered.  All Somerset Hardwood flooring is now proudly made in the USA.  The boards continue down the line for sanding, staining and urethane.  There are 5-7 coating applied . The aluminum oxide is also added during this step. During this process UV treating is applied for non fading and colorfastness.

The boards then proceed down the line where inspectors look for any defects and pull those boards from the line. Its interesting how Somerset used any and all scrap to recycle into mulch and landscape material and also use their own material scraps to fuel the kilns. The planks are finally packed into Somerset cardboard boxes for shipping to the next distributor.  Each box contains instructions printed on the back of every box for installation instructions.

This was a mill trip that we just totally enjoyed. The folks at Somerset Hardwood Flooring treated us just great. The learning process was excellent and certainly will help us for years to come in advising our customers about wood flooring. Our total thanks go out to the staff at Somerset Hardwood Flooring Company in Somerset, Kentucky.

Home Based Carpet & Flooring sells and installs carpet, laminate flooring, luxury vinyl tile, ceramic tile and hardwood flooring. Professional certified installation.

http://www.cincinnatifloorings.com

Over the past 2-3 years we have seen many new wood flooring products come into the mid

Somerset Value Collection

west market and especially here in Cincinnati, Ohio. Wider width hardwoods are gaining popularity and growing fast along with the standard 3/4″ solid nail down wood floors. I have found after searching our hardwood flooring sales over the last 24 months that consumers want wood floors that are real. Looking real isn’t enough. Let’s go get the tree cut it down, plane it and install it in one big swipe. I’m kidding of course, but you know its whatever floats your boat. What works for the consumer who lives on the a gold course might be totally different than the same type home (construction) in the inner city. One thing is perfectly clear?’
Consumers want what looks best for them and reflects their personality and lifestyle. Whether its a 5″ hand scraped walnut going in a rustic home over 75 years old in Batavia to tearing out pine hardwood and installing Somerset Character Hickory saddle its all about consumers wanting wood floors that look real and authentic.

Handscraped hardwoods are wood floors that show a very distressed look. Manufactures go to great lengths to reconstruct wood floors that look like flooring that has been re-claimed. The beauty marks in the wood represent a look from the past. The old siding you see in barns is a good example of flooring that’s popular today. We recently installed a engineered floating 5″ handscraped walnut in a home where the floors were very uneven. We shimmed them up and recreated a rustic look in a home that was back in a meadow and was surrounded by 5-7 acres. It was just beautiful and the consumer was very happy with the choice of flooring.

Traditional 3/4″ solid wood flooring is still very popular in the Greater Cincinnati area. From Mullican’s Nature Collection red oak natural in 3 1/4″ to Bruce Dundee 2 1/4 ” gun stock the look of solid nail down is a very wide appealing wood floor. We just finished a installation in a home in Amelia (12 yrs. old) where we installed 12 new oak stair treads (replaced pine)and matched the downstairs family room that was pre-finished in butterscotch. Then on the hall way upstairs we installed a new Somerset Value Collection 2 1/4″ nail down in a color to match the treads. We topped it off with new Bliss by Beaulieu carpet in three bedrooms in a neutral beige.

Exotics are somewhat on the rise but not like <strike>hand scraped</strike> and solid products. Exotics come from all over the world and you need to know about some of the characters of these type styles. Change in original color over time, etc. Bamboo is another product we are seeing but we hear about it more than we actually see it sold and installed.

Hardwood flooring doesn’t have to be a pallet of the old standby browns either. Widely available finish colors include an amazing array of whites, browns, blacks, greys, and reds. You can even purchase unfinished flooring and stain it with a big array of colors. We just recently installed wall to wall carpeting in a basement family room and upstairs was a beautiful black stained 3/4 oak strip floor. It was simply stunning. Especially with the stainless steel appliances. Buying a unfinished wood floor has its advantages. No seams,sand and stain it anyway you want it!
Color choices permit floors to better serve interior styling. Why should colors be just limited to the paint on the walls. Colorful flooring allows for rooms that authentically express the desires, style and the personality of the homeowner.

Color, style and value. That sums up to a beautiful new hardwood floor that you can create in your home and even on a concrete floor or wood sub floor. There is even unfinished engineered wood floors that can be used in basements when traditional wood floors (3/4″) can’t be used. Getting the biggest value and quality in hardwood flooring is what it’s all about.

Are you thinking about buying new flooring or carpeting ?

There are  several great places to check out the workmanship and get references on potential flooring and carpet companies. Besides your local Better Business Bureau and Angie’s List there is a website called  ……..http://www.complaints.com/

1. complaints.com – publicize and read consumer complaints

2. helps consumers make better-informed purchase decisions.

3. helps consumers help themselves get better customer service from product manufacturers and service providers.

4. helps businesses provide better service to consumers, and helps businesses improve products and services.

Gain leverage to help solve your complaints. Complaints.com pages are ranked high with search engines and directories. Complaints.com is the the first search result for the term “complaints” in Google, for example. Complaints posted to Complaints.com are picked up quickly by the search engines and have highly-ranked search result listings. Often, a single complaint posted to Complaints.com about a business appears higher in the search result rankings than the home page of the business that is the subject of that complaint. Posting complaints to Complaints.com helps get the word out on your complaint and helps businesses take notice of your complaint!

This website features a bar to search for companies that you might be interested in purchasing and installing your new flooring. Simply go to that bar, type in the name of the store and click search. You will find whatever issues that consumers have dealt with in obtaining new flooring from that particular outlet. Many complaints will pop up like….measured to much for what I needed.  the installers were terrible, they shipped the wrong material to I never want that company back in my house.  There is another bar where you can enter just a keyword like carpet or flooring and then click enter. A variety of issues will pop up.

After reviewing this website I believe you will agree that it is very time worthy reading and can provide valuable information in helping you make a wise decision.   Use this interesting website for lots of potential purchases and services.

Customers Testimonals….

Patt Zurlinden
CINCINNATI, OH

Categories:
Carpet Sales/Installation/Repair
Hardwood Flooring Sales/Installation/Refinishing
Work Completed Date:
May 01, 2011
Would You Use Again ?
Yes
Approximate Cost:
$6,900.00
Work Done:
Home-based Carpet has done a carpet and hardwood installation.
We have used Home-based Carpet before, always an excellent experience. They are prompt, professional, and listen to what the customer wants.

Tina Nix
WEST CHESTER, OH

Carpet Sales/Installation/Repair
Flooring Sales/Installation
October 01, 2011
Would You Use Again ?
Yes
Approximate Cost:
$11,466.00
Work Done:
2500 square feet home, entire house re-carpeted. Kitchen and bath floors replaced in 2 story home with 2 1/2 baths.
Spoke on phone to learn about us and our needs. Came to home with samples appropriate to our needs. Therefore, not overwhelmed with too many choices. Came second time when I questioned my first choice. Installation very professional. Friendly workers and quailty work. Very satisfied, there was a small flaw in bathroom floor tile. It was replaced without any problem. I love the floors.

Jennifer Britton
CINCINNATI, OH

Flooring Sales/Installation/Repair
August 31, 2011
Would You Use Again ?
Yes
Approximate Cost:
$950.00

Work Done:
They installed a new vinyl floor in the kitchen and bathroom
They put the floor over an original floor that was over 60 years old and they did such a great job you cannot even see any of the imperfections of the older floor. The crew was very friendly. They came in and completed the task as they said they would.

Minda Matthews-Smith
MONTGOMERY, OH

Carpet Sales/Installation/Repair
Work Completed Date:
February 11, 2011
Would You Use Again ?
Yes
Approximate Cost:
$1,100.00
Work Done:
re carpeted front hall, steps, and 2nd floor hallway
This company is excellent, we used them about 20 years ago to carpet our whole home. Because of the high quality carpet that they provide we only needed to replace the high traffic areas of the halls and stairs. Home-Based came out with samples of carpet that would complement the existing carpet. They were also great in suggesting we wait to replace the carpet until we had some remodeling done so that we didn’t have to worry about protecting new carpet with workmen and painters in the house. Home-Based also informed us that we didn’t need to replace the carpet in our family room, it still had several years of life left. They were amazing ordering our carpet at the discounted price quoted then holding it for us until we were done with renovations so we could keep the price that was quoted. They are a great company to work with that truly has the customer in mind when working.

Helen Vastine
CINCINNATI, OH

Carpet Sales/Installation/Repair
Services Performed:
Yes

Work Completed Date:
October 30, 2011
Would You Use Again ?
Yes
Approximate Cost:
$3,335.00
Work Done:
Home Based Carpet has removed carpet from dining room floor and replaced it with Starloc flooring and also replaced the kitchen floor with the same flooring.

Everything went fine. They were on time, did a very good job in getting the work done on time

There are many factors that go into making  a carpet installation and making a great carpet installation job. Next time you are out driving on the highway check out the vans that you pass or are passing you that are loaded down with carpet hanging out the back door. The week before Christmas I witnessed while driving on Crescentville Road in Cincinnati, Ohio one such van where the roll of carpet (hope it wasn’t coming to your home) actually was  about 75 % out the backdoor and dragging on the pavement. Talk about some rough edges to try and get a clean  seam edge !  Not to mention the soil and road rash to the carpet.

As you can probably imagine there are many factors that go into a properly installed carpet job. Lets start with the crew who is installing your job. Are they trained and do they have the necessary tools to get the job done correctly ? Seaming iron, kicker, wall trimmer, power-stretcher, stair tool, knives and of course seam tape. I want to focus today on the seam tape, which  is the material that holds your carpet seams together properly.  A roll of seam tape can start out at $3.95 per roll and can go up to as much as $13.95 per roll.  The big three carpet manufactures…Shaw, Mohawk & Beaulieu want you to have your carpet professionally steam cleaned every 18-24 months. They also require the carpet to be cleaned by a member of the Carpet & Rug Cleaning Institute (this association has set certain standards in cleaning) and they also want you to keep your receipts.  This assures the maker of your carpet that you have maintained to their standards in taking care of your carpet. If a warranty issue would arise then you would have your bases covered and a complaint could be initated on your behalf. The choice of the seam tape is pretty well left up to the crew that comes to your home with the carpet. Needless to say there are many  installers who will stop by the local big box store and pick up a roll of $ 4 seam tape and throw into the back of the truck along side the roll of carpet that is already hanging out of his truck.  God forbid if its raining . Water, rolls of unprotected carpet and seam tape just don’t mix. So ….what’s the point.

If the carpet manufacture goes to great length to make a good piece of carpet and wants you to abide by the warranty guidelines then why would you want a installer to come to your home with cheap seam tape and expect the seams to stand up to hot water extraction cleaning methods for years to come. There is a difference in the quality of $ 4 tape and $ 13  roll of seaming tape. Now, don’t get me wrong, there is a happy medium here.  Not every job requires  the best. For example a apartment grade carpet that will probably be replaced every  3-4 years can hold up very well with a cheaper seam tape. We are installing a beautiful Shaw Soft Bac Anso Nylon carpet this week that is a 58.5 ounce face weight and believe me we are not using a $ 4 roll of seam tape. This gorgeous carpet will last the home owner 15-20 years and I want the seams to withstand the traffic movement and steam cleaning over those years to come.  So a seam tape like Chapco Top Gun 50 will do a great job. The Top Gun 50 also well do a great job on Hollytex and Coronet  Carpet with Luxury Back.

So lets talk about the difference in the seam tapes. I want to use for a example Chapco Industries. They are a maker of fine quality adhesives and tools for today’s installation mechanic and are a industry leader. CHAPCO^® has the right solutions for all for your flooring installation needs! From  fast-setting surface preparation products to  high-performing adhesives, Chapco provide installers the confidence of quality installations every time. Chapco’s advanced quality and low-emitting formulations ensure a better work environment for customers and lasting reliability for end users.

For more than 70 years, CHAPCO has delivered exceptional, dependable performance with every application, and today, they’re still the leader in eco-friendly adhesives and surface prep solutions.

Chapco manufactures over 8 quality seam tapes.  Below are some of the attributes of their product lineup………………

Performance 100           light traffic…..1 lb 14 oz…..Smokeless & Ordorless….apartment grade

Performance 200          moderate traffic..2 lb 2 oz…..Smokeless & Ordorless…..builder grade

Maximum Security 911….heavy traffic..2 lb 12 oz….Reinforced DuPont Kevlar…heavy traffic seams

Performance Max 300.moderate to semi heavy traffic..2lb..8 oz…Smokeless & Ordorless

Top Gun 50…..                 heavy traffic…2 lb 14 oz…Silicone release..Full 4 ” wide….large family seams

So, what is to gain from all this ? To  help you make the right decision when you choose the store that will supply your flooring and the installation. Your local specialty store is  your best choice because they can control who installs your carpet and the materials that the  installer uses to seam the carpet together. Using a store that has CFI (Certified Flooringcovering Installers) is always the best choice.  This group of highly trained and certified mechanics already knows the difference in what makes a properly installed job right. These installers

Chapco Seamin Tape

have passed rigorous installation tests to qualify as trained professionals.

Don’t wait til the day of the job when the installer knocks on your door and has the roll of carpet on his shoulder and is ready to install your carpeting.  He has already stopped and purchased his supplies for your job and isn’t going to sit down and discuss the type of seam tape he is prepared  to use. Do that when you discuss your needs at the floor covering store.  Another advantage in buying from a specialty shop. All of these factors go into making your job turn out beautiful for years to come.  That $ 4 a roll seam tape just won’t stand up to repeated steam cleaning over the next 8-12 years. And believe me ….when  seams come apart and start raveling  there isn’t a lot that even a CFI installer can do to repair the broken seams.

I trust this article will help enlighten you on the behind the scenes look at the tools of the trade the carpet installer uses.  Make sure you discuss the seaming techniques that the flooring store will use on your particular carpet installation. If they are not familiar with seaming then find a retailer that can help educate you on the placement of the seams and school you on types of seam tape and stretching of the carpet and other valuable skills needed to make your flooring job last a long time.

We do a lot of new carpet installations for customers that are moving and just want to replace the carpet in the  house to put on the market for resale. I call it ” GETTING THE MOST AND BEST AMOUNT OF QUALITY OF CARPET FOR THE LEAST AMOUNT OF MONEY”. Sounds good doesn’t it ?

We have found that putting a solid color plush carpet in a  neutral color is the best pick for most any type consumer that would walk through  your home.  There are many types of carpet….friezes, berbers, saxony, textured, and patterned.  Save one of those styles for your next home and go for the carpet that will appeal to about 95 % of the people that walk through your home.  Many potential home buyers are investing their saving into the down payment and closing costs and  don’t want to start out re-doing the house with new carpet, because the seller installed a trendy type of carpet or the existing carpet was totally outdated and discolored and left on the floor for the new buyer to deal with. Just this year we installed around  1350 square feet of beige plush carpet in a home that the customer sold for around $ 155,000.  The new carpet was a polyester ( they clean great) and was installed with 1/2″ 6 pound carpet padding for around $ 2.22 sf.  The better 6 lb. carpet cushion certainly made the lesser quality carpet feel much more dense than it was.  The polyester fiber is really stain resistant so when potential buyers and realtor’s come through the home any dirt they track in will clean up really good.  And polyester fiber is less expensive that most other fibers that on on the market.  It has a very good hand to it.

I recently made contact with a supplier in Georgia that sends me a bag of new cutting every week of discontinued  styles made by Beaulieu of America.  We just installed a 70 ounce 100 % nylon over 1/2 8 lb. padding in Blue Ash, Ohio for $ 3.42 sf.  What a terrific value !  If you can be a little flexible on the shade of beige we can really get you a great value in drops and closeouts.

Just remember the potential home buyer has really put a lot of their available income into the purchase price. They want to move in and not incur major expenses. A new carpet and padding in the main areas of the home can go a long way in making the sale come quicker. Neutrals and plush carpet go with just about any furniture and decor.

Well, I’m off to Loveland to look at a living  and family room to replace for  a lady who is fixing up to sell and downsize.  Have a question ?  E-mail at gkeairns@yahoo.com.

Because carpet is a “touch/feely” product, and you are not looking at a product that is easy to return if you aren’t happy with what you receive, I feel that it is not in the your best interest to attempt to purchase carpet online from a jobber or broker. First of all, the sample you receive in the mail from a vendor selling online may not at all match the roll of carpet you receive from that vendor. You have no recourse when this happens, as you have already sent your money, and the supplier has no representative to send to your home to help you with your problem. Secondly, if there is a defect that does not show up until after installation,example- sidematch problems, flaws then again, you have no way of getting satisfaction from the seller when it comes to paying for the installation a second time. Finally, the best reason not to buy carpet online is that selection is so limited compared to your local floorcovering store. There is no way an online source can put one of several hundred samples in your hands for you to closely examine and feel. You want to see it where you use it.

I am sure the sample you may get online from one of the online suppliers will not have branded fiber names, and it will not contain any information as to who really makes the carpet. It also will not have any specifications on the back of the sample. Also, I am aware that many of these “samples” are thicker than the new carpet that is delivered to your home. The old bait and switch trick.Of course, you are stuck, because how to you take the carpet back to Dalton.
My best advice is to shop at your local flooring store.

We just recently installed a 3″ wide engineered hardwood floor over slate in the Montgomery area of Cincinnati, Ohio. This type of hardwood flooring is designed to go over cement floors on or below grade. The advantage of engineered hardwood is that the product is more stable than conventional 3/4 ” solid wood flooring. You can also float the floor or directly glue to the subfloor. The home was a tri-level and we removed the carpet in the lower level and installed the Bruce floating hardwood over Quit Walk cushion. The cushion adds warmth and helps disguise flaws and imperfections in the subfloor. There were also 7 steps that the customer wanted to refinish to match the new wood on the lower level as well as the new wood we installed over top of the slate on the main level. Engineered wood is another plus because you can float it over ceramic tile or slate.
After the new wood installation which was Bruce Turlington we installed Bliss by Beaulieu wall to wall carpet in the living room and dining room. The carpet was a beautiful plush in a mat finish that features Scotchguard and texture retention warranty. The entire job took four days with wood installation and staining the steps to match along with installing the new wall to wall carpet.
Needless to say the customer was very pleased and told me the match on the steps was just perfec

Somerset 2 1/4 " Color Collection Engineered

We just recently completed a beautiful hardwood and carpet install near the Oasis Country Club in Loveland, Ohio. I have some great before and after picture of the recent 1000 sf hardwood job we just completed. The home is occupied by couple and their two daughters.They just recently moved into the home from the Los Angles, California area. They have 2 lab dogs and were just a pleasure to work for. First we tore out 750 sf of 5″ wide yellow pine 3/4 ” thick hardwood. We prepared the subfloor and installed Somerset Hardwood style Character Grade color.. Hickory Saddle 3 1/4″ wide 3/4″ thick nail down wood over AquaBar moisture resistant paper. We extended the wood into the family room that was previously Berber carpet. To get a perfect fit we scribed the new wood underneath the stone fireplace and installed six new flush mount floor vents and stained to match the hickory saddle color. New cloverleaf toe strip was added to complement the new wood. The job took five working days including tear out and new board installation. The old pine flooring was even recycled thanks to Building Values which is a branch of the Easter Seals in Cincinnati, Ohio. They reclaim cabinets, other building materials and resale to profit the Easter Seals here in Cincinnati. Building Values is a great place to find super values in home construction materials.
The complete job also consisted of 250 sq.yards of Bliss by Beaulieu frieze carpet. The new carpet replaced the existing carpet in 4 bedrooms, hall, steps, living room and dining room. The carpet features Beaulieu’s 20 YEAR LIMITED DURABILITY WARRANTY,
3M LIFETIME SCOTCHGUARD STAIN WARRANTY, 20 YEAR LIMITED TEXTURE RETENTION, 20 YEAR LIMITED FADE, and 20 YEAR LIMITED MANUFACTURING DEFECTS. The carpet installation took 3 full days and the old carpet and padding was recycled to create new carpet and padding.
We had a total of 6 workers in the customers home for 8 full days over a 2 week time period. It was truly a pleasure working for this family and building a relationship with them for years to come