Vinyl Flooring Archives | My Affordable Floors

The 5 Most Durable Flooring Options for High-Traffic Areas in Your Home

October 24, 2018 by My Affordable Floors

There’s something special and exciting about customizing your home to the exact way you want it. But before you start fawning over every flooring sample you can find, you need to make a list of must-haves.

For low-traffic areas of your home, aesthetics can be the deciding factor. When it comes to high-traffic areas like hallways and living rooms, though, you also need to look for the most durable flooring options. That is, unless you want to go through the whole process again in a few years.

In the long run, choosing one of the more durable types of flooring for your home can end up saving you considerable time and money.

Various decorative tiles samples

Most Durable Flooring Options for High-Traffic Areas

Whether your floors will face kids, pets, high heels, work boots, or a little of everything, your best bet is to go with one of these options:

Natural Stone Tile

Tile floors are known for their clean look and long-lasting quality. Keep in mind that some materials are harder than others, though, so your best bet is to look for natural stone tile floors like travertine.

Bamboo Hardwood

As beautiful as hardwood is, most types are best suited for low-traffic rooms. Bamboo, however, is a wonderful exception. The adhesives and coatings manufacturers use make bamboo a force to be reckoned with when it comes to scratches.

For the most durable bamboo hardwood flooring, look for options that are strand-woven. Stick to high-end, high-quality varieties as well.

Laminate Hardwood

If you love the look of hardwood floors, another durable option is laminate flooring. It’s more scratch-resistant than natural hardwood, so it will stand up against paws and claws. However, keep in mind that laminate is susceptible to moisture damage. So, it’s not often a good choice for bathrooms and other high-moisture areas.

High-Quality Vinyl

Before you dismiss it as an outdated choice, today’s vinyl flooring is nothing like your grandmother’s kitchen floors from the 1970s.

Modern vinyl comes in higher-quality options. It’s also available in a nearly endless array of styles. For instance, some of the most popular choices are made to mimic hardwood flooring and tile floors.

Berber Carpet

It should come as no surprise that carpet isn’t as durable as its harder counterparts. Still, we recognize that some homeowners love the comfort and warmth they get from a carpeted floor.

If you have your heart set on carpeting but you want durability, go for Berber carpet. This style uses short loops for a clean and flat look. It’s easier to clean and holds up better against high traffic than high-pile carpets too.

Choosing Your Flooring With the Future in Mind

In an ideal world, you’d be able to choose your favorite flooring options based on looks alone. The reality of homeownership, however, is that unless you have an unlimited budget, you need to find options that will hold up against the wear and tear of daily life.

The good news is that today there are plenty of great-looking options available in durable and low-maintenance materials. With the ideas above, you can get started finding the most durable flooring for your home.

For more guidance in your flooring design, contact our home flooring experts, who can recommend the ideal options for each room of your house. We have a long history of creating gorgeous, durable floors in Wisconsin and Illinois.

What’s the Best Kind of Flooring for Homes with Dogs?

February 27, 2018 by My Affordable Floors

Are your old floors in dire need of a revamp? Well, don’t forget about your pets. When looking for affordable flooring, you’ll need a solution that suits every member of your family… including pets.

44% of U.S. households now have a dog, and while they’re adorable creatures, they sure can be a handful. In fact, dogs are notorious for making a mess, and your flooring is first in the firing line. So, choose your material wisely, or you could be faced with unsightly stains and discolorations, for years to come. But what is the best flooring for dogs?

Here are three of the best flooring solutions for a happy home—and one bonus option you should avoid at all costs.

jack russel puppy on white carpet

The Best Flooring for Dogs

The following three options are all excellent flooring choices. Read on to find out why.

Luxury Vinyl

Luxury vinyl may be the best flooring for dogs and dog owners in Milwaukee. There certainly are plenty of advantages for pet owners, including:

Low cost
Easy to clean
Highly resistant (won’t scratch or stain)
Inaudible to walk on

In fact, the only real downside to vinyl is that it may start to dull over time. To combat this, we suggest opting for a thick finish layer with an aluminum oxide coating.

Your dog will love it, too. As luxury vinyl can use radiant heating coils, your best friend will keep cool through the summer and stay toasty warm in the winter.

Luxury vinyl is also textured enough to prevent turning your home into a skating rink. In fact, it’s a perfect balance, allowing claws to grip without damaging the surface.

Laminate

For pet mess, laminate flooring gets an A+.

It’s low maintenance and easy to clean, so you needn’t worry about catching an accident before it stains, either. For those with dogs who seem to knock over everything, laminate is ideal.

The only problem is your little guy or gal might not think so. The slickness of the surface means your dog can slide a bit too much, as there’s no traction for their paws. So, if your pet’s a fast mover, don’t be surprised if he or she collides with your cabinets while bouncing through the house. They’ll be no scratches or scuffs to worry about, though!

Carpeting

Lay down carpeting and your dog will be your biggest fan (for at least 10 minutes). Carpeting is perfect for your canine to roll around on, slobber all over, and generally have a good time with. But be careful: Carpeting is the hardest flooring to clean, by a large margin.

So, if you’ve got a messy pup who’s not house-trained or an older dog who’s known to cause a scene, you’d be advised to give carpeting a miss.

Carpets can also start smelling over time and hair shedding is very apparent. Not good.

(Not) Hardwood

We had to include hardwood flooring here, but only as a warning. It’s definitely not the best flooring for dogs. Hardwood may look beautiful, but trust us, you’re barking up the wrong tree.

Wood flooring + loveable dog = disaster

Your pet’s nails will dent wooden surfaces, and a nail trim just won’t do enough to stop the damage. Stains are a nightmare, too. Substances tend to disappear straight into the grain, which could require costly refinishing jobs. Avoid hardwood and save yourself an inevitable headache.

Best Flooring for Dogs in Your Milwaukee Home?

In our humble opinion, luxury vinyl takes the cake. It’s affordable, resistant to scratches, and cleans easily. That said, you can’t go wrong with a laminate surface, either!

Are you looking for a dazzling new floor? Then get in touch today for a free estimate!

5 Tips on How to Clean & Maintain Vinyl Tile Flooring

February 20, 2018 by My Affordable Floors

Vinyl tile flooring can be an economic and beautiful option for your home. To keep it looking its best, however, you need to understand how to clean vinyl tile.

Read on for our top tips for keeping your flooring as beautiful as the day you had it installed!

white vinyl tile floor

1. Clean Your Vinyl Tile Flooring Often

The best way to maintain vinyl tile flooring? Clean it often. Don’t wait for sticky messes to build up before you tackle them. Some tips:

Milwaukee flooring experts recommend sweeping your floor each evening. This will remove any dirt or grime that has accumulated during that day—which, in turn, will make cleaning the floor easier.
Use a dry dust mop, or even a vacuum, to clean your vinyl tiles regularly. Wipe up any spills or muddy footprints as soon as possible.

By preventing dirt from becoming ground into the flooring, you can help maintain its beauty and extend its lifespan.

2. Use the Right Products

Regular sweeping of your vinyl tile flooring will also enable you to use gentle cleaners. Most of the time, a mop dampened with warm (not hot!) water is all you need to restore your floor’s sheen. In fact, using soap can actually make your vinyl tile dirtier over time! Soap leaves behind a film that can attract and trap dirt particles. Our tips:

If you do require a cleaning product, make sure you use one that is safe for your flooring and is as gentle as possible (while still getting the job done). An all-purpose household cleaner, diluted in water, should work just fine.
It’s also a good idea to employ a two-mop system: one for soapy water and one to use for rinsing the floor. Be sure to dry the floor thoroughly after mopping, since excess water can loosen vinyl tiles’ glue over time. This will eventually cause the tiles to curl or crack.

3. Treat Scuff Marks

What to do when you see scuff marks on your tile flooring? First, try your usual method of mopping to see if that makes a difference. If a gentle cleaner doesn’t take care of the marks, try the baby oil method:

Apply just a few drops of baby oil to the scuff mark with a cloth.
Let it sit for a few minutes, and then wipe it off. The scuffs should be easy to remove.
Just be sure to clean the oil off thoroughly, so that no one slips and hurts themselves.

4. Take Care of Your Furniture

Heavy furniture and kitchen appliances can leave dents in vinyl tile flooring if you’re not careful. Prevent such dents by using floor protectors, sometimes known as protective feet, for your furniture and appliances. These can be found at a hardware store.

Remember: Never use chairs or carts with casters on a vinyl floor. The casters can cause damage to the flooring.

5. Wax On? No, Wax Off!

Most vinyl flooring these days is of the no-wax variety. And no really means no! Do not apply wax, and use only cleaners that are designed for no-wax floors.

Contact Us for a Vinyl Tile Flooring Estimate

This type of flooring is a popular one, and with good reason. It’s easy to care for, long-lasting, and aesthetically pleasing. If your old floor could use a makeover, why not consider luxury vinyl tile from My Affordable Floors?