You can now find ceramic tile that mimics the look of some of the most popular types of stone and wood flooring, including marble, slate, granite, classic parquet, exotic woods - even distressed, reclaimed and weathered planks.

Slow recovery or not, you’re ready to renovate — you just can’t live with your ugly, old energy-inefficient kitchen anymore. And stepping into your bathroom makes you feel like you walked through a time warp.

More Americans will continue to choose remodeling the homes they’re already in over moving into new construction in 2010, real estate experts predict. In fact, the National Association of Home Builders foresees “decent growth” for the renovation industry in the coming year, according to the association’s National Outlook report. And kitchens and baths continue to top the list of the rooms both current homeowners and potential buyers most want to update.

When renovating your home for the long run, it makes sense to choose materials that offer outstanding design flexibility, affordability, durability and eco-friendliness. Ceramic tile continues to be a favorite choice of savvy designers, builders and homeowners seeking those qualities for home renovations.

So what are the hot trends in ceramic tile for 2010? The Ceramic Tile Manufacturers Association of Spain, which represents Tile of Spain branded manufacturers, offers insight into what’s new and hot in this timeless building material:

Green is still great

Glossy tiles, with surfaces that feature both gloss and matte patterns, are enjoying new interest from designers and homeowners.

Homeowners continue to demand more eco-friendly, sustainable building practices and materials for both renovations and new construction. Ceramic tile meets the demand for green renovation materials, with eco-friendly qualities such as:

* Manufacturers have improved production methods to be more environmentally responsible.

* Ceramic tile aids in heat retention.

* It’s naturally resistant to bacteria.

* Tile does not require cleaning with harsh chemicals or solvents, so fewer toxic elements are flushed into the ecosystem.

* It doesn’t release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or other gases into your home’s atmosphere.

Slim is in

Tile is getting thinner. You can now buy ceramic tile in thicknesses of just 3, 4, 5 and 6 millimeters. Slimmer tile means it’s easier to handle, cut and lay, so installation is faster. And you can apply it directly over old tile, eliminating the hassle of removing old tile and reducing the construction waste sent to landfills. Plus, because the tile is lighter and slimmer, it works well for walls and other vertical applications.

Additionally, a slim tile means green building benefits such as maximum energy savings, and a decrease in the amount of raw materials used and carbon dioxide emitted during manufacturing. Lighter weight also means less environmental impact during shipping, and less adhesive mortar is required to lay the tile.

The best form of flattery

Advances in digital printing technology allow ceramic tile to imitate almost any finish. You can now find ceramic tile that mimics the look of some of the most popular types of stone and wood flooring, including marble, slate, granite, classic parquet, exotic woods – even distressed, reclaimed and weathered planks. When it comes to renovating a kitchen or bath, ceramic tile is a great way to get the look of stone or wood without the expense and inconveniences of special maintenance.

Imagine the look of wood in high-traffic, high-humidity areas without the risk of warping, scratching or staining. Wood and water don’t mix well, so until the advent of wood-look ceramic tile, renovating homeowners had to forego the warmth and beauty of wood in areas where the material might be exposed to water, including kitchens, baths and pool surrounds.

Bright on color, big on texture

Glossy tiles, with surfaces that feature both gloss and matte patterns, are enjoying new interest from designers and homeowners. Metallic patinas are also prized. As more Americans strive to shed recession blues, bright colors are on the rise. Pantone just announced that turquoise is the color of the year. Whether it’s the color of the day or the year, you can find it in tile. If you want a more soothing sensation from your tile, you can create calming effects with polychrome color combinations of cream, gray, white and camel. For more ideas on renovating with ceramic tile, visit www.spaintiles.info.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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As your daughter recounts her exciting day at school, your eyes widen in fear as her demonstrating arms wildly swing around and connect with the glass of juice – full of course – on the counter. Before you have a chance to react, both juice and glass splash down to the carpet below. The good news: The carpet prevented the glass from breaking. The bad news: You’re once again cleaning a bright stain out of the carpet.

Moms like you say they clean the carpet on 85 days of the year, according to research from Woolite(R) Carpet and Upholstery. The top stains are from juice, soda pop, chocolate and ketchup – all favorite food items or children’s activities, so no wonder you’re always cleaning up messes. The average mom can point to eight stains in the carpets in her house without batting an eye. And most of those stains she attempted to remove, without success.

The research also found that moms feel embarrassed about stains left in the carpet, reporting that carpet stains “make them feel like their home is dirty.”

But stains aren’t the only dirty marks in carpets in homes across the country. Dingy-looking carpet – from high-traffic, pets, active children or dirt and debris being tracked in from outside – can make the house look old, even when the carpet is relatively new.

Here are a couple of tips to help keep your carpet looking fresh so you won’t feel angst during your daughter’s storytelling enhanced with enthusiastic gestures, or hesitate in the future to invite your friends over:

* On rainy and snowy days, your shoes and boots track in plenty of dirt and sand from the outside. Establish a family rule that everyone remove their shoes at the door. Create a comfy nook for storing the shoes, complete with a bench for people to sit on, and also keep a selection of slippers near the door so visitors can keep their feet warm and comfortable.

* Stains are going to happen, and moms can use the power of Woolite(R) Oxy Deep(R) to remove spots and stains on carpets and rugs all the way through to the backing. Targeting the stain with this powerful cleaner means you won’t be spending hours on your hands and knees trying to scrub chocolate out of the family room carpet.

* In the warmer weather, make good use of the outdoors. Plan picnics out on the lawn or nice and cozy on the porch or patio. When the kids have friends over, make homemade frozen treats with fruit juice, and serve them outside in the fresh air. You’ll be glad you enjoyed the outdoors so much when winter hits again.

* For deep down dirt casting a dingy look over your carpet, try the Woolite Rug Stick(R) Kit, which contains Heavy Traffic(R) cleaner that injects foam deep down into the carpet, lifting and removing ground-in dirt.

* Vacuum frequently to help keep the carpet fibers from collecting dirt and matting down. While this doesn’t prevent stains, it does help with the build up of a high-traffic look in halls and doorways. If you have pets, this is a good way to keep the amount of pet hair collecting in the carpet to a minimum.

As a busy mom, you don’t have to spend your days following your children around and worrying about the carpet. Instead, tackle those stains with Woolite Oxy Deep, or remove deep down dirt with Woolite Rug Stick Kit with Heavy Traffic cleaner, so you can play with your children on the carpet and enjoy it.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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EDITOR’S NOTE:

Woolite(R) Carpet and Upholstery is a trademark of Reckitt Benckiser licensed to BISSELL Homecare, Inc.

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Wood Flooring

Home décor advice

By Michel Collin, Mercier Wood Flooring

Q: What’s the difference between laminate flooring and engineered wood?

A: Laminate flooring may often look like wood but it’s not. It’s made of melamine-infused paper glued to a wood chip composite. Engineered wood, much like solid hardwood, is real wood. It is a veneer of hardwood in the species of your choice glued on top of (in most cases) three to five thin sheets of crossbanded wood.

It’s ideal for kitchens and basements where 3/4” solid wood floors are not recommended because of high moisture level variations. Solid wood will expand or contract with heat and moisture, whereas engineered wood flooring, because it’s made of crossbanded layers of wood, offers more dimensional stability. Mercier’s engineered wood flooring offers optimum stability because it contains seven crossbanded layers of wood. Another advantage of engineered wood flooring versus laminate is that engineered wood can be sanded after scratches and dings develop. Engineered flooring is also a great choice for renovations because it can be installed directly onto most existing floors.

Installation is even easier now thanks to our latest product category innovation called “LOC”. It’s an engineered floor that does not require glue or mechanical fasteners to install. Instead it features a user-friendly locking system which is easy to install and ideal for multi-story developments, basements, and do-it-yourself project

Q: What are the advantages of prefinished wood floors over traditional installed wood floors?

A: First of all prefinished wood floors are stained and finished at the factory so you don’t have to deal with toxic fumes, sanding dust, labour and the long wait required for staining and applying coats of finish at home.

Another advantage is that the finish is applied under controlled conditions, which means that you don’t have to worry about dust or other contaminants affecting the finish. Manufacturers can also apply more coats of finish giving you added protection. In fact, the Mercier Generations finish features ten coats applied at the factory with extreme accuracy. It produces a smooth, uniform finish with unparalleled abrasion resistance and beauty. Lastly you save on the cost because it cuts down on the labor required to install. More information on wood flooring is available at www.mercierwoodflooring.com.

www.newscanada.com

Also, for more on wood flooring and engineered hardwood flooring visit A1-Wood-Flooring.com.

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Exotic Hardwoods

Whether you seek soft, elegant hues to contrast a dark room or striking grain patterns and rich colors for a bold look, exotic hardwood floors, cabinets, furniture and trim can help create eye-catching interiors for nearly any decor.

In recent years, though, some homeowners have shied away from hardwoods because of concerns with illegal logging and deforestation. Thanks to responsible forestry practices, sustainable forestry certification and manufacturer innovation, visually appealing hardwoods can now be part of an environmentally conscious home.

“By knowing what to look for, homeowners can have the natural warmth and timeless appeal of exotic hardwoods with the peace of mind that they come from responsible sources,” says Eric Anderson of Weyerhaeuser. “The wood species, how and where the trees are grown and harvested, and how the wood is processed are all important factors.”

One increasingly popular exotic hardwood is Lyptus – a eucalyptus hybrid grown on plantations in Brazil. Lyptus plantations include a mosaic of eucalyptus and native tropical forest on land previously used for agriculture and grazing. This practice helps replace forestlands previously lost in decades past.

Lyptus grows fast, reaching maturity within 14 to 16 years of planting. By comparison, temperate species can take decades to mature. Rapid growth helps to meet the increasing demand for wood products and still ensure a continuing supply of hardwood for future generations.

“A Lyptus plantation can produce up to 30 times more volume of wood per acre each year than an unmanaged temperate forest,” adds Anderson. “Plantations help foresters reduce the land footprint needed to create wood products.”

An additional benefit of active plantation management is that foresters manually prune the trees while they grow. As a result, the logs that come into the mill are more uniform and have fewer knots. A high percentage of the wood can be made into finished products, making efficient use of natural resources.

While choosing hardwoods with environmentally responsible features is appealing to many homeowners, the end choice often still comes down to how good they look in the home. “People regularly say they first notice Lyptus because of its warmth and beauty,” says Anderson. “When they learn it also has a good environmental story, it becomes a natural choice.”

The natural color of Lyptus can brighten interiors and create an open feeling in smaller rooms, while a dark stain can add a touch of sophistication. Homeowners can also easily mix-and-match hardwood finishes to create visual interest.

Regardless of which hardwood catches your eye, make sure it has all the performance characteristics to make your home warm and inviting for years to come. Durability is a key consideration. Hardwoods with high hardness ratings (greater than that of red oak – a standard common benchmark for hardness) are better suited to withstand the scratches and dents of everyday life for long-lasting beauty.

For more information on Lyptus hardwoods, visit www.lyptus.com or call (800) 320-9720. Many cabinet, flooring and furniture dealers across the country are also familiar with Lyptus and can show you a range of product options.

Courtesy ARAcontent

Also, visit http://exotic-wood-flooring.com for more on exotic wood flooring types.

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Looking for the perfect alternative for tile flooring? The clean, elegant look of cork comes with natural cushioning, for warmth and comfort.

While it’s relatively new to us, cork flooring has been used in Europe for centuries because of its resilience, durability and surprisingly versatile, attractive designs. Today, cork is taking North America by storm due to all of those attributes, plus its unsurpassed eco-friendliness and sustainability.

Cork is hand-harvested, and no trees are harmed in this ancient practice. Century-old cork trees, harvested every nine years, still thrive in the forests of Portugal and Spain.

Eco-engineering of modern cork floors allows them to be installed over existing flooring including tiles. And, once installed, cork doesn’t merely beautify the home, it mutes and muffles sound with its natural acoustic properties, provides exceptional cushioning and warmth with its natural insulation properties, and is hypo-allergenic to safeguard your family’s health.

One room that is frequently upgraded to stunning and resilient cork flooring is the kitchen. Cork is in fact comfortable and durable. Cork withstands the stress of a kitchen area. Because it’s 50% air, cork has more give than harder floors like ceramic tile, making it far more comfortable to spend time in the kitchen. A big win for chefs and diners alike.

Not that you will ever see proof in your kitchen, but cork is naturally flame retardant and flame resistant.

One of the world’s leaders in cork flooring is located in Canada. Torlys offers the widest selection of these beautiful, earth-friendly floors in its 100% recycled cork collection, and every floor is easily installed without chemicals, glues or nails.

Just as cork trees regenerate themselves, cork flooring reinvigorates any home. It’s the smart – and smart-looking – answer for people who value the global environment, and the one at home.

www.newscanada.com

Also, you can read more about cork flooring at A1 Wood Flooring.

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When it comes to buying a new hardwood floor, for example, it can be difficult to ask all the right questions at the time of purchase. We tend to select floors for their quality, style and their fit with a desired interior design. Rarely do we consider what may occur after installation.

In every home, simple accidents do happen, and some of them will be severe enough to cause unsightly floor damage. Even if the damage is localized, we believe that board replacement will be difficult and expensive and the floor will never look the same. For anyone with hardwood floors in their home, it’s a situation we’ve all dreaded.

At one time that was true, but not today.

Progress in floor joint technology has created new hard surface floors in hardwood, cork and laminate. The Uniclic joint in particular – found in floors made by Torlys Smart Floors – makes it easy to repair floors by replacing planks.

“Because the Uniclic joint process is reversible, we can explore possibilities for renewal that other companies can’t,” said Karen Deel, brand manager for Torlys Smart Floors.

“We’ve invented a tool called “the bulldog” that allows for unclicking a joint anywhere on the floor, removing the damaged plank and inserting a new plank in minutes, without hassle or mess.”

Not only does easy plank replacement assure peace of mind for homeowners, it means that environmentally-friendly renewal can be done instead of environmentally-costly floor replacement. More information is available online at torlys.com.

Tip: Think ahead when buying flooring.

Any new floor looks great when first installed. But what about three months later, when it gets gouged by a dropped toaster? Be sure to ask your retailer about the ease of plank replacement, and what assurance is offered that the floor will look great after any repairs.

www.newscanada.com

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Consider new and exciting eco-friendly flooring products for your next redecorating project. The wide variety of styles, colours and materials have tremendous potential for creativity around the home.

Across Europe and North America, interior designers are predicting that the number one trend for 2010 will be luxury for the home that is not only affordable, but sustainable. Welcome to the coming age of eco-luxury.

With increasing interest, savvy and responsible homeowners are enhancing their residences by going green with beautiful products and textiles made from recycled or harvested materials, a trend that is destined to help the world for future generations.

The movement once led by strictly green-conscious consumers is now widening to include the mainstream, and can be seen in the rise of eco resorts, eco clothing, eco couture, and even eco bedding. The trend is most apparent in the rise of new eco-friendly homes, growing in popularity to the extent that they now embrace entire eco-luxury communities. Where homeowners used to desire high square footage as a symbol of status, they now turn to the virtues of sustainability and resource efficiency instead.

Eco-luxury is for people who want to walk the talk. The environment is important to them, their children and grandchildren are important to them, and leaving a small carbon footprint is important to them. They’re insisting on high-quality, high-end materials that are produced, used and installed strictly in socially responsible ways.

When these trendsetters put their feet down and demand the best in eco-luxury, their feet are landing on bamboo, wood, cork and now leather floors made of recycled leather, often by a global leader in eco-friendly flooring such as Torlys of Canada (torlys.com). Known particularly for its exquisite designs, this is a company that provides a dazzling array of styles, colours and finishes while offering warmth and noise reduction. Better yet, these floors come from renewable sources, recycled or harvested using sustainable practices.

Homeowners should also look for floors that protect indoor air quality – avoiding those that are installed with chemicals and glues – for optimal health and safety around the home.

When you’re ready to walk the talk, try walking on bamboo, wood, cork or recycled leather floors. Eco-luxury isn’t a trend; it’s a movement that’s here to stay – for all of the right reasons.

www.newscanada.com

For more on wood flooring and other eco-friendly flooring materials, visit A1 Wood Flooring.

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Looking for a “wow” factor when redesigning a room? Consider the eye-catching possibilities of leather flooring, bold and beautiful, and made from recycled leather.

When interior designer Glen Peloso recently selected flooring for his own home, he made the kind of forward-thinking choice he’s known for as a host of a popular syndicated television show. He chose leather flooring, classical in style and durable in design.

“The leather in today’s modern flooring is not only beautiful to look at but wears extremely well,” says Peloso. “Having the warmth of leather with the durability of wood is a simple choice for most consumers and it is an eco product which pushes it over the top for me! Love it!”

“Love it!” is a sentiment echoed by a growing number of designers and homeowners with taste, vision and a commitment to eco-luxury products.

Leather flooring products have come a long way. In the past, leather floors were prohibitively expensive for the home, but eco-engineering now makes it possible to use recycled leather to create beautiful floors that are not only pleasing to the eye and rich to the touch, but practical and durable. These ecologically friendly and sustainable floors carry on the tradition of leather, wearing well with surprising warmth and comfort.

One of the global leaders in this elegant yet enduring flooring is Torlys of Canada (torlys.com), which offers a 25-year wear warranty on its classically textured, much sought-after leather floors. Available in versatile, welcoming earth tones, Torlys leather is made of recycled leather and was inspired by Italian design. The floors are precision-engineered to live up to the highest demands for durability around the home and are particularly easy to clean.

Whether for hospitality, commercial or residential spaces, Peloso, the knowledgeable and personable principal of Glen Peloso Interiors in Toronto, sees leather flooring as a great example of a product that affirms his motto “where design adapts to your life!”

You’ll find that bold, striking leather flooring does indeed adapt easily to life in today’s modern home. Whether it’s for the needs of a celebrity designer or yours, leather is gaining the attention of discerning homeowners across Canada.

www.newscanada.com

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While many homeowners like the warmth and comfort of carpeted floors, they are often hit with the harsh reality that carpet comes with a host of problems. Besides being very difficult to clean, carpeted floors can also be a health concern. Bacteria, dust, dirt and odors can easily become imbedded in carpeting and beyond the reach of vacuuming. What’s more, homeowners with carpet could also run into problems when trying to sell their home; many new homebuyers prefer the more modern look of hardwood flooring or other comparable options.

Replacing carpet with another type of flooring doesn’t have to be an investment – or time-consuming. There are hundreds of flooring options – materials, colors, textures – for all homeowners, project parameters and budgets.

“Recent technological advancements have greatly increased the number of attractive and affordable options for flooring,” says Tom Sullivan, founder of Lumber Liquidators, the nation’s largest specialty retailer of hardwood flooring.

Among the most popular alternatives to carpet floors are hardwood, laminate, resilient, engineered wood, bamboo and cork floorings. Each has its own distinct advantages.

Hardwood flooring – Solid hardwood has become the gold standard for flooring in homes. Besides adding elegance and beauty to a home, properly cared for hardwood floors have been known to resist the microscopic allergens that carpet can trap, including pet dander, pollen, mites and mold.

Companies such as Lumber Liquidators offer hardwood floors in multiple finishes: prefinished domestic floors, prefinished exotic floors, prefinished stained floors, unfinished floors and handscraped. Solid hardwood floors are also a more eco-friendly option than carpet. Carpet typically lasts eight to 10 years, according to BankRate.com, and then gets tossed or recycled. But hardwood floors can last nearly a lifetime.

Laminate flooring – An inexpensive and versatile substitute for carpet, laminate flooring is made by attaching a photograph to a high-density fiberboard using heat and pressure. Recent advancements in high-definition imaging have created laminate floors that are unbelievably realistic looking.

In addition to being very budget-friendly, the construction of laminate flooring makes it well suited for higher-moisture areas. It’s relatively dent- and scratch-resistant, and is easy to install. The lifespan of well-maintained laminate flooring varies, but it is possible to find 12-millimeter laminates that feature a 30-year warranty.

Resilient flooring – Made from vinyl, resilient flooring is water-resistant and perfect for damp environments such as bathrooms, kitchens and basements. As with laminate, resilient flooring can also be manufactured to look like a variety of wood species, ranging from African Mahogany to Elgin Oak.

Perhaps the greatest advantage of resilient flooring is its price: It can be found for as little as 89 cents per square foot. Resilient flooring is available with a 25-year guarantee.

Engineered flooring – A misconception is that engineered hardwood flooring is not “real.” It is in fact real hardwood that is constructed for specific applications such as a basement. Virtually indistinguishable from solid hardwood, engineered flooring is constructed by adhering a solid hardwood layer to multiple cross-grain plies. This construction makes it more moisture-resistant than solid hardwood, enables a variety of installation options, and makes it a perfect choice for radiant heat and below-grade installations.

Brands such as Bellawood Engineered flooring offer a lifetime structural warranty and a 50-year warranty on the finish. Unlike laminate or resilient, engineered flooring can be sanded and refinished to even further extend its lifespan.

Bamboo and cork – Bamboo and cork are two newer additions to the flooring family. Both great alternatives to carpet, bamboo and cork are also ecologically sound choices. Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants on Earth. It is actually a grass with an extensive root system that creates new bamboo shoots and requires no replanting. Cork flooring, which is durable, acoustical and insulating, comes from harvesting the outer bark of the cork oak tree – found mostly in the Mediterranean region. It is considered a green product because the same tree can be harvested numerous times.

“With so many flooring options, selecting the one that’s best for you really comes down to personal preferences and budget,” Sullivan says. “But regardless of which type of flooring you choose, you’ll be impressed by how the hardwood flooring look improves your home.”

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Related Sites:

A1 Wood Flooring

A1 Bamboo Flooring

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