One of our great suppliers, Mohawk is stepping up their green carpet and flooring efforts in a big way. Enoy this article off the presses.
If you’re like many homeowners, you may never have thought about the “green” options available right below your feet.
Being a socially responsible homeowner can start from the ground up. Installing flooring alternatives such as carpet made from recycled plastic bottles, reclaimed hardwood or laminate made with pre-consumer waste can help save the environment one step at a time.
All across the country, buildings and structures are being dismantled. Generally, the waste is dumped into landfills. One flooring company is trying to reverse that trend by salvaging old materials for use in its reclaimed hardwood flooring and laminate boards.
“Landfills around the globe are being filled up at alarming rates,” said Jenny Cross, Mohawk Industries senior sustainability manager. “Our laminate boards are produced with 74 percent pre-consumer recycled content, allowing us to keep 680 million pounds of material out of landfills. We also use wood from ancient buildings, some as old as 600 years, for our reclaimed hardwood flooring. This elegant wood really adds unique character to any home.”
In addition, the company keeps waste out of landfills by recycling nearly 3 billion plastic bottles each year for its EverStrand carpets. The recycled bottles are sorted, ground into fine chips, cleaned, melted and extruded into fiber, then spun into beautiful, soft carpet yarn. Every part of the plastic bottles, including the cap and the label, is recycled for use in various products.
Mohawk is also leading innovation in renewably sourced flooring. “We’re taking carpet fiber literally from the field to the floor with our SmartStrand with DuPont Sorona renewably sourced polymer carpet,” said Cross. “This carpet allows homeowners to go green while still experiencing superior stain resistance and being able to choose from a vast selection of stylish colors and patterns.”
The flooring manufacturer is an environmental steward in many ways. For instance, it operates a million-square-foot plant boiler on renewable energy from bio-based fuel. In addition, its use of animal fat as a renewable energy source greatly reduces global warming emissions. The company also either uses or sells all sawdust and excess wood waste to be used as fuel. And several of its sites are investigating the use of synthetic fuels that would replace coal.
In a recent interview with McClatchy Publications, we get great insight as to how to best protect your carpet from old asbestos. Q. I am replacing the carpet in our basement. The old carpet is laid over asbestos tiles. Is there anything I can put over the tiles to seal in the asbestos and provide a moisture barrier? A. If the floor has a moisture problem, it should be resolved before new carpet is installed. Remove the old carpet and tape several pieces of aluminum foil about a foot square to various areas of the tiles. It is best to do this test during or after a hard rain. Pull up the foil after a week or so and check the bottom — if there is moisture, the floor has seepage.(more…)
Eco Friendly Carpets
There is a tremendous effort being made these days to preserve what is left of our natural resources and to protect our environment from further unnecessary damage. Many people are turning to alternative products for many of their needs, everything from the food we eat to the fuel we put in our vehicles. Even the material we use to a put a roof over our head can be chosen to help in the eco effort. What isn’t so well known is that what is under feet can also be eco friendly, and it doesn’t have to be an all natural dirt floor either.
When considering eco friendly carpet, there are a few things you should know before you decide.
Mainly about the construction of the carpet, make sure that the carpet fibers, the adhesive, the backing, and the padding are all created from materials found in nature, and are a renewable resource. Pure wool is a good choice for the carpet fibers, as long as (more…)
Carpet tiles have come a long way since their introduction to the market. Some things haven’t changed however, and one of those is the convenience that they offer. Carpet tiles are the easiest type and style of carpet to install, plus tile offer the ability to create a unique covering for the floor of any room because you can mix and match patterns, textures, and colors. Even laying the same type of tiles in different directions creates an eye-catching effect.
A few of the negative aspects of carpet tile that discouraged their use over the years have changed a great deal though. For example, carpet tiles use to have a very short life span, needing to be replaced every five or six years. Now however, with advances in carpet manufacturing techniques, carpet tiles have been known to last as many as 14 years. (more…)
Choosing the best carpeting to use in your place of business isn’t just about décor and cost.
It will be necessary for you to choose a carpet that will stand up to high traffic and major use. You also need to consider proper installation procedures and requirements.
With so much significance being placed on cost effectiveness for the small business owner, getting the best performance from your carpet purchase is crucial. A few simple but essential guidelines to employ before and after choosing (more…)
Carpet Style Considerations
In many situations, the style of carpet you choose is even more important than the fiber you decide on. How the carpet looks and feels matters more to most of us than what the carpet is made of.
At Raleigh Carpet Masters, in North Carolina, we want you to be comfortable with the appearance and texture of your new carpet, in addition to being satisfied with the quality of the fibers. Call us today for a complimentary consultation and measurement @ 888.919.6465.
In a previous article, we discussed the pros and cons of hiring a professional or an amateur to install new carpet in your home. While Raleigh Carpet Masters recommends having a professional do the job, there are circumstances where that option is not feasible.
In such situations, it would be helpful to have an easy guide to assist you during the carpet installation process.
Below you find the steps that you need to follow to assure that your carpet installation project has the best possible outcome.
Preparation
• Vacuum the old carpet to reduce clean up after it’s removed.
• After you’ve removed the old carpet, air out the room and sweep or vacuum the subfloor thoroughly.
• Take everything out of the room, including plants, window coverings, wall decorations, etc. (more…)
Brought to you by Raleigh Carpet Masters, 800.919.5859 (complimentary measurements)
The first time you ever walk into a carpet store you might be amazed at the abundant assorted kinds of carpet you have to choose from. We’re not talking different brands, just carpet fibers. Each carpet manufacturer creates variations of fiber categories as well. We’ll go into the various carpet brands in another article, at another time. (It is a long list).
In Raleigh, NC, carpet suppliers are diligent about making sure that you are properly informed about each option available to you for your carpet fiber considerations.
Cellulose – Consists only of plant fibers. A very good choice if you are seeking an eco friendly carpet fiber. This option is resilient, allergenic, and stain resistant. However, cleaning can be stressful (more…)
Professional Installer Vs. Amateur Installer, Does It Matter?
That depends on how much your new carpet matters to you. It is possible, and perfectly acceptable for you to either install your new carpet yourself, or hire someone who knows how to do it, but doesn’t have a lot of experience. However, installing new carpet is not just a matter of unrolling the new carpet in the room, and stapling it to the floor. There are insider secrets that carpet installers are given when they earn their license. Ok, not really, but there are things they know about their (more…)
