WILL MY HARDWOOD FLOOR SCRATCH?

Will my new hardwood floor scratch?  It is a common question we hear when people are looking to purchase wood floors and the answer is, unfortunately, yes. Hardwood floors are a natural material and may very well scratch when wear and tear is excessive.   You can do your best to try and prevent the scratching from happening by putting pads on furniture legs, insisting people remove their shoes, constantly sweeping up dirt and purchasing area rugs to cover the areas most affected by traffic. However, unless you happen to live alone without kids, pets and visitors scratches are inevitable.  Does this mean you should steer clear of hardwood?  Absolutely not!  Hardwood floors are beautiful and timeless.   Hardwood floors add natural character to a home as well as warmth and elegance and scratches don’t affect those qualities.  You can also use the newer hardwood styles and find many finishes that will camouflage any damage caused from wear and tear.  Distressed finishes such as wire brushing or hand scraping give a rustic appearance and help to disguise scrapes and scratches that occur over the lifetime of the floor.  Manufacturers are also adding stronger finishing glosses to their products allowing for a stronger and more resistant floor. 

So, if you are really concerned about the damage your floors will endure from your family, pets and friends but love the look; consider purchasing a hardwood with a distressed or hand scraped finish.  Any damage will be camouflaged.  Keep your dogs’ nails trimmed, sweep often, and wipe drips as you see them and use area rugs in the busiest areas and relax! Wood floors are always a stunning addition to any room.  

 
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to read this article and hoped you enjoyed it.  If you’d like more information on laminates, hardwoods, bamboo, carpet, tile, natural stone, vinyl, linoleum, or any other types of flooring, please contact ProSource of Columbia at 803-933-9088 or visit our website at www.prosourcefloors.com/columbia.

Add A Little Style to Your Tile

 

Before you start shopping for new tile flooring, take a look around.  Tile is always a beautiful choice for any room but adding a little accent can take your tile from nice and ordinary to extraordinary.  Adding a tile accent to your floor or wall is much like how the perfect accessory can make a simple. Floors can also use a little help accessorizing. 

Beautiful crystal glass tiles in diamond shapes and jewel tones will make your floors a piece of art.  ProSource of Columbia carries the stunning Napa Collection, a selection of beautiful crystal glass tiles in wonderful jewel tones sure to make a gorgeous impression in any home. As an accent to your bathroom or wet bar or as a stunning backsplash for your kitchen, these fantastic tiles come in many different sizes and rich colors.  They are inexpensive but add posh touch to any room.  

So stop by and visit ProSource to see the beautiful Napa glass collection and many  more fabulous flooring and cabinet products.  ProSource is like a candy store for the home improvement sweet tooth! Your personal, dedicated Account Manager would love to be your tour guide and show you all the cool flooring and cabinets selections!

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to read this article and hoped you enjoyed it.  If you’d like more information on laminates, hardwoods, bamboo, carpet, tile, natural stone, or any other types of flooring, please contact ProSource of Columbia at 803-933-9088 or visit our website at http://www.prosourcefloors.com/columbia.

WIRE BRUSHED HARDWOOD FLOORS

Are you a little overwhelmed by the many kinds of hardwood floors? Species, styles and finishes are abundant and offer the homeowner a plethora of fabulous choices.  One increasingly popular style of hardwood flooring is a Wire Brushed finish. 

Wire brushing is a finishing technique used on hardwood floors that enhances the look by bringing out the natural texture.  An actual wired brush removes the sapwood or soft wood fibers through continued brushing which opens the grain of the wood and creates texture.  The grain you normally see in a hardwood is now also felt when the wire brushing technique is employed.  Each hardwood plank is given definition and has a textured feel and look. 

Homeowners looking to create a rustic and unique atmosphere in their room will want to explore wire brushed hardwood flooring as it gives an old world feel to any room.  ProSource of Columbia carries a large selection of wire brushed finished hardwood floors and many other stunning hardwood floor finishes.  Let a ProSource Account Manager show you the incredible selection of beautiful hand crafted and distressed hardwood floors. 

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to read this article and hoped you enjoyed it.  If you’d like more information on laminates, hardwoods, bamboo, carpet, tile, natural stone, or any other types of flooring, please contact ProSource of Columbia at 803-933-9088 or visit our website at www.prosourcefloors.com/columbia.

NEW TRADITIONS

ProSource is carrying a new Tradition.  Traditions hardwood flooring  that is.  This beautiful hardwood floor comes in ½” x 5” planks in 9 styles in both Hickory and Maple.  The four hickory choices are all chattered or hand scraped and all incredibly beautiful.  The five maples include four that are distressed and one that has a French bleed in addition to the distressing.  A French bleed is a dark edge around the plank that creates a dramatic look.

The nine styles of the Traditions series have a plywood and HDF core which provides many advantages. With this HDF core there is less time needed for acclamation and the durability is increased, as is the overall life of the hardwood product.  The benefits of Traditions also include a 50 year warranty, the ability to be glued down or floated and it can be installed above grade or below grade.

Traditions is 100% exclusive to ProSource.  So stop in and take a look.  You won’t believe the outstanding quality, amazing beauty and the incredible wholesale price of this hardwood product.
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to read this article and hoped you enjoyed it.  If you’d like more information on laminates, hardwoods, bamboo, carpet, tile, natural stone, or any other types of flooring, please contact ProSource of Columbia at 803-933-9088 or visit our website at www.prosourcefloors.com/columbia.

HOW TO PICK YOUR GROUT!

Are you looking forward to new tile floors? Beautiful and elegant ceramic tile floors can really define a room or space in any home.  While your main concern will be choosing the perfect tile for your home, you don’t want to forget the grout. Choosing the right grout color means more than just matching colors.

There was a time when white was the most popular of grout colors. It gives a clean crisp look but there are so many more colors to play with when choosing grout and for so many good reasons. Colored grout can make a tile floor look seamless and create an elegant flow to a room. Colored grout can also camouflage dirt and grime in some heavy traffic areas and prevent mildew and mold in moisture prone areas.

Grout consists of a mixture of water, sand and cement.  It is applied as a paste or mud like liquid that will harden.  A variety of colored tints can be added to the mixture and as the grout dries the color will vary slightly from when it is wet. Tile edges tend to crack and chip so the function of grout is to protect the tile’s edges.

When you choose your grout color, look at the four corners of your tile. Use grout samples and place several different colors next to your tile to help you make the correct choice. Be sure to seal the grout that is in heavy foot traffic areas to maintain its color.  Grout can be stained again if there is a color loss due to fading from the sun or discoloration from strong household cleaners.

Choosing the right grout color can change the way your whole tile project looks.  Choose a dark color grout and light tile to create a dramatic effect.  Choose a color that compliments or matches the color of the tile and it will create a uniform look in some cases practically making the grout invisible. A contrasting color in grout can help neutralize a multi-colored mosaic tile.  Accent some of the colors in your tile by choosing grouts that match those colors. Have fun with your grout choice!

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to read this article and hoped you enjoyed it.  If you’d like more information on laminates, hardwoods, bamboo, carpet, tile, natural stone, or any other types of flooring, please contact ProSource of Columbia at 803-933-9088 or visit our website at www.prosourcefloors.com/columbia.

Choosing Carpet to Fit Your Needs!

Are you in the market for new carpet?  Here is a tip–start at home.  Before you head off to purchase your new carpet ask yourself a few questions.  Qualifying your needs before you leave your home will make the process quick and painless.

To start this process, think about your family and your family’s lifestyle. Your new carpet needs to adhere to your family and your family’s lifestyle and not vice versa.  Being realistic about your family’s needs will ensure you get the right carpet for your home.

Is the area you will be laying the carpet a heavy traffic area or hardly used? This is important as you will need to choose whether stain resistance, wear patterns and colors will make a difference. A busy family room might need a durable, stain treated carpet in a darker fleck-tone to stand up and hide the effects of heavy carpet. A room that is barely visited, like a formal dining room, may be more receptive to a velvety plush carpet or even something with an intricate design.

Do you have pets and/or children? There are carpets made specifically for pet owners and families as well as padding that will help prolong the life of the carpet from the damage that small children and beloved pets may provide.

Stain protection can also assist in extending the life and beauty of the carpet.  Most carpets come with wear warranties so be sure to ask about which one would best fit your family’s lifestyle and traffic patterns of your home.  Discuss what the warranty covers before you select the carpet as it may be a factor in your final decision. Some warranties are voided by excessive or specific type of chemical cleaning treatments so be aware.

Is the room dark or light? Some colored carpet can fade so if you desire a bold colored carpet be sure to ask about fading or if a warranty will cover any fading from sun damage.  You may want to choose the color of the carpet to enhance a small room or warm up a large room and the right color can really help.

Answering these questions will help you qualify the type of carpet you want to look at and help the sales person guide you to the carpet you want in no time at all. There may be a vast selection of carpet to choose from but there is a carpet perfect for you and your family.

ProSource of Columbia has an amazing selection of carpet in variety of styles, colors and textures as well as many other types of flooring. Your dedicated ProSource Account Manager can assist you in finding the perfect carpet for you and your family. Our knowledgeable staff is constantly updated with the latest in styles, warranties and more.
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to read this article and hoped you enjoyed it.  If you’d like more information on laminates, hardwoods, bamboo, carpet, tile, natural stone, or any other types of flooring, please contact ProSource of Columbia at 803-933-9088 or visit our website at www.prosourcefloors.com/columbia.

Go Team!

Got game room?  Football season is just about here so let’s start talking where you want to watch all the big games.  We are talking the ultimate man cave and homage to your favorite sports team.

Big screen plasma televisions, pool tables, poker tables, bar stools, mini kitchen and all your favorite sports memorabilia are all necessary ingredients to this space.  Years of team paraphernalia collected and stored with can now be showcased properly.  Manly oohs and aahs will be uttered in this space so we need to get down to business and there is no better place to start with than from the bottom up.

If you really want to go over the top with your game room let’s start with the floors. Have fun with your flooring choices.  Colors, styles, types, the sky is the limit.  Milliken Carpet even makes a line of carpet with your favorite NCAA or professional sports teams.  Imagine your game room with a University of South Carolina Gamecock logoed carpet or specially made area rug.

You could rev up an ordinary hardwood or ceramic floor by adding your team’s color or designs to the look.  Your professional flooring installer can assist you in creating a dramatic look that sets your room apart from the rest of your house.

Do you want to go all out?  A properly indulgent game room may mimic your favorite sports watching bar or venue. Celtic fans can have their parquet floors, baseball fans can use green carpet to evoke baseball fields (or Green Monsters) or brick-look tiles can conjure up the old Brickyard for a die-hard racing fan.  Hockey fan?   How about pure white tiles?  Have fun and dream big—shoot for the big leagues!

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to read this article and hoped you enjoyed it.  If you’d like more information on laminates, hardwoods, bamboo, carpet, tile, natural stone, or any other types of flooring, please contact ProSource of Columbia at 803-933-9088 or visit our website at www.prosourcefloors.com/columbia.

Google This!

This is what my 8 year old says every time he wants know the answer to something… “Just Google It”.  And he has a point, if you want to know about something these days you just jump on your laptop or smart phone and head to http://www.google.com.  Google will direct you to where you want to go whether you are looking for information on a location, flooring, a movie title or whatever is on your mind. What Google does is deliver more precise results. Sometimes the results that show up in your Google search are so on target you think Google is reading your mind. However, Google isn’t always specific to what you need or what your situation requires.

When you are looking for flooring, go straight to ProSource.  ProSource is a lot like Google—but better! Like Google, there are as many search engines as flooring stores out there but the professionals know that choosing ProSource gets you where you want to be—in front of 25,000 flooring samples and more all at wholesale prices.  That is where we are precise.  ProSource understands you need an extensive selection to make the best choice in flooring for your home, your client’s home or your business.

When you or your clients shop at ProSource you know that you both will get the best selection of quality flooring products. You will choose flooring and cabinets to fit your style, taste and budget and you won’t have to go all over town (or the web) to find what you want at the budget you’ve set.  Like Google, the ProSource team has years of experience and knowledge in the flooring business and can answer all your flooring questions-questions specific to your needs in a live person to person conversation.

What does ProSource do better than Google? ProSource lets you check flooring samples out of the Showroom—over 25,000 plus types of flooring samples.  Feel the softness of Tigressa carpet with your hands or the texture of distressed walnut hardwood or travertine tiles when you visit ProSource.

You need flooring? Well just “ProSource it!”

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to read this article and hoped you enjoyed it.  If you’d like more information on laminates, hardwoods, bamboo, carpet, tile, natural stone, or any other types of flooring, please contact ProSource of Columbia at 803-933-9088 or visit our website at www.prosourcefloors.com/Columbia.

Wood Anxiety Reduction

Do you love the look of hardwood floors but are afraid to commit due to the heavy foot traffic in your home? Fido, Fluffy and the kids shouldn’t scare you away from the hardwood floors you crave. All you need to consider are two things: choice and maintenance. Simple maintenance and choosing a harder hardwood will make your floors more resistant to damage.

HARD CHOICES

In truth all hardwoods will scratch and dent.  Hardwood floors are a natural product and have that tendency. If you are concerned about heavy foot traffic you should choose a hardwood species with a high Janka rating.  Janka rating is a good measurement method to determine the ability of a type of wood as to how it withstands denting and wear. Hard, Janka rated hardwoods like Brazilian Cherry, Red Oak or Natural Bamboo are all popular and have a high Janka rating for flooring. Softer but popular hardwoods include White Pine, Southern Yellow Pine and American Cherry.

GIVE LOVING CARE

Any floor whether it is tile, carpet, laminate or hardwood will wear without proper maintenance. Upkeep for hardwood flooring is very simple. Consistent sweeping or vacuuming and cleaning with damp (but not wet) mopping will prolong the life of your hardwood floor and keep the beauty regardless of the foot traffic in your home. 

STILL WORRYING?

Still concerned Fido & Fluffy will wage war on the hardwood floor you long for? You might want to consider styles that are hand scraped two-toned blends, distressed or more.  Hardwood floors can now be found in a wide array of colors and styles to fit every taste, budget and lifestyle.

Hardwood floors offer durability, affordability and a classic look that increases the value of any home. Simple choices and upkeep can help you find the hardwood floor of your dreams. Visit ProSource of Columbia today to see our vast selection of hardwood flooring and more.  ProSource of Columbia can answer all of your hardwood floor questions and make sure you get the hardwood floor you always wanted.

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to read this article and hoped you enjoyed it.  If you’d like more information on laminates, hardwoods, bamboo, carpet, tile, natural stone, or any other types of flooring, please contact ProSource of Columbia at 803-933-9088 or visit our website at http://www.prosourcefloors.com/columbia.

Who’s The Boss?

Any good employee knows that making the Boss happy is top priority.  He or She signs the paychecks and pays the bills.  They keep you employed and which helps you keep your bills paid.  It is also common knowledge that taking care of the customer should be a top priority in a business.  You may have a warehouse full of merchandise but without customers to buy, you’ll find yourself out of business. Pretty simple concepts, huh?

Pleasing the Boss and making the customer happy are one to ProSource of Columbia. ProSource Members, Trade Professionals like you, are our Boss.  The ProSource Team is focused on providing you, our Boss, a Showroom full of flooring and cabinet choices. With our Low Price Guarantee, you can be assured that you are always getting the best prices on fine quality products.

Consider your ProSource of Columbia Showroom your own.  Need a place to meet with your clients?  ProSource of Columbia is the perfect place.  We have areas designed so you can discuss flooring and cabinet choices in a quiet and efficient manner.  Can’t meet with your client but need your client to make decisions?  ProSource of Columbia is your answer.  Our professional sales staff will work with your client in choosing the hardwood or carpet they need and let you handle your business.  Need to keep your clients in line with a specific budget or product group?  Just give us the heads up and we can provide you samples to take with you or direct your clients to those products in the Showroom. We work for you, after all, so we will do whatever it takes to please the Boss!

When your clients ask if you have a kitchen or bath designer- the answer is yes! Take advantage of your free kitchen designer.  Your selection of cabinets is expansive in style, color and availability.   Your amazing selection of hardwood, tile, carpet and more at ProSource of Columbia will make your business look like you can handle it all- ProSource of Columbia is one-stop shopping.  That’s 6,000 s/f and 25,000 flooring samples.  And don’t forget we have financing for both the trade professional and the consumer.  Sign up for the monthly newsletter called eProMotions. Each eProMotion has an eProCoupon valued at $50. That’s a $600 additional yearly savings!

We want to make your business better, Boss.  Please communicate with us on what you need.  How is the product selection?  What products do you need that are not in the Showroom? Are we covering all the price points to meet the needs of your client’s budget?  What other services do you need to succeed in your business?  Just let us know Boss.

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to read this article and hoped you enjoyed it.  If you’d like more information on laminates, hardwoods, bamboo, carpet, tile, natural stone, or any other types of flooring or cabinet styles, please contact ProSource of Columbia at 803-933-9088 or visit our website at http://www.prosourcefloors.com/Columbia.