Floored by the Choices
by Kristine Hughes

   Floor coverings are essential to the character and comfort of our homes. Now, in the 21st century, we have a host of flooring options to choose from. Centuries ago, however, the first floors were simply made from dirt, which was strewn with either sand or sawdust and topped with mint leaves. As these were walked upon, the mint leaves emitted a clean, fresh scent – the first room freshener.
   Hardwood flooring dates back hundreds of years, when it was determined that the harder and denser the wood, the longer a floor would last. In the United States, it has been common practice to use white ash, maple, white oak and red oak, all of which are hardwoods. During the past decade, exotic species and other domestic woods are gaining in popularity as they become more affordable and readily available. Some exotic species, Brazilian cherry in particular, are now the same price as domestic oak.
   “The United States now imports more than 80 different hardwood species from around the world,” said Steve Agius, vice president and general manager of Creative Tile and Hardwood Floors. “Sixty-six varieties are featured in our showroom floor. While oak has always been the king of wood in the Northeast, in our market, it’s been viewed as being rather pedestrian. Southwest Floridians are looking for something different. In addition, many designers look to flooring as an anchor for color and texture in their designs. Exotics are perfect for that.”
   There are three basic types of wood floors: solid, engineered and laminated. Solid hardwood flooring is a single ply of hardwood and is the most costly. Engineered hardwood floors are made from layers of both hard and soft woods and feature a veneer stock over a wood core. Lastly, high-performance laminated floors are precision engineered. The layers are fused together using intense heat and pressure to form a single unit known for its strength and stability.
   A recent trend is hand-sculptured hardwood floors, where the surface texture is sculpted into each board by hand to create a time-worn appearance. “In California,” says Agius, “where most of the nation’s trends originate, hand-hewn wood flooring is about all they’re selling, it’s so popular.”
   Patina Floors’ Relics Collection is comprised of distressed, hand-scraped walnut and Brazilian cherry woods. Until now, hand-sculpted floors required a nail-down application. Agius is particularly excited about a new line, Tuscany Reserve, which offers an aged patina and Old-World look in one of the first engineered glue-down applications for this type of flooring.
   “We’re seeing a trend towards installing wood floors in all areas of the home,” explained Steve Silverman, president of Abbey Carpets. “They’re not just used in the foyer, office or rec room anymore. And while many of our customers will top wood floors with beautiful area rugs, they’re still leaving large portions of the floor uncovered so that the beauty of the floors themselves can be appreciated.”
   The oldest woven rug so far discovered is the Pazyryk carpet, which was found in Siberia and dates back to around 400 B.C. While many civilizations wove woolen carpets, it was the Persians who raised the task to an art form beginning in the 16th century. In the United States, the first carpet loom was constructed in 1791 in Philadelphia. However, in 1839 Erastus Bigelow revolutionized the industry by inventing the power loom, which by 1850 had tripled the numbers for annual carpet production.
   Today, wool is still the fiber of choice in both hand-made rugs and carpeting. Because pure wool rugs are expensive, wool is often mixed with an average of 20 percent nylon, acrylic or polyester, all of which promote durability. Nylon is very durable and is often used in mixes. Good quality nylon can be expensive. Acrylic is similar to wool in appearance but is more difficult to clean. Polyester is inexpensive and is often used to make shag pile carpet.
   Different grades of carpet are suitable for different locations. A light-use carpeting might be right for bedrooms, but a heavy-duty variety should be considered for stairs and entries. Factors that affect a carpet’s durability are density and weight of the pile. Short, dense pile carpets are the hardest-wearing type and are used in carpet tiles: squares of carpet with sealed edges, available in different sizes, colors and patterns and fibers and with different backings, including PVC, rubber and felt. These are typically used in high-traffic areas, as damaged
squares can be easily removed and replaced, or tiles can be moved regularly to distribute wear evenly.
   Because of new manufacturing methods, carpeting for the home now has a more commercial type of construction and is more durable today. “It’s important to keep in mind that today’s carpeting lasts much longer,” said Silverman. “The consumer should always purchase the best padding possible for installation. It’s not the carpeting that wears out, it’s the loss of density that can make carpeting look tired. A good cushion will keep it looking new.”
   The first cork tile floor was introduced in 1904 and became the most popular type of resilient flooring in the 1920s. It was available in a limited range of colors and designs, but was expensive and porous. Today, cork flooring can be made to resemble marble, bamboo and other exotic materials and comes in a wide range of colors, from honey tones to green, red and black. Cork trees are not harvested for the manufacture of floors. Only the bark is used, and this is peeled without destroying the tree and will grow back within nine years, ready to be harvested again.
   Resilient floor covering is a fairly new term, which encompasses vinyl, linoleum and laminate flooring. Linoleum was invented and patented in 1845 and the first U.S. plant was built in 1872. Linoleum remained popular until after World War II when easy-to-maintain and durable vinyl flooring was introduced. In 1933, vinyl flooring was introduced at the Century of Progress Exposition in Chicago. Because of the scarcity of vinyl during the war years, vinyl flooring was not widely marketed until the late 1940s, but then quickly challenged its competitors. Originally used only in high-traffic areas, vinyl flooring eventually became the most popular choice for flooring in just about any hard-surface application.
   Today, resilient flooring is second only to carpet in floor covering sales in the United States. Resilient flooring con-tinues to be a popular choice due to its durability, ease of maintenance and the fact that it is now available in literally hundreds of color and pattern combinations.
   Each year, the German-based Domotex Corporation hosts the largest international floor coverings tradeshow, where predictions are made for the next year’s color trends. The 2005 forecast includes soft Mediterranean tones, as well as red and terracotta, colors which dominated this year’s show.These colors were apparent in all aspects of floor coverings. Regardless of which type of flooring you choose, you’ll inevitably encounter unexpected spills or stains. Whenever unclear about how to treat these, visit the emergency floor care page at the World Floor Covering Association’s Web site: http://www.wfca.org/flooringguide/guide.asp.