Infloormation

Thanksgiving has come and gone but the holidays are still in full swing. While we spruced up our homes for turkey day, tree trimming, caroling and Christmas dinner are right around the corner. It’s time to take a look at our dining room and make sure that there are no remnants of your Thanksgiving feast on your carpet.

Area rugs with pattern can sometimes hide stains, spills and spots. Even though they can be hard to detect it is very important to maintain your area rugs so that they stay looking nice for years and years.

During the holidays spills are bound to happen. If water is spilled on an area rug use a blow dryer on a warm setting to dry the top and bottom of the rug if at all possible. If wine or soda is spilled use salt or baking soda to absorb the color of the spill, then vacuum. Use a clean damp towel and gently rub the stain using care to go in the direction of the nap.  Be gentle, no vigorous scrubbing.

If you missed a spill, a professional rug cleaner should handle the stain. Do not try to clean old stains by yourself. In theory you should have your area rugs professionally cleaned every two to five years. Do not trust general carpet cleaning companies, as solutions used for wall-to-wall carpets are not the best for handmade area rugs.

Remember to vacuum your area rugs as much as you do your regular carpet, but be sure not to suck up any fringe that borders your rug. Also, rotate your rugs often. This helps colors stay bright as the sunlight is evenly distributed. Rotation also helps with traffic; as all parts of your area rug should be exposed to the same amount of wear.

Following these simple tips will help keep your area rugs looking good for all seasons! If you have more questions please visit us here, we’re always willing to help.

Ah…the holidays are here and you know what that means – house guests. As you finish your holiday preparations think about what your weary travelers are enduring – the crowds they braved, the airline delays and the crappy airport food. Surely they are counting the minutes until they cross the threshold of your sparkling clean home. It is sparkling clean, isn’t it?

Don’t fret. If you have been waylaid by looking for recipes, shopping, decorating and cooking we have you covered. Follow our quick list of cleaning tips and your home will be houseguest ready in no time.

• Cleaning should be a family affair. Getting the house in tiptop shape will happen more quickly if you work as a team. Plus, your family is less likely to mess up a house that they just cleaned.
• To make sure that you are properly motivated play your favorite tunes.
• Take a timer with you into each room. Set the timer for 15 minutes. This will force you to prioritize the most important tasks.  Focus on big picture items, like plumping sofa cushions instead of wiping down refrigerator shelves.
• Tidy away all clutter before you start cleaning. How are you to have perfectly shining countertops when they are covered in piles of paper? If you don’t have time to file, or deal with the miscellaneous clutter simply put it all in a laundry basket and hide it in a closet.
• Concentrate on public spaces, like the family and dining rooms. Dust, vacuum and make sure that you don’t have cobwebs.
• Check your entryway to be sure that you have dealt with junk mail, sports equipment, backpacks and clear space so that you have plenty of room for guest jackets, umbrellas boots and bags.
• Bathrooms will need a once over right before guests arrive. Wipe down mirrors with glass cleaner. Break out a good scented bottle of hand soap and your seasonal hand towels. Scrub down the toilet bowl; use Clorox wipes to clean the seat and the rim.
• Empty all the trashcans in the house.
• Make up guest beds and put out extra bath towels. Fill guest rooms with fresh flowers, bottled water and reading material.
• Leave the kitchen floor for the last minute and remember they are going to get dirty anyway so don’t sweat it if you run out of time.

Most importantly, remember that your guests came to see you not your house. So please, get your cleaning finished and then relax.

Making any major purchase these days is difficult – it’s easy to know what you want – but then it’s easy to get confused and overwhelmed looking at consumer ratings reports and warranties. It’s enough to make you throw your hands in the air and say, “forget it”.

At Pierce we hope to eliminate some of that confusion as you are choosing flooring for your home. Whether you would like hard surface products or carpet we are happy to offer you the Pierce Promise. The Pierce Promise is a warranty designed exclusively for our customers to eliminate the confusion surrounding the various manufacturer’s warranties and to help our customers shop with confidence in knowing their purchase with Pierce will be covered.

Based on the principal of simplicity, the Pierce Promise covers stain protection, installation, manufacturing, service and lifespan. The Pierce Promise costs you nothing extra and it doesn’t void the original manufacturer’s warranties.

The only thing Pierce asks of you, our valuable customers, is a little common sense. The Pierce Promise is for owner occupied, residential property only.  If your subfloor is structurally deficient the warranty is void. Natural disasters and obvious customer abuse will also void the warranty. Carpets must be cleaned every 18 months using the hot water extraction method, and hard surface products must be maintained per the manufacturers recommendations. We think that’s fair.

It is our firm belief that this warranty is the best and most unique offered in this industry. It is our sincere interest to provide you with the best quality service while at the same time giving you peace of mind. Learn more about the Pierce Promise.

Carpet, laminate, hardwood even natural stone leaving you bored? Are you looking for a different type of floor than what you see in most homes? Have you considered cork flooring?

Cork is not a new fad; it can be traced back to ancient Egypt. And if Don Perignon was the first to start using cork to stop its champagne bottles – why that’s an even better reason to think it may be good for your floors at home.

What you possibly don’t know about cork may surprise you. Cork is incredibly durable. It’s actually used in many public buildings for that very reason. It has amazing sound absorption properties and it is very forgiving on your joints due to the millions of air filled cells that make up the floor. Cork floors will never be cold on your feet. They are resistant to bugs, mold, termites and mildew. Cork floors do not absorb dust, which makes them really good for those of you with allergies.

Cork floors are also environmentally friendly. A law in the 1930’s called “The 9 Year Law” was passed to keep cork from being harvested any sooner than every 9 years. The trees, from which cork is harvested, have to reach a 60 cm circumference before they can be harvested. The first harvest from a cork tree can only occur at age 25. The tree is not destroyed or damaged when harvesting cork.

And maybe the best news of all is that cork floors are beautiful, they are easy to maintain and they come in tile shapes, plank shapes, mosaics and shades range from natural cork color to vibrant, bold tones.

Please visit us to learn more about cork flooring and see if it is something you would like to install in your home.

Would you like to pull this type of mood into your home’s design? You can do it if you look closely at this photo and use it to inspire your home’s décor. Let’s take a look at how you can make this happen.

Start by capturing this image, or one you are drawn to, with a camera. Your memory may not be up to keeping track of the tones visible here and a photo enables you to shop while keeping that vision right in front of you.

Now look at your image. Are you in love with the variety of browns provided by the leaves? Do you want to capture the blue-brown contrast that works so well here? Is it maybe that pop of orange you don’t want to lose in your own home? Whatever the goal, keep it in mind.

Before you shop take a look at the room you plan to decorate. Are any of these colors already present? For example, that light blue-grey tone coming from the stairs and railing would make a wonderful wall color.

In the case of the room in this photo, the light wood flooring provides elements of the browns, and adding the dark brown accent wall pulls in the deeper shades.

The sofa is darker and bluer than the original color, but a smarter choice for maintenance. That light blue-grey would also almost disappear in the room, so the color change works.

Then of course, the pop of orange, in this case shown as several pops, add personality to a room that would be dreary without them.

A dark brown coffee table and a few more elements that pull that blue in and this room is finished, turned into a space that captures the colors and some of the mood of the appealing photo that inspired it.

Add silver and crystal to basic black and white, and the mood shifts. From modern and stark, you find yourself mimicking the glamour and gaiety of Hollywood in the 1920s.

Every element in this room contributes to the mood. The tile floor is off white, but with touches of darker tones to add warmth and connect the floor to the black pieces. The floor is offset by an area rug in a floral pattern of black and white – the black prevalent to offset the light floor.

The other strong note of black comes from the loveseat, which provides a perfect foil for the brightness of the rest of the décor. Black and white floral patterns come through again in throw pillows and the lampshade.

Crystal and glass abound in this room in many forms. The coffee table is topped in glass, allowing the daring area rug to shine. The room divider behind the buffet is also glass, with a large floral etching to add separation and style. Crystal comes from the chandelier and the amazing column of crystals that run behind the sofa.

Silver is the other strong element. Old world silver candlesticks and a bowl top the buffet. Two small graceful tables and simple picture frames are covered in silver leaf for a distinctive sparkle.

This room was made for a party, but the glamour doesn’t come from any one thing. Instead, it’s a smart mix of old and new that creates the feeling of yesterday in the style of today.

You’ve finally anted up and it’s time to make that cement basement a cozy inviting place for the kids and the adults to play. You’re envisioning a big screen TV, a pool table and space for all those toys.  You know your color scheme and your budget but you have no idea what type of carpet you should install. Realistically, you know you need something durable and easy to clean as you know that the kids and adults will be snacking and drinking down there. We’ve got you covered.

The bottom line is this: choosing the ideal carpet style is all about knowing the right combination of aesthetics, performance and budget that meets the needs of your lifestyle – emphasis on you.

So check out the following and let us help you learn all about the carpet styles that will be right at home in your home.

You have several options. You can either choose to install a less expensive carpet with the idea that your will replace it every few years. What a pain. Or you can choose a carpet with the Stain master advantage. They last 50% longer and stay 30% cleaner than other carpets. Watch this video of durability and spill repellency.

You can look at carpet colors, pad options and calculate how much carpet you will need.  You can decide what style of carpet will look best in your basement. Do you want frieze, loop, cable or Saxony? You can even use our room visualizer that you can get an idea without spending a dime about what your room will look like when it is finished.

Visit our showroom or contact us for more information. We are happy to help you pick the best carpet option so that you can get your rec room project underway.

Designing a room can be a daunting challenge. What style will work best? How can I make a design impact without breaking the bank? Does that color of paint really match those tiles? What type of flooring would work best in this space? These are all questions that must be answered before anything is purchased, or even measured. After all you don’t want your home to be a hodge-podge of color, texture and style. Each room should flow together effortlessly and harmoniously.

The first step in decorating is to determine how your lifestyle affects how you decorate. The design center at Pierce Flooring is a great way to begin. At the design center you can complete a fun quiz about How you Live. You’ll answer questions about color schemes you enjoy, how you want the atmosphere of your home to feel, how many family members live in the home and where they spend the majority of their time. At the end of the quiz you will receive solid decorating advice, everything from what types of carpet are better for a playroom to how to decorate with warm or cool colors and how to maximize the resale value of your house.

Pierce Flooring also offers a What I like quiz. Created by their design and decorating experts this is a quick and easy 10 questions that will help you determine what type of style you enjoy. Do you like Urban Chic, or is Seaside Simplicity more your thing? Pierce Flooring even offers a Virtual Room Designer where you can “practice” putting together tile, flooring and paint combinations. How fun is that?

By determining the style you enjoy and the most practical flooring, carpeting and design questions you can easily begin your home décor projects.