The Floor Store

Q&A With Steve Swan of The Floor Store

Writer / Julie Yates
Photography Provided

Q: Real hardwood has always been the flooring industry gold standard, but it’s expensive. Is there a less expensive alternative?

A: The hottest thing out there, and the number-one bestselling product currently, is luxury vinyl plank, which is advertised as being 100% waterproof. Next is laminate, which is water resistant. Both look like hardwood and are popular with younger to middle-aged consumers with pets and kids.

Q: What’s the best flooring to use in bathrooms and mudrooms?

A: Ceramic tile is a good choice. Although it can be more expensive and take longer to install than luxury vinyl plank or luxury vinyl tile, there is a huge selection with varying prices. To lay tile flooring, sometimes there is a lot of labor is involved. The floor has to be prepped and a day or two is needed to grout.

Q: What about maintenance? How does someone take care of these floors?

A: People choose laminate and vinyl flooring because all they need is a top wet mop. Even today’s hardwood is easy to maintain. Because of the finishes used now, gone are the days of waxing and buffing. Just going over it with a Swiffer is enough.

Q: Moving on to carpeting, padding seems important. What do people need to know?

A: Padding on the market today is guaranteed for the life of the carpet that’s on top of it. The padding chosen is all about the feel wanted. Most of our customers want some firmness, but prefer a softer feel. The industry standard is a six-pound pad and most of the ones we sell are six to seven pounds. If someone wants something really firm, an eight- to nine-pound pad would do.

The Floor Store

Q: I want to get my home ready to put on the market but don’t want to break the bank in flooring for my kitchen and baths. What do you suggest?

A: Upgrading flooring is one of the best things someone can do to help a house sell quicker. It’s hard to put anything over ceramic tile, or luxury or vinyl plank and tile. We really don’t sell much sheet vinyl now, but it is a quick fix. It does make rental properties or a house that will be flipped look good.

Q: All in all, what’s the best return on a flooring investment?

A: Carpeting is always in. Now made with improved fibers, it’s very stain resistant, especially when it’s backed with compressed rubber that doesn’t allow a stain to go down into the padding and then come back up a few days after cleaning. The biggest value has to be hardwood. Hardwood is a lifetime floor, guaranteed to last. A house with new hardwood floors is a huge selling point. If I was building a new house and could afford it, I’d definitely choose hardwood floors. Many people go with laminate or vinyl when their children are young. Afterwards, they replace the flooring with hardwood.


The Floor Store – Tipton

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