Is Your Home a Flooring Flop?

If your home has wall-to-wall stains, carpet with more wrinkles than Grandpa, or linoleum that looked fantastic back in the '80s, it might be a flooring flop. But take heart: You’re certainly not alone, based on some of the old flooring our SMART Carpet and Flooring installers pull out of otherwise beautiful homes. And even better, we’ve compiled a list of updated options to help you turn your nest into a flooring feat.

Threadbare Carpet
Some carpet can become worn and look threadbare in high traffic areas (think stairs, the family room, the upstairs hallway). If you have pets or someone in your family regularly comes home wearing work boots, older carpets can age even faster.

Want to feel a warm, plush carpet underfoot again? First, keep those work boots in the utility room. Next, consider updating with a modern carpet option that’s as tough as it is soft. Our picks:

• Mohawk’s SmartStrand® Silk, an ultra-soft nylon carpet with the feel of wool. Try it in gray-black Deep Slate (which happens to pair beautifully with 2017’s new neutrals like Sherman-Williams’ Poised Taupe). Bonus: SmartStrand® Forever Clean technology comes with a full lifetime pet warranty and keeps this beauty looking new with permanent, built-in stain repellant.

• Caress by Shaw, the brand’s softest carpet yet. Made of Anso Nylon, Caress resists stains, soil, and odors and carries a full lifetime pet warranty. Consider the cool cocoa tones of the subtly patterned Luxe Pebble Creek for hallways and stairs.

Warped Hardwood
When we see warped hardwood, it’s usually due to installation errors or water damage. This might be the year to replace yours—especially if the damage is extensive. Look for a hand-scraped, three- to five-inch plank for a look that won’t go out of style. Our top pick: Mohawk’s American Designer in a five-inch width. It’s available in five colors, though our favorite combination for 2017 is American Designer in Slate Rock against a fresh accent color like Pantone’s Greenery. American Designer resists humidity and includes ArmorMax finish with Scotchgard, so you won’t have to worry about stains or buckling (as long as you have it installed by a professional who knows how to put in hardwood for maximum flooring life).

Cracked Tile
From the entryway to the bathroom, tile floors are a beautiful, durable choice . . . unless you manage to crack them. Tile floors can crack even if you don’t drop a dumbbell on them, if they were improperly installed.

Maybe your tile flooring isn’t cracked, it’s just outdated. Either way, you’ll find dozens of updated tile flooring options on the market today. Our top picks:

• Congoleum’s DuraCeramic, a luxury alternative to ceramic tile that offers greater durability and feels warmer underfoot. Made with Scotchgard Protector™ for stain protection, DuraCeramic comes in a variety of textures and colors that make it look like anything from marble flooring to hardwood (and, yes, ceramic tile).

• Armstrong Alterna® Engineered Stone, a modern alternative to stone or tile (or even hardwood) flooring that is tough enough for any room in the home, with designs that are beautiful enough to become the focal point in your design. Try a traditional slate or travertine look, or go for something extraordinary with Alterna Artisan Forge in Polished Pewter for an aged metal look.

• Shaw Journey Tile Luxury Vinyl Flooring, another warm and durable alternative to ceramic or stone tile that can be installed with or without grout. Each color in the Journey Tile palette is a carefully chosen neutral. Try the gray-taupe Kingsport for a lovely update.

Sad, Wrinkled Carpet
If you can’t remember the last time your carpet looked tight and toned, it might be time to replace it. Level loop carpet is a smooth option for today’s home. Crafted with fiber loops that are all the same height, this choice is available from all major carpet manufacturers in a wide variety of colors and patterns to suit your tastes and décor.

Those Kitchen Floors Looked Great when Reagan was in the White House
Remember the day you got your kitchen flooring? It looked so nice against your dusty-blue-and-mauve décor, especially with those little geese marching across the wallpaper border. But now it’s 2017, and it’s time to take a good look at that worn, yellowed vinyl sheet flooring . . . and replace it! The SMART Carpet and Flooring mobile flooring showrooms carry numerous alternatives you’ll fall in love with. Our picks:

• IVC sheet vinyl flooring or luxury vinyl plank. IVC’s Flexitec sheet vinyl is an easy-care option available in traditional patterns that look like tile, hardwood, and stone; the company’s Moduleo Horizon luxury vinyl plank comes in ultra-modern stone and wood patterns that are easily cleaned with warm water.

• Congoleum AirStep fully sealed sheet vinyl flooring is stain-repellent and makes clean-up a snap. Try AirStep Advantage in Mystic if you love an intentionally retro look.

• Shaw’s DuraTru luxury resilient sheet vinyl, a cushion-backed option that feels warm and soft underfoot but gives you the look of wood or stone. Try Adirondack 12C in Dalles, a light neutral bamboo design.

Could 2017 be the year you turn your flooring flop into a triumph of modern design (or at least give your floors a nice new look you can be proud to show friends and family)? Let SMART Carpet and Flooring help. Give us a call today at 1-800-526-RUGS and let’s get a mobile showroom out to your home in New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania or Staten Island!