We know July 4th is over, but why stop celebrating the birth of our wonderful nation? Better yet, why not highlight one of our solid hardwood flooring collections that perfectly commemorates an important moment in history?

Our Presidential Signature collection is the only solid hardwood flooring collection we offer and if you think about it, it makes sense. We named it after famous names that were responsible in the history and development of America as a nation. These individuals were strong-headed, ambitious, and fierce – all qualities that any President should have.

Up first on the list of floors in our Presidential Signature collection is a light wood floor named Taft Maple, named after William Taft – the 27th U.S. President. Aside from being one of our Presidents, William Taft served as Chief Justice of the U.S. and – drumroll please – was the one who initially proposed the idea of an income tax.

The Jackson Oak line is named after none other than Andrew Jackson, the 7th President of the U.S. Other than being president, his claim to fame comes from the fact that he was the man the Democratic Party formed around.

Franklin Pierce is the man behind the Pierce Oak solid hardwood floors. He was also the 14th President of the U.S. He became a brigadier general in the Army during the Mexican-American War. We like to call him, “Fierce Pierce”.

Our 4th line of solid floors in the Presidential collection, the Washington Oak, features a name everyone has heard of: George Washington. The 1st President of the U.S. also presided over an important convention that drafted our very own Constitution.

Our Adams Oak solid hardwood flooring line is named after John Adams, the 2nd President of the U.S. that many people may actually not be familiar with, which goes to show that generally most people never remember 2nd place. We’ll put this to the test: Spain won the World Cup in 2010, who was the runner-up? (Answer: Netherlands) Back on to Adams… he was actually an opponent of slavery and helped Thomas Jefferson draft the Declaration of Independence.

The Roosevelt Hickory line also brings about a familiar name in history: Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the U.S. His other claim to fame is the fact that he founded the Progressive Party (also known as the Bull Moose Party).

A little less known, but still very honorable is Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the U.S., who we name our Grant Maple solid hardwood floors after. Grant was a very fierce individual; he was the man who lead the Union (aka the North) over the Confederacy (aka the South) in the Civil War. Considering the North had won the war, you could say he filled his role well.

It’s good to save the best for last, right? That’s why last in our list is a name even people from outside of the U.S. are familiar with – none other than Abraham Lincoln, our 16th President and the man we proudly named our Lincoln Oak   line after.

We hope you learned a few tidbits of some of the most influential people in American history – it’s actually quite impressive.

Painting a Rug on Your Hardwood Floor

It sounds simple in concept, but it’s actually a skilled talent – just as any painting is. The difference? This one is done on your very own hardwood floors. The sole purpose of this is to add a permanent touch to specific areas of hardwood floors that perhaps could use a little more life. If pulled off correctly, a painted rug on your hardwood floors will appear as just that – a rug, BUT due to the glistening nature of wood floors, you can expect your “rug” to glisten with light when the sun comes out. It makes for a wonderful appearance.

Daring? Absolutely. Really freaking cool? Most definitely! 3D art paintings on hardwood floors can actually make you believe what you’re seeing is truly happening. It’s intriguing how our mind perceives art when it’s seen from a certain angle.

We can dawn on this topic forever, but at the end of the day one thing remains: 3D painted hardwood floors are purely works of beauty. We’re betting about 99% of you would opt not to have such a work of art installed in your own home atop your hardwood floors, but we’re also betting that 99% of you could stare at this type of art for hours on end, completely immersing yourself into the artwork.

This concept is another one of those ideas that triggers your “wow” response. It’s such a basic idea, yet so brilliant – the idea of installing your hardwood floors in the shape of puzzle pieces. It’s an idea that brings out the kid in you that’s been longing to come out. If you really wanted to take it a step further, you could opt to use different shaded puzzle pieces for a mind-blowing experience.

If you are inspired enough to implement any of these ideas, then be sure to update us with any pictures you have! We would love to see these ideas in action.

Minimize Damage Done on Halloween

Rugs are a must.

This is always our best advice for hardwood floor owners. Rugs provide a quick way to cover up what we like to call “high foot traffic” areas that people will always come into contact with. Popular areas include both the front door and any access to the outside. By placing rugs in high foot traffic areas, you allow your guests to brush their shoes off, keeping dirt, grit, and other nasty substances off of your floors. Utilize the outdoors.

Parties don’t always have to be inside, especially if the weather is nice. Chances are your guests will prefer a party inside, but leaving the fun and games all outside is a great way to encourage people to step outside for a breath of fresh air. This enables your guests to be off of your hardwood floors, which in itself reduces chances of any damage occurring.

Don’t hide the napkins or paper towels.

If you manage to have a party where no one spills any drinks or food, then you may as well grab yourself a lottery ticket because that is one lucky feat to boast about. Chances are, you will have a few spills here and there so make sure you have paper towels and napkins readily available.

Our advice: Put a roll outside, in the kitchen, in the bathrooms, and any other rooms you believe your guests will be roaming.

Buy a few extra cheap trashcans.

If you’re serving candy, then there’s a great chance your hardwood floors will be littered with various wrappers and other food items. By scattering cheap, plastic trash bins around your house, your guests will feel more obligated to actually throw their trash away instead of leaving it to be cleaned up by the host.

It’s not just Halloween parties you can apply this advice to, but essentially any party you have inside of your home, office, or any other place. Hardwood floors are specifically built to take quite the amount of damage, but if there are ways to minimize any damage done, then it’s best to incorporate them.

Let Urban Floor help you piece the puzzle together!

Some of us reading this article may already have hardwood floors – fist bump for you! Let us know if the reasons below were something you happened to consider when making the switch. For those still with carpet we’ll give you a quick, easy list of the top reasons why people switch over to hardwood flooring from carpet.

1. It’s More Preferred Over Carpet

You can say this is subjective but when you look at the many reasons why, then it’s easy to see why more and more people are flocking towards the change.

For one, hardwood floors offer more longevity over carpet – especially because of the ability to be refinished for a new appearance. Engineered hardwood floors are not able to be refinished as easily as solid, but certain engineered flooring options offer the ability to refinish at least one time, adding a considerable amount of longevity.

Secondly, they are easier to clean. Dirt and debris oftentimes become stuck deep within carpet, unable to effectively respond to vacuums. Over time, you have to steam clean your carpet in order to restore it back a healthy state. For hardwood floors, this isn’t the case. A simple damp mopping job goes a long way.

2. Hardwood Flooring Raises The Value of Your Property

This ties in directly because hardwood flooring is more preferred. Real estate property with hardwood flooring sells more often than property with carpet. A house may meet all of a buyer’s needs, except lack the hardwood-flooring component and it would still be a deal breaker. That’s how important hardwood flooring can be.

Don’t miss out on added property value by sticking with carpet. An investment in hardwood flooring may raise the value of your home to a price that returns your initial investment back to you and some. 3. Hardwood Floors are Better with Allergies

It’s safe to say a large majority of us suffer from allergies that come and go depending on a variety of factors throughout the year’s changing seasons. The bottom-line is that dust, dander, pollen, and other allergy-triggering substances are not trapped easily with hardwood flooring as they are with carpet.

Does this mean my allergy problems will fade? Perhaps. Hardwood floors do not guarantee an allergy-free environment, but because they are easier to clean and do not trap dust mites as easily as carpet – they help serve as a promising option to those who suffer, as noted by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

2015 is almost here… what’s your New Year’s Resolution? Maybe this year you can make it a goal to switch from carpet to hardwood flooring! 🙂

Now that the hard part is done, it’s time to learn what you can do to prepare for the install. To make it easy, we made a checklist you can use. You saw this document during your free estimate, but we put it here just in case you need refresher.

Let’s get started.

1. ) Our carpet installation times run between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but hours of arrival may vary due to situations like bad traffic. Also, the time it takes to complete your install may take more than one day depending on its size. Keep this in mind when you set up your installation date.

2.) Our installers are happy to move your heavy furniture, but there are a couple things that you will have to move on your own before they arrive. These items include the following:

Also, please make sure that any wires, gas lines and water lines have been disconnected as well. Bedding and closet floors must be emptied as well.

3.) Make sure to tell your design consultant and installers if you have any wiring, burglar alarms or heat components underneath your existing flooring. It’s your responsibility to make sure we know this information.

4.) We can use your existing tack strips if you currently have wall to wall carpeting installed. If they need to be replaced, we will replace them at no additional charge. If you decided to rip up your old carpeting, please make sure that all the staples have been removed.

5. ) Please make sure that the power is on in the home we will be working in. We cannot do the installation without electricity. Also, maintain the home at 70 degrees for three days prior to your installation for proper acclimation and optimum installation conditions.

We know it seems like a little much to ask, but we want to make sure all of your valuables are safe.

Once all the small stuff is out, we can take care of the big stuff. When our installers arrive at your home, they will do the following:

When you think about it, moving the smaller stuff won’t take too long or be difficult, especially if you have some close friends to give you a hand.

With your help, the installation will go by quicker than you’d expect.

We know what it takes to install carpet and flooring correctly and we guarantee you will be satisfied with your services all the way through.