All about flooring

Flooring can make a big difference in your home, be it in appearance, ease of cleaning, or keeping your home more hypoallergenic. Lyle Morris from Interior Floor Designs walks Pete through common types of flooring and their benefits.

“The most common type of carpet is nylon,” Lyle says. Nylon carpeting, he says, wears well, is easy to clean and maintain, and is stain-resistant. Nylon carpeting also allows manufacturers to add additional products, like Scotchguard, to make them more stain-resistant.

The Seattle climate can sometimes pose a problem for those looking for carpet, however. Carpet can lock in moisture, causing a buildup of mold or mildew. Lyle recommends going with carpet by Mohawk or Shaw, designed to work well with the Seattle environment.

Carpet, Lyle adds, has gotten a lot safer in recent years. Carpeting used to release chemicals into the air, making it potentially unsafe for small children, the elderly and pets, however carpeting manufacturers have made an effort to cut down on VOCs, or volatile organic compounds released into your home.

Carpeting also adds an additional level of insulation, within the pad that goes underneath the carpet. By adding an additional inch or two to your flooring, you’ll be retaining more heat and lower your heating costs.

If you don’t have carpet in your home and instead have hardwood floors, you may notice them starting to look dingy and scratched. Pete recommends getting your floors refinished to make them look new again. Although it may seem like a large undertaking, Lyle says they can do most of the process while you’re still in your home. The finishing process, which can release fumes into your home, might result in leaving your home for a day or two.

To protect your hardwoods, Pete recommends installing a mud room on the inside of your door — this is the area where you can take off wet or muddy boots or clothing and still protect your fragile wood floors. Pete says the best material to use in your mud room is tile or stone, which won’t be damaged by water or mud.

Listen to the whole show.

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Home Matters with Pete and Rob can be heard on KIRO Radio every Saturday at 8 a.m. and Sunday at 6 a.m. or anytime at KIRORadio.com. Like Home Matters on Facebook.