Carpet Recycling FAQs

When you’re ready to get a new carpet, it’s important to know what to do with your old one. Here are some of the most common questions people ask about carpet recycling.

What is the process of recycling carpet?

Carpet recycling centers work to harvest the valuable material from old carpets and create new, repurposed material.

The carpet recycling process begins with identifying and separating material. To separate the layers of carpet, they are sometimes sent through a machine that cleans, shreds, shears, and separates the material.

This newly separated material can then be reused in the production of new carpets. Source: Rubicon

Is it possible to recycle carpet and carpet padding together?

Many companies that recycle carpet also take carpet padding. Carpet padding is recycled separately from carpet, however, so it’s best to double-check that both are accepted by the program you choose to use to recycle your carpet.

What happens to carpet when it is recycled?

Recycled carpet is typically turned back into plastic resin that can be used to make a range of products for industries including: automotive, transportation, construction, and home and garden.

Is old carpet recycled when it is replaced by a flooring company?

Although the carpet industry has pledged to recycle and recover more, whether or not your flooring company will recycle is dependent on your local area and their internal resources. When you’re getting ready to purchase new carpeting, ask about removal options. Source: Earth911

How can carpet be reused?

As long as the carpet is clean, you can reuse it. After you remove old carpet from one room, you can actually install it in another room in your house if desired. This is a great option if you’re removing carpet from a low-traffic room.

You can also reuse carpet in various DIYs and crafts. If you have a number of carpet scraps, for example, you can sew them together to make a decorative rug or a kitchen mat. Some other ideas for reusing carpet scraps include:

• Cat scratching toy
• Kitchen mat using carpet scraps
• DIY rug
• Welcome mat for your front door
• Padding under exercise equipment
• Area rugs
• Car mats Source: TreeHugger

Want to replace your old carpet with a new one? We can help! Call us.

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Getting Started with Quarry Tiles

Are you considering installing quarry tiles in your home? If so, you’re in for a treat. Quarry tiles are beautiful, versatile, and durable. Read more about them below.

What is a quarry tile?

Quarry tile is a type of unglazed tile which is known for being inexpensive, very durable, and natural. This type of tile is often used in industrial settings, but it is also appropriate for homes as well. This tile comes in a range of shades which can pair well with a wide variety of design schemes; many flooring suppliers carry quarry tile and they are happy to provide interested customers with samples of the products they stock. Source: Wise-Geek

How is it made?

Quarry tiles are made of red clay that is either hand- or machine-shaped. The quarry tiles are dried before being fired in large beehive-style kilns. The clay is fired to extremely high temperatures — much higher than ceramic tiles — which renders the quarry tiles naturally dense, nonporous and water resistant with a low water absorption rate.

While quarry tiles can be glazed, most are left in their natural finish, or unglazed. The tiles can be arranged in various areas of the kilns to produce a variety of colors, ranging from tan to dark brown, as well as markings known as “iron-spots” and “flashed” tiles. The quarry tiles may be sorted after firing for color, or they may be left mixed for variation. Source: Hunker

Where to use?

Quarry tile doesn’t belong everywhere. Due to its unique surface and color characteristics, you may want to limit your installation to these types of areas:

• Main interior floor areas: Some examples of main interiors where quarry tiles work well are living rooms, dining rooms, and kitchens. Homes that have quarry tiles in main living areas typically use area rugs to soften the tiles and soften sounds within the room.
• Interior or exterior walkways and entryways: Because of quarry tile’s high degree of slip resistance, it works well for any area where people need to walk without slipping. It’s also very durable and stands up to traffic well.
• Backsplashes: Despite the name, backsplashes typically do not receive much in the way of splashes from sinks. Thus, unglazed quarry tile can work well for backsplashes. One notable exception would be backsplashes near stoves, where stains from cooking grease and food may be a problem. Even so, quarry tiles can be installed near high-grease areas if it is sealed.
• Some countertops: Heavily-used kitchen and bathroom countertops should not be tiled with quarry tile. However, side counters that are not areas for food preparation can be tiled in quarry tile. Source: TheSpruce

Have existing damaged tiles at home that need replacement? Save thousands of dollars by letting us fix them instead. Give us a call to know more.

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Which One Is Best for You: Solid or Engineered Hardwood Flooring?

Planning to install hardwood floors but don’t know which type is best for you? That depends on your needs and budget. Here’s a closer look at the differences between solid and engineered hardwood flooring.

Appearance

Contrary to popular belief, engineered wood is not “fake” wood. It just uses less hardwood than solid wood flooring does. Whereas hardwood flooring is made of a solid piece of wood, engineered planks employ only a veneer of real hardwood. (This sets engineered wood apart from laminate flooring, which only uses a photographic layer for its veneer, and bamboo flooring, which actually contains no hardwood.) The colors, grains, and textures of hardwood and engineered wood vary widely, from darker ebony and rosewood, to lighter oak and birch, and from dark stains to light stains. Furthermore, most solid hardwood floors can be sanded and refinished with a new wood stain multiple times throughout its use.

Differences between the two types of flooring are more apparent when handling the raw materials. Hardwood planks tend to be heavier and thicker as a single plank of wood. Engineered planks are made up of two or more bonded layers of derivative wood products and are usually lighter and thinner. Source: Diffen

Lifespan

Although engineered and solid hardwood flooring stand up to typical wear and tear, engineered planks will have a significantly shorter lifespan than solid hardwood. Since solid hardwood can be sanded and refinished many times, Yahoodain says it can last up to 100 years.

The thin veneer of engineered hardwood can only be refinished once or twice, so it will last between 20 and 40 years. Your floor’s lifespan will vary depending on your household and the type and frequency of foot traffic. Source: FamilyHandyman

Installation

Solid Hardwood

Solid hardwood flooring is installed with a tongue-and-groove system, in which each board is blind-nailed to the subfloor down through tongues at the edges of the boards.

Engineered Hardwood

Some engineered wood flooring is also installed with the same nail-down methods used for solid hardwood, but there are also forms with “click-lock” edges that can be installed as a “floating floor.” Engineered wood flooring can also be glued down against a concrete subfloor. Most DIYers find engineered wood flooring to be easier to install. Source: TheSpruce

Need help with hardwood chip repairs? Give us a call and get a free estimate!

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