vinyl Archives

Patio Doors: Increase Home Style and Value

I’ve discussed before in several posts about the importance of a door. That it being a subtle transition from room to room, a quick pause for a setup of a new design or color, or to further enhance the overall style are just a few points of its major significance. Today, during this post, I’d like to discuss a style of door that looks so good it can and will increase your home’s value.
patio doors

Why Patio Doors?

Why patio doors, you may ask? The answer is simple. It’s a style that’s been around for decades and continues to drop jaws in amazement. It does so for a couple of reasons. Here, I’ll explain.

Adds Beauty: There’s no doubt about it, a patio door makes a house more beautiful. Whether you have a large space or merely adequate, a patio door will set off the front (or back) of your house nicely, and it’ll positively change the look, especially in terms of curb appeal.
patio doors
Adds Value: If you’ve just installed a patio door, any style of it, then pat yourself on the back because you have directly added value to your home. A brilliantly-designed, masterfully-installed patio door will illuminate your entire front porch in terms of appeal, something that makes a tremendous difference when asking top dollar for your home.
patio doors
Improves Energy Efficiency: Installing one of these bad boys means more natural light and fresh air to come into your home. This means spending less money on the AC, and also on electricity, having to use artificial light. Definitely nothing wrong with a little bit of sunshine in your life, right

Patio Doors – Styles

patio doors
Sliding: Also called gliding doors, this kind of style has quickly rose as a more popular option. It’s capable of letting in a lot of natural light, giving that fresh, clear-as-day appearance and makes thing less “stuffy” in a household. They usually consist of two or more panel, one obviously having the capability of sliding back and forth.
patio doors
Swinging: These doors operate pretty similar to a regular, standard door and “swing” in the same fashion. They’re also called “hinged” doors for that same reason, by the way. They’re usually center hung with a hinge on either side of the door. Pretty cool design and mechanism of if you ask me. There’s a second type of swinging patio door, which is widely known as the “french” door, a dual-door that meets in the middle.
patio doors
Folding: These are my personal favorite because when folded all the way out, you gain a vast amount of space. They operate much like a folding ladder almost, or an accordion, folding a few times before being bunched at the very end of the overhead track.

Patio Doors – Materials

patio doors
Fiberglass: An excellent option, and definitely cost-effective, fiberglass can emulate the look and feel of wood, giving you the natural appearance that you’re looking for.

Aluminum: Very strong, very durable, but also incredibly light, which (trust me on this one) goes a long way when it comes to installation. Aluminum is a fantastic material for your patio door.
patio doors
Steel: Another cost-friendly option, but definitely not as light as the aforementioned. This kind of doors are treated to prevent any minor or major rust issues, so there’s definitely no worries in terms of weathering.

Vinyl: Strong, durable, but pretty darn expensive. It has the ability to withstand most climates, and will never fade, discolor, or flake. An excellent material for ANY door, really.
patio doors
Wood: One of your more common choices. This option comes in a variety of stains and characteristics, making it a very popular option.

Builders Surplus is a full service renovation company with locations in Louisville, Kentucky, and Newport, Kentucky, which also serves Cincinnati, Ohio. We are the leading provider of Ledge Stone, wall tile and backsplash tile in Louisville, Newport, and Cincinnati. We specialize in interior design, kitchen design, bathroom remodel, building materials, and home improvement. Interior Design and measurements come as a free service to our clients. We sell building materials ranging in every price point, from unfinished kitchen cabinets to top of the line Wellborn cabinets. In addition to interior design, we also offer installation services. If you have any questions or would like to set up a free design consultation with one of our interior designers, we would encourage you to do so. We love sharing our knowledge with clients & potential home renovators. We write about interior design, home decor, decorating ideas, and home improvement. We hope you’ll check back in for our next article! Happy Renovation!
Written by: Chris Chamberlain

What is LVT Flooring (Luxury Vinyl Tile) & Why Should I Care?

Luxury Vinyl Tile, commonly called LVT flooring, is one of the newer flooring products on the scene. Now, don’t let the word VINYL fool you. Most of the time, when people hear about vinyl flooring, they think of cheap linoleum sheets or unattractive vinyl tiles that were used in decades past. They weren’t the most durable and they defiantly weren’t the nicest to look at. LVT flooring is NOT this type of vinyl. Technological advances in flooring manufacturing have come such a long way in the last few years. The new class of vinyl, or LVT flooring, is some of the nicest looking flooring around. It is easy to install, durable, and most products are 100% waterproof. This makes it a favorite for commercial applications, residential installations and for contractors and handymen themselves. What hasn’t yet caught on quite as much is the consumers knowledge of this amazing product.

LVT Flooring Durability

LVT flooring is constructed using polyvinyl chloride, or PVC. This non-toxic property gives the material a firm yet elastic makeup. The material is said to be resilient because of its ability to compress and expand with contact instead of cracking. Obviously, this is something that you’d want in a flooring choice.
Luxury vinyl flooring is also protected by durable “wear layer” of urethane for maximum protection and orthopedic comfort. The thicker the wear layer is, the more durable the flooring to high foot traffic.
There are four layers fused together to create what we know as LVT flooring:

The resilient vinyl backing (or cork backing)
The vinyl color layer
The photographic film layer which gives it’s appearance
The urethane or aluminum oxide top layer. The protective top layer, which can also be referred to as the wear layer or mil layer is a very important component in the durability of LVT. Quality LVT products will have as high as a 40 mil layer. Commercial applications can successfully utilize 20 mil or above. Lower mil layers are available, but should be specified only for light traffic applications.

No matter which LVT product you choose, odds are, it’s very durable. They were created with durability in mind and you won’t need to shy away from it if you have pets, kids, furniture with sharp edges, or wear stiletto heels on a regular basis.
CoreTec LVT Flooring at Builders Surplus in Louisville, KY

LVT Flooring: A Vision Of Perfection

LVT Flooring can mimic so many other flooring options, such as tile or real hardwood. Most people cannot tell the difference. CoreTEC, one of our favorite LVT providers, has just come out with their HD line, which is actually etched and embossed, giving it and even more realistic look that the already realistic LVT on the market today. Because Luxury Vinyl flooring can be made to look like hardwoods, stone, ceramic tile, metal flooring, bamboo, marble, and more, the odds are there is a vinyl tile, plank, or sheet out there to match just about any flooring material you desire. Many high end designers are opting to have LVT in their offices and buildings. They could choose any flooring choice, they know all the pros and cons, yet they still choose LVT. That should tell you something.
lve-tflooring-2

Drowning in Durability

One of the most sought after qualities, as well as the biggest improvement over your traditional vinyl flooring, is the face that LVT flooring is completely water and moisture resistant. You can literally let the planks or tiles sit in a bucket of water and it won’t warp, discolor, and the edges won’t lose their integrity. This is THE perfect flooring for basements, water prone areas like bathrooms, laundry rooms or mudrooms.
Homes in areas with risk of floods would be highly encouraged to look into this. Pet owners are also loving this fact, as no more ruined flooring because of an accident!
lvt-flooring-1

A Quiet Confidence

Another great quality about SOME types of LVT flooring is the sound dampening cork back. You can find this in the CoreTEC plus line. This cork backing acts as a built in underlayment. This means that while it is a slight bump up from the cost of a CoreTEC One, you don’t have to buy an underlayment or take the time to put it down, so you’ve saved time and money already. In 2 story homes this sound dampening quality is crucial.

Lay it Down Easy

In addition to all the other wonderful qualities of LVT flooring, this is probably the easiest flooring to install. Making it a great DIY project for those of you who like to get their hands dirty! The simple click and lock installation can be done in a breeze with no prior experience. We would always recommend watching a good youtube video first, though! It’s also able to be installed above or below grade. Yeah, we pretty much think it’s the perfect floor, too.

Features & Benefits Galore!

The features and benefits of LVT flooring are endless. Here is a list that the World Floor Covering Association put together to show all the features and benefits of LVT flooring:

LVT Features

Incredibly realistic photo replication of natural materials (photogravure process) –
Brands that offer 100% vinyl material
Inherent safety features
Ease of maintenance
Excellent selection of sizes, shapes
Naturally water resistant
Scratch, stain, dent and scuff resistant
Cost effective
Exceptional durability
Exceptional durability
More resilient than other hard surface floors
Amazing aesthetics

LVT Benefits

The look and feel of nature’s best materials at a lower cost are a reality of Luxury Vinyl Tile flooring manufacturing
Vinyl flooring satisfies Green building standards and earns LEED points in commercial applications.
Meets requirements of commercial flammability codes, slip resistant requirements…and a menu of other safety codes
Simple damp mopping is the recommended cleaning procedure for LVT floors
The size options vary by manufacturer, but many styles are available in 12 x 12”, 18 x 18”, 12 x 24” sizes, and planks in standard (3 x 36” 4.5 x 36) and extra-large widths (7 or 9’ widths).
LVT floors are inherently water resistant (and fairly impervious to wet spills from above). It’s important to install over flat, dry, approved substrates so that no water seepage occurs beneath the floor.
Specialized wear layers (most common are 20 mil; some offer up to a 40 mil layer). Then the floors are coated with urethane to enhance durability
Economics factor favorably into the specification of Luxury Vinyl Tile Flooring for both commercial and residential applications, giving the look and feel of rich, natural materials at a lower cost
Since most luxury vinyl tile flooring is also constructed to withstand commercial wear and tear, it’s ideal for residential high-traffic areas as well as other areas of the home. Warranties vary by manufacturer, but it’s not unusual to see 20-25 year warranties on brand name luxury vinyl tile flooring.
Because there are multi-layers of vinyl in luxury vinyl tile flooring as well as a resilient backing as the foundation, LVT tiles and planks have more resilience underfoot. It’s easier to stand on for long periods of time AND as an added benefit, it tends to be warmer underfoot than ceramic.
There has been a stunning transformation in the design aesthetics of Luxury vinyl tile flooring in the last five years. If you are linking it to “industrial” looking floors, this is where you need to throw away your misconceptions and do some research. This may be the one biggest factor that has caused interior designers to stand up and take note of the new brand of LVT. The realism of the total look, INCLUDING distressed wood finishes, stone and slate tactile surface textures, and even woven textiles imbedded in the wear layers, are grabbing attention.

We hope this has been enlightening! If you have any questions that weren’t covered about LVT flooring, feel free to let us know in the comments, or contact us! We also have a wide selection of LVT in stock daily or available for custom order. Come see us for all of your LVT needs!

Builders Surplus is a full service renovation company with locations in Louisville, Kentucky, and Newport, Kentucky, which also serves Cincinnati, Ohio. We specialize in interior design, kitchen design, bathroom remodel, building materials, and home improvement. Interior Design and measurements come as a free service to our clients. We sell building materials ranging in every price point, from unfinished kitchen cabinets to top of the line Wellborn cabinets. In addition to interior design, we also offer installation services. If you have any questions or would like to set up a free design consultation with one of our interior designers, we would encourage you to do so. We love sharing our knowledge with clients & potential home renovators. We write about interior design, home decor, decorating ideas, and home improvement. We hope you’ll check back in for our next article! Happy Renovation!
Written By: Allie Bloyd

October 27, 2016

Aqua Vision: WPC vs LVT Flooring

Aqua Vision Flooring
Finding the right kind of flooring for your home and your project can be a daunting task because if you’re anything like my Dad, then you want hardwood flooring throughout the home – including the kitchen and the bath, but you also want as little maintenance as possible on it. We all know that’s just not a possibility with hardwoods. However, now-a-days because the look of hardwood floors is so in demand vendors have developed floors that look like wood, can be installed anywhere in the home, and require very little upkeep. But what is this magical and mysterious unicorn of the flooring world? You might know it as Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) but this flooring is a subcategory of LVT, and it’s called WPC.

What is WPC flooring?

WPC stands for Wood Plastic/Polymer Composite. The fact of it is: many WPC flooring types don’t actually contain any actual wood, but a wood flour (a finely ground wood powder) made from hardwoods. However, this doesn’t hinder the strength or durability, especially since it’s combined with tough plastics!
WPC flooring is technically a LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tile/Plank) because it has a vinyl surface. It can also be marketed as being an engineered or enhanced vinyl floor. People have known about LVT and similar products for a while, but WPC is just catching on in terms of popularity. The reason it’s gaining so much popularity and flying off our shelves is because of the promises that it makes as being dimensionally stable, waterproof, and recyclable! Our main WPC product, Aqua Vision, also starts at a lower price point than the other LVT’s we carry.

So it’s an LVT?

No, but yes. Just so we’re clear WPC is not actually vinyl – it’s just marketed as a Luxury or Engineered Vinyl because vinyl is more widely well known; and because people know what it is that makes it easier to market! So, basically at this point, until WPC becomes a household term for flooring WPC and LVT are somewhat interchangeable. Remember when you were in grade school and you learned that a square was a rectangle, but a rectangle is not a square? It’s the same concept. WPC floors are LVT but LVT floors are not WPC floors.
Aqua Vision

Aqua Vision vs. Other LVTs?

What’s the difference?

Well, we, like many other businesses that sell flooring have also been marketing our WPC floors along with our LVT products. However, the most distinct difference between Aqua Vision and other LVTs is that is it 100% waterproof. They use this stuff by pools! That’s how serious they are about this stuff being waterproof!

Any Advantages?

Many LVTs will advertise themselves as being waterproof to some degree – and some are – but Aqua Vision is 100% waterproof. This means that it can be installed below-grade, for example: in your basement, in moisture-rich environments, like your bathroom, or anywhere that other floors like hardwood, laminate, or carpet would never go!
Other advantages to Aqua Vision and other WPC floors is that it has a rigid core design! This means that it’s dimensionally stable and that, in turn, means that it can be installed just about anywhere and over just about any hard surface floor without showing any dips or imperfections! This also means that it won’t expand, so it doesn’t need time to acclimate before being installed in your home or business and that it doesn’t need any spaces during installation to account for any shifting or expanding!

Aqua Vision and other WPC is really the future of Vinyl and Laminate flooring! The way that the popularity of this product is rising, we’re sure that it’s going to stick around for a long time because of it’s many advantages of being waterproof, easy to install and maintain! Nothing is stopping this product from flying off the shelves and into homes around the country!

June 20, 2016

Wood vs Laminate Flooring & Other Styles

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Many people ask us to compare Wood vs Laminate flooring. What are the differences and benefits of laminate, hardwood, or vinyl flooring. What areas of your home, climate, or style works best with each? Well, we’re here to help eliminate the confusion!

Laminate

In the wood vs laminate flooring race, laminate pulls ahead in many areas. The main benefits of laminate over other types of home flooring, and the reason it is so popular, is affordability, ease of installation and low maintenance. Laminate is less expensive because it’s largely synthetic flooring that’s easily mass produced using low cost materials. It’s easy to install because most laminate uses click and lock assembly which means no nails or glue and you can float it over most existing sub floors. And finally it’s easy to clean and care for because of the thick and clear wear layer that covers the surface of the flooring.

Can you lay laminate all through your home? Well, laminate is a great mid-priced flooring option but there are times when a more expensive hardwood floor or a cheaper vinyl floor could be a better match for your home. Wood vs laminate flooring can be summed up pretty simply in two words… price and style! We think laminate floors look great, there are some exceptional products available, but laminate just doesn’t look the same as solid or engineered hardwood. It’s a fact. In a dining room or master bedroom where style is your main concern you might want to consider spending a little more on a quality hardwood floor. Laminate wood flooring is perfect in a functional setting where practicality is your priority. In a child’s playroom, in the family den or parts of the house where you have dogs running around laminate flooring just makes sense.

It’s attractive, quickly cleaned and hard wearing too. in these situations solid wood flooring seems rather impractical and expensive. Also remember that solid hardwood can stain and can be vulnerable to strong sunlight. If stains and extreme weather conditions are a part of your day to day life then laminate flooring is the smart choice. When it comes to the pros and cons of laminate flooring there are plenty of reasons to choose laminate over hardwood, but its fair to say they are of a practical rather than aesthetic nature. Laminate flooring does a great job of imitating more expensive surfaces like wood, tile and stone and it also has a good long life span, so why would you ever consider vinyl flooring over laminate? For starters, laminate does not mix well with water. They contain a core layer of dense fiberboard and despite the plastic top wear layer and further protective melamine resin layer, laminate flooring will react to standing water and strong humidity in the same way as wood flooring.

So, laminate in the kitchen is okay as long as you keep spills to a minimum and clean up immediately, but you should think twice about laminate in a laundry room, basement or bathroom that regularly experiences standing water. In these instances vinyl flooring would be a much smarter choice.

Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT)

Invented in the 1930’s, vinyl flooring first made an impact on the architectural world in the years following World War Two. By the 1950’s it was a major competitor against other resilient options, and had all but usurped linoleum’s position as a low cost water resistant flooring option.

The colors and pattern options that are available with vinyl flooring are nearly endless. Solid and composite vinyl can be combined to create a number of unique, random patterns. Printed vinyl is even more versatile, allowing you to recreate the look of natural stone, hardwood, or any other material you can think of.

You can even mix and match material facades to make it look like you’ve combined different elements in your floor. Vinyl flooring is relatively easy to care for. You have to make sure that grit and dirt are kept swept free to maintain the surface of the floor. Then you can use a damp mop and an approved vinyl floor cleaner to remove stains.

A well installed vinyl floor is almost impervious to water penetration, making this the perfect material for use in a bathroom, kitchen, laundry room, or other high moisture space in the home. Vinyl does not get cold in the winter, and is generally soft beneath your feet. Some vinyl sheets and tiles have a padded layer that can make walking on these floors even more pleasurable. At the low range vinyl can cost as little as fifty cents per square foot. However higher end premium vinyl materials can cost as much as ten dollars a square foot.

The difference in price is determined by the quality of the tile, and the design options found in the surface. Vinyl is generally considered to be a highly durable material that, if properly installed and maintained, can last upwards of ten to twenty years. However the quality of the material that you purchase, and the way it was manufactured, will determine how well your floor lasts over time. Vinyl tiles and vinyl plank flooring is relatively easy to install. However you have to ensure that you have a completely dry, level subfloor to work with. It is possible to do this project yourself, but you may want to have a professional prepare the subfloor for you. While vinyl flooring is low maintenance and highly durable, there are also a number of drawbacks that are associated with this material. Of these, its ecological impact on the personal and world environment may be some of the most disconcerting.

Hardwood Floors

There are many advantages of real or engineered hardwood. Hardwood flooring gives a rich look to your home interior. While it is slightly more expensive than laminate or vinyl, it actually improves over a period of time due to aging. Hardwood flooring is known to last for a lifetime and has a very long shelf life. Given their organic origin and non-electromagnetic nature, they tend to attract less dust. Hence they do not attract allergens, or molds that cause allergies which tend to travel with dust. It is recommended to use by doctors all over the world.

They are extremely hard and are less prone to damage by objects as well. It is seen as a warm addition to your decor and is also comfortable for small babies to play on, as well as practical for pet owners. Hair and dust are easily removed from the surface. While their are many benefits, there are also some disadvantages. The hardwood floors require regular polishing every 3-4 years to maintain its finish especially if it is high traffic area. The cost of polishing, l abor, and polyurethane coating are an extra expense to think about. They also require regular maintenance to prevent termite attack if your house is located in an area which is prone to termites.

Hardwood flooring will be damaged in the event of any water seepage so having them in a basement with occasional water leaks, or a laundry or bathroom, might not be the best idea. You can regularly mop with a wet cloth, but make sure that there is no dripping water. One other set back is that it is much more susceptible to scratching from heavy traffic, high heels or pet nails. As you can see, there are advantages and disadvantages to every type of flooring, but choosing the right one for your home and budget is the most important thing, and hopefully this article makes that a little bit easier.

February 24, 2015

MSI Everlife Cyrus Akadia Rigid Core Vinyl Flooring 7″ x 48″ 5MM | 12MIL | VTRAKADIA7X48-5M

720 Cherry Java

750 Cherry Java

Kerdi Shower Tray 48″ x 48″ Center Drain

Kerdi Shower Tray 38″ x 60″ Center Drain

Handmade 16 Gauge Stainless Steel Farmhouse Kitchen Sink 33” x 21” with Micro Radius Corners | PL-HA128 R15

Handmade 16 Gauge Stainless Steel Farmhouse Kitchen Sink 32 7/8” x 20 3/4” | PL-HA122 R15

White Porcelain Farmhouse Kitchen Sink 33” x 19 1/2” PL-4060

White Porcelain Fluted Farmhouse Kitchen Sink 30 1/2” x 20” PL-4050

White Fireclay Single Bowl Reversible Farmhouse Kitchen Sink 33” x 18” PL-FC103