Best of Bay

Dear Sir or Madam,

A couple weeks ago I sent you an email asking for your vote.  Apparently that was just the nomination process.  Now I’m currently running for top flooring company in Panama City.  If you don’t mind, please follow this link AGAIN and vote for me.  The main category is “Company”, and you have to scroll down halfway through everything to get to “Company” and then the subcategory “Flooring”, and then of course, Carpet One J: http://www.newsherald.com/sections/bestofbay/

It’s the last time I promise!

Thanks,

John Shepard, Carpet One Floor & Home

Bad Advice Comes Cheap

A friend of mine picked me up from the airport the other day, and the conversation eventually ended up about flooring.  Imagine that.  It seems like every conversation I end up in turns to flooring at some point or another…

Before I knew Ken, I guess he bought and installed some travertine on his own which is no surprise because he seems like a real do-it-yourselfer.  Prior military myself, like Ken, I can say confidently that most of us are the same way, and we like to have straight answers as well, which is why we research the devil out of something.

In Ken’s case, he definitely sought advice, but the problem came when his advice was incorrect.  My question is how can you know the advice is correct if you have no basis from which to judge it?  In other words, if you are a complete novice, how do you know the person giving you the advice is any more knowledgeable?

Ken’s story was just fine, and it sounded like he did a great job.  He said he lucked out by finding a guy who knew everything about tile installation at Home Depot or Lowes.  He even told him how to decrease sag in the thin set by adding Styrofoam insulation beads to the mix.  WHAT???????  What a great way to void your warranty and eliminate the longevity of the installation!  My gosh, you may as well install it using Elmer’s Glue or construction adhesive.

Here’s the scoop.  You do not use thin set to install travertine (a natural stone) in the first place.  Thin set is just that—it is thin set!  When you set stone, you have to use a medium bed mortar, or stone setting materials.  Come on people.  You big box guys give me a ton of work; unfortunately, it is always cleaning up your messes and bad advice.  Thin set mortar is used under ceramic and porcelain where thinner layers of mortar are required because the weight of the tile is nominal compared to stone.  When setting stone, you have to have a mortar that does not sag; otherwise, you end up having major difficulties as you move along keeping them level.

Adding Styrofoam beads to a mortar, against the manufacturer’s directions, does nothing but interfere with the chemical bonds created by the Portland cement once you add the water and the curing process begins.  You can throw candy in some whip cream, but it doesn’t make a milkshake.  In this case, if Ken had followed the directions on the bag, he would have realized he was using the improper setting materials in the first place because thin set states very clearly that it can only be used to set ceramic tile.

You can see from this story that bad advice really does come cheap.  Cut a corner, save a dime, reap a lifetime of unhappiness, sometimes….

The problem with showers…and the right fix…

OK, so what is all the fuss about getting a custom shower?  It is a fair question, not without merits.  A custom shower is an investment, and it is not one to be taken lightly.  Did you know that in comparison to a rain forest, your shower receives more water on a yearly basis?  In fact, the dishwasher in your home probably does not process as much water as your shower.  Given these facts, ask yourself how much it is worth to ensure you have the right materials first and, not least importantly, the right technician second.

Have you ever seen an improperly assembled, custom shower?  When you do, you will never forget it because behind the wall is a black, nasty mess.  If you are on an upper floor, the first people to realize you have a leak will be the people below you, but if you live on the ground floor, you stand a good chance of never knowing it unless the mold starts infiltrating the inside of the shower or you decide to replace the existing tile.

You may wonder how anyone can install a leaky shower.  The correct answer is that no one installs a leaky shower if they do it right!  Properly installed, a moisture membrane prevents all water from penetrating the surrounding walls and touching the studs.  The problem some tile mechanics have is that they never learned to properly prepare a shower for tile.  Many installers continue to believe that the materials used in the shower are actually waterproof when in fact they are not.

Most installers believe that concrete board and backer boards are waterproof.  This is an extreme misconception.  The boards are designed to stay together in water and not fall apart, but they absolutely do not keep water from passing through it.  There are a few water proof boards on the market.  Georgia Pacific makes one call Denshield, and it actually has a moisture membrane on the front of the board.  When you use the other boards though, you have to install a moisture barrier between the board and the studs.  Many installers are ignorant of this fact.

Another tool for you to think about is a shower system.  Shower systems are sold and marketed by certain companies to integrate with your tile in any set of circumstances.  The two main ones that I know of are Schluter Systems and Wedi.  Since our work involves Schluter extensively , I will spend my time talking about it.

The Schluter System comes with a preformed tray to place in the bottom of the shower.  Since one of the hardest tasks for an installer is providing the proper gradient to the drain in order to prevent puddling, Schluter Systems rectified this with a pre-sloped pan.  You would not believe the amount of people who overlook the necessity of a pre-slope underneath the normal shower pan.  In fact, since it is not part of the building code in some parts of the country, it is not done at all most of the time.  The pre-slope that I am talking about actually includes filling the place where the shower is located with a sloped bed of rocks or cement prior to the plumber’s installation of the rubber pan.  The rubber pan actually sits on top of the bed, and once the pre-slope is installed, water actually will run down the face of the pan into the drain.  Done without the pre-slope, the water will sit in the pan creating a moist donut shaped area around the drain where fungus and mold will love to hang out.

Once you install the tray, the Schluter kit comes with a special integrated bonding flange for the drain as well as a slip in drain that is square for ease of integration into the tile floor.  Once the tray and flange are in place, the installer simply applies the Kerdi on the walls, floor, and curb to produce an orange looking shower before tile goes in.  The key to the entire system is Kerdi which is an orange polyethylene film bonded to a layer of fleece on the front and back.  The fleece provides a bonding surface to stick to the wall and to stick to the tile.  The polyethylene layer provides 100% water tightness, even in an overlap situation.  Schluter tested their system with a four to six inch overlap and documented no seepage; therefore, they do not require you to use entire sheets of Kerdi at one time.  You simply seal it by overlapping the sheets a minimum of four inches.

Once the Kerdi is installed, the shower is ready for tile.  Place the tile in position, install the drain, grout the tile, and you are ready to take a shower.  The Schluter System really is the best on the market.  For more information on Schluter Systems, visit www.CarpetOnePanamaCity.com or www.schlutersystems.com.  Sign up for more information and to be on our mailing list.

You can buy these products at Carpet One Floor & Home which is an authorized reseller of Schluter Systems.

Professionalism, or the lack there of….

I received a call the other day from a fellow consultant in the California area working for a national chain store who is looking to open a several thousand square foot store in our community.  He consults via retainer for the company about all flooring issues, and they asked him to conduct moisture testing to ensure adequate environmental conditions prior to the installation of their floor covering.  He called me to assist.

I realized after I got off the phone with the gentleman how little emphasis gets placed upon testing for moisture by local contractors.  Even more shocking is the fact that it seems like only the largest companies apparently concern themselves with it.  Examining a national chain store, I see that they have the proper view that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

In my business I work with numerous contractors and talk with them day in and day out, and I can tell you that the level of professionalism in areas such as moisture remediation is extremely poor.  In fact, most general contractors do not even know what it is, and when you mention the need for it, they complain that you are too hard to work with.  It seems that their experience in working with other companies, who do not care, gave them a cavalier attitude that moisture and other such issues are menial.  They have yet to experience a catastrophic failure because of it.  The odd part of the matter is that when they do experience a catastrophic failure, their business will not live to tell about it.

Moisture issues on the whole are among the most insidious around, but more profound is the fact that they are preventable with relatively simple testing procedures.  Further, no construction project is immune because even the smallest house can be affected by an unseen moisture problem.  Moreover, the more important questions appear to be where it comes from and what does it affect.  Both answers are rather lengthy and less than finite.

Moisture testing gathers information quantitatively about subterranean moisture (coming from underneath the substrate).  While numerous testing methods exist, the most prevalent at this time is the Calcium Chloride test performed on top of concrete substrates.  As you might have guessed, concrete subfloors are the most common type in our region, Panama City, FL; therefore, I will tell you a little bit more about them.

Where does it come from?  Moisture comes from beneath the concrete itself as it migrates up from the ground into the structure.  Since no structure is perfectly air tight, moisture migration is a constant process, is normal, and is to be expected as long as it is controlled and not extreme.  The most typical kind of control used in concrete subfloors is the use of a plastic membrane underneath the concrete slab.  Slightly less well known is the tendency of concrete workers to poke holes in the plastic barrier to decrease drying time.  Shocking, perhaps, but yes, it happens!

When moisture reaches the surface of the concrete in acceptable quantities, it off gasses into the air and maintains normal humidity in a house.  In greater quantities, the moisture will cause problems such as dissolution of adhesives use to hold a floor down like hardwood or vinyl, rotting of floor materials such as carpet or hardwood, growth of mold in cushion or hardwood, and even worse things than these.  Found early enough, disastrous problems can be diverted, so why would you not want to know ahead of time what could happen to your hardwood, laminate, carpet, or vinyl because of unseen moisture?

The answer most general contractors seem most willing to give is that they have done it this way for years and never had a problem.  One thing I can say for certain is they do have problems, but the problems usually come after the warranty is expired.  I know this because I inspect floors and see these problems regularly, and I experience push back from general contractors all the time as they persist in trying to maintain the status quo.  As a whole, they prefer to shove their heads in the sand instead of dealing with potential problems head on.

As for me and my store, we will continue to press forward with completing our installations in accordance with industry standards.  Our integrity is too valuable to sacrifice for a few measly dollars. 

For more information on this and other topics, go to our website: www.CarpetOnePanamaCity.com.  In the meantime, insist your flooring company follows the legal boundaries set forth by the industry.  Do your due diligence in checking out their background, and you may be surprised by what you find.  I recently found that a certain company in our area who claimed to be the oldest has actually gone out of business twice, and reopened.  A simple visit to http://sunbiz.org gave me that information.  It never ceases to amaze me at what some people will do to make a dollar…

The Truth About Laminate Flooring

I was talking to a woman the other day about laminate floors, and the topic of thickness came up.  She asked, “Aren’t the thicker boards higher quality?”  Her question centered around how the thickness of a board of laminate affects the quality of the product.  It is a great question which deserves more than a cosmetic “yes” or “no” answer.  In fact, at first glance, one may say that the thicker one is better, there is more board there, but does that really matter?

It pays to look first at how laminate is made.  While laminate may look the same on the surface, it is made primarily in one of two ways.  Direct Pressure is the most prevalent method in the industry and is used to mass produce millions of feet of laminate every year.  High pressure laminate is a much more refined process taking longer to create and costing more money to achieve.  While the two processes are entirely different, the construction and layers are parallel.

All laminate has a backing that is the same thickness as the finish layer, and likewise, every laminate has a core board that gives the laminate board its structural stability as well as the ability to having a locking system by which to connect the boards together.  The core board consists of wood pulp mixed with resin and compressed.  Both the finish layer and the backing layers adhere to the core board in their respective positions

What is in the finish layer?  The finish layer consists of a photograph of an actual piece of wood, or stone, with various layers of melamine, aluminum oxide, or any other proprietary blends which give laminate its legendary scratch proof reputation.  The process through which the three parts bond together brings us back to the two processes discussed earlier: direct pressure versus high pressure.

Most manufacturers use direct pressure for a reason: It is highly cost effective to create thousands of feet of product in a cycle very quickly.  The energy used to create direct pressure laminate is substantially less as it is done at lower temperatures than the high pressure processes, and the materials used to make the direct pressure laminate are also less in that the high pressure layers are two to three times thicker than its direct pressure counter part.

In the direct pressure process, the layers of laminate come together in a continuous process through a set of rolling presses that apply the backing and photo finish layers simultaneously.  In the high pressure process, workers stack each layer of backing and photo finish layers by hand much like a quilt or blanket.  You can see these layers in the photograph above.  Once the workers finish the blankets, they stack them together, sandwiched between metal plates, in a hydraulic press.  They roll the presses into an oven, and the laminate bakes at high temperatures under constant pressure until completion.  Once completed, the layers of laminate are adhered to the core boards and cut into individual planks.  The result of the high pressure process is a highly durable product.  In fact, although you would not know it, countertops are the most widely used recipient of high pressure laminate, and currently, Wilsonart is the only manufacturer to product high pressure laminate for floors.

High pressure laminate is rare in the flooring industry, and it becomes more rare everyday.  In fact, Wilsonart announced recently that they intend to exit the flooring business entirely by December 2010 due to market conditions.  As you can imagine, high pressure laminate costs substantially more to produce: more materials, more energy, and more labor.  While Wilsonart pioneered the use of laminate in commercial applications, they could not effectively parlay the success into the residential sector primarily because of the cost, and even though a home owner stands a higher chance of having a floor that will last a lifetime with a high pressure design, it is a difficult concept to grasp when cheaper home center laminate is available.  Direct pressure laminate rolls out of facilities at a rate of thousands of feet at a time, and as the supply increases the price naturally comes down.

All of this leads us back to the original question: Does the thickness of a core board determine the value or durability of the laminate?  What do you think?  The answer still is not that simple, and sometimes the answers are definitely mutually exclusive.  The cheapest laminates certainly come thinner than normal.  I have never seen a 6mm laminate of high quality.  Alternatively though, I see many direct pressure laminates with 12mm core boards, and when compared to an 8mm High Pressure laminate, the 12mm laminate is certainly not high quality.  Why make something so thick if it does not affect the quality?  Because customers sometimes like to see thicker….Sometimes thicker just looks better I suppose.  I am also sure that it may make a difference in sound under foot; however, I have never noticed a difference.  As always, buyers must beware of every marketing technique by reading the information, looking at the warranties, and asking plenty of questions.

As always, for more information, check out our website for more information about anything involving floors.

Good Things are Happening At Carpet One!

Hello ,

I wanted to give you a brief update on some really great things happening recently here at Carpet One Floor & Home in Panama City.  First, and this one is a great achievement for me personally, I published an article in Hardwood Floors Magazine—the national publication of the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA).  As you may or may not know, I achieved a certification as Certified Wood Floor Inspector (CWFI) with the NWFA a few years ago.  Please check out the article: “Steamy Situation:  Uncontrolled Moisture Doesn’t Agree With This Beech Floor”.

Second, the Panama City Beaches Chamber of Commerce presented us with the Small Business Award for the Quarter last month during their membership meeting.  I am honored to receive this for our company, and we will proudly display it with our many other awards for service, ethics, and business practices.

As you can imagine, we owe all of this to our strong staff of dedicated employees who are accustomed to going the extra mile and leaving no stone unturned.

Thanks for your support!

John E. Shepard

President

Carpet One Floor & Home

www.CarpetOnePanamaCity.com

www.facebook.com/carpetonepanamacity

www.twitter.com/carpetonepc

 

Best of Bay

Hey,

 

I’m spreading the word about a contest my company entered called Best of Bay.  Here’s the link, and if you don’t mind, please vote for me!  http://www.newsherald.com/sections/bestofbay/

 

I am halfway down the page in the third category: COMPANIES (subcategory: flooring), and my logo is on the right hand side.  You have to scroll past FOOD & BEVERAGE and ENTERTAINMENT & LEISURE.  You can vote once per dayJ!

 

I appreciate it, and thanks very much!

 

 

John E. Shepard

President
Carpet One Floor & Home

2804 W. 23^rd St.
Panama City, FL 32405
850.785.4938
www.CarpetOnePanamaCity.com

 

Click on a link below, and see what we're doing on the web...

 

 

American Cancer Society’s Response to updated recommendations for mammography…

“The American Cancer Society continues to recommend annual screening using mammography and clinical breast examination for all women beginning at age 40. Our experts make this recommendation having reviewed virtually all the same data reviewed by the USPSTF, but also additional data that the USPSTF did not consider. When recommendations are based on judgments about the balance of risks and benefits, reasonable experts can look at the same data and reach
different conclusions.

“In 2003, an expert panel convened by the American Cancer Society conducted an extensive review of the data available at the time, which was not substantially different from the data included in the current USPSTF review. Like the USPSTF, the Society’s panel found convincing evidence that screening with mammography reduces breast cancer mortality in women ages 40-74, with age specific benefits varying depending on the results of individual trials and which trials were combined in meta-analyses. And like the USPSTF, the American Cancer Society panel also found that mammography has limitations – some women who are screened will have false alarms; some cancers will be missed; and some women will undergo unnecessary treatment. These limitations are somewhat greater in women in their forties compared with women in their fifties, and somewhat greater in women in their fifties compared with women in their sixties. We specifically noted that the overall effectiveness of mammography increases with increasing age. But the limitations do not change the fact that breast cancer screening using mammography starting at age 40 saves lives.

“As someone who has long been a critic of those overstating the benefits of screening, I use these words advisedly: this is one screening test I recommend unequivocally, and would recommend to
any woman 40 and over, be she a patient, a stranger, or a family member.

“The USPSTF says that screening 1,339 women in their 50s to save one life makes screening worthwhile in that age group. Yet USPSTF also says screening 1,904 women ages 40 to 49 in order to save one life is not worthwhile. The American Cancer Society feels that in both cases, the lifesaving benefits of screening outweigh any potential harms. Surveys of women show that they are aware of these limitations, and also place high value on detecting breast cancer early.

“With its new recommendations, the USPSTF is essentially telling women that mammography at age 40 to 49 saves lives; just not enough of them. The task force says screening women in their 40s would reduce their risk of death from breast cancer by 15 percent, just as it does for women in their 50s. But because women in their 40s are at lower risk of the disease than women 50 and above, the USPSTF says the actual number of lives saved is not enough to recommend widespread screening.  The most recent data show us that approximately 17 percent of breast cancer deaths occurred in women who were diagnosed in their 40s, and 22 percent occurred in women diagnosed in their 50s.  Breast cancer is a serious health problem facing adult women, and mammography is part of our solution beginning at age 40 for average risk women.

“The American Cancer Society acknowledges the limitations of mammography, and we remain committed to finding better tests, and currently are funding a large study to improve the accuracy of mammography. In fact, data show the technology used today is better than that used in the studies in this review, and more modern studies show that mammography is achieving better results than those achieved in these early experimental studies that go back as far as the mid-60’s. And as scientists work to make mammography even more effective, the American Cancer Society’s medical staff and volunteer experts overwhelmingly believe the benefits of screening women aged 40 to 49 outweigh its limitations.”

Dr. Otis Brawley
Chief Medical Officer
American Cancer Society
Statement on USPSTF announcement

Tips from Carpet One Floor & Home in Panama City: Moisture and Hardwood in your home

Few things will ruin your day than coming home to find your brand new wood floor buckled and broken off your floor.  Regretfully, the only cause for it is moisture, and it didn’t come from installation, unless of course, the installer didn’t place enough expansion space between the wall and the wood.

Water comes from many areas, and few people even think about it until it becomes a problem.  Unfortunately, by that time, it is too late.  They should have planned ahead.  A professional hardwood reseller knows how to look for problems before they become issues.  I’ll give you a personal example from yesterday.

I had a customer who came to my store to purchase hardwood, and she knew what she wanted before she visited me.  She had hardwood installed by us over ten years ago, and she wanted to match the product.  I happened to recognize the product on the floor immediately and was able to satisfy her product requirements immediately.  After conducting a measure and estimate, she was satisfied with the price and wanted to move forward.  Now, I told her that I needed to do a moisture test prior to completing the work, but mind you, most people take a look at the two existing rooms with wood and decide that since no issues happened with the existing wood, what could possibly happen? HA!

I took my moisture meter to the home, picked a corner of the room on an exterior wall, pulled the carpet back to expose the concrete, and immediately saw a problem.  Not only was the concrete visibly wet, underneath the carpet and pad, but the tackstrip was black and rotten.  Needless to say, it pegged my meter.  I found the same situation on the back exterior wall in another room, but not nearly as bad.

Hardwood is not for the faint hearted, and neither is it for the inexperienced.  I had to find the source because believe it or not, I’d still like to give the customer what they want: hardwood in all rooms.  A quick look around the house revealed several things to me: landscape mulch piled against the house, sprinklers hitting the home, no gutters, poor drainage, and the list goes on.

By doing this simple inspection, I found some good information for the customer.  Regardless of what she does with me and my hardwood product, she needs to fix her problem lest she find bigger ones later on: rotten walls, termites, etc…

I am glad I know what I know, but I am not happy with how I had to learn sometimes.  I made many mistakes, but I swore not to let them happen again.  If you are interested in hardwood in your home, take a look at your home to ensure you are not welcoming moisture indoors: affix gutters to your roof with downspouts leading several feet away from the home, ensure the ground slopes away from the home and the foundation is clearly above ground level, look for visible signs of moisture damage inside the house around baseboards, and hire a professional to check the moisture in your subfloor.  It will save you an arm and a leg…

Resista Carpet @ Carpet One Floor & Home® |Panama City,FL

 

Resista™ SoftStyle
Silky smooth comfort with a twist … repels stains like water off a duck’s back! Treat yourself to the superior softness, stain resistance, and lasting beauty of Resista™ SoftStyle carpet. Special soft-to-the-touch yarn technology gives it an extraordinary silky soft feel, while tighter twists and heavier weights offer exceptional toughness.
Made to look beautiful no matter how you live, Resista™ SoftStyle features a 10-YEAR NO EXCLUSION STAIN WARRANTY against ALL food and beverages, which covers most accidental household stains that most other warranties exclude such as coffee, red wine, and fruit punch. Plus, with over 60 coordinating colors in three different themes, Resista™ SoftStyle is designed to complement and enhance your lifestyle throughout your home. Trust Resista™ SoftStyle for soft comfort and lasting beauty that’s a step ahead of anything else.

Carpet One Floor & Home® |Panama City,FL

BBB announces 2006 local Torch Award winners - BBB News Center

I excerpted this article from a press release by the Better Business Bureau.  One of our proudest achievements, we won the Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics in 2006, and we continue to strive harder to achieve better results every time.  Please come check us out online!

The Better Business Bureau of Northwest Florida has announced the winner of its inaugural BBB Torch Awards for Marketplace Ethics held October 24 at the Holiday Inn Select. The BBB Torch Award honors outstanding organizations committed to promoting ethical business practices.

The winning organization for 2006, based on management practices, customer relations, advertising practices and industry reputation was Carpet One Floor and Home of Panama City.
“This organization exemplifies exceedingly high standards of business practices, truthful sales and advertising, and a reputation of giving back to the community,” said Norman Wright, BBB president. “Each day many businesses like Carpet One Floor and Home work to grow our area economy and uphold a fair marketplace.”

In addition to business awards, three high school students were recognized as BBB Student of Integrity Scholars and awarded $1,000 scholarships to the college of their choice. Winners were Luke Seaman, A. Crawford Mosley High School, Jared Crittenden, Panama City Christian School, and Justin McCoy, Altha Public School.
Sponsors of this year’s event include Landrum Companies and Copy Products Company
For more information, contact the Better Business Bureau at (850) 429-0002 or visit www.nwfl.bbb.org.

BBB announces 2006 local Torch Award winners - BBB News Center

Installation Professionals—Five Diamond Professionals, Carpet One Floor & Home® |Panama City,FL

Our installers undergo regular training to achieve the highest levels of technical and customer service expertise.  In fact, check around, and you will see that our store has the only certified installers in Panama City, FL.  It is not because we are satisfied with what we do that our people achieve excellence--it is because we care about doing more for our customers.  We demand the best from each installer, and we match their skills with each job to ensure the best possible performance.  When new products come out, we ensure proper training is received, and we pass on the newest industry information and standards to ensure that the customer receives the very best possible job the first time, every time.  Come in our store, and you will see for yourself the hard work and dedication demonstrated by our Installation Team on our Wall of Fame.

Carpet One Floor & Home® |Panama City,FL

Carpet One Floor & Home® and the American Cancer Society|Panama City,FL

American Cancer Society
John Shepard, the owner of Carpet One Floor & Home in Panama City, serves on the Operating Board for the Bay Unit of the American Cancer Society.  Fully involved with the American Cancer Society, we enjoy the opportunity to serve and give back to the community.  Through many efforts, we assisted in recruitment efforts in the community for several events as well as to fill Board positions.  The fight against cancer is a cause we chose because it helps humanity.  Click on our links to find out more!

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Carpet One Floor & Home® and National Green Select Day |Panama City,FL

National Green Select Day
Carpet One Floor & Home locations throughout North America have teamed together to clean up and beautify communities, and you're invited to join in!
So put National Green Select Day on your calendar for April 2010, and stop by a participating Carpet One Floor & Home store to sign up and take the pledge to make a difference! Getting out in our communities and actively making the world a cleaner and healthier place is an important part of being responsible citizens. National Green Select Day is an opportunity to come together with your local community and make a difference.

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Earthscapes Flooring from Carpet One Floor & Home |Panama City,FL

 

Earthscapes
Strong and beautiful with a soft touch … the perfect floor for today’s living!
Imagine flooring with the beauty of natural hardwood or tile, yet with all the resilient durability and maintenance-free convenience of vinyl - that's Earthscapes. With its revolutionary construction, it offers unmatched dimensional stability and protection against everyday wear and tear. A unique combination of luxurious cushioning and an easy-care top layer that’s amazingly comfortable to walk on, Earthscapes is also water-resistant, reduces impact noise, and feels warm underfoot. And that makes it ideal for your kitchen, family room, laundry room or anywhere you spend a lot of time on your feet. While its attractive designs and patterns mimic wood or ceramic, easy-care Earthscapes costs much less and is easy to install. Plus, it’s backed by outstanding warranties.
Step up to Earthscapes vinyl ... and discover a whole new level of beautiful flooring!

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Top 10 Pink Items for Your Home – Panama City, FL - Zabitatz: Inspiration for YOUR home

It’s October again and the pink ribbons are popping up everywhere. Here’s our list of favorite pink products that support the breast cancer cause. We’ll give you the scoop on the cool pink products for your home and what’s actually being donated.

1. Pink Snuggie. Not looking forward to another chilly winter? Saving some cash while keeping warm can be tricky, but here comes Snuggie to the rescue and a beautiful shade of pink. Stay warm and support the cause. Allstar Products Group, the maker of Snuggie, will donate $50,000 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) based on pink Snuggie sales. For only $14.99, you could be enjoying the coziness of your own beautiful Snuggie.
2. Carpet One Floor & Home Welcome Mats. We loved the last year and we’re still loving them. Now they have more new designs. Our favorite for fall….Harvest Welcome. Find your favorite at your local Carpet One Floor & Home Store. For $24.99, you get a fun indoor/outdoor welcome mat that’s machine washable. Plus a full 25% of the purchase price goes to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation or the Canadian Cancer Society depending on where the mat is sold.
3. KitchenAid. Not only do they have a line of pink appliances, but they also host events across the nation to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure®. You can also get involved with Cook for the Cure by hosting your own party. Visit the Cook for a Cure website for your party planning kit.
4. Cuisinart. Cusinart has a whole line of pink appliances. They’ll be donating $30,000 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation so if you love pink, you have to check out
   these fun appliances. Don’t miss the EasyPop popcorn maker. It gives old-fashioned air poppers a new look. More at Cuisinart.com.
5. Tomboy Tools. Tomboy Tools will be donating proceeds from specific pink products, like the Impact Drill, to the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. You can also find them joining the walkers in Wellness Village in the "Tool School 101 Tent". They will be doing various "How To" demonstrations. You will learn such things as the basics of tool knowledge, how to repair drywall in Find Your Stud, how to operate power tools in Power Up and more! Don't be shy! The Tomboy Tools women encourage hands-on training and want you to gain the experience you need to walk away with the confidence to complete your own home projects.
6. Earth Totes. You can be “green” and “pink” all at the same time with these roomy multipurpose totes. Use them for groceries, books, or anything you need to carry. $5.00 from the sale of every bag will be donated to the Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Crusade. Large totes are $18.00 and be purchase through the Earth Totes website.
7. Culinary Arts: Tea Party Dinnerware. Set a charming table with this set of earthenware in a mix and match hand-painted pattern. The dishes are available at target.com for $49.99. $2 of each set sold will benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Available at Target.
   
8. Yankee Candle. Enjoy the fresh sent of Mandarin Cranberry in this beautiful pink candle. Yankee Candle supports the National Breast Cancer Foundation in their mission to fund mammograms for those in need. Give a light of hope to those affected by this disease. Plus, enjoy the wonderful Mandarin Cranberry fragrance which is bursting with the vibrant, fruity sensation of sweet, sunny oranges and crisp, tangy cranberries.
9. Teleflora: Pink Hope Bouquet. This adorable pink bouquet arrives in a delicate pink satiny cylinder bursting with pink lilies and roses. It will make a perfect centerpiece for the next dinner you host. The arrangement is $49.95 and 15% will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Available at teleflora.com.
10. Floral Sculpted Nesting Bowls. The centerpiece is not the only place to make a statement with flowers. Check out these flower shaped nesting bowls in durable Melamine. Not only does Spoonsisters.com donate ten percent of sales of these pink beauties to the Continuum Cancer Centers of New York, but the manufacturer also donates 5% to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Top 10 Pink Items for Your Home - Zabitatz: Inspiration for YOUR home

Relax, It’s Lees Stain Proof Carpet |Panama City,FL

  LEES®
Relax, it’s Lees® … a carpet like no other with a warranty to match!
Discover the perfect combination of beauty and worry-free toughness. Lees® carpet is designed to fit the world you live in with ground-breaking stain protection and lasting construction. Available in a range of styles and colors for every taste and need, Lees® carpet features Ultra 25® with Scotchgard™ Protector – stain protection so strong it’s backed by the exclusive “NO EXCLUSIONS” ULTRA 25® STAIN WARRANTY which covers stains other carpet warranties don’t: pet stains, grease, mustard, coffee, cola and more. That’s beauty with peace of mind.
In addition, the patented ExtraLoc® backing has double the density of standard carpet construction for extraordinary stability and strength. Count on Lees® carpet for unmatched beauty and performance in your home.

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Carpet One Floor & Home® and Animal Welfare |Panama City,FL

  Animal Welfare
Our pet-friendly Lees products led us to partner with animal welfare charities through the Muddiest Buddies campaigns. Most recently, we partnered with the Delta Society, a leading international resource on the human-animal bond.  A core program is Pet Partners, in which over 10,000 volunteers are trained and registered so they can safely and effectively share the healing power of their pets with hospitalized patients, seniors in assisted living care centers, patients in hospice care, children learning to reading, and so much more.   Other programs include the Service Dog Referral Center and the web-based Human-Animal Bond Resource Center. To learn more, visit www.deltasociety.org

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A Little About Carpet One Floor & Home

WHY CARPET ONE FLOOR & HOME?

With over a thousand stores worldwide, we not only have enormous buying power, but we have partners in all of the major brands, mills, and manufacturers. We've done the research for you. Just tell us your needs, and we'll satisfy them beyond your expectations. We offer the largest selection of carpet, hardwood, laminate, ceramic tile, vinyl, area rugs and more - and you'll always find the best products and great savings... everyday.

ONLY THE BEST IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU.

Our exclusive brands like Relax, it's Lees® , Bigelow®, Good Housekeeping™, Hanover Hills™ Hardwood, Rustic River Hardwood, Bellisima Tile, and Mirror Lake™ Laminate set the industry standard for beauty, style, and quality. In fact, every floor we offer has more than surpassed our own high standards of performance and comfort.

WE'RE YOUR PERSONAL ASSISTANT WHEN IT COMES TO FLOORING.

Expertise is what we offer you on so many levels. Our sales professionals are trained to ask the right questions, guide you through our easy-to-understand selection systems, and work with you to create exciting solutions. Flooring is our first language.

SELECTAFLOOR™ DOES MOST OF THE WORK FOR YOU.

Wait until you see our SelectAFloor™ system. It's the perfect tool to navigate through the many flooring products, warranties, and colors to find what ultimately fits your needs and lifestyle. If your hectic home or work schedule still won't let you come to the store, you can purchase a beautiful new floor right online using the easy navigation. Request samples to see how they look in your room, have your rooms professionally measured for free and have a certified installer come to your home to have your new floor installed. The entire process can be completed without even entering the store

PROFESSIONAL INSTALLATION WITH A PERSONAL TOUCH.

We believe in flawless execution every step of the way, so our work continues even after you've left the store. We are experts in flooring installation, and we stand behind our work with a "Life of Floor" warranty. After all, this is your home we're talking about.

WE ARE YOU AND A PART OF YOUR COMMUNITY.

Each Carpet One® Floor & Home flooring store is locally owned and operated. We are your neighbors. We work and live in your community and understand your needs. So you can expect integrity, the very best personal service, value, and warranties.

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Fall Cleaning Checklist, Carpet One Panama City- Zabitatz: Inspiration for YOUR home

 

Fall Cleaning Checklist

• Added on September 16, 2009 at 8:05am

Fall is just around the corner and there’s lots you can do to get your home clean and organized for the winter hibernation. Don’t know where to start? Zabitatz is here to help with a checklist of tasks for your fall cleaning. Check them off one project at a time and before you know it, you’ll be enjoying a cozy winter in a clean and organized home.

Let’s start off simple…

• Thoroughly dust all the rooms in your house taking everything off of shelves and getting every corner.
• Vacuum/Sweep all floors moving furniture out of the way as you go so you are cleaning every inch. Make not of any areas that will need extra cleaning
• Wipe down walls and closet doors.
• Wash or dry-clean curtains and drapes and wipe down blinds and shades.
• Pull out those heavy blankets and bedding and make sure they’re fresh and clean.
• Clean and air out area rugs.

Step it up a notch…

• Clean all your outdoor furniture and store it in your garage or basement to protect is during the winter months.
• Pull out dead annuals from outdoor flower pots and store them for next year.
• Clean out the gutters. You’ll want to wait until after all the leaves have fallen off the trees so you don’t have to do it again. While you’re up on the ladder, take a look at the roof and make sure it’s ready for winter.
• Rake the leaves and clean up any debris in the yard to protect your lawn and help it come back strong next spring. .
• Clean the windows inside and out, change out your screens for storm windows.

The nitty gritty…

• Rotate summer to winter wardrobes in your closet. Get rid of any summer clothes that you didn’t wear over the summer.
• Clean the grill and put it in the garage or make sure it is covered securely.
• Have your chimneys cleaned and clean out any wood stoves or fire places.
• Clean out the refrigerator including the coils on the back. Pull the refrigerator away from the wall and clean underneath.
• Have your heating system checked. Change any air filters, dust baseboard heaters and clean vents.

Fall Cleaning Checklist - Zabitatz: Inspiration for YOUR home