Luxury vinyl tile is softer underfoot and easier to install for do it yourselfers than traditional ceramic tile. The following 5 steps are all it takes to install your very own luxury vinyl tile.

Prep the Floor

Strip away old floor coverings, smooth out any areas that are not level, and prepare the trim. Trim can be measured and notched using an upside-down tile as a guide. It is important to assess and address the soundness of the base floor during this time. Any sections that are no longer sound should be replaced before continuing and may require a professional.

Install Underlayment

Luxury Vinyl Tile can be installed onto and over just about any surface. The tile can be glued directly to some surfaces, while a vinyl underlayment will allow the installation of a floating floor over any surface. Floating floor installations are not recommended in rooms that will have multiple heavy pieces of permanent furniture.

Set the Pattern

Take the time to measure out the spacing for the tiles before laying any glue down. Plan to center a tile or a seem with the door to the room and try to minimize needed cuts by spacing the tiles to be as near full sized as possible along the walls. Mark on the underlayment where outline of the guide tiles, as well as the center points of the room.

Set the Tiles

Apply the adhesive to the underlayment or base floor, starting at the back wall working toward the guide door. Set the luxury vinyl tile on the adhesive following the guidelines from the previous step, starting at the guide door working to the back. Spacers ensure a consistently square application across the room. Luxury vinyl tiles are fairly fixed once laid flat against the adhesive. To fit tiles under trim, hold one end aloft while the other skims over the adhesive into place beneath the trim.

Finishing

After all the tiles are in place, ensure all spacers have been removed and apply a floor weight to ensure even adhesion to the underlayment or base floor. After the luxury vinyl tiles are in place, keep close to the seams while grouting. Unlike traditional ceramic tiles, the entire tile doesn’t need to be covered over with grout to ensure a smooth and even seal. After the grout is cleaned up, let the adhesive set according to manufacturer directions.

That’s it!

 

Take advantage of low pricing and call or come to Callaghan’s Flooring Design Showroom today for a complete selection of Luxury Vinyl Tiles, cash and carry.

While things have begun to return to a new normal and people have resumed in-person work, many still work from home. Spending more time around the house may lead to more wear and tear in the most trafficked parts of our homes, and the necessity of home improvements becomes more noticeable than ever. The question is, update or replace? There are many flooring options to consider for high traffic areas, and replacing outdated floors with ceramic tile may be the right answer.

Easy to Clean

Glazed ceramic tile in the kitchen, bathroom or entry hall is an easy-to-clean surface that even the harshest cleaning materials won’t damage. Deep gouges, delamination, cuts and gashes will never be a problem with ceramic tile. Mud, snow, and stains of all sorts quickly and easily are removed from ceramic tile surfaces, most without the need for chemicals of any kind.

Timeless Style

Ceramic tile is available in innumerable styles, shapes, colors, and finishes. From square blocks of varied sizes to custom mosaic installations of uniquely shaped pieces, there’s a perfect size and shape ceramic tile for any setting. Available with wood grain reproductions, bright glossy colors, soothing matte pastels, and any style in between, ceramic tile is batch crafted to appeal to all style.

Enduring Investment

Professionally installed ceramic tiles last a lifetime with little maintenance, perfect for busy working areas. The ceramic tile itself is stain and damage resistant, with ceramic tile floors from the time of the Roman empire existing intact to this day.

Energy Efficient

Ceramic tile releases heat, keeping homes cool. In the hallway, kitchen, or back sunroom, ceramic tile keeps your feet cool and your summertime energy costs down. Slow to accept heat and slow to release it, the thermal properties of ceramic tile helps insulate the home against rapid temperature spikes.

 

Beat the heat and come by our renovated luxury show room or call to schedule a consultation with our experts today!

When something is made in the USA, what often comes to mind is quality—a trusted workforce, precision craftsmanship, premium materials.  Many hardwood floor and carpet manufacturers proudly promote the fact that they make products using resources and a workforce that are indeed made in the USA.  Considering the past struggles of 2020 and in observance of our nation’s Independence Day this July 4^th, we want to celebrate some of the made in the USA companies Fred Callaghan has partnered with for many years.

Bruce Hardwood

Bruce Hardwood has been creating home flooring products right here in the United States for 100 years. Today, skilled craftsmen and women in 6 plants across the country produce their hardwood. Most of those USA-made products are harvested from the Appalachian Mountains, making Bruce our nation’s leading manufacturer of North American hardwood flooring. Appalachian-sourced wood is known for its clear grain, consistent color and excellent stability.

Armstrong Flooring

For more than a century, Armstrong Flooring has manufactured trusted home flooring solutions primarily in the U.S. With six plants across the United States, they remain committed to designing and manufacturing a broad range of flooring types for your home that are made in the USA with domestic and global content.

Karastan Carpet

 Karastan has been known as, “The Wonder Rugs of America.” This company originated in 1928 with the intent to design both comfy and luxurious rugs. They’ve managed to create woven rugs which are resistant to everyday wear and tear.   This company was first located in North Carolina before expanding their horizons. They’re known all over the world for creating durable yet beautiful carpets and rugs.

Masland Carpet & Rugs

Masland Carpets and Rugs, like many early American manufacturers, has a long history of hard work and innovation.  Masland Carpets and Rugs was founded in Pennsylvania in 1866 and still today boasts of its heritage as the leading carpet manufacturer in the United States. Since 1866, Masland has insisted that its carpets and rugs maintain the highest quality. The tradition of manufacturing quality products has been practiced for 150 years and continues to be practiced today.

Mohawk Carpet

 Ever since they rolled out the first Mohawk carpets in 1878, Mohawk has built quality into every flooring product they make.  They continue that tradition today with revolutionary product innovation, award-winning design, and a talented team dedicated to outstanding service. And they are proud to assemble 100% of their carpet products in the United States—and proud to lead the industry as a trusted brand in flooring.

Founded in 1925, Fred Callaghan Carpet and Flooring would like to wish our customers, family and friends a safe and happy Fourth of July.  We too are Made In The USA!

Spring is a time of refreshment, so why not work from the ground up? New flooring can breathe a clean updated look into your home, no matter what room or rooms you choose to tackle. Whether you install new carpet in the bedroom, beautiful hardwood in the dining area or a durable tile floor in the kitchen, flooring can be an affordable and fast home improvement project.

Sunny spring days can help to accurately gauge how different flooring options will appear in a specific room. If the room or rooms receiving new flooring feature large windows or receive ample natural light, you will want to bring in flooring samples to get a true look at the color, design, and texture of your favorite styles. Sunlight in winter and fall is typically not as full as the sunshine in the spring and summer, so use the vibrant season to decide if the look you love in the showroom is the best fit in the actual space in your home.

Fred Callaghan Carpet & Flooring invites you schedule a consultation with one of our design team professionals, or just stop by to look at the many new options we have in luxury vinyl tile, hardwood flooring and carpet.

The sound of power tools is roaring in neighborhoods across the United States.  And all along Chester County neighborhoods, do-it-yourself and home improvement projects have been in full swing.  Once COVID hit, families needed someplace the kids could play and learn. Playhouses went up in the back yard, basements were converted to school rooms, dens were now home offices.

Necessity is one factor driving the building boom. Americans have been forced to use their houses more — and differently. But that doesn’t account for the huge spike in demand documented by Max Anderson, chief economist at Porch.com. The company is an online marketplace connecting homeowners to contractors.”This is all-time highs,” Anderson says. “In terms of like measured history in the United States, this is the, the highest levels of, of home improvement spending we’ve ever seen. “Home improvement spending has been on a long steady rise, so it’s not too surprising that U.S. homeowners are on track to spend more than ever, but the surge in demand is striking.  Anderson measures demand based on searches for home improvement service projects on Porch.com. During the third quarter of 2020, the company tracked 330 million U.S. Google searches for home improvement work — that’s up almost 50% from the same period last year.

Anderson says that just over 3 out of 4 homeowners whom Porch.com surveyed have completed a major project since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and roughly the same percentage have one on the drawing board. Homeowners younger than 40 are the most likely to have completed projects this year, though more than half of baby boomers have done home improvement work too. 

Rock-bottom interest rates also make home improvements more attractive. And he says that in unsettling times, spending on one’s home can be a comforting investment.  People aren’t going on vacations or going out to restaurants, so they’re appreciating their homes more and spending money on them.  Many people have money to spare so they are updating their vacation homes and upgrading their primary homes, too.

More than three-quarters of U.S. homeowners did at least one home improvement since the start of the pandemic, according to a July survey by Porch, a home-services website. While 61% of homeowners did outdoor work to improve their garden, patio or the structure of their home, 58% made interior improvements such as replacing their floors or renovating a bathroom. Homeowners spent a median of $17,140 since the pandemic began on home improvements.

Fred Callaghan Carpet & Flooring invites you to stop by or schedule a consultation with one of our design team professional to discuss ideas for your next carpet, tile, or hardwood flooring project.