Flooring shown from Atlas Concorde

When choosing the flooring for your brand new home (or updating an older home undergoing renovation) you will have many luxurious choices to pick from. Bamboo, hardwood, cork, vinyl, laminate, ceramic tile, stone tile, leather, rubber…it’s enough to make you dizzy, just thinking of all the available beautiful options.

Just 15 – 20 years ago, there were fewer options, and homeowners had to be content with having a floor that looked just like their neighbor’s floor. There were “expected” places to put certain types of flooring, and it was difficult for homeowners to personalize their floors. Floors were, for the most part, predictable.

Fast forward to today. Rather than just having access to carpet and vinyl options, you’ve got many more luxurious flooring options – including a few that are even eco-friendly. Recent discoveries have found that vinyl flooring can contain noxious chemicals that can continue to be emitted long after installation. Additionally, carpet and rugs have been found to harbor incredible amounts of allergens. These traditional flooring options are not environmentally friendly, and the trend in luxury flooring has been to lean towards greener flooring options. These include bamboo, cork, ceramic tiles, stone tiles, porcelain tiles, and palm woods – with bamboo and cork topping the list.

Bamboo is a great alternative to your typical hardwood flooring. Its beauty is just now catching on, and it is still very mysterious and alluring to those who see it. Many people will not believe that your beautiful, durable, and brilliant hardwood floor is actually made from bamboo, a natural resource. Bamboo flooring is made from the bamboo plant. When pressed, bamboo flooring’s durability is increased. You will also get that desirable smooth, glossy appearance, and you can stain a bamboo flooring as well.

Cork is made from the bark of the cork tree; the harvesting does not harm the tree in any way. Cork is a brilliant flooring option for areas where you want to muffle sound – like in a basement or on stair treads. It is hypo-allergenic and anti-microbial.

So, if you want a floor on the cutting edge of luxury, you needn’t look further than what Mother Nature has to offer.

To speak with one of our design consultants, please call us at 1-800-764-1633.

Bamboo Flooring by Duro Design

Today, the trend in home improvement is all about bamboo flooring. It is a sustainable, green product that has an exclusive allure to all those who tread upon it. Bamboo flooring is a durable alternative to traditional wood floors, and all your visitors who come for a friendly game of pool or one of your dinner parties will want to know more about your beautiful and attractive floor.

If you have already made the decision to have bamboo flooring installed in your home, you may have run across two different types of bamboo flooring grades– commercial grade and consumer grade. Perhaps you are now trying to decide which of these two grades of bamboo flooring you should have installed.

The answer is simple. Do you expect to use your floor? Walk upon it? Place furniture upon it?

Of course.

Then, the only real choice is commercial grade bamboo flooring. Commercial grade bamboo flooring is more durable and harder than typical consumer grade bamboo flooring. While bamboo flooring is hard anyway, you want to be sure that your flooring looks attractive for years to come. And a commercial grade bamboo is made in such a way as to stand up to years of traffic, and maintain its beauty throughout.

While the commercial grade bamboo flooring will cost more up front, this cost is recouped when you see how well the commercial grade bamboo flooring holds up over time. Rather than pay for brand new flooring and yet another installation usually found with lesser-quality materials, your commercial grade bamboo flooring will stand the test of time. You may also want to consider the amount of time that you won’t spend picking your way around your displaced furniture as it is moved a second (or even a third!) time.

What makes commercial grade bamboo flooring so special? Unlike consumer grade bamboo flooring, commercial grade bamboo flooring contains smaller pieces and strips alike that are woven together, molded, and glued together under intense pressure. This added step increases the strength of the flooring, and keeps your floors looking gorgeous for years.

To speak with one of our design consultants, please call us at 1-800-764-1633.

This is where the certification of wood flooring comes in.

This process of evaluating wood products and their origins can date back to the early nineties, when choosy homeowners wanted to be sure that they were choosing wood products created by ecologically reputable companies. It was difficult to discern a high-grade product from a wood product created by Bob’s Discount Lumber. Today, if you go to any reputable lumber yard, you will see planks of wood with the stamp “FSC Certified,” which tells you that this product meets the highest standards for eco-friendly wood.

FSC is an acronym for Forest Stewardship Council and is the most recognized of the three major certification program sponsors (the others being the Sustainable Forest Initiative [SFI], and the Canadian Standards Association).

The Forest Stewardship Council developed first out of the three sponsors, and has received the most support from worldwide recognized environmental organizations; these include The World Wildlife Fund and Sierra Club. The FSC upholds its reputation by contracting with third-party auditors to get independent examinations and evaluations. These third-party organizations include Smartwood and Scientific Certification Systems.

The Sustainable Forest Initiative was created in 1994 from the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA); this organization oversees the standards in the paper industry.

Finally, the Canadian Standards Association works in Canada and provides certification and stringent standards to follow for wood products from all over the world. The Canadian Standards Association is also responsible for the National Standard for Sustainable Forest Management of Canada.

If you are looking for ways to help the environment, seek out wood products that were created with the environment in mind — look for certified wood flooring products. When you purchase certified wood flooring products, you are not only getting a beautiful floor, but you are being eco-conscious as well. They may cost a little more, but you are helping to ensure that the expansive and marvelous forests will be around for years to come.

To speak with one of our design consultants, please call us at 1-800-764-1633.

There are a myriad of color choices available for the choosy consumer. For those of you who have lighter furniture pieces in your home, you may want to select your African Safari wood flooring in a beautiful Mochawood to play off the lighter tones.

If you have heavier furniture pieces and want to lighten up the mood of the room, check into the African Cedarwood or African Zebrawood to visually open up the room and bring a sense of relief to an otherwise dark room.

With this unique and exciting exotic hardwood, your room will definitely be the center of conversation whenever you have guests over. You will want glass coffee tables and to go rug-less just to allow the beauty of African Safari wood flooring to be seen at all times. The sun’s effect on this marvelous flooring is also one that will make you hold your breath. As this wood was raised in the heart of Africa, it embraces the sun’s light like a lost lover.

One typical buying option for African Safari Woodfloors is one box that covers 26.910 square feet, and weighs 48 pounds. Each plank is 0.500 inches thick, and will feature an Aluminum Oxide finish.

This wood will come with a smooth surface, ready to be worked. The edge type of these planks is micro-beveled, with a micro-beveled end type as well. That means you can have little grooves between each plank.

African Safari Woodfloors has a brown color to it, and is of the Wenge species. African Safari wood flooring also has a Janka hardness rating of 1630. To compare, white oak registers at 1360 and North American maple registers at 1450. You can either glue down the planks or install them with staples – the choice is up to you. And the beauty is yours for a lifetime.

To learn more about African Safari Woodfloors, please contact one of our design consultants at 1-800-764-1633.

Triangulo Hardwood flooring comes in Exotic Solid wood flooring and in Engineered Hardwood flooring lines.

Triangulo Exotic Solid wood flooring is made with 3/4″ thick solid wood, and you can find this flooring assembled with tongue and groove sides. Note that the random nature of Triangulo Hardwood flooring’s exotic solid hardwood flooring will ensure that your flooring will not look like your neighbor’s floor.

As many as 9 coats of aluminum oxide will coat your beautiful Triangulo Exotic Solid wood flooring to ensure that your flooring will last throughout the ages, in addition to enhancing the wood’s natural beauty. One advantage that the solid wood flooring carries is the ability to be re-sanded and refinished over many years. Your floor may even outlast your home!

Some of the woods that are available through the Triangulo Exotic Solid wood flooring line include Brazilian Cherry (Jatoba), Tigerwood, Brazilian Chestnut, Amendoim, and Brazilian Teak. The Brazilian Cherry, Tigerwood, Brazilian Chestnut, and Amendoim can be found in 3.25″ widths, the Brazilian Teak comes in 3″ widths, and the Brazilian Cherry, Tigerwood, & Brazilian Chestnut can also be found in 5″ widths.

Triangulo Hardwood Flooring’s Engineered Flooring line has top of the line processes in place to make their engineered flooring the best in the industry. Each under layer is made of real wood (or plies) and is glued under pressure in different directions for maximum strength and long-lasting durability.

This way of constructing engineered flooring makes it a more stable choice over solid hardwood flooring. Unlike solid hardwood flooring, Triangulo Engineered Flooring line is resistant to the shrinkage and expansion caused by environmental conditions, and you can install these floors over a mature concrete slab. You can find this type of flooring in the following species: Amendoim, Brazilian Cherry (Jatoba and Royal Jatoba), Brazilian Chestnut, Brazilian Pecan, Brazilian Pecan (Coca), Brazilian Walnut, and Tigerwood. All species are available in the .5″ x 5.25″ and 3/8″ x 3.25″, however, only the Amendoim, Brazilian Cherry, Brazilian Chestnut, Brazilian Walnut, and Tigerwood is available in the 5/16″ x 5″ sizes.

To learn more about Triangulo Hardwood Flooring, please contact one of our design consultants at 1-800-764-1633.

The heartwood ranges from honey-gold to brown and the sapwood ranges from a cream color to straw-like color. Australian cypress has darker knots throughout its typically straight grain. It’s the color variations that attract many people to install this rustic beauty.

Australian Cypress has some special characteristics that must be known and appreciated before installing. The color changes over time with slight muting and possible ambering. Australian Cypress is the only commercial softwood that is harder than red oak, but it is still softwood that can crack slightly in and around the knots. Some people find these exact characteristics the best qualities of Australian Cypress. If you want a floor that will not change and develop over time, Australian Cypress probably is not for your home or office.

Machining and sanding are not difficult with this product but it can be brittle. Care must be taken when nailing in boards. Australian Cypress takes to staining well mostly, but the knots can be more challenging when it comes to staining. Before selecting a stain, test the stain on the knots first to see if it holds or fails.

The Janka hardness of this wood from Down Under is 1375 and is 1 percent harder than white oak, 5 percent softer than hard maple and 62 percent as hard as santos mahogany. Of the softwoods, Australian Cypress reigns as the most superior.

Color variations, changing character, and rustic finishes make Australian Cypress the ideal choice for those environments looking for warm and inviting flooring.

To learn more about Australian Cypress hardwoods, please contact one of our design consultants at 1-800-764-1633.

Unlike most other South American species, Amendoim does not darken in color over time. This flooring naturally showcases a pinkish red finish that brings an elegant beauty to any room. Applying lacquer or oil-based finishes can deepen its color over time  to help preserve its rich pinkish red color.

Amendoim is rarer than many other Brazilian wood species harvested today. It weighs about 3 pounds per square foot, with a Janka hardness of 1,912, making it a very heavy and durable product. Amendoim resists heavy traffic, dings and dents very well. This sturdy exotic species remains fairly easy to install when using either hand or power tools, as it glues and nails with ease. Unlike some exotics, Amendoim is an agreeable wood that polishes and stain with an attractive finish.

The most difficult aspect of working with this pinkish exotic is its limited availability. Those wishing to install Amendoim in the United States will most likely have to settle with standard, pre-milled lengths and widths. Typically Amendoim is imported in bundles measuring 7-feet long and widths of 2¼” and 5″. Due to South American localities trying to support their local economies with milling factories, it is very difficult to obtain the lumber of Amendoim in this country. While Amendoim lumber can be imported, it will cost almost double.

Amendoim an attractive flooring option. The dense nature of this species, its finish versatility and installation flexibility make it a perfect fit for any space needing elegant durability.

To learn more about Amendoim hardwoods, please contact one of our design consultants at 1-800-764-1633.

IndusParquet has the flooring you want — beautiful hardwood floors that have a durable hardwood core.

Just some of the species of engineered hardwood that IndusParquet offers include: Amendoim, Brazilian Cherry, Santos Mahogany, Tauari, Tigerwood, Timboana, American Cherry, American Maple, Red Oak, and White Oak. Whatever kind of hardwood you’re looking for, chances are, IndusParquet has got it! Colors of IndusParquet’s flooring choices range from reddish brown (check out the Brazilian Cherry!) to beige-pink (look at that Amendola!).

IndusParquet knows flooring they’ve been in business since 1894. This company is the brainchild of two Italian immigrant families living in Brazil, and over 100 years later, IndusParquet is still going strong. Today, this thriving business distributes products to 23 different countries worldwide, and manages manufacturing and distribution sites over five different continents.

IndusParquet offers a seven-ply cross grain construction for extra durability, and is kiln dried and precision milled. For those do-it-yourselfers, IndusParquet flooring comes in tongue-and groove fit and is end-matched to make installation a snap; you can install this flooring above or below grade following glue down instructions over concrete or sub-flooring. This kind of exquisite flooring also comes with a 10 coat aluminum oxide finish and UV cured. This means it will withstand the test of time! You can find this in 5/16″ x 3″ and 5/16″ x 6 1/4.”

IndusParquet is environmentally conscious, too; they work to use all wood material that is harvested from sustainable sources. Unlike some companies, IndusParquet walks the walk they adhere to the Principles and Criteria of the Forest Stewardship Council.

In addition, Ibama (the Brazilian Institute for Environment and Renewable Resources) approves the usage of all their raw materials. Not only does this company look out for Mother Nature, but IndusParquet also helps out its local communities by offering education assistance to impoverished kids. IndusParquet also invests in our youth by offering work programs to our communities teenagers, teaching them valuable life lessons and the ability to learn trade skills. So when you invest in a product coming from IndusParquet, you are making an investment in your community.

To learn more about IndusParquet, please contact one of our design consultants at 1-800-764-1633.