The Carpet Store is located at 1170 Victoria Street North Kitchener and has been in business for the past 16 years. Take a stroll through their showroom and explore their many products and brands. They carry area rugs, carpeting, ceramic/porcelain, flooring accessories, laminate floors, vinyl/resilient, wood flooring, and more. They specialize in helping you find exactly what you need for your home. The Carpet Store can be reached by phone at 519-743-6905. The Carpet Store...Where Great Floors Begin!

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Tips of the month

August - Why is it important to use the right underpad for your carpet?

Why should you buy an underpad for the carpet you just bought? It will help you maintain the "value" of your investment. An underpad will help absorb traffic and the wear and tear on your carpet. It will add comfort, plus, it will add years to the lifespan of your carpet. Some manufactuers have specific requirements of carpet pad for warrenty purposes. Make sure you check your carpet warrenty first, before buying your underpad.
July - Do you suffer from Allergies?

Did you know that well maintained carpeting may help reduce the number of airborn allergens in your home?
Carpeting helps trap allergens until they may be swept or vacuumed away. It is recommended to vacuum your furniture and mattresses with regularity too, not just your floors! Vacuuming anything in your home that has high "human contact" plus maintaining the relative humidity of your house below 60% will help minimize dust mites.
Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl flooring is one of the most affordable flooring options you will find. Other factors that make it a popular choice are easy installation, versitility, low maintenance and durability. Vinyl may be installed over any standard underlayment, if prepared properly, including concrete, ceramic tile, wood or old vinyl. It is also an especially good choice for rooms in your home below grade. Vinyl offer a variety of colours and patterns to meet your decorating tastes. Vinyl is easy to maintain because it only requires regular sweeping and occasionally mopping.
Laminate Flooring

Are you considering installing Laminate Flooring in your home? Here are some of the key benefits of choosing Laminate flooring. First of all, laminate will not fade if it is installed in areas that get a lot of sun. Laminate is very easy to maintain if you are looking for a low maintenance option. Laminate is easy to install, which makes it a good option for do it yourselfers. Laminate is more durable than hardwood so it will not dent as easily. Laminate is easy to clean and it is more resistant to stains than hardwood.
April - How to care for your real hardwood floors!

If you have hardwood floors, you want to ensure you take care of them. Follow these tips to maintain the beauty of your hardwood floors. Make sure you use felt pad on the bottom of all furniture. Ask family members to lift furniture instead of pushing it. If you have children, try to prevent use of toys with hard plastic wheels on your hardwood. If you are going to vacuum your hardwood make sure you use a specific attachment designed for hardwood! Ask family and guests to use mats at all entryways to keep sand and dirt off your hardwood because it is abrasive and causes scratches. Ask first, before you use a treatment on your hardwood floors to ensure you are using the right product on the right type of flooring. The sun will damage your hardwood floors just like it will damage your skin, so prevent fading by keeping drapes/blinds closed when possible. Clean up immediately - make sure any liquid spilled on your hardwood is wiped up right away. Avoid wearing high heels or any type of footwear that will leave imprints on your hardwood floor. Finally, if you have pets, ensure that their nails are kept short at all times to prevent them from scratching your hardwood.
February - What should you consider when choosing carpeting for your home?

There are many factors that you should consider when it comes to buying carpet for your home. Location, high traffic areas should have high quality carpeting, so that it doesn't ware and fade quickly, causing you to have to replace it premarturely. Do you have children? If yes, you may want to purchase stain resistant carpet. The value will be in the longevity of the product, so ask yourself if you want to pay the price now for quality, or if you want to pay later by having to replace it in a couple of years. Choose colour wisely - it will set the tone for your home decor and will impact the resale value of your home. Finally...for most people cost is a major consideration. If you are planning on selling, don't buy the most expensive carpet you can find, you may not get the money back in the sale of your home. If you are planning on staying in your home for years to come, it is advised to buy good quality and to make sure you really like it!
Always remember to rinse. Yeah! you got that stain out of your carpet. It is very important that you immediately,m thoroughly rinse the area with clean water. This prevents leftover detergent in the carpet form developing "soil' buildup by attracting dirt, while the area is still wet. It is also important to try not to use the affected area until it is dry.

Most recently answered questions

What is the best way to clean solid hardwood floors with a factory finish. Should a cleaner be used on a weekly basis or simply vacuum and clean less frequently.

When cleaning hardwood flooring, it is important to remember that there is that protective finish on the floor. Cleaning too often with harsh chemical cleaners will result in additional wearing down of that finish, decreasing the lifespan (and often voiding the warrantee) of your hardwood floor. Optimal cleaning strategies include sweeping or vacuuming with a soft brush piece of your vacuum, or even using something like Swiffer floor cloths, which gently trap dust and small particles of dirt. Wash floors with a damp cloth for more stubborn areas of dirt. Try and use chemical cleaners only periodically or when absolutely needed. There are products available specifically for hardwood floors, some of which we do carry.

What is the best way to clean a very expensive laminate floor, the kind with the grooves that collect dirt? Also, can you repair a nail scratch to a laminate floor?

Use a damp cloth to blot up spills as soon as they happen. Never allow liquids to stand on your floor.
Sweep, dust, or vacuum the floor regularly with the hard floor attachment (not the beater bar) to prevent accumulation of dirt and grit that can scratch or dull the floor finish
Periodically clean the floor with cleaning products made specifically for laminate floor care
Do not wash or wet mop the floor with soap, water, oil-soap detergent, or any other liquid cleaning material. This could cause swelling, warping, delamination, and joint-line separation, and likely void the warranty
Do not use steel wool, abrasive cleaners, or strong ammoniated or chlorinated type cleaners
Do not use any type of buffing or polishing machine
For spots such as candle wax or chewing gum, harden the spot with ice and then gently scrape with a plastic scraper, such as a credit card. Be careful not to scratch the flooring surface. Wipe clean with a damp cloth
Currently we have two laminate cleaners available in our store that we recommend to consumers:

1) HG Laminate Wash and Shine - This product is used for deep cleaning situations. It works by leaving minuscule acrylic balls behind on the flooring surface, resulting in superior protection of the surface against scratching and wear. This product also prevents laminate floors from becoming dull by cleaning and adding shine.

2) Another HG product that is gentle enough for daily use. It removes light areas of dirt from laminate floor in no time.

For both of these cleaners, it is very important to closely follow the directions so that the laminate does not become too wet. Making the floor too wet can lead to joint swelling and eventual warping of the laminate boards. Remember that grooves in any flooring product make it harder to keep clean. Vacuuming and sweeping will help to decrease dirt build-up in these grooves. Dust removal products, such as Swiffer cloths, can be effective in removing lighter particles of dirt and debris.

In terms of repairing damages to the laminate floor, such as a nail scratch, it really depends on how severe the damage is. In Minor scratches or dents can be repaired using a flooring touch-up or colour-fill Kit that can be found at a local hardware store. Touch-up kits typically include a filler material, color coordinated to the color of your floor so that, when used properly, the repaired area is often invisible. The repaired area will hold up to foot traffic and wear just like the rest of your laminate flooring. If the damage is more major and this solution does not work, you may have to remove the damaged plank. We recommend contacting a professional to do this to ensure that the damaged plank is properly removed without damaging surrounding planks and to ensure that the new one is properly installed. This service is available through The Carpet Store's skilled professional flooring installers

We would like to put a new floor in the front hallway which is also our laundry room but we our undecided what to use Please let us know could sure use some Help

Due to the fact that your front hall acts as a laundry area as well, it is likely a high-traffic area. Vinyl flooring is a good option because it is highly durable, inexpensive and comes in many different colours, patterns and textures. Vinyl cleans easily and is easily installed depending on the style you choose. Floating vinyl floors can be laid down without the use of an adhesive. It is recommended that you have someone install glued-down vinyl in order to get the seeming right. If vinyl is not for you, another good option is ceramic tile. Tile is very durable and comes in many colours and sizes. Overall, it is very low maintenance, particularly in terms of keeping the surface clean. Ceramic tile retains virtually no dirt and can be kept clean with water and a damp cloth or mop. In terms of price, ceramic can be slightly more expensive, but equally as beautiful.

What would be the best type of flooring for a kitchen? We were thinking of laminate flooring but were told that it may not be the greatest to use because of moisture (spilling/splashing etc.). We have a tight budget so we don't want to spend too much. We do have a friend who lays floors for a living so we can save money there.

When deciding what type of floor to put down, it is important to consider all aspects of installation when calculating cost. If there is already no more than one layer of vinyl and board (subfloor) down, the quickest and cheapest route is to prepare that floor with a levelling compound. Once the floor is level, then either installing a floating or gluing vinyl down on top of it is the best option. Floating vinyl simply sits on top of the existing floor and does not require gluing. Whether you float it or glue it can depend on the size of the job and how many seems there are.

At any rate, vinyl is the most inexpensive option. It cleans well, is very durable, and comes in a vast array of patterns, designs and colours. Typically it is a less labour-intensive installation, as well as less time consuming. However, since you have mentioned that you have an installer friend, that could potentially free up some room in the budget. Both ceramic and certain laminates (with proper preparation and use of silicone to seal the seems) are slightly more expensive alternatives to vinyl.

For more information on these products or any other products, please give us a call or drop into our store. Our knowledgeable sales associates will be happy to assist you.

Is there a product on the market that will neutralize dog urine from carpet? We just had our carpets cleaned and the stains came out but the dog pee smell is very bad.

There is a product on the market that will neutralize urine odours, Urine-Off (Odour and Stain Remover). We carry it at our store for $30.00 tax included, along with an ultraviolet light that can detect urine stains that are deep in the carpet (also $30.00 tax incl.). This product works both on fresh urine deposits as well as old, dried ones. A staff member here has dogs and has tried the product with much success. If you would like some more information on this product you can either drop by our store and/or visit their website (www.urine-off.com).

How long do new carpet emissions last?

New carpet's emission level will drop significantly within the first 24 hours of installation, and with fresh air ventilation, the emission level will dissipate to an undetectable level within 48 to 72 hours.

How does moisture affect my hardwood flooring?

Excessive moisture can lead to numerous changes to your floor, such as cupping, buckling or cracking. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you do not use water to clean your floors.

Where can laminate flooring be installed?

One of the great things about laminate flooring is that you can install it over virtually any existing floor - wood, concrete, and resilient tile, vinyl sheet flooring. That means you don't have to pull up the old floors and deal with the mess or the hassle of repairing most sub floor damage. Just make sure your sub floor is structurally sound, dry, clean and flat.

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