We love the softness and comfort of carpet and also the colors, textures, and style it brings to our homes. Carpet often comes with a choice: softness or durability? You don’t have to compromise on either with Mohawk SmartStrand Silk.
 
SmartStrand Silk is one of the most durable carpets on the market. It's nearly impervious to stains, crushing, fading, and absorbs 0% of moisture. Now imagine all that durability coupled with one of the softest, comfiest carpets you can imagine; that's SmartStrand Silk. Each strand of SmartStrand Silk has 700 Silk-like, stain-resistant fibers. That's 3X more individual fibers then that of the average nylon carpet.

What Mohawk has achieved is a carpet that is both durable and luxuriously soft to the touch while maintaining performance. SmartStrand Silk carpet has features like:

• Proven superior durability
• Permanent, inherent stain resistance
• Nanoloc Spill & Soil Shield for easy clean up
• Protection against pet odors and accidents
• All Pets Protection & Warranty

If this is not enough proof of SmartStrand Silk’s durability and softness, check out this video.

In 2017, Mohawk took SmartStrand Silk to the max by testing it in the Birmingham Alabama Zoo where it was installed in the habitat of a 5,400 pound rhino. The results are shocking! After a general cleaning, SmartStrand Silk came out looking like new.
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If you want luxuriously soft carpet and unbeatable durability SmartStrand Silk is an excellent choice. There are also so many styles and colors that there is a perfect look for everyone.

Carpet is a flooring favorite, loved for the softness, warmth and style that it brings to our homes. There are many options to choose from in carpet brands, styles, and colors, but let's consider the difference in just two options you have with carpet: multicolored or solid?
 
Regardless of the kind of carpet you’re looking for, there will always be the option for multicolored or solid. Multicolored can refer to patterned carpets or the more common lightly-speckled carpet that is subtler. Solid-colored carpet generally refers to no pattern or speckle. What pros and cons should you consider when deciding on carpet color? Both carpet styles come with different attributes that will really just depend on the needs of your space.
 
One advantage of multicolored carpet is that it hides those little stains our carpets always seem to acquire from daily living. Because of the small, speckled pattern of multicolored carpet, it can better hide a stain, whereas a solid carpet will usually show a stain in stark contrast. As far as the differences in looks go, that really just depends on the style of your space. Multicolored carpet (especially the neutral colors and patterns) is perfect for traditional, contemporary, rustic--any style that calls for subtle patterns, depth, and texture. Solid colors give a smoother, continual feel to a space, perfect for modern, minimalist styles or if you want a blank canvas ready for any décor or color scheme.
 
Both multicolored and solid carpet have their pros and cons, but in the end, it depends mostly on the needs of your space and personal preference. If you have kids, pets, or a high traffic area, multicolored may be the better option for you because of its neutral style and stain hiding ability. If high traffic is not a problem for you and you'd like a smoother look, solid color carpet is the way to go.

If you’re preparing to welcome home a “bundle of joy,” you have a lot to consider regarding baby clothes, supplies, nursery furnishings, etc. A lot of thought is put into safety and practicality, and nursery flooring should be no exception. Today we’ll look at how to choose a stylish, safe, and comfortable flooring that can grow with your child.
 
Usually, the first question regarding nursery flooring is whether to have a hard or soft surface. If you prefer hard surface flooring, a waterproof WPC plank like our All South Flooring Gulf Coast line is an excellent choice over hardwood. It comes in several stylish wood looks with textures and details that give it all the beauty of real wood but with the industry’s best durability, waterproofing, and stain protection. WPC is also softer than real wood and extremely easy to keep clean (a must with children).
 
Let’s say you already have hardwood in the space you’ve selected for your nursery. For added style, warmth, and softness and to protect it from stains and scratches, simply add a colorful rug. There are a few ways to add a rug to your nursery. If you’re going for maximum coverage, make sure the legs of the furniture are at least a few inches on the rug. If your rug is smaller and is merely an accent, it can sit independently of the furniture. Or, if you’re settling on a focal point like a crib, recliner, or play area, place your rug so that it highlights that space.
 
Rather than rugs and hard surfaces, many people prefer the warmth and softness of carpet in bedrooms and nurseries. However, there is always a concern about keeping carpets clean and stain free, which can be hard to do with young ones. Enter Mohawk SmartStrand Forever Clean carpet. SmartStrand carpet is soft and durable with built-in stain and soil protection. The Nanoloc spill technology and soil shield makes for quick cleanup and 0% moisture absorption. This carpet has it all, the comfort of carpet with the easy clean up of hard surface flooring.
 
Another great flooring choice for nurseries is Mohawk’s latest innovation: Air.o Unified Soft Flooring. It’s more than just a carpet. This 100% recyclable flooring is made with inherent stain and soil protection in its fibers that don’t absorb moisture, thus preventing the growth of allergens and microbes. It releases dust and dirt easily when vacuumed and contains no harmful latex or VOC’s. Another huge plus is that it’s hypoallergenic and odor free. Air.o is also constructed with an integrated pad, eliminating the need for a separate carpet pad. This cuts down on installation time, which is great if baby is arriving soon!
 
When you add a baby to the family, your life and your home go through some changes. Nurseries should be safe, functional and beautiful. WPC, SmartStrand carpet, and Air.o USF are excellent flooring options that are perfect for the needs of your nursery and can grow with your child.

With fall and winter right around the corner, it's time once again to break out the coats and scarves, cozy sweaters, and our favorite hot drinks. Not only do we want to remain warm and cozy when outside, but we want our homes to be warm and inviting too. Let's look at some tips to keep you and your guests feeling warm and fuzzy in your home. 

To start with, home accessories are an easy way to get your space feeling cozy with warm colors and textures. A few fuzzy throw pillows or blankets in rich, fall-inspired colors add comfort and style and can easily be swapped out for different looks as the seasons change. Rugs are also a great way to add warmth to cold floors. Look for shag rugs or rugs with longer fibers and wool which is also a good insulator. You can even get shag carpet in beautiful patterns that add a unique touch of style to your space. 

Carpet, of course, keeps your house warm, comfortable, and better insulated, but what about hard surface floors? You might be surprised to know that cork is an excellent choice! Cork is a natural insulator, thanks to its porous cell structure that allows it to trap heat. Cork is a good choice year-round because it insulates and feels warm under foot in the cold months, and in the summer months it keeps excess heat from being emitted into the room. Cork also comes in many colors and patterns, even wood looks. 

WPC, or waterproof flooring, with cork backing is another great option. The cork backing offers the same insulating properties as cork flooring. WPC can easily be installed via the floating method, is exceptionally durable, warms quickly, and won't expand or contract. 

Tile is a favorite flooring in kitchens and baths, but let's face it: no one likes stepping onto that cold bathroom floor with bare feet on a chilly morning. That's were a heating system like Schluter Ditra-Heat can be installed with your tile to bring you all the benefits of tile with the comfort of heated floors. Most floor heating systems can cause cracks in the tile and grout because the fluctuation of temperature causes the tile to expand and contract frequently. This heating system is unique 
because of its uncoupling system which prevents any movement and stress that occurs in the subfloor from cracking the tile and grout above. The Schluter Ditra-Heat system is the only systems that provides floor warming and uncoupling in a single layer, making it a quick and easy installation. 

For those that prefer wood floors, Engineered hardwood is constructed so that it resists expansion and contraction due to changing climates. When installed using the floating method, engineered wood is a great heat conductor. 

Other flooring like vinyl planks, sheet vinyl, and laminate provide some softness and warmth. Adding an underlayment to these floors also helps provide insulating properties, and they won't expand or contract due to climate. They also warm up quickly. 

​To keep your home feeling warm and cozy, use accessories like textured pillows, throw blankets and area rugs. Consider flooring options like carpet and cork that keep your house well-insulated or vinyl and laminate with underlayment. Floating engineered wood floors and tile with the Schluter Ditra-Heat system are also great options for cozy feet! ​

Carpet is one of my favorite parts of a house. When I enter a house with nice carpet, I have       a strong desire to sit on the floor even if there are plenty of chairs. It's not just about comfort, though. Carpet color also plays a huge role in your home décor, and how your carpet is dyed is makes a difference in stain and wear protection.

Manufacturers dye carpet two ways: piece dyed and solution dyed. What's the difference? Piece dyed is when the already woven tufts (the hair-like bristles that make up your carpet) are run through a water and dye bath, dying the fibers on the outside only. Solution dyed is when dye is mixed in with the very liquid chemical solution the yarn is made from (such as acrylic, nylon and polyester) before it’s put through the machine that makes it into thread. With the solution dyed method, the color goes all the way through each fiber that makes up the woven tufts of carpet. Think of it like this: piece dyed is like a vanilla ice cream pop dipped in chocolate--the chocolate is only on the outside. Solution dyed is like a fudgesicle--the chocolate is all the way through because it was mixed into the ice cream itself.
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There are some serious benefits to solution dyed carpet that you should consider. For starters, it's some of the most colorfast material in the industry, meaning that it’s almost impossible to fade or bleach the color out. So, if you have a living space that gets lots of natural light, you won't have to worry about it fading. Is your family bad about staining the carpet? Well, you can even use mild bleach solutions to clean your carpet and not worry about bleaching out the color. Because of its durability, solution dyed carpets often have a longer warranty as well.
 
If you want long-lasting color in your carpet with superior stain and wear protection, then solution dyed may be the right choice for your home.

If you have an active home with children or pets, you understand the struggle to keep your home, especially your floors, clean and in good condition. When considering new flooring, you may also be concerned about how safe your flooring will be for your family and pets. Let's take a look at some floor coverings that are all around child and pet-friendly.

When you have children, accidents happen. With rough-housing or running through the house, someone is bound to take a spill. Carpet is obviously an excellent choice for fall protection, but keeping carpet clean around children and pets can be a hassle. One trait that can help with this is choosing a carpet that is speckled, making it harder to see stains. Also, lighter neutrals like beiges and grays, rather than darker colors, will show more stains and spots.

If you’re looking for superior stain protection, an excellent carpet is Mohawk’s SmartStrand. SmartStrand Forever Clean has permanent, built-in “Nanoloc” stain and soil protection that won’t wear or wash off. It also features a zero percent moisture absorption rate to reduce odors and an exclusive All Pet Protection Warranty. SmartStrand is made from the only renewable carpet fiber, certified free of harmful substances, with exceptional durability and luxurious softness.

Dream Weaver also has a carpet line that is perfect for family homes. PureColor carpet features solution-dyed fiber, meaning the color penetrates all the way through the fibers so it won't fade, wear off, or stain. Dream Weaver’s PureColor also has built in soil and stain protection that is applied on the inside and outside of the fibers.

For hard surface flooring, many people are passing up wood for LVT or WPC products like COREtec from US Floors and SolidTech from Mohawk. While wood floors are often hard to maintain with pets and active families, this is no problem for LVT and WPC products. Wood and stone looks are available in a variety of shades and color patterns that are not only beautiful and realistic, but also very durable. They’re scratch and stain resistant and stand up to spills and moisture, allowing them to be installed in wet areas without any worry of damage. COREtec Plus has an attached cork backing that makes it quieter and warmer. SolidTech also has styles available with a premium urethane backing for sound, mold, and mildew resistance. With SolidTech’s “Uniclic MultiFit” technology, the floor planks lock together, creating a surface impenetrable by liquids, thus keeping moisture on the surface for easy cleanup.
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Don’t let your lifestyle limit your flooring choices. With today’s advances in technology, it’s easier than ever to achieve the look and function you desire from your floors. 

​The traditional style is one of the most popular styles used to decorate homes. It incorporates design elements from a variety of centuries (namely Victorian and Colonial) which come together for a classic, elegant, and comfortable look. The style usually boasts a neutral color palette mostly of beiges, whites, and some pastels. Let’s explore how you can create this look in your home.
 
In the living area, most furnishings and accessories should be neutral colors with the exception of ottomans, throw pillows, rugs and other accessories. This is where you'll bring in color, pattern, and texture. Wood accents and textures such as leather are what you should shoot for. A textured rug and floral or striped throw pillows will bring some added style to the traditional living room with its beige or neutral walls and white trim.
 
You can achieve a traditional look in your kitchen with light-colored granite counter tops that pair well with either white or dark cabinets. White subway tiles make a beautiful statement in a traditional kitchen, or a white geometric tile can add interest. Need a little more color? Try a pastel tile like light green or blue. Travertine tile also continues to be a classic, popular choice both for floors and backsplashes. Larger tiles will make the space feel more open and add to the clean, traditional look of your space.
 
When it comes to flooring, wood or wood-look is the obvious choice. Dark or medium wood looks work best. Dark wood will make the space feel warm and rich; but remember, if you’re working with a small space, the medium wood look will keep it feeling open. If you’re worried real wood won’t stand up to your family or lifestyle, wood looks are available in waterproof or water-resistant tile, LVT, WPC, laminate and vinyl.
 
The Traditional style can best be described as “classic.” It’s a style easily accomplished in any home with the right color, décor, and furnishing choices. The use of neutrals with textured or colored accents creates a warm, comfortable environment and an inviting home. 

When shopping for carpet, often the first thing that draws our attention is the color and style. But, if you want the look of your carpet to last, you’ll have to look a little deeper. Let's take a look at two of your options: nylon and polyester.

Both nylon and polyester are made of plastics. Nylon is a durable fiber with strong resiliency and the following qualities: good yarn memory to hold twists, good carpet cleaning efficiency, good stain resistance with stain treatment applied, good soil hiding ability, and good abrasion resistance. Nylon is a very strong material, which makes it ideal for heavy traffic areas and active families.

Many commercial facilities also choose nylon for its durability. It’s prone to static, but most nylon has an anti-static treatment applied to reduce this side effect. It also has continuous filament fibers that minimize pilling and shedding. Nylon carpet is a high-end product and is generally more expensive.

When it comes to style, polyester has some of the most beautiful colorations available. It's extremely fade resistant, helping to keep your carpet’s color beautiful longer. It’s very stain resistant as well. Polyester is not as resilient as nylon and is susceptible to crushing. You should look for high twist levels to combat yarn untwisting and matting.

Polyester offers a wide selection of textures and colors. It’s non-allergenic, sheds moisture, and resists moth damage and mildew at a more affordable price then nylon. It is susceptible to pilling, shedding, and oil stains; but otherwise, it cleans fairly easy.
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Polyester comes in many colors and textures, is extremely fade resistant, and has excellent resistance to stains but is not as resilient as nylon.  Nylon is very resilient and stands up to crushing, piling, and shedding; however, it is a costlier product than polyester. Be sure to consider not just style and color, but also budget and function when choosing carpet.
 
 

You’ve chosen some beautiful carpet. It matches your style, and you can't wait to have it installed. But, there’s something else you should consider before having your carpet installed—carpet underlay. What is carpet underlay; why is it beneficial; and what options are there in carpet underlay?

What is carpet underlay? Carpet underlay is commonly known as carpet pad and is a thin layer of cushion that’s applied to the subfloor before the carpet is installed. There are three standard types of carpet pad: felt, rubber, and foam. Felt is the thinnest and least expensive of the three. It’s made of wool and other fabrics. Rubber is more expensive, and due to its cross hatched design, it’s springy and breathable. Foam used to be a cheaper alternative to rubber, but due to the major improvements that have been made to foam, the prices can be comparable to that of rubber.

What does carpet pad do? Carpet pad adds extra cushion so your carpet will be soft underfoot. Carpet pad will help to cancel out noise so you don't have to hear every footstep. It also helps protect from moisture and mildew. Carpet pad also saves you money on heating and cooling by insulating your floors. Carpet pad can extend the life of your floor because it keeps your carpet from being ground down by the hard sub floor.

Now that you know some of the benefits of carpet pad, what traits should you look for in your pad to get the best results? Thickness and density are what makes for a more effective carpet pad. Thinner products like felt may be less expensive but will not give you the best results. The most commonly used carpet pad now is foam because it is much more effective than felt but generally not as expensive as rubber. Remember when choosing your carpet underlay that it will perform better if it is at least six to eight pounds’ density.

When it comes to deciding on thickness, it’s usually better to go with a thicker pad, but remember that your carpet brand may have certain pad requirements. In addition, if you have heated floors, you should let your carpet pad supplier know.
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Always take the needs of your home into consideration when picking the right carpet pad. If you want your carpet to be more comfortable, last longer, and save you money, you should definitely have carpet underlay.