Elisabeth Stubbs

The ABCs of Flooring

From Wood and Carpet, to Tile and Luxury Vinyl Plank

BY ELISABETH STUBBS

Kids are back in school, learning their ABCs. Did you know there are ABCs of flooring, too? Read on to learn about some of my favorite floors. Next month, we’ll finish the alphabet with more of my favorite flooring terms.

Elisabeth Stubbs is one of the owners of Enhance Floors & More, one of Atlanta’s top-rated flooring dealers, located in Marietta. A is for area rugs. An area rug is simply a carpet that is finished around the edges, often much smaller than the dimensions of a room. Available in a variety of sizes and patterns, an area rug can easily be moved.

Bis for Berber, a style of carpet that consists of multiple small loops that are not cut, but rather woven together.

Cis for Carrara. A type of natural stone from marble quarries in Carrara, Italy, it is found in varying hues of white and gray. The background of this marble tile is whitish gray, and it has linear, thin and feathery veining patterns.

Dis for distressed. The intentional scratching, scraping and/or gouging of a flooring surface to create an aged look. These processes may involve wire brushing, sculpting and scraping the floor. Doing so results in a floor with a lot of texture and character. Very practical for active homes with kids and pets; it hides scratches and dings.

Eis for Exceptional II, a popular carpet, made by DreamWeaver. It is stain-resistant, durable and perfect for clients putting their home on the market (or for rooms that don’t get heavy use).

Fis for French oak. Literally wood grown in France, French oak floors have a very high tannin content, which reacts better in the aging process, giving the wood a beautiful patina and time-worn look.

Gis for Georgia, because most of the carpet in the world is made right here in Georgia. Approximately 75% of all carpet and rugs are made in and around Dalton (https://bit.ly/3QDYj9i). When you purchase carpet, you support our state’s economy.

His for Happy Floors, a go-to line of Europeancrafted porcelain and ceramic tiles and mosaics.

Iis for Inhaus Sono Eclipse, one of my favorite luxury vinyl plank (LVP) brands. It is waterproof, family- and pet-friendly, easy to clean, and stain-, fade- and scratch- resistant. Available in wood and tile looks, what’s not to love?

Jis for Janka, a scale that measures the strength of hardwood materials. This test determines the amount of force it takes to drive a .444-inch steel ball into a solid plank of wood. The Janka rating is helpful in determining how easily a floor will indent. (The Janka hardness test does not measure scratch resistance. All wood floors will scratch, no matter the score on the Janka scale.)

Kis for Karastan. This brand offers top-of-theline products, excellent quality and something for everybody: carpet, hardwoods and LVP.