Specialty Products
For homes where the unusual resides.
Some homeowners love to push the envelope, and their home shows it.
These are residences that utilize the uncommon and uncompromising ideas, where design
elements are on the leading edge and building materials are anything but main stream.
If this describes you and your home and still haven’t found the right product for you, maybe
something more specialized is required.
Within this section you’ll discover four different and distinct products that really are in a class by
themselves.
All are resilient floors, which means they have some elasticity when you walk across them.
All are beautiful, stylish and have their own personality.
Maybe one of these products will be right for you.
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Linoleum: a blast from the past.
Today’s linoleum is a far cry from the flooring you crawled around on in your mother’s kitchen.
It’s enjoying renewed popularity because it is made of natural ingredients including linseed oil,
cork, limestone, wood flour and tree resins. Everyone is going green!
An advantage to you is the fact that the color in linoleum goes all the way through, making it
extremely wearable and durable.
Another reason for linoleum’s popularity is it can be hand-cut for intricate patterns and one-of-a-
kind artistry. Express yourself with your linoleum!
Linoleum is a quiet, warm surface that cushions your feet and requires minimal maintenance,
although it may scuff or mark if not kept well polished.
Its biggest enemy is dirt, grit or sand that can be ground into the surface. Utilize walk-off mats or
rugs whenever possible. And sweep clean regularly.
Linoleum can be wiped with water but should not be left wet.
Ambering- a natural phenomenon of Linoleum. The color of your Linoleum may appear different
from the sample you saw in the showroom. When linoleum is first taken out of it’s packaging
you may notice a slight yellowish color visible on the surface. This is known as Ambering and is
caused by the oxidation of the linseed oils. As time passes, the ambering will fade as the floor is
exposed to light. It may take a few hours under bright sunlight or a few days in artificial lighting.
Another reason for linoleum’s renaissance is that, while it normally comes in sheets, it can be hand-cut for intricate patterning and one-of-a-kind artistry.
Thus it’s very customizable, giving you wide freedom to express yourself.
Linoleum is a quiet, warm surface that cushions your feet and requires minimal maintenance, although it may scuff or mark if not kept well polished.
Its main nemesis is dirt, grit or sand that can be ground into the surface. Utilize walk-off mats or rugs whenever possible. And sweep clean.
Linoleum can be wiped with water but should not be left wet.
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Cork
Beautiful, unique, warm and inviting. All these words describe cork flooring, which commands
attention, discussion and the usual question: what kind of floor is that?
Cork is the bark of a tree commonly known as Cork Oak. Predominantly found in Portugal and
Spain, Cork Oak is native to the Mediterranean region.
The bark naturally splits every 9 to 15 years and can be safely harvested causing no harm to the
tree. That’s good news for the environment as it is a renewable product and a great alternative for
those of us going green. The bark re-grows and the cycle continues on for years and years. Some
Cork Oak trees have been known to live up to 500 years.
Cork flooring can be a viable alternative for any room in your home. It is available in several
options, from snap together floating floors, tiles, rolled goods and also available prefinished with
a urethane finish, or natural.
It is a natural product, so even if finished with a color or left natural, it will show variations in
characteristics, tones and shades from tile to tile.
Cork flooring is much warmer than wood as well as being durable and forgiving. It is also
extremely quiet with natural sound absorbing qualities. It is naturally hypoallergenic and
naturally resistant to mold and mildew. Great advantages for one and all!
Maintaining a cork floor depends on the type of finish, but it is usually treated like wood, which
means sweeping or vacuuming regularly to keep it grit-free. Wipe up spills promptly, and only
use cleansers that are recommended by the flooring manufacturer.
Cork flooring can be wiped with a barely damp cloth and towel-dried.
Never wet mop.
Waxed cork needs occasional re-waxing and buffing to preserve its beauty.
It is a natural product, so even if finished in color or left natural, it will show variations in characteristics, tones and shades from tile to tile.
Cork flooring is installed much like a hardwood floor in that, once installed, a urethane coating is applied.
However, cork flooring is much warmer than wood as well as being durable and forgiving.
You should know that cork flooring is warm to walk on and extremely quiet with natural sound absorbing qualities. It’s also naturally hypoallergenic and naturally resistant to mold and mildew. Great advantages one and all.
Maintaining a cork floor depends on the type of finish, but it is usually treated like wood, which means sweeping or vacuuming regularly to keep it grit-free.
Wipe up spills promptly, and only use cleansers that are recommended by the flooring manufacturer.
Cork flooring can be wiped with a barely damp cloth and towel-dried.
Never wet mop.
Waxed cork needs occasional re-waxing and buffing to preserve its beauty.
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Rubber: Putting bounce in your step.
Today rubber flooring can be purchased in a wide array of handsome, clear colors to match your
home and its personality.
Stud rubber flooring is available in either sheet or tile form.
Rubber floors offer you and your home a variety of benefits. Rubber flooring is extremely
durable, virtually indestructible, quiet and warm to walk on.
It is also great at resisting dents and stains and its waterproof surface has an anti-slip finish.
Unfortunately, rubber is a relatively expensive flooring choice and must be installed by an
experienced installer for maximum performance.
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Specialty Resilient Flooring
Manufacturers have recently begun selling a new product that offers the benefits of resilient
flooring with the look and feel of real ceramic tile or wood.
Called specialty resilient, this flooring material is made of vinyl and aluminum oxide.
The result is a lightweight, durable floor that creates less strain on your back and legs.
Like resilient flooring, specialty resilient flooring is applied with a mastic over an approved
subfloor.
This product is available in residential grades and comes in many patterns and designs based on
stone, granite, marble and exotic wood grains. Just imagine the possibilities in your home.
Basic product sizes are 16″ x 16″ and 17″ x 17″.
Certain types of specialty resilient flooring can even be grouted to virtually guarantee the
ceramic tile look.
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Now you know about Specialty Products.
One thing is certain, these flooring products are all very unique and definitely out of the mainstream. If that seems to describe you, your lifestyle and living space, welcome home.
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