Interior Design

Hard Soft Flooring

Flooring Carpet
Rugs
Wood
Resilient
Stone
Tile
 Strip Flooring
◦ Tongue and groove
◦ Nailed to sub floor
◦ Pre-finished or unfinished
 Random Plank
◦ Wider than strips
◦ Screwed to sub floor, covered with wood plugs
 Parquet
◦ Small pieces arranged in different designs
◦ Pre-finished squares for easy installation
 Marble
◦ Various colors depending on origin
◦ Verdigris (vər-də-grēs) : marbles that have a
green color
 Limestone: most common, usually white but
may have cloudy streaks
 Onyx: may have layers of colors or banding
 Terrazzo formed using marble or chipped
stones embedded in full concrete.
◦ artistic and very reliable
◦ best for outdoor spaces such as verandas or patios.
◦ strong but 50% chance of breakage at quarry
 Travertine: porous limestone used on floors
or walls
◦ Comes from mineral springs
◦ Holes from escaping gas
◦ Holes filled with resin which may or may not be
same color
 
   
                   
 Bathrooms, kitchens, entryways
 Made from baked clay
 Durable, moisture resistant, easy to clean
 Can crack if not installed on even surface
 Ceramic Mosaic
◦ Individual tiles mounted
together to keep together and
make installation easier
◦ More often on walls
 Mexican
◦ Made from clay
◦ Shaped by hand
◦ Dried in sun
 Quarry
◦ Fired Earth/Clay
◦ Warm brown to beige
 Flooring with a semi-hard
surface that returns to its
original shape after stress
 Warmer and quieter to walk

on
 Not quite as durable
 Vinyl and plastic laminate
 Resists stains, affordable
 Sheet Vinyl

◦ 6, 9, 12 foot sheets
◦ Rotogravure (rō-tə-grə-vyu̇r)
 Top layer covered with clear
coating
 Thin, tears easily

◦ Inlaid
 Colored chips make designs (heat,
pressure)
 Design all the way to backing
 Most durable of the vinyl
 Vinyl Tiles
◦ 12 in. X 12 in.
◦ Sticky backing
◦ Place together like a puzzle
 Insulates against drafts
 Decreases noise
 More comforting feel
 Quality
◦ Pile (nap): visible surface of carpet
◦ Density: how close the tufts are made together,
more important than depth
◦ Heat setting
◦ Twist
◦ Depth
 95% made of manufactured fibers
Nylon: Polypropylene (olefin):
◦ most popular, – strong,
◦ durable, – nonabsorbent,
◦ easy to – resists stains and static,
maintain, – colorfast,
◦ limited colors – cheap,
– crushes easily,
– limited colors,
– heat sensitive
Carpet Fibers Cont.
Polyester blend (PET)
• made from recycled plastics,
• resists stains and fading
Acrylic:
• feels and looks like wool,
• low static level,
• resists mildew,
• subject to pilling
 Wool:
• soft • moth sensitive
• durable • shrinkage
• long lasting • allergies
• expensive • hard to clean
 Cut Pile
◦ Formal looking plush, velvet,
smooth, may flatten
 Saxony
◦ Similar to cut but yarns have
been twisted more giving less
formal appearance
 Frieze
◦ Informal, curly texture, shows
minimal marks
 Level Loop
◦ Loops are all same height, may have flecks of
darker color, durable
 Multi-level Loop
◦ Two or three loop heights, sculpted or embossed
effect, good in high traffic areas
 Cut and Loop Pile
◦ Sculptured effect from some looks cut and some
braided, very durable
 Extends life of carpet
 Shock absorber
 Less than ½” thick
 Flammable Fabrics Act- Federal Govt.
protects consumers with regulations. Must
follow standards for fabrics, rugs, carpets,
mattresses
 Label must include:
◦  
Fiber content and percentage
                                        
      
◦ Manufacturer
◦ Country of origin
◦ Care information