Laminate is usually made up of high density fiberboard core pressed between a melamine laminate backing, a high quality photograph with an image of the natural floors, and a melamine laminate top.  Some laminate planks are made with a thin slice of real wood veneer that replaces the photographic paper.   Laminate flooring is easy to maintain and never needs wax or polish.  Both hardwood and laminate have their own benefits and drawbacks.

Hardwood floors can be scratched easier than laminate floors; however scratches are much easier to fix with real hardwood flooring. If a laminate floor is scratched or tears, it is much more time consuming to get the scratch fixed. Hardwood can be sanded to remove imperfections, laminate flooring cannot.  Laminate flooring companies do make touch up and repair kits and you can plan ahead to have a few plank replacements handy when you purchase your flooring.  With hardwoods, a simple light sanding usually will do the trick. If you have pets or think that scratches and scuffs are a high possibility, hardwood may be a better option for your situation.

One of the benefits of laminate over hardwoods is that laminate flooring does not fade in the sun or change color overtime.  Most stained wood floors will fade or change colors over the years.  Unlike laminate however, wood can always be refinished and restored to its original luster.  Both hardwood and laminates can be affected by excessive moisture but only laminate is able to hold up if it is put in a kitchen or bathroom environment.  Rooms that get a lot of moisture are not well suited for real hardwood.

Ultimately it is up to you to decide if you want to go with hardwood or laminate flooring, this choice is made easier by assessing your personal needs and weighing the pros and cons of both materials.

This year, Coles Fine Flooring went home with another torch award from the Better Business Bureau. Coles Fine Flooring is a Five Time Winner and Finalist of The Better Business Bureau (BBB) Torch Award for marketplace ethics and 1 time International Honorable Mention winner. Coles Fine Flooring is a competitive force in the flooring industry with seven locations around San Diego County. Since the first customers passed through the doors in 1947, the Coles family has had a single mission: To provide customers with the best in service, superior products and a selection unmatched in the area. Today, two generations of the Coles family are active in the family owned company, and are committed to continuing the tradition of service to customers and community.

Coles Fine Flooring sets the standard for customer service, from selection to installation. The trained professional design staff is experienced and informed, and the licensed installation specialists deliver the kind of craftsmanship and service the company has built its reputation upon. The company’s name change to Coles Fine Flooring a few years ago clarified their long term commitment to all areas of flooring, including hardwood, laminate, ceramic tile, vinyl, and fine imported Oriental rugs. The company has been active in donating time, funds, carpets, rugs, and other materials to help a variety of organizations in the community. Coles has been a BBB Accredited business since 8/1/1975.

Coles is now a proud retailer of high quality Miele vacuums. The Miele brand is recognized worldwide as being committed to the highest level of performance and environmental standards. Miele was founded in 1899 with the promise of being ‘Forever Better’.  Over a century later, Miele has kept its promise and grown to be the world’s largest and most innovative family-owned and operated appliance companies with over 16,000 employees spread across nearly 100 countries.  Few brands in the world are able to sustain their visions and traditions over the years; Miele has stood the test of time. Wools of New Zealand – another brand representing these high standards of excellence – teamed with Miele to create wool-safe vacuums that retailers could provide to consumers with confidence.

One of the most important maintenance steps for wool carpeting is regular vacuuming.  To ensure the beauty and longevity of wool carpets, consumers should vacuum at least once a week with wool safe tools that effectively clean without damaging fibers.  Coles Fine Flooring carries the S5-Pisces model which Wools of New Zealand endorses specifically as being safe to use on wool carpeting.

Coles currently carries six Miele vacuum models, each with its own distinct advantages.  Every Miele vacuum cleaner proudly carries the Good Housekeeping Seal so that clients know they are investing in a top-quality product. For more information about our Miele vacuum cleaners, contact our San Diego showroom at (619) 276-5140 or our San Marcos showroom at (760)741-1001, and speak with a designer.

∙ Woven carpet prevents rippling and delaminating.

∙ Life time warranty against piling, fuzzing, edge ravel, or zippering.

∙ Highly stain resistant.

∙ Woven carpet won’t pile

∙ Superior appearance retention.

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If your main concern in staining (from kids, pets, etc.), then synthetic would most likely serve you best, as it comes in all levels of stain-resistance, from very basic synthetic fibers, to those treated with Teflon and other solutions. Not that any carpet is spill-proof, but if a spill were left to soak into a patch of wool carpeting, it would eventually seep past the natural oils inherent in the wool, and stain the fiber permanently. Whereas on a synthetic carpet such as nylon, if a spill went unnoticed for some time, you could probably get the stain up with a heavy duty spot treatment. This is because the stain usually cannot permeate into the synthetic fibers like it can natural fibers such as wool.

If your main concern is lifespan & durability, wool is recommended. Wool carpeting can last a lifetime, or don’t have young children or pets in your house, then wool is definitely the best choice.  Each wool fiber has a three- dimensional spiraling crimp, which gives it natural elasticity. This elasticity means that a wool fiber can stretch up to 30% more than its original length and then bounce back just like a miniature spring. You will get the same reaction when it’s compressed. Resilience. Something wool is born with. This natural resilience permits wool carpet to withstand all the day-to-day traffic you can give it.  Wool carpets can recover easily from the unsightly crushing caused by furniture. The resiliency of each wool fiber makes an important contribution to the superior appearance retention of wool carpeting.

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