Apr
25
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Apr
25
A memorable song remains with you for many reasons: rhythm, dynamics, balance, and voice. The same can be said for a well-designed space.
As your eye moves around the room, there should be rhythm; your eye should feel free to move up, down, around, and back again. Your eye isn’t stuck on the 42″ plasma screen, because it is balanced by the granite fireplace surround, the low-slung sectional, the plush frieze carpet, and the three round padded ottomans.
Dynamics speak to the high and low points, reflecting a change in color, texture, space. Flooring, furniture placement, textiles, and warmer neutrals are key to achieving an enhanced dynamic.
Balance is seen when there is no one overpowering element, and repetition is evident but not obvious. Understanding your color palette, and what to bring in (or leave out) really makes a space sing.
Voice is key; both song and space work well when a strong voice is used, so we are not left guessing as to intent, and motive is clear. Clearly defining your style aesthetic leads to success.
Let Duralum help you harmonize your home.
Apr
18
Just returned from a trip that you never wanted to end? Did you finish reading a book that transported you thousands of miles away?
Keep those thoughts near by recreating those memories in your home. Take a color or memento as inspiration, and design a space around that.
Back from Cozumel? A nubby, textural berber can remind you of the sandy beach; fill a low bowl with shells around a pillar candle; paint your walls a dreamy blue; surround your fireplace with mosaic glass tile; balance this with a complementary orange using accent pillows and sunset-filled art—you now have a space that speaks to you.
Big-city hotel pampering? Revamp your bedroom using dark Brazilian hardwood; keep the emphasis on the bed with a low platform offset by a tall, padded headboard flanked by sleek mirrored nightstands. Add some flair with bamboo table lamps topped with rectangular, rice-paper shades. Pamper your feet with a soft, geometric-print area rug–that’s the ticket to nightly paradise.
Let your vacation (real or imagined) inspire you to create that mood within your own home.
Apr
11
The Anso Nylon Colorwall makes it simpler than ever to select the carpet that brings your rooms to life. With 80 fashionable colors in 12 styles in three levels of luxury, you have direct control at your fingertips—it’s never been easier to choose your perfect balance of comfort and style.
This carpet is resilient, allowing you to live within your own space, and offers a dependable product, backed by experience. Anso Nylon carpets offer the most extensive warranty packages in the industry, allowing you peace of mind throughout the life cycle of your carpet.
Anso nylon carpets are recyclable with a limited lifetime Stain and Soil Warranty, making this a beautiful choice for you and the environment by providing a sustainable option that will look great for years to come.
Anso nylon is green by nature; fashionable by design. Stop in to our showroom and experience the Colorwall for yourself.
Apr
4
Technology is not a trend at Duralum; it is inherent in all we do.
Duralum has a website: www.duralumcarpets.com, to connect with all of us who live some of our lives online. This website is up-to-date, and includes all products and manufacturers we carry, current sales, customer testimonials, and shop-at-home options.
Duralum also maintains a Facebook page, as well as a flooring blog, in which you’ll find weekly inspiration linking flooring and decorating resources, including videos.
We strive to remain current with flooring and design options across the country (and even the world), so that we can bring trend-savvy yet cost-conscious floor covering to you.
Check us out online, and then come in to our showroom for top-notch service.
Mar
28
How can my favorite foods influence my design choices? Inspiration can come from anywhere, so think about your foods of choice.
Chicken noodle soup? Choose a low-level twist in a creamy pasta color. Perhaps a textured plush bordered in a contrasting band would fit the bill.
Steak and potatoes? How about tiger-strand bamboo or a dimensional subway tile offset with a horizontal band of graphic deco’s?
Sushi? Try cork. Consider a glazed ceramic tile with definitive lines. How about a subtle floral area rug?
Your preferences can provide a myriad of inspirational choices. Iron Chef, anyone?
Mar
20
The color palette of 2010 is all about turquoise. This blue is calming, reflective, and speaks to a beachy escape—not a surprising choice after the economic woes of this past year.
What does this mean for you?
Consider a turquoise, jade green, and yellow green combination. This gives you a sophisticated look, buffered with dark hardwood floors, white woodwork, and cocoa furnishings.
Add in a neutral animal print or patterned area rug for extra zing. Have fun with color!
Mar
14
Recycling isn’t just for the kitchen any more. Many of our products contain post-consumer recycled content, like Anso-Caress’ Color Wall, with +65 colors in eight styles, all using 25% recycled fibers.
Commercial carpets using olefin fibers are made of recycled pop bottles.
Pad is 100% recyclable. In fact, Duralum sends pad 2x/month to be recycled from prior job sites, and have done so for many years.
We are well-versed in eco-friendly products and practices. See how you can make the right choice, both for your family, and for the environment.
Mar
6
Laminate flooring offers several advantages to the homeowner looking to upgrade existing flooring:
*It can be installed over most existing flooring
*Laminate imitates the look of hardwood or tile with increased durability at a lower cost
*Glueless installation allows homeowner to DIY, if desired.
Laminate floors get their name because they’re composed of different wood-based materials that are layered, or laminated, together then topped with a wood grain photographic imprint on the face of each board.
Laminate flooring has the strength of modern materials, while offering a lot of bang for your buck. Let us show you how this popular flooring option would work for you.
Feb
28
Carpet is the right flooring choice for many of us. Many customers prefer a twist carpet.
*It reduces shading
*Twists are multi-tonal, so dirt and wear are not as evident
*Subtle patterns and a multitude of color options exist
There is an old saying in the carpet business: “The shorter, the tighter the twist, the denser, the better the carpet.”
The short tight twist carpet is called a frieze.This is the best wearing style of carpet that is not a loop pile i.e. commercial carpet.
A frieze with a longer pile and a little less density is a style called textured plush. This style is still excellent for wear, and has a elegant look.
A textured plush with even less yarn creates a style called a textured saxony. This style is still going to perform well, but in the very heavy traffic areas some crushing will be noticeable.
Remove even more yarn while keeping the same longer pile, will create a shag carpet. Shags are casual, and if tightly twisted using a nylon fiber, can give years of service. Shags will crush, but will recover with a good vacuuming.
Duralum has a fine selection of in-stock carpets, as well as 100’s of special-order carpets. Come in and see what’s right for you.
Feb
21
Many of us work from home, at least part of the time. Others are students, crafters, artists—we need a space in which to get work done in a timely manner.
A home office may be a once-used bedroom, part of the living room, a corner in the basement; ideally it needs to be a designated space, set aside for that specific type of activity. Make sure all of your supplies are in this space, and all of your distractions are safely put away—no excuses for not getting that work done.
Flooring best-suited for a home office includes commercial carpeting, berber carpeting, and laminate or hardwood. All of these options are durable, easy to maintain, and are designed for work environments.
Let Duralum help lighten your workload with a great floor covering.
Feb
14
If so, it’s time for a fireplace update. Duralum has many options that allow you to move from outdated to stylish.
Ceramic, marble, granite, mosaic glass—any of these options, by themselves or in combination, gives you a classy, contemporary finish to your fireplace.
Custom etching is also available—display your family crest, choose a photograph, showcase a meaningful quotation.
Gather around the fire for both physical and spiritual warmth, but do it in style, with a fireplace that not only warms the body but pleases the eye, as well.
See the design staff at Duralum for your personal fireplace redo.
Feb
7
Pre-finished hardwood offers several advantages over sand and stain floors:
*It is ready for immediate installation
*5-7 coats of urethane are already applied in a controlled factory environment, as opposed to sand and stain which usually gets 2-3 coats applied on-site
*You may remain at home during installation
Realtors will tell you: Hardwood is a product that appreciates in value, giving you a great return on your investment.
Hardwood visually increases the sense of space in your home, allowing further delineation with furniture placement and area rugs. Great rooms can sometimes just become great messes. With hardwood as a substantial base, it then is the job of outlining where you want do what with whom: office is right before you go down the hallway to the bedrooms—TV viewing is in the center of the great room—dining is at the kitchen counter and right before the TV area begins.
Set up your home according to function, and let your floor covering choices help maintain this separation. You’ll keep clutter to a minimum, while also keeping your sanity.
Jan
31
Traveling down the hallway to your own spa sounds heavenly, and it is very doable, even on a budget.
Duralum has renovated our ceramic showroom to provide you with myriad ways to bring tile + innovative design to your own home.
We’ve designed dozens of options for your counter, backsplash, bath, tub, shower, and/or whirlpool, all for you to experience right in our showroom.
Choose decorative tiles; alternate placement of tiles, borders, and trim; vary mosaic glass and ceramic; see how we can work with you to infuse your bath with a truly restful, spa-like feel.
Jan
24
Home theaters are increasing in popularity, as more of us look for ways to increase family time and reconnect.
Consider cork flooring as wall covering when designing your home theater. Cork is sound absorbent, has insulating properties, and has a natural, cocoon-like quality. Cork is a renewable resource, while also a very current selection.
Cork offers a cushioned surface and is an environmentally friendly building product. Cork is contemporary, and easily coordinates with other furnishings in your home, as well as almost any paint color imaginable.
Stop in to Duralum and see for yourself the beauty and long-lasting qualities of cork.
Jan
17
Simply changing your backsplash can upgrade your entire kitchen’s look.
When there is very little contrast between a backsplash, countertop and wall color, ho-hum boring is the unfortunate result.
Change boring to beautiful:
*Use decorative tile inserts within a ceramic or granite tile design.
*Mix in a narrow mosaic glass border to give a high-end look.
*Choose a contrasting finish from your floor/cabinets to really stand out.
We can design a backsplash above your range to function as a true art piece in your kitchen.
Let Duralum create the “jewelry” of your kitchen’s design.
Jan
11
First impressions are crucial. Muddy boots, jackets lying about, warped and stained floors—these do not send a “welcome to our home” message.
Dedicate a space to coat and shoe storage; set a bench or chair inside the door to allow for easy boot removal, and hang artwork or display greenery. Your entry is the first peek at what’s in store for you and your guests.
Hang a mirror to aid in those last-minute-checks before you’re out the door, and include a shelf or small table below, complete with a small basket or tray to catch keys and mail.
Consider an entry flooring upgrade to really set the stage.
Our preference: ceramic or porcelain tile, as it is impervious to sand, salt, and moisture, and comes in textured finishes that are slip-resistant and hide stains. There are many decorative yet durable ways to cover your entry’s floors.
Let Duralum help you say: “Welcome home.”
Jan
3
We have bought and sold carpet remnants since 1962 and they continue to grow in popularity. Why?
- The sizes range from 12 x 3 to 12 x 30 so you can do a variety of areas such as bedrooms, hallways, stairways and even small living rooms.
- I bring in a heavier weight of carpeting. (40 ounces and above.)
- All of our carpet remnants are unrolled, measured and inspected by us to ensure it’s quality.
- Carpet remnants can be up to 60% off which makes it one of the best values in flooring.
- All carpet remnants are 1st quality goods.
- All remnants are either from my own stock or from one of the quality mills that I deal with on a daily basis.
- The selection is very large; somewhere between 125 and 200 remnants.
Now is a great time to replace that bedroom or living room with a high quality, great value remnant.
Dec
29
It is normal for me at the end of the year to look forward to the next with respect to floor covering trends and plans for improvement. I am confident that 2010 will see a slow and steady recovery in consumer remodeling and building. Smart consumers will want a combination of accurate information and hands on comparison in order to make the right floor covering decision. Based on this observation, here is our focus for 2010 and the tools we will be using to get there:
- By the end of January we will have our newly remodeled ceramic tile showroom completed.
- New ceramic displays such as a walk in shower and whirlpool will aid our clients in actually seeing how easy and fun it can be to design the bath & kitchen of their dreams.
- Our showroom floor is subdivided into 12 different ceramic floors with a wide variety of colors, sizes and designs to show you some of the options available.
- Our newly remodeled bathroom will feature in floor heat and unique floor and wall ceramic tile patterns.
- A greater selection of glass & accent tiles.
- Actual room scene pictures of completed projects.
- Our newly remodeled website and Face book site is more interactive to better answer your floor covering questions.
Stop in and let us show you first hand what innovative design and outstanding service can do for you.
Dec
22
Like many things during this holiday season, it is the small things that make the biggest impact. With respect to ceramic tile designs on floors and walls, this is true also.
Take for example the below kitchen back splash. Our client knew that she wanted a classic look but also wanted to add some design impact. By adding a few key elements we were able to achieve both goals:
- Subdivided the lower and upper areas of back splash by changing layout and size of tiles.
- Bordered 2 x 2 tiles with accent strips.
- Supplied coordinating outlet covers to complete the look.
- Used marble tiles which have a wide variety of color variance.
These elements really added to the uniqueness of this project and made the back splash one of a kind.
Dec
14
With today’s focus on eco-friendly floor coverings it is only natural that we take a closer look at one of todays most asked about products: Bamboo.
Bamboo is technically a grass not a wood product. And because of this you can have bamboo ready to harvest in 4 to 6 years instead of decades like traditional wood flooring.
Bamboo comes in 3 different cuts or looks.
The first type of cut is horizontal. This style is the result of a bamboo stalk being cut across its length. Below is an example of this:
Horizontal cut.
Next is the vertical cut of bamboo flooring. This is the result of bamboo being cut and bound across the thickness of the stalk. Below is an example of this:
Vertical cut.
Finally we come to a cut which is a combination of the leftovers from the first two methods. What you have is a very hard and dense combination of bamboo which has a hardwood appearance. The name of this cut is called Strand-woven bamboo. Below is an example of this.
Strand-woven bamboo.
Bamboo is a very unique and durable floor covering along with being one of the most “green” products on the market today. At Duralum Carpets we have a wide variety of styles available.
Dec
8
We have been in the floor covering business since 1962 and have seen many trends come and go: green shag carpeting anyone? 
One trend that always seems to be in style is the issue of quality over quality. In today’s economic environment all customers are researching their floor covering options to get their best value. I agree with this 100%, but be careful. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. My main focus for my clients is to, first and foremost asses their needs by asking these questions:
- Where will you be using this product?
- How long do you want this to last?
- How many kids, pets, etc do you have?
- How well do you intend to maintain your new floor?
- What are your tastes regarding style & color?
- What is the budget?
Armed with this information and more I am now able to recommend certain floor covering options that will give my customer what they really need. From time to time it is clear to me that a client needs a better quality product than they can afford at this time. Luckily I have a variety of financing options to allow clients to spread the cost over time. But sometimes financing is not an option, what do you do? In my case I always suggest what my grandfather and my dad always told me: “Good quality is always the best option and if you can’t afford it now, save up for it and buy it later.” I have advised many clients to do just this and they thank me for the advice. Later when they can and do purchase the floor covering that best suits their needs they are much happier. Good quality almost always pays for itself!
I want to take this time to thank a friend who was very honest with regard to insurance for my business. He did just what I would have done. In the end he said I should stay with my original coverage and not buy from him. He lost a sale but made a customer for life! Here is a link to Eric Nier’s AllState Insurance.
Nov
30
I hope all of you had a restful and nice Thanksgiving day off. It is at these times that we sometime loose track of all the things we should be grateful for. Thanksgiving is a time to reflect and reconnect to those values and relationships we might take for granted.
What I’m thankful for:
- My beautiful wife ( of 24 years ) Debbie.
- My two great kids, Lance & Leah.
- My parents and grandparents on both sides.
- My good friends.
- My employees at Duralum Carpets.
- My Clients at Duralum Carpets.
- My health.
- For the men & women in our armed forces who allow me to be able to do what I’m doing right now.
I also want to thank the Stevens Point Journal for the great article they wrote about Duralum Carpets and our values. Here is a link to the article to learn more about us. Happy Thanksgiving!
Nov
23
With all of the Hardwood, Ceramic, Cork, Bamboo and Laminate flooring being sold these days, the demand for Area Rugs has skyrocketed. Area Rugs are the perfect finishing touch to any rooms for a variety of reasons:
- They add warmth to the room.
- They quiet the room.
- Your can change your room design by changing rug style or placement or both.
- They help to define the space.
- Can be an inexpensive way to update your decor.
With all this being said, the next question is: “What is the most efficient way to add Area Rugs to my home?”
At Duralum Carpets we make Area Rugs out of our huge selection of carpet remnants. These rems can be cut to exactly the size you want and are up to 60% off. Generally it takes between one to two weeks to go from selection to delivery. We also have a nice selection on padding that is made for Area Rugs and won’t stain the surface underneath.
Nov
16
It happens 3 to 4 times per day. A customer walks into Duralum Carpets and looks at the vast array of carpeting available. Their eyes begin to spin and their expression is that of “how in the world am I going to make a good decision?” At this point I take them to our Kathy Ireland Carpet Selection System and break the task into a few key questions.
- Where are you going to be using this carpeting?
- What type of traffic will this area be experiencing?
- What type of carpet style do you like?
- What colors do you feel comfortable with?
Armed with the answers from the above questions we can narrow the scope of choices. Here is a short video of the Carpet Display System and how it works.
Stop in and let us show you how much easier choosing the right carpeting can be.
Nov
10
Years ago carpeting manufacturers were talking about going “Green” & recycling. But in reality they were just talking in my opinion. Today is a totally different story. Leading carpet manufactures like Shaw and Mohawk have made huge strides toward lowering our dependency on foreign oil and helping to reduce the strain on our landfills.
Here are some quick facts:
- Shaw also received the GreenStep Process Award, for the company’s Evergreen Nylon Recycling Facility in Augusta, Ga. Evergreen represents the largest post-consumer carpet recycling initiative in the industry. To date, Evergreen has recycled over 200 million pounds of Type 6 nylon.
- The Shaw Green Edge was also recognized with the GreenStep Environmental Leadership Award as one of the industry’s most comprehensive platforms communicating sustainability.
- 500: The number of Mohawk products currently containing recycled
- 3 Billion: About how many recycled plastic bottles we take in each year to manufacture Mohawk EverStrand™ carpet and other home products.
Yes today’s floor covering manufactures are making a difference in todays “Green” movement.
Here is a short video on Shaw Industries Recycling Facility.
