My take on flooring

I am always searching for products that are functional, durable and cost effective.  Many times these products are imitations of the real thing.  For example.  I recently began installing a product called Amtico. Amtico makes a variety of flooring, ranging from stone, to hardwood flooring.  The catch is, their products only imitate the real thing.  There's no stone in the stone and no wood in the wood. Amtico floor tiles are made from resin compounded with high quality plasticizers and stabilizers, all compressed under pressure and temperature.  To put it in plain English, it's made of the same stuff bowling balls are made of.  I'm a hard person to please when it comes to imitations. Like most people, I like the real thing, but the practical\functional side of me isn't crazy about the idea of real hardwood floors. They scratch easy, they need to be refinished eventually, and heaven forbid you have a water problem. Real hardwood floors are beautiful, no doubt, but for me the negatives out weigh the positives.  Tile is nice, however it can be a little chilly in the winter. Amtico has solved all of these problems.  Their products are made to stand up to just about anything you, your kids, or your pets could possibly throw at them.  Amtico is glued down and is commonly used in commercial flooring applications, such as grocery stores, banks, and hotels just to name a few. The other nice feature about Amtico is the ease in which it can be repaired, should you find a way to harm it, like using battery acid to clean up the nail polish your teenage daughter spilled while painting her toe nails.  The planks come in 3 inch, 4 inch and 6 inch widths by 36 inches long. So in the event that you need to replace a plank, simply pry it up, prepare the area for the new piece,  apply the glue, wait a few minutes then put the new piece down. The hardwood comes in several different styles, from planks that look like recycled barn wood, to exotic Zebrano wood. There's no hollow sound while walking on it, and there's no underlayment to put down prior to installing it. If the look of tile is what you're after, Amtico comes in patterns such as African slate, granite and even marble.  They've even come up with a "grout" to use with their tile.  Take it from me, the fake stuff rarely meets my standards, but in this case it far exceeds my expectations.  To learn more about Amtico log on to www.amtico.com. To have it installed, see me.