Most homeowners today are looking for durable floor coverings, something in the resilient flooring category, with proven strength.
Coincidently, resilience has proven to be instilled in the team at Island Carpet and Flooring, too, who endured and rebuilt, and are back in business after an adjacent building fire destroyed their old location on Smith Street in August 2022.
"We're excited to be back to serve our loyal customers and we welcome everyone to our new location at #1140–21331 Gordon Way in Richmond, not too far from Tugboat Annie's at Shelter Island Marina," says Brian Montgomery, owner, Island Carpet and Flooring. "It's a newer commercial environment, 4,000 square feet, fresh paint, and a more modern store."
Island Carpet and Flooring has been serving the local community and the Lower Mainland for 52 years, imparting their years of experience and expertise on consumers with a wide range of affordable floor coverings, from hardwood, carpet, and vinyl tiles, to luxury vinyl plank, and laminate flooring.
"We pride ourselves on flooring done right the first time," reveals Montgomery. "Our service is impeccable and doesn't stop when the floor is sold; we have after-sales service to answer your questions and take care of any flooring issues long past installation. Our installers are part of the Island Carpet family, and we offer a full warranty with all flooring solutions."
What to know about quality floor coverings
Island Carpet and Flooring specializes in residential flooring, from stairs to entire homes, but also serves smaller commercial clients, such as property managers, contractors who build single-family homes, and small businesses.
"You get what you pay for—is still true today," advises Montgomery. "There's a lot of steps the product has to go through before we agree to represent it. All our carpeting and flooring is sourced from high-end suppliers."
For instance, Montgomery references the carpet test and the different weights and gauges you need to understand. "Hold the carpet sample up to the light to determine if you can see through it. 10th gauge is preferable. Eighth gauge is going to be cheaper and wear out sooner."
"This is the kind of information we share to educate our customers when they're here," he says. "We explain it from the manufacturing process through to the quality level of the product."
He adds, "The biggest thing I find homeowners aren't aware of is with most flooring, that isn't carpet, you don't get a product warranty unless your floor's been properly levelled. You'll get a labour warranty from whatever company installed it, but that often only lasts 12 months."
"Most problems will happen within three to five years. People can spend $15,000 to $30,000 without a warranty, and because it wasn't levelled there isn't any recourse. This is just another thing we like to educate our customers about."
Considerations for homeowners choosing floor covering
With advice and assistance from their experts, you'll be guided to browse samples in their showroom. "We'll ask questions to define your needs and what you're looking for, and then show you various samples based on your requirements," Montgomery explains.
Choosing the type, style and colour of your new carpet or flooring changes a room's character, so a lot depends on budget, personal preference, use of the space (kids, pets, high-traffic areas), and your overall vision for your home.
"These days, vinyl planks are vastly popular because of their waterproofing abilities," says Montgomery. "They don't get damaged by moisture as readily as laminate wood and look just like hardwood."
Laminate flooring is also popular among homeowners for its variety of colours, styles, designs, scratch resistance, and low maintenance. It can modernize your home with look-alike finishes of other elegant materials, such as ceramic tile or hardwood.
Carpet is also low-maintenance and a cost-effective way to elevate any room. Wool carpeting is the standard of quality, is naturally durable, and easily cleaned. They have all fibres available and will explain the differences between them.
"Bring us your square footage estimates and we'll provide you with some preliminary budget numbers before you schedule an in-home visit for a more detailed quote."
"We're happy to help our customers budget for their flooring needs with an obligation-free consultation at our store," says Montgomery. "Come out and support us at our new location."
For more information, visit islandcarpet.com
