Best flooring contractors near Germantown, IL

There are a couple of color options to consider when installing carpet in high-traffic areas (like entrances and stairways). Medium-toned colors and patterned carpets can work well in these parts of your home because dirt and stains can blend in easily. Dark carpets will also conceal marks and spills, but they show lint and other light-colored debris. Consider a medium brown or tan for your high-traffic areas. Either way, it’s best to avoid paler shades, like white and cream, which get dirty easily.

Carpet stretching can be a worthwhile investment to increase the lifespan of your carpet and eliminate unsightly wrinkles, ridges, and ripples. For an older carpet that is in relatively good condition aside from some wrinkling or bubbling, restretching can make it look like new and extend its life by at least a couple of years. You should consider restretching when you notice looseness or other related issues.

However, it's important to note that stretching will not fix issues like stains, wear in the pile, or discoloration. Consider replacing the carpet instead if the repair cost is more than 50% of the price of a new one. Additionally, if your carpet is past its expected lifespan of five to 15 years, or if it has been stretched multiple times already, replacement is likely a better option.

It’s possible to reuse household materials to cover floors, but they won’t provide the same level of protection as dedicated materials. They’re also more difficult to tape down and more prone to slipping and bunching up—and any dirt or debris on them could scratch or stain your floors. That being said, extra materials like these can be useful for protecting the sides of furniture and placing in areas that could use added protection.

Start the first row of vinyl planks along the longest or most visible wall in the room. This will create a clean, straight foundation row to build off of. Snap a chalk line to guide the first row, and use spacers for the most precise installation—these maintain an even extension gap between the flooring planks and the wall. Finally, double-check that the first row is level before moving on to the second row. If it’s not, start over and get it right before completing the rest of the floor.