Flooring isn’t usually the first thing that comes to mind when you think of cutting edge technology. If it is, we’d love to meet you. But technology is changing the way floors are made. But here are some of the ways that various types of carpet, hardwood, laminate, and tile have changed over the years. (Resilient floors have changed so dramatically, we’ll have to cover them in their own post.)

Improving Hardwood Floors

Years ago, hardwood floors consisted of long narrow boards stained a handful of colors and stapled down to your subfloor. They were prone to squeaks, creaks, and gaps—but they were solid and durable. Hardwood was a truly natural choice that provided a beautiful and luxurious finish for high-end homes. When lower priced imports became readily available, hardwood became a choice available to the masses. As a result, the demand for new styles, colors, and finishes have caused manufacturers to find new and innovative ways to finish products. These days you will find a wide variety of hardwood products that feature wide plank designs on engineered cores, wire brushed and hand scraped finishes, mark and stain resistant finishes, and a tremendous array of colors. Look at the massive selection of colors available from Mirage Floors (opens in new window), one of our suppliers.

Soft & Silky Carpet

Carpet is no longer the “cheap alternative” in flooring. A massive selection of styles, fabrics, patterns, textures, and fibers have resulted in an overwhelming selection from which to choose (don’t worry, we’re here to help). Perhaps the biggest innovations in Carpet over the past few years are as a result of advances in fiber technology. Nylon was once a thick fiber that, while the standard for durability, had a sort of rough starchy feel. By comparison, Polyester provided a very soft hand without the starchy feel (although typically with reduced durability and stain resistance). Nylon is now a fine, smooth fiber with a soft silky feel and polyester has been blended with material derived from corn to offer increased durability and stain resistance. Beaulieu’s collection of carpets have grown significantly over the years.

Cork & Laminate

Laminates used to have a bad reputation as a result of poor quality products in the early years of laminate floors. These days, laminate is available in sizes and colors that rival hardwood and the printing technology has increased the resolution and variation of patterns. Square edges and angled bevels are giving way to contoured edges to look more like real hardwood, yet provide superior durability at a fraction of the price. You can even get beautiful cork floors constructed on laminate-like cores that click together the same way, but provide the warmth, feel, and elegance of a traditional glue-down cork.

Tile & Natural Stone

We’ve seen a lot of changes in tile over the years with perhaps the most significant being the huge increase in the number of styles, sizes, and colors available. As Kelowna’s largest tile and natural stone distributor, our new location was built specifically to warehouse and display such a huge collection of tile products. These days tiles are coming in larger formats (such as 12×24″, 24×24″, and larger) and higher-resolution patterns (with richer colors and striking contrasts). We’ve also seen the availability of unique stone materials increase as it has become easier to import from different and unique regions of the world.