Carpets By Otto

Ask Otto's: What About Sweeper Marks And Footprints?

Sandy from Oregon writes:

I'm looking for new carpet, but I absolutely hate seeing sweeper marks and footprints.  What should I be looking for?

That's a very common question Sandy.  These marks are a result of the carpet fibers leaning one direction or another.  If all the fibers in your carpet are standing straight up your carpet has a uniform appearance, but if any of them lean towards or away from you they reflect the light in different directions, causing areas of your carpet to appear lighter or darker. 

Every cut pile carpet will show these marks to some degree.  Some extermely short and dense cut pile carpets may show the marks less, but with the advent of today's super soft carpet fibers even density is no longer the safe haven from sweeper marks it once was.  A rough twisted carpet might have enough texture by itself to mask some footprints, but it is usually very loose and may show a pronounced change in appearance when you sweep it.

If you are concerned about footprints and vacuum marks on your carpet you should be looking at looped carpets, such as berbers.  That is the only way to truly avoid the issue, however many customers today have simply come to terms with that fact that some marks may be the price you pay for a soft and luxurious carpet.

Hope this helps!

Ask Otto's: Do Your Stores Charge Different Prices?

Wayne from Toledo writes:

We are looking for new carpet, and I see all three of your stores have carpet.  Which store should we go to?  Do they all charge different prices?  We were thinking your Levis Commons store might have higher prices on carpet than the store in Toledo.

I'm glad you contacted us Wayne.  We do not charge differently at our three area locations, all stores operate off the same exact pricing.  If you look at some flooring at our Levis Commons Design Center and you saw the same floor later at our Liquidation Outlet in Holland or Landmark Showroom in Toledo, they would be priced identically.  The same goes for the labor rates, cushion and everything else.  What differs at each location is the selection.

Levis Commons Design Center	Landmark Showroom & Stainmaster Gallery	Liquidation Outlet / Offices
DESCRIPTION: The place for cutting edge flooing design.  Huge selection of tile.  Area rug gallery.  State of the art shopping environment.  Northwest Ohio's only Shaw Design Center.	DESCRIPTION: A South Toledo landmark for over twenty years.  Huge selection of Stainmaster, the biggest name in carpet.  Huge selection of resilient sheet vinyl.	DESCRIPTION: Hundreds of remnants plus rolls of in stock carpets, sheet vinyl, laminate and more.  Take it with you or have it installed.  Bargains galore.
PRODUCTS: Carpet Tile Stone Hardwood Laminate Resilient Area Rugs     MARKETS: Residential Commercial	PRODUCTS: Carpet Tile Hardwood Laminate Resilient             MARKETS: Residential Commercial	PRODUCTS: Carpet Laminate Resilient                     MARKETS: Residential Rental / Multi-Family D.I.Y.

So Wayne feel free to stop by whatever store is closest to your home, or has the selection you are looking for, or stop by all three!

Ask Otto's: What's The Best Way To Clean My Carpet?

Gretchen from Toledo writes:

What is the best way to keep my carpet clean?  I hear about steam cleaning, dry cleaning, cleaning powders, do-it-yourself at home steam machines and I just don't know what to do.  I need some good advice here.

The best type of cleaning for you will depend on what type of carpet you have.  If you are not certain contact the retailer or manufacturer before proceeding.

Nylon, Polyester & Polypropylene
These are the most common fibers used in carpeting today, and almost without exception the manufacturers recommend (and in some cases require for warranty coverage) annual professional steam extraction to help maintain your carpet.  While some other methods such as dry cleaning are gentler, they are generally not as effective in removing the deep down dirt that really shortens the life of your carpet. 

Do-it-yourself steam cleaning is absolutely not recommended.  This may suffice for spot removal, but it cannot replace the high temperature, high suction that a professional truck-mounted machine can provide.  DIY carpet cleaners also usually leave too much soap residue on the carpet, which makes the carpet sticky and causes it to re-soil much quicker.  Many people see this and mistakenly think their carpet's stain resistance has been removed by the cleaning process.

Wool
Wool is used most often in very high end or specialty carpets.  Wool carpet should never be steam cleaned, only dry cleaned.  Steam can cause the wool carpet to wrinkle or even shrink away from the walls!

It's also a good idea to contact your retailer for a referral to a quality carpet cleaner.  The companies that advertise the most, or offer the lowest price aren't necessarily the best deal, and sometimes the smaller companies do a more thorough job and help your carpet stay cleaner longer.  We have even seen a local cleaner get spots out of carpet that had already been "cleaned" twice by a national name brand company.

Ask Otto's: Can I Use A Steam Cleaner On My Floor?

Tammy from Whitehouse writes:

"I keep seeing these steam cleaning machines on TV.  Is this safe to use on my floor?"

Steam is water, so as a rule it's only safe to use on a floor that's waterproof. 

You could use a steam machine on most any tile or vinyl flooring, but never use steam on a hardwood or laminate floor as the moisture could cause the floor to swell at the joints, warp, or buckle. 

A steam machine could also be used to spot clean carpets made of nylon, polyester or polypropylene, but you'd want to steer clear of using it on wool carpet as it could cause it to shrink or wrinkle.  You should also avoid oversaturating any carpet with too  much moisture as it could cause the carpet to fall apart (delamination) and/or cause mildew in the padding underneath.

Ask Otto's: What's The Difference Between Ceramic And Porcelain Floor Tile?

Susan from Lambertville writes:

My husband and I are in the market for a new kitchen floor and are thinking of using tile.  What’s the difference between ceramic floor tile and porcelain floor tile?

Good question Susan! Ceramic tile is made from clay materials and is fired in a kiln to harden it. Porcelain is also a ceramic, but is made from finer clays and fired at a hotter temperature, resulting in a higher density tile body than regular ceramic. This higher density of porcelain makes it harder than regular ceramic, more stain resistant and more waterproof.

That being said you probably should not exclude all non-porcelain tiles from consideration.  Most homeowners would likely never see any performance difference between ceramic and porcelain tile.  In fact, we routinely see ceramic tile floors that are several decades old and in great shape being replaced just for cosmetic reasons. 

The important things to keep in mind when getting a new tile floor are:

1. Get a guaranteed installation from a reputable local company!  I've seen too many people burned by "bucket and trowel" freelance installers that cut corners during the installation.  Improper installation can cause your tile floor to literally fall apart.  Don't risk losing thousands just to save a little on labor costs! 
2. Choose a sensible tile and grout color.  If you have a busy family and kids and pets running in and out of the house perhaps the glassy smooth white polished porcelain tile isn't the way to go.  Sure it will look pretty, but you'll be chasing after dust bunnies so much you'll never get to enjoy the floor.  Pick a tile in a medium to dark color range and a design with some movement to make a low maintenance floor that always looks ready for company.  The same goes for grout.  Avoid very light colors and you'll cut down on a lot of maintenance headaches!
3. Seal the grout! Generally grout should not be sealed until its fully cured, which can take up to thirty days.  Most installers are not in the habit of going back to every job a month later to seal, and so most of the tile installations out there have unprotected grout.  This is the main reason for all the horror stories about grout that stains or is hard to keep clean.  We recommend buying grout sealer right along with your tile and putting it on a month after installation.  It's easy to do yourself and will pay off in the long run.

Carpets by Otto's Levis Commons Design Center and Landmark Showroom have a wide range of beautiful tile options on display, and both the installation work and the pricing are fully guaranteed! 

Ask Otto's: Best Carpet For Kids & Pets?

Robin from Holland writes:

We are going to need new carpet soon.  What is the best carpet for a house with kids running in and out and two dogs?

Well Robin, there are a few things you should keep in mind when selecting your new carpet:

• Avoid carpet with loops.  Pets nails and teeth can snag looped carpets.
• Choose a sensible color.  If you have a "dirt path" in your current carpet I'd suggest using a color at least that dark.
• Pick a carpet with soil resistance.  Lot's of carpets have stain resistance from common food and beverage spills, but you'd be surprised how many of those have no protection for tracked in soil.  Look for carpets like Stainmaster, Anso, Wear Dated or Shaw's R2X that will stay cleaner longer than an unprotected carpet.  This can also save you money on carpet cleaning down the road.
• Look for a good durability rating.  Choose a carpet with a medium to high manufacturer's durability rating and preferably one with a texture retention warranty.  The durability rating tells you how much wear the carpet will take before it begins to affect the appearance, and the texture retention warranty generally guarantees against untwisting of the fibers (matting) and unrestorable loss of pile height (crushing).
• Use a cushion with a spill barrier.  Beverage spills and pet accidents are a fact of life with kids and dogs in the house.  Plan ahead and use a carpet pad with a spill barrier such as Shaw's Triple Touch.  This keeps anything spilled from soaking into the padding.  Moisture in the cushion can cause odors and can wick back up into the carpet over time.

If you follow these steps you should have no trouble finding a carpet that will stand the test of time.