Removing Pet Stains and Smells from Carpet

Pets: they’re our best friends, but sometimes they treat our homes with a casual disregard normally associated with teenagers or fraternity brothers. Here are some pet-related carpet maintenance tips from the acknowledged leader among Portland carpet stores.

Time is of the essence.
When you’re dealing with a pet stain, there’s no time like the present. The sooner you can be on the scene with your “cleanup crew,” the better your results will be.

Blot, don’t rub.
When a stain is still wet, begin by blotting up the excess moisture with an old towel or a paper towel. Don’t rub in a fashion that’s likely to spread the stain.

Consider a pro.
Once you’ve lifted as much of the moisture as you can, do a quick cost-benefit analysis: is the carpet a stain-resistant variety that will be easy for an amateur to tackle? Is it valuable enough that it’s worth an extra few dollars to protect?

Avoid cleaners containing ammonia.
Pets, the poor dears, aren’t the brightest members of the family, and they can sometimes confuse trace smells of ammonia for their own urine. They see this as a green light to hit the same spot again.

Soap and water.
Instead, clean the area gently with clean water with a little dish soap mixed in. Clean, blot dry, and repeat.

Of course, carpet maintenance is easier if you begin with an easy-to-maintain, stain-resistant carpet from that finest of Portland carpet stores, Buyright Carpet & Tile. Visit our showroom to learn more!

Commercial Flooring: Carpet or Tile?

When seeking a floor covering solution for your commercial enterprise, there are a number of factors to consider. As the quality-and-low-price leader among Portland carpet stores and Portland tile stores, Buyright Carpet & Tile is here to make that decision easier.

Frankly, Buyright should be your first and only stop when making this decision. If you visit a Portland commercial carpet store, they’ll emphasize carpet whether it’s appropriate for your application or not. If you choose another Portland tile store, they’ll be prejudiced toward tile. By being a complete floor covering headquarters, Buyright Carpet & Tile can steer you through the complete array of floor covering choices until you arrive at a solution that meshes perfectly with your needs.

Some things to consider: what is the likely traffic pattern in the space? Will there be a lot of possibly-abrasive tracked in materials to contend with? That implies tile, though Portland commercial carpet stores might tell you something different. What are the acoustic characteristics of the space? If the room is already loud and boomy, tile could make it ring and clatter like a factory floor. Visit the leader among Portland carpet stores for a carpet with the acoustic characteristics that will make the space inviting for you customers.

Like any business decision, your floor-covering plan demands the best information if it’s going to have a positive impact on your bottom line. Visit us at Buyright Carpet & Tile to speak with our floor covering experts to make sure it’s a decision you’ll never regret!

Buyright Featured Carpet: Amber Light Blaze Glass Tile

Buyright Carpet & Tile is well-known as the place to go for quality carpet at a competitive price. But there’s more — we’re also your Portland glass tile headquarters. In keeping with that title, we’d like to share with you the latest product in out featured products series: Amber Light Blaze Glass tile.

Though most people think “ceramic” when they think of tile, glass tile is an attractive option as well. If you live in Portland, glass tile is a natural: it’s particularly well-suited to high-moisture applications! (Though in this case, we’re talking about swimming pools, spas, and tub surrounds, not Portland rain.)

The impermeable glass surface is a cinch to clean; with no crevices for dirt and bacteria to hide in, a quick wipe renders these tiles as good as new.

Our Amber Light Blaze Glass Tile is a mosaic-style tile product, with 1”x1” squares mounted on a flexible polymer backing. This gives the appearance of hundreds of tiny tiles to the finished surface, without the tedium of actually hand-setting these tiny squares one at a time.

This Blaze Glass product presents subtly variegated colors within its rusty palette, giving a natural stone-like look pleasing to the eye. However, if its reddish-umber hues are not to your liking, Buyright Carpet & Tile has mosaic Blaze Glass tiles in five other colors, so there’s sure to be one ideal for whatever your design concept might be. Stop by our showroom today to see this striking and durable tile in person!

Portland's Dollar Floor Store: Flooring Your Home for Less!

Here at Buyright, we're proud to be the Portland carpet store known for high-quality flooring products at consistently low prices. But what most area homeowners don't know is that in addition to our already low-cost selection of carpet, laminate, and tile flooring products, we also feature an entire line of products priced at $1/square foot or less. That's right - it's Portland's Dollar Floor Store!

How it Works
All products in the Portland Dollar Floor Store are priced at $1 per square foot or less. Many products are available only in a limited quantity. Buying online secures your savings and guarantees you'll get your favorite flooring products at the lowest possible price. And because Portland's Dollar Floor Store is sponsored by Buyright Carpet and Tile, you know you are getting only the highest-quality flooring products from the best tile and carpet store Portland has to offer.

Types of Products
Portland's Dollar Floor Store features dozens of high-quality flooring products, including:

• Commercial Carpet
• Residential Carpet
• Laminate Flooring
• Porcelain Tile
• ... and more!

Browse our online catalog to view all of our $1/SF products, or stop by our showroom to see them in person.

Carpet Remnants as Area Rugs: Getting Creative with Leftovers

Of all the carpet stores Portland has seen over the years, we like to think Buyright Carpet & Tile offers the best overall package of quality and value. That’s partly because we don’t just sell carpet, we help you get the best use out of it with top-notch customer service and professional advice.

In keeping with that spirit, we’d like to offer a few tips on an application that’s been gaining in popularity among homeowners who want to keep costs down without sacrificing quality or style: using carpet remnants as area rugs.

If you’ve priced area rugs at some Portland carpet stores, you know that they can cost a pretty penny. Moreover, they often feature elaborate patterns that may simply be too busy for the look of your room. Using remnants can provide all the warmth and acoustic benefits of traditional area rugs for a fraction of the price. Here are a few tips if you choose this route.

Bind your edges.
If your remnant lacks finished edges, you’ll likely want to have the edges bound with cloth strips for a more finished feel and to prevent raveling.

Front legs on.
Many homeowners find that a good rule of thumb is to size your rug so that the front legs of the chairs or sofas that define the area rest on the rug, while the back legs sit on the floor. This keeps the rug firmly in place.

Stop corner curling.
Occasionally, remnant rugs in high-traffic areas may be subject to the ends curling up. Avoid this problem by affixing sticky- backed vinyl tiles—the heavier, the better—to the backing side of each corner of the rug. They’ll keep the corners flat without showing.

The 18-inch rule.
If you’re looking for a area rug for a whole room, try sizing it such that it comes to 18 inches from each wall. This is a design convention that ensures a professional look.

We know there are plenty of carpet stores Portland has to choose from. Stop by our showroom today to learn why we’re the best at saving you money without sacrificing style.

Ceramic Tile in the Bedroom? Modern Designers Say ‘Yes!’

Throughout the history of modern interior design, there’s been an overarching conventional wisdom when it comes to flooring: hardwoods in the living room, linoleum in the kitchen, carpet in the bedroom, tile in the bathroom. Deviate from this time-honored pattern, the old-timers warned, and you’d be asking for trouble.

But this is the 21st Century, and not everyone wants a dull, 50s-style home that looks like June Cleaver is about to burst out of the kitchen with a Jell-o mold. Luckily, modern designers are happy to oblige more adventurous tastes. Today’s builders are pushing the boundaries in terms of materials and their applications. Some of the most exciting trends in this area involve new ceramic tile uses, especially as accents in the master bedroom.

Photo courtesy of ConstructionOwl.com.

While a full ceramic tile floor in the bedroom might still raise a few eyebrows, the unusual material can be quite eye-catching as part of a built-in headboard. Another of the new ceramic tile uses is as wainscoting—by tiling walls up to chair-rail height, you can protect that portion of the wall most prone to damage with the toughest material in the builder’s arsenal.

Don’t forget, either, that modern ceramic tile isn’t the dull, predictable stuff you remember from grandma’s kitchen floor. With a dazzling array of patterns, colors, and textures, this durable material can match any décor.

As your Portland ceramic tile source, Buyright Carpet & Tile can fill you in on all the latest trends in the burgeoning world of ceramic tile. Visit our showroom to see this hot new design element in action.

Buyright Featured Product: Collinsville Mocha Froth Carpet

Welcome once again to our exciting blog series, Buyright Featured Products! With all the carpet stores Portland has to offer, we like to go the extra mile to keep you informed of all the high-quality products available to homeowners today. This installment’s featured product is Collinsville Mocha Froth Carpet.

This economical, dirt-hiding flooring solution is just the sort of carpet Portland feet can sink into after a hard day. With a low nap for durability, Collinsville Mocha Froth rated a 3.2 out of 5 on the Hexapod for durability under simulated foot traffic conditions.

Moreover, it’s a carpet Portland environmentalists can love: Collinsville carpets have earned the Carpet and Rug Institute’s “Green Label Plus” certification for low chemical emissions.

Some of the carpet stores Portland boasts would charge upwards of $2.00/sq. ft. for this product, but at Buyright, this 25 oz. face weight carpet is currently only $1.28/sq. ft. Stop by our showroom and see if it’s right for you!

Carpet and Pet Hair: How to Minimize Allergic Reactions

We take pride in offering the finest carpet flooring Portland has to offer, but even the best carpet can become impregnated with pet hair, which can be aggravating for allergy sufferers. Here are some tips for dealing with pet hair.

Dirty carpet covered in pet hair can be a real problem for chronic allergy sufferers.

Believe it or not, one of the best ways to remove pet hair from carpet is with a plain old sponge mop. (We’re not sure whether the other carpet stores Portland homeowners encounter would tell you to mop their carpet, but it works!)

First, vacuum the carpet thoroughly, then lightly moisten the sponge mop with water using a spray bottle. Run the mop slowly across the carpet. The hair will stick and clump on the mop for easy removal.

A second trick for carpet flooring Portland pet owners may want to try involves fabric softener. In a spray bottle, dissolve 4 oz. fabric softener in 12 oz. of water. Then spray the carpet just enough to make it moist; don’t saturate it.

Next, let the floor dry completely. Once it’s dry, vacuum thoroughly—the fabric softener will lubricate the fibers, loosening the pet hair for easy vacuuming.

It’s as simple as that! We hope tips like these help you think of Buyright Carpet & Tile as the carpet store Portland can count on!

A Website Facelift!

Have you visited our newly-designed site yet? You should! We think the new site design is cleaner and more accessible and features our best quality; namely, that we're Portland's Low-Cost Leader!

Don't worry, we didn't remove any of our products! You can still find the highest-quality carpet and tile flooring Portland has to offer, and even shop from the comfort of your home with our online catalog. We just made it easier to find your favorite products.

Here's a screenshot of the newly designed site:

You can also view the site at www.BuyrightCarpet.com. Check it out and let us know what you think!

Buyright Featured Product: Classic Travertine Tile

At Buyright, we pride ourselves in the the many varieties of flooring and home improvement products we carry. From carpet to tile to marmoleum, you'd be hard pressed to find a type of flooring we don't specialize in. In this series, we'll take a detailed look at a different flooring material each month, examining its features, the variety of styles we carry, and the types of applications to which it is best suited.

This week we're taking a look at a tried-and-true flooring and building favorite: classic travertine tile!

Travertine tile is a great choice for homeowners looking for a more rustic style. Classic travertine tile has a creamy, off-white color and rich, dark color variations, giving the tile a dramatic visual depth. Travertine has been used for centuries in a variety of different applications, including temples, amphitheaters, patios, garden structures, and even the Roman Colosseum. Today, our classic travertine tile is mainly used for flooring, counter tops, and sink or shower applications.

Not only is our classic travertine tile beautiful and versatile in its applications, it is also very durable. It is naturally water-resistant and holds up well against day-to-day foot traffic and other uses. It's even tough enough to be used for outdoor applications, such as pools, hot tubs, garden paths, and much more.

Visit our showroom to see our classic travertine tile products in person, or browse our online catalog from the comfort of your own home!

DIY Carpet Freshener: The Cheap and Easy Recipe

If you have many carpeted rooms in your home you probably spend quite a bit of time vacuuming them. And if you like your carpets to have a fresh, clean smell, you probably use some sort of carpet freshener. Well, the age of store-bought carpet freshener is over! For the Portland carpet enthusiast, nothing beats a homemade, DIY carpet freshener. It's fun to make, cheaper than store bought, and you can use your favorite scents to get the smell just right. Here's two of our favorite homemade carpet freshener recipes. Enjoy!

• 1 cup of your favorite crushed dried herbs, such as lavender or rosemary
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Mix the ingredients well and sprinkle over your carpet. Let them sit for 5-10 minutes before vacuuming.

Baking soda also makes a great carpet freshener. Here's a simple recipe that has a baking soda base.

• 1 cup baking soda
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 15 drops of your favorite essential oil

Mix the ingredients well and sprinkle on your carpet. Let the mixture sit for 15-20 minutes before vacuuming. You can store any excess mixture in a glass jar or other airtight container.

What are some of your favorite DIY carpet freshener recipes? Leave us your recipe in the comments section below!

Carpet Installation: 5 Tips for a Quick Project

For many homeowners, installing carpet seems like a daunting task. Even the most experienced DIYers cringe at the idea of carpet installation. While it's true that DIY carpet installation can be difficult, it's not impossible. With the right tools, preparation, and instruction, you can properly install carpet in nearly any room in your home.

(That being said, it's important to recognize that DIY carpet installation is a difficult process. If you don't have a lot of experience with DIY home improvement projects, or you don't have the time, interest, patience, or resources to finish the project, you should probably leave it to a professional. Contact Buyright Carpet today to discuss professional carpet installation options.)

1. Properly prepare the floor.
Floor preparation for carpet installation is usually pretty minimal. Still, there are some important steps you need to take to make sure your floors are ready for carpet. When replacing carpet, make sure to pry up all the old carpet from the floor and tackless strip. Be sure to sweep, mop, and dry the floor completely - installing carpet over a dirty or moist floor can lead to floor and carpet rot in the future. Lastly, when installing carpet over concrete, make sure you know where the heating ducts are. If you don't, you run the risk of puncturing them when nailing the carpet into the concrete.

2. Get the right tools.
Assembling the necessary tools to properly install carpet is one of the hardest parts of the project. The following is a list of the equipment you'll need to properly (and safely!) install your new carpet:

• Tackless strip
• Saw/shears
• Hammer
• Masonry nails
• Carpet padding
• Heavy scissors
• Utility knife
• Duct tape
• Staple gun
• Chalk
• Row cutter
• Seaming tape
• Rolling pin
• Seaming iron
• Power stretcher
• Knee kicker
• Trimmer
• Stair tool
• Gripper edge
• Carpet!

Read all instructions carefully before using any of these instruments. If you don't feel comfortable using specific tools, contact Buyright Carpet and discuss professional installation.

3. Cut the carpet correctly.
There's nothing more frustrating than realizing you've incorrectly cut the carpet you're about to install. Not only is it a waste of time, it is a waste of money, too, and an expensive one at that. Always get exact measurements of the room before cutting, and remember to leave about 2 inches of excess carpet on each wall side. This allows for a bit of error and is easily trimmed later.

4. Stretch, stretch, stretch!
It's important when exercising, and it's important when installing new carpet. Attach the carpet to one corner of the room and use the power stretcher to stretch the carpet to the opposite wall. Attach the carpet to the tackless strip and follow the same procedure for the other opposing corners. This part of the installation process can be confusing and frustrating, so again, if you are unfamiliar or uncomfortable performing this step, contact Buyright Carpet to discuss professional carpet installation options.

5. Smooth and grip.
After trimming the excess carpet at each wall, use a stair tool, push the edges of the carpet between the wall and tackless strip. once this is done, you can trim the carpet at the doorway and install a gripper edge to hold the carpet in place.

Simple, right? Well, not exactly. These are just general tips for installing carpet in your home. The actual process is much more complicated. Contact a professional at Buyright Carpet today if you have any questions about your DIY carpet installation project. We'd be glad to help!

Cleaning Ceramic Tile Flooring - What You Need To Know

So you've just purchased and installed a brand new ceramic tile floor. Great! Now what? What kind of maintenance is required to keep it looking like new? What kind of cleaning solution should you use? What are some common problems people face cleaning ceramic tile? All good questions, friend. The following are helpful tips for cleaning and protecting ceramic tile flooring. Good luck!

1. Sweep
Dirt and dust can stubbornly cling to ceramic tile, especially if the tile has a textured surface. Your first step in the fight against tile grime is to get out the broom. Sweeping helps loosen trapped dirt and dust particles from the surface of tiles and can dramatically improve the look of your floor. You can even use a vacuum to get to the hard-to-reach dirt and debris stuck between tiles. Make sure your vacuum doesn't have a beater bar, though - those can scratch and chip ceramic tile flooring.

2. Use Mats
Doormats can be a ceramic tile floor's best friend. Placing mats at entrances will help catch dirt, mud, and other debris before it can be tracked onto your floor. Be sure to shake out or wash the mats often. If your mat isn't clean, it won't offer much protection against grime.

3. Mop
Ceramic flooring should be mopped every now and then to remove built-up dirt and debris that sweeping couldn't catch. Use only a manufacturer-recommended cleaner, as some cleaners are too corrosive to use on ceramic tile. Never use an abrasive scouring powder or steel wool to clean tile; you'll end up with a scratched floor.

4. Clean Regularly and Often
Nothing is as dangerous to the appearance of ceramic tile flooring as time. If you don't clean up spills and messes as soon as they happen, the dirt and grime can start to decompose and corrode the tile. Even something as simple as sweeping once or twice a week will work wonders in helping your floor age well.

5. Be Careful with Furniture
As we mentioned before, ceramic tile flooring can easily scratch. If you will be moving heavy furniture or appliances, make sure to use pads or mats to prevent scratching.

Questions about ceramic tile flooring installation or maintenance? Call us today at 1-800-638-5787, or email us at sales@buyrightcarpet.com.

Ceramic tile can be used for many different projects, including flooring, counter-tops, and sink backsplash tiling.