Durability and flooring—what to know

When you shop for new floors, durability will be one of your biggest priorities. Of course, you want whatever you choose to look great, perform well and last for a long time.

Know that needs, priorities and challenges are different for everyone

Plainly stated, the floor you fell in love with down the street may not work well for you. Consider your family size and whether or not you have kids, pets, or heavy foot traffic.

Be sure you don't buy the wrong type of floor for your needs. Be as thorough as you can when talking to the expert in the flooring store.

Soft and hard surfaces are different

Despite popular myth, a carpet's weight isn't necessarily an indicator of quality. Instead, you want to look at density, which refers to how closely the fibers are tufted together.

Density numbers are on the label. Look for 3,000 or higher.

For high-pile rugs, look at the twist number also on the label. It should be between three and six. Sometimes the number is even higher.

Of course, get familiar with fibers. They all have different levels of durability. There are five most commonly chosen: wool, nylon, polyester, olefin, and triexta.

Our flooring company carries many styles and will help you find the ideal rug. Brands include Marquis, Mohawk, Aladdin Commercial, etc.

For hard surfaces:

1. Consider thickness. Ask about the AC (Abrasion Criteria) rating in laminate.

Usually recommended is AC-3 or AC-4 for residential use. Anything lower is either for the wall only or a low-traffic room.

2. Explore wear layers. They’re essential to the durability of luxury vinyl.

Wear layers are top, transparent, robust coatings. They protect the new floors from scratches, scuffs, and dents. Wear layers come in many thicknesses, with the strongest for residential use being 20 mils.

Significant savings on all your flooring needs

Family-owned J&J Floor Covering has decades of expertise. We've been helping people update their homes for over 29 years with innovative flooring, and we'd like to do that for you, too.

Let us do that for you, too! Visit our showroom in Monett, MO. We service Aurora, Joplin, Carthage, Mount Vernon, Cassville, Marionville, Sarcoxie, Neosho, and Billings.