Wool and wood top flooring choices

Walking around Dick’s Carpet One in Diamond Springs inspires many ideas for beautifying one’s home — from toe happy carpeting to jeweled glass tile for the kitchen.

“In our industry we’ve noticed more people are deciding to fix their homes rather than move,” store co-owner Jared Sattler noted. “The emphasis is on making homes feel comfortable and inviting so people are going for warm hardwoods and comfortable rugs that make their homes homey and livable for the long-term.”

Carpeting is one product that enhances the warmth and comfort of any home. The store sells carpeting in thousands of styles, colors, plushness, patterns, degree of stain resistance, warranty differences and fiber types.

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Dick’s Carpet One is located at 6516 Commerce Way in Diamond Springs. Store hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Call 530-642-4200 or visit dickscarpetone.com.

Aside from synthetic carpeting, another popular choice is wool carpeting which has become more competitive in price as the rising cost of oil has made synthetics more costly.

“Wool is the ultimate in softness. It is quite easy to clean and care for because it’s a natural fiber, and it’s less allergenic. It helps collect dust rather than having it fly everywhere in the home because of the nature of the fiber,” Sattler said. “It’s also very durable which is why it’s widely used in hotels.”

Sattler said wool carpeting is also great in homes with wood burning stoves because it won’t burn. If a spark hits it, it sears the yarn but can be brushed off whereas synthetic fibers will melt.

The store also carries a large inventory of laminate and hardwood flooring with a variety of materials, finishes and plank sizes to choose from. “Hardwood floors are a sound investment,” said Sattler. “It adds value to a home just like tile does.”

Particularly popular is hand-scraped wood flooring. Created by prisoners in South Carolina, Sattler said people like it because of the irregular patterns in the wood that give it a custom look. “Wider and longer planks of wood for floors are also a big deal right now,” he added.

The store also sells stone, marble and glass tiles for the bathroom and kitchen; cushy vinyl flooring that comes in styles that resemble tile, marble or slate; a large selection of area rugs; and various window coverings  — all of which can be customized to the customer’s needs.

Sattler said currently there are two big pushes in the industry. One is a “green initiative” to sell more products made of natural materials —cork and bamboo — and products that are manufactured in certain ways. The other push is to sell more products made in the United States to help businesses here at home.

“We have thrown out some imports from other countries,” he said, “and prices are similar.”

Once a floor is selected Sattler sends his certified installers out to the site where they install and answer any questions the customer might have. The installers also follow a process for minimizing allergens called a “Healthier Living Installation.” This consists of spraying the floor with a material that kills any pollens after the old carpet is torn out. The spraying is followed by a thorough vacuum job using a HEPA filter. The new cushion for the rug is hypoallergenic and a spill block is laid down before the new carpet is installed. Sattler said his business is the only one in El Dorado County taking all these steps when installing flooring.

Sattler said the store also offers what it calls a ‘beautiful guarantee’ on most products. “We guarantee that you’ll like the way your floor looks or we’ll replace it for free, including labor,” he explained.

“Our biggest thing is we consistently try to put out good quality products and offer good customer service,” Sattler added. “We want every customer to be pleased and thrilled with the product they’re living with.”