Bamboo flooring is becoming an increasingly popular choice for those who invest in the “go green” campaign of today’s environmental concerns.

What many people do not know is that bamboo is actually a grass with a much faster grow rate than other material used for hardwood floors.  Trees cut down for other types of hard flooring take several more years to replenish than the bamboo material.

The durability of bamboo flooring is what makes this green solution a viable one. While many hardwood floors are made by utilizing long strips of the wood, bamboo is not. Bamboo material is actually created by processing and pressing the material into the sections needed for a beautiful outcome. Also, trees that would normally break due to bending by high winds or other forces in nature, bamboo will withstand.

The care and maintenance of our bamboo product is surprisingly easy and simple. There are only a few differences between wood and bamboo care, but these are the basics we feel are necessary for long lasting beauty:

• Place throw rugs or rugs near high-traffic areas such as door entry-ways; if possible, always remove shoes
• Avoid cleaners that contain oil, acidic or caustic ingredients that may cause streaky detergent build up on the clear finish
• Use a good, microfiber mop or comparable cloth
• Never use wax
• Some soiling such as gum, candy or gooey substances can be removed by applying an ice cube to harden and then popped loose
• As with any hard flooring, pay close attention to the movement of furniture on the floor for scratching and gouging; place soft tabs on furniture legs or rubber shoes for furniture with wheels
• Clean up liquid spills immediately so as to avoid seeping and permanent damage
• Always sweep up dirt and grit each day to avoid surface scratching

Dobson’s Flooring America goes the extra mile to provide materials beyond the eye-catching product. It is important that our company evolves not only to the needs of our customers, but the needs of our concerns as a community. For more information on sustainable flooring products, please visit one of our showrooms in Frisco or Garland.

As with everything in life, accidents happen. At some point, there is bound to be a spill or any other type of accident on your carpet. How you handle the situation and how you care for your carpet on an on-going basis can make quite a difference. With just five simple care tips to keep in mind, you can keep your carpet looking fresh and vibrant for several years.

1. Vacuum Frequently – The most important tip for keeping your carpet looking fresh and beautiful is to vacuum frequent. You should vacuum at least once a week and up to three times a week in more high-traffic areas. Think of dirt as sandpaper, just grinding away at your carpet. Dirt may not always be apparent, but it’s an element in leaving carpet fibers limp and dull. Vacuuming often not only removes dirt and freshens carpet fibers, but it also prevents stains from slowly forming when liquids such as water are accidentally spilled.
2. Clean Spills Quickly – Think of spills the way you may think of emergency situations—time is of the essence. The longer liquids and other staining substances sit, the more time it has to settle. When treating stains, remember to blot with a clean towel or rag; do not rub. Use the clean towel to absorb as much of the liquid (where applicable) as possible. Then, use appropriate cleaning solutions to remove what is left. Remember to check with your flooring retailer or refer to your carpet’s warranty brochure for proper chemicals to use on your carpet!
3. Trust the Professionals – You will typically want to have your carpet professionally cleaned at least once a year—twice if you have a lot of foot traffic in your home. True, you can visit your local grocery or home improvement store to rent carpet cleaning equipment. Often times, you can achieve great results; however, the process involved could be time consuming and cause more of a burden than had you hired a professional. Professional carpet cleaners can quickly clean your carpet with a cleaning process that could be more effective than store-bought solutions. Depending on the vendor, a professionally cleaned carpet could dry in as little as two hours!
4. Re-arrange Furniture – There are two great reasons for re-arranging the furniture in your home often. First of all, it creates change to an environment you’re used too—often creating a new love for your home. Most importantly, it changes the flow of traffic across your carpet, reducing what is known as traffic gray lanes. Like all types of materials, areas of high use will begin to show signs of wear. Cleaning and proper maintenance cannot prevent traffic lane gray, so it’s important to change the flow of traffic every so often to extend the appearance of your carpet.
5. Limit Exposure to Sunlight – Just as with many other materials and surfaces, sunlight can fade the color of your carpet. Protect your flooring with curtains and blinds to limit sunlight exposure. It’s also recommended that you direct blinds upward instead of down so light is not shining on your carpet.

Dobson’s Flooring America has an extensive collection of carpet that will meet your needs and budget. For additional carpet care tips, more information on our product lines or free in-home estimates, please contact us today. You can also stop by one of our two North Texas locations in Frisco and Garland.

At Dobson’s Flooring America, we’re with you every step of the way. That means before, during and after your purchase.

Come join us at Dobson’s Flooring America for a two-hour continuing education course on a history, past and present, of color and trends in the marketplace.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Dobson’s Flooring America
8810 Lebanon Road
Frisco, TX 75034

Learn more about environmental color, selecting the best schemes and best practices for working with clients. This continuing education course will include stunning visuals and provide you with an exciting look into the future.

You’ll gain knowledge of…

• Color Focus
  • Brief History – Making and using color through the ages.
  • Current Trends – Where we are today and why.
  • Looking to the Future – What to expect.
• Living with Color
  • Seeing Color – How we all see color differently and how light affects the palette.
  • Feeling Color – How colors make us feel.
  • Using Color – What colors can do to space and how does texture and finish play a part?
• Choosing Color
  • Natural Palettes – True neutrals, colored neutrals and how they work.
  • Vibrant Palettes – Using vivid colors with success.
  • Rich Dark Palettes – Creating an atmosphere and mood.
• Deciding Who You/They Are
  • Choosing a Theme – How color completes a theme.
  • Choosing a Scheme – How colors are part of the scheme.
  • Living the Dream – Creating the atmosphere that was intended.
• Keeping up with the Times
  • When is it time to make a change? – I’m bored and have the means.
  • Working with What Worked – If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.
  • Avoiding the Proverbial Faux Pas – Paint is penicillin.
• Color Conclusion
  • Color Candidates – All things are considered color mediums.
  • There are No Color Bad Boys – If the favorite heirloom is cerise, work with it.
  • Follow your Theme and Plan – Develop a strategy around a theme and scheme and be true to it.

Reserve your seat today by confirming your RSVP!

“Color the Nest” is a continuing education course approved by AISD, course #8256. It is approved for ASID, IDC, IDEC, IIDA, and it is valued for 2 credits or 2 hours towards the 6 hours required.

Whether you are buying a new home, building a home, or you’re just ready to change the feng-shui in your home, Karastan is the ideal choice.

Karastan has been revolutionizing the rug industry since 1928. Karastan gives you the colors, textures, and patterns to help you make a statement. They offer soft comfort with lifetime stain resistance.

Karastan carpets consist of:

• Extreme softness-no harsh, sticky chemicals or stiff strands.
• Lifetime stain resistance –built right in so it won’t wear or wash off.
• Lifetime antistatic.
• Lifetime stain resistance for pet order. (Don’t worry fido, Karastan has you covered!)
• 25 year texture retention—resists matting and crushing.
• 25 year abrasive wear.
• 5 year face resistance.
• Lifetime soil resistance.

With so many standard options built into their carpets how could anyone resist such a sale? If you had a New Year’s resolution to do something beneficial to your home in 2010 bring that resolution to fruition and purchase Karastan SmartStrand® carpet.

SmartStrand® carpet is the softest carpet you will ever touch. It contains DuPont Sorona® which is a 37 percent renewably sourced polymer which is environmentally friendly and fashionable too!

This fantastic sale includes these four SmartStrand® choices:

• Artful Inspiration
• Wilderness Retreat
• Bellingrath
• Lands End

Each carpeting choice comes in array of rich, inspirational colors, textures, and patterns to give you the most possible design choices.

Artful Inspiration relaxes the senses with 40 serene earth tones. Wilderness Retreat offers 40 sumptuous colors reflective of Mother Nature. Bellingrath has 40 tranquil colors to choose from. Lands End comes in 21 delicious decadent colors.

Where can you find this awesome Karastan sale in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex? You can find this sale and many other fabulous deals at the most premiere carpet dealer in town, Dobson’s Flooring America.

Dobson’s Flooring America has two premiere carpet stores in DFW. One flooring showroom in Garland, Texas and our brand new eco-friendly showroom in Frisco, Texas.

Come visit our two locations today and bring the whole family with you. You’ll find this great Karastan sale and many other quality choices in carpet flooring, laminate flooring, hardwood flooring, ceramic tile and many other home décor needs.

Selecting the best type of floor for your home is a multi-faceted decision; often times a difficult decision at that. From the area of the house to the amount of traffic, in-depth consideration should be put into your investment.

The flooring experts at both our Frisco and Garland stores are there to help you discover the best flooring option for your particular situation. With seemingly endless product samples and options, you can trust that Dobson’s Flooring America will help make the best decision for your home and lifestyle.

Shopping for flooring sometimes isn’t a fun task. It’s an important one that we’ll help you make the most out of it. After all, like everything else in life, it’s the experience that you should learn from. Helping you make the right decisions is what we’re here for.

We wanted to share with you a short video that we think summarizes our commitment to you and your experience as it pertains to selecting the perfect type of floor for your home.

At Dobson’s Flooring America, we’re with you every step of the way.

At Dobson’s Flooring America, we are doing our best to become more environmentally-conscientious. From operations to product selection, and everything in between, we’re doing what we can to create a cleaner, safer, greener environment. Most importantly, we invite you to do the same as well!

We have a commitment to good energy and environmental principles, and our brand new Frisco location only underscores our dedication to this initiative. Our Frisco storefront is an L.E.E.D. certified building, making Dobson’s Flooring America the first retail store in Frisco to be awarded this certification by the U.S Green Building Council.

Join us as we create a better environment for the future. We’ve compiled a list of ideas on how you can “go green” from the convenience of your home!

1. Recycle. It’s as simple as tossing certain trash into one basket and another type of trash into another. The recycling services and policies in each city across of America vary. Make sure that you know what kind of materials your city will accept. Here’s a great article that will help get you started. Also, be sure to make it fun! Teach your children how to recycle and give them the responsibility of sorting through the trash. Not only will they have fun, they’ll learn valuable lessons about being a responsible member of the community.
2. Purchase eco-friendly products. Yes, you’ll definitely want to consider what flooring to install, but there are also other products that can reduce the harmful effects of pollution. Some product categories that can make a big difference include: furniture, bedding, pest control, appliances and cooling systems. Check out www.greenhome.com for more information on products that are safe for you, your neighbors and the rest of the planet.
3. Check out our flooring options. Dobson’s Flooring America offers several types of bamboo flooring, which has high sustainability and environmentally sound origins. Did we mention that bamboo flooring is very beautiful as well? Best of all, it’s an inexpensive alternative to hardwood floors.

The team at Dobson’s Flooring America wants to remind you that your “going green” is just a small piece of the bigger picture. We would like to challenge our neighbors in North Texas to tell your friends about new green options and how they can contribute. Also, be sure to learn about other companies in your area that are making strides when it comes to preserving the environment. If everybody just did something small, the effect would be enormous!

For more information on our environmentally safe flooring products, or to speak with a flooring expert on the type of floor that is best for your home, visit one of our two Dallas area locations.

FRISCO, Texas (October 15, 2009) – Dobson’s Flooring America announced today that it is now the first retail store in Frisco, Texas to receive a LEED certification. Dobson’s has been awarded LEED® silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), LEED is the nation’s preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of eco-friendly buildings.

“The value Dobson’s adds to the Frisco community is our commitment to good energy and environmental principles,” said Suzanne Brown, CEO of Dobson’s. “Our recent LEED certification only underscores our continued dedication to the local environment. We hope future construction in our community will soon follow in energy conservation and environmental sustainability.”

Dobson’s Flooring America, who recently opened its Frisco storefront, achieved LEED certification for energy use, lighting, water and material use as well as incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies.

“Building operations are nearly 40 percent of the solution to the global climate change challenge,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of the U.S. Green Building Council. “While climate change is a global problem, innovative companies like Dobson’s Flooring America are addressing it through local solutions.”

In addition to operating in an efficient manner, customers who walk into the new 9,000-square-foot store will also have options of purchasing eco-friendly products for their home projects. Dobson’s carries a full line of carpet, hardwood, laminate, ceramic, and vinyl flooring products. The company also offers a selection of stylish countertops.

LEED Certification of Dobson’s Flooring America was based on a number of green design and construction features that positively impact the project itself and the broader community. These features include: construction activity pollution prevention, storm water design, water use reduction, green Power use, construction waste management and low emitting material use.

About Dobson’s Flooring America

Dobson’s Flooring America is the retail division for Dobson Floors, Inc. and part of the nation’s leading flooring retail group with more than 500 stores. Founded in 1973, the Dallas-based flooring company has locations in Garland and Farmers Branch, Texas as well as a registered Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified retail location in Frisco, Texas. For more information, please visit www.dobsonfloors.com.

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Media Contact:
Phillip Murrell
SRJ Marketing Communications
214-528-5775
phillip@srj.net

Dobson’s Flooring America proudly announced today that its newest store, based in Frisco, Texas, is registered with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and programmed for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. After the review process is completed, this store will be the first LEED-certified retail location in the city of Frisco. This environmental first for the city will feature a state-of-the-art, energy efficient facility boasting more than 9,000 square feet of retail, office and storage space.

Achieving LEED certification for our newest retail facility in Frisco, Texas further demonstrates Dobson’s commitment to implementing good energy and environmental principles at our retail locations

Frisco, Texas (PRWEB) July 29, 2009 — Dobson’s Flooring America proudly announced today that its newest store, based in Frisco, Texas, is registered with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and programmed for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. After the review process is completed, this store will be the first LEED-certified retail location in the city of Frisco. This environmental first for the city will feature a state-of-the-art, energy efficient facility boasting more than 9,000 square feet of retail, office and storage space.

“Achieving LEED certification for our newest retail facility in Frisco, Texas further demonstrates Dobson’s commitment to implementing good energy and environmental principles at our retail locations,” said Suzanne Brown, president of Dobson’s Flooring America, “We invite the residents of Frisco and the surrounding communities to visit our showroom and see our state-of-the-art facility, first-hand.”

LEED, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. Striving towards certification, Dobson’s Flooring America works tirelessly to match the five key human and environmental standards inherent in LEED certification: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

This certification is another jewel for Frisco, a city proud of its environmental stewardship. Frisco Mayor Maher Maso pushes hard to make his city a “green city”, as evidenced by his backing of numerous other LEED projects, including City Hall and the City of Frisco Police Courts and Holding building.

LEED certification requires that the design and construction team be educated on the LEED Rating System, the LEED requirements and Green Building strategies. As the system has become the de facto standard for green building, many in the design and construction community have gone back to school to learn the system and become accredited professionals, a system which Dobson’s Flooring America is proud to have implemented.

“We applaud Dobson’s Flooring America for aggressively pursing LEED Certification for a small, stand alone, high performance retail building of 9,000 square feet,” said the sustainable LEED consultant, Billy Ware, AIA, LEED AP, president of Ware Architecture, “It is rare for a project of this size to seek LEED certification. This project proves it can be done within a reasonable budget.”

Dobson’s Flooring America is confidently leading the way in green retailing with this new facility. The store officially opened its doors on July 6, with a series of grand opening events to be hosted early this fall.

About Dobson’s Flooring America

Dobson’s Flooring America is the retail division for Dobson Floors, Inc. and part of the nation’s leading flooring retail group with more than 500 stores. Founded in 1973, the Dallas-based flooring company has locations in Garland and Farmers Branch, Texas as well as a registered Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified retail location in Frisco, Texas.

Dobson’s Flooring America is more than just a flooring specialty store. We are experts trained in flooring and design to help you find the perfect floor for the way you live. As part of America’s leading flooring retail group, our Flooring America-store nationwide buying power guarantees you low prices on thousands of carpets and floors. Our store is locally owned, so we can also guarantee a truly unique level of personal customer service.

We are committed to providing every customer with the best selection, the best prices and the best service available anywhere. Furthermore, we back your flooring purchase with our Performance Assurance Program of warranties — one of the strongest warranty programs in the industry. And our Confidence Plus Warranty takes the worry out of any decorating decision. Our friendly, knowledgeable and professional sales staff will help you find the product that is right for your budget and style. Visit our impressive showroom today and discover a whole new way to buy flooring!