On July 20th, Dobson’s Flooring America participated in a presentation and panel discussion for members of Stonebriar Country Club. The educational event was hosted by 245 Design Group, a team of award winning businesses specializing in residential design and home fashion in the Far North Dallas and Collin County area.
The presentation was entitled Designing Your Dream Kitchen and explored the latest trends in kitchen concepts. In addition to layout and architectural trends other areas covered were lighting, cabinets, fixtures, flooring, windows and high-tech electronics. After the presentation, a lively question-and-answer session was held with the Stonebriar attendees.

245 Design Group was founded on the principle of providing area residents with a “one-stop” reliable resource for residential design needs. Rather than “selling” products and services, the core philosophy of 245 Design members is to assist their clients in making smart choices that fit their lifestyle. Dobson’s Flooring America President, Suzanne Brown, is one the founding members of the group. “Today’s consumer is especially concerned about finding dependable home contractors. We want to make their design project a worry-free experience,” states Brown.

For more information about 245 Design Group visit their website: www.245designgroup.com

Here at Dobson’s Flooring America, we are committed to protecting our environment. For example, our Frisco, Texas showroom we opened last year was L.E.E.D. Silver certified. In fact, it was the first L.E.E.D certified retail store in Frisco. L.E.E.D. certification is a voluntary program that promotes sustainable and green building designs to lessen the impact on the environment.

While our Frisco showroom is designed in such a way that it uses much less energy than traditional building designs, there many simple steps you can take at home to reduce your footprint and make our way of life more sustainable and environmentally conscious.

Here are a few easy ways to make your house more energy efficient and help the environment this summer:

Shade Unused Windows
During the summer months, the sun is out longer and much of its heat enters through windows. Make sure to pull the shades down in rooms you are not using, especially rooms with direct sun exposure. This will cut down on the amount of heat that gets in and reduce the need to crank up the air conditioner.

Use Natural Lighting
If you find yourself lounging around on the couch and catching up on some reading, or just getting some much deserved R and R, turn off the overhead lights and open your window shades. Natural lighting will not only reduce your energy use, but it has been shown to help improve moods and well-being.

Upgrade Your Water Heater
Water heating can account for upwards of 25 percent of your energy bill, and an outdated heater is often the culprit. Look for newer, more energy-efficient water heaters, such as solar water heaters, to cut down that energy consumption.

Compost Food
Approximately 40 percent of food made in the US ends up in the trash. Many things we throw away—food scraps, soiled paper towels, lawn clipping—don’t have to be sent to the landfill. Savvy gardeners across the country are turning their own compost piles at home in small backyard patches, making for rich, nutritious soil for growing fabulously green gardens. If you don’t have room for a compost pile or a garden, check with your local waste collection and see if they can provide you with a food-recycling bin for compostable waste.

Choosing Smarter Paint Colors
Paint the exterior of your house with a light-colored paint if you live in a warm climate to help deflect heat from being absorbed into the house. If you live in a colder climate, use a dark-colored paint to help absorb heat from the sun. Also consider planting shade trees to block direct sunlight on your house. Shade trees not only keep heat out but also consume CO2.

We all must do what we can to help preserve our environment. Even the smallest initiative can have a large impact. For more tips, “like” us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter as we regularly post tips on going green and flooring care.

It’s that time of year for summer barbecues and pool parties. At Dobson’s Flooring America, we carry a diverse selection of the highest quality flooring products to accommodate different styles of summer fun.

Are you looking to upgrade your flooring as a summer project? Are you not sure where to start? Ask yourself, “What is most important to me: fashion, durability or price?” Your answer will help to focus in on the appropriate flooring choice for you. A consultation with a trained flooring professional can make the selection process easy and educational.

Rooms that are prone to getting wet require special consideration- not just kitchens and baths, but rooms that connect directly to a pool or patio area too. Moisture-sensitive products such as wood flooring just don’t perform well in these areas. Fortunately, there is a wide array of other attractive options available at your nearest Dobson’s Flooring America showroom.

Flooring Options to Consider
One of the toughest waterproof types of flooring is luxury vinyl. Vinyl flooring today is not your grandmother’s kitchen linoleum. Today’s luxury vinyl can look like wood planks or ceramic tile. It is so realistic that you cannot tell the difference from the real products. It can make a fashion statement in any room in the house, not just kitchens and baths. Vinyl is not only durable and easy to clean, but also easy to repair if damage does occur.

Another attractive option for waterproof, and highly long-lasting, flooring is tile. Tile flooring comes in a couple of styles from basic peel and stick to more durable porcelain tiles. Porcelain tiles are easy to clean and require very little maintenance. Porcelain tiles offer many options in style and selection, as well as endless design possibilities. Porcelain tiles come in styles that look exactly like natural stone, without the high cost of authentic natural stone products.

Ceramic tiles offer another waterproof hard-flooring solution for your summer fun. Although some are more challenging to install, however, if properly installed and sealed, ceramic tiles are a cost-effective option. Ceramic tiles are great for a pool house with showers to rinse off after an afternoon in the pool. Ceramic tiles come in a wide selection of sizes and colors.

Although carpet can be damaged by excessive moisture, waterproof carpet padding can certainly protect against this damage. Wet carpet itself dries out fairly quickly, but unprotected foam padding underneath can remain wet and cause mildew to form and eventually damage the carpet backing. There are various types of waterproof padding. Your flooring professional can explain the features and benefits of each variety.

Flooring Made Easy
Summer is the perfect time to address flooring replacement and upgrade. Visit our Garland or Frisco showrooms to learn more about the products we carry and current promotions or installation offers. Shopping for quality and sustainable products can be a daunting task, but at Dobson’s—we’re with you every step of the way.

Would you like to win a family four-pack of passes to Six Flags Over Texas? Dobson’s Flooring America is giving you the opportunity July 12-23, just for participating with us on Facebook and Twitter!

As you may already be aware, we launched the “Sumer of Giveaways Promotion” recently. For about two months, we’re created a schedule of how you can win Visa gift cards, passes to AMC Theaters, and a family four-pack of passes to Six Flags Over Texas.

For the next two weeks, to qualify for your chance to win passes to Six Flags, all you have to do is post a message to our Facebook wall or @reply us on Twitter to let us know how you are keeping your home cool this summer season.

In Texas, it can get quite toasty outside. Luckily, with the rain we’ve had over the past two weeks or so, we’ve dodged 100 degree weather, but it’s still been hot nonetheless. Keeping your home cool efficiently is important not only for the comfort of your family, but can be easier on your pocketbook.

Here are five tips for keeping your home cool:

1. Keep your air conditioner thermostat set to 78 degrees Fahrenheit or higher and use ceiling fans to help circulate the air. Close off unused rooms as well as those air conditioning vents.
2. Use ceiling fans at higher speeds in the rooms you are in to make the temperature more comfortable. Remember, the goal is to not lower the AC thermostat lower than 78 degrees.
3. If your air conditioning unit is very old, consider purchasing a newer, more energy-efficient model. Also make sure you get a unit that is appropriately sized for your home. You don’t want to get one that is too small nor too large. Ask an energy auditor or air conditioning contractor for more information.
4. Try to shade your air conditioners with window awnings (for window units) or trees (for outdoor units).
5. For windows that have direct sunlight, use white window shades or mini-blinds to reduce solar heat gain. This method can dramatically reduce the heat in your home (and is ideal for preventing fading of your flooring where applicable).

One additional tip for keeping your home cooler is, yes, take a second look at the type of flooring you have in your home. Tile floors can be much cooler than any other flooring surface. They retain cool air from your air conditioner and, even when heated from solar rays, stays cooler longer than other surfaces. Dobson’s has a wonderful selection of tile floors, and one of our flooring experts would be happy to talk with you about the other advantages of having tile flooring installed in your home.

Keep our home-cooling tips in mind and remember to post a message to our Facebook Wall or @reply us on Twitter with how you keep your home cool during the summer months. We don’t need an elaborate explanation, just a simple sentence or two. Do this before July 23 and you’ll automatically be entered to win. At the end of the promotional period, all entries will be compiled and a winner will be selected at random.

Thanks for your interest in Dobson’s Flooring America, where we’re with you every step of the way!

At Dobson’s Flooring America, we are always concerned about our company’s impact on the environment and value products that we can offer our customers that are eco-friendly.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) studies have proven that indoor pollutant levels are two to five times higher than they are outside. The source of these higher pollutant levels can be attributed to the installation of new carpet, which can fill the air with volatile organic compounds. These compounds, including known carcinogens like formaldehyde and benzene, can take years to breakdown. Not to mention that carpets are also cleaned with toxic chemicals and trap harmful lawn chemicals and allergens. Although carpets can be eco-friendly if responsibly purchased and installed, one of the most effective green flooring options is bamboo.

Bamboo floor continues to gain wide popularity among homeowners as an eco-friendly alternative to hardwood and carpeted flooring. Bamboo is a more renewable resource over traditional hardwood flooring materials, as it requires a much shorter time to grow. Unlike other hardwood flooring options, bamboo is a plant that can be regrown and harvested every seven years.

One of the interesting facts about bamboo is that it’s 13 percent harder than maple and 27 percent harder than northern red oak, allowing it to last much longer and withstand more wear and tear than traditional hardwood flooring. On top of all of that, bamboo still manages to be one of the quieter wood flooring surfaces available today. So if echoes or clicking sounds bother you, this is a great alternative!

Natural characteristics of bamboo make it naturally water resistant, also protecting the floor from mold and mildew. Comparable to in cost to hardwood flooring, bamboo flooring is a cost effective and, of course, sustainable!

Bamboo flooring is available in several different styles and colors offering you unlimited design possibilities. Installation of this type of flooring is similar to other engineered hardwood products, so it’s great for a do-it-yourself project. We also offer installation services, so we can take care of that for you as well.

We would like to continue to challenge our North Texas friends and neighbors about new green options and how they can contribute to find eco-friendly solutions in their daily lives.

For more information about Dobson’s environmentally safe flooring products, or to speak with a flooring expert on the type of floor best suited for your home or office, visit our Garland or Frisco showrooms!

There are many choices today when it comes to new carpet.  At Dobson’s Flooring America, we carry a diverse selection of the highest quality flooring products to accommodate the different needs of each of our customers.

Like all products, there comes a time for replacing and updating your carpet.  This depends on several factors. In many cases, people become tired of the style or color before the carpet actually appears worn. Most carpets are made of synthetic fibers such as nylon, olefin, polyester, and Sorona®.  These fibers are generally tough and have a long lifespan, but can eventually show wear in the high traffic areas.

Carpet fibers are translucent and allow light to pass through them.  To make a comparison, carpet fibers are similar to Plexiglas.   Just like Plexiglas, carpet fibers become scratched and dull looking overtime due to dirt and grit being rubbed against the fibers by walking on the carpet.  Depending on the volume of traffic in your home or office and the quality of the carpet, replacement may become necessary after four to six years.  Obviously, with children or pets, carpet replacement might be required sooner than later! The time to replace the carpet will become obvious because professional cleaning alone will no longer improve the appearance of the carpeting.

When you walk into Dobson’s Flooring America, our carpet experts will greet you and talk with you to find out your specific needs.  Based on an assessment, our experts can walk you through our showroom, presenting the various products that fit your lifestyle.

As soon as you’ve picked your new carpet and arranged installation, it’s important to take preventative measures to keep your new carpet looking great for as long as possible.  Here are a couple of tips we remind our customers daily:

• Mats – Placing mats outside entry ways provides protection from outside elements that might be tracked in.  In addition, indoor mats near the kitchen and other rooms with solid flooring that adjoin the carpeted areas is important to keep the dirt and debris from making it to the carpet.
• Regular Vacuuming – It’s important that you vacuum your carpet on a weekly basis.  Depending on the type of carpet you purchased, it may be necessary to vacuum at least three times a week to keep carpet fibers looking fresh!
• Professional Carpet Cleaning – Similar to vacuuming recommendations, it’s important to have your carpet professionally steam cleaned on a regular basis.  It is typically recommended that your carpet is cleaned once a year.  Check your manufacturer’s warranty for professional cleaning requirements.

Carpet replacement is one of the specialties of Dobson’s Flooring America.  Visit our Garland or Frisco showrooms to learn more about the products we carry and current promotions or installation offers.  Shopping for new carpet can always be a challenge, but at Dobson’s—we’re with you every step of the way.

When it comes to our showrooms, we’ve taken strides to go green as much as possible. From operations to product selection, and everything in between, we look to see where we can do something more eco-friendly.

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.

Below is a new list of things you can do to become more eco-friendly in your homes and everyday practices:

1. Change your light bulbs. New, energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs use two-thirds less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs. Best of all, compact fluorescent bulbs last approximately 10 times longer!
2. Utilize reusable bags when grocery shopping. Instead of using plastic bags, consider taking reusable cloth bags with you to the grocery store. My grocery stores sell them or you can purchase bundles from other retailers. If you have a large storage of plastic bags, recycle them.
3. Reduce water consumption. Saving the amount of water we use for daily activities will not only result in a lower water bill, but also helps conserve this precious resource. You can do simple things like turning off the facet when brushing your teeth, using the dishwasher or clothes washer only when you have full loads, and sweeping outdoor areas instead of “hosing” them down.
4. Be aware of your air conditioning tactics. Similar to water usage, the less energy you use, the less your energy bill will be. Raise your indoor AC units a few degrees—that’ll immediately begin to make a difference. In addition, use ceiling fans to circulate air—it will help your home stay cool. While the weather is great, open your windows and doors instead of using the AC unit!
5. Consider the materials you use when remodeling! Many people begin remodeling projects during the spring and summer months. When starting your project, and even when planning, look into using environmentally-friendly materials. Take flooring for example (of course).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.

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.

Higher education is no easy task, academically or financially. In fact, if you check news stories, college tuition is expected to rise anywhere between three to eight percent next year—depending on the part of the country you’re in. The point is, it’s becoming more difficult for our youth to afford a college education.

Having a college education is very critical to the success of not only individuals, but for the future of our community. That is why I was excited for Dobson Floors to be able to join the Garland Rotary to make higher education just a bit more affordable. The scholarship program is our way of giving back to our community while promoting the importance of higher education.

The scholarship program is geared toward Garland high school students who demonstrate financial need and complete application and essay requirements. Finalists are interviewed by Garland Rotary board members for final award determinations.

Each year, the Garland Rotary provides high school students with the scholarship opportunity. Dobson’s Flooring America is privileged to be recognized as co-grantor for each of the six scholarships that will be awarded.

At Dobson’s Flooring America, we don’t only say that we’re with you every step of the way… we mean it!

As you can imagine, when she moved the couch, she drug along the rock, damaging her floor. We were able to assist her with having the floors refinished to remove the scratches.

The customer had never owned wood floors until she moved into her new house. She made a common assumption as many customers we talk with—that hardwood floors are as scratch resistant as laminate floors. Not knowing it was the other way around is often the first mistake people make. The second mistake people make is not understanding why daily or weekly maintenance of your floor (any floor type, not just wood) is extremely important.

Sweep, sweep after that, and then sweep some more! That’s what we often recommend to those with hardwood floors. We similarly tell those with carpets to vacuum frequently as well, but that’s a different blog topic!

Of course constantly sweeping is a lot of work, but believe me – it pays off! Thinking that daily sweeping is for the overachievers is false. Many customers have no idea how certain a dull-surfaced floor will result from not keeping the surface clean. Make sure to also keep mats at all entrances. Additionally, as learned the hard way by our new customer, it is critical to lift your furniture and not drag it when rearranging your room.

People select hardwood floors for their homes and offices for various reasons. Hardwood floors not only have a purpose of style, but they also can add value to your property. Hardwood floors can also be an expensive option to go with, so proper care and maintenance is critical to prevent damage.

At Dobson’s Flooring America, we have a wide selection of hardwood floors to choose from. Our expert team can talk with you about your interest and needs to help you make the right selection for your home. Sometimes, we even recommend laminate floors as alternative, based on the information they’ve shared with us.

We don’t want you making a purchase that isn’t right for your lifestyle. At Dobson’s Flooring America, we’re with you every step of the way.

If you are considering sustainable flooring options, you may want to give cork floors some consideration. Yes, cork has many more uses other than capping wine bottles. Best of all, you can find a great selection at Dobson’s Flooring America!

Often times when we hear of environmentally friendly products, some of us think along the lines of healthy foods – it’s good for you, but never quite as tasty as the real meal. Let it be known, though, we have come a long way with the handiwork of “green” home furnishings. With that being said, let me tell you about an eco-friendly material utilized for creating fabulous floors: Cork!

Cellular Seal
Yes, the little stopper used for aging that great bottle of wine now becomes an aesthetic flooring friend. Cork flooring has properties like no other flooring. Although most every tree has cork in its outer layer of bark, it is the actual cork tree which produces the unparalleled cork bark. This bark substance is special due to its tiny sealed honeycomb cellular structure. You can think of a sponge-like effect where cushioning becomes one of the cork’s desired characteristics. In fact, up to 40 percent of these cells may be compressed while returning to its original shape. Now, picture applying this concept to being flooring tile!Asset-ically PleasingThe assets to cork flooring are quite numerous. This sustainable flooring option should be noted as one of the most important when considering environmentally flooring products.

Asset-ically Pleasing
The assets to cork flooring are quite numerous. This sustainable flooring option should be noted as one of the most important when considering environmentally flooring products. Cork is absolutely one of the best flooring materials in this aspect. Since the tree itself is not cut down, we feel this points it out as a most attractive option. The bark is merely peeled away without destroying the tree and will then grown back within nine years with another ready harvest. It’s pretty amazing, huh?

The other benefits you will enjoy each and every day in your home. While the comfort of walking on such a cushion-like ground has already been illustrated above, consider the noise reduction angle. Cork flooring has been noted for great acoustics. Ever dropped a jar or bottle and cracked your tile floor? It won’t happen with cork. Other properties are its water resistance, temperature insulation, naturally insect-resistant and hypoallergenic benefits for the allergic-sensitive person.

Cork Care
Some of the basics in cleaning your cork floor are:

• Vacuum or sweep weekly
• Damp mop the floor monthly with minimal water; it is important that soaking be avoided
• Should be maintained with products specifically designed for cork or wood floors
• Avoid using harsh cleaners such as abrasives, oil or ammonia-based cleaning

Inquire More!
Dobson’s is quite proud in our endeavor to bring you sustainable options while bringing beauty into your home. Our L.E.E.D-certified flooring and countertop showroom in Frisco isn’t where we stop. We also make eco-friendly products available to you, so you can build or remodel your home with sustainability in mind. We work hard in researching such avenues for you, for us, and for all. In the end, we are all connected in some effectual way and creating products as such is one of our goals.

For more information on cork floors or other sustainable flooring products, feel free to contact us at our Frisco showroom at 469-287-1945, or at our Garland showroom at 972-270-8741.

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