Empire Today, or also known quite well as Empire Carpet, is one of the most recognized home improvement brands in the United States. Empire Today was founded in 1959 in the Chicago area as a next day flooring and carpeting company which specializes in in-home sales and demonstrations, then sends out their installation crew the next day to install : swift, efficient and with competitive pricing.
Empire Today is also incredibly well known for their commericals and jingle. The tune “588-2300 … Empire!” has been on the lips of myself, kids, friends and even the family pets for years. If anything, the Empire Jingle, along with their impeccable service record, has grown the company into what it has become today; the #1 Specialty Flooring Retailer in the U.S. and one of the Nation’s Top 200 Brand Names.
Empire Today Brand
In fact, according to AdAge, the Empire Today brand is more popular than Office Depot, Dunkin’ Donuts, H&R Block, Intel, and PlayStation.
As an example, a simple search on YouTube for the Empire Today company name serves not only Empire Today commercials but also many happy customers and YouTube users uploading videos of the Empire Today song and even kids dancing to the jingle.
Empire Carpet Man
Besides the jingle, Empire Carpet is also know for the Empire Man, who’s story is available via the Wikipedia Empire Today entry :
The Empire Man was introduced in 1977 as a live action character and later adapted into a popular animated persona that has grown to become a cultural icon. The Empire Man has been seen internationally in commercials and other media, has spawned a line of collectible bobblehead dolls, is featured each year in the annual McDonald’s Thanksgiving Day Parade , and inspired the Chicago Cubs to declare an official “Empire Day” at Wrigley Field in 2007.
The Empire Man was originally portrayed on television by Lynn Hauldren, who continues to provide the voice of the animated character
Empire Today Commercials
Here are some commercials featuring the famous Empire Man of Empire Carpet and Empire Today:
And here’s a version of an Empire Today Window Treatments commercial in Spanish :
So, Empire Today is famous for not only its specialty flooring prices, but also next day installation, quality products, in-home demonstrations, in-home sales and friendly service, but also branding, commercials and creating a strong character.
Whether a national business or a contractor serving the local community, there is much to be learned from the Empire Today story.
Flooring can make a dramatic difference in the appearance of your home. It will also contribute to the resale value, and it enhances the ambiance of a home. There are a great many choices to consider when deciding on the flooring for your home. Let’s take a look at ten of the most popular flooring styles from which to choose for your home.
1. Hardwood Flooring
Solid hardwood floors are one of the staples within the flooring industry. Because of the natural beauty and durability of solid hardwood floors, they have been around for centuries. Solid wood floors are a timeless investment that can produce a lifetime of beauty and add value to the home. Wood floors come in Maple, Pecan, Beech, Cherry, Oak, Pine, Birch, Walnut, Hickory and more.
2. Bamboo Flooring
Bamboo flooring is one of the newcomers in the flooring industry. Bamboo is more environmentally friendly than hardwood floors, and it is actually not wood – it is a grass. Bamboo is very durable, elegant and versatile. The natural variations of color that is unique to bamboo come from carbonization and are usually a honey brown color or light tan.
3. Laminate Flooring
Laminate floors are the fastest growing choice in flooring in America today. The laminate flooring received its fame from Europe and now it is increasingly popular here in the United States. Laminate floors are cheaper than hardwood and they are easy to maintain. The laminate flooring is virtually resistant to burns, scratches, chipping and is great for high traffic areas. Continue reading →
As environmental pollution and global warming become a daily reality, people are becoming more concerned about their impact on the environment. Beginning with the home, people are seeking new ways to beautify their house without damaging the environment. The first great place to begin is with your floors. Bamboo flooring can be a great option for flooring, and it offers many of the qualities of hardwood at a fraction of the cost.
Sustainable for the Environment
For those who want to protect the environment, one of the best advantages to bamboo is that it has a very low impact on the ecosystem. A parent bamboo plant grows new stalks each year, and in approximately six years, the stalks are ready to harvest. The manufacturers of bamboo flooring can then continually grow and harvest bamboo with no lasting impact on the bamboo forest. With other hardwoods, the trees take much longer to grow; even with reforestation techniques, it can take decades for a forest to grow back to its original state.
To make bamboo flooring, the bamboo is harvested, split, flattened, processed, and dried. These thin planks are then glued together to create the boards that can be used for flooring. Other types of bamboo flooring involve the bamboo being crushed, with the strands glued together to form boards. Once the glue is dried, the boards are prepared, milled to have proper tongue and groove edges needed when being installed, coated to protect their durability and finish, and then shipped to the store or directly to you. You can even choose to have your bamboo flooring stained to match your décor and tastes. Continue reading →
There are many reasons why you should take a long hard look at the type of flooring that you want before you get it. Generally speaking, people either choose hardwood floors or they choose laminates. With the amount of money that you are going to be spending on the floor you want to make sure that you know the facts before you spend hundreds of dollars on a floor. Let’s take a look at both types and see which is best for your floor application.
Hardwood Floors
Hardwood floors are mostly used in rooms like the living room, dining room, bedrooms and dens.
By adding a hardwood floor you are adding value to your home.
The hardwood floor gives the home a classic style yet modern.
Laminate Flooring
Laminate floors are great for rooms like the family room, kitchen, living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms and dens.
Unlike the hardwood floors the laminate gives off a great look with a very durable finish that the hardwood floor does not have.
Going head to head with certain factors, it has been said that these are results that experts seem to have found out. When it comes to the appearance of the floor, the hardwood wins hands down. Even laminate lovers cannot argue with that.
But in the department of scratch resistance, it is laminate that comes first and in stain resistant too, with laminate you can just wipe away, with hardwood floors it takes more than a little elbow grease in order for the stain to come up.
In terms of which type of flooring is easier to maintain the answer is laminate. Hardwoods do take a certain way to clean them in order to keep their pristine appearance. Though if need be , hardwood floors are easier to repair. In terms of needing to restore the shine and luster which floor would be easier to refinish, the hardwood.
So all in all these floors have their own pros and cons but one more thing that you should consider is if you have children and pets . They will cause extra wear and tear on a floor. But that is a preference and it is something just to consider before making your decision on which floor to get.
Price may be an issues as well, so it would be very important to get as many estimates on both types to see which is more cost effective.
Hardwood flooring is not cheap and caring for hardwood floors is a very important part of keeping your home’s value intact while also prolonging the beauty and investment of your flooring.
Hardwood floors are both elegant and durable, however, a busy family can take its toll on the sparkle and luster your flooring once had. Here are some basic tips on caring for hardwood floors:
Use a soft broom
Gently sweeping the hardwood floors everyday will not only keep them clean but also naturally buff the surface of the flooring and keep it from scratching.
Mop with a damp mop, not a wet mop
If your mop is too wet the water can seep into the flooring, resulting in permanent damage to your floors via warping. Before moping however, make sure that your hardwood flooring does have a polyurethane coating.
Use Oil Soap
Murphy’s Oil Soap. There’s no better way to take care of hardwood floors than using a soft brush or t-shirt and coating the floors once a week with Murphy’s Oil Soap. And if you have a bad back, get your kids and other family members involved, not only does it give you a bonding experience but gets the job done quicker.
Use area rugs in high traffic areas.
Notice that your family and pets are generally walking through one area of the flooring to get from one room to another? Then lay down an area rug to not only protect the floor but add some spice to your room.
Take off your shoes.
There’s a reason why Japanese homeowners do not let people wear shoes in their houses; it cuts down on the dirt and wear & tear for their tatami flooring. Similarly, taking off your shoes before entering the house will add years to your floors, keep them clean, and the mix of socks and oil will natually keep the floors buff & sparkly.
