Summer sun has finally arrived in Vancouver! When the rays of sunshine peak out from behind the clouds, it’s time to take the cover off the BBQ. We picked a couple favourite BC wines to pair nicely with your grilled meat of choice. Our two picks are from Cedar Creek, an Okanagan based winery located just south of Kelowna. The winery was recently purchased by Anthony von Mandl, owner of the Mission Hill Family Estate. For those who love this winery as it is – don’t worry, winemaker Darryl Brooker is staying on board. We were so excited to try these two wines that we opened them before getting a photo – oops!

The contenders…

Cedar Creek 2012 Chardonnay 

The Cedar Creek Chardonnay is not your typical oak bomb Chardonnay. To create a well-balanced oak flavour, the winemaker aged this wine in a 2250 litre foudre instead of the typical much smaller sized barrels. The resulting flavour on the palette is a fresh, citrus taste. As a Double Gold winner at the 2014 All Canadian Wine Championships, it’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser at your next BBQ.  Pair it with a chicken or fish dish for the tastiest results.

Cedar Creek 2011 Cabernet Merlot

Blended wines like this Cabernet Merlot give winemakers an opportunity to experiment with different aromas and flavours that create a blend greater than it’s individual parts. This Cabernet Merlot is mostly Cabernet Franc grapes blended with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon to create a rich, full-bodied red wine. From the array of complex flavours, our team tasted fruity sweetness with a bit of spice, anise and oak. It’s best paired with a simply prepared cut of red meat straight off the grill.

The winner?

Our winner of this round was the Cabernet Merlot by 1 point on our ten point scale. Though the majority of our office typically prefers whites to red, this blend was a resounding favourite.

Do you have a great wine you think we should try for the fall tasting? Let us know in the comments.

Tile terminology can be confusing. When talking about tile, many homeowners refer to tiles as ceramic or porcelain as if the names were interchangeable. But it’s unclear for beginners what defines the difference – is it based on the texture? Glaze? Edges? (Hint: it’s none of these.) Most non-natural stone tiles fall within the larger category of “ceramic tiles.”  The ceramic tile category is split into two groups – non-porcelain and porcelain.

How do you tell the difference between non-porcelain and porcelain tiles? We recently had the tile experts from Ames Tile in for a tile product knowledge session and they broke the difference down in one simple sentence

“Porcelain tiles are stronger and less porous than non-porcelain, with a water absorption rate of 0.5% or better.”

Non-porcelain and porcelain ceramic tiles are similar in many ways – both can be glazed and the production method is identical. It’s the water absorption rate that differentiates the two types of tiles.

Let’s take a look at the other features and benefits of porcelain and non-porcelain ceramic tiles.

Ceramic Non-Porcelain tiles

Ceramic non-porcelain tiles (we’ll just refer to them as ceramic for simplicity) can be either glazed or unglazed. When ceramic tiles are glazed, the glaze is applied to the outside of the tile and the tile is fired in the kiln. The resulting glazed tile is hard, non-porous, stain resistant and easy to clean. Glazes can be high-gloss, matte, transparent or opaque, each creating many unique appearances. Since the glaze does not go all the way through the tile, if it is chipped a different inner colour will show through. Ceramic tiles are great for DIY’ers because they are easier to cut than porcelain tiles.

Porcelain tiles
Porcelain has a reputation for being versatile and long-lasting. Since porcelain tiles are produced using a dry-pressed or dust-pressed method, they are more dense and fine grained. They are highly resistant to moisture, staining, heavy loads and wear. The body of the tile is less porous, making it a suitable choice for high-moisture areas such as kitchens and bathrooms. Within the porcelain tile category there are a couple different types:

Unglazed porcelain tiles
Unglazed porcelain tiles are known for being very tough and dense. They are a through-coloured product, which means if they are chipped or start to wear due to heavy traffic they will keep their original colour. Unglazed porcelain tiles can have a variety of finishes from matte to high-gloss. Some unglazed tiles even have textured finishes designed to mimic natural stones. These textures come from the mould used to produce the tiles.

Glazed porcelain tiles
Glazed porcelain tiles combine many of the same benefits as unglazed porcelain tile with the wide variety of looks a glaze can provide. They can be glossy, matte, or even polished to a completely flat surface. Like glazed ceramic tiles, any chips will show the inner colour of the tile.

What are rectified edges?
Many porcelain tiles boast that they have rectified edges. A tile with rectified edges was cut after firing. Tiles shrink about 15% after they have been fired and they do not shrink evenly. Cutting tiles after they have been fired ensures that all tiles are exactly the same size.

Area rugs are great for creating high impact change on a tight budget or keeping your feet warm on colder hard surfaces. Turning broadloom carpet into an area rug is a good option for those who are looking for a custom size area rug or have a carpet remnant they like. The carpet is cut to size and the edges are bound to prevent fraying.  We have rounded up our favourite high quality broadloom carpets that would make great area rugs.

1. This Moroccan quatrefoil design is a classic.

Tuftex Carpet Taza in colour in Silverado

2. Classic herringbone is a sure winner.

Tuftex Carpet Only Natural in colour Violet

3. This floral print creates an air of elegance.

Shaw Carpet Cascade Garden in colour Cloud Burst

4. Subtle squares add a hint of visual interest to any space.

Tuftex Carpet Crystal Visions II in colour After Dark

5. Get the cozy rustic look with plaid.

Shaw Carpet Cozy Escape in colour Edinburgh

6. Create the calming feeling of natural waves.

Tuftex Carpet Twist in colour Starfish

7. Zebra print is only for the truly bold.

Shaw Carpet Zebra in colour Call of the Wild

8. Bright yarn adds shimmering highlights to the textured wool carpet.

Unique Carpets Illumination in colour Golden Sand

9. Thick and thin bands of colour create a uniformed and balanced pattern in this wool carpet.

Unique Carpets Vintage Stripe in colour Boardwalk

Water is the nemesis of flooring. While some flooring (vinyl for example) can hold up better against water than others, most need to be replaced after a flood. Once the insurance company has been called and a restoration company is on their way, many customers still have questions. Most of our customers have (thankfully) never been through a flood before and aren’t familiar with the insurance restoration process. Having answers to your questions and a guide on what is next to come helps to bring much needed peace of mind in this less than desirable situation.

Though we cannot speak to the whole claim process, we can provide some insight about  how the flooring portion of your claim works.

The Process

1. A restoration contractor comes out to assess the damages. This restoration company can be one recommended by your insurance or one you chose.
2. The restoration contractor writes a scope and gets their recommended flooring companies to come to your home.
3.  The flooring company measures the affected areas and takes samples of the existing flooring.
4. A like kind and quality product is determined. The method used to determine like, kind and quality varies based on the insurance adjuster’s request but we most often send our samples to an independent flooring lab that recommends a like kind and quality replacement product and value.
5. The flooring companies send a quote to the restoration contractor. Once received, the restoration contractor sends the flooring quote as part of the larger repair scope quote to the insurance adjuster. The insurance adjuster reviews the quotes they received (often from multiple companies) and approves one.
6. Once a quote is approved, the flooring contractor receives an instruction to go ahead with product selection.

Choosing product: I want a similar product

Your flooring company will bring out samples to your home or invite you to take a look at their showroom. The samples shown are the ones recommended by the lab or other products that are similar in quality and price. With thousands of flooring options out on the market and a constant turnover of products to accommodate new trends, no flooring company can guarantee they will find an exact match to your original flooring but we will certainly try! If you still have them, providing receipts from the original flooring purchase can be helpful for finding the same product.

Choosing product: I want something different

Since the existing flooring is being removed, many home owners use the repairs as an opportunity to switch out their current flooring for something new. At MIRA, we will ask a couple of questions about what you’re looking for and find products meet that criteria. We can either bring samples to your home or invite you to our showroom to view a wider selection of options.

Once you have picked your samples, we will work out the upgrade cost for you. Depending on the complexity of the upgrade, we will either work out the price on the spot or email you the upgrade quote at a later date. Replacing your vinyl and carpet with tile and hardwood will often require a full upgrade quote, while the cost difference of choosing a higher priced carpet than your original carpet can be calculated in your home. We determine your upgrade amount by calculating the price of the product and installation, minus the amount covered by insurance. Often this amounts to one lump-sum total but we are more than happy to explain each of the costs to you, line by line if requested.

Do you have further questions about the insurance restoration process? Let us know in the comments!

For the Spring 2014 reviews, we decided to take the wine reviews on the road to Chaberton Estate Winery. The MIRA Floors team took a day trip out to the winery located in heart of the picturesque farmland of South Langley.

Before the tour we stopped by the Bacchus Bistro, the onsite French restaurant overlooking the vineyards. As expected, the staff were professional with great suggestions on wines that paired nicely with our chosen meals. Some of the MIRA team favourite were the braised lamb shank and the duck leg confit.

We took a tour of the vineyards and winery to view the process of creating wine from the vines to bottles. The barrels the wine is aged in are made of French oak – more dense than North American oak and only used a maximum of three times. Some enterprising winemakers have recognized that the dense French oak would be good for flooring and have turned the used wine barrels into flooring.  Each wine barrel holds an impressive 225L of wine or 300 bottles worth. The chalkboard pictured below is a diagram of each wine that goes in each barrel. Since wine evaporates over time, the winemaker needs to keep track of the barrel’s for refills.

After the tour, we moved to the tasting room to taste four wines. The tasting contenders were:

Chaberton 2012 Valley Chardonnay

This unoaked Chardonnay greets you with a refreshing aroma of lemon peel, pear and citrus fruits and provides complimentary flavours of green apple, lemon and nectarine for the palate. Enjoy this dry white on its own or try it with a goat cheese salad, creamy pasta or fresh seafood.

Chaberton Reserve 2012 Bacchus

Named after the wine god from Greece, this delectable white wine is made from estate grown grapes. The Bacchus grape is hybrid grape, created by cross-breeding three different grapes. Its taste is a bit sweeter, since it is related to Riesling grapes. This off-dry wines features palate pleasing flavours of citrus, nectarines and apricots.

Chaberton  2012 Valley Gamay

This lighter wine is a blend of Gamay Noir grapes from the Okanagan. It offers flavours fruity flavours such as strawberry jam with a bit of sweet spice and vanilla notes. Pair this wine with a meal of barbequed salmon, creamy cheses, and tapas.

Chaberton Reserve 2011 Meritage

The name “Meritage” is portmanteau of the words “merit” and “heritage”. The grapes are a blend of merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon selected from the Okanagan and Similkameen Valley. The nose is strong with scents of black currant, cedar and cassis and brings flavours of blackberries and peppers. This blend is best enjoyed with red meats, duck and hard cheeses.