|
Ten Things You May Not Know About Selecting Hardwood Flooring
1) Red Oak is not the only choice
If you want your home to look like everyone else's, this is a great choice. If you want your home to be unique try hickory, cherry, walnut, white oak, maple or many
others. Go to flooring retailers or search the Internet and see what is available. If you really want red oak try using wider widths or character grade for variety
and uniqueness.
2) 2 1/4 inch is not the only size available
If all you ask your builder for is a hardwood floor ? you are going to get a 2 1/4 inch red oak floor. Why? It is the most common, most produced, most stocked,
cheapest option available. You can buy sizes in 3" through 12". You can put down a single width for a uniform look or multiple widths for a more random look. Typical
random flooring patterns are 3"-4"-5", 3"-5", 4"-5"-6". Have fun! Make your home unique! The wider the floor the more seasonal separations between the flooring
planks can occur.
3) Import Species don't support jobs in the United States
While there are vast amounts of imported species available, there are fantastic, interesting species of flooring available right here in the United States. Not all
countries have managed forests and renewable resources. This is an important time to support our own economy.
4) All flooring is not select (clear) grade
The most common floors are select grade. These floors contain none of woods naturally occurring character marks. Look around your flooring showroom, almost every
display is showing clear flooring. There are warm and inviting options. Look at a character grade or other grades. Make sure to see a photo of what the floor looks
like, not just one piece.
5) Prefinished flooring is convenient
Have you ever been forced to leave your home for three days while the flooring contractor sands, stains and recoats your floor? If not ask a friend who has had it
done. A professional flooring contractor will leave your home spotless, others can leave dust on all your furniture. Today's factory finished flooring can be
installed today and entertained on tonight with very little mess. With prefinished flooring each plank is allowed to move independently with humidity changes in your
home. This makes those seasonal separations (cracks) in your floor less noticeable.
6) Colors can be cool ? but mother nature is hard to beat
Some species of flooring are so beautiful in their natural color, they do not require any added color. Look up hickory, cherry or walnut flooring on the Internet and
you will see what I mean.
7) Prefinish warranties are a gimmick
50 year warranty ? WOW! Lifetime warranty ? fantastic! Oh really? These are wear-through warranties only. Your floor will loose its "sheen" or luster and require
refinishing long before you ever wear through the finish. The best way to make a floor last is to vacuum it often to keep away abrasive material that might scratch
your floor. Remember a lower sheen floor shows less wear.
8) Not all flooring is smooth ? texture is popular
Hardwood flooring does not have to be smooth. Many companies are offering hand scraped, distressed and reclaimed flooring. These floors have a classic look and add
great value to upscale homes. They do not show much wear or scratches since they have a great deal of character interest to draw attention to different parts of the
floor. These floors will be a guaranteed conversation piece with your friends and neighbors and are often the focal point at luxury home tours.
9) In a basement use engineered flooring
Most people use engineered flooring to glue down to concrete or in higher moisture areas. This flooring has a thin layer of hardwood with a cross banded plywood
base. This makes the flooring more stable and does not require nailing like a solid hardwood floor.
10) Laminate flooring is not Hardwood flooring
A great steak does not taste the same as a picture of a great steak. If you want the beauty and warmth of hardwood flooring in your home ? buy the real thing, not a
cheap imitation.
About The Author
Doug Bolton is the owner of Homerwood Hardwood Floors located in the heart of the Pennsylvania hardwoood region - Titusville PA. You can learn more by visiting their
website at http://www.homerwood.com
|
|
|
|
Parenting advice and family fun resource. Expert parenting advice for babes to teens from doctors, teachers, psychologists, nutritionists, Special Need Children and
Child Development Specialists and a Nanny. Family Fun includes crafts, games, party ideas and family vacation travel. Families Online Magazine also provides answers to
those important questions, What's for dinner and Are We There yet?
Why Cant We Kill Too?
Why does big business have all the fun? We fix our own postage stamps - THEY use a franking machine. We use scissors - THEY use a guillotine. We put our papers in the
bottom drawer while THEY have a filing cabinet. And it has only been in recent times that you can get a car that plays a tune when reversing, just like those big
lorries.
Remedies for a Wet Basement
A wet basement can be just a nuisance or even real nightmare. Each year, thousands of homeowners are faced with the unpleasant side effects of seasonal rainfall.
Problems they can face range from just dampness to even flooding. Chronic basement leakage is a serious problem that can destroy personal property, furnishings,
appliances, and sometimes even cause permanent structural damage to a homes foundation. Excessive moisture is a huge attraction to wood-eating insects, wood rot and
decay. Despite the pervasiveness of the problem, few homeowners are aware of the causes of water leakage.
How to Modify Your Landscaping to Protect Your House from Burglars
Believe it or not, landscaping can be an important part of a good home security plan. A burglar who is "casing the joint" from the street will choose the house with
tall shrubs and trees that provide hiding places. Homes with little or no outdoor lighting are preferred targets as well.
Five Easy Ways to Give Your Kitchen Designer Wow!
A beautiful kitchen is the heart of any home (even for those of us who spend most of our cooking time around the microwave!) Time spent together in the kitchen can
bring a family closer together and make wonderful memories (although my own memories of doing dishes as a teenager are less than pleasant - something about dishwater
being *disgusting!*) Turning your plain kitchen into something special isn*t as hard as you might think. Here are a few simple ideas which can make your kitchen a
designer showcase.
Let?s ?Clear the Air? Shall We?
What can you do to "clear the air" indoors, at work and at home? You want to know you are breathing clean air in the places you spend the most time, promoting a clear
head and a sense of well being. It's no longer okay to allow clean air into your life just at the cabin or lake. If getting outside in the fresh air and sunshine is
just a dream, you need to take steps now to clear the air. More people are becoming sick from their homes. We button them up so tight that they don't breathe anymore.
Tips For Breaking Away From White Wall Paint
Paint is one of the most affordable and easiest ways to change a room. But choosing the right paint colors for your home can seem like an overwhelming task.
Pool Supplies Should Also Contain Safety
A swimming pool with attached spa has just been installed in your backyard. Now you are ready to invite your friends for a big splashy pool party ? or are you? Do you
have all of the pool supplies you need to maintain your new fiberglass pool? Do you have the chemicals, pool toys, covers, automatic cleaners, pool heater, ladders,
liners, slides, diving boards and on and on? You can see pool supplies can add up quickly. You want to be sure you have the fun toys for the kids, but the spa cover
and pool alarm are necessary for safety and peace of mind. Supplies for the pool can be a very broad category. How are you going to use the pool? Do you have small
kids or are you a retired couple? What kind of climate do you live in? Are you going to do the maintenance yourself or hire someone? If you are going to do a lot of
the work yourself, don't become overwhelmed. There are pool cleaners that are automatic robotic styles. They make spa and pool covers that automatically cover the pool
for winter or if you are gone. There is even pool equipment that controls the pool equipment so you won't have to spend too much time with upkeep and more time
enjoying the water.
The Benefits of Small Dehumidifiers
So it's too humid in your 10' X 10' bedroom. Or perhaps the steam in your bathroom is starting to make the wallpaper peel. Maybe your closet is too moist, and your
clothes are beginning to get mildewed. You've tried "airing out" the problem area to no avail. It's time to get a dehumidifier.
Buyers Guide To Heavy-Built Mailboxes
If you are tired of replacing your mailbox every few months due to vandals or just poor quality construction, you need a heavy-built mailbox. Some of the more common
reasons for purchasing a heavy-built mailbox are destruction by vandals, snowplow or street sweeper damage, or just a poorly built mailbox that will not stand up to
harsh or extreme weather conditions. Heavy-built mailboxes are approved by the United States Postal Service and are built with top quality workmanship and crafting
that normally includes an excellent warranty.
Creating Dynamic Window Coverings Without Breaking the Budget
When creating dynamic window coverings, it's important to choose carefully, because your window coverings will become the focal points of a well-decorated room. But
choosing the right window treatments, at the right price, takes some thought about not only the look you're hoping to achieve, but also about the nature of the space
itself.
Light Up Your Kitchen with the Right Lighting!
The proper lighting in a room can make or break it. With lighting, you can create a soft, cozy room for reading and relaxing. With bright, brilliant light you create a
sense of excitement and energy. When looking for the right lighting for a room consider what you will do in that space and what you want the lighting to do. If you
plan to install lighting fixtures in your kitchen, you will want to use kitchen lighting that is bright and clean. You need to see what you are doing without shadows
and haziness.
Kitchen Design Online ? Understanding the Work Triangle and Kitchen Layouts
Good kitchen design online means having a layout for your kitchen that provides an efficient and pleasant area in which to prepare meals and do related tasks.
Understanding the kitchen work triangle concept and basic kitchen layout types is a valuable starting point to design a kitchen online that you like.
Lighter Fluid: The Best Label and Scuff Mark Remover
The first time my husband saw me scrubbing the black heel marks off of our kitchen floor with a toothbrush, he said, "You know lighter fluid will take those marks
right off." And it did! No scrubbing at all, just a little lighter fluid poured on a paper towel, and the marks wiped right off.
Reuse Works for the Workshop
The workshop is a great place for reusing items formally destined for the landfill. Even if you do not have a shop or craft area you can always donate the items
mentioned in the following paragraphs to friends, schools, shops, youth centers? The concept of reusing is as limitless as your imagination.
Remodeling Your Kitchen
Remodeling a kitchen is one of the best investments a homeowner can make. For most homeowners it is the most important room in the house. It is used for cooking,
eating, and gathering, and is typically a focal point in the home. Consequently, though a great investment, a kitchen-remodeling project can be very disruptive to the
family. And the length of the disruption can take as long as two or three weeks.
The Solar Energy Industry Grew 67% Last Year: Are You Making the Best Decision for Your Future?
Are you considering using renewable energy resources to heat water or generate electricity?
Spring Chores at the Cabin
Whether you live in your cabin year round or it's been closed up for the winter, it's time for spring cleaning. It's hard to get motivated. We'd all rather be out
playing in the sun and enjoying the spring after the long cold winter. I thought I would share my "to do" list and some helpful tips to get you started so we can both
get the chores done.
Ladder D?cor ? the Possibilities Are Endless
With a little bit of creativity and some imagination you can take something as simple as a plain wooden ladder and transform it into a beautiful piece of home d?cor.
The thought may not have even crossed your mind ? after all it's a ladder, but the possibilities are endless!
Area Rug Buyers Guide
When you begin decorating your home there are some important factors to consider. Your floors will usually be the foundation for your design. An authentic hand made
area rug can visually integrate or harmonize diverse elements in any decor or can reenergize a room.
Interior Design For New Homes
When decorating or making decorating decisions for new homes, it is important to remember that your major decisions could affect decorating choices for quite a long
period of time. Commitment to bold or unusual color treatments before you have actually had the opportunity to consider how such changes will coordinate with your
furniture placement is not very advisable in this type of situation. In any case, the best advice you could receive while planning interior design for new homes is to
make mediocre, undramatic design choices to begin that you can alter at a later time if you choose to do so.
|
Bookmark this at
Del.icio.us
Anthony G. Alessi, MD
Charles Glassman, MD
Dale Peterson, MD
Mache Seibel, MD
Peter Weiss, MD
Mitchell Yass, DPT
Dr. Howard Peiper
Dr. Mary Riggin
