Hardwoods or Carpet in the Bedroom?

Hardwoods are a beautiful addition to any room, but many of us have cannot decide whether or not to put them in the bedroom. We are going to help you decide if hardwoods are right for your bedroom. Remember that design is crucial for your home, but it should still revolve around function.

Keep your space in mind when deciding whether or not hardwoods are right for your bedroom. If you have a large bedroom, then you may want to have area rugs throughout the room. If this is the case, then make sure to budget for these when preparing for your project. If you have a smaller bedroom; you may still want an area rug under your bed. If this is the case, then would hardwoods make that much of a statement or would they be overshadowed by the rug and furniture?

Once you have figured out whether hardwoods would make a statement in your room; it is time to look at the function aspect. Are you cold natured? If you are, then in the winter hardwoods in your bedroom might not work for you. When you make this decision keep all the factors in mind so that you will be 100% happy with your decision.

If you are still on the fence about what to do; just remember that hardwoods add value to your home and you usually cannot go wrong with them!

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Hardwood Flooring Installation and Care in the Cold Weather

If you are thinking about installing hardwood floors into your home this winter; or just want to make sure you take proper care of your floors this winter, then this article is for you. First, it is a myth that you cannot install hardwoods in the winter. There are certain precautions to take when you install, but with a professional it is perfectly safe.

No matter what type of hardwoods you are installing, make sure that the flooring has had time to acclimate to the temperature in the home. The tools will also need time to properly warm up so do not leave them outside overnight. This helps ensure that the tools work efficiently and safely. Make sure if you have the heat turned up that it doesn’t cause the humidity level to get too low. This is bad for your floors and furniture. If this is the case there are humidifiers you can purchase at your local hardware store to fix this problem.

Once you have your flooring installed, you want to make sure that you do not track in snow. If you live in an area where it snows regularly, then you might want to buy some mats for your shoes and to help contain the sogginess.

Good luck with your project! Don’t forget to check out our website at http://www.TaylorFamilyCompanies.com and friend us on Facebook!

Wide Plank Antique Pine Flooring

In honor of our fall newsletter, I thought that this flooring would be perfect for our spotlight flooring!  It is beautiful and works flawlessly in most homes.  Antique pine flooring is an exquisitely beautiful hardwood flooring choice for your home. This flooring is a perfect choice for a cozy cabin on a lake or a home restoration.  It is a timeless choice that will complement many decors, but is a softer wood than other choices.  So you should analyze your lifestyle carefully before making the commitment, because if you are hard on your floors this probably will not work for your home.

You can obtain the look of antique pine floors with solid wood, engineered wood, or laminate flooring. Each choice has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. You will want to consider the amount of traffic that the area you are installing the flooring receives and compare it to the level of durability in each material. Consider also the cost and the amount of care each option will require.

Antique pine flooring is set apart from other pine flooring choices by its wide planks, darker color finishes, and rougher textures.  However, you may find many variations in what manufactures consider as antique pine. Vinyl flooring in an antique pine pattern, for instance, that tends to be much shiner than the solid wood flooring. Color and pattern choices vary from one material to the other; so take the time to do some research to get an idea of what you think will work for your home.

Whether you want solid wood, laminate or engineered antique pine flooring, there are no shortage of choices. Be diligent in your research and carefully weigh all of the factors into your final decision. After all, your flooring choice should be one that adds beauty and character to your home and fits your lifestyle.  It is worth taking a little bit of time to be sure you get flooring that does.

Don’t forget to check out our website at http://www.TaylorFamilyCompanies.com and friend us on Facebook!

Picture Framed Fireplace

We have a lot of customers that want to add a special touch to their floors, but want to stay classic.  The touch we suggest adding is a picture frame around your fireplace.   Picture framing around the fireplace can add value as well as style to your room.  There are different styles of picture frames you can choose; whether you stay with traditional wood or put a stone design which will really set the frame apart, it is sure to add to your floors.

So how to decide what style you would like to add?  Always make sure that you stay with the integrity of your house as well as your room.  So if you have stone accents on the outside or inside of your house, then it would make sense to add stone around your fireplace.  If you have no stone anywhere in or on your house, then it would look out of place to add a stone accent.  When in doubt go with the classic option; you rarely regret or have to change this decision.  Remember that your house is a reflection of you and do not be afraid to show it off!

People usually do not think of their fireplaces for accents, unless it is that special time of year when the stockings hang from them, but you will be glad you did!

Time for a Space Update?

It is time for the kids to go back to school and things are slowing down to the regular routine again (if you consider that slow!).  Why not take this time to update a room or area that you have been meaning to?  This is the perfect time to take on a house project before the holidays and you can get it done on your time as opposed to trying to cram in a quick renovation like everyone before the holidays.

First, decide what you like to do with your space.  For example, do you want to repaint the walls and refinish the floors?  If this is the case have the painters wait until the floors are finished so they can touch up.  These are details will help ensure a more seamless project.  Do not be afraid to take risks when redecorating.  This is a reflection of you and as long as you like it that is all that matters!

So decide what you want to do and then work out the details.  Next, work out a budget so that you know how much money you have allocated to each part of the project.  Do not forget to put a miscellaneous overage in the budget; this will help you with any unexpected costs.  If you end up with no overages then you can use that for something extra or put it back into your savings!

Good luck with your home project and please feel free to post any questions on our blog or facebook!

The differences between Hardwoods, engineered, and laminate

If you are remodeling a home you will probably be considering hardwood floors.  They are timeless, add value to your home, and have allergy benefits.  There are three basic types of floors: Hardwoods, engineered wood, and laminate; here is some information on each type.

The first type we will be exploring is solid hardwood flooring.  As the name implies, it is solid wood from top to bottom.  Cut straight from the natural product with no additions, it is usually called “hardwood floors”.  It can come in either prefinished or unfinished condition.  Unfinished tends to be cheaper, but requires sanding, optional staining, and several coats of finish (oil, poly, or water based).  With prefinished floors you can walk on them immediately and the turnaround time is quicker.  With unfinished wood you can choose your stain color, durability level, and type of finish.  The benefit of both of these types of hardwood floors are that they can be refinished number times extending their life for decades.  Its greatest weakness is wood’s natural aversion to water.

Engineered wood flooring is a “sandwich” of finished wood and plywood.  The finished wood is what you see and walk on and the plywood is what you bottom 80 – 90% of the floor.  This type of floor is more water resistant than solid wood and gives you several installation options.  You can nail it down, glue it down or install it as a “floating floor”.  Unlike hardwood refinishing engineered floors can be done only once on most products due to its thin wear layer.  Also, deep dents or scratches cannot be sanded out of the floor.

The final option is laminate flooring.  This flooring is not real wood.  It is compromised of a thin layer of resin infused paper on top of a wood chip composite.  These products have constantly improved with the wear layer looking very comparable to authentic wood products.  Laminate is very easy to install and cost effective.  Its disadvantages are that it is slippery, does not add as much value to your house, and cannot be sanded.

Always receive several estimates and make sure to ask for references!  Don’t forget to friend us on Facebook and check out our website at http://www.TaylorFamilyCompanies.com!!!

To Tile or Lay Hardwoods?

Hardwood floors have become one of the most popular choices in every area of the home, and the bathroom is no exception. With a few extra precautions, wood floors can perform as well in bathrooms as they do everywhere else. Unlike most bathroom flooring choices, wood floors can be periodically refinished and resealed; which increases their practicality.

There are a few steps that you need to make sure to follow when installing and maintaining your hardwoods in the bathroom:

• Be sure that you dry water off of the floor rather than letting it sit
• Applying putty in the cracks upon installation and an extra coat of polyurethane – will help make your wood floors more durable
• Other experts recommend installing a highly efficient vent/fan in bathrooms with wood flooring to help keep humidity to a minimum

Going with a porcelain tile in a bathroom gives you a larger selection of mixable colors, shapes, sizes and patterns.  There is a tile that looks like hardwoods;  if you want the look of hardwoods, but the functionality of tile.  Tile is very durable if it is well made.  Glazed tiles are moisture and stain-resistant; most are easy to maintain.  Mosaic tile can be laid on uneven surfaces; this will distract the eye from the surface being uneven.  Tile can be very affordable and is an Easy project for do-it-yourselfers.

Some of the negatives of tile are:

• Tile can be hard and cold on your feet (you can have a heating system installed underneath the tile that you can use in the winter to keep the floor warm)
•  It can also be expensive depending upon the tile you choose
•  Tile can crack or chip; which is difficult to repair
• Some of the glossy finishes are slippery when wet
  • Grout can discolor and is hard to maintain.

Personally, we have installed both natural stone tile and porcelain tile in both our bathrooms and kitchen. With the proper preparation and maintenance, both tile and wood are viable options for a bathroom floor.