What's Hot in Hardwoods

The old-world European look is becoming increasingly popular in hardwood flooring.  You may be wondering what the European look is.  Imagine the wood flooring in an old castle:  lots of character and knots, worn from centuries of foot traffic, and a patina gained from time and polishing.  These floors have a matte (no shine) finish and an earthy feel which works well with any room décor. It's warm, rough, and rustic, and most offer a wide width plank to capture the timelessness and nostalgia from decades past.

Many of the European woods are wire brushed, atechnique that uses wire bristles to remove the sapwood (soft wood) and to open and enhance the wood grain, adding texture & character. The matte finish hides scratches and wear particularly well, making it an amazing option for rooms that get heavy foot traffic and homes with children and pets.

Some of the European-styled woods are dual hand-stained.  This is a technique using highly skilled craftsmen, applying the finest quality stain by hand, twice. Dual hand staining enables two slightly different hues to join into a rich final color-enlivened by deep undertones that are beautifully complex to the eye. This two-stage process results in hardwood floors that are as beautiful as a work of art.

If you are intrigued by this European influence, a few specific styles to consider are Armstrong Artistic Timbers, Mohawk Architexture, Northfield, and Sandbridge, and Palmetto Road Chalmers Collection.  Choose from Oaks, Hickory, and Maples in beautiful new stain colors including Castlerock, Dark Forest, Medieval, Cobble Stone, Drawbridge, and Barnwood.  Come in today and fine the perfect new floor for your castle!

A Big Thank You

To our vendors for donating to our Weeksgiving Food Drive for MUST Ministries.  If you dropped off canned goods (or plan to) here's of a list of the gift cards we will be giving away and the manufacturer that donated the card for our drawing.  Many of our vendor partners also contributed food for our week-long event.  Thanks to:

           

Mohawk Carpet---3 $45 Kroger gift cards, cookies and pastry trays

            Interceramic---$50 Kroger gift card, big basket of snacks

            Daltile---3 $25 Publix gift cards, chicken nuggets and fruit

            Karastan---$25 Target gift card

            Somerset and Homerwood Hardwoods---$60 Honey Baked Ham gift card

            Shaw and HGTV Home Hard Surface---$50 VISA gift card

            Tuftex---$25 Publix gift card

            Mohawk Hard Surface---$50 Honey Baked Ham gift card

            CFS Hardwood Flooring---$25 VISA gift card

Our week of giving ends Saturday, November 21.  Receive a free gift for your canned good donation plus register to win a gift card.  We hope to see you in the next few days to help us fill the large container for MUST Ministries.

Before You Go Out Of Town

Many of us will be going away for Thanksgiving.  Here are some tips to make your home more burglar proof:

~~Put your newspaper and mail on hold

~~Put your lights on a timer Also leave the light over the stove on all the time, as the kitchen is one room that tends to have lights on the most.

~~Leave a stereo on a talk radio station

~~Drapes There is some debate about leaving drapes open or closed. Some maintain that by closing them you indicate that you are not at home. Others feel that by leaving them open in order to look like you are at home you invite look-ins by potential burglars. Still others recommend a combination, leaving some open (that look into rooms where there is little of value) while closing others (those that look into what should be occupied rooms.) A nice compromise is to leave upstairs curtains open while first floor drapes shut. Whatever your decision remove expensive and inviting items from view from outside the window.

~~Park your car in the drive way This is another debated tactic. Some highly recommend it to make it look like someone is home. Others maintain that a car that doesn't move is a tip off. Still others recommend offering your neighbor a place to park.

~~Padlock all gates Make your backyard inaccessible. Padlocking your gates when you are at home can be inconvenient, but the advantages of doing it while you are on vacation are great. It not only makes getting into the 

back yard more difficult (not impossible mind you, just difficult), but it seriously hinders getting out while carrying items like stereos and computers. This difficulty level serves as a strong deterrent.

~~Let a neighbor know where you are going and leave a contact number and a key

~~Make sure all doors and windows are locked before you leave.  Make sure the alarm system is armed As obvious as this may sound, quite often in the rush to get out the door this can be overlooked.