Summer's A Great Time To

School's Out for Summer! Well, almost

Are you counting down the days? Who is wishing harder for the end of the school year: students, teachers, or parents???

Either way, summertime will soon be here, and life will take on a more relaxed pace. We'll all take it easy, spend time at the pool, or sleep in a little later, or plan a trip somewhere fun. And BOOM! The summer will be over and we'll be talking about the three R's again.

But, while you have some downtime this summer, you may want to take advantage of the freedom to have some work done on the house: sanding and staining your current wood floors while you are on vacation, updating that staircase, new carpet, or possibly even remodeling a bathroom. Enhance Floors is booking appointments now for June, so don't delay- let's get started!

Sale! Sale! Sale!

We currently have a great sale on Mohawk wood, laminate, tile and carpeting, in addition to some wonderful introductory pricing from Versini hardwoods and Neptune waterproof luxury vinyl. In our newly remodeled Bathroom Gallery, Interceramic and Daltile both have brought in some wonderful new tiles that we are able to promote at special prices this month.

Unfortunately, manufacturers have notified us that the summer will bring price increases, so come in now and lock in your carpet, tile, or wood at today's pricing.

Wood 101

We have customers come in every day asking about "wood laminate". We know that all the different flooring materials can be confusing, so here are the Cliffnotes on solid wood, engineered wood, and laminate:

 ~~Solid wood is just that-- a solid plank of wood. Usually 3/4" thick, plank widths vary from 2 ¼" up to 5" and wider.

~~Engineered wood is ALL wood, but is several thin layers compressed to make a plank. There are different qualities of engineered wood available, mostly determined by the "wear layer" or top piece of wood, the one you actually see. Plank widths vary from 3" up to 8" or more.

~~Laminate is not wood. It is composed of MDF(Medium-Density Fiberboard- a product made by breaking down wood residuals, combining it with wax and a resin binder, and formed by applying high temperature and pressure) or HDF core onto which a digital photograph is then laminated.  A clear super tough top coat is added for durability and scratch resistance.

You can have us install pre-finished wood floors, which means that the planks have already been stained and finished with polyurethane, including an aluminum oxide coat, and will look like the sample you see in our showroom. There is limited "down time" with a prefinished installation.  Or you may opt for a site-finished wood floor, which means we deliver the raw planks to your home, install them, sand them on-site, and then stain them to the color of your choice.  Multiple coats of polyurethane are then applied over the next few days, again, in your home.

All of these products have their own specific advantages and disadvantages and best uses. Come in and let us help you decide which one best fits your needs.

Monogram Your Floor

Did you know? One of our prefinished wood suppliers will actually personalize your floor! HomerWood aspires to make every floor a work of art that's sure to make a statement. There's no better way to achieve this than by giving consumers the option to add a more personal touch to their floor. Homeowners that order a minimum of 250 sq. ft. are able to request a custom engraved plank to be installed with their floor, free of charge!

What Will You Win?

You already know that we have a new Bath and Shower Gallery. Here's what you don't know: We'll be hosting an event in June to show it off! Another fun Enhance event, with games and prizes, lots of reps on hand to answer your questions, and we'll be lighting up the grill and serving food and adult beverages! Look for an email coming your way soon with the date and details.  See you in June!

How Much Does It Cost?

Luxury vinyl is a practical choice for active families that is also beautiful.  Some of the premium collections offer such realistic hardwood and tile visuals that you will not know it's not real wood or stone.  We just installed Mannington Adura Max in a large kitchen with breakfast area, family room, foyer, and dining room (over 1200 square feet) for a little over $9000.  This included new shoemold, transitions, and moving all the furniture. 

This is a floor that will look great for years and years.  Adura Max features a waterproof core, premium Ultra-Quiet attached pad for superior sound reduction and greater comfort underfoot, and patented ScratchResist with aluminum oxide surface protection.  Adura Max offers the industry's best wear, scratch and stain resistance and is backed with a stress-free limited, lifetime residential and 10-year light commercial warranty against wear through, staining, fading, delamination and joint separation.

Design Tip

To make a room feel larger, use a round rug on the floor.

I Was FLOORED By Enhance

From LuAnn in Canton:

"It was great work. The guys who put the carpet in were very accommodating. They were clean and really nice to work with, and they did an excellent job. They put carpet in the whole upstairs. They took carpet out and put carpet in. We were very pleased with them. We'd recommend them one hundred and fifty percent. I'd give them an A+."

What's Hot? What's New?

We have been hard at work over the past couple of months. The  Design Center has been updated and remodeled, it's ready and it's beautiful!  We can't wait to show you what is new.  Here's a sneak-a-peak until you can stop by and see it for yourself:

 

Bathroom remodeling is BIG right now, and promises to continue being one of the most popular and investment-worthy home updates. In accordance, we have "enhanced" our bathroom showroom and design area. With beautiful new tile displays from Daltile and Interceramic, the design variations are almost infinite. Come and see the beautiful marble looks, the elegant freestanding tub, the vinyl wall, and the curbless shower. You'll leave with wonderful visions for your own new bathroom!

 

We have also introduced a new rug line into our Rug Shoppe. Nourison is an elegant rug and broadloom line reknowned for their customizations of almost any shape and size. Their looks are sumptuous, with embossing, carving, and hand finishing. So many choices- we are in love!

 

New wood floor introductions include Versini, a traditional look with engineered woods, and Azalea Lane, a line that features diversity and has a budget friendly focus. Mohawk Woods also has brought some new looks to us: Vintage Vintique features natural variations and character, evoking an old world look and feel. Modern Vision is an all oak line with dense, open grain looks.

 

A booming area in floor coverings is Luxury Vinyl. We carry several brands of luxury vinyl, and have recently expanded our selections in response to the demand for this versatile and beautiful performer.

In addition to Armstrong Vivero and Luxe Plank,  Floorte',  Palmetto Road Tidewater, and US Floors CoreTec, we now feature Mannington AduraMax, Mohawk SolidTech, and Neptune Rigid Core. Most of these lines are Waterproof- yes Water PROOF! and so make an excellent choice for various installations- the basement, the kitchen, the mud room, the pool house. Come in and see what the excitement is all about.

 

How Much Does It Cost?

Confession time:  we don't usually write about our high-end products, because we don't want you to think all floors are very expensive, because they aren't.  But Chalmers is one of the prettiest and most unique wood floors in our Design Center, and we all know that sometimes something is exactly what we want, we can afford it, and it makes us happy!

 

Chalmers by Palmetto Road is a gorgeous collection of custom-crafted wide plank French Oak and Hickory hardwood floors, filled with character, every board unique.  But what makes this floor really beautiful is the dual staining process:  one stain color applied to (and enlivening) the wood grain and the second tone lying underneath. Each shade stays true, never mixing, eternally

unique in clarity, transparency and hue, yet complementing one another to produce a stunning visual effect.

 

Our client chose Hickory Ginger, ½" thick and 6 ½" wide, installed in the Family Room, Living Room, Dining Room, Hall and Foyer.  750 square feet installed for $9100.  This includes removal of parquet flooring, carpet and pad, moving furniture and a piano, new shoemold, and floor prep.  The floor really complemented their home and décor, and is a truly beautiful installation.

 

Design Tip

Every space should have a little moment of unexpected.  A moment of weird, if you will, to keep people on their toes, and add another layer of interest.  It could be an unexpected family memento framed on the wall, or an odd sculpture that speaks to you on the bookshelf.  It doesn't have to be much, but it should be interesting and tell its own story.

 

I Was FLOORED By Enhance

Annette is Mableton tells us:

"I'm very happy with Enhance Floors. I just can't rave about them enough. They were fantastic to work with, and they had a very nice selection of materials. Their workmanship was really, really nice. They laid my carpeting and did the tile in my bathroom. I would definitely recommend them, 100 percent. They were wonderful. A+."