What's Hot Beside The Weather

Many homeowners are tackling home improvement projects this summer. Maybe you put off new flooring during the pandemic because you did not want workers in your home, so now it’s on the top of your To Do list. What’s trending? This may be a surprise -- carpet. 

Carpet is like a comfort food: familiar, cozy, warm. And affordable. Carpet is the flooring of choice for bedrooms and cold basements. If you love to lay on the floor with your kids, playing games or cuddling, you will appreciate the softness of carpet.  

Popular looks include patterns in “cut and loop” (also called LCL) and Berber designs. Bold patterns are often chosen for staircases, and more subtle looks for the other rooms in the home. Carpets with color flecks are popular choices, especially for active households. If you have kids and/or pets, be sure to take a look at Triexta, a fiber made by DuPont. Also known as SmartStrand, Sorona, and Silk, these styles offer built-in lifetime stain and soil resistance that does not wash or wear off and is easy to clean with just water. Many of the softest carpets available today are of Triexta fiber.

Maybe you have allergies and been told to stay away from carpet? There are some new options that might work for you. If you have a chemical allergy, you need to know exactly what chemical(s) you are allergic to. It is usually the latex that is used in carpet construction that a client is allergic to. Air. O by Mohawk has no VOCs and is latex free. The DreamWeaver PureBac contains no latex. SmartStrand Forever Clean carpets are made with Dupont Sorona which is OEKO-TEX® certified free from harmful substances. The SmartStrand fiber is also made in part with plant-based materials. 

A wool carpet with a woven (axminster) backing is also extremely low in VOCs, as there is no secondary backing and wool is a proven air purifier. A synthetic fiber pad or a rubber waffled pad is usually your best choice for carpet cushion when VOCs are a concern. 

If your allergy is to dust or pollen, choose a dense tightly woven carpet and vacuum often and have your carpets professionally cleaned (hot water extraction) on a regular basis. Invest in a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter, which traps allergens, and use a vacuum that is equipped with a HEPA filter. 

Did You Know

Carpet is very budget friendly. Hard surface floors (LVP, hardwoods, laminates, tile) are usually at least double the cost of new carpet. And most carpet is made in the USA, a lot of it right here in Georgia, so there are no steep shipping charges to import the carpet into the country. 

Come in today and an Enhance Design Consultant will help you find the perfect new carpet for your home.

Design Tip

Thinking about updating your bedroom -- your sanctuary, your place to relax and refresh? Focus on these trending colors for paint, bedding, window treatments, rugs: dark blue, light plum, beige and brown shades. If you are going neutral, always practical!, add pops of color with decorative pillows, throws, and wall décor.

How Much Does It Cost?

Karastan's Mission Ridge is one of our best selling flecked carpets. We recently installed this carpet in a Canton home with 4 large bedrooms with closets, a hall, and staircase (1385 sq ft) for $6700. The carpet is so easy to take care of and will wear extremely well. Our client chose the color Legend. Come in and see if this beautiful carpet will work in your home.

 

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How Much Has It Changed?

How Much Does It Cost?

One of the very first steps in shopping for new flooring is deciding what TYPE of product you should be considering. Not the style or the color. Not the texture or finish. Not even what price range. The very basic starting point----do you want soft carpet for your family room? Or pet friends LVP? Or elegant hardwood floors?
 
Sometimes knowing the price of different flooring options makes the choice easier. And there is certainly a wide range of prices based on the type of floor you select. Maybe you got some estimates a few years ago and are now ready to get the work done. If so, we have some bad news for you. Prices have gone up this year. Some products have gone up a lot.
 
We first ran these numbers in 2018. We will compare today's pricing with what it cost three years ago. These prices are based on a 400 square feet family room that is currently carpeted that is on a wooden subfloor (i.e., over a basement or crawl space.) If you were to choose a medium-priced product, the average professionally installed cost for each type of flooring is approximately: 

                                      2018      TODAY

Carpet                         $2000     $2000

Laminate                    $2800     $3000

Luxury Vinyl Plank  $3000     $3400

Hardwoods 3/4"      $4000      $4500

Tile                             $5200       $7500

 

Carpet hasn't gone up much at all, and the increase on laminate floors is minimal. LVP and hardwoods have gone up over 10%. Most LVP is imported, and there are some tariffs still in place. Quite a bit of hardwood flooring is also imported, and you know what it is costing to get a container into the USA. Tile has gone up the most. Some of it is product cost, and some of it is labor. A great tile installer is hard to find (luckily we have one!) And great tile installers are busy. Everybody seems to be redoing a bathroom or two. It's basic supply and demand --high demand, low supply, higher prices.
 

Do we foresee prices coming down over the coming months? Probably not. Even once the supply chain stabilizes, it seems like once people are used to paying a certain amount, or an employee is being paid a higher wage, the prices don't go back down.
 
The type of flooring makes a difference on your budget, doesn't it? Of course, there are many other things to consider, for instance, the average person replaces their carpet every nine years. So, if you are in your home for twenty years, you will replace your carpet at least once, maybe twice. But you will almost certainly have the same wood floor for twenty years. Over time, the higher priced options tend to pay for themselves because of the longevity of the product. However, this doesn't necessarily make you feel better when you write the initial check to pay for it!
  
How Thick Is It?

Engineered hardwood floors have a wearlayer: a thin layer of real, solid hardwood glued to the top of a core board. Veneers can vary in thickness from 0.6mm to 4.0mm. Veneer thickness dictates how many times an engineered wood floor can be sanded and refinished. If the veneer thickness is less than 2mm the floor cannot be sanded or refinished at all.
 

MOST of the engineered hardwoods we have in the Design Center are 2mm. That means that most can be lightly drum sanded once.
 
Most handscraped floors start at 2mm, but are thinner in the low spots. For that reason, most handscraped floors CANNOT be refinished.
 
As a comparison, ¾” solid products (site finished and prefinished) have approx. 4mm available to sand. This will vary based on placement of the fastener and how deep the initial sanding was if site finished.
 
Here's a list with links to specific engineered hardwoods that you can consider that are OVER 2mm:
 
2.5mm:
LW Flooring Renaissance
 
3mm:
Fabrica French Oak / French Oak Pattern
Hartco Prime Harvest Elite
Karastan (all)
LM Big Sky
Mohawk Beachside Dunes
Mohawk Seaside Luxury
Somerset Solid Plus
 
3.2mm
Mohawk Medallia Collection
Mohawk Viridia Collection
 
3.5mm:
Fabrica Citadel
Fabrica Provincial
LW Flooring Vintage Elegance
 
4mm:
Fabrica Chateau
Fabrica Handscraped
Fabrica Maple Select
Mohawk Seaside Shores
Palmetto Road Charleston
 
FOR THE CURIOUS: 1 millimeter (mm) thickness equals: 0.039 inches. 4mm = 5/32 inch (a bit over 1/8 inch)
 
Design Tip

Blue -- the color of bright summer skies and sandy beaches, if summer had a color, we're willing to bet it would be a beautiful blue. It's no wonder the who's who of interior designers voted this color as one of the top summer interior design trends for 2021. 
 
Look for a blue area rug, blue pillows and throws, pale blue gauzy curtains, and blue accessories. Pair with a white backdrop to give your space that coastal vibe. 

If you're a minimalist at heart, pops of bright cobalt blues can bring in a bit of vibrancy to your room. Incorporate this sunny hue into your decor as a constant reminder of clear skies and the sun on your skin!
 
From Ron in Smyrna:

“Great experience with Enhance. Purchased 1100 square ft of Bruce hardwood, and the install crew was very professional and did a great job. Highly recommend Enhance.”
 
Thank you, Ron. We appreciate your business and the great review!

The New Normal?

You are ready to buy something. A new refrigerator. A new HVAC system. Chlorine for your swimming pool. Chicken. But there’s a problem. You can’t find it anywhere. 

Or the prices are ridiculously high. Plywood. A used car. Steak. What’s going on?
Demand is outpacing supply, and prices are going up, if you can even get the product at all. Costs to ship products have increased dramatically, especially on imported items.  

You may be wondering what this has to do with flooring. We are having challenges, too. Our U.S. manufacturers (hardwood flooring, laminates, carpet) are having a hard time keeping up with demand – literally selling product as quickly as they can make it. 

If the product is imported (most LVP is, along with many other products) there are extensive delays (and costs) in receiving the product.

It’s challenging. Normally our clients have to wait for our incredible installers to be available. Right now, our clients are waiting for product.

And pricing – every manufacturer we work with has had at least one price increase this year. Some are on their third price increase (and it’s only June!) Unfortunately, we are only able to honor some of our estimates for 10 to 14 days as the pricing is changing so quickly. 

Industry experts do not expect product availability or pricing to stabilize until 2022.

The “new normal” for many of our clients is that they either wait for exactly what they want, or we check availability on products until we are able to find a color that you love that is available. Don’t give up; everything is NOT on backorder 

We look forward to assisting you during these unprecedented (aren’t you tired of that word?) times and sincerely appreciate your business. We’re here to help; we will work together to make your home beautiful!

Faucet 101

Did you know the most used fixture in your kitchen is the faucet? Updating your kitchen faucet may seem like a small thing, but it has a dramatic impact on the styles and use of your kitchen.

There are many different kinds of faucets, each with its on features. Faucets don’t have to be chrome, they come in a variety of finishes. Check out matte black, gold, copper, rose gold, and nickel. 

Here are the most popular types of faucets:

High-arc: also called gooseneck, high-arcs are over 8 inches tall. They pair well with extra deep sinks.

Touch-on / touchless: A self-titled faucet, there are touch-on models or faucets that are activated by motions sensors.

Pot filler: A pot filler is a cold water only faucet mounted to the wall above the stovetop. The folding arm lays against the wall when not in use.

Pull-down and pull-out: These are both short gooseneck – or rounded spout – faucets with a spray head that you pull out from the end of the spout.

Wall-mounted: As its name suggests, this space-saving faucet is mounted on the wall instead of the sink.

Bridge: Bridge faucets are highly decorative. The faucet handles are attached to the main spout. These are often used as wall-mounted faucets.

Bar and prep: Bar sink faucets are usually small because they’re installed in secondary sinks or are not used as the primary water source. 

Pro Tip

Getting new countertops and/or a new backsplash? Select and order your new faucets concurrently. You will need to have them on hand at the time of estimating so that the installer knows exactly where the faucet will be located.

How Much Does It Cost?
We just installed a wide plank hickory floor in the main level of a Roswell home – 1406 sq. ft. The price came in just over $12,000. This included removal of the existing carpet and vinyl floors, moving the furniture and appliances, trim, and new shoemold. Our client tells us that having the same floor everywhere makes the rooms seem so much bigger and the home feel more open.  
 

I Was FLOORED By Enhance

Lisa in Smyrna writes:
“Enhance Floors was fantastic. They did a kitchen, a family room, and a hallway in Mohawk waterproof laminate. They did preparation work like you wouldn’t believe, and they did a phenomenal job putting it together. I had an extremely positive experience. They’re an A +.”
Thank you for the great review, Lisa. We know you will enjoy your new floor for years to come – it will be so easy to keep looking good with your big dogs. We enjoyed working with you and appreciate your business.
 

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Shopping For A New Home?

It seems like everybody is buying and selling. Here’s something to think about before you start looking: how “move in ready” do you want the house to be?

If the home isn’t perfect, decide which projects you’re willing and able to take on. Home renovation shows on TV are not real life – it’s never as simple as it seems. You might walk into an older home and think, well, I can just tear down that wall to open up the kitchen. Though the idea is tempting, you might regret that decision down the road: everything is always more complicated and expensive that you thought it would be.

You might be fine with updating the paint, landscaping, and appliances but not be willing to commit to any major projects that involve a contractor (like moving walls, repairing the foundation, updating the electrical service, fixing the roof, or any other high-ticket items). Maybe you’re OK with replacing the floors, but you don’t want to deal with windows. Just make sure you know your limitations and budget so you can avoid those items should they come up.

A basic understanding of big-ticket problems will help you immensely. Red flags like mold, water stains, or cracks in the ceilings or walls can indicate major leaks, for example. Spend some time learning what various projects cost, like a new roof, and be sure to factor in before you make that offer.

Let’s say you find your new dream house – but want to add more of the same flooring. This is not as easy as it seems. If you can’t get information on the floors that you want more of (manufacturer, style, color) it may not be possible. We would love to tell you that we can look at a floor and tell you exactly what it is, but we can’t. There are thousands and thousands of floors, and every year styles get discontinued. Then factor in that some floors change color over time – darken, lighten, fade from the sun, discolor -- and that makes it even harder. 

If adding more floor is something you want to do, please gather the following information before you begin the search:

What do you know about the floors? Is there paperwork on the floor that came with the home? Know who installed them that you can contact for more information? Is there a box in the attic with identifying information?

How old is the house?

Approximately how old are the floors?

If the new floors will touch your current floor, it really needs to be exact to avoid looking like patchwork. If the floors do not touch, close enough is good enough.

PRO TIP: Figure this out before you knock out a wall. If you can’t find more of the adjoining floor, you are now replacing lots of flooring, adding to the cost of your project.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is Monday, May 31. Memorial Day commemorates all men and women who have died in military service for the United States. Many people visit cemeteries and place American flags on graves in cemeteries. Memorial Day is so much more that a 3-day party or a big furniture sale. Let's all promise to remember what we are really celebrating.

We will be closed Sunday May 29 and Monday May 30 in honor of Memorial Day. We will reopen Tuesday at 10:00 am. Stay safe and have a happy Memorial Day!

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Don't Ruin Your Floor

It’s time to finish up our spring cleaning and start enjoying the season. Let’s conclude with the living areas and dining room:

Vacuum, dust and wipe down all surfaces. Be sure to vacuum or wash curtains and window treatments.

Dust fans and tall shelves—Use an extendable duster on hidden, hard to reach areas such as ceiling fans, bookshelves, and china cabinets. 

Clean upholstery—Upholstered seating is a haven for dust mites, so it’s critical to give them a deep clean. Call in an expert or buy or rent an upholstery-cleaning machine and allow it to air dry completely.  

Now For Your Hard Surface Floors:

First, check the legs of all furniture to see if the floor protectors need to be replaced and replace them as needed.  

It is now time for a thorough sweeping or vacuuming of your floors. Do not use a vacuum with a beater bar or hard head on hardwood floors. The plastic and/or metal parts can scratch the floor. The vacuum head should be brush or felt; a wand attachment is preferable.

Be careful as you move furniture and appliances. Do not drag heavy pieces. You may need to use large pieces of cardboard or something similar to move the heavier items onto to protect the floors underneath. Many people move the refrigerator to clean behind and under it as part of their spring cleaning. Do not merely roll the refrigerator out. The weight of the refrigerator can easily indent the floor. You need to move the refrigerator onto something so you are not rolling it directly on the floor. Use a large piece of cardboard, a thin piece of plywood or a piece of carpet with the fiber side down. Over the years we have seen many hardwood and vinyl floors damaged from moving a refrigerator.

Use good quality doormats at all of your exterior doors and replace them as needed.

Hardwood Floors

Damp mop as needed using a hardwood floor mop and approved hardwood floor cleaner. Do not use oil, wax, or ammonia based cleaners as they will dull the finish and performance of your floor. These will also affect the ability to recoat your floor.

Since wood naturally expands when it is wet, never wet mop or use excessive water to clean your floor. Large amounts of water can cause the wood to swell and may cause your floor to crack or splinter.

TIP: Just because something says it is for hardwood floors does not mean it should be used on the floor. Read the ingredients carefully. We are amazed by what various internet sources state to clean wood floors with. Do NOT use Orange Glo, Goof Off, bubble bath, steam mops, Windex, ammonia, dish soap, Pledge, vinegar, Pine Sol, Mr. Clean, Mop and Glo, Rejuvenate, tea, Simple Green, or similar products. Only use cleaners made by wood floor manufacturers like Armstrong, Mohawk or Bona.

Now is also a good time to look closely at your floors to determine if it is time for another coat of polyurethane. Start with the areas that get the most foot traffic. Are these areas duller than the wood in areas that do not get as much traffic? Do you see light scratches in the finish? If you can see superficial scratches and all the traffic lanes are visible, it is time to recoat your wood floors. Most floors are in need of another coat of polyurethane every five years or so; in some homes, another coat may be needed every 12-18 months. If you wait too long, a screen and a coat will not be effective; the floors will need to be refinished.

LUXURY VINYL AND LAMINATE FLOORS:
There is not much you need to do to a luxury vinyl or laminate floor as part of your spring cleaning. Vacuum thoroughly and clean using the product recommended by the manufacturer of your floor. Then enjoy how easy it is to maintain your LVP or laminate floor!

But Don’t Ruin Your Floors

Steam mops are very popular and “they” say steam mops can be used safely on hardwood, laminate, vinyl, and tile floors, but did you know there is a great chance you’ll actually damage your floors by using a steam mop?  Many flooring manufacturers even state that the use of a steam mop voids the product warranty.  

Why? you may wonder. One of the major criticisms about steam mops is that they often leave too much water behind. When water gets into a wood floor, it puffs the grain. The steam and/or water will be absorbed into worn areas and can also penetrate a scratch even through the thickest finish. Water will then be absorbed very quickly and cause the wood to warp. 

With luxury vinyl and laminate floors, the edges of the planks are unsealed, and water may eventually penetrate. You may be OK with light and careful use, but be aware that most flooring manufacturers state they have not tested their products with the specific combinations of heat and moisture that these machines produce and cannot recommend or warranty their use. The cleaning pads on some steam mops can also leave scratch marks.   

You may have thought you were safe to use a steam mop on your tile floors. Sorry, but the combination the acid and enzyme cleaners that are typically used will cause the grout to become soft and permanently damaged. Steam can be very dangerous not only to the product but also to the adhesives, grout, and setting materials. 

You may not see any negative impact at all when using a steam mop but that’s because it’s hard to tell with the naked eye that the floor is being damaged. It might be a few years down the road before you notice you’re not seeing that pretty shine you had when the floor was installed. You can’t undo that damage. 

So why do the steam mop manufacturers say they are safe? It’s simple---these companies want to sell their product.  If you are considering using a steam mop, please find and read the mop’s warranty---chances are it only covers defects in the mop itself and includes language that excludes your flooring. When you have a problem, the responsibility will go back on you for not having followed the care instructions from the manufacturer of your flooring. So, unless the steam mop manufacturer guarantees in writing that it won’t harm your surfaces and will replace your floor if it is damaged, you should not use one.

Design Tip

Outdoor curtains are the “it” look for this spring and summer. Most are waterproof, include tiebacks, and utilize grommets for easy installation. Choose from sheer or “blackout” based on the amount or privacy you want. If you have a covered porch, pergola, or a deck with supports to attach a rod to, this is a very inexpensive way to dress up your outdoor space. 

How Much Does It Cost?

Ummmm, more every month. We are on our third wave of 2021 price increases from some of our manufacturers, and it’s only May. Raw materials are in short supply, freight is going up up up, labor costs are rising – it’s a perfect storm of high demand and low supply. If you have not purchased flooring (and most home improvement products) in years, expect sticker shock. Experts don’t expect to see pricing stabilize until the global supply change recovers, probably in 2022.

I Was FLOORED By Enhance

Not exactly flooring, but close. Here’s a recent review from Cindy in Marietta:
“What a pleasure this company is to deal with!! Great selection and excellent customer service. They installed the countertop and tile backsplash in our kitchen. Debra (Installation Manager) is a gem! Their contractors arrived on time and were very pleasant to deal with. The "Big Box Store" doesn't come close! Go local - you won't be disappointed!!”
Thank you for the kind words, Cindy. Your kitchen looks great. We know you will enjoy it for years to come!

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