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Remnant Pieces

  Remnants are small leftover pieces, not big enough to use for a large area, but big enough to hold on to. This week our newsletter is filled with small topics - not enough for an entire newsletter, just good little tidbits of information. Hope you enjoy these remnants!

What Are Clean Lines

You hear this all the time on the home improvement shows. What does it really mean? Clean lines mean that all surfaces are flat and relatively clear of "clutter". Furniture with clean lines has straight edges -- no ornate caving or fancy work.

  

Plan On Waiting

Many home improvement related items are on significant back order. Appliances, fabric, plumbing fixtures, hot tubs, windows, doors, furniture, lighting -- expect to be told 14 to 16 weeks to get, even on made in USA items.

  

Not So Boring Brown

Browns and beiges bounce back. Houzz tells us a trend that comes up again and again is a renewed interest in shades of brown. Warm taupe, beiges, sands -- basically all earth tones are surging in popularity. Some designers say the trend is an evolution from the whites and grays popular in recent years and that brown as an accent color works well to bring warmth to a palette heavy with those colors.

  

A Necessary Update

From Realtor.com:  one of the biggest buyer turn-offs is popcorn ceilings. Textured and popcorn ceilings scream the 70s. The rough, bumpy texture is tough to keep clean, hard to repair, and frankly just looks bad. If you can, remove popcorn ceilings in your home. It's a bit of a chore (and a messy one) but once the popcorn is gone the clean, sleek surface of your ceilings will look much better than before.

How Much Will It Cost

Overall inflation is expected to be modest this year, with the exception of high demand items with little to no supply and on items that are imported from overseas.   High demand, low supply makes sense.  But what's going on with the imported items?  

There is a major shortage of ship­ping containers, fewer shipping vessels, and once the container ship reaches the U.S. delays at our ports. Last summer the typical cost for a container was about $1,200. Now, suppliers say they are paying anywhere between $6K to $9K. "On particular routes, we are paying 300% to 400% more than what we were pay­ing several months ago," said Rup Shah, president, MSI, which supplies both natural tile and luxury vinyl products. "While we are accustomed to fluctuating costs for ocean freight based on supply/demand, we have never seen anything even close to what we are experiencing right now."   Typically, these periods of congestion only last 30-60 days. Unfortunately, this situa­tion has been going on since early October, and progressive­ly worsened. We appear to be in a sustained period of turmoil with no relief in sight.

Word to the wise:  expect higher prices on imports, and extensive delays to get what you need.

Popular Pergolas

If you want to create an inviting outdoor living space, you'll probably need some shade to do it. A pergola is a relatively quick and affordable solution. These simple shade structures, which can be built and installed in a day or two, provide adequate shade for dining, lounging and other outdoor activities.

  

Dark Is Done

In floors, paint, fabric -- dark colors are dramatic but they close in a space. Many people will continue to work remotely in 2021 and multi-purpose rooms are a necessity. Dark colors limit the usage of a space and without expert lighting, a dark room is just that - dark! When shopping, go with lighter colored furniture, accessories, and paint.

  

How To Find It

Now that we know that it's hard to find home improvement items right now, and prices are going up, what do you do when you need something? See if someone is selling it.  Take a look on Facebook Marketplace, Letgo, OfferUp, even eBay (look for Local Pickup Only). And don't forget about Etsy, filled with handmade and vintage items from artisans and crafters.

Spring Is Almost Here

The first day of spring is only a few weeks away. As you are shopping for fun new accessories for a quick update, trending colors you'll see are greens, blues, and terra cotta.

Design Tip

We get it. It is very difficult to envision how a tiny flooring sample will look installed in your home. Here are some options for seeing the floor you like in your room.

 

~~Many manufacturers have created the technology for you to see their floor in YOUR room. When you are on our website (www.enhancefloors.com), under Products, look for See in my room (in an orange box). You can upload a picture of your room (TIP: be sure it shows a lot of floor) and the style and color you are interested in will be superimposed over your current floor. It is quick and easy and there are a lot of floors to choose from. You can then save the picture you created. It's almost magical!

  

~~Facebook has Pages from almost every manufacturer and your favorite retailers, filled with pictures of their products. Enhance Floors & More posts lots and lots of pictures of our installations, which is a great way to see a product you liked in the Design Center installed in an actual home. Share the photo to keep it on your page, or save the image for future use.

  

~~Instagram is a social networking app made for sharing photos and videos from a smartphone. In fact, Instagram works best on a mobile device and not a PC. When a photo is posted on Instagram, hashtags are used. Use the hashtags to search for the product(s) you are interested in, for example #lgviatera or #mohawkrevwoodplus. You can save individual photos you like to refer back to later.

  

~~Houzz is a website that focuses on home improvement projects. Houzz has millions of pictures and lots of helpful articles. You can create your own Ideabooks and start saving pictures of what inspires you.  

  

~~Pinterest is a web-based "virtual pinboard"; a high-tech version of tearing pictures you like out of magazines to file away for future reference. You can browse pinboards created by others for inspiration, "re-pin" images to your own boards, or 'like' photos to refer to. You can set up separate boards for each of your projects, for example, Baby's Room or Master Bathroom. As you see pictures that you like, pin to your board.

  

Of course, Enhance Floors & More is on all of these social media sites. You can easily link to our pages thru our website (www.enhancefloors.com), simply go to the very bottom right of our Home page and look for the icons.

  

You may be wondering how this is helpful. So often a client has a hard time describing what she is interested in, but a picture is worth a thousand words! Install the apps on your smart phone or tablet and you now have your favorites with you everywhere you go. Show us your board or Ideabook with the picture of, for example, the backsplash design that you like, and we will be able to take you to a similar product in our store.

 

There are so many helpful ways to technology to make your dream home a reality!

   

    

Appointments in the Design Center are recommended. Schedule your safe and private time to visit the showroom by giving us a call or using this link:

Hubspot Calendar

We look forward to seeing you in the store!

Is It Really Waterproof?

Waterproof flooring. It's the hottest thing out there. Everybody wants it. Waterproof LVP. Waterproof laminate. Even waterproof wood. You will see in flooring showrooms all over America display with a piece of "waterproof" plank submerged in water for days, weeks, months. 

But what are you really getting?  

The uninstalled floor itself is waterproof. The locking systems on the floors are also "waterproof" but not for excessive amounts of water (more on this later). Think of a "waterproof" floor as being topically waterproof, for splashes and spills, pet accidents, wet mopping, typical everyday occurrences like this.  Drop an ice cube, your floor will be OK.

  

But what if there's a lot of water? Waterproof is defined as being impervious to water, not allowing water to go through. And impervious is an even stronger word: not permitting penetration or passage; impenetrable, not capable of being damaged or harmed. A floor? Especially a wood floor? A laminate floor that is 80% wood? Really? 

Roofs can leak. Swimming pools can leak. Showers can leak. All of these are made to constantly get wet.  Floors are not.

  

A lot of water can and will get in, around, through, and under the flooring. The quicker you get the liquidup, the better. But if your house floods, the water will reach the perimeter and make its way under the floor. Subfloors, wood trim, walls, all will likely be damaged by excessive amounts of water either on or below the "waterproof" flooring.

  Water damage and mold cost the insurance industry $2.5 billion dollars per year, and the average cost of a home water damage insurance claim is over $7,000. The most common water damage issues are caused by plumbing and appliance issues, and less common are weather-related events such as rain, snow, or pipes burst due to freezing temperatures. Your "waterproof" floor is not going to help in situations like this. So please don't buy a floor thinking it is going to survive a water damage.

 

   

You may be thinking can't I just pull up the "waterproof" floor, dry everything out, and reinstall it. If it is a small area and you are super careful, probably. You must be very careful not to damage the tongues when removing the floor (otherwise you will have a hard time getting it back together) and you should number the planks, because it needs to be reinstalled like a puzzle. However, if there is a remediation company involved, their job is to get the floor up quickly and start drying everything out, because mold is an expensive word to an insurance company.

 

A remediation technician will not know that your floor could possibly be reused, and his focus is NOT going to be on saving your floor. When you have a flood, you are going to get a new floor. And probably a new subfloor, sheetrock repair, new trim, painting, sometimes a new ceiling and new furniture ... that's why we have homeowner's insurance.

  

To summarize, a floor is not impervious to water. Instead, think of your "waterproof" floor as having a surface that is resistant to small amounts of liquid that you clean up in a quick amount of time. You will avoid the disappointment of finding that something you thought would be covered by the flooring warranty is not.

How Much Does It Cost? 

Tile and stone are the tried-and-true waterproof floors. Installed and maintained properly, tile can be installed inside AND outside (porcelain and stone) and look great for decades. We are installing wood-look porcelain tile in the large basement of an Atlanta home. Yes, it is pricey. But we are replacing a high-end strand woven bamboo floor that was ruined by a leak. The cost is $16,500 for 1278 square feet of a top-of-the-line porcelain with upgraded stain resistant grout and pull up and disposal of the existing flooring. This is a floor that will be durable, easy to keep clean, and still be in use long after our client no longer lives in the home.

 

Design Tip

The trend for rattan and cane furniture is still going strong into 2021 - coffee tables, chairs and bed headboards are all really easy ways to bring this stylish material into your home. Rattan is also super popular for your outdoor spaces - look for all weather wicker, aluminum or powder coated steel frames, or synthetic resins that will give you the look without the worry.

 

From Bob in Sandy Springs:

"Enhance installed carpeting and tile flooring which I purchased from them. They patiently assisted me in selecting the appropriate flooring, did an outstanding job of installation, and followed-up to ensure my total satisfaction. They were heads and shoulders above others in the business I've dealt with."

Thank you, Bob. You put a lot of thought into your product choices, and asked about all the pros AND cons of the floors you were considering. We always try to be very honest, even if it is not the answer a client wants to hear. Enjoy your new carpet and tile, and we look forward to helping you with your next project.

      

Appointments in the Design Center are recommended. Schedule your safe and private time to visit the showroom by giving us a call or using this link:

Hubspot Calendar

We look forward to seeing you in the store!