What Is Travertine Tile?

Some of the most popular pictures on Pinterest and Houzz are of travertine tile installed in kitchens and bathrooms. You may be wondering exactly what is travertine?

Travertine is a natural stone and is a popular building material that is used in everything from floors, countertops, backsplashes, fireplace surrounds, showers, and sinks. It can even be used outdoors. Travertine is a sedimentary rock that is close in chemical composition to limestone. It is warm, elegant and durable, but as with most stone surfaces, it requires a degree of extra care to maintain its natural beauty.Travertine is a medium-density, porous material with a pitted surface that is usually filled and sealed for increased durability, though it can be left unfilled for a more natural look. The finish can be polished, honed or textured. Much of the travertine commercially available in the U.S. comes from Italy, Turkey, and Mexico.

There are some definite pros and cons of travertine tile. This is a quick overview of what you should know if you are considering travertine for your home:

Pros:
~~Aesthetic appeal: travertine tile has a luxurious appearance that many people like. The stone has natural veining that makes each piece of travertine unique in appearance. There are also a variety of colors to choose from: muted neutral shades of tan and gray to bright bold shades of coral.

~~Ageless appearance: travertine already looks old and weathered. Travertine is not trendy and has in fact been around for centuries. The Colosseum in Rome is composed mostly of travertine.

~~Cost: if you like marble, travertine has similar durability and aesthetic appeal but at a lower price.

~~Impervious to temperature extremes: travertine withstands temperature extremes of hot and cold and stays cool even in direct sunlight.

~~Nonslip: The natural non-slip texture of travertine is another reason that makes travertine tile a good choice for floors.

Cons:

~~Porosity: travertine is a very porous stone. In its natural state, travertine has numerous holes. The holes can range in size, with most travertine pieces having a mix of large and small holes. In most cases these natural holes are filled in at the factory during manufacturing. That being said, the materials used to fill in the holes can wear down over time.

~~Acid sensitivity: travertine is composed of calcium carbonate, which is highly reactive to vinegar, orange juice and other weak acid food substances encountered in the kitchen. Because of this, travertine may not be suitable for kitchen countertops where it may be exposed to acidic foods on a regular basis. A good sealer will protect it to a certain extent, but if it is not sealed adequately or often enough, or the sealer is scratched or worn off, regular kitchen use will ruin the travertine surface. If it is used in the kitchen, a filled travertine tile is preferable to an unfilled surface.

~~Lack of uniformity of appearance: as travertine is a naturally occurring stone, not all the tiles in the shipment may look exactly like the sample. The colors and patterns in the appearance may not be uniform. Care must be taken in arranging the tiles to ensure the desired result. A premium grade of travertine tile will have more uniformity and less imperfection than a lower quality travertine.

~~Maintenance: as with other natural stone, travertine is subject to staining. It also retains a degree of softness that makes it susceptible to etching. Special products and sealers are required to clean and maintain its surface.

One final note: expect to find a wide range in prices for travertine stone, between $3 to $10 per square foot, plus installation and sealing. The price is based on quality and includes factors such as consistent coloration, the amount of fill, and the actual color (the lighter the color, the more expensive.) We have a nice selection of travertine in the Enhance Design Center.

Wood Floor Prices~~~Up, Up, and Away

We just updated an estimate from June, 2011 for a client. The price of her wood flooring has gone up 9%. And we have been notified of another industry-wide price increase coming March 1. We are told to expect an average increase of 10%. If you plan on purchasing new hardwood floors for your home this year, please buy now and lock in your price. Prices are not going to go back down as this is a supply and demand issue---limited supply and increasing demand. As the economy and the housing market continue to improve, demand is guaranteed to keep growing.

Thinking about updating your staircase

with wrought iron balusters?

Our Design of the Month below features;

Single Knuckle, Double Knuckle and Double Scroll Balusters.

Did You Know?

Enhance Floors & More was just named "Best of 2012" in the Flooring category by Kudzu.com! Many companies say they are the best; it has been confirmed again that Enhance IS the very best! The ranking was based on your votes on Kudzu. We really appreciate our great customers---thank you!



Dollar Tree Now Open At Sprayberry Square
We have a new neighbor in our Shopping Center. Welcome, Dollar Tree! The store has a great selection, is well organized and very easy to shop. We came across this great article on Kiplinger.com and thought you might find it helpful.

Kiplinger went shopping to find out what the best deals are at the dollar store:

Party Supplies
Everything from party invitations to decorations to balloons are worth buying at the dollar store. For instance, foil balloons easily run from $3 to $8 at party-supply stores, gift shops and supermarkets. But you can get them for $1 each - helium included - at the dollar store. Goodie bags, party favors and color-coordinated paper plates, napkins, cups and plastic cutlery are also a good buy.
Cleaning Supplies
According to the Good Housekeeping Institute, the cleaners you buy at the dollar store work just fine. You probably won't find many name brands, but the ingredients are similar - though perhaps more diluted. For everyday cleaning, they should do the trick. (For tougher cleaning jobs, you may have to spring for something more heavy-duty.) You can also get a good deal on rubber gloves, sponges, and scrub brushes.
Greeting Cards
Greeting cards are nice, but are they really worth $4? It's the thought or sentiment that counts, not what you spend. Dollar store cards are good-quality, too, so the recipient won't even guess that you scrimped.

Seasonal/Holiday Items
Whether you need to stuff Easter baskets or Valentine's Day boxes, or you simply want to deck the halls for your favorite holiday, you might save a few bucks at the dollar store. Seasonal paper plates and napkins are also a good deal - Kiplinger found packs of 20 for $1. On decorations, bargains can be hit-or-miss and subject to opinion.
Gift Wrapping Supplies
You can get a 20-foot roll of gift wrap at the dollar store for a buck, while you'll pay at least three times that at big-box and party-supply stores. Gift bags cost up to $5 at other stores, depending on size. But at the dollar store, all sizes are $1. Kiplinger also found huge savings on tissue paper, up to 75% off prices elsewhere. And don't forget the Scotch tape!

Cooking and Dining Accessories
Spoons, spatulas, cheese graters, ice cream scoops and more can be found at the dollar store for 50% to 90% off the prices at Target and Walmart. Wine glasses, dining plates and flatware are also available. Almost anything is a good buy in the kitchen department, with the exception of knives, which may be flimsy or dull.



The Best Money Saving Tip

Is to BUY NOW during our annual New Year~~New Look Flooring Sale. If you are planning on purchasing new flooring in 2013, do not miss out on what are truly the lowest prices of the year. Here of some examples of actual savings

~~~almost $350 off Mohawk Silk carpet for two rooms in the basement

~~~an incredible $1330 discount on hardwood floors for four bedrooms

~~~$470 off new QuickStep laminate floors for the family room and dining room

~~~$410 off new carpet for the family room, master bedroom, and stairs

~~~a $440 discount on new porcelain tile for the kitchen

~~~over $600 in savings for new carpet for the living room and master bedroom

 

Thinking about updating your staircase with wrought iron balusters?

Our Design of the Month below features;

Straight Hammered Bar, Single Diamond, Double Diamond and Scroll.

What's New At Enhance

We normally don't begin receiving new product samples until springtime, but this year our vendors are introducing new styles at record pace. We have already received brand new samples of WearDated Embrace (super soft nylon carpet) from Mohawk,

Stainmaster TruSoft from Tuftex Carpet of California and some great new carpet designs from Lexmark.

We have the newest styles of Congoleum resilient floors, including some beautiful wood and tile designs. We also have new imported woods, including unique species like Asian Pecan, Asian Walnut, and Mahogany. If you have been looking for the perfect new floor for your home, and just haven't found it, be sure to come in and see these brand new product introductions!

I Was FLOORED by Enhance!

Walter in Woodstock tells us that we did a great job with the installation of his new hardwood floors, and that our Installers left everything clean and neat when they finished. Sherrie in Kennesaw is very happy with her plush new DreamWeaver carpet. And Katalin in Smyrna can't believe how good her new Mohawk Oak laminate floor looks.

You can be just as happy as Walter, Sherrie, and Katalin when you choose Enhance Floors for your next home improvement project! Come see us, we are here to help you create the home of your dreams.

Now You See It, Now You Don't

One of the advantages of distressed hardwood floors is that you can do minor touch-ups yourself. The picture on the left is a wood sample that a "customer" returned to us covered with numerous scratches. Normally we would have to replace this sample.

Lucky for us, because this was a distressed floor, we were able to use a Sharpie marker to color in the scratches. The picture on the right is how the sample looks after we touched it up. If you are dreaming of new wood floors for your home, but are concerned about scratches and damage, be sure to ask your Enhance Design Consultant about distressed hardwoods!

NOTE: Do NOT try this on hardwood floors that are not distressed! Trying to touch up a "traditional" hardwood floor with a marker will look worse than if you had done nothing at all to the scratch.

I Was FLOORED by Enhance

Lori in Kennesaw says her new carpet looks great and that it was wonderful working with Enhance Floors. Teresa in Marietta loves her new QuickStep laminate floor. And Sandra in Roswell was so happy with the great job we did on her new hardwood floors that she referred her sister to us. We just installed the new carpet for her sister, so Sandra, watch your mailbox for your Decorating Dollars. Keep the great comments coming---we love to hear your feedback!

Stuck In The Past?

I recently stayed in a very nice home that was built in the 80's, and it was obvious that the interior has never been updated. Pink walls, lots of floral patterns, Berber carpet, white-washed glass-topped furniture, and shiny brass fixtures---I felt like I had stepped back in time!

This got me thinking about how often you should redecorate. A recent HomeGoods survey found that 47 percent of Americans haven't updated their home decor in the last five years - and nine percent haven't in more than 10 years.

While I totally think that good design is what YOU like and what makes YOU feel good about your space, and not what some expert says is "in", I think there are certain themes that can really date your space. Here are some of the major design trends of the past forty years. Is your home stuck in one of these decades?

The 1970s

Popular colors included green, yellow, orange, brown and turquoise. White was popular, with accents in any of the preceding colors. Synthetic materials were popular materials for furniture and accents---Lucite, chrome, plastic and vinyl. Wood floors were covered up with shag carpet, and every room had a lava lamp.

The 1980s

Floral patterns were in vogue---on sofas, chairs, bedding, wallpaper borders and window valances. Popular colors in the '80s included salmon, peach, mauve, teal and hunter green. Shag carpet was replaced with shorter plush carpet in colors such as pink and blue, or Berber. Vinyl flooring was used in bathrooms and kitchens. Many experimented with texturing, such as sponge painting and creating "popcorn" ceilings. Lots of mirrors are another sure sign of '80s style.

 The 1990s

Popular colors in the 90s were blues, white, yellow, and orangish tones like salmon and terra cotta. Shabby Chic, the idea that old, beautiful things are chic even if the paint is peeling, the fabric a little tattered, the metal a little tarnished, was popular. Other trends include cottage, retro/vintage, arts and crafts, and country.

 The 2000s
Jewel tones (burgundy, navy, dark green) were dominant colors in the early 2000s. Popular colors began to change by the mid 2000s to all shades of blue (midnight, slate, sea glass), oranges and reds (nutmeg, paprika), and browns and golds. These colors were paired with wood, stone, and slate, all increasingly used design elements in the 2000s.

What to Expect in 2013
The newest interior paint colors for 2013 are more natural and elegant: pale coastal blues, cream, gray, navy blue, gold, and browns. Wallpaper is back, trendy furniture will mix wood and metal, and popular finishes will be chrome, polished nickel and brass. To see more, spend some time on PINTEREST (CLICK HERE) and look for pictures that have numerous repins. These pins are the most popular and provide insight on coming trends.

Expect to see down-to-earth motifs featuring bamboo, shells, stained glass and stone in 2013. Homeowners have more disposable income, having learned how to be patient and wait, and want top value for their hard earned money and will be less likely to settle on less than ideal purchases.
Interior decorating is shifting from a "where can I save the most money" attitude into a "what will I love in this area" mentality right now.

 Start With The Floor
If a redecorating project is in your plans for 2013, our advice is to decorate from the floor up. Your floor coverings account for at least 30% of the room. We meet with many clients at the end of their design process who have a hard time finding and budgeting the perfect floor covering that "ties it all together." Your Enhance Floors Design Consultant will assist you with the perfect design plan that ensures that all of the design elements-paint, floors, fabrics, furniture, countertops, cabinets- complement each other and work together-on time and on budget.


No Better Time To Buy
And there is no better time than right now to buy! Our "New Year ~~ New Look" sale offers savings of up to 35% OFF on your new floor. Call or come by today to begin making all of your home improvement dreams come true in 2013.

Thinking About New Hardwood Floors?

Wood flooring enhances the décor of any room, and provides timeless beauty that will increase in value throughout the years. In fact, in a national survey of real estate agents, 90 percent said that houses with wood flooring sell faster and for higher prices than houses without wood floors.

If you want new hardwood floors for your home, you probably don’t know where to start. Let’s begin with a few questions:

Q. Are there existing hardwood floors in your home that you want to match?

Q. If so, what do you know about these floors? Is the wood something your builder installed or were the floors added later? Do you have any information on your current floors?

Q. What is the subfloor in the rooms you want the hardwoods for? Wooden subfloor (plywood) or cement slab? Is there a basement or crawl space underneath the rooms?

With this information your Design Consultant can begin making product recommendations. First we will determine if you need site finished or prefinished hardwoods. If your subfloor is wooden, and your existing hardwoods were installed by your builder, you probably have site finished floors. If you are not matching existing hardwoods, you may want to consider a prefinished floor.

What does this mean? Site-finished hardwoods are installed raw (unfinished) and then sanded, stained, and coated with polyurethane in your home. You are able to select the stain color and the gloss level of the floor. Prefinished hardwood floors are fully manufactured and finished in the factory. A prefinished floor offers a quicker and more convenient installation. Manufacturers of prefinished floors include companies like Bruce, Armstrong, Mohawk, and Somerset. Both types of wood flooring (site-finished and prefinished) are available in solid and engineered wood.

Next determine if you need solid or engineered wood. Solid wood is exactly as it sounds: a solid piece of wood. Solid wood is usually ¾” thick. Engineered wood is thinner and is made in plies (layers) with the actual species of wood on the top layer. The bottom layers utilize other species of wood for stability. Engineered wood was developed for glue down installation, but some can be nailed and floated. Engineered floors can be ¼”, 3/8” (most common), ½”, or even 3/4” thick. If the area being installed has a plywood subfloor, either type may be used. Solid wood floors can only be installed on a cement slab if special and expensive installation techniques are followed.

If you are adding to existing hardwoods, prefinished or site finished, you will also need to determine what you have: thickness (normally 3/8” or ¾”), width (2 ¼” and 3” are the most common widths), and species. Most wood floors are oak, but there are numerous choices, including maple, Brazilian Cherry, bamboo, and hickory.

If you do not have an existing hardwood floor to match, you get to select exactly what you want! And the possibilities are endless. Wood floors come in a variety of colors that will fit any décor. Today's wood floors come in more than 50 species, both domestic and exotic, spanning the spectrum of color options, finishes, and price ranges. No matter what the look you want to achieve, there are a variety of species to meet your needs. Visit flooring showrooms to look at large product samples and spend some time on the internet looking at pictures of flooring (Pinterest and Houzz are great sites for this) to help you find the wood floor of your dreams.

You may be wondering if prefinished floors are real hardwood floors and if engineered floors are real hardwood floors. Yes, both are composed of 100% hardwood. All ¾” solid prefinished wood floors can be sanded numerous times. Most engineered wood floors can be sanded at least once, except veneers.

Some other things to consider:

• Some floors show wear and damage more readily. Generally, the lower gloss, the less wear and scratches will show. Medium stain colors and wood with a lot of grain will also show less damage. Very light and very dark floors show scratches and wear quickly, and floors such as maple that have very little grain again show imperfections more readily. Distressed hardwoods may be the most practical option for active families and homes with pets.

• If you are having site finished floors installed, there will be certain days and times that you cannot walk on the floors at all. For this reason, many families choose to have the work done while they are on vacation.

• Cost. Hardwood floors cost at least twice as much as carpet, on average around $7.00 per square foot fully installed. Of course, the average homeowner replaces their carpet every nine years, while hardwoods last decades and decades.

• The quality of your installation is crucial because of the permanency of hardwood flooring. Be aware that there is no easy way to fix a bad installation.

Hardwood floors offer warmth, beauty, and value and are one of the most important design elements in your home. You are now prepared with all of the basic information you need to begin shopping for a beautiful new wood floor for your home.

Stainless Steel Appliances --- In or Out?

Recently friends of mine had to purchase a new oven, and they asked me should they get stainless steel or something different? It seems like almost everybody has stainless steel appliances, but the stainless trend may be on its way out. After 15 years of stainless everything, manufacturers are now moving on to new finishes.

It is a pivotal moment in kitchen design: while stainless steel is still the dominant look, there are clear signals it has outworn its welcome, even with no clear successor in place. The appliance industry has tried to promote new looks before. In recent years, manufacturers have pitched "oiled bronze," "antique copper" and a gray hue called "meteorite," as well as aluminum and other look-alikes, but none has been able to unseat stainless steel.

Stainless looks professional, elegant, is versatile, and shows you've "arrived." However, as every homeowner with young children knows, true stainless steel shows fingerprints like no other finish.

The newest appliance colors reflect, in part, the kitchen's changing role in the home. In an open floor plan, the kitchen functions as the hub of relaxing and entertaining-a return to its historic role as the center of family life. As kitchens become "warmer" and more of an extension of the family room, many designers are finding that stainless steel feels too "cold" and modern. The new colors and materials, though not as vibrant as the avocado-green and harvest-gold of previous eras, try to blend in with their surroundings, rather than stand out like a trophy of technology the way shiny stainless steel tends to do.

As evidence of the new trend, Whirlpool stainless., the world's largest home-appliance maker, recently introduced its "Ice Collection" of appliances, including glossy white. "White is the new stainless," a Whirlpool news release says.GE is pushing a new line of metallic appliances in a muted gray called "slate."To further confuse you, Wolf Appliance says in a news release for black glass ovens introduced this spring "Black is the new stainless steel."

At the high end, Viking Range Corp., whose iconic open-burner stainless steel range was one of the first to bring pro-kitchen styling into homes, offers 23 color alternatives to stainless steel, including Cinnamon, Wasabi, Kettle Black and Dijon. However, stainless steel dominates. "I'd say 80% of our sales are still stainless steel," says Brent Bailey, design director at Viking Range.

Kitchen looks have just a 10 to 15 year lifespan, on average, according to remodeling experts. The 60s were the brown decade. The 70s, the gold and green decade. The 80s brought us black appliances, the 90s white, and the 2000s stainless steel.

However, a recent Wall Street Journal article says that despite the push to new colors, consumers continue to buy stainless steel. So if you recently switched to stainless, you don't have to worry. It's still the most popular finish. No manufacturer is writing stainless steel off completely. Yet there is a growing sense that stainless steel's popularity is on the way out. But for now it refuses to go away.

I Was Floored By Enhance

This may be our favorite quote ever from a client:

Cindy in Marietta told us "I wish everything in my life was as perfect as my beautiful new hardwood floor!"