What Lies Beneath

All About Subfloors At some point while you are shopping for floors, you will be asked what your subfloor is. Hopefully early in the process, before you fall in a love with a floor that is impractical for your installation. Why? you may wonder. Why do we care? What has that got to do with the kind of floor you want?  Actually, your subfloor has a LOT to do with what kind of floor you get. What Is A Subfloor? The subfloor is the lowest structural layer beneath the finished flooring, the solid material under your floor covering. The subfloor holds up everything in your house - walls, cabinets, furniture, the piano, people - everything! All houses have subfloors.    There are two basic types of subfloor. The first is a cement (concrete) slab. A slab foundation is made of concrete that is typically 4"-6" thick. The concrete slab is often placed on a layer of sand for drainage or to act as a cushion. Houses built on a slab lack crawlspaces, and there is no space underneath the slab. Footings and other load-bearing elements are added to the slab. The unit works together to anchor the house, and the exterior walls and interior load-bearing walls rest on the slab. If you have a basement, the subfloor is almost certainly a slab. Slab subfloors can be below grade or on grade. Flooring is almost always installed directly on the slab.    Fun Fact: Few Steps! Slab homes are built closer to the ground than homes with basements or crawl spaces, thus reducing the number of steps required to enter the home. Easy access is advantageous for those who are less physically able. If your home does not have a slab foundation, the other option is over a crawl space. A crawl space is essentially a hollow area under the floors between the ground and the first floor. It's usually roughly 1 foot to 3 feet high - just high enough for someone to enter by crawling, as its name implies (low ceilings!)  If you have a crawl space, proper ventilation is essential to prevent moisture from moving from the ground up through cracks in the plywood into the home. Moisture in a crawl space is not good - for both the structural integrity of your house as well as your health. Floor joists are installed over the crawl space and support the weight of the building, absorb impacts on the floor, and create structural support so that the floor will be stable and secure. Joists are used to frame the upper levels of the home and are made of engineered, laminated wood or dimensional lumber. All houses not on a slab have joists. A wooden subfloor is attached to the joists to create a flat solid surface for the finished flooring to rest on. Typically, a subfloor is made of plywood or oriented strand board (OSB) panels.    Still with us? You need to know what your subfloor is before you start shopping for hardwood flooring in particular. Carpet, laminate, tile, and luxury vinyl can be installed over all types of subfloors. Solid wood floors can only be installed on a cement slab if special and expensive installation techniques are followed. Hardwood flooring should not be installed over particleboard, waferboard, pressed wood, or fiberboard. All wooden subfloors, especially OSB, must be of a certain thickness and in excellent condition in order to properly support the new wood floor.   Your subfloor is the base, the very "foundation" of your flooring. If the subfloor isn't right, nothing that comes after it is going to be right.   Now Let's Talk About Floor Prep Floor prep is the work that is required to make your subfloor flat, clean, dry, and structurally sound prior to the installation of your new floors. Besides being necessary to make the new floor look and feel good, floor prep is also required in order to meet the manufacturer's guidelines to issue a warranty.    When we come to your home to measure, we must assess the potential floor prep and leveling that will be needed for your installation. Floor prep is the most difficult of all costs to estimate because your subflooring is typically covered by existing flooring that must be removed. Sometimes when your existing floor coverings are removed, your subflooring is found to be damaged (example, a section of plywood is water damaged) and must be repaired or replaced prior to the installation of the new flooring. This is a structural problem that must be corrected prior to the installation of your new floor.    For most hard surface floor coverings, the subfloor must be level to within 3/16" over a 10' span.   When the subfloor is covered with carpeting and padding, it is impossible to measure how level the subfloor is. Carpet and pad also hide if a subfloor is clean, smooth, and/or dry.   Please be aware that many builders do not prepare the subfloor to meet these specifications.  Subfloors that the builder makes  "carpet ready" are rarely hard surface ready, particularly in basements (the basement slab is rarely in good shape.) In older homes, the house has almost certainly settled and sagged, which must be corrected.    When you are having carpet installed, we do not have to be as concerned about how level the floor is, but we do need to replace any damaged subfloor before installing the new carpet. This is also the time to minimize any squeaks in the subfloor.    Floor prep is usually not included in your estimate for new flooring and can't be priced in the store. We can give you a guesstimate during your in-home measure, so you have an idea what to expect. Please know that floor prep is not a profit center for our company or our installers. At all times we strive to be fair with our clients and only seek to make sure that we and our installers are compensated for the time, materials, knowledge and expertise in knowing the best way to achieve the required results. We have been installing floors for over 35 years and every year install approximately 500,000 square feet of hard surface flooring and even more square feet of carpet.   Hopefully this honest information will help you know what to expect as you shop for your new flooring purchase, and what will need to be done to give you the beautiful floor that will perform and look great for years and years! Design Tip Are your kids virtual learning? Designate a specific room for homeschooling. It allows you to have everything easily accessible in one place. Some ideas: ~~Add a blackboard the easy way -s tick it on with innovative chalkboard wall stickers or adhesive paper. Both can be easily repositioned or removed as necessary. ~~Give your students living things to tend to such as plants and/or fish for hands-on biology.    ~~Create a cozy nook with bean bag chairs and a fun, colorful area rug. This is an awesome space to read books and complete assignments, to do work on a tablet or laptop, to study, or to brainstorm.   ~~Make your walls work for you - hang up helpful educational charts of math facts and parts of speech, laminated U.S. and world maps, an interactive clock, magnetic white boards with letters for spelling, numbers for calculating, and words for forming sentences and short poems. ~~Invest in bookshelves and equip them with baskets and/or bins to keep supplies contained.  ~~Use storage bins on wheels. ~~Hang up over-the-door plastic shoe hangers. The pockets are perfect for storing flashcards, stickers, pencils, pens, and highlighters, calculators, sticky notes, scissors, rulers, and more. Don't Be Surprised It's always exciting to begin a home improvement project, but here's a cautionary note. You may encounter product scarcity and back order situations. We are already hearing about an extreme shortage of pressure treated lumber, kitchen appliances, some flooring styles, the list goes on and on. Products that are imported from China are facing delays as the supply chain totally shut down and is only now beginning to resume. Some shipping departments are short staffed, so it is taking longer to get product out for delivery, as well as manufacturing plants that are not working at full capacity. Sadly, you do need to be aware, and understanding, that some things may be very hard to get right now and may delay the start of your project or the completion.    How Much Does It Cost? We just installed laminate in a home in Kennesaw - almost 1000 square feet, in the kitchen, living room, dining room, master bedroom, foyer, hall, master and guest bathrooms (yes, you can install "waterproof" laminates in bathrooms!) and utility room for $6800, including the required floor prep. And the best part - our client was replacing the floors prior to putting the house on the market, listed the home on July 10, and closed 30 days later with a sales price $10,000 over the asking price. We know it was the floors! I Was FLOORED By Enhance Susan in Canton writes: "We could not be happier about our experience with Enhance Floors & More. I can't say enough about the installers; courteous hard workers who left the house looking like they'd never been there!" Thank you, Susan. The new window treatments you ordered with your Decorating Dollars will be here next week. Please send us pics of your completed project!

Ugly Floors? We Can Help

 

What's New At Enhance

 

A lot! We have been busy busy busy the past few weeks. We recently installed a large area of luxury vinyl plank (LVP) floors in the Design Center. These floors are very popular - and practical - and we know you want to see more installed products to help in selecting the perfect one for your home. 

We installed six new floors: COREtec Chatuge Oak, Mannington Parisian Oak Meringue, Karastan Refined Forest Kona and Curated Grain Natural, Pergo Wood Enhanced Ayres, and Mohawk Infused Beauty Crema. Dark colors, light colors, medium shades, wide planks, random widths, even a tile look, you can see it all so you can envision exactly how the floor will look once installed.

 

We have also brought in some new product lines. 

We have new LVP from 

Mannington APEX:                Mohawk SolidTech Plus:    

                        

Coretec & Palmetto Road

New hardwoods to take a look at include 

Mercier Pro:                                Anderson Tuftex:

             

 The new styles of Mohawk Silk Carpet are super soft and super popular. 

 

We also have new porcelain and deco (think bling!) tiles from

Happy Floors                               Signature Series

    

  

and Interceramic. 

 

And don't forget about laminate - the new styles from Mohawk RevWood and Mannington are gorgeous.

  

Normally we would throw a big party in the store and invite you to see these great looking products. Thanks (not!) to the coronavirus, we can't have a party, but you can still come in and see our new floors. We are seeing clients in the Design Center by appointment to limit the number of people in the store at one time. Appointments are scheduled Monday thru Saturday, with our first appointment at 10 and our last appointment at 4:00. 

NOTE: We are not open on Sundays. 

We have plenty of disposable masks and hand sanitizer available for your use. Give us a call to set up your time to come in.

 

Carpet shopping? One of the things you may find confusing is that the same carpet may have a different name in different stores. This is common in many industries - particularly mattresses and furniture. There are a couple of reasons for this. Unfortunately, one is to make it harder to comparison shop. On the plus side, there are buying groups in flooring - an association of smaller retailers that join together to make purchases collectively, to receive better pricing and terms from the manufacturers. There are almost always enhanced warranties that are a bonus of purchasing from a buying group, for example "no questions asked" satisfaction warranties and longer product warranties.

Hard surface floors (LVP, wood, laminate) may "own" the main level of many homes these days, but most clients still want carpet for their bedrooms. Carpet is soft, cozy, warm on the coldest days, and affordable. We just installed a high end Karastan LCL (loop - cut - loop) carpet for a client in Woodstock. 1007 square feet was installed in the master bedroom, two guest bedrooms, closets, hall, landings, and stairs, for $4900. This includes a new 8 lb. pad, all furniture moving, and pull-up and removal of the old carpet and padding.

Design Tip

Take advantage of online design tools as you make your flooring decision. You can upload a picture of your room and have a variety for flooring products superimposed over your current floor, so that you can see it in your room! It's easy. On our website, go to Products, choose a category, and select a product you like with the "See in my room" icon, and then "Upload My Room". It's quick, simple to do, and helps you to be much more comfortable with your decision.

I Was FLOORED By Enhance

Ann in Lawrenceville writes,

"We had Mannington laminate installed upstairs and downstairs. We also had our stairs, railings and balusters redone. The contractors were so professional, and we were so pleased at how the project turned out. We always received prompt replies to calls or emails."

Thank you, Ann. You were a pleasure to work with! Enjoy your floors and let us know if you have any questions about caring for them.  We have the recommended cleaning products available for sale in the Design Center.

Where's That Water Coming From?

Water Water Everywhere

Two of the biggest homeowner's insurance claims are roof damage and plumbing leaks. Water damage cannot be ignored and needs to be remedied quickly, as further damage and mold are sure to follow. Here's some information on things to watch out for:

Where's That Water Coming From?

Sooner or later, you're bound to experience a water leak somewhere in your home. The usual culprits are shower pans, hot water heaters, washing machines and clogged plumbing - any of which can cause water damage.

When you see water, first find the source of the leak, and shut off the water to it. Every drain and water-using appliance has a shut-off valve, so you need to know where and how to access it. In the worst case, you'll have to go outside to your main water supply and shut off the water to the whole house.

Minimize water damage by removing as much water as possible by mopping and blotting the saturated area. Use a shop-vac or rent one, and use it to extract as much water as possible.

Remove at-risk valuables and furniture with fabric or wood from the room, if possible. Wipe down cabinets and other furniture that have gotten wet. Place aluminum foil between furniture legs and wet carpet. Gather as many electric fans as possible to direct airflow toward damp spots. Open doors and windows to let in fresh air.

Call your homeowner's insurance and tell them the problem, what the damage may be, such as soaked carpet or wet hardwood floors, and what you've done to minimize it. They may refer you to a restoration company that specializes in remediating water damage. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, mold growth can occur within 48 hours of saturation, so act quickly.

Be Sure To Look Up

One of our vendor partners Mallory Bernard, Project Manager with 1st National Roofing, tells us that our roof is designed to put up with everything nature can dish out. Year after year, it shrugs off the elements, from heat waves to hailstorms. Most home owners don't even think about their roof unless disaster strikes it, such as a tree or other large object falling, but if you own an older home with a 3 tab style shingle, changes are there is damage that you don't even notice. Luckily, roofing damage due to storms is typically covered through your homeowner's insurance policy and chances are you can replace your roof easily at a low cost to you.

  

Here in Georgia, large hail is rare. But there is another culprit that can cause significant damage to your roof: wind. Although your roof is designed to cope with all sorts of weather, windstorms can be surprisingly destructive. Most roofs can handle winds up to 60 mph. Did you know, according to the National Severe Storm Laboratory, severe thunderstorms can generate winds exceeding 100 mph, about twice the 50-60 mph threshold for damaging winds. In fact, thunderstorms, not hurricanes or fires, account for half of all severe damage in the lower 48 states.

  

Most homeowners do not realize there's any damage to their roof if they don't see any missing shingles, but that is far from the truth. While the shingles may look intact from the ground, high winds coming up over a roof can create a suction effect and lift the shingles upwards, loosening the nails which are holding them down. When the shingles lift, the sealant between each layer can be broken, which can lead to leaks. Lifted shingles will also develop a crease at the top that looks like a crack. Eventually, this crease becomes a crack and the shingle will blow off.

  

If you suspect that you have damage to your roof, the first step is getting it inspected by a roofing company. An inspection is normally at no cost to you and will take about an hour depending on the size of your roof. Each slope is inspected, and each damaged shingle is marked and documented. Any collateral damage such as gutters, siding, etc., are also documented. After the inspection, the damage will be assessed, and you will be advised to file a claim through your insurance if there is enough damage present. The claim filing process is quick, easy, and simple; and filing a claim does NOT raise your premium. After the claim is filed, your roofing inspector will handle the rest for you, from meeting with your adjuster to making sure the insurance estimate includes all items up to code. The only thing you will have to worry about is writing the check for your deductible and picking your shingle color! For more information email Mallory or call her at 334-332-2157

  

Hot Water Heaters Don't Last Forever

Replacing your water heater can be a headache if you don't see it coming. When you don't expect it, you're hit with an extra, unplanned expense and it can do some damage to your home.

 

Our vendor partner Grassroots Plumbing tells us that the best way to minimize the pain is to keep an eye out for a few warning signs that can help you anticipate an upcoming replacement.

Knowing the age of your water heater is a good starting point, but it's not the only thing you need to know. The average water heater life span is 12-14 years. Some water heaters last longer, so your best bet is to keep the age in mind while looking out for the following warning signs.

  

Here are 3 signs that a water heater upgrade is on the horizon:

1. Your water heater is leaking. A leak from your water heater means it's time for a new one, and you don't want to wait too long. The leak could start small and grow into the equivalent of turning on a hose. The problem is you don't know how quickly it will fail. Occasionally, if the leak is coming from an individual component, such as the temperature and pressure relief valve, that piece can be replaced before updating the whole system. This is where the age of the water heater comes into play. If the heater is more than 10 years old and things are starting to break, you're probably better off replacing the whole thing. If it's less than 10 years old, you can consider replacing individual components first.

  

2. You have rusty water. Rusty or brown water coming from your faucets can signal that your water heater is on the way out. That's because the rust you see is the actual heater tank, rusting down and slowly exiting each time you turn on the faucet. When the tank starts to rust down, there are usually no visible changes to the outside of the heater. As a result, this issue can go unnoticed and the rusty water is a clear sign that could indicate your water heater is breaking down.

  

3. You can't get your white clothes clean. Even before you notice rusty water, you might be able to see another warning sign. If your water heater is starting to fail and breaking down into your water, you might notice this when you wash your clothes. If your white clothes are not getting as clean as they used to, this could be from your water heater tank failing. If you notice this, just keep an eye out for the other warning signs.

  

If you have an electric water heater:

These warning signs can apply to both gas and electric water heaters, but electric water heaters have a few more pieces that can be replaced before the whole thing needs to be updated. The thermostat, for example, can be replaced apart from the heater. The same is true for the heating element. Keep these items in mind if your electric heater starts to break down since replacing the individual component could save you from unnecessarily replacing everything.

 

Design Tip

We hope you don't have a water damage caused by your washing machine, but if you do, maybe a redesign of the laundry room is worth considering. Some basics: Washers and dryers measure from 24 to 33 inches wide. For loading and unloading, allow 36 inches in front of a washer and 42 inches for a dryer. That way, you'll have room to walk around them without bumping into them.

Measurements differ for front-loading models. Stacked units occupy less than 33 square inches of floor space and are accessible to people who have difficulty bending or stooping. Front-loaders are more accessible to wheelchair users. Install a dryer about 15 inches off the floor to make loading and unloading more comfortable.

If room allows, consider adding a sink, a hanging rod, a flat space for folding, storage space for detergents etc., and an ironing board.

How Much Does It Cost?

Speaking of laundry rooms, most clients install vinyl in their laundry room, with ceramic tile being the second most popular choice. Your laundry room floor should be waterproof, and tough enough to not be torn by a washer that is out of balance and moving around. It is not economical to install flooring in just your laundry room, as laundry rooms are almost always very small spaces. If your laundry room is part of a larger project, meaning there we already have a crew at your home installing flooring, a new floor for your laundry room should range between $400 to $800, depending upon the material chosen and the installation details.

 

I Was FLOORED By Enhance

Natosha in Austell writes:

"Our experience was BEYOND amazing with Enhance!! First, we had tried to go the big box store route to save some money since we were replacing all of the flooring in our home but found that their "low" prices didn't include great service. So I found Enhance online and visited the showroom. From my very first encounter to the measurements and installation, the service was AMAZING!! Not at one time during the process did we feel that we were getting less than the best. Our home looks brand new right now and we absolutely love our tile and carpet. We constantly recommend to other homeowners and love spreading the good news when someone compliments our home!"

Thank you, Natosha. We appreciate the referrals - be sure your friends know to tell us that you recommended us, so that you can get Decorating Dollars when they make their purchase. We hope to see you soon in the store!

  

New Hours

Enhance Floors and More is seeing clients in the Design Center by appointment to limit the number of people in the store at one time. We are scheduling appointments Monday thru Saturday, with our first appointment at 10 and our last appointment at 4:00.

NOTE: We are not open on Sundays.

We have plenty of disposable masks and hand sanitizer available for your use. Give us a call at to set up your time to come in.

Everybody Else Is Doing It

I'm seeing a lot of activity around my neighborhood, and I'm not just talking about kids playing in the yard. On my street there is a new stone patio being put in, a new fence, several landscaping projects, even a new roof going on. And that's just what I can see from the outside!

People are investing in their homes right now.  Since we are spending more time at home, let's love where we live, right?  Here's a list of popular projects you may want to consider:

                 

~~Decks - new or staining. Add a pergola or canvas awning to make your outdoor space more usable when it's hot or raining

~~Bathroom updates - since most of us aren't going on expensive vacations this year, create a luxurious bathroom you actually want to spend time in

~~Painting (exterior and interior) And don't forget your front door!

~~Landscaping - a quick way to boost the curb appeal of your home

~~New countertops - a quick installation process limits the amount of time workers are in your home

~~Security camera installation - knowing when you have packages delivered helps keep the porch pirates away!

  

~~Garage updates - shelving, floors, new roll up doors

~~New flooring - new choices like waterproof LVP are easy to sanitize and keep clean

~~New HVAC systems - if yours is on its "last legs" don't wait til it goes out on a 98-degree day to purchase a new one

~~New appliances - most of us are cooking more, so of course we want the newest and smartest appliances

                          

~~Home office updates - some of us may never spend 40 hours a week in the traditional corporate office again!

~~New lighting - easy to shop online, YouTube videos for DIY installation         

~~Exercise spaces - if you don't foresee going back to the gym anytime soon

Come See Us!      

We are seeing clients in the Design Center by appointment to limit the number of people in the store at one time.  We are scheduling appointments Monday thru Saturday, with our first appointment at 10 and our last appointment at 4:00.  NOTE: We are not open on Sundays.  We have plenty of disposable masks and hand sanitizer available for your use.  Give us a call at 770.565.3808 to set up your time to come in.

 

What's New At Enhance 

        

9" wide planks.  Cork backing for quiet and comfort.  An industry leading 30 mil wearlayer.  Long lengths -- up to 82"  Waterproof, scratchproof, practically indestructible. 1/2" thick. Gorgeous oak colors in a variety of light to medium shades, plus a few greys.  For the ultimate floor come see COREtec Grande -- the brand new, premium, 100% waterproof, kidproof, petproof floor.  

Design Tip

Frame a map or nautical chart of your favorite vacation spot or local lake hangout for a piece of "artwork" that tells a story!

How Much Does It Cost  

Thinking about creating a home gym?  Be sure to think about what to use on the floor.  We recommend rubber gym flooring -- to protect from  damage due to dropped weights and heavy exercise equipment. These rubber floors provide traction (even when wet) yet don't absorb any moisture and thus remain easy to clean and maintain. Rubber gym floors can also provided added sound dampening and spruce up any space for a hardcore gym look. We carry the Centaur line of interlocking rubber floor tiles that are very DIY friendly and are affordable.  Each tile is 23" x 23" and is $17 per tile in the color Black.  A 10 x 12 area will need around 34 tiles (depending on your angles and cuts) and would cost $578.   Why go to the gym when you can work out at home?

I Was FLOORED By Enhance

Rachel in Kennesaw writes:"We used Enhance Floors to add hardwood floors to our house. They were helpful and very professional every step of the way. They worked well with us and even offered financing of the work. The product was of a high quality and we were very pleased."

Thank you, Rachel. We enjoyed working with you and your family. Let us know when you are ready to get started on your basement project.