Buying new carpet is a big project to tackle. With all the information, products, and variables you need to know, it can seem a little daunting.If you have a guide to lead you through everything, that daunting task can be done in a breeze.Meet our Carpet Geek.

In the next few weeks, The Carpet Geek will be breaking down our expansive Carpet Buying Guide in easy-to-digest videos.He’ll cover everything you need to know, from why you’re considering carpet in the first place all the way to proper care and maintenance post-installation.If you haven’t downloaded your FREE copy of the Carpet Buying Guide, you can get it below.Keep your eyes peeled for future videos. Here’s the first video as a reference to what you can expect from the upcoming episodes:

Our friends over at Houzz ran a survey in which 1,337 people gave feedback on how they would be renovating their kitchens in 2019.

Based on these findings, Houzz put together a list of what kitchen trends they believe will be sticking around throughout the year.

Stay In or Get Out

If you’ve ever renovated a room, the majority of you probably leave your house and go out while the work is getting done. This seems to have changed for 2019.

According to Houzz’s findings, 66% of homeowners prefer to be present while the renovation takes place. 26% of homeowners move out temporarily and the other 8% move out completely.

The people who stay in the home report having less stress during the renovation. This must be because they feel they have more control and know what’s happening in their kitchen.

Technologic Additions

About 57% of homeowners have upgraded their faucets to high-tech gear. These materials are water-efficient, fingerprint resistant, and touch-free. One in ten upgraded kitchens opt for black stainless steel appliances, and we don’t blame them. Black is perfection.

16% of the other high-tech appliances have features like wireless controls, and home assistant robotics has grown in popularity by 31%.

Farmhouse Style and Metal Mixing

Although 21% of people agree that transitional kitchen styles are still the most popular option, Houzz found out that farmhouse style kitchens are on the rise by 14% so far, putting it on par with contemporary kitchen styles at 15% of popular votes.

Gray cabinets are growing in popularity as well. In our industry, we’re also seeing gray carpet and flooring as one of the most demanded products on the market.

Finishings in various metals are also making a statement with hardware types including matte nickel, oil-rubbed bronze, and matte black.

Engineered Wood Flooring and Materials

Homeowners, 40% of them to be exact, are shying away from natural hardwood floors and moving to other better-suited options like:

Engineered Hardwood Flooring Luxury Vinyl Plank (See COREtec for Example) Waterproof Laminate Flooring (See RevWood for example)

24% of people still prefer natural hardwood in their kitchen, but that looks like it’s dying out.

Aging Needs

People over the age of 55 seem to address their kitchen needs less than their other areas like the master bedroom (37% – 56%).

Homeowners addressing these aging needs are making their kitchen spaces larger and more open. They’re also adding more elaborate lighting, wall ovens, cooktops, and touch-free faucets.

If you want to download the full 2019 kitchen trends report Houzz put together, click here.

Have you ever walked into your house, looked at your old carpet, and just thought “yuck”?

Carpeting adds a beautiful flair to any room, but like anything in life, it wears out, and the indications are not hard to see.

Here are eight tell-tale signs that show you need to replace your old carpet and give your rooms a makeover.

1. Stains and More Stains

If you’ve cleaned you carpeting over and over and those nasty stains are still sitting there mocking you, it’s to renew your carpet.

Believe it or not, it will be more cost-effective by getting new carpet rather than endlessly cleaning your carpeting.

2. Nasty Carpet Smells

Whether it’s from food, your pets, or the outdoor elements, a nasty smell means it’s time to renovate your carpeting.

Sometimes, the deepest cleaning can’t remove nasty carpet odors that are stuck in the fibers and padding of your floor.

3. Wear and Tear

Carpet can last up to 15 to 20 years when it’s properly taken care of and protected. But if there’s too much wear and tear, then that carpet has met its end.

If your carpet has holes, tears, and rips, it’s not going to be much of an eye-catcher. You can try to cover it up with a rug if you’re adamant about keeping your carpeting, but we recommend getting new carpet installed instead.

4. Increase in Allergy Problems

People with breathing issues such as asthma and COPD need allergy-friendly carpet in their homes.

If your old carpeting is started to affect your breathing, it’s time to invest in a new carpet that will work with you. We carry many of these products, so ask your design consultant if you have this requirement.

5. Worn Out Carpet Padding

It’s a well-known fact that proper carpet padding is important for your carpeting’s life span.

Over time, just like carpet, pad starts to wear out as well, especially since it gets walked on every day. Padding can’t be fixed with cleaning, so new carpet is the best solution in this case.

6. Needs an Update

As trends change, so does taste. Your carpet could be in fine condition, but if you’re a trendy homeowner, that can be enough to renovate.

New carpet adds a much-needed flair to your rooms, especially since floors are more of a focal point nowadays.

7. Mold and Mildew

Does carpet get mold or mildew? Absolutely, especially if your constant cleaning leaves water behind or you have house leaks. Wet carpet is a breeding ground for mold.

If you’re dealing with this issue and its causing problems with your health, get that carpet out of your house and add new carpeting as soon as possible.

8. Carpet Moths

This isn’t much of a common issue, but it does happen. Carpet moths (also known as clothes moths) are attracted to protein-based stains in fabrics.

If you live in an area where carpet moths are common, this is something to look out for.

In the words of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Author of the Little House on the Prairie, “Home is the nicest word.”

When you have a rough day at work, you look forward to coming home. When you need to get away from the outside world, you go home.

Your home is a safe haven; a place where you can rest. So don’t you think that a home should always look and feel like your safe place?

Le Corbusier, a pioneer of modern architecture once said, “The home should be the treasure chest of living.”

Have you ever thought of what modifications you can make to your home? Are you familiar with the popular remodeling ideas? Many people have been making their home feel more like home with remodeling such as:

New carpet or flooring Remove walls for extra space Kitchen remodeling Basement finishing

With these ideas in the back of your mind, explore the different ways you can turn your treasure chest of living into your mansion.

Add Comfort with Carpet

Are the floors in your home starting to look a little bland and worn out? Maybe it still looks good, but you’re looking for better.

What Are You Looking For?

Before you get your carpet estimate set up, take some time to consider these few aspects:

Do you have young children? Do you have pets in the home? How much foot traffic does your home experience? Where is the new flooring going?

Depending on how you answer those questions can affect the style of carpeting that works best for you. For instance, a pet owner will want to avoid looped carpeting since they may snag their claws in the loops.

Choosing where the carpeting is going is another big decision to consider. For example, a durable carpet style will be the best choice for areas such as stairs and hallways. Most people step in the same spot when walking back and forth in halls and on stairs, so keep this in mind.

Whatever your carpet needs are, we are ready to get them taken care of for you. Enhance the look and comfort of your home with fresh carpet today.

Break Down the Barriers

Do the walls of your home ever make you feel stuck? Tear them down and get that open floor plan you have been dreaming of.

By adapting the open living layout, you’ll gain many benefits including:

A large addition of open space Increased natural lighting Improved traffic patterns Full home enjoyment

By finding the right contractor, breaking down walls can be quick and easy. Open up your home and spread your wings.

Create your own Kitchen

Whether you are a head chef of a restaurant or simply someone who likes to cook, turn your kitchen into a masterpiece.

By remodeling your kitchen, you will benefit from many advantages such as:

Extra Space – For a cook, there is nothing worse than a cluttered work station. Extend your counter tops and add some cabinet space to keep your kitchen organized. New Design – Not only will the efficiency of your kitchen increase, but your visitors will be blown away. Home Value – If you are planning to sell your home in the future, a new kitchen will boost the value of your residence. Safety – By remodeling, the safety of your kitchen can increase. Protect your family with a kitchen remodel.

There are all kinds of remodeling companies that can handle the job for you, but make sure you do your homework to find the best ones.

Finish your Basement

Rather than seeing your basement as a damp and smelly storage unit, try to visualize all of the possibilities it has to offer.

Just because a basement looks bad in the beginning doesn’t mean it has to stay that way. There are countless possibilities a finished basement can offer including:

A brand new living area or family area A new office Your own personal theater The perfect play area for your children A bar area for your parties

Whatever the case, the basement can be the perfect place for all of your home activities. Find a professional contractor and start remodeling your basement right away.

Make your home the place where you feel safe and comfortable. Whatever ideas you may have, pursue them and make them a reality.

 

The distinction between hardwood and softwood floors revolves around plant production. Every tree reproduces seeds and the structure of those seeds vary.

A hardwood tree, known as an angiosperm, produces seeds that have a covering. Think of an apple or an acorn for a good example.

Softwood trees, known as a gymnosperm, produce seeds without a covering (naked seeds) that fall straight to the ground. The wind carries them so the seeds are spread throughout a wide area. Pine trees fit in this category.

How to Tell the Difference between Hardwood and Softwood

In the winter, angiosperm trees lose their leaves while gymnosperm trees don’t. So with this in mind, we can say that evergreen trees are softwoods and deciduous trees are hardwoods.

Natural hardwood flooring comes from deciduous trees. These trees are slower growing, so they provide a much denser solid wood than softwood trees do. Softwood trees are also much easier to cut.

Some examples of softwood species include:

Pine Redwood Douglas-fir Cypress Larch

Examples of hardwood species are:

Eucalypts Beech Blackwood

Since there are so many different types of trees, there are a ton of different hardwood flooring styles out there for you to choose from. Whatever species of hardwood or softwood you choose, all that matters is that you love the floor.

Why Should You Consider Installing Hardwood Floors?

A solid hardwood floor can be the best addition to any room in your home. Hardwood is elegant and timeless, creating a sophisticated and luxurious addition to any interior design scheme.

Hardwood flooring is an expensive investment, so you want to make sure that you’re working with a company that’s willing to go to bat for you in price and service standards. Don’t just buy any hardwood floor that says cheap slapped on the price tag to save a buck. You want this floor to last, and cheap won’t make the cut.

You also need an installation company that can handle your project properly. a poor installation will lead to frustrating issues down the road.

If you want to have beautiful samples of solid wood flooring brought to you, schedule a free hardwood flooring estimate with us today. We’ll have beautiful hardwood floors in your home before you know it.