It’s almost spring for most of the country, but here in Florida it’s warm enough to start cleaning up around the house. The weather is great for open windows from Clearwater to Naples, so getting the house aired out and ready for summer is probably in your plans. Once you have scrubbed out the inside of your house, your attention needs to turn to the outside. How do your driveway, porch and house look? If your property is like most, you are likely in need of a good pressure washing to clean up your outside areas.

Benefits of Pressure Washing

• Less toxic: While you can incorporate cleansers for extra dirty jobs, most of the time highly pressured water is enough to remove dirt, debris, mold, and anything else that might be affixed to the surface you are cleaning. That means no harsh cleansers on your skin, in your eyes, or draining into your prized petunias.
• Less work: Scrubbing down a deck or cleaning a driveway requires lots of manual cleaning without a pressure washer; with a pressure washer the water does most of the work for you.
• Less time: Pressurized water gets the job done faster than your arms, no matter how much you bench press.

All of these factors tend to add up to a superior cleaning job compared to a manual cleaning job on top of those benefits. By now it should be pretty obvious that a good pressure washing is the best thing to spruce up the outside of your property.

How to Pressure Wash Your Property

• Get a pressure washer: This is a bit of an expensive purchase, so you might prefer to rent one for about $100 per day from your local hardware store. Don’t get a unit that has more than 2,500 PSI (this is a measure of the strength of the pressurized water blast) if you are cleaning a painted surface, wood deck or anything similar.
• Clear the area: You need to move patio furniture, basketball hoops, trellises over windows and anything else that might be moved around or damaged by the highly pressurized stream of water you will be cleaning with. Cover any small or delicate plants that are in range of your cleaning area.
• Get your hose: The pressure washer attaches to your garden hose, which is in turn attached to a water source outside of your house.
• Start up top: If you are cleaning the side of your house, start at the top. Spray down the soffit, gutters, and any other areas first, and then work your way down. Wave the wand slowly from side to side. Hold the wand at least a foot away from siding or paint so that you do not damage it. Hold the wand at a 45° angle, downwards, so that water naturally drains towards the ground and does not splash back into areas you are cleaning. If you seem t be removing bits of paint or small pieces of wood from your deck, stop immediately. Turn down the pressure and continue cleaning with a lighter spray.
• Avoid the pitfalls: The pressurized water can do damage, so avoid spraying windows, people, pets, cars, etc. Basically if it isn’t a surface you directly intend to clean, then avoid it at all costs.

A good pressure washing is an easy way to add some curb appeal to your property. It’s also a good way to prep before you paint your house or refinish your deck. We hope that you learned some basics here that will help you in your spring cleaning. If you would rather stick to mops and buckets and leave the power washing to a seasoned veteran, we would be happy to help.

Sources:

EHow

Ezine Articles

Home Tips

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Check Out Handyman Connection in the News

Bathroom cleaning has a tendency to involve scrubbing away mildew and mold. While this process is easy enough in the restroom, it gets to be more difficult–and arguably more necessary–in other parts of the house. Unfortunately mold can find its way into walls, closets and all kinds of other places in any type of building, be it your home or workplace.

Mold and Health Risks

While it is true that mold spores exist all around us every day, certain types can easily grow and become a health concern, making quick removal a necessity.

• Allergies: Some people will have allergic reactions to mold, which can include many symptoms from headaches to difficulty breathing. Contact with mold has been known to trigger other health conditions such as asthma.
• Irritation: Mold is neither a plant nor animal, but its own distinct kind of organism. The organic composition of mold disagrees with many people, and contact can result in itching, sneezing and more.
• Toxicity: This aspect of molds and health is debated among medical professionals and scientists. Some say that labeling mold as “toxic” is going too far, but rest assured that you would not want to eat off of a plate that has been stored in a moldy cabinet.

How Does Mold Grow?

There are four elements that must be present for mold to grow.

1. Mold spores: These are kind of like seeds and are the basis of mold growth. The planet is covered in mold spores, and you need a microscope to actually see them. Dedicating time to eradicating them is fairly pointless, as they will re-enter your home with fresh air or stuck to you or a pet.
2. Food: Mold is technically a living entity, so it needs fuel. Most molds can attach to anything organic and feed, so again, you can’t do much here. Your home, office and the cleaning materials you use on them are all made of some type of organic material.
3. Temperature: Mold is pretty tough and can grow at temperatures from just above freezing to hotter than you want to set your thermostat. Some do recommend keeping the A/C at 78° or above but again, mold can still grow.
4. Moisture: This is where you can really control mold growth. Mold grows in wet (and dark) places. That is why you are constantly cleaning it off of your shower. It also responds well when the humidity rises over 70%, which means that here in Florida we are pretty much constantly at risk. Every area of Florida is subject to high levels of humidity, so it doesn’t matter if you are responsible for an office building in Bradenton or a home in Orlando.

If all four of the necessary components for mold come together, then you will likely have a mildew colony on your hands. For the health and obvious aesthetic reasons you will want to get rid of it. Check back next week for tips and tricks for eradicating mold.

Sources:

Wisconsin Department of Health and Human Services

Florida Department of Health

Florida Solar Energy Center at the University of Central Florida

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The plumbing in your home does a thankless job. It constantly brings water in, disperses it properly, and then removes it from your house. It generally does such a good job that we take clean water to drink or bathe with for granted–until there is an issue with the plumbing, that is. To keep your pipes in tip-top shape, or at least to have some type of warning before a plumbing issue becomes a serious problem, it is important to keep up with some maintenance.

Take some time to inspect your plumbing and do a little work. You should at least invest an afternoon annually, but doing it more often will definitely not hurt. Take these tips to clean out pipes and inspect for problems.

• Leaks- You can hear a leaky faucet, but when it comes to pipes the leak might not be obvious. Walk around the areas of your home where you know you have pipes in the walls or ceiling. Look for discolored spots or other signs of water damage. Usually the leak is at the spot of the discoloration, but water may be traveling down the pipe before finally dripping off. Catching a leak early can save you from replacing portions of walls or ceiling when you replace the pipe. If any pipe is exposed, look for green tarnish around joints and sealed portions. If there is a green substance, it is likely that the seal you are looking at is not tight enough.
• Hot water heater- Think about life without a hot shower. Now take the time to go drain your hot water heater. As sediment makes its way into your heater, it collects in the tank. Draining the tank will remove corrosive sediment and keep it from clogging up your hot water heater. It will also mean that the water you use to shower with does not pass through a sediment-filled reservoir before you use it bathe. When you are done draining the hot water heater, follow the instruction manual and restart it. Look into the burner chamber that displays a flame. The flame should be entirely blue; if you see yellow or orange you might need to have the valves that feed the flame cleaned out.
• Drain exterior faucets- You don’t need water to set idly in your plumbing. Turn of the water feed to the faucets on the outside of your home and then go turn each one on and allow it to drain. This will remove sediment and keep standing water from growing mildew and/or leading to corroded pipes that will leak.
• Drains- A well working drain turns standing water into a swirling display that quickly and effectively removes spent water. If your drains are slow to remove water or if bubbles are coming back up from your drain you have an issue. You can try plunging, chemical drain cleaning products or you can purchase an inexpensive disposable device that you insert into a drain to clear any debris at your local hardware store. If none of these fix the clogged drain the problem could lie deeper than you are ready to handle and you should call a professional.
• Toilets- Toilets play an important role from a plumbing and a sanitation perspective, so they must stay in good shape. Make sure that they do not rock back and force when you push them. If they do, they need to be anchored; a moving toilet can lead to leaky or broken pipes. Also take off the top and make sure that interior parts are in working order. The plug should fit snugly in the drain at the base of the toilet and should not leak. Otherwise the interior of your toilet could have one of several basic kits. So long as the toilet is not “running” and fills and drains efficiently when flushed, you should be in the clear.

Preventative plumbing maintenance is necessary. It can save you headaches and reduce repair bills even if they are necessary. If your inspection turns up some leaky pipes then you should consider professional help. Feel free to visit us online, we have replaced toilets from Bradenton to Orlando and helped with many other plumbing problems.

Sources:

Do It Yourself.com

Good Services Plumbing and Heating

All Bay Home Inspection

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With the housing market offering some very favorable purchase prices around Florida, some people are considering investing in rental properties. If you have the right outlook, a solid plan and a partnership with a reliable handyman, this might be just the right way to build up your nest egg. If not, it might be a better idea to leave this form of income to those who are a little better suited.

The Right Outlook

• Know what you want- You can’t just jump into a rental property without knowing what you want to get out of it. Do you want profit every month from collecting rent, or are you willing to wait a decade while tenants pay your mortgage and then collect on resale? Knowing how you intend to make your money can make or break your landlord experience.
• Expect to do collections- Becoming a landlord will mean becoming a debt collector at some point. Not to say that every, or even most, people who rent will skip out on payments, but ask any experienced landlord and he will tell you that collecting overdue rent comes with the territory. Some will even tell you that security deposits are as much about insurance from unpaid rent, as they are about damaged drywall or stained carpet.
• Plan to address customer service- Your tenants will expect some level of service, not to mention that you will be legally obliged to provide it. If water pipes break on a holiday, the special occasion does not allow you to ignore the problem. You will also have to build lasting relationships with good tenants in order to maintain steady income. If this doesn’t sound like you, then being a landlord might not be your thing.

A Solid Plan

• Consider your finances- Do you know how much the house will actually cost you after expenses like taxes, insurance, repairs and improvements? (Note that the IRS differentiates repairs and improvements.) Are you aware that you can get a bank loan for a rental property but that the interest rate will surely be higher than the one associated with your residential mortgage? Do you have enough liquid assets—i.e. cash in the bank—to make unexpected repairs or cover your property taxes when they are due? Ask yourself these questions, then review some of the common write-offs—yes there are tax benefits to being a landlord—that the IRS details for you here.
• Length of ownership- Knowing how long you will own a property is instrumental in successful real estate investment. Planning to own a property for five years requires a different investment strategy than planning on owning the same parcel for 20 years. Length of ownership dictates how much you will spend on repairs/improvements, which ultimately influences what you will upgrade on the property. Keep in mind that the housing market is down everywhere from Tampa to Melbourne and the value of a property you buy in 2011 could drop by 2012 or 2013, as there is no assurance that the housing market has hit bottom. On the other hand, buying in a severely devalued market with a long-term plan could put your kids through college if that part of the state rebounds over the next 15 years.
• Details- You must know exactly how you intend to buy and then subsequently manage the property. Come up with a fixed spending limit for the purchase. Some landlords use basic calculation such as deciding on realistic rent for the property and then not paying more for the property plus immediate repairs than they can feasibly collect in six to eight years. Knowing what to expect monetarily will help you decide if a property that looks great on paper is really an investment lemon. You also must detail management issues such as amount of security deposits, whether and how you will do background checks (criminal and financial), a pet policy, who will represent you legally when an issue arises that goes to court, etc. If you are not a detail person, then investing in rental properties is probably not for you.

A Good Handyman

• Quality work- Unless you are a craftsman, and most people aren’t, you need someone who can make quality repairs and upgrades to the property. Getting a great deal on a property almost always means putting cash into it to make it rentable. Cheap houses have old plumbing, outdated cabinets and probably exterior issues like a need for new soffits and fascia. Building a relationship with a quality handyman is a necessary part of being a landlord.
• Reach- Many savvy landlords own properties in multiple cities because you buy property by value and not location. Maybe you own a single family home in Ft. Myers, a condo in Bradenton and a villa in Clearwater. If you know the right handyman, he will be able to make repairs and upgrades to all of your properties, saving you the hassle of tracking down three separate repair companies.
• Availability- This might be the best reason to go with a handyman and not a contractor. When a tree goes through the front windows of one of your properties, you don’t want to hear that your contractor took a bid elsewhere or that your independent fly-by-night repair guy does not want to work that week. Make sure that your service provider can have a handyman out to your property ASAP. Repairs jobs don’t follow a schedule, yet they must be addressed quickly.

Sources:

MSN Money

Investing in Rental Property

Internal Revenue Service

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Seal It Up

An old adage tells us that you only have one chance to make a first impression. When it comes to commercial properties, a first impression is often made by the entryway. The entrance to a business needs to be functional of course, but adding a design element to the mix can ensure that your customers are greeted by a storefront that both impresses and accommodates.

Think Function First

• Doors- You need to funnel traffic in and out of your doors correctly. Hopefully the builder put in large enough doors to accommodate your floor space. If not, or if you have taken over some neighboring space vacated by a closed business, you may need to remodel your entryway with larger doors. If you are in an older plaza and your customers regularly carry large items out of the building, you might want to consider automatic doors or at least ones that open and close easily. Don’t forget the aesthetics if you are switching out doors. Commercial entry doors come in a variety of styles in addition to a variety of sizes. Going for the cheapest door may save you some cash, but appearance-wise it will be just that…cheap.
• Cover- Naples thunderstorms can slow business down. Don’t hamper the customers who do come out in the rain by not providing cover for them over your entryway. Anything from a simple, yet clean looking, canvas awning to a full-on wooden covering will help keep your customers dry and dress up your storefront.
• Flooring- Even once you have added cover you will likely need to keep water in mind; after all it is Florida. Go for concrete or install slip-resistant tile. The tile will look better and help to keep customers from falling. This will free up traffic and help reduce your liability if a customer ever does become injured.

Don’t Forget Design

• Put your best foot forward- Your building probably already has at least one admirable characteristic. Don’t take this away when you remodel your commercial property. Any historical significance in the architecture should be emphasized, not covered up. Focus on replacing the “uglier” aspects for your entryway and use the aesthetically pleasing portions as a basis for your new design.
• Chic and durable- People associate commercial buildings with concrete, brick, stucco and other durable materials. If you are currently in a building that has deteriorating siding or wood, your customers might get the impression that your business is cheap at first glance. Don’t let material choice or lack of maintenance give customers the wrong idea; get someone out there to fix your building. At the very least replace siding with newer, cleaner more durable varieties. If you are in a mixed use property that is fine; siding may be a good option for the residential units upstairs, but choose something different for your entrance.
• Details- Detail work can really add to the aesthetics of your commercial property. Paint the trim of a storefront window a complementary color. It improves the look of your entry and can potentially attract peoples’ attention, i.e. they will look at the merchandise in your window. Don’t stop at window trim–paint rails and anything else that could use a little sprucing up. The only thing that you may want to avoid painting is brick or finished concrete; these building materials look good on their own. It should go without saying, but avoid loud or disorderly colors unless they somehow can be worked into the branding of your business.
• Announce yourself- Your sign is a necessary means of announcing your presence. It should also work with the theme of your entryway. Make sure it is visible (you might need more space than the landlord originally gave you. Bring this up now or wait until they want you to sign another lease) from multiple angles or at least from both ways that traffic travels on the street. Think about your logo and colors when you are choosing paint for your trim–everything should match so as to be visually appealing.

The point is to make sure that your storefront is presentable. A few commercial renovations might be the difference between an inviting storefront and one that makes customers take their business up the street.

Sources:

The Tile Doctor

Iowa Department of Transportation

City of Minneapolis

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Were you planning on hosting a holiday party this year that you cancelled because you felt like your house couldn’t accommodate guests? Even a smaller home can be used for entertaining; it might just take a little remodeling. If you do want to do more entertaining, then you should incorporate this desire into your home renovation plans. Each room can be tweaked a bit to better accommodate guests.

The Kitchen

• Add an island- Having an island installed can be great for entertaining and for family use. It gives you a little extra counter space when you are getting your party appetizers ready and then converts into a place to serve food or a bar when your party starts.
• Keep it open- This rule will apply to all of your rooms. If you strategically place counters in ways that allow traffic, your kitchen will allow you more mobility and space for friends to collect and talk. Larger open kitchens have become more popular over the past several years, because the kitchen isn’t just for cooking anymore.
• Appliances- You might want to think about new appliances if you are renovating to entertain. You might need a larger refrigerator or a unit with a larger icemaker, maybe even a wine chiller to stock your favorites. You will want to consider these items when you are planning out cabinets and the layout of the kitchen.

The Living Room

• Open it up- Again, open spaces accommodate more guests. If you have a wall dividing your common areas, you might want to have it taken down. Avoid putting bookshelves or large entertainment centers near walkways. They will stifle traffic and cause backups. Having shelving built directly into walls can be a good way to store your things and eliminate large furniture. Shelving like this can easily be added during remodeling.
• Add seating- A house built for entertaining needs plenty of places to sit. These places should be comfortable and allow multiple people to take a load off and enjoy each other’s company. Having two or three seating areas in a large living room makes this common area a great place for a party.
• Provide access to other rooms- If your current living room is in a corner of the house or otherwise off on its own, you might want to consider repurposing it. Maybe use a more central dining room that connects to the kitchen and/or outside exit. This will allow party traffic to move freely throughout the house and give people multiple rooms, instead of trapping everyone in one confined area of the house. If you lose your dining room, consider a breakfast nook in the kitchen for family dining or purchase a dining room table that easily retracts or folds for storage during your events.

Take it outside

• Use the patio- Florida weather can be great for evening parties in the summer or anytime parties when it cools off a bit. Think about how nice a cocktail party on a screened in patio that has some contemporary outdoor tile could be. This remodeling idea can help you throw birthday parties for the kids in Naples or casual dinner parties for a select group of friends in Bradenton.
• Take it poolside- If your home has a pool, then you are ready for summertime parties. Birthday parties for the kids or a family-friendly Fourth of July barbecue beg for some poolside renovations. Try adding some pavers if your pool deck is smaller, to provide more space for people or even an outdoor table.

Every house has potential. With some planning and the advice of an expert, you can turn your house into an entertaining Mecca with some strategic renovations. Just think about what kind of parties you want to host and focus on the rooms that best accommodate them. If you would like some advice we would love to help; just call (800) 884-2639.

Sources:

Eplans.com

Building Materials 365

Renovator’s Place

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Time to Remodel but Where to Begin

Walls do more than break an open house into rooms; they play a very important role in the overall look of the home. A room can go from bland to brilliant with a few strokes of a paint brush or an afternoon of properly putting up wallpaper. You can surround yourself with your favorite colors, patterns and even images by way of finishing your walls. While both paint and wallpaper can do the trick, many people find themselves wondering which option is better.

As much as personal preference plays a role in any home renovation decision, there are some differences to consider between the two media.

• Ease of installation- Paint tends to win this argument hands down. Even a novice remodeler can effectively paint a wall. While this does not take texturing or painting patterns into account, spreading paint is considerably easier than the process of putting up wallpaper that is straight and free of air bubbles.
• Intricate design- Wallpaper takes the cake here. While you can absolutely paint intricate designs, it is far simpler to pick out a wallpaper pattern that you like. You literally have hundreds to choose from.
• Modern look- While this is the most debatable point we will make, we are choosing paint as the winner in this category. Many people associate wallpaper and their grandparents’ house. This is important to keep in mind–regardless of your personal opinion–if you are remodeling to help sell your home. A potential buyer might be turned off by what they perceive as an outdated look.
• Ease of replacement- Once again paint wins the battle. While dark paints may take several layers of primer, properly changing wallpaper is more time consuming and difficult. It is possible to wallpaper or even paint over existing wallpaper, but this is not recommended. Having multiple layers on your wall can lead to air bubbles in the future.
• Longevity- Wallpaper easily wins the longevity argument. Paint needs to be touched up every few years, while quality wallpaper can easily last a decade or more. The only question becomes whether you are happy with having the exact same walls for a decade plus.
• Cost- Up front paint is considerably less expensive than wallpaper. While there is an argument for wallpaper’s longevity (bringing its total cost down), paint is still generally less expensive. Think about it like this: you buy wallpaper by the square foot and paint by the gallon.

While this is an unofficial set of guidelines, we have paint winning the competition 4-2. Our guidelines took aesthetics, functionality and monetary factors into account so by our decision-making process the choice is easy. As we said, your own personal tastes may value aesthetics more than other factors, so some people will choose wallpaper and there is nothing wrong with that. In the end you should be happy with your walls.

If you have any questions about your options when it comes to finishing off your walls or need a helping hand in getting the job done feel free to visit us online.

Sources:

Searchwarp.com

Remodeling Geeks

Do It Yourself.com

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Animal lovers are everywhere. Some estimates say that up to 60% of households have a pet and that annual spending dedicated entirely to our animal friends is in the millions. Add in the time that we spend walking or going to the park, and it is easy to see that many pet owners truly do consider their pet to be a member of the family. Why not think about your pet during a remodel?

Some of the things that you can incorporate into a pet-friendly remodel make things easier for the people; others are dedicated entirely to the pet but most seem to make life easier for everybody, regardless of how many legs you have.

Consider some pet-friendly tips:

• Choose flooring wisely- Any dog lover will tell you that pet-friendly flooring is easy to clean. From “accidents” to dragging in mud, your pets can wreak havoc on floors. Skip the carpet and go for something durable and smooth. Tile (with a medium to dark grout), laminate, high quality linoleum and even hardwood are all acceptable options for pets. They are easy to clean and hold up to play and messes.
• Go incognito- You will need to dedicate some space to your pets, whether you want to or not. You can make storage boxes for food and toys, litter boxes and even cages fit seamlessly into your décor. A bench with a removable seat can be purchased or built and will hold your pet’s things while giving you a place to sit. You can even build walls around a cage or crate that will match the room while giving your pet a more private space.
• Create a landing pad- Pets, dogs especially, bring in dirt. Having a room or small area near (or directly behind) a door will help keep your house clean. This area will definitely need proper flooring that is easy to clean up. It will give you a pet-friendly area to clean paws and let them calm down from an exciting romp in the backyard. A rack that holds towels would also be useful here, whether it is free-standing or attached to a wall.
• Make everything stain resistant – From drapes to area rugs, stain resistant materials will be great additions to your pet friendly home. Choose materials like cotton or Ultrasuede fabrics that are easy to wash or clean by hand. You will be happy that you did when the time comes.

If you’re looking to make your pet feel like the “top dog,” you might want to incorporate some features just for animals. Try these tips just for your pet:

• For the Felines- There are multiple cat ramps, trees and other things that you can purchase or make yourself. You can attach these to the wall and give your cat places to sit, lay and jump between. It isn’t hard to pick out individual pieces that match your home’s décor.
• Pet Door- This is an oldie but a goodie. Having a pet door installed gives your dog easy access to the backyard when nature calls. The door can be locked if you aren’t going to be home.

Homes should be functional for everyone who lives there. Why not make a few additions that are dedicated to your pet? You can do many of these things by yourself but give us a call if you need help with any of the installations. We service the entire Tampa Bay area.

Sources:

HGTV

This Old House

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Kid Friendly Renovations

Remodeling a house or even a single room is not complete until all of the finishing touches are put into place. Of course it is important to have the floors you want put down and to carefully choose your paint, but without some common finishing touches, your room will not look complete. By adding some other touches your room can begin to take on a personality. The finishing touches that we are talking about are the various types of molding that you can choose from.

The Basics

• Baseboards- Baseboards are pieces of molding that are put down in between your flooring and the wall. They are usually between three and five inches tall and come in a variety of styles. Some are plain, while others can have more intricate designs carved into them.
• Door and Window Molding- Once a door or window has been installed, there are visible gaps in the wall at the points where the wall and either the door or the window connect. To conceal these gaps and to give the room some finishing touches door, and window trim–also called casings–is generally put into place.

Door and window trim is traditionally the same style as the baseboards in the room. If you would like a little different look, you can definitely take your time choosing out door and window trim that is similar to– yet different than–your baseboards. This finishing touch is at eye level as compared to baseboards, so spending a little more (molding is generally sold at cost per foot) can help add to your room.

Good Additions

You will probably be installing baseboards and door and window trim in every room. They are finishing touches that are pretty much givens from an interior design perspective. If you would like to keep dressing your rooms up, you do have other options.

• Crown Molding- Crown molding–also called cornice molding–goes at the top of the wall where it meets the ceiling. It comes in many different styles and often affords a larger selection than baseboards. It can be plain or have very intricate designs. Crown molding is an additional expenditure and does not have a realistic function but is still worth the money. It can significantly add to the aesthetics of a room, making it seem more inviting and enjoyable to be in. This is also a nice touch for potential buyers if you ultimately decide to sell your house.
• Chair Rails- Chair rails are pieces of molding that run along the walls. They are common in dining rooms and eat-in kitchens, but can add to any room. They are installed horizontally, usually about three feet off of the ground. They not only add some visual aesthetic to the room, they can keep your walls from being scraped up by chairs and other furniture that might be moved around. Some people use them to break up a wall altogether and use different color paints or different wall coverings above and below the chair rail.

Molding is an easy way to give a room a personality. You can create particular looks for the room by using different types and styles of molding in combination with one another. Choosing your paint and stains for your molding is yet another way to give your room the exact look that you want. Take some time to look around the hardware store and select the molding that will finish your room off the way that you would like. Then you can measure angles, cut and install it yourself or call in an experienced handyman who will do it correctly.

Sources:

Inviting Home

HGTV

eHow

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How to Lay Tile

New floors can be good home renovations for a number of reasons. They can change the entire look of a room, add value and make you, the homeowner, happier. Many people opt out of carpet and tile and decide that they want wood floors….or at least floors that look and act like wood. The question then becomes whether you should choose laminate flooring or hardwood. The two products are similar to one another, but do have some distinguishing characteristics.

To begin it is useful to define exactly what the two products are.

• Hardwood Flooring- The name is pretty self-explanatory here. Hardwood flooring is made purely out of pieces of wood. Engineered hardwood is a more recently available option that has a pure wood top layer built over interwoven pieces of either pure wood or a wood product similar to particle board.
• Laminate Flooring- This flooring option is usually comprised of a very thin piece of wood that has a standard print glued onto it that gives it the appearance of natural wood. This thin piece is then finished with a protective seal and glued onto a very dense frame, which creates a sturdy product that “looks like” wood.

Both flooring options will give you a smooth floor. Both flooring options are relatively easy to clean and do not hold dust and/or dander like carpet does. You can also obtain both types of flooring in a wide array of natural colors. There are some differences that you will need to consider.

• Purchase Price- Laminate is by and large less expensive than hardwood. It is difficult to quote exact pricing, but you are sure to save a considerable amount of money (especially from a percentage standpoint) up front if you choose laminate.
• Durability- This is a two-pronged issue.
  • When it comes to product life, hardwood lasts longer. If it is properly maintained, hardwood lasts considerably longer than laminate. This causes some hardwood fans to argue that in the end hardwood is less expensive than laminate.
  • When it comes to wear and tear, laminate tends to win the argument. Laminate is generally more resistant to scratching (think kids, pets and dragging furniture) and staining (again, kids and pets)
• Aesthetics- Hardwood usually wins this argument. People feel that hardwood looks better than laminate. Hardwood will have natural grain running through it to give it character, while laminate will have the same pattern repeated every few feet. Having said that, aesthetic decisions are up to you–it’s your house, right!?
• Remodeling- Hardwood definitely wins this argument. Natural hardwood can be sanded and refinished (read as “change the color and make it look and feel new”) several times, while engineered hardwood can usually be refinished once or twice. Laminate is a set product, so what you buy is what you get forever.
• Installation- If you are a do-it-yourselfer, laminate is considered to be easier to install. The pieces snap together simply and are easy to cut to fit your room(s). Regardless of the flooring product that you choose, you will have to careful during installation; improperly installed flooring can bow or buckle over time, ruining the look of the floor regardless of what it is made of.

Whatever your final choice, you can rest assured that you can have a quality floor installed in your home. Your personal thoughts on each factor, as well as your needs and budget, will all play a role in helping you decide which type of flooring will ultimately go down in your house.

Sources:

Floorfacts.com

Hardwood Floors 101

Reliable Remodeler

Professor’s House

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