Tips to Choose the Right Size of Wood Flooring Planks for Your Home

By Hyroshi Posted On April 29, 2017 Flooring, Home, Home Improvement No Comments

The decision to install new wood flooring in your home is often easy to make. After all, many homeowners desire the timeless elegance of a hardwood floor in their home. This type of home flooring can add value and style to your home for decades, and it generally is easier to maintain than many other flooring types. Before you can enjoy the benefits of wood flooring in your home, you need to choose which planks to install. While the type and color of the wood may be two of the most important considerations to factor into your decision-making process, the size of the planks should also be considered. With some types of wood, you may be able to choose between wider and narrower planks. Focus on these points as you decide which size to choose.

The Total Cost of the Project

The size of your planks will impact your total installation cost in two ways. First, labor costs for installation may be slightly more with narrower planks. This is because it will take more time and effort to install narrower planks than wider planks that take up more surface area with each board. Second, narrower boards are typically more affordable for a manufacturer to produce, so they may be cheaper on a per square foot basis. This can vary by the type of hardwood flooring NYC you are looking at. The best idea is to choose the right style for your home, and then calculate the cost for smaller or larger boards to determine which is most affordable.

The Impact of Plank Size on the Look of the Floors

Cost is not the only factor to consider when looking at wood floor installation for your home. The size of the planks can have a direct impact on the look of your home flooring once the wood has been installed. Narrower planks generally create more lines in the floor in comparison to wider planks. With this in mind, wider planks may be more visually appealing. This is particularly true if the two plank sizes you are considering are grossly different in size. It may be helpful for you to visit a wood floor showroom to see the visual impact that narrow versus wide planks can have on a room.

Each homeowner has a different preference for wider or narrower planks. Some may allow their budget to largely guide their decision, but others are more interested in creating the right look in their home by investing in the best planks for their needs. Because the plank size can affect your project in different ways, it is important to focus on this factor before you buy your hardwood floor planks.

Which Is Better, Wood Flooring or Carpet?

By Hyroshi Posted On April 27, 2017 Flooring, Home, Home Improvement No Comments

If it’s time to install new flooring at your place, you probably have questions about which type of flooring is ideal. Perhaps you’ve even narrowed it down to a choice between hardwood flooring or carpeting. The question that’s on your mind now: Which is better, wood flooring or carpet?

Longevity of Hardwood Flooring vs Carpet

One of hardwood flooring’s main advantages is its long lifespan. Once it’s installed in your home, you can sand it down and refinish it multiple times. Engineered hardwood flooring is the exception to this. Engineered flooring cannot always easily be refinished.

Carpet, in contrast, does not offer the same longevity that a hardwood floor does. Carpet’s lifespan is variable depending on several factors including the abrasion resistance of the specific carpeting you install, the care and maintenance you invest in the carpeting, and the amount of wear and abuse it suffers overall. If you install cheap carpet in a high-traffic home that includes kids, pets and lots of activity, the carpet may wear out in a year or even less.

Hardwood flooring is the best choice of flooring materials when it comes to longevity.

Resale Value of Wood Flooring vs Carpet

Hardwood flooring is significantly more popular with home buyers than carpeting is, and thus wood flooring tends to add more value to a home than carpet does.

Costs for Wood Flooring vs Carpet

Wood flooring can cost twice or three times the amount that carpet costs, which gives carpet a clear edge over wood flooring in the affordability department. If you’re on a tight budget for redoing your flooring, carpet may be your smartest option.

Cleaning Wood Flooring vs Carpet

Wood flooring is the clear-cut winner over carpet when it comes to cleaning. A wood floor is far easier to clean and maintain than carpeting is. Cleaning carpet involves weekly vacuum cleaning. It’s also necessary to either rent or buy an expensive carpet shampooing machine periodically if you want to get carpet really clean.

In contrast, you don’t need anything special to clean your wood floor. Necessary supplies include a broom, mop, bucket, water and wood floor cleaner. However, you do need to be prompt when cleaning up liquid-based spills to avoid damage to the floor.

People prone to suffering from dust, pollen, pet hair or other allergies will be far more comfortable with wood flooring. It can be challenging to thoroughly remove these allergens from carpeting, even with consistent cleaning.

Advantages of Carpet Over Wood Flooring

Carpet is warmer and softer than wood flooring. However, these advantages don’t do much to give carpeting an edge over wood flooring since you can put a rug on your wood floor to duplicate those advantages.

Conclusion

For people on a tight budget, carpet may be a better choice than hardwood flooring due to carpet’s lower cost of installation. Otherwise, hardwood flooring is clearly the more desirable choice of flooring materials.

How to Prevent Weeds in Your Garden

By Hyroshi Posted On April 22, 2017 Home, Landscaping No Comments

Whether you have a flower garden, vegetable garden or both, one thing that you might hate dealing with is weeds. It’s true that dealing with at least some weeds is a regular part of gardening, but you can make your life a whole lot easier and drastically cut down on the weeds. Not only can this help you save yourself a lot of time and hard work in the long run, but it can also help you raise a more beautiful and healthy garden as well. From looking for weed control services that focus on integrated pest management to fight against weeds to taking your own action, these are a few steps that can help you get rid of and prevent weeds in your garden.

Use Mesh for Weed Control

First of all, when planting your garden, take the time to use landscaping fabric or mesh on top of the soil. The great thing about this is that it can help prevent weeds from growing in the first place, which is great for protecting your plants.

Add Mulch

Many people don’t realize just how beneficial mulch is for landscaping and gardening purposes, but there is a reason why your average lawn care company suggests its use. Using mulch can prevent pervasive weeds from growing, can help keep your plants protected from drastic temperature changes and can help keep plants moist during periods of little to no rain. Plus, it is affordable and it looks great, making it a wonderful all-around addition to any garden.

Work with a Weed Removal Service

If you have never thought about working with a weed removal service, now is the time to think about doing so. A good weed removal service will use EPA approved chemicals and strategies to get rid of any existing weeds that you have in your garden and to help prevent them from growing later on.

Remove Weeds Promptly

When weeds do start growing in your garden, it is important to remove them quickly. Otherwise, they could grow and spread, making the problem that much more difficult to get rid of. Sure, pulling weeds is never fun, but it can be a whole lot easier when you don’t have nearly as many weeds to deal with at one time.

Dealing with weeds is a common part of having a garden, but this does not mean that you have to let the weeds drive you crazy. If you follow these tips, you can help keep weeds under control so that you can enjoy your garden as much as possible. There are resources available at Weed Man USA for more information.

Understanding Outdoor Furniture

By Hyroshi Posted On April 6, 2017 Furniture, Home No Comments

You might think that all you need to do to get the best patio furniture for your home is to consider your needs and personal preferences. Although purchasing a new set of furniture for your patio might be a significant investment, it ultimately depends on the type of outdoor furniture you decide to get. Understanding the ins and outs of the choice you make is, therefore, necessary.

While some materials might suit your setting better, some outdoor furniture sets could suit your lifestyle better. Knowledge of the facts and information listed in this article will help you while you shop around for the perfect outdoor furniture option.

Can you leave your patio furniture outside throughout the year?
You can leave some types of outdoor furniture such as wrought iron outdoors all year long. A powder coating makes this kind of patio furniture capable of standing up to the elements. However, you must take care to look for early signs of rust spots on a regular basis since they will often lead to bigger problems. As a long-term treatment option, homeowners can always sand these rust spots, touching them up with a little paint to ensure they do not progress and develop into worse problems. Other patio furniture sets such as wooden sets can also stay outside for as long as a year. However, this is only possible if they are designed for year-round use, which typically includes a protective treatment. It is not advisable to leave some types of patio furniture including plastic exposed to the elements for extended periods since they do not stand up well.

Acrylic cushions hold up the best
Many furniture experts recommend the use of acrylic cushions for outdoor settings since they do not stain or mildew quickly. It is also advisable to opt for fabrics that are colorfast seeing as they are less likely to fade once exposed to direct sunlight. Today, a wide selection of durable cushions in a variety of styles is available.

How to prevent the heating of patio furniture
Depending on the material, your patio furniture might heat up once exposed to direct sunlight. For instance, both plastic and wrought iron patio furniture can heat up to significant degrees when placed in direct sunlight, which can be dangerous. Wood is an excellent choice for sunny spaces since it does not retain as much heat as the other materials. Wicker is also a good choice in this case. Using cushions eliminates the possibility that someone might get burned. Incorporating cushions is, therefore, a worthwhile investment.

Warranties
Although high-quality items usually carry a five-year warranty, warranties vary depending on manufacturers. Some even come with a twenty-year warranty. As such, asking about the warranty, specific features, and care requirements of the furniture you decide to buy is important. A good source of information is the Ace Peel Hardware & Supply website, which has more insights and resources available online.