Author Archives: southlandflooring

Everyone desires a beautiful and functional home, and the bathroom is one of the top rooms people spend the most time using.  Based on the this, it makes sense that most bathroom remodels recoup from 65% – 100% of costs at the time of resale.

When designing your dream bathroom, there are upgrades that are more advantageous to your home’s value than others.  One place to start is replacing your flooring with ceramic tile laid in a pattern.  Gone are the days of tile laid side-by-side or carpeted bathrooms.  There are so many creative and unique methods for installing your dream floor.  Homeowners can choose a single tile floor laid in a staggered brick pattern, a herringbone pattern, a basket weave vertical pattern, and the list continues.  Another route is a multiple tile pattern (hopscotch, windmill, cypress, Versailles, etc.).  Customization can go even further with the choice of tile size.  An entry on many of the pattern choices available to homeowners will be coming soon.  Keep in mind, with the help of your contractor, you can design patterns unique to your home.

A second profitable upgrade is installing cultured stone countertops.  Choices vary from granite to cultured marble.  The color palates and allure are endless, and the stones are easy to maintain.

Updating your countertops and flooring may require you to replace or refinish your vanities and cabinets.  Replacing your cabinets will be a larger expense than refinishing, but if you are wanting a different material such as exotic or rustic wood or a textured metal, then replacing the entire cabinet may be necessary.  Refinishing your cabinets entails refacing the outside of the cabinets and the doors to your preference.  Homeowners may be able to customize the color to accent the rest of the bathroom depending on the existing cabinet material.

Many houses built in the south have the classic frameless mirror attached to the wall with globe lighting.  Thankfully, new homebuilders are moving away from this obsolete trend.  Picture-framing your mirrors and updating the lighting will elevate the style of your bathroom.  Contractors can use the existing mirror and customize around it, or new mirrors can be installed.  Mirrors can be ornate or modern depending on the homeowners’ preference.  New lighting should be considered as well.  When deciding on your light fixtures take into account the style of the bathroom.  A glamorous bathroom may require a luxurious chandelier while a modern bathroom needs a fixture that enhances the aesthetic.  Functionality must be considered as well.  Sconces near or above the mirrors can vary from a traditional to an eclectic design and add the task light needed.

Finally, homeowners must wrap up the remodel with the finishing touches.  Installing new bathroom and cabinet fixtures are essential.  Brass is no longer the trend.  Replace these fixtures with chrome, satin-nickel, or polished nickel.  The faucet is a focal point, so be sure to take into account the style of your bathroom.  There are many sinks and toilets that are available to homeowners that are easy to maintain and use less water.  There is a strong push towards environmentally friendly products.  Look for the WaterSense label from the EPA.  in the coming years, this label should become as common as the Energy Star label currently on appliances.

There are an unlimited number of improvements that can be made to elevate the beauty and value of your bathroom.  These are just a few of the most profitable when reselling your home.  Be sure to remodel your bathroom long before you plan on moving.  Homeowners going through the time, expense, and inconvenience must enjoy the gorgeous space that they created.

Coming soon… Remodeling Projects that Add Value – Part Three.

You have decided that you want the warmth and beauty of hardwood flooring in your home.   There are so many options available to you, but which is right for you and your family.  The first choice you must make is if you want solid wood floors or engineered wood floors.  So, here is a quick lesson on the two.

Production of Product

Solid wood flooring is milled from a single 3/4-inch thick piece of hardwood.  Because of this thickness, it can be sanded and handscraped several times over its lifetime.

Engineered wood flooring is produced with three to five layers of wood bonded together under pressure and heat in an overlapping pattern.  It is about ¼-inch thick; therefore, usually it can be customized only once.

Strength

Solid wood adds overall structural strength to the homes and buildings where installed.  The degree of strength depends on the species of tree.

Engineered wood is more suitable in areas with high moisture or frequent temperature changes.

Uniformity

Solid wood flooring’s uniformity depends on the grade of wood.  Some grades allow for multiple knots, but solid wood is a natural product so every board will be unique.

Engineered wood is a manufactured product; therefore, each board should be uniform.

Resistance to Moisture

Solid wood is unsuitable for applications with increased moisture or high temperatures that aren’t environmentally controlled.  In a building that is climate controlled it is best to have the wood inside the location, either installed or stored, for one week before the floor is sanded or scraped.  This allows the wood to acclimate to the humidity level in the house or building.  Different species react to humidity differently.

Engineered wood flooring is much more resistant to moisture than solid wood.

Resistance to Heat and Temperature Change

Solid wood flooring generally expands and contracts more than engineered floors, especially in high heat, cold, and rainy seasons, but leaving an expansion gap between the floor and wall will minimize this.  Baseboards or quarter round are used to hide the extra space and add a finished look.

Engineered flooring is a better choice for installation over heat sources, in damp basements and rainy climates.

Where to Install

Solid hardwood flooring is almost always the first option for single-unit homes due to its durability and its ability to be customized to the homeowner’s preference.  Hardwoods properly installed can last more than 100 years.

Engineered floors can be installed in almost every area of the house.  Basements have been highly discouraged in the past, but engineered floors are versatile.  They can adapt to the basement’s climate.  Condos are an ideal place for engineered flooring because nailing down solid wood flooring may not be an option.  These floors can be glued down or floating floors can be installed.

Other Pros and Cons

Hardwood floors can be installed over concrete, but they must have a plywood subfloor installed in order to nail down the solid wood flooring.  This increases the cost of the solid wood floors.

Unfinished and prefinished engineered flooring are available.  The unfinished flooring is more expensive that the prefinished.  If you have a certain design in mind for the floor, solid wood flooring is usually a better option.

Pets can damage engineered flooring easier than solid wood.  If you have a bigger dog, then hardwood is the best choice for you.

This should provide you the knowledge you need to make a decision on solid wood flooring or engineered wood for your home.   An upcoming article will discuss the different species of solid hardwood flooring.  When adding these floors to your home there is a lot to consider.  If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment below or fill out the contact form on Southland Flooring & Remodels’ website.