It's a tradition every fall to do a get your home ready for winter weather. Take a look at the following Fall Home Maintenance Checklist for ideas and inspiration on what to do to get the interior and exterior of your home ready for winter weather. Checklist: Check for drafts and leaks around windows and doors.Check your roof for damaged or missing shingles. Also check for any damage to the … [Read more...]
Spring Cleaning Checklist
It's a tradition every spring to do a deep clean around the house. Take a look at the following Spring Cleaning Checklist for ideas and inspiration on what to do to get the interior and exterior of your home ready for warmer weather. Checklist: Clean interior and exterior of windows.Clean out the junk drawer or cabinet.Reorganize clothes—and donate anything you no longer wear/need.Clean … [Read more...]
Pet Friendly Home Renovations
Millions of families have dog(s) and/or cat(s) – and, collectively, these families spend billions of dollars a year on their fur companions. If you have a pet, have you considered doing any pet friendly home renovations around the house to improve their quality of life—as well as your own? Built-In Feeding Stations Are you tired of tripping over your pets’ water and food bowls? Or are you … [Read more...]
Flooring 101
Since humans first began to upgrade from dirt/earthen floors, some type of flooring has been underfoot. Stone, tile, concrete, and even carpet have been around for thousands of years. Obviously, the quality and craftsmanship has improved over time as technology and manufacturing processes evolved. You can learn more about the history of flooring here. Hardwood did not get its start until … [Read more...]
Flooring: Concrete
You might not have ever considered it -- or even thought it was possible -- but concrete flooring can be installed in areas of the home aside from the garage and basement. Starting around 5600 BC, the ancient Romans began using a material that was very similar in composition to modern concrete. They used this form of concrete to build the Colosseum, the Parthenon, and other structures. … [Read more...]
Flooring: Cork
You might not have every really thought about it, but cork is good for numerous other items aside from wine bottle stoppers. Cork flooring is a unique and often overlooked type of floor covering. Cork has been manufactured and used since ancient times, but cork flooring has only been around for a little over a century. Its heyday was in the 1950's. Cork is made from the outer bark of … [Read more...]
Flooring: Vinyl
Vinyl flooring - whether in sheets, planks, or squares - has recently become one of the most popular types of flooring on the market. The question is if vinyl flooring is the right choice for you? Vinyl flooring was first manufactured in the 1930s, and its popularity skyrocketed after World War II. Vinyl – which is frequently confused with laminate and linoleum – is made out of plastic. … [Read more...]
Flooring: Natural Stone
Natural stone flooring has been around since the beginning of time. As long as people could quarry the stone, they have been able to use it as flooring and building material. The most common types of stone flooring are granite, marble, slate, limestone, or travertine. Each stone has its own unique look, and comes with its own list of pros and cons. Depending on the type of stone, there is a … [Read more...]
Flooring: Carpeting
Carpeting has been around since 5,000 BC, but did not become popular until the early 17th century. The first mills in the United States were built in the late 1700s. In the beginning, carpets were made from sheep and goat wool. While wool is still a very popular material, synthetic materials such as nylon, olefin, and polyester have become more common since the early 20th century. Synthetic … [Read more...]
Flooring: Linoleum
Linoleum flooring was invented in the mid-1850s. It all began when an Englishman noticed that a rubbery skin, comprised of solidified linseed oil, had formed on a can of oil-based paint. Not long afterwards, manufacturing began. Linoleum flooring is made from natural materials . This includes: solidified linseed oil (extracted from flax plant seeds), ground up cork and/or wood, pine rosin, … [Read more...]