Revamp living room decor on any budget

(Photo by Kristin Sjaarda)

Want a shockingly inexpensive way to update your home and earn a 66% return on the investment? Swap out dated living room decor. New light switches, outlet covers, floor registers, drapes and accessories—at an average cost of less than $1,500, according to HGTV—really helps in a remodel. Remember: Details add dollars when it comes to upgrades.

Flooring

Nothing says dated more than a home without hardwood. But is it worth it to upgrade your floors? According to data collected by USA Today, 54% of home buyers would pay more for a home if it had hardwood. It’s easy to clean and maintain, adds warmth to any room and can be refinished multiple times, which increases the overall life and value of the flooring. But not all hardwood is created equal. High-end planks offer hand-scraped or rare-wood species, but this can really push your budget up. Consider, instead, more common selections, such as red oak. Unfinished starts at $1.40/sq. ft. at lumber or flooring stores, while finished starts at $3.20/sq. ft. and goes up (add another $2 to $5/sq. ft. for installation).

To maximize the value of your new floor stay away from engineered hardwood. This product has been marketed as an easy DIY alternative, but because they are constructed from thin, glued-together layers of wood products, topped with a veneer of real wood, your newly installed engineered hardwood floor may not stand up to sanding and re-staining, which shortens the lifespan—and value—of the floor. Instead, those on a tight budget should consider repainting or refinishing old hardwood. Opt for a rich brown shade or a trendy gray stain for a more updated look or paint over really old hardwood with enamel paint.

Pro tip: Unfinished hardwood is cheaper and allows you to pick a stain that matches other facets in the house—just make sure the labour costs include this part of the job. Also, plan to stay out of the home for a few days to allow the stain to off-gas

Read more: http://www.moneysense.ca/spend/real-estate/renovations/revamp-living-room-decor-budget/

Limerick based floor sanding company

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Making the perfect flooring decision for your home

Selecting the perfect floor for your home can be difficult, given the increasing number of options in the market today. With choices ranging from real wood and carpet to ceramic and vinyl, making an informed decision on a suitable floor covering is often complicated and confusing for the homeowner.

Design experts from Karndean Designflooring explain the benefits and drawbacks of different surfaces in this article.

Real timber

Real wood floors are strikingly beautiful when freshly laid; however, they can quickly lose their appeal if regular maintenance is not done. Karndean Designflooring recommends Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVT) as an excellent alternative; with their realistic textured wood and stone designs, they don’t need sanding or refinishing, requiring just a quick ‘refresh’ every 6-12 months.

There are beautiful timber varieties that aren’t suitable for flooring applications as they are soft woods, and therefore easily damaged. Karndean’s flooring comes with all the visual appeal of these coveted soft woods without their practical limitations.

Laminate

Though laminate flooring is cost-effective and easily accessible in DIY stores around the country, it is highly susceptible to damage. For instance, the lack of waterproof resistance in laminate flooring can result in warping and splitting. Floors from Karndean Designflooring are completely waterproof, making them ideal for kitchens and bathrooms.

Carpet

Carpets may evoke a comfortable vibe but are storehouses of dirt and allergens that are practically impossible to banish. Luxury Vinyl Tiles offer a much more hygienic flooring solution while still providing more warmth than laminate, real wood and stone options.

Karndean LooseLay Longboard collection

The brand new Karndean LooseLay Longboard collection is easy to maintain, durable, waterproof and hygienic, with a huge range of designs to suit all styles. Key benefits also include quick and easy installation with the stylish, extra-large 1.5m long planks minimising the hassle; significant reduction in noise transfer to the rooms below, making them perfect for bedrooms and apartments; easy replacement of planks; and convenient access to underfloor services as the planks can be easily lifted.

Read more: http://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/karndean-designflooring/making-the-perfect-flooring-decision-for-your-home

Galway based floor sanding company

The previous blog post Making the perfect flooring decision for your home Read more on: Expert Sanding – Galway

Deck Your Hardwood Floors in Time for the Holidays

The home is at the center of it all during the holidays and your floors experience heavy traffic by visiting loved ones. They are the home’s greatest canvas yet often overlooked and undervalued. Replacing your hardwood floors can be an expensive and time-consuming investment, but refinishing them will restore the richness and elegance of the wood. Thanks to Minwax® Complete 1-Step Floor Finish, a two-in-one stain and protective finish, refinishing floors can be done with ease.

“With the holidays just around the corner, homeowners are looking for ways to spruce up their home”

Unlike traditional hardwood floor finishes, Complete 1-Step Floor Finish saves time by eliminating extra steps and the need for multiple products to stain and protect the floor. It provides superior durability and requires no sanding between coats. It can be used on bare wood or over an existing polyurethane finish – allowing you to change the color of your floor without sanding down to bare wood!

“With the holidays just around the corner, homeowners are looking for ways to spruce up their home” said Jacquelyn Ferrara, Director of Marketing at Minwax. “With Minwax® Complete 1-Step Floor Finish, homeowners can redo their own floors conveniently, while protecting them from the foot traffic they experience throughout the holidays and year-round.”

After preparing your floor, apply Complete 1-Step Floor Finish in your choice of five natural wood tones. It also come in two sheens—gloss and satin. Your application tools can be cleaned up easily with soap and water. Minwax® Complete 1-Step Floor Finish is available at local home centers or hardware stores.

Read more: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161117005795/en/Deck-Hardwood-Floors-Time-Holidays-Minwax%C2%AE-Complete

Cork based floor sanding company

Deck Your Hardwood Floors in Time for the Holidays is available on Expert Sanding – Cork