Selling Your Home?

Are you planning on selling your home in the near future?  If so, there are some upgrades you can do to help it to sell faster.

Did you know upgrading your floor coverings with quality floorings, will help resale value, as well as make for a quicker sale?  If the flooring is fresh and new, and of decent quality, most buyers will not change it, and they are happy that they don't have to.  If your flooring is tired, dated or worn out, all that potential buyers see is work and more money.  First time home buyers are on limited budgets, and they really want to move in without spending too much.    Buyers can also see when you have "cheaped out", so be careful.  Choose a floor that suits your house, and neighbourhood without breaking the bank.  Choose something that is medium priced for that product.  If you know that you are selling in the near future, don't pick the cheapest, and don't pick the most expensive floor covering.  


It is important to choose neutral tones of greys or beige, to go with many type of decor.  Trendy colours can date your house, and potentially make it harder to sell.  Remember, you can never go wrong with hardwood, and tile.  Just try to not make it too personal, and be sure it is easy to maintain. 


Shop around.  A knowledgeable sales staff means they have lots of experience, they believe in the products they sell, and would probably put the products in their homes.  Ask questions, lots of questions.  

• Who makes this?  
• What type of material is it made from? 
• Where is it made? 
• How long does it take to come in when I place my order?  
• What is the guarantee?  
• Can you give me a written contract/quote for an install?  
• How long have you been in business?   
• "Which product would you, or do you have in your house?"  
• Do you have experienced installers?  (Remember, the most experienced installers probably work at a flooring establishment.)  
• Do you guarantee your installation? 
• How long will it be for an installation?  (Also remember, if someone is available tomorrow to install, and someone else is booking 2 months in advance, ask yourself why are they so slow, and they so busy?  hmmmmm) -

 Take your time.  Start shopping 3-4 months in advance so you can research and so you don't rush into something you will regret.  It will also allow for possible backorders, which could mean an extra week or 2, and you can have a couple of more months to put more money aside for the project.  


So, if a house sale is in your future, it pays to spend a few thousand dollars now, to make your sale go much quicker.  A slow sale, just means you are loosing money every month.  Good luck with your sale!

Friday's Fabulous Flooring Feature #1

There are so many choices of flooring products out there, we thought we would help make the choice easier by featuring a flooring product or name brand every Friday.  

Todays Feature:  Duraceramic By Congoleum

http://www.congoleum.com/duraceramic%20products.html

Duraceramic is a Limestone composite resilient tile with a Congoleum vinyl type of surface.  It is Scotchguarded for extra protection against spills and stains.  

There are many styles to choose from, including marble looks, polished concrete, slate, stone, woods and many more.  

WARRANTY:  

It has an excellent Lifelong Limited Warranty, guaranteeing that it will not wear out, will be free of manufacturing defects, will not fade, and will not stain.

INSTALLATION:  

Duraceramic is a DIY'er's dream.  It is easy to install, and the only tools you need are a straight edge, and a utility knife.  Be sure to purchase the "installation kit", it just helps to make your life so much easier.  

Some of the FEATURES of Duraceramic are:  

~It is warmer than tile, due to the Congoleum surface

~It is thinner than tile so the transition in between different flooring products, and under doorways is less.  This is also an advantage if you have limited space above a fridge, or under a dishwasher.

~It is very durable - Take note that the sub floor must have no movement, and be reinforced if necessary

~It can be installed with grout for a real tile look, or without grout for that seamless look

~It can be a floating floor

~Can be installed on, above, or below grade

WEBSITE:  

They have a GREAT website to choose your style, and there is a "Room Designer" on the site where you can choose your floor, with different grout colours, or no grout, choose your paint colours, choose your cabinet colour, save your designs, and you can even upload a picture of your space to customise.

 Go check it out

http://congoleum.chameleonpower.com/default.aspx

Tile Countertops

Welcome to our first post!

We have so much information to share, so I will just get to it.

Are you thinking about making a tile countertop?  Todays beautiful porcelain tiles can be easily mistaken for natural stone.  They can look so much like marble and granite that even experts can be fooled.

The advantages of choosing porcelain are: 

1.)  Unlike natural stones, porcelain tiles are not porous and do not require sealing

2.)  Many of these tiles come in several sizes: 

~ usually they are available in a large 12"x24" size, which is perfect for countertops. 

This means less grout, and a modern large tile format;

~ 12"x12" tiles are convenient and easy to handle

So, how do we finish the edges of a tile countertop so it looks professional?

Answer:  Schluter Systems!

Schluter is a company that makes all of the trim pieces that you will ever need for tile.

Schluter Rondec Step

There are 2 variations of the "Rondec Step":  

One is a solid metal edging, with the metal of your choice: 

Chrome, Brushed Chrome, Satin Nickel, Brushed Nickel, Satin Copper, Satin Brass, Brushed Brass, Oil Rubbed Bronze.

The other choice is available in the same finish choices, but has a slot to insert the tile on the fascia part of the edging. You can use the same tile as the counter top, or choose a complementary tile. 

There are inside and outside corners available to make perfect corners.

So, weather you prefer a porcelain or a natural stone, a small tile or a large tile, the trim pieces are the most important parts of the whole look of the finished job.

http://www.schluter.com/