Laminate Flooring - Advantages & Disadvantages in Charlotte Homes

Is Laminate Flooring Right For Your Home?

Advantages & Disadvantages of Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring is a multi-layer flooring product which uses fiber board materials and adhesive resin compressed together for the core of the product, and a laminated face either made of wood, or resembles the look of wood, tile, or other common flooring products.  Over the past few decades, laminate flooring has risen in popularity with homeowners for a number of reasons. Laminate flooring is often less expensive then other popular flooring products, cost less to install, and easy to maintain.  Although, like with any flooring product, laminate flooring does have some disadvantages as well.  What we intend to explain in this blog post, is the advantages and disadvantages of laminate flooring, and to help educate the homeowner to make the decision on whether laminate flooring if right for your home or not.

As with any home improvement project, cost is often a big factor for homeowners, when making a decision on what to buy.  While a homeowner may want hardwood floors, it simply may not be within their budget.  Laminate flooring is a great cost effective option for homeowners, to get the look of hardwood flooring, at half the cost.  With hundreds of styles and options of laminate flooring, homeowners can generally find a laminate flooring product that resembles the hardwood flooring product's look they are going for.  There are laminate flooring products that resemble nearly every species of wood, board size, and pattern of hardwood products.  Laminate flooring products vary in pricing from as low as $.50/square foot, all the way up to $4 or $5 per square foot.  Higher priced laminate products generally offer a longer warranty then the lower priced products, however their are a variety of options for homeowners in any price range.

Ease of installation is another advantage laminate flooring provides to homeowners.  While a more experienced DIY'er could do a laminate floor installation, eliminating installation cost all together, the ease of which the product is to install leads to lower installation cost, even when having a professional installer do the work.  Laminate flooring generally comes in 4 foot by 12 inch pieces, meaning more square footage can be installed on each board piece.  Sometimes laminate flooring is referred to as a "floating floor" because it requires no nailing, which also helps to lower installation cost as well.  Underlayment materials for laminate flooring also take less time to install then other flooring products as well. Also in addition to easier installation, laminate flooring can be installed on just about any surface.  While many homes in the Charlotte, NC area are built on concrete slabs, laminate flooring can be installed right over a vapor barrier, versus using expensive adhesive to put down an engineered hardwood floor.

While cost is the major driving factor for many homeowners when choosing laminate flooring over other flooring products, a lot of homeowners will choose a laminate flooring product over other flooring options because of the low maintenance.  Laminate flooring can be vacuumed, broom sweeped, or dust moped, which takes a lot less time to do then moping and waxing like you would have to do with other flooring products.  Many homeowners with pets often choose laminate flooring as it is easier to get up the pet hair off a laminate flooring surface versus other flooring products.

With all the advantages of laminate flooring it is hard to find why a homeowner would not choose a laminate flooring product for their home.  However, as with any flooring product, laminate flooring has some disadvantages as well.  One of the major disadvantages of laminate flooring is its water resistant abilities.  While some of the higher end laminate products hold up better to water exposure, many laminate flooring products don't hold up well if exposed to water for long periods of time.  Another disadvantage of laminate flooring versus other flooring products like hardwood, is product warranties and lifespan of the product.  While the higher end products can offer 25 year warranties, many of the more affordable options will only cover 10 years.  Also laminate flooring can not be refinished like traditional hardwoods.

Overall, laminate flooring is a great flooring product, that will provide the homeowner with a great look and quality flooring product at an affordable price.  As you can see the advantages of laminate flooring outweigh the disadvantages, however the final choice of what flooring product to use rest in the hands of the homeowner.  We hope that we have educated the homeowner on laminate flooring products and will help the homeowner make a better educated decision when choosing their next flooring product.  For more information on laminate flooring, visit some of these websites of the leading laminate flooring manufacturers.

Mohawk Flooring - http://www.mohawkflooring.com/flooring-products/laminate/default.aspx
Shaw Flooring - http://shawfloors.com/laminate-flooring
Pergo Flooring - http://na.pergo.com/
Bruce Flooring - http://www.bruce.com/flooring/laminate
Armstrong Flooring - http://www.armstrong.com/flooring/laminate.html

You can also find a lot of useful information on laminate flooring at these leading home improvement suppliers websites as well:

Lowe's Home Improvement - http://www.lowes.com
Home Depot - http://www.homedepot.com

While we do not work for or recommend one product or store over another, we do want to provide easy access to the information available on laminate flooring products.  We do not endorse one brand over the other.  If you are a homeowner in the Salisbury NC or Charlotte NC areas looking to have a professionally installed laminate flooring, contact us through any of the methods listed below.  Thanks for reading and please comment for more topics for our blog.

Authored by:


MB Construction Company
224 Prescott Drive
Salisbury, NC 28144
Phone: 704-267-7763
Website: http://www.mbconstructioncompany.com

Home Improvement Services | Kitchen and Bath Remodelling | Flooring Installers | Tile Installers | Handyman Services | Rental Home Maintenance | Painting Services | Home Repairs | Porcelain Tile Installers | Mosaic Tile Back Splash Installers | Deck Construction & Deck Repairs | Laminate Floor Installers | Charlotte NC | Concord NC | Salisbury NC | Kannapolis NC | Mooresville NC | Rowan County NC | Mecklenburg County NC | Cabarrus County NC | Iredell County NC | Home Improvement Blogger |

Popular Summertime Home Improvement - Deck Construction and Deck Repairs

Deck Construction Is A Popular Summertime Home Improvement Project

The Advantages of Building a Deck or Repairing an Existing Deck Structure.

One of the most popular home improvement projects in the summer for homeowners in the Charlotte, NC area is constructing a new deck.  With the great spring & summertime weather, mild falls & winters, installing a new deck can add a lot of value for a homeowner in the North Carolina area.  Having a new deck built also can turn a boring patio slab into one of the more attractive features of your home.  The are a lot of reasons why to build a new deck, and what we intend on highlighting in this blog post, is a variety of advantages that a new deck can offer.

First, lets start with the added space of outdoor living area.  Decks vary in size and lengths, but no matter how big of a deck you decide to build, it gives your home a lot more area to enjoy the outdoors right at your home. From having cookouts, to sunbathing, to just having drinks with guest in the evening, having a deck offers another area to enjoy the outdoor space on your property. Being able to have a nice, clean area to enjoy the outdoors on a nice day, is always an added benefit of having a deck.  More often then not, this is one of the most popular reasons why a homeowner will build a new deck on their home.

Another advantage of having a new deck on your home is that it can be a great selling point when it comes time to sell your home.  Especially in many of the tract home neighborhoods in Charlotte and other cities, where a lot of the homes look the same, a new deck can help differentiate your home from other in the neighborhood.  A lot of new buyers will take this into consideration when making a choice to buy a home, and having a deck already installed on your home, can factor in to a new buyers thought process when making their final decision.  Also, the many deck design options available online and in home improvement magazines can help homeowners find a unique and attractive deck design that will wow guest and potential buyers at the beauty of your deck, offering a homeowner another design option, that can differentiate your home from others in the neighborhood.

One of the major factors that might dissuade a homeowner from building a new deck, is the added maintenance it may add to your home.  Often times homeowners will think about what it will take to keep their deck looking nice, and the cost and time associated with it.  However, after building decks and other exterior structures for years, decking products have come a long way, with many new products offering little to no maintenance at all.  From stains and paints, to new composite decking products, depending on your budget, you can build a new deck that offers little to minimum maintenance.  Even with traditional pressure treated lumber, simply sealing the lumber and keeping the deck clean from leaves and other debris, is often all the maintenance a homeowner will have to do to keep their deck looking nice for years.  The new technology developed in fastening materials, such as screws and nails, have also made many improvements in design, that reduce and eliminate one of the most common deck maintenance needs, that being nail pops. Even if repairs are needed, they are often easier and more affordable to make, as decks generally do not have to have drywall and other wall covering materials removed before any structural repairs can be made, making deck maintenance easy for the home improvement contractor.

All in all, their are many more advantages then disadvantages to building a new deck on your home. With having a nice space to enjoy the outdoors, adding new design enhancements to your home, to the easier to maintain decking products, there are many reasons why now is the time to install a new deck or replace an existing deck on your home.  If your looking to have repairs on your existing deck structure, or looking to construct a new deck in the Charlotte NC and surrounding areas, then give MB Construction Company of Salisbury NC a call today for a free estimate.  We hope this blog post has been informative, and please leave comments for ideas for additional home improvement topics for our blog.

MB Construction Company
224 Prescott Drive
Salisbury, NC 28144
Phone: 704-267-7763
Website: http://www.mbconstructioncompany.com

Home Improvement Services | Kitchen and Bath Remodelling | Flooring Installers | Tile Installers | Handyman Services | Rental Home Maintenance | Painting Services | Home Repairs | Porcelain Tile Installers | Mosaic Tile Back Splash Installers | Deck Construction & Deck Repairs | Charlotte NC | Concord NC | Salisbury NC | Kannapolis NC | Mooresville NC | Rowan County NC | Mecklenburg County NC | Cabarrus County NC | Iredell County NC | Home Improvement Blogger |

Bathroom Remodelling Ideas - Mosaic Tile Back Splashes

Mosaic Tile Back Splashes For Bathroom Remodel Projects

A Popular Home Improvement Project That Adds Pop To Your Vanity

Bathrooms are often the smallest rooms in home, however they are one of the most popular home improvement projects for homeowners in today's market.  A lot of factors contribute to why homeowners will choose remodelling their bathrooms over other rooms in the house.  One reason is homeowners spend a lot of time in the bathroom doing things like getting ready in the morning, or relaxing in the bathtub after work. Another reason is they want to make it presentable to guests when they are hosting parties, or having friends over for a barbecue.  For these reasons and many others, homeowners are always looking for ways to make improvements to their bathrooms.  Adding a mosaic tile back splash to a bathroom vanity is becoming one of the most popular bathroom remodelling projects in today's market.  The purpose of this blog is to educate customers on how to measure for purchasing materials for a mosaic tile back splash, what materials will be needed, the time frame for installing the back splash, and give some illustrations on what a finished mosaic tile back splash will look like.

While picking and choosing the tile colors, patterns, and layout will depend on personal preferences, it is a good idea to have what product you want to use in mind.  Although this is not necessary to begin taking measurements, you will need to know the tile dimensions, in order to know exactly how much to purchase.  Now getting back to taking measurements for your mosaic tile back splash, you will simply need to measure the entire length of your vanity, including the sides, if your vanity has two walls, or three walls in some cases.  Next you will need to know how high you want the back splash to go up the wall, keeping in mind your going to need clearance for electrical outlets, mirrors, towel bars, etc.  Once you have the linear footage of all the sides and the height you want to use, simply add them together to get total linear footage. 

Example: Back Wall: 5ft. 6 inches + Side Wall: 1ft. 6 inches = 7 linear feet total.

Now that you have the linear footage of the area to be tiled, you will next need your height requirements for the mosaic tile back splash.  Again, this is a personal preference on what you want the back splash to look like, but most homeowners generally go with a back splash that is between 3-6 inches tall.  For our example we will use a 4 inch high back splash. Now when figuring for materials, you will need to know what type of mosaic tile you are going to use, and what sizes they come in.  Most mosaic tile patterns come in 12" x 12" squares, however some of the more expensive mosaic tile patterns may already be cut to height.  If they are already cut to height, you will simply purchase enough linear footage of the mosaic tile to cover your total linear footage.  If they are not, here is the formula to use for figuring how many pieces of tile to purchase.  For our example, we will us a 12" x 12" tile, and the dimensions used in our example above. A 12" x 12" tile will give you 3, 4 inch high, 12 inch long pieces after they are cut.  Here is the math:

12" divided by 4" = 3 pieces, 1-12" piece covers 1 foot x 3 pieces = 3 linear feet of coverage at 4 inches high.  Having 7 linear feet will mean you will need 3 pieces of 12" x 12" mosaic tiles, as we end up in between pieces, and you always want to round up.  Extra pieces of tile never hurt, as they can be used for replacement pieces if they by chance get broken in the future, or on another home improvement project.

Now that we have the tile figured, now we will need to figure out how much tile backer board will be needed.  When installing any tile on a soft surface like drywall, it's recommended to use a tile backer board product, to keep the thin set or glue from rotting the existing drywall.  When figuring for tile backer board, most contractors figure using square footage, this square footage number will be helpful when figuring for other required materials.  Since we already have the dimensions to figure the square footage footage of the area to be tiled, now we just need to figure the square footage for the backer board.  Backer board is usually sold in 3' x 5' pieces, so to figure the square footage for the backer board, simply multiply 3' x 5', which equals 15 square feet.  For our tile area, using our same example, we will simply multiply 5.5' x 1.5', which equals 8.25 square feet.  Therefore, with one sheet of backer board, we will have enough material to cover the area we are doing in our example.  Here is the formula for square footage:

Length x Width = Square Footage

Also, to install the backer board you will need to purchase specially made screws for the backer board, which are usually located right next to the backer board material itself.  A 1 lb. box should be enough to properly fasten the backer board in our example, however larger areas will require more fasteners. Most tile backer board screw manufacturers have a recommended estimate on how much a 1lb., 5lb., or 10lb. box of fasteners will cover, so it will be easy to figure how many screws you will need. 

Having the square footage figured as we did above for the backer board, will also help us when figuring for the remaining materials needed to do the back splash, which are thin set mortar or tile adhesive, grout, and grout sealer.  Since we already know we have 8.25 square feet of area to tile, the manufacturers have made it easy to figure how much thin set mortar or adhesive, grout, and sealer to use.  This information is generally listed on the back of the product in the specifications section, and with the growing popularity of mosaic tile back splashes, a lot of manufacturers have even made smaller sizes that are perfect quantities for most mosaic tile back splash installations. 

Now that we have all our materials figured, here is a checklist to make sure you have all the materials you will need to install, or have purchased for your tile installation contractor, for a mosaic tile back splash.

• 1/4" or 1/2" Tile Backer board
• 1 1/4" Screws Designed For Tile Backer board
• Thin Set Mortar or Tile Adhesive
• Mosaic Tile
• Grout
• Grout Sealer

Now that we have the materials needed for a mosaic tile back splash, and the quantities of materials needed to complete the project, it will be good to know the time frame required to install the back splash.  Given the nature of any tile project, it is good information to know when installing a mosaic tile back splash, or when hiring a mosaic tile back splash installer.  It is generally going to take 2-3 days to complete a mosaic tile back splash.  Although it is a small bathroom remodelling project, you will want to follow manufacturers suggested waiting times for allowing mortar and grout to cure properly.  Installing the backer board should take about 1-2 hours, and installing the mosaic tile will take another 2-4 hours.  After installing the tile, you will want to wait on average 24 hours before grouting the tile, check manufacturers recommended waiting times to be sure.  After grouting, most grout sealer manufacturers will want another 16-24 hours for the grout to set before applying the sealer, however there are additives you can put into the grout, that will include the sealer into the grout.  Again, follow manufacturers recommendations to determine what is best for your mosaic tile back splash project, and proper waiting times before sealing the grout.

Now that we have gone through the process for installing a mosaic tile back splash, your probably wondering what the finished product will look like.  It's also helpful to see some finished mosaic tile back splashes first hand, to make sure this is something you will want in your home's bathroom.  Here are some photos of some of our most recent mosaic tile back splashes:

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Now that we have seen what the finished product looks like, you should now know if this project is right for your bathroom or not. A mosaic tile back splash can be a great, affordable bathroom remodel project for any homeowner, that will enhance the overall appeal of the bathroom.  Having the knowledge of what materials to purchase, how to figure for the quantities of materials need, and the time frame for installing a mosaic tile back splash is helpful information for any homeowner, whether you doing it yourself, or hiring a bathroom remodelling contractor. 

 

We hope this blog post on mosaic tile back splashes has been informative and helpful, and please feel free to comment with more information or ideas for new blog post.  Best of luck with your next bathroom remodel project, and if your looking for a bathroom remodelling contractor in the Charlotte, NC area, contact MB Construction Company for a free estimate. Thanks for reading and stay tuned to our blog for more home improvement ideas, tips, information, and more.

 

 

MB Construction Company
224 Prescott Drive
Salisbury, NC 28144
Phone: 704-267-7763
Website: http://www.mbconstructioncompany.com

Home Improvement Services | Kitchen and Bath Remodelling | Flooring Installers | Tile Installers | Handyman Services | Rental Home Maintenance | Painting Services | Home Repairs | Porcelain Tile Installers | Mosaic Tile Back Splash Installers | Charlotte NC | Concord NC | Salisbury NC | Kannapolis NC | Mooresville NC | Rowan County NC | Mecklenburg County NC | Cabarrus County NC | Iredell County NC | Home Improvement Blogger |



Kitchen Remodeling Ideas - Installing Porcelain Tile

Kitchen Remodeling Ideas - Advantages of Installing Porcelain Tile

Porcelain Tile Adds Value to Kitchens When Selling Your Home

New flooring is always one of the most popular home improvement projects when homeowners are considering remodelling. One of the most popular rooms in the home to remodel is the kitchen.  Many homeowners and families spend a lot of time in the kitchen area cooking, eating, and hosting guests for food and drinks, thus making it prone to spills and dirt.  Also many homes have entrances into the kitchen area, making it a high traffic area in the home.  All things considered a durable and easy to clean flooring product in the kitchen can add tremendous value to the home.  One of the most durable flooring products for the kitchen is porcelain tile.  The point of this blog post is to point out the advantages of porcelain tile in the kitchen, how it adds value to the home, and the many selections of tile products, patterns, and colors.

Lets first start with the advantages of installing porcelain tile in your kitchen. One major advantage of installing porcelain tile in the kitchen is that it is easy to clean.  Most porcelain tile flooring products have a smooth non-porous veneer, making it difficult for drinks and food products to stain the surface of the tile. This veneer also makes it easy to sweep, wipe, mop, and clean the surface area. With all the cooking, pouring of liquids, and cleaning of dishes and cooking utensils, the kitchen is more prone to spills and dirt then any other area of the house.  It is an advantage to any homeowner who does a lot of cooking to have an easy to clean flooring surface. 

Another major advantage of installing porcelain tile in the kitchen is its durability.  With the kitchen being one of the most high traffic areas in the home, the hard surface makes it hold up for a lot longer time then many other flooring products. Even in a high traffic area of the home, many porcelain tile manufacturers guarantee up to 50 years of use out of tile flooring products.  50 years is a lot longer then the average amount of time a homeowner will stay in a particular home. The long lifespan of porcelain tile also beats other popular kitchen flooring products by 25 years or more in most cases. Due to the long lifespan of porcelain tile flooring products, porcelain tile can cost a little more upfront to install, however the durability far outweighs initial upfront cost in the long run.

Considering all the advantages of porcelain tile, it is easy to see why it adds value to the home. A new home buyer takes into consideration the fact, that with a tile floor they are probably not going to have to ever replace the tile. Porcelain tile is also a very popular flooring product in today's housing market.  Having porcelain tile already installed in your home, can make it stand out against other homes on the market, that have less durable flooring products in the kitchen. Many prospective home buyers take this into consideration when making there decision on which home to buy.  In subdivisions where many homes look the same, and have the same building products inside, differentiating your home with porcelain tile in the kitchen, can be the deciding factor in your home selling before another.

Last but not least, another selling point of porcelain tile is the many different styles, sizes, colors, and patterns which can be used when installing porcelain tile in the kitchen.  This gives homeowners a lot more options to be creative when doing a kitchen remodel.  Although the running bond pattern is probably the most popular tile pattern, staggering the grout lines and running the tile on an angle can really make a good tile product stand out even more.  Take a look at one of our recent porcelain tile installations, and see how this pattern can really make an already good looking tile flooring product, look even better.

As you can see, this pattern really makes this good looking porcelain tile product stand out even more.  Although it is personal choice on what you like in your home, tile patterns can really make a big difference in the overall look.

In conclusion, porcelain tile is an excellent home improvement, and kitchen remodel idea. The many advantages of porcelain tile such as the durability, ease to clean, and lifespan of the product make it a great home improvement project for any homeowner.  Also, adding value to the home is always a good home improvement project. Then with all the styles, colors, patterns, and sizes of porcelain tile, it gives homeowners many more options to be creative when remodelling their kitchen areas.  We hope this blog has sparked some kitchen remodelling ideas in homeowners minds, in addition to giving some information on porcelain tile products, and why they are one of the most popular kitchen flooring products on the market. 

Thanks for reading our blog, and please feel free to comment to us with more ideas for blog post.  If your a homeowner in the Charlotte NC area, we welcome you to give us a call for a free estimate on installing porcelain tile in your kitchen, and best of luck on all your future home improvement projects.

MB Construction Company
224 Prescott Drive
Salisbury, NC 28144
Phone: 704-267-7763
Website: http://www.mbconstructioncompany.com

Home Improvement Services | Kitchen and Bath Remodelling | Flooring Installers | Tile Installers | Handyman Services | Rental Home Maintenance | Painting Services | Home Repairs | Porcelain Tile Installers | Charlotte NC | Concord NC | Salisbury NC | Kannapolis NC | Mooresville NC | Rowan County NC | Mecklenburg County NC | Cabarrus County NC | Iredell County NC | Home Improvement Blogger |

Bathroom Remodelling Ideas - Tile Showers

Bathroom Remodelling Ideas - Tile Showers

Tile Showers Are a Great Way to Change Your Bathroom's Look

As a home improvement contractor in the Charlotte NC area, one of the bigger markets in the United States, we often get calls from homeowners who want to remodel their bathrooms, but are stumped for ideas on really changing the look of their bathroom.  Being on the construction side of things, versus the interior design side, we are often stumped as well. Interior designers are better in asking questions to find out what homeowners are really looking for, however hiring a interior designers can often push many homeowners over there bathroom remodelling budgets.  So the purpose of this article is to share the story of a popular bathroom remodelling idea, that we are getting a lot of calls to estimate and install.  Tile showers seem to be popular, at least in our area of the country, and they really do make a positive, yet drastic change in the look of homeowners bathroom.

With many homes in the Charlotte area being built during the housing boom of the early 2000's, a lot of homes are tract homes, with every house in the neighborhood having the same bathroom fixtures and design.  Bathrooms are often overlooked by builders, and very little time is spent on the design and construction of them, making them one of the more popular home improvement projects in the Charlotte, NC area. Most homes often have a standard tub/shower combo, with a boring appeal to many homeowners, making a tile shower really set your home apart from your neighbors. In addition to making your home more saleable, if you decide to sale, a tile shower can also get you many compliment from friends and family when they visit your home.

Another advantage to incorporating a tile shower in your bathroom remodelling project, is the wide variety of styles, colors, patterns, and shapes of tile.  Tile also has a variety of different textures, which gives homeowners even more options, when selecting tile for their bathroom remodelling project. Ceramic and porcelain tile are the most popular tile textures, however in recent years natural stone has become very popular as well. In addition to being able to choose from all these options, mixing tile styles, colors, and shapes; adds even more options for creativity by the homeowner. Check out some of these pictures from a recent bathroom remodel we did for a homeowner in the Charlotte NC area.

 

 

As you can see from the photos, the homeowners in both pictures have used a combination of tile size, color, and trim pieces. It also seen how different patterns can differentiate the look of tile as well. We also must note, these where homeowners design ideas, we only did the installation. In addition to providing the installation services, once a homeowner knows what they want to do, we can provide the estimating and material list for purchasing the tile.

 

In conclusion, tile showers are a great way to change the look of your bathroom, giving homeowners many options to make their bathroom a unique room in the house.  So whether your using an interior designer or doing the design yourself, a tile shower is a great bathroom remodelling project.  If you are a homeowner in the Charlotte, NC area looking to install a tile shower, and need help in estimating, purchasing, and installing a tile shower, contact MB Construction Company through any of the methods listed below. Be sure to stay tuned to our Charlotte NC Home Improvement blog for more ideas and tips on home remodelling project.

 

 

MB Construction Company
224 Prescott Drive
Salisbury, NC 28144
Phone: 704-267-7763
Website: http://www.mbconstructioncompany.com

Home Improvement Services | Kitchen and Bath Remodelling | Flooring Installers | Tile Installers | Handyman Services | Rental Home Maintenance | Painting Services | Home Repairs | Charlotte NC | Concord NC | Salisbury NC | Kannapolis NC | Mooresville NC | Rowan County NC | Mecklenburg County NC | Cabarrus County NC | Iredell County NC | Home Improvement Blogger |

 



 

Flooring Your Home For Less

Ways To Save On Flooring Cost In Charlotte NC

Tips for saving money when installing new floors in your home.

Flooring is always one of the largest sections, in the big box home improvement stores located in the Charlotte, NC area.  There are a couple of reasons why there is always a large selection of flooring products in the home improvement stores.  One reason is many homes have products like carpet and linoleum, which need replacing and upgrading within 7-10 years, making replacement needs one of the top reasons.  Another reason flooring is such a popular section in the home improvement stores is that it can drastically change the look of a room or home.   Flooring products are often one of the more affordable home improvement products on the market, as customers are continually upgrading and replacing flooring on a regular basis.  With all these factors in mind, you can see why re-flooring your home, is one of the most popular ways to improve your home. 

With all the flooring products out there in the Charlotte, NC market, customers can easily get duped into paying a lot more then market value for reflooring their homes.  Large selections in home improvement stores unfortunately lend to sales pitches that might not always be honest.   For example, a lot of home improvement stores in the Charlotte area like to sell the installation with the flooring product.  This in my opinion is a great way to market and sell your products, however big home improvement stores will advertise $.99/square foot installation prices.  When you get to reading the fine print on the $.99/square foot installation prices, you see then that on top of installation cost there is also demolition cost for removing the old flooring product, cost for molding installation, and other expensive upgrades to complete the flooring job right.  Although, $.99/square foot installation, additional cost of services to complete the flooring project properly, come as upgrades in many home improvement stores.  Many homeowners do not know that there is often a lot more experienced flooring installer, that will do the price for a lot less, eliminating the big box home improvement store from getting their middle man fees and commissions.  So how can homeowners save money on flooring cost?

There are a few different ways that homeowners can lower their flooring cost.  The first way homeowners can save money is by starting with a budget.  A good flooring budget can help you spend less in the long run.  In preparing to write a flooring budget, a homeowner is going to need to know how to measure and calculate square footage.  To get the square footage of the room, simply measure the length and width of the room, then multiply the two number together. The formula for square footage is:

Length x Width = Square Footage (Example: 6'L x 6'W = 36 square feet)

It is important to know the square footage because this will let you know how much flooring material to buy, and flooring installers like to quote labor prices using square footage.  Having this little bit of knowledge will not only help you budget, it will also let you check the honesty of your flooring installer as well.  Most flooring contractors will add about 10% to the square foot total for material as a waste factor, however they should be upfront and honest and show this 10% in their equation.  For larger areas and more detailed products, this waste factor may be a little higher than 10%, however the waste factor for most flooring products is within a 10%-15% range.  Anything higher should call for questioning.

Another cost often forgotten in the shuffle of shopping for new flooring is the trim pieces like the quarter round, transition strips, or baseboard.  Its good to write down the dimensions of all your rooms, as you will use them to calculate the linear footage of trim materials needed.  Knowing these cost will also help you get a true budget, and no surprise material cost popping up later. You will also need some semi-gloss paint for your wood trim as well, so make sure to count in a quart, or gallon of paint as well. Flooring contractors will generally charge for trim work separately, with modest installation rates that range from $0.75/foot, all the way up to $7.00/foot for more detailed trim pieces. Typical quarter round and shoe mold installation should be on the low end of the spectrum.

The second way homeowners can save money is by being patient. Shopping for building materials can be a tedious process, especially when its a finish material like flooring. Hundreds of different designs in every category of flooring.  Once you have decided you wanted tile flooring instead of hardwood flooring, then you have thousands of tile pieces, with hundreds of different free tile patterns for homeowners to download. Being patient in this process of picking materials, can save you a lot of money, as you will be more patient in waiting to find the material you like, at the price you budgeted for.  If your a good planner, you can watch the retailers with big tile flooring selections, and try to catch the tile flooring material you like on sale. Big box retailers have sales not only on the cheap tiles, but they run sales on tiles expensive as special order tiles.

In summary, to floor your home for less, the 3 key components to saving money is how to measure, having a budget, and shopping research. Knowing how to measure insures your not getting ripped off, and input for ordering materials. Making a budget is essential to saving money on flooring cost. Another good thing to do is put your work out for bid to a couple contractors as well, however finding a good contractor can make another article all in itself.   We hope this blog post has been both informative and helpful for anyone reading it. If you are a Charlotte, NC area homeowner looking to install new flooring, then give MB Construction Company a call for a free estimate.

Thanks for reading, and be sure to comment with new ideas for blog post.

Authored by:


Brad Basinger
MB Construction Company
224 Prescott Drive
Salisbury, NC 28144
Phone: 704-267-7763
Website: http://www.mbconstructioncompany.com

Home Improvement Services | Kitchen and Bath Remodelling | Flooring Installers | Tile Installers | Handyman Services | Rental Home Maintenance | Painting Services | Home Repairs | Charlotte NC | Concord NC | Salisbury NC | Kannapolis NC | Mooresville NC | Rowan County NC | Mecklenburg County NC | Cabarrus County NC | Iredell County NC | Home Improvement Blogger |

Changing Your Home's Look With New Paint

Changing Your Home's Look With New Paint & How to Hire a Contractor

Why painting is a top home improvement project in the Charlotte NC area.

Painting is ranked as one of the top 5 home improvement projects, listed by many popular home improvement magazines, when polling customers on home improvement projects they're likely to do within the next year or so.  Not only is painting a more affordable home improvement project versus other home improvement projects, it is also a project some homeowners can, and often enjoy doing themselves.  With big box retailers packaging tools together to lower prices, homeowners can often buy all of the required painting tools to do a room for under $100, or entire home for under $150.   Home improvement stores in the Charlotte, NC area are always running sales on paint, so materials for a painting project are often very affordable, easy to estimate for, and easy to transport.  With a $400-$500 budget, a homeowner can change the look of their home drastically, improve living space, and when painted in neutral colors, improve the "sale-ability" of your home as well.  Painting is a general maintenance requirement on most exterior siding products, in addition to a large variety of interior projects

There are many reasons why homeowners paint their homes. General maintenance is one of the most popular, however there is a number of other reasons why homeowners want to paint their home.  Sometimes a new homeowner will paint a new home before they even move furniture in, just because they had a different vision for the interior design scheme, then the previous homeowner did. Then there is the homeowner whose kids have grown up, and stopped drawing on the walls, and want new colors in the kids rooms, and paint over crayon marks in the hallway. Rental home landlords and investors, also generally have policies that include painting a rental unit, as one of the requirements for preparing a unit for a new tenant.  Most everybody reading this blog has been in a home improvement warehouse retailer and seen the size of the paint section. Then you also have paint manufacturers like Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore for example, that have brick and mortar stores to sell their own paint. With such a competitive market for paint suppliers, it has kept the cost of paint low, and homeowners interested in changing their home's look for a few hundred bucks.

The do it yourself homeowner, generally doesn't have a problem painting a room or two in the house, but lets face it, if you've ever painted, you know how tedious and time consuming it can be.  Not to mention frustrating, when you have to put 2 or 3 coats on because you didn't really know what you were doing when you got into painting.  A flat wall paint probably wouldn't give a rookie painter to much of a problem, however eggshell and matte finishes are more common then flat finishes in today's market.  Eggshell and matte paint products can show every brush mark and also roller marks, if your not experienced in painting with the products.  For these reasons, homeowners will generally call a paint contractor or a general contractor, and let them use their professional experience to give their painting project a better finish and overall better look.  Professional painters not only get the paint to finish better, they also make the painting surface look a lot better as well. Most painters can caulk and do light drywall finishing work, when they know a flaw in the material will show through worse with a colored surface. 

So what do you want to look for when hiring a painting contractor?

Well first you want to locate one through either the Internet, newspaper, radio, word or mouth, or any other form or marketing.  Nowadays, a lot of people simply do a google search, and get the same results as going to the newspaper.  Usually the contractors on top, have put some time and effort into marketing their websites, and are rewarded in the search results by being at the top.  Well maintained and updated websites always show up first in all the search engines.  It's a good idea to call 3-5 contractors, to make sure that your getting a fair market price.  Most of the bids are usually priced within a few hundred dollars, then its up to you to choose which contractor you felt the most comfortable with during the estimating process. 

You should also no be afraid to ask questions, and if the sales person can't answer your questions, then you probably have an experienced contractor doing the estimate. Experience pays in painting, and they often have better equipment, and knowledge on how to get the job done right, and in a timely manner. 

Another good idea is to look for a contractor that is going to do it in the time frame you need them to get the job done.  Another good thing is to ask them for pictures of previous work if they don't have a website displaying their work. 

In addition to asking questions, you should also search the company online, and check social media review sites like Yelp and Google+, and look for reviews of the company.  Sometimes no reviews is a good sign as well.  People generally only leave excellent and poor reviews, so if you see a poor review, you can be sure that contractor did something really bad, to make the customer exert the energy of writing and publishing a bad review.  Social media is a double edge sword for many businesses, and it is no different in the home improvement industry as well. The marketing benefits of advertising on social media brings more customers, however a bad review can kill your business as well.  To avoid bad reviews at MB Construction Company of Salisbury, NC, we simply provide quality installation services, and document our work, by displaying it on our website.  Our workers know that every job is a website photo job, so they pay attention to every detail, to give the best possible home improvement service possible.

So no matter which way you go, to do it yourself, or to hire a painting contractor, there is a lot more to take into account then just buying paint and brushes.  If your going to do it yourself, I would recommend going to one of the free classes on painting at the home improvement warehouses like Lowe's, and Home Depot.  We hope this blog post has been informative for readers looking to do home improvements this year with spring cleaning. So if your looking for a home improvement contractor in the Charlotte NC area, then give MB Construction Company a call at 704-267-7763 or visit us on the web at: http://www.mbconstructioncompany.com 

Please comment and discuss painting tips. We also encourage readers to leave ideas for blog post topics. If we don't provide the service, it doesn't mean we can't research it, and get a good, general information knowledge of the home improvement service.

 
Authored by:

Brad Basinger
MB Construction Company
224 Prescott Drive 
Salisbury, NC 28144
Phone: 704-267-7763
Website: http://www.mbconstructioncompany.com

Home Improvement Services | Kitchen and Bath Remodelling | Flooring Installers | Tile Installers | Handyman Services | Rental Home Maintenance | Painting Services | Home Repairs | Charlotte NC | Concord NC | Salisbury NC | Kannapolis NC | Mooresville NC | Rowan County NC | Mecklenburg County NC | Cabarrus County NC | Iredell County NC | Home Improvement Blogger |