Behold, the Mason Jar! #HomeDeco #DIY

Never underestimate the power of a Mason jar in DIY projects!

Here is a simple summer party decorating idea, brought to you by the lovely ladies of theinspiredroom.net.  

The Starfish and Jute Mason Jar:

* Wrap some jute (twine) around the mouth of the jar

* Tie on a starfish (or shell, or sandollar...get the picture?)

* Pour some epsom salt in the bottom of the jar (or, if you’re lucky, genuine sand!)

* Place tea light inside Now you’re ready for a fun summer BBQ on the patio, evening cocktail party, or reception! For a different effect, try using a blue Mason jar, instead of the traditional clear glass.

VOILA!

[Image by trekkyandy]

5 Kitchen Decorating Tips (Inspired by a Beach Coast Near You!)

You can bring the beauty of the ocean to your kitchen regardless of whether you can smell the sea breeze from your backyard, or the closest body of water is a plane ride away.  

Here are 5 take away tips to decorating your kitchen coastal style!

1. Consider your color palette: blues, greens, beige...think beach colors!

2.  Ever heard of beach glass?  Collect some in a clear glass jar and display anywhere!  Or you can get even more creative and have a colored glass tabletop installed.

3.  Seating Options: don’t be afraid to “mix and match” chairs- different types of chairs, and even a bench can add to the relaxed vibe of your new kitchen.

4.  Choose a variety of fabrics for window treatments and upholstery.  Remember, things have to “go” together, not necessarily “match.”

5.  Embrace Texture: A beautiful wood table or sideboard from a yard sale or even beautiful wood bowls or accessories can be a texture substitute if you have tile floors, for example.

[Image by Loren Szatager]

Some of Your Many Flooring Choices

Whether hardwood, stone or tile, the trend is clear: bigger is better.  

When it comes to hardwood, deep colored, wide-plank boards are growing in popularity for those desiring an exotic look.  New England colonials show the antique beauty of wide-board as well.  For pine floors, widths up to 20 inches and lengths as long as 11 feet are particularly nice for this slow-growing wood, allowing their tighter and denser grains to be seen without interruption.  

In high-moisture areas or hotter climates, tile floors are ideal.  Tile slabs can be made as large as two feet.  Larger-scale homes hold large tile well, however they can also be used to make a large room smaller. Wider tiles can also be used to tighten a wide hallway.

Call the flooring experts at Carpet Wagon at 1(877) 59-WAGON to schedule a free at home consultation and estimate.

How to Go Green in Every Season #Eco-Friendly #Flooring

In Winter as in Summer, in Fall as in Spring, you can be “green” all year around by making environmentally responsible choices with your flooring. There are many routes to take. Here are a few:

Choose Recycled Material:  

It is becoming more popular for carpet companies to use recycled material or renewable natural fibers in their carpet products.  The core of laminate floors can also be made of recycled material such as old tires or plastics.

Choose Natural Materials:

Choosing stone inlays, hardwood from carbon-neutral trees, or wool carpets are options for natural floors and a smart way to create an organic floor.

Choose Healthy Material:

For many, a green choice is one that reduces the need for unhealthy cleaning chemicals.  Certain floors reduce the amount of bacteria (resilient tile), mold (cork wood), and allergens (wool carpet) which commonly thrive in your household without notice.

[Image by Gianni Dominici]

Ask the Experts: Flooring and Housing Re-sale Values?

Thanks to Beyond the Welcome Mat for this post!

Question: Is tile or laminate better for resale value of a beach house?

Answer: Tile is always a great choice for any home as it is considered a “permanent floor” thus increasing the value of the home. Also, considering that a beach house is going to deal with above average moisture and salt due to the water and air, you’ll want to go with a floor that is designed to handle the challenges of a beach environment. Laminates are very nice; though not quite as permanent and will not hold up as well to constant moisture as tile will. Go with the tile, the price point is a little higher to begin with but you can consider it a worth-while investment in the long run.

Question: The carpet in our current house is not great, but not terrible either. We’ve had it professionally cleaned, but is worn with some imperfections around vents, banister, hallways, etc. Our plan is that we are hoping to put our house on the market within the next 12 months. If we replace the carpet now will we be very likely to recoup that money in resale value in a year?

Answer: There are many different things to consider here: on the one hand the smell and look of new carpet will definitely show your house better and eliminate another reminder that folks aren’t looking at a new house. However, some buyers may have their own remodeling plans, or they may think they will tear out the carpet and replace it with wood or tile. The best rule of thumb is that in a tough housing market the issue is not so much recovering your money, but rather, making any kind of sale. Anything you can do to make your house show will is critical. Cheap carpet will show as cheap carpet, sort of like new tires on a used car. It’s a quick fix, and may make people wonder if you’re hiding something.

I’d recommend that if your carpet is worn out enough to warrant replacement that you go with middle-range quality carpet, not the cheap stuff. Another thing to consider is the color. Most real estate agents recommend lighter, neutral colors for carpeting. Cream color, light taupe, and soft brown are popular colors for resale homes. If your current carpet is too bold or dark a color you may also benefit from carpet replacement.

Contact Carpet Wagon (1-877-59-WAGON) to schedule a personalized appointment in your home. We’d love to help you with all your flooring questions and needs.

[ image by Skagman ]

Wallet-Wise: Saving Money with Resilient Flooring

Building or remodeling on a budget can be tough, but with just a little research you can find quick and easy ways to create beautiful and durable floors.  Resilient flooring is one of those ways.  Full of money and time-saving perks, resilient materials include vinyl, linoleum and rubber.  

Here are some quick facts on why resilient is the way to be wallet-wise.

• Instead of emptying your wallet at the rock and marble quarry, choose resilient tiles which can easily simulate rock and marble design for cheap.
• Labor costs can get high when looking to re-floor a room or two.  Luckily, resilient products are an easy do-it-yourself option, often sold in rolls or squares that can be applied with colored grout.
• It can be heart-breaking to slowly watch your expensive wood warp in your home’s high-moisture areas.  Avoid the agony by flooring those kitchen, bath and laundry rooms with resilient material.

Call the experts at Carpet Wagon at 1(877) 59-WAGON for a free at home consultation and estimate!

(image by borman818)

What are the Perks of Hardwood Flooring?

 

What are the perks of hardwood floors?  Here are three.

Perk #1 “Change is cheap.” 

The first perk of hardwood flooring is the natural design on each plank.  Mother Nature is the artist here making each piece different in terms of grain, color and highlight.  

Perk #2 “Easy up-keep.” 

The second perk of hardwood flooring is an important one for those of us in need of a remodel. Spare change is hard to come by in our current economic climate.  Luckily, the mood of a room can be easily modified by sanding and applying a re-coat of a darker stain or paint.  A simple inlay of stone or tile within your wood floor will give you something new without dramatically affecting your finances.

Perk #3 "Mom's love it!"

This third perk is music to the busy-mom’s ears.  Grape juice won’t absorb into a wood floor like it would carpet.  Muddy paws on wood will require a quick mop or sweep, saving you money on a carpet cleaner.  

 

[image by trekkyandy]

What is the Best Way to Clean Your Hardwood Floor?

One of the great perks of hardware floors is their easy-to-clean factor, but what is the best way to clean your floor without damaging the wood?  

First, what to avoid:  Vacuuming hardwood, although quick and efficient, will scratch the surface causing it to look uneven and damaged over time.  Choosing to make a homemade cleaning product such as water and vinegar will eat away at your finish due to its high acid content. Without a strong finish, your floor is more susceptible to scratches, dents and corrosion.

While a damp mop may seem like a solution to the acid problem, unfortunately the water will still cause deterioration to the finish and wood.   

So what does work?  A gentle sweep with a soft-bristled broom will clear dust and debris, keeping the wood shiny.  For deeper cleaning, it is best to use a wood-specific cleaner on a terry-cloth mop.

[image by Plutor]

Why Wool Works (for the Busy Mom)

The score is Kids: 10, Carpet: 0.  

Muddy shoes and grape juice should not be taking up the little time you have.  

Why Wool Works: the structure of the carpet will initially resist liquid, giving time for your child to get your attention and blot the spill.  A quick vacuuming will pull the dirt and the fibers of the carpet up, making it easy to clean and freshen your room in an instant.

Still not convinced?  Well, here are some more quick facts:

+ Wool is naturally resistant to flame, protecting you and your family from a small fire spreading.

+ Family members who suffer from dust allergies tend to have difficulty in carpeted area.  Wool carpet, however, captures floating dust and will keep it in it’s fibers until it’s vacuumed.

+ Families desiring to live green can rest assured that this sustainable and natural fiber is one of the best eco-solutions for carpet.  The sheep are happy to share! 

 

[ image by cmoore1x1 ]

Why Wool Works (for the Environmentalist)

 

The Green Age is upon us, and it’s about time.  Drive hybrid, compost, reduce, reuse, recycle! One second, though.  Take a look under your recycled tire shoes and ask yourself this question: Is my carpet choice a “green” choice?

 

Why Wool Works: Every year, a fresh batch of wool is sheered and shipped into the international textile industry.  We’re not taking anything we can’t have, the sheep are happy to share.  

 

This naturally renewable fibre is growing in popularity throughout the world.  British environmentalist, The Prince of Wales, has begun the Campaign for Wool to spread the word on the material’s eco-friendly aspects and the importance of it’s use.  

 

So get up from your bio-degradable egg-carton couch and call Carpet Wagon to order your wool carpet today! 1-877-59-WAGON

 

[image by Linh Ngân ]

 

 

 

 

Why Wool Works (for the Hostess and her Guests)

House-hunting ended successfully; you found yourself the perfect home for hosting.  With a big kitchen for dinners, the perfect deck for late-summer barbecues and open living room for cocktail parties, you are sending out Evites before you’ve looked down:  

What will all those guests do to your floors?   

Allow me to set the scene in your living room.  

Scenario 1: 

Your guests are mingling in the living room but conversation is hard-heard as sound bounces off your wooden floors.  

Why Wool Works: Wool carpet in your living room will absorb sound and lessen the cacophony of music and conversation.

Scenario 2: 

Your feisty feline startles a guest and her glass of red wine soaks your white carpet. 

Why Wool Works: The fiber structure of wool naturally resists the initial absorption of liquid, giving you time to blot and saving your guest from a guilt-ridden party-foul.  

Scenario 3: 

Your dinner parties have the habit of ending in dance parties and stomping stilettos have been hard on your floors.  

Why Wool Works: The bounce-back of a wool carpet helps reduce the flattening and footfall paths created in high-traffic areas and on make-shift dance floors.

Consider British Wool for your living room and enjoy care-free hosting!

 

[ Image by Siona Watson ]

Keeping Your Carpet Looking Fresh and New #expertadvice

Easy Carpet Care and Maintenance: Vacuuming!  

The most important step in caring for your carpet is vacuuming.  Vacuum throughly and frequently, particularly in high traffic areas.  Bear in mind that walking on soiled carpet permits the soil particles to work their way below the surface of the pile where they are far more difficult to remove and can damage the fibers.  Frequent vacuuming removes these particles from the surface before this happens.    

For rooms with light traffic, vacuum the traffic lanes twice weekly and the entire area once weekly.  Those areas with heavier traffic require that the traffic lanes be vacuumed daily and the entire area twice weekly.  Up to three passes of the machine will suffice for light soiling, but up to five or seven passes are necessary for heavily soiled areas.  Change the vacuuming direction occasionally to help stand the pile upright and reduce matting.

How Do I Keep My Carpet Looking Great After A Spill? #expertadvice

Question:

A friend of mine spilled on my carpet.  I cleaned it with my regular carpet spray, which removed the stain, but now it's flat in that spot!  Any advice?

 

Answer:

This is more common problem than you'd think.  Luckily there is an easy solution.  Simply spray Scotch Guard onto the affected area to restore body and stiffness.  Follow the instructions on the Scotch Guard can.   Another option: if you know the manufacturer of your carpet you can call their technical department for recommendations of products you can purchase for spot cleaning that can help you avoid this problem in the future.

 

Call Carpet Wagon at 1(877) 59-WAGON to schedule a free at home consultation and estimate.