Monday, August 26, 2019

5 Popular Types of Flooring for Your Home

By Niko Papaheraklis

So, you’re thinking of changing your flooring, but you’re not sure what all your options are. Well, we’ve got you covered! Below, we’ve listed out the most popular types of flooring, the cost of each, their pros and cons, and where each type is best suited in your home.

1. Wood Floor

Hardwood floor is popular for a good reason! It looks great and has great resale value. They’re easy to clean and maintain, and usually only require vacuuming or sweeping. It’s easy to add any type of furniture to the space, so your design options are vast.

Wood floor is perfect for living rooms because it’s stylish and can remain protected since it’s not a high traffic area.

The largest drawback when it comes to wood floor is the cost. Depending on the type of hardwood you go with, it could cost you between $3 and $12 per square foot. And on top of that, you will need to pay to get it installed. A couple of other cons is that they can be loud to walk on and are cold in the winter months.

2. Laminate

Probably the best thing about laminate flooring is that it doesn’t easily scratch. The next best thing is that it can look like real wood or tile. Just like hard wood floor, laminate is easy to clean and is great for pets since they can’t scratch it.

Costwise, you’re looking at anywhere between $0.50 to $3 per square foot, plus the cost of installation. The best rooms for laminate flooring is in high traffic areas because of its durability. The downside to laminate is that if it gets ruined, you can’t refinish it.

3. Vinyl

If you like floor that is quiet and easy on your feet, you’ll love vinyl. However, vinyl doesn’t look as good as the real thing, and it tends to dent and tear easily. The cost of vinyl can be as low as $1 and as high as $5 per square foot. Vinyl is a great option for laundry rooms as it can reduce the noise from laundry machines.

4. Tile

Durability and scratch resistant is what tile is best known for. It’s water resistant and comes in a variety of sizes and materials. Plus, it’s not difficult to clean and doesn’t stain all that easily. Due to the variety of tiles, the price can range from $1 to $20 per square foot.

The downside to tile is that it can be very loud to walk on and it’s cold in the winter. And if your tile cracks, it can be difficult to repair. The best rooms for tile would be bathrooms or kitchens, or any space where food and drinks spill frequently.

5. Carpeting

With a wide range of styles, textures and designs, carpet offers homeowners a lot of versatility. Living rooms, Stairs, bedrooms, family rooms – carpet can be laid down in nearly any place of the home.

Here are some pluses and minuses of carpeting.
  • It provides warmth and comfort to your home
  • It is available in limitless colors and styles
  • It tends to dampen noise
  • It requires significant maintenance
  • It easily attracts dirt and stains
  • It generally does not last as long as other flooring materials
At Finecraft Contractors, if you can imagine it, we can build it. If you have a renovation idea or want to remodel sections of your home, call us at 301-330-9191 and we’ll give you a thoroughly thought out estimate.

George Papaheraklis is the founder of FineCraft Contractors, Inc., located in Gaithersburg, MD. Since 1985, FineCraft has been building houses, additions, kitchens, baths and more for discerning families. Their blog can be seen at https://finecraftcontractors.com/blog/ and they can be reached at 301-330-9191.

FineCraft Contractors Becomes an Affiliate Member of AIADC

GAITHERSBURG, MD: FineCraft Contractors, Inc., (https://finecraftcontractors.com/) has become an affiliate member of the Washington DC Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

The American Institute of Architects in DC (AIADC) was founded in 1887 and serves the Nation’s Capital. This chapter was intimately involved in the design and planning of the Washington area, and continues to be actively involved in city development today.

Being a member of AIADC means that FineCraft is a part of a global community of 94,000 professionals, and they have the privilege to be connected with opportunities to continually improve their profession and make a larger impact with their services.

Jimena Layton, a past client of FineCraft Contractors stated, “Finecraft contractors is a well-rounded professional company in the DC area. Their crew is highly skilled and the staff has superb customer service. Every project we have seen has exceeded our expectations. It is hard to find a building company with such high attention to detail. Working with the FineCraft family makes your experience enjoyable and gratifying.”

Another past client, Joseph Richardson, said, “This was my first experience working with George of FineCraft. He is a professional who listens, asks intelligent questions, and proposes great solutions based on his years of experience in the industry. The quality of FineCraft’s work is high, and the staff is friendly and responsive. I strongly recommend George and the FineCraft team.”

George Papaheraklis is the founder of FineCraft Contractors, Inc., located in Gaithersburg, MD. Since 1985, FineCraft has been building houses, additions, kitchens, baths and more for discerning families. Their blog can be seen at https://finecraftcontractors.com/blog/ and they can be reached at 301-330-9191.

Thursday, August 8, 2019

3 Common Tree Problems

By Nancy Penrose

How many times have you looked at your trees, saw something off and thought, “hmm… is that normal?” And then forgot about it or decided to put it off? Even if this happened to you just once, it’s time to learn the three most common tree problems, so when you see it, you can get it fixed as soon as possible.

1. Scorched Leaves

Overexposure to harsh sunlight can cause leaves to get scorched. This is evidenced by leaves that are dehydrated and look brown, shriveled and burned. To help prevent this from happening, increase watering and add mulch for protection.

2. Improper Pruning

Most commonly, improper pruning is when trees are overly trimmed or are severely under-trimmed. No matter the case, the tree can have a hard time absorbing water and breathing properly.

3. Wilted Leaves

Leaves that are wilted lose their shape and look lifeless. This is caused by water loss and drought is often the reason behind wilted leaves. You can remedy this by relocating the plant to an area with less sunlight or increasing the watering.

These are just three of the most common tree problems. At Big Trees, we are fully trained on all types of diseases and issues trees can have, and we know exactly how to remedy them. Just contact us today at (866) 313-2333 and we’ll take a look at your tree to give you the best recommendation.

Nancy Penrose is owner of Big Trees Inc. (https://bigtreesupply.com/), (tree nursery Snohomish, WA), one of the largest Seattle tree nurseries, specializing in large trees for sale and transplant tree service. Learn more about tree preservation at https://bigtreesupply.com/tree-care-maintenance/ and for more tips on tree care or installation go to privacytree.net. See our video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6vVhNW1XJI and connect with us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Big-Trees-Inc/193731105108.

Big Trees Inc. Installs Large Japanese Maple for Client

SNOHOMISH, WA: Big Trees Inc., (https://bigtreesupply.com/), a tree sales and transplant company, helped install a large Japanese Maple into a landscape for their clients under short notice, and the project went off without a hitch.

Big Trees was approached by their clients asking for help with a special, new specimen tree for a focal point in their garden. They were having a significant event in the near future and were hoping to have the tree delivered and installed as soon as possible to maintain their current schedule of events.

After walking through the lanes and aisles of the nursery, the clients found one of the larger red Japanese Maples to be the tree to install. The tree is 17-feet tall and 10-feet wide, and has a trunk the diameter of around 8 inches at the base. The tree and root ball together weighed around 2,500 pounds.

A date was made with the clients that fit into their timeline, and the Big Trees crews delivered and installed the tree in short order. The tree was the perfect size for the landscape, and everyone was satisfied with the experience.

“Getting to meet unexpected deadlines and anticipation can be a very exciting aspect of what goes on here at Big Trees! The clients, and we at Big Trees are very pleased with the outcome of this project,” said Nancy, owner of Big Trees.

Nancy Penrose is the owner of Big Trees Inc., located in Snohomish, WA in the Seattle area. The company is one of the largest tree nurseries in the Seattle area with over 120,000 trees available in over 300 varieties. They not only deliver young trees, but also mature trees in a wide range of sizes. Some types of trees available include spring flowering, deciduous, evergreen, and privacy trees. The company also does tree transplanting including large trees. Their blog can be seen at https://bigtreessupply.com/blog/ or http://arboristblog.com/. They can be reached at 360-563-2700.