Laminate Flooring Is An Alternative To “Real” Wood

If your home maintenance projects have led you to the conclusion that some of your finish floor covering needs to be replaced, then take a look at laminate flooring….it is durable alternative to wood that is worthy of consideration. This Raleigh Home Inspector installed some laminate flooring in his own home; after six years, its performance and durability are proving to be quite satisfactory.

(ARA) – You love the look of natural wood flooring but are afraid to install hardwood because you know the floor will take a beating from the kids, dogs and the heavy day-to-day traffic all too common in modern family life.

But you don’t have to sacrifice high style looks for boring sensibility when considering a new flooring option in your home – not if you choose laminate, that is.

Today’s best laminates combine the realistic grain and texture of wood with high durability and scratch and indentation resistance that “authentic” wood floors don’t provide, according to Jeff Katz, director – laminate for Tarkett Residential, a leading provider of innovative and sustainable flooring. And not only are today’s laminates available at a fraction of the cost of real wood floors, but they’re right in sync with the latest designs.

“There’s always a new decorating trend around the corner,” Katz says. “It’s imperative for manufacturers to respond to market demand, keeping up with the most up-to-date trends to ensure consumers are getting the latest in style and design, as well as technology.”

One such line is Tarkett’s Trends laminate, a durable new collection featuring eight of the hottest flooring designs, including Old World-inspired antique-stained planks and soft, hand scraped wood grains. Colors and styles in this line will continually rotate out with new introductions to give homeowners the newest, most popular looks in flooring, ultimately providing them with the high style of premium wood floors without the fuss.

“That’s the beauty of laminate products,” Katz says. “They’re the new normal – great-looking products that deliver great performance at a great value.

When shopping for laminate products consumers should look for flooring that is engineered with sturdy inner core board layers – preferably ones that deliver high impact resistance (at least an IC3 rating). This type of rating helps provide excellent indentation resistance, and when combined with highly rated top surface protection (AC3 or better) kids and pets can run and play freely on laminate floors without making a dent or marring up the surface’s good looks. As a result, laminate flooring is so durable versus real wood products that some laminates come with up to a full lifetime warranty.

What’s more, creating a laminate flooring transformation in your home is a relatively simple DIY project. Many of today’s new laminate floors come in easy-to-install planks that simply snap together without the need for messy glue or nails to pound. Laminates can even be used over several types of existing flooring, often eliminating the need for costly sub-floor preparation.

“Consumers now have the choice of selecting laminate floor innovations that provide excellent performance and value, while also reflecting and accommodating their changing tastes,” Katz says. “Laminate flooring solutions keep up with their day-to-day life. That’s something we know will never go out of style.” For more information about the latest trends in laminate flooring, visit www.tarkettna.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

For a Raleigh Home Inspection, call Quality Residential Inspections to schedule today……919.848.4833. We provide Home Inspections, and related ancillary services e.g. Radon testing and water testing, to the greater Triangle region of North Carolina to include Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Wake Forest, Clayton, Garner, and Durham.

Protect Your Home From Termite Damage

In the United States, termites are most abundant in the South and Southwest. Here in North Carolina, we are definitely in the “termite belt”…and as Home Inspectors, it is quite routine for us to discover damage, or visible evidence of likely damage, during the performance of a Raleigh Home Inspection. The little critters are a very big problem that can potentially plague your home…..and your pocketbook…. if they are allowed to reside with you in your home. You just want to live in and enjoy your home, right? Well, the pesky little termites live only to eat it and destroy it! (Boooo….hisssss….bad). This excellent article contains some great tips to protect your home from damage.

Protect your home from termite damage

(ARA) – As Americans head outside to tend to their lawns and repair their houses, it’s just as important to consider what might be happening out of sight, deep inside the home.

Termites, which are found in every state except Alaska, live in colonies that eat continuously. These wood-destroying pests eat homes from the inside out, making their presence difficult to detect. Termites annually cause more than $5 billion in damage, and the destruction termites cause is not normally covered by homeowners insurance, leaving owners to pay an average of $3,000 in out-of-pocket costs for repairs, according to Terminix.

“In most cases, it’s easy to tell when a house is in need of repair. Either the paint is chipping or the roof is leaking. But that’s not usually the case with termite activity,” says Paul Curtis, a Terminix entomologist. “Because termites are often active in the least visible areas of a home, it can be difficult for the homeowner to tell whether they have a termite problem or not.”

Usually, homeowners will only be able to tell they have a termite infestation during swarm season. That’s when winged, reproductive termites leave their colonies and establish new ones.

A swarm can be identified by the large number of flying termites and by the discarded wings they often leave near doors and windows.

“Termites do not discriminate. They eat wooden framing, support beams and the wood flooring inside your home the same way they would a tree in the forest,” Curtis says.

While swarming only takes place during certain times of the year, termite colonies never stop eating, even to rest or sleep. Unless evidence of a swarm is discovered, or damage is severe enough to be noticed, a trained professional will most likely be required to identify the presence of termites within a home.

Although eliminating termites requires the help of a trained professional, homeowners can take the following proactive steps to make their homes less inviting to these wood-destroying pests:

1. Fix the roof or plumbing leaks. The moisture from these allows termites to survive above ground.

2. Clean and repair gutters. Gutters that do not drain properly can allow water to accumulate near the foundation.

3. Eliminate wood-to-soil contact. Any wood that simultaneously touches the soil and the home can provide termites with direct access to the structure.

4. Keep mulch or soil from being piled against the home’s siding. Soil or mulch allowed to pile up against the home can hide termite activity.

5. Avoid storing items in the crawlspace. Pieces of scrap lumber, boxes or even books can serve as a food source for termites.

6. Maintain adequate ventilation in crawlspaces. Termites prefer moist conditions. Eliminating moisture can help make the environment less suitable to them.

7. Use a mesh screen on all windows, doors and ventilation openings. Screening will help prevent winged termites from entering the home.

8. Schedule an annual inspection with a trained professional. Prompt treatment and regular inspections can save thousands of dollars in damage repair.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Call your Raleigh Home Inspector today at 919.848.4833 to schedule your Home Inspection. Quality Residential Inspection is your trusted source for professional Home Inspection and related services.