Author: Rooster Creatives

Bringing the Modern Office Look into Your Own Home

home office hardwood flooringAn office space typically emphasizes factors like comfort and space, since they have a direct impact on employee productivity. But one other important factor in the design of modern offices is the personalization of the space. Does it reflect your personality? Do you prefer a space that is fun and exciting, or something a little bit more serious?

Whatever your taste, you get a little more freedom when customizing your home working environment than your workplace. You can explore stylish solutions for a productive home office like custom-built shelves or green plants to filter the air and thoughts, or a comfy chair for those extended working hours.

Whether you will be spending your time in a spacious home office, or perhaps a desk nook, the nature of your work remains the same. As an entrepreneur, freelancer, or telecommuter, you will be spending a lot of time, working around the clock, in your home office. So, it is only natural that you would like to indulge a bit in making yourself as comfortable as you can while creating a serene environment that enhances your creativity and helps you concentrate.

Yet, you also need to maintain a professional look that welcomes a professional and productive atmosphere. So, how do you achieve this?

Plan Out Your Workspace

When venturing into any design project, it is good practice to make an elaborate plan that will give the project a sense of direction. Planning your workspace will make it easier for you to identify what is needed to make the business operations flow smoothly. You need to take into consideration the type of business you are running, whether you will be receiving partners or clients, and which room in your home is best suited for your business, with regard to noise and other likely distractions.

Renovations: Get a Professional Office Floor

If your home office will be receiving a lot of foot traffic, you should get a floor that is nearly 100 percent resistant to wear and tear, like hardwood flooring. It is not only durable, but also stunning, comfy, and easy to maintain – even on your busy schedule. The natural beauty, easy finishing, and warm coloring of hardwood flooring make it a favorite choice for home offices.

Furnish the Space

Renovating your space will probably require you to work with a contractor, after which you can furnish it, based on your plans, actual measurements, and cost requirements. Afterwards, equip the workspace with proper furniture, supplies, tools, and necessary technology.

Keep ergonomics in mind, as working from a comfortable space will boost your ability to work and overall performance. Choose the right chair, light fixtures, and furniture to suit whatever your business calls for.

Problem Solved: Removing Cigarette Smell & Odors in House

remove cigarette smell odor houseCigarette smoke has an odor that tends to get into everything, including furniture, carpets, walls, clothes, sheets, and bathroom fixtures. Fortunately, whether you’re a smoker trying to sell your house or a new owner who has just purchased a home that reeks of tobacco, there are steps you can take to get rid of that smell.

First & Foremost: Do Not Use Air Fresheners

Burning scented candles or spraying room fresheners only masks the smell temporarily. The same applies to opening windows, as letting in fresh air helps to dilute the odor, but does not remove it permanently.

To truly get rid of cigarette smell, you must remove the actual source of the odor. However, this is not easy since smoke particles are extremely tiny, and can penetrate nearly every surface in the house. Tobacco smoke can even circulate through the entire house via the ventilation system. But there is no need to panic, as the smell will dissipate over time.

Two Key Steps to Getting Rid of Cigarette Smell Completely

1. Wipe down all hard surfaces

Start by getting rid of all the smoke in the house, and then start wiping down every hard surface, including your kitchen cabinets, ceilings, walls, and hardwood floors. As mentioned before, cigarette smoke settles on everything, so cleaning the nicotine, tar, and resins is vital to eliminating the odors. Make sure to use the right cleaning products for the different surfaces to avoid any damage.

2. Wipe down all soft surfaces and wash the curtains

After cleaning the hard surfaces, move on to the soft surfaces. A lot of the lingering smoke smell comes from smoke residue that settled in your furniture and carpet.

To aid in the cleaning of hard and soft surfaces, the following tips may prove to be useful:

  • Use an odor eliminator for blitzing furniture to remove the smell entirely rather than covering it up. Keep the affected area well ventilated before and after cleaning for best results.
  • Clean mirrors and glass with vinegar, and then rinse them down with clean water.
  • Consider choosing a professional cleaning service to help with cleaning the carpet. If you do-it-yourself, follow the directions in the owner’s manual strictly.
  • You can use baking soda to clean your furniture and carpets, by sprinkling it on the surface and leaving it to rest for a day. The baking soda will absorb some of the smoke smell and dampness around it, after which you can vacuum it up.
  • You can also use the vinegar or a solution of baking soda to clean curtains, shades, chandeliers, wall hangings, and other fixtures.
  • Install an air purifier to help remove contaminants from the air. These devices provide a great way to mask the smell and shift dust and dirt while keeping you from smelling cigarette smoke.

Before using any cleaning products, like vinegar and baking soda, test them out on a concealed area to ensure that this area or fabric will not get damaged or fade.

Industry Outlook – Hardwood Flooring Trends for 2016

hardwood floor trends 2016In recent years, home renovation projects have been hugely impacted by green initiatives and human safety, and flooring products are no exception. According to data and research of the World Floor Covering Association, flooring trends for 2016 are running towards the use of wider wooden planks that come in richer tones, a more natural, vintage look and feel that showcases wood’s inherent grains and textures, and reclaimed wood options.

These are some of the newest trends in hardwood flooring that are creating an entirely new arena of design possibilities, and providing today’s consumers of hardwood flooring with more options than ever before to showcase their individual style.

Top 3 Hardwood Flooring Trends (2016)

1. Wider, longer planks

Traditionally, the plank sizes available to homeowners measured between 2-1/4” and 3-1/2” wide, compared to the wider plank options available today in 5”, 6”, and even 7”.

Wider planks open up small spaces visually. In other words, they you can really make a small space appear bigger, and thus wider planks are ideal for master bedrooms, living rooms, and other sections of the home.

These wider planks are now also available in longer lengths measuring up to 6 feet, which are great for producing a much smoother-looking floor with minimal seams. The wider planks can be installed in any direction – horizontally, vertically, or diagonally – it all depends on the effect you’d like to achieve.

Although the demand for the traditional narrower planks is still strong, the wider-plank trend is catching on, with some newer products coming in planks measuring as wide as 10 and 12 inches.

2. Grey tones

Another emerging trend in engineered hardwood flooring involves a process called ‘fuming’ that makes use of advancements in technology to create a natural grey patina that is not a stain or glaze, which often appear artificial.

The fuming technique takes place in a controlled environment, whereby White Oak is given a naturally aged look without highlighting the grain of the wood. Larger fuming degrees result in darker and richer wood design

3. Reclaimed/recycled woods

The trend for recycled or reclaimed woods is particularly appealing to modern-day environmental-friendly consumers, plus they get to enjoy the visual appeal of distinctly aged flooring. The term reclaimed is used to refer to all previously manufactured wood products that are currently either being reused in the same form or re-manufactured into new items.

Reclaimed hardwood flooring includes woods sourced from farmhouses, old barns, wood barrels, and beams, as well as timber salvaged from lakes and rivers. Attributes of reclaimed wood, like varied lengths, heavy graining, knots, color differences, and original nail markings all add to the appeal of reclaimed hardwood flooring.

There are many other hardwood flooring trends to look forward to in 2016, including wire-brushed wood, vintage style, differing gloss levels, lime-washed woods, and darker woods. What these trends signify is that consumers are increasingly seeking more personality from their hardwood flooring, and with advances in technology, there is an increasing range of options to suit every consumer taste and style.

5 Ways to Increase Value to Your Home

increase value homeFor most homeowners, their home is their single largest investment. So it only makes sense that the items you put into it not only increase your standard of living, but also give you some return on investment (ROI) by increasing the value of your home.

There are numerous things that you could do to make your home more presentable and possibly increase its value, but they may not necessarily give you the most impact. Here are a few things that prospective buyers regard as the most important improvements when shopping for a home to buy:

How to Increase Value to Your Home

1. Kitchen Remodeling

You can ask the best realtors; as well as interior designers and both would agree that a kitchen remodel gives the greatest return. There are a number of things you can do to improve the look and feel of your kitchen, including installing a new backsplash; giving your cabinets a faux-wood finish painting; opting for stainless steel appliances, which can be done gradually as the ones you have wear out; installing an island work space; and hanging a rack for pots and pans.

2. Bathroom Remodeling

The bathroom sees a lot of wear and tear, so you should consider beautifying it and keeping it functional with upgrades, like under-mount sinks, marble or granite counter-tops, wall lighting with no shade around the mirrors, and installing a shower with body sprays (as well as stone surround tile). It also needs to be clean and free of dirt and grime.

3. Improved Hardwood Flooring

Refurbishing your hardwood floors, or replacing them if they’re worn or stained, will enhance both the look and value of your home. You may consider an extravagant display of wide-plank hardware floors in your living room and foyer, and a lighter touch in the bedrooms.

Learn How Hardwood Floors Add Value to Homes

4. Fresh Paint

Consider changing the paint on your kitchen, front door, and other areas to make your home more attractive & appealing. Even consider repainting the exterior of your home.

5. Lighting

Well-placed pools of warm light will make your home inviting and user-friendly.
A recent survey revealed that home buyers were prepared to pay an average of 16 percent more on a property if it had the improvement that they valued the most; plus 73 percent prefer to buy a home where all improvements have been made for them.

Whichever improvements you decide to make, it is important that you don’t forget the simple things, such as de-cluttering, cleaning, and staging your home, as they can impact on your selling price, as well.

Recent Report Finds Buyers Staying in Homes Longer

home buyerGood news for hardwood floor owners – home buyers are deciding to stay in their homes longer. Home buyers prefer hardwood floors to carpet & other sources of flooring for a variety of reasons, one of them being because of increased value! And the best part is that today’s hardwood floors are built to last several years and are covered by extended warranties.

The Home Buyer Report Findings

Following the Great Recession – towards the end of the first decade of the 21st century – the state’s housing market has been struggling to recover from the market meltdown, slowly but progressively.

The 2015 Survey of California Home Buyers report released by the California Association of Realtors revealed that people who lost their home between 2008 and 2009 are looking to buy again.

Additionally, home buyers, including younger wage earners forming households and other buyers have expressed that they intend to live in their homes for an average of 20 years.

This is a big change compared to earlier years here buyers preferred to scale in terms of their home purchases. A survey conducted in 2013 showed that home buyers stayed in their homes for an average of six years before moving-up. This indicates a three-fold increase in the number of years preferred for home retention.

Comparison to the Rest of the Country

These findings suggest a drastic change in the average length of home ownership in California, which has always been in the single-digit years. This is much lower compared to the national average, which according to the American Housing Survey (AHS), has averaged 13 years between 1987 and 2011, with trade-up buyers consistently staying longer than first-time buyers. A 2013 report by the AHS suggested that single-family home buyers stayed for 11.5 years while buyers who have owned a home before stayed for 15 years.

The Trend in California

It is possible that the drastic preference to own a home for longer is due to rising home prices, which has resulted in affordability problems across a considerable market segment. Affordability has always been a concern for first-time buyers, but it is rarely considered when it comes to trade-up buyers.

The new trend is attributed to household formation, with 12 percent of the buyers having previously lived with their parents before buying the home; the desire to buy a home instead of paying rent for 15 percent; reasonable home pricing, with 85 percent of buyers claiming that their home is worth what they paid for it; and lower down-payment on the total value of the home (24 percent) compared to 28 percent in 2014.

Fall/Autumn Cleaning Checklist to Prepare for Winter (2015)

fall cleaning checklist prepare for winterGlowing pumpkin vines, leaves turning yellow and falling, crisp mornings, and shorter days signal winter’s approach. This is the time to clean up summer’s outdoor lifestyle and check on your winter linens in storage, prepare your spaces for a long winter’s nap, and get your garden ready for a freeze.

Autumn’s brisk and windy days present the ideal time to tend to winter preparation chores and repairs before the first frost.

Indoor Cleaning

  • It will soon be very cold outside so you will naturally want to stay indoors. Here are some things to make your indoors warm and cozy.
  • Get a professional technician to inspect your furnaces and recommend specific cleaning and maintenance steps.
  • Get a professional sweep company to clean the chimney, vents, and filters (can also be replaced).
  • Clean and sort through the pantry, discarding anything that has gone bad or is unlikely to be used.
  • Free up space in your closet for tweed pants, cozy sweaters, socks, etc. by packing up your summer items – bathing suits, sandals, etc.
  • Place a sturdy mat inside and outside every entrance and ask people to remove their shoes upon entering the house to prevent damage of your hardwood floors.
  • Get your winter gear primed & ready.
  • Send your holiday outfits or fancy tablecloths to the cleaners.
  • Clean out your junk drawer.
  • Clean your computer.
  • Get a few more festive teas.
  • Vacuum the mattress, box springs and flip it.


Outdoor Cleaning

  • Clean patio furniture and cover it with a heavy tarp. You can also store it in your garage or shed where it is shielded from the elements.
  • Clean dirt, leaves, and pine needles between the boards of your wooden deck to discourage the growth of mold and mildew.
  • Inspect the deck for decay, insect damage, or splintering and treat as needed to avoid further deterioration over winter.
  • Clean soil from your planters and place pots made from fragile materials, like clay, indoors to prevent cracking.
  • Clean leaves and rubble from the drains to prevent blockages.
  • Clean the gutters and ensure they’re properly fastened; and extend downspouts 5 feet away from the walls to prevent flooding of the foundation.

You will also want to keep the thermostat setting consistent, as fluctuations in temperature and humidity can make the floor boards swell and shrink, causing them to warp and buckle.

Understanding Moisture and Hardwood Floors

Why Engineered Hardwood Floors Are More Popular Than Solid Flooring

engineered vs solid floors
An example of an engineered hardwood floor.

When you compare the two, most will have difficulty spotting the differences on the outside with engineered and solid hardwood floors. Other than being beautiful flooring choices, there are fundamental differences that make engineered floors a more popular choice than solid wood floors.

3 Reasons Engineered Hardwood Floors Are More Popular

1. Environmentally Friendly

Many people love supporting products and services that keep an environmentally friendly approach in mind and engineered hardwood floors – by default – are more environmentally friendly than solid wood.

Take a maple tree for example. With solid wood flooring, a whole chunk of this tree will be processed into one board. That is what makes it a “solid” floor. With engineered flooring, the same chunk may be able to be engineered for up to 10 boards.

Read about eco-friendly hardwood floors.

2. Price

Engineered hardwood floors naturally will be more cost-effective than solid hardwood. Engineered hardwoods feature a top part known as a veneer, which features the hardwood of your choice (i.e. maple, hickory, oak).The difference is that beneath this veneer are less expensive, yet stronger layers of wood.

3. Performance

Engineered hardwood floors have increased resistance to rooms or areas that contain high moisture levels. Solid hardwood floors are more susceptible to rippling or buckling in high moisture areas, resulting in a thwarted appearance.

Understanding moisture and hardwood floors.

However, engineered wood floors do not respond this way under similar circumstances. They are “engineered” specifically for this reason. As such, engineered floors may be able to be installed in basements, kitchens, bathrooms, and any other high moisture areas.

Solid Hardwood Flooring Advantages

The only advantage solid hardwood flooring offers over engineered floors are the fact that they can be sanded and refinished multiple times. Although it is a very dusty process, it is considered the only benefit of solid flooring.

There are pros and cons to both types of hardwood flooring, but engineered hardwood floors remain the most popular choice by homeowners for the reasons listed above.

Tips on How to Choose Hardwood Floors

choosing hardwood floors tipsChoosing the perfect hardwood floor for your home is often a very exciting time. Being experts in hardwood flooring, we wanted to offer you a simple guide to keep in mind when considering what hardwood floor is best for your home.

Hardwood Flooring Factors to Consider

1. Solid or Engineered

First, you are going to want to find out whether or not you want engineered floors or solid hardwood floors in your home. Both options have their pros and cons.

You have to ask yourself where the hardwood will be placed. Certain areas such as basements have only one option to select from: engineered. You want to make sure this is considered first.

Engineered Wood Flooring and Its Benefits

2. Species

There are differences in the species of wood such as grain patterns, hardness, durability, color, and style. Oak, maple, and hickory are popular choices that all contain many features homeowners enjoy. Compare sample boards side by side so you can zero in on the details they offer.

3. Color

Next, you’ll want to decide what type of colors you believe will match your home décor the best. This is often purely a subjective matter but many homeowners love lighter, neutral colors because they have a tendency to blend well with just about anything.

4. Width of Boards

Are you going for the illusion of more space? Then you’ll want to consider a flooring option that features wider board widths.

5. Warranty

Hardwood floors are essentially an investment into your home. As a consumer, you want to know your investment is protected. That’s where the warranty comes in. Make sure the hardwood floors you are interested in come with a great warranty to keep you covered for several years.

Urban Floor’s Warranty

6. Reputation of Manufacturer

How long has the manufacturer been in business? Are they new to the industry? Do they offer a lot of variety? Do they have excellent, trustworthy reviews? Are there any awards they have won for various areas of performance? These are the kinds of questions you should be thinking of before making a decision.

Don’t let it be a daunting task, either. Selecting new hardwood floors is very exciting. The best part is being able to show off the choice you made to family and friends! Just make sure you have asked all of the right questions to ensure you’ve made the best possible decision.

What Questions to Ask a Hardwood Floor Salesman?

10 Reasons to Choose Hardwood Flooring Over Laminate Flooring

hardwood floors over laminateNothing quite adds beauty and natural warmth to a room like wood flooring. From its magnificent natural appearance to the warmth underfoot, wood is beautiful and timeless. Part of the appeal of older traditional homes is the fact that they come with original hardwood floors. Modern homes looking to achieve the same natural look of wood but at a lower price point use laminate flooring to lure homebuyers.

hardwood flooring over laminate Both solid hardwood and engineered hardwood flooring are manufactured from actual wood, which means that it preserves the distinct appearance and textured grain of natural wood. Laminate, on the other hand, is only an imitation that looks very similar to real wood. While the two may appear the same, they are actually very different.

10 Reasons to Choose Hardwood Flooring Over Laminate

1. Hardwood floor adds value to your home

Hardwood floors, both solid & engineered, are designed to last a lifetime – making them a great investment for homebuyers. Hardwood floors often never have to be replaced, only refinished, unlike laminate that needs full replacement every 15-25 years. Some hardwood floors in old buildings are decades old, such as the floors in Washington’s Mount Vernon for example.

2. Easier to clean

Even when compared to tiles or carpets, hardwoods are still easier to clean. Routine care may comprise vacuuming, sweeping, and cleaning up spills with a mop and non-aerosol spray. Additionally, hardwoods don’t trap dust particles in concealed places, hide bacteria in its fibers, or grow mold within its grout.

3. A natural product available in a wide range of grain patterns, colors, and styles

The warmth, beauty, and design appeal of hardwood floors is unmatched. While laminated floors over a wide array, there is now more diversity in hardwood floors than even before.

4. Eco-friendly

Compared to the manufacture of other building products, like steel, bricks, or concrete, wood is a much cleaner material.

5. Recyclable

Hardwoods can be recycled 100 percent.

6. Ideal for homes with allergic members

Since hardwood does not trap dust or fumes, it will not harbor mold or dust mites, improving the air quality in your home great for those who suffer from bothersome allergies related to pollen, dander, dust, etc.

7. Easy to redecorate

To change the entire look of your hardwood floor, all you have to do is paint, stain, dye, or apply inlays, without having to replace the materials.

8. Easy to repair or re-apply finishes

Hardwood floors can be easily recoated or touched up. If well maintained, you may never have to completely re-sand. We recommend a licensed professional before attempting to re-sand or refinish any of your hardwood floors.

9. Better for your joints

Hardwood floors tend to give a little, which makes them good for your spine and joints. This is why standing on tile, stone, or laminate can make you get tired faster than on hardwood.

10. Finally, hardwood is the greatest renewable resource in North America, considering that the continent has maintained the forest cover that was there centuries ago (in the 1600s).

Read more about Eco-Friendly Hardwood Floors.

What Hardwood Flooring Color Hides “Wear and Tear” Best?

light colored hardwood floorsAll hardwood floors are VERY beautiful except certain hardwood floor colors and species have an ability to hide normal wear and tear much better than others. Today we’d like to let you in on the hardwood flooring color that hides wear and tear the best.

Best Hardwood Floor Color for Hiding Wear and Tear

When it comes to hiding scratches and other minor issues with hardwood floors that inevitably arise from normal wear and tear, no color hides it better than…

Light-colored hardwood floors.

This is probably no surprise either. Because scratches and other minor nicks are often light colored, they blend in well with light-colored hardwood floors.

To add, hardwood floors that have little to no glossy sheen (i.e. matte hardwood floors) also aid in hiding wear and tear.

The higher the gloss your hardwood flooring has, the more likely it will reveal scratches. However, on the plus side glossy floors are often prized for their beautiful presence and elegant appeal they bring to any room.

View our simple guide on removing minor scratches and nicks from wood floors.

If you’re the type who is eager to replace your carpet with hardwood flooring but are unsure of exactly what type of hardwood floors to consider, then you’re in luck. We’ve compiled a list of our very own personal recommendations for those wondering.

1. Maple Natural
2. Hickory Natural
3. Monarch
4. Romagna
5. Birch Oatmeal
6. Roosevelt Hickory

birch-oatmeal-urban-floor
Birch Oatmeal by Urban Floor.