The topic of cold rooms and cold floors comes up most often in winter months, and also when talking about basements.  Every floor and room is different pending on how the room is used, how the floor is heated, whether water/moisture is an issue, whether the floor is level and smooth, as well as budget, but here are a few trends and solutions I'm seeing: 1.  Radiant heated flooring/heated floors - Radiant heat flooring is the hot trend and provides luxurious comfort to your feet.  While radiant heat flooring is most popular under tile, it can also work with some hardwoods, cork, laminate and now even under carpeting.   2.  Cork flooring - Cork flooring is environmentally friendly and has a soft and warm feel.  And, due to the air pockets in cork, it provides some added insulation for a d... 01/23/2012

Here's the 16th installment of some of my older flooring posts (these are from December 2011 - January 2012). At the end of this post I've added links to previous ones , in case you missed them or want to bookmark them. 1. Refinishing hardwood floors - the importance of hiring an expert.  Another customer burned by hiring a generalist rather than a flooring specialist. 2.  Which types of flooring have the best ROI (Return on Investment), if you are selling your home?  This should come in handy for anyone about to sell their home or thinking about selling it in 2-3 years.  3.  Trends in carpet colors.  This shows the most populars colors both for those selling their homes and those staying in their homes. 4,  Red oak vs. white oak flooring.  This explains and shows the differences betwee... 01/17/2012

It's always fun to look back at the previous month to see which posts rose to the top.  These are sorted based on clicks.  Two of my top 5 are flooring posts; my other three are about marketing/SEO/social media.  Getting more backlinks easily...by commenting on others' blogs  This one was a bit controversial.  It got over 1,500 clicks.  There is also some great value in many of the comments. How I use hootsuite to save time with Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.  This one had almost 1,100 clicks and was reblogged 5 times. Which types of flooring have the best ROI (return on investment), if you are selling your home? My lead flow is down...and I'm proud of it.  Thank you Active Rain! Trends in carpet runners - Winter 2011 01/15/2012

What is the difference between red oak and white oak hardwood? Oak flooring is the most popular species of hardwood here in Westchester County NY and the northeast in general.  Oak is a very practical wood, is readily available (grown and made in the US), very affordable and very easy to stain so you can find the color you prefer.  But many consumers don't realize that there are 2 species of oak - red oak and white oak flooring. If you are installing new hardwood flooring everywhere, either red oak hardwood or white oak hardwood will work, and your choice will probably be dependent on which look/color you prefer as well as the price (the prices of red oak/white oak fluctuate, so in general there is not usually a major price difference, but this can vary slightly at any given time frame ... 01/11/2012

It's always interesting to look back at which posts got the most traffic.  Surprisingly, for 2011, many of my top blog posts were not about flooring...many were about SEO, social media and various stories.  For 2011, I have 18 posts with over 1,000 hits and 2 that have about 3,000 hits. So here are the Top 10 sorted by # of clicks (meaning that someone actually opened the post   1.  7/10 3,024    Adding Google +1 button to your website   2.  1/26 2,908    I have hardwood flooring underneath my carpet. Should I refinish the hardwood or recarpet?   3.  7/16 1,860   I just had a customer ripped off by a mover   4.  6/29 1,654   Good News! Looks like I will be on TV thanks to my blog. Real Estate Recovery.   5.  2/19 1,625   Kitchen Flooring - Which is better - hardwood flooring or tile flo... 12/30/2011

Originally posted at Hardwood flooring stain color trends - Westchester NY When it comes to hardwood flooring in Westchester NY, light and dark stain colors are in - both extremes.  Light stains gives the room a nice warm, airy and welcome look; dark stains hardwood gives the room a more formal and sophisticated look. When we are refinishing hardwood floors in Westchester NY, we usually test 3 stains for a customer on their own hardwood.  It's important to do this as all wood varies and accepts the stain differently based on the type of wood, grade of wood and it's age. Also, wood color varies, so it's much better to test it on several pieces - some lighter, some darker to get a true picture of how the stain will look (vs. a small chip that is on fake wood)     Light colors for hardwood... 12/25/2011

Original article source: Carpet Color trends - Westchester County NY By far, the vast majority of carpets selected for homes in Westchester are neutrals - beiges and taupes.  These are practical and neutral as they go with almost all furniture and give you flexibility with paint color as well as ability to change bedding, window treatments and pillows.  These colors also tend to hide dirt.  If you are in the process of selling you home (or you are considering selling in 2-3 years, neutrals are the way to go as this will appeal to the widest array of potential buyers.   Creams/off whites - work for upscale bedrooms where the homeowner tends to be neat and is less worried about dirt.  The lighter you go, the larger the space looks.  These colors are not usually practical for young kids or... 12/23/2011

One of the most frequent questions I get from homeowners who are selling their home is "What types of flooring will have the best return on investment."  I also have many real estate agents and home stagers asking me this question, so I know it's an important issue, especially if you intend to sell your home now or in the next 2-3 yrs. I work with a lot of new homeowners right after they close on a home, so I see all the changes they make + I work with a lot of customers and stagers who are putting their homes on the market. Also, I'm seeing a trend toward fixing up the home 2-3 years before homeowners intend to sell. I think this is really smart as you get to enjoy the improvements you make + sell at a higher value. It also helps you balance out your expenses over a longer time period.... 12/17/2011

Here's the 13th installment of some of my older flooring posts (these are from June/July/August 2011). At the end of this post I've added links to previous ones , in case you missed them or want to bookmark them. 1.  Replacing your carpet after a flood.  Steps you should take - this may save you money. 2.  Allow some cushion time before you move into your new home.  If you are planning to do renovations before you move in (e.g. refinish the floors, paint the walls, handyman work), you will be much happier if you can do this work BEFORE you move in. 3.  Super cool hardwood floor. Check this out - cool stenciling. I wish I could take credit. 4.  Herringbone Hardwood floors - This is a way to give your room a formal look 5.  Dog and cat urine on hardwood floors - how to repair it.  I see o... 12/14/2011

Here's the 12th installment of some of my older flooring posts (these are from May 2011). At the end of this post I've added links to previous ones , in case you missed them or want to bookmark them. 1.  Refinishing your hardwood floors.  Which is better - water or oil based polyurethane?  Many don't realize there are 2 different options and need to know the facts before choosing which is better for them. 2.  Spruce up your bathroom.  Enjoy the vdeo to see how many choices there are for bathroom decor. 3.  Planning ahead for your flooring.  If you plan ahead, you will have better options to choose from and you can choose your contractor.  If you leave it to the last minute, you limit yourself to whoever is available (usually those desperate) and materials that are on hand (usually the c... 12/10/2011

My Top Blog Posts for November 2011 Below are my top posts for November (sorted by clicks).  This month, all of my top posts were featured (and some members only)...or said another way, my non-featured posts did not generate the level of activity of past months.  Some of this is because I have a lot of local posts which individually do not generate a ton of hits...but over time and collectively, they do.  Part of this is because I've been so incredibly busy (November is our busiest month), so I haven't had a much time to do educational posts (and I will be getting back to some of those in December and January). These posts are sorted based on # of CLICKS 1.  Some advice on receiving and sending LinkedIn Invitations (945 clicks) 2.  The Most Awesome collection of SEO and intro posts - fo... 12/01/2011

I love to help our Westchester customers with their flooring needs - carpet, hardwood, tile, refinishing wood floors.  I will do whatever I can to find the best solution for them. ...But, I can't change time and I can't help you if you haven't planned ahead.  Many forget that it takes time to order product - usually 2 weeks...sometimes I can get it here in 1 week, but not always.  If it's unfinished hardwood, I can often get it there in 2 days, but don't forget it needs to acclimate for 2 days.  Oh, and it's not like my guys are just sitting around waiting.  We have to plan the project with our crews.  Usually, we need a week notice (sometimes, but not always, we can do it sooner).  Oh, and if we are refinishing your hardwood floors, remember that the process takes several days to dry. ... 11/17/2011

Hardwood flooring in Elmsford NY.  If you live in Westchester NY and you're in the market for hardwood flooring, give us a shout.  We will make the process simple and maybe even fun.  That's because we love what we do, and so will you. We'll guide you on the right type of flooring, we'll show you different species and colors and help you find the style and layout that's best for you.  Unlike many of our competitors, our estimates are always FREE so there's no risk. Our studio is in Elmsford, NY.  But, we will come to you.  We "bring the store to you door.  Not only is that easier for you, but it allows you to see the samples in your own lighting.  They definitely do look different in the store wtih the fluorescent lighting.  We can help you get the right color and show you how it looks ... 11/06/2011

My Top Blog Posts for October 2011 I got this idea from Susan Emo to highlight my top posts for each month.  First, I thought it just might be fun to see which ones rose to the top (sorted by clicks), second, that over time I will get some good learning on what is working/what isn't, third, for my readers, you may find an interesting post you missed and 4th, I give my higher priority posts a bit more google juice via the extra links. These posts are sorted based on # of CLICKS So here are my top posts for October 2011: Some helpful tips for reblogging - to maximize your SEO and impact A sign of good things to come - I got calls from 2 customers from 2 yrs ago The Flooring Girl in Action - video of Debbie Gartner Carpet runners for steps - video blog Tile Flooring Trends More Active Rain... 11/01/2011

Carpet runners for steps. Westchester NY. This quick video blog explains what carpet runners are and when they can make sense for your steps. Below are close ups of the wool carpets I shared in the video.   Wool carpets are much stronger than nylon or polyester carpets, and this is especially important for heavy traffic areas such as steps. Wool carpets definitely cost more, but they are worth it as they look nicer, feel nicer and last longer. Please note that most looped/needlepoint wool carpets do not hold up well on steps nor do they hold up very well with pet claws, especially cats and small dogs. Masland Longfellow carpet is the first wool carpet featured in this video.  I love this classic style and it come in several different colors so it works with many color schemes. When you'... 10/30/2011

I got this idea from Susan Emo to highlight my top posts for each month.  First, I thought it just might be fun to see which ones rose to the top (sorted by clicks), second, over time I will get some good learning on what is working/what isn't, third, for my readers, you may find an interesting post you missed and 4th, I give my higher priority posts a bit more google juice via the extra links. So here are my top posts for September 2011 sorted by clicks: I sent my customer to my competition Angies List has been a wonderful marketing tool for us Carpet trends LOL, you can tell by the comments that they didn't read the post Can you install hardwood on concrete? It will be interesting to see how these numbers shake out a month from now.   10/29/2011

Discovering Westchester County is like peeling an onion-anyone that views "the 914" as an amalgam of bedroom communities slumbering while all the action takes place south of us in Manhattan is missing out. For the last 37 years, Broadway has had an outpost right in Elmsford at the Westchester Broadway Theatre. Just last night, Ann and I celebrated our 10 anniversary at a fantastic performance of My Fair Lady starring Jennifer Babiak and Tom Galantich with a great ensemble cast.  We love the arts. Ann is a Stuyvesant alum and plays three instruments, and I have it on good authority that my mention of Audrey Hepburn and Julie Andrews on our first date got me my second date. Before we got all tangled up in children and work we saw our share of shows, and as a matter of fact our first recep... 09/25/2011

Carpet Trends - Westchester NY - August 2011 1.  Neutrals - Beiges, taupes, grays are in for carpet.  After all, going neutral opens up all sorts of other possibilities for decor.  I'd rather have the eye focus on walls, window treatments, paintings, pillows then the carpet (esp since it will get dirty over time).  Nowadays, it's very rare for me to sell a colored carpet (e.g. blue, green, pink). They are not unpopular, they aren't practical, and if you are going to sell in the next few years, they don't make sense...you would just need to replace a second time before selling.   2.  Tone on Tone carpets - this has been the fastest growing carpet segment for several years in a row.  It's an easy way to add decor without adding another color or too much distraction. Tone on tone carpets p... 09/05/2011

Flooring Trends  - Westchester County This begins my series on flooring trends in the market for Westchester county.  As I don't have data for the category, I can only provide this based on what I'm seeing and the calls I'm getting. 1.  Refinishing hardwood floors, especially before moving in - By far, we are getting the most calls with people in a rush to refinish their hardwood floors before they move into their new home. This has been an exceptionally busy time as so many are moving and in a rush to get settled before the new year. Many are refinishing existing floors and several are also adding hardwood into 2-3 rooms at the same time. 2.  Conversion from carpet to hard surface.  Most prefer hard surfaces, especially hardwood flooring.  If a family member has allergies or asthma, th... 09/04/2011

When we refinish hardwood floors in Westchester NY, we often come across pet stains in the hardwood - from dogs or cats or both.  Sometimes we see this during the initial estimate; other times there is carpet there, and we don't see the stains until after we rip up the carpet.  Unfortunately, if the pet urine stains have turned the hardwood black, it's too late...and those stains will NOT sand out.  But, have no fear, as there are 2 good solutions for this. 1.  The better solution is replace the hardwood with new unfinished wood in the damaged sections.  If you do this, it's important to have a professional hardwood company to help you out.  That way, you can be assured of matching the hardwood (e.g. I've sometimes seen less knowledgeable places add in oak to pine floors...or red oak w/... 08/24/2011