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What You Need to Know about The New Tariff

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Trump’s Tariff

One of our government’s primary responsibility is to ensure the economic growth of our country.  The government has many different ways of analyzing and managing our nation’s finances.  Currency values and trade play a crucial role in our nationals financial economic. Establishing tariffs is one way the government can help influence domestic investments. By adding tariffs to foreign goods, it influences the consumers to buy more domestic goods. 

What is a Tariff

A tariff is an increase taxed placed on imported and exported goods to manipulate the buying market towards more domestic purchases.  This means that international flooring prices in the United States will be increased to help keep money inside our nation. These tariffs are set to restrict consumers from wanting to buy foreign products and make domestic purchases more appealing.  Many foreign flooring products have had a competitive advantage on low pricing because of the cheap labor outside the states; however, now with the new tariff on international floors, a forced tax puts these floorings at a significant pricing disadvantage.

Domestic Advantages

This artificial inflation promotes consumers to purchase domestic flooring.   There are many great, reputable domestic flooring companies like Armstrong and Shaw Flooring. Buying from these domestic companies helps support our nation’s economic growth. Domestic flooring companies will benefit primarily from the reduction of competitive foreign flooring industries because of artificial inflation.   

How This Affects You

A lot of flooring is imported into the United States, so unfortunately many prices have increased in hard surface flooring category as well as carpeting.  Choosing the floor you want is always an option; however, domestic flooring will be at a much more competitive price range.  These tariffs will significantly impact foreign goods.  There is a 10% increase effective immediately as well as a 25% increase at the start of the new year.  We want to inform our customers of the change as well as offer a better understanding as to why our prices will increase on foreign goods. 

Ultimately, the choice of flooring you want in your home is up to you.   Understanding the new tariff and how it affects you though is vital to help you in your purchasing process. Whether you choose to invest in domestic or foreign flooring, we look to make your buying process as uncomplicated as possible.  We offer financing through Synchrony Financial to help you get your dream floors. We also offer many different options of flooring for your home to assure you find the perfect flooring for your home today. If you have any further questions or need assistance, we would be happy to help! Call or visit us for more information. 

Flooring Trends 2018

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Trends are always changing in the fashion and marketing industry while we still find new colors, styles, and designs trickling into the market.  Luckily, interior design has long runs of trends in the flooring market.  These timeless styles have helped developed many of today’s modern designs and styles.  Different feels and textures have evolved into sought-after investments people are always trying to incorporate into their home.  The evolution of flooring has grown into some very distinct trends over the last decade.  Today’s flooring styles have some fundamental characteristics which you should stay on the lookout for when buying for you for your home.  Here are the top five elements in the flooring industry to have a better understanding on to keep your home trending yet timeless: 

Natural Elements

  • A timeless factor that homes will always invite into their design is natural elements.  From hardwood floors to brick walls and even ceramic tiles, all of these elements encompass the natural feel of the outdoors.  Natural features are vital to giving a home character and charm.   You will find that items like distressed woods, weathered finishes, and hand scraped floors can strengthen character to your home as well as make it feel homier and cozier. 

Technology Advancements

  • As we previously mentioned, natural elements have been a timeless luxury that has been added into home’s decor for years.  Today, luxury vinyl planking and tiles allow you to capture a timeless look with a more durable, water-resistant surface.  These advance flooring solutions are loved for their adaptability and ability be installed over virtually any surface.  
  • Waterproof carpet with environmentally friendly recycled goods also has changed the market for flooring options. Even wood-styled tiles can be installed in a shower and illusion a wooden wetroom. As more advance floorings enter the market, these multifunctional flooring options allow the consumer to use different flooring in more unusual and unique environments.   

Design and Style

  • Popular home designs and styles directly influence the trending floors in today’s market.  For example, recently homeowners love incorporating Modern and Contemporary designs into their home’s decor. Modern and Contemporary designs incorporate more crisp, sleek looks with neutral-tone floors, whereas a Modern-Rustic may call for a more distressed look. Understanding your design and how to incorporate the right style flooring can help advance your overall style and create a seemingly timeless look. 
  • Hard surface flooring has also really made a strong influence in the modern market.  Vinyl planks can allow you to install a wood- theme design even in a basement or subfloor room.  With such advance prints, you can use different styles of vinyl for almost any looks.

Colors

  • Neutrals are always a timeless, safe choice.  Grey has made a strong statement this year in the flooring industry and has quickly replaced the usual choice of “ beige.”  If your room looks for more beige and tan tones, consider the trending neutral color: gold.   This glamourized blonde tone is perfect for keeping a room feeling airy and fresh while also allowing for a strong statement.  
  • Whitewashed floors have made a strong come back for capturing a more tranquil and relaxed living atmosphere.  
  • Old-fashion darks enrich an elegant, timeless feel and are also a popular choice.  While neutrals have their strengths, high-variety patterned floors and colors make a powerful statement.  
  • Having a fun area rug with colorful patterns or unique textures allows your floors to become the focal point of the room.

Layout

  • Recently, residential design has become a bold player with layout flooring.  Adding a sense of uniqueness and sophistication, patterned flooring with carpet tiles or even herringboned hardwood, can really help make your flooring the stand out feature of your home.  Whereas traditional flooring usually stays to modest angles, contemporary designs strive off angled flooring styles to enhance the room.   

Modern flooring trends have continued to develop into styles that challenge your inner designer.  Do not be afraid to allow your style to express itself through your flooring.  Be original and have fun.  These unique ideas can help guide you on your next project. Stop into ICC Floors for more expert guidance and advice. We look forward to the opportunity to work with you. 

Solid Hardwood vs. Engineered Hardwood

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You may have heard the word “engineered hardwood” mentioned before, and you may have been curious about the difference between it and regular hardwood. To help you better understand, we will dive deeper into the differences between these two types of wood flooring. Let’s take a look!

Solid Hardwood vs. Engineered Hardwood: What is the Big Difference?

  • Solid Hardwood. 

When you think of traditional hardwood floors, you are most likely imagining solid hardwood. This type of hardwood is the standard. It is composed of 100% wood. Solid hardwood is admired for its authentic look, beauty, and often durability. With solid hardwood, you can find your perfect style from a large selection of colors and widths. Solid hardwood works well on the first and second floors of homes and inside of living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, and even kitchens. When installing solid hardwood, installers will use nails to set the flooring in space. Plus, it is also admired for its endurance; it can truly last you a lifetime if it is well-kept and maintained properly. With sanding and protective finishes, you can renew your hardwood floors to keep them looking pristine. Lastly, the natural look, feel, and sound of solid hardwood can be a big selling point for homeowners. This is the most authentic form, and it is truly worth the price tag. 

  • Engineered Hardwood. 

Engineered hardwood is composed of several layers. In your first layer, you have 100% natural wood. This is the color and style that you will choose for the design aspect. The second/middle layer is made of five to seven layers of plywood, all running in different directions. The last layer is wood. The purpose of this innovation is to create a hardwood surface that can withstand moisture, humidity, and temperature. These factors help to make it the perfect option for rooms that attract moisture (bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, basements). Like solid hardwood, engineered hardwood also comes in an array of styles, colors, and widths to meet your preferences. When installing engineered hardwood, installers have the options of staples, glue, or float. Engineered wood can be sanded which is yet another similarity between solid and engineered hardwood. The construction of engineered wood makes it a primary choice for homeowners wanting the look of wood in moisture-attracting areas of their home.  

Are you interested in viewing our selection of solid hardwood or engineered hardwood? We would love for you to browse our online ICC Floors showroom. 

Please do not hesitate to call or visit us with any questions. 

Everything You Need to Know about a Paint’s Undertone

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If you are interested in learning everything you need to know about paint’s undertone, you came to the right place! First, let us start off by defining an undertone. When you mix together two or more colors, the undertone is the color that shows through a color formula. In essence, the undertone is typically the color that is used the most within the formula. If you used a lot of red in a beige color, there would be a pink undertone. This is the reason that choosing neutrals can be tricky. 

Your primary colors (red, blue and yellow) do not have undertones. In essence, you only have pure red, blue or yellow. You cannot have an undertone within a pure color. 

Now you may be intrigued. You may be thinking that you need to know more in order to choose the right color. Exactly! That is why we created this resource for you. This is everything you need to know about a paint’s undertone. Let’s get started! 

Everything You Need to Know about a Paint’s Undertones: 
Matching Undertones. 
Undertones have matching colors that look good with them. You will need to select the colors that work with them in order to create harmony. For a more detailed explanation, keep on reading. 

Masstones vs. Undertones. 
Whatever room you are currently sitting in, look up at the wall and take a look at the color you see. The color that you quickly assessed to be your wall color to be is called a “masstone.” Typically, we refer to the color by its masstone, but it is highly influenced by its undertone. The undertone is what gets people into trouble when selecting a color. The undertone is the “subtle” appearance of color underneath of your masstone color. 

Determining an Undertone. 
Now we are going to talk about the complicated part, determining your color’s undertone. If you are trying to figure out a color’s undertone, the easiest way to find it is to compare it next to a color wheel. Your color wheel provides the purest form of your three primary colors; therefore, it is easy to find an undertone for primary colors (red, blue and yellow). But what about non-primary colors? Experts recommend sampling a few paint swatches inside of your home to determine the undertone. 

What Undertones to Avoid. 
The undertones that give homeowners the most issues are: green and pink. Green undertones become problematic against your cabinetry and wood floors. The orange/yellow hues inside of wood often clash with a green undertone. If you think about it, blue is the primary color that creates green. Blue is what is creating an imbalance of color against your warm-toned cabinets and floors. For matching your floors and cabinetry, we recommend trying a yellow or red undertone. Secondly, pink becomes an issue. This undertone is most often a problem with green, blue or violet. Instead of choosing a pink undertone, experts recommend opting for a warm yellow. 

Now that you have mastered the art of undertones, you are ready to take on the paint store! Did you know that ICC Floors offers a vast selection of Benjamin Moore products? Our sales staff would love to assist you in selecting a paint color with the perfect undertone for your space. Stop by one of our beautiful showrooms for more information. 

Countertops & Lighting

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Welcome to week three of our guest blog series! If you are new to this series, in August, ICC Floors will be featuring a guest blog series from our very own, Blake Powell. In this series, Blake Powell tackled an extraordinary DIY project, where he built a custom outdoor bar that features a big green egg smoker. He is here to share with you what he learned and show you how you can do it yourself. No professional experience is required! Let’s take a look at part three! What countertop material he chose:

 

“In this week’s series, I wanted to focus primarily on the countertops and lighting included on the bar. For the countertops, I hired a fabricator, Majestic, that used specialized equipment to make my countertops.”

Pro-Tip:I would recommend hiring an expert to help create your countertop for ease of mind and guaranteed quality. I used Majestic Stone Imports for my countertop needs. They do a field measure for their clients, and you can actually go into their warehouse to view different kinds of slabs from their display. Majestic then can order in a slab so that the client can see a larger scaled version of the countertop. This way they can feel the countertop and pick out the particular sections that they want for each area of the bar. Once they order the material, they will cut it and schedule a time for delivery and install it for you. Majestic knows precisely where each section will go and can install it with or with or without the homeowner being home during the installation.

“The reason that I love Majestic Stone Imports is that they do a 15-year seal. At first, I was concerned about purchasing a nice granite countertop for my outdoor area. This would mean that it would have to withstand all of the harsh elements featured throughout the Midwest. Fortunately, the 15-year seal helps to protect and maintain the countertop for fifteen years. In essence, we suggest Majestic Stone Imports because they provide excellent service, guarantee a lack of maintenance down the road, and give us care-free, peace of mind. With Majestic, you get the most out of your product.” 

“Majestic Stone Import uses this tool to get an accurate reading of the countertops to ensure perfect precision and peace of mind with laser technology.”

“After we took the measurements, I headed over to Majestic Stone Imports to choose my outdoor countertop.”

“Majestic Stone Imports used specialized equipment to map out the edges with a laser and determine the measurements of the countertop area.”

“Next, they took the measurements to figure out the dimensions within the slab and determine which area went on what side of the bar.”

“Here is an up-close image of the countertop measurements displayed on the granite.”

“Next, they cut out the dimensions with a saw.”

“Here is an image of the countertop cut into the perfect dimensions for my bar.”

“Afterwards, Majestic Stone Import delivered the countertop to my home for installation.”

“They delivered my new countertop and applied the 15-year seal.”

“I did not want the hassle and cost of running power to the outdoor bar, but I still wanted to light the area. To create an energy efficient and money-saving solution, I decided to incorporate white and blue LED lights. I ran the lights underneath my bar to create the perfect ambiance. I even purchased 90-degree angle connectors to run the lights across the angles of the doors. I adhere the lights to the bar where I wanted them to be placed then used battery packs with on/off switches to incorporate another energy efficient solution. I adhered the battery pack to the underside of the bar to reduce visibility but create ease of use. I also used rechargeable batteries (80 hours) to reduce the need to replace batteries .”

Pro-Tip: I would recommend spending more time prior to the actual construction to plan the lighting layout. You can spend more time preparing a well-thought-out lighting situation and incorporate different options of lighting (i.e., solar lights). 

“For more information on Majestic Stone Import, click here to visit their website.”

“Be sure to check back next week for the final post of the series. Thanks for reading!”

-Blake Powell

Prep Work

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For the month of August, ICC Floors will be featuring a guest blog series from our very own, Blake Powell. In this series, Blake Powell tackled an extraordinary DIY project, where he built a custom outdoor bar that features a big green egg smoker. He is here to share with you what he learned and show you how you can do it yourself. No professional experience is required! Let’s take a look. 

“Framed around my big green egg smoker, I wanted to create a bar that welcomed guests and provided an area to entertain with an ample amount of space for trays and friends. With that intention in mind, I got to work. I want to emphasize that this project can be done by anyone of any skill level with products that can be purchased right from ICC Floors.”

We began by tearing out the existing concrete.

By using a sod cutter to get to the dirt.

Next, we leveled out the dirt and got sand to fill in the area. We used a 4-inch to a 5-inch sand base.

Lesson Learned: I recommend laying stone pebbles down first then leveling it then adding sand for even more structure.
 
Pro-Tip: If you are not capable of leveling yourself, it is worth the money to hire someone to level the surface for you because leveling is crucial! I hired concrete professionals to level the sand for me because of the level of difficulty. Trust me; it is worth the money. 
 
To help with water runoff, I recommend creating a slope. We sloped it at a ratio of 1/8″ inch: 1 foot. 
 

The professionals began to level the sand for me.

Next, we began to lay down the pavers.

Trend Alert: Big pavers have become a more recent trend for homeowners. It helps to widen the area and gives the illusion of a bigger space.

Pro-Tip: Make sure that you take your time when placing down the pavers. Sit them down one by one and make sure that they are perfect before continuing.

Lesson Learned: Add black mesh (used in landscaping) to avoid having to weed between the pavers. 

Paver Information: 

  • Style: Daltile Dignitary 24” x 24”  
  • Color: Superior Taupe DR08
  • Size: 2 CM thickness
  • Link to Product Information: https://www.iccfloors.com/product/29436854/daltile_dignitary_eminence_grey_dr10-7241. 

 

“Be sure to check back next week to learn how I created the structure of the bar.” 

-Blake Powell