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Remodeling for Beginners: Where to Start

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Whether you have lived in your home for years or you are simply updating the new house that you bought, remodeling a home is a great way to adapt your house to your specific needs. Since our homes are our safe place of refuge from the world, making your space tailored to your needs and wants is the best way to make a house a home. However, remodeling projects can be expensive avenues to explore. If it is your first-time remodeling, here is everything you need to know:

Remodeling for Your Home to Your Needs

When beginning a home remodel, you will want to decide what are some of the most pressing issues. Perhaps, you are remodeling your home to add another bedroom or change your kitchen layout. What is your reasoning? Try to look at some of the most urgent matters. For instance, if you are looking to remodel your kitchen because you do not have enough countertop space or cabinets, make sure you prioritize this step in the remodel. Trying to separate your needs and wants is a significant first step.

Selecting What You Want

However, wants can be fundamental at well. They are what make your home personalized to you. Perhaps, you like dark hardwood floors and marble countertops. These personal preferences are a great way to help you love your home even more. Plus, there are hundreds of unique ways to customize your home during a remodel. It can help to create a digital or physical mood board. On this board, collect paint samples that you plan on using, flooring samples, hardware samples, and anything else that will be coming into the new environment. This method can let you step back and look at how all these selections complement one another.

Considering Alternative Solutions

Maybe you are remodeling your home by removing a wall for a more open layout. However, upon investigation, you realize the wall you planned to delete is a load barrier wall. Remodeling projects are full of unique surprises. During the process, be prepared to adapt. You may want to assess a room in several alternative options before beginning the remodel.

When in Doubt, Hire a Contractor

When in doubt, hire a contractor! Unless you know the ins and outs of architecture and home improvements, remodeling projects can be very elaborate. You may want to find a contractor to oversee the project. With a contractor’s expertise, they can assess your space and find what is feasible and not. A contractor will also be able to put you together a good quote to help complete the project.

Remodeling your home can be exciting. Do not get overwhelmed in the process and understand it can take time. Make sure you thoroughly inspect how everything you do to your home can affect the final project. With these tricks in mind, novice or not, you can confidently remodel your home.

How Floorish Learning Has Revolutionized Our Training

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We are incredibly excited to announce Floorish Learning. Floorish is a simple, yet powerful, employee training platform that is customized for the flooring industry. It all began two years ago when we, ICC Home, saw a need for training our own employees. At the time, we were experiencing high employee turnover in the sales department. Since we are a large company, expanding over three locations, it was detrimental to find a solution for training our employees properly.

During the next year, we began composing flooring-specific training for our employees. The training content featured the knowledge of current products, internal processes, and advice from veteran employees.

Eventually, our initial need led to us expanding our employee training platform to others in the flooring industry. In fact, our pre-loaded content modules make it easy to train employees and customizable to fit your business’ structure.

We built Floorish Learning with five key benefits in mind. Floorish Learning can successfully:

  • Build a Better Business Faster
  • Foster a Team Culture in Your Business
  • Quickly Determine if Your New-Hire Is a Fit to Avoid Costly Employee Turnover
  • Develop Consistency in Your Sales Team by Teaching New Hires How to Earn Veteran Revenue in Months, so You Can Boost Your Overall Margins
  • Provide Training for Your Sales Team Without the Need for a Centralized Training Department

In the end, we saw extreme success with this training platform in our own company, so that is why we are expanding it to others in the flooring industry. The platform will feature onboarding content that is customized to each flooring store. Floorish will represent your company’s individual values, mission, and strategies to help train your employees for your specific brand.

If you would like to request a free demo, please visit us at Floorish Training and scroll to the bottom of the page.

If you have any additional questions about the platform, you can email us at info@learnwithfloorish.com or call us at 574-286-4896.

We cannot wait to floorish with you!

Frequently Asked Questions About Painting a Room

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Paint can completely transform a room. It is simple enough that you can do it yourself while being cost-effective. However, if you have never painted before now, there are several questions that may concern you. To help, we gathered a few of the most commonly-asked questions to give you a better idea. Here is everything you should know before starting a paint project:

Q: How Much Paint Do I Purchase?

A: A general rule of thumb is one gallon covers 350 square feet. To calculate your wall’s square footage, measure the height and length of each wall. Multiply these numbers together to get your square footage of each wall individual then add all of the numbers together. Remember, some paints will need more than one coat, so a little more is always a safe bet.

Q: Where Do I Start?

A: Typically, you can start by “carving in” the room. This process is done with your paintbrush rather than a paint-roller. You will want to paint all of the areas that will be hard to get to with a roller. These areas can be seams of corners, where the ceiling meets, and at the baseboard. Next, you will choose to paint from the bottom up or vice versa. We recommend painting top to bottom since running paint can be inevitable.

Q: How Do I Remove Wallpaper?

A: Decide if your wallpaper was made to be stripped. If so, take a knife or a scraper and peel back a corner. This feature can make a project much easier, and it comes off in strips. That being said, you may need to use chemicals to help break the wallpaper free. Note that any chemicals used on the walls need to be removed before painting. You can also use a steamer to help break the bond of the adhesive. Typically, this will allow the wallpaper to peel off with ease.

Q: Does the Paintbrush Really Matter?

A: Experts and novice painters alike will agree that a quality paintbrush can make or break a project. In fact, the higher the quality of the brush, the better it will be at holding and releasing paint onto your walls. This feature will help minimize streak marks left behind by the brush. Additionally, you will want to clean the brush appropriately. Do not let the brush sit overnight with excess paint on it.

Q: Do I Need a Primer?

A: If you are using traditional paint (i.e., not a paint-and-primer option) then yes, you will ideally want to use a coat of primer. We recommend primers because of their helpful properties. Primers smooth the texture of a wall while properly sealing it for your paint. In essence, it creates the very foundation of your paint job.

Painting is one of the easiest do-it-yourself projects. It is quite cost-effective and can make an incredible difference in your design. Before you start, make sure you get all your supplies and clear the room of any furniture. Additionally, you may want to get a ladder and tarp the ground as well before starting.

Did you ICC Home features Benjamin Moore products? We are your one-stop-shop for everything design related. Be sure to stop in today for all of your paint needs and let us know if you have any additional painting questions.

Transitioning Your Home as You Age

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Anyone born during the years 1946 to 1964 is considered a Baby Boomer. Baby Boomers make up nearly 20% of the U.S. population. In fact, they got their unique name from the significant amount of them born after World War 2 and the 1960s. And if you do the math, Baby Boomers are currently 56 to 74 years old.

With Baby Boomers being in the retirement age bracket, remodels can be an ideal choice for many of them. In fact, there are several remodeling features that Baby Boomers favor due to their functionality and ease-of-use. Some may even find it to be the perfect time in their lives to transition their homes for their new retirement lifestyle.

To help your home grow with you, ICC Home wants to create a seamless transition for Baby Boomers. This process begins with remodeling various areas of your home. The different areas will need to be focused on safety, functionality, ease-of-use, and efficiency. With all of these factors in mind, ICC Home has put together five remodeling projects for aging in place. Let’s take a look!

Comfortability

As we age, we may have the occasional accidental slip or fall. Much like with children, it can be important to create a soft barrier for any accidental falls. Since the word accidental is operative here, we believe that you can never be too careful. That is why we recommend carpeting for Baby Boomers. It is soft enough to act as a barrier between a fall while being slip-resistant to help prevent the fall in the first place. Plus, you can even incorporate carpet in areas like your kitchen and bathroom through the use of area rugs.

Accessibility

Most seniors will agree that their bathroom‘s accessibility needs assistance. If you are planning on staying in the same home as you age, you can make some customizable updates to your bathroom. These updates will help you move throughout your bathroom with comfort and ease. They can include:

  • Grab Bars Next to Bathtub
  • Comfort-Height Toilets
  • Walk-in Bathtubs
  • Curbless Shower Systems
  • Additional Lighting

Mobility

If mobility is your issue, you will want to take a look at the flooring in your bathroom. In general, the bathroom can be a hazardous area for accidental falls. While carpet cannot be installed in bathrooms, you can incorporate slip-resistant tiles. These tiles help give you more traction on your floors. Plus, you can incorporate area rugs throughout your design for additional comfort.

Practicality

While the kitchen may not be the first place to come to mind, it is important to transition your kitchen as you age. There are simple upgrades that you can make that will make life a little easier. These upgrades include:

  • Shallow Sink Basins
  • A Microwave at Countertop Height
  • Increasing Your Amount of Drawers
  • Eliminating Barriers and Trip Hazards
  • Installing Slip-Resistant Tiles

Affordability

If you are looking for a slip-resistant floor for your kitchen and bathroom and do not want to go the ceramic tile/natural stone route, luxury vinyl can be an excellent option. It provides a slip-resistant, water-resistant, and durable surface that is perfect for bathrooms and kitchens alike. Plus, you can get the authentic look of hardwood or tile for a great price.

Like we previously mentioned, at ICC Home, we want to help you transition your space as you age. Be sure to visit our showroom to view our beautiful room scenes and talk to one of our sales representatives about your needs. We look forward to working with you!

Take a Good Look (Design Exercise)

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Today, we wanted to feature a design exercise. This exercise will help you better understand your design needs and goals. To start, we want you to choose a room that you love and a room that you dislike in your house. The size of the room does not matter, so in essence, you could choose a laundry room and kitchen, and it would work perfectly fine.

Once you choose your two rooms, we will begin with the room that you love. In this particular space, you will want to look closely at the design elements and architectural features. What do you love about this space? Perhaps, you love the color scheme or maybe its the lighting provided by the windows. Make a mental note of everything that brings you joy in the space, and features that you are proud to own.

After you complete the room that you love, you will want to transition over to the room that you dislike. If you cannot figure out what you dislike about it, homeowners may find it helpful to look at these key areas:

  • Flooring
  • Cabinetry
  • Countertops
  • Wall Color
  • Furnishings
  • Lighting
  • Layout
  • Spaciousness
  • Flow
  • Decorations

These areas can help determine the overall aesthetic of your space; therefore, they may cause you to hate this room. If you feel like one element is weighing down the space, you will want to make note of it. However, if you cannot seem to pinpoint the exact flawed area, it may be best to work backward and think, “what do I wish this space look liked.”

While thinking about what you wish the room looked like, you may begin to change elements of the design in your head. For instance, your flooring may be a dark hardwood; however, in your imagination, you have light and airy floors. Or perhaps, your room feels condense, so maybe you realize that there is too much furniture. Whatever it may be, you will want to take into consideration how those specific elements have effected the overall design.

At the end of the exercise, you may come to the conclusion that you want to borrow design elements from the room that you love. Fortunately, at ICC Home, design dreams can become a reality with our expert staff, wide range of products, and efficient store layout. In fact, if you had trouble pinpointing your design disappointments, you do not need to worry. One of our expert sales associates would love to assist you. We can help you create the space of your dreams (literally).

Solid Hardwood Flooring Pros & Cons

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Hardwood is a timeless flooring option that can increase your home’s value. Many people love the authentic look and styling hardwood has to offer. Even flooring options like tile and luxury vinyl planking mimic this highly-sought-after flooring. If you are considering authentic solid hardwood in your home, there are several things you should consider. While every floor comes with its own set of benefits or drawbacks, hardwood is a beautiful flooring option. To help you determine if it is right for you, here is everything you need to know about solid hardwood floors:

Pro – Durability

Hardwood is timeless and for a good reason. This flooring option is not only beautiful but extremely durable. While it can scratch and gouge, typical foot traffic will not damage this flooring.

Con – Costly

Hardwood flooring is a highly-desired flooring. Being made from trees, there is a process in which each plank must go through to be created. This process can make hardwood a pricey option. Therefore, if you are looking for the most cost-effective option, solid hardwood flooring will not be the best choice. Instead, you may want to consider looking into engineered hardwood.

Pro- Increases Market Value

Though the initial investment is expensive, there is still a significant return-on-investment with hardwood floors. In fact, solid hardwood flooring is a home improvement investment that can increase your home’s market value!

Con – Scratching

Hardwood floor is durable, but not indestructible. Moving heavy furniture or animal claws may scratch the floor. Be educated in the type of wood that is used. Some woods like pine can be softer than a hardwood like hickory.

Pro – Can Be Refinished

Hardwood can scratch and scuff over time. Fortunately, your floors can be sanded and refinished over and over. Solid hardwood can be refinished several more times than engineered floors, making it look brand new.

Con – Cannot Be Installed in Every Environment

Hardwood is wood and can expand and contract. Water can be a significant variable on how the floor responds to where it is installed. This factor can also be due to the humidity in the air or moisture coming up from the subfloor. If your floor is glued, it may be able to be installed over concrete. However, you need to test for dryness and perhaps install a moisture barrier. Hardwood is truly limited to the application and environments in which it can be installed.

In essence, you will want to learn what wood is used in your hardwood flooring. Each wood has its own set of benefits. Some woods are less or more susceptible to staining or damage. Hardwood is a great option, nevertheless, and will look great in any home. For more information on ICC Home‘s hardwood selection, you can view our online catalog here.