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Home Improvements That Will Make All the Difference
If you’re considering improving your home, push ahead. Your home should be your pride and joy. Considering most of us find that our homes are the largest outgoing from our accounts each month, and they’re also the spaces where we spend the most time, it’s not surprising that we want them to look and feel their best. On top of this, the holiday season is approaching, so many of us are going to be hosting dinner parties, movie nights and all sorts of other occasions from our homes in the coming weeks. Now, whether you’re looking to make some fast, last minute changes before the festive period, or you’re considering home improvement that you can take on board for the upcoming year, planning is going to be essential. Here are some ideas that should help to get the ball rolling!
Flooring
Flooring runs through the entirety of your home. While it falls underfoot and most of us don’t pay active attention to it, it does have a huge impact on how any space within your property looks and feels. Different types of flooring evoke different sentiments and are suitable for different types of living spaces – on both a practical and aesthetic level. Here are some options that you might want to try out yourself.
Carpet
Carpet is one of the most popular forms of flooring by far. Carpet is warm and homely. It is soft underfoot. But different types of carpet serve different purposes. Soft, dense, long pile carpets are generally chosen for rooms that require a comfy and cozy atmosphere. This tends to be living rooms or lounges and bedrooms. This type of carpet looks and feels luxurious. It can be difficult to clean if drinks or other liquids spill in it, so if you want to maintain it well, a carpet cleaning machine is recommended. When it comes to high traffic areas, this carpet will simply wear down and fall apart quickly. This is where shorter pile carpets crafted from natural fibers can come into play. This type of carpet doesn’t stain as easily, making it much more appropriate for spaces where people walk with shoes on regularly. Entrance ways, hallways and stairs are prime locations. Loop pile carpets can also be ideal for these areas, as it bounces back into place when you tread on it. However, it should be avoided if you have cats or dogs, as their claws can get caught up in the loop.
Tile
Tiles are a distinctive type of flooring that generally exude class and traditional design. Tiles are easily recognizable, usually taking the form of thin, square or rectangular coverings manufactured from hard-wearing material. Common tile materials include ceramic, stone, metal, baked clay or even glass. This means countless looks and feels. From a terracotta tile floor to black and white tiles laid intermittently for a checkerboard floor effect. There are various ways to install tiles on your floors. Some will come with professional installation. Other types will stick to the floor with tile adhesive. Others come with their own self-adhesive backing, allowing you to fit them yourself by simply peeling off their paper backing and laying them in place. This is great mess and fuss free option.
Solidwood or Hardwood
Wooden floors have great appeal. Not only are they easy to clean, but they can give a space a more minimalist, natural or traditional look and feel. Of course, if you’re going to install wooden flooring in your home, you will find yourself making the tough decision between solid wood or hardwood. Solid wood flooring undergoes a minimal engineering process. It requires relatively minimal work as it is pure, solid, hardwood, shaped into boards, ready to be placed down on your floor. Hardwood requires a little more work, as it is usually plywood boards coated with a layer of hardwood. It’s not all too surprising that solid wood tends to be a lot more expensive than hard wood. Most people genuinely can’t tell the difference between the two themselves though. Solid wood standard measurements come in at ¾ inch a plank, while hardwood will usually range between ⅜ inch and ½ inch. The main perk of solid wood, that may spur you to choose the pricier option, is its longevity. It can last decades with just sanding required to maintain it.
Laminate
Laminate flooring is a more modern creation, but it’s popular for good reason. This low cost option looks great and is also easy to clean and maintain. Put simply, laminate flooring is a multi-layer synthetic type of flooring that is expertly fused together using a lamination process. It most often resembles wood flooring thanks to a photographic applique layer lying under a clear protective layer to mimic wood across the boards. However, the inner core layer is usually composed of melamine resin and fiberboard materials. It is easy to fit, often slotting together with a tongue and groove design.
Renovations
Renovations could be another area of focus, serving as a longer term project. They will make a major change to your home. Here are some of the most popular. Just make sure you get planning permission before getting started with any of them.
- Extensions – extensions provide you with extra space in your home by attaching rooms to the sides. You can choose from ground level or multi level extensions depending on how much additional space you need.
- Loft Conversion – if you want more space, but don’t have land to build on, a loft conversion is a good alternative. This turns your loft space into a usable room. It could serve as a guest room, an additional bedroom, a home office or anything else!
- En Suite – who wouldn’t like an extra bathroom in their home? Having an en suite adds a bathroom to your bedroom, removing the need to fight over the bathroom each morning.
These are just a few different changes you might like to add to your home improvements check list for the year ahead! Give them a go and see what a positive difference they make.
