Irvington Home Improvement (Irvington, NY)
By Debbie Gartner, The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers
(The Flooring Girl)
Brazilian Cherry Hardwood Flooring is growing in popularity in Irvington NY.  Its brilliant red color and exquisite graining gives is breathtaking.   As the name implies, Brazilian Cherry hardwood grows in Brazil. Due to the climate and growing cycles, Brazilian Cherry is much harder than the typical oak you traditionally see here in the US. On the Janka hardness scale, Red Oak is a 1290 while Brazilian Cherry is 2350 - almost twice as hard.   But, the main reason customers love Brazilian Cherry is its beauty. The redness and depth of color is unparalleled, along with the richness of its smooth graining. Even if you stain oak to be red, you can't get same effect - it's impossible. Take a look.   Brazilian Cherry typically comes in wider planks which is more stylish and makes the space l...
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By Debbie Gartner, The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers
(The Flooring Girl)
Refinishing hardwood floors in Irvington NY - Everything you ever wanted to know about sanding your floors. Refinishing your hardwood floors can have a huge impact on your Irvington home. You will be amazed at how refreshed your home will look...and the floors will look good as new. Many don't realize that when you sand and refinish the floors, you have the option to change the color - you can go from dark to light or light to dark or anywhere in between.     If you have hardwood flooring underneath your carpet, you are in luck. Usually, refinishing and restoring the hardwood will cost LESS than recarpeting. And, most homeowners prefer the look and feel of hardwood. Not only will it improve your home's value, but they are much easier to clean and maintain. How does the hardwood refinish...
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By Debbie Gartner, The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers
(The Flooring Girl)
I was in shock yesterday when I went to an appointment for Refinishing hardwood floors in Westchester.  My customer seemed nice, and he was asking the right questions (e.g. water based vs oil based poly, what sheen level to use, etc).  He had checked out our online reviews, too.   I gave my estimate, and he said that sounded high.  This is not the typical response I get.  Usually, I hear, "That sounds reasonable."  Most of my customers get 3 estimates and I probably win around 60% of the jobs.  Yes, there are times where someone does come in lower...but usually, when this happens, it's usually around 10% lower, but it's still fairly close.   I was in shock yesterday, when he shared the other estimate which was 60% lower than mine!  Yes, 60%.  He swears it includes furniture move, which ...
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By Debbie Gartner, The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers
(The Flooring Girl)
What is the difference between red oak and white oak hardwood? Oak flooring is the most popular species of hardwood here in Irvington NY.  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 or based on the brand/grade/width of...
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By Debbie Gartner, The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers
(The Flooring Girl)
If you're looking for a light colored hardwood floor, consider maple  flooring for your home in Irvington NY. Maple flooring is a light blond color with low graining. It’s a light, smooth look that can open up any room and give a modern, contemporary and northern European feel.     Maple flooring is harder than oak. On the Janka hardness scale, Maple is a 1450 vs. red oak which is 1290. Maple is lighter than oak flooring and its grain is smoother.While traditionally a light blond color, the shade of maple flooring can differ depending on its age and the area where it was grown. Maple’s appearance also differs based on how the trees are cultivated. Flame maple, quilted maple and bird’s eye maple are 3 different types grain patterns that will give your room 3 different looks.     Maple fl...
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By Debbie Gartner, The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers
(The Flooring Girl)
What are the advantages of Oak Hardwood Floors for your home in Irvington NY? Oak is the most popular species of hardwood flooring here in Irvington NY. If you see hardwood in a home, chances are it's oak. Why is oak hardwood flooring so popular? 1. Oak flooring is very affordable since it's grown in the US and is  abundant. Oak hardwood tends to be less expensive compared to the other species (such as maple, hickory, brazilian cherry, etc). And, in Irvington NY, it's very readily available to get unfinished oak hardwood flooring. Often, unfinished oak flooring (that is refinished and stained on-site) is a bit less expensive than prefinished oak, especially as you go wider in the plank size.     2. Oak flooring is the standard of hardness, and oak tends to hide scratches well. On the Ja...
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By Debbie Gartner, The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers
(The Flooring Girl)
November has come to a close, so it's time to look back to see which posts from the month did the best.  This is a good way to see what is working/what isn't as well as to provide a bit of extra link juice for the top posts.    I hope I can find a gas station with gas today  This of course expressed some of the stress trying to find gas right after the hurricane.  The situation actually got much worse a day or two later and many areas went to rationing.  I believe as of a few days ago the rationing was lifted in either all or most of the areas.   GaGa for Google + - Who to follow + Tips 11/13/12  This was the first of my new weekly series where I'm providing a few weekly tips to help you get acclimated to Google +.  If I had to prioritize time on across all of the social media networks,...
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Irvington, NY Real Estate Professionals