Product Description
From small, do-it-yourself jobs-to major renovations and new construction. Includes complete, customizable cost breakdowns for doing the work-with or without a contractor…. More >>

Exterior Home Improvement Costs: The Practical Pricing Guide for Homeowners & Contractors

1. Wilsonart Laminate Flooring Tops With Tap-N-Lock Installation

In an innovative move away from the hinged installation methods of many other flooring manufacturers, Wilsonart Floor’s Tap-N-Lock technology allows for a less complicated, time-saving flat installation. No glue is necessary during general installation. Areas around doors and kick-plates of cabinets are easily navigated with a pull bar. A hammer and a tapping block is used to gently ease the flat tongue and groove planks together to form a tight, smooth joint. Don’t use too much elbow grease, or you will have problems with chipping. Wilsonart Laminate Flooring requires a gentle touch. This is not the time or place to show off your muscle power!

2. Wilsonart Red Label Hand Scraped Collection Invites Nature Into Your Home

The days of smooth, plastic-looking, unrealistic laminate finishes are long gone. Wilsonart Laminate Flooring has developed into a copycat creator extraordinaire. Their innovative Red Label Hand Scraped range brings the texture and tints of real wood to life in an unmistakable way. The casual, slightly worn appearance is rich in natural variation and random patterning. Five woods have been selected for the Red Label Hand Scraped Wilsonart Laminate Flooring look.

You can almost imagine the weathering process Olde Oak Wilson Laminate Flooring has been through. Subtle cathedrals add realistic appeal. If you love reddish tinted woods, you will fall head over heels in love with the rustic Hickory Plank line. The dramatic tan and red hues are softened with white to cream sapwood and fine brown lines. All the characteristic burls and streaks are visible in a Wilsonart Laminate Floor.

Alternatively opt for richly textured Spanish Maple with its interesting ‘line drawings’. You will never tire of looking at this version of Wilsonart Laminate Flooring. For a true old-world look, choose Aged Timberwood. An open-pore structure richly textured with knots takes you back to yesteryear and happy childhood memories. Add stylish elegance with Burnished Maple with beautiful golden tones, creating a warm atmosphere.

3. High Pressure Lives Deserve Wilsonart Laminate Flooring

Choose durability during your home remodeling efforts by opting for high pressure Wilsonart Laminate Flooring. Whereas direct pressure flooring undergoes 300 to 500 pounds of pressure per square inch, the high pressure versions are made using a massive 1400 pounds of pressure per square inch. The benefits of opting for a higher pressure flooring product are noticeable. More pressure means triple the toughness. You will see improved wear resistance, meaning that scuffing and scratching will be minimized. The static load capacity increases, lessening dimpling. With high pressure Wilsonart Laminate Flooring you will notice higher impact resistance, which is very important in a home where there is a high level of activity. The sheen factor is upped in the process, giving you a clear, realistic looking design. You can also be sure that there will be far fewer factory damaged planks per package. Lastly, chipped corners will not be such a headache.

4. Wilsonart Laminate Flooring Accessories

No laminate floor installation will have a professional finish without quality accessories and moldings. Wilsonart Laminate Flooring has this aspect down to a fine art, due to more than 50 years in the industry. The decorative moldings tone in with the coloring of the flooring.

The classy T-Moldings will give you a smooth transition between rooms, finishing doorways in style. Where you go from laminate flooring to thick ceramic tiles or carpeting, use a Carpet Reducer. These also come in handy at exterior doorways. On stairs you will utilize the Step Down Stairnose. An elegant Wilsonart Laminate Flooring Wall Base molding can be used as a wall border, or to cover unsightly toe kicks at the base of cabinets.

5. Maintaining The Gleaming Face Of Your Wilsonart Laminate Flooring

Busy moms fall in love with Wilsonart because of the low maintenance level. Gone are the days of costly carpet replacements after a staining spill, or yelling at the kids because of a mess on the floor. Cleaning up is so simple with Wilsonart Laminate Flooring. It is robust enough to literally repel dirt. A range of easy to use products ensures the right treatment for any kind of flooring fiasco.

General cleaning is done with a mop and a bucket of water with a dash of Wilsonart Flooring Cleaner. Wilsonart Flooring Spray Cleaner takes cares of specific spots that need tender loving care. If the kids have gone on a creative spree with colorful crayons, you don’t have to worry. Mineral spirits, denatured alcohol or acetone takes care of this in a jiffy. Candle wax can simply be scraped off gently with the blunt edge of a blade. Just make sure that you always follow the manufacturer’s maintenance instructions to the letter. You don’t want to do anything that can void your Wilsonart Laminate Flooring warranty.

Once you have Wilsonart Flooring in place, you may also want to investigate the possibility of a kitchen make-over with Wilsonart HD Laminate Counter Tops. The high definition HD Wilsonart Counter Tops have taken the domestic world by storm with its quality and creative designs. These solid surface products are accompanied by the solid backup of this reputable company.

So, join the home improvement do it yourself brigade by forging a friendship with Wilsonart Laminate Flooring.

1. Do your homework. People research many major purchases; but they spend thousands of dollars on home improvements with little or no research about avoiding construction defects or about hiring a qualified and reliable contractor. Information that can help homeowners is available from many sources. Books explain basic construction and building code concepts in plain language. Manufacturer’s installation instructions for many products are available on the internet. This does not mean that you need to become a construction expert before you embark on a home improvement project. You can and should; however, become educated so that you can recognize common construction defects. Being able to recognize construction defects puts the contractor on notice that you are an informed consumer.

2. Use only licensed and experienced contractors. Verify the status of the contractor’s license and whether any complaints have been filed against the contractor. Complaints against a contractor are not always a deal killer, but they are a red flag that requires more investigation. Obtain references from the contractor and contact them. Use at least one reference from a project completed over one year ago to help you determine the contractor’s response to warranty issues.

3. Obtain a building permit, if required. A building permit is usually required if new electrical circuits, water pipes, or gas pipes are installed or if there are significant additions or changes to any of these systems. A permit is usually required when adding to or making structural changes to a building. A permit is an inexpensive way to get inspections of the work by a qualified third party. It may also reduce your potential liability if a problem occurs. The contractor should obtain the permit. If the contractor is reluctant to obtain a permit, this is a red flag. The contractor may not be licensed to do the work, or he may have other problems that you may want to know about.

4. Look for common construction defects. Here are some examples of common construction defects in exterior home improvement projects.

Failure to bury gas pipes and electrical wires at required depth. Digging around buried gas pipes and electrical wires can damage them and cause gas leaks and electrical shocks. Bury most gas pipes at least twelve inches below the finished dirt level. Bury electrical wires at least twelve inches if the wires are ground fault circuit protected. Bury wires enclosed in metal conduit at least six inches. Bury most other electrical wires at least eighteen inches.

Failure to place electrical receptacles on a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) circuit when required. This is an electrical shock hazard. Place all exterior receptacles and all receptacles in garages on a GFCI protected circuit.

Failure to properly install and protect electrical wires. This is an electrical shock hazard if the wires become loose or damaged. Place most exposed and accessible electrical wires in approved conduit. Place electrical connections and wire splices in a covered electrical junction box. Electrical wires that are installed outdoors or that are buried must be approved for these uses.

Failure to protect gas pipes from corrosion. Corroded gas pipes can leak. Protect gas pipes against corrosion when they are in contact with the ground and when they are in contact with masonry and concrete. The gray paint on gas pipes around gas meters and pipe wrap tape are common corrosion protection methods.

Failure to properly install gas appliance flexible connectors. This is a gas leak hazard. Flexible connectors are the yellow (one common color) flexible tubes that you see between the rigid gas pipe and a gas water heater. These connectors are intended to connect one rigid gas pipe to one gas appliance. You should be able to move the connector at least two inches at the center of the connector. A connector that cannot be moved and is too tight strains gas connections at the pipe and at the appliance. The connector should not have a bend with a radius smaller than 1 ½ inches. A tight radius bend can weaken the connector and reduce gas flow.

Seize the opportunity to beautify and improve your home; but be aware of the dangers that such projects present and empower yourself to avoid these dangers.