30 Nov 2018

Protect Your Carpet Flooring This Holiday Season

Millions of Americans will travel in the next few weeks to visit family and friends for the holidays. Likewise, millions of Americans will also host visitors for the holidays. If you are a homeowner that is hosting family and friends this holiday season, you may be a little concerned about protecting your carpet from the increase in foot traffic.

Magnus Anderson specializes in high quality flooring options for our customers. We understand that after carefully searching for and choosing the right carpet for your home, you will want it to last as long as possible without damage to it. Accidents from visiting pets, a red wine spill, water from rain or snow tracked into the house, and delicious food dropping from the dining room table are all possibilities in the next few weeks, but the team at Magnus Anderson has some ideas on how you can prevent damage to your carpet flooring.

Start by having your guests take off their shoes when they enter your home. Furthermore, placemats inside the doorways of your house for wet shoes, umbrellas, and anything else that comes from the outside that is wet. This will save your carpet so much wear and tear, and it’s simple to do.

Also, if you are putting extra furniture, like a rollaway bed or additional tables and chairs out for guests, place protective material under the legs of the furniture to keep your carpet safe from the possible damage of shifting furniture or the weight of the furniture.

You probably will not feel the need to place a protective tablecloth under your main dining table for the adults to eat, but if you have young guests that are eating meals in a room with carpet flooring, then you may want to put a plastic tablecloth with a soak proof backing on it down on the floor so that spills will not leave their mark on your carpet.

For many, the holidays are a time to celebrate each other through food and fun. Our team at Magnus Anderson hopes you have a wonderful holiday season. If you are looking to put some high quality carpet flooring down in your home, give us a call at our Fayetteville, North Carolina location at (910) 483-0468.

30 Nov 2018

The Gift of Granite Countertops

For many years, when homeowners were considering which countertop material would be best for their kitchen and bathroom spaces, the obvious choice was granite countertops. Even today, granite countertops remain among the most popular countertop option for homebuilders and homeowners alike. In today’s market, there are more high quality countertop options available. Take quartz countertops, for example. When pitted against granite countertops as an option, you cannot really go wrong with either choice as far as durability goes. Both are great countertop options, and both should last a long time with proper care and maintenance.

However, there are some ways in which granite countertops differ from quartz and other countertop materials. Creative Stone specializes in high quality countertop options for our customers. We have learned a lot about the best countertop materials on the market and here is what we can tell you about the gift that is granite countertops.

When it comes to durability, granite is king. Granite stone is so tough that you could basically cut food directly on it and your knives would not scratch the surface at all. Not only that, but in comparison to options like quartz, granite proves to be more heat resistant. While it is possible to harm the sealant on top of a granite counter, the material itself can stand to have a pot or pan placed directly on it. This is not the case with most other countertop materials.

This is not to say that damage cannot be done to a granite countertop. A granite countertop can be chipped with a hard enough force. The beautiful thing about granite countertops though is that repairing them is fairly simple. Granite repair kits can be purchased by the homeowner.

In addition to these reasons, granite countertops are a great choice because of their affordability in comparison to other options, their ease of care, and their nearly endless color choices. Consider gifting yourself with granite countertops this holiday season. We know you will not be disappointed in your investment. If you are looking for a countertop specialist in Fayetteville, North Carolina and the surrounding areas, look no further than the professionals at Creative Stone. Give us a call today at (910) 491-1225.

30 Nov 2018

What To Consider Before Your Holiday Kitchen Remodel

The holidays are a busy season, with a lot of Americans traveling the country to visit family and friends. For those homeowners who are hosting family and friends this holiday season, the next few weeks leading up to the Christmas holiday could be a time of hasty house decorating and renovation decisions. Before you decide to knock out all of your cabinetry or break out your paint brushes, the team at Fayetteville Granite has some words of thoughtful advice for you.

Before you set foot in one home improvement store, sit down and figure out a realistic budget and plan. Do not go into any renovations quickly and without thinking them through. Know what you can afford to do that will actually achieve your vision. If you cannot remodel your kitchen the way you really want to, consider waiting until you can. You do not want any regrets about your kitchen remodeling project after the guests leave. How expansive will your kitchen remodeling project be? Change in appliances? A switch to a high quality countertop material? A new flooring option? We cannot stress enough how important it is to not go forward with any remodeling project without first planning and budgeting for it.

Consider the time that you have to complete your kitchen remodeling project. Whatever deadline you think you have, add a little bit of time to it for the sake of the unexpected. It pays to do your research. Truly, it does. With a little research, you can usually find the appliances you want on sale or at a better price than you originally thought. You will most likely discover a different option for countertops, cabinets, flooring and even paint color that you like more than the one you originally wanted.

The best advice that we can give is to not rush into any kitchen remodeling project right before your guests show up. Instead, why don’t you gift yourself this Christmas with the promise of a kitchen remodel in the new year that is done just the way you want it. When you are ready to get started, give our team of professionals at Fayetteville Granite a call at (910) 483-0468, or stop into our Fayetteville, North Carolina store.

01 Nov 2018

Taking Your Cabinet Design Up A Notch

Kitchen cabinets were originally designed to give the homeowner a more efficient kitchen space by creating storage options and increasing kitchen functionality. While homeowners still prefer a kitchen space with ample cabinet space for storage and functionality, many homeowners also want to create a more beautiful space with their cabinets.

While cabinet choices are nearly endless for kitchen spaces, homeowners can take their kitchen cabinet design to a new level by choosing the right cabinet millwork and hardware. Fayetteville Granite has some ideas on options that could help you create the beautiful kitchen space you desire.

Millwork traditionally refers to building design elements that were made completely out of wood. For most homeowners at the turn of the 20th century, all of the building elements of a house were made of wood. Today the term millwork can also include building elements made of other synthetic materials. In cabinetry and kitchen space design, some options include crown molding, scribes and valances. Crown molding millwork joins the top of your cabinets to the ceiling to create a smooth, elegant look. Scribes are small pieces of molding that fill in gaps between the cabinets and appliances or ceilings. Millwork valances are attached to the bottom of cabinets to hide lighting and any unfinished space.

When it comes to hardware on their cabinets, homeowners have an array of options to choose from, including hardware design and colors. Kitchens can be transformed with a simple design change in the knobs and pulls on cabinets and drawers. When considering the aesthetic you are hoping to achieve in your kitchen, do not forget the knobs and pulls. They can really make a kitchen space pop. Also consider the functionality of your cabinets and drawers by choosing high quality guides for drawers and concealed hinges for your cabinets.

Many homeowners underestimate how much their cabinets and cabinet hardware choices can contribute to the overall look of their kitchen spaces. If you are ready to take your cabinet design up a notch in your kitchen space, Fayetteville Granite would love to help! Give us a call today in Fayetteville, North Carolina at (910) 483-0468.

01 Nov 2018

Countertop Care This Holiday Season

In the United States, two of the biggest holidays for food consumption are Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is estimated that every Thanksgiving, nearly 46 million turkeys are served, and that during Christmas season, Americans drink about 122 pounds of eggnog. Meals tend to be more robust during the holidays when around 150 million people will be traveling to see family and friends all across the nation.

With so much food being prepared for family meals, it is important that holiday hosts take special care of their countertops during the holiday season. Creative Stone has a few tips on how to care for your countertops when big meals are being prepared.

Clean Up Spills Immediately. The potential for spills on your countertops is great during the holidays when so many different dishes are being prepared. It may be tempting when a spill happens to just wait until all of the food preparation is done to clean it up. Resist that temptation. It is always best to clean spills up as soon as possible to prevent any countertop damage, especially if the substance was dark in color or could stain if left to dry.

Do Not Set Hot Dishes On Countertops. As soon as a hot dish comes out of the oven or from the stove, protect your countertops by placing a trivet or heat resistant surface between the countertop and the pan.

Seal Your Countertops. It is a good practice of every homeowner that has invested in great countertops to seal your countertops periodically, or at least once a year. Sealing your countertops prevents a lot of damage to them, and ensures that they last for a very long time. You will be so glad that you took the time to do it!

Clean Your Countertops Responsibly. Most countertops made of nearly any material require a simple gentle cleanser and water to clean them. Resist the urge to use harsh countertop cleaners. When cooking with raw meat or any other food that could cause sickness or contamination, use cutting boards or a preparation surface other than your countertops.

Your countertops can survive for a long time with these simple tips for their care. The team at Creative Stone hopes you have a great holiday season, and if you are looking to invest in high quality countertops for your home, we would love to help you find the perfect choice! Give us a call at (910) 491-1225.