11 Tips for Refinishing Hardwood Floors - Yahoo Homes

It’s incredibly satisfying to bring your hardwood floors back to life. Whether it’s beautiful hardwood that has been hiding beneath carpet or hardwood floors you’ve had and enjoyed for years, uncovering and refinishing your floors can revitalize your home. Hardwood flooring has stood the test of time, stylistically and literally, because of its ability to be refinished.

(Credit: patrisyu/Shutterstock)

Here are 11 aspects of the process you may not have known about.

1. Three Types of Finish

There are three kinds of finishes you can choose from for your floors.

Polyurethane, oil- or water-based. Polyurethane has varying degrees of luster with a plastic-looking finish. It can darken or yellow the wood over time, though some new formulas don’t affect the wood as much. While good for high-moisture or high-traffic areas, it can be extremely difficult to spot-repair if nicked or gouged.

Varnish. Matte-glossy finish. Varnish comes in a variety of lusters, with the higher gloss being most durable. It darkens with age, though more slowly than polyurethane, and is easily spot repaired.

Penetrating sealer. Natural-looking finish that brings out the grain of the wood. Penetrating sealer may also darken over time, but it provides good protection, especially when waxed. It is the least durable of the finishes but the easiest to repair.

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6 Last-Minute Real Estate Tax Tips for Total Procrastinators - Finance - realtor.com

Well, you don’t have much time left. So get busy! Whether you own or rent, there are real-estate-related tax savings for all to claim—if you file on time:





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Neal Paskvan is a full time Realtor specializing in Downers grove, Darien,Woodridge, Westmont and Du page county Real Estate

Goodbye, Granite: The 6 Hottest Countertop Finishes - Reviewed.com Dishwashers

Goodbye, Granite: The 6 Hottest Countertop Finishes

\For years, granite has been the go-to material for high-end countertops. Despite its expense, weight, and ubiquity, it still remains the countertop of choice.

But at EuroCucina 2014, there was a huge variety of granite alternatives on display. From stainless steel to tempered glass, from ceramic to wood... we’ve seen the future of your kitchen, and it’s not granite.

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Tempered Glass

German design house Leicht showed off a lovely tempered glass countertop in a number of its model kitchens. The thick, translucent material is tough and has a pleasant tactility, while still remaining easy to clean. According to company reps, it’s also available in a huge variety of colors.

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Ceramics

Leicht also made use of ceramic counters, which one representative described as the “closest thing you can get to indestructible.” The material is scratch-resistant, easy to clean, and cool but not cold to the touch. And the dark gray finish we saw paired beautifully with the wooden surround.

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Nanotech Materials

The most unusual alternative countertop we saw at EuroCucina came from Italian designer Arrital, courtesy of Arpa Industriale. Referred to as a “nanotech matte material,” the Fenix NTM countertop is anti-reflective, anti-fingerprint, self-healing, and soft to the touch without being... well, soft. It felt great under our hands, and looked great in Arrital’s modern kitchens.

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RELATED: This Glowing Quartz Is Right Out of Lex Luthor's Lair

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Wood

We saw solid wood and wood-finished countertops everywhere at the show, often contrasting with or overlaid on a stone or synthetic material. Everything from mahogany and ebony to light pine and bamboo was used, and often paired with matching cabinetry to create a minimalist yet warm look. In some cases, wood was even paired with granite, though that was less common.

At least one of Snaidero's EuroCucina kitchens featured an overlapping combo of wood and stone.

Arrital also mixed wood with synthetic finishes to interesting effect.

Leicht also got in on the wood-and-stone game... and even mixed in a little granite. Cheeky!

Rossana eschewed granite and paired its dark wood countertop with luxurious marble.

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Stainless Steel

Look, stainless is nearly as played out as granite. In fact, we just ran a whole story about why it’s probably a terrible idea to overdose on gleaming silver in your kitchen. But plenty of designers at EuroCucina made a virtue out of this particular vice and made stainless countertops look fresh and new again.

In addition to its nanotech finish, Arrital showed off plenty of stainless.

Italian designer Rastelli showed off a huge stainless countertop at EuroCucina.

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Neal Paskvan is a full time Realtor specializing in Downers grove, Darien,Woodridge, Westmont and Du page county Real Estate

Median Sales Price for 562 - Darien and more

Median Sales Price for 562 - Darien and more

Neal Paskvan is a full time Realtor specializing in Downers grove, Darien,Woodridge, Westmont and Du page county Real Estate

Within the next five years, Baby Boomers are projected to have the largest household growth of any other generation during that same time period, according to the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard. Let’s take a look at why…

In Merrill Lynch’s latest study, “Home in Retirement: More Freedom, New Choices” they surveyed nearly 6,000 adults ages 21 and older about housing.

Crossing the “Freedom Threshold”

Throughout our lives, there are often responsibilities that dictate where we live. Whether being in the best school district for our children, being close to our jobs, or some other factor is preventing a move, the study found that there is a substantial shift that takes place at age 61.

The study refers to this change as “Crossing the Freedom Threshold”. When where you live is no longer determined by responsibilities, but rather

CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OFTHE STORYNeal Paskvan is a full time Realtor specializing in Downers grove, Darien,Woodridge, Westmont and Du page county Real Estate