How Do You Compare?

How Long Do Appliances Last?
A friend recently had to replace her dryer, and that made me wonder how much longer I could expect mine to last. TIP: This is good information as you plan your 2014 household budget.

From a recent National Home Builders Association report:
Central Air Conditioner -- 15 years
Dishwasher -- 9 years
Gas Dryer -- 10 years
Electric Dryer -- 11 years
Freezer -- 11 years
Garbage Disposal -- 12 years
Furnaces -- 15 to 20 years
Range or Oven Hoods -- 14 years
Microwave -- 9 years
Electric Range -- 13 years
Compact Refrigerator -- 9 years 
Gas Range -- 15 years
Standard Refrigerator -- 13 years
Washer -- 10 years
Gas Water Heater -- 10 years
Electric Water Heater -- 11 years
Tankless Water Heater -- 20+ years

How Do You Compare?

While I was researching appliance life statistics, I came across these statistics. The national median age is 36.8 years. In 2010, the average man weighed 194.7 pounds; the average woman 164.7 pounds. The height of an American man was 5 feet 9 inches and woman 5 feet 3.8 inches. The average number of children per American household is 1.88.

As of 2012, an estimated 26% of the population is obese, 21% smoke, and 11% have diabetes. 

 The average person lives in his/her home 15 to 20 years (it was 

7 years before the recession) and buys a new car approximately every 5 years. 

The average commute to work in Cobb County is 29.6 minutes.

The average homeowner redecorates at least one room of the home every 4 to 10 years, replaces their carpet every 10 years, and buys new furniture every 15 years.

The number of households with children is roughly 33%. (A decade ago it was 40%)

Did You Know
 Here are some more fun facts.

~~ The average person spends 1/3 of their life in bed.
~~Children laugh about 400 times a day, while adults laugh on average only 15 times a day.
~~Most people turn the music down in their car when finding a street sign to "see better".
~~In 75% of American households, women manage the money and pay the bills.
~~Americans throw out 4.5 pounds of trash a day - twice that of 40 years ago.
~~The average person falls asleep in seven minutes.
~~The average American drinks about 600 sodas a year!
~~One in three consumers pays off his or her credit card bill every month.

Here We Crow Again

Enhance Floors & More was recently awarded the Angie's List 2013 Super Service Award. This award is based on superior service. Only 5% of all contractors receive this award. Every day we strive to provide expert assistance and top quality installations to our clients.  We are proud to know it is being recognized!  



Big Brother? 

Are you on Facebook? Did you "like" Enhance Floors & More's page (thank you if you did) but now you realize that we are no longer showing up in your feed? If so, it is because you did not interact (liking or commenting on our posts) enough and Facebook decided you did not like us anymore. Really! So if you want to continue seeing our daily decorating tips and flooring advice, click on this link to go to our page and "like" or comment on a couple of our posts. Sorry you have to do this, hopefully Facebook will get the hint that you really do like Enhance Floors & More! 

The Most Important Decorating Tip Ever 

Do NOT pick your paint color first. There are thousands of paint colors to choose from. Start where you have the fewest choices and build from there. This may be the flooring, but sometimes it is something you cannot or do not want to change, like a piece of furniture, artwork, or a stone fireplace.

We see so many clients that wait until after they have made all their other purchases and then come in to find the perfect floor. This can be mission impossible: over budget, limited options, and extreme frustration. Avoid this problem by selecting your flooring early in the process.

What to do if you have a pipe burst:

If you spot a burst pipe, turn off the main water valve immediately. Shut all faucets and then open only the lowest hot and cold faucets in your home. That will drain the water from your home and the burst pipe won’t spray water all over. Then, call a plumber. You may need to turn off the main electrical supply unit immediately.  Never touch anything electrical if it's wet.

If there has been leakage in the house for some time, be careful when entering rooms. Pay attention to the ceilings because if they appear to bulge, it means it is holding lots of water and could cave in any moment. If you've noticed the leak right away, place a bucket underneath to catch the drip.

When incidents like emergency water damage happens, it is best to contact your insurance company immediately to begin your homeowner’s insurance claim. Your insurance agent will advise you what steps you should take for your policy. An adjuster will almost certainly give you a visit to assess the 

damage. Documentation of the damage is very important and you should do this right away with your digital or video camera or smart phone.

You will probably be told to have a professional water damage restoration company remove the water from your home and dry it out.

If you do have a pipe that has burst, there’s some good news when it comes to insurance. 

You should be covered. Standard homeowners and renters policies do provide coverage for burst pipes. That means, your policy should cover the repair of the pipe, the repair to any damaged walls and also some coverage for damaged furniture and rugs.

If you have damage to your flooring, you can always call Enhance Floors & More and we will do everything we can to help!