Let’s face it. Building a retaining wall can be less than exciting and may even be the last thing on your homes “to do” list. Although building such a structure can be an overwhelming task, it doesn’t have to be a pocket book breaker. Off the top of my head, I can readily name 3 homes that need and utilize a retaining wall. The three homes in mind, have very distinct looks and designs. From a concrete wall, to decorative brick, building a retaining wall can be a nice addition to your home, or an unsightly eye sore.
We shouldn’t forget, that building a retaining wall isn’t necessarily a choice. If installing a retaining wall has made it to your “to do” list, then it is probably time to get that ball rolling. Clearly, the purpose of building such a structure is to protect your property from crumbling away. My father bought a home in a small town of Texas. It wasn’t 3 months after building the home, we notice our property quickly getting flushed away with every rain drop that hit the soil. Although money was tight, he had no choice but to build a wall to keep his yard in tact. After surveying several options, he finally decided on a decorative stone wall.
Although it is not a “luxury item,” he has made this wall look amazing. By offsetting stones and planting vines that crawl over the bricks, he has turned a project that seemed unexciting into a nice addition his his back yard living area. I do make a couple of suggestions here. This is not a DIY project unless you are skilled in the engineering of building retaining walls. This is a project that is important to the value of your home and your property. Be sure to get several bids and check the reputation of the company you decide to hire… but do it soon, before it’s too late.
Wood Flooring Installation
For years, I refused to buy into getting rid of my carpet. I liked my carpet, it felt warm and gave my dog a place to lay. After 4 years of watching my investment get torn and dirtied, I decided it was time for a change. (Spending hundreds of dollars a year on carpet cleaning seemed like it was an investment not paying off in my bank account)
I didn’t have a large budget, so I decided to take this project on myself. I called over a few buddies, made a run to the beer store and from there removed all the carpet in the house. My theory here was that if we ripped out the carpet quick enough, I wouldn’t have time to question my decision… it worked.
It took us a weekend, but we were able to buy all the laminate wood flooring at a local discount flooring supply store. An important side note here: when buying flooring, be sure to test things like texture and surface hardness. Run one of your keys over the surface of the wood to test how hard it is to scratch the wood. Most laminates now have scratch resistant surfaces, but some (especially at discount stores) can scratch quite easily and give you headaches trying to maintain your floor down the road.
I am happy to announce, that 1 year later, the floor looks amazing. No scratches, hardly any maintenance and my dog no longer tries to attach the vacuum (as vacuuming is a thing of the past) Not to mention the compliments I get as people walk… I never got compliments on my carpet!
If you are looking for home upgrade that will pay you back when it comes time to sell, look into installing wood flooring in your home. If you have no experience installing flooring yourself, there are tons of contractors out there to give you competitive bids. Be sure to get several quotes. Business is relatively slow an there are tons of good deals out there so jump on flooring installation plans before it’s too late!
