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When something is made in the USA, what often comes to mind is quality—a trusted workforce, precision craftsmanship, premium materials.  Many hardwood floor and carpet manufacturers proudly promote the fact that they make products using resources and a workforce that are indeed made in the USA.  Considering the past struggles of 2020 and in observance of our nation’s Independence Day this July 4^th, we want to celebrate some of the made in the USA companies Fred Callaghan has partnered with for many years.

Bruce Hardwood

Bruce Hardwood has been creating home flooring products right here in the United States for 100 years. Today, skilled craftsmen and women in 6 plants across the country produce their hardwood. Most of those USA-made products are harvested from the Appalachian Mountains, making Bruce our nation’s leading manufacturer of North American hardwood flooring. Appalachian-sourced wood is known for its clear grain, consistent color and excellent stability.

Armstrong Flooring

For more than a century, Armstrong Flooring has manufactured trusted home flooring solutions primarily in the U.S. With six plants across the United States, they remain committed to designing and manufacturing a broad range of flooring types for your home that are made in the USA with domestic and global content.

Karastan Carpet

 Karastan has been known as, “The Wonder Rugs of America.” This company originated in 1928 with the intent to design both comfy and luxurious rugs. They’ve managed to create woven rugs which are resistant to everyday wear and tear.   This company was first located in North Carolina before expanding their horizons. They’re known all over the world for creating durable yet beautiful carpets and rugs.

Masland Carpet & Rugs

Masland Carpets and Rugs, like many early American manufacturers, has a long history of hard work and innovation.  Masland Carpets and Rugs was founded in Pennsylvania in 1866 and still today boasts of its heritage as the leading carpet manufacturer in the United States. Since 1866, Masland has insisted that its carpets and rugs maintain the highest quality. The tradition of manufacturing quality products has been practiced for 150 years and continues to be practiced today.

Mohawk Carpet

 Ever since they rolled out the first Mohawk carpets in 1878, Mohawk has built quality into every flooring product they make.  They continue that tradition today with revolutionary product innovation, award-winning design, and a talented team dedicated to outstanding service. And they are proud to assemble 100% of their carpet products in the United States—and proud to lead the industry as a trusted brand in flooring.

Founded in 1925, Fred Callaghan Carpet and Flooring would like to wish our customers, family and friends a safe and happy Fourth of July.  We too are Made In The USA!

Spring is a time of refreshment, so why not work from the ground up? New flooring can breathe a clean updated look into your home, no matter what room or rooms you choose to tackle. Whether you install new carpet in the bedroom, beautiful hardwood in the dining area or a durable tile floor in the kitchen, flooring can be an affordable and fast home improvement project.

Sunny spring days can help to accurately gauge how different flooring options will appear in a specific room. If the room or rooms receiving new flooring feature large windows or receive ample natural light, you will want to bring in flooring samples to get a true look at the color, design, and texture of your favorite styles. Sunlight in winter and fall is typically not as full as the sunshine in the spring and summer, so use the vibrant season to decide if the look you love in the showroom is the best fit in the actual space in your home.

Fred Callaghan Carpet & Flooring invites you schedule a consultation with one of our design team professionals, or just stop by to look at the many new options we have in luxury vinyl tile, hardwood flooring and carpet.

The sound of power tools is roaring in neighborhoods across the United States.  And all along Chester County neighborhoods, do-it-yourself and home improvement projects have been in full swing.  Once COVID hit, families needed someplace the kids could play and learn. Playhouses went up in the back yard, basements were converted to school rooms, dens were now home offices.

Necessity is one factor driving the building boom. Americans have been forced to use their houses more — and differently. But that doesn’t account for the huge spike in demand documented by Max Anderson, chief economist at Porch.com. The company is an online marketplace connecting homeowners to contractors.”This is all-time highs,” Anderson says. “In terms of like measured history in the United States, this is the, the highest levels of, of home improvement spending we’ve ever seen. “Home improvement spending has been on a long steady rise, so it’s not too surprising that U.S. homeowners are on track to spend more than ever, but the surge in demand is striking.  Anderson measures demand based on searches for home improvement service projects on Porch.com. During the third quarter of 2020, the company tracked 330 million U.S. Google searches for home improvement work — that’s up almost 50% from the same period last year.

Anderson says that just over 3 out of 4 homeowners whom Porch.com surveyed have completed a major project since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and roughly the same percentage have one on the drawing board. Homeowners younger than 40 are the most likely to have completed projects this year, though more than half of baby boomers have done home improvement work too. 

Rock-bottom interest rates also make home improvements more attractive. And he says that in unsettling times, spending on one’s home can be a comforting investment.  People aren’t going on vacations or going out to restaurants, so they’re appreciating their homes more and spending money on them.  Many people have money to spare so they are updating their vacation homes and upgrading their primary homes, too.

More than three-quarters of U.S. homeowners did at least one home improvement since the start of the pandemic, according to a July survey by Porch, a home-services website. While 61% of homeowners did outdoor work to improve their garden, patio or the structure of their home, 58% made interior improvements such as replacing their floors or renovating a bathroom. Homeowners spent a median of $17,140 since the pandemic began on home improvements.

Fred Callaghan Carpet & Flooring invites you to stop by or schedule a consultation with one of our design team professional to discuss ideas for your next carpet, tile, or hardwood flooring project.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hardwood flooring continues to grow in popularity and is one of the most preferred flooring types for homes. Ironically, this is followed by all sorts of products trying to mimic the look of hardwood flooring, regardless of whether it’s porcelain tile that looks like hardwood flooring or engineered vinyl planks.

But many homeowners still prefer the real thing.  Hardwood floors are timeless, rich looking and a good investment for your home.  If well maintained, they last for decades.  And you can refinish hardwood floors to update the color or sheen as trends and preferences change.

There are so many options to choose from, it can sometimes be daunting. But a good rule of thumb is to choose something you like rather than only something that is on trend.  However, if you can do both, that is ideal.   Here are a few hardwood floor stain and color trends for 2021.

 Dark and Cool Toned

The trend towards darker tones continues to grow with cool tones preferred. There is a move away from warmer tones with red or red/brown undertones and a preference towards browns that are purer and more natural.  For those looking to go darker, there are blends of ebony and dark walnut to true black.

Gray and Gray Blends

Gray flooring has been on the rise and you can see it everywhere you go in wood, tile that looks like wood and gray vinyl planks that look like wood.  There is a range of hues, from charcoals and greiges to brown grays.

Light, Natural and Muted

The opposite of the popularity of dark woods is the choice of light or natural looking flooring.  But the theme is consistent with dark woods in that homeowners still prefer cooler tones that drown out the yellow hues.

Natural Looking Floor Finishes, Sheens and Textures

Matte and satin finishes are the most popular sheens, while semi-gloss and glossy sheens are dated and a bit more difficult to maintain.  Flatter finishes have become more popular. And mate and satin finishes are practical, easy to clean a and with proper care look better longer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear loyal customers,

It certainly has been an uncommon year for our business, our customers, our customers who are also business owners and our family.  We undoubtedly did not anticipate the often overwhelming disruption caused by the arrival of COVID-19, beginning in March of this year.  Business shut-downs, healthcare concerns and general pandemic fatigue have impacted us all.

Throughout this year’s ups and downs we have relied on our customers to help our business stay afloat and for that we want to offer you our heartfelt thanks.  We look forward to turning the page on 2020 and the arrival 2021 with hope that things will soon return to what was once referred to as ‘normal.’  Yes, moving forward there may be a ‘new normal’ but we hope we see you there.  We will continue our promise to provide excellent customer service in all we do.

From all of us at Fred Callaghan Carpet & Flooring, we wish you a happy, healthy and safe holiday.

Best regards,

Fred Callaghan

-President