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May 31

Carpet Behind the Scenes: Manufacturers, Fibers and Styles

Betenbough Homes Model Home Carpet Details

Have you ever had to replace carpet in a home? Did you research more than just the color before making a final decision? Most people just select a color and go, but have you ever considered looking into manufacturers, fibers, styles, warranties, and pads before you even select color?

It’s very important to investigate carpet and its many components before choosing the right fit for your family, but with all those options it can be a daunting task. My job at Betenbough Homes as product coordinator is to research and choose the best products for your home. I’m basically like a home product search filter!

Since it’s best to take all factors into consideration and find the right product for your needs, lifestyle and budget, I’m going to teach you what to look for. My House Made Home carpet series will look like this:

  • Part 1: Behind the scenes – manufacturers, fibers and styles
  • Part 2: Feels like home – warranties, pads and color
  • Part 3: Types of carpet you can select for your brand-new Betenbough home

Now, let’s go behind the scenes in the world of carpet!

Manufacturers
There are many carpet makers around the world, so how do we know which one to choose? Most of the time when making this kind of product purchase, people don’t look as far back as the manufacturer, but go with the color or style they like. Some of the more recognized carpet manufacturers are Mohawk, Milliken, Beaulieu, Stainmaster and Shaw, with Shaw being the leading manufacturer.

Ask your family and friends for recommendations and spend a good amount of time reading about each manufacturer on their website.

Fibers
So, what is carpet made of? Fibers!

Carpet Fiber

The fiber you select can determine how long your carpet lasts, how easily it can be cleaned and how much it can cost. When looking at cost, it is crucial to compare like carpet fibers, otherwise comparing a nylon carpet to a polyester carpet is like comparing apples and oranges. The two main types of fibers are:

  • Nylon – Synthetic Fiber – Qualities include appearance retention, good resiliency, great stain resistance, durability and the title of strongest synthetic fiber.
  • Polyester – Synthetic Material – Qualities include fade resistance, great stain and soil resistance and large range of color availability. 

Styles
Carpet style can completely change the feel of a room. Think about how you want to feel in your room and how much foot traffic will be moving through the area. After you have considered these two things, select your style from the options below.

Texured Style CarpetTextured
[A popular choice, this casual style is great for active families because the alternating fiber twists help hide high traffic spots.]
(Photo Source)

Saxony Style CarpetSaxony
[Very plush and formal, this smooth and uniform style is a better choice in the master bedroom or formal dining room rather than the playroom.]
(Photo Source)

Frieze Style CarpetFrieze
[Also known as a twist style, this carpet is great in an active area or any room in the home.]
(Photo Source)

Cable Style CarpetCable
[Made of longer yarn, this style feels luxurious, but isn’t great for high traffic areas.]
(Photo Source)

Loop Style CarpetLoop
[This style is durable because the fiber tips are not cut, which gives the look of a large woven rug. Good in high traffic areas and known for durability.]
(Photo Source)

Pattern Style CarpetPattern
[An off-shoot of the loop style, this type of carpet can stand up to traffic, but you could run into a visible-seam problem.]
(Photo Source)

Researching the carpet source, makeup and style you prefer is helpful, but there’s still more. I’ll post again soon about warranties, pads and last but not least, color.

Tell me which style of carpet you prefer!

May 25

Little Girl’s Room Grows Up

Updates are a fun surprise for anyone who tours our model homes, so periodically we redesign a few areas to keep things fresh and interesting. Michalea Calmes, who is a new home specialist at the Lubbock New Home Center, and I recently redesigned one of the Jack-and-Jill bedrooms in the Kari model home. The room, planned for a little girl, went from pale green, chocolate brown, pink castles, and a canopy bed to bold red, black, gold, leopard print, chandeliers and two wrought-iron twin beds.

Betenbough Homes Lubbock New Home Center Little Girl's Room Before
Before

Betenbough Homes Lubbock New Home Center Little Girl's Room Bedding and BedsAfter

While redesigning the room, we ran into a few problems. Unfortunately, twin comforters were not available in the print we selected from Hemispheres, so we purchased throws instead and they look beautiful! Also, the only available dust ruffle was a full/queen, so we actually draped the full/queen dust ruffle over the twin mattress and box spring, instead of placing it in between the mattress and box spring. We then placed the twin fitted sheet over the dust ruffle, and it was a perfect fit! It’s great to be open to different adaptations when decorating a space.

One really helpful thing we learned was how easy it is to incorporate a chandelier with a lighting kit. Michalea knew about a kit from Lowe’s that adapts the chandelier to plug in to a wall outlet rather than being hardwired into the ceiling.

Betenbough Homes Lubbock New Home Center Little Girl's Room Redesign

Michalea & Holly
(left to right)

Please stop by and visit the redesigned room!

Room Details
Paint
Pittsburg Paint Company
A golden brown tone, Jute.

Beds and Room Accents
Coyote Candle Company, a local home furnishings store in southwest Lubbock.
Their address is 14012 FM 1730, but since they are sort of off the beaten path, they would be happy to give directions – (806) 798-9677.

Bedding
Hemispheres

Lighting
Lowe’s – chandelier and lighting kit
Hobby Lobby – cord covers

Curtains
Custom Design by Martha Hagood

May 25

Own vs. Rent: The Numbers

Betenbough Homes Rent vs. Own Reason - To Decorate

The Laster family, who own a Betenbough home in our Legends Park community
in Midland, bought their own home to get away from paying someone else’s mortgage while renting.

Renting a place to live is sometimes not a decision that is made, it’s just what happens. Renting is very convenient for a number of reasons. Who wouldn’t want someone else to worry about the upkeep of the property? Who wouldn’t want to be only contractually connected to the place and able to leave with 30 days notice?

It’s easy.

But, is it the best decision?

In some cases, renting is the best decision. In other cases, however, buying a home is better.

Checking the numbers is always a good idea. Consider these numbers when it comes to renting:

Say rent is $700 per month.

In 1 year, you pay a landlord $8,400.
In 4 years, you will have paid $33,600.
And in ten years? $84,000.

Add just $300 to your rent for a possible extra bedroom and you’re paying $1,000 per month.

In 1 year, you pay a landlord $12,000.
In 4 years, your up to $48,000. [A lot more than $33,600!]
And in ten years, you will have paid a whopping $120,000, and hopefully your landlord will send you a nice thank you card. Maybe it’s one of those cards that sings when it’s opened.

I’ve included a chart to help the visual learners.

Betenbough Homes Rent vs. Own Chart

Buying a home offers several perks, including building equity, increasing net worth, and tax savings.

So, more numbers:

The mortgage payment is $900.

In 1 year, the amount invested in your home is $10,800.
In 4 years, the amount invested in your home is $43,200.
And in ten years, the amount invested in your home is $108,000.

Consider which is the decision for you and the ones you love. If you are interested in seeing what your monthly mortgage payment might be, check out our mortgage calculator. Mortgage rates are hovering around 3.75% for a fixed-rate FHA Minimum Down loan, so be sure to change the interest amount when you calculate your monthly payment.

May 25

Make It Stop Beeping! – A Guide On Smoke Detectors

Betenbough Homes Smoke Detector Warranty Questions and Answers

I often receive calls from homeowners with questions about their smoke detectors. Even though smoke detectors are one of the first lines of defense for our families, they are often pushed to the back of our minds – until one starts beeping. Below are a few questions that might help you next time you have a problem with your smoke detector.

WHAT is that chirping noise and HOW do I stop it?!
If you occasionally hear a chirping noise, or maybe you hear it all the time now, this is most likely a smoke detector reminding you to change the battery; it is recommended to change the battery approximately once a year. Other factors that may cause unwanted alarms are dust and insects in the detector or power interruptions in hardwired detectors. The detector is designed to chirp once a minute for seven days if the battery needs to be replaced.

Aren’t my smoke detectors wired in? Why do they have a battery?
True, they are wired in electrically; however they are backed by a battery to ensure that smoke detectors still function in the event that the electrical service is interrupted or fails.
Does it matter what battery I use?
Yes.  Use a standard 9 Volt battery. Most detectors accept the following types as replacements: Duracell #MN1604, (Ultra) #MX1604; Eveready (Energizer) #522. Use quality batteries like lithium. Never use rechargeable batteries because they may not always provide a consistent charge. These batteries are available at many local retail stores.
How do I change the battery?
It will vary with different smoke detectors. The brand should be labeled on the face of the detector or on the inside, and the owner’s manual can be found online. Most brands will have a side or front load battery carrier.

For the brand Kiddie, press down on the battery carrier and then release to allow the carrier to pop open. The battery can then be pulled out of the carrier. When installing a new battery into the carrier, make sure the battery terminals are exposed and that the polarity matches the markings printed on the battery carrier. Completely press the battery carrier down into the alarm and release, the battery carrier will lock into the closed position.

For the brand First Alert, the battery has a side load drawer. If the battery compartment is locked, refer to the owner’s manual for directions to unlock and lock the battery compartment.
I have installed new batteries and the chirping persists. What do I do now?
Be sure to evaluate all smoke detectors, as they will most likely need battery replacement around the same time. If you have replaced the battery, and it is the same smoke detector, it may need to be replaced due to malfunction. Most smoke detectors can be purchased at local retail stores. Your Betenbough home warranty covers the smoke detector within one year of your closing date.
Will it void my warranty to replace the battery or replace the smoke detector completely?
No.  It will not void your electrical warranty to replace the battery or the entire smoke detector. The electrical wiring will not be interrupted if you install a new smoke detector of the same brand on the compatible wall mount. Refer to the same brand and model number, which can be located on the smoke detector.

May 25

Higher Education and Real Estate

In this my “maiden voyage” into the world of blogging about real estate, I started thinking about significant events which have influenced the course of real estate in Lubbock over the years. My friend George McMahan sent me a copy of a letter written by Paul Horn, the first President of Texas Technological College (now Texas Tech University), to the first student body in 1926.

Texas Tech University 1926 Letter to Student Body

Not only is this letter inspirational and very well written, but it reminded me of the impact Texas Tech has had on real estate in Lubbock. Since the 1926 letter, Tech has grown to more than 30,000 students with plans to grow to 40,000 or more students in the near future.

Tech students buy goods and services in Lubbock, and the sum of their purchasing activity has immensely contributed to the growth and health of the Lubbock economy. Students, faculty and staff create demand for housing and retail real estate. The redevelopment of the North Overton area by McDougal Companies is the largest privately funded redevelopment project in the United States. It was driven by the area’s proximity to Tech and downtown Lubbock. The redevelopment has reinvigorated real estate and retail in an area that was not thriving a few years before. Now the tree-lined streets, thriving businesses and a high-rise, 5-star hotel complement the manicured campus across the street.

Overton Park Redevelopment McDougal Companies

Overton Park Redevelopment
(Source)

 Lubbock Overton Park Tree Lined Streets

Pedestrian Walkways in Overton Park Redevelopment
(Source)

Lubbock Overton Park Starbucks

Retail in Overton Park Redevelopment
(source)

Lubbock is blessed to have a thriving university which benefits us all — including a major impact on real estate values.

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