Frequently Asked Questions

Shaw Laminate offers cost-effective and water-resistant flooring designed to repel splashes and spills, available in a wide array of options.

Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) has jumped ahead of laminate for kitchens because it is completely waterproof, not just water resistant.

Granite and quartz are the two best options. For our custom home designs, we prefer quartz since you don’t need to seal the material like granite.

Shaw Laminate is water-resistant flooring designed to repel splashes and spills.

The best hardwood is really a matter of preference. We like the look of hickory and oak in the 4′ to 5′ width and really don’t want a lot of the hand scraping that was popular a few years back.

For a complete kitchen remodel, we recommend budgeting 8% to 18% of your home’s value. To see how those costs breakdown, see our Kitchen Remodel Budget Calculator.

Granite countertops vary, depending on the color and style. But it starts at $80 per square foot.

For a master bathroom remodel, we recommend budgeting 6% to 15% of your home’s value. To see how those costs breakdown, see our Bathroom Remodel Budget Calculator.

Anywhere from $4.50 to $6 per square foot.

A good lighting plan includes ambient lighting and sconces on each side of the mirror. Sconces are better than vanity lights (the one above the mirror), which can create shadows. But you also need ambient lighting, which is achieved by bouncing the light off the ceiling.

Most of our hardwood flooring falls in the $5.49 to $14.99 with $6 to $8 per square foot being the most common. This cost is material only.

The cost of new kitchen cabinets vary, depending on such factors as the level of cabinets, the level of customization within each type of cabinet, and the square footage of your cabinet footprint. Our entry level cabinet option starts around $95 per square foot, but this is just cabinets. It does not include installation, trim, hardware etc. Adding those items brings the cost to around $125 per square foot.

It is typically $2.50 a foot to install, but there could be a lot of other costs (i.e., demo, trims, shoe molding, etc.).

You cannot paint natural stone countertops. You can paint formica or laminate counters, but it is not recommended.

Typically, between $3.99-$6.99 per square foot for the material only.

Typically, between $3.99-$6.99 a sq ft. for the material only.

Both quartz and granite countertops range widely in price, but granite countertops start at a lower price point than quartz.

The cost for custom home designs of an entire house remodel depends on many factors, mainly square footage, the materials you choose, and any underlying problems. Typically, you can expect to spend anywhere from $20 per square foot, all the way up to $150 per square foot for high-end kitchens or bathrooms.

Porcelain or ceramic tiles that do not have a glossy surface are best to help avoid slippery floors. We see a lot of matte finish products on both walls and floors in bathrooms. Subway tile, chevron style, and 3D tiles are also commonly found on bathroom walls.

If you have solid base cabinets and love the current layout of your kitchen, refacing your cabinets can be a great way to save a little on your kitchen remodel. New doors will need to be custom-made, so it can be more costly than homeowners anticipate, though still less expensive than all new cabinets.

The cost to paint cabinets is charged by doors and drawers. It’s typically about $150 for the cabinet with a door and for a cabinet with drawer $120. Hoods, islands, and other features are priced differently depending on the size. You could also estimate that it will cost about $35 per square foot of cabinets.

The cost of new countertops varies based on the product chosen, but you can expect the price to start around $80 per square foot and go up from there.

For our custom home designs, we suggest luxury vinyl plank flooring. It is almost impossible to stain and won’t fade. It’s also very hard to scratch, and it’s waterproof. This product is perfect for basements and any place that gets a lot of traffic.

Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) has pretty much jumped ahead of laminate because it is completely waterproof — not just water resistant — and it is almost impossible to stain. It also won’t fade and is very hard to scratch. Overall, LVP is more durable and a better value.

Quartz countertops are more durable, less porous, and don’t need to be sealed and re-sealed like marble or granite countertops.

We suggest luxury vinyl plank flooring. It is almost impossible to stain, won’t fade. It’s also very hard to scratch and is waterproof. Perfect for any place that gets a lot of traffic.

The six essential types of carpet are textured, saxony, cable, loop, frieze, and cut and loop.

Vacuum your carpet regularly, promptly spot clean any spills or other messes with a product like Shaw Floors Carpet Cleaner to prevent stains from setting, and do a hot water extraction or steam cleaning every 18 months to 2 years depending on traffic in your home. For hot water extraction or steam cleaning, we highly recommend hiring a professional cleaner.