Empire Today is also incredibly well known for their commericals and jingle. The tune “588-2300 … Empire!” has been on the lips of myself, kids, friends and even the family pets for years. If anything, the Empire Jingle, along with their impeccable service record, has grown the company into what it has become today; the #1 Specialty Flooring Retailer in the U.S. and one of the Nation’s Top 200 Brand Names.

Empire Today Brand

In fact, according to AdAge, the Empire Today brand is more popular than Office Depot, Dunkin’ Donuts, H&R Block, Intel, and PlayStation.

As an example, a simple search on YouTube for the Empire Today company name serves not only Empire Today commercials but also many happy customers and YouTube users uploading videos of the Empire Today song and even kids dancing to the jingle.

Empire Carpet Man

Besides the jingle, Empire Carpet is also know for the Empire Man, who’s story is available via the Wikipedia Empire Today entry :

The Empire Man was introduced in 1977 as a live action character and later adapted into a popular animated persona that has grown to become a cultural icon. The Empire Man has been seen internationally in commercials and other media, has spawned a line of collectible bobblehead dolls, is featured each year in the annual McDonald’s Thanksgiving Day Parade , and inspired the Chicago Cubs to declare an official “Empire Day” at Wrigley Field in 2007.

The Empire Man was originally portrayed on television by Lynn Hauldren, who continues to provide the voice of the animated character

Empire Today Commercials

Here are some commercials featuring the famous Empire Man of Empire Carpet and Empire Today:

And here’s a version of an Empire Today Window Treatments commercial in Spanish :

So, Empire Today is famous for not only its specialty flooring prices, but also next day installation, quality products, in-home demonstrations, in-home sales and friendly service, but also branding, commercials and creating a strong character.

Whether a national business or a contractor serving the local community, there is much to be learned from the Empire Today story.

1. Hardwood Flooring

Solid hardwood floors are one of the staples within the flooring industry. Because of the natural beauty and durability of solid hardwood floors, they have been around for centuries. Solid wood floors are a timeless investment that can produce a lifetime of beauty and add value to the home. Wood floors come in Maple, Pecan, Beech, Cherry, Oak, Pine, Birch, Walnut, Hickory and more.

2. Bamboo Flooring

Bamboo flooring is one of the newcomers in the flooring industry. Bamboo is more environmentally friendly than hardwood floors, and it is actually not wood – it is a grass. Bamboo is very durable, elegant and versatile. The natural variations of color that is unique to bamboo come from carbonization and are usually a honey brown color or light tan.

3. Laminate Flooring

Laminate floors are the fastest growing choice in flooring in America today. The laminate flooring received its fame from Europe and now it is increasingly popular here in the United States. Laminate floors are cheaper than hardwood and they are easy to maintain. The laminate flooring is virtually resistant to burns, scratches, chipping and is great for high traffic areas. (more…)

Growing Popularity of Corn Pellet Stoves

Corn is one of the most inexpensive fuels today, and the use of corn pellet stoves have doubled since last year. Even before this burst of popularity, an estimated 65,000 corn pellet stoves were used in the United States in 2005. Cheaper than propane, oil and natural gas, there are waiting lists with corn stove makers due to the rapid rise in popularity.

Corn pellet stoves and wood pellet stoves look similar on the outside and both come in a variety of styles, finishes and sizes. Glass front windows are standard with both types of stove. They can both be vented to the outside, therefore there is no need for a chimney. Smoke is not trapped inside the house because the draft blower creates a vacuum and draws the combustion air through the pellets and smoke gets forced outside through the vents.

How Corn Pellet Stoves Work

Pellet stoves are run on tiny pellets of the same consistency and size and are fed automatically into the stove. Differing from wood stoves, corn pellet stoves produce convective heat and not radiant. This is a benefit to homes with children, because they do not get extremely hot to touch.

You simply pour the corn pellets into the holding bin, which is called a hopper, located at either the top or the bottom. The hopper usually holds about 35 - 100 pounds, depending on the size and burn rate of the corn pellet stove you are using. If it is a large hopper, it will burn longer because of the amount of corn pellets that fit into it. (more…)

I have identified two such areas: Basement Waterproofing and Septic Tanks issues. These two issues can soon become huge problems which can easily compound into major expenses for you.

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A good place to start is to figure out your current heating costs. If you use natural gas, what other natural gas appliances do you have? If you’re only other natural gas appliance is a hot water tank, this will typically consume $200-$300 in gas every year. A gas stove will typically consume less than $50 in gas a year. The rest should be used by your furnace.

Another method to determine the energy costs of your heating is ask for your month by month energy costs for the last year (or more) from your utility company. The difference between your gas costs in the winter and the summer provides a good estimate of your heating costs. (more…)

As environmental pollution and global warming become a daily reality, people are becoming more concerned about their impact on the environment. Beginning with the home, people are seeking new ways to beautify their house without damaging the environment. The first great place to begin is with your floors. Bamboo flooring can be a great option for flooring, and it offers many of the qualities of hardwood at a fraction of the cost.

Sustainable for the Environment

For those who want to protect the environment, one of the best advantages to bamboo is that it has a very low impact on the ecosystem. A parent bamboo plant grows new stalks each year, and in approximately six years, the stalks are ready to harvest. The manufacturers of bamboo flooring can then continually grow and harvest bamboo with no lasting impact on the bamboo forest. With other hardwoods, the trees take much longer to grow; even with reforestation techniques, it can take decades for a forest to grow back to its original state.

To make bamboo flooring, the bamboo is harvested, split, flattened, processed, and dried. These thin planks are then glued together to create the boards that can be used for flooring. Other types of bamboo flooring involve the bamboo being crushed, with the strands glued together to form boards. Once the glue is dried, the boards are prepared, milled to have proper tongue and groove edges needed when being installed, coated to protect their durability and finish, and then shipped to the store or directly to you. You can even choose to have your bamboo flooring stained to match your décor and tastes. (more…)

Energy Efficient Windows : Savings

1. Rebates from utility companies are given for new, energy efficient windows. Rebates are often given for homes that purchase new energy efficient windows. For more information, you can contact your local energy company to obtain specific details on these energy incentives. These incentives could save you hundreds per year.

2. Utility bills become less expensive with good quality windows. Quality windows ensure that the home uses less gas to heat the home. This commonly results in a noticeable reduction in your monthly utility bills. Imagine the money that will be saved each month and at the end of the year! When you add up the savings, the new windows will essentially pay for themselves. (more…)

For many families, the biggest expense is the cost of the rent or mortgage. Unfortunately, unless you refinance or move, there is not much that you can do about the cost. However, there are ten easy ways that you can cut spending and save money for a rainy (or snowy) day.

1. Buy Heating Oil Now! Prices tend to skyrocket as the temperature drops. Stocking up on heating oil now will help you get through the winter months without paying premium prices.
2. Little food changes add up to big savings. Food is a big expense for most family, both in the form of groceries and eating at restaurants. Cutting back on dining out expenses will save you a lot of money. Instead of eating at the local fast food joint on your work break, pack a lunch from home. Skip the donut shop for breakfast, but instead buy a box of granola bars or some single serve yogurt. You will not only save money, but end up eating healthier. Buying a coffee pot for home and brewing your own coffee can save you the cost you spend at fancy coffee shops. All of these expenses can add up to hundreds of dollars a month.

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]]> http://improvementweb.com/how-to-avoid-this-winters-financial-freeze/62/feed/ http://improvementweb.com/vinyl-wood-aluminum-siding-pros-and-cons-of-home-siding/61/ http://improvementweb.com/vinyl-wood-aluminum-siding-pros-and-cons-of-home-siding/61/#comments Fri, 19 Oct 2007 21:52:23 +0000 Home Improvement Guy http://improvementweb.com/vinyl-wood-aluminum-siding-pros-and-cons-of-home-siding/61/ There are so many different types of home siding to choose from these days, it is almost an impossible decision that has to be made. Let’s look at vinyl siding, wood siding, and aluminum siding.

Vinyl Siding

When choosing vinyl siding it can be boring but there are some things that you have to look for when choosing a vinyl siding line. You may not have realized it but there is more than one style of vinyl siding.

You want to choose a gauge of siding which means the strength of the siding. Most siding is offered from 0.40 to 0.48 inches. You also have to consider the grain of the siding, vinyl siding has different grains, there are smooth grains and raised grains.

The great thing about vinyl is that when installed properly they will hold up against any kind of weather. One of the fun parts about vinyl is choosing the color. But there are some cons to vinyl siding, the price is more expensive then the other two. You also want to make sure that the siding is made from a great material not just some cheap plastic which can easily come off in a rainstorm. (more…)

]]> http://improvementweb.com/vinyl-wood-aluminum-siding-pros-and-cons-of-home-siding/61/feed/ http://improvementweb.com/hardwood-floors-vs-laminate-flooring/60/ http://improvementweb.com/hardwood-floors-vs-laminate-flooring/60/#comments Thu, 20 Sep 2007 14:32:50 +0000 Home Improvement Guy http://improvementweb.com/hardwood-floors-vs-laminate-flooring/60/ There are many reasons why you should take a long hard look at the type of flooring that you want before you get it. Generally speaking, people either choose hardwood floors or they choose laminates. With the amount of money that you are going to be spending on the floor you want to make sure that you know the facts before you spend hundreds of dollars on a floor. Let’s take a look at both types and see which is best for your floor application.

Hardwood Floors

• Hardwood floors are mostly used in rooms like the living room, dining room, bedrooms and dens.
• By adding a hardwood floor you are adding value to your home.
• The hardwood floor gives the home a classic style yet modern.

Laminate Flooring

• Laminate floors are great for rooms like the family room, kitchen, living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms and dens.
• Unlike the hardwood floors the laminate gives off a great look with a very durable finish that the hardwood floor does not have.

Going head to head with certain factors, it has been said that these are results that experts seem to have found out. When it comes to the appearance of the floor, the hardwood wins hands down. Even laminate lovers cannot argue with that.

But in the department of scratch resistance, it is laminate that comes first and in stain resistant too, with laminate you can just wipe away, with hardwood floors it takes more than a little elbow grease in order for the stain to come up.

In terms of which type of flooring is easier to maintain the answer is laminate. Hardwoods do take a certain way to clean them in order to keep their pristine appearance. Though if need be , hardwood floors are easier to repair. In terms of needing to restore the shine and luster which floor would be easier to refinish, the hardwood.

So all in all these floors have their own pros and cons but one more thing that you should consider is if you have children and pets . They will cause extra wear and tear on a floor. But that is a preference and it is something just to consider before making your decision on which floor to get.

Price may be an issues as well, so it would be very important to get as many estimates on both types to see which is more cost effective.

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