Elisabeth Stubbs

The ABCs of Flooring

From Wood and Carpet, to Tile and Luxury Vinyl Plank

BY ELISABETH STUBBS

Let’s learn more about my favorite floors as we continue with the letter T. (If you missed Part 2 last month, visit https://aroundwoodstockmagazine.com.)

Elisabeth Stubbs is one of the owners of Enhance Floors & More, one of Atlanta’s toprated flooring dealers, located in Marietta.

Yakima

Tis for tile — luxury vinyl tile (LVT), that is. Most people think luxury vinyl comes only in wood looks, but there are lots of great tile looks as well. Some of my favorites are COREtec Stone,

TRUCOR Tile and Pergo Tile.

LVT is not as cold as real tile; it’s much more comfortable underfoot, waterproof and you don’t have to grout.

Uis for Urban Terrace. This real hardwood floor by Mohawk is one of my go-to floors, as there is a color that works for most everyone. It’s available in maple, birch, oak and natural walnut, all in the popular 5-inch width.

Vis for Villa Pointe — possibly the most beautiful maple hardwood floor you will ever see. It is one of the thickest engineered woods on the market, superbly crafted by Karastan, and it is 7½ inches wide. Engineered floors are a thinner wood floor, made in plies, with the actual species of wood on the top layer. The bottom layers utilize other species of wood for stability. It is composed of 100% hardwood. Most engineered wood floors can be sanded at least once.

Wis for wood — hardwoods, of course. Site-finished hardwoods are installed raw (unfinished) and sanded, stained and coated with polyurethane in your home. This allows you to select the stain color and the gloss level of the floor. Conversely, prefinished hardwood floors are fully manufactured and finished in the factory. A prefinished floor offers a quick and more convenient installation, but you have fewer choices in stain color, etc. Site-finished and prefinished floors are available in solid and engineered wood. All solidwood floors can be sanded numerous times.

Xis for Xanadu. The gorgeous wool carpet by Stanton is great for rugs, staircase runners and wall-to-wall installations.

Yis for Yakima, a nice wood color in the Thatcher line of laminate vinyl plank floor by Mohawk Flooring. This style is one of the few luxury vinyls made in America.

Zis for zebra. Not a real zebra — a faux zebra print by Karastan. This design captures nature’s true spirit of the wild and inspires adventures in decorating. Never fear; it’s nylon, so it’s very durable. The design is great for rugs and staircase runners, too.

Photo courtesy of Holiday Lights of Hope.

Light Displays to Brighten Your Holidays

Are you looking for the biggest and brightest light displays this season? Pack the car with family and friends, put on your favorite holiday music, and have a de-light-ful time visiting twinkling displays you can walk or drive through.

Through Dec. 23

Holiday Lights of Hope opens nightly at 6 p.m. at Hobgood Park in Woodstock. The event features a huge walk-through Christmas light display with more than 2 million lights. Cost is $10 per person. Kids ages 14 and younger admitted free. Proceeds benefit the Anna Crawford Children’s Center. No pets allowed. https:// bit.ly/3GspZJM. For the most up-to-date information regarding weather closures, visit the Holiday Lights of Hope Facebook page.

Visit Mountain Country Christmas in Lights, 6-9 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and 4-9 p.m. Saturdays through Dec. 10 (and every night Dec. 15-23), at the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds, 1311 Music Hall Road, Hiawassee. Enjoy a winter walk through thousands of lights and exhibits. There will be Christmas music, arts and crafts vendors, holiday food and pictures with Santa. https://bit.ly/3GA0I0C This year marks the final season for Lane Lights at 770 Fox Hollow Parkway, Marietta. The free light display runs nightly, 6-10 p.m., weather permitting. www.facebook.com/LaneLights Through Dec. 30

Visit Pettit Creek Farms In Cartersville for A Country Christmas celebration, beginning at 6 p.m. TuesdaysSundays. Take a hayride ($10 per person) or drive through more than a mile of Christmas lights ($30 per car). Activities include visiting Santa and his reindeer, a Nativity scene and petting zoo, Christmas trees and more. https://pettitcreekfarms.com/a-country-christmas-final Through Dec. 31

Lights of LIFE is open nightly, rain or shine. The display opens at dark and runs until 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, and 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays at Life University, 1269 Barclay Circle, Marietta. Cost is $10 per car/truck; buses are $20. Fees for individual goods and services are at the discretion of the vendors. www.life.edu/lights-of-life

Riley’s Rockin’ Christmas Lights features more than 60,000 LED lights synchronized to nearly an hour of holiday music at 2008 Palladium Drive, Kennesaw. Donations are accepted in the red Santa’s Letters collection box, to benefit the Children’s Burn Foundation. The show is on a varied schedule. For dates and times, visit www.facebook.com/RRXmas.

Light Up the Holidays at Barnsley Resort visitors (including those who are not staying overnight) are welcome to view more than 1 million lights and festive decor in the historic 1800s manor house ruins, surrounding gardens and English-style village. There is a small fee for self-guided tours at 597 Barnsley Gardens Road, Adairsville. www.barnsleyresort.com

Photo courtesy of Holiday Lights at Veterans Park.

Holiday Lights at Veterans Park opens nightly at 6 p.m. Enjoy a 2-mile drive through the Christmas light show. Admission is $20 per car. For the most up-to-date information, visit www.facebook.com/HolidaylightsatVeterans.

The annual Smoot Christmas Lights for Lupus display runs 5:30-10 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays and 5:30-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The family decorates their home, 3699 Autumn View Drive, Acworth, with a variety of lights and fixtures that are synchronized to music. Free hot chocolate and cookies are offered, 6-8 p.m. Saturdays, and all collected donations go to the Lupus Foundation of America, Georgia Chapter. The Holly Springs Light Show provides uplifting holiday entertainment nightly, 6-11 p.m. at First Baptist Holly Springs. It is free to attend, but donations are greatly appreciated at the clearly marked boxes. https://www.facebook.com/hollyspringslightsshow

Dec. 10-11

Drive through a live Nativity scene and Christmas lights display, 7-8:30 p.m. at Shiloh Baptist Church in Jasper. Everyone is invited to this free display. https://bit.ly/3whVGkD

Through Jan. 1

Lights of Joy, the largest residential Christmas light display in Georgia, has more than 1 million lights. Open nightly, 6-11 p.m. at 1510 Ben King Road NW, Kennesaw. Park at Influencers Church across the street, walk to see the lights in this free display and enjoy sections synchronized to Christmas music. No pets allowed. www.lightsofjoy.net Drive through Reindeer Road, open nightly, 6-10 p.m. at 250 Cobb Parkway N., Marietta. Whiz through mountainous terrain, traverse glacial peaks, explore northern ice caves and make your way through the northern forests to the heart of it all — Santa’s Workshop — the world’s largest animated toy shop. https://bit.ly/2ZtC5C4

The Hrockin Hranicky Christmas Light Show is 6-10 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays and 6-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays at 3848 Rivers Run Trace NW, Acworth. The show is free, but there is a donation box for Angels Among Us Pet Rescue. (Look for the mailbox attached to the Snoopy doghouse.) www.hrockinhranickychristmaslights.com Celebrate the season with Stone Mountain Christmas, on select days, at 1000 Robert E. Lee Blvd., Stone Mountain. Millions of lights, Christmas shows, a parade featuring Santa Claus and more create a night to remember. Don’t miss the scenic railroad, journey through the musical frosted forest and the world’s largest Christmas lights show. www.stonemountainpark.com Visit Holiday In the Park select dates at Six Flags Over Georgia. Millions of lights and dozens of Christmas trees create a magical atmosphere during the holiday season. This holiday classic includes luminous lights, festive foods, shows, and, of course, Santa! https://bit.ly/3nEWFal

The Smoot Family’s annual Lights for Lupus display benefits the Lupus Foundation of America, Georgia Chapter. Through Jan. 2

Fantasy in Lights celebrates 30 years at Callaway Gardens, 17800 Highway 27, Pine Mountain. New this year is a scene on the lake and the Callaway Christmas village. Walk and drive through 10 million twinkling lights and 2,500 acres of Christmas cheer. Named one of National Geographic’s Top 10 Light Displays in the World. www.callawaygardens.com

Through Jan. 6

The Fox Family Christmas Light Display runs nightly, 6-10 p.m. at 2994 Clary Hill Court, Roswell. The light show features thousands of lights, music and animated features like a skating pond. Donations will be accepted for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church. www.facebook.com/Foxfamilylights

Through Jan. 14

Garden Lights, Holiday Nights features blooming bulbs, a radiant rainforest, poinsettia tree and more at Atlanta Botanical Garden, 1345 Piedmont Ave. NE, Atlanta. A tunnel of light, the radiant ice goddess and the glittering galaxy will embrace visitors in enchanting light. Timed tickets are available online. www.atlantabg.org

Through Jan. 15

Illuminights at the Zoo: A Chinese Lantern Festival

brings a one-of-a-kind holiday light experience to Zoo Atlanta, 5:30-9:30 p.m. Stroll through the zoo after dark to see more than 80 nature-inspired lanterns. Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for ages 3-11. https://zooatlanta.org/event/illuminights

Through Jan. 16

Stroll through Margaritaville’s Lakeside Lights Spectacular, nightly at 5 p.m. through Jan. 4 then weekends only through Jan. 16, at Lanier Islands, 7000 Lanier Islands Parkway, Gainesville. All ages will enjoy the magical walk through a lighting extravaganza with festive seasonal music. Then, stop at License to Chill Snow Island, with one of the fastest snow rides in North America, ice skating, a snow play area, carnival rides and more. www.lanierislands.com