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Choosing Flooring when Remodeling

Posted by Allison
on September 15th, 2009
Category: Uncategorized

It used to be easy to pick out a wood floor. Look for the wood species you want (oak, maple, cherry, etc.) and away you go. Now you walk through a flooring or home improvement store and pause. Is that wide planked mahogany an engineered floor? Do I want to bother with solid wood?

Engineered versus Natural Wood

The debate between engineered wood and solid wood often comes down to tastes, as the price difference is not that great anymore. If you’ve got an old house with the original knotty pine wood, then it makes sense to continue that in a room addition. Otherwise the floors will look a little different and, more importantly, you’ll know! It might bother you each time you want from the old to the new. Should have gotten solid wood.

When remodeling newer houses, it’s a toss up. You might want the stability of engineered wood versus solid wood (which can expand and contract with humidity). Engineered wood is real wood, by the way. It’s just put together differently, in thinner sections. Here’s more on understanding the various flooring options.

There also are technical reasons why you might want to use laminate or an engineered wood versus natural wood. This flooring thread offers some great tips on that.

Choosing Flooring: Shop Around

In the end, shop around. You might fall in love with a rich walnut floor and discover it’s engineered. If the price is right, why not? Or, if you’re more of a purist or want to continue with solid wood throughout the house, go in that direction.

Just make sure that you have some continuity with the flooring. It’s okay to use a different wood in one or two key rooms, but don’t go crazy mixing it up.

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Finding a Good Remodeling Contractor

Posted by Allison
on July 13th, 2009
Category: Bathroom Remodeling, General Remodeling, Home Additions, Kitchen Remodeling, Tips for Homeowners, Uncategorized

It’s easy to spot the bad remodeling contractors, but how do you know if you’ve found a really good one?

Remodeling contractors come with a wide variety of skills. They also vary in the way they approach the home improvement business. If you see any of the following signs, hang on to your contractor for dear life!

A Remodeling Contractor’s Focus

Genuine interest in your home and home improvement projects. You can tell when someone is giving your kitchen a cursory look or when they are really interested in the details of it. A contractor who comes out for the first visit and instantly looks around the rooms and is tossing out ideas is a good contractor.

Really solid references. If your contractor gives you names of customers he or she has worked for during the past 10 or 20 years – and you can verify the information – you’ve got a good contractor. Repeat business if an important sign that the contractor is qualified, diligent and good at satisfying customers. Also check licensing in your area.
A willingness to show you his or her own house. You’ll discover wonders when looking at a contractor’s own house. Is it remodeled to the hilt? Do the contractor have an elaborate woodworking shop or vast knowledge in that area? These are not requirements, but can help put a contractor over the top. If the contractor is that focused on fixing his or her own house, they might put the same effort into your project. read more »

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A Primer on Buying Kitchen Cabinets

Posted by Aaron
on January 30th, 2009
Category: Uncategorized

If you’re shopping for kitchen cabinets, you’ll eventually get into the debate over customization. People will toss out terms like “stock cabinets, semi-custom cabinets, custom cabinets.” What does all that mean, anyway?

Understanding Kitchen Cabinets

Stock cabinets are the least expensive way to go and they have come a long way in the past decade. Check around at a home improvement store and you’ll find 6 to 8 door styles, finishes and wood species, along with three or four molding choices. Enough to get you started in an economical remodeling project. And, you typically can take them home that day–no waiting for weeks for someone to build your cabinets.

Semi-custom cabinets are the next step up financially, as they have more frills, such as the vertical rope molding that can dress up the area around your doors or the cabinet bun feet. You also get into the chocolate mocha glazes and the fancy stains.

For the Picky Kitchen Remodelers

If you’ve done a few kitchen remodeling projects, you tend to get pickier as you go. If you want sturdier drawer glides, stronger cabinet boxes, more crown molding choices, different stains and glazes, you tend to lean toward those semi-custom cabinets. If you don’t plan to stay in the house long, think long and hard about putting too much money into your kitchen cabinets.

Custom Kitchen Cabinets

On the upper end of the spectrum are custom cabinets that are made to your kitchen’s exact dimensions. No shims or tapered cut wood inserts allowed, here. Custom cabinets are a one of a kind deal. These can be great if you’ve got specific design tastes-or an old house that needs a lot of customization.

Whichever route you choose, shop around, compare prices and always check references. You want to make sure you’re getting a good quality kitchen cabinet, regardless your budget.

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Garage Organization and Remodeling

Posted by Aaron
on January 27th, 2009
Category: Uncategorized

Is our garage a mess? If you’re like many people, the garage becomes a dumping ground for everything from tools to kid’s toys and gardening supplies. One way to improve your sanity is to organize!

This is one home improvement project that is fairly easy to do – depending on how much of a mess you have. It’s also easy to do without a contractor, which will save you some money. (You may want a contractor if you’re getting very serious about remodeling and adding shelving and space dividers, however).

Home Improvement Success

The key to home improvement success here is to carve out a three to four hour period – just to start with. If it helps to draw it out on paper, do that. You’ll want to plan out where to put various items and group them accordingly. read more »

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Get Organized this Fall

Posted by Aaron
on January 24th, 2009
Category: Uncategorized

Has the clutter bug gotten you? If you’re finding it hard to walk through rooms or find anything in parts of your house, it’s time to get organized. This is the type of home improvement project that can be frustrating, but provide big paybacks.

Cleaning Out the Clutter

Start by taking a cold hard look around your home. Are their piles of papers on desks, stacks of newspapers on floors…the list goes on and on. Figure out which rooms bug you the most and work from there.

One approach is to pretend you’re moving. When moving, you are forced to go through drawers, sort, pack, etc., which often leads to getting rid of clutter Start with one room, go closet by closet, drawer by drawer and consider this your fall remodeling project.

Get Reorganized

Once you have a few places cleaned out, it’s time to reorganize. Take a look at a few shelving systems that can make life easier and help you make the most of your space, particularly that vertical space. Here are a few closet storage ideas.

If the kitchen is your problem area, think about what storage items can fit into the kitchen cabinets. Spice racks, Lazy Susan’s, and coffee mug shelves will all work. Every little bit helps! Having kitchen cabinets that work will make a huge difference for meal prep and cleaning.

Clutter can cause lots of stress, as it is a constant reminder of things you haven’t done. Whether it’s the kitchen cabinets, your cooking area or the bedroom closets, start somewhere and just get it done!

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The Contractor’s Price — Is it a bargain?

Posted by Allison
on January 11th, 2009
Category: Bathroom Remodeling, Kitchen Remodeling, Tips for Homeowners, Uncategorized

Bargains. Bargains. We all love bargains, but how can you tell if a contractor’s price is really a bargain.

In today’s economy, some contractors are having to lower their prices to compete, which is good for consumers. When evaluating a home improvement bargain, however, make sure you are looking at the whole picture.

The Contractor’s Price

Let’s say that a contractor tells you he will take off $1,000 from the price of your $10,000 remodeling project. Sounds good on the surface, but what is the contractor shaving to get to that price? If he says he can get a lower price on materials, ask a few more questions. Is the contractor using the same materials or ones that may be a lower quality? read more »

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Test Post 2

Posted by Aaron
on January 9th, 2009
Category: Uncategorized

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Remodeling With Green in Mind

Posted by Aaron
on January 5th, 2009
Category: Uncategorized

If you’re wondering how to add green into your remodeling plans, there are many simple ways to start.

Green Remodeling Tips

While the whole green movement can be complicated if you delve into it, it helps to step back and think about how it can work with remodeling. Going green involves several facets – from using recycled materials, to wasting less on the job site to purchasing products made from sustainable materials.

As you plan your home improvement project, talk with the contractor about what he or she can do to add some green. It doesn’t have to involve a massive remodeling change, but can be as simple as buying low flush toilets, sturdier cabinets (that will last longer and, thus, not contribute as much to landfill waste) or reusing tiles from one kitchen to the next. read more »

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Remodeling to Keep Warm!

Posted by Allison
on December 21st, 2008
Category: Uncategorized

Is your house warm enough? If you’re in the Midwest – or other regions of the country – right now, the answer is probably a resounding NO! It’s tough to do too many home improvement projects to fix air leaks when you’re in the middle of the deep freeze, however. Or is it?

Let’s face it, unless it’s an emergency, you’re not going to hire a contractor and install replacement windows right now. Who wants to live through the cold drafts during the installation?

You can, however, make a list of all the windows that leak and evaluate replacement windows for the spring. Ask your contractor to walk through the house on a cold day and read more »

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Remodeling and Space Planning

Posted by Allison
on December 10th, 2008
Category: General Remodeling, Kitchen Remodeling, Tips for Homeowners, Uncategorized

If entertaining is a big part of your social scene, you’ll want to plan your remodeling accordingly. When considering a home improvement project, people sometimes focus on interior design issues rather than space flow factors. When the big party occurs, they then are faced with an island that is too small, hallways that are too narrow and other traffic flow problems.

The kitchen is one area that is critical to the space flow discussion. This is true whether you are doing a minor kitchen design update – new appliances, countertops, etc. – or a full remodeling. Look around and ask yourself if there is enough room to walk around the island? Can the refrigerator open easily when someone is standing nearby? All these issues should be considered during a remodeling project. read more »

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Choosing Flooring when Remodeling

Finding a Good Remodeling Contractor

A Primer on Buying Kitchen Cabinets

Garage Organization and Remodeling

Get Organized this Fall

The Contractor’s Price — Is it a bargain?

Test Post 2

Remodeling With Green in Mind

Remodeling to Keep Warm!

Remodeling and Space Planning