Month: September 2022

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General Article

Bathroom Renovations – Three Things to Consider Before Making the Investment

September 28, 2022 Comments Off on Bathroom Renovations – Three Things to Consider Before Making the Investment

Bathroom Renovations – Three Things to Consider Before Making the Investment

Bathroom renovations are usually the first place homeowners start when remodeling. It seems counter intuitive to think that a bathroom is an important part of a home, but for most people, a bathroom that is uncomfortable or outdated can be downright aggravating. Fortunately for the homeowner, the small space of a bathroom allows for a quick renovation. And with all the options available for bathroom upgrades, it is an easy and affordable place to start when remodeling a home.

What many people fail to realize is that they spend a considerable amount of time in their bathrooms. Jokes like a magazine rack next to the toilet, or a teenage girl holding the bathroom hostage in the morning find their roots in real life situations. The simple fact is, bathrooms are an important part of our lives.

If you are one of the millions of people who are thinking about remodeling their bathroom, here are 3 questions to consider before moving forward:

What type of look do you want to create?

What is your budget for this particular project?

What do you primarily use the bathroom for?

Perhaps the best part of renovating your bathroom is choosing the colors and materials you want to use. One great place to start is to look at before and after pictures of bathroom renovations. You can see what other people have done, and find solutions specific to your type of bathroom. The best place to find these comparisons are in magazines and on websites that specialize in these types of upgrades.

The next thing to consider is your budget. Though investing in a bathroom renovation will certainly increase the worth of your home, it’s important to pick a company that can help you with your project by providing the best work for the cheapest possible price.

Many people believe that doing it yourself is always the best option, but this isn’t necessarily the case. Bathroom renovation is an art that takes knowledge and years of experience. If you want to do it the right way, you should hire a skilled professional that can work within your means. The quality of installation and fluidity of design will pay off in the long run.

Lastly, what do you primarily use your bathroom for? Do you use it quickly? Or do you consider it a place of peace and solitude; a place where you can get away from it all and gather your thoughts? Your lifestyle should be the deciding factor when choosing the type of bathroom you want to create.

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Renovation Contractor

Where to Look For Small Bathroom Remodeling Ideas

September 26, 2022 Comments Off on Where to Look For Small Bathroom Remodeling Ideas

Are you one of the million home owners who have made a decision on a house improvement project, such as remodeling your own bathroom? Remodeling is not the easiest thing to do; however, the triumph of past experiences in the home improvement field will surely come in handy. If you are also one of the many home owners that have little to no experience in this field, do not panic because it can be achieved by a first attempt. Maybe the actual approach to learning how to remodel is by taking a course on designing and modeling, but this method is not one-hundred percent effective and doable; at the same time, very time consuming. Another alternative other than taking classes is to purchase home improvement books and go through the self-learning process. Regardless of the truth that home remodeling books are usually packed with beneficial information, anyone feeling doubtful will question whether or not the books themselves are actually worth their value.
Prior to beginning the procedure of figuring out whether or not remodeling books are worth the time and value, an individual ought to think about a text meeting their expectations of completing a project. Some books, which may be titled, “how-to-guides,” or, “The handbook,” are great hard copy remodeling guides. They are written in order to assist you as a home owner on planning out your next, “do it yourself,” project. Not only will, “how-to-guides,” provide an individual with sufficient renovation ideas; but step-by-step guidelines. Nevertheless, in addition to having a tendency of providing an ample amount of in-depth directions and outlines; handbooks will be detailed enough so that you will receive a boost of knowledge and confidence to get certain tasks finished in a skillful manner. For example, swapping out and applying new floor tiles and such.
Ultimately you will come to a conclusion on which book is necessary for the job that fits the criteria. Chances are, after reading this article; you have already made preparations on purchasing a textbook that will expand your horizon. Due to the fact that this is solely based on a number of various aspects, you will have the option of obtaining a text in many different formats. You will discover a number of guides that will span from all dimensions of information, to receiving directions on several home improvement projects. Meanwhile, there are those that will be dedicated to the concentration of one or many plausible issues, related to bathroom, kitchen, living room, patios, and etc. For anyone who is looking to have a whole bathroom remodeled, it is usually a great strategy of buying books that specifically base themselves off from numerous remodeling fields. As for a different type of project, such as kitchen remodeling, it would be safe to purchase books which only cover tasks that relate to kitchens. The most effective way of guaranteeing that any book is worthwhile, is by ensuring that the book in which you are contemplating on possessing will be utilized to your advantage.

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General Article

Keep Tile and Grout Clean in Your Newly Renovated Bathroom

September 25, 2022 Comments Off on Keep Tile and Grout Clean in Your Newly Renovated Bathroom

Keep Tile and Grout Clean in Your Newly Renovated Bathroom

You’ve renovated your bathroom and have lovely new tile. How do you keep it clean?

Cleaning bathroom tile is different than other kinds of cleaning. While you can clean most things with soap and water, you don’t want to use that on tile because soap scum is one of the things you’re trying to clean off. Bathroom tiles also offer a particular cleaning challenge since they are a unique combination of smooth and rough with porous grout. Most bathrooms experience daily use and are bathed in constant moisture, making them the perfect breeding environment for mold and mildew. Here are some tips for cleaning your tile:

Start with the least harsh cleaning product. Try combining one cup each of vinegar, baking soda, and salt. This creates a paste that you can apply to tiles. Use a stiff brush and scrub in a circular motion.

If vinegar and baking soda doesn’t work, try cleaning with a spray-on bathroom cleaner and a scrub sponge. Rinse the area thoroughly when you’re finished.

Clean white grout with a diluted bleach or hydrogen peroxide solution. For stubborn grout stains try a steam cleaner.

For difficult stains, turn to a commercial grade tile or grout cleanser. Certain stains need cleansers designed for rust or iron removal and some respond well to toilet bowl cleaning products.

Never mix cleaners together and use gloves while cleaning.

As a final step, you can sponge on lemon juice, which makes the floors shiny, disinfects the tile, and deters mildew.

Grout is not waterproof and often needs to be replaced. Seal tiled floors each year to keep them looking like they did the day your bathroom remodeling job was complete. Using a little car wax on wall tile can also help prevent the build up of soap scum.

Clean regularly. Mold feeds on itself, so the longer you go between cleanings, the more you will have.

Keep the bathroom well ventilated. Open windows and doors when possible and always use the bathroom fan. This can help prevent the development of mold and mildew.

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Room Additions

Home Remodeling ROI in 2012

September 23, 2022 Comments Off on Home Remodeling ROI in 2012

People often refer to home remodeling as one of the best investments you can make. It’s a great way to update your home and keep up with growing trends or a growing family. The best part is, you usually get most of it back when you sell your home. The kitchen and the bathroom were always the shining example of this. But in 2010-2011 the trend for remodeling projects with the highest Return On Investment (ROI) have shifted from larger home remodels, to smaller home improvement projects. These projects include new exterior paint, window and door replacement, or garage replacements.
A high ROI a homeowner can expect on a kitchen remodel used to be 75-85%. However, according to this year’s Cost vs. Value report that assess home remodeling projects from various regions all around the country, the ROI for a typical kitchen remodel has dropped to 57% for 2011. This is as much as a 30% decrease over the last 5 years. The drop does seem to be bottoming out, which is a sign that the housing market may be as well. But with such a significant drop, it can be easy to understand home remodeling contractors may be experiencing a decrease in kitchen remodels.
Conversely, contractors may be experiencing more work in the home improvement spectrum. Replacement projects typically outperform remodeling projects anyways due to their relatively low cost (a replacement project is any remodeling project completed under $18,000). One of the best replacement project a homeowner can do for their home is a window and door replacement. According to the Cost vs. Value report, a window and door replacement can return over 70% of the cost, 13% higher than kitchen remodeling’s ROI. New windows and doors are considered a valuable replacement projects because there have been numerous advancement in window and door technology, specifically advancements in energy efficiency. This is especially appealing to homeowners since more efficient windows and doors can lower utility bills, which is a huge plus in this market. It might seem obvious that the value of saving money has wide appeal, but it wasn’t too long ago that double ovens and hummers were in fashion.
Home remodeling and the housing market have slowed down, but there are optimistic signs that things are getting better. According the “Housing 360” report by Hanley Wood, about 42% of homeowners feel that it’s a good time to remodel their homes. For homeowner’s with a higher income of $100,000 or more, the statistic increases to 56%. The lack of credit still makes it hard for homeowners to buy new homes or renovate their existing homes. But recently, people have been watching their money closely and been able to provide the money for their home remodeling projects with cash. In fact, 80% of homeowners use cash for remodeling their home.

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General Article

Bathroom Renovation Tips

September 21, 2022 Comments Off on Bathroom Renovation Tips

Bathroom Renovation Tips

Firstly having a renovation is exciting, but don’t let the excitement overcome the realities of having multiple workmen/ tradesmen and artisans working and invading in your personal space! Renovations can be a costly exercise, and very stressful making sure that everything runs like clockwork to meet your deadline and stay within budget…

Once you have a clear idea of what sort of bathroom renovation you are thinking of doing, you have to ask yourself, is this going to be worth it? Stress wise, cost and resale at the end of the day… If your answers are yes to these questions the battle is half won.

Before calling any tradesmen, grab some paper and make notes (examples below):

Sketch some ideas down on a piece of paper. (You don’t need to be a Van Gough, something simple and 2d)

What sort of finishes you are aiming to achieve

Think practically and about the future

Now time to get hold of the plumber (We offer free quotes)…

There are a few signs that give away what sort of work the plumber will be giving you at the end of the day. For example:

1) Is the plumber prompt and on time?

2) Does it sound like the plumber knows what he is talking about or is he speaking around the point?

3) How do they carry and present themselves?

4) Is their quote professionally presented?

5) How long did it take for the plumber to submit his quote?

6) Does the plumber have any contactable references who you can contact?

These are very important things to take note of when deciding which plumber to use for your bathroom renovation. I would rate the above questions out of ten and attach the ratings to their quote.

The quality of plumbing is not determined by the price of the quote, but by the plumber who is doing the plumbing! It is very important to try and judge what sort of service and quality of work you will be receiving from the plumber. Going with the cheapest quote could be dangerous especially if you have not rated them using the above guidelines. Try and stay clear of people claiming to do “everything”, find someone who specialises in one trade and that trade alone!