Home improvement

Probable the most important bit of advice anyone will impart to you when you are thinking about selling your house is to “remodel your kitchen”. Just the words “remodel your kitchen” are scary. You immediately envision dollar signs, $$$$$$$. Kitchen cabinets do play a huge role in remodeling your kitchen. But, in most cases, you don’t really have to replace the entire cabinet. You can simply reface your kitchen cabinet doors.

Refacing the kitchen cabinet doors, what does that mean? This simply means that if your existing kitchen cabinets are structurally sound, the kitchen cabinets doors can be easily removed and replaced with new doors. Immediately some of those dollar signs floating around in your mind should disappear. Refacing your kitchen cabinets eliminates the sometimes ugly process of damaging your walls, flooring, plumbing or electrical systems that is usually associated with the replacing of the entire kitchen cabinet. Your kitchen will always be totally functional. There is hardly any mess at all that is associated with refacing your kitchen cabinets.

The most taxing aspect in refacing your cabinets will probable be trying to select just one of the many varieties of doors that are available today. The multitude of colors and designs can become overwhelming; but pick one you must. The rest of the process is fairly uncomplicated. You simply remove the hardware that is securing the existing doors to your cabinets. The kitchen cabinet frames are then painted with the same color as your new refacing doors. New cabinet hinges should be used to attach your new kitchen cabinet doors. Now the only thing left is to choose your favorite door knobs and bingo, your kitchen cabinet refacing is done.

Deciding to reface your cabinet doors has saved you time, frustration and most of all a lot of money. By the way, recycling your old doors to an organization that helps the poor could also entitle you to a charitable tax exemption.

By: Jonathan R Richards

Houses are expensive to build. From the basic framework to the finishing touches of the perfect flooring, the right cabinetry and the decorative front door, everything costs money. Contractors know that even with the best of intentions, accidents happen, and something expensive needs to be replaced or repaired. Contractors and builders can save time and money by using surface protection products to prevent damage to fixtures.

Surface protection products will more than pay for themselves in the time and money saved by not having to replace or repair anything in the home. Products are available to protect just about any surface in the home during construction. As word spreads that these surface protection products are used and save the new homeowners money by preventing costly delays, a builders image will improve.

FLOORS/CARPETS – Instead of nicking that beautiful wood floor that was just laid, or tracking stains all over the pure white carpet the homeowners have chosen, floors are easily protected while the rest of the job is finished by using surface protection products. Tacky mats are also available to trap dirt and debris from being tracked through the new home.

WINDOWS – Window protection prevents scratching of the glass while allowing natural light inside. It is easy to install and easy to remove, providing protection with UV resistance.

DOORS – Doors can easily be wrapped in a protective sheet to prevent dirt smears, dents and paint overspray. Door protection is light colored, so any important site information can be written on it by the construction crew without damage to the door. Door protection is cost effective and can be ordered in custom sizes if needed.

COUNTERS – Easily modified to fit any surface, counter protection products come in economy, standard, deluxe and premium varieties. All but the economy style are made of thick durable corrugate attached to strong plastic sheeting to provide protection not only to the countertop but to the front of the cabinetry as well.

CABINETS – Durable cardboard sheeting is easily attached to cabinet fronts to protect them from dings, scratches, overspray and dents. It can be re-used until it is torn.

BATHROOMS – Tub damage is a very common event and can really add unexpected costs to building a home. There are various styles of tub protection on the market from liners to covers. Each has their merits but the keys to preventing damage are eliminating the use of bath tubs as garbage cans and preventing contractors from standing in the tubs, grinding screws or nails into the finish of the tub or shower pan.

Toilet protection is available as well. It locks on securely and protects the entire fixture during construction.

HVAC – Inexpensive HVAC protection is worth its weight in gold – it keeps screws, nails, dust and debris from falling into the heating ducts. This simple product can save you a lot of money spent in cleaning the duct work after construction is finished.

Builders and contractors everywhere can benefit by using surface protection products during the construction process. Many of the products are reusable from job to job, and can be printed with the name and/or logo of a business for promotional purposes. Time and money is saved by reducing the amount of replacement and repair needed when finishing up a construction job.

By: Mike Blake

In today’s economy, many homeowners looking for the best home improvement value on a limited budget. While negotiating with contractors on price can be a “slippery slope”, below are some tips on how to advise clients who need to cut project costs but don’t want to sacrifice on quality:

1. Discuss specifics on materials. For example, if you’re installing a hard wood floor, you may be able to save several thousand dollars on materials by choosing flooring that runs $10/square foot vs. $14 that is just as good.

2. Have your financing ready. Most contractors are more receptive when they know that a homeowner is serious and ready to get their job done. And, in this economy, they may be more anxious to get to work.

3. Consider doing projects in the off season: Depending on your area of the country and despite the economy, most contractors start to get busy in the Spring and slow down during holidays and the colder winter months. Plan to do your remodeling projects when their schedules are open. You won’t be competing with other homeowners who may have bigger budgets or bigger jobs.

4. Consider doing your project in stages: If you’ve found a reliable contractor but his bid is too high and there’s no room for negotiation, consider doing your project in phases. A good contractor who is a good businessman is interested in repeat business (and word of mouth referrals) and gaining a customer for a smaller job with prospects for future work is worthwhile.

5. Talk to references: Before hiring any contractor, ask to speak with other homeowners who hired the contractor for a similar project. Ask them about their experience and where they felt they could have saved a few dollars.

6. Don’t try to save money by hiring your own subs or doing portions of the job yourself: Most general contractors prefer to hire their own subs (i.e. electricians, plumbers, etc.) and sometimes earn a percentage from the subs they hire. If you hire your own subcontractors or try to handle aspects of the job on your own, you run the risk of causing a scheduling delay or a larger problem that may cost you more to fix in the long run.

7. Reconsider your plans: Review the details of your project with your contractor and ask if there are design elements in your home that can be incorporated into the job rather than replaced. For example, perhaps you can save money (and not compromise too much on design) if you reuse doors rather than purchase new ones.

By: Debra Cohen

Home Improvement can be the most rewarding experience you can embark on, if you like the do-it-yourself thing. I think maybe it is the accomplishment of doing something that you think you can’t do, so it is very rewarding when you prove to yourself that you can do it. I am getting too old to do many of the things I used to do. I am a Female, now 72 yrs old, and this is why I say that. I have sons that just leave me alone (even now) and let me do my thing. I love remodeling and decorating. I love to change something into something different. I have had people tell me I can’t change this to that, so I have to prove them that it can be done. One such thing was my Oak Kitchen Cabinets. They were stained and old, out of date, and the more I looked at them the more I was determined to do this. I have worked in a cabinet shop (which my Husband and I owned) so many years I can hardly remember when I didn’t, so I have a lot of insight on the Home front.

My Daughter and I live together and I think I scared her with the many things I wanted to do, but she is a trooper and I usually got what I wanted to do. So we talked about painting the cabinets and we decided we would try it. Painting cabinets was the big thing now. Even in our Cabinet shop, most cabinets are painted (though they weren’t Oak cabinets). The grain in the Oak wood is so bold, it is hard to cover it up. We searched around and found the type of paint to use. Prime the cabinets first, then hand sand and start painting. We painted the cabinets white. They were beautiful. My Son put on new Counter tops for us. We also took up the old flooring and put down new vinyl floor tiles, because I am not the kind of person that stays with a look forever. I love change. So I use Materials that can be changed out without breaking the bank. I don’t like slate or granite, Corian or floor tile that is so cold. I don’t like the granite or hard cold Counter tops either. These are costly and you cannot change these out inexpensively. You are stuck with them. I still like the change, so this is not for me,

No, I don’t own a million dollar home but I do own a comfortable beautiful home, that I change, from time to time and I keep it changed to suit me. I love my home! It is similar to the old fashioned southern homes with the big front porch, three sets of beautiful steps, and Gates on all three for my small, great grandchildren, when they visit. My Yards are beautiful and there was no gardener for these either. I have changed my yard, just like I have the House and now I am finally getting satisfied with the way it looks. There is so much Love in my home that even the richest person could envy and wish they were in my Place. I can sit back and enjoy my home, which has been an on-going project for over 20 years, and I have enjoyed every project I have ever done!

By: Teresa D Carr

Planning on building a rec room in your basement or in that extra bedroom that you have? Sure, that’s a great idea if you want to be just like every other homeowner that’s hiring general contractors to update their living space. If you’ve got a lot of desire but limited home space for making a rec room or media room for your family then turn your attention elsewhere – like the garage.

A finished garage is a hip way to revitalize your home and create an entertainment “addition”. It’s a natural choice because the architecture and framework is already in place and in many cases – so is the electricity. The cost of finishing a garage is relatively cheap depending on your overall plans for the space and in some cases can cost less than finishing your basement. There’s also less worry about water damage and moisture in a finished garage. Not sure of what you could do with your garage space? Check out some of these design ideas from general contractors around the nation:

Start with Basics

Shoot for the things that mean the most when it comes down to style and design in a finished area. With a garage, you want to have the option to turn it BACK into a garage from the new living space. A drop ceiling is a good choice, as are insulated walls and wiring for media. Plumbing is a great option because it’s within the walls and won’t interfere with a working garage at a later time.

An insulated and well-constructed subfloor can even be installed. If properly installed, it can support the weight of vehicles in the future. With the subfloor in place you can use any flooring you like – just base your decision on whether or not this is a permanent change in your garage.

A Space for Appliances

You don’t have to make a space in your media room for a full size fridge (unless you’re the party type) but it pays to make a spot for an under-counter fridge when you put some counter and cabinet systems into your rec room. This is especially true if you’re planning to add any kind of a wet bar. Having a fridge in your media room means you and the family won’t have to jog into the house for cold bottled water or a drink during the game.

Add the Right Doors

Most garage spaces aren’t designed for much more than a vehicle or two and some workspace. If you have a smaller garage you may be limited in your floor plan so using the right doors will give you the most benefit to your design. For the garage door, keep that wall open and use French doors and simple wall panels when finishing the space. This makes it easy to change things back over to a garage in the future. For other access, such as to a patio or pool area, use pocket doors that eat up less floor space.

Custom Cabinetry and Entertainment Centers

The limited floor plan can get gummed up quickly with cabinets and wet bar space, an entertainment center, book storage or console, movie and game storage. Instead of investing in additional furniture, have a general contractor install custom cabinets for each area. The cabinets can function for entertainment purposes and – if need be at a later time – be turned into normal garage storage.

Think smart when you’re working with a general contractor to design a new space in your home. When you get creative, such as turning a rarely-used garage into a rec room – you’re investing in your living space. The return comes when it’s time to sell the property and perhaps relocate. Should you never sell, you have a great place to get away from the norm of the house and settle into a nice secluded area perfect for you or the whole family.

By: Steve Kayhill