It’s dark and scary. You only go down there when you have to get the Christmas lights out for another year. Yes I’m talking about your basement. Check out this article for some tips on a basement improvement.
Although details may vary slightly from home to home, the average mobile home built up to the mid 80's is constructed with 2 x 4 in. exterior walls and RSI 2.1 (R-12) batt insulation. From the mid 80's to present day: exterior walls are 2 x 6 in. walls with R-20 batt insulation. Ceiling insulation is R-24 to R-34.
If you want to paint your Victorian home to reflect its heyday, you will probably want to use "authentic" Victorian-era colors and combinations. While many Victorian homes today are painted on neutral themes, this may not be the best course for a true Victorian atmosphere. "True" Victorian colors may surprise you, as they are not plain, nor always light.
Rest assured, the new wall coverings available are not the same as in years gone by, though some of the designs have a distinctly retro feel. Papers range from Victorian to geometrical, from vinyls to fabrics, and small repeats to entire murals. And as with all decorating elements, there is a product for every budget range.
Front Entrance: Add grills to your sidelights and transoms. Either paint your front door the same color or get a wood or wood-look door and stain a warm cedar color. Ditch the old screen door and replace it with a Victorian screen door. Re-use centers or salvage yards are great places to find bargains on wood character doors.
Stone tiles can be solid shapes cut from a variety of different stones such as marble, slate, sandstone, granite, or limestone. Stone tiles can also be made from small stones or pebbles glued to a mesh backing. Depending on the style of tile and the type of stone, they can be used pretty much anywhere.
Paint it. This is an easy task, and will immediately make a statement about your style with a simple color choice. You may be a calm person who prefers neutral tones, or you might like a room with bold colors that pop.
Add blasts of red to your room with the use of accent pieces. Try one or more themed paintings with dashes of red, a vase of silk red peonies, red cushions, pendant lights, lamp shades, candles, or a bowl full of fresh red apples. Add pieces one at a time, being careful not to overdue or underdue.
Before you start any type of bathroom improvement there are some major points to consider, from planning the design, to picking out your fixtures and even how to select a good contractor. The following 7 tips will help you get started.
Place the boxes of flooring in your home and allow 24 to 48 hours to climatize before installation. If installing in a new home, you may want to run a dehumidifier for one week prior to installation. The humidity should be approximately 40 to 60 percent.
Renovations and repairs vary a lot in scope and difficulty. Some easy jobs for most people might be repainting or re-caulking; those home owners who have a bit more experience with home repairs might consider tackling a more challenging job like installing baseboards or installing new window coverings.
In today's very tight real estate market, buyers are making mistakes that can cost them lots of money, time, and even the home they really want. Remember , you don't want to lose out on the perfect home for your family because you spent too much time and argued too much looking for the best possible deal or the best possible loan. A little bit of flexibility coupled with the ability to see what could be, can make your home hunting expedition much more successful and rewarding in the long run. Yes, you may lose out on bragging rights among your friends, but you will have found a comfortable home where you and your family will be happy for a long time.
Before you start any type of kitchen improvement there are some major points to consider, from planning the design and even how to select a good contractor. The following 13 tips will help you get started.
Next, paint your bathroom. Make sure you fill any holes in the walls and seal any seams around the bath, shower, or sink with fresh silicone caulking first. A fresh coat of paint brightens up the room, even if you paint it the same colour as before. Remember to paint the ceiling as well; freshly painted ceilings look clean and reflect the light in a small room better. Refrain from getting too adventurous with stenciled or wallpaper borders; a new owner will likely have different tastes than you.
Painting is the easiest way to give your kitchen a clean new look. Make sure that you use a good degreaser on the walls in the kitchen before painting as years of cooking can leave your walls sticky with old oil. It's also not a bad idea to prime the walls before painting to leave the best possible finish for the paint to grip to. Paint the kitchen with a good washable paint; consider bright or off-white with a colored accent wall or strip.
Some home owners use a rental suite to help out their college-age children live more independently while letting them live more cheaply than having their own apartment would be. Another option like that is to rent your suite to your parents; this is an especially good option if your parents like to travel to warmer climates for part of the year and so don’t want to have a house that will stand empty for months at a time.
Third Layer: In this layer you accent details in your home such as architecture or artwork with the use of track lighting, or spotlights. Try low voltage MR16 bulbs to bring out color and make your artwork stand out.
With home and mortgage prices still greatly reduced around the country, many people are taking advantage of the market and buying their first homes. For most buyers, a first home is usually a bit older and often in need of some upgrades and repairs. However if you have purchased a beautiful older home and are now concerned that you might need to spend thousands of dollars in upgrades to make your new home comfortable and inviting, do not fret.
Even a task as innocuous as painting can be costly if a homeowner doesn't know what he or she is doing. By improperly preparing the painting surface, the whole job may be botched, and require a professional to come and smooth out the wrinkles.
No matter how big or small the project is, take the time to plan out everything so that you will be happy with the results; many renovation projects seem small until you start planning out all the elements that you’ll need.
Many are now choosing composite decking and railing materials that provides an eco friendly and low maintenance product. Companies such as Latitudes create a product that looks just like wood, but is actually made of a combination of recycled wood fiber and post-industrial high-density polyethylene. Available in a myriad of colors ad finishes, it won't splinter, and is protected against UV rays and water absorption.
What about those antiques? It used to be that if you had antiques, then your decor had to reflect the same traditional design. Not so anymore. Now that coffee table you inherited from your great grandmother can sit side-by-side with your leather couch.
The cost of utilities in many parts of the country has become increasingly expensive; as a result an increasing number of home owners are looking at incorporating green options into their homes to help offset or even eradicate the high costs of powering their homes.
While some renovations will require a bigger investment up front, there are also less financially intensive renos that you can do which offer high return on the time and money you need to put into them.
Most of us have seen Holmes on Homes, where contractor Mike Holmes rescues homeowners from the nightmares caused by the shoddy work of unscrupulous contractors. There are many shows like this and we have all heard stories of naive homeowners who have fallen victim to shady contractors, yet scores of people continue to make the mistake of hiring bad builders.
Perhaps you've always wanted a hobby room where your sewing machine was all set up and ready to go, and all your supplies were perfectly organized in handy bins. Set up your easel and leave it up, or even that telescope that Aunt Frannie bought you last Christmas that you never got around to assembling.
Create a theme using attractive art work. For memories of summer vacation at the beach, have those scenery pictures framed using a 3D box frame and add a sprinkling of sand and some shells at the bottom. Have some surfing shots blown up, framed and matted for eye-catching wall covering.
New home building has dropped by up to 80% in some areas and with existing home sales struggling to stabilize, many professional home builders and finishers are scrambling to find enough work to keep their companies busy; so it is an ideal time to think about any renovation projects that you may be wanting to complete.
Print This Article
Add To Favorites