08.30.2007 | 7:16 am | Budgets, Tips
By Randy Rater
In most cases, home improvement projects are rather costly. A lot of people tap their savings to be able to get some home improvements done. This can be very harmful to ones pockets, leaving you short of a comfortable reserve in the event of an unforeseen expense. In some cases, people resort to getting home improvement loans which can sometimes drag your budget off track and getting you more buried in debt than ever.
However, you should not be discouraged. There are alternative ways of doing home improvements that don’t require spending a truck load of money. Your money is a resource that’s very important and should be spent wisely making sure you have enough to take care of the more important things. For example, your children’s education and emergency situations like unexpected illnesses.
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08.29.2007 | 7:15 am | Bathrooms
By Steve Gee
Adding a shower to a small bathroom without remodeling
A shower is a great asset to any bathroom and if you don’t already have one then you should think seriously about putting one in. But what do you do if your bathroom is too small for a separate shower cubicle and you don’t want to go to the trouble and expense of a full bathroom remodel?
When a separate shower cubicle isn’t possible
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08.28.2007 | 7:14 am | Bathrooms
By Niall Roche
The bathroom should be that warm and inviting room in your home where you can go to relax. To get away from it all. The place you go to take a bubble bath or long soothing shower to just rinse away the days problems or to wake you up in the morning before you leave for work. That being said your bathroom is going to need a facelift from time to time - to keep it feeling current and “fresh”.
Maybe you’re looking for some remodelling ideas to get you started on the road to enhancing your bathroom. A great tip to get you started is get all your ideas down on paper first. Sketch out visual ideas or just jot down exactly what you want the final product to look like. Once you’ve finished the “design” for your dream bathroom you’ll then need to look at the budgeting aspect of your design. Be sure to include costs for contractors, electricians and plumbers if you’re not a DIY fan. Even if you are A DIY fan, some remodeling issues can demand the need for outside help - due to their complexity or your lack of experience. This way, if you know the basic cost of things, you can be knowledgeable and certain to not get taken advantage of when the time comes for estimates and once the actual work begins.
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08.27.2007 | 7:00 am | Sinks
Whether kitchen or bathroom, fixing a sink can be straightforward or it can be a nightmare. Much depends on the condition of the valves and hoses leading to them.
In most cases do-it-yourselfers can shut off the water valves under the sink with a few clockwise twists. But if those valves are old and have never been turned since they were installed they can break, causing a leak.
Be prepared by having a partner stand near the main shutoff valve with a walkie-talkie ready to turn off the water to the whole house.
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08.26.2007 | 6:58 am | Carpet
Laying carpet is often one of those projects where paying a professional is worth the cost. But if you have a simple installation, or really want to save the money, here are some guidelines to follow for a professional looking job.
Installations will divide neatly into padded or non-padded. Indoor-outdoor carpet doesn’t require a pad, while pile carpet usually does.
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08.25.2007 | 5:27 pm | Design, Software
By Daniel Vazquez
To have a house that one actually design and built according to one’s taste is practically everybody’s dream. Instead of just buying or renting a house that was already made, you would of course want something that you yourself have planned to suit your preferences. However, designing a home could be quite a difficult ordeal. It is quite expensive to hire an architect to draft your plans, and it is also very hard to put what is on your mind on paper. Luckily such a predicament may be a thing of the past with the help of home design software.
Here are some reasons that make home design software so advantageous:
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08.25.2007 | 6:56 am | Doors
Replacing doors falls into two categories: (1) replacing just the door, (2) replacing the door plus the frame. The first is easy, but the second is within the skill set of the average do-it-yourselfer as well. Here, we’ll cover the first case only.
To remove the original door, open it far enough to expose the hinges and give yourself ample working room. Whenever possible, put a wedge under the door on each side to take the pressure off the hinges. One on each side helps prevent the door from falling in either direction after the pins are removed. In most cases, the door is attached to the frame with a two-part hinge - one part attached to the door, the other to the frame.
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08.24.2007 | 5:24 pm | Architects, Budgets, Builders, Contractors, Q & A
By Colm Dillon
These are real builder questions that I got from readers of my e-book, “Residential Development Made Easy” with answers from a major USA Master Builder operating in 48 States.
Question 1.
My wife and I are planning a new home. We intend approaching a builder or two in this area, and I plan on asking them these questions.
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08.24.2007 | 6:54 am | Floor Tiling
Installing a tile floor is one of the more difficult home remodeling projects. But with care, it’s within reach of anyone.
Start off on the right foot by acquiring one of the many home design software packages. Most will have a section on laying tile. It can’t prepare a floor or apply glue, but they’re terrific at helping you visualize the result and avoid mistakes. They provide design alternatives, measurement help and tips on dealing with glue, cutting tile and so forth.
Choose your tile according to taste, but keep in mind some differences in the options. Stone or slate tiles are beautiful, but generally higher priced than ceramic. They also require sealing after the job is done, in order to prevent staining and make for easy cleaning.
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08.23.2007 | 5:17 pm | Additions
By Mark Donovan
Besides providing your home with more living space, a home addition can be a terrific investment. However, before embarking on such a project the homeowner should first consider several important items. These items include: home market values in the neighborhood, financing, size and scale of project, architecture, timetable for completion, personal disruption/inconvenience threshold and the sweat equity commitment level.
Size of Addition and Market Value
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