Source

http://ender.realtypark.co/cost-for-bathroom-renovation/

You’re renovating a home. How do you get it right? 

Well, that was a fail. Have you ever looked at a home improvement project and determined that while you tried your best, your efforts fell far short of your original vision? What common home improvement errors can you prevent? 

Failure to Plan 

A lot of home improvement problems are caused by a failure to plan. You install your kitchen cupboards, only to find that the cabinets are half a foot short of the wall. You put a toilet in the way of the door so that no one can actually close the door when they are using the bathroom. You add new flooring to your bathroom and kitchen, only to realize that it’s not at all waterproof. Creating a plan in advance and taking it to your renovation professionals can help you plan your home well, instead of creating problems that might be funny in the short term but could just be annoying in the long term.

Sending Water Anywhere It’s Not Supposed to Go 

When you’re thinking about your home’s exterior and landscaping renovations, the key to all of these renovations is to keep water away from the building’s foundation. Your landscaping should send water away from your home, not into your foundation. Water around the foundation leads to problems with shifting foundations and leaks. 

Putting in Inadequate Ventilation 

Water accumulation inside the home is just as insidious as water accumulation outside. According to the US Department of Energy’s guide to home ventilation, “Without proper ventilation, an otherwise insulated and airtight house will seal in harmful pollutants, such as carbon monoxide, and moisture that can damage a house.” This can lead to air quality problems, and it can also lead to chronic home concerns such as the development of mold. The next time you renovate your bathroom, remember that getting rid of the moisture is even more important than putting in a good-looking cabinet.

A Lack of Home Fashion Sense 

What color are your gutters? You decided on what trim color for your home? Sometimes, people who love color but don’t have a great sense of how it fits with other colors get left in charge of choosing paint colors for the home. Houzz suggests that you consider the history of the home and choose colors appropriate to the home’s aesthetic. In addition, you should “Look for undertones between (the colors) that might inform your palette.” Instead of creating an eyesore that might take some time and energy to fix, work with home improvement professionals such as designers who can give you a sense of what exterior colors work well together and can give you tips about where a splash of strong color would fit into your overall plan for your home. 

Of course, when it comes to choosing gutters and roofing, you have much more than color choices to consider. Download our free gutter guide to learn more.

Failing to Manage Your Gutters 

Those saggy gutters used to be shiny and new. However, you didn’t install them with enough brackets, or you failed to install them on the correct slope. Now, debris and water accumulate in the gutters, sending water over the edge. 

What can you do instead? If you’re not sure how to install your gutters, work with professionals. Install a gutter guard over top of your gutters as well to ensure that you don’t get any debris accumulation inside.

At Harry Helmet, we’re devoted to the fine art of home improvement. Talk with us about roof replacement, gutter replacement, and gutter guard systems. Schedule a free estimate today.

Source

http://www.harryhelmet.com/home-improvement-fails-what-to-do-instead/

Serious problems can pop up around your home without much warning — some of which can cause thousands of dollars in damage. Fortunately, you can prevent the majority of these household calamities by recognizing their warning signs. Here are three signs of impending disaster that you can’t afford to miss:

A FLAILING FURNACE

Unpleasant sounds and reduced energy efficiency point toward a potentially disastrous furnace problem. In many cases, furnace issues are caused by an old or clogged air filter. Forgetting to change your furnace filter can seriously damage your furnace and threaten the safety of your home. Dirty filters restrict your furnace’s airflow and reduce its energy efficiency. This will result in higher utility bills and additional strain on your unit. An overworked furnace can also experience mechanical failures. In extreme cases, furnace defects can cause gas and carbon monoxide leaks.

Update your filter if you notice the signs of a furnace problem. Most furnace professionals recommend changing your filter once a month — especially during seasons that require constant HVAC activity. The cost of a replacement will differ according to the filter’s effectiveness. Bargain- priced models come in convenient multipacks but lack sufficient filtering capabilities. Washable filters — while more expensive than disposable models — are reusable for several years and provide excellent protection against dirt, dander and other airborne irritants.

ROTTEN ROOFING

Ignoring roofing problems can cause other issues and cost tens of thousands of dollars in future repairs. Regular roof inspections can prevent these issues. Begin your inspection by walking around your home and looking for signs of damage. Loose or broken roofing materials, curled shingles, sagging roofing, loose flashing and depressions near pipes are common signs of a problem. Attic leaks are also indicators of a roofing issue. These can appear in the form of ceiling spots, damp insulation and wet or stained interior walls. Call a pro immediately if you notice any of these problems.

WATER DAMAGE WARNINGS

Uncontrolled leaks can cause catastrophic damage to your home and spawn serious health problems. Recognizing the symptoms of water damage and routinely checking your home for these signs will help you avoid serious problems in the future.

Damp carpeting, loose tiles, peeling linoleum and cupping wood flooring are common signs of wet subflooring. This is usually due to a saturated foundation. Broken water lines, bad ventilation and faulty landscaping can cause subfloor flooding. Call a pro immediately if you notice any of these signs. Clogged gutters are also a common source of foundation-related water damage — including saturation. Sticks, leaves and other debris can fill your gutters and cause water to overflow and gather near the base of your home. Over time, this water will seep into the ground and damage your foundation. You can avoid clogged gutters with a simple seasonal cleaning.

Stains and mold growth are also signs of water damage. These problems can occur anywhere in your home, but they are most common in areas that experience regular moisture. Oftentimes, mold and stains are due to leaking pipes or poor ventilation. Attic leaks can also cause stains and mold growth in your home. Call a professional if you notice any of these problems. A pro will safely assess the problem and provide an appropriate solution. You can prevent some mold and stains by regularly inspecting the pipes around your home. Check under your bathroom and kitchen sinks, as well as in your basement. And be sure to address any leaks.

———

Wilson Weaver is a reporter for HomeAdvisor, an online marketplace connecting homeowners with trusted service professionals to complete home projects. Visit HomeAdvisor.com

Source

http://mystatesman.com/lifestyles/home–garden/ignore-these-home-improvement-issues-your-own-risk/qm11lE8i8rdabZIp8REsTI/

According to a study by Houzz.com, the average kitchen remodel is between $25K and $50K, which is such a crazy range that only goes to to show how ridiculous the question is anyway. Only 4% of people spend less than $5000.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present you with the 4%.

Deciding to renovate your kitchen is kind of a big deal. The kind of big deal that, when you tell people about it they say phrases that would do just as well if you announced you were had decided to perform heart surgery on yourself. “Ohhhh, good luck with that.” Or “Wow, that’s ambitious.” And, very practically, “By yourself?!”

But doing it yourself pays big dividends.

To create this look we reformatted some of our cabinetry, painted it ourselves, tiled the backsplash, created corbels, installed a new sink and faucet, built a sink bump out, added new lights, laid new flooring, and took on the many other little details that go into a remodel.

And all in just six weeks as part of the One Room Challenge hosted by Calling it Home and House Beautiful.

The only part of this kitchen remodel that we did not do ourselves was the quartz countertops and a little bit of the electrical. And while my husband and I are not new to any of it, there is really no reason anyone who wants to cannot roll up their sleeves and do the same.

Once more, let’s take a look at that before.

The big problem was the orange. As in, it was all kind of orangey. To fix that, and to refresh the worn cabinetry, we painted the cabinets using a Wagner Flexio 4000 paint sprayer. Prep work took forever, but the actual painting only a few days, including the doors.

We used Sherwin Williams latex enamel paint in Alabaster from their Emerald line. I honestly never even tried another color. It is a popular choice and it looks fantastic.

Newly refreshed cabinetry meant new hardware as well, right? We used to have those bar pulls that are so ever-loving popular and, sorry-not-sorry, I hated them with an eternal loathing. Maybe it’s my height (or lack thereof), but I got my clothing caught on those darn pulls on a daily basis. So if there was one thing that was certain, the new hardware had to be non-catchable. It’s a thing.

I got these Liberty Brand Mandara pulls from D.Lawless Hardware. They go with the Kichler Moorgate lights so well they were clearly meant to be.

Next, we decided to widen the doorway and demo the laundry area outside the kitchen to create a butler’s pantry with hidden laundry right off the kitchen.

Now, technically, this was part of a One Room Challenge, but I figure a pantry is part of a kitchen, and I only finished the part that actually shows from the kitchen. And anyway, it gave me a chance to include these Piper lights from Kichler Lighting in that space, and they are so fantastic I think I would remodel an entire room just to use them.

I have to say here that this look will change a little. The beam up top is faux, and it is everything I hoped and dreamed. We have temporary spacers in the walls on either side where faux pieces that match that beam were to sit to create a cased opening. But the wood they sent was the wrong color, so we quickly painted the sides to make it work until the new pieces arrive. There’s always something, right?!

In the fourth week we tore out our engineered brazilian cherry wood floors and replaced them with Select Surfaces luxury laminate planks in driftwood. We will actually be continuing these floors throughout the entire main level of our home. Laminate is a fantastic option that is durable, affordable, and looks amazing. I love how the floor brings in a rustic vibe to this space.

Then it was time to focus on the details. These tiles are from Home Depot. Patterned tiles are so popular right now, and give that cement tile look without the high cost. These tiles are super budget friendly. I believe we spent about $250. Compare that to the $1000 it would have cost us to use cement tile. We ended up needing to pick these tiles up super last minute, so I was thrilled to find something attractive in stock. If we had had another week I probably would have gone with this option instead, but we are happy with how it turned out!

Solid maple floating shelves help break up the space, and are echoed in the butler’s pantry. They are also a great place to display a bit of color in an otherwise monochromatic space.

I had been looking for an excuse to purchase some of these Dorotea plates and bowls ever since I saw them and learned they are made by an artist here in the pacific northwest. Aren’t they just fantastic?!

The corbels on the kitchen bar are custom and are inspired by an Eastlake Victorian corbel I picked up at an architectural salvage store. I carved the corbels on my X-Carve. Each uses four pieces of wood which are glued together to form a beefy but beautiful corbel. I’ll have the tutorial available soon, including the files to create one using Inventable’s free software, Easel.

And did we really shiplap that bar? You better believe it. This home used to feature a lot of shiplap behind the walls, so it’s totally okay to add shiplap. There’s some sort of rule about that, I think…

The crown on the entire renovation, and my personal favorite part of the entire thing, is the lighting. I’ll share more about that in a follow up post, but I think you can see that the look would just not have been complete without them. All of the lights you see here are from Kichler Lighting.

The chandelier and pendants are from the Moorgate collection.

The undercabs are dimmable LED strips that are hardwired into the home’s electrical system. They were actually really easy to install, and they look aaamazing against that tile.

The ceiling lights have been retrofitted to LEDs as well, and are kind of everything. I’ll talk more about that very soon.

Be sure to check out Kichler’s collection of gorgeous lights. Do you need new lights? Oh, you know you do!

What a ride it has been! Let’s check out a before and after, shall we?

I want to thank my sponsors and partners for helping create this space. They help make these tutorials possible. I only share products I love and actually use in my own home, and so I can do so with confidence. Be sure to check them all out, and feel free to ask if you have any questions about the products I used in my own renovation. Of course, and as always, all opinions are my own.

If you missed any of the first five weeks, check them out at the links.

Week 1: How to renovate a kitchen

Week 2: How to paint kitchen cabinets the right way

Week 3: What HGTV won’t teach you about home renovation

Week 4: Why you should choose laminate flooring

Week 5: How to add vintage charm with a DIY reclaimed wood sink cabinet

Coming soon!

Don’t go away! There was just too much to include in the short time frame, but there is more to share. In the coming weeks I will share how to create custom crown molding without actually having to cut crown, a template for custom corbels, how to create floating shelves, and how to build a custom pantry or laundry area.

Also, tomorrow, join me as we focus on the single element without which the renovation would have fallen flat. I’ll share our lighting and how you can create a lighting scheme in your home that will dramatically transform your space.

Is tackling a kitchen renovation in your future? I hope this helps! Already renovate a kitchen? Share a photo! Thanks for reading, and if you have any questions feel free to reach out.

Happy renovating!

(Psssst! Pin this! )

The post DIY Kitchen Renovation Reveal appeared first on The Created Home.

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DIY Kitchen Renovation Reveal

Our kitchen renovation project begins in just 48 hours.  Am I excited? Yes! Am I filled with dread? You betcha. Just now, Muttka and Kittka are blissfully ignorant of the fact that their world will be turned upside down for the next few weeks. We’ll muddle through the noise and confusion somehow. Meantime, let me show you the new cabinets and appliances that arrived the other day!

The delivery crew from Lowe’s Home Improvement Center probably assumed the gargantuan kitchen gear would go in my garage until installation time.

Ha ha ha.

I don’t have a garage.

Here’s the “Lazy Susan” corner cabinet. It makes a dazzling presence in my entrance hall.

And here are just some of the new upper cabinets and shelves, loafing around in the dining room.

Still more cabinets — one of which will house a pair of wall ovens — are lingering in the north end of the music room. Who knew that corrugated brown would pair so nicely with red window hangings? You might like to copy this decoration scheme in your own home.

On another note, I have lots of work to do before the kitchen renovation begins. I’m making a batch of spice cookies today. And tomorrow, I’m signing copies of my cookbook and serving the aforementioned cookies at the Kinderhook Memorial Library (4PM; please stop by and say “hello” if you’re in the area).

And then…

And then…

I must remove the plates, silverware, glassware, sacks of flour and tins of whatnot from the cabinets that are going bye-bye. Where to temporarily store these items, I haven’t a clue.

May I borrow your garage?

xKevin, Mr. Fox, Avery the Muttka, Tiger the Kittka, and Camille the Other Kittka

Hungry for more? Get my email updates.

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Source

http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2018/05/countdown-to-the-kitchen-renovation/

Phew! I survived Monday’s start of our kitchen renovation project. I also survived the previous day’s chaos: emptying cabinets and drawers in the kitchen, and then transferring their myriad contents (all by my lonesome) to another wing of the house. Boy was I exhausted after the 100th trip.

Fortunately I perked up just in time to sign copies of my cookbook at a local library on Sunday afternoon. And as a personal reward, I downed a couple of Tito’s Cosmos after the book-signing event. A Tito’s Cosmo contains Tito’s vodka, lime juice, orange liqueur, and, for healthful reasons, a rejuvenating splash of cranberry juice.

You might find that cranberry juice alone is an excellent pick-me-up.

You be you.

Anyway, the work-crew arrived promptly at 8AM on Monday. They reluctantly posed for a photo, after I promised not share the photo on this blog.

As you can plainly see, I am a man of his word.

(Just kidding here. I used the photo with the group’s permission.)

Job number one: protecting the floors. The crew rolled up the entrance hall carpet, and then taped down a path of “FloorShell.” FloorShell is a heavy-duty construction “board” made of 100% recycled fibers. The same material was used to cover my entire kitchen floor.

Next, kitchen doorways were sealed with plastic, and a special exhaust fan equipped with a HEPA filter was put in motion. Although the fan wasn’t particularly loud, it was definitely effective! As demolition progressed, I neither gagged nor wheezed while working in my writing room. It’s a private room that adjoins the kitchen.

Demolition included the removal of low-end cabinetry and counter tops we purchased back in 2002…

And the busting and breaking of a tile backsplash.

News flash! I might not use any tile at all in the “new” kitchen. Sheet rock, if painted with highly-washable paint, makes a fine  backsplash all by itself. And the color can be changed to suit the cook’s mood.

One day I am yellow, one day I am blue.

Some plumbing and electrical work was also accomplished on Monday. I’ve a new sink coming, and the current dishwasher is being relocated.

The crew left the place in tip-top condition before they departed at 4:30PM. Even the kitchen floor was free of dust and debris. So far, I’m delighted with this skillful team.

As for Avery and the cats, well, they were not happy to have strangers in the house. I put Avery in the library/den, and gave her lots of walks and two trips to the dog park. Tiger and Camille and their must-haves (litter box and food and water bowls) spent the day in a guest room upstairs. I can’t risk losing these precious family members during a kitchen renovation!

I’ll write again tomorrow, with Tuesday’s progress report.

x (still-exhausted) Kevin

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Source

http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2018/05/kitchen-renovation-week-1-day-1/