While the kitchen and bathroom are the most commonly remodeled areas of a home, design author Sarah Susanka suggests that homeowners might want to consider starting their remodeling with the exterior of their house. Her reasoning is that a home exterior sets the tone, look, and feel for the home’s interior. Additionally, first impressions are […]
Home Improvement Gets a Makeover
Contractors have been reporting a recent rise in homeowners requesting significant home improvement projects, such as upgraded kitchens and bathrooms, as well as home additions and major renovations for energy efficiency. This is a positive shift from recent years when most homeowners were only looking for vital repairs, or essentially the bare minimum to protect […]
A Ventless Gas Fireplace Doesn’t Belong in Your Home
The gas fireplace industry likes to use the term “vent-free” to describe fireplaces that keep exhaust gases in the house, but more descriptive terms might include “ventless” or “unvented” fireplaces. The chosen terminology is not criminal, but it carries the connotation that not having a vent is a positive convenience, when the reality is that […]
Four Tips to Prepare for the Next Ice Storm
These four easy tips can make the aftermath of the next ice storm much easier on a homeowner. The first is just laying salt or ice melt down on the walk and driveway before the storm hits. If you have outdoor pets or are preparing a public walk, it is important to look for pet-friendly […]
Positive Run Continues for Residential Construction Spending
According to the National Association of Home Builders, the spending on private residential construction increased 2.2% in December 2012. Spending in November was higher than estimated, at 0.6%, and October also showed a appreciable jump at 3.2%. These months mark nine months of uninterrupted growth in private spending, as well as expansion for all but […]
Spraying Polyurethane Foam Over an Existing Roof
When the Shoup household’s leaking and un-insulated roof demanded a fix, the family chose spraying polyurethane foam (SPF) as a relatively green and cost-effective fix. They chose SPF for several reasons, the first of which being that SPF can provide insulation for a roof from the outside without needing any work done inside the house. […]
Latest Study Shows Average Buyer Expected to Stay in a Home 13 Years
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) recently published an article that utilized an equation that averages mobility tendencies of a typical home buyer to show that the typical buyer can be expected to live in a home for 13 years before moving. The article updates a previous article based on data from the American […]
Undoing the Dings of Life
Mike Litchfield shares a personal anecdote and home renovation tip he learned from a contractor friend who was showing a newly renovated master bedroom to some clients. As the clients marveled at the cherry renovation, one of the crew came in carrying a long metal tool and accidentally dented the brand new $300 door with […]
Assisted Living in Your Own Backyard
Zoning regulations which allow for homeowners to have a small backyard residential structure, typically called Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), have become more and more common over the past few years. ADUs are also sometimes called “granny flats,” and allow for senior citizens to move in close to adult children or other providers. A typical ADU […]
The New Hotel Jerome: An Aspen Icon, Redesigned
The Hotel Jerome first opened in Aspen, Colorado in 1889. It was one of the first buildings west of the Mississippi to be fully lit by electricity and featured tap water that could be either cold or hot. Its rooms rented for $3-4 a night and it drew in artists and aristocrats from across the […]