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Archive for January, 2011

Structure essential for home renovation

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011

Once you’ve fully planned your home renovation and obtained the necessary permits, the next step is to ensure the home is structurally sound.  There are several components of this step, as detailed in this article.

  • Begin with ensuring the foundation is secure.
  • Repair any weakened walls, joists, and carrying beams
  • Moving outside, repair or replace the roof, any heavily damaged windows, and damaged siding that allows water to get through it.
  • If demolition is necessary, it’s helpful to rent a dumpster and essential to use caution if lead paint is present.

For help planning or executing a home renovation, contact us. We’re experts in the process and can handle the project from the ground up.

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Designing a home renovation

Friday, January 21st, 2011

There’s more to designing what you want a home to look like after it’s renovated than just making a simple drawing. Although, as this article shows, a sketch is an important first step, there are a few other steps that should follow it.

  • Calculate the cost of your plans, and make sure you’ll be able to afford it, whether you’re taking out loans or not.
  • Isolate each individual project and realistically determine whether it’s something you can do yourself. Begin researching contractors for projects you can’t tackle.
  • Find out what permits will be necessary and apply for them.

It’s a lot to handle, so you should contact us. We can help with the design, planning, and contractor work.

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Size matters with garage additions

Tuesday, January 11th, 2011

Garages are one of the most worthwhile additions you can make on your home. They help maintain your cars. They increase your home’s storage capacity. They can even become living space if needed. For this reason they add a lot of value to a home. So, as this article poins out, it’s important to make the garage a large as regulations and your budget will allow. Here’s why.

It’s not enough to fit two cars. You’ll want to be able to open doors, trunks and hoods easily. You’ll be storing large items such as lawn mowers, bikes, and other large power tools. You’ll eventually want a work bench area and will always need more storage space.

If a garage is in your future, contact us. We’ll help with both design and construction to make sure you get the most out of your new garage.

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Going green in remodeling

Thursday, January 6th, 2011

Being friendly to the environment is a growing trend among homeowners and businesses alike.  There’s no reason why those taking on remodeling projects can’t be eco-friendly while they work.  T.W. Ellis has a lot of experience in green remodeling, so when we saw this article, we liked what it had to say.  We’ve condensed its five ways of going green when remodeling below.

  1. Repair or refurbish the fixtures and items you have in your home rather than replace them.
  2. Recycle the old items you are replacing rather than throwing them out.
  3. When you buy new materials, make sure they’re environmentally friendly.
  4. Avoid wasting energy while working by turning off generators when not in use and using heating or air conditioning the way you would in a finished room.
  5. Hire a green remodeler.

This final point is very important.  We have been certified by the National Association of the Remodeling Industry as a green remodeler, so we can get the job done without the hassle for you while still meeting your eco-friendly requirements.  Contact us today.

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