image credit: Mr. T in DC http://www.flickr.com/photos/mr_t_in_dc/
When it comes to home makeovers and improvements, many people tend to focus on the inside of the home. But the often neglected exterior deserves an equal amount of attention and can give your home’s shell an instant facelift. With so many exterior makeover options at your fingertips, you’ll be hard pressed to know where to start. Here’s a guide to get you going.
Why Focus on the Exterior?
A home exterior makeover gives the outside of your home an instant boost by increasing its’ curb appeal and attractiveness amongst your neighbors and passers-by. How your home looks from the outside is of paramount importance for home-sellers, as this forms the vital first impressions of your abode. So, what can you do to freshen up the look of your dwelling?
Lick of paint
There’s nothing like a lick of paint to liven and freshen up the exterior of your home. So, whether its window frames, your front door or brickwork that could do with painting, there are lots of exterior paint color choices to choose from. As well as the house itself, it’s important not to neglect other exterior features such as gates and fences which, for both aesthetic purposes and for maintenance, might need a new coat. Painting your home exterior is probably one of the easiest ways to freshen it up.
It’s amazing how much difference new windows can make to the look of a house so, if yours are looking past their sell by date, now could be the time to think about replacing them. It’s important to keep an eye on windows to check for rotting or any other issues that might cause you to seek replacement. As well as making your house look better, new windows can slash your fuel bills by keeping precious heat in the house.
Front Door
Your front door is the entrance to your home so it should give off the right kind of impression you want to create for your residence. Pay special attention to how it looks; invest in a new door or a lick of paint for an instant makeover. Make the most of the spaces around the sides of the front door to really set it off. Add plant pots, train a climbing shrub over the door, or add distinctive wall lights. Even just placing a tasteful doormat outside your front door can boost its appeal.
Conservatory
If you want to add long-term value to your home as well as increase the amount of living space you’ve got, then you could consider adding a conservatory to the exterior of your home – if suitable space allows for it. There are many different styles and types of conservatories so it’s worth doing some homework beforehand and getting a few quotes to give you different options to mull over.
Attention in the Detail
A home exterior makeover project needn’t necessarily cost a lot of money to achieve. Simply tidying up the outside areas, sweeping the path, picking up any litter, mowing the lawn, and weeding and pruning can make huge differences to how the outside of your home looks. Paying attention to detail gives your home a cared-for feel about it. But, you might want to add a bit of originality and flair to your exterior to make it stand out from all of your neighbors. You could consider adding a garden statue, a classic sun-dial, water feature, quirky ornaments of unusual shapes or a distinctive birdbath.
Guest Post By:
Article written by A. Elliott; a writer with an interest in interior design and home improvement, she occasionally writes for Stormclad Home Improvements.
If you need help with your home makeover, please give us a call at 914-576-2572 or contact us for a free in home consultation!
Three stress-free tricks to refresh your home from floor to ceiling
Spring is the time of year for renewal. So, it’s no surprise that springtime finds most people planning to rejuvenate their spaces. Four out of five Americans have a room in their home in need of redecorating, according to a 2013 study by Homegoods. Unfortunately, all too often the decorating process is a source of stress and anxiety for homeowners. How will you ever afford new furniture in your living room? How can you be on-trend without dating your home?
Follow these three tips to give your home a stress-free, springtime makeover:
Reclaiming your home’s foundation
Chances are your floors took a beating during the winter. Spring is the ideal time to install new flooring and revamp one of your home’s most important components. As the foundation of your home, your flooring needs to complement your personal taste, while living up to your lifestyle in terms of traffic, household members and pets, exposure to moisture and maintenance required. With the countless color and design options, the wide range of flooring materials and your own budgetary considerations, you may find selecting flooring to be particularly stressful.
Tapping into the customer-focused trends of high-end and online retailers, Tarkett empowers customers as they shop for flooring. Tarkett’s iSelect system delivers exactly what the name promises. It lessens the unknowns, simplifies the choices and introduces an interactive, multi-faceted shopping experience. The system begins with sorting multiple flooring options into six inspirational color families: Champagne Celebrations, Cool Conversations, Earthy Connections, Evening Receptions, Fireside Chats and Warm Gatherings – each offering its own feel and color space to help you find the perfect floor to coordinate with your existing furnishings and adjoining floors. Visit www.tarkettna.com/Inspiration/iSelectStory to walk through the iSelect process and find the perfect, customized floor for your taste, lifestyle, budget and even health. Once you’ve used the iSelect flooring system to decide what flooring works best for you, feel free to head on over to your local home improvement store where you might find similar flooring at cheaper prices!
Sweat the small stuff
Instead of worrying about the new armoire you can’t afford, focus your energy on the finishing touches which can revitalize a space quickly and inexpensively. Paying attention to the details is a cost-effective and fun way to express yourself in spaces throughout your home, while also making each space feel complete.
Mirrors have a magical effect on a room by making a space feel larger, reflecting light throughout and adding a touch of panache. You can find a wide variety of hanging mirrors to fit your taste at discount retailers or you can purchase a mirror at an estate sale or secondhand store and “upcycle” it with a textured coat of spray paint.
The sky’s the limit
If you really want to embrace the warm weather and revitalize a room, it may be time to look up. One of the most popular design trends of 2013 is painting your ceiling. This blank and all-too-often-overlooked canvas has tremendous potential to transform a bedroom, living room or dining room. It can be as simple as repainting a white ceiling a very pale blue or gray to create the illusion that there is no ceiling. Or if you’re feeling bolder, you can make your ceiling a major accent element that gives a dull room a bright or daring splash of color. Be sure to contact us or give us a call at 914-576-2572 so that we can schedule a free in home design consultation!
Spring decorating should be an enriching experience, rather than a stressful one. Whether it’s budget, time or simply choosing among the vast number of options available, the usual redecorating stress triggers can be eliminated by focusing on simpler, cost-effective and empowering decor solutions.
Should You Tackle A DIY Project Or Hire A Professional?
DIY projects can be a lot of fun and, when you do a good job of one, it gives you a huge sense of accomplishment. Many homeowners make their first forays into the world of DIY in an attempt to save money and, while there are a lot of basic jobs that everyone should learn to do, there are some tasks that are best left to the experts. Here is a quick look at some of the most dangerous DIY projects and why you should give them a wide berth.
Major Plumbing Jobs
There’s a big difference between fixing a leaking tap and moving some pipes. As plumbing jobs increase in complexity, they become massively more risky. Not only does moving or changing pipes often require cutting out parts of your wall, it also requires a good knowledge of how your plumbing works and how to safely install the new pipes so that you don’t end up with a leak a few months down the line. To do the job well, you will need specialist equipment.
When plumbing goes wrong it can get messy and, if you end up with a leak that comes into contact with your electrical wiring, it can also become very dangerous. It will be faster, cheaper and safer to let an expert do the job.
Electrical Work
Electricity may seem like a safe and familiar thing – after all, it powers the devices you use every single day. However, if it’s not handled correctly it can be lethal.
Everyone should learn how to change a fuse and re-wire a plug (and even these tasks carry risks), but major wiring changes are a different matter. Building regulations require most home wiring jobs to be carried out by a qualified, licensed electrician. If you attempt any major works you could well be breaking the law and end up with a property that you cannot sell until the work is checked by a qualified person. Get the work done right the first time to avoid any potential problems.
Bricklaying
It’s one thing to raise a flower bed with a few bricks or even lay your own patio, but tackling a bigger building project, or something that can be clearly seen from the street is another matter. Building a wall out of bricks might seem like a simple job, but if you don’t know what you’re doing that wall could come tumbling down after a few days of bad weather.
Even if you do manage to build a structurally sound wall, are you sure it will look good? How long will the project take you? Why spend an entire week on a project that a professional could do in a day or two? If you can afford the materials it makes sense to spend a little extra to ensure that they are used to create something attractive that will last for many years.
Knocking Down Walls
When remodeling our homes it can be very tempting to skip steps especially when it comes to knocking down walls. Why pay for a professional when all you need is a sledge hammer? How wrong can you go destroying a wall? The answer is: very wrong. And in the end it might be more than the wall you destroy. It’s important to get a professional in who understands the structure of the building and can remodel your home without making it unsafe. After all, you don’t want to go knocking down any load-bearing walls for the sake of saving a little money.
Cutting Down Trees
This is probably one of the most dangerous tasks that you could do yourself. Chainsaws are powerful tools and, in the wrong hands, can be deadly weapons. Not being trained to use one or having the right experience puts you and others in great danger. Additionally, there is the risk of the tree falling on you, someone else, a building or a car.
Most people take on these jobs with the belief that they are going to save money. Unfortunately, mistakes, damage and sometimes injury and even death prove quite the opposite. If every job could be easily done by anyone there would be no need for qualified professionals.
Guest Post By:
Article written by A. Elliott; a writer with an interest in interior design and home improvement, she occasionally writes for Vibrant Doors, suppliers of internal and external doors.
Amy makes a lot of good points in this article. There are lots of DIY Projects that homeowners can easily complete. The ones listed above are really best handled by professionals. We agree that they CAN be dangerous and not worth the risk. What are your thoughts about these DIY Projects?
Gary B.
There are many ways in which your home can save you money with the long term effect of allowing you to realize your property’s potential value.
Some important approaches to take to getting your home to save you money range from changing your household routines to selling old items, to investing in parts of your property to add value and save you money over time. In this context, it’s possible to make your home save you money by trying the following strategies:
1 – Making Small Energy Saving Changes
This means improving your insulation and checking to see whether you’re losing heat from different parts of your home. Investing in draught excluders and turning down your thermostat by a few degrees can add up to savings over time
2 – Removing Clutter
If you’re having a problem with clutter, you can save money in the long run by sorting out your stuff and finding out what you can sell for a profit. Even old mobile phones and other electronics can be recycled for a fee.
3 – Make Long Term Investments
You can gradually build up value in your property by making long term investments and renovations that will make your home more energy efficient; this might include replacing an old drainage or heating system, or getting a new boiler.
4 – Reduce Drafts
Reduce problems with heating by getting new windows and insulation materials for roof, while fitting new air conditioning systems that can better control the flow of air through your home.
5 – Create a Vegetable Garden
It’s possible to save money on your weekly food shopping bill by creating a vegetable garden – this can be used to grow potatoes and other vegetables and can be combined with basil and other herb plants in your kitchen.
6 – Get New Appliances
This is a particularly good idea for the kitchen where you can swap your old fridges and freezers for Energy Star rated versions; these tend to use less electricity, make less noise, and add more value to your home.
7 – Use Less Water
Save money on your water consumption by switching to a more accurate water meter rather than paying ground charges; you can also fit devices to taps and faucets to reduce water usage.
8 – Be Careful with Appliances
Try to change your habits if you tend to leave your television or computer on standby overnight; just switching things off will save you money over time.
9 – Consider a New Mortgage
Look around to see if you can get a better financing deal on your mortgage; switching your mortgage to a new provider with lower rates can allow you to take advantage of the equity in your home.
10 – Selling Space
If you have a parking space or a garage that you’re not making use of, consider leasing it to neighbors or friends to make some extra money. Always check, though, to see whether there are any restrictions on your lease or mortgage about sub-letting.
Author Bio: Liam Ohm writes about home improvement, from choosing the best luxury baths to saving money at home. In his spare time he enjoys giving advice to others in need.
You can use your existing insulation and roof to supply heated air to your home via direct sunlight. This can easily happen when the roof is being heated by the light of the sun and the air underneath becomes heated. This very same air collects at the highest point of your roof, trapped underneath. You can use that air to heat up your home. If you have a metal roof or some sort of clad roof with a membrane insulating it underneath you can easily work on this project. It’s not expensive and it allows you to use the heat trapped under the roof to warm your home up at nearly no cost long-term. Before you begin, however, you need to follow these steps to deal with things in a methodical fashion:
Access your attic and roof and check whether your home has an insulation membrane protecting it under the sheets of the roof. Most roofs will have one but it is still a good idea to check it out.
Once that is done you need to locate the top two purlins situated on each side of the roof.
Fix any excess insulation by using a hand staple gun. Secure any insulation to the purlins along the ridge at its full length.
When you are done, you should check the status of the insulation on each side of the roof from the gutter area to the top purlin. Make sure the space between the purlin is open to the underside of the ridge.
You should prepare some strips of the insulation so you can fix them across the lower side of the first two purlins on top. It has to be long enough so it can run the entire length of the ridge.
Take that insulation and affix it to the underside of said purlins with the hand tacker while you form a header between them. The heat of the sun will help warm the air between the sheeting and the insulation.
Fit a fitting and properly-sized duct outlet at the center of the ridge. The size of the fan should fit the size of the duct perfectly so the insulation will be equally perfect. Fix it to the underside of the purlins and then seal them to the foil by using silicone or a similar means. Make sure the foil that is located under the duct is removed to allow the air to flow freely.
Fit a duct outlet directly to the ceiling of the room you want to heat up.
You should fit a fan somewhere between the duct coming from the ridge of your roof and the one leading to the ceiling of the room being heated. It should be suspended from the structure with a good spring, as this will prevent the vibrations coming from the fan. In time, as dust builds up on its blades, it will become unbalanced and this will affect its stability. Spring suspension will also affect its noise levels, making it much more feasible as a solution.
Measure up and prepare two lengths of the foil ducting. One is meant to connect the ridge duct to the fan, while the other one connects the fan to the ceiling duct.
Use a thermostat switch near your newly made duct and set the sensor bulb inside the header in proximity to the duct opening.
Wire the fan to the switch so the fan can only run when the temperature in the monitored area exceeds the one of the heated room below.
Move to the roof itself and make sure any gaps between the ridge and the roof are fixed and sealed. You can use a number of sealants, such as expanding foam or something similar.
Your heater will be ready once all of this is completed. The only thing you should keep in mind is that it will only be able to help heat up the house while the sun is up. You will need to back this up with a conventional heating system just in case.
Guest Post By:
Bio: Ella Andrews is a writer and one of her greatest passion’s are home remodeling, house removals and home decorating projects. She is presently focuses on writing the best possible way and is therefore searching for new sources of inspiration.
You may remember a cartoon on TV from the early ‘60s, which was set in a future, where large flat panel TVs came down from the ceiling, people communicated by video conferencing and they used mobile communicators. It was called The Jetsons. Believe it or not, much of the amazing technology from the show already exists and many of us use it every day. Those flat TVs that came down from the ceiling in the show – I get to install those! My business is about integrating the latest technology to other people’s homes and businesses. One of the technologies I’d like to talk about in this article is home automation, also known as a “smart home”.
The terms “home automation” and “smart home” have been used so much over the past several years, but many people don’t understand what they mean or why they’re useful. That’s a shame, because there are many benefits home automation has to offer. To put it simply, home automation is all about controlling things. I’m not talking about control in the traditional sense, where you walk up to a light switch and turn it on, but other ways of controlling things. Before I get into how you can control things, I’d like to talk about some of the things you can control.
You may be surprised to know how many things that are currently available and can be controlled by home automation systems. Some of the more common items include: lights, thermostats, shades, and audio/video systems. Then, there are some things you probably would have never guessed that you can control – like an oven!
Ok, so you can control any of those things now, by going up to them and pressing a button or turning a knob. With home automation, there’s a big difference – you don’t always need to go up to each device to make them work. The main idea is that “automation” makes things happen automatically. That’s where part of the magic comes in. This type of control is best described using lighting as an example. Many lighting automation systems have a controller, which includes something called an “astronomical clock”. What it does is pretty interesting. You can think of it as a timer, but unlike traditional timers, an astronomical clock knows when the sun comes up and when it goes down, regardless of what season it is. This type of intelligence eliminates the need to make seasonal adjustments for longer or shorter daylight hours. This is a huge benefit. Here’s one popular way lighting automation is used. Let’s say you like to have outdoor lights turn on at night, so your pathway is lit when you get home from work, they can automatically be set to do so. When the sun starts to go down, the lights come on. When the sun starts to come up, the lights can automatically turn off. Not only is it great for security, but also for the safety of having a well-lit pathway in the dark. Of course, there are potential energy saving benefits to have lights turn on and off at the appropriate times as well, particularly if dimmers are used instead of regular switches.
Besides timers, there are some other types of controls often used for home automation. Possibly the most common are handheld remote controls. These can range anywhere from a dedicated remote for controlling a single item, to a universal remote, which can control a whole house worth of thermostats, lights, shades, TVs and more. There are also in-wall controls, such as keypads and full-color touch screens. The in-wall controllers are typically placed in various convenient locations, so you can control any part of your automation system from anywhere in the house and not worry about where the handheld remote is. Last, but not least, are the third-party.
One of my favorite things about home automation is that it doesn’t need to be incredibly expensive and is often modular. What that means is you can do a little at a time if you are on a budget and build it up over time. Modern wireless technology has made installation much more convenient and hassle-free, compared to older systems. When replacing thermostats or light dimmers with ones capable of being controlled by a home automation system, no new wiring is necessary with many systems. This will save a lot of money on installation labor.interfaces. Some examples of these interfaces include: iPod, iPad, smartphones and web browsers. These are extremely useful, particularly if you are out of the house, need to check on a second home or just can’t be there in person. You simply go to a secure web page, which can look like the screen on the controllers you may already be used to, and check on the temperature, turn lights on or off, or even set the alarm while you’re away. It’s all incredibly convenient and efficient. Possibly the most important part is that it can be very, very easy to use, even for those who are not tech-savvy.
Here are a couple of situations our customers have had, where home automation helped them.
Situation 1 – Lights Out: One of my customers was driving home from a long day at work. The sidewalk and driveway were covered in snow, but he forgot that no one would be home to turn the outside lights on, so he didn’t slip on the ice.
Solution: Automated lighting. Many home automation systems know when the sun comes up and when it goes down. This is called an “astronomical clock”. It can be set to turn the lights on at night and off in the day. Some of them can even turn themselves on, based on how much light there is. With these types of systems, there is no need to worry about it. A small remote control, similar to a garage door opener, can even be programmed to turn certain lights on and off from the car.
Situation 2 – Freezing Pipes: A couple packed up their vacation home in the fall and would not be back until the spring. Unfortunately, they forgot to turn the heat up and some of the pipes froze, causing a lot of water damage and expense for them.
Solution: Climate control. There are thermostats available, which have been designed to work with home automation systems. They can be set to be at certain temperatures at certain times of the day. With internet access and a web browser, a homeowner can check the temperature in their house and change it if they’d like. Some systems can be programmed to send an e-mail, if the temperature drops too low or goes too high. As long as the system is running, there’s no need to make a special trip or worry about a pipe bursting.
For those who prefer a slightly more “hands-on” approach, here are a couple of other common examples. When you go to bed, you can press a button to set everything the way you want it. Have all the lights turn off, except for a select few that you keep just bright enough to light your path if you happen to get up at night. Motorized shades close. The thermostats adjust, so you save energy while you sleep. Finally, your alarm system activates, so you can rest easy. When you get up, another button press deactivates the alarm, the shades open, lights adjust to your morning routine and thermostats set to the temperature you want when waking up.
Automation can simplify your life and help make your home more efficient. The possibilities are endless.
There are several companies out there who strictly develop, produce and sell automation and control products. Crestron, a 40-year-old US-based company, is noted for being the most highly respected brand and a leader in the industry.
Guest Post By:
Damon Della Greca, owner of Premier Audio Video Designs, based in Westchester, NY. Damon has been involved in pro audio since 1991 and in the consumer electronics industry since 1998.
Boiling water taps are popular in the UK, Australia and the US. They vary according to options, make and model; the simplest supplement would be to use your existing sink arrangement. More complex taps have options for chilled, cold, hot and boiling water—it can be purified or filtered, and the most advanced among boiling taps have touch screen interfaces. Below, you’ll learn some of the benefits of the boiling water tap and the primary differences between brands.
Hot Water When you Need It
As you may already know, a boiling water tap will give you instant hot water for soups, drinks, noodle dishes and flasks. It can reduce boil time for vegetables by up to half when compared to a gas or electric hob. With a boiling water tap, you’ll never need to wait for the kettle again!
Hot Water Taps Offer Filtering
Depending on your home’s plumbing, the water coming out of your new tap can be purified and filtered. You have a variety of options which depend on whether you want to purify all the water that comes into your home or just that which comes out of your tap. Every Quooker tap filters lead and other solids like limestone. There are even reverse-osmosis systems which also remove fluoride, chlorine and other impurities before your water is heated or chilled.
Add on to Your Sink, or Start Fresh
When you decide to add a boiling water tap, you can either install it in your current kitchen sink or you can buy one including a drip tray. If you’re a more advanced user, you can replace your existing hot/cold tap with a four-in-one setup which includes hot and cold, as well as chilled and boiling water. The highest-end taps from Quooker and other makers include features such as sparkling water dispensers and countertop touch panels. With a new hot water tap, you’ll have so much more than just a kitchen sink!
Like many other modern kitchen appliances, boiling water taps are very energy efficient because you’re only heating the exact amount of water you need. They’re vacuum-insulated and the best models consume just pennies in energy when in standby mode. The taps come in stylish designs to complement any kitchen and some are even height-adjustable.
There are a multitude of uses for a hot water tap from Insinkerator, Franke or Quooker, and users are coming up with new ones each day. You can boil water for the perfect cup of English tea, or you can easily blanch vegetables, cook pasta or heat up serving ware. Making coffee and preparing baby formula is a breeze! You can do all this and more in just a moment with a boiling water tap and, with its growing popularity, we can expect to see it become a regular feature of most kitchens in the years to come.
Guest Post By:
Article written by A. Elliott; a writer with an interest in home improvement and interior design.
Have questions? Please comment below or contact us for more information.
