Why not take advantage of the available square footage in your basement and not just leave it as a storage room. By finishing out a basement or at least insulating it, you'll be able to enjoy more of your home as well as save energy.
One Project Closer went through the process of selecting basement insulation and they considered all of the major options including fiberglass, wet cellulose and spray foam.
They chose closed cell spray foam: While closed cell spray foam is slightly more expensive than other methods, it offers high R-value with the best mold resistance. Given that we've invested thousands of dollars in radiant floor heating, we believe that the higher cost is justified and would recommend this method.
When building or remodeling a home the interior doors are often an afterthought but they shouldn't be. Cheap doors on a quality built home suck! But investing a limited budget into solid wood doors isn't always the smart choice.
We've followed this debate on Home Construction Improvement regarding hollow-core vs. solid wood interior doors and while there are some basic advantages and disadvantages to both.
Solid Wood Doors
+ Solid wood doors are great for sound dampening, insulating properties, damage resistance and value to potential buyers.
- Solid doors certainly have benefits but they also cost approximately 50% more, they are heavy and more prone to shrinkage and expansion due to temperature and moisture changes.
In the ongoing quest to recycle and structures for use as live/work spaces, these train cars have followed the lead of re-purposed shipping containers and are now being transformed into permanent living structures.
If you're short on time, money and effort but still need covet a new tile backsplash then it looks like SIMPLEMAT is for you. It literally adheres to your current backsplash of tile or wallpaper and your done! Without grout there's no mortar, mixing, or mess.
They also have kitchen countertop applications as well.
This sun room remodel that we found on CasaSugar is awesome. No major changes but an update to the paint, flooring and walls created a much more inviting space to spend lazy afternoons. Some different window treatments and the room would be finished.
In 2007 I had an opportunity to work with the team from HFM US to build and launch the first home design web portal of it's kind, PointClickHome.com. This website serves as the online home of the design magazines, ELLE DECOR and Metropolitan Home.
Anne E. Collins was also part of the initial launch team and is currently the executive online editor of the website. Her responsibilities as the online curator of two revered design brands is enormous and straddling both print and web properties requires a unique skill set that few editors can adjust to. We asked Anne a few questions about working in the shelter magazine industry as well as her insights into luxury design.
CH: You've worked in both print and online for stalwarts in the home decor magazines industry. Can you share your background and what it takes to be successful in your role as an online editor?
AC: I always knew I wanted to work in magazines so my sophomore year of at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, PA., I took an internship at the region's lifestyle magazine. From that semester on I always tried to work in print of some kind--a literary journal, an events magazine, and a weekly newspaper when I studied abroad in Spain. Though the sad truth when I got to New York was that no one wanted to hire you unless you had "New York experience," so I was back to the drawing board with another internship, but fortunate enough to get one with In Style magazine.
It is funny how quickly you can get on a track; I worked in In Style's home design department basically packing boxes but that little home mention on my resume started getting me interviews at shelter books. Soon after, I took a job at House Beautiful and have been happily working in home design ever since. I adore this category and while I love writing and editing as a craft I probably wouldn't have thrived or enjoyed myself as much at a lifestyle or fashion magazine; it's the subject that keeps me ticking.
So that is one part of being a so-called successful online editor--passion for the topic.
Unfortunately there are millions of people who do not have the physical freedom to function in a standard home and kitchen. Special considerations need to be made when planning a kitchen design. Once again Susan Serra, CKD, from thekitchendesigner.org steps in to show us the way.
For those with special needs, a preliminary analysis of the household member(s) needs is critical. For situations in which modifications need to be made to the interior of a home, a joint meeting with all parties, including the contractor and an occupational therapist to the household member with special needs is advisable. A design professional with a CAPS designation (Certified Aging in Place Specialist) awarded by NAHB National Association of Home Builders is verification of completed course work in this area.
It is to everyone's benefit, and often a strong desire of a household member with special needs, to preserve the homeowner's independence for as long a period of time as possible. In a situation that includes wheelchair accessibility within a home, adequate space must be provided for wheelchairs to turn, particularly in a bathroom and kitchen, in areas of the home where a hallway and doorways intersect, and to plan for adequate, and smooth flooring materials and transitions inside and outside the home via ramps.
When designing a kitchen for the elderly and those with special needs, you need to consider more than just the tile or countertop choice. Kitchen layout, counter and cabinet height, and appliances are just a few options that need to be thought out more carefully.
We asked Susan Serra, CKD, of The Kitchen Designer to share her thoughts on designing for elderly homeowners and those with special needs and she didn't disappoint.
Designing a kitchen for all generations, at the very least, can easily, and beautifully, include elements of Universal Design, design that is safe and functional, for all ages. It is design that is personal, yet adaptable to everyone.
Nothing ruins a fantastic remodel more quickly than exceeding the project budget. Why is this phenomenon so common in residential remodeling? Simple: Many homeowners struggle to establish a detailed budget at the appropriate time in the course of the project.
Why is establishing remodel cost one of your most important remodeling tools? Determining your budget at the beginning of your project helps in the following ways:
-Prevents wasting time and money on a project that turns out too expensive for your current budget.
-Allows you to more carefully analyze bids from general contractors.
-Forces you to decide emphatically on what you want and what you can afford.
-Puts you in charge of the project costs, not the general contractor or subcontractors.
-Provide your designer (if needed) with cost parameters that help keep costs reasonable.
There are many ways to find home improvement advice. The most popular have always been books, magazines, tv and now blogs. Well these guys saw an opportunity to share their knowledge and opinions on home improvement via a podcast which is an audio episode you can download and listen to on your computer or personal listening device (iPod). We like the fact they aren't pros but two guys who are passionate about DIY, personable and can explain problems in layman's terms.
This interview unveils The Handyguys as they share the secrets to the success of their podcast, popular DIY topics and how easy it is for you to ask The Handyguys a home improvement question.
CH: Who are the handy guys behind "The Handyguys Podcast"?
HGP:The Handyguys are Brian Peppel and Paul Shane, two avid DIYers, not professional contractors. We have been doing large and small projects around the home for ourselves and others for the past 25 years, and we still have all of our fingers and toes.
CH: Why did you decide to focus on a podcast instead of just starting another home improvement blog (like we need anymore)? Do you guys have previous media training? The podcast sounds slick and well produced.
HGP: There is an overwhelming number of home improvement blogs, websites and forums online already. However, DIY forums and blog posts can be a bit impersonal, as can the so-called experts in discussion groups who often bully folks who are just trying to learn. We wanted to establish an audio DIY site with a friendly and non-threatening atmosphere.
In our day-to-day life, we often found ourselves being go-to guys for home improvement questions from other DIYers. A podcast provided a great outlet for us to share our experiences and relay our desire to help others. We love to chat about projects and help people out no matter their skill or background. Many home improvement podcasts are just re-purposed radio shows. If you want to get the weather and traffic with your home improvement podcast, subscribe to them. If you want a home improvement podcast that is produced specifically for the medium, then we are the only game in town.
As far as the podcast and website production, we are DIYers too. We studied, learned and implemented. We both have technical backgrounds in I.T. Brian has more of a sales and business background, whereas Paul is more of a technologist. Both Handyguys have lots of public speaking experience so they are not afraid to speak into a microphone.
November 6, 2009 | Comments ()
