Home Improvement Articles

No other area in the home gets so much traffic as the kitchen. Whether it's snacking, food preparation, answering the phone or having family discussions the kitchen is the nerve center for most of the activity in daily life. So its no wonder that kitchen remodeling contractors report that the kitchen joins bathroom remodeling as the most requested renovation in the home.

When remodeling your kitchen, you may want to consider adding a walk-in pantry if you have the space. Pantries can be great for people who love to cook, but they can also add extra shelving for snacks and pre-packaged meals even if you don't spend much time in the kitchen. Don't make the following ten mistakes when planning a space for a walk-in pantry.

Not so many years ago kitchens were isolated places where food was prepared unnoticed by the family and guests. Swinging doors were popular and some galley kitchens had portals to pass the food into the dining area. But most of the food preparation area was covered up. This was in contrast to the first half of the 20th Century when the area was the nerve center of the home. Since the late 1970's the kitchen has taken steps back to the days when the stove was one of the main heating sources and therefore a place where family and guests gathered. With the modern demands made on food preparation the area has increased in space and pushed into the main living area of the home. To add more storage and counter area kitchen designers moved a section from against the wall and made an isolated space that added both food preparation area and storage. Thus was born the island.

Kitchens haven't always been the self-contained unit they are in today's home. In single family homes before the 1800's cooking was done either outside or in a fireplace area which, in many cases, held a large cast iron pot and a couple of smaller ones to boil water for tea. In the winter the fire never was extinguished as it was the main source of heat for the home and therefore the center of activity. Kitchen countertops evolved from butcher-blocks, rinsing trays and wash surfaces to flat boards that were fastened to a couple of cabinets. These modules could be moved about the kitchen depending what task was at hand. Slabs of wood were also put over bins that held potatoes, flour and beans so that vermin couldn't get the food and these were utilized as working surfaces. Therefore kitchen remodeling was a very mobile operation. All you had to do was move a bin, cabinet or the wash basin stand.

One of the most important decisions when planning a kitchen cabinet project is whether to undertake cabinet refinishing, install manufactured kitchen cabinets, or hire a custom cabinet maker. In addition, will the refurbishing work or installation itself be done as a DIY home project, or completed by a kitchen cabinet installation contractor?

You are finally planning an overall design for your new kitchen, including new kitchen cabinet features. To help insure project success and that you will be happy with the finished kitchen cabinet design, remember to employ basic elements for ease of use.

With the price of a barrel of oil skyrocketing the cost of fuel oil, natural gas and propane is following in its wake. Fossil fuels are a commodity and, even if the huge price is based mostly on speculation, the price will never see low prices again. Rather than cry over this there are a few things that can be done around the home to lessen the pain. In fact most of the energy savings can be realized by preventing the valuable heat from leaving the home after you've spent a small fortune creating it. In fact, if the home is tightened up to its potential you may spend less on fuel even when the fuel is twice what it was four years ago

Cool autumn days bring the certainty of blustery winter weather just around the corner, reminding us to insulate and winterize home structures. Every homeowner at one time or another has undertaken the effort to winterize, but many have not taken the time to really learn how to winterize a house.

Choosing to handle the painting in your home yourself rather than hiring a professional will already save you a ton of money. If you're a beginner, though, you might be worried about your paint job looking cheap. Faux painting doesn't have to be done by a professional to look really beautiful. Let's go over some easy and inexpensive painting techniques that look really high-class.

What is HVAC? HVAC is the abbreviation for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems that provide indoor climate control for residential and commercial structures. An HVAC system can be quite complex. When HVAC repair or HVAC installation is necessary, the services of a reliable HVAC contractor are required.