Home Improvement Articles

Remodeling in itself is probably one of the most stressful undertakings the average person will have in his or her lifetime. Although it seems melodramatic just talking about it there are many items to consider before the action starts: financing, hiring a contractor, getting plans, picking out the right built-in cabinets, etc. If the remodel is big enough there are also spin-offs like having to move out another place while your home is being apart. The same conditions apply to building a new home.

As the heart and soul of the home, the kitchen is one of the two most important rooms in a house to keep updated; the bathroom is the second. Why? Not only because of the amount of daily use, but because a quality kitchen renovation can increase the real estate value of the home. And almost guarantee a high percentage of renovation-cost recoup when selling. Plus, an updated kitchen remodeling as beautiful as it is functional can improve chances of a quick sale - saving time and $$.

At the turn of the 20th Century almost every home on a city street had a porch. In fact the porch became popular before the Civil war and remained a staple of American living well into the next century. But its origins go back thousands of years before our version. The word porch comes from the Latin word porticos which denotes an entryway into a temple and the Greek derivative, portico, remained one its names until Victorian times. Later on in the Middle Ages it represented the church vestibule where the populace could socialize both before and after the service.

Plumbing and heating are two vital components of a home that many of us take for granted and many know little about except to turn on a tap. For example, if you were to ask 10 homeowners where their water shut-off valve was only about 5 could tell you. So if there were an emergency 5 household might be up to the knees in running water.

Plumbing is something that nearly every contemporary structure has. Modern plumbing systems bring fresh water to the kitchen, bathroom, and laundry areas of the home or business. And drain away used water to sewer or septic systems. Once a plumbing system is installed in a home or business, the only service or plumbing repair usually required on an on-going basis is clearing plugged drains. Or else fixing a minor faucet leak, such as a worn out washer on a plumbing fixture.

The appearance of a driveway is just as important to the curb appeal of a home as the landscaping and exterior finish. Cracked and stained driveways can give a lower impression of a home even if the lawns are well-manicured and the outside of the home has been redone in an expensive siding. Therefore it is very important that the right surface is installed, one that will last as long or longer than the other essentials of the home.

Your driveway is like a welcome mat for your friends and visitors. Most driveways are perpendicular to the street and on the same level but others may be curved and have a pitch to them. It's the raised type of driveways that are the most noticeable and can look like a Yellow brick Road to your home. On the flip side, faded and broken concrete can make the rest of your home look tired no matter how new the building looks.

For the protection of the exterior of your wood-clad home there are basically two options that homeowners and professional painters can uses: paint or stain (You can also put on a low-maintenance vinyl siding!). The first is a film-forming surface and the latter is a penetrating agent that gets into the grain. The film-forming protecting finishes include paint, solid stain and varnish while the penetrating ones are preservatives, water repelling agents and semi-transparent oil-based pigments.

Painting the right colors in the right textures is as important to the look of a room as the lighting or floor coverings. In many cases homeowners have spent a fortune on the fixtures and decorating only to put too dark a shade on the wall or light a color the trim making the room look off-balance.

Although homeowners with families spend an average of 5 to 8 hours a week in laundry-related activities, the laundry room can be one of the most neglected areas of the household. But by updating an existing room or incorporating a new laundry room feature into their floor plan, homeowners not only enhance the real estate value of their home. They help make laundry duties less daunting; requiring less time and less inconvenience.