Get a More Desirable Home With a Refinished Bathroom

Your bathroom needs similar attention in terms of look and feel as compared to your living room and bed room. Bathroom is the place where the whole family goes for a spruce! Pretty look of the bathroom gets set your day in the right mode! We spend much of our time in bathroom and kitchen. When you want to relax in your bath tub, the shabby and unpleasant look of your bathroom can dampen your lively spirits.

Every homeowner views their bathroom as a personal oasis and the last bastion of personal space. While buying a new home, everyone focus on the bathroom, so its condition and facilities can really make or break a sale.

The bathroom should be in good working condition as even the slightest crack or leakage can become a nightmare for you. A bathroom requires regular maintenance to ensure that they perform to optimum level. You may need to search for bathroom repair services at some point of time or the other. The problem could vary from a simple leaky bathtub in the bathroom to tile restoration. It seems many problems show there heads especially when you are asleep! To prevent such problems and keep the bathroom in your home running smoothly, one thing you need is an efficient and reliable bathtub and tile refinishing services who specializes in dealing with such emergencies.

After several years of use, the bathtub usually becomes stained and worn looking. They can either get chipped or cracked but it will cost you a fortune if you think of replacing the old with a new one. Moreover, even if you afford a new bathtub, still bathtub replacement is quite hectic to take out the old one and install a new one. The cost effective way of giving your bathtub a new brand look is to have them refurbished by hiring any resurfacing service professional.

The bathtub refinishing process can be carried out on any bathtub material like, porcelain, cast-iron and fiberglass. No matter whatever be the material of bathtub you just need to get the tub primed, sealed and painted. By choosing the right paint color you can give your bathroom a whole new, exciting look. Therefore, if you have any of these problems in your bathroom, check into having them refinished or repaired. You can end up with a remodeled or renovated bathroom at discounted cost and a lot less of a mess.

A recent Harris Interactive survey for home products manufacturer Moen points out trends in technology and tradition in the consumer bath.

Tuscan Decor in the Guest Room

If you have a guest room in your home, then it's there for one main reason - to make your guest feel at home while they are visiting.

Of course, any visitor will be spending most of their time with you, in the living room or traveling about the local area, but they'll want a place where they can retreat during the day to rest, as well as a place to retire in the evening - a little slice of home away from home.

In order to give your guest room that Tuscan look, there are a few items to consider.

Lighting

The lighting fixtures are important. Remove those shiny, modern fixtures of aluminum, and replace them with rustic designs - wall sconces of wrought iron, for example, or other types of metal with a distressed look to simulate age, with the decoration as scrollwork simulating grape vines.

Windows

Direct sunlight, over the course of time, will fade and damage fabrics and furniture, nevertheless it's always nice to be able to spread open the draperies to allow sunlight to flow into a room. For the Tuscan look, don't use a lot frills. Use plain draperies, with plenty of fabric gathered today, in shades of beige or brown or gold, so that their hues can be enhanced by the sunlight.

The Walls

Wall color is important as it gives the overall tone of the entire room. Golds and browns are popular colors, but what particularly evokes the feel of Tuscany is to give the walls an aged patina by using faux paint to make them resemble old, crumbling brick or plaster.

The Floor

For a true Tuscan look, aged hardwood floors, marble or tiled floors are a must. However, these types of floor can be expensive, and for a guest room that is only used once or twice a year, it may be an expense you don't want to incur. However, plenty of throw rugs with Tuscan designs scattered around the floor can give the appropriate feel as well.

Tuscan designs? Where are you going to get those? Easy - surf the web for Tuscan rugs and you'll find a vast array of authentic Tuscan designs.

Furniture

The bed, of course, is the main piece of furniture in the guest-room. No modern bedsteads with gleaming metal - choose wooden bedframes, ornately carved with bunches of grapes, for example, The blankets, bedspreads and pillows on the guest bed should be of dull colors invoking the earth or sky tans, browns, golds or blues.

If possible, the bookcases, bureaus and wardrobes and other furniture in the room should be of wood as well, very light or very dark-colored woods to give a sturdy, aged look. Antique furniture will give the appropriate look.

Accessories

The look of Tuscany is the look of the land - a land with rolling hills, vineyards, a vast blue bowl-like sky, and farmhouses that have been there for centuries. Accessories should call out this atmosphere of permanence - majolica or ceramic pottery, wrought iron candle holders, and so on.

Adam Peters is the author and editor of many wooden shutters articles and newsletters published at http://www.home-decorating-reviews.com Find more publications about tuscan decor at his website.

Finish The Basement to Provide More Living Space

You can add living space to your home by finishing your basement. It can actually be done rather economically. The primary structure is already there. All you have to do then is finish it.

A key factor in keeping the costs down is properly planning what the outcome will be. You want to make a list of the materials required after you have decided on the layout, and you'll want to do things sequentially to avoiding reworking something after it has already been completed.

First, our recommendation is to hire a contractor to do the work. This will ensure that things are done properly, and efficiently. Ultimately, unless you have the necessary experience yourself, then hiring the contractor can save you a great deal of money in the end. You will still be involved however even if you do hire a contractor. Please read on.

Your first priority is that you have to define the available space, and what you wish to do with it. From there, you will then define the layout. A simple drawing can give a picture of what you will end up with.

Some things that you will need to consider are:

How will you heat and cool?

Will you add in a bathroom?

If you have a bathroom, how will it be ventilated?

Where will you install the smoke alarms and CO detector?

Where will you place the receptacles?

If there is dampness in the basement, how will it be removed?

Before you actually begin construction, you will have to consider if you have any water problems in the basement. If you do, you will most certainly want to resolve those issues before you begin building.

Once the waterproofing is done, if necessary, then you will need to install the necessary drainage system if you are adding a bathroom. This is also the time to install any electrical wiring, cable TV connections, telephone wiring, etc. Also repair any damage to the concrete that may need fixing. You'll also want to run the necessary additional duct work for heating and cooling.

Next, you want to install necessary strapping for any drop ceilings you may want to install. More comprehensive guides are available if you wish to do it yourself, as this is only meant to give you an idea of the work involved. Work of this nature should always be done by a professional contractor. It can save you a lot of headaches, and the finished product will be much more enjoyable when it is completed correctly. Not to mention the amount of money that will be saved from having to buy damaged materials a second time!

There are many, many things that can be done with that extra space. Research, and then hire a professional to do the job. You'll be much happier with the end result and you will better enjoy your new space!

James Tyler is the owner of Ace Builders, a residential remodeling company serving the Raleigh, North Carolina area. Tyler writes about issues relating to all types of remodeling and home improvement projects.

For more information, tips and advice visit http://www.acebuilders.net

Finished Basement Projects

What to Look For As You Plan Your Finished Basement Project

Follow these two principles as you plan your finished basement project and we guarantee you will be delighted with the results.

1. Get A Professional Design

Above all, you should have a complete and professional design done at the outset of your finished basement project. This is the only way to guarantee that you will:

• Use and enjoy the space like you intended.
• Avoid misunderstandings which result in a much higher final cost than you expected.
• Get it done on time and on budget.
• Get the best value for your money.
• Maximize your return on investment upon resale.

Here is why:

Use And Enjoyment

What do you feel when you think of the word basement? Dark? Cold? Dusty? Cluttered? Maybe even spooky? Do you like to be down there? Chances are, you'd rather be somewhere else.

So the first secret of finished basement success is to come up with a design that removes the basement stigma from your space. You must change the look and feel to that of another living level... an inviting and seamless extension of your home.

In other words, if your basement still feels like a basement when it's done, you may part with a bundle of cash for something you will never-or rarely-use.

Resale Value

You probably would not finish your basement if you planned to move soon. But we live in fast times. You never know. So resale value is important. Hard data for home improvement resale values is hard to come by. After all, these costs aren't itemized in resale asking prices and you can't buy a finished basement separately.

Fortunately, there is help in this area. Remodeling Magazine surveys Realtors throughout the United States to get estimates of home improvement resale values. Estimates for finished basements range from 37% to 115% of original cost nationwide.

The factors that most influence finished basement resale values include:

1. How well your lower-level space complements your main living areas.
2. The basement should feel like it was built when the house was and have the fun additions that the main floor might be missing.
3. Inclusion of key features like bedrooms and bathrooms in your design.
4. The scarcity of homes in your area.

Think about it. If your main living area is a four-star hotel and your basement is a truck-stop, you will obviously not realize a high return on your investment. If, on the other hand, you convert your 3-bedroom home into a 4-bedroom home by including a cozy bedroom and full bath in your lower level design, you will pull top dollar.

Finally, if you follow the "use and enjoyment" principles we noted above and insist on high-quality design and construction, you will further maximize your resale value.

Getting The Best Deal

Every expert in our industry will give you the same advice: get multiple bids to make sure you aren't getting ripped off. That's good advice. But the fact is, people still screw up this step badly-but not because they fail to get multiple bids. Rather, it is because they have no idea if the bids they received are at all comparable.

Using a square foot price to determine what your basement might cost is a flawed and misleading method. Here's why: If you have a nicely designed bathroom that costs $5000 for instance and you have a 500 square foot basement, that bathroom costs $10 per foot. That same bathroom in 2000 square feet is only $2.50 per foot. So if a contractor tells you a square foot price without actually basing it on an accurate design, that one room alone can have a margin of error of as much as $7.50.

Avoiding Change Orders

If you want to avoid costly change orders, disappointing results, or both, you must get an accurate and professional design before you sign your contract. Your design should include 3D elevations and renderings. This is because what happens above the floor is especially important-and challenging-in finished basement design.

Designing a basement is harder than you might imagine. Basements pose unique design challenges:

• How to conceal pipes, poles, soffits, HVAC, plumbing, and electrical.
• How to provide adequate light and safe egress.
• How to deal with stairs, water heaters and furnaces that are in the way.
• How to create inviting areas that complement the rest of your home.

But the biggest challenge is combining all these things in a way that doesn't look like a cheap retrofit. This is almost impossible to do with just hand sketches and 2D elevations. If your design does not include 3D elevations and renderings, you may not discover important problems until it's way too late.

Summary On Design

Complete, skilled and accurate design is critical if you want to use and enjoy your basement as intended, maximize resale value, get comparable and reliable estimates, and avoid costly change orders. Don't short-cut the process.

2. Hire A Company With Genuine Design-Construction Expertise

Great design doesn't happen by accident. It takes skill, experience, and attitude. So when you evaluate contractors for your finished basement addition, resist the temptation to chase the lowest bid or hire the "nice-guy" handyman. Look for a company with proven design-construction expertise.

Elsewhere on our web site we talk about why The Basement Finishing Company is uniquely qualified to do this work and how we make the process of planning and contracting your job as easy and risk-free as possible.

Visit: The Basement Finishing Company

About the Author: Eddie Case

The Basement Finishing Company of Harrisburg PA's owners have remodeled hundreds of basements in the Harrisburg PA local area since 1992. Eddie case is a 3-D basement design expert and high-end construction practice specialist, all geared towards basement finishing projects.

House Training a Dog Will Make Your Life Easier

Are you desperate to have a well behaved indoor dog? If so, house training a dog is probably at the top of your to do list. I am going to give you some helpful information here then leave a link at the bottom to a great resource for helping you learn about house training a dog.

The biggest part of house training a dog is teaching him or her not to go to the bathroom on the floor. Another thing you want to do when house training a dog is stop it from chewing up your shoes and furniture. This goes against the nature of a dog so you have to overcome the dogs instincts. The good news is that with a little love and affection, your dog will completely change what its instincts tell it to do just to make you happy.

The first thing you will want to do when house training a dog is teach it where to go to the bathroom. There are 3 basic types of potty training you can choose. First, you can teach your dog to use a mat in your house. This option is very popular for people that don't have easy access to an outdoor area where a dog can go to the bathroom or if your dog has to spend a long time alone while you are at work. If your dog spends a lot of time in a kennel, you can teach him or her to go in one corner of the kennel. This is very similar to training a dog to use a mat, but a little messier. This is probably the least popular method of dog training because it is messier and most people don't have a large kennel area to keep their dogs in. The last method of house training your dog is to teach him or here to go to a door and let you know that he or she has to go the bathroom and needs to be taken out. This is probably the most prevalent method of potty training a dog.

Some other things house training can do for you is to stop chewing things up, reduce barking, teach the dog where it is supposed to go and where it is supposed to stay away from, and a host of other behavior changes to make you life better.

If are ready to have the perfect pet, head over to ObedienceTraining4Dogs.info and learn how easy house training a dog can be. You can also find some great information on my House Training a Dog article.

Log Homes As Eco-Friendly Homes

While a log home may not be the first type of home you think of when you think of a green home, the fact is log homes are naturally more eco-friendly than traditionally built homes.

The Logs and Wood

The first consideration for any log home to be eco-friendly is the logs that are used. The main factor for logs to be considered eco-friendly is that the logs should be from a sustainable source. Sustainable sources would include reclaimed wood from other homes and buildings that have been demolished or remodeled, logs that come from a tree farm or other managed forest, logs from burnt out or diseased trees and wood reclaimed from rivers such as old pilings and piers. These types of wood are excellent choices to use in building a log home. The idea is to make sure that your source of logs is sustainable and definitely not from old growth forests or sensitive forest lands.

Size and Layout

Another consideration is the size and layout of a log home. The larger the home, the more logs and materials that will be required. In addition, the layout is crucial to a log home's eco-friendliness. The layout should minimize energy usage for heating and cooling, maximize outdoor sources of light with strategic placement of windows and maximize the sun's rays at different times of the day. The layout and placement of the home should also be in harmony with the existing land and environment.

Building Materials

Other than the logs, the other materials used in a log home are also essential to the eco-friendliness of the space. Carpets, fixtures, flooring, cabinets, appliances, windows, every aspect is important to making a log home green. Some materials, such as carpeting, can give off what are called VOC's or Volatile Organic Compounds when they are installed. These compounds are from the manufacturing of the product and the use of various solvents and glues in the process. These compounds take time to dissipate and can be harmful to chemically sensitive people. This is why the selection of the materials for the home is so important. Nearly every element of a log home can be eco-friendly, you just need to opt for the more organic and eco-friendly choices available.

Energy and Electricity

Like other homes, a log home can be powered by alternative energies that can either comprise the entire energy system of the home or act as an adjunct to a traditional power supply. Solar panels are a popular accessory for log homes, especially those in an area with excellent sun exposure.

When taking these aspects into account, a log home can be one of the most environmentally sound choices when building a new home.

Log Home Exchange is your source for log homes for sale and log cabins for sale in the US and Canada. Visit us at: http://www.loghomeexchange.com/

Remodeling Green Takes the Right Mindset

To a real estate investor remodeling green may mean the money they are going to make from renovating that ugly house they just bought for a SUCH A DEAL price. To others, it means they want to preserve the earth and not waste energy, building materials or resources when they remodel their home. Some homeowners and contractors look for and use only products that are advertised as being green, or being manufactured in a way that is as non-toxic as possible. They may put in new appliances and HVAC units that are energy efficient. And build new properties with an eye to energy efficiency in the construction methods applied. That's all good.

Another way to remodel green is to think about what may be thrown in landfills when it could be used again. Some demolitions are done too quickly and roughly to save much of anything. Taking some time there can keep hundreds of pounds of good building materials out of the waste stream. I once had someone tease me on a job site because I was taking some time to remove a few nails from lumber. I had found some 14 foot long hardwood 2x6s with no knotholes and two or three nails in each of them. Hey, I'll spend 15 minutes any day to save $100 worth of wood from being dumped. I doubt you could get lumber that good anymore in most places without paying a stiff premium price. Bring me a truckload, please. You woodworkers know what I'm talking about. Yes, there IS wood pretty enough to admire and remember. Think about each component that you are removing, or working on, during a renovation and decide on a way to remove it with the least damage. Someone may want it if you don't. Haste DOES make waste!

One of the tricks I've done is to keep the area of a countertop that has to be cutout for sinks, etc. I install legs using common items I may have recycled from somewhere else and add those little caster wheels that can be bought cheaply in most large home improvement stores. The ones with locking mechanisms are nice. All you have to worry about is smoothing the cut edges and installing edging or simply routing the edge into a nice shape. You can have a matching rolling portable countertop space without spending much time or money. Oh yeah, don't forget to see if someone can use the old countertop and sink for a garage parts washing basin, garden potting center or maybe a fish cleaning station for the outdoors folks.

If you cruise the tool aisles, I'm sure you know about the great numbers of handy dandy gadgety items for sale. Nail sets are nice, but if you don't have one, try using a nail with a slightly larger head than the one you are driving. A tap or two with the nails head to head and your nail is set. Ever seen one of those plastic nail holders that keeps you from banging your fingers and waking the neighborhood cats with your wailing? Try a small piece of cardboard instead. A little notch and your fingers can be protected. Or the plastic spreaders sold to apply many materials. You can use the plastic lids found on many food containers in the grocery store. You can cut a round lid in half and have a nifty spreader of a custom size. Or the plastic pans sold to hold a small amount of the liquid materials for outrageous prices. Try one of those plastic tops they use on bakery cakes, or the microwave convenience food plastic bowls instead . Instead of buying a sanding block, why not try using a small scrap piece of wood from your projects? Egg cartons can be used to organize small items. It's my mission not to let any plastic have only one use in my household. Only problem is, if it is a while before you need them, these saved treasures may change your nickname to pack rat, but multiple use recycling is remodeling green so who cares? You get the idea. Go for it!

For more interesting information and resources visit us at: http://www.mynetmagic.com