Looking to save some money on your heating bill? Do you drop the temperature of your home or cottage while you are away? With the cold weather upon us I want to make sure everyone is careful to not let your pipes freeze. While you are away, make sure your home/cottage doesn't fall below 55 degrees. Anything lower than 55 degrees, and you can run the risk of frozen pipes which could lead to a very costly repair!
If you suspect you may be dealing with frozen pipes, the American Red Cross has a nice write up on what to do:
http://www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster/winter-storm/preventing-thawing-frozen-pipes
The Truth About Bathrooms
So it is getting close to that time of year when we take less time to care for things outside of the home, and more time fixing up the things inside of the home. When taking a look at remodels and what is worth it and what isn't, one area I will point you to is bathrooms.
Having the right kind of updated bathrooms can really get you some great bang for your buck when it comes time to putting your home up for sale (or simply impressing your guests!).
What's popular:
Tiled showers rather than inserts - Just take a walk through your local home store and you will see what the latest and greatest is when it comes to showers. Mosaic tiling has been in for the last couple of years, is easy to clean, and looks great! It can be time consuming to install so I would suggest hiring someone who really knows their stuff (like me!).
Flooring - Heated flooring is an awesome plus, but not a necessity. Natural stone look (like Travertine) is popular and is really easy to match things too. Its natural light in color look will allow you to be as bold, or as mild as you would like with the décor of the bathroom. If you go the Travertine route, make sure you pay extra careful attention to the maintenance that goes along with it. You will need to use special cleaners and sealants.
Counter Top - Go for granite! Again, you should use special cleaner on this, but man...does it look nice!
Vanity - When it comes to color, white can give things a very clean/sterile look, but will show dirt and dust like non other. I would recommend a nice deep and darker wood for your vanity. This would work well with the lighter color of your natural stone flooring, and will be easy to match tiling with for the shower.
Having the right kind of updated bathrooms can really get you some great bang for your buck when it comes time to putting your home up for sale (or simply impressing your guests!).
What's popular:
Tiled showers rather than inserts - Just take a walk through your local home store and you will see what the latest and greatest is when it comes to showers. Mosaic tiling has been in for the last couple of years, is easy to clean, and looks great! It can be time consuming to install so I would suggest hiring someone who really knows their stuff (like me!).
Flooring - Heated flooring is an awesome plus, but not a necessity. Natural stone look (like Travertine) is popular and is really easy to match things too. Its natural light in color look will allow you to be as bold, or as mild as you would like with the décor of the bathroom. If you go the Travertine route, make sure you pay extra careful attention to the maintenance that goes along with it. You will need to use special cleaners and sealants.
Counter Top - Go for granite! Again, you should use special cleaner on this, but man...does it look nice!
Vanity - When it comes to color, white can give things a very clean/sterile look, but will show dirt and dust like non other. I would recommend a nice deep and darker wood for your vanity. This would work well with the lighter color of your natural stone flooring, and will be easy to match tiling with for the shower.
Flooring
I thought I would write a blog post mimicking something I posted on my Facebook page the other week. I had asked the question of whether you preferred hardwood floors or carpeting. Although the results tended to lean hardwood, those of you who picked carpeting made a great case!
In general, hardwood floors tend to have that look of elegance and are very popular to prospective home buyers. They can get pretty pricey depending on the size of the room and the quality of the flooring you put in, but the return when you sell your home can surely make up for it.
Carpeting seemed to be favored in homes with animals and children. Those of you who voted carpeting said it was easy to clean the pet hair and wasn't as annoying as hardwood floors when it comes to the clickety click of your pets nails on hardwood. Children (especially small ones) can play a lot easier on carpeting as it is much more easy for them to get around.
In a "perfect world" many of you said you would pick hardwood, hands down. However, you prefer carpeting in the bedrooms and sometimes the living area. In a lot of the homes I am building/remodeling that is what I tend to see more often than that. I build a lot of homes where the main living and walking areas are all a rich color hardwood, and the bedrooms are all a lighter color carpeting.
Why am I telling you this? In case you are looking to resell your home in the near future why not listen to the opinion of your peers. They want hardwood!
In general, hardwood floors tend to have that look of elegance and are very popular to prospective home buyers. They can get pretty pricey depending on the size of the room and the quality of the flooring you put in, but the return when you sell your home can surely make up for it.
Carpeting seemed to be favored in homes with animals and children. Those of you who voted carpeting said it was easy to clean the pet hair and wasn't as annoying as hardwood floors when it comes to the clickety click of your pets nails on hardwood. Children (especially small ones) can play a lot easier on carpeting as it is much more easy for them to get around.
In a "perfect world" many of you said you would pick hardwood, hands down. However, you prefer carpeting in the bedrooms and sometimes the living area. In a lot of the homes I am building/remodeling that is what I tend to see more often than that. I build a lot of homes where the main living and walking areas are all a rich color hardwood, and the bedrooms are all a lighter color carpeting.
Why am I telling you this? In case you are looking to resell your home in the near future why not listen to the opinion of your peers. They want hardwood!
Ceilings
Are you looking to spice up your home a little bit? Sick and tired of looking at the white ceilings wishing you had the guts to spice it up?
Here is an article with five interesting patterns to give your ceiling a boost!!!
http://living.msn.com/home-decor/interior-design/5-cool-ceiling-ideas-1#1
-and yes, I would love to help you create any of them! :)
Here is an article with five interesting patterns to give your ceiling a boost!!!
http://living.msn.com/home-decor/interior-design/5-cool-ceiling-ideas-1#1
-and yes, I would love to help you create any of them! :)
Ready for the snow?
I know I know...I said the "S" word and it isn't even November yet! I want to post a checklist of things you can do to make sure your snow blower is in prime snow throwing shape for when those first big snow flakes start flying!
*Make sure you are using fresh fuel. Hopefully you drained the engine of fuel before you put it away for storage at the end of the last season...if not, maybe now is the time to get that done. :)
*Check the oil to make sure it is at proper level. You may need to change the oil (usually a good idea to do once a year). Check your owners manual to be sure.
*Spray a little WD-40 on the parts that move to make sure they are nice and ready!
*Check all the nuts and bolts to make sure they nice and tight.
*Start the engine! Haha. It is always a good idea to make sure things start and sound like they are running good. I would hate to have you go outside after that first snow storm to the sound of a choking engine.
*Make sure you are using fresh fuel. Hopefully you drained the engine of fuel before you put it away for storage at the end of the last season...if not, maybe now is the time to get that done. :)
*Check the oil to make sure it is at proper level. You may need to change the oil (usually a good idea to do once a year). Check your owners manual to be sure.
*Spray a little WD-40 on the parts that move to make sure they are nice and ready!
*Check all the nuts and bolts to make sure they nice and tight.
*Start the engine! Haha. It is always a good idea to make sure things start and sound like they are running good. I would hate to have you go outside after that first snow storm to the sound of a choking engine.
Windows
Happy Winter Everyone!!!!
Ok, don't slap me! I realize that it isn't winter just quite yet, but I wanted to give a shout out to a part of your home that is often the most neglected. Did you know that approximately one-third of a home's total heat loss usually occurs through windows and doors?*
I know that not everyone has the money to replace your old windows. So while you are saving up for some new windows, here are some things you can do before the snow flies that can help you save some $$ on your ever increasing heat bill!
1) If you have single-pane windows, put in some storm windows! During the cold months, adding storm windows can reduce heat loss by 25-50%!*
2) Even though it may not look to pretty, a quick and cheap way to help with drafty windows would be to apply transparent film over the window (you can find this at most hardware stores... if nothing else, it is a great excuse to run to the hardware store! :) ).
3) Check all the edges of your windows for possible drafts and cracks. Seal with caulk.
4) Want to know a way to help that won't cost any money? For cold weather months: During the day time when there is sunlight, open all of the shades and blinds to let the heat from the sun in. Once night falls, close the shades and blinds to reduce heat loss
*Source: NRDC.
Ok, don't slap me! I realize that it isn't winter just quite yet, but I wanted to give a shout out to a part of your home that is often the most neglected. Did you know that approximately one-third of a home's total heat loss usually occurs through windows and doors?*
I know that not everyone has the money to replace your old windows. So while you are saving up for some new windows, here are some things you can do before the snow flies that can help you save some $$ on your ever increasing heat bill!
1) If you have single-pane windows, put in some storm windows! During the cold months, adding storm windows can reduce heat loss by 25-50%!*
2) Even though it may not look to pretty, a quick and cheap way to help with drafty windows would be to apply transparent film over the window (you can find this at most hardware stores... if nothing else, it is a great excuse to run to the hardware store! :) ).
3) Check all the edges of your windows for possible drafts and cracks. Seal with caulk.
4) Want to know a way to help that won't cost any money? For cold weather months: During the day time when there is sunlight, open all of the shades and blinds to let the heat from the sun in. Once night falls, close the shades and blinds to reduce heat loss
*Source: NRDC.
Chimney's and Furnance's
I wanted to post a friendly reminder that as the weather is starting to change, there are a few safety concerns I wanted to address. Sitting around a nice warm fireplace is one of my favorite things about the fall and winter season. Nothing beats the crackling of a nice warm fire, and the ambience of the glowing wood. There also comes a safety risk though, especially if you haven't touched the fireplace/chimney in the last year. Please call a professional to come and inspect the chimney to see if it needs a good cleaning. There can be a blockage or a soot build up that you aren't aware of and can cause a serious situation if left untreated.
That also brings up the point about your furnace. Every year you should have a professional come out to make sure your duct work is clean and everything is up to par with your furnace. I want everyone to have a safe, and enjoyable Holiday season.
That also brings up the point about your furnace. Every year you should have a professional come out to make sure your duct work is clean and everything is up to par with your furnace. I want everyone to have a safe, and enjoyable Holiday season.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)