Cabinet Hardware – A Simple Way To Personalize Your Kitchen Renovation
Designing your new kitchen includes many different items, and it is easy to overlook some of them. One very important aspect of kitchen design which can add a personal touch to your kitchen is the choice of cabinet hardware. This choice is so important that most builders do not even put hardware on the cabinets, leaving this critical choice up to the buyer.
I will almost guarantee that you are not aware of all the choices available to you for cabinet hardware. From simple knob pulls to custom made, personalized cabinet hardware, your choices are unlimited. The finishing touch provided by your choice of cabinet handles and drawer pulls can be the item that truly sets your kitchen apart from your friend’s or neighbor’s kitchens. Let’s look at some of the options available to you.
The simple knob drawer pulls and simple door handles are still the mainstay. These classic hardware items can be of any metal, painted to match your cabinet color, or made of wood to match you cabinets. You can keep your kitchen simple, yet elegant with simple classic designs, allowing for easier resale down the road.
You can define your personal style that makes a statement. Simple designs made of unusual materials will make your kitchen unique. Knobs made of crystal, colored glass, or exotic woods will ad visual interest to your new kitchen. You can use unexpected shapes for your drawer pulls to make your kitchen fun and whimsical. Balloon shaped drawer pulls, paper clip door handles, or crayon colored hardware will keep your kitchen a fun place to cook.
Cabinet hardware can proclaim to the world your special interests. Hardware in the shape of grape clusters can tell the world of your love of wine, chicken shaped hardware will match the rooster collection in your country kitchen, or rose shaped drawer pulls proclaim your love of gardening. Anything you can imagine can be used as cabinet hardware to personalize your kitchen.
You can let your inner artist create truly unique hardware for your kitchen. I’ve seen actual fishing lures used as drawer pulls by an avid fisherman. I’ve heard of a geologist who had his kitchen cabinet hardware made from agates that he had collected over the years. This type of personalization will make your kitchen a one-of-a-kind kitchen, and may bring you a tremendous amount of satisfaction every time you use your kitchen.
I’m just trying to broaden your horizons to the endless possibilities available for a truly unique kitchen that’s personalized. For additional ideas on the types and styles of cabinet hardware available, contact a kitchen designer or cabinet manufacturer. They may be able to find exactly what you are looking for, or give you ideas that you may not have considered before.
It may seem like the decision on the type of cabinet hardware that you add to your kitchen is a small item, and I am making far too much out of it. Maybe I am, but this little decision can turn a good kitchen decor into a great kitchen decor. And most people won’t even know why your kitchen seems so put together.
The Cost of Remodeling a Kitchen
If you are interested in having a contractor come in and gut your kitchen and start over, expect to spend somewhere in the neighborhood of $20,000 for starters. The costs are going to depend on the size of the kitchen and the materials that are used but be prepared to budget thousands of dollars for the project. In addition to being expensive, it can be a very time consuming process that ideally should be completed before you move into the house or when you are gone on an extended vacation.
A recent survey of remodeling costs done by Remodeling Magazine estimates that a typical 10×20 kitchen low range remodel job will cost about $20,000, midrange jumps to $50,000 and a top of line upscale remodel will run over $100,000. The costs vary by regions of the country with prices on either coasts at the upper end of the spectrum. The good news is that study after study shows that much of the money you spend remodeling the kitchen (if not all) can be recovered when you go to sell the house. Updating the kitchen is one of the most important things any homeowner can do to improve the value of their property.
There are a number of factors that go into the budgeting for a kitchen remodel. Will you keep your current appliances or must all of them be replaced? Can the cabinets be salvaged by painting them or resurfacing them or do you want to rip the old ones out and start over. There are also design issues, do you want to add more space by putting an addition onto the home or by knocking out a wall. These options and many more are all possibilities that should be discussed with your contractor.
The contractor can also tell you if there are other construction concerns. If you have an older house the odds are that the home has settled over the years and the kitchen floor may no longer be level which could throw off the installation of new cabinets. Floor joists may have to be reinforced or the contractor might be required to use concrete floor leveler to even out the sub-floor which is going to add to the cost of the remodeling job. The condition of the walls after removing the cabinets can also be an issue. If the plaster is crumbling or the drywall has cracks or extensive holes, it may have to be replaced.
Plumbing is another critical component to the kitchen which can become a concern when remodeling. If you decide to move the location of the sink, build an island sink or a wet bar then water pipes will have to be run to the location along with a drain pipe. Installation of the dishwasher is another factor to consider because it needs to be hooked into the water line. Electric is another important consideration. A special 220 line needs to be run to the location of your stove and oven plus you will want to add a new circuit for other major appliances like the dishwasher and microwave.…
Four Things To Consider When Planning On Replacing Your Bathroom Floor
If you’re thinking of replacing your bathroom floor there are some things to consider while you’re shopping around.
Price
Along with the many different designs and styles of flooring available, there are also a wide variety of prices. The prices range from dollars to thousands of dollars per square foot depending on the material you choose to use. At the lower end of the price scale is linoleum, some tiles and woods. At the higher end of the price line there is granite, marble and some higher end tiles. When choosing your floor it is important to stay within your price range, and to choose something that you can live with for a while, since replacing bathroom floors is not something that a lot people do on a regular basis.
Strength
Many people do not take this into too much consideration when choosing a bathroom floor, but it is important to keep in mind that some of the things used in the bathroom can be heavy and when dropped may cause damage to floor. If you choose a floor that is thin and drop something onto it, the floor may be scratched or broken. When choosing a floor be sure to choose something that can stand up to the test of time and is durable.
Installation
The installation is perhaps the most important step in the whole process. You want to make sure that the floor you chose is properly installed and will not begin to lift of warp. After all a lot of time and money went into finding the perfect floor for your bathroom, you want to be able to enjoy it before problems start to arise from it not being properly installed. To prolong the life of your floor it should be installed by a professional who is experienced in installing the type of floor you are using. Most bathroom layouts are not perfectly square which can cause problems when trying to install the flooring yourself. The majority of floors require special cuts to fit correctly. That is why it is probably wise to choose a professional instead of trying to install the flooring yourself.
Maintenance
Because you are going to have your bathroom floor for years to come, it is important that you are aware of any special care that your floor requires. If, for instance, you chose tile, it is recommended that you reseal the grout every few years to prevent it from staining and cracking. Most types of floors have special instructions that you need to follow once it has been installed to prolong the beauty and longevity. If you follow the instructions for maintaining your floor, there is no reason for it to lose any of its shine or design.A bathroom floor is a choice that requires a lot of thought, you will have to look at it every day so choose something that you will enjoy and will not get tiresome after a few months.…
Reduce the Cost of Waste Disposal of Your Home Renovation Project
So you’ve decided to pull out that old tired bathroom, install a new gourmet kitchen or put in that swimming pool that your kids have been asking for the last two years?
No doubt you have thought of the major items:
The materials you will need to buy;
The tradesmen you will need to employ;
The equipment you may need to hire
You probably have a ball park figure of how much each of these components is going to cost you and may have factored in a percentage for contingency. But have you thought of how you are going to get rid of all the old materials that you are removing? This can be significant ane while it may not sound like the most interesting area to spend money on, and indeed there is little satisfaction to be gained by seeing a full skip bin full of your old kitchen disappearing into the sunset – until that is, you consider what you could have bought with the money that it is costing you to dispose of the materials.
If you take the time to get an understanding of how things are disposed of though, you might well save a substantial sum:
First, you need to estimate the quantities of different materials being removed.
Bricks and concrete can often be disposed of cheaply as they are recyclable if clean of contaminants. If you have at least 2 cubic metres of either of these you many find a very cheap skip bin to dispose of these materials. You many even be able to take them to a concrete crusher (recycler) who will take them off you for a low rate. Ask first as some recyclers can take these materials together whereas others need them to be separated.
Soil can sometimes be disposed of more cheaply than mixed materials depending on how it is treated in your area. There are often restrictions on this, such as a requirement for the soil to be virgin excavated material (not to contain any foreign objects).
General waste which will be all the packaging, old cabinet work, gyprock and odds and ends will be often disposed of at a tonnage rate. These are relatively light materials and should be fairly cheap to get rid of UNLESS you mix in heavy items such as concrete, bricks, soil and tiles. If you do the, these items will not be recyclable since they will be “contaminated” and the general waste will not be cheap to dispose of since it will be ‘weighed down” by the heavy materials.
There are some cases where a skip bin supplier will sort through all their loads and in such cases they are often able to offer flat prices no mater what the load is made of. Ask your skip bin supplier about this before booking.
Another area where your waste disposal can become more expensive is if you keep the skip bin onsite for extended periods of time. Normally when you hire a skip bin, you get between 4 days and a week included in the price. If you keep it longer, there is often a daily or weekly rental charge applied. For this reason it is often better if you can corral the waste in a weldmesh pen until you are ready to get rid of all of it.
Good prices can be obtained online for skip bins and many companies can advise your of the best way to plan the waste removal for your project if you outline all your plans to them.
The information in this article is most relevant to Australia.…
Is a Green Bathroom Remodel in Your Future? It’s Easier Than You Think!
If you’re planning a bathroom remodel in the near future, why not explore the new products and materials designed and produced to save money and save the environment? No longer in the expensive category of only a few years ago, these new products and materials compete very well with everything else out there. And when you compare the cost advantages over time, the allowances offered by manufacturers and the government, its crazy not to at least consider a green bathroom remodel.
Toilets, for instance, have come a long way, baby! Today you can’t even buy one that uses 3-plus gallons of water to flush. And, if you recall the buzz about the inefficiency of the newer “low flow” models of a couple of years ago, you’re operating on a false premise. A green bathroom remodel wouldn’t be complete without looking into a new toilet! New designs, larger discharge and smarter manufacturing provides toilets with operations that match their older counterparts flush by flush. In fact, you probably won’t even notice you’re doing your part for the planet when you flip the lever!
Your bathroom vanity countertop can also now be made to be both beautiful and Earth loving with the use of recycled materials. These include recycled glass, scrap aluminum, concrete and (if you can believe it) old recycled paper. Some very attractive countertops today are made by combining paper, fly ash-a by-product of coal combustion-and an eco-binder, such as epoxy. You may have even had a morning cup of coffee at a favorite bistro on a paper countertop and not know it! Some are made entirely of recycled glass, with a new unique look and are comparable in cost, strength, heat resistance and durability to granite.
The bathroom floor is getting some attention, too. Linoleum, invented in 1863 (think Civil War) now has some real competition. New types are so healthy for us and our environment that they cover the floors of many large Health Care facilities and hospitals. There are even floors made by using a pressed combination of burlap, canvas, linseed oil and flour! Almost makes me hungry. Laminate flooring can be manufactured to look like almost anything and tiles are made in a wild array of planet friendly styles and textures. Even the rugs have gone green!
What about the walls? Your green bathroom remodel could even mean painting the walls… er… green. How about soy based paint? Clay paint, which can look like adobe is a natural choice and one that will give the room a rustic or Tuscan feel. You can have your milk and paint it too… by using all natural organic milk paint. Not only do these paints look beautiful, but they last as long or longer than regular latexes. Also, new paints are coming on the scene all the time to not only make your home brilliant, but many are made to fight germs and reduce mold and mildew!
Low flow, water saving faucets and shower heads are designed now to feel just like the old kind, but use much less water. This is due to atomizers and pulsators that mix air and H2O and reduce the actual amount being delivered. This not only saves water, but the energy to heat the water as well. And, the new designs are very cool, with new materials and finishes to match anything!
So, before you start in on that bathroom remodel, think about making it a green bathroom remodel. Take a look around your bath and see what you can do to bring that room into the twenty first century! Then go spend some time in a big box retailer or plumbing or bath fixture store. See what they have to offer and how you can save some money and the planet while you’re there.…
The Importance of Bathroom Design
Families are spending more and more time in their bathrooms than ever before, thus, they desire their bathrooms to be functional as well as inviting. If you are ready for a new bathroom look, take some time to consider ideas for the bathroom design and investigate remodeling your bathroom to suit your needs and style.
Several questions need to be asked prior to the start of any design process. It is critical before you decide to renovate to make sure that there are no underlying problems with the core of your home. Sound plumbing, heating and electrical service should be inspected before demolition begins. When talking to a designer, consider a few things: Do you need more storage? Are the fixtures out-dated? Do the vanity and faucets need replaced? Are you able to work around the existing fixtures such as the tub and/or sink? Do you want a separate tub and shower compartments? It is an important factor also to determined the style of bathrooms choices, you can choose from modern, traditional, contemporary or transitional type of bathrooms.
Once these questions are answered, sit down and work within a realistic budget. Determine how much you are able to afford. The focus on your bathroom improvements will also depend on the type of bathroom. If your remodel is for a guest bathroom, it should be useful, inviting, and even impressive for your guests. A children’s bathroom should be bright, colorful and even fun. A master bedroom bathroom can have a resort style, relaxing, or perhaps a sexy feel.
Making the correct lighting choices, such as decorative or accent lighting add elegance to a bathroom, or adding softer dimmable lighting can give you more of a cozy feeling. Another focal point in any bathroom is the vanity mirror, giving the area a bigger feel and a chance to show off your individual style with a decorative frame or a uniquely-shaped mirror. Incorporate your family’s own taste and fashion with accessories to complete you bathroom remodel. Tile designs, the color of the walls, and open shelves for display items add character to every bathroom as well.
Bathroom design should be attractive and just as comfortable as any other room in your home. Remodeling is also an ideal time to make your house healthier for you, the community, and the environment through the use of environmentally-friendly products and recycling or reusing existing materials.…
Why Bathroom Remodeling Pays
Bathroom remodeling is one of the most popular home improvement projects undertaken by homeowners throughout the U.S. By working with an experienced bathroom remodeling contractor, you can plan for a bathroom remodel that will increase the value of your home, reduce your energy costs and save water. Using environmentally friendly materials can also help to save the environment. This is why bathroom remodeling pays.
Updating and upgrading your bathroom, especially a master bathroom, increases your comfort as you live in the home. It also increases the value of your home by 61 – 74% of the cost of the remodel. Although you will not get this money back immediately, you can expect to recover this much of your cost when you sell your home. That, by any standards, is a good return on investment.
Careful planning with a qualified bathroom remodeling contractor will give you the opportunity to choose construction materials that are environmentally friendly in terms of how they are made and in terms of saving natural resources by reducing usage. Consider, if you will, that by choosing a low-flow or dual flush toilet you can save as much as four gallons of water with every flush (depending on the fixture you are replacing). Considering that each person flushes an average of nine times per day (minimum), a family of four would save 180 gallons of water every day. And low flow faucets and showerheads also save significant amounts of water.
Now let’s assume that your home is all electric. By upgrading the insulation in your bathroom, changing your window to a triple-paned vinyl framed window with Xenon gas between the panes, you will reduce your energy usage for heating and cooling by one-third in the bathroom. Then install an energy-efficient ventilation fan, an energy-efficient spa tub or shower, and energy-efficient lighting fixtures, and you can reduce your demand for electricity even more. If the bathroom you are remodeling is heavily used, your energy savings increases.
Next think carefully about the materials you will use for your remodel. Your contractor will be able to help you decide which materials are best for your needs and your location. Some of the materials you might want to consider are: environmentally friendly drywall, recycled glass tile, cork floor tiles (for comfort and beauty), natural paints, and engineered wood.
And you can consider other options for your bathroom that will improve energy efficiency, such as: an instant water heater for sinks, a whirlpool tub with an in-line water heater, radiant floor heating, insulate walls behind shower and tub, UV blocking window coating, a skylight or roof window (or tunnel/tube light) to bring in more natural light or motion activated light switches.
These are just a few of the materials, additional features, and considerations for you to discuss with your contractor. This should be enough information to help you understand why bathroom remodeling pays. In fact, by carefully considering your options, the materials you will use in your remodel and special features, you can expect to recover the cost of your remodel within a couple of years by combining the increased value of your home, your energy savings and your reduced water and sewer expenses. There’s no question that bathroom remodeling pays big.
Consider bathroom remodeling in your home. Work closely with your contractor in making choices and planning your remodel. You might be surprised to see just how much difference it will make!
Copyright 2009 by ABCD Publishing…