MANGAMOFO - Part 2

Kitchen Renovation: One of the Best Ways to Add Value

August 25, 2021 Comments Off

What type of remodeling is the best bet when it comes to adding value to your home?
A kitchen renovation is one of the best ways to add value to your home (a bathroom renovation is another potentially good home remodeling investment.) In addition, a renewed kitchen also gives you something you can enjoy while you continue to live in your home.
So, what should you keep in mind when planning your kitchen renovation? Houston homes with custom kitchens sell more than homes without — and there are some specific keys to keep in mind:
1.) Your kitchen renovation should be as functional as it is beautiful. Keep this in mind when it comes to the flow of your kitchen. Where will the work space be? Will the dishwasher be close to the sink?
2.) Lighting & fixtures can go along way in making a statement — sometimes it’s the small things that make the difference.
3.) Appliances are important — especially if you are selling your home soon. In this market — nice appliances can make the difference. Nice means both appearance (stainless perhaps,) and also brand & functionality.
4.) Storage is important — this is one of the top requests when it comes to a new kitchen. Additional storage space can often be added during a remodel. When renovating, think about way to add rather than decrease storage.
The best thing about a kitchen renovation in Houston, is the joy it will bring you for years to come as you remain in your home.…

5 Things to Consider When Renovating a Bathroom

August 22, 2021 Comments Off

New furniture and a fresh coat of paint is all it takes to give many rooms in the house a totally new look. Yet, bathrooms are usually a completely different story. If you have plans to renovate a bathroom at home, read through this article to learn about some of the important factors of a bathroom remodel.
1. How Far do You Want to Go?: When you decide to renovate a bathroom, you will be faced with an array of choices. One of the first and most important things to consider when deciding to renovate a bathroom is how big of a change you want to make. Do you wish to scrap the entire space and start from the beginning? Possibly you love the look of the bathroom, but just want a new bath or shower system. Or you could simply want to freshen things up with a new colour of paint and updated fixtures. Whichever route you choose to take, until you know how far you want to take this renovation, you cannot move ahead with your plans.
2. Contracting the Job to a Professional: Once you know how big the renovation project is going to be, you will have to decide whether you will be taking on this project yourself or hiring a professional bathroom remodelling company. For simple things like changing hardware and re-painting, you can most likely do that yourself. However, if you are starting from scratch and install all new flooring and a new bath and shower system, you will want to hire a professional. Professionals will be able to deal with any plumbing or electrical issues that could arise in a renovation.
3. Function of the Space: Now that you know how big of a renovation you want and whether or not you are hiring a team of professionals, it is time to think about the overall function of your soon-to-be new bathroom. Now there are obvious uses that don’t need to be mentioned, but aside from those, what else do you want this space to offer? Will this be a smaller powder room for guests? Is this a larger, common bathroom that the whole family uses, therefore it needs to be more durable? Or perhaps it is your private ensuite that you wish to turn into your own personal spa-like space. Knowing what you want from your new bathroom will help you know which direction to go in terms of budget, layout and design.
4. Budgeting for Your Project: With the technical aspects out of the way, you can start to organize your budget for the renovation. If you are hiring a professional contractor and doing a full renovation, your budget will obviously be much higher. You should also be setting aside an emergency fund in the case that something should happen during the process if this is what you are planning to do. You are dealing with much more in a bathroom renovation as opposed to a bedroom or living room because plumbing gets thrown into the mix.
5. Budget Your Time: One more important thing to do when planning a bathroom renovation is to set a timeframe for the actual process. Whether it will be a long or short process, be sure to allow for some flexibility. By allowing for flexibility, you will be prepared in case there is unexpected structural or plumbing problems, delivery or manufacturing delays or other outside issues.…

How to Choose a Bathroom Remodeler

August 17, 2021 Comments Off

Your bathroom is perhaps the most important room of your house. But most of the time it is neglected. While you decorate your bedroom and dining space, it’s sometimes essential to remodel the bathroom too. This not only adds beauty and enjoyment to your home, but also increases the value of your home if you wish to sell it in future.
However, remodeling your bathroom is not an easy task and can be costly too. You need to consider the flooring, paint, and other essentials like the sink, mirrors, showers, bath tubs and other accessories. If you’re not careful, you could easily end up with a bathroom that’s anything but what you had wanted it to be. So, it is of extreme importance to have a good plan in place before you begin.
Hiring a reputed bathroom remodeler makes a lot of sense in this regard. Not only do you ensure a cleaner and better installation that way, but also good quality accessories and a higher level of satisfaction. Here are the facilities a good company will provide you for bathroom remodeling:
* Easy and quick installation of the Sinks and Mirrors: Perhaps you have already purchased sinks and mirrors by your own. Many companies in the market will refuse to take your project because you haven’t bought the materials from their catalogs. However that should never be a problem with reputed and honest remodeling companies. No matter where you buy the products from, they will make sure that they are installed quickly and easily in the right way.
* Constructing the floors and walls: Regular use will change the surfaces of the tiles and ceramic over time, necessitating their replacement. An experienced service provider will give you an accurate estimate on the time required to finish your project. A bathroom is an absolute necessity in the house and a competent remodeling company will make sure that you are ready to use it again as soon as possible.
* Installing the perfect showers and bath tub: In some cases, the existing bath tub is measured and a new one is fitted over it, for a very quick remodeling. In other cases, the old bath tub is professionally cleaned to make it look like new again. Make sure that your appointed remodeler is taking care of all the scratches, chips, and water stains on the bath tub and the shower area. They will also use non-harmful and non-staining chemicals that both clean and disinfect.…

A Look at the Filter Water Dispenser

August 14, 2021 Comments Off

A Look at the Filter Water Dispenser

If you knew what was in the water that is coming out of your tap, you would probably never drink it again. Have you ever noticed that it has a funny taste or thought that it smelled slightly odd? There have been discovered over two thousand toxins in our drinking supply, and if this is not bad enough, the municipal companies that are working to make it pure for drinking are adding more chemicals into it. Every household should own and have invested in a good filter water dispenser.

If you take the matter of your health seriously, then you will be careful what you put into your body. And one of the most important substances that are necessary for human life is water. We would die without it in a very short time; it is essential for life. And our bodies are made up mostly of it. For this reason, it is likely one of the most important substances we will ever take in. We should make sure that we are drinking it in its purest more natural form.

Unfortunately, many on this planet have abused our water system. Tons of harmful chemicals and other substances are dumped into it daily, and we are essentially poisoning ourselves. Not only bacteria and viruses are found in our water, but hundreds of chemicals, grease, oil, heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, and medicines, all things that are very harmful to our bodies.

And while the municipal companies work their best to purify our drinking supply, they often to not have the means to do it properly, and are using chemicals which have been linked to a number of serious illnesses and diseases, as well as some cancers.

If we do not want to be exposed to these types of things, we will have to take the matter into our own hands. There are a number of good filtration and purification systems that can properly decontaminate water and make it safe, pure, clean, and fresh so that we can enjoy it without worrying about what we are putting into our bodies.

Filter dispensers are great for storing filtered water until it is ready to be consumed. These are convenient, easy to install, and fairly inexpensive. All you have to do is purchase it and install it, and can essentially forget that it even exists while enjoying all the benefits that it provides. Every household and business should own one.…

Many Bathroom Remodeling Ideas Do Not Have to Be Expensive

August 10, 2021 Comments Off

Outside of the kitchen, the bathroom is the biggest selling point in a home. Why? Because when a prospective home buyer sees a bathroom that is in disrepair all they see is the money that they would have to spend to fix it up.
While there are plenty of do it yourself projects that you can do for yourself, when a prospective homeowner sees a home that they have to work on, they are deducting the amount of money that they are willing to pay for your home. You can get more value for you home if you just implement a couple of bathroom remodeling ideas
Some bathroom remodeling ideas like replacing an entire bathtub might require that you bring in a contractor to help you out. That is a project that most unskilled do it yourself homeowners cannot tackle. However some bathroom remodeling ideas such as replacing the tile in your bathroom is a do it yourself project that you can fully do yourself.
Replacing bathroom tile is going to require a lot of hard work. What you do not often see on DIY programs is the hours that the people spend ripping tile out of their bathrooms before they start installing new tile.
However, compared to the cost of paying a contractor to do it for you, a bit of elbow grease is well worth the money that you save.
While you are putting tile on the walls and flooring, you may want to go ahead and take on some inexpensive projects as well like purchasing fabric shower curtains or replacing the lighting. You can also find expensive wall cabinets and molding for the mirrors to give them a finished framed look.
Some bathroom remodeling ideas require some more work than others but that does not mean that they are not good ideas or impossible to do. Some small design changes could be getting new faucets, bathroom liners or extra long shower curtains to change the look of the bathroom.
By purchasing small designer items, you can make a bathroom look more expensive that it really is, which will help increase the value of your home.…

Questions to Help Hire the Right Bathroom Remodeler

August 7, 2021 Comments Off

The bathroom has finally grated on your last nerve. The 80’s brown and orange has got to go. If you have reached a similar point, it can be very intimidating to decide on a bathroom remodel contractor. The last thing you want to do is discover that you have hired a sub-par professional. Not hiring a quality contractor can lead to the job costing more than estimated, missed job completion deadlines and much frustration.
To avoid this, be sure to interview several contractors. This will allow you to get a good feel for what is standard in the industry in your area and to become comfortable with the person you decide to hire.
Here are several questions you might want to ask during the interview process.
1) “How long have you been remodeling bathrooms?” This question is similar to “How long have you been in business?” but gets at the heart of the experience a particular contractor might have. He or she may have recently started a new business but has years of experience in the industry. Just because the business is new does not indicate that the job will be done poorly. However, it is probably best to ask both questions and steer clear of new businesses if you can. They may be good at the work but business issues can distract and cause delays.
2) “Are you insured?” This is a big one. If something goes wrong with your job you want to be sure that you can recoup losses and you are protected.
3) “Do you pull the appropriate permits and is this cost covered in the estimate?” You want to make absolutely sure you have proper permitting for your job. Not having permits can cause you to run afoul of government agencies and cause headaches. Making sure the costs are in the bid ensures you don’t receive add on “surprises” at job completion.
4) “Do you provide references?” This is a great way to help select an bathroom remodel contractor. By talking to previous customers, you can get a feel for the kind of work the contractor does and how he or she conducts himself during the job. You can find out if the workers were rude, cleaned up the job site poorly, played loud music, etc. These might not impact the quality of the job but they can be very frustrating and are good to know up front. Ask for several references from recent jobs.
These are just a few questions to ask. In the end, however, listen to your intuition and make sure you are 100% comfortable with the company you hire. Ask lots of questions and wait a day or two before signing a contract to give you time to reflect.
If you follow these guidelines you will much more likely to hire the right contractor for your bathroom remodel. Happy remodeling!…

Residential Plumbing – Don’t Forget the Plunger!

August 3, 2021 Comments Off

While a toilet plunger may not be the sexiest of purchases, there are only a few things more frustrating than a clogged toilet with no plunger on hand. So, go out and buy that plunger. And, when you do, keep the following in mind:
1. Plunger type. While the plunger is one of the most familiar plumbing tools, not all are the same. What most people don’t know is that there are actually two standard types – the “cup plunger” and the “flange plunger.” The more familiar “cup plunger” (commonly referred to as the “sink plunger”) consists of a rubber cup with a flat rim attached to a plastic, metal or wooden handle, and is designed to create a seal against flat surfaces, making it best suited for unclogging sinks, showers, bathtubs, floor drains. While this type of plunger is sometimes used on toilet clots, what every plumber knows (and you should too) is that there is a specific type of plunger that is more effective for toilets.
Given a toilet bowl’s shape, toilets are better served with a bowl shaped plunger, with an additional protruding ring or “flange,” known as the “flange plunger,” or “toilet plunger.” This type of plunger is specifically designed to seal the hole at the bottom of the toilet bowl and to snake down into the actual toilet drain, allowing for greater pressure to be applied to the clogged pipe. In the event that your toilet is of the low flow variety, you should also be aware that some toilet plungers are designed specifically for use with these types of toilets and feature a long, funneled nose allowing for a tighter seal and prevention of backsplash. Note: Toilet plungers are found wherever sink plungers are sold.
2. Size. In addition to the type of plunger (a “cup” versus a “sink”), one other item to consider is the plunger size, both the size of the rubber cup and the handle. In general, the longer the handle and the larger the cup, the more “powerful” the plunge. In addition, a longer handles ensures a farther distance between your hands and the dirty water.
3. Storage. While many people simply keep their toilet plunger on the bathroom floor next to the toilet, a plunger is not the most pleasant item to look at. More importantly, these bacteria-ridden tools are unsanitary and can lead to disease and illness in both people and animals. Thus, it is important to always store it safely, and when purchasing it, you should also purchase something to keep it in. Whether it be a bucket, a custom plunger holder, a plastic sack or even a flower pot, it is important that the plunger be stored properly. For total storage and concealment, on the market today there are also sanitary storage cabinets and other devices which are discrete and allow you to hide it safely inside the bathroom wall.
So, go out and buy that plunger, otherwise known as the “plumber’s friend,” and a nice container to keep it in. And, then learn how to use it! With a plunger on hand, a clogged toilet can be cleared in a few simple steps – no licensed plumber required.…