Archive for the ‘Home Improvements’ category

Has Time been Cruel to Your Basement?

February 20th, 2012

When you decide to make improvements to your home, odds are you are doing so for one of a few different reasons. Some people want to fix up the home in order to make it more attractive to buyers. Others want to make home improvements to make the home more functional, and still others make the improvements because of the damaging effects that certain problems can have on the condition of the space. The basement is a major target area for many homeowners. It has been estimated that up to 60% of homes in the United States experience water in the basement of their home. Water is destructive and could even harm your health if mold takes advantage of the plentiful water source in your basement.

Developing Problems Over the Years

Many homes develop water problems in their basements over the years. Originally the home may not have had any issues in this area, but time is cruel to the foundation of your home. What may be a small crack that doesn’t extend through the foundation can develop into a significant leak if given time. Rain water gets into these cracks and washes away layer after layer of concrete until suddenly water is seeping into the home. For other homes, simply being built in a low lying part of town is enough to give them 2 feet of water in their basement. Luckily, you can divert this water with the proper tools. » Read more: Has Time been Cruel to Your Basement?

New Year, New Home!

January 25th, 2012

The beginning of a new year is usually taken a symbol of new beginnings, and maybe 2012 can be a year of new beginnings for your home. We all have our to- do lists and if you haven’t done much to make that list shrink odds are it is just getting bigger. These problems are not going to solve themselves, and we need to be honest when it comes to our limits as amateur handymen and women. Take a moment to assess your list or sit down and compile one if you haven’t done so already. Don’t just look at what you think you can handle, consider everything that goes into a job before you ever take it on. Over reaching could increase the cost of the repair and hiring a handyman pro may be a better option.

Consider This Before Tackling a Repair:

  • Time: Many of the jobs on your list will take more than a day to complete, especially if you have no experience with the repair. Many of us only have a couple days on the weekends to work with when it comes to finding time for these repairs, and if you don’t have the time, you need to accept that you are never going to get these jobs done on your own. The pros will be able to check many of those repairs off your list in one day!
  • Tools: Another aspect of performing repairs in the home is the supplies that are needed to complete the job. Many of us don’t have power tools, painting supplies, and other basic tools of the trade, and renting or buying them could make doing the repair on your own pointless. Consider all of your costs before taking on a job by yourself. » Read more: New Year, New Home!

Icicles Causing Power Outages

January 18th, 2012

If your neighborhood is prone to power outages, you may already know that wet, heavy snow and icicles can cause power outages during the winter months. Every neighborhood that experiences large amounts of snow fall or freezing temperatures is susceptible to these types of power outages. If you have ever had a power outage in the middle of the winter, you already know how terribly inconvenient they can be. They not only cut out the lights, but they also cut out the furnace and the sump pump. Depending on the extent of the outage, it may take days to return power to the home, and unless you want to cough up the money for a hotel or spend that time in an emergency warming shelter, we suggest seeking out alternatives.

An Alternative Power Source

An alternative to no power would be to have an automatic generator installed in your home. It would automatically kick on in the event that your home is cut off from the electrical grid. Through the use of natural gas, the system will create electricity for the various parts of the home that are hooked up to the generator. When this system is installed there are no extension cords to hook up or tanks of fuel to fill. Everything kicks on automatically and is hard wired into the home. » Read more: Icicles Causing Power Outages

Redesigning Your Dining Room for the Holidays

December 21st, 2011

Odds are this holiday season is going to greatly increase the use of your home’s formal dining room. That room that only sees action at one time during the year is going to need to look its best and if you live in an older home, that old dining room is probably in a less than presentable state. Let’s drag that room into the 21st century with a few updates that will truly impress your guests. From minor changes to bigger remodeling projects, you can make a variety of changes to the space that will not only make it more beautiful but also more functional for the future.

Updating Your Dining Room

  • Modernized Fixtures: Outdated light fixtures are the number one giveaway in an outdated dining room. This is can be a very simple upgrade if you know what you are doing. This is one of those upgrades that will require extra care. The last thing you want is for that fixture to come tumbling down in the middle of your turkey dinner.
  • Wood Flooring: Changing the flooring in your dining room may seem intimidating, but pull up that raggedy carpet and you may be surprised by what you find. We have seen homes with beautiful hardwood floors hidden beneath hideous carpets. If you aren’t lucky enough to have hardwood floors beneath your carpet, you can install laminate floors in a weekend with a little elbow grease and a good set of instructions. » Read more: Redesigning Your Dining Room for the Holidays

Mounting Your New Flat Screen: Safety Concerns

December 14th, 2011

The hottest Christmas gift the past few years has been the flat screen TV. If you have not yet upgraded, you and your family are in the minority because these high tech televisions are not going away any time soon. If anything, they are just going to keep getting bigger and more popular. Whether you get one as a present or you invest in the upgrade on your own, our biggest concern when it comes to that television is safety. If you have small children in the home, the flat screen is a bigger hazard than you may have initially thought.

The Safety of Small Children

Flat screen televisions are very insecurely balanced upon their stands. One tip forwards or backwards could send that TV falling off an entertainment center and onto whomever may lie below. Small children love to climb on furniture and one moment of distraction could lead to a disaster in your home should your child decide to use the television for support. This is an accident that has been growing in frequency over the past few years, and falling televisions have cause very serious injuries and even death. » Read more: Mounting Your New Flat Screen: Safety Concerns

Cleaning and Organizing Your Garage

December 7th, 2011

As the temperatures continue to drop, it is only a matter of time before the snow begins to fall. Those of us that have been using the garage as a dumping ground are going to find it very difficult to fit the car in with all of the other items in the way. Leaving the car out in the snow is not an option unless you want to dig your car out every morning before work. The only real solution is to get that garage cleaned and organized, and why not make improvements that will allow you to keep it that way for good?

3 Steps to Organization:

  • Sorting: The first step towards creating a cleaner garage is to look through and organize the things that are currently occupying this space. Assess which items you want to keep and which can be thrown out or donated. You will be surprised how many things you are holding onto that you haven’t used in years! Create two distinct piles: what you want to keep and what you want to go. Once you know what you are going to need to store, you are one step closer to a clean and organized garage.
  • Permanent Storage: There are two ways to tackle garage storage. You can either do it yourself or enlist the help of a professional. Slapping together wire shelves that can be purchased at nearly any hardware store is easy enough for most people to handle on their own. All you need are some plastic storage containers to place on the wire shelves and you are set to store the items you want to keep. For a more polished and professional look, you may want to consult a contractor. Professionally installed cabinetry, wall hangers, and work stations can truly transform your garage. These jobs are more complex, and if you are going to be hanging or storing heavy objects, you are going to want to make sure that these storage solutions are installed correctly! » Read more: Cleaning and Organizing Your Garage

Wood Floors and Moisture Don’t Mix!

November 23rd, 2011

Many homeowners that are looking to add value and beauty to their home add wood floors to one or several rooms. This is a wise investment for many and could end up increasing the selling price of the home down the line. However, if you don’t keep these floors in good shape, it could have an opposite effect. Repairing wood floors is much more costly that simply protecting them from damage in the first place. Moisture and lack of moisture are a couple of your wood floors biggest enemies and unless you can maintain proper moisture levels in the home, you may find yourself spending more than you wanted just to maintain or repair this large investment.

Moisture Levels and the Changing Seasons:

  • Summer’s Moisture: The summer months in most areas of the states are plagued by extremely high humidity. This is the kind of moisture that can creep in between your floor boards and cause warping, discoloration, and rot. A fully functional central air conditioning system can remove this humidity from the home if used on a regular basis during the summer. You could also consider a whole house ventilation system coupled with a dehumidifier if you do not want to invest in central air conditioning. Either way you will be able to bring the humidity level down to a tolerable and safe level. » Read more: Wood Floors and Moisture Don’t Mix!

Garden Windows, Green Thumbs, and Brighter Homes

November 14th, 2011

For those of us that love to garden, Chicago’s weather isn’t exactly cooperative with this hobby. We may try to squeeze a few extra months in every year, but the first frost usually sneaks in and destroys our plants before we have any say in the matter. Some homeowners will move their hobby indoors and attempt to coax the sunlight in to keep their indoor gardens alive. However, older homes don’t have a lot of areas where the sunlight pours in, but you can change all that with one simple window replacement. Consider replacing an existing window with a garden window, and you can enjoy an indoor garden all year round!

Benefits of Installing a Garden Window

Garden windows are three dimensional structures that extend out from the home. They can fit in nearly any window opening and the larger the opening the better. Many come with shelving units that can hold the various plants you wish to grow indoors. Those of us that like to cook with fresh herbs can grow our very own herbal garden right in the kitchen and harvest our herbs as needed. Some homeowners will use the space to grow bright colorful flowers that bring spring-like beauty to the darkness of winter. Even those that aren’t big gardeners find uses for these windows. They are specially designed to bring more light into the home, and they could be just what your home needs to update the indoors. » Read more: Garden Windows, Green Thumbs, and Brighter Homes

An Impressive First Impression

November 9th, 2011

When it comes time to sell your home, they say that the kitchen, the bathrooms, and the home’s exterior are what sell the place. The kitchen and the bathroom are important for obvious reasons, but the appeal of the exterior may not be so obvious because it doesn’t have much of a function. However, your home’s exterior and landscape provides the first impression for your home. It is the first thing that family and visitors will see, and from a buyer’s perspective, this aspect of the home needs to be impressive. Beef up your home’s exterior with a few small improvements, and it could make a huge difference when you decide to put your home on the market.

Curb Appeal Improvements

  • Window Replacement: Rotting or warped wood framed windows have to go! You will be hard pressed to sell the home with them in that condition anyways, so opt for an affordable and energy efficient alternative. Choose new vinyl windows that complement your home’s design.
  • Entryway Remodel: The front door creates a first impression on its own, so if should be a beautiful focal point not a distraction. Consider having elegant double doors installed or simply upgrade the door to a higher quality energy efficient entrance that looks clean and pulled together. » Read more: An Impressive First Impression

Do It Yourself or Call a Pro

October 17th, 2011

“Do it yourselfers” have the best intentions at heart. They want to be hands on when it comes to taking care of their home and they want to save a few bucks along the way. For some projects, a homeowner truly can save some money by manning the work on their own, but for others, attempting them without professional experience could be disastrous. Knowing when the home repair is out of your league may be hard for some, but not assessing this possibility could cost you more than a little extra cash when you have to call in a professional.

Electrocutions and Floods

My father was one of those “do it yourselfers” that didn’t know the limits of his abilities. Many times, he would attempt a project with little more knowledge than that which he gained from a book. Sometimes he got lucky, but once he started messing with the electricity and the plumbing, things got ugly. It wasn’t until he electrocuted himself a few times and flooded the upstairs bathroom that he called a professional. I’m sure many of you are reading this thinking that you or someone else in your home fits this description of a determined “do it yourselfer,” but I am here to encourage you to take a step back and assess your limitations. » Read more: Do It Yourself or Call a Pro

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