5 Tips to Choose Your Remodeler

As you are planning out your dream kitchen or remodeled bathroom, be prepared to find a contractor. It is important to be ready when deciding to use a professional remodeler. Below are five steps to ensure that you find the best person for the job. Be sure to do your homework and research all of your options before making your final choice.

1. Collect names of remodeling companies in your area
The National Association of Home Builders' Directory of Professional Remodelers* is a good place to begin your search. The directory will have a list of remodelers for you to contact. Also network between your friends and family. They can share their experiences with you.

2. Discuss your project with several remodelers
After you have narrowed your search to a few names contact the remodelers and discuss your project. Describe your vision of the remodel and ask for estimated quotes of prices.

3. Important questions to ask include:
Does the remodeler have a license, if required in your state? Do they have general liability insurance in case of an accident on the job? Do they guarantee their work? How do they handle any problems that may arise on the project?

Having these answers before the start of the project will prevent future issues and help you to select the best professional remodeler for the job.
4. Check the references and background of the remodeler
After you have found remodelers with the experience to match the criteria of your home's needs, the next step is to perform background research. Ask the contractor for a list of references to contact. Also check with the Better Business Bureau and ask if the remodeler is a trade association member.

5. Don’t fall for the lowest bidder
Many people may be lured by the lowest price to their remodeling project, thinking that they have found a great deal. But beware of these alluring low prices. Many times extreme low prices are equivalent to the contractor cutting corners. In the end it will cost you more to make repairs. Unfortunately, the lowest price may not be the best value for your home.

*www.nahb.org/remodel

Remodeling Showroom on Wheels

A Florida remodeling company began something new in February of this year: The Showroom Express. The Showroom Express is a building and remodeling store on wheels and is meant to make remodeling easy for everyone, specifically the busy and the elderly.

The Showroom Express is a 32-foot-long truck that rolls through neighborhoods with samples of tile, carpet, plumbing fixtures, wood and laminate flooring, moldings, paint colors and many other materials. The company was created by a general contractor and president of the National Home Building and Remodeling Corporation, Gary Slossberg.

Customers have reported positive reviews of the company, the ease and the materials available.

Green Remodeling

If you have decided to remodel your home you may be looking at large projects in your future. While in the midst of your project remind yourself that much of what you replace will be regained when you sell your home. Although it is important to remodel to your own tastes.

Green updates to a home are beneficial for you and future owners of the home. Remodels such as these will make give your home a competitive edge in the market.

Solar water heating and power systems are more costly upfront, but prove to be an economic investment through time. More simple examples include energy efficient fluorescent light bulbs. Other 'green' remodels include additional insulation and double paned windows. Both will hold in heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer.

You can also consider upgrading your floors. Currently, there are many options for bamboo and laminate flooring.

Four Innovative Design Styles

As home owners are planning their home renovations, they should consider the current trends. Below are four of the more popular trends for 2011 in home decorating.

Bold Color:
Color can make a more traditional piece look fresh and new. The new American way uses dynamic color paired with sensibility. Together, it will bring a mixture of elegance and vibrance to a room.

Gathering Place:
Many families tend to gather in the kitchen of a home. This being said, the newest trends for kitchens, involve creating a cozy family space. It is a cross between a coffee house and a cocktail lounge. It is comfortable and versatile, informal for family dinners but chic enough for a dinner party.

Soft Modern:
Industrial and severe is out and the softer side is in. The newest trends include clean lines and geometric shapes. It involves organic materials and handcrafted details. Soft modern brings in trends from the kitchen as a gathering place and is considered warm and tactile.

Mixed Design Styles:
The final trend includes a mix of design styles. A coherent assemblage of different styles from different periods of time. It has an air of improvisation, such as blending coastal, modern and antique.

5 Remodeling Myths Revealed

Many home owners find themselves in need of renovating parts of their homes. Whether it be dated cabinets or mismatched hardware, updating a home can almost always encourage a larger resale value. Unfortunately, there are some myths surrounding home renovation that owners should be aware of before entering into a project.

Myth: Any remodel is a good one
Fact: Most home owners think that any remodeling project for a home is a good one yet this may not necessarily be true.

Not every home remodeling project is beneficial. It is important for home owners to research how the renovation will effect their home and weigh their options before entering into an expensive and timely project.

Myth: Interior improvements are better than exterior ones
Fact: Just because we spend most of our quality time indoors does not mean that the outside should be ignored. Both the interior and exterior are equally important.

Myth: Always follow the latest design trends
Fact: Many house owners think it’s a good idea to always fit in with the latest design trends. Home owners should try to think more carefully about how the remodel fairs in the future.

Flat roofs are among today’s common roof design trends but the engineer says that although this is fashionable, flat roofs may not be fashionable in ten years. Also, flat roofs do not fair well and are not safe for areas with large amounts of rain.

Myth: Cracks in walls indicate big problems
Fact: Most cracks are a result of expansion and contraction and are a sign of structural failure, especially if a proper dump proof course was not used while constructing the foundation of the structure. The expansion and contraction is natural for many houses and in most cases once the crack is fixed the problem is solved. However, if the crack continues to expand there could be a structural or foundation problem.

Myth: Retail hardware shops are cheap and better places to buy home improvement materials
Fact: When it comes to buying small hardware like bolts and locks, retail hardware shops offer a wide selection to choose from.

However, when it comes to large scale home remodeling projects, retail hardware shops may not be the best place. Home owners should consider consulting a construction professional as well. Some materials found in most retail hardware shops are substandard; only a construction engineer or material testing laboratories can rule out counterfeit products.

Bathtub Reglazing

When home owners are looking to spruce up dated bathroom tile, reglazing the tub and shower is an option. For many bathrooms, to 'gut' and refurbish the room would be upwards of several thousand dollars. Reglazing the tile in the bathroom will pull it into this decade without breaking the bank.

Typically, reglazing will cost approximately $1,000, but has the ability to transform the old into something new. Reglazing a bathroom should be performed by a professional. The process uses many chemicals that are too toxic for an amateur to handle safely.

The reglazing process should take a professional roughly about 10 days. The video below shows the drastic change that reglazing can offer.

Renovate Your Kitchen Cabinets for Less

When considering renovating the cabinets in their kitchens, many home owners are presented with two options.
Option A: Tear down all cabinets and replace them with new ones
Option B: Strip the paint from the original cabinets and repaint them with either matching color or wood stain
While option A may sound great, it is the more expensive of the two. When this is out of a homeowner's budget, they should look towards option B. Option B allows for older cabinets to be freshened up with a new coat of paint and can bring new life to your kitchen. Although it is the less expensive of the two choices, it is also the more time consuming.

If your cabinets are made of wood and you enjoy the craftsmanship then perhaps a new coat of wood stain would be better. Either way all cabinets will need to be sanded down to remove previous paint or stain and to allow the wood to be porous to new color. Below are a few tips to choosing option B.

Cabinet Painting Tips:
1. Take all doors off of the cabinets and remove all of the hardware
2. Clean everything with a household cleaner, for paint to apply well all dirt needs to be removed
3. Sand down all surfaces where paint will be applied
4. If painting the cabinets a color, prime every surface. If you are applying it to wood, use an oil based primer.
5. Paint away! Depending on the wood's original coloring and the color of paint or wood stain you use, the cabinets will need between 1 and 3 coats of paint.
6. Wait till all paint is dried to hang the doors again. This can take up to four days.