Featured Home Improvement

Outdoor Kitchens & Gas Grills

Outdoor kitchens and gas grills have become very popular within the past few years and many people barbeque all year long. Homeowners want more than just a 2 burner gas or charcoal grill today, they want multiple burners, side burners, rotisseries, smokers, infrared burners, and searing burners. Homeowners will spend more money on an outdoor gas grill or smoker than they do on the appliances in the main kitchen of their home. The criteria for kitchen design & planning for an outdoor kitchen is different than designing an indoor kitchen. There is usually more space to work with outdoors and less design restrictions in planning the kitchen and people can be more extravagant with the choices and purchases of appliances and building materials. If you are considering building an outdoor kitchen collect information on grills, appliances and kitchen photos from home centers, appliance stores and magazine pictures to get ideas of how to design your kitchen. Homeowners love showing off the new outdoor cooking area to friends and neighbors. The outdoor kitchen becomes the center of conversation when guests are being entertained and dining in your backyard..

As with any home improvement the first decision to make is what the cost will be for this project. Will your budget be only enough for a new deluxe gas grill or will it be for a complete outdoor kitchen with appliances and a roof overhead. In making your choices consider the following; how often will you use this area, will you cook outdoor all year long, do you want a serving area nearby for dining outside, does the cooking area need to be moveable or stationary and will this area require additional utilities for connecting electric or gas appliances and sinks. Design plenty of countertop space for food prep, cooking, blenders, mixing drinks, small appliances and serving areas. If you are planning for more than just a free standing grill, I would suggest purchasing a grill that runs on natural gas rather then bottled propane. A natural gas connection may restrict the movement of the cooking center but relieves the problem of running out of fuel as you are cooking or having extra tanks on hand to replace. The location should be near the house for ease of serving or preparing meals and carrying food and utensils from the main kitchen.

Placement for the kitchen can be on an existing patio, deck or build a new area just for the barbeque. Consider where the heat & smoke will go when designing the layout. Place the grill away from the house and windows to prevent damage to the house siding and to keep the smoke from entering the house. Plan on where the electric, gas, water or drains need to go and how will they tie in to the existing lines. For built in gas grills and appliances you will need cabinets or bases to mount these items in. Select building materials that will withstand outdoor weather and require little maintenance or replacement by using treated lumber, stainless steel, granite, ceramic tile or solid surface materials. Countertop material should be durable, weather resistant and preferably made of solid surface or granite. Also available are free standing ready made island units and base cabinets in stainless steel. These cooking islands can also incorporate additional worktops, dining tables or snack bar areas built in.

A freestanding outdoor kitchen can be designed with a roof over it or fit into a gazebo style structure to protect appliances and also protect you from inclement weather while you are cooking. Usually this type of enclosure or gazebo will be further away from the main kitchen and you should consider including other appliances like a refrigerator, dishwasher and additional storage cabinets for convenience. Design the roof area large enough so the overhang extends beyond the countertops, appliances and eating areas. The sidewalls can be left open with a railing around or a half wall where the actual cooking & work area will be to protect the appliances and sink area. Your new outdoor kitchen will become the center piece in the yard so coordinate it with the overall landscape theme.

Pictures of home projects and details for do it yourself home improvements can help guide you when doing it yourself. Understanding  the method of building or installation will make it easier for you to plan your project and customize it for your home.

From simple home repairs to complete additions or renovations, homeowners are taking on DIY tasks and researching how to information before they start. Home projects like; plumbing repairs, installing a sink & faucet, finishing a basement, replacing windows - doors, building decks, landscaping , gardening, painting and decorating.Homeowners are improving their quality of living with replacement products and upgrades to their home to make it more comfortable. 

Some of the most popular improvements to a house today are; kitchens, bathrooms, basements, additions, hardwood flooring, specialty paint finishes, faux, custom wood mouldings & trim, garage conversions, attic space, adding decks and screen rooms, and home theater rooms. Families are finding that in many cases they would rather invest in remodeling their home than moving. As the real estate market is in a slump home improvements are on the rise, but before you plan on doing major improvements you need to have an idea of the present value of your home and how much  the project you are planning to do will cost. Decide on a total budget cost and list your priorities of the improvements you are planning. Next evaluate these three factors- will the cost  this project still keep you house within a the selling market value?. Will this improvement provide a more comfortable living quarters for you and your family to enjoy? can you afford this home improvement?

Hardwood Floors, Colors, Designs & Patterns

Hardwood floors have become very popular in recent years and different from the past, hardwood flooring has become a customized design statement rather than just an alternative type of flooring for ease of care. Older wood floors were traditionally of red or white oak and commonly 3" strip material and usually ¾" thick boards. Patterns were usually found in more expensive homes only and for the most part strip flooring was installed parallel with the length of the room. The older installed wood floors were nailed in place on site as raw lumber then rough sanded and then finish sanded with a walk behind flooring machine and the stain applied followed by a varnish or polyurethane coating which required regular paste waxing and buffing to maintain the sheen. Today's wood floors are usually of a prefinished board ranging in thickness from 3/8" to ¾". Many more species of woods are readily available in wood flooring at affordable prices making them very popular in home remodeling and new construction.

Choosing the type and color of wood flooring for your project is only half of the decision, the other half is selecting the style of board, board width and the direction which to install the strips or planks. Darker colors give the room a formal appearance and will define the room size visually, while lighter colors will give the appearance that the room is larger and allow other items in the room to stand out. Wood flooring species include red oak, white oak, ash, birch, maple, pine, cherry, walnut, teak, rosewood and other exotic woods which are more expensive and harder to find. Keep in mind that woods as teak, cherry and rosewood naturally darken with age and will be more prominent in areas exposed to daylight. The most common hardwood or softwood board widths are 21/2" - 3" strips, 4" to 7" planks, or smaller parquet style squares. The different board widths and the direction in which they are installed can dramatically affect the total appearance of the room by either highlighting the floor pattern or keeping color and patterns subtle. Along with those choices you may want to add patterns inlaid of different wood species, colors or different material such as ceramic tile to accent an area or border.

Installing the wood flooring diagonally makes a statement that it was installed professionally rather than just running boards parallel with walls which is the least expensive method of installation. By adding borders or different inlaid patterns is a way to express your personal touch to the room's décor. Using different colors of prefinished wood is the easiest way to add accents and details and by using the same brand of products in different colors will assure that matching width and thickness will be the same and professional looking. For borders consider using the main color around the perimeter walls 12" - !8" wide parallel with wall and miter the corners at 45 degree angles. Next install accent color wood strips at your choice of width parallel with base color and miter the corners also, after the accent color install the base color wood diagonally within this outline area. There are endless designs for inlaying custom wood floor patterns and accents. If the new wood floor is replacing carpeting there will be a noticeable difference in the loudness of sounds and echoes in that room and surrounding areas. It is common to lay down an area rug on top of the hardwood floor as a way to absorb sound making the room warmer, quieter and give a comfortable feel to the décor.

Maintaining and care of a wood floor is relatively easy. Refrain from using paste waxes or spray wax as these will cause a build up and promote yellowing on the surface finish, along with making it harder for future restoration coats of finish to adhere and be applied. The best way to clean finished wood floors is simply using a soft cloth or mop dampened with a mild ammonia and water mixture. Every couple of years, depending on wear and use, lightly sand the floor surface and apply a fresh coat of floor finish to restore the original look.