On paper, investing in your home can sometimes make a lot of sense.

Minor kitchen remodeling jobs, for instance, have brought homeowners an average return of 82 percent since 2002, according to a recent report by Remodeling Magazine. Adding a deck/patio or converting the attic to an additional bedroom yielded a return of around 80 percent.

But dont forget a crucial variable: A successful remodel can hinge as much on strong relationships as savvy math or smart design. Poor communication with a contractor or spouse can lead to higher project costs and it might just ruin your marriage.

Your home is so personal, theres so much emotion tied to it, that its a mine field, said Stuart Klein, a licensed clinical professional counselor in Helena.

In a 2013 survey conducted by home improvement website Houzz.com, 12 percent of couples reported that their home remodels drove them to consider separation or divorce during the project. Almost half of respondents found the experience frustrating.

Klein has seen the fallout from home remodeling in his practice. He joked that the best way to get to know a partner might be to build a house with the person.

Youre seeing someone in a different role than youre accustomed to, he said. Bad things can happen.

Money is a common point of tension. Couples must negotiate how much to budget for a project, then manage any overruns that might arise during the work.

Differences in taste account for many tussles, and disputes with contractors can end up affecting a couples relationship. Do-it-yourself projects inevitably require teamwork during construction or installation.

These pressures can reveal aspects of your partner that you werent aware of, or the stress might lead you to take out frustrations on each other. You might think of it as weeks, or months, of shared decision-making and conflict resolution.

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Home improvement increases property value, but can be a strain on relationships

Weve been talking about air conditioning for so long that it seems as if weve covered every possible question four or five times. But at this time of year, it still remains the No. 1 most popular subject among Arizona residents who write to us or call our radio program.

To kick off the summer, here are some of the most popular AC questions, the ones that homeowners ask over and over again in one form or another about air conditioning along with some up-to-date answers:

Q: Why do I have to replace a perfectly good furnace when my air conditioner breaks down? Why cant I just replace one part or the other? Isnt it wasteful to throw out both parts of the HVAC system when I only need one new component?

A: The main reason for replacing the entire system is that the newest air conditioners and furnaces are much more energy efficient now than the ones installed in your house 10 to 15 years ago. So you want to install a new air handler/furnace that has the same capacity and efficiency as your new air conditioning compressor. Mixing the old technology with the new can decrease system performance and comfort. Replacing both at once may also cost slightly less than replacing one part of your system one year and another part the next. Actually, if your AC needs replacing now, the air handler/furnace is probably on the brink of extinction as well.

Q: My air conditioning does a great job in the living areas at one end of the house, but the bedrooms on the other side of the house are always hot. What can the problem be and what do I do about it?

A: Some homeowners in this situation have solved the problem by changing the type of registers they have on ceilings and walls the grilles that supply heated or cooled air to their rooms. Often, homes have stamped-faced air registers with fixed or semi-fixed grilles. These registers have smaller openings that cannot be adjusted to redirect or restrict the air flow. As a result, cooled air can back-flow, creating an imbalance in the system.

So install bar-faced grilles with larger openings and adjustable blade dampers, allowing more air to pass through and keeping rooms more comfortable. By changing the registers and adjusting the blades, you might solve your problem.

For optimum cooling, it would be ideal for every room to have a return-air register that will draw in the hot air that rises to the ceiling and move it back into the HVAC system. Maybe you can install extra return registers in bedrooms if they dont have them. Sometimes this can be difficult to do, but when done, it will cool warm rooms practically every time.

In addition, you might want to hire someone to do a whole house energy audit for your home. Besides testing the registers, the audit may uncover some structural defects in your air ducts or deficiencies in your exterior wall or attic insulation that are causing the problem. Some utilities in Arizona will subsidize the cost of the audit so that it can be done for under $100.

Q: Can installing radiant barrier insulation in my attic help keep my home cooler in summer?

Continued here:
Rosie on the House: Answering those too-hot-to-handle AC questions

Matawan, NJ (PRWEB) June 11, 2014

The renovation will affect all four levels of the home the basement, the first floor, the second floor, and the attic. All will be fully finished and each will include some amount of cabinetry from which the company can display the skills of Wellborn Cabinet, Inc.

The rooms which will be renovated are as follows: the kitchen, the laundry room, all the bathrooms, mudroom, the butlers pantry, the family room bar, and the media room. All spaces will be outfitted with Wellborn Cabinet, Inc. products, as Stone Creek Builders feels they go above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to cabinetry. Homeowners consistently choose the company for their sterling reputation and commitment to excellence.

The built in cabinetry in each of the rooms will work to increase the amount of storage space while maintaining the 'feel' of the room; no longer is storage allocated to large, bulky chest of drawers and crates. With the custom modifications made by Wellborn Cabinet, Inc., homeowners can seemingly pull storage spaces out of thin air. The built in cabinetry makes it easy to hide storage areas right under the noses of guests. Not only does this make the home feel cleaner and less cluttered, but it also offers safety that the homeowner might not get otherwise burglaries are less harmful when the thief can find nothing to steal.

No matter what room needs renovating, Stone Creek Builders can provide different choices to explore. Offering a wide range of options that include kitchen, butlers pantry, and bathroom renovations, customers have plenty to choose from. With options for custom built in cabinetry, it's easy to see why so many people choose this company their reputation for going above and beyond the call to ensure customer satisfaction makes them a clean and easy choice.

You might ask, why Wellborn? This is what the company has to say, Since 1961, the Wellborn family has owned and operated Wellborn Cabinet, Inc., located in Ashland, Alabama. Our goal is to provide you with kitchen and bath cabinets made with the utmost quality and care. We are dedicated to servicing Wellborn dealers with our pledge to shipping accuracy and short lead times. We strive for excellence in this crucial function of our business.

The entire Wellborn Family of employees takes great pride in producing quality cabinets. All of our kitchen and bath cabinets, including doors, draws and face frames are hand crafted right here in Alabama by dedicated Wellborn employees.

Wellborns facility controls quality from the timber that arrives at our sawmill to the finished cabinet. This ensures the kitchen and bath cabinets you receive will be of the highest quality.

In addition to our quality, Wellborn offers cabinets in a range of styles and pricing for every room of your home. They are American made and family owned.

To find out more about Wellborn Cabinets go to their website and see everything they have to offer. http://www.wellborn.com/.

More here:
Stone Creek Builders Features Wellborn Cabinet, Inc. in Whole House Renovation

Secaucus, NJ (PRWEB) June 02, 2014

Many factors can lead to the need for attic insulation removal. Wet, moldy, dusty, feces- and chemical-laden insulation can be hazardous to the health of the family. Cellulose insulation in particular needs to be removed by a professional because cellulose absorbs moisture when the humidity is high; it gains weight, settles, and loses its R value. When hot, dry conditions prevail, cellulose bakes in the attic, dries out and sheds its toxic chemical dust. This cycle repeats over and over again. AttiCare, NJ insulation installers company, have announced today they now offer safer better insulation removal.

Sometimes remodeling or other home improvement projects warrant the removal and replacement of the attic insulation. Weather, a moisture problem, or even an unwanted animal infestation can cause severe damage. Not only is damaged insulation no longer as effective as it once was, but insulation contaminated by animal or insect infestation, smoke, water, dust, mold, or mildew can be a health hazard.

The teams of experts at AttiCare will have an initial visit to determine where the insulation needs to be removed in a safe manner. The contractors in New Jersey use the proper machinery and equipment to make sure that no damaged material is left behind during insulation removal. Professional techniques are applied to ensure the home remains safe.

About AttiCare NJ: The New Jersey contractors at AttiCare have been offering attic cleaning services based out of Secaucus, NJ, to the surrounding area for over fifteen years. Crawl space cleaning services, rodent proofing, rodent control, and rodent removal are offered along with attic cleaning services including, new attic insulation and the removal of old and damaged insulation. Air duct repair and replacement services are also offered.

Attic insulation is a must for households; crawl spaces, attics, and other areas of the house need to be insulated to the proper R-value to lower heating bills and keep the house warmed evenly. Air ducts need to be cleaned and maintained to protect against contaminated air filtering into the house. Rodent proofing keeps out unwanted pests that can cause damage to homes.

AttiCare strives to provide the best services with the highest customer satisfaction. They know how to provide the safest insulation removal and installation techniques to provide homes with insulation at the proper R-value to insure maximum efficiency and comfort. To contact both San Francisco Bay Area and the Northern New Jersey areas Atticare services, please call their toll free phone number 888.743.7243 or visit the contact page of their official website http://www.bayareaattic.com/contact-us/ .

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Safer Insulation Removal Now Being Offered by Contractors New in Jersey

NASHVILLE, Tenn. A man and a woman were injured in what police called a meth explosion at a Donelson duplex early Tuesday morning.

Metropolitan Nashville Police SID detectives and the Nashville Fire Department were still processing the scene late Tuesday morning at the duplex in the 200 block of Clovernook Drive. Crime scene tape surrounded the home, while a Hazmat team was working to process evidence from the scene.

Crews from the Nashville Fire Department were called to the duplex around 3:45 a.m. and found fire coming from the attic. They were able to put out the fire quickly, but found chemicals used to make meth inside the home.

Firefighters said the victims first attempted to put out the fire on their own the man suffered burns and the woman suffered smoke inhalation.

Well this is the perfect example of it tonight; we had two people injured. Theres no need to try and put it out-- just call emergency personnel and let us take care of it, said Doug Graves from the Nashville Fire Department.

Both the man and woman were taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where they were listed in critical condition. Their names were not immediately released.

The woman's two children were apparently inside the home when the fire broke out, and one told NewsChannel 5 that they were woken up by their dogs barking. Neither was hurt.

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Two Injured In Donelson House Fire

This garage door upgrade used composite doors that were stained/painted to look like wood.

Kevin Bunnell, Renovation Design Group

Enlarge photo

For the past few weeks we have been discussing the top individual remodeling projects that yield the highest return on investment as rated by Remodeling Magazines Cost vs. Value report for 2013-2014. We've talked about front doors, wooden decks and attic bedroom additions. This week we will be discussing garage door selection.

Home improvement projects can be looked at in one of two ways: You can see them as isolated projects or you can approach them as individual parts of a more comprehensive upgrade to your property.

Some people are able to move out of their homes and have professionals renovate it from roof to foundation once and for all. When tackling a large, far-reaching project, homeowners are likely to have a plan which can be followed by all concerned in order to achieve the desired end result. Most of us, however, are required to take on home improvement projects at a slower pace, one at a time. It is not uncommon for homeowners to tackle one or two projects a year in addition to regular house maintenance.

The important point here is that these should not be isolated design projects. The best scenario is to have a method to your madness in other words, a master plan for your home improvement efforts. Every project should move you closer to the end goal for your house, and they should be sequenced to avoid having to revisit issues or areas that were previously addressed. If you dont have a drawing of your ideal front faade, you are not ready to select a garage door.

Many American homes have garages on their front faade. This trend began in the 1950s when automobiles were making their greatest impact on the American economy and culture. Showing the world that you had a car (front carport) or maybe even two (front garage) was a source of pride and status. Prior to that, in the 1930s and '40s, cars were housed in variations of the former carriage house which was placed "out back." Recently, attached garages are tucked around the side of a home if the lot is wide enough to accommodate a side entry driveway.

In any case especially with a front-facing attached garage replacing the garage door can do wonders for your curb appeal, and in the world of remodeling, it is on the less expensive end. It can also add a dose of energy efficiency to your home. If you choose an insulated door, you will reap the benefits of a new garage door on your energy bill as well as in your homes value. Many older homes still have a bland, metal garage door that isnt insulated and doesnt have much charm. Garage doors have come a long way in both function and design in recent years.

The key to successfully selecting the correct garage door is to look at it in conjunction with the entire front elevation and with your end goal (master plan) in mind. You must first determine the style (actual or future) of your home and then select a complementary door style and material. There may be individual doors, which we think are attractive, but choosing a craftsman-style garage door for your 1970s rambler wont do your curb appeal any favors.

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Renovation Solutions: Selecting a garage door for a higher return

By Richard Zowie

Born and raised in Fredericksburg, Brett Davis eventually moved to Virginia while in the military, and later, as a contractor.

But a chance to own his own business brought him back home.

Davis mother, Sharon Moose, is one of the owners of the Attic Storage and rented a storage room to the owners of The Peach Tree Inn.

They approached Mom and asked if she wanted to buy the hotel, Davis recalled. She said she knew someone who might be interested and contacted me. I returned for a look and decided to buy.

For the past 3.5 years, Davis has been the inns owner. The hotel opened in 1941 and has been in service in town for 73 years.

Located a quarter mile south of downtown Fredericksburg, the Peach Tree Inn has seven different room and lodging options, ranging from queen- to king-sized rooms, along with executive suites with full-sized kitchens.

The hotel also offers swimming pools along with picnic tables and grills.

Davis described the inn as being motorcycle-friendly with covered parking.

I always wanted to move back and own my own small business, Davis said, adding that he prefers working for himself. I also live on the property, which means no commute. Theres a lot of work to do, but I can do it on my own schedule and spend a lot of time with my kids.

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Homegrown Fredericksburg: Peach Tree Inn

Youve probably already heard of foam used to cover flat roofs found on many of Arizonas pueblo-style homes. Its roofing that keeps out rain but also reflects heat. Foam also plays a big role in insulating many newly built homes. Its role is growing in improving the quality of life inside older homes as well.

Foam insulation is generally a polyurethane product and much of it is sprayed on surfaces or injected into walls. Besides insulating, the foam can serve as a vapor barrier, protect against noise, deflect water and resist mold.

Here are some of its uses:

--Foam in exterior walls Do you live in an older, concrete block masonry home? These masonry homes are probably the best kind of construction for Arizona because of their structural strength and their resistance to fire and termite damage. Many tens of thousands of these homes were built in this state during the 1950s and 60s. Sometimes these homes were built from slump block or from concrete blocks finished with brick or stucco facing. If you have one of these older homes, you know they usually have one big problem. Many had no effective insulation put in their walls.

But since the 1990s, foam insulation has become a popular way to fix this problem. For the injection process, workers make small holes on the outside of the house that can be easily repaired later. The foam is injected via a hose into the cores of concrete-block or masonry walls in the home. As the foam enters the walls, it fills all the empty cells in the blocks, including the joints between blocks. Not only will this material help reduce utility bills, it will also help keep out insects and dust. Your home will also be much quieter.

Its estimated that the foam can increase the R-value of these masonry walls several times. R-value, of course, is a measure of the thermal resistance to heat flow; the higher the number the better the insulation.

The average-sized masonry home can be done in half a day; cost varies depending on the homes size.

Some retrofitting companies say frame construction homes, the most common type of housing in Arizona, can also benefit from having foam injected into walls. But our view is that if your wood-frame home is not too old and has good existing insulation, foam injection may not be that helpful. Even if it works slightly, it may cost you more than you will gain in lower energy bills.

Before retrofitting the walls of your home, have a whole house energy audit done first to find out how effective your current insulation is.

--Foam in interior walls Foam can be used as well in interior walls in any type of home whether masonry or frame construction -- to help reduce noise. For example, if a bedroom in your house is next to the utility room, it can be tough to sleep when the clothes washer is running. Injecting foam in that wall will make the bedroom much quieter.

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Rosie on the House: What is foams role in a house?

In this remodel, an attic bedroom was added to the attic space.

David Price, Renovation Design Group

When it comes to making the most out of your home-remodeling investment, reconfiguring or repurposing existing space to add more bedrooms is a surefire way to get some bang for your buck. In our series of high return on investment remodeling projects, No. 3 on the Remodeling Magazines Cost vs. Value national report for 2013-2014 is adding an attic bedroom. (See No. 1 of a front door replacement and No. 2 adding a wood deck from the past few weeks).

We see a lot of people searching for ways to better use their existing space. Tapping into the attic space is one way to get more livable space out of your house.

Adding an attic bedroom is easier in some houses than others. Could you turn your attic space into a bedroom or two?

There are a few items to consider. First, determine if the structure of your roof is composed of individual rafters or prefabricated trusses. The shape of trusses prohibits the use of the space for living, and they cannot be easily modified. Most homes built after 1960 were constructed with trusses, so they rarely have an attic that can be reclaimed for living space.

Next, look at the ceiling height in the attic. The center of the space at the peak of the roof must be a minimum of 7 feet high 8 feet or more is better. Keep in mind also that the usable floor space of an attic begins where the height of each side wall reaches about 5 feet. The low-height space in the area near the outer edge of the roof (known as the "kneewall" space) is good for storage, but not for furniture or for people walking around.

So, even though you have a stick-built roof with adequate height at the center, you may not have enough usable space in your attic without changing some of the roof line. Added space can be captured on the ends of the space if you have a hipped roof (a roof that slopes on all four sides), which can be changed into a gable end with a window for light, views and egress requirements. New space can also be captured on the sides of your attic by adding dormers. These triangular additions to your roof line allow you to transform kneewall space into usable floor area by providing enough height so you can walk into this area.

Many municipalities have restrictions on the addition of dormers. For instance, you may be restricted to an overall width (such as 10 feet), a required distance between dormers (such as 4 feet) or an overall percentage of the existing roof length that can be covered by dormers (such as 50 percent). The height of dormers must also comply with building height limits, and they should never be higher than the existing roof.

Another consideration is that the joists that hold up the existing ceiling below the attic space are generally not strong enough to act as the floor of your newly finished space. Be prepared to beef up this structure and add a new subfloor to the attic to carry the additional load of people and furniture.

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Renovation Solutions: Adding an attic bedroom

Home // Interior Remodeling // Attic Remodeling

Are you looking to add more space to your home? Does your attic need renovations? Our Chicago attic remodeling experts are the ones to call. Attics can add many square feet to your home. You can turn your attic into a bedroom, a play room, a library, a home office or even a theater. Catalysts Chicago attic remodelers will work with you to design an attic renovation or remodel that fits all of your needs.

Our Chicago attic remodeling experts provide our customers with only the highest quality craftsmanship. At Catalyst, we pride ourselves on our impeccable attention to detail and our ability to complete our projects on time without cutting corners.

We provide a variety of services as Chicago attic renovation professionals; the services we provide include:

All of our Chicago attic remodeling services at Catalyst are customized to fit your needs and desires. The things that an attic can be used for is limited only by the available space. Our Chicago attic remodelers have the capability to create an attic that functions just as any other room in the house or as a completely unique room that adds character to your home.

For more information about how our Chicago attic remodeling services can benefit you, contact us today. At Catalyst, we strive to provide you with an unbeatable attic remodeling service. Call us or fill out our online request form to learn more today. Our Chicago attic renovation teams are excited to work with you.

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Chicago Attic Remodeling | Chicago Attic Renovation| Attic ...