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Why settle for your current bathroom when you can customize it to fit your family's needs? If you are considering or already planning on remodeling your bathroom you may want to answer the following questions first. These questions will help you focus on what your needs are for your new bathroom.
1. How many people live in your home? What are their ages? 2. How many bathrooms are in your home? How often is each one used? 3. Which bathroom or bathrooms do you plan to remodel? 4. What is/are the bathroom/s you plan to remodel primarily used for? Guests? Is it your Master Bathroom? Is it a child's bathroom? 5. Do you anticipate any changes in your family that may need to be considered? A new baby? Are your parents or in-laws moving in? Do you have a child leaving for college? Will any of this effect the needs of the bathroom/s being remodeled? 6. Does anyone in your family or anyone who frequents your home have any physical limitations that should be considered in the design and layout of your new bathroom/s? 7. Do you have any water usage concerns? i.e. Do you run out of hot water often? 8. Is there anything about the current layout of your bathroom that makes it difficult to use? 9. Is there anything about your current bathroom that you would like to remain the same? 10. Other than the usual bathroom activities, what else do you use this space for? Makeup application, getting dressed, relaxation, etc. 11. Do you prefer taking a bath, a shower, or both? 12. What appliances/fixtures do you use in the bathroom? 13. Do you have enough electrical outlets in your current bathroom? 14. Is there enough surface space in your bathroom? 15. Do multiple people use this space at a time? Brushing teeth together, etc. 16. Is there enough privacy in your current bathroom?
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The kitchen is one of the most popular rooms in the home. It is also one of the most popular rooms to remodel, because of it's high ROI (return on investment). When you make the decision to remodel your kitchen, it is best to be prepared before you begin. Without proper preparation, a kitchen remodel can turn into a disaster. If you are thinking about remodeling your kitchen, contact us for our free, Kitchen and Bath Remodel Survival Guide.
Below are questions you should ask yourself before remodeling, it will help you and your contractor (if you're using a contractor-which we strongly recommend for kitchen remodeling!) get an idea of where to start. 1. Assess your current kitchen and the wants and needs of your family. a. What do you like about your current kitchen? b. What would you most like to change about your kitchen? c. What would your dream kitchen look like? d. What colors do you like? e. How would you describe your home decorating style? f. What feeling would you like your new kitchen to have? g. Do you want/need multiple work stations in your kitchen? h. How many people are living in your home? i. How many 'chefs' are in your home? What are their ages? j. Does anyone in your family have physical limitations? If so what are they? k. How many times a month do you entertain? l. When you entertain, do you have large events with a lot of people or small gatherings? m. Do you want an 'open-concept' kitchen? 2. What activities will take place in your kitchen? a. Cooking- does your family generally do fast easy meals or large family meals from scratch? Do you do gourmet cooking? Do you do a lot of baking? Do you do a lot of cooking for guests/entertainment? b. Dining- Will you have a dine-in kitchen? If so what type of dining does your family do? Formal? Informal? How many people generally dine with you? c. What other activities will take place in your kitchen? laundry, tv, school or office work, computer time, crafts, house work, etc. 3. What items will you store in your kitchen? a. Food/Beverages-canned goods, fruits, veggies, spices, oils, coffee, milk, etc. b. Cookware/Dishes- pots, pans, plates, cups, silverware, measuring cups, cookbooks, etc. c. Other items- paper plates & cups, food storage containers, baggies, foil, pet food and supplies, and cleaning products. 4. What type of cabinet storage will you need? a. Base Cabinets- full-extension sliding shelves, hinged swing-out wire shelf units, Lazy Susans, door-mount racks, slide out racks for storage bins and trash cans, etc. b. Wall Cabinets- pull-down overhead shelf units, flip-down shelf, etc. c. Other- storage cabinet for TV, ceiling-mount pot rack 5. What features will you choose for your kitchen? a. Will you be doing any structural changes? Adding/removing walls? adding or removing a door or window? Building an addition to extend kitchen space? b. Cabinets- What style will you choose? Traditional, contemporary, transitional, cottage, modern, etc. What type of surface will you choose? Wood? If so, what species and finish. Laminate or vinyl overlay. Metal? What door style will you choose? Full overlay (shows very little of the cabinet frame giving it a modern, seamless appearance or a half inch overlay (leaves 2 inches of the cabinet frame exposed between the doors giving a more traditional look) Will you have other options- Such as multiple surfaces, cabinet hardware, an island, matching range hood, matching appliance panels, etc. c. What type of surfaces will you use for your backsplash and/or countertop? ceramic tile, concrete, laminate, quartz, solid surface, stainless steel, stone (such as granite), wood, etc. d. What options will you choose for your sink? Material- acrylic, cast iron, composite, enameled steel, solid-surface, stone. What configuration will you choose? Single, double, or triple basin? Apron front? Prep sink? What fixtures will you choose? Faucet-Single-handle, bridge, high arc, pull-out, pot-filler, or wall mount? Will you choose a built-in water filtration system? Will you select a built-in soap or lotion dispenser? Will you have a garbage disposal? e. What type of flooring will you choose? Bamboo, ceramic tile, concrete, cork, laminate, linoleum, sheet vinyl, vinyl tile, wood, engineered wood, stone, etc. f. What type of ventilation will you have? chimney hood, custom insert, down-draft, island hood, microwave-hood combo, under-cabinet hood, etc. g. What type of lighting will you have? under-cabinet lighting, accent lighting, sky light, task light, recessed lighting, or pendant lights. h. What large appliances will you have? Conventional oven, convection oven, microwave, steam oven, cook top stove, free standing range, slide-in range, warming drawer, refrigerator, freezer, built-in refrigerator, built-in dish washer, regular dishwasher, washer, dryer, washer/dryer combo, etc. i. What small appliances do you/will you have? toaster, toaster oven, rice cooker, slow cooker, blender, bread maker, deep fryer, food processor, coffee maker, espresso or cappuccino machine, juicer, etc. With this list completed, you are one step closer to having the kitchen of your dreams! Call us today at 240-398-9003 and we can help you with this process or if you are interested in our free Kitchen and Bath Remodel Survival Guide, contact us and we will email it to you! or if you are on your smartphone...click here to call:<a href="tel:2403989003">Click HERE to Call: 240-398-9003</a>  Having a deck is an American tradition. However, planning is the key to making the process as simple as possible, whether you are a do-it-your-selfer or you are hiring a contractor, it pays to plan!
The following is a list of things to consider before starting, to help you choose the right deck for you. 1. What is the purpose of your deck/What will you use it for? Some people may want a deck to extend their indoor living space, others may want an area for entertaining, or a surround for a pool or spa. The purpose is very important in determining the size, height, etc. 2. Where will you put it? Will it attach to your home, surround your pool or stand on its own? Property size is usually a large factor in this equation along with building codes (we will have an upcoming post with local codes for each county we serve). Other factors include, view, privacy, and where the sun hits at certain times of the day. 3. What is your budget? Determine how much you are willing to spend and keep room in your budget for unforeseen issues. Be realistic about what you want and what you can afford. Size, design intricacy, built-in seating, choice of lumber, etc. will all effect the cost. 4. Do you have the DIY skills? If you plan to build your own deck, make sure you have the skills to do it, otherwise you may end up spending more in the long run. Also make sure you know the building codes of your county and state. If you are going to do it, make sure it's on stable ground; no sand, water, mud, clay, or unsuitable soil and preferably do it on a flat surface (no hills). High or multi-level decks require special engineering. You will also want to be experienced with concrete (concrete will be used for the deck footings). 5. What materials are you going to use? There are many types of wood and wood alternatives to choose from. Research all of them, then choose the best for your lifestyle and budget. We will do a quick run-down of the different choices (we will do a more in depth look at the materials in another post). a. Weather resistant woods- red wood, cedar, cypress, and ipe (a popular choice among our customers) b. Pressure-treated woods- treated lumber that contains wood and preservatives c. Hardwoods- teak, ipe, Brazilian hardwoods d. Composite- recycled plastic and wood fiber e. Alternatives- plastic/aluminum (recycled products) /Trex decking 6. What design, size, and shape will your deck be? If you have a small budget you should choose a smaller deck, a larger budget can afford a larger deck. Your deck should compliment the architecture of your home and coordinate with the landscape. A good way to determine the size of your deck is to use stakes and string to outline the area the deck will be in and place the furniture/items you will be putting on the deck into that space, this will help you determine if you need more or less space. A good rule of thumb- there should be at least 4 feet of extra space around each side of a table. 7. What extras will you be adding to your deck? Railings are required if your deck is more than a few feet off of the ground. If you are putting your deck in direct sunlight you may want a roof of some sort. You may also want to put up a screen for privacy or to keep bugs out. 8. Know the building codes! If there is no existing deck or if you are changing the layout of your current deck, legal blueprints MUST be approved by your city/county. Laws vary from cities/states (we will post about these in an upcoming post). 9. What lighting will you have? You don't have to have lighting, but it is usually necessary to add at least one or two for safety reasons. If you will be using your deck in the evening, you will definitely want to add lighting. There are many choices when it comes to lighting, you can choose solar lights, but they may not be bright enough and LED lights still need an electrician to install the wiring. The number of lights and the placement of them will effect your budget. 10. Storage! A deck is a great place for storage and if you plan well you can add storage areas into your design. For example you could have bench seating along the perimeter of your deck (or just along one side) that has lift-top seating, so you can store things inside. You can also add water-tight closets, storage closets, or even shelving underneath your deck. Consider what you will be storing, this will help you decide what storage option is right for you (sports equipment, garden tools/supplies, children's toys, outdoor patio cushions, furniture accessories, etc. ?). |
M.A.K. RemodelingWe are a Professional Remodeling company in Maryland that specializes in kitchens, bathrooms, basements, and decks. Archives
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