Our friend Chase at DFW Appliance Repairs of Ft. Worth, TX recently wrote in with some small appliance repair tips and ideas for new home builders we thought we would share. Since every homeowners obviously has appliances that occasionally go bad, this is a handy reference list to have around.
"Perhaps the best approach to establishing an identity on the building site is to lead by example, own up to responsibilities and meet people half-way. The best builders and appliance repair experts know what you're feeling, your anxieties, ignorance and inexperience. They are well aware of their competition and your ability to select another builder. So they can bend to allow you to make decisions with regard to the exterior appearance of your new home, the appliance packages, the lighting, the cabinets, the plumbing fixtures and so on. Some even allow you to move walls, alter staircases or adjust ceiling height as needed. With these choices comes responsibility on your part. Builders don't arbitrarily set cut-off dates for certain decisions, such as the color and type of carpeting. Rather, dates are set to accommodate lead time for delivery or the availability of an installer all in an effort to get the job done on time, or at least in a timely manner. It's best to go with new appliances from top brands like Maytag whenever possible to ensure you get a quality product that will last and not require as much maintenance and repair during your time in the home." Creating a good color palette for your kitchen or bathroom can be a challenge, but there's nothing forbidding or mysterious about it. The following general guidelines will help:
Contributors to this post included local BKR Pro contractors across the US including Miami | Knoxville | Charlotte | San Diego | Buffalo NY |
If you have the luxury of a large kitchen, consider including an island unit. This will not only make the most out of all the space, it can also take the pressure off of the wall bounced cabinets, giving you all the benefits of the perimeter kitchen without the rigid enclosed wraparound look. In Island takes up a fair bit of floorspace, so make sure that it is multipurpose. Yes and for appliances, extra work-surface, even the kitchen sink, or allow the top of it to overhang it one-sided to create an informal meeting space.
For ultimate flexibility, fit it with casters, so you can we'll it to one side, or, if it is fixed, make it float by placing it on stilts or a pedestal. If you don't have room for an island, by a large mobile butcher block instead. Island countertop advantages:
Some content courtesy of http://www.granitecountertopsdallastx.com/ As with the other utilities servicing a house, it is best if the HVAC equipment is located in a central area of the house. Doing so reduces the amount of ductwork. Long runs of ductwork may not be able to sustain the temperature of the air traveling to a room at the other end of the house. Laying out in installing the ducts takes the bulk of an HVAC contractor's time on the job site. In all, installing a typical system takes about three or four days.
Long duct runs also have more potential for leaks, because there are more sections of ducks that can fail or become loose. Leaky ducts, in fact, are a primary cause of heat loss in homes, which affects the heating and cooling bills. And longer runs are more fertile ground for mold and other indoor pollutants. Duct material is typically made from thin sheet metal that is folded in welded into rectangular or around sections. These sections are connected into runs with screws and duct tape, the latter sealing the joints between sections. Sheet metal is not only durable, but acts as a thermal conductor to help maintain temperature is the heated or cooled air travels through the ducts. In some cases and especially in warmer regions of the country, duct runs are constructed of sections of coiled metal wrapped in a thin, insulated sheathing. A bright, reflective layer on the sheathing acts as a thermal barrier to block heated or cooled air from escaping. The flexibility of these ducts, while more difficult to connect and seal and sheet metal, makes them better able to accommodate high framing conditions to reach certain areas of the house. On occasion, flexible ducts serve as branch sections from the main sheet metal duct. Both sheet metal in flexible duct runs require support for longer length. Sagging duct runs not only lead to failures at the joints, but reduce the performance of the forced air system. And, like plumbing pipes, ducts are generally kept out of the exterior walls to mitigate heat loss through the walls to the outside. Attic insulation can often help with such issues. As with the plumbing rough, the homes frame is often designed to accommodate duct runs in and around the structure. In a basement or insulated crawlspace, deduct runs extends from the furnace directly to the registers cut into the floor above and around the air conditioner. An improperly sized HVAC unit or system, whether providing too much or too little capacity for the space and conditions, wastes energy and reduces the effective life of the equipment. An undersized furnace, for instance, must work harder and suck off more gas or electricity to heat the house, straining its inner workings in the process. Attention Park City Utah Residents: View Local Kitchen Remodeling and Custom Cabinet Renovations Below:Kitchen Remodeling Tips - Custom Fireplace RenovationsOne of the most popular new trends in areas of Utah like Park City and Salt Lake is placing a fireplace near a kitchen during a home remodeling project. Among all new fireplaces installed today, factory-built units are by far the fastest growing option. Most units are made of steel. Some models include fans that blow air - heated in a plenum separated from the fire - into the kitchen or through ducts to other rooms for additional space heating. We can help assess if your kitchen has enough room for sure a project during a remodeling job. Because of the potential for rough winters, you can never count on a quality custom fireplace enough in Park City, UT.
Conventional wood and high-output gas fires require a double-wall chimney pipe that goes up and out the roof. Most fireplaces that burn natural gas or propane instead of wood burn so efficiently that they can be vented directly out through a kitchen wall with no tall flue required. With advances in kitchen remodeling technology, many of the newer gas fireplaces offer very realistic looking fire. Designing a kitchen renovation an take as much time and attention as the construction phase. A well-planned design is particularly crucial in a major re-design, in which costs are high and room for error is not. For example, if it costs a dollar to plan your kitchen well on the drawing, it will cost you $10 to make a change if your cabinet-maker has already begun, and it will cost $100 to make a change if you don't catch a problem until the crew is on the job site in some cases. However, as the most respected general contractors in Park City, we can help and your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed on all projects. Don't trust your big home renovation to just anyone and give us a call today! View photo gallery of recent Mclean CT Kitchen Remodeling Projects from the Pros at BKR - Custom Kitchen DesignsMclean kitchen remodel tip: Although the house shown above is not very large, every inch of space is used. A pullout pantry and pull-down shelves put items at the fingertips of short or seated cooks. Universally designed storage offers great options for all homeowners in Mclean.
Also consider a people-friendly cleanup center. Washing dishes or clothes may not be the high point of your day, however, installation of a raised dishwasher or convenient laundry center make these chores easier. Raising the height of your washer and dryer during a kitchen remodel or general home renovation also helps you avoid excess bending. We also recommend extra storage to the right of the dish washer. No matter what your needs, we can help. Contact the BKR Pros today for more info on all your home renovation needs in Connecticut. Below are a few pics from a recent Lake Oswego kitchen remodeling job we completedLake Oswego is home to some of the most beautiful homes in the Portland area. If you need affordable kitchen remodeling, look no further than the pros at BKR. We've been handling home renovations for decades and can walk you through every step of the remodel process. Lake Oswego home remodeling tips: Successful implementation of universal kitchen design does not produce a sterile, institutional look. Instead it results in a functional and attractive setting where your family and friends can savor their surroundings, drawn by a pleasing combination of colors, textures, and surfaces that is heightened by engraving finishing touches, as seen in the Lake Oswego home remodel above, courtesy of our contractor's camera.
The shape of something in a kitchen as simple as a doorknob affects how easily someone can enter and leave a room. Comparably priced level-style door handles are easier to turn than knobs and are available in a range of styles and finishes. Anyone experiencing hand pain will appreciate the action. Plenty of light through the skylights, wide windows, and doors make the kitchen (above) a warm welcoming place. The casement windows open with a crank, which could be motorized, allowing people of all ages and capabilities to operate them. Two zero-step entrances allow easy access, a plus for anyone carrying bags of groceries or pushing a baby stroller or wheelchair. Doors based on universal design are at least 3 feet wide. Level-style handles in these types of kitchen renovations take little effort to operate. A bathroom will be different things to different people. A large family will obviously make more extreme demands on the space than a single householder. A bathroom used mainly by the elderly or young children will involve radically different styling from a room that is used only by a young couple. Planning your bathroom involves assessing your lifestyle, needs a demands - both as they are currently and as they are likely to evolve over the years. It is necessary to ask yourself a few key questions before you start, to help plan the most effective space for you.
Who will be using this room? Look at issues such as the number of people using the bathroom and how often. If you are catering for the demands of a large family whose members will all need the bathroom at the same time, consider installing additional fixtures like a second basin or a bidet to provide additional washing facilities which can be used simultaneously. Think about replacing an over-bath shower with a separate shower enclosure, or installing showering facilities and vanity units elsewhere in the house. You should also consider these adaptations if styling a bathroom for a busy couple who may both need it at the same time. Consider whether the facilities are suitable for all the family. A step-up to the bath is ideal for small children, and also useful for a parent when bathing babies or toddlers. Think about height restrictions and safety - small children may bang their heads on low basins, and tall people will hate bending over low fixtures. If elderly people will be the main users of the space think about installing a special low-sided bath or shower. Elderly or less-able people will also benefit from a higher toilet or raised toilet seat. Consider your choice of taps, too - level-operated fittings will be easier for them to use. If the bathroom will be used primarily by the very young or the very old, you need to pay close attention to safety features such as slip-resistant flooring, thermostatic shower mixens and anti-scald valves. Grab rails at key points in the bathroom such as near the bath, in the shower and next to the toilet are also a good idea. Carefully consider the needs of those who will be using the space and think about what you expect from a bathroom. Are speed and efficiency the most important criteria? Are relaxation and recuperation the crucial ingredients? Or perhaps it is essential to have both at different times, and create a space that is a sanctuary as much as a utility. What type of fixtures: Take time to consider your choice of fixtures during a bathroom remodel, including flooding and wall covering. If children will be using the bathroom, make sure the materials you choose are child friendly. Remember that some materials need more cleaning than others. Lots of pretty bottles and lotions are basins and baths may create an eye-catching display but may not be practical if they are within reach of small children. What are your priorities? Style at all costs, or a hard-wearing, low maintenance environment? Most kitchens will require at least seven separate circuits. The major appliances (except for the refrigerator) each need their own dedicated circuits.
Drawings can be prepared by designers at a local home center and by kitchen remodelers - better preparation when it comes to electrical wiring means a more productive work session an a shorter turn-around time on all projects. |
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