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Posts Tagged ‘renovations’

Have you priced brand new cabinets for your kitchen recently? If so, you probably have come to realize that they’ve become quite expensive. It’s simply far more economically viable to redo your existing cabinets. Here are 6 helpful tips to assist you in doing just that.

1. Are your cabinet doors covered in paint? In the event this is the case, begin by eradicating the present varnish with a liquid stripper. For stained cabinets, you can also use a chemical refinishing agent or you can just clean the door surfaces very well.

2. Next, take a synthetic Brillo pad and dip it in either turpentine or mineral spirits, then begin to gently rub off any stains in the wood. Go over the entire surface of the doors, removing the remaining paint or varnish so that the new coating will adhere properly.

3. Now that you have removed all the remaining dirt and paint, apply several coats of a clear, oil-based finish (such as a product like Minwax). Most such clear finishes come in both satin and glossy finishes.

4. In tha case that you discover that you have more than stained/dirty regions on your doors, move on to using a chemical solvent type cleaner, one that easily dissolves upon application and removes the previous coating of paint or varnish. You can find such a strong cleaner at your local home store, so ask a worker at the store for assistance in choosing a product if you are at all unsure of your choice.

5. While applying the chemical refinishing agent, make sure you concentrate on small regions rather than working the entire door surface at one time. Once you have finished with applying these chemicals, the wood will be much smoother and more even in color.

6. As a final stage in your door preparation, you need to confirm that the doors are now the same in both their color and their texture. In the instance that it isn’t uniform and smooth, simply rub down the door once more in overlapping, lengthy strokes with a new steel wool-type pad and a fresh application of refinishing agent.

Your doors should now be ready for a fresh coating. Once you’ve re-stained or re-varnished, you’ll have doors that look good as new and a kitchen that will look far fresher and more up to date.  You can further spruce up your kitchen with new window treatments or a set of new kitchen stools such as kitchen bar stools or leather bar stools, adding a brand new look for not a lot of money.

Regardless of the size of your bathroom, there may be issues you run into during the project that could not be anticipated when the job started.  If you run into bad plumbing or wiring, you may need to replace flooring or walls which turns your small bathroom remodel project into a major headache.  So, really, it’s not the size of the bathroom that matters, but the amount of renovations you want to do.

One complication with small bathrooms is the lack of space.  Not having the space you need can make things more difficult, and it can cause the project to take longer.  Start by looking at the door.  Is it big enough to move things through or will you need to tear down walls?  With some construction jobs it is possible the last wall of the bathroom was built after the fixtures were installed, making the small bathroom renovation nearly impossible without removing a wall.

Smaller bathrooms don’t require as much materials, but you have less room to move around and get things installed.  Some cutting and fitting may have to be done outside the confines of the bathroom, using other household space for the duration of the remodel.

You May Be Stuck With Your Floor Plan

In a smaller bathroom, it’s not always possible to change the floor plan.  For example, it may be impossible to fit the tub in the room another way.  Rather than making major bathroom renovation renovations, you may only be able to change colors, styles, and some fixtures in a smaller bathroom.

While a sink or a commode can be changed, usually with one the same size, the overall design of the bathroom will out of necessity have to remain the same.  Updated fixtures can often give the appearance that a major small bathroom renovation has taken place, but using the same space can still be uncomfortable.  You can make your bathroom look larger by using lighter colors on the walls.

Bathroom Remodeling Idea – Of all the remodeling projects we’ve done, those that include a new bathroom vanity are the most appealing. We continue to recommend the Fairmont Design Bath Vanity Collage Collection to our more sophisticated clients and they are never dissappointed.

By Chet Lystrom

If you happen to mention that you are considering doing up the bathroom, you will be flooded with bathroom remodel ideas.  It does not matter if the idea giver is a contractor or not – they have an opinion and they will give it, whether you like it or not.  Some people think they know everything just by watching something on television about it.  Although home renovations shows like “This Old House” has helped many people with economical home repairs, it also has made armchair experts of thousands of others. 

These are examples of where not to get ideas for remodeling your bathroom.

Bars and/or Alcohol

It used to be that a local bar was the best place to find contractors.  They would purposefully sit in there knowing potential customers would be looking for them there.  Only contractors looking for work would stay in the bar and wait.  This is definitely not the way to find a respectable contractor any more.  Even getting ideas in the bar is a bad idea.  All kinds of things start to make sense after a few drinks, especially things that wouldn’t make sense otherwise.

Anyone Who Ends With “Trust Me”

We’ve all heard not to trust anyone who says “trust me” especially concerning bathroom remodeling.  That phrase has really changed from something meaningful to a warning over the years.  Even if the person is a friend, coworker, or relative, if they end their statement in “trust me”, don’t.

Contractors Don’t Wear Suits

Someone with real experience getting down and dirty in a bathroom remodeling project is probably not going to be wearing a suit.  The person may have previously been a contractor, so they could give some useful ideas.  One problem, however, could be that their ideas are dated.  Be cautious, though.  Building codes and other requirements could have changed since their last project.  If the person in a suit is an architect, completely ignore all of their ideas for remodeling your bathroom.  They have history to keep in mind – not your bathroom.

By: Chet Lystrom