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 After the Remodel  Before the remodel... your basic non-descript bungalow So you’re ready to remodel and trying to figure out where to put your money. Second story additions often get short shifted on the whole kitchen/bathroom debate but when done right, they can make a world of different to your property value. This house went from your small average bungalow to a beautiful, airy 2 story home with a well architected master. But don’t let me tell you… check out the pics and see for yourself!
 Inside the Master Bedroom... airy and light  The masterbath... looking to earn back your addition dollars? Throw in a well architected and constructed masterbath and watch your money come back in spades. Doing an addition of your own? Check out the Junky’s Addition Checklist for the jobsite.
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Technorati Tags: addition, master bath addition, master bath renovation, masterbath, masterbath design, renovation, second story addition, second story renovation
 Sharkbite in action! About a month ago, my father-in-law sent me some great information on Sharkbite Compression Fittings for plumbing. He was so impressed that he compared this funky little gadget with sliced bread and canned beer in its overall ingenuity. Clearly with an endorsement such as that, sharkbites are something that my audience might appreciate!
What is a sharkbite?
Quite simply, it is a gadget that connects two pieces of copper pipe (or PVC, or PEX) together for a tight water/air/gas leak proof seal. In other words, plumbing without soldering or messy pvc joints (at least that’s how I understand it…). The big news: It can allow regular people to do plumbing jobs without hiring an expensive plumber with lot of expertise and specialized tools, or at least to have their cool father-in-law do it…
The skinny straight from my Father-in-law:
When it comes to SharkBites… don’t get hung up couplings or tees (not the shirts we’re talking plumbing people).
Advantages (per my familial expert):
They don’t leak;
You don’t have to worry about getting all of the water out of the pipe (as you do with solder joints);
You can easily change from copper to plastic (cpvc) – less expensive and easier to work with;
And the best part is…
Even I can do it. Yes, apparently these are one of those fool-proof gadgets that even I could use and use well. WIll keep you posted on that one!
References:
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Technorati Tags: plumbers, plumbing, sharkbite, sharkbite straight coupling, sharkbite tee, Sharkbite U016 Straight Coupling 3/4" X 3/4"
 The colors and basic lines of the house are reflected in the interior space of the kitchen I love a remodel… I mean LOVE it! These pictures are from one of my favorite designers, a guy named James Madsen. The clean lines of this farmhouse kitchen are perfect and blend in beautifully with the crisp structure of the Farmhouse itself.
 From the outside, the charming watertower paints a vibrant backdrop to this Victorian Farmhouse. “Surrounded by miles of verdant pastureland, with a backdrop of the blue coastal range…”
White and black with wood and stainless steel accents: a simple, elegant but yet inviting kitchen. In an ongoing effort to find the one kitchen design that truly hides mess but is open enough to accomodate guests and make them feel a part of the cooking process, I think an island is key. I love the large island in this kitchen. It almost makes me want to sit down with a chopping knife and have it with the first carrot I find.
The Kitchen Triangle: The Holy Graile of Kitchen Design
 The Kitchen Triangle: The Holy Graile of Kitchen Design ensures an easy to use kitchen for cooking and cleaning. Looking to do something similar in your own space? A couple rules to keep in mind when designing a good Kitchen:
- The work triangle or “Kitchen Triangle” is the shortest walking distance from the refrigerator to the primary cooking surface to the primary food preparation sink and back to the refrigerator, measured from the center front of each area.
- This distance should total no more than 26′. No leg of the triangle should be shorter than 4′ nor longer than 9′.
Don’t intersect an island or peninsula cabinet by more than 12″.
- No major traffic should cross through the “Kitchen triangle”
 Flowing off the kitchen, an open family room creates a warm and inviting place to relax and hang out while someone else makes dinner!
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Technorati Tags: farmhouse kitchen, kitchen, kitchen cabinets, kitchen design, kitchen island, kitchen remodel, kitchen renovation, kitchen triangle
 I went with Andersen for windows and doors... loved the look (and cost) of their traditional line in the sandy color I recently replaced an entire house with new windows. As much as I would have LOVED to have read an article like this (frank opinions and real advice), there were none to be found. Ahhh but lucky you… read no further… for yes, this is it. The big, old, article on which window brand is best.
Things I considered in buying windows:
- Cost
- Quality (in a different market this might have come first but seeing as how I am the last known shareholder of CitiBank Stock besides the Federal Gov’t … cost is a biggy),
- Appearance: In the end, looks are everything!
Things I didn’t really give a hoot about:
- Ease of installation (I had a contractor doing the work),
- Availability of product (in other words, we weren’t buying off the floor and had some time to get the order filled).
THE FINDINGS:
Great windows, beautiful showrooms and on-site design and build options but really, really, really expensive. Whether I used their contractor or ours; bought from the showroom in our neighborhood or through a distributor. These guys were hands down the most expensive and therefore not the ones I selected.
- Cost: 40-50% higher than the rest
- Quality: very high quality although not superior to any of the others. Their window sales people were the best dressed though… if that counts?
- Appearance Options: the best. If you must have hot pink windows to match your fuchsia home, these are your windows.
Eagle claims they are the middle of the road option between Andersen windows and Pella windows so I actually went to Eagle with a bias thinking they would be the ones I would choose. In fact, I was not any more impressed with their product than I was with Andersen’s however the cost is higher. Interestingly enough, Eagle is owned by Andersen.
- Cost: 10% higher than my Andersen quote
- Quality: Top Notch… my neighbor went with Eagle on his new build and the windows are great.
- Appearance Options: A few more options to customize than Andersen but less than Pella. Good option if you need some customization and definitely cheaper than our little Pella Friends.
For vinyl clad wood windows, I could not be happier. Andersen offered a couple of different color choices for the windows and in my case, one of the colors was perfect for the house. The styles were numerous and configurable and the quote beat the rest. Interestingly enough… I negotiated a bulk deal on all the windows with a local window supplier. His quote was also cheaper than the big box stores (Lowes & Home Depot) as they don’t have the flexibility to do the big bulk discounts.
- Cost: lowest of all my quotes
- Quality: Excellent. I was as impressed with the quality of Andersen’s windows as I was with the others.
- Appearance: If the standard colors that Andersen offers work with your remodel you are set. If you are looking for anything other than their standard offering of taupes, neutrals, black, white, greys and greens… then Andersen won’t work.
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Technorati Tags: Aluminum Clad, Andersen, Andersen Windows, Eagle, Eagle Windows, Pella, Pella Windows, Windows, Wood Windows
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