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.

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:

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:

• details including an e-pinion on Sharkbites
• Youtube video comparing soldering with Sharkbites

Technorati Tags: plumbers, plumbing, sharkbite, sharkbite straight coupling, sharkbite tee, Sharkbite U016 Straight Coupling 3/4" X 3/4"

The perfect Victorian Farmhouse Bathroom for the perfect Victorian Farmhouse!

With the turn of the century water tower in the background, this master bath from the Victorian Farmhouse is pretty much picture-post-card-perfect!

So… you all liked the kitchen from the Victorian Farmhouse post so much, I simply had to share the master bathroom from the same house.  Also designed by my good buddy James, I love the tub and the original feel that is captured in the design of the room. 
What’s more… I can almost imagine a parade of ducks clucking by while soaking in the master bath… wine in one hand and my latest edition of cottage life magazine in the other.

Technorati Tags: bathroom, bathroom remodeling, claw foot tub, farmhouse bathroom, farmhouse tub, master bath, master bath design, Planning a Remodel, victorian farmhouse

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!

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:

Pella

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

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.

Andersen

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.

Technorati Tags: Aluminum Clad, Andersen, Andersen Windows, Eagle, Eagle Windows, Pella, Pella Windows, Windows, Wood Windows

One of my all-time favorite taps... my BFF Katie has this in her kitchen and it looks awesome - lotsa style and a little funk!

I’m a huge fan of a deal and these days buying shower taps, kitchen and bath taps and accessories online is pretty much a no-brainer. You will save money!

The trick is in knowing what to get.  In my humble opinion, you still have to see before you buy.  My last kitchen remodel, I bought 100% of my kitchen taps online. However (you knew there was going to be a “however”), I visited a real kitchen and bath showroom to see for myself what I wanted prior to ordering. Not really rocket science, but it did ensure that I got exactly what I wanted and only had to pay for shipping one time.  If you’re working with a designer… even easier – have your designer give you the specs and you can simply hop online and shop away.

P.S. online shopping like this can also be done for lighting, drawer pulls & knobs, plumbing parts… get creative and see how you can save!

P.P.S. No offense if that P.S. was super obvious!

Technorati Tags: bathroom taps, funky taps, kitchen taps, shower taps, stylish taps

How to make a statement...

My good buddy and favorite builder friend recently took me on a tour of some of the houses that he is working on.  My little tour reminded me of the importance of first impressions.  Remember that old adage: “you only get one chance…” well… that holds true for houses to.  Want to impress?  A grand entrance is one way to grab a visitors attention and nothing says Grand like a big old staircase!

From a technical standpoint, there’s nothing particularly difficult about building stairs for a deck, porch or shed. Anyone with some basic carpentry skills can make the necessary cuts and assemble the parts (Hello Dad!). And yet according to many builders, stair building is arguably the most challenging task do-it-yourselfers will ever attempt.

Why the challenge???  Stairs must satisfy strict building codes meant to ensure safety and climbing comfort. We’re so used to uniform, professionally built staircases that the slightest discrepancy between steps creates a tripping hazard. Tall steps make climbing hard. Shallow steps are uncomfortable and dangerous. Since there’s so little room for error, building stairs requires careful layout and some potentially tricky calculations (difficult when you’re used to doing your work on teh back of a napkin). Start by consulting your building codes office for local guidelines. Then, my advice: hop onto any of the following sites for a blow-by-blow overview on stair making. 

• Popular Mechanics: good pictures and the builder dude looks like he’s having fun (always a good sign)
• Ace Hardware: No cute builder dude but good information and detailed drawings
• Bob!: No list of do-it-yourself sites is complete without my good buddy Bob Vila
• Lee Wallender on whether or not stairs are a do-it-yourselfer task (a bit of a nailbiter: he comes out in favor)

Technorati Tags: Bob Vila, building stairs, how to build stairs, installing stairs, Lee Wallender

Pool covers in France are both aesthetically pleasing and also life saving

Interested in staying on top of the global trends in pools.  Abri de piscine a French Pool covering company, is now offering a solid plastic cover that they claim will protect you wee tots from ever falling in a pool again.  Interested?  You can order and pay for the covers online via the site Compte Bancaire (fancy words for Bank Account).
Finally, looking to see a few more French trends or remodeling your favorite chalet in the Loire Valley… check out the bathroom site Salle de Bain.

Technorati Tags: abri de piscine, compte bancaire, salle de bains, swimming pool covers

In progress... Peter's little cabin in the woods

Just over a month ago, I had the great pleasure of meeting a true log cabin builder.  Just down from our cottage up in Northern Ontario, I happened upon a gentleman by the name of Peter Thompson.  Peter, once an IT Business Owner, had left his day job behind in Alberta, Canada to build the log cabin of his dreams.  As luck would have it, he happened to be building said cabin on my lake.  His story is simply too unique and interesting not to share and the lessons he has learned are good for the lot of us!

First Off: How does one even start to build a log cabin?

In Peter’s case, he took a course.  A 10 week intensive course in Perth, Ontario where along with 10 other guys he lived, slept and ate Log Cabin Building five days a week.   Under the tutulage of the Pat Wolfe Log Building School, Peter learned log carving, knotching, joining to name but a few.  During the courses 10 weeks, participants usually build a cottage and in this case, Peter worked with the school to have the cabin that was built by the students be his own.  The school agreed and so the cabin was first build in Perth and then disassembled to be rebuilt on our little lake.  Apparently this assembly/dissassembly process is exceedingly common with log cabins as the skilled workers don’t have to travel constantly to different building sites but can stay in one location knocking out cabin after cabin.

Lessons Learned?

Next Up! Awaiting their turn, these logs will soon be turned into walls.

The longest logs in Peter’s cabin are 54 feet long from end to end and weigh up to 3 tons!  In the first week of his course, Peter learned about the tools used in building a log cabin, how to safely use a chainsaw (my Dad could use a few tips from these guys), how to carve a notch with a chainsaw, how to build floor joists, and roof systems… all with logs!

When all your wood cabin knowledge comes from Little House on the Prairie…

ScrewJacks such as these are slowly tighted over 1-2 years as the logs shrink in size

While I could wax on and on about the different techniques of log building, I have to admit, I’m about as novice as they come.  For those of you that have also garnered your complete knowledge of wood cabin building from Little House on the Prairie episodes, here are a couple of key factoids:

1. Don’t just lay down logs with a couple of knotches!  The first thing one does when building is find the centerline of the log (midpoint along the length of the log).  The centerline is then sort of knotched flat so that you can lay another log on top of the first, always lining up these centerlines
2. Windows are good: not as complicated as you might think, they actually cut down on the work b/c you have fewer walls to build.  Word to the wise – when building your next log cabin: throw in a boat-load of windows (boatload being the technical log cabin builder term)!
3. Logs are hand peeled – think potatoes and multiple by a million!  No machines here… the purest maintain that the logs must be handpeeled.

4. 

   Logs are knotched and lined up along their centerline to build walls

   Srinkage – it aint’ just my husband after a dip in the lake!  Seriously, srinkage in the wood is a key factor to be accounted for in log cabin building – ScrewJacks (huge big screws that connect the walls to the roofline) are used to help seal a cabin.  An average log cabin will experience 1 to 2 years of shrinkage before it stops moving.

5. What’s the Rush?  When building a log cabin, you have a finite amount of time to work with before you have to get the roof on the building in order to protect the logs.  According to Peter he had his 10 building weeks in the course plus an additional 6 weeks before the roof simply had to go on the house.
6. A log cabin weighs 2-3 times the weight of the same size building!  Holy-you-better-have-a-kicking-foundation!

Resources:

• Backcountry Notes: Vintage Log Cabin Joinery
• Log Cabin Directory
• Log Cabin Builders Association: Why you shouldn’t buy log cabin kits

Related Articles on Renovation Junky

• Renovation Junky: Log Cabins & Concrete

Technorati Tags: carve a notch, floor joists, log cabin, log cabin joinery, log cabin roof systems, notch, Pat Wolfe, Percy Lake, Peter Thompson

slash-cut-slash-cut-slash-cut… not the sound of the lawnmower.  More like the sound of my latest review of our expenses!   Okay, so Insurance premiums are a pretty boring topic to blog about:  I get it!  I wanted to share this with my friends and family but they kept running away when I brought up the topic.  I thought I might have a little more luck with the lot of you!

Got a house – need to cut expenses?  Try a couple of these guys out on your insurance folks and they won’t know what hit ‘em!  Happy Savings…

Technorati Tags: cut, home insurance, how to save on insurance, save on premiums, savings on insurance, slash