Reliable Remodeler Blog » Additions

Remodeling projects in 2011 remained on a small scale

woodrow — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:10:30 +0000

Consumers are still skittish about spending on home remodeling in the economy, according to statistics from Remodeling Magazine. The magazine’s highly respected Cost vs Value Report comes out annually, ranking projects by return on investment and citing home remodeling trends. For 2011-2012, consumers earned the best values on attic bedroom conversions, minor kitchen remodeling, garage [...]

Remodeling projects in 2011 remained on a small scale is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Daylight harvesting is coming to your town

woodrow — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 02:32:33 +0000

Daylight harvesting, once deployed only in large commercial and industrial settings, is getting lot of airtime with home builders and renovators. The process is just like it sounds: You install a combined window treatment and lighting system that coordinates the amount of heat and light that comes through your windows into living spaces. It’s not [...]

Daylight harvesting is coming to your town is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

How secure is your home?

woodrow — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 02:15:01 +0000

It’s my nature to surf the world of online home improvement blogs. There’s great information out there, including home improvement ideas if you’re rebuilding or going green. But I’ve yet to see a blog give any bandwidth to a discussion about home safety and security. Are we just numb to the same old ideas of [...]

How secure is your home? is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

What does “green remodeling” really mean?

woodrow — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 19:43:36 +0000

You’ve heard a lot about green remodeling. Many new homes are constructed with green building materials, appliances, windows and doors. Green, in short, means that the initial builder or homeowner making a sustainable home improvement is concerned with energy efficiency, indoor air quality, the conservation of natural resources and, ultimately, home value. Let’s look at the [...]

What does “green remodeling” really mean? is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Wise budgeting for home remodeling

woodrow — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:26:31 +0000

If you’ve ever had to live in a home a while with only half of your remodeling project completed, I feel your pain. Planning ahead for overages when you’re budgeting can spare you the headache of working your life around open walls or unfinished woodwork. Sometimes it’s just a matter of neglecting to deal with [...]

Wise budgeting for home remodeling is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Nail gun safety for homeowner-remodelers

woodrow — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:15:32 +0000

The most-famous motto for all contractors and DIY handymen/women is “measure twice, cut once”. I’d prefer to move the phrase, “work safe, work smart” to the top of the slogan list. A report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) cites 37,000 emergency room visits a year to treat catastrophic injuries caused by nail [...]

Nail gun safety for homeowner-remodelers is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Green insulation for new homes and additions

woodrow — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:44:18 +0000

Structural insulated panels (SIPs) are among the latest green design building systems used for residential construction. SIPs are panels manufactured with a foam insulating core packaged between oriented-strand board skins. The resulting sandwich is durable, high in energy efficiency and may even reduce the scale of the systems used to heat and cool your home. Since [...]

Green insulation for new homes and additions is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Try green insulation for health and energy efficiency

woodrow — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 16:29:28 +0000

If you’re committed to going green, you’ll be curious about the new generation of efficient, low-impact insulation products on the market. Traditional insulation products can off-gas (at worst) or give off odors in your home. You can swap them out for low or non-VOC emitting insulation products and, at the same time, fill your home [...]

Try green insulation for health and energy efficiency is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Federal tax credits for New Year improvements

woodrow — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 04:34:33 +0000

Now that 2011 has passed, many of the Federal tax credits offered by the government for new windows, insulation, doors, and other products for home energy efficiency remodeling have also drawn to an end. Even with these incentives gone, you should still consider evaluating energy efficient materials before making a purchase, or choose other green [...]

Federal tax credits for New Year improvements is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Choosing storm doors for the New Year

woodrow — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 20:15:34 +0000

I’ve become a fan of storm doors. New storm door models are energy efficient and provide a layer of protection between your home and the elements. Moreover, these doors are versatile, allowing you to swap out secure glass inserts with ventilating bug screens when warm weather comes a-calling. Visit any of your local home improvement stores [...]

Choosing storm doors for the New Year is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Remodeling with bamboo flooring

woodrow — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:45:54 +0000

I love the look and feel of bamboo flooring. Color tones that resemble caramelized sugar add amazing warmth to a room. Bamboo flooring is known to be durable and kind to your feet. Maintenance, as you’ll see, is relatively simple and straight-forward. If you’re committed to green building and remodeling, you can shop for manufacturers that [...]

Remodeling with bamboo flooring is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Going with the flow in kitchen remodeling

woodrow — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 01:23:45 +0000

If someone gave you a tip for saving water and, consequently, cutting your utility costs would you take it? I was evaluating new water taps for this blog and wandered across the Department of Energy’s regulations on the gallons per minute (GPM) rate allowed on new taps. According to Energy Savers, new faucet flow rates [...]

Going with the flow in kitchen remodeling is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Last chance for tax rebates on energy efficient home improvements

woodrow — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 23:11:06 +0000

Homeowners have until December 31 to buy materials and install energy efficient home improvements under the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. Provisions of the bill, an extension of previous tax credits, mandate that you buy only ENERGY STAR-compliant biomass stoves, heat and air conditioning units, insulation, roofing, water heaters, [...]

Last chance for tax rebates on energy efficient home improvements is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Poor ROIs for these 2011 home improvements

woodrow — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 04:38:35 +0000

As each year draws to an end, pundits like to sermonize on the best returns on investment homeowners receive from remodeling. The latest analysis that caught my eye appeared at the personal finance pages on Yahoo last week where writer Dana Dratch identified the home improvement projects that delivered the worst ROI. Near the top of [...]

Poor ROIs for these 2011 home improvements is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Safe bets for remodeling: energy efficiency upgrades

woodrow — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 22:44:19 +0000

The housing remodeling market is poised for a rebound, according to researchers at Harvard University. In the next few years, spending on home improvements is expected to increase at a 3.5 percent annual average rate. Harvard’s researchers also predict that trends wherein “deferred maintenance” and remodeling plans over the recession years will finally get back [...]

Safe bets for remodeling: energy efficiency upgrades is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.