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 [...]
New homes will become ever-increasingly smaller, with rooms doubling up on functionality, designers and realtors agree. If you’re thinking of adding a new room, perhaps you should give some thought to combining living spaces rather than adding square footage – that’s if you intend to sell your home in the coming decade.
A survey conducted by [...]
Come winter, consumers and homeowners have questions about the kind of insulation that works best in their homes. Of course, the answer varies based on your location, existing insulation, how much space you have to insulate and whether the area to insulate is accessible (for hand installation) or inaccessible (requiring spray-on products).
Before you even begin, [...]
The American trend toward buying smaller homes – currently driven by the economy – will likely extend out to the near future. A builders’ survey conducted by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), found that new homes will average 2,152 square feet in size by 2015, some 10 percent smaller than single-family homes built [...]
I’m not a big fan of particle board construction. First and foremost, I don’t care for the off-gassing of toxic resins, binding materials and fillers. Second, I’ve seen too many shabby “budget” particle board cabinets, ceiling materials and building panels. If the home improvement materials and supply industry wants to protect homeowners while producing low-cost [...]
Slowly, it seems, homeowners and contractors are paying closer attention to the side effects of chemicals and building materials. The main culprits being addressed today are volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that “off-gas” into the living area of homes. As more builders create air-tight, energy efficient homes, the effect of VOCs is compounded in that they [...]
No matter where you live, one of the best ways to improve energy efficiency in your home is to secure or re-enforce your Thermal Envelope. The Thermal Envelope is the combined effect of your existing windows and doors, wall and roof assembly, weather-stripping, insulation and air retarders.
In short, every component of your home interior and [...]
There seems to be a hearty debate underway over the value of the newest generation of composite windows, I won’t jump into the mix with my own opinions, save to present the arguments posed by major manufacturers and ask my readers to weigh in on their own experiences.
I have found an easy way to distinguish [...]
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