Reliable Remodeler Blog » design

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.

Playhouses must follow a design for safety

woodrow — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 19:13:52 +0000

You can find some of the most interesting home improvement ideas by looking at the designs for children’s play houses. If we could consider safety when we improve the big house with the same concern for our little ones, imagine how few shortcuts we’d take or details we’d omit. Look around the Web. There are prefab [...]

Playhouses must follow a design for safety is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Accessible design: bathroom improvements for seniors

woodrow — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 22:47:58 +0000

Nearly 80 million so-called Baby Boomers are 65 years or older. Rather than spend upwards of $60,000 a year to live in a nursing facility, many prefer to modify their homes and “age in place.” That may mean spending from $9,000 to as much as $80,000 to modify their entries, kitchens and, especially, home bathrooms. Elizabeth [...]

Accessible design: bathroom improvements for seniors is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Greening-up vintage and historical homes

woodrow — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 10:01:02 +0000

In my last blog, I wrote about performing an energy audit of your existing home to find ways to make it more energy efficient. There are quick fixes that enable you to improve your home, add lasting value and at the same time cut back on your energy bills. An energy audit helps you spot [...]

Greening-up vintage and historical homes is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

The Butterfly House Spreads Its Wings

woodrow — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 16:20:21 +0000

I was delighted to read that Carmel, California’s famous Butterfly House was recently opened to the public. The photos can’t tell it all, but you can get an idea why the Butterfly House has been a destination for architects, contractors, interior designers, and plain-old rubbernecking tourists since it was completed half a century ago. So why would [...]

The Butterfly House Spreads Its Wings is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Expand Your Home without Using a Hammer

woodrow — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 22:45:39 +0000

If you’re feeling squeezed in your home or simply want to present a larger-looking house to would-be buyers, there are ways to maximize your square footage without knocking out a wall. Professionals who stage homes for sellers know that removing clutter can make rooms feel more spacious than the square footage might indicate. Now you [...]

Expand Your Home without Using a Hammer is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Mudroom Revivals

woodrow — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 21:01:15 +0000

Mudrooms are commonplace in the entryways of homes in the cold and wet north and northeast of the country, where families deposit their muddy boots and coats before entering the house. But they’ve become common here in horse country where I live in California, too. People can remove muddy or soaked work boots instead of [...]

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

Make the Most Out of a Cramped Kitchen

woodrow — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 08:00:35 +0000

When faced with a small kitchen, too many people settle. They stuff plates and cookware into tiny cabinets. They suck in their bellies when other family members try to squeeze past toward the sink or fridge. They dream of someday moving to a house with a spacious kitchen where they can once again prepare sumptuous [...]

Make the Most Out of a Cramped Kitchen is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Hanging Wallpaper Without Hangups

woodrow — Tue, 18 May 2010 18:24:40 +0000

When first-timers take a stab at hanging wallpaper, it’s usually more than the paper that gets stuck. You need a good head for logical planning, the willpower to avoid shortcuts, and the ability to strike a plumb line. Creating the right workspace often can make the difference between success and a hung-up, angry [...]

Hanging Wallpaper Without Hangups is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

It’s a Boom in Home Improvements

woodrow — Fri, 07 May 2010 21:21:27 +0000

M.P. McQueen of the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) weighed in this week on the do-it-yourself boom. It seems as the housing market continues to circle the drain, the home improvement industry is about to profit from the first spending increase in four years. Driven by plunging prices, cash shortages, and ongoing house payments, homeowners are strategizing [...]

It’s a Boom in Home Improvements is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Getting Organized: Cool Accessories for Your Closet

woodrow — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 19:11:27 +0000

Apart from losing my car keys, there’s little that frustrates me as much as looking for the right shirt or tie in a jumbled closet. Every time I move or do a big cleanup around the house, I reorganize the closets. I mess things up to the level of storage, so organizers aren’t much help. [...]

Getting Organized: Cool Accessories for Your Closet is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Can We Save Old American Homes?

woodrow — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 18:05:43 +0000

Preservationists, ecologists, and homeowners of architectural era homes trying to meet their utility bills wonder if the costs of retrofitting a tired lady outstrip the value of completing the project. In response, the government provides subsidies for restoration, tax and financial incentives, and Property Assessed Clean Energy bonds. Maintaining aesthetics without gutting the architecture—and [...]

Can We Save Old American Homes? is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Eyeing the New International Green Building Codes

woodrow — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 08:07:04 +0000

I was excited to hear that this month The International Code Council released the public version of its International Green Construction Code (IGCC)—the first baseline regulatory tool to help governments and communities regulate green building. The green codes are open for public comment and are available for viewing at the IGCC website. The code is [...]

Eyeing the New International Green Building Codes is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Four New Bathroom Trends for 2010

woodrow — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 01:15:18 +0000

Earlier this week, I reported on the latest kitchen design trends for 2010 cited by The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA). Now it’s time to have a closer look at the bathroom remodeling trends that the NKBA listed for the New Year. The trends were collected through interviews with residential designers and interior decorators. And, [...]

Four New Bathroom Trends for 2010 is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Create a Sense of Spaciousness

woodrow — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:37:08 +0000

I’ve been in more than my share of Victorian homes out here in the West, and some of them are dark, dreary, and depressing. Ultimately, it may not come down to square footage to determine whether your home looks and feels spacious and inviting. If you’re looking at remodeling, consider small, affective options that can [...]

Create a Sense of Spaciousness is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.