DIY

Roof Insulation Basics: Upgrading Roof Insulation – DIY Tips

There are two reasons homeowners want to make their homes greener; some people want to go green to protect the environment. Others will go green because it results in more green dollar bills in their wallet.

Fortunately, the two don’t have to be exclusive; you can protect the environment and save money at the same time. A big way to do so is to make sure that you have adequate insulation and ventilation for your roof and the attic space.

Heat rises, and that means most of the heat loss from your home goes out the top of the house. This is especially true if you don’t have adequate insulation and sealing in your attic’s floor space. To make sure your home is as comfortable as possible, to ensure minimal heat loss, to save money on your heating bills, and to help protect the environment, an upgrade in your insulation is in order.

A Wide Variety of Insulation Options

Making the decision to improve your home’s attic and roof insulation is the easy part. The hard part, however, is determining what type of insulation to use, and where to put it.

Attic Insulation

The easiest (unless you’re having a new roof put on the house), and most effective, way to boost the insulation in your home is to insulate and air seal the attic floor. Many homes have at least some access to this space, and because of the size attics can hold quite a bit of insulation. But where you put the insulation, and what type, can vary even inside the space.

Between the Joists – If you have an unfinished attic space, the most common area to insulate is between the ceiling joists but leaving the area between rafters uninsulated. This provides for maximum air flow through the attic while keeping the living space insulated.

Most commonly the spaces between the joists are filled with blow-in fiberglass insulation. However, the do-it-yourselfer may want to lay down fiberglass batting as it’s easier to work with and there is no special equipment needed. How much should you have? It’s recommended that the R value be at least R-38; or 10-14 inches of insulation.

Between the Rafters – Many homes have increased their living space by finishing the attic. But without insulating the ceiling, the space would be largely uninhabitable most of the year. If this is the case, then you want to insulate between the rafters.

Before you slap up insulation, however, you must remember that the house needs room to “breathe.” If your insulation is pressed tightly against the bottom of the roof decking, there’s nowhere for the air to go, and you can end up with major problems. To counter these problems, baffles are installed to keep a small space between the insulation and the roof deck. As the air in the baffles heats up, it can flow to the peak and out the roof vent.

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How to Give your Old Kitchen a New Look on a Budget

Kitchen remodeling is perhaps one of the most rewarding remodeling decisions you can make, especially if you’ve just purchased your home recently and your kitchen looks like it is still 1950s! 🙂 Or perhaps, it has been ages since a last major remodel in your kitchen. In this guide we will explore some creative kitchen remodel ideas you can do yourself on a budget or with the help a handy home improvement friend.

Walls and Ceilings

Simply repainting your old walls and ceilings can dramatically change the look and feel of your kitchen. I recommend that you hire a professional interior painter to apply new paint to the walls and ceiling in your kitchen. This can be done even if you have wall tiles installed in your kitchen. A professional interior painter will know the right type of primer and paint that will adhere to your tiles. You may also consider refinishing your old windows and door trim in your kitchen to give it a nice face lift and a feeling that your kitchen is brand new again.

1950s-kitchen

Professionally repainting your kitchen walls, ceiling, and trim, will probably cost you around $1,500.00, which is a great deal when it is done professionally. You can really have your kitchen transformed and renewed by doing just this one simple step! 🙂 If you are not afraid of getting your hands dirty, then go ahead and paint those old kitchen walls by yourself or with a friend. You will be able to save some money, and with proper organization, you should finish this project in a day,

Floors – Resurface or Replace?

A-marvelous-kitchen-traditional-style

Brand new floors including linoleum, porcelain tiles, or commercial grade flooring laminate tiles can be installed, if the old kitchen floors are no longer in an acceptable condition.

If the old kitchen floors are still in a somewhat decent shape, then you can simply give your old floors a face lift by deep cleaning them first, and giving them a high shine, after.

Replacing Old Appliances and Installing a Range Hood

black cabinets and stainless-steel appliances

Another important aspect of remodeling your kitchen is replacing the old appliances, with newer, more energy efficient, and more suitable ones. You will want to consider your overall kitchen design and performance of new kitchen appliances when shopping for the right stove, dishwasher, etc.

You can find a wide array of energy efficient appliances at Lowe’s, Home Depot or your local home improvement store. If you are doing a high-end remodel in your kitchen, then it is recommended that you install a suitable kitchen hood over your new cooking range.

If there is currently no range hood installed in your kitchen, then it may be necessary for you to hire a specialist to properly mount and install your new kitchen range hood including taking care of any necessary duct work for venting out the kitchen vapors collected by the range hood.

Resurfacing Old Cabinets

repainting-kitchen-cabinets

New kitchen cabinets can be very costly and can easily run several thousand dollars. You can definitely go for it “all the way” If money is not an issue. however, if you are working within a tight budget, then you can save a few grands by resurfacing your existing kitchen cabinets.

Take a trip to the local Lowe’s or Home Depot and look for Rust-Oleum’s cabinet and countertop restoration kit. I have personally used this product in my own kitchen renovation project, and I must say that I was really quite impressed with the quality of the finished product. I was able to give my old kitchen cabinets a new look for under a hundred dollars.

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Top 50 Bathroom Design Ideas & Costs: Smart Bathroom Designs

When focusing on your home’s interior design, bathrooms are often overlooked and neglected spaces. Reclaiming your lavatory as a stylish space that fits well with the rest of the house not only increases the value and enjoyment of your home, but it can also turn a functional space into your personal sanctuary.

Read on to learn how to spice up your bathroom space for functional, visual, and sensual enjoyment!

To help you navigate this list, it’s broken into the following categories:

Style
Features
Elements
Colors
Lighting
Tiles

Style:

1. Asian-Inspired

Asian designs are minimalist and serene. Open layouts and flowing design incorporate natural elements such as wood and bamboo, stone, natural light, accented with oriental indoor décor.

Japanese bath house inspired bathroom via Right Arm Construction

The above project makes a normal-sized bathroom seem very spacious and lush. It incorporates a skylight to create a sense of natural light shining onto the waterfall that is your bathroom. With the skylight already in place, it’s all about wrapping bathroom walls and the tub with natural wood. It’s a simple design, but it’s not trivial and requires masterful work to complete. Estimated cost of this minimalist bathroom design and remodel is $20,000 to $30,000.

With Asian-inspired bathrooms, minimalist design doesn’t mean small. The project below is a great example of a spacious, oriental style bathroom where walls become curved, showers transform into waterfalls, and stone motifs make you feel as though you’re in a garden.

via Steuart Gray

Steuart Gray: This projected consisted of redesigning a small bedroom next to a master bedroom into a master bedroom bath and connecting to the master bedroom, creating a large master bedroom suite.

This is a major remodeling project with an estimated cost of $75,000 to $125,000.

2. Spa-Inspired

Spa-inspired bathrooms bring the feel of being on vacation to your home. The design is modern, yet tranquil and luxurious. It turns the bathroom into a place of escape and rejuvenation.

via The Schimberg Group

The above project features His-and-her vanities resting opposite of each each other in this luxurious master bath with a spacious walk-in shower and freestanding soaking tub that overlook the ocean. An adjoining makeup vanity and cushioned seating area add to the elegant design.

The cost of this entire project is not for the faint of heart, and is estimated at between $100,000 to $200,000, depending on the initial setup and the amount of work required. But the concept can be replicated for significantly less money. The central element of this design is the freestanding soaking tub overlooking the ocean, something that can be realized for a lot less.

3. French Country Style Luxury

French designs are luxurious with modern elements. This style often incorporates modern comforts and richness coupled with marble, wood vanities, and crystal chandeliers. Think glamorous dressing areas and beautiful, stylish, and curvy free standing bath tub, often placed within an open layout.

via Peter_visual / Getty Images

Features:

4. Open Space

Credits: Willman Interiors

Regardless of the style, open space is the key feature of modern bathrooms.

5. Large Showers

Large, open-framed showers with waterfall or multi-showerheads are another key element of modern design.

6. Large Free-standing Tubs

Built-in tubs with jets are being replaced with large, free standing tubs such as a hammock-shaped, bowl-shaped, vessel-shaped, or Japanese soaking tubs. Image Credit: Splinter Works

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