Tips for Saving Money This Spring

Spring is in the air, and with the warmer weather most people experience a rise in the cost of maintaining their home. Not only do you have to pay to cool down your home but those spring cleaning projects and annual makeovers add up over time. If you are looking for ways to keep your home looking great without breaking the bank, the following article may be able to help, as it outlines a few tips for saving money this spring, such as hiring a roofing contractor in Hillsborough, NC, to repair minor damage before it becomes major and costly.

Tips for Saving Money This Spring

If you are the type that always wants to make improvements, and you find yourself getting the itch to remodel, makeover, and update your yard and garden each spring and summer, the following list may be able to help you out, as it offers some tips for saving money this spring even while doing those much needed (or much wanted) updates and projects.

  • Purchase a rain barrel: If you are dismayed each summer at how much you spend to hydrate your lawn and garden, you may want to consider purchasing a rain barrel. Rain barrels can attach to the the rain gutter system that is already in place on your home. Whenever it rains, that water is stored inside the barrel. The rain barrel has its own spout in which you can connect a hose. You can use this free water to hydrate your plants and save a bit of cash!
  • Start plants from seed: Starting a plant from seed and keeping it in a greenhouse environment in your home is a great way to save money. The cost of buying vegetable plants and flowers each year can be staggering, but you can purchase plants from seed for a fraction of the cost. Some plants can be placed directly in the soil once the risk of frost is gone, and they will grow beautifully. Most plants and flowers have to stay indoors until the weather is warm enough, and then you can transplant these starts directly into your garden beds. Raising plants from seed and then transplanting them is a great way to save literally hundreds of dollars each year.
  • Create your own mulch: Creating your own mulch is fairly easy, and after reading up on the basics, you will be ready to start your own mulch. Mulch is a great way to supplement and fortify your soil, and will help you to yield a great crop. The best part is, it doesn’t cost you a cent! Many foods such as banana peels can be placed in your mulch bucket and will serve as food a few months down the road. You are not only saving money but being environmentally responsible as well.
  • Hire an expert for repairs and major projects: There are many projects that you can do yourself around your home and yard, but when it comes to the major repairs and projects that you just do not know much about, it is time to contact the experts, such as a roofing contractor in Hillsborough, NC, for all of your roofing repairs. If you think that hiring the experts is just too expensive, think again; an expert can do the project in half the time without any costly setbacks and mistakes.

How Do You Know You Can Trust a Plumbing Technician?

People often make up stories. That is how myths are born. The reasons for creating these tales vary. Sometimes, they are completely fictional. Other times, these rumors are based on real facts. They have been forwarded so many times that the actual events are now hard to recognize. Misconceptions appear in all industries. Contractors like Argent Plumbing & Heating deal with them frequently. It is very frustrating, especially when potential customers believe their acquaintances over true professionals. Here are 3 methods you can use to determine which plumber can be trusted.

1. Check a Plumber’s Website

Companies that value their customers maintain a well-documented website. These contractors understand the importance of sharing information about their company, services, and industry. They also highlight specialty services. Open and honest information shows that these plumbing service providers are forthcoming. It also offers customers an insight into which other services they can count on, even if they do not need them at this time. Use the online contact form if you have questions, want to leave a comment, or need to request services. Dependable contractors reply promptly.

2. Word-of-Mouth Advertising

Did a dear friend or relative recommend a licensed plumbing technician? Chances are high that this professional is worth your business. You can also trust the referrals from Realtors, builders, architects, and the associates at your local hardware store. They will not hand out bad recommendations. If they did, they would jeopardize their own reputation in the community. That is a chance no entrepreneur can take in this troubled economy or in an industry with stiff competition.

3. Online Consumer Reviews

Many sites on the Internet are dedicated to consumer reviews. Concerned citizens write about their experiences with companies like Argent Plumbing & Heating. They hope that others can learn from their stories. Sometimes, the statements are positive. Other times, problems are discussed. Complete a search for the company you are considering. Contact them if you find glowing reviews. Move on to your next candidate if you are not impressed.

Painting Your Way to Your Dream Home

www.carrollpainting.netThere are lots of home-decoration tutorials and tips out there. A quick search on the Internet can bring up hundreds of different websites that have their own ideas of how to make your home look “perfect.” Other websites like www.carrollpainting.net have the tools to help you achieve your perfect home. There are websites that talk about rearranging furniture or making sure that your wall hangings are a certain way. Others have to do with creating a certain spirit in your home by facing cabinets, chairs, or couches a certain direction. Occasionally, you’ll even find an article all about how painting can positively affect your home. You’re lucky enough to have stumbled upon one such article. Though painting a room certainly won’t transform it from a dump into a fancy mansion, certain colors can really help bring out the best of a room Continue reading →

When You Should Leave It for the House Painter

Technically, anyone can paint. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as it may seem to make the results look good. In fact, you can usually tell whether a paint job was done by a professional or not. It’s up to you to decide when you want to hire a Colorado Springs house painter. Before you decide to do the job yourself, you should consider the scope of the project, the time it will take to complete, and the cleanup it will require.

The Scope of the Project

If you have a small paint job that’s hardly visible to most people, then it might not be worth it to hire a painter. For example, maybe it’s time to repaint your bedroom closet. Few people ever see your closet. Therefore, if it doesn’t look perfect, it’s not that big of a deal.

If you need to paint a bedroom, the hallway, or the living room, then you need to make sure that the job gets done right. You can certainly paint any room yourself, but if you’re not patient and detail oriented, the results might disappoint you.

Before you go out and purchase paint and other supplies, you should consider possible complications. For example, do you have vaulted ceilings? Do you have to paint on the stairs? While you can certainly use a paintbrush with a long handle to paint a high ceiling, this won’t help you for taping the corners. In fact, you will probably spend more time moving ladders back and forth than actually prepping and painting.

The Project’s Time Frame

Few people have an unlimited amount of time at their disposal. And while you can certainly save money by painting your house yourself, you won’t save time. And when it comes down to it, it would be a shame to spend numerous hours doing something you don’t really enjoy, just to save a few dollars.

Painting doesn’t usually take that long, but you are going to have to do a lot of prep work ahead of time before you even get started. You may also need to apply a second or third coat, depending on the results. And finally, you can also expect to spend a lot of time cleaning up afterwards.

If you are planning on painting your entire house, you can expect to spend several weekends on this task. If you can find someone to help you, then it will take less time. But you should really think about it before you get started. Is your time best spent doing that?

The Cleanup

The cleanup may be the worst part of painting. If you’re not replacing your floors afterwards, then you should be very diligent about covering them up ahead of time. It is very difficult to remove paint stains, especially from carpet. You should also wear old clothes, because you will get paint on them.

If you don’t want to spend hours bent over the tub washing out paint rollers and brushes, then you might want to hire a Colorado Springs house painter. Professional painters get the job done quickly, and they clean up after themselves. This way you can enjoy the results of a paint job well done without getting your hands messy.

Recreating Your Home’s Mood with Paint

Have you ever looked into a magazine that featured homes? Did it frustrate you because everything just looked so “perfect”? Did the images make you feel like your own home was shabby and out of date in comparison? Or do you get excited by the images in the magazine and start planning your complete home-decoration overhaul? Maybe you felt a mixture of all of these feeling and more. Maybe with these mixed emotions you say to yourself, “Why can’t my house be like that one?” Well, it can, and usually without a complete overhaul of everything. You just need a fresher perspective to help you see that your house is perfect for you and your family. And what better way to achieve a fresher perspective than with a fresh coat of paint? With a simple phone call, you could find the house painters in Colorado Springs that you need to help you create that perfect living space.

Making a Splash….of Paint!

Did you know that with a bit of paint, you can make a room feel completely different? It’s true! Different colors and textures add various effects to your walls and ceilings. With just a simple color change, the entire feeling of a home, business office, store, or center can be completely transformed. You see these tricks employed in buildings all around you, though you might not be aware of it. For instance, earthen tones can often make people feel more relaxed and at ease while bright neon colors tend to create excitement and energy. White and other light colors can make a room look bigger, while black and darker tones often make it look smaller. If you want, you can try a little experiment next time you are out running errands. When you enter a building, whether it is a doctor’s office, a super market, or a gaming center, take a look at the color of the walls and see if you can figure out why they were painted that color and whether the mood the color is trying to set was successful.

Redecorating Your Home

There are lots of tips out there for redecorating a room or even your entire home. In fact, that’s often what those magazines that cause so many mixed feelings are filled with. Simple tricks like making sure you have good lighting or simplifying your decorations can really add to the way a room looks. However, if the paint job isn’t a very good one, there is a good chance that no amount of rearranging and organizing will help make the room look as amazing as it could be. Having the right house painters in Colorado Springs come and help you make sure your walls add the feeling that you want is really the key. Once those walls are expertly taken care of, you are free to finish the decorating process. With a little patience and work, you can have a home that you can feel confident would rival any of the “perfect” houses you see in those magazines.

 

Three Materials Your Block and Ready Mix Company Can Supply

With quite a few different materials, there are many options for your project, including brick, stone, and concrete in Schenectady. Before you go out and spend a huge chunk of change, look into the different materials and how each could benefit your project.

Brick

It does not take a mason, skilled in the art of bricklaying, to lay out a beautiful and functional backyard patio. You can, however, hire a skilled mason to do the work for you, and save yourself the blood, sweat, and tears. But, it is up to you; you choose what is best. Anyway, the brick doesn’t have to be relegated to your backyard patio alone. You can add architectural interest to your home by adding brick to an interior wall or by adding a brick foundation half-wall to the exterior walls of your home.

Stone

Just like brick, stone can add architectural interest to your home or lend itself to a beautiful patio in your backyard. You can choose to use asymmetrical stone, such as flagstone, or beautifully cut, smooth, symmetrical stone such as travertine. Stone price can be anywhere from fairly inexpensive to extremely expensive, depending on the type you choose. Like brick, you can certainly do the installation of your stone on your own, if you have some type of construction inclination, or you can hire a professional.

Cement

If you are looking for concrete in Schenectady, then you are not alone. This building material is gaining popularity all over the country. Concrete is a popular material for kitchen countertops. Many people have stained concrete as their flooring choice. Colored, stamped concrete is a beautiful choice for sidewalks, porches, and backyard patios. Staining concrete gives it a designer, marbled look, while still maintaining the integrity of the material. Stamped concrete uses patterns which mimic those things found in life, such as brick, stone, wood, or other textured surfaces. No matter which material you choose for your backyard project, or any other household project, you can be sure you will love the look that brick, stone, or concrete will give you.

Remodeling Your Home Should Be Fun

When it comes to remodeling your home, the process should be fun and exciting. Getting to choose new designs, materials, colors, and details for your space should bring about all the positive emotions that come with upgrading your life. From roofing and gutters to windows and siding, you can take your current home and turn it into something new, beautiful, and possibly even unrecognizable. In the process of creating your dream home, however, is the concern for finances. Few people have unlimited means with which they can recreate their homes, so finding options within your price range can make or break your whole remodeling experience. Fortunately, with the help of the Internet, you can find options that meet all of your various needs, and you can do it without even having to leave the comfort of your home. You can check out options like WS Remodeling in your area, and a company’s website can give you a lot of the information that you need in order to make an informed decision.

When choosing new materials and options for your home, function and aesthetics matter. You want to create a space that feels beautiful to you, but you also want to make choices that will save you money and make things more efficient. For example, a beautiful roof can complement the look and style of your home, but it can also save you money on energy bills. By choosing options and materials that are both stylish and functional, you can enjoy the best of both worlds and feel good about the money you spend.

Choosing the right company is something you should put thought into, so doing a little research before you commit to anything is always a good idea. Thanks to the wealth of information available online, you can find out quite a lot about a company before ever meeting with someone in person. The first step, then, is to do an Internet search for a particular company like WS Remodeling or for options in your area. You can find online ratings and rankings that have been voted on, you can read through reviews that customers have written about their experiences and takeaways, you can browse through websites, and you can access contact information so that you can then talk to potential options that make it past the first stage. 

How to Hire General Contractors to Build a Home

The real estate market offers buyers a lot of choices, because there are currently many homes for sale. That can be a blessing, but also a curse. If you have your mind set on certain requirements and are unwilling to compromise, you may be wasting a lot of time running from one open house to the next. The home you want may not be available at this time, or is out of your price range. If you are unable to find your dream home, consider building a house from scratch. That is easier than you think with the assistance of general contractors in Jackson, MS. How do you find and employ an experienced builder? Here are some clues.

Check Local Periodicals

Professionals need to cultivate a profile in their community. They advertise extensively to let everyone in the area know that they are open for business. Check the local newspaper and advertisements. They will contain announcements of general contractors. Most of them will mention what type of construction work they accept. A large number of them specialize in residential homes, while others prefer bigger projects like building apartment complexes, factories, warehouses, hotels, and hospitals.

Internet Investigation

The easiest way to locate a general contractor is through a targeted online search. Select your keywords carefully. They will determine the search engine’s search results. Be as specific as you can. You will have to check which URLs are from websites from general contractors and business directories, and which ones are articles revolving around home building. Spend ample time going through the websites. You should have at least 3 candidates, which require further investigation if you want the very best professional you can afford.

Ask Questions

Request a consultation. Ask many specific questions during this meeting. The answers will help you to determine which candidate is ideal for the job. Your queries should include the following:

  • How long have you been in business?
  • Are you licensed and insured?
  • Are you able to keep deadlines?
  • Which services do you provide?
  • Do you only use quality materials?
  • Are quotes free?
  • Do you hire sub-contractors?
  • Can you work within my budget?

You can be more specific. Mention to the general contractors in Jackson, MS, you are considering if you have a complex home design, want a deck, sunroom, or balcony, and need to move in by a certain date. Ask to see their portfolio. Companies that have been around for a while should have pictures of the new construction and remodeling projects they completed over the years.

Tips for Your Closet Organization

With spring right around the corner, and you know what that means. Starting to think about your spring cleaning to-do list. It may seem overwhelming, but by taking on one thing at a time, you’ll find that you can accomplish every one. One of the more intimidating, but also more enjoyable tasks is cleaning out your closet. You will need to put in some time and effort, but having a clean and organized closet is well worth the results you’ll get. Before you get started, here are a few tips to help you as you work on your project of closet organization in SLC. 

Work in Sections 

It can be easy to get overwhelmed if you pull everything out of your closet at once. Instead, focus on one type of clothing at a time. Start with your collection of t-shirts, then move on to pants, work clothes, and shoes. Don’t completely start on the next group until you’ve gone through everything and put back the items you want to keep. You may be tempted to just push through and clear everything out at once, but this is an easy way to burn yourself out. Take it slow and steady, being sure to pause for breaks when you need them. 

Keep, Donate, Toss 

As you work, sort your clothing into three groups: keep, donate, or toss. If you’ve worn it in the last 6 months or its something of high quality that you wear on special occasions (such as a formal gown, suit, or winter clothing), put it in the keep pile. Clothing that is the wrong size or that you haven’t worn lately should go in the donate pile. Any items that are ripped or stained should be tossed. When considering whether you should donate something or toss it, ask yourself if you would be pleased to receive that item as a hand-me-down. Anything you wouldn’t want to receive yourself needs to be tossed. 

Get Organized 

When you start to put everything back in your closet, you’ll want to do so in such a way that will help you keep it clean and organized. Start by grouping like items together. This will make it much easier to find what you’re looking for. Smaller items, like socks and underwear, should be stored in a similar way. Keeping a small dresser for these clothing items will make it much easier to grab what you need when you’re running late in the morning. 

Maintenance 

Now that your closet is well organized, you’ll want to keep it that way. Spend a few minutes at the end of every day hanging up clean clothes and putting dirty ones in the laundry hamper. This simple process won’t take very long, but it will make a huge difference in keeping your closet looking clean and organized. 

As you add new clothes to your wardrobe, be sure that there is enough room for them. As long as there’s room in the closet and you have a hanger for it, you’ll be fine. If you have to start cramming in items, or hanging two items of clothing on one hanger, you’ll know it’s time to worry again about your closet organization in SLC. 

Spring Remodeling Projects You Will Love

Spring and summer are here (or, at least they are close). And with the changing of the seasons comes a list of chores and repairs you’ve been putting off because it’s been too cold or snowy (or there have been too many holidays in the way). When it comes to spring cleaning and summer projects, you should obviously start with any major repairs (like fixing a broken roof). But once you get the necessary stuff out of the way, what’s next? If you want to dramatically improve your home’s curb appeal or improve your home’s value so that you can sell it later this year, there are a few projects that are going to be better than the rest. Here are four projects that will make your home stand out and get noticed. And if you need help with any remodeling in Spring Valley, contact a professional today.

The Best Remodeling Projects

1. What’s the most dramatic thing you can do to the outside of your home (short of tearing down a wall or building an addition)? The answer is simple; you can replace your siding. Siding for a home is like clothing for a human—it plays a critical role in determining how you look and a simple change can have a profound impact. New siding will not only make your home look different (and better), but it can also save you money in the long run. Modern siding options are both attractive and energy efficient, providing better insulation than old siding.

2. The second best way to improve your home’s curb appeal is to change your roof. Now, you should be replacing your roof every 10-20 years, depending on where you live. If you aren’t doing so regularly, it’s time make that a priority. When you go to replace your roof, why not pick an option that will make your home stand out? You aren’t limited to black shingles every time you change your roof. From ceramic tiles to metal shingles, you can install a roof that looks amazing and will protect your home for another decade or two.

3. If you want to do some work inside your home, start with your kitchen. Kitchens will have just about the biggest impact on your home’s value. A great kitchen can dramatically increase a home’s value (not to mention make it more fun to cook in). While you can certainly ruin any upgrades by making terrible design choices (pink cabinets and green countertops won’t win over any buyers), it’s safe to say that you will nearly double your investment if you put money into your kitchen.

4. What other room is as important as your kitchen? Your bathroom is the correct answer. Just because you don’t spend more time in your bathroom than any other room doesn’t make it any less important. In fact, a quality bathroom can dramatically increase a home’s value (if you want to sell it) and make every day easier and more enjoyable (if you stay there). Updating your fixtures is a great way to transform the way your home looks. Installing a new bathtub or shower can completely change the way you bathe (for the better). And new flooring and wall coverings can make even the smallest and darkest bathroom feel like a spa or resort.

If you are interested in doing some remodeling in Spring Valley, contact a remodeling contractor today. No matter what you want to do, you will find something that fits your budget and needs.