Remodeling Tips for Virginia Beach & Chesapeake Homeowners

If you are considering a kitchen remodeling then make sure that you do it right! That means that during the design stage you take steps to address any weaknesses in your current kitchen design.

After all, a remodel is not just an excuse to install new shiny cupboards and appliances – it is a chance to design your dream kitchen that you will love cooking and entertaining in for years to come.

So, before you do anything else, consider these great design tips during the planning stage – and good luck with your new kitchen!

 

Walking Space

One of the keys to a great kitchen that is easy to navigate is to leave sufficient walking space in and around the island.

Of course, this will depend on the overall size of your kitchen, and if you don’t have a huge amount of room to work with this could mean sacrificing some walking space or some appliances- that’s a decision for you to make though.

Broadly speaking, all pathways through the kitchen should be around 35 inches in width, with walking in the cooking zones (i.e. around ovens/hobs) should be a bit bigger, more like 40 inches of unobstructed space.

 

Kid Friendly?

Do you need to bear little ones in mind during your design process? If you do, then try to ensure that the cooking surfaces – such as hobs – are kept out of traffic areas.

In other words, try to design so that a person – especially a little person – can get from one side of the room to the other without having to get too close to any pans of boiling water or bubbling sauces.

 

Avoid the Refrigerator Wars

Anyone who has cooked for a group– especially a large gathering of family and friends – will know the universal rule that as you get busier in the kitchen so will the needs of everyone to get into the refrigerator.  They don’t do it on purpose of course – though it may feel at the time as if they do!

As a friend of mine Vince often says: “Take this chance to work this universal rule into your remodeling designs – try to place the refrigerator so that it can be easily accessed by both anyone cooking, and also by anyone who just pops into the kitchen looking for a cold soda.” When it comes to sharing the kitchen, Vince know what he’s talking about, especially after being a successful home renovator for over 20 years. He also loves giving tips to homeowners like myself, and puts out some of new content at https://www.freedomremodelers.com/bathroom-remodeling and also his Chesapeake VA page, so if you’re interested, you know where to go.

One of the videos pertaining to kitchens Vince had told me about is this one:

 

Your Private Island

The island in your kitchen – if you decide to have one of course – can be a key part of the kitchen design. Therefore, you must decide before you start building what the function of the island is going to be.

For example, if you want the kind of kitchen that you can cook and eat in, plan for this with the island installation. Make sure it is large enough for the number of place settings required for your family, that everyone can sit and eat without clashing elbows and there is sufficient room for the stools or seats.

 

Think Trash

Finally, that new kitchen is going to generate trash once you start using it. Food scraps, wrapping papers, and plastic containers – it all has to go somewhere.

Consider installing an integrated trash can for general waste as well as a cupboard or large drawer segregated for various recycling materials, but don’t forget about the smell.

An overflowing bin stuck in one corner of the room is seriously going to ruin the aesthetic (and smell) of your design – so tuck all trash receptacles away out of sight.

 

Those are definitely the top ones you should start with, and go from there. Hope you’ve enjoyed it and stay tuned for more.…

Why Shed and Garage Builders Recommend New Pools

If you are a homeowner, you have probably considered adding to your home. The big question becomes what is the best thing you can do to add value to your home? Your home is your castle, so however you choose to add to it, you need to be sure that it not only makes your home a more enjoyable place but that you are spending money in the best possible way so that your resale value on your home, should you ever decide to sell it, will help you recoup some of the money you spent on your improvement.

 

For example, many builders LOVE and recommend installing a new pool. “People spend upwards of $10,000-$25,000 on a decent-sized in-ground pool” said Brian Meiste, the manager and head-honcho at a local residential construction company who operates both in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake VA. Read more about him and his work at their homepage. Basically, the more ornate, the more expensive. Some might even think that by adding a diving board would help the pool become more enticing. Sadly, diving boards are an insurance nightmare and unless a pool’s board is “up to code,” a mortgage company may ask you to have it removed before closing. As much as we spend on these additions to our properties, unfortunately, you will not recoup much of the money you spend on the placement of that backyard oasis. You see, a friend of mine is a Realtor. Not everyone buys a home for a pool.

 

One of the BIGGEST investments people will buy a house on is an upgraded kitchen. Upgraded cabinets, marble countertops, stainless steel appliances and custom finishes are all things that you can purchase that will help you recover some of the expenses when you sell this home years later. If someone is house hunting, a realtor knows that updated kitchens mean big bucks. People like fresh and new takes on one of the most important rooms in the house. It’s where we sit and discuss our day around the dinner table, its where we chat with friends and family as we prepare a meal and its often a common place in the house that people tend to congregate during parties and family gatherings.

 

Another excellent home improvement is a bathroom! Many times, you will see continuity, especially in new construction, when a homeowner upgrades their kitchen that they will carry that thought with the countertops to the bathrooms. There is a common idea that if the kitchen looks fresh and clean and the bathroom looks similarly to the kitchen (even if it is only the countertops) that the bathroom is updated. With design ideas being so simple, for example, molds that can be placed over existing bathtubs and sinks that are made in one solid pedestal, an upgrade of a bathroom, fully, can be easy.

 

Decks are a fantastic idea for adding to the square footage of your home, without changing the actual footprint of the home. This is probably one of the simplest and easiest ways to make your home feel larger. When you take an area of your yard and add hardscaping or decking, you are creating more living space to entertain your houseguests or are making another space for you to enjoy when you are home.…

What are the top kind of trees?

What are the top kind of trees?

There are some alarming statistics regarding the pace of deforestation that is taking place all over the world. Around 1% of forest is cut down each and every year. Not only the industries are responsible for massive deforestation process which benefits them unduly and harms the environment but we as citizens are equally culpable for not planting trees when we have the capacity to do so.

We are clearly aware of the benefits trees confers upon us. From providing wood to regulating oxygen levels in the environment and preventing soil erosion to keeping up the wildlife, it has got all. These reasons must encourage us to plant more and more trees.

It doesn’t matter whether we are experts in botany or not, it is important for us to have some knowledge of different kinds of trees that have been discovered till now. Knowing about them makes us more informed regarding our planting decisions. The ultimate result is a better world. Nevertheless, here are the top kind of trees that one must consider:

Maple

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Maple are pretty popular. They are native to Eastern American soils and has become widely recognized in the nation due to the scent it offers. The maple wood is very hard, indeed one of the hardiest of all. It is very difficult not to bump in of them on the streets. There are over 125 species of maple tree including red maple and sugar maple. Canadian flag has a maple leaf depiction on it.

Eucalyptus

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These evergreen trees have long and broad leaves as they become adults. The height is over 300 meters. The bark is pretty prominent and the fruits are consisted in capsules. One of the main uses of this specie is that making of paper. Plywood is used to make paper and the poles are also used for house constructions.

Rosewood

Rosewood trees touch up to an altitude of about 25 meters. It has a diameter of about 3 meters. It is a dedicious tree which grows in a straight manner. The flower that grows on this specie either comes in white or pink. Fruit obtained is brown-colored and hard. The wood obtained is commonly used as fuel in rural areas where gas supplies are scarce. The wood is also used to make furniture.

Oak tree

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Oak trees are widely popular all over the world. It comes under the category of flowering plants. There are a number of oak trees present in nature. The bark of white oak trees are used for medical purposes. The wood from this tree is treated as precious timber which is further processed in furniture industry to meet the demands of public.

Hazel

Edible nuts are provided from hazel tree. This shrub type comes with multiple stems and the leaves are elongated which makes it look like a racket. The texture is pretty rough. You can easily identify a hazel tree by looking at the fruits. The tree grows in a straight fashion with less obstructions usually.