Home Renovations Tips to Plan it Right

You might have thought for a long time and realised that it's time to make some home renovations. You already have a general idea of what you want to do with your house, including the floor plans for each room. Everything has to be planned in detail because the time and effort put into home improvements is major. Home renovation costs can get out of control if you do not analyse the details and make a general materials list without having a strict strategy. Here are some tips that you can follow once you decide to carry on some building and home renovations:

First of all, you have to decide if you can do the house renovation on your own or if you engage the services of a professional builder, i.e. a home improvement professional. These professionals provide interior design with the original floor plan of your home. They could also collaborate with you by merging your good ideas with a detailed design plan, to make your house comfortable as well as functional to live in. Truth to tell, some people think that a professional interior design is not that important in making home improvements but these design ideas can really help the owner do the right home renovations-from kitchen renovations to bathroom renovations etc.

Secondly, it is important that the block of land that your house is sitting on is well suited to the house design that you have in mind. For example, if you can sit your house to take advantage of the rise and setting of the sun you will be amazed at the variation it will make. If you are in a warm climate you want the sun coming into your bedrooms and kitchen early morning and then you want to keep out the bright sun in the afternoon.

Third and lastly, when thinking of renovation ideas, keep in mind that the furniture and furnishings of your home play an important role in your daily life. Not only do they add beauty to your new home your furniture and furnishings directly impact on your health in more ways then you realise. For example, accumulated dust in windows and drapes can produce an asthma attack for some members of your household so the interior design should have health considerations. All in all, it is advisable that you have a step-by-step guide in making home renovations and talk to a professional.

Home renovations can be fun and gratifying, particularly when done right. Do some reading on home improvements and collect some renovation ideas. You will get some great tips to design your house so it can be very practical for your family and comfortable. As a final thought, when you decide to do your home addition or extensions, home renovations costs must be planned carefully since you want to finish your home renovations within budget.

Top 5 Reasons to Hire an Architect

For the last 15 years or so it property programmes on the television have been really popular. This has matched an appetite in home owners to improve their property or move up the property ladder.

Programmes like Grand Designs show self-builders keen build the dream and shows like property ladder detail would be tycoons eager to capitalize on the interest in the property market. One common factor that is frequently depicted is the self-builder or property developer who chooses not to employ an architect for the duration of the build as a cost saving measure.

This can be a big mistake. The inevitable often happens as the featured developer or homeowner starts to see that their budget is spiraling out of control; it is over running in terms of the specified delivery date and the materials that turn up wasn't what they thought it would be.

Architects roles extend far beyond simply drawing up some plans and specifying materials to be used. Below are five reasons to hire an architect:

1) Experience

Architects have to train for seven years to qualify so they have significant experience designing buildings which allows them to create the best design for your project whether it is a single story extension or a whole new house. They know how spaces relate to each other and what materials will look good and work with other materials

2) Project Management

A good architect will also have strong project management skills. They will have a good understanding of the timings of each stage of the project, who is responsible for what and getting any materials and supplies to the site on time. This in itself can be a good reason along to hire an architect.

3) Budgeting

Controlling a budget is vitally important to make sure the project can be completed and overruns don’t cause compromises to be made in the design or the materials used. Making sure the contractors are thinking about the costs involved at every stage is something the architect will be on top of.

4) Vision

The architect will take time to understand the needs of your family and how you use your home. For example, where do you watch television? Do you like to cook and spend lots of time in the kitchen? Once they understand how you would bets use your home, they can style the best design for your lifestyle and include you in the design process.

5) Regulations and planning

One of the areas that the architect will have vast experience in is the planning permission process and any regulations that apply to your building or local authority. If you don’t consider this you can be setting yourself up for a big problem later on down the line.

Ultimately the architect or architectural designer will have the experience and skill to design your building project but will also be able to see it through to completion with minimal fuss and budget over runs. He will also be able to make sure the development doesn't fall foul of what is permitted for your home in your area. 

Tim Tavender is an experienced writer and blogger. He writes on a range of subjects both online and offline. This blog was written with the help of http://www.metthermwindows.co.uk.

Best Interior Design Tips For Your New Home

New homeowners have what is seemingly a daunting task to decorate their home from scratch. Truth be told, anything you start from scratch requires time and energy, but this is where you will find one hidden misconception. Investing your time and energy in order to turn a house into a place you can call home is not an overwhelming task. Just think about the final result, and you will easily find inspiration to decorate your home with style and according to your own preferences. In addition to this, we have selected some of the best interior design tips to help you decorate your home with ease, and make the right decisions when necessary.

The Measurements

The process of measuring your room and furniture you plan on placing in it are your first steps. This is the golden rule of interior design, and if you decide to skip this step, a number of problems may arise. For one, you risk the chance of buying furniture that does not fit into your room, or just looks awkward. You want to be able to walk around your new home without running into any obstacles, so be sure to take measuring tape prior to anything else, and start planning.

After you have measured the dimensions of furniture that will fit perfectly into your new home, you can actually start shopping. Another piece of advice that should not be ignored is related to the space between your furniture and the ceiling. Make sure that there is always at least 20 to 30 centimeters between these two. If your furniture is too close to the ceiling, the whole room will appear smaller visually.

Selecting Floor Coverings

After you have gotten an idea of which furniture you will place in your room, it is time to select floor coverings for your home. One of the best solutions in this regard is an area rug. Not only it will add style to your home, but also serve as a great focal point in your room. In case you have a spacious room to decorate, placing several area rugs will help you divide space into several areas, and make the entire room look well-decorated.

Mirrors and Lighting

Mirrors are essential when it comes to interior design projects. Aside from their practical purpose, mirrors can bring light to your home, serve as a focal point with the right frame, and make your room look bigger. Lighting is another important part of decorating your home, as without proper lighting even the most stylish pieces of furniture and accessories won’t be given a chance to shine. Therefore, make sure that there are enough light sources in your home in order to complete its look, as well as put an emphasis on different parts of your room you want to stand out from the rest of the space. You can use lamps with the most diverse lampshade patterns and colors, chandeliers, as well as any other source of light that will help you bring enough light into your home.

Finding The Right Style Flooring For Your Home

One of the most important parts of designing or redecorating a home is fitting the right flooring. The right decision can ensure your house transforms into a beautiful and cosy place in which to live. However, it can often be difficult to decide on the flooring that is right for your home.

Wood is currently the most popular home flooring material for various reasons. It enhances the decor of any room, is ecologically friendly and provides warmth and a timeless beauty that increases in value as the years move on. If you decide to fit wood flooring, consider each of the three types of wood flooring available to you.

Types of wood flooring:

1. Solid wood flooring.

These are wood planks or blocks (parquet) that are cut from logs and dried in a kiln to a moisture level of between 8% and 12%. They are then machine cut into various lengths, widths and grades and are later processed at the factory with wax or lacquer. Solid wood flooring is usually left unfinished for the installer to finish when fitting on site.

2. Engineered flooring.

This type of wood flooring is a hardwood veneer placed atop a cross plywood base. Engineered flooring comes in various thicknesses ranging from 10mm to 21mm. They have several benefits over solid wood, including ease of installation.

3. Laminate flooring.

This flooring is a photograph of a wood grain that is then laminated atop a wooden composite base. It is not real wood; however it does have many advantages over the other floor types. Laminate floor is durable, not sensitive to moisture and the easiest to install. The photo grain is also so good that you would not easily know it is not real wood.

Whichever flooring you choose, it is important to familiarise yourself with the methods used to fit them.

Fitting Methods:

Floating.

Floating is where the flooring is not fastened to the sub floor. This method is usually only ever used where a solid sub floor (such as concrete) is already in place. It is recommended to only use adhesive floor fitting foam to fit floating floors. It is never recommended to glue together floorboards and float them.

Mechanical fitting.

This is a popular method for fitting hardwood flooring. It involves using hand tools such as tape measure, carpenter’s square and hammer to nail or screw the floor onto existing floorboards, sub floor, joints or battens. There are different ways of completing the task with this method, including secret nailing where a nail gun is used to drive nails through the side of the tongue at angles of between 33 degrees and 45 degrees.

Gluing.

This method is suitable for fitting flooring on a solid sub floor. Always ensure that the sub floor is completely dry and free of dirt and solid particles. Install a continuous Damp Proof Membrane when using this method to ensure the floor remains dry.

Installation tips.

The key to successful installation is proper planning, preparation and execution. Ensure the relative humidity in the room where the floor is to be installed or even stored is between 50% and 65%. Too much humidity can damage the flooring and give poor results.

Also, check that the floor you get is kiln dried to the appropriate moisture content level: ideally 10%. The floor should also have been stored in temperature controlled conditions prior to your collection. This ensures the floor will require little if any acclimatisation before lying.

Finally, if you are installing the floor yourself, follow the manufacturer’s instructions fully to attain the desired results.