10 Tips for Living Environmentally Friendly

Posted by cynthia on Jul 26, 2011 in Home Improvement, Uncategorized |

By Francine Maglione

1. Make the jump to fluorescent lighting; it uses about a quarter as much energy as incandescent lighting and can last many times longer.
2. Use phosphate-free detergents; they get clothes just as clean, but are gentle on the environment.
3. Paper or plastic? Neither! Bring reusable bags to the grocery store.
4. Pass on harsh drain cleaners for a more eco-friendly approach such as pouring baking soda mixed with a half cup of vinegar down the drain followed by boiling water.
5. Overloaded with free coffee mugs? Use one in your bathroom as a toothbrush holder or mouthwash mug.
6. Drink filtered water and take a thermos with you to minimize waste made by water bottles.
7. For small paint jobs, mix old paint colors together instead of buying more.
8. Dont fall asleep with the TV on.
9. Redecorating? Go vintage! Buying vintage furniture requires no additional resources and eases the load on landfills.
10. Eliminate drafts around windows, doors and garage doors to conserve heat and AC.

(Tips compiled from TreeHugger and Planet Green)

Tips on Paying Your Contractor

Posted by cynthia on Jul 26, 2011 in Basement Finishing, Basement Finishing Contractors, Basement Renovations, Home Improvement, Uncategorized |

By Francine Maglione

When it comes to coughing up payment to your basement contractor, things can go sour quickly. Is the contractor going to take your money and run? Are you stiffing an honest contractor out of hard-earned money? Too often, the problem lies with the contract and a vague description of payment terms and conditions.

Tim Carter of “Ask the Builder” believes that the best way to pay a contractor is to agree on periodic payments that are based on the amount of work completed. Carter advises against paying for work that has not been performed and recommends getting a breakdown of costs from the contractor before the job begins.

You must also remember to always have enough money to complete the unfinished tasks so you aren’t left with bills you can’t pay and an incomplete job. One suggestion Carter makes is to use a tiebreaker clause in your contract. This has the parties agree on an independent inspector who will give a ruling on the quality of the work done and settle any disputes between the contractor and homeowner.

To read more about Tim Carter’s tips for paying a contractor, check out these “Ask the Builder” columns:

Tips on Paying Contractors

The Other Side of the Fence – Be Fair to a Contractor

When to Pay a Contractor

Picking the Best Basement Wall Products

Posted by cynthia on Jul 26, 2011 in Basement Finishing, Basement Finishing Contractors, Basement Framing and Insulation, Basement Insulation, Basement Renovations, Energy Efficient Basements, Featured, Finished Basement Ideas, Finishing Basement Walls, Green Basement Finishing, Uncategorized, Waterproof Basement Wall Panels |

By Jacques Bouchard

As the real estate slump continues to worsen and homes become more and more difficult to sell, homeowners are finding that the best option for gaining more living space for their family is to finish the basement.  In response to this ever-increasing trend, many companies are designing wall panels especially for use in a basement.

However, these companies are often providing products that are hastily researched, poorly created, or make false or misleading claims about how well they work and how appropriate they are for a basement finshing project.  Before you make a decision on the basement wall product that’s right for your home, consider these five questions:

Steps to Remodeling the Basement

Posted by cynthia on Jul 26, 2011 in Basement Carpet, Basement Ceiling, Basement Design, Basement Finishing, Basement Finishing Contractors, Basement Floor Tiles, Basement Renovations, Energy Efficient Basements, Featured, Finished Basement Ideas, Finishing Basement Floors, Finishing Basement Walls, Green Basement Finishing, Uncategorized, Waterproof Basement Flooring, Waterproof Basement Wall Panels |

By Jacques Bouchard

A Monster in your Basement

Imagine this:  Your floor upstairs experiences leaking each time it rains.  Water flows from every crack and crevice in the walls and puddles all over the floor.  Even when there’s no rain at all, it always seems to be damp, humid, and musty up there.  if you store something in the area, you can count on it to grow mold.  If you’ve laid a wood floor and/or carpet in the area, then it’s growing mold and rot while the wood buckles.  All the windows on the floor are rusted and filled with spider webs, and they’re impossible to open.  The floor is cold and clammy underfoot, and the ceiling is sagging and moldy.  In a nutshell, it’s an ugly, smelly, uncomfortable and unhealthy space that you and your family avoid whenever possible.  Could this ever be acceptable?  Of course not!

If it’s unacceptable upstairs, then why would you ever allow it DOWNstairs?

There’s no reason to.  Having an area like that in the home isn’t acceptable.  Your basement is an entire floor’s worth of space, and it’s far too much room to let go to waste.  With the housing market as it currently is, this is a fantastic time to think about how you can take full advantage of every piece of your home you can!  Whether you have a growing family, visiting friends and relatives, or you’re just tired of having a gloomy, dark space in your home, drying and finishing a basement is a great idea.

Basement Refinishing Do’s and Don’ts

Posted by cynthia on Jul 26, 2011 in Basement Carpet, Basement Ceiling, Basement Finishing, Basement Finishing Contractors, Basement Floor Tiles, Basement Framing and Insulation, Basement Insulation, Basement Renovations, Energy Efficient Basements, Featured, Finished Basement Ideas, Finishing Basement Floors, Finishing Basement Walls, Green Basement Finishing, Uncategorized, Waterproof Basement Flooring, Waterproof Basement Wall Panels |

By Francine Maglione

Remodeling a basement can be a difficult job. How differently should you treat it compared to any other room in your house? Follow these do’s and don’ts and you’ll be well on your way to a nicely refinished basement that you’ll be pleased with for a long time.

Do:

Eliminate moisture problems in the basement. Moisture can really do a number on a basement. Home improvement expert Danny Lipford notes that a basement can let in an average of 18 gallons of moisture each day. Lipford suggests looking for these telltale signs of moisture problems:

• Musty odors
• Rust on metal surfaces
• Peeling paint
• Discolorations on walls and ceilings

Don’t let moisture ruin your basement refinishing job! The TBF system can eliminate moisture problems by installing an Energy Star dehumidifier and by using an exclusive selection of basement finishing products that can’t support mold or be damaged by moisture.

Basement Design Ideas

Posted by cynthia on Jul 26, 2011 in Basement Design, Basement Finishing, Basement Finishing Contractors, Basement Renovations, Energy Efficient Basements, Featured, Finished Basement Ideas, Green Basement Finishing, Uncategorized |

By Francine Maglione

Designing any room can be tough, but a basement can be especially uninspiring for design ideas. Bad lighting, a cold atmosphere and mechanical eyesores popping out everywhere don’t give homeowners much to work with when they’re coming up with remodeling designs. Use these basement design ideas to guide you as you revamp your basement.

Add Your Individual Style
This basement is yours so all of your basement design ideas should reflect your personal style. Not all trends work for everybody, so it’s best to just use them as inspiration rather than copy them completely. Better Homes and Gardens suggests personalizing the items in your basement, such as repeating a pattern throughout the room by adding it yourself to pillows and window treatments. Choose a color and add squares of paint along the hanging edge of a curtain, and then add painted squares of the same color to pillows.