Latest Articles

Improve Your Kitchen Windows

Sat, 19 Jun 2010 17:02:35 -0600

The kitchen is likely one of the most essential rooms in the house-busy households often collect there in the morning for breakfast and end each day cooking dinner in the evening. Keeping that in thoughts, your kitchen window treatments will rely on the overall fashion of your kitchen. Generally, kitchens fall into certainly one of two classes-nation or modern. Whether you are redoing your complete kitchen or simply buying new blinds, resolve which decorating model applies to you first, and then decide your window treatments.

Country (or Italian) Model Kitchens

Country type kitchens needs to be a haven of light and warmth, and may be comprised of a breakfast nook. Emphasis needs to be on the sun, and anything that brightens the room is an asset. Country type kitchen window treatments classically are available two parts: hanging caf? curtains and a matched higher cascade curtain or swag. Traditionally, the curtain set will function brilliant patterns (i.e. gingham prints that match with the kitchen's shade scheme or printed trims like apples or cherries). Lace curtain sets also work effectively, and let in a maximum quantity of solar while still offering some privacy. You can too use wood blinds, fake woods, or shutters: choose white or warm stains and stay away from anything too dark. Grasp polished copper pots for a country Italian feel.

Either manner you will need to be sure your collection of material, enhances the look of the remainder of the kitchen. Some material window treatments which can be accessible in your home windows embody cafe curtains, which you will get in strong colours, some lovely prints or in sheer or lace material. They are usually cheap, straightforward to place up and straightforward to look after requiring only a common launder in the washing machine to maintain them wanting clean and fresh.

You might have fabric blinds put up within the kitchen. These are available a variety of colours that match nearly any kitchen decor. You may also get material blinds in various patterns to complement different features in your kitchen. Most fabric blinds for kitchens are handled to face up to the humid circumstances of a kitchen so they're fairly appropriate for this space of your home.

Matchstick or bamboo shades are a novel method that adds an particularly pleasing touch in kitchens showcasing an ethnic flair. In pure tones, they offer the plus of hiding dust. It's possible you'll resolve on an elaborate treatment in an eat-in area, however it's finest to keep materials, tassels, and such well away from the cooking arena.

For a dramatic look without loads of drape, consider pelmets (arduous valances jigsawed out of skinny wood) to border your windows. If your kitchen opens into an ideal room or family room, attempt to coordinate the window treatments. They don't need to match, but they should relate.

Interiors design is Tommi Nix's passion and she has been studying interior design for over 20 years. Follow the latest trends on curtains and window treatments at Tommi's blog at http://curtainsandwindowtreatmentsideas.com.

Designing A House To Fit The Lot

Sun, 30 May 2010 08:45:13 -0600

I have been designing homes for the better part of two decades and during that time, several things have always remained constant. Too many designers try to make the site fit the house. I have heard quite a few of my colleagues talking about designing a house in this or that architectural style. But I have heard very little said about a much more important consideration of designing a house to make the most of the clients lot. After all, the problem of choosing the right architectural style really takes second place if the house is planned in a way that it takes advantage of every distinct feature of the site.

So then a study of the site for the house is as necessary to the building of a home as a doctors diagnosis of a case is needed for a successful treatment of a ailing patient. If a home is to be practically successful we can not simply say that we will have the dining room here and the den there, making our decision on the fact that placement of these rooms in this manner has worked out well in other houses that we have seen or designed ourselves.

The points on the compass in relation to the site, the direction of the available views, the location of the street access, the location of trees and other buildings, the topography, every one of these things will need to be part of our calculations in planning the new home.
It seems like the last thing we consider should actually be one of the first. If the site the owner purchased is not level, our first impulse is to send in the bull dozer to cut and fill until the natural face has been transformed into a level plateau. Now that is expensive, and it is frequently unnecessary.

So then, the logical course of action would be to design the home to fit the natural features and topography of the land. Why not make the house to fit the site, rather than making the site conform to a plan based on or determined by individual preference or convenience?

Drawing A Residential Electrical Plan

Wed, 26 May 2010 13:36:29 -0600

An electrical plan is a plan view similar to the floor plan in that all the walls, doors, and windows are shown along with the electrical symbols that describe service to the house. It also includes what is known as a legend which defines what each symbol represents.

There are several considerations that have to be made when drawing an electrical plan for a house. They are as follows:

The Meter and Service Box

The electrical meter is always on the exterior of the home. This is the location where power enters the house into the circuit box. The circuit box is located no more than twelve feet away from where the power enters the homes. From this location electricity is distributed to the individual rooms. The circuit box is usually located in a service area of a home like the utility room or kitchen. If the home has a basement, this is usually the preferred location for it to be placed.

Light Fixtures, Light Switches, and Receptacles

Light fixtures are usually placed in the middle of a room to allow even lighting throughout. Sometimes these are included in special fixtures like ceiling fans. When a fixture is placed in a large closet, it is usually mounted so that it is at least three feet from where the clothing is hung to insure against a fire from its heat. Exterior lighting should be waterproof in some way to eliminate the possibility of electrical short.

The light switches almost always are mounted next to a room entrance for convenience. When switching an exterior light, these are usually located inside near the exterior lights location.

Receptacles, also known as outlets are usually spaced every six feet in a room. This is to make sure that electrical cords do not have to be stretched far from the appliance they are powering. Some times a homeowner requests that the top half of a receptacle be controlled by a light switch to make turning off lamps simpler. Exterior receptacles and those inside the house within six feet of a water source like a sink are ground fault interrupt. This is to eliminate possible shock if shorted by water.

All of these are one hundred and twenty volt with a few exceptions and the amperage varies.

Smoke Detectors

These are required by code for fire safety. The must be located in each individual bedroom and also near each exit from the home. These are usually battery powered so that even if the power is out, they will still function.

Wiring Connections

These are usually drawn using a arched dashed line showing which switch controls what light or receptacle.

There are many more considerations like two twenty volt power for appliances such as the stove or electrical clothes dryer. You may also place special fixtures like phone jacks and cable tv connections on this plan.

Did You Know That DIY Solar Power Systems Are Cheaper Than Installing Commercial Solar Panels?

Mon, 24 May 2010 17:03:43 -0600

Employing solar energy and transforming it to electrical energy that people can use is definitely a notion which appeals to a lot of people. The sun's rays, as an alternative source of energy, is never exhausted compared with the non-renewable energy sources that power the world currently. Transforming energy from the sun into electrical power does not produce carbon emissions, rendering it an environmentally friendly endeavor. And once the solar panel system is mounted, operational and repairs and maintenance rate is very minimal. So, we can easily conclude that solar power is the next best thing to having no cost and environment friendly electricity.

However we all know that to be able to liberate our families of the regular monthly household utility bills and totally live life using free electricity, we must fork out a high sum to build commercial solar panels on our homes, which could furnish 100% of our normal power intake. And several people who are wanting to benefit from free electricity are discouraged by expensive initial installation price.

So will the image of solar powered-households be true only for those who can afford it? It seems not.

A growing group of enthusiasts, especially those who are focused on looking for earth-friendly, reliable and replenishable energy sources, believes that DIY solar power solution is feasible and it doesn't need to cost as high as it is currently priced. You can do this by employing compact, economical but highly efficient PV cells, electric batteries, an inverter, some electrical wires, cables together with other electrical components. And what made it more cost-effective is the fact that you're putting in almost all the work.

However, this doesn't mean that you may start unplugging your house from the energy companies and go solar completely once the building and installation is concluded. Many of these DIY solar panel kits are small-scale and will keep and make only sufficient electrical power to light a bulb for a few days, run a laptop computer for 2 days or a 20-inch TV for a day.

Nevertheless the realistic advantage in diy solar panel kits is the long term goal. Solar panel products, even those that are homemade, has a lifetime of about 20 to 25 years, with merely a minor lowering of performance. What this implies is you can benefit from 20 to 25 years of free electricity at a fraction of the price tag on commercial installations. Another good news is that these DIY solar power kits are often upgradeable. It is possible to invest in more components afterwards and integrate them with the previous system to harness extra solar power and create more electricity.

Creating House Plans

Thu, 13 May 2010 11:02:17 -0600

The field of technical illustration known as architectural draftsmen or drafters are the specialists who draw the architectural and structural features of a building for new construction. These professionals may specialize in various types of building, like residential, structural, or commercial.

A major part of these people use a tool called a CAD or Computer Aided Drafting program to draw complete technical drawings of structures. In times past, before the advent of computers, a drafting board and its related equipment were used. Some still use these today.

The drafter usually starts creating a drawing from a sketch and lays out the floor plan with all walls, windows, and doors. The Floor Plan is the template for your entire set of drawings. From this plan they show where the owner or builder wants the electrical, show how big the rooms are, place dimensions to define the house, note the window and door sizes, etc. They could start with the exterior views but that would limit the interior of the home to the shape of the outside.

The next drawing to be created is the foundation or basement plan. In standard construction, houses are built on masonry foundations or basements. A foundation is the part of the home that anchors it to or keeps it from settling into the ground. Usually noted on the foundation or basement are the thickness of the walls, the locations of the joists or floor trusses, the locations of the piers or posts to hold up the floor along with the dimensions.

And then the exterior views or elevations are drawn which depict how the home will look from the outside once completed. This drawing includes the front, left, rear, and right views and sometimes a roof plan.

Existing Home Prices Take an Upward Turn

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 09:08:32 -0600

South Florida Homes and condos sold increased in February, while prices continued to fall due to foreclosures and short sales, according to the latest statistics from Florida Realtors.

Fort Lauderdale Homes for sales increased 6%, to 530 in February from 500 in 2009. The Fort Lauderdale home median sales price fell 13%, to $186,700 from $214,400.

Single-family home sales increased the most – by 9% – in Miami, with 445 homes sold, up from 409 last year. The median sales price fell 2%, year-over-year, to $191,100 from $195,500.

In West Palm Beach, 560 single-family homes were sold in February, up 5% from 532 a year ago. The median price was $219,100, which is a 4% decrease from a year ago, when it was $228,100.

Existing home sales statewide increased 21%, with 11,890 homes sold in February, up from 9,867 a year ago.

Month after month, statewide existing home sales increased 13.6%.

More condos than homes sold in February, with West Palm Beach taking the lead in South Florida condo sales. In February, 698 condos sold there, up 45% from 483 a year ago. The median price slid 5%, to $96,700 from $101,900.

Fort Lauderdale condo sales followed, with a 41% increase to 819 from 581. The median price decreased by 17%, from $85,800 to $71,500.

Miami condo sales rose 35 percent, to 545 from 403. The median price fell 14 percent, to $126,100 from $146,100.

Statewide, existing condo sales rose 59 percent, to 5,085 from 3,190. The median price fell 15 percent, to $92,200 from $109,100 a year earlier.

Seventeen of Florida’s metropolitan areas reported increased existing home sales in January, while all but the Melbourne-Titusville-Palm Bay MSA reporting an increase in condo sales. A majority of the state’s MSAs have reported an increase in sales for twenty months consecutively.

Statewide median sales price for existing homes last month was $131,300, down 7% from $141,800 a year ago.

Nationwide, existing home sales 0.6% in February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.02 million, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Nationally median sales price for existing single-family homes in February was $163,600, down 0.4% from a year earlier, according to NAR.

Cabot Homes is predicting a surge in home sales this spring. Activity should be picking up strongly in late spring as buyers take advantage of the tax credit, which is critical to absorb distressed properties reaching the market and to continually chip away at inventory levels.
Nationally housing inventory at the end of February rose 9.5%, to 3.59 million existing homes for sale, which represents an 8.6-month supply at the current sales pace, up from a 7.8-month supply in January.

Some Considerations for a New Kitchen

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 08:32:50 -0600

As you begin the design of a new home, I believe it is best to spend time in careful consideration of your future kitchen and how it is layed out. It deserves special attention because it is where the family meal is prepared and there is nothing more important than the family coming together for a well cooked meal to keep unity in the family.

One of the best layouts includes a bar built into the counter space or better still, a breakfast nook which is directly connected to the kitchen for morning meals. The bar or table located in the nook is a wonderful place for the kids to do school projects or homework. It is also a great place for mom and dad to balance the check book or some other task.

If you pay enough attention to the appeal of the kitchen, it can also help you control how tidy the rest of the house is if you have little ones. If the kids are content to spend a majority of time in the kitchen and nook area, there is less chance they will be spreading chaos into the rest of the house. With that said, there should be a bit of a buffer area between the noon and kitchen area for them to play. Not much, but enough where they will have a bit of play area so that they can be watched while you complete tasks in the kitchen. Just make sure that area is safely away from the stove to avoid burns.

A well designed kitchen should also be easy to work in. For example, we should design it so that there is a twelve to fourteen foot triangle between the stove, sink, and refrigerator. No more, no less. This allows for less steps which equals less work and more food preparation and cooking.

Plenty of natural light should also be considered. A nice sized window maybe placed directly over the sink if possible would help illuminate the area. If it is not possible to place a window over the sink, maybe install large windows in the nook area to reflect light into the cooking area.

There ought to be plenty of storage space if possible, including a pantry integrated into a closet. Make sure it is in easy reach of the cabinets. In corner cabinets, a Lazy Susan should be installed. The “Lazy Susan” is a rotating set of shelves installed so that everything can be reached by turning it like a carousel.

Don’t underestimate the importance of drawers. Drawers are very handy for storing silverware and a good designer will make sure that there are some deep drawers for those miscellaneous things that always seem to show up in the kitchen. If the truth be known, junk drawers are not a bad idea for keeping the kitchen uncluttered. Some cabinet companies have racks built into special cabinets that pull out like drawers for storing pots and pans that are hung on special runners for saving space.

Time and labor savers like a dishwasher and trash compactor should be installed near the sink. Other appliances to be considered would be a built in microwave for quick snacks and warming up meals.

Planning and Building a Home

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:43:35 -0600

There are some things that can be said about planning and building a home. In fact, enough to more than fill several volumes of books containing house plans. Let me mention a few of those things that are really important when building.

First of all, never build a home without obtaining a complete set of plans. I have seen quite a few homes that were a total train wreck because the builder did not have a set of plans to follow. Or if they did, they were sketches on a sheet of notebook paper. And the houses ended up a mess with roof pitches that were too high, rooms were out of proportion, and exterior materials did not match the home.

With a set of house plans, the owner knows right up front what they should expect their home to look like and if it has enough room to meet their life style. Not only this but, the plans are actually like a contract between the builder and owner as to what is expected. This actually protects both parties. Make sure that if any changes are made during construction it is marked on the plans and initialed by both parties.

Last, if you have never built a home, you probably do not realize what it means to keep clear of liens. The lien laws are very harsh on the builder of a home in most states. Any company that has furnished material like lumber, sheetrock, etc., basically any material that went into the construction can file a lien on your property and make you pay for it a second time if the contractor has not settled their accounts. That is unless you have taken the precaution of making sure your contractor furnishes you with receipts for all the material from the ones who supplied it.

By being a bit cautious, you can overcome all of these possible problems and make building your home a pleasure instead of a pain. Have a complete set of plans drawn and insist that the contractor following them completely. Also insist on a "surety bond" from the contractor to protect you against any material liens if the contractor fails to pay any of his or her bills. Do not make any changes in the plans after signing the contract unless they are noted on a master set of plans. This also makes sure the bonding company does not have a loophole to weasel out of paying if the contractor does not pay their bills.

Be involved in the building process and ask questions if something does not seem right. This little extra step has avoided more misunderstandings than anything other precautionary effort. And most of all be ready to communicate with your builder. They can not read your mind you know.

How New HST Housing Rebate Will Benefit You For Buying Homes In Vancouver BC

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 11:30:07 -0600

As you've already acknowledged that July 1st is the day when the BC provincial authority and federal authority will combine the 7% provincial trades tax (PST) and the 5% federal Goods and Services Tax (GST) into a 12% Harmonized Sales Tax (HST).

People here in BC had talked or complained about this new tax a lot since the day it's announced back in Summer 2009. Now is the time to start organizing for this change, no matter what. As a rule of thumb, the GST instructions that now utilize to residential property will also utilize under the HST.

New accommodations refund in BC after July 1 New instructions about HST accommodations refund: Buyers of new houses will be suitable for a refund of 71.43% of the provincial share (7% of the HST’s 12%) of the HST paid on the new home up to a maximum refund of $26,250. Homes prices at more than $525,000 will be suitable for a flat refund of $26,250.

The rule is fairly straight forward. But that new refund of the provincial share will be for primary residence purchase only. Or if you are a residential property developer or constructor, you may qualify for up to $8,663 refund.

When everybody is chatting about the New refund, family almost forget the Old one. That is the Federal GST new accommodations refund, which is 36% of the tax paid on the first $350,000 of the home price. The GST refund is phased out for houses priced between $350,000 and $450,000.

Here is an example of you purchasing a new home prized at $1,000,000. If you purchase it now you will get no tax refund from whichever BC authority or Federal authority. And you will pay 50,000 GST. If you purchase it on or after July 1, you will be suitable for $26,250 new accommodations refund. But you will pay $120,000 HST.

That's a big divergence! Especially for my possible customers who will most expected invest in assets in Vancouver west side, West Vancouver. Because the accommodations price is rarely go below $1,000,000 when you invest in detached house in those zones.

Another interesting issue about this new accommodations refund is: There is an enriched provincial New Rental Housing refund. If you construct or markedly renovate a residential property to rent to renter, you will be suitable for a refund up to $26,250 on units priced up to $525,000. There is a flat refund of $26,250 for units priced above $525,000.

So the interesting issue is: you will not be suitable for any accommodations refund if you buy a new property which is not your major residence and you don’t rent it. But, if you buy a new rental apartment building and rent all of the units, you will be suitable for a New Rental Housing Rebate for each unit up to a maximum refund of $26,250 per unit.

Certainly, there are each time some conditions utilize that you want to double check with BC authority about new HST instructions. And in point of fact the new HST rule won't just impact on new home price. Because the whole accommodations market worth, including those before built houses, will be modified to a sophisticated level when the new HST instructions utilize.

Architectural Plans for Commercial Buildings

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:25:51 -0600

When you are ready to create a new commercial building for your business, you want it to be an expression of what your business is about - a part of your brand. Besides being just the place where your business happens to be located, your commercial building can say a lot more about you, and communicate the impression that you want your customers to have about you.

Quality commercial building plans need to include unique design features that will make your building stand out from the competition. With the right appeal, it can actually add to the attractiveness of your business and make people take notice as they drive by. Such an appeal can add to your bottom line and increase the number of your customers and your success rate - even before your doors ever open.
The process of getting the right architectural plans for your commercial building starts out with obtaining a set of complete blueprints for your building. Architectural drawings will need to be made for each aspect of the building.
This will include:

•Foundation plans
•Floor plans
•Exterior views
•Framing plans
•Electrical plans
•HVAC plans
•Plumbing plans
•Sectional Plans
•Roof plans
•Site plans
•And a few more as needed.

Besides needing the basic plans and a great exterior, you will also need commercial design plans for the interior of the building. This should also be given much thought because the building layout is important in making your visitors feel at home - and wanting to come back. The appeal needs to be inside and outside.

Adding into your commercial building plans the needed sizes and features for those with disabilities will further ensure that your customers are happy with your new building design. This may benefit both your visitors and possibly some employees, as well. Having these features will also enable your building to resell faster, too, because little upgrading will be required if that need should ever arise.

Once the architectural plans are complete, you can take a set of presentation drawings to potential lenders. They will need to see what you are planning on doing and these drawings from your architect or designer will be able to sell them on the idea. Most likely, you will want to take an isometric drawing and a floor plan.

Depending on where you live, your architectural plans for your new commercial building will need to be examined by the local planning commission. This group, as well as the building inspectors, will look over your plans and make sure that everything fits either into the local plans for the future, and for any potential problems with the design.

Selecting a contractor is the final major step in the procedure. You will want to find one that is familiar with commercial building construction and also has a solid reputation. It is also very important that you have the contractor agree to follow the architectural blueprints as given.