A bathroom is the one place in the house which mostly escapes the radar when a remodeling your home. However, it is important to consider the bathroom as it forms an essential part of the house. Moreover, a bathroom remodeling project in Houston has the ability to give you an 80% to 90% return on investment when and if you choose to sell your home. A bathroom should have functional value. Here are some tips to consider before you undertake a bathroom remodeling project. A bathroom remodeling project should be decided according to a scope of work to avoid being in a mess. Deciding the scope beforehand can help you in proceeding accordingly with the project. These three considerations should be taken into account considering a bathroom remodeling project-
Depending on these three things you have the following options: Surface level bathroom remodeling You can consider this when your bathroom fixtures are in a pretty good condition but your bathtub or shower needs some care. In this case, the surface level bathroom remodeling in Houston can give you the look and feel of a complete bathroom overhaul while keeping the budget limitations. Here, you should follow the rule of thumb-“cover, don't replace”. With every replacement it adds to the time and cost of a remodel because here you are paying to remove what is already there. With surface remodeling you are simply covering what is already existing. Some of the items you need to invest in when you are doing a surface level bathroom remodeling are- bathtub refinishing, easy-to-install wainscoating, bathtub or shower liners, and prefabricated shower units. Change the layout of the bathroom This option includes rearranging the plumbing fixtures in the bathroom like the sink, bathtub, shower stall, and cabinets. This is a bit difficult than the previous operation. Bathroom fixtures like the bathtub, shower stall, cabinets, and sink are difficult to remove and they call for the services of a licensed plumber, carpenter, etc. The small things like towel racks, bars, trash cans, and shelves can be easily rearranged by yourselves. Opt for a bigger bathroom If you have the space to spare then you can opt to extend the area of your toilet and bath. If at present you are only blessed with a shower stall, then you can tear down a non-load bearing wall and reward yourself with a proper bathtub. You can also opt for a sauna if you have the space. It is always about space in these matters. A complete overhaul If none of the above options seem appealing to you, you can always opt for a complete overhaul. Tear everything down and start from scratch. This creates room for a lot of experimentation and innovation. However, remember that out of all the ones that have been discussed this is going to be the most expensive, cumbersome, and tedious project that you have to handle and bear with for quite some time.
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The mega trend of green building has swept the world by storm. It has been catching up in countries of North America and Europe, with the other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, Middle East, and South Africa, trying to keep up. With each year, more and more properties, government agencies, colleges, and corporate real estate developers have been seen to incorporate green design ideas and measures into their facilities and buildings. It is only licensed certified general contractors in Houston who have the skills and training to construct a green building. What is a green building and how is it important? Green Building, or sometimes referred to as sustainable design is the practice of increasing the efficiency with which buildings utilize energy, materials, water, and how it reduces impact on human health and the environment for the entire life cycle of the building. Five of the ten trends associated with green building revolves around the subject of energy- energy management, energy efficiency, energy performance disclosure, zero-net-energy, cloud-based (and data-driven) energy, and solar power. These trends are mostly compelled by two considerations which are practical: Firstly, for most buildings energy becomes the largest uncontrollable operating cost. Secondly, the rise in understanding of a connection between building energy use and global climate change means that government action and corporate social responsibility will lead to a rising demand for building energy efficiency. The growth rate of green building is slated to rise in Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East. More and more home builders in Houston are only realizing the advantages of green home building projects. The registrations for green building projects accounted for about 20% of the total new construction project area in the US during 2014. Green building offers huge cost-operative solutions and is more energy-efficient. Zero-net-energy buildings rate becoming a commonplace occurrence. Rather than focusing on the construction of new buildings, the trend has also seen an assessment of existing buildings and tenant spaces to develop them into green buildings. This happened because of the global financial crisis of 2008-2010. The rise of green buildings corresponds with the rising use of solar energy to provide green energy. Green energy is the need of the hour due to the rapidly depleting amount of non-renewable energy sources. The key impacts of green building are:
Green Buildings use a large number of techniques to lower the energy used. A building is considered as a green building when it helps in reducing the footprint on the natural environment and also on the health of its inhabitants. An integrated design process is the main step for green building rating and certification system for the successful creation of projects that are environmentally responsible. It is important to bring in licensed and certified home builders in Houston to construct a green building. Among all other remodeling tasks, renovating a bathroom is the trickiest! The focus should be put on the requirements of your family and the site itself. Some would put more focus on enhancing its functionality whereas some would amplify its aesthetic beauty. But in the words of the contractors of bathroom remodel in Houston, there must be a balance between the two. There is no way spending thousands without drawing the benefits. Below-mentioned is a few tricks for enhancing the storage, functionality and comfort factors of your bathroom.
1. Hidden-tank toilet, a low-flow: Most eminent bathroom remodeling contractors want your bathroom turning smarter than before. A hidden-tank toilet requires lesser space and its low-flow pieces help you saving more water, each time you flush. To accompany the functionality in equal terms, contemporary décor tricks could do wonders. 2. Small, textured tiles: Given the availability of numerous options for flooring, tiles and walls, you may lose your way. Do not worry, here are some valuable tips.
3. 2-inch plumbing: Some remodeling actions remain invisible and they are hidden actors making a huge difference. Usually, bathroom sink drains comes in 1.5 inches diameters which enhances the problem of clogging. Instead, replacing it with its bigger version of 2 inch drain reduces this problem. The best thing is that it does not cost you a havoc. 4. A tub as a requirement or a show-piece: Ensure you regularly use the bathtub and it just would not turn a showpiece. Those who do not like taking baths too often could go for a larger shower. 5. Why a bathroom window: Nemesis of a clean bathroom is trapped moisture. Rather than going for artificial means like a bathroom exhaust fan, why not choose its natural variant in the form of a window? It will be useful if you leave the bathroom door ajar. 6. A medicine cabinet: Placing a water-resistant medicine cabinet inside the bathroom is a good choice but better if you choose a recessed med cabinet. You can suggest your bathroom remodeler to keep the cabinet a few inches inside the wall thereby making the space look sleeker and help you save some space. 7. Improved lighting: Better lighting available inside the bathroom could significantly enhance your mood. If there is no inlet for natural lighting, ensure installing more sources. Pros of bathroom remodeling A bathroom must be remodeled for improving the quality of life and to enhance the home value. There are many experts in the world of bathroom remodeling in Houston. Thus, getting an expert help is not that difficult. According to environmentalists, waste materials gathered from a construction site can pose a hazard to the environment. Most of the licensed general contractors based in Houston follow accurate steps to dispose of the waste materials properly. Contrary to amateur home builders in Houston, the licensed general contractors or graduate builders ensure that the health of the environment as well as that of the homeowners not be jeopardized all because of a casual approach towards the ideal mechanism for disposing of the waste materials. The Objectives behind Managing the Waste Materials 1. Reduction or mitigation of adverse impact on the environment 2. Compliance with the laws and regulations 3. Compliance with the Environmental Management System and standardizations like ISO 14001:2015 4. Implementation of the policies for environment and sustainability 5. Compliance with the environmental requirements for the completion of the project 6. A positive contribution towards sustainability Contribution to Sustainability Sustainability is one of the foremost concerns of waste material management. This is to ensure that the resources used for building homes in Houston should be used in such a way that enough of it is left for the future generation to use later. Herein, one important commodity is lumber building materials. Regarding home remodeling projects, the home construction contractors will re-utilize repurposed lumber that were used to construct the existing homes’ ceilings and floors. They use them for multiple purposes to complete home additions or remodeling projects. Classification of Waste Materials Waste materials generated at construction sites are generally classified into 2 categories:
Hazardous Waste Materials Waste materials exhibiting the below-mentioned properties are placed under the category of hazardous waste materials:
Types of Hazardous Waste Materials The outdated lights, broken glass pieces, plastic made home products, broken pieces of fiber made counter tops etc fall in the category of hazardous waste materials. Apart from these, different types of chemicals like wall paints, adhesives, artificial oils, sealants, batteries, bitumen and lubricants used for the construction of homes pose a serious threat to the well-being of the homeowners and the environment as a whole. Types of Non-Hazardous Waste Materials The waste materials that need not have to be handled with special precautions, fall in the category of non-hazardous waste materials. Below-mentioned materials fall under the category of non-hazardous waste materials:
The proficient Houston home builders follow ideal steps for managing the waste materials generated at the construction site. It is always recommended to appoint a reputed home builder for completing your works. Ref link: https://www.iirsm.org/sites/default/files/Waste%20Management%20on%20Construction%20Sites.pdf Many of us are fond of fine home building which is synonymous with a good lifestyle. If you think that this is the right moment to take your lifestyle to a new height, opting for a design-build (luxury custom) home is one of the finest ways to achieve your goals. As lots of money and efforts are associated with the construction/remodeling of a design-build home in Houston, you need to be extra cautious before you appoint a design-build home builder/ custom home builder for finishing the project, successfully. There are many advantages of hiring a well-qualified, proficient design build home builder. The Advantages of Hiring a Design-Build Home Builder Throughout the project cycle, the design-build home builder performs the balancing act between the homeowner and the design / architect team. In case of any conflict arising out of difference in ideas or contradiction between expectations and its feasibility, the design-build home builder plays the role of a negotiator. They bring a consensus for a middle-path agreed upon by all. When you appoint a home builder in Houston to construct your custom home, it is his/her duty to keep you updated about the progress or important twists that might come in to play. The design-build home builder should disclose honest and transparent information to the homeowner. If at any time a change order is necessary, the information should be conveyed to the homeowner in the earliest possible time. An ideal design-build home builder provides best quality materials for a project of home construction in Houston. He/she shapes up the products to serve the project in the best possible way. A project of new home construction/remodeling is a huge task that comprises of many complexities. That is why the owner must plan and organize before the initiation of the project. The custom home builders should assist the homeowner in reviewing the site of the building, lot documents and whether or not the building design will conform with the surroundings. The success of a project depends on the accuracy of a conceptual plan. The accuracy depends on the understanding of current and future lifestyle. There are special procedures of capturing the lifestyle needs. These needs should be properly documented before the framing of the conceptual plan. Based on the plan, major processes like elevation and floor plan drawings are made! This intricate process becomes successful when all of the design team members have done their homework accurately. It is the duty of the design-build home builder to coordinate the works in the best advantage of the homeowner. He/she collects information from the homeowner in the form of questions and answers and document them. The tradition of luxury homes in Houston is very enriched. There are many well-qualified custom home builders in Houston. The only thing that is required is an authentic reference. The success of a dream project depends on the capabilities of the home builder. An expert can facilitate the realization of the homeowners expectations into reality. Want your home to be the talk-of-the-town? Hire a good design-build home builder in Houston. We all know the benefits of home remodeling. The process improves your quality of life. It enhances the home value for the reselling purpose as well. Last but not the least, home remodeling process makes you a proud homeowner. In most of the cases, we remodel our homes in stages. At first, we determine the stages on the basis of repair requirements of various product installations or components of the home. Secondly, the remodeling step is dependent upon severity of the damage. Lastly (and probably the most important one), the decision to remodel a home is dependent upon urgency of the repair work. If you are not facing the third situation right now, how will you determine which stage bears the highest priority? Some vital factors are there to be considered for evaluating the needs of renovation. But at first, let us briefly enlist the benefits of home remodeling: Benefits of Home Remodeling
1. It increases your home value 2. New electronic appliances enhance the energy efficiency of our home 3. It reduces the utility cost of your home 4. It reduces the cost of maintenance repair 5. Better use of storage space 6. Greater homeowner pride One of the most important factors to be considered for evaluating the priority requirements of renovation is the Cost vs Value Relationship. This factor influences major home renovation projects. Let us briefly discuss this factor: Cost vs Value Relationship Based on a survey conducted by the REMODELING magazine, the following sections of a home incur the percentage of the total budget as enlisted below: Project Improvements Cost Recouped (same year) 1. Window replacement 74% 2. Bathroom remodel 60% 3. Major kitchen remodel 66% 4. Two-story addition 71%www.marwoodconstruction.com/process/construction-management/ 5. Master suite addition 60% 6. Family room addition 69% You can prepare the cost vs value analogy with the help of experts from proficient home construction services in Houston like ‘Marwood Construction’. Home product replacement plays a significant role in the determination of a future home buyers motivation to purchase your home. Today's upscale home buyer is experienced in home ownership and understands the hidden cost associated with buying older homes. They take into consideration the impact that product replacement cost will have on the total acquisition of the home purchase price. Although the REMODELING magazine addresses the average return on investment within a year's period of the improvements, the study did not assess the impact on the sales price of homes that were in need of updating or product replacement. If you discuss the theme of this idea with a seasoned real estate sales professional, they will tell you that unquestionably that ignoring these required improvements will have a major impact on the perceived market value of your property. Substantially more than the cost of the replacement or updating investments. The first and foremost thing to consider before preparing a wish list for your home renovation is to select those room features that you want to completely change. Next, comes the priority level that you select from your wish list elements. The budget consideration comes as the third most important thing. The development of a perfect wish list is important for the success of the home renovation project in Houston.
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