Attic
Attic ventilation reduces heat at the attic and the condition space you want to cool .
Pros & Cons
Pproperly ventilated attic means savings in cooling cost.
Roof life is optimized as well as sheathing.
Properly ventilated attic space eliminates the possibility of mold.
Recommendations
Properly ventilated attic space is key to a healthy house.
Contract a qualified company to assess for the requirements of you house.
Proper attic ventilation circulates hot air out of the attic and allows infiltration of cooler outside air.
Properly ventilated attic space will require soffit vents, gabled end vents and a ridge vent. These are all passive methods to properly ventilate your attic space with minimum penetrations with maximum results.
Questions to ask before you contract
Will you be measuring the attic requirements for the proper method to ventilate?
Will you be strictly using a passive method of ventilation?
Why do you recommend mechanical ventilation vs. passive?
What is the downside of making a large penetration to install a mechanical ventilator?
Get Your Attic questions answered by a Homeline Pro>>
Back to Top
Air Conditioning
Air Conditioning Is simply mechanically removing the humidity within the environment you want to cool. By removing the excess humidit, the space feels cooler and comfortable .
Pros & Cons
Removing the excess humidity in the environment too quickly, leaves the conditioned space feeling clammy. The air conditioning system may be oversized.
Properly sized A/C system leaves the condition space cool and feeling comfortable with a 78 degrees inside temperature when the outside temperature is
95 degrees.
Recomendations
Properly sized A/C systems will give you plenty of interior comfort inside the space you want to condition. The important thing to know is that all systems are sized based on the heat gained into the space when the outside temperature is 95 degrees the maximum inside temperature will be 78 degrees. A trained contractor will know this and size the system accurately.
Today flex duct is used to transport the cooler condition air as well as remove the hotter interior air. What you need to know is the higher the R- factor insulating the flex duct the better the transfer of the cooler condition air to the space. Typically the duct used in the installations today is the 4.0 R-factor rating. Our recommendation is to have all duct installation be of the 8.0 R-factor whether for new construction or renovations. Click on our questions to ask before you contract your work.
Questions to ask before you contract
If you are building your dream house or doing a renovation, ask the builder or contractor to upgrade the r-value for the duct installation. For both your supply and return ducts. Don’t let them talk you out of this up grade that will cost you a little extra but pay long term dividends with lower utility cost.
Ask your contractor to take both a heat gain and loss of the structure and including the attic that you may want to finish at a later time.
Ask your contractor is zoning an option and if not what would it take to zone the system. Zoning allows better control of the space you want to condition. By letting you isolate areas of the structure you want to condition.
Ask your contractor can your existing A/C system handle additional load to service any future expansion to your house.
Get Your Air Conditioning questions answered by a Homeline Pro>>
Back to Top
Bathrooms
Bathrooms can be very elegant with all the features and comforts available or just basic and functional. The cost to go from basic to sheik is where you decide how much you want to spend for a room that has a single function.
Recommendations
Optimizes the space whether you are renovating or new construction. Builders like you to stay with what is easier for them. You can pay a little more for better fixtures, furniture style vanity or in-the-floor heating. The best options isn’t always the most expensive options.
Pros & Cons
Do it yourselfers at times run in to problems renovating bathrooms typically with the plumbing. What you need to know is that there are better ways to plumb your bathroom renovation or even your new house. The key is to do your research ask the contractor questions so you can achieve what is in your minds eye. Then let the professional do the piping what we call the ‘rough-in.” You can do the rest.
Keep your renovation simple and always work from a sketch or for larger projects, prints and when applicable have the proper inspections done on your project.
Questions to ask the contractor
Have the contractor give you a list of clients he has completed work for. Recommendations are the life line to a very successful contractors business.
Ask the contractor his timetable to complete the work and if will he be outsourcing any of the work. If so, have him give you the list of the other vendors he will be using. Many contractors can’t do all the required work when renovating, your job is to be an active participant in the process without be in the way.
Ask your contractor if you can contribute some sweat equity to the project . You can keep the construction area clean and remove the debris is a helpful and it can save you and the contactor money. But if you do not ask, you won’t know. Besides it’s your house and many good contractors encourage owner participation.
Get Your Bathrooms questions answered by a Homeline Pro>>
Back to Top
Cabinets
Whether for the kitchen, bathroom, laundry room or garage, you have a mired of styles to choose from. As with any new construction or renovation, the question you have to decide on is it function and how much you want to spend. Once you have determined it’s function and where is it to be installed, Your choices of cost and functionality determines where you search.
Recommendations
The more you can spend for higher end cabinets the better the construction and durability of the material. However do not price yourself out of the neighbor as you should get eighty percent of return on your investment redoing your kitchen. We recommend that you do your homework and visit our links to smart ways to get the best bang for your bucks.
Get Your Cabinets questions answered by a Homeline Pro>>
Back to Top
Crown Molding
Is the final accent to a ceiling that gives the room character and dimension. There are many styles, sizes and material.
Recommendations
The key to great crown molding is the installation. We recommend that you have a seasoned carpenter skilled in interior trim work do the installation. You will see one continuous piece of crown molding when the work is done. Hire a Professional>> to find contractors who know crown molding.
Get Your Crown Molding questions answered by a Homeline Pro>>
Back to Top
Concrete
Concrete is the mixture of aggregate and Portland cement that holds up to all weather conditions. It reflects the summer heat better unlike asphalt and can be installed for driveways, sidewalks and patios and easy to work with. You can add color to the mixture rather than settling for the traditional gray.
Concrete anchors make the installation of into concrete easy but you need to use the correct fastener. Your choices are either lead or plastic and the types are screw expansion, toggle bolt, lag bolt and steel expansion anchor.
Tip: use a variable speed drill at 400 rpm with a carbide bit and if you use a hammer drill at 1000 rpm to prolong the life of the drill.
Recommendations
Concrete is the choice of the construction business and the do it yourselfer. What you need to know is that concrete will crack over time and it’s not necessarily due to poor installation. To control the expansion and contraction as the weather changes, a skilled
contractor will install controlled joints in the concrete at the time of installation. This technique will allow the concrete to expand and contract at those joints and minimize cracking. Hire a Professional>> to find contractors who specialize in concrete work.
Get Your Concrete questions answered by a Homeline Pro>>
Back to Top
Countertops
With all kitchens, the countertop can be one of the big ticket items in the space. Consideration needs to be given to the neighborhood and how much you want to spend without pricing yourself out of the neighborhood.
Recommendations
You have lots of materials and colors to choose from. It’s key to maximize the available space and minimize the number of joints in the top and have rounded corners. Hire a Professional>> specializing in countertops.
Get Your Countertop questions answered by a Homeline Pro>>
Back to Top
Closet Space
There are vendors that can maximize existing closet space giving you useable space that you did not know you had it that closet. Hire a Professional >> and add more space to your closet.
Get Your closet space questions answered by a Homeline Pro>>
Back to Top
Crawl Space
Ventilation of the crawl space is key to a health interior environment and eliminating the growth of mold. Conventional wisdom does not cover the soil with plastic and relies on foundation vents to maintain circulation of air in the space.
Recommendations
Not withstanding the conventional wisdom, we recommend that the crawl space be lined in plastic and that there be no exposed soil. We also recommend you have automated foundation vents so you do not have to rely on any manual intervention. Click on our link to Hire a Professional >> who knows how to keep your crawl space dry and properly ventilated.
Get your Crawl Space questions answered by a Homeline Pro>>
Back to Top
Commodes
What you need to know is that because of the array of choices and styles available it is key for you to determine do you want to sit on an expensive piece of china or will functionality guide your decision. There are many reasonably priced commodes that are both functional and add class to your bathroom.
Recommendations
We recommend that your decision be guide first for function and when you search for the commode a one piece fits every bathrooms design. Two piece commodes are the standard in the building industry. Inexpensive , durable and always functional.
Get your Commodes questions answered by a Homeline Pro>>
Back to Top
|
