Category Archives: Remodeling

New Trex Cladding Boards

Trex Company is expanding beyond composite decking and outdoor living products with the launch of new Trex Cladding boards. This new cladding is a composite board cladding system derived from square-edge Trex Transcend deck boards.

Trex’s composite boards are made from 95% reclaimed wood scrap and recycled plastic. These new Trex Cladding boards are available in three board lengths and 10 color options nationwide, and feature a nine-element surface formulation that provides both a timber-like grain pattern and ultra-durable finish. The boards resist fading, staining, scratching and mold, and will not rot, crack or warp over time.

New Trex Cladding Boards

New Trex Cladding Boards for Rainscreens

“Rainscreen is extremely popular right now across the building industry and is a natural extension for us,” says Adam Zambanini, president of Trex Residential. “The unparalleled performance attributes of our Trex Transcend boards make them ideally suited to outperform wood in rainscreen applications. Furthermore, the premium exterior aesthetic and ultra-low maintenance of our new Trex Cladding boards product is especially appealing to architects and business owners, allowing us to expand our footprint in the commercial arena.”

These low maintenance cladding boards are designed for use over rainscreen systems. This new cladding is a composite board cladding system. The boards may be applied horizontally or vertically, and feature an open-joint façade system designed to provide airflow over a rainscreen assembly. trex.com

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Cad Pro is an affordable and easy alternative to other more expensive architectural design software programs. Cad Pro is great for creating kitchen design plans, innovative smart home designs, custom home plans, building plans, office plans, construction details, and much more.

CAD Pro allows anyone to share their ideas and plans for these new Trex Cladding boards with clients, colleagues or professional remodeling contractors using Dropbox®, Google Drive™, OneDrive®, and SharePoint®. Export files to Microsoft Word®, Excel®, and PowerPoint® with a single click.

CAD Pro has helped thousands of homeowners, professional designers, builders and contractors plan and design all types of floor plan designs. CAD Pro is used by NARI professional remodelers and contractors and the NRCA roofing contractors. CAD Pro is also used by NHBA home builders and contractors, the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA). as well as the (NALP) National Association of Landscape Professionals.

Exterior Home Design Materials

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Exterior Home Design Materials

There is more to the exterior home design materials than just a pretty facade. In residential projects, system design of the building envelope (exterior) seldom receives the attention it deserves. High-performance home exteriors along with more time and resources need to be spent on what is the homes main defense: the building envelope.

Given the issues of building resilience, durability, design, and client comfort, more single-family builders are leaning on performance standards to create high-performance home exteriors. It all starts with understanding a few important principles.

Cad Pro is an affordable and easy alternative to other more expensive home design software programs. Cad Pro is great for creating kitchen design plans, innovative smart home designs, custom home plans, building plans, office plans, construction details, and much more.

CAD Pro allows anyone to share their ideas for exterior home design materials and plans with clients, colleagues or professional remodeling contractors using Dropbox®, Google Drive™, OneDrive®, and SharePoint®. Export files to Microsoft Word®, Excel®, and PowerPoint® with a single click.

Exterior Home Design Materials

Addressing Exterior Home Design Materials

Condensation Issues:
Condensation is important when considering exterior home design materials. Opposing exterior and interior temperatures create condensation where cold, warmth, and humidity meet, which turns vapor into droplets. Depending on the outside temperature, temperature difference, and relative humidity, these droplets may form on the siding, on the water-resistive barrier, on back of the plywood, on the studs, and even on the drywall. Typically, they need a surface and do not accumulate in the middle of an insulation batt, though batts can get soaked from the condensation accumulating on framing surfaces.

Condensation Solutions:
There are two ways to control condensation:
1) Limit the amount of humid air inside the building assembly. This is typically done with good air sealing; air leaks carry far more humid air into a building assembly than vapor diffusion.
2) Raise the temperature of the building assembly to keep materials above the dew point temperature. This is increasingly done using continuous insulation, which greatly improves overall thermal performance and relocates the dew point condensation away from the wall cavity.

Implementing these condensation ideas will assist you in creating high-performance home exteriors.

Bulk Water Control:
An increasing number of both production and custom residential builders have found simple ways to implement rainscreens in their exterior home design materials. Vertical batten nailers (“strapping”), nylon matrix mats, or siding that installs with rainscreen clips are all readily available and effective ways to uncouple the cladding from the rest of the wall assembly. This disconnect is commonly referred to as a “drained and back-ventilated rainscreen” (DBVR).

Adding 1 inch to 1.5 inches of foam, or using a foam-sheathing combination (sometimes referred to as “structural insulation”) is fairly easy and inexpensive to build in because most rainscreen claddings don’t require additional framing to accomplish a robust and high-performance home exteriors, thermally broken building enclosure, solving for both condensation control and water control.

Stucco Exterior Siding:
Using stucco as one of your exterior home design materials. Knocking on traditional stucco is fighting talk for many old-school builders and plasterers who appreciate its benefits. It’s thick, durable, and inexpensive. It is fire- and pest-resistant. But three-coat stucco has a lurking secret not enough people talk about: thermal mass. Because stucco isn’t ventilated, it doesn’t address dew point. It can also cause homes to use more energy than necessary.

The Southern exposure of any home in the Sun Belt region gets absolutely crushed by solar gain. A day with 100-degree ambient temperature can easily result in a 150-degree wall temperature all day. Homes with concrete masonry unit block or wood-framed homes with direct-applied stucco use much more energy into the evening and early morning than a home with a ventilated rainscreen cladding. A stucco home holds the heat, so the HVAC must work longer and harder. Some builders have been using a drain wrap between the sheathing and felt paper layers to create more drainage. Even if that can be achieved, however, it’s not enough space to uncouple the stucco from the structure to allow the needed separation and ventilation that would allow the wall to cool in near-real-time to manage condensation. If your trying to implement high-performance home exteriors into your home design plans, it’s important to consider these factors before installing stucco.

Materials Matter:
With exterior home design materials, you have a trade-off. Often, the more environmentally friendly and healthy the material, the less durable and higher maintenance it is, therefore increasing life cycle costs and environmental impact substantially. Wood is a good example. By contrast, metals have a high embodied energy in manufacturing and even geopolitical footprint, but they are highly durable and resilient making them one of the more durable high-performance home exteriors.

Cement, sand, pulp, and water make a formidably durable and affordable combination. You need robust raw materials like this to make something that is sustainable from the standpoint of performance, maintenance, and longevity. It also helps that products made with these raw materials are generally within reach for almost every construction budget. But manufacturers need to invest in decarbonizing their final product that uses as little of these raw materials as possible.

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CAD Pro has helped thousands of homeowners, professional designers, builders and contractors plan and implement all types of exterior home design materials. CAD Pro is used by NARI professional remodelers and contractors and the NRCA roofing contractors. CAD Pro is also used by NHBA home builders and contractors, the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA). as well as the (NALP) National Association of Landscape Professionals.

Popular Home Design Trends

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Home Renovation Money Saving Tips

Renovating a home is a good way to not only increase how much you enjoy the space, but also increase the value of the home. There are hundreds of potential renovations that can be done, some which are small and easy and some that are more difficult that can take months. These home renovation money saving tips are a great way to improve your homes value while not spending too much money.

Home renovations are also incredibly popular as the market for them in America is in the hundreds of billions of dollars. That is a lot of people fixing up their homes. So while these home renovation money saving tips are common and can renew your love for a room or your home as a whole, they can often cost thousands of dollars.

However, renovating your home doesn’t have to leave you in financial ruin. There are several of these home renovation money saving tips you can do during, before and after a renovation in order to save money. Without any further ado, this article is going to look at a couple of different ways to help you save money on a home renovation.

Popular Home Renovation Money Saving Tips

Cad Pro is an affordable and easy alternative to other more expensive design software programs. Cad Pro is great for any of these home renovation money saving tips when creating kitchen design plans, innovative smart home designs, custom home plans, building plans, office plans, construction details, and much more.

CAD Pro allows anyone to share their ideas and plans with clients, colleagues or professional remodeling contractors using Dropbox®, Google Drive™, OneDrive®, and SharePoint®. Export files to Microsoft Word®, Excel®, and PowerPoint® with a single click.

CAD Pro has helped thousands of homeowners, professional designers, builders and contractors plan, design and implement these home renovation money saving tips. CAD Pro is used by NARI professional remodelers and contractors and the NRCA roofing contractors. CAD Pro is also used by NHBA home builders and contractors, the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA). as well as the (NALP) National Association of Landscape Professionals.

Home Renovation Money Saving Tips

Important – Have a Budget and Stick to It:
First and foremost, you want to be sure to have a budget. You need to know how much you can afford to spend on the renovation and stick within that range. Too many people overspend or go into debt for renovations, which isn’t often a good move.

Of course, try and leave a bit of flexibility in this budget. Things rarely go as expected and having a bit of extra money to play around with if need be is a good idea. Your budget should cover all facets of the renovation. You should have a budget for materials, for labor and anything else you can think of when implementing these home renovation money saving tips.

For example, if you are looking to replace bathroom cabinets, be sure to have a price range in mind, and look for providers or options within that range. If you look at everything, even what is far out of your range, you can easily end up overspending. If you’re looking for high quality, yet affordable, bathroom cabinetry, consider checking out this link: bathroom vanity cabinets – cabinet city kitchen and bath

Handle Some Things Yourself:
While things like materials can cost a fair bit, a lot of the costs from a renovation come from the labor. If you handle some of the renovations yourself, you could potentially save a whole lot of money. One of the best part of these home renovation money saving tips is for the homeowner to handle some of the work themselves including demolition and hauling things to the dump, but depending on your skills, you could also handle a lot more.

However, be sure to know your skills and don’t try to extend yourself too far. If you try and do something out of your skill range and end up messing up or failing in some way, it can be expensive to fix. Not only will you have to undo the damage you have already done but will also have to hire someone else to redo it. Sometimes, it’s better to hire a professional and pay them rather than trying to handle something you’re not capable of.

Be Careful About Who You Hire for Help:
Speaking of hiring someone, you need to be careful about who you hire for help. Not all contractors are created equally. Everyone will have different skills, experience, costs and reputation. However, don’t simply go with the one that charges the least. Sure, that will save you some cash in the short run, but if their work is poor, it will often need to be redone, which can cost you.

When implementing these home renovation money saving tips be sure to do your due diligence and hire a contractor that you feel will do the best work, without charging you an arm and a leg. Hiring the right person can save you money and make your entire renovation a more positive experience.

In conclusion, the three methods and tips included in this article will help you save money during your next home renovation project.

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Different Window Replacement Styles:
There are many window styles and manufacturing companies to choose from. Here are a few we recommend; Renewal by Anderson , Pella Windows and Doors , Jeld Wen Windows and Doors , Home Depot and Lowes.

Zillow Home Flipping Business

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Smart Builder Business Lessons

Today’s builders can streamline their business with these smart builder business lessons that include new technologies and procedures borrowed from other industries. Implementing these successful builder business guidelines will help any builder achieve a thriving and profitable business.

It’s easy to criticize some builders’ resistance to new technology but, given the complexities of this business and the huge financial risks, their hesitance is understandable. Established methods can seem safer and more predictable than changes that may or may not pay off.

However, a growing number of builders understand that implementing these smart builder business lessons will improve their survival and profitability. Implementing these new guidelines will ultimately depend on their willingness to adopt new business practices and technologies. These practices usually aren’t complicated they tend to be proven, mainstream, and even obvious. The key is having the mindset to embrace them.

Case-in-point: San Diego-based Murfey Company, a 10-year-old builder/developer of single and multifamily homes as well as commercial projects. Owners Russ and Scott Murfey say that the careful application of new technologies and ideas has helped them build a thriving business.

Besides using industry-specific software (like ProCore for project management), the Murfeys often look to other industries for best practices and smart builder business lessons. This has helped them reduce errors, raise revenues, and improve employee retention. But getting there hasn’t been without challenges.

Cad Pro is an affordable and easy alternative to other more expensive design software programs. Cad Pro is great for creating kitchen design plans, innovative smart home designs, custom home plans, building plans, office plans, construction details, and much more.

CAD Pro has helped thousands of professional designers, builders and contractors implement these smart builder business lessons. CAD Pro is used by NARI professional remodelers and contractors and the NRCA roofing contractors. CAD Pro is also used by NHBA home builders and contractors, the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA). as well as the (NALP) National Association of Landscape Professionals.

Smart Builder Business Lessons and Successful Builder Business Guidelines

Profitable Smart Builder Business Lessons

Here are some smart builder business lessons:

Going paperless takes time. Digital communication is the norm in many industries, and homebuilding is getting there.

“We still need paper plans, but we also give our supers tablets and digitize everything,” say the Murfeys. “Our projects are cloud-based, with all documentation available online.” Getting the system in place has taken a few years, but it’s saving time and money.

The slow adopters of these successful builder business guidelines have been some sub-contractors. “We still get faxes from some of them.” And while the Murfeys try to help subs go digital, they realize that keeping a reliable one may require an exception. “We’re not heavy-handed. It’s case-by-case.”

Simple tools are important. Take plan changes, for example. “Markups can really get out of hand,”. For instance, if you decide to change a smaller JELD-WEN window for a bigger one, the framer needs to get the correct new rough opening.

For field changes, these builders prefer a generic tool like Adobe Acrobat for these successful builder business guidelines. The details can be marked up and then synced to the framer’s phone via a cloud service like iCloud, Google Drive, or Dropbox.

SOPs are superpowers. Manufacturing companies rely on standard operating procedures, or SOPs, to make sure work gets done efficiently, whereas builders tend to lag behind here.

The Murfeys are big believers in SOPs, which they develop and reinforce through weekly, monthly, and quarterly meetings. “We strive for a Henry Ford approach, which means looking for ways to do everything the same way, every time.” This is the most productive of the smart builder business lessons.

Letting go can be smart. Pulling a horse’s reins on these successful builder business guidelines slows forward motion and, the Murfeys insist, the same goes for people. That’s why they loosen the reins and allow employees to work remotely part of the time. Site managers have to be on the job, but office-based staff—sales, accounting, purchasing, etc.—don’t necessarily need to be in the office.

There are two big payoffs to allowing remote work:

Better talent. Flexibility attracts self-starters. “We want lifelong learners who embrace new ways of doing things and have no problem attracting people of all ages and experience levels who fit that description,”. “We give them direction and opportunities to excel, but we don’t micromanage. This empowers them.”

More sales leads. Employees who spend more time in the community and less time in an office tend to meet more people. To leverage this, the Murfeys make it clear to all employees they’re part of the marketing department and incent them to look for business opportunities. This helps fuel the sales tank. “For example, one of our supers has good relationships with a few architects, which has brought in work. And we have a project manager who consistently brings us new deals.”

The Murfeys insist that the prerequisite to creating smart builder business lessons is a culture for the builder to embrace technologies and processes that attract creative people. It’s smart business.

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For assistance with your projects, visit JELD-WEN’s professional portal.

Optimizing Net Zero Homes

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Zillow Home Flipping Business

When Zillow Group pivoted from an advertising-based business model to the algorithm-based Zillow home flipping business in 2018, its executives knew this day for the home flipping markets would come. Zillow and other tech-driven companies were able to refine their technology enough to make tiny profits on cookie-cutter houses in deserts and small metropolitan areas.

But to make $20 billion a year in revenue from Zillow Offers within five years as executives boldly projected, the Zillow home flipping business would need to crack major coastal markets, where homes are at least twice as expensive, and prices can change dramatically from one block to the next.

Zillow Home Flipping Business and Home Flipping Markets

Home Flipping Markets are Growing

According to The Real Deal real estate news, Zilllow Offers, the firm’s iBuying arm is moving into the Los Angeles housing market with a field staff and two veteran brokers. More hires are expected. Zillow Offers is already working in 21 other home flipping markets including San Diego, Sacramento, Houston, San Antonio and Atlanta. “L.A. is easily the biggest and most complex market that we are going into,” said Zillow president Jeremy Wacksman. “It is not a market, but a whole bunch of markets. Of the ones that we’ve opened in, it’s the biggest geographically, population and the average home price.”

The Zillow home flipping business iBuying model offers sellers a chance to quickly offload their property, giving them fast access to cash to buy other homes. It’s a business with extremely thin margins, and requires Zillow to set aside large pools of money to make the purchases, perform simple updates to the property, and sell it again, with the ultimate goal of financing the buyer’s purchase through its new mortgage arm.

Zillow lost an average of $4,826 on each home sale in the third quarter, after interest expenses — up from $2,916 in the second quarter, the company revealed last month. Still, Zillow does make money on the home flipping markets transaction fee, which runs between 6 and 9 percent. And that’s the focus.

Zillow is looking to move as quickly as possible and earn their money off the transaction fee. And ultimately because this transaction sits at the nexus of all of these adjacent markets that we know so well, that are big businesses in and of itself, they’re dying to be integrated into one thing. For Zillow, the L.A. launch will be a defining test on how far its Zestimate technology has come, and whether it can gain an edge in higher-stakes markets.

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Cad Pro is an affordable and easy alternative to other more expensive home design software. Cad Pro is great for creating innovative smart home designs, custom home plans, building plans, office plans, construction details, and much more.

Quickly share any Zillow home flipping business ideas and plans with clients, colleagues or professional remodeling contractors using Dropbox®, Google Drive™, OneDrive®, and SharePoint®. Export files to Microsoft Word®, Excel®, and PowerPoint® with a single click.

CAD Pro has helped thousands of real estate agents, homeowners, professional designers, builders and contractors plan and design all types of home designs and plans. CAD Pro is used by NARI professional remodelers and contractors and the NRCA roofing contractors. CAD Pro is also used by NHBA home builders and contractors, the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA). as well as the (NALP) National Association of Landscape Professionals.

Landscape Plans Add Value

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Walmart Home Improvement Tools

Everything from hedge trimmers, power drills to sanders, Walmart home improvement tools now offers great prices and availability for all of the Hart home improvement tools.

Retailer Walmart has launched a comprehensive tool line called HART, entering the home improvement space by targeting DIY enthusiast. The company touted the affordability and wide breadth of options in the new line of home improvement tools.

The complete line of Walmart home improvement tools and products that are easy to use and versatile for any project homeowners find themselves having to tackle, and available at an excellent value and amazing quality.

The HART line features power tools, hand tools, lawn & garden tools, automotive tools and several other accessories and lifestyle products. It also offers a variety of storage solutions, including a 36” 5-drawer mobile work bench.

Cad Pro is great for designing outdoor living projects, DIY home projects, smart home designs, technical drawings, electrical drawings, and much more. Anyone can start their new DIY home projects with CAD Pro.

Walmart Home Improvement Tools by Hart Tools

New Walmart Home Improvement Tools

If you ever undertake, or are planning to undertake, literally any home renovation or DIY project, we’ve got great news for you: You can now give your tool box a serious upgrade for a great price, thanks to Walmart home improvement tools. Today, the one-stop mega shop announced Hart Tools. Hart offers new in-house line of pretty much every tool you can imagine.

The line spans power tools to hand tools to outdoor appliances there’s even a lawn mower, plus places to store them, like an array of toolboxes and a seriously sturdy metal tool cabinet. Of course, given Walmart’s notoriously low prices, the tools all come at insanely great cost for their value. Take it from me, as I got to try them out myself today. As somewhat of a drill enthusiast, I was impressed by the power of each model of handheld drills, which start at $69.99.

Somehow, the best part about the Walmart home improvement tools system isn’t the prices. It’s that the Hart system runs on a common battery, meaning you can buy a reusable battery to go with your drill, and then use it on your multi-tool, sander, or leaf blower. And yes, the brand sells tools without battery packs too, so you don’t have to accrue unnecessary accessories while saving money.

Walmart home improvement tools now offer several Hart tools. Hart plans to roll out more tools over the next few months. There will be more than 300 variety of tools in all. That is to say: There couldn’t be a better time to stock your tool kit or toolbox.

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Cad Pro is an affordable and easy alternative to other more expensive home design software programs. Cad Pro is great for creating innovative smart home designs, custom home plans, building plans, office plans, construction details, and much more.

CAD Pro has helped thousands of homeowners, professional designers, builders and contractors plan and design all types of designs and blueprints with the new Walmart home improvement tools. CAD Pro is used by NARI professional remodelers and contractors and the NRCA roofing contractors. CAD Pro is also used by NHBA home builders and contractors, the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA). as well as the (NALP) National Association of Landscape Professionals.

Smart Home Security Solutions

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Moneymaking Home Interior Projects

Even small moneymaking home interior projects may require you to get a sign-off from an architect or engineer, particularly if your work involves altering load-bearing walls and structures. In this article we will provide home interior project cost details that will assist you with your new project.

It’s important that homeowners consult a pro early in the planning process when starting any of these moneymaking home interior projects. Whether you need an architect or engineer depends on the state and local codes of your jurisdiction. A lot of states give architects authority to design structures, but this industry is in transition concerning this issue. We’re seeing more states require a structural engineer to sign off on residential work. This is an important factor for home interior project cost details.

Any time you change, remove, modify or add structure, the building code is likely going to regulate you in some form. And engineers and architects are educated on how to do that properly.

Cad Pro is an affordable and easy alternative to other more expensive home design software programs. Cad Pro is great for any of these moneymaking home interior projects as well as custom home plans, building plans, office plans, construction details, and much more.

CAD Pro allows anyone to share their home interior project cost details and plans with clients, colleagues or professional remodeling contractors using Dropbox®, Google Drive™, OneDrive®, and SharePoint®. Export files to Microsoft Word®, Excel®, and PowerPoint® with a single click.

CAD Pro has helped thousands of homeowners, professional designers, builders and contractors plan and design all types of moneymaking home interior projects. CAD Pro is used by NARI professional remodelers and contractors and the NRCA roofing contractors. CAD Pro is also used by NHBA home builders and contractors as well as the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA).

Moneymaking Home Interior Projects Improve Home Value

Top Rated Moneymaking Home Interior Projects

ONE: Interior Painting
Homeowners typically spend: $975 – $2,800
Biggest cost driver: Size of job, type of walls and ceilings.

Painting is one of the quickest moneymaking home interior projects that will improve your home’s interior and give it a whole new look and sensation.

Here are two questions you need to consider. What color will you select? And what paint finish you will use? It’s worth taking the time in advance to consider your color palette, because it’s much easier to change your mind before the paint rollers get going. These questions will have an impact on your home interior project cost details. Your painting professional or paint store will be able to provide color swatches and samples to see how things will look. And you might also consider consulting with an interior decorator. Don’t forget how the floors, ceilings, baseboards and trim will interact with the new look. The finish plays a big role as well as your choices from matte to glossy. In addition to swatches, you can also apply paint samples to the wall. This way, you can see how the color interacts with the light and décor.

The scope and size of the job is an important cost indicator. Textured walls will take longer to paint, for example, and some paints dry more quickly than others, which lowers the labor cost.

Since a painter is already going to be paying close attention to your molding, baseboards and trim, this is an excellent time to inspect those areas for cracks, warps or other issues. Many painters can fix those items themselves which improve this moneymaking home interior project.

TWO: Kitchen Remodeling Costs
Homeowners typically spend: $12,700 – $34,500
Biggest cost driver: Appliances, cabinets

A kitchen remodel is one of the biggest and most expensive moneymaking home interior projects in short of an addition or whole-house remodel. Careful planning can help you realize the kitchen of your dreams, just as failure to plan can quickly devolve into a nightmare and become very costly.

This is a job in which you’ll have to be ready to grit your teeth and pay out serious money for things like cabinets, appliances and fixtures. It’s likely this will be a once-in-a-lifetime remodel for you, so it’s worth it to spend more to get it right. Using high-quality materials and going for the fixtures and appliances you really want will help ensure you’ll value and enjoy your kitchen for many years to come.

Important Consideration:
Consider remodeling your kitchen in the summertime so you can use your grill and outdoor eating area. You can also set up a backup kitchen complete with refrigerator, microwave and hot plate. This will help with your home interior project cost details. In any case, be prepared to eat more takeout than usual.

THREE: Bathroom Remodeling Costs
Homeowners typically spend: $5,900 – $14,500
Biggest cost driver: Plumbing, fixtures and countertops.

Be prepared for unexpected and costly infrastructure shifts on a bathroom remodel, because plumbing is expensive to move. If you can get away with remodeling without changing the layout of the plumbing. And if you move ahead with changing the layout, be aware that moving a toilet across the room will cost far more than the price of the toilet itself.

Moneymaking home interior projects such as bathroom remodels often involve the customization of some features, be ready for the timeframe to shift. You’re entirely at the mercy of the supplier’s schedule and inventory. If possible, select your components early on and wait until they’re delivered to start demolition. And if you do start without fixtures in hand, be ready with a backup plan for when (not if) something gets delayed.

In addition to the obvious plumbing concerns, many bathrooms have no windows. So, consider lighting and air circulation. Exhaust fans are highly recommended to prevent mold and keep air circulating. These items will impact your home interior project cost details.

FOUR: Flooring
Homeowners typically spend: $2,600 – $8,500 (wood), $1,600 – $4,200 (laminate)
Biggest cost driver: Materials and difficulty of installation.

Flooring is one of the most popular moneymaking home interior projects. Flooring work presents dangerous temptations to be penny-wise and pound-foolish. Take care with decisions where saving a few bucks may subtract years off the floor’s usable life. Flooring installation is best left to the professionals. If you blow it on a DIY job, you’ll often end up buying materials all over again. And take care to purchase high-quality materials; the dollars spent can translate into decades of floor life.

You especially don’t want your contractor to skimp on preparation. Experts say floors often fail because the contractor didn’t verify the subfloor’s flatness. These mistakes will have a big impact on your home interior project cost details.

Hardwood flooring costs range from $2 to $30 per square foot, depending on the specific wood. Pros say engineered hardwood makes an excellent compromise because of its affordability and durability, at around $8 per square foot. Laminate flooring costs less than wood, at between $0.70 and $2 per square foot. But laminate is not as durable as hardwood.

If you decide to add or replace windows to your kitchen or bathroom remodeling job. Here are a few we recommend; Renewal by Anderson , Pella Windows and Doors , Jeld Wen Windows and Doors , Home Depot and Lowes.

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Landscape Plans Add Value

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Impressive Home Curb Appeal

We’ve put together some of the most popular and impressive home curb appeal projects. The curb’s-eye view of your house gives you the best chance to make a good first impression and improve the value of your property. Tackling these six best curb appeal projects will make your home the talk of the neighborhood and impress potential buyers.

When starting theses best curb appeal projects. CAD Pro allows anyone to share their ideas and plans with clients, colleagues or professional contractors using Dropbox®, Google Drive™, OneDrive®, and SharePoint®. Export files to Microsoft Word®, Excel®, and PowerPoint® with a single click.

CAD Pro has helped thousands of homeowners, professional designers, builders and contractors plan and design all types of impressive home curb appeal plans. CAD Pro is used by NARI professional remodelers and contractors and the NRCA roofing contractors. CAD Pro is also used by NHBA home builders and contractors as well as the National Association of Landscape professionals.

Impressive Home Curb Appeal and the Best Curb Appeal Projects

Popular and Impressive Home Curb Appeal

The Most Impressive Home Curb Appeal Projects

One: Improve Landscaping
Nothing hits the “wow” factor quite like a perfectly landscaped yard. Great landscaping not only creates a lush lawn and garden, but it also adds value and establishes an inviting feel and it’s at the top of our list of impressive home curb appeal projects.

Planting a line of trees can create a “living fence” that ads privacy and defines the property line, for example. And even a quick and easy mulching job can do a lot to improve aesthetic appeal. If your budget allows, extras like water features, irrigation systems and patios, then you can take your landscaping to the next level.

Two: Make a Few Cosmetic Upgrades
A few small cosmetic upgrades can give curb appeal a big boost. When considering the best curb appeal projects adding a high-quality mailbox or prominent modern street numbers. Or, install lighting and potted plants along your walkway and at your entrance to create a welcoming environment.

Three: Paint Your Home’s Exterior
One of the most impressive home curb appeal projects is painting your home’s exterior. This home improvement project will freshen up your homes entire look, increasing both curb appeal and your property’s value. Of course, if you don’t want to commit to a full paint job, adding an accent trim or painting your front door in a bold, attention-grabbing color can also go a long way in making a good first impression for less money.

Four: Clean the Windows
Sparkling clean windows will make any home stand out from the rest. Professionals recommend cleaning your windows at least once a year, if not twice. And for the average cost of just a few hundred dollars, a professional cleaner can not only give your curb appeal a boost, but they can also save you the time and effort it would take to tackle the job yourself.

Five: Inspect and Repair Your Roof
This is one of our most important and best curb appeal projects you need to consider. Your roof is your home’s first line of defense against the elements, not to mention one of the first features a neighbor sees from the street. Roofing pros suggest hiring an inspector once a year to identify the need for repairs and to catch damage and leaks before they call for costly repairs and replacement. If you are planning to sell your home this will be a must in order to get any real value for your home.

Six: Spruce Up Your Deck
A well-maintained deck always makes an impressive home curb appeal. Power washing will clear away dirt and grime for a fresh start. And sealing and waterproofing once every year or two will not only protect your deck from moisture and mold, but it will also make your deck easier to clean and maintain in the long run.

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Cad Pro is an affordable and easy alternative to other more expensive home improvement design software. Cad Pro is great for designing DIY home projects, smart home appliances, technical drawings, electrical drawings, construction details, and much more. Anyone can plan and start one of these impressive home curb appeal projects with CAD Pro.

Bathroom Remodeling Prices

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Bathroom Remodel Costs

Average bathroom remodel costs fall between $9,600 to $11,000 in costs. At the low-end bathroom remodels typically cost around $2,500 while the high-end remodels cost around $23,000.

Cad Pro’s custom home remodeling projects and design software are affordable and easy alternatives to other home design software. Cad Pro is great for creating custom remodeling home plans, floor plans, house plans, outdoor kitchen plans, deck plans and patio designs, and much more.

Share your remodeling plans and designs with clients or team members using Dropbox®, Google Drive™, OneDrive®, and SharePoint®. Export files to Microsoft Word®, Excel®, and PowerPoint® with a single click.

CAD Pro will assist with your bathroom remodel costs

Bathroom Remodel Costs Will Increase Resale Value

If a dripping faucet or stained bathroom walls have you dreaming of the brushed metal, glass tile and ultra-modern sinks in a remodeled bathroom, you’re not alone.

Remodeling a bathroom also provides an increased home resale value, with a return on investment of up to 80 percent.

The average bathroom remodel costs range from $11,364 in 2016, according to the National Kitchen and Bath Association, with about 20 percent of that being labor cost.

A survey by NKBA on design trends showed that half of respondents paid between $10,000 and $29,999 for a bathroom remodel, while 31 percent reported paying more than $30,000.

Breakdown of Bathroom Remodel Costs

Cabinetry/hardware: 16%($1,818)
Countertops: 7%($795)
Faucets/plumbing: 14%($1,591)
Lighting/ventilation: 5%($568)
Walls/ceilings: 5%($568)
Doors/windows: 4%($455)
Fixtures: 15%($1,705)
Flooring: 9%($1,023)
Installation: 20%($2,273)
Design fees: 4%($455)
Other: 1%($114)

* Cost breakdown numbers are rounded to the nearest dollar.
Source: National Kitchen and Bath Association

CAD Pro design software will help you save time and design fees.

Stage Your Bathroom Remodel Costs
If you’re suffering from sticker shock, don’t worry. Bathroom remodeling isn’t all or nothing. You can cut down on bathroom remodel costs by going one step at a time. A bathroom can still benefit from new lighting or ventilation updates followed by a new bathroom vanity or granite countertops. You can always upgrade some features later down the road.

While it’s easy to replace a light or faucet at a later date, you should have your contractor do the larger tasks at the same time. If you plan to replace the tub and install tile floor, it’s best to do that all at once. You may save on labor charges if they can do a few tasks in one day instead of doing these tasks on separate days a few months apart.

Choose quality over quantity when figuring bathroom remodel costs, especially based on the amount of traffic the bathroom gets. It’s a waste of money and a source of future aggravation if you buy a cheap toilet that leaks after you’ve redone the floor.

To save money, wait for sales at your local hardware store and look for rebates on high-quality materials. That way, you end up with a product you know will last and won’t have to have someone replace fixtures from your remodel too soon.

Prepare for Inconvenience with Bathroom Remodel Costs
Hopefully, your contractor won’t forget to mention the inconvenience that comes with bathroom remodeling. When the bathroom is unavailable, chaos is sure to follow.

It’s tough to predict an exact timetable for remodeling. Here are a few things to consider ahead of time:

Locate alternative bathrooms on-site or nearby during construction.
Keep lines of communication open with your contractor; be on the same timetable page of when things will be finished and when you can use your new bathroom.
Plan for at least three weeks of an unusable bathroom.

Are you ready to remodel your bathroom with newly calculated bathroom remodel costs? Remember to get estimates from three different contractors to ensure a competitive price. Do your homework and check all online sources before contacting any company. Resources such as the BBB and the local Angie’s List of Bathroom Remodelers found here will help you locate the best companies.

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Calculate Bathroom Remodeling Costs

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Professional Remodeling Design Jobs Gain in 2017

Professional remodeling design jobs gain in 2017. Rarely have we seen remodelers enter a spring with so much. Following a year of strong revenue growth, this year’s Remodeling 550 looks in good shape to hit its collective target of 12% growth and $5.17 billion in total revenue.

The top 300 full-service firms on our list reported 6.7% more revenue in 2016 than last year’s top 300 did in 2015. Meanwhile, the top 150 replacement contractor companies saw a 16.1% increase in home improvement revenue in 2016 compared to what their peers did the previous year.

Professional Remodeling Design Jobs

Professional Remodeling Design Jobs Gain in 2017

Those are notable achievements considering how hard it is to succeed as a residential remodeler. The Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University estimates that about one-fifth of the roughly 87,000 general remodeling businesses with payrolls drops from that status every year, either by shrinking to just one worker or by going out of business entirely. Roughly seven out of eight never even reach the point where they take in $1 million in revenue per year, JCHS says. In contrast, the average revenue for the top 300 full-service firms on this year’s list is $5.1 million, and for replacement contractor / home improvement businesses it was $18.3 million. This information reaffirms that professional remodeling design jobs gain in 2017.

We have all 550 firms in lists that can easily be sorted in numerous ways once you register to access the right pages. When you arrive, you’ll find information on the company’s location, 2016 revenues, number of projects, and average job size. And related features will include charts, tables, and features on some of the participants.

CAD Pro is a leading developer and publisher of easy computer aided design software for builders, remodelers, architects and DIY home enthusiasts. Create professional quality home designs and remodeling plans with the ultimate computer aided design software for remodelers, architects, contractors, and builders.

Cad Pro’s custom home remodeling design software is an affordable and easy alternative to other CAD software programs. Cad Pro is great for creating custom home plans, building plans, office plans, construction details, and much more.

Share your custom plans and designs with clients or team members using Dropbox®, Google Drive™, OneDrive®, and SharePoint®. Export files to Microsoft Word®, Excel®, and PowerPoint® with a single click.

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CAD Pro has helped thousands of homeowners, professional designers, builders and contractors plan and design all types of window designs. CAD Pro is used by NARI professional remodelers and contractors. CAD Pro is also used by NHBA home builders and contractors.

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