Friday, July 17, 2009

Many Possibilities With Bathroom Lighting

Whether you're combing your hair or unwinding with a relaxing bath, good bathroom lighting can impact the way you feel. Bathrooms are not just about functionality anymore. Today's home owner wants a bathroom designed for style and comfort.

When renovating a bathroom, most homeowners think about tiles, faucets, colors, towels and accessories. However, few people consider how proper lighting can make the room look spectacular.

Before you start designing your bathroom, have a good look at what you already have. Closely examine the floor, walls, fixtures and fittings, water outlets, electrical connections and existing lighting. You should also consider your unique needs. Do you require extra lighting to put on your makeup?

Do you want dimmer lights? How much natural lighting is available to you. When it comes to bathroom lighting, the possibilities are endless. Forget about having just one boring, oblong light along the top of the mirror that casts ugly shadows everywhere. Nowadays, you can buy light fixtures designed for use in wet areas like the shower stall to help avoid spills and to make shaving easier.

Residential lighting has come a long way. Instead of boring frosted light coverings, consider mini chandeliers made of glass, hanging lamps with interesting designs that coordinate with your color scheme, or even iron chandeliers that give the room an edgy feel.

When you choose your lighting fixtures take a picture of the room with you so that there is no guess work involved. Take your time and make sure you're happy with your choices so that your bathroom becomes a space that you can relax in.

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Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Hiring A Contractor

By defining what you want out of a new home construction project, you can set limits and get an idea of how the completed work will look. When hiring a contractor, you need to understand how you want the project to progress. Once you have in mind what you want done, you will need to get estimates.

Choose three or four contractors who do the kind of work you need done and have each of them come to your home and give you a written estimate of the cost of the work. You can find a contractors directory online at www.angieslist.com.

When a contractor comes to your home, explain to them in detail what work you want done. Ask them to outline the best way to achieve the results you want. Take notes on your conversations at this time as well and ask them to provide a detailed written estimate of your project; including whether there are any guarantees with their work.

If each contractor is proposing to finish the home construction in around the same time, as well as being able to complete the job in close to the same fashion with the same quality of building materials and each bid is relatively close in price, then all are no doubt reputable.

If there is something different that catches your attention, then you need to consider why one of the bids is significantly different than the others.

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Monday, July 13, 2009

Finding Your Best Construction Contractors

When gathering a list of construction contractors to consider for you new home construction project or remodeling job, remember that you are an employer interviewing a prospective employee. Call each of your prospective contractors and ask each the questions that you feel are important.

Make sure that they taken on projects of your size before and ask if they are willing to provide references from banks or suppliers. A good way to judge a reputable contractor is if they are willing to share a list of previous clients with you.

Once you have made contact with several construction contractors, choose between three and five of them and meet to discuss your proposed project. They can give you an estimate and it gives you a chance to talk further with them about the details.

A reputable contractor should be able to answer any questions satisfactorily and in a way that puts you at ease. It is important that you trust and feel comfortable with the building construction contractor you hire and that there is an open line of communication.

Don't forget that this person and their crew of plumbing contractors, floors and roofing contractors and electrical contractors, to name a few, will be in your home for weeks or even months at a time.

Although these steps will prevent problems, there is still a chance that something will happen where you become the victim of bad construction contractors. Just remember to practice vigilance and be aware of what is happening with your project.

If problems come up, insist that they be corrected as they happen. Do not get lulled into a false sense of security by thinking that things will work themselves out.

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