Back On Again!

I see it has been almost 4 1/2 months since I have blogged! With the holidays, new procedures on my job, writing a manual for job, and planning a kitchen redo, there as been very little time to reflect on my thoughts. I have invested probably over 24 hours with the kitchen design process alone! Things are settling down a bit, so stay tuned for more blogging.

I found out over the weekend my neice, Amber, had a baby girl called Abigail Grace . The baby was over 10 lbs....10 lbs 1 oz to be exact! Way to go Amber and Jason! The baby was born on my fathers birthday, 04-04-09 at 4:37 pm! She is very long measuring in at 21". They waited until the baby was birthed to discover the sex of the child; a very uncommon thing in recent years. The expense was exciting! They have now a 15 month boy and newborn girl.

Saturday, Jim and I finally selected the range and microwave to go into our new kitchen while the Sears Kenmore Elite line was at 20% off. We are getting costing of various plans. I keep altering and altering from the original, mostly for cost savings. I have learned the following during this entire kitchen designing process:

• It is most wise to determine the top dollar amount your house could sell for in your neighborhood. Determine what the value of your house is worth. The difference is the amount for your upgrade budget. Determine the major upgrade areas you need to concentrate on and begin the remodel there. Shop for the % off weeks for various cabinetry lines. Vary the design, compare similar plans in different designs; discover where the house builders go for good deals. Home improvements should not exeed 15% of the house value.....so for $200,000 the budget is $30,000 for repairs. Otherwise, you are overbuilding and could not get it in the resale of house.
• Go to the design centers early in the morning. There is less interuptions, the salesperson and yourself is more alert, and the designers are the more experienced. The last two times I went to the home improvement centers it was 7AM! In the final analysis, compare "same" to "same" features. I taped the floor plan to the kitchen floor to be sure it will all fit. Each cabinet line has similar items, but style features do differ. Some lines have more assessories to work with. If you are adding more cabinets, then you are doing a kitchen remodel and cabinet refacing is not the best option.
• Paying the contractor: Fees for any remodel job should come to less than half the cost of supplies. Otherwise, you are paying too much for the remodel. Doing your own legwork saves time on the remodel as well as contractor fees, thus money is saved too.
• Outline the steps that need to be done and allow prep time to get those done before the project start day. The task always takes longer and cost more than expected.
• There is a stimulus package out this year that if you get windows/doors with a special coating you can deduct from taxes $1500. I found that you can reframe over windows with siding from an unseen side of the house and makes for more uninterupted design, but may make for darker kitchen. Removing ceramic tile is needed to change to hardware flooring; building up may make it difficult to open and close the doors. The interlocking hardwood flooring (like Pergo) is easiest to install. The larger ceramic tiles can cover wall /or floor space faster on the wall. To avoid over use of expensive tile on wall use a little around a 12 x 12 tile. to get same effect with less expense. Check out the warehouses of open stock items for deals.
• Granite becomes not pourous when a coating is applied to the surface every year and half. Quartz stone is not pourous and is around $90 linear foot. High resolution laminate has the look of stone for $24 a linear foot. Laminates are around $5 a linear foot. Granite transformations is a company that does granite looking counters for half cost. Check out what is available at the Builders Warehouse on Washington St in Peoria at $64 a linear foot.
• There are cabinet builders out there and can be found in outlying towns on the internet. They are excellent in millwork jobs, creating the furniture piece to the exact need, etc. I have not got the costing sheet back from them.
• Putting TREX in will last forever without discoloration over time. It is easy to install. Saddle color is 15% less cost (and grey). Menards has their own version of the same material and a cost reduction. We have only three official trex dealers in town: RP Lumber, Alexander Lumber and Home Depot. The TREX material is used for skirting. It is better to keep it 15 pts to center rather than 18. TREX can warp or flex.....so it keeps it sturdier. Boards come in 12-16 or 20 foot lengths. Small doors on skirting allow you to get to water supply, electrical supply and store items under decking. Screened in porches can be assembled over the decking materials. Chemicals are not good for TREX; soap and water with brushing will clean surface. Avoid high pressure washing. Allow some spacing between TREX lumber when nailing so lumber can expand.
• They have now what is called a shower surround with doors that curve from center and can be installed over mosaic tile shower stall.

It has been quite the consumer education! Getting excited about the potential kitchen and remodeling attempts.