Millions of people have seen and currently watch the do-it-yourself shows on television ranging from dog training to remodeling an entire home. It makes one wonder if it is as easy as the shows make it seem, why aren't more individuals doing it themselves? There are two answers. The first answer is it isn't as easy as the shows make it out to be. The second reason is editing. Most of the hard times and difficult steps are edited out to make a half hour show.
What the audience doesn't see and realize is the number of years experience the work crews have remodeling and crafting something as "simple" as a textured wall. Make no mistake. It is an art creating a perfectly smooth, seamless wall and then going back over and adding a texture such as a stucco finish. The ability to do this type of work halfway decently is not a talent the majority of homeowners have developed or even possess.
Attempting to tackle a more involved do-it-yourself project, such as a covered deck or gazebo, requires much more stamina, patience, strength, and ... The list goes on and on. The average stereotypical family has some tools, equipment, and some skill enough to make minor repairs to the home, however, in a very real sense, adding a covered deck or gazebo is adding another room.
Safety should always be in the forefront of the mind. There is no pleasure in not being able to enjoy an unfinished or finished deck with sustained injuries or having the structure fail while enjoying it. The next major component of adding a covered deck is having an understanding of basic construction techniques of a safe and supportive structure. If the homeowner doesn't have a basic understanding of building techniques, then tragedy is soon to follow. Nothing is worse than completing a deck project just to have a small child being injured or worse due to improper construction. Many of the do-it-yourself programming touch on this, but these programs are never all inclusive to safety and proper techniques.
The next tasks which can be annoying, but necessary are obtaining the correct permits and inspections for a covered deck at the proper stages in order to prevent citations and fines. Many locales or home associations may prevent any construction that is not in keeping with the architectural style of the neighborhood.
If the homeowner possesses all of the proper tools, equipment, materials, and abilities to build a new covered deck, one of the best moves to ensure safety is to have a deck builder or residential contractor draft up blueprints for the construction of the new deck. As long as the homeowner is familiar with knowing how to read blueprints, a do-it-yourself deck building project is that much more of a reality.
For more information and guidance about quality decks, sunrooms, and screened porches, visit http://www.paradisedecking.com.
Paradise Decking specializes in custom-designed room additions, decks and gazebos, etc. and has a great portfolio of pictures with compelling ideas for your outdoor home improvement projects.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
A Sunroom Can Be Paradise...
A sunroom can be paradise if the contractor design incorporates the style with the rest of the home.
Sunrooms are more common in the southern United States than what one would find in the north. The only real problem is that in the south, such as Florida, South Carolina, or even North Carolina, the majority of sunrooms are actually half screened in decks and half screened in patios. Most construction materials used are the typical aluminum or powder coated steel framework that is screwed into the 4 X 4 posts supporting the roof overhang. In reality, these are just inexpensive, cookie cutter covered porches devoid of any character or quality.
A true high quality sunroom doesn't rely on cheap metal framing that can be purchased from any large home improvement store. The average contractor, though, does just that when a customer asks about turning their covered patio into a sunroom. Some contractors will add some extra touches such as basic moldings or somewhat more elaborate cornices. When it all comes down to it though, it is still just a screened in patio.
Sunrooms can be designed in any shape and size, but all should be constructed with one aspect in mind; able to be comfortable and enjoyed all year round. A proper sunroom will have some degree of insulation or be composed of construction techniques and materials that incorporate insulative properties in the design. Even in the south the temperature can reach down to the 20 degree mark. When the colder temperatures do arrive, a sunroom should not be a room too cold to be used, but an extension of the rest of the home.
Most home builders, deck builders, and home remodelers may be able to add a sunroom, however it takes a real artistic touch to incorporate a new sunroom into the overall design and feel of the rest of the home's architecture. That's the difference between the exceptional contractor and the average contractor. Make sure to carefully review past portfolios of the contractor's work and check on any references which the contractor makes available. After reviewing the options, the last one standing will be the best home remodeler to incorporate the new room addition.
For more information and guidance about quality decks, sunrooms, and screened porches, visit http://www.paradisedecking.com. Paradise Decking specializes in custom-designed room additions, decks and gazebos, etc. and has a great portfolio of pictures with compelling ideas for your outdoor home improvement projects.
Sunrooms are more common in the southern United States than what one would find in the north. The only real problem is that in the south, such as Florida, South Carolina, or even North Carolina, the majority of sunrooms are actually half screened in decks and half screened in patios. Most construction materials used are the typical aluminum or powder coated steel framework that is screwed into the 4 X 4 posts supporting the roof overhang. In reality, these are just inexpensive, cookie cutter covered porches devoid of any character or quality.
A true high quality sunroom doesn't rely on cheap metal framing that can be purchased from any large home improvement store. The average contractor, though, does just that when a customer asks about turning their covered patio into a sunroom. Some contractors will add some extra touches such as basic moldings or somewhat more elaborate cornices. When it all comes down to it though, it is still just a screened in patio.
Sunrooms can be designed in any shape and size, but all should be constructed with one aspect in mind; able to be comfortable and enjoyed all year round. A proper sunroom will have some degree of insulation or be composed of construction techniques and materials that incorporate insulative properties in the design. Even in the south the temperature can reach down to the 20 degree mark. When the colder temperatures do arrive, a sunroom should not be a room too cold to be used, but an extension of the rest of the home.
Most home builders, deck builders, and home remodelers may be able to add a sunroom, however it takes a real artistic touch to incorporate a new sunroom into the overall design and feel of the rest of the home's architecture. That's the difference between the exceptional contractor and the average contractor. Make sure to carefully review past portfolios of the contractor's work and check on any references which the contractor makes available. After reviewing the options, the last one standing will be the best home remodeler to incorporate the new room addition.
For more information and guidance about quality decks, sunrooms, and screened porches, visit http://www.paradisedecking.com. Paradise Decking specializes in custom-designed room additions, decks and gazebos, etc. and has a great portfolio of pictures with compelling ideas for your outdoor home improvement projects.
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