It's Getting HOT in Here...

Energy Efficient Windows, What's the Real Deal?

It seems simple enough...you make a thicker window or make it more insulated and it will be more energy efficient, right? Whoa, not so fast. I was doing some research on these windows the other day and had no earthly idea what I was getting myself into. Energy efficiency, like most things these days, has gone high tech and slightly complicated. After dredging through a bunch of information getting this posting together, I feel like I have narrowed down the search and taken the "Pane" out of Energy Efficient Window shopping.

The most complete website I found on this subject is http://www.efficientwindows.com/. It will give you all the info you need to become Mr. or Ms. Efficient Window. If for any reason you need more, check out the following as well:

http://www.energystar.gov/

http://windows.lbl.gov/pub/selectingwindows/window.pdf

http://www.nfrc.org/

I hope these are helpful and feel free to give any feedback in the comments section.

Don't Forget the Furnishings

I stumbled on this http://www.contemporaryfurniture.com/ recently and thought I would share it with you. This company has some outrageous furniture and I personally found several pieces that would fit nicely in my house.

When planning a remodel, the furnishings often get overlooked because of the focus on the structure being built. Remember to add furnishing the new or remodeled space to your budget on the front end so you aren't left with a nice, new place and nothing to go in it.

No Wimpy Skylight Here

Solatube is a great product that's been around for a few years, but is really starting to catch on. Think of the skylight you always wanted with a better appearance and no leaks around the sides. These systems are designed to capture as much light as possible throughout the day and reflect it downward through a tube where it can create a enough light to illuminate a decent sized room.

Are you Kidding Me...That's My Shower?

There are many reasons to be thankful for the new products and advances in building materials these days, but one of my favorites happens to be amazing, new bathroom features. I think back to my great-grandmothers house when I was a child. Man, did I ever love running in the fields and playing chase around the barn. The joy of being a kid on an old farm was matched by the anxiety of an outhouse and no indoor plumbing.

Well, that's all a distant memory now and everything about the bathroom has gone upscale. How about an intuitive digital interface with built-in speaker or a little chromatherapy (that's color therapy if you were wondering). All this is available in the most beautiful package of tile and fixtures you can imagine. An added benefit of a bathroom like this is it truly adds resale value to the home.

Check out a few links below that may inspire you to have a little Chromatherapy:

http://www.us.kohler.com/index.jsp

http://www.starckx.com/

http://www.interbath.com/

Is It Time to Remodel?

Here is an excellent little article from the National Association of Home Builders. http://www.nahb.org/

Perhaps it was that moment when you realized that avocado green and harvest gold are no longer the "in" colors for today's trendy kitchens. Or maybe you had an epiphany one day as you stood in line to use your own bathroom. Whatever the impetus, the thought has crossed your mind: Maybe it's time to remodel . . .If you decide to follow through on that thought, you'll join millions of others who decide to remodel their homes each year. The reasons for remodeling are as varied as the projects we undertake. Some of these include:

--Adding more space.
--Upgrading cabinets, counters, appliances, and fixtures.
--Creating a floor plan that's customized for your lifestyle.
--Improving energy efficiency with new windows, doors, insulation, and climate control systems.
--Increasing the resale value of your home.

Before you head too far down the remodeling path, it's a good idea to think through your wants and needs:

--Decide what changes you want to make.
--Ask yourself and other family members what you like and dislike about the house, then create a prioritized list.
--Look at magazines and collect pictures of what you like.
--Think about traffic patterns, furniture placement, colors, lighting, and how you want to use the remodeled space now and in the future.

Create a WISHLIST

The following is a quick excerpt from John Broderick's book, The Do's and Don'ts of Remodeling.

Now that you've decided to remodel your home, your first job is to pinpoint what you want to accomplish and how much you can afford to spend. To develop your plan, start with a wish list of all the things you would like to do. Sit down with your spouse and other family members to discuss the specific improvements your home needs. Ask yourself why you want or need these changes. At this point, it doesn't matter if some of your "bright ideas" turn out to be unaffordable or structurally unfeasible. The goal is to brainstorm and come up with a written statement of your dreams. Include the room or section of your home you'd like to improve, and list the possible changes.

This is great advice to get you started....create a wish list as crazy and long as you can. Let it all hang out on the front end before anything really happens. It will certainly change a bit along the way, but it's a perfect starting point.

Here We Go!!

I've always been told if you want something done right, then you gotta do it yourself. Well, that's not always true with remodeling, but it's definitely true with remodeling blogs. There is so much good information and so many fantastic products in the market place right now for remodeling and renovating. However, the question remains, how does all that info get out to consumers and how can consumers get details about the process.

ThinkRemodel is going to solve that problem. We will inform, educate and give you straight information about the products and the processes involved with remodeling.

We invite your comments and questions about anything you see on this post or any other questions you may have about remodeling. Please feel free to suggest topics, product reviews or questions about how it all works. We want this to be a community where you look forward to new topics, you value the opinions and you can apply the advice on products.

The one thing you can count on when remodeling is that it will be an ADVENTURE!!