Category: The most important DIY tips from Bayside

971

Remember, everyone starts as a beginner at painting. Just because you have never painted a house doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a try. The money you save by painting your own house is money you can put into other home improvements. It can also be a fun thing for the whole family to do.

home improvement, do it yourself, diy, home projects, home repair, remodeling

For the best Roofing And Siding Boston company, call Bayside Masonry And Restorations.

To find the best Roofing And Siding Boston company, click here for Bayside Masonry And Restorations.
Remember, everyone starts as a beginner at painting. Just because you have never painted a house doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a try. The money you save by painting your own house is money you can put into other home improvements. It can also be a fun thing for the whole family to do.

Now we need to choose the colors we want to paint the house. There is a really cool tool online that you can use. pavingmasonrybenjaminmoore.paving/wrapper_pcv.asp?L=owner&K=intproj&N=intproj Click let’s paint. Choose exterior or the interior options. Choose the project closest to yours. Get started and you will soon know what color you want to paint your house and you’ll have a vision of what it is going to look like when you’re finished.

Here are some of the basics. Of course the first thing you need to do is wash down the walls of your house. A pressure washer can be rented at almost any rental yard and is the best way to do that. Now go around with a scraper and remove all loose paint and chipped areas. You don’t have to scrape the entire wall, but any areas where the surface is not flat can cause you problems as you paint your house.

Next, figure out your square footage so you can determine the amount of paint you will need to buy. Buy your paint in 5-gallon pails, rather than gallons to save more money.

Talk to the helper at your local paint store and tell him about your project. They can help you decide on how many brushes and rollers and other items you will need. You can buy natural or synthetic bristles for oil based paints, but only use synthetic bristles with latex paint. The same rule applies to rollers. Good rollers can run you around $7, but buy high-quality paintbrushes. A good brush for cutting in around edges will run you about $30.

Make sure you purchased some painter’s tape. It’s blue tape that comes in different widths and is easy to remove without messing up your paint job. That brings us to preparation. Tape off all areas you don’t wish to get this color of paint on. If there are large areas to cover, make sure you pick up some rolls of plastic. You can tape the edges of the plastic down over whatever you need to cover.

Don’t paint out of the paint cans. First reason is that leaving the paint can open will dry out the paint and make it difficult to apply. Another reason is that your brush or roller picks up dirt and foreign objects, which will end up in your paint and may even change the color as you go along.

Do all of your cutting or trimming in before you paint the walls. Use a 4″ brush and with a smooth stroke guide it around the edges where you taped off. Make sure you have plenty of paint on your brush. The biggest mistake people make is trying to stretch the paint too far. Keep drips cleaned up as you go with a small rag. Remember you will be rolling up to the edge of your cut, so don’t worry about that, just make sure you cover the edges well.

Start on the edges of your walls and work your way toward the middle. Most people don’t do this and problems can result. If you start and new can of paint in the middle of the wall and there is any difference in the color at all, it will show up there more than it would on the edges. So with each new can of paint you open, start at the edges first.

Dip your roller in water (for Latex) or solvent (for oil-based paint), before you start. Whether you use a pan or a 5-gallon bucket with a screen, make sure you roll it out a little to make sure it isn’t dripping. You don’t need to go all the way from the top to the bottom as you paint. Do what you can reach.

Apply the paint in a Y or an N pattern, then apply paint in columns up and down smoothing out all the edges or ridges as you go. Again don’t try to stretch the paint out, make sure you have enough paint on your roller to give it a good coat. If you are applying more than one coat, make sure the first coat is completely dry before applying a new coat of paint.
Corners are a difficult part to learn to paint. If you aren’t careful, this is where you will see paint drips later. Get as close to corners as you can, but don’t scrape the roller against the corner. That will cause drips. If you are unsure, have a paintbrush handy to smooth out drips. That is also a good idea overall. Keep a paintbrush ready for taking care of any drips or ridges you leave behind. Doing this as you go is much easier than trying to fix it after it’s dry or partially dry.

Using tray liners for your paint trays will save you a lot of time at cleanup. Soak your brushes when done for awhile and they will also be easier to clean. For water based paint, soak in water and for oil based paint soak them in solvent.

I hope some of these tips have been helpful to you. Have confidence that you can do this job yourself. You will appreciate and enjoy it much more knowing that you or you and your family completed the job rather than hiring someone else to do it.

620

Working from home is many people’s goal. No traffic, no train delays, no office politics. But if you’re going to work from home full or part time, your work area needs to be carefully planned to make it comfortable and functional.

home decorating books, home office, home office design, home decorating ideas

For the best Roofing And Siding Boston company, call Bayside Masonry And Restorations.

To find the best Roofing And Siding Boston company, click here for Bayside Masonry And Restorations.
Working from home is many people’s goal. No traffic, no train delays, no office politics. But if you’re going to work from home full or part time, your work area needs to be carefully planned to make it comfortable and functional. By making some simple changes to either an existing office or when planning a new design, your choices of furniture are now possible to create an office space that can blend in to your house, especially when space is limited.

If your office will be in an existing room, such as a living or dining room, the use of a divider of some sorts will allow the room to be used for both purposes at the same time. Modular cube units are idea for this. Mix the cubes so that some face the office and others face the living space. If you prefer something softer, then a screen is a better choice. To save on costs, look for or make a screen using materials that match the decor of the room.

When selecting a desk, look for one that will allow you to close up sections, or the entire desk, with out putting anything away. This will allow you to leave you work undisturbed and be able to pick back up the next day. Also, having a desk that allow you to pull sections out will provide more room to work, when space is tight, and will provide sufficient storage when needed. If adding a desk is not possible and you’re sharing your office in a dinning room, you could use your dinning room table as your daytime desk and add a sideboard or small table with shelves for storing paperwork at the end of the day.

One essential aspect to the work area is lighting. The best light to work with is a directional light that can angle to illuminate your work area. The room should also have good natural light or artificial ambient light during the day or evening, so the contrast between the brightness of the computer screen and the rest of the room is never too great. The use of overhead or wall lights will balance the lighting.

If your work area is shared with another area, it is more important than ever to be well organized. If you do not have a desk to store pens, paper, rulers and every other essential items, consider using furniture like file cabinets that can used to store these items. Shelves can be used for books, box files, and magazines that can be fitted with a blind to hide them when you’re not working.

When looking for a desk that will be your computer work area, make a list of all the computer peripherals that you will be using. Make sure the desk is wide enough to accommodate a monitor if a flat panel monitor is not an option. The monitor should be at eye level for best comfort. If you are thinking of enclosing your PC, be sure there is ample air flow to prevent overheating. Look for a desk that has a low keyboard shelf with a sliding tray that can be pulled out when needed. A good desk will also include shelves for adding other components such as printers, scanners, zip drives and wireless routers. Most of all make sure the chair you choose will be comfortable and adjustable for spending long house in front of the desk. Aim to spend as much money as you can and economize elsewhere.

Having a home office that blends into an existing room is possible without making dramatic changes. Best of all, you can do it without spending a fortune and enjoy working from home!

819

Every season there are home maintenance and safety items that should be done to make certain that a home continues to run properly and will not incur damages in the long run. Many homeowners skip over these basic home maintenance necessities because of busy schedules or sometimes because they are unsure of what tasks to accomplish along the way.

homeowners insurance, home insurance, homeowners insurance quotes, home insurance quotes, home maintenance

For the best Roofing And Siding Boston company, call Bayside Masonry And Restorations.

To find the best Roofing And Siding Boston company, click here for Bayside Masonry And Restorations.
Every season there are home maintenance and safety items that should be done to make certain that a home continues to run properly and will not incur damages in the long run. Many homeowners skip over these basic home maintenance necessities because of busy schedules or sometimes because they are unsure of what tasks to accomplish along the way.

Simply keeping up on these small tasks can ensure that your home will function better in the long run. Seasonal home maintenance will also ensure that you have less overhaul or major expense repairs than homeowners who do not keep up on small season maintenance. These small maintenance items can also protect your home from fire, flooding, or other damages caused by neglect.

To keep from being overwhelmed by the task of home maintenance, it is best to separate these tasks into seasonal chores. For those who live in an area where there are four definite seasons, it is best to follow a logical task schedule that works with necessary maintenance for the different seasons.

If possible, set up a schedule of cleaning and maintenance tasks for each season. Try to maintain that schedule throughout the years. This will ensure that the tasks are not forgotten from one year to the next.

Winter Tips

Tasks that should be accomplished at the onset of every winter season are those that make certain your home will be protected from the cold or the damp weather. Even for those who live in a warmer climate zone, the winter season brings on more rain and chilly weather, so making sure the home is safe from damp and cold is the best bet for the winter season.

Winter tasks should include:

* Removing screen doors and windows and replacing with storm windows

* Checking insulation of pipes in attics, basements and crawl spaces and reinsulating if necessary

* Storing firewood in a dry spot near the home for easy access

* Checking and cleaning the clothes dryer and kitchen exhaust systems and cleaning the clothes dryer duct space

* Checking attic for proper ventilation for running of the furnace

* Checking all the water hoses connecting to appliances, water heater and water softener to make sure there are no cracks or air bubbles. Repair if necessary.

Spring Tips

While winter brought on the cold, the spring brings on the cleaning out season. It also brings on a peak in spring lightening and thunderstorms, so routine maintenance tips should include prevention methods against electrical damage.

Start with spring tasks such as:

* Checking all the homes electrical systems

* Testing all the ground fault receptacles

* Making sure all power surges are in place on the appliances

* Inspecting and replacing necessary smoke and carbon monoxide detectors

* Replacing or repairing any extension cords used in the home that may be damaged or becoming worn

* Replacing the much used furnace filter from the winter

* Checking the roof for possible damages that may not have been noticed in the wintertime to prevent spring rain leaks

* Making sure all gutters are cleaned and all outdoor drainage systems are working properly

Summer Tips

While you can get out and about and enjoy the outdoors during the summer months, it is best to focus summer maintenance on outdoor tasks.

These tasks may include:

* Cleaning and repairing all outdoor power tools, such as the lawnmower, weedeater, or hedge trimmer

* Checking the patio and deck for possible deterioration and fixing and performing any necessary repairs

* Inspecting the roof for possible damage and water leaks if this was not done in the spring time

* Checking the brick, siding and cement areas on the home for shifting in the foundation or cracks or chips in the siding or brick

* Taking time to seal the cracks in the garage floor and driveway

Fall Tips

The fall is a great time to make preparations for the oncoming winter season before it is too late, so focus maintenance on things to keep the home safe and warm during the winter.

These tasks can include:

* Having a professional inspection on the entire heating unit, especially the furnace

* Replace the furnace filter if necessary

* Reexamine the home for potential water leaks in the roof, basement, and even the appliances such as the dishwasher, washer, or refrigerator

* Examine and replace any caulking that has begun to wear away in the doorways, windowsills and even in the bathrooms to prevent winter leaks

Outdoor maintenance that should be performed before it gets to chilly outside:

* Empty out the gasoline and clean out the outdoor power tools before placing in storage for the winter

* Making sure the generator works in case of winter power failure

* Have a professional chimney inspection and cleaning of the chimney flue. Have repairs done before the winter or before using

These tips should help ensure the safety of your home, your property within, and your family. The list may seem overwhelming, but just tackle them one at a time.

270

With some forethought and planning you can get more lighting into your bathroom. If possible, work on the design and placement of your room prior to construction beginning. If not, use these ideas.

home lighting,house,real estate

For the best Roofing And Siding Boston company, call Bayside Masonry And Restorations.

To find the best Roofing And Siding Boston company, click here for Bayside Masonry And Restorations.
Generally bathrooms are the smallest rooms in the house. This makes it a challenge to bring in more light. You don’t want to sacrifice privacy but you will want enough light to brighten the room.

If possible, create your plan before your house is built if you a working on a new home. If the bathroom is located on the south side of the house, it will get the most daylight. From sunup to sundown, the light will reach your room.

Try to plan for larger windows. The design of the room will determine if this is possible. If the exterior walls don’t have the fixtures located on them, you can possibly have a larger area available for windows. While you will pay more for larger windows in the beginning, you will save over time by using less electricity for lighting the area.

You can use overhead windows such as skylights to brighten the area without losing the privacy you desire. If you can locate windows at opposite angles, you will have cross lighting. Floor to ceiling windows or doors give so much daylight. If you use glass blocks or acrylic blocks, you won’t loose the privacy you desire.

Another possibility is to use shutters or translucent pleated shades that can be adjusted to allow for more light entering your room. The possibilities are there and some will save you money in the long run.

When improving the bathroom in an older home, you can use some of the above ideas to help. I would suggest reading magazines related to this subject and doing some online research.

793

Home improvement projects regularly scare people off, because many judge that they will pay thousands of dollars to alter one room, because they do not have the skills to do the job them self. They may also feel that the job is costly because supplies and tools are needed.

home,home improvement,improving the home,budget,budgeting,improve the house,house improvement,home improvements,home improvement project,home improvement projects

For the best Roofing And Siding Boston company, call Bayside Masonry And Restorations.

To find the best Roofing And Siding Boston company, click here for Bayside Masonry And Restorations.
As we all know, budgeting and home improvement does not always go together but this article will give you information that could help improve your home and still save a little money.

Home improvement projects regularly scare people off, because many judge that they will pay thousands of dollars to alter one room, because they do not have the skills to do the job them self. They may also feel that the job is costly because supplies and tools are needed.

To the contrary, home improvement does not have to be costly at all. Of course, if you hire a subcontractor or contractor to do the job, you will pay a fortune, but if you have patience and the ability to read and stick to the directions, then you can renovate an whole room in your home for fewer than a hundred dollars. Of course, you will need to change and correlate materials.

Before starting the procedure of improving your home, you will need to system of funds and a schedule to get started. You will need to ponder various notions when considering and preparing home improvement. For example, do you plan to paint your home? Do you plan to tile your home? Do you want carpet in your home?

Going through the final part of this article, you will see just how important budgeting and home improvement can be done which will help save you money and improve your home.

Asking questions is part of analyzing and preparing for home improvement. One of the best tools to have when considering home improvement is calculating what you like and calculating what you want. When I improve my home the first thing I do is explore my mind searching for favorites and what excites and appeals to me. Thus, when I go to the home improvement warehouses, I already have in my brain what I am ready to purchase, therefore this relaxes my quest to improving my home.

If you are short of funds to improve your home, then setting up a financial plan will help you get what you want as well as put away some cash for a rainy day. You may even think about purchasing equipment and tools for home improvement at the companies that propose lower prices and/or purchases with no payments until a particular date. This notion will give you time to get your home better while putting away the currency to purchase the improvement equipment and tools.

Unfortunately, many people go for another home loan to enhance their home. Receiving loans from lenders regularly lead to debt, and home loans for improvement only leads to paying off your home twice. Thus, elude high interest rates and loan payments and learn to plan your finances to improve your home.

Let me give you a general view of what one area could cost you for repairs. Say you want to paint a specific room in your home. You will need plaster, sealers, primer, paints, paint thinners, scrapers, screwdriver, paint opening (often come with paint purchases), patches, paintbrushes, tray, and so forth. Now you may think this will cost you a lot of money to improve your home, but to the contrary, you are wrong.

The paint and tools will cost you the most, while the other items will be priced less; thus, primer, sealers and plaster be priced around fifteen dollars if you go to the correct store.

Paint thinners, trays, brushes and screwdriver will cost around fifteen dollars if you go to the right store. Thus, the patches should be purchased with a plaster kit, which will salvage you a few pennies. The paint will cost around twenty dollars per can, depending on the kind of paint purchased. Therefore, for around a hundred bucks you could alter a room in your home lacking hiring anybody to do the job providing you stick to the instructions.

What about the bathroom, can you alter the room on a financial plan? It depends on the range of the area, but if you are yearning to tile your bathroom and paint the walls you could get the job done for around a hundred bucks give or take. If you go to the correct home improvement store and know what you are doing, you could remodel a small bathroom or average bathroom for around fifty bucks.

Learning to create a financial plan and prepare for home improvements can help you to remodel your whole home (if the home is in good standings) for a few hundred dollars. Furthermore, completing the work yourself, you will recoup you thousands of dollars.

Having this budget and home improvement information handy will help you a great deal the next time you find yourself in need of it.

515

Though remodeling your home can add some pampering and luxury to your life, most home improvements don’t recoup the money spent on them. This article takes a look at some improvements that can significantly increase the value of your house.

home improvements

For the best Roofing And Siding Boston company, call Bayside Masonry And Restorations.

To find the best Roofing And Siding Boston company, click here for Bayside Masonry And Restorations.
There are two main reasons people take on home improvement projects: for their own pleasure and in hopes of increasing the resale value of their homes. As long as you spend time and money for the first reason, you’ll be okay. It’s when you start thinking more about the second reason that you may be in for a disappointment. Even if improvements add value to your home, few recoup the money they cost. For example, a swimming pool, which costs tens of thousands of dollars to install, adds little to no resale value to a home. People are turned off by the maintenance aspect, and parents with small children will worry about safety issues.

So, what improvements do add enough value that you’ll come close to making back what you spend? It’s the highly visible improvements that will help most. Unfortunately, the less visible ones don’t impress. Replacing the roof or furnace, while they may need doing, won’t convince a home buyer to pay more. Likewise, new energy-efficient doors and windows are not likely to recoup the cost of installation (However, if you are going to continue living in your home for the next few years, $1,000 spent on insulation and caulking existing windows and doors can help you save on your energy bills).

The biggest home improvement you can do to impress homebuyers (and make them want to pay more) is one of the cheapest. Paint. As long as you pick colors that will appeal to a wide audience–and you do it right before you list (before it has time to get mucked up)–you’ll increase appeal. Likewise crown molding is relatively inexpensive to install but adds the wow factor to otherwise regular rooms.

So, what else is worth doing? You may have heard that kitchens and bathrooms are what sell a house, and this is true, but don’t think you have to spend tens of thousands on a whole-room remodel. Getting rid of outdated wallpaper or paint will help tremendously. Also sand and paint/stain old cabinet doors to make them look new. Switch out the dated cabinet hardware for something stylish and modern.

Any time you can take dead space (i.e. an attic or basement) and turn it into functional space (i.e. bedroom, office, media room), you stand a good chance of recouping much of the money you invest in the project (85% of the cost returned at resale is the national average).

If your house only has one bathroom, you can recoup about 90% of the cost by adding a second. (Adding a third gets you back less).

Landscaping can also improve curb appeal and salability of a home, but don’t spend thousands on hiring a professional (it won’t increase the value anywhere near that much). Tackle landscaping projects you can do yourself instead.

Keep this advice in mind before you open your pocketbook to hire contracts and buy materials for massive remodeling projects. If you’re going to spend a lot, make sure it’s–first and foremost–for you and your family, with resale of the house a distant second consideration.

572

Planning home improvements necessarily involves addressing numerous practical matters. That doesn’t mean you should ignore the fun stuff!

home improvements, practical stuff, planning home improvements, bedroom area, home improvements, practical stuff, planning home improvements, bedroom area,

For the best Roofing And Siding Boston company, call Bayside Masonry And Restorations.

To find the best Roofing And Siding Boston company, click here for Bayside Masonry And Restorations.
Planning home improvements necessarily involves addressing numerous practical matters. That doesn’t mean you should ignore the fun stuff!

The Fun Stuff

The first thing to plan for in home improvements is the practical stuff. The second thing you need to talk to family members about is the fun stuff.

Most people have colors they like and colors they don’t like. They have things that interest them and things that don’t. Get your family to talk to you about those things. Each person’s bedroom, or bedroom area, should reflect his or her taste and interests. A boy who likes green, football, and backpacking can easily have a sage green (it “reads” as more neutral than many shades of green if re-sale of your home is a concern) room with cream woodwork, cream interior shutters, and cream ceiling. Framed football posters and wilderness scenes might be pleasant. Bedding with a rustic motif (rows of stylized pine trees?) from L.L. Bean or Plow and Hearth would work right in. Add a touch or two of a bright color like red or yellow.

Does he need a desk in his room? A chest of drawers? A bookcase? Would he enjoy having a bulletin board? Even if they’re small, most rooms need at least three lamps so that illumination is general and even. The shades are usually best in warm, neutral colors. (Light coming through green shades tends to make people look sick.) Lamp shades should be level and the seams should be toward the wall so they’re not visible. When the bottom edge of most lamp shades in a room are the same height from the floor, the room tends to look serene and cohesive.

Hanging pictures usually look best if the bottom edges of the frames are the same height from the floor and level with each other, too. There are exceptions to this and every generalization of course. A grouping of pictures can have the bottom tier follow the “rule” while all of the other pictures are higher. A picture over a fireplace often looks good higher than the other pictures in the room.

Pictures usually look best when they have a relationship to furniture or an architectural feature. Pictures centered over a chest, bed, bookcase, or fireplace are good examples. Pictures don’t tend to look good if they’re scattered willy-nilly around a room, or if they’re up near the ceiling (unless they’re part of a grouping), or if the height at which they’re hung varies wildly with no rhyme nor reason.

A girl who loves pink, the ballet, and swimming can have woodwork the same cream as her brother’s while her walls are a soft pink (a pink with a hint of yellow in it tends to go well with cream), and her art work reflects her interests. If she loves to read, make sure she has a good reading lamp near her bed, or near a comfortable chair, or both.

A cream colored dust ruffle with widely spaced pink stripes and a quilted plaid coverlet in pink, green, yellow, and blue on a cream background might look nice. Add cream fabric window shades with large pink polka dots and I’ll bet she’ll smile.

The bigger point is to simply have fun with some of your home improvements. There is no need to look exclusively at practical matters.

275

With a few simple improvements you can add character and curb appeal to your home at a reasonable price and make it the envy of the neighborhood.

Home Improvements: Spruce Up Your Home This Season

For the best Roofing And Siding Boston company, call Bayside Masonry And Restorations.

To find the best Roofing And Siding Boston company, click here for Bayside Masonry And Restorations.
With a few simple improvements you can add character and curb appeal to your home at a reasonable price and make it the envy of the neighborhood.

Tidy up perimeter landscaping. Collect and remove all weeds, loose leaves and litter from the property. Put up a fence or replace an old one in disrepair. Today’s attractively priced vinyl fencing is one option that is easy to install, easy to care for and looks good for years. New styles and darker colors give you a wealth of options.

Inspect your home’s siding. Is it chipping, staining or rotting? Your siding may just need a power wash or it may need to be replaced. If it’s the latter, talk with your local contractor about low-maintenance vinyl and fiber cement siding options. New styles, such as CertainTeed’s Board and Batten vertical vinyl siding, mimic the look of traditional siding and come in a wide range of colors.

Look at the roof. Asphalt shingles can last many years depending on the quality of the shingle, the slope of the roof and proper ventilation. To be sure your roof is in tip-top shape, use binoculars to look for missing, cracked, curling or decaying shingles. If any are spotted, it may be time to replace your roof. Consider asphalt shingles as new styles can add dimensional appeal to your home. They’re long lasting and feature a Class A fire rating.

Picture your home online. Home improvements are also home investments. If you want to see how your chosen fence, cladding, roofing or other selection fits on your house, go to paving.certainteed picturemyhome.paving to give your home a virtual makeover.

332

There are lots of reasons why you might be considering improving your home.

home, improvements, DIY

For the best Roofing And Siding Boston company, call Bayside Masonry And Restorations.

To find the best Roofing And Siding Boston company, click here for Bayside Masonry And Restorations.
There are lots of reasons why you might be considering improving your home. You have to live in it, after all, and if some part of your home seems to be getting past its sell-by date then it’s natural to want to replace it. Also, many home improvements can increase the value of your home by significantly more than the improvement itself cost.

Some of the most common home improvements are new bathrooms, new kitchens, and extensions to add extra rooms such as bedrooms, a study or a conservatory. There are also plenty of home improvements you can do that are less visible, however, such as improving your plumbing or electrics.

When you start to undertake any home improvement project, the first decision you have to take is whether you will do it yourself or hire a professional. While DIY can save you money in theory, you will often find that the savings are minimal, as you will not get good prices on materials and will have to spend much more time on the improvements than they would otherwise have needed. You can do well at DIY, and it can be fun, but don’t try to run before you can walk: do small projects first, and gradually build up from there, instead of starting out with a grand design and no idea how to achieve it.

If you’re mainly doing a home improvement because you think it will add value to your home, make sure to check that it actually will. People are often shocked to discover that the value of their house goes down when they build rooms over their garden, for example, as the garden space was actually more valuable than the extra room that has been added. In most cases, the best thing to do is to add improvements that you actually find useful, not ones that you think someone else will like: if you like them, the chances are that the housing market will too.

476

If you have a family, planning home improvements should be a family matter. Still, you want to stick to ideas that work.

home improvements, family planning, breakfast area, dining room, planning home improvements

For the best Roofing And Siding Boston company, call Bayside Masonry And Restorations.

To find the best Roofing And Siding Boston company, click here for Bayside Masonry And Restorations.
If you have a family, planning home improvements should be a family matter. Still, you want to stick to ideas that work.

Ideas That Work

We’ve all seen families who get along well most of the time and families who are constantly at odds with each other. One common denominator among families who get along are homes that work for them. Let’s talk about ideas seen more than once in homes that work. It may help you explore what will work for you.

Many families with school age children have a computer and homework area near the kitchen. It’s often a computer desk and the breakfast area table. This is usually sandwiched between the kitchen and family room, and all three areas are open to each other. It’s an easy area for parents to make themselves available to help and supervise the children while they themselves perhaps cook, talk, read, or have a cup of tea (or other beverage) before or after dinner.

Family rooms are also great for TV, movies, and computer games. A finished basement provides an ideal place for a “home theater” for the same sorts of things, but supervision becomes tougher.

Unfinished basement areas can be just what’s needed for a workbench, an artist’s studio (especially walk-out basements with big north facing windows), a sewing area, a place to practice a musical instrument, a place to refinish furniture, a potting bench for plants, a place for the pets when the family has guests. I’ve seen all of the above work well alone and in a variety of combinations.

Many modern homes have a “formal living room” that is too small to really work as a living room. It can be set up and decorated as a library or study and be the perfect place for a parent to do some serious work and not be interrupted too frequently.

Master bedrooms are getting larger and larger. They often have a small seating arrangement included in their design. This can be a parental retreat for quiet conversation.

Master bedrooms can also provide a quiet corner for a computer desk and work area. If looking at work space isn’t relaxing to you, you can always shield it from view with a decorative folding screen.

Don’t forget the importance of family dinners. Studies show that children of families who have dinner and conversation together several nights a week, week in and week out, tend to be more successful and happier than those who don’t. It can be at the kitchen table, in the breakfast area, or in the dining room, but plan for it and make it happen if you value the success and happiness of your children.

Every home is unique and so is your family. When improving your home, look for ideas that work.