BUILDING & REMODELING / GENERAL CONTRACTORS
Ensuring a Successful Remodeling Experience
Are you tired of cooking in a cramped kitchen with avocado green appliances? Do you envision yourself in a gourmet kitchen, complete with custom cabinetry, granite countertops and large windows? <more>
Remodeling Debate
Renovate or Raze?
When is a house not worth remodeling?
The homeowner ultimately decides. <more>
Evaluating a Remodeler's Work
Given the price of homes on Cape Cod and the costs and hassles of moving, many homeowners make the decision to modify an existing residence instead of selling and finding another. <more>
Expert advice:
Choosing a reputable remodeler
Taking the time to locate and qualify a professional remodeling contractor will help to ensure the overall success of your remodeling project. <more>
 Checking
references:
Ten Questions to Ask a Contractor’s
Previous Customers.
Hiring a professional remodeling contractor may take time, but the chance of shoddy work, excessive costs and legal irritations should deter homeowners from snap decisions. <more>
 Finding the right contractor for the job
One of the core causes of consumer confusion is the lack of standardization in the remodeling industry. Building codes help ensure the minimum acceptable standard for construction and utility installation in both remodeling and new home building. <more>
 General contractors and remodelersearn Cool Customers:
What contractors look for in clients. You’ve been meaning to make the calls for a week. You have prepared names and numbers, a list of questions and a budget. <more>
 Selecting a contractor: Price comparisons alone don’t tell the whole story. Get three competitive bids. Pick the best one. That’s what many homeowners think when selecting a contractor for their renovation projects. <more>
 Adding floor-to-ceiling style
Does your fireplace need a facelift? Are your walls looking drab? If so, plenty of simple ways exist to create your own look with solid hardwood molding. <more>
 Carpentry, Decks, Roofing & Siding
Selecting a material for your deck
The warmer weather ushers in the season of outdoor living here on Cape Cod. <more>
EDITORIAL BOARD Q&A
 EDITORIAL BOARD Q&A
Remodeling Cape Cod: What’s the outlook for 2007? We asked members of the Home Remodeling Cape Cod, The lsands & The South Coast Editorial Advisory Board to discuss the remodeling industry outlook for 2007 and to offer opinions on the latest trends. <more>
EXCAVATION & SEPTIC
Is it time to pump your septic system?
Did you know that, on average, a residential septic system should be pumped every two to four years? <more>
 Excavation, septic & drivewaysearn about What is Dig Safe?
State laws require anyone who digs—whether it’s for something as large as a septic system or as small as a mailbox—to notify utility companies before starting. <more>
FLOORING
 Flooring: Budget and needs
should guide carpet selection
Before purchasing carpet, you should answer a few questions: How is the room going to be used?
<more>
 Flooringearn about
Care and feeding of hardwood floors
New finish technology has dramatically changed the way hardwood floors are maintained. <more>
'GREEN' REMODELING / ENVIRONMENT
ENVIRONMENT
BEACH RESTORATION
A Falmouth company finds an environmentally
friendly way to replenish sandy shoreline.<more>
GREEN PAINT
It’s in the contents, not the color
The trend toward environmentally conscious decorating is strong and getting stronger. <more>
INTERIOR DESIGN
 Do you need an interior designer?
Would you like to enhance the design of your home? Do you need help with space planning, adding functionality or developing a comprehensive scheme that can carry throughout your house? <more>
KITCHEN & BATH
Weighing countertop options
While cabinets account for the largest percentage of the budget for a kitchen or bath remodel, countertops and appliances take the next biggest chunk. <more>
LEGAL CORNER
 Legal Corner
The contract: a good thing. A contract is often seen as the enemy, when, in fact, a properly drawn contract can be your friend. <more>
Legal Corner
Contract Savvy: What should
a home-improvement contract contain for your protection? <more>
Mediation
Honesty IS the Best Policy
A contractor in the movie “The Money Pit,” starring Tom Hanks, told all prospective customers that he would start their projects “in two weeks.” <more>
LIGHTING
 Lightingearn about this arch
Onion Lanterns:
A Glimmer of Old Glows New. On December 9, 2005, a freak storm toppled a 60-foot pine at Mary and Bill Sliney’s 100-year-old home. <more>
 Electrical & lightingearn about this arch
Shed some
light on interior design. Few things make as much impact on room design as the right lighting. Whether you choose a portable lamp or installed fixture, decorative lighting melds the best in home fashion with function. <more>
MASONRY
 Masonryearn
Is your chimney safe?
Each fall, homeowners turn their attention to home improvement. They may clean gutters, garages and basements and generally prepare for winter. <more>
PAINTING
Painting: Murals solve
problems beautifully
For your next renovation, put down the plans, the saw and the hammer and consider the possibilities of paint. <more>
 Painting
Dealing with lead paint
A couple about to have their first child decided to remodel a bedroom in their older home for the baby’s nursery. <more>
PLUMBING
 Plumbing & heating/AC
Warming up to radiant heat
Radiant floor heating is creating a buzz in home remodeling, yet it has been used for centuries.
<more>
POOLS & SPAS
Pools & Spas
Pool Primer
Gunite? Vinyl? Fiberglass? Aboveground?
Here are some basics to consider before installing a swimming pool. <more>
Pools & Spas
Hot Tips for Choosing a Hot Tub
Before buying a hot tub, explore your options. Then you’ll
be certain to buy the hot tub or spa best suited to your needs
and lifestyle. <more>
 Pools & spas: Taking the plunge.
When choosing a pool, consider your lifestyle.
A backyard pool is a clear reflection of its owner’s lifestyle. <more>
RESOURCES
 Where to find salvaged
items for your old house
For homeowners and contractors seeking something special for the home – especially something from the past – New England Demolition & Salvage is just the ticket. <more>
ROOFING
 Roofing with cedar shingles:
historically correct and durable
While still common siding material on Cape Cod and the islands, wood shingles have largely been replaced by composition or asphalt-based shingles for roofing. <more>
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