When you’re on a limited budget, some exterior remodeling shortcuts can help you get the job done without putting your bank account in the red. Cutting corners in some areas in order to be able to afford what you want in others is a good strategy, but you have to know what’s [...]
Last week we gave you tips on how to save on exterior remodeling projects by taking a few shortcuts, and now we’d like to tell you about some areas where you definitely don’t want to skimp. 1. PAINT Lots of homeowners try to save money by buying cheap paint, but like cheap wine and [...]
Monochromatic is out, two-tone is in. Your home’s exterior is not a tabula rasa. You want people to notice your home and its style and beauty. How do you achieve this? With professional help. No matter what material you use for your home’s exterior, you want it to look smart and polished. Let’s take [...]
If your stucco is cracked, you might think you should repair it right away, but it’s best to wait. Why? Freezing temps and stucco patching just don’t mix. It’s likely that if you look hard enough, you can find someone to do any job you want done, but a true professional will not take a [...]
When you are considering a major home renovation, you want to make sure you choose the right contractor for the job. You want a good price, but you also want the work done correctly — you’re likely going to be looking at it for years to come, so you want to [...]
Fall is a good time to get your home’s exterior in shape for the winter ahead. You don’t want to face blowing snow and cold temperatures with missing shingles, gaps around doors and windows or cracks in the foundation. Not looking for problems isn’t the same as not having them, so devote a [...]
Gutter guards. Should you get them? We don’t think so. Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of this popular product and see why homeowners are attracted to it and why it’s not the miracle they are hoping for. Gutters need to be kept clean so that [...]
The first step in a successful home remodel is a plan. And not just any plan, either — a careful, well-thought-out plan yields the best results. A home exterior renovation is different from an interior one in many ways, but one key difference is motivation. You may grow tired of items piling up in [...]
Siding still provides a decent return on investment — one of only a few home improvements holding its own in a shaky market. Although the numbers are up and down, many projects have generally been bringing in a lower ROI in the last 10 years. In 2005, homeowners could expect an 86 percent ROI [...]
Did you know that not all stucco is equal? Finestone Stucco is much more equal than others. Stucco has been around for hundreds of years, and it likely will be around for hundreds more. It was originally made of lime, sand and water, but nowadays Portland cement is used in place of lime, in [...]