Home Remodeling

242 Pages·2013·23.95 MB·english

by  Editors of Fine Homebuilding

TaunTon’s
HOME REMODELING
Planning   Design   ConstruCtion
■ ■
Editors of Fine Homebuilding
TaunTon’s
HOME REMODELING
Planning ■ Design ■ ConstruCtion

TaunTon’s
HOME REMODELING
Planning   Design   ConstruCtion
■ ■
Editors of Fine Homebuilding
t
Text © 2012 by The Taunton Press, Inc.
Photographs © The Taunton Press, Inc., except where noted
All rights reserved.

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The Taunton Press, Inc., 63 South Main Street, PO Box 5506, Newtown, CT 06470-5506
e-mail: [email protected]
Editors: Joe Provey, Christina Glennon
Copy editor: Diane Sinitsky
Indexer: Jim Curtis
Interior design: Carol Singer
Layout: Rita Sowins/Sowins Design
Fine Homebuilding® is a trademark of The Taunton Press, Inc., registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
The following names/manufacturers appearing in Taunton’s Home Remodeling are trademarks: Advantium®; Andersen® and
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Hydrofilament®; Ideative™ Socket Sense®; iForm®; Ikea®; Integrity®; Jeld-Wen®; Jesper®; KitchenAid®; Kwikset®; Landmark™
TL; LG SteamDishwasher™; Liberty Pumps®; Masonite®; Maytag® IceO®; McMaster-Carr®; Minka-Lavery®; Neat® Glass; Owens
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LIBRARy OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA
Home remodeling / from the editors of Fine homebuilding.
pages cm
Includes index.
E-Book ISBN 978-1-62710-417-3
1. Dwellings--Remodeling. I. Fine homebuilding.
TH4816.H6529 2012
690'.837--dc23
2011049153
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Homebuilding is inherently dangerous. From accidents with power tools to falls from ladders, scaffolds, and roofs, builders risk
serious injury and even death. We try to promote safe work habits throughout this book, but what is safe for one person under
certain circumstances may not be safe for you under different circumstances. So don't try anything you learn about here (or
elsewhere) unless you're certain that it is safe for you. If something about an operation doesn't feel right, don't do it. Look for
another way. Please keep safety foremost in your mind whenever you're working.
acknowledgments
Special thanks to the authors, editors, art directors, copy
editors, and other staff members of Fine Homebuilding who
contributed to the development of the articles in this book.
part 4
Contents
2 Introduction
69 trimming a Basement Window
part 1
76 a skylight Cheers Up an attic Bath
6 plan to save money
7 11 essential remodeling strategies part 3
22 How to afford an architect
78 GIve kItCHens
28 Design an addition that looks anD BatHs speCIal
right
attentIon
38 a Contract that makes everybody
79 How much Will my kitchen Cost?
Happy
87 rethinking kitchen Design
94 opening Up a small kitchen
part 2
98 the energy-smart kitchen
41 make tHe most of 106 stay Inside the lines
every spaCe
112 Designing showers for small
42 the Well-Designed Walk-In Closet Bathrooms
48 make any room a Great Home
office

56 finish your Basement with a
Durable Wood floor
62 plumbing a Basement Bathroom
vi part title
part 4
part 4 part 6
116 Do It tHe smart Way 198 sUrvIve yoUr remoDel
117 prep before you paint 199 a safer Job site
122 an easier Way to Hang Drywall 205 protecting a House during
Construction
125 new Insulation for old Walls
210 keep the rain out When adding a
134 Doghouse Dormers
shed Dormer
146 Install a leak-free skylight
215 Dust Control
151 Wiring a small addition
223 the remodeler’s Guide to
159 add Character with a Box-Beam Construction Debris
Ceiling
227 Contributors
part 5 229 Credits
231 Index
166 fIx Up tHe exterIor
167 a Buyer’s Guide to Windows
179 Upgrade your entry Door
185 the right Way to Install new siding
192 Will your next asphalt roof last a
lifetime?
introduction
Value-Added
Remodeling
By Fernando Pagés ruiz
When embarking upon a home remodel, 2. upgrade your entryway
it’s often difficult to decide what jobs to Too often, we spend money on impressing others
tackle first. Should you make over the instead of making our lives easier. Upgrade the entry
kitchen or replace the furnace? Paint the exterior or you use most: the side or garage door.
build a deck? A good starting point is to ask your- An updated everyday entrance or mudroom should
self the question: “How long will I be living in this include a welcoming, functional door (with glass if
house?” If the answer is only a year or two, focus on the fire code allows), as well as a place inside to drop
upgrades that will make the house easier to sell when off groceries, leave notes for family members, hang a
the time comes. If you don’t foresee a move anytime coat, stash boots, and comfortably transition into and
soon, choose improvements that will improve com- out of the house.
fort and give you long-term personal pleasure.
3. take cueS from a lighting deSigner
If you plan to stay Most of us work during the day and enjoy our houses
mostly after dark. Upgrading lights and changing
1. SuppreSS your home’S bulbs yield a quick uplift to your interior while
energy appetite saving energy.
Energy repairs and improvements can range from Use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) only
simple air-sealing to a full insulation and mechanical where lights will remain on for at least 15 minutes,
retrofit. The first step, however, is to invite a building such as exterior fixtures, kitchens, and bedrooms.
performance analyst to evaluate your home. The two Use halogen bulbs where you toggle the lights on
largest organizations that train and certify energy and off more frequently, such as hallways, stairs, and
auditors are the Residential Energy Services Network pantries. Halogen bulbs also work well on dimmers,
(www.resnet.us) and the Building Performance which makes them ideal for dining rooms, master
Institute (www.bpi.org). Both are good, but I prefer bedrooms, and family rooms.
BPI because their inspectors specialize in aspects
of building performance that go beyond energy
considerations.
2
2 3
4. upgrade the cabinetS and shower options include ceramic-tile refinishing
New cabinets make up about a third of the cost of a and thin stone veneers that apply directly over sound
typical kitchen renovation, so it pays to explore alter- surfaces, such as old tile.
natives to replacement. The options include paint-
7. add trim
ing, refacing, and accessorizing. I like to combine all
Millwork, or trim, does not have to feature high-cost
three. Paint the boxes, replace the door and drawer
exotic woods like cherry or laborious improvements
fronts and pulls, then refurbish the interiors with an
like a fully paneled mahogany library. Paint-grade
array of organizers, shelf drawers, and rollout bins.
crown molding, wainscoting, and casing upgrades can
5. refiniSh countertopS transform a room for relatively little cost and time.
and applianceS
Refinishing companies such as Miracle Method 8. inStall better flooring
(www.miraclemethod.com) specialize in resurfac- The flooring trend has moved decidedly away from
ing countertops. Similar companies offer services to carpet to hard surfaces. Cork, bamboo, ceramic, For-
refinish your appliances with electrostatic paint. est Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified wood, plastic
The finish is factory tough and will make your appli- laminate, and vinyl are now more popular floor-
ances, if they work well, indistinguishable from ing options. They also wear better, so if you decide
new products. to upgrade your floors, you not only will enjoy the
marked change in your home’s appearance, but you’ll
6. build a better bathroom
also have a long-lasting improvement sure to provide
Consider reconfiguring the bathroom to include a sale-clinching wow factor even five or 10 years from
double sinks and a privacy door between the lavatory now. Choose classic floor styles.
and the tub/toilet area. To update a bath, use some of
the techniques for kitchen cabinets and counters. Tub
introduction 3