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Latest Happenings

With the holiday season nearing its end, and with several months of cold weather still ahead of us, it’s time to start tackling those interior home improvement projects that you’ve been putting off. Bathroom remodeling and basement renovation projects are ideal for this time of year. They can be done at a leisurely rate and in the confines of your warm home. To help you with these projects, I’ve included a couple of articles on planning and performing bathroom and basement renovations. I’ve also included an article on installing a custom ceramic tile shower, something that should be included in every bathroom remodel. Key to a custom ceramic tile shower is installing a mortar shower pan. Installed incorrectly, you can waste thousands of dollars on ceramic tile and spend even more so on damage repairs to your home.

This time of year is also great for planning out a major spring home construction project, such as putting on a family room or garage addition. Home additions of this magnitude can take several months of planning to develop building plans and to determine what features and specific items you want to incorporate into them. I’ve included in this month’s newsletter a couple of articles on home addition projects to set you off on the right direction on these projects.

Also included in this month’s newsletter are a couple of new articles on deck construction and maintenance. Spring is one of the best times of the year to either install a new deck or to give an existing one some TLC maintenance. And winter is the perfect time of the year to begin scoping out your spring deck plans.

Finally, with snow falling in many parts of the country I wrote an article on installing deicing roof heat cable. Heat cables are ideal for preventing ice dams and water damage to your home and installation is a breeze.

Bathroom Remodeling Checklist

A bathroom is one of the most utilized rooms in the home. A bathroom remodel also offers one of the highest returns on an investment as prospective home buyers highly value modern and stylish bathrooms. So before tackling your bathroom remodeling project make sure you read my “Bathroom Remodeling Checklist” to make sure you have a good plan in place before grabbing your carpentry tools. Also, if your bathroom remodeling plans include a custom ceramic shower see my article on “How to Build a Shower Pan”.

Basement Renovation

A basement renovation is a great way to create more living space in your home. It’s also one of the most affordable ways to create more finished living space as it requires no excavation, foundation, or exterior work. See my article on “Finished Basements – A Popular Home Improvement Trend”.

Building a Room Addition

Whether your new home addition project is a family room addition, garage addition, or bump out kitchen addition, it’s important to have all you ducks in a row before tackling projects of this magnitude, even if you plan to contract it out. My article on building a "Room Addition” reviews the key steps in planning such a project so that you get the finished project you’re looking for. Also see my “Room Addition Checklist” for step by step instructions on fleshing out your room addition plans.

Deck Construction and Maintenance

When spring hits you want to be prepared with your deck construction and maintenance plans. Make sure to read my articles on “Choosing the Right Deck Finishing Stain” and “Planning a Deck”.

Deicing Roof Heat Cable

With winter fully upon us it’s important to take the necessary steps in your attic and on your roof to prevent ice dams. Ice dams can cause tremendous damage to your home if left unchecked. My new article on “Deicing Roof Heat Cable” explains the process of installing heat cables. It’s a fairly easy job, albeit you’ll be spending some time on a ladder.

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Sign Up for HouseSight Today

Also, sign-up for  HouseSight and start sharing your home improvement and remodeling projects. Sign-up is fast and free. In addition, check out what other homeowners and contractors are posting for projects.

As always, if you have any specific home improvement questions or would like to see specific new home improvement related content send your questions to me at mark@homeadditionplus.com.

Again, good luck with your DIY home improvement projects and Happy New Year - 2012!

Mark J. Donovan

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