I admit it: I get emotionally attached to houses. When they get torn down, or parts of them are demolished during remodeling, I feel a loss. Do you? Here are some ways to allow an old house to live on: • Repurpose the old framing lumber. It’s usually extremely good wood, much better than what…
There’s a lot to like about Trex or other composite decking materials. They don’t splinter, split, rot or need painting or staining. And they’re made from cast-off stuff like milk jugs and wood pallets. In fact, Trex claims it uses 50 percent of the grocery bags we recycle in the U.S., and that every year…
If so, check out this story, “So you want to be your own contractor,” in this weekend’s San Francisco Chronicle. The subhead is: “Be super-prepared and endlessly patient, say homeowners who’ve taken on the job.” I like this idea in the story: to gain building experience by volunteering for Habitat for Humanity. Also from the…
If you want granite but worry about the cost, here’s how you make it more affordable: 1. Use granite in one place only, like on the island, rather than in the whole kitchen. 2. Use granite tiles with a wood edge, rather than slab granite with bull-nose edging, which is very expensive. As setting tile…
If you’ve got some extra cash in your jeans, you could do worse that giving yourself a kitchen remodel that’s also an artwork, like this beauty I visited in San Luis Obispo. The owner is a collector of local art, and works with the local art museum, so it was natural for her to hire…
Are you sick to death of the manipulation of your emotions, the contrived tear-jerking scenes, the blatant product placement that is rampant on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition? I’m not. Though when I saw the first show, I was horrified to see the crew mow down the old house and build a McMansion on the lot…
The 400-year-old Dutch-door style is making a “major comeback,” according to door and window manufacturer Jeld-Wen. You have to admit, Dutch doors are fun: Close the bottom half to keep toddlers and Lassie inside, but open the top for light, air flow and to connect with the neighborhood. (If you’re trying to keep a cat…
Ever wish you could ask a licensed contractor some remodeling questions with no hint of pressure to sign a contract? Here is your chance. This week’s guest expert, contractor Alon Toker, will be answering your remodeling questions online through Sunday. Here are the facts: Name: Alon Toker Title: President Company: Mega Builders, Chatsworth Contractor’s License…
I know this house is not in So Cal, but it should be. On my property! What is it about this remodel that has me so enchanted? The limestone pathways? The sustainably grown ipe wood benches? (The owner tells me those benches are great launch pads for her young kids to spring from.) Is it…
Once upon a time there was a young man named Ian who lived in a cute house in Culver City. One day, Ian decided to build his dream kitchen. In his mind, there was a butcher-block counter and a sink with a huge faucet and hose sprayer, the better to fill his enormous pasta pots…
What kind of remodeling company is best: One that uses most or all its own employees? Or one that uses mostly subcontractors, like plastering or electrical subcontractors? In nearly two decades of studying the remodeling industry, I can’t really say which is best. Some homeowners want only company employees working on their remodel, while others…
You know what’s so sad about Designed to Sell, one of my favorite TV shows? It’s that the homeowners spent years in an awkward, cluttered, unattractive home until it was time to sell . . . and then they made it nice. Does that make sense? Why not make it nice five years in advance…