Manage Your Dollars and Sense by Using a Professional

Taking on a home remodeling project of any scale can be one of the most challenging, yet rewarding, experiences a homeowner will undertake. With countless design choices, layers of dust and a revolving door of workers, just thinking about it can send even the most laid-back person to bed with a mind-numbing headache. Whether it’s truly your blood, sweat and tears going into the remodel or just in theory letting professionals take the lead, there’s no doubt about it, remodeling is complicated. The silver lining, however, is the sense of accomplishment and homeowner pride once the project is complete and your design dreams are realized.

One of the best ways to keep stress at a manageable level is by working with a professional. This especially holds true when planning for a kitchen or bathroom remodel — two of the most trafficked areas of your home with the highest potential for return on investment. Working with a professional can make the remodel process much smoother by avoiding budget pitfalls, schedule delays and a crushed design dream.

Here are just a few of the ways a professional kitchen and bath dealer can help:

Visualizing the possibilities

Most reputable kitchen and bath dealers have a showroom to best showcase their work and the products they specify. As a customer, you should expect a neat, organized showroom with friendly staff to listen to you, help get some of your upfront questions answered and show you your options. Kitchen and bath dealers specialize exclusively in these rooms and have knowledge of the latest trends. They have the tools and experience to walk you through the design process, set the budget and troubleshoot to meet your goals for aesthetics and function. In fact, many kitchen and bath dealers and their designers are certified by leading industry associations such as the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) or the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), among others.

Setting the budget

Nowhere will using a professional pay off more than in setting the budget. If you’ve never done a major remodel, you probably don’t know how much to budget for. Or, perhaps you have a budget in mind and need help knowing where to save and when to splurge. Your dealer and design team will make this process much easier for you. Throughout the design and installation, they can work within your budget parameters, specify the best products and alert you of potential overages before it’s too late.

Doing the legwork

We’ve all heard the old adage, “measure twice; cut once.” Knowing how to take the right measurements is imperative in a successful remodeling project. The wrong measurement can set off an unfortunate chain reaction of very costly events. Professionals are skilled in this area and will get the job done right the first time so there aren’t delays in the schedule. Once the measurements are taken, a dealer will put the plans to paper and manage the ordering and installation steps.

Realizing your dreams

Eventually your remodel will be complete and you’ll no longer have to make do with your makeshift kitchen in the family room or fight with family members for time in your only functioning bathroom. After the dust has settled, the end result will be a beautiful space you and your family can enjoy for years to come. And, if you worked with a knowledgeable professional, you are left with both your dollars and your sense.

TEXTURE, MATERIAL, AND COLOR

You are remodeling your bathroom and you’re not sure how you want your bathroom to look. First of all, pick an inspirational piece and use your design ideas around that inspirational item.

Look at several elements such as texture, material, and color.

When considering texture, you should think about scale, light, and visual weight. These features determine how something feels, whether it’s tactile or visual. Rough textures usually add weight to an object, making the item feel more dense and cozy. While softer textures create a lightweight, smooth impression.

A key component to consider is material. A material can mimic some of the special characteristics of another. A good example is the wooden-like tile floor in the image which is actually made of porcelain made to look like wood. You can say you have wood for your bathroom floor!

Lastly, choose the perfect color scheme. Anticipate how you’d like to feel towards the space or object. Choosing color temperature is choosing warm or cool colors. Darker tones such as grays and blues tend to feel cool, fresh, and relaxing. While red, orange and yellow are professed as warm, vibrant and energetic.

Look at the image of the tile back-splash. There are a lot of fun patterns and textures, different materials, and complementary colors all in harmony. The rough surface of the porcelain represents sand on a beach, while the reflective glass is perceived as the ocean. The tile has subtle hues of cool colors consisting of greens, blues, greys, and white.

You have an awesome tile, but what are you to do with it? Make sure to pair it with something complementary. The hues of the tile are quite subtle, so my next step is to match it with a contrasting and bold finish.  For instance, metal, oil-rubbed bronze faucet would warm up the space a little bit. 

Remodeling and the Lead-Based Paint Factor

We all want to make sure that we are living in a safe, healthy environment.  One area where we do have control is in our own homes. 

Lead is one of the most dangerous elements that can be present in a home, and young children, especially under two years of age, are the most sensitive to lead poisoning.  Lead was frequently used in paints prior to 1978, and flaking, peeling, and cracking paint create dust that can be breathed through the air, or ingested by inquisitive children by chewing on or touching painted surfaces such as window sills, stair railings and door frames.  Though some lead is naturally present in the outdoors, lead-based exterior paint can flake off and contaminate the soil around the home and be tracked indoors so it is important to remove shoes at the door and wash hands. 

The risks of lead exposure to young children include lower IQ, slower growth, learning and behavior problems and anemia.  Unborn children are at risk also as lead is stored in the mother's body and can be transferred to the fetus and via breast milk to the infant.  Adults are not immune either, and high levels of lead in the body can lead to cardiovascular problems, hypertension, kidney and reproductive issues among others.

The good news is that lead poisoning is entirely preventable.  For one thing, lead-free paint was banned for residential use in 1978, so if your home is newer than that, there should not be cause for concern.  According to the EPA, houses built between 1960 and 1977 are 24% more likely to contain lead-based paint than newer homes; between 1940 and 1959 69% more likely; and before 1940 87% more likely.   But even if your house was built prior to 1978, if the paint is in good condition; i.e., not peeling, cracking, or flaking, and sealed under layers of newer paint, then there may be no cause for alarm.  Frequent wiping down of painted surfaces and vacuuming with a HEPA filter are good practices.  But if in doubt, it is wise to test for the presence of lead.   

However, if a home is being remodeled, and was built prior to 1978, it is likely that paint will be disturbed in the process.  It is important to have the paint in the home tested for lead content.   The EPA's Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (RRP Rule) "requires that firms performing renovation, repair, and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities and pre-schools built before 1978 have their firm certified by EPA (or an EPA authorized state), use certified renovators who are trained by EPA-approved training providers and follow lead-safe work practices".  In Georgia, that means that a Certified Renovator must be licensed by the Georgia Environmental Protection Department (EPD) to supervise all RRP-regulated projects and to perform lead testing on all surfaces that will be disturbed. 

The removal of lead is a federally mandated process.  A lead test must be performed on any home from 1978 or older by a certified renovator.  The certified renovator must wear very specific protection gear and properly secure the area being affected with multiple layers of protection.  If the paint involved is outdoors, the soil or immediate area must be properly covered.  One area which is generally overlooked is in window replacement.  Windows in homes from 1978 or older may contain lead and can contaminate the area outside and inside the house if it does contain lead and areas are not properly protected. 

If your home was built prior to 1978, and you are planning to remodel, be sure to use a certified renovator to test for lead. 

For more information from the Environmental Protection Agency on how to keep your home safe and lead-free visit  http://www.epa.gov/lead/protect-your-family#sl-home

NARI tour 2015

NARI Atlanta Presents its Fifth Annual Tour of Remodeled Homes

The Atlanta Chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, will present its Sixth Annual Tour of Remodeled Homes Saturday, Oct. 24, 2014 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.  Eight private homes transformed by NARI members throughout Atlanta’s northern suburbs will be open to the public, with the remodeling teams on hand to discuss each project and answer questions.  Proceeds from the tour will benefit CURE Childhood Cancer (www.curechildhoodcancer.org).  The tour is self-guided and will be held rain or shine.  Tickets are $20 in advance, and $30 the day of the tour, and are available at www.AtlantaRemodelingTour.com, along with a downloadable map showing each home location.  CSI Kitchen & Bath Studio will be showcasing a beautifully redesigned home as part of the tour.  We are very proud to be involved in NARI and to help such a worthwhile cause like Cure Childhood Cancer.

CSI #4 Residential Remodeling Contractor for 2012

Exciting News!

CSI Kitchen & Bath Studio has been named by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as the #4 Residential Remodeling Contractor in the Atlanta area in the August 10, 2012 Home Quarterly issue.

Also, we announce that  that Steen Clausen, CKD, founder of CSI Kitchen & Bath Studio, has been named in the August 2012 Home Quarterly Who’s Who of the Atlanta Business Chronicle as one of the 100 key people who are opening doors in the Atlanta housing industry.

Open House

Many thanks to our clients, Shirley and Eddie Griggs of Stone Mountain, who graciously opened their home to their friends and neighbors to view the kitchen and bath that we remodeled for them. They were very pleased and excited and happy to share the results. Everyone had a wonderful time and enjoyed some great food. Enjoy the pictures!

Best in Show!

We recently participated in the Spring Home Show at the Cobb Galleria. We were excited to unveil our newly expanded display booth. It is double in size, and we added a complete master bath with tiled shower, tiled floor and walls, a free-standing tub, vanity, linen closet, toilet and closet! It was designed in sections for easy assembly and dismantling and built in-house by our own team of remodelers and subcontractors. Judging by the crowd reaction, it was a big success. And it was awarded Best Display by the show's promoter, SEMCO Productions. Congratulations to everyone who designed and worked on this booth. Good job!

National Kitchen and Bath Month

Did you know that October is National Kitchen and Bath Month? The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) started this program in 1982 to raise awareness of the kitchen and bath industry.

As real estate agents will tell you, remodeling your kitchen or bathroom earns the greatest return on your investment when it comes time to sell. Home buyers are favorably or unfavorably impressed by the condition of these rooms and they can make a big difference in how quickly a house sells--or perhaps if it sells at all. Even if you aren't planning to sell soon, don't you deserve the pleasure of working in a great remodeled kitchen?

Take a good look at your kitchen (or bathroom) and think about what you like about it and what you don't. What needs improvement? What looks outdated or worn? Are there appliances that don't work as they should--or are not energy efficient? If prospective buyers were to look at it today, would they like what they see? Make a list and discuss your ideas with a kitchen and bath specialist. They will inform you of the latest trends and tell you how to plan your project to get the most from your remodeling budget.