Construction Deal Update

Do you know the best part about the whole "green" movement? Besides the most important benefits of preserving resources and helping the environment? It's that going green can save you money.

Many things that are "good for us" are usually more expensive or more of a hassle. But with modern leaps in technology and production, a lot of the green products we use in our homes cost the same or even less. And they save us money. Through lowered energy bills, tax credits, rebates, and cheaper (usually recycled) materials... we're keeping more money in the bank and helping the planet.

The keywords that pop up a lot in the green vernacular are reuse, renew, and recycle. This can apply to your home renovations as well.

Salvage is what can make a difference. Whenever you are getting rid of products and materials around your home, or if you're planning to remodel and bring in new materials and furniture, consider salvage.

For example, when re-doing your kitchen, you could have a demolition service come out and tear everything down and haul it off to the landfill. The chemicals in the cabinets and flooring will seep into the ground, the trash piles will grow, and the environment will be harmed.

Another (greener!) option would be to contact a salvage service. Salvage companies could reuse the cabinets, counters, flooring, and appliances in other applications. Or the materials could be recycled into new and different products, reducing the need to harvest new materials.

And the best part? You might even get cash for the products you turn in. You could get a tax credit for the "donation". It's also possible to get a store credit with the salvage yard to purchase recycled materials and products for your new kitchen!

Whenever new products for the home are made, it sucks resources out of the planet and ruins the environment we need to survive. Consider your kitchen cabinets. Wood needs to be cut down, using heavy machinery that consumes gas and oil. The wood needs to be transports long distances using even more resources. Production of cabinets requires more energy as well as harmful chemicals. They also need to be shipped to retail stores or to your home.

So, when you buy those new cabinets, you're consuming a lot more than just new cabinets...

Consider a salvage yard, recycling center, or green manufacturer for your next home remodeling project. It could help save the planet and it could even save you some money. And that's what we all should be doing.

If you need to find a salvage expert in your neighborhood, consider ConstructionDeal.com. We match salvage pros with homeowners every day. And we can help you - for free. Simply tell us about your project and you'll receive calls directly from salvage and recycling services.

It's fast, free, and easy. And it helps out the planet we all live on.

Always on the lookout for the latest and greatest in new trends, here at ConstructionDeal.com, we came upon the real estate magazine Realtor. The online site has compiled some hot new trends for this year when it comes to renovating the home. The article's author spoke with several designers about what to expect in 2008:

Comfort Colors Are In

As homeowners seek solace in their homes, natural shades have become more popular. Muted earth tones are being used throughout the home, on walls, floors, and even cabinetry. Green, particularly a soft sage color, has become a popular choice, especially as an accent color on kitchen cabinets.

Flooring and countertop choices also are muted; the days of highly polished granite or porcelain tile are over. Instead, honed granite and soapstone, as well as quartz countertops with matte finishes, are becoming de rigueur.

Kitchens Are Expanding

The kitchen has evolved over time from a place to prepare and eat meals to the focal point of a home. Today, kitchens are used as gathering places and a place for doing homework and crafts, paying bills, and surfing the Internet—and kitchen design is now reflecting that usage. Computer desks, huge islands, fireplaces, and comfortable seating areas are frequent choices in kitchen remodels.

Maple and hickory cabinets are catching up to cherry wood in popularity, and the simple, sleek lines of Shaker, Mission, and Asian design can be seen throughout the kitchen. Darker finishes are a frequent choice for cabinets. Merlot—a deep burgundy color—has become quite popular, as has black.

While homeowners still prefer a sleek, clean look in the kitchen, elegant touches, such as farmhouse sinks or Victorian faucets, add class and individuality.

Baths Are Getting More Luxurious

Like kitchens, bathrooms—particularly master bathrooms—are expanding. "Baths are becoming like a luxurious oasis where people can go and retreat," says ASID's Snyder.

Homeowners are replacing standard shower heads with oversized "rain" shower heads, and those doing more extensive remodels are adding showers with body sprays, steam showers, solid surface shower walls, and heated tile floors. Traditional-styled cabinetry, made to look like freestanding furniture with legs, is popular as well.

No statistics are available yet to track the home urinal trend, but maybe people are looking for more fixtures to fill their ever-growing bathrooms. Or maybe installing a home urinal is the ultimate way for men to avoid having to put the seat down.

How Big Is Your Laundry Room?

Laundry rooms are becoming a status symbol these days. No longer isolated in a dark corner of the basement, laundry rooms are now decked out with the best appliances and filled with color. That's because families are spending more time in their ultra-large laundry rooms, doing messy chores, crafts, and gardening projects there in addition to washing, drying, and ironing.

Specialty Rooms to Fit Every Need

As families spend more time at home, homes are evolving to meet the specific needs of every family member. Rooms such as wine cellars, media rooms, libraries, sewing rooms, meditation rooms, and even personal beauty salons and ballet studios are increasing in popularity, according to ASID. These specialty rooms are being added to homes through remodeling or as options made by purchasers of new homes.

Green Living

Solar power has come a long way in the last 20 years. The clunky panels that used to turn off homeowners interested in aesthetics are long gone, and they've been replaced by sleek integrated solar systems capable of handling all the power needs of a house.

The demographics of solar technology have changed as well. Today, there is a new generation of solar aficionados who are passionate about technology and preserving the environment. The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 also have created interest in solar homes, as people seek to lead a more self-sufficient lifestyle. Solar technology is being integrated into new-home design—there are even entire new-home communities springing up with solar power as an available upgrade—but those who are remodeling also can add it easily.


Check out the whole article here for further details about the big new trends for your homes this year!

If you need to find a contractor for your home improvement project, look no further than ConstructionDeal.com. We're a fast, free, and easy way to find local renovation pros. There's no obligation, no commitment, and you get to choose how many bids you'd like to receive!

We help you get your project done!

An interesting story from the Wall Street Journal on how now may be the perfect time for home renovation projects, "It's not the best time to be selling a house in much of the country. But increasingly, it's a good time to build or renovate one.

The housing slump has pushed down prices on everything from lumber and drywall to labor and design fees. Legions of carpenters, tile layers and landscapers are idle. Architects are taking on small renovation projects they once would have sniffed at and contractors are offering their services at a discount. Some people in the building trades are even posting fliers at construction sites to drum up business.

It's a striking contrast from the heady days of the real-estate boom, when builders and contractors could hardly keep pace with demand, prices of materials soared and a six-month wait to start a kitchen renovation was commonplace.

Now, some homeowners are moving forward on renovation or building projects they've put off for years. Others are exacting substantial price cuts from contractors desperate for work.

A few months ago, Mike Bowes remodeled the bathroom and guest bedroom of his $200,000 condo in Las Vegas. The job, which cost $14,000, included a walk-in shower, a new vanity, bamboo flooring in the guest room and retextured plaster on the walls and ceilings. Last year, the same work would have cost nearly twice as much, he estimates, "and I would have had to beg someone to do it." Now, the 47-year-old commercial roofing sales manager is planning to upgrade his kitchen, living room and porch. While prices remain low "I'm going to keep going," he says.

...More homeowners will renovate their kitchens this year -- 7.57 million, up from 7.44 million in 2006 -- but they will spend a lot less, $96.2 billion compared with $127 billion, according to the National Kitchen & Bath Association. Bathroom renovations this year are expected to rise by 5.3% to 10.9 million from 2006, while spending on them will grow 3.8% to $70.2 billion from 2006, the trade group projects.

One reason some renovations will cost less this year is the falling price of many key building materials. The price of oriented strand board, a plywood substitute used for walls and roof sheathing, dropped 40% from the third quarter of 2005 to the same quarter this year, according to the National Association of Home Builders. During the same period, framing-lumber prices fell 24%, says the association. And drywall prices -- which soared during the real estate run-up to a record -- dropped 35% from last year's third quarter, according to United States Gypsum Co., the largest manufacturer of drywall in North America.

'If you're going to do any kind of construction...now is the best time you're going to have to do that in the next five years,' says Bill Harrison of Harrison Design Associates, an Atlanta-based architecture firm that specializes in high-end homes."

Read more of the article at the Wall Street Journal.

If you're looking to take advantage of the low cost of construction and remodeling materials as well as finding contractors who may have an available schedule, start the process for free on ConstructionDeal.com. Just tell us about your project and we'll match you with businesses in your area.

Labels: Remodeling Trends

We've added a new tool at ConstructionDeal.com - our Contractor Directory is now live on our website!

The Contractor Directory acts as a yellow pages book or a phone book where homeowners and business owners can look up contractors in their area, review their listing and company details, and call them directly.

We have added this feature to our free services because many project owners want to find a local service professional immediately. Normally, one can post a project on our site and then wait for several contractors to make contact. Having several quotes from different companies is a great way to make sure you're not spending too much and finding the right contractor for the job.

But, because people sometimes like to search for and contact companies in our network in real time... we've added the Contractor Directory. It's very easy to use. It's simply a matter of entering the zip code where the project will take place (or by selecting the State and then City.)

Next, one must select whether the project is Residential or Commercial with the two tabs at the top of the page. Category selection is the final step - click on the appropriate one and a list of nearest companies will come up.

Click on the business name to see more details, company overviews, or contact information.

It's another free service, from ConstructionDeal.com, to all project owners to help you find the right services for your job. We're here to help you get your building, remodeling, or repair project done!


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Continuing with the Construction Deal.com theme of hot design trends, the next big thing in kitchen remodeling could be the glass countertop. Everyone still wants granite counters and stainless steel appliances in their new kitchens, but a few things could trigger the rise in popularity of a glass kitchen counter:

• Sustainability
• Health Considerations
• Uniqueness

Sustainability:
The Green Movement is not going away anytime soon. People want sustainability. They want products that will last a long time and not need to be replaced. They want products that are environmentally friendly. They would like to have recycled materials whenever possible.

A lot of the choices for countertops include laminates, vinyls, and engineered materials that are petroleum-based and require a large amount of chemicals to create. Even production of the vaunted granite counter material requires harmful quarry mining procedures. It's also environmentally costly to ship the heavy stone slabs across the country.

A glass countertop can be made from recycled glass. The finished product can contain up to 80 or 90 percent recycled materials. It's durable to last a long time and the counter can be recycled again after use. The price is comparable a granite installation, but the counter can be customized with choices of color and size that will be perfect for your kitchen decor.

Health Considerations:
A glass countertop is a solid surface that is as durable as stone but without being as porous as a granite or marble. It won't require a sealant to be applied to prevent stains. The finished product can be cleaned with normal, everyday household cleaners. This type of surface can prevent harmful bacteria or germs from hiding in and being transferred to other foods.

Uniqueness:
Many people might be imagining the glass top on a coffee table, end table, or cheesy desk from the 80's or 90's. But many beautiful things can be done to a glass countertop to give it a truly unique presence in a new kitchen. While everyone is stuffing granite counters into their kitchen remodeling project, no matter the style of house they have, one could easily imagine how a glass countertop would stand out.

Glass has a natural green tint color to it, but colors can be created with coatings on the underside of the counter, or colors can be added in the manufacturing process. Shattered glass can be laminated to the counter. The Vetrazzo countertop, filled with recycled glass, gives an option that is filled with flecks of colored glass. The glass kitchen countertop can be installed with a smooth finish, or it can be textured or have a pattern or grooves etched into the surface.

The edges of a glass countertop don't need to be hard, sharp, and squared. They can be rounded and even beveled -- but keep in mind that the more detail on the edge, the greater the expense.

On top of health benefits of a non-porous surface, the glass countertop is also heat resistant. Most heavy glass can withstand temperatures of up to 700 degrees.

What's not to love? It could be the next great option for your kitchen remodeling needs.

If you're in the market to remodel your countertops, you might consider using glass. We know of a few installation specialists across the country -- if you'd like help, post your countertop project with ConstructionDeal.com. We'll match you with a counter pro at no cost and at no obligation.

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