There’s an appeal to living in an old house. They have character and a style that is their own. Depending on the year that the house was built, it can offer a unique window into the past while blending with the modern day. But you need to know what you are getting into.

Owning an old house – either a historically old house or even one that is just more than a few decades old – can be costly. Whether you need to make repairs due to age, you need to modernize the structure for safety, or you just want to change things around, sooner or later you will need to put significant work into the house.

With that in mind, we have a few tips for remodeling old houses.

Start by Consulting with a Professional

Before you do anything, you should speak to a professional. You may have experience with construction and you may be fully qualified to do the work yourself, but an older house can present unique challenges. Older houses present countless issues that need to be checked, many of which require expertise that can only come from years of experience.

When you are ready to consult a contractor, make sure it is one that can do everything for you from the construction to the design. If you are considering work on an old house, contact Fleschner Construction now and arrange a consultation. You’ll be glad you did.

Check the History of the Place

It’s always a good idea to get the history of a house when you buy it, but with older houses – much older houses – there’s another reason to do your homework on it. Depending on where you live and how old the house is, there is a chance that it can qualify as a historical landmark.

There needs to be a specific reason to claim a house is historical, but it is worth checking. If you can claim it as a historical landmark, there are several benefits including significant tax breaks. It can be a double-edged sword though, as houses designated as historic in the National Register can be very difficult to make significant alterations to. The rules are different by state and city, but they can be challenging to work around.

If you are considering attempting to register your house as a historical landmark or your house is already a historical landmark, consult with an expert that has ties to the local government to see what steps need to be taken.

Start with the Foundation

While this is true of any structure, if you are considering a remodel of an older house checking the foundation should be your first step. This is something that was certainly considered during the purchase, but with aging buildings, it is always good to double check before beginning any work.

Partly this is just for maintenance – wear and tear are cumulative, but negative results can appear quickly. A crack that seemed minor a year ago can turn into a major issue almost without notice, and remodeling can exacerbate the issue. Plus, older buildings used older techniques that may have been perfectly sound at the time but weren’t necessarily meant for decades of use. Some regions, for instance, used a different mix for cement, which may have saved some money then but will cost you now.

Before you make any significant alterations to the house, make sure the structure is sound and won’t have any issues. Even if it doesn’t necessarily need any work immediately, it might save you money in the long run to work on it now.

Disaster-proof Your House

While older houses have plenty of character and charm, they also tend to be a little less structurally sound than most modern structures. There are exceptions, but typically a house built several decades ago will not be able to withstand a natural disaster like an earthquake or flood. They are also more susceptible to fire and heavy wind. That is partly down to the materials that were used, which were not as sophisticated as they are today, but it may also come down to the house’s design.

If you are considering a major remodel, have the construction experts look at your home and determine how it might fare in a disaster. If you are concerned about earthquakes and/or floods, it might make sense to add some additional support to the building. You should also pay special attention to the roof. An older house still in use will almost certainly have needed a new roof at some point over the decades, but the question is how long ago.

There are some things that can’t be overcome without more work than it is worth – you wouldn’t want to replace all the wood with a less flammable material, for instance – but you could at least add extra precautions like additional fire detectors. Older houses can be very sturdy, but most of them can probably use a little help. If you want to really ensure the stability of your home, you may need to retrofit the entire structure. It will help to keep the house viable for years to come, but you’ll need to decide if the cost is worth it.

Incorporate Universal Design

The older a house, the more difficult it is for people with mobility issues to get around. The builders of yesterday created some incredible structures, but they didn’t often plan for the unexpected and they tended to adopt a one-size-fits-all mentality when it came to building. If you are considering a significant remodel for an old house, you may want to take it one step further than you may have been thinking and incorporate elements of universal design.

Universal design is meant to allow for the evolution of a house. Widening doorways and adding new appliances – along with electrical outlets – can prepare the house for the future. Expanding the stairwells could also help to address some future problems, and if nothing else it should help make the property more appealing if you are planning on selling.

Update the Technology

If your older house hasn’t had a major renovation in years – or ever – your first step needs to be upgrading all the technology starting with the wiring. Safety standards have vastly improved over the decades along with our demand for power, and what used to be more than adequate to power the electronics of the past is now almost certainly a hazard – and that’s not counting what time has done to the older systems in terms of wear and tear.

A complete rewiring of a house is a major and costly project, but it is also a vital one for both safety and modern compatibility. While you are at it, you may also want to consider adding in upgrades for the future, including wiring for computers that allow you to network your house. It’s not as vital as the electrical wiring, but if you are considering it doing both upgrades at once will be significantly cheaper than doing them separately.

Sooner or later, you will also need to upgrade the house’s heating and cooling systems. Many older houses don’t have air conditioner units, so you’ll need to decide if that is important to you. If so, it may require a significant investment. The heater, however, is vital – especially in an older building which will already be drafty and offer less insulation than a modern one. Call in a specialist to look at your current HVAC system. Upgrading can be safer (depending on how old the current unit is), and it will save you money in the long run if you go with an energy efficient model. While you’re at it, put in a new digital thermostat as well, and replace any older windows with better insulated models.

Design with the Old and New

One of the main reasons to purchase an older home is for the style it offers, but that style shouldn’t cut into your comfort.

With an older house, you don’t want to go too modern in your design or it will clash with the best part of your home – the distinctive look. Instead, you’ll need to find a blend of the old and the new that works for your personal style. Consider hiring a professional designer that can present you with options tailored to your home, or better yet, hire a contractor that has a professional designer to call upon.

Old homes are charming and unique, but they will need help. Contact Fleschner Construction now and we can help with all aspects of your remodel!

With the NFL playoffs about to start, if you are planning on hosting a Super Bowl party it’s never too early to start planning.

For the most part, you’ll want to keep it relatively simple. There are plenty of advantages to remodeling your home, but doing so for a single party is extreme. This kind of event can help to identify future needs, but there are several simple and easy things you can do. Here are a few tips to help you ensure a successful party.

Create a Food/Drink Station

In whatever room you intend to be the primary focus of the party, you should consider setting up a dedicated food and/or drink station. It should be somewhere easy to get to and out of the way, and removed from the kitchen to avoid congestion. It should also be somewhere away from the action – you don’t want people constantly walking in front of the TV throughout the day.

The size of the station is dependent on how elaborate you want your party to be, but it should be big enough to hold everything you want your guests to have access to, and a little more. If you don’t have a suitable station on hand, you might want to consider a quick trip to somewhere like IKEA, where you can pick up metallic bookcases for under $30. A table might be a little simpler, but if you have limited space, stacking things vertically might help.

You will also need to make sure the surfaces are appropriate – ice will need to be on something that can handle condensation, hot plates will need to be on surfaces that won’t scorch, etc. – and you’ll need to be near outlets if there’s anything that requires power.

Focus on the Entertainment Center

If you are considering any big purchases because of the Super Bowl, an entertainment center should be high on your list. The TV is obviously going to be the focal point of any Super Bowl party, and a sound system can enhance the experience as well.

Whatever TV you have, make sure that it is placed at an angle that will give the most visibility to the room. If you have a flatscreen, hanging it on the wall with a VESA wall mount will allow you to move it around as necessary. Hanging speakers around the room close to the ceiling will also help to create a good stereo sound while keeping them out of the way.

You may even want to set up a second TV depending on the guests. Then you don’t have to wrestle with the annual dilemma of whether to watch the Super Bowl halftime show or the Puppy Bowl, as you can watch both.

Prepare the Kitchen

In most parties where food and drink are served, even if there is a dedicated space for both, the kitchen tends to become a popular place to hang out. The Super Bowl is slightly different in that the draw is the game on TV, but for those that are more into the party than the football, the kitchen is a natural place to congregate. You can try discouraging that behavior, but good luck.

With that in mind, make sure your fridge and freezer have been cleaned out to make room for new food and drinks, and anything that doesn’t need to be in the kitchen should be moved out and stored elsewhere. Pick up plenty of ice to put in the freezer and keep paper towels on hand too. Make sure the dishwasher is empty and ready to be filled, but it might be easier to use plastic cups and paper plates. If so, be sure to have recycling, compost, and trash receptacles ready. There is almost no way to ensure the kitchen won’t get messy, so make sure you have as much space as possible to start with.

If you have any aspirations regarding remodeling your kitchen, this party should also be a good testing ground. Figure out what works and what doesn’t, then speak to a contractor about what your options are.

Setup a Kids’ Room

If you are planning on a family-friendly Super Bowl party, you may want to consider a separate room or area where the kids can hang out. Some may want to watch the game with the adults, but others might not be interested in it at all.

If you have a spare bedroom or office, turn it into a daycare of sorts. Set up a TV that’s just out of reach of the kids, but displayed prominently enough that they can watch a movie or TV show. If they are a little older, attach a game console and you should be set for a while. Just make sure to remove anything dangerous or fragile, add as many pillows as you can, and then sit back and enjoy the game with the adults.

Upgrade Your Furniture

While it is way too much to think about buying new furniture just for a Super Bowl party, if you are already considering making some changes the Big Game is as good an excuse as any.

Like many major holidays and annual events, the Super Bowl often brings with it several sales from retailers and furniture sellers are no exception. Keep your eyes posted for any big promotions on the way and make sure you buy furniture that fits your living spaces, not just furniture that is on sale. You might fall in love with an oversized couch that you can sink into, but if it is too big for your living room or the colors clash, you’ll regret it soon enough.

Depending on the people you are inviting, you may want to wait until after the party to bring in brand new, clean furniture. Even with the most careful people in attendance, the more people in a confined area, the more chances of stains on your new upholstery. So rather than buying new furniture for the party, you may want to consider the party as a farewell to the current models. You can always take advantage of sale prices and buy something before the game and have it delivered after.

Whatever you choose, just make sure you have enough seating for everyone – if you need more, you can always throw down a mattress or two and turn the entire room into a giant cushion. Ultimately, you may want to move any unused furniture into another room to create as much flow as possible, but there should be plenty of room for people to sit.

Think About the Future

As with the kitchen, having a party can make for a great laboratory to consider changes to your home. If you see people bottlenecking in one doorway, you may want to consider expanding that doorway in the future. If you feel that your room is too stuffy, you might want to consider a new window. Do the carpets get dirty easily? Maybe hardwood floors are the answer. Does the space feel confining? You might want to consider changing the color scheme to something brighter.

Make a list of all the things that draw your attention during the party. Even if you’ve had people over before, seeing your home in heavy use can help to identify issues you may never have considered.

When the party is done, contact a professional and tell them what you are thinking. Fleschner Construction can help you with a full remodel or just a redesign, and we will work with you to create something that fits. Contact us now to set up a consultation!

Although the weather outside at this time of year doesn’t really encourage growth, if you have any aspirations to grow anything in the coming year now is the time to start preparing. You won’t be able to put anything into the ground for several months still, but if you are thinking about creating or building a garden for the New Year, you should think about what you want to plant and how you want to plant it.

You’ll also need to decide on how much of a garden you want. If your ambitions are low, you can dedicate a small piece of your yard to growing select vegetables, or you can get help and create a larger setup involving a greenhouse or an outside area with some form of irrigation. You can even build something more ambitious. But whatever you choose and whenever you choose to grow it, now is the time to start making plans (be sure to consult seasonal guides to know what you can plant and when).

Keep it Simple

If you want to grow just a few vegetables you can stake out a small area in your front or backyard and simply start digging – or at least plan to dig. The ground will probably remain too cold to properly dig until spring, but you should start thinking about where you want it to go.

Once you have an area in mind, you may want to think about a border of some sort, for aesthetics if nothing else. Bricks make an easy and stylish border, although a raised plastic border half buried can serve too. Decorative stones are a good addition as well, but they will raise the price.

Once the weather warms up enough, you should dig down several inches, enough to clear out any weeds. Once that is done, you can add landscape fabric to prevent them from coming back. Fill the rest with new soil and plant when the season begins. If this is your first foray into gardening, choose plants and flowers that are sturdy and can thrive without much help. Save the delicate vegetation for when you feel more comfortable.

Elevated Garden Beds

A simple and effective way to create a garden is to build raised garden boxes. These boxes can be placed anywhere in the yard, and with a bit of paint, they can even offer some color to a yard.

Once the garden box is complete, it’s easy enough to put down some landscape fabric and fill the box with soil. After that, you can plant whatever you want, weather conditions permitting. The size of the box is up to you, but it should be a big enough box to grow enough vegetables to justify the effort, but small enough that it won’t crack under the pressure and the weight of the soil. Choose the wood you use wisely and reinforce it.

Create a Full Garden Outside

While it’s easy to think to yourself that all you need for a full garden is the space, there’s more to it than that. To really have a full, working garden you also need to factor in things like drainage, irrigation, proper lighting, and a well-planned plant/harvest cycle.

You’ll need plenty of space to pull this off, enough to grow multiple types of vegetables. You may also need special garden tools and growing apparatus. That might include tomato cages, wires for vines, and more. You will also need to consider access. Create stone or tile pathways in and out of the garden to avoid stomping through mud and potentially over growing vegetation. You may want to consult with an expert before attempting this type of set up.

Convert Another Room

If you really want to garden year-round, you might consider converting an existing room, or part of a room into a nursery. Basements and attics work well, as will garages (although the temperature might be an issue), but you will need special equipment and the time to continually monitor the new growth. If you have a room that receives plenty of light and isn’t already in heavy use, you might be able to turn it into an indoor garden with a little work.

Vegetables might be difficult to grow – or at least more difficult to grow than they are worth – but growing flowers indoors with a proper hydroponic setup can help develop new variations and crossbreeds. There will be plenty of additional costs though, including a significant bump to the electric bill. But if you have an area with light, you can keep it simple and install or place metal shelves that won’t trap light, hanging baskets, and even indoor garden boxes. Just make sure the floor can get a little messy if necessary (this shouldn’t be a major problem, but you won’t want to use carpet).

Build a Greenhouse

If you want to go up a notch, maybe up several notches, then you should consider building a greenhouse.

There are several types of greenhouses, and you’ll need to take into account the weather you typically receive and how long you intend to garden. Greenhouses can be used year-round with a little bit of effort, but you’ll need to combat the temperatures. To do so you’ll need access to power in order to run heaters, and that also means you’ll need good drainage – you do not want to run heaters near standing puddles of water.

Once you have a greenhouse built, then you need to determine how the vegetables should be planted. You can use garden beds, dig directly into the ground, build shelves to place vegetation, or a combination of them all. From there just keep an eye on your project and you should be able to grow year-round.

Consult the Experts

If you need to do any landscaping for your yard or you want to build something to help with your growing, you might want to consult an expert. Contact Fleschner Construction now to see how we can help!

The New Year is a good time to consider making some changes to your house. Maybe you want to do a little redecorating or maybe you want to do some remodeling. Whatever your ambitions, if you are looking for a few of the design trends that will be making waves throughout 2018 and beyond, we have a few tips.

Of course, interior design choices are very much down to individual tastes. But if you are considering making some changes to your home, here are a few of the 2018 design trends you may want to consider. If nothing else, consider these tips as a starting point for creating the new look for your home.

Adding in More Wood

A trend that has been building for years and is showing no signs of slowing is the move to incorporate as many natural elements as possible. Hardwood floors are desirable in most houses but built in wood shelves and cabinets can make a room stand out as well, as can wood furniture. There needs to be a balance though, as the 70s wood panels still leave a bad taste in the mouths of anyone forced to live with them.

Still, plastic and vinyl materials have their place, but the move to look more natural shows no signs of slowing.

Ceiling Art

Another major design trend that will see a major increase in 2018 is ceiling art of some kind. Some ambitious homeowners (and renters) are looking at their ceiling as a blank canvas. The phrase “statement ceiling” is seeing a major increase in search traffic, and that can mean anything from a mural to wallpaper.

This won’t be for everyone and it needs to match the rest of the room, but the ceiling can be a great source for decoration.

The Color of 2018

Color is one of the most subjective of all design elements, but several designers got together on Pinterest to weigh in on what they think will be the most popular color of 2018. And while there was, of course, a lot of disagreement, the consensus is that the color of 2018 is the soft grey-green color of sage.

Sage is considered something of a neutral color so – in theory – it can be used in almost any room. If sage isn’t for you, however, the New Year is a great time to consider a splash of paint throughout the house to make things feel fresh and new.

Go Big on the Bathroom

More and more, people are putting extra effort into making their bathrooms look like something out of a resort, and that should continue into 2018. The phrase “spa bathroom” saw a 269-percent increase on Pinterest, with people checking out ideas on how to incorporate everything from decorative pebbles to indoor plants that thrive in the bathroom.

The real issue here is just whether or not you have the space to create a spa bathroom (and that’s not considering the costs). If you are interested in going this route, speak to a contractor now and they can help you create the bathroom of your dreams.

Incorporate Nature

While plants in a house are nothing new, there is a big push to go as far as possible when including vegetation. Homeowners building small greenhouses on their property is also on the rise, as people continue to incorporate nature into their homes. There is even a small, but growing movement to build homes partially underground.

The trick is to find a way to add plants and flowers in a way that feels natural. It’s also important to make sure the vegetation gets the proper sunlight and is easy to water. You should also choose the right types of plants for the season, and be sure you know how big they will get.

Mixed Metallics

One of the more modern design trends seeing a big increase in recent years is incorporating metallic fixtures in certain rooms. Brass accents have been in style for a long time now, but more and more metallic surfaces and accents are making their way throughout the home.

When it comes to these metallic additions, a little goes a long way. A bit of chrome, a metal light fixture or two, and an old room can feel modern and new.

Patterned Floors

This one has been building for a while now, but in 2018 one of the big expected trends is the resurgence of patterned floors, especially in the kitchen and bathroom. These floors can be accomplished by installing tile, unique types of hardwood floors placed in specific patterns, and more.

The actual pattern is a matter of taste, but it should fit with both the rest of the room and your own personal style. You may want to keep it understated, with just a few colors and patterns, or you might want to get more specific. It will probably come down in part to the material you use, but a new floor can make an average place look exciting.

Stick With Traditional Looks

If you want to change the look of your home but you aren’t into trends, there’s nothing wrong with sticking to traditional looks and designs. Start with a color scheme and work from there. Keep it simple and use a color that’s somewhat neutral, which will allow you decorate with flexibility from there – white and grays are easy enough to decorate around, while something like a dark blue requires more specific decorations.

Once that has been decided, choose furniture that wouldn’t look out of place ten years ago or ten years from now. It won’t be cutting edge, but you won’t have to worry about being out of date either.

But Ultimately, Stay True to Yourself

While studying design trends can help inspire a few ideas that will help to give your home a new look, ultimately you really just want a design that makes you feel comfortable.

Contact a professional today to discuss your options. Look for a contractor that has experience with renovations and design. Contact Fleschner Construction now to see what your options are for 2018 and beyond!

With the end of the year just a few days away, if you are considering hosting a New Year’s Eve party, now is the time to start getting things together. You can always put it off until the day before or so, but the longer you leave it the more rushed it will feel. Plus, there are better deals to be found the week before compared to the day before.

Most of the ideas below are relatively easy decorating and design tips and involve using existing materials and furniture, or easily obtained party goods. We also include a few bigger ideas, but those will probably have to wait. Still, there’s no time like the present to start planning for the future.

Clear Space

Before you get to the actual decorating, you should start by removing anything you don’t need in order to make more room.

In general, during the winter you may decide to make your place feel a little cozier by adding furniture and highlighting warmer colors. You may want to go the opposite route for a party, however, depending on how many people you are expecting.

Having chairs and places to set things down is a must, but a dining room table may just be in the way. Push it over to the wall, or remove it and store it somewhere out of the way. That will create an easier flow for people to move around and allow for more people.

If you are still holding on to your Christmas tree, this might be a good time to take it outside. You can also leave it in front of your house with the ornaments and tinsel still on to add a little extra flair for when guests approach.

Create a Party Space

Designate one area as a party space and add something to make that area a focal point. If you have the room, call that the dance floor and add the proper lighting. If you have the right equipment, set up a karaoke machine. If you want to send the old year off with a thumb in the eye, set up a table for drinking games.

If none of those fit your style, you can always turn it into a serving area and lay out some food. Alternatively, turn it into a bar and set up a drink station if you are into that. Whatever you do with it, it’s good to have one area a little off to the side where you can direct people. Just make sure there is room for people to walk by.

Decorate for Tomorrow

When you are decorating for your New Year’s Eve party, consider the cleanup. Make sure you have plenty of places for people to toss their trash, as well as places for recycling. If you want to try to encourage people to add food remains to a compost, you can set up special bags for that as well, but it will get tougher to encourage people to separate their trash as the night goes on – plus it will begin to stink after a few hours.

Candles are also an easy and fun decoration, but make sure they are on a plate or something that can catch the wax, and make sure they aren’t in a place where someone can accidentally knock them over.

You should also consider decorations that look good and are easy to get rid of. Balloons are simple enough (if you have a way to inflate them easily), and streamers go a long way. Glitter, however, will never go away. It might make things look festive, but be prepared to be covered in it for a long, long time. Confetti may also seem traditional, but it makes a huge mess.

Remember the Outside

While the winter temperatures tend to keep most New Year’s parties focused inside, don’t neglect the decorations outside – just keep the weather in mind.

If it is going to rain (or even snow) your options are limited. Add some decorations to your door, and possibly even a New Year’s banner outside so people know they are at the right place. If it is going to be dry, however, you have more options.

One easy way to decorate the front if the weather accommodates is to use luminaries. These are easy decorations – just small paper bags from the store, fill them with dirt, and add tea candles. Light them when it gets dark to illuminate a path to your door. You can even buy special bags that feature designs, or you can create those designs yourself with a little effort.

If the weather allows and you have the space, push the party to your backyard as much as possible. Add some lights at strategic places and decorate as you see fit, and keep the drinks out back. This will spare your house the worst of it and create more room. Just make sure you have towels or mats for when people come back inside so they can wipe their feet.

Make Notes for the Future

If you are considering a party but you are noticing things that are causing some issues regarding the design of your house – accessibility, or maybe your kitchen feels too small, for instance – make some notes. Then after the New Year contact a professional and let them know your concerns.

Fleschner Construction offers remodeling and design tips. Contact us and let us know what you are thinking and we can offer you plenty of options to make any future parties you have stand out!

The attic has long been considered the storage unit of the house, but with a little bit of effort (and the right foundation), it can become the most unique room in a house.

If you are considering remodeling your attic and converting it from an unfinished area with exposed insulation or a storage area into something a little more livable, the first thing you should do is speak to a contractor and have them look the place over. The attic is a unique room and serves a function in construction. You don’t want to just start making changes unless you are certain you know what you are doing.

Here are a few things to consider when converting your attic into a living space.

Make Sure Your Attic is Suitable for Conversion

Before you get to converting your attic into a new room, you should first check to make sure your attic can be converted.

Start by checking for the obvious things, like space and placement of existing objects. If you have a heating duct running through the center of the room, it limits your options. You also need to confirm that the attic floor can support plenty of weight – it should, but better to check before you try doing any work.

You will also need to consider the ventilation. Most attics don’t have windows, let alone proper ventilation. You’ll also need to see how the attic fares during the summer and winter when the temperatures reach extremes. Without proper ventilation similar to what you’ll find in the rest of your house, the attic will bake in the summer, and without heating vents and proper insulation, it will freeze in the winter.

Talk to a licensed contractor and have them look over your attic. Even if you don’t plan on using them for the actual work, it’s best to get a professional opinion. They can also let you know about any legal questions you may face, including zoning and permit questions.

Choose What You Want to Do With the Room

Once you have confirmed that your attic is a candidate for conversion before you begin work you’ll need to decide exactly what you want to do with the space. That decision will affect how you approach the work on the room.

Different configurations will require different things. If you want to turn the space into a bedroom, for example, you should consider how you want to address storage for clothing and the like. If there is room for a proper closet, you should add one, but you will always be dealing with the unusual shape of the ceiling. The same is true of placing a rectangular dresser against a sloping wall. So if design is important to you, you may want to consider adding built-ins and designing the storage to fit the unique geometry.

If you are looking at the space for other reasons – a media room, for example – you’ll need to make sure the room can accommodate that. You’ll need a lot of outlets, and bringing multiple couches or chairs into the room might be tougher than it seems.

Expand the Access

If you do choose to do something in the attic that requires a lot of furniture – or you just want to easily access the room – you will probably need to expand your access. Most unfinished attics are only accessible through a hatch and a ladder, which is inconvenient, at best.

You’ll need to find the room for a new stairwell, which is easier said than done. You’re going to have to sacrifice some existing space, and you’ll need to make sure that the stairwell doesn’t cut through anything important – a load-bearing wall or vital plumbing, for instance.

When considering a new access point, don’t be locked into using the location of the existing hatch. You can always cover it up later if it’s easier to build the new stairwell somewhere else. Unused closets make for a good place to add a stairwell, as do utility rooms.

Consider Adding Windows

One of the best reasons to convert your attic is the amount of light you can have pour into the room. Skylights are a great addition to an attic, and with a little extra effort, you can turn part of the entire wall into a window.

Whatever you decide, it will probably be a fairly major undertaking. You’re essentially removing part of your roof and replacing it with glass, so the windows will need to be extremely durable, enough so they can act as insulation and protection from the elements. From a design standpoint, you’ll also need a unique solution for the blinds if you want to keep the sun out during the day, but at night the angle of the roof and the elevation should provide plenty of privacy (in most cases).

Know the Costs

Turning your attic into a living space is not an inexpensive prospect. The costs will change based on how much work needs to be done and what you are converting it to, but it can cost thousands, even tens of thousands if you the attic is fairly large and your ambitions are great. If you want to add a bathroom or a kitchen unit, it will jump even higher. There are good reasons to consider the costs and investment though.

A converted attic space can raise the value of your house significantly, plus you can potentially even turn it into a second unit, separate from the rest of your house. You’ll need to add external access (which means a door and a stairway outside), but once that’s done you essentially have an accessory dwelling unit on top of your home. If you decided to one day rent your house, you can treat it like a duplex, or set it up as a high-end Air BnB to help pay the bills.

Whatever your choice, know the costs before you get too far into the planning phase.

Speak to Professionals

If you are thinking about converting your attic into anything from a living room to a media room to an office, you should begin by speaking to a professional. Contact Fleschner Construction and let us give you options. We can help you navigate the entire process from concept to decorating. Contact us today!

Whether you live in a small home and want to maximize your space, or you feel like your current setup is making you a bit claustrophobic, there are plenty of ways to increase how big your living room looks that won’t necessarily take a lot of money or effort.

Through a few clever design tips, you can give the impression of a room that is larger than it might otherwise be. If you are a new homeowner or just don’t have much experience with design, it’s amazing what a few minor changes can do to alter your perspective.

If you are looking for a more permanent solution, one that physically alters the dimensions of your living room, you can always consider a true remodel. If you want something a little simpler though, you should talk to a designer.

With that in mind, we have a few tips to help make your living room seem bigger with minimal effort.

Choose Light Colors

This is a simple one, but if you want to make a room seem a little bigger, painting the room with bright colors can make a huge difference. Dark colors make a room seem cozy, but brighter colors reflect light better, giving the impression of a larger room. And it isn’t just limited to the walls.

Most people don’t give much thought to their ceiling, but it can impact the perception of the room. Like the walls, the color used above your head can change how you see the room. Painting it white, or even adding light colored wallpaper can help to improve how you see the room.

The same is true of the furniture in the room, and the color of the floor. If you have hardwood floors, you may want to consider putting light colored rugs down. The same rule applies to furniture. The darker your bookcases, couches, tables, etc. are, the smaller the room will feel. Stripes can also help to expand the look of a room.

Avoid Clutter

This is an obvious tip, but if you want to improve the feel of spaciousness, make more space. It’s easy to cover every inch of wall and place furniture in every available spot, but a little goes a long way. That doesn’t mean you should leave areas that are just totally empty, but there should be a balance.

For another easy tip, if you have the room to pull the furniture away from the wall, do so. If you can pull everything far enough away to create new walkways all the better, but even a few inches will help make the room feel bigger.

You should also avoid having too many small decorations placed around the living room. The more clutter in the form of knickknacks, the more distracted the eyes are when they look at the room. They do help personalize a place and give a cozy, welcoming vibe, but they can also make a room feel smaller.

Coordinate Furniture

Along with the color of the furniture, if your living room is feeling cramped, you should look to your furniture and see if there are any immediate ways to change things around.

For instance, you might have a TV sitting on an entertainment stand, which is an obvious place for it, but mounting it on the wall can free up a lot of space. You can then get rid of the entertainment stand, replace it with a smaller one to hold any other electronics, or turn it into something else – maybe add some flowers to add a little color or use it as a bookshelf.

Couches and chairs with fabric that drape down to the floor and cover the legs can also make a room feel smaller. Being able to see underneath the furniture can actually make a big difference, as it lifts the room up.

You might also be able to get rid of a few bookcases and replace them with mounted shelves that are closer to the ceiling. By drawing attention up, it can make a room feel larger. Adding hidden storage – ottomans that open up or tables with lower shelves – can also help. Places like Ikea have plenty of options in that regard.

Coordinating the furniture, including the artwork, can also make a room feel bigger.

Let Windows be Windows

While this may not be an option if you have neighbors with a window that looks directly into your house or you live off a crowded street, you should consider leaving your windows uncovered. Besides letting the light in, it makes the wall seem larger than if you have blinds and/or a curtain blocking off a piece of the wall. Having curtains or blinds that extend away from the wall also cut off a few inches from the overall size of the room.

If you do need a little privacy there are plenty of options that don’t block the windows, from specific types of glass to built-in shades.

Actually Make the Room Bigger

While the tips above should help you make your living room feel bigger with minimal fuss, you could always consider actually increasing the size of the room through a remodel. This, of course, is a much more complicated process than simply painting your walls or moving some furniture around, but it might be the best solution for you.

And while a full remodel might be too much, there are smaller things that a contractor could do that will improve the feel of your room. Installing new windows, for instance, would require a professional, but it would be a relatively quick job with a big upside.

Whether you are considering a full remodel or you are looking for a designer to help you change the look of your house, Fleschner Construction can help! Contact us today to schedule an appointment.

The term “media room” is somewhat generic, but typically, a media room is defined as a space outfitted with surround sound, cozy seating, and containing a large TV. That might sound like many American living rooms, but media rooms tend to be dedicated to visual entertainment, and are closer to a personal movie theater than a living room. Some media rooms truly embrace that and offer a dark room with movie theater-like seating, while others are a little more social in their nature – it’s really just a matter of preference, but either way, it does require a bit of work to create one in your home.

To start with, to create a true media room you will need to have the space. That’s a luxury many of us just don’t have, and you will rarely see a media room in an apartment. But if you do have a decent sized room that you aren’t using for anything, and if the idea of a home theater room or social room centered on a TV appeals to you, we have a few tips on creating a media room.

Know your power requirements

While it might seem easy enough to create a DIY media room, there are a lot of things that you may not immediately realize you’ll need to work through and around – starting with the power requirements.

Media rooms tend to be energy hogs. If you install a big TV or a projector, you’ll need to make sure you have enough outlets and that those outlets have some form of redundancy built in for surges. Power trees can help with this, but if the room’s sole function is to run various forms of electronics, better safe than sorry. Update your outlets.

You should also make sure you know where various electronic items are going to live, at least in terms of power. You can always use heavy duty extension cords – although that isn’t ideal for many reasons, from looks to safety – but you don’t want to have to plug every piece of electronics into a single outlet or a few scattered outlets at the back of the room. It’s best to spread them out, which might mean installing new outlets around the room.

If you have an old house, it’s a good idea to get the wiring checked out regardless, but installing a media room is a great excuse to do it. Having someone double check the breakers to your new media room should be on your to-do list as well.

Start With the Electronics

When you are dreaming up your media room, the first thing you should determine is what kind of room it is going to be, and how you are going to bring it to life. Begin by choosing a TV.

In a media room, the TV is the crown jewel of the room, so pick something that meets your requirements. If you want a flatscreen hanging on the wall, check all the TV retailers and find one that does what you want. The end of the year is probably the best time to look for TVs, given holiday deals and open box returns after Christmas. If you choose to go with a projector, it will provide a more theater-like experience, but it will cost you, and you’ll need to do a fair amount of work to set it up.

In hanging a TV, you will need to make absolutely certain your wall can support it, and you’ll need a VESA mounting kit that is big enough for the size of TV you purchased. If you don’t know exactly what you are doing or where to place the mount, hire a professional – if the TV falls, it will be destroyed, and it will take a chunk of your wall with it.

A projector requires a bit more work, as you will need to mount it on your ceiling. As with mounting a flatscreen you’ll still need to find somewhere secure enough to mount it above you, but if you fail in this, someone could be seriously hurt if it falls on them. You’ll need to be precise too – once the projector is set, moving the image becomes very difficult. You’ll need to determine how to run the wires from the projector to the device or devices it is connected to, as well as the power outlet. Plus, you’ll probably need to install a white screen against the wall for the projector to send the image to (simply painting a wall white may work, but you’ll lose some quality).

Once that is done, you should determine what you want to display. If you want to do some gaming, watch TV, and/or your goal is to view Blu-rays, you’ll need all the hardware and you’ll need to know where it goes and how it all connects. Then once it is all set up, you’ll still need to calibrate everything.

Your best bet is to hire a professional. You can turn to audio/visual experts, but a contractor can handle most of the work for you for less. Most contractors can even subcontract home theater experts so you only need to pay one bill.

Decide on How you Want to Wire the Room

Along with the electrical wiring, a media room requires another type of wiring altogether. Connecting the TV to whatever devices you intend to run means you’ll have plenty of wires in play, from power cords to optical cables to HDMI – and that’s not even counting the speaker wire for the surround sound system.

When it comes to this type of wiring, you have a few options. You can just accept a few dangling wires and call it good, you can cover the wires with something, or you can feed them through the walls. The last option is going to be the best in terms of looks, but it is also the most complicated and makes it tougher to change them out in the future.

It really just depends on your preference, but it will affect the look of the room. And speaking of the look…

Consider hiring a Professional Decorator

While you may need a contractor to help get your media room set up, you may also want to consider a professional decorator to help you make it look the way you want – even if you aren’t completely sure what that is.

Most media rooms are meant to be used by multiple people. Whether you want guests to be quiet and watch movies or you are hosting a party for the Super Bowl, the room is meant to impress, at least to a degree. Don’t just slap a layer of paint on the walls and call it done.

Designing a media room is about the aesthetic as much the output. You want the whole thing to create an experience, and that includes things like lighting, colors, the type of furniture, etc., etc. You may just want to have it look good, or you may want to introduce an entire theme.

By bringing in a professional designer, you can tell them what you want out of the room, and then leave it to them to help you realize the vision in a way you may not have even realized yourself. Some contractors, including Fleschner, work with professional decorators. Turning to one company to do it all will make your life much easier.

Don’t Do It Yourself

Unless you are a professional with years of experience in multiple construction disciplines, you should hire a someone to help you create your dream media room. Ideally, you will need an electrician, a general contractor, a decorator, and a home theater consultant at least.

Fleschner Construction can do all of these things, which will lower your overall costs and make your life easier – especially if you are considering a loan. Contact us now and let us show you what we can do!

When doing any construction on your home, timing is key. It might make sense to do multiple remodels over time to get your place dialed in, but there are several compelling reasons to consider doing a whole house remodel now rather than doing individual remodels over time. That might seem like a daunting prospect – it will take more time, cost more money, and create more disruption in your daily life – but it could also save you a lot of money and frustration in the long run.

One Loan

While it might seem more logical to take out several small loans and pay them off before moving on to the next, there are plenty of reasons that you may want to invest in one larger loan now. To begin with, interest rates change.  The average interest rate on September 7, 2017, was 3.78-percent, but on July 13, it was 4.03-percent. That is a significant shift.

The rate you can secure now may be better than the one you can secure in the future. Taking out multiple loans can also affect your credit (depending on the way you structure your loan and where you secure it from), so financially it might make sense to just take on one loan now at a rate you are comfortable with. Plus, if there is something you are putting off that needs to be addressed for safety or functionality (something like plumbing, for example), you may not have the luxury of waiting until your previous loan is paid off.

Improve Your Home Value

While any significant improvements to your property should help to raise the value of your home, doing a whole house remodel will raise the value more than minor improvements can. If you are selling your home and you can take your time to get the best price (and you have the means), a whole house remodel should be a given anyway. The costs of a complete remodel should easily be offset by the additional value it adds to your home.

Save Money in the Long Run

Of all the reasons to do a whole house remodel rather than remodeling piecemeal, the best reason may be the simplest: in the long run, it will save you money.

While the overall cost of a whole house remodel will, of course, be higher than a single room remodel, there are huge potential savings in doing it all at once. For example, if you are doing any remodeling that involves water – say you are installing new sinks or putting in a shower – it will cost you less to rework any and all plumbing at one time rather than having new plumbing in the kitchen and then updating the bathroom plumbing at another time. You may also find your house’s plumbing is out of date and needs to be replaced sooner or later. If that is the case, it will be significantly easier to do it while the whole house is undergoing work as opposed to doing it piece by piece.

You will also save on materials. It’s less expensive to buy in bulk at one time rather than purchasing materials several times. The delivery alone will lead to significant savings. Plus, doing a single, major remodel now will save you time in the future. You may need to leave your house for a short time depending on where the remodeling is occurring, so it’s easier to leave once than multiple times over multiple remodels.

Plan for the Future

One advantage of doing a whole house remodel now is that it can save you money and aggravation in the future when you need to make accommodations for age and mobility. By incorporating universal design now, you can be prepared for anything. If you plan to spend the rest of your life in your current house, it’s smart to prepare for your changes in mobility early on.

Widening your doorways, making it easier to access closets, and increasing the options in your bathroom will be nice for you now, but it might be vital later. Even if you hope to retire somewhere far away, incorporating universal design can increase the value of your house.

Beyond that, by doing a complete remodel now, you can also prepare for the future in terms of coming technologies. For example, it makes sense to reinforce your roof just for safety, but you may need to do it anyway if you want to add solar panels at some point. You may also want to consider including more electrical outlets, easier access to hidden areas for wiring, and more.

Make Your House More Energy Efficient

If you are considering a whole house remodel, be sure to make it as energy efficient as possible. Materials used in construction today may look the same as those used 20 years ago, but there have been significant advancements in everything from appliances to materials.

New windows can keep your home warmer or colder depending on the time of year, which will increase your comfort and also lower your heating/cooling bills. The same is true of modern insulation, and adding something like a modern dishwasher and/or new thermostat could lower your electric bill.

And speaking of your electric bill, you may want to consider doing some rewiring while remodeling is underway. It will be easier for an electrician to access the wiring while work is underway. Upgrading your electrical system could save you money and make your house safer.

Zoning

Dealing with local bureaucracies in order to obtain permits can be a headache if you aren’t experienced in dealing with the red tape, and doing it multiple times over the course of several remodels can be a nightmare – even if you have someone helping you along.

Doing a whole house remodel now means that you just need to deal with the zoning issues once. You may still need several permits, but obtaining them all at once is going to be a minor inconvenience as opposed to a lifetime of annoyances.

Contact a Contractor Now

Before you make any decisions, contact Contact Fleschner Construction today and weigh all of your options. You may find that a whole house remodel will be the best option by far!