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   Our remodeling contractors estimate general contractor website is designed exclusively for the homeowner and/or renter to get their job done efficiently and in a timely manner.

  We are dedicated to giving you an easy estimate request form for your remodeling project and following up with prompt and courteous service. We believe that between the customers request and our contractors skill your home improvement project will be a wonderful and delightful experience.

  Fill out the easy form and give us an idea of the project you wish to complete and you will receive an estimate from a qualified and licensed contractor. The benefit of a licensed contractor gives you assurance that your project is in capable hands and the job will be done right from start to finish.



Bathroom Trivia

A bathroom is a room that may have different functions depending on the cultural context it is used in.

In its literal sense it means 'a room with a bath', but as bathtubs have partly made way for showers and steam showers, the more general sense of 'a room where one bathes' makes more sense. There can be just a shower or just a bathtub or both, sometimes combined and sometimes separate (in which case the bathtub may have a second shower). Usually, it also contains a handbasin or sink and often also a toilet. In the USA, 'bathroom' commonly means 'a room containing a toilet' (in other countries this is usually called 'toilet' or alternatively 'water closet' (or 'WC'), or 'lavatory'). For this interpretation of the word see bathroom (American). If a bathroom facility is attached to a bedroom it is often known as an en-suite or if it's attached to a master bedroom it's known as a master bathroom.

A half (1/2) bath contains a toilet and a handbasin (lavatory). A 3/4 bath contains a toilet, a handbasin (lavatory) and a shower. A full bath contains a toilet, a handbasin (lavatory) and a bathtub.

  For information and articles about contractor laws and licensing we have included a link for your convenience. To find out more, simply click on the corresponding state you wish to obtain information from. - Home improvement contractor info

Additional information and resources:

Read Home Decorating Articles - We have included a great resource link for you to get ideas about designing to compliment any home improvement project. The link will open in a new window so you may keep our estimate form open for easy access.

Find Decorating Pictures - Finally...a source for interior decorating and gardening pictures! A giant selection of home and garden, and interior decorating from a great website that will give you many ideas about updating your home with an array of well thought ideas. Link opens in new window so you may return for an estimate.




Design considerations

The design of a bathroom must account for the use of both hot and cold water, in significant quantities, for cleaning the human body. Disposal of the water usually leads to a sewer or septic tank. Water may be splashed on the walls and floor and hot humid air may cause condensation on cold surfaces. From a decorating point of view the bathroom presents a challenge. Ceiling, wall and floor materials and coverings should be impervious to water and readily and easily cleaned. The use of ceramic or glass, as well as smooth plastic materials, is common in bathrooms for their ease of cleaning. However, such surfaces are often cold to the touch and so water-resistant bath mats or even bathroom carpets may be used on the floor to make the room more comfortable. Alternatively, the floor may be heated, possibly by startegically placing heater conduits close to the surface.

Electrical appliances, such as lights, heaters and heated towel rails generally need to be installed as fixtures, with permanent connections rather than plugs and sockets. This minimises the risk of electric shock. Ground-fault circuit interruptor electrical sockets can reduce the risk of electric shock, and are required for bathroom socket installation by electrical and building codes in the United States and Canada. In some countries, such as the UK, only special sockets suitable for electric shavers are permitted in bathrooms, and are labelled as such.

Bathrooms can also be a source of decorative inspiration. One can easily decorate the bathroom by choosing shower curtains or cubicles to match a theme.




Home Improvement Information

Installing Vinyl Replacement Windows In A Wood Frame Opening


When we left off last week, we had removed the old wood sash windows and prepared the opening for the vinyl replacement windows. Now it's time to install your new windows. You should have someone there to help you when doing the installation. First, Remove all shipping materials from the window. Now, if you are installing several different sizes, make sure you are putting the correct window in the correct opening. You need to put the window into the opening to make sure it's going to fit, then remove it and run a bead of caulk on the face of the outside blind stop where the window will rest. You don't want to caulk, only to discover the windows are too big. It's worth the extra few minutes to make sure it's going to fit. Lift the window and set the bottom in first. Then raise the top until it rests against the outside blind stops. Sometimes, when raising the top into position, the window frame will hit the top of the wood frame. You need to tap down on the top of the vinyl frame while keeping pressure towards the outside.

Once you determine that it's going to fit, remove the new window and set it aside. Run a bead of caulk on the face of the outside blind stops. White latex painters caulk works fine. Raise the window into position again. Now have your helper hold the window in position while you raise and lower the sashes, making certain that the window is square in the opening. Remember how you ordered the windows 3/16"- 1/4" shorter than the tightest measurement? This is where you use this space to adjust the frame to be the most plumb and level. Get a box of popsicle sticks and wood coffee stirrers at the grocery store. The coffee stirrers are about 1/16" thick, and the popsicle sticks are approximately twice as thick. You want to put the shims in the four corners. Then caulk the gap on both sides and along the top before installing the inside stops. I don't recommend putting any screws in the sides, but you can put one screw in the top center and one in the bottom center. You really dont have to use any screws in this kind of installation, since the shims will eliminate any side play, and the caulk on the blind stops will hold the frame in place as well. Remember, we still need to re-install the inside stops.

Before installing the inside stops, remove all the old nails and replace them with new nails. A 1"- 1 1/4" finish nail is fine. Before installing the inside stops, scrape all old caulk off the stops. Then, while your helper holds the window in place, nail your stops back on. If the window has 4 stops, install the shortest ones first. That way you can bend the longer stops into place between the two short ones. Use a nail punch to sink the head past the surface of the stop. If you have several windows to do, i suggest doing the first window to this point before going to the next. How frustrating would it be to have a helper removing the old sashes, only to discover that the windows aren't going to fit!? If the first one goes in fine, then you can send your helper ahead of you to start removing old sashes. The best way to avoid the nightmare of having a bunch of new windows that won't fit is to make sure you measure CORRECTLY. Remember, tight minus 1/4" on the width and height should be fine.

Finish the inside by caulking the area of the inside stop where it meets the casing, and the point where the stop meets the new frame. Fill the nail holes in the inside stops with caulk to hide the nail heads. Now it's time to finish the outside. A quality replacement window will either have a sloped frame to match the slope sill, or it will come with an insert that fits under the new frame to fill the gap created by the sloping wood sill. If you buy a lower grade window that doesn't come with anything to fill the gap underneath, you can buy some wood trim to fill the space, or you can get a flat vinyl trim that attaches to the face of the bottom of the new frame. The flat trim is available on my website under the "shop" tab. Once you cover the bottom gap, it's time to caulk where the outside blind stops meet the vinyl frame, and where the bottom gap filler meets the wood sill.

That's it! You're done! You can buy accessories to cover your old wood sills with a vinyl wrap extrusion. That can also be found on the website under the "shop" tab. Next week we are going to start on replacing old aluminum windows.

John Rocco has been installing replacement windows since 1978. To learn more, visit How To Install Windows


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