Room Additions: The Great Room

Of all the room additions and alterations a homeowner can make, one that is enjoying a resurgence in popularity is the creation of a great room.

The recession has kept a lot of people at home and as a result many families found that, yes, they did actually enjoy spending time together.

The ideal great room ties a number of spaces - primarily eating, living, and recreational - together in a single area. Some newer homes are now designed along the great room concept but, if you want a great room in a more traditional house, it is very likely that some walls will need to come down.

Knocking out walls or demolishing columns that are in the way is a tricky business best left to the pros. You 

may think that you know which are the supporting walls in your home but it will be a little too late to say "whoops" if, upon demolition of that dining room wall, the ceiling comes crashing down as well.

It is often well worth working with an architect as well as a good general contractor when planning the creation of a new great room. A good great room is as efficient and functional as it is attractive and an architect is just the person to help you get it all right. Even if you only hire one for a brief consultation (many architects are willing to do that) it is almost always money very well spent in the long run.

Once all of the basic planning and major structural issues have been squared away, it is then time to think about the fine detail. It's well worth remembering that the idea behind this remodel is that you and your family will be spending a great deal of time in this room, so seemingly minor touches such as hardwood floors, some decorative crown molding, or built-in shelves can really make all the difference.

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Mobile Home Moving - How Are Mobile Homes Moved?

Even though mobile homes were designed for transport, actually moving one is no easy task. There is a great deal of specialized equipment and information required during the trailer home moving process. Before you get quotes from mobile home moving companies, you should know a little bit about the process involved before you pay to have the job done.

The first step in the moving process is to remove all furniture and personal effects from the residence. This makes transport easier and safer, and helps protect your valuables from a potentially bumpy ride. Most mobile home moving companies will refuse to transport a trailer home if there are any items left inside.

After the contents of the home are removed, the transporter will make a detailed plan for the route. They need to make sure that roads are wide enough to accommodate the wide load, and there are no low clearance obstacles on the way to the destination. If the building is going from a flat area to a flat area with highways in between, route planning is easy. But if there are significant obstacles like mountainous terrain, unimproved roads, or hazardous weather, special precautions may need to be taken to make the job easier (and possibly more expensive).

Once the route planning is done, it's time to load the building on to a trailer. The mobile home mover will lift the building on to their trailer using hydraulic lifting gear or a crane. Single wide homes can be placed on one trailer, but if you have a double wide or larger building, two or more trailers may be required to get the job done. The transporter will also need to secure the load to the trailer, seal off any open areas with plastic sheeting or tarps, and check to make sure the load is not too heavy for the trailer. If the trailer is overloaded, the truck, trailer, or axles may be damaged, along with the mobile home.

When the trailer home is loaded and ready to go, moving can begin. Most mobile home moving companies utilize pilot vehicles to lead the way in front of the transport truck in order to check for potential obstacles. Mobile home transport trailers are also equipped with multiple lights to warn other drivers to keep clear from their path.

With a little planning and good information, the move should go smoothly. Once the building arrives at the destination, it is unloaded from the trailer onto supports. After a little work to get all of the utilities in order, the home will be ready to live in at its new location.

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Plans For Room Additions to Homes

In today's financial marketplace, many growing families need additional space to accommodate their growing families, but they cannot afford to purchase new homes right now. Many people find a way around this by adding on to their existing homes using plans for room additions to homes. These plans make additional living space available.

Planning the Room Addition

Planning an addition to a home can be a challenge for many homeowners. Homeowners must be concerned about the layout of their current homes when deciding where to add additional space. The specific layout of a house will be a determining factor as to where the room addition can be added. Homeowners must be concerned about square footage as well. Each homeowner is in a unique situation regarding adding space to an existing home and must determine how much square footage needs to be added to the home to get the best use out of the additional space.

The Purpose of the Room Addition

The purpose of the room addition will also determine what type of plans for room additions to homes is needed. Some families need a bedroom addition due to a growing family. Other families need space for the family to convene together so a family room addition is necessary. Many families just need additional storage space. One of the most popular room additions right now is the additional bathroom for ever-expanding families.

Finding Plans for Room Additions

Finding plans for room additions to meet a family's specific needs can be overwhelming. However, many different places offer resources for building plans for additional rooms. Do it yourself stores or home improvement stores often have books available for purchase that contain building plans for people who need to add additional rooms to their homes. The Internet can be a valuable resource when trying to find plans for room additions to homes. Anyone can search through thousands and thousands of plans for additional rooms.

Putting the Plan into Action

Once the perfect room addition plan has been found, it is time to put the plan into action. Some homeowners choose to build the room addition themselves while others choose to hire contractors to complete the job for them. Just as each homeowner's needs vary as to the room design, each homeowner will have to decide the best course of action for completing the addition based on the individual job.

Once homeowners establish the purpose of the room addition, finding a plan to suit that need is easier to accomplish. Once the right plan is found, all it takes is putting the plan into action. Once building begins, the room addition will not take long to complete. Homeowners and their families will be enjoying the additional room and the space it provides for years to come.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1629566

How To Choose A Landscaping Service

If you have a considerably big garden then you definitely would want to have it landscaped to enhance its natural beauty or add to its existing glamor. But for most people, whenever they hear the words landscaping and landscape design, they immediately associate it with the rich and the famous, with grand gardens that are as big as parks. But no matter what the size of your garden may be, it will surely benefit from a professional landscaping service.

Landscaping your home is no doubt a very big task that often you find it hard to even know how to begin. If you are going to do it all by yourself, you can easily run out of landscape design ideas before you even get started with the actual work. That is why it is often to your benefit to just hire a landscape contractor, at least to help you with thinking of the best approach to landscaping your garden or home.

Therefore in choosing the best landscaping service, you will have to ask some questions and do some research as well. Because not only will you be spending a considerable amount of your money on that service, but that the beauty of your garden will be affected as well.

1. How long have you been in business?

Experience counts a lot in the landscaping business. Ask your potential landscaper how many years has he been doing this kind of job. Usually a decade of experience is more than enough to give your trust on that specific contractor.

2. Can I look at your portfolio?

A good landscaper should be keeping a portfolio of his previous jobs. These are usually photos of the homes and gardens he had performed his landscaping services. Although pictures can tell a thousand things about the real project, it is often enough to gauge the capabilities of the landscaper.

3. Can I contact your previous clients?

Again, a confident landscaper should have no inhibitions in giving you the contact details of his former clients. You should do this so that you can get a first hand testimonial from people who have hired him. While it is expected that he will give you the clients that he had satisfactorily served, you can still gain a lot of insight by talking to these people.

4. How long will you think it will take to finish the job?

There are two things why this is an important question. One is to know how long it will take the contractor to complete the landscaping project so you will know how much you will be paying him. That is if he is on an hourly basis of payment. Two is for you to prepare your home for the rigorous tasks of landscaping a garden and a greater part of your house.

5. Can you provide me with a detailed quotation?

You must understand from the very beginning how much you will be spending for that landscaping service. This is so that you will not go over your budget and spend on otherwise unnecessary expenses. The worst thing that could happen is that for you to run out of money in the middle of the landscaping work.

Article Source: Ezine Article

Home Renovation Tips That You Need to Know

When you have a home, you have to ensure that it is up to standards and that it is comfortable to each and every user. It is not a guarantee that when you have a home it will never have some problems or it will never require remodeling. This is a common thing with houses thus you need to be aware of some of the tips that you can use when you want to remodel your home.

With home renovation tips, you will be in a position to understand what you need for the job or the best way to contact your workmanship. With the help of home renovation guide, you will find this process quite fun and achievable.

When remodeling your house, always consider light. This is a fact that you have to look at often. Whether you are changing windows and replacing them with doors or other windows, you need to ensure that these items will be able to provide enough light in the room or at any given place.

Another remodeling tip that you need to know is that simplicity is unique. You need to keep the whole process simple and you will find the changes worth. When renovating your house, going for those expensive parts will not be a solution but a waste of expenses. You have to look for the simplest way to achieve what you want.

Home renovation guide will also help you establish the experts that you can contact for the job. There are experts for specific renovations in the home thus with your guide, you will identify the area that need remodeling. You will also know how to select some of these experts for there are several of them in the market which can be quite challenging. Some of the experts or consultants that you can call include painters which will help with painting which is indeed a daunting task to take on.

With home renovation tips, you will be able to do it right. You need to believe in yourself and try out some of these things on your own. As much as the process is cheap, you should not assume that the end results will not show. You have to take the task seriously and to perfection and at the end of the process, step back and admire the work you have done. This is one way in which you can be able to save lots of money that you could have used to hire experts to remodel your home. With these guides, you will find remodeling procedure fun.

Article Resource: Ezine Article