Design Your World With Houzz.com

You have your heart set on remodeling your kitchen. So you hit Pinterest in search of ideas. You enter “kitchen design” in the search criteria, and while you might find pictures of some things that you like, they all link back to such a wide range of websites that it’s hard to cull all of the information into something cohesive to simply put your ideas together.

Which is likely why Houzz.com is building substantial momentum in the social media world. Started by a couple who found the endless stack of magazine (i.e. Pinterest posts) overwhelming when they planned their home remodel, Houzz is a collection of images posted by homeowners and service pros showcasing awesome designs and features.

Not only are the posts you’ll find inspiring for your own design, but Houzz also helps you to find a construction professional in your area, so you can see pictures of the work they’ve done and can know whether they’re a good fit for you based on more than reviews (though those are available too).

Not only do you get the chance to search through photos of completed work, but you can search for and even buy products for your own projects right there on the site. Choose a room from the menu at the top and then an element, and you’ll find a wide range of options both in style and budget.

Houzz also does the Best Of Houzz awards every year, which is a homeowner-to-homeowner guide showcasing the top rated home builders, architects, interior designers, landscaping pros and other residential remodeling professionals on the site (including painters and countertop pros). Winners are determined by the number and quality of client reviews each professional received in the previous year. This helps homeowners to truly find the best of the best contractors in their community.

Follow HA Construction on Houzz and check out all of the great ideas that our projects can give you for your next renovation.

What’s the Best Type of Fireplace for You?

Winter days got you down? Struggling to get cozy under a pile of blankets with the heat turned up as high as your budget can bare, may still not be enough to get the chill out of your toes.  So, maybe you’re considering a fireplace. Or you already have one and just haven’t used it yet. There are a few options available to you.

The Real Deal

If you’re house already has a fireplace, with a functional chimney and flue, then a crackling, cozy fire may be a great option for you. Fires are beautiful and romantic. The sound and heat can be soothing. The smell nostalgic. It’s a really great touch to a cold winter’s day in.

However, there are some things you should be aware of if you plan to use a real fireplace on a regular basis. First, there’s the issue of having firewood on hand. If you don’t have the means to chop your own, then you’ll want to find someone that can provide you with adequately sized wood in abundance. Buying small bundles at a box store isn’t really economical.

You should know that a real fireplace is hard on your electric bill if used regularly. It robs your home of warm air through the chimney because you have to have it open to pull smoke out through the flue. While sitting next to the fire is nice and toasty, the rest of your home will get cooler, requiring you to turn up the thermostat.

And there’s also the costs of keeping your chimney clean. You should have it cleaned either at the end of the season or before the season starts. Failing to clean the chimney each year could increase the risk of a flue fire.

Wood Burning Stove

A wood burning stove is a way to enjoy the heat of a fire without dramatically increasing heating costs. Wood burning stoves are very efficient way to heat a home because heat radiates from all sides, bringing the whole fire into the home. Like any fire, it draws air from the home and up the chimney, but the heat from the stove is far greater than the warm air lost.

Frequently you’ll see a wood burning stove set in front of a fireplace opening, which is now closed off with the exception of where the stove pipe feeds into the chimney.  Or, if the stove is set in the room without a fireplace, the pipes feed out of the house through a flue that is not opening drawing heat from the room.

The down side to a wood burning stove is that there is no pretty fire to look at, because it’s in an enclosed space. Additionally, any firewood you have must be cut specifically to fit in the space of your wood stove, which can limit how easy it is to have wood on hand if your stove is small. You also still have to dispose of the ashes and have the chimney cleaned annually.

Gas Fireplace

This is your no mess, no heat-loss option. While the heat output of a gas fireplace isn’t as dramatic, it sort of balances out better than a conventional fireplace would. Most gas fireplaces pull oxygen for the fire from outside the home (through a vent system). It provides a nice ambiance for the room, though you won’t have the crackling sound or the wood burning smell (and it always looks the same as it did the time before).

This is the more realistic option too, if your house does not come equipped with a chimney. Because adding a chimney would be outrageously expensive compared to purchasing a gas fireplace that looks like a fireplace because it sits right against the wall, looking beautiful, without the expense of a home renovation. Heatilator has come out with some innovative gas fireplace designs that are beautiful and put out a lot of heat, so innovation is moving in the right direction.

Whichever route you chose, HA Construction recommends that you avoid a ventless/electric fireplace. The flame is so unimpressive that it doesn’t even need to vent out of the house. There is very little heat output and, if you’re looking for ambiance, you’ll likely be disappointed with this option. 

Leveling That Stubborn Shower Tile

Big tiles in the shower are all the rage these days – 12x24, 20x20, 24x24, and so on. It’s also fairly common for a client to request that the tile design be on an angle, making a diamond out of the tiles and increasing that working space to about 30 inches.

And it’s really difficult to keep a 30 inch line level.

Especially because walls are never level. Sure, they look like they are to the naked eye, and a lot of times they can be straight, but they’ll have just a little bow in them, which can cause shower tiles to pop up from the surface after setting if not leveled properly. Or the junctions between the floor and wall or ceiling and wall aren’t quite level, causing tile on one end of the shower to meet the crease, while tile on the other end is half and inch below it.

To avoid these unsightly flaws in a shower tile design, HA Construction uses a special leveling technique. It’s a painstaking process, no doubt, but saves time and money. We’d rather take our time and do it right than suffer through the expense of starting all over when it turns out wrong (which you often don’t notice until you’re nearly done!).

Here’s how the process works: a ‘T’ slides underneath the tile and then a clip is placed on top of the tile. A wedge is used, pushing the tile into the clip and pulling up on the T to level with the adjacent tile. We have to put enough clips on to level all areas of the tile – it typically is about nine clips. As you use the wedge, the tile will move with each clip, so if we put the clips on just a few points, then the tile won’t be level.

We also have to make sure we do this process while the thin set is still wet. If we wait too long, the thin set becomes like clay and the tiles pull away from the wall during the leveling process.

The process can be time consuming, and it certainly looks complicated, but this is the best way to make sure you have clean, straight lines and a cohesive look. We occasionally use this process on floors too, though that’s not as common.

Home Energy Upgrade Tax Credits for 2015

As you start the new year and prepare your taxes for 2014, you may want to consider some energy upgrades to your home in 2015. While no new energy tax credits have gone into effect this year, there are a few tax credits from The Energy Policy Act of 2005 that haven’t expired yet, so you can beef up your 2015 return.

Going Solar

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, installing solar electrical systems (such as solar panels) or solar water heaters during 2015 is worth a tax credit for 30% of your installation expenses. 

The credit applies to all solar electric or water systems put in use between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2016. For systems put in place after 2008, there is no maximum credit allowance (otherwise, the limit is $2,000). The home must be owned by the taxpayer, but does not have to be his principal place of residence (so the credit applies to rental properties you may own, too).

In regard to a solar water-heating system, the Solar Rating Certification Corporation must certify its performance, or an organization endorsed by the state of Missouri. In order for installation expenses to be eligible for a tax credit, at least half of the dwelling’s water must be heated by the system. And it can’t be applied to systems used only to heat swimming pools or hot tubs.

Fuel Cell Power

This same tax credit applies to fuel cells installed between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2016. According to FuelCells.org:

A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, with water and heat as its by-product. In its simplest form, a single fuel cell consists of two electrodes - an anode and a cathode - with an electrolyte between them. At the anode, hydrogen reacts with a catalyst, creating a positively charged ion and a negatively charged electron. The proton then passes through the electrolyte, while the electron travels through a circuit, creating a current. At the cathode, oxygen reacts with the ion and electron, forming water and useful heat. This single cell generates about 0.7 volts, just about enough to power a single light bulb. When cells are stacked in series the output increases, resulting in fuel cells anywhere from several watts to multiple megawatts.

The maximum credit for a fuel cell is $500 per half kilowatt (kW) and the home the fuel cell system is installed in must be the tax payer’s primary residence.

Additional Items

This tax credit also applies to small wind-energy systems (wind turbines) and geothermal heat pumps installed between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2016. They do not need to be on the taxpayer’s primary place of residence.

A few other restrictions apply for some of these items. Complete details are available on the U.S. Department of Energy website. If you’re interested in an energy upgrade that will both benefit the planet and your 2015 tax return, contact HA Construction for a quote on the project.

Larry & Kathleen's Bathroom Renovations

HA Construction can be found so frequently at Larry and Kathleen’s home, that an unsuspecting neighbor might think that Andy and his crew moved in. In truth, Larry and Kathleen just really love the work the HA Construction team does and have need of several updated renovations to their home. The latest completed project was redoing the master and guest bathrooms.

The glass-encased walk-in shower in the master bathroom provides a spacious and soothing shower experience. The double-vanity has plenty of storage and mirrors that certainly catch the eye. Larry and Kathleen also had heated floors installed in the master bathroom. If you’re thinking about doing the same, Larry notes that it costs about $7 a month to keep the tile nice and toasty.

While the update in the guest bathroom is simpler, the new cabinetry, counters, fixtures and mirrors provide a crisp, modern appeal.

Vance & Sayla's Master Bathroom Renovation

Vance and Sayla hired Andy and his HA Construction crew to update/replace the windows in their East Springfield home. Through a little bit of small talk, Sayla mentioned she’d like to redo her master bathroom someday, so Andy took a look, gave her an estimate and, ta-da… new project in the works!

Didn’t  it turn out stunning? This master bathroom has the shower that everyone dreams of, complete with dual shower heads, a rain shower head and built in seats! You might as well be bathing under a waterfall!

And how about that tile floor? Beautiful 12x24 inch tile brings all of the elements of the bathroom – the shower, the cabinetry, the fixtures – all together for a cohesive, modern look.

Fred & Sharon's Renovated Kitchen

Fred, a metals artist, had had enough of the sea of red wallpaper in his kitchen. Not to mention the outdated fixtures and counters. Fred enjoys finding new beauty in old things – creating sculptures from old silverware and other upcycled materials. However, the kitchen, as well as the adjacent laundry and half-bath, of his Fremont Hills home needed to be completely overhauled  -- nothing in these outdated rooms was worth making an artistic statement.

One of the standout elements of the new kitchen design Andy and his HA Construction team did for Fred and his wife, Sharon, are the granite countertops with a stunning  design/color. The contrasting lines and textures of the counters and cabinetry are one of Andy’s favorite elements. The beautiful shelf window over the kitchen sink also stands out, providing a great view and plenty of sunlight for some lovely houseplants.

As Fred explains it, the half-bath in its previous state was nothing more than a closet you could barely turn around in. It now has space enough to do a salsa dance… space which may later house a shower to finish the bathroom off. For now, Fred is happy with the new, spacious comfort it provides.

Fred also raves about the excellent work HA Construction did overall with this project. They were timely and efficient, two characteristics that Fred sincerely appreciates. And, he and Sharon are, of course, very pleased with the finished product.