The Counters Blog

Stellar Homes :: By Stellarhomesinc.ca

Stellar Homes :: by stellarhomesinc.ca

Along the way, we uncovered one of the most customer service-oriented companies that we have ever come across! Their expertise, integrity and commitment to the customer are incomparable to other companies. We will certainly utilize their services again and have already referred others. Kitchen Remodeling In Ottawa On | Duration 1 Minutes 20 Seconds The talented and experienced trades were very respectful and extremely skilled. They treated the project as if they were building a home for themselves. Not only did they finish on time, their work was top quality and unique. They really go above and beyond to get the job done right! Their consultative method kept us involved in the project from the start to finish. Each time we had to choose something for the house they sent us to excellent people who had superior products. The transformation from the old to new has been unbelievable. We visited a few of the homes that he had built and were overwhelmed with his quality of finishings. When you have been in business for over thirty years as we have, you now how to spot people who are professional and honest. They built a wonderful apartment for one of our sons which has a high-end kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. They kept us informed throughout the construction and kept the job site neat and therefore, never interfered with our day to day operation. We are dedicated to building with the highest level of quality and precision, to provide a product that is unique and exciting. In its 12 years, the company has worked diligently to develop a reputation as an elite custom home builder. His passion and dedication led him to create many successful businesses. Tony built several exemplary homes for himself and his family; showcasing his innovative construction ideas. With the highest quality in mind, they possess a passion for this industry.

The Homes And Living Show Tm, Golden Eagle Older (Ada) | Duration 1 Minutes 50 Seconds They believe that only through the use of quality materials can a reliable product be achieved. It begins with listening to the ideas and needs of each individual customer and what their specific aesthetic and conceptual visions are. The customer is included in the evaluation of the drawing and nothing is finalized until the desired look of your home – inside and out – is achieved. To maximize space, he used his favored methods, such as a vacuum pack machine to clear freezer space, and stackable containers to organize ingredients and increase efficiency. Michael incorporated a rolling cutting board island to provide more prep space when needed, and to be used as a serving station while entertaining. A dedicated place to take notes also enhances a chef’s ability to ideate while experimenting in the kitchen. Warmer weather and more daylight hours bring renewed energy to truly enjoy your home with family and friends. Then, wash with soapy water and a firm brush, rinse with a hose and let air dry. While using a lint-free towel or cloth will help avoid streaks, a car windshield squeegee is the expert choice. For an ideal clean, make sure your vacuum is at its peak performance by replacing bags and filters. But just like your lawn has been hibernating over the long winter, so too has your lawn mower and other small engines. It only takes 30 days for the gasoline in your mower to start to break down, which can harm your engine. Be sure to check the owner’s manual to make sure you put in the right kind of oil and the proper amount. Along with keeping your mower fed with fresh gas and oil, at the beginning of each season there are two components to either clean or replace: the spark plug and the air filter. Check for any damage or black coating, and if the plug appears damaged, replace it. Consult the owner’s manual for reference on how to do this and always consider using genuine parts from the manufacturer. A dull lawnmower blade rips and tears blades of grass in your lawn, making them more prone to disease and discoloration. When making a purchasing decision, focus on the most essential component: the engine. For months their lawns go into hibernation and disappear under a blanket of snow. New ideas and revisions were always completed to our satisfaction. The building process was very effective staying within the initial time and quoted cost. I was encouraged to come to the building site and was very involved throughout the entire project. A few years later, we decided to finish the basement and again, they exceeded our expectations all around. Paying attention to every minute detail is a hallmark of this builder. They remembered all the little things that we wanted to include in the house.

The 16 Most Common Diy Basement Finishing Mistakes Part 2 | Duration 2 Minutes 3 Seconds The approach and methods utilized to transform the home are truly innovative and fresh. The home has the traditional look from the outside but with all the amenities of a new custom home on the inside. In both cases, we received great service even after the projects were complete. Meeting some of his trades people reassured us again that good “old fashioned values” were part of the package. With both of us being realtors and having been exposed to numerous homes, we can honestly say that our new home is one of the finest in detail and finishings of any that we have seen. Now that we have moved in on time, as per the contract, we continue to receive favourable comments from friends, customers and neighbours who are truly taken aback by the quality and look of our home! We are confident that they will be just as impressed and satisfied as we have been. The other side of the basement includes an exercise room, bathroom, home theatre room and additional space to be used as either a family room of bedroom. Anyone seeing our home for the first time would find it hard to believe there has been an addition to the home. They’re proud to have accomplished this prestige, and enjoy the frequent compliments from their customers and other professionals in the business. With shared goals in mind, they can guarantee a great experience for their customers. Vito has an uncanny passion and wonderful vision for how a house should be built, how it should flow, and how it should look aesthetically. We also have an impressive team of talented subcontractors who will surely impress you. As a result, the building process involves you, the client, in every step of the way. As the house is built, frequent consultation with the customer ensures complete satisfaction. Infusing versatility wherever possible is also key to a high-functioning kitchen. Each tool should serve a purpose, enhancing individual technique and empowering the user to cook at restaurant-level quality. Spring is a great time to get rid of the lingering grime and grit of winter to keep your clean home happening all season long. Here are three tips to hel p tackle some of the dirtiest places in and around your home. First, remove the screens and use a vacuum’s extendable attachment to remove the loose gunk and dust. For especially dirty windows, first clean with soapy water, then move on to an even mix of water and white vinegar. Make sure to avoid chlorine-based bleaches to keep surrounding plants healthy.

Granite Countertops Houston Tx Discounts | Duration 1 Minutes 55 Seconds Scrub thoroughly under the hood and on the inside walls with a hard brush, first covering the heating elements, to get rid of grease and particles from last year. Even if you properly winterized your mower, there are a few things you’ll need to do to ensure it works like it should. If you have any gas left in the tank from the fall, empty it with a siphon and fill the tank with fresh fuel straight from the gas station. This will ensure your motor will run smoothly and it will go a long way to prevent overheating. To inspect the spark plug, simply clean the area around the cylinder and use a wrench to remove the plug. As far as the air filter goes, it’s best to start each season with a new one. A sharp blade helps promote a greener, fuller and healthier lawn. Ideally, you want an engine that offers minimal maintenance, easy starting and smooth, effective operation. But one of the things homeowners miss the most is the sight of green grass. Once the temperature starts to rise and the days start getting longer, many are eager to get outside and restore their lawns to their former glory. There are five key steps you can take right now to ensure you have a beautiful and healthy yard all year long. This means changing out the oil, tightening up any loose bolts or fasteners and starting the season with fresh spark plugs.

The New Homeowner’S Guide To DIY Improvement by budgetdumpster.com

It doesn’t require professional trade skills like electrical or plumbing work, nor does it require specialized tools. Read along and we’ll show you how to tackle any paint job around the home. This includes prepping the room that you’ll be painting and prepping the walls themselves. Not to mention the work of getting them clean again!

Kitchen Design Fundamentals | Interior Styles & Picture Guides To Create & Maintain Beautiful | Duration 2 Minutes 45 Seconds Make sure to remove the furniture from the room that is going to be painted. There is nothing better than having a beautiful new wall painted that adds vibrancy to your home. If you’re painting your ceiling, unscrew the cover plates of any light fixtures and allow them to slide down, then wrap the light fixture in plastic. If there are any holes in the wall, use spackle (or a patching kit for large holes) to fix them. You’re painting over walls that have been stained or damaged. To test your current paint simply dip a cotton swab or cotton ball in rubbing alcohol and rub it over a section of paint. They also work well in bedrooms and areas of the house that don’t see constant use. Satin paints are also easy to clean, so they’re ideal for kitchens, bathrooms, children’s rooms and any areas where messes are frequent. They are ideal for woodwork (like window frames) trim and moldings. Like gloss, they’re a good choice for woodwork, trim and moldings. Semi-gloss finish for a burnished image of perfection? Unfortunately, masking tape isn’t made to stand up to paint, and so there are a slew of disadvantages to using it for your paint job. Masking tape is great for protecting the glass while you paint window frames since it will peel off cleanly, but aside from that, masking tape can often make a mess of your paint job. It’s built to stand up to paint, so it won’t degrade or pucker, ensuring clean lines and protected surfaces. Brushes with an angled edge are especially good for corners and other cut-in areas. When you work too slowly, or take a break in the middle of your work, you allow the paint you’ve already rolled on to begin to dry, creating a stark contrast in color. Don’t begin painting too close to a corner and hold your roller so that the open side points toward the corner. However, when in doubt, add a few hours to the wait time to make extra sure the current coat is dry enough to continue. Locate the utility shut offs – circuit breaker box, gas line and water shut offs. Turn the water main off and back on to make sure the valve is not rusted in place.

Building Your Own 24’X24′ Garage And Save Money. Steps From Concrete To Framing. | Duration 7 Minutes 24 Seconds Sagging in one section of a wall can be repaired by cutting the section out, using drywall compound to make it level with the rest of the wall, and then repainting it. If the paper proves difficult, use a razor blade and cut horizontal strips into the paper to score it. Then, use a spray bottle to spray water into the score marks until the wallpaper beneath is saturated, usually waiting about 10 minutes. For wallpaper that has been painted over, you will either need to score the wallpaper, using the same method above, or rent a steamer to loosen up the paint and wallpaper layers. This ensures that there won’t be too much moisture in the air for your paint to thoroughly adhere to your walls. Of course, it’s not always possible to wait on the ideal weather. If your yard isn’t steep enough you can end up with some chronic flooding problems, both on the lawn and in your basement. If there isn’t sufficient slope, the water will just accumulate on your property, potentially damaging your home and yard. If that’s the case, then you’ll want to measure out the slope around your home to see if there is sufficient drainage. However, that doesn’t mean your first brush stroke will equal that of a professional painter. Skipping the room prep is a surefire recipe for drips and splatters—and therefore a surefire recipe for ruined floors, baseboards, ceilings or furniture. Large pieces of furniture can be left covered in the center of a bigger room but if you are repairing drywall, everything should be removed. Nothing is worse though than having a few paint drops on a piece of furniture. If you have a fan in the room, you can remove the blades to make covering the fixture easier. Also apply tape around door handles, along baseboards and molding, around windows and any other room feature that you’ll be painting around. You’re making a drastic color change (for example from a dark color to a pastel). Using the wrong paint type for the particular room you want to update or the effect you want to achieve can mean a lot of disappointment with the finished product, not to mention a lot of wasted effort. They’re best for ceilings and walls with a large number of imperfections. Gloss paints generally shouldn’t be used on walls at all, because their high shine causes even slight imperfections to stand out. They also work well in kitchens, bathrooms and other moist environments, because they stand up very well to humidity. The sole advantage of using masking tape is that it’s generally cheaper than professional painter’s tape. If you need to use tape for your paint job, painter’s tape is always your best bet. It also won’t leave behind residue, and will still pull off cleanly even if left up for several days. Use brushes to paint edges and corners when painting a wall, and to paint elements like trim. This in turn makes it next to impossible to use them effectively. Because they’re made to be resilient and multi-purpose, synthetic brushes can also be used with oil-based paints. Use rollers to paint large areas with no obstructions, like walls and ceilings. The key to a crisp, professional looking paint job is to work quickly. Decide who will be painting where, position paint buckets or trays where they’re easily accessible to everyone, and make sure you’ve got time to finish the first coat without interruption. This will ensure that you have enough room and maneuverability to smooth back over your work without messing anything else up. Keep a damp rag on hand so that if you come across lumps, you can quickly clean them up while the paint is still wet and can be easily touched up. Generally, you’re good to go on a second coat when the first coat is dry to the touch. But because wallpaper sagging is progressive, you’ll find yourself having to repeat this process over and over again for years. To figure out what kind you have, start peeling at a corner or seam near the bottom of the wall. The key to removing strippable wallpaper is to get a corner or seam started, and then slowly pull it up the wall using both hands. Then pull the paper loose and continue to pull upwards as normal. After that you can start removing the wallpaper with a putty knife. You also want to make sure you don’t make the mistake of painting when it’s too humid for paint to adhere properly. Rent small and large dumpster sizes for all types of projects. That’s because rainwater needs a sufficiently steep slope for it to flow downhill and drain away into local creeks, rivers, and storm drains. It might have been a while since you’ve had any landscaping work done on your home. The rule of thumb is to have a slope that runs 6 inches downhill over the first 10 feet.

Options For A Kitchen Design With No Window Over The Sink. – by victoriaelizabethbarnes.com

And populated by people who have a historical flair for hats and dictators. As the kitchen/family room is open concept he thought it would look cluttered 🙁. She envisioned a marble slab over her kitchen sink island to keep glassware etc. So instead she made a marble slab: she painted a trompe l’oeil marble slab. Her one expense was the ironmongery to hang it: there are substantial hand-forged supports from the beams that also support (ha ha) the illusion that there’s something really heavy there. And she pointed out there are two more slender ones in the kitchen holding some of her small sculptures and her husband’s pots. I kept nothing there for a few years, then got some crap shelves and made them pretty with vintage glassware, art, and a plant that died (but still sits there). I think that an antiqued mirror with open shelving in front would be pretty. This will give the illusion of depth and space needed to avoid the feeling of being too close too the wall, and will add the illusion of more space to the area by the softer reflection. I have friends who say that their cats don’t get up on the counters/cabinets in the kitchen! You don’t want to be washing the dishes over and over again because you can’t see that they are not quite clean. But, from the neck down, my kitchen reno is perfect cabinet, appliance and counter-wise. Probably my favorite photo in this whole post is the very first one. Next to each set of shelves is a closed cabinet with appliance garage. All the things are pretty and attractively arranged–which, once you’ve done the arranging, is very easy to maintain. And everyone is going to oooh and ahhh over your island to such an extent that they will never notice the details of your shelves. I spent a lot of time in front of a kitchen sink with no window. These were good solutions for a temporarily-housed teenager but hardly glam! I love your updates and cant wait to see the direction you end up choosing. Not on something new and clean that functions well and serves a purpose. I love the idea of the marble shelves and they would look fabulous in your space! Simulates a window, brings in the art and metal touch to room. Also, as someone who feels like she spends way too much time at the kitchen sink, be sure you get some good light over it. I notice every one of your inspiration photos is white shaker type cabinets. I wouldn’t be able to live without having closed storage space, for both the dust/grease and clutter reasons. I think so much of it has to do with what you store and how you use your kitchen, obviously. I didn’t want acres of open shelves because of the cleanliness factor, and these have been perfect. The shelves are not fancy, nor are the supports–just wood painted to match the woodwork–but the effect is lovely. Had also cabinets with frosted glass doors for the dishes, again, no problem and wonderful fresh look. You could always try mercury glass (look up krylon looking glass mercury tutorial, its fabulous) on the shelves to solve the constant cleaning issue while avoiding the weight/cost of marble. Let’s face it, as the “queen of fancy things”……you don’t have time for such mundane tasks as dusting glass shelves!

Moving? Wait Before You Renovate by frugalwoods.com

But this urgent wish for everything to be precisely perfect is detrimental to both budgets and longterm planning. Thankfully, we restrained ourselves because after living in the home for six months and then a year, our thoughts on what we wanted to do to the house changed radically. Nothing ignites home improvement fever quite like a new house (or apartment or condo or townhouse). It’s the same situation with home improvement projects except that the waiting period is longer. This year allows you to live in your home, assess how your family uses the space, and then select paint colors and bathroom tiles with a full twelve months’ worth of data. Waiting provides the opportunity to strategically plot what’ll be best for you in the longterm. Moving is its own fresh hell, so why stack on the trauma of renovating your kitchen and ripping out carpet at the same time? Cosmetic updates to a home are luxury purchases and should be paid for like any other luxury: in full with cash. This yearlong moratorium will allow you to shore up your cash reserves and rebuild your net worth. The caveat here, of course, is if you purchase a home that requires a gut renovation before it’s safely habitable–that’s an entirely different can of beans. It’s a lot easier and cheaper to redo a floor before you move all of your stuff in on top of it. In the long run, we’re thinking of installing sconces or perhaps an overhead light or two. It has–and it has intensified–so it’ll probably be the first major project we tackle. Sure, we could afford to furnish many houses over, but to what end? Gone were elaborate candle centerpieces that always got in our way on the dining room table. I like how wood floors look, and it’s a lot easier to clean without rugs. But having a comfortable home doesn’t require expensive furnishings. The compulsion to perfect a home the minute you take up residence is a natural extension of our desire to nest and create a safe haven. And let that year elapse to give yourself the time, the experience, and the money to perform the renovations you’ll enjoy for years to come–not the upgrades that spring to mind before you move in. But like you say, living in the place for a while teaches you what would work best! That’ll be another project, although more difficult as all the furniture is on top of it. Our first house we had a laundry list of “this has to change”. Our current house we are 3 years into, and we haven’t done a thing. Yes, we could go into hock for at least one new one, but since the one in question has been very reliable, is relatively inexpensive and simple to maintain… why? When he was finished, my mother ran out and purchased her red curtains. The room was very dark, it ‘glowed’ red & she changed the curtains within a year to a cheerful yellow that brightened up the dark room. I have given upon the whole “matchy matchy” nature of furniture. The only potential problem (or not!) is that for projects that you say you’re going to get around to, you don’t, at least in our case. But our eyes no longer see those little flaws and since there’s no urgency, we happily live with our house as-is. Live in your home for a while before you start tearing things out, if at all possible. Had we rushed into all the renovations we thought we wanted, we would’ve wasted thousands of dollars on upgrades that, as it turned out, weren’t necessary. I also recommend it because–more often than not–those 72 hours will elapse and you’ll realize you don’t need the thing you so desperately wanted after all. I recommend waiting a full year before diving into any home upgrades that aren’t strictly necessary from a safety perspective. Renovating immediately is flying blind–you’ve never lived in this home before and so you’re basing your improvements off of what has worked for you in previous homes and previous iterations of your life. Get the move over with, get settled into your new life, and then consider what changes you might like to make. And paying for elective renovations with anything other than cash is folly. Waiting to renovate also creates a spirit of gratitude for what you already have. Because no home (or person or situation or life) is perfect. This would not be possible if the washer and dryer were in the basement. Moving a washer and dryer is not a terribly expensive or un-doable renovation, but it would’ve been a hassle and it’s a great illustration of how our perceptions change after we’ve lived in a place for awhile. This approach worked well enough during the summer months when the sun stays out until about 9pm. This room contains the woodstove–as well as our dining room table and couch–so we tend to spend a lot of time there. We had our eyes on revamping this kitchen from the start, but we decided to wait and see if that desire held up. After a year, thanks to the wisdom granted by time, those other projects have faded in urgency and the kitchen has surfaced as goal number one. This house, for some bizarre reason, lacked a dishwasher (and no, modern dishwashers are not bad for modern septic systems). And so, we now have a dishwasher that lacks a countertop above it. There’s no empty room police that’s going to come fine me for having nothing but some baby toys in what is ostensibly a dining room. At some point, we will find furniture odds and ends either for free or for cheap. Gone were the decorative throw pillows on our bed–all they did was take up my time (removing them at night, storing them under the bed, putting them back on in the morning… ) and clutter up our space. Makes our life easier and gives her more freedom to roam and explore her surroundings. Have the things that you enjoy using and don’t worry about what a home is “supposed” to look like. But don’t lose sight of what you need in your home versus what you want. The way the kitchen is arranged with entryways (back door and door to dining room) diagonally from each other, our kitchen basically has two walls of wasted space. We also have to redo the floors but didn’t realize that at first–turns out the brand new carpet installed was literally bottom of the barrel quality so our vacuum cleaner sucks it up each time we vacuum. It’s amazing what you can live with when you don’t want to spend the money! They were going to get thrown out, but she knew one of her kids would use them at some point, so she took them home with her instead. You’re smart to take your time living there before making any changes. When we moved to the city, my father had to fix pipes in the kitchen ceiling ( immediately) and it caused major upheaval since we’d just moved in. Unfortunately, they didn’t work well in that particular room with the lighting. If she had waited a few months, she’d have known the room tended to be dark. One- it is terribly expensive and two- it can come off as cold and without personality. What they do put together is beautiful and clutter free but alas life is not so. We have delightfully holey walls, imperfect paint, and other small fixes we haven’t gotten around to in five years.

Crow Wing County Historical Society by crowwinghistory.org

The hardware store is located on the extreme east end of the block-long shopping center and is constructed of concrete block with a facing of plate glass overhung by a large aluminum canopy. The total frontage of the shopping center is now 300 feet and the depth varies to a maximum of 132 feet. No plans have been announced for construction of further additions. The store will be one of a large grocery chain operation from coast-to-coast. Mills will devote a portion of his time to the business, but for the present will continue his traveling position as jobbers’ representative. The house, as it now stands, is a beauty in its inside arrangement, and is a fine looking building externally. Teams are busy excavating and workmen are laying floor joists and breaking down much of the old walls as considered unfit for use. Woodin, who is making extensive improvements, and fitting it up in first-class shape. The garbage about his place had been cleaned up, however, and it is likely that in the future, the provisions of the ordinance will be strictly adhered to. The building will be adjoined to the hotel and the present room where the saloon is will be utilized as a waiting room. In 1922 a prolonged strike cost the city one-half million dollars. Furthermore, fires have destroyed dozens of large business blocks and scores of homes. If these buildings were restored to us, they would constitute quite a city. To complete the attractiveness of the shopping center is a large free parking lot directly in front of the building which can easily park several hundred cars. Hartford, engaged in the hide and leather business, added tea as a sideline in 1859. Both are married and will move their families here within the next two weeks. They have always maintained a reputation for quality merchandise and fair dealing which is unassailable. Mills, all of them prominent and successful business men of this city. He has added a billiard table, etc., and other attractions and is now especially prepared to entertain travelers and transient custom generally. The building will greatly improve a corner which suffered heavily in the fire of the winter months. He has several other large contracts in the west on which he will build.