July 12, 2011 by Synergy Guru
A backsplash is a covering placed over the wall behind a sink, a stove or cook top, or any other area of a kitchen where there is a potential for splashing of water or food on the wall. Backsplashes can be a simple piece of plastic attached to the wall to protect the paint or wallpaper. Backsplashes can also be highly decorative and create a focal point in a remodeled kitchen.
The size of a backsplash might be determined by the size of the fixture or appliance it will be placed behind. Alternately, you might choose to install a backsplash behind an entire counter or workspace. The backsplash might be a pre-fabricated item that you decide to hang on the wall, or it might be made of decorative ceramic tile.
Ceramic tile is available is a huge variety of colors, finishes, sizes and shapes. These can be installed in a simple solid color or installed in geometric or decorative designs. You can create a mosaic or you can install hand-painted tile.
Visiting our showroom will help you make choices of finish, tile size, tile shape, and combinations of colors, shapes and designs. At our showroom you will find displays of tile styles and colors with complimentary pieces and shapes to help you create the design you want. Our designers can also help you select the trim and design components you want to use to create an attractive backsplash.
If your kitchen design is “rustic,” you might choose a ceramic tile with a matte or dull finish in a brick or stone design. A more traditional kitchen might need only simple single-color tile and edging. A modern kitchen might be right for something more creative and elaborate.
The size of the backsplash area will also determine how far you can go in being creative or in adding decorative interest. A small backsplash will need smaller design elements. A large backsplash area, on the other hand, might be made into the focal point of your kitchen design with a mosaic or with hand-painted tiles.
If you decide to incorporate a backsplash into your kitchen remodel design, you will have almost complete freedom in choosing the material – tile, metal, wallpaper – for your backsplash and in deciding how elaborate the design of the finished area will be. The primary purpose of the backsplash is to provide a surface that is easy to clean and that will not be stained easily. Beyond that functionality, your creativity and imagination is the only limit on what you can do.
Category: General Remodeling, Kitchen Remodeling Tags: backsplash, design, finish, idea, ideas, kitchen, project, remodel, remodeling, renovation, rustic, style | Comments Off
May 17, 2011 by Synergy Guru
If you have decided to finish or remodel your basement, you are in for a treat. Basement remodeling offers almost unlimited opportunity to add living space for your family. It will also increase the value of your home when you sell it. Finding basement remodeling ideas can be fairly easy using magazines and the internet.
Before you go too far designing your basement remodel, there are a few very important things you will need to do.
- Check for radon gas.
- Check for dampness, leaks, mold or fungus and correct those problems.
- Seal any cracks in the floor and/or the walls.
- It is a good idea to apply a sealant to the concrete or other building material used to construct your basement.
The next step is to begin to design your basement remodel. It can save a lot of time and a number of headaches if you begin your design by sketching out the floor space in your basement. Next, mark your sketch to show important things you will need to consider in your design
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- Show where any windows are located
- Indicate an exterior door
- Indicate the point(s) of access from the main floor
- Locate and indicate on your drawing, the location of your fuse box or circuit breaker box, shut-off valves for water, gas, etc. (You will need to design around these items to keep them accessible.)
- Indicate the location of any plumbing access pipes
- Indicate the location of appliances – furnace, heat pump, water heater, washer and dryer, etc.
- Indicate the location of any support poles or beams
- If ducts for heat and air have already been installed, you might want to include a reminder of the location of any ducts or duct work you will need to accommodate when you install a ceiling.
Now you are ready to use the basement remodeling ideas you have seen and create the design for your remodeled basement. Here are a few money-saving, labor-saving, and time-saving tips for your design:
- Place any new bathroom, kitchen, laundry room, etc that will use water, as close as possible to existing plumbing. You might save a bundle by being able to connect with existing main lines.
- Decide if you need a second point of access from the first floor to the basement. For example, if you will use part of the basement as an in-law suite or a teen suite or a guest room, you might want a second (more private) stairway.
- Determine how you will work around and still provide access to shut-off valves, circuit breaker boxes, etc.
- Find a creative way to work with support poles or beams. Will you enclose them in a wall? Will you cover them with a fiberglass column? Will you just build a box around them?
- Where are the most logical places to create storage? It probably makes sense, for example not to use the limited space near windows for storage.
- Decide where you will construct walls and whether interior walls should be insulated or covered with sound board to reduce noise in other parts of the basement.
Some of the most popular uses for finished basement space are:
If you gather your basement remodeling ideas and plan carefully, you can finish your basement and provide a large amount of additional living space for your family. Attending to these considerations for safety and careful planning will result in a smooth remodeling project that can be done either all at once or in stages as you have the money to finish it.
You will probably find more basement remodeling ideas than you can possibly use, but with careful planning and a design that accommodates appliances and other areas that must be accessible, you can finish or remodel your basement with very few headaches. In fact, you will probably have a lot of fun.
Category: Basement Finishing Tags: basement, company, contractor, design, finishing, game room, home, ideas, remodel, remodeling, theater | Comments Off
August 9, 2010 by Synergy Guru
Looking for space to put an exercise room, entertainment center or playroom? Go underground! If your home has an unfinished basement, remodeling might be a great way to transform this commonly under-used space.
When considering a basement remodeling, start by making a floor plan. As you do, be sure to mark the location of your furnace, washer and dryer, and any other large appliances. Take notes on:
- access to the basement from upstairs and outside
- where plumbing is already located if you want an additional bathroom
- where vertical support columns are located
- location of windows and doors
- floor, ceiling, wall materials
With constant contact with the earth, basements are vulnerable to dampness, making basement remodeling a bit more complex than first meets the eye. We’ll help you take appropriate measures to ensure a room free from moisture.
Most basements have low ceilings and few windows. But this doesn’t have to limit you. There are many creative ways to make your basement light and airy. Talk to us about the variety of wall and ceiling lighting options available. Synergy Builders will help you make sure that appropriate electrical lines and outlets are provided from the beginning.
Here are some tricks-of-the-trade in making your underground space first class:
- Stay away from dark wood paneling and instead consider drywall painted in light tones to make the room brighter. Semi-gloss paint will gently reflect even more light into the room.
- Open up the visual space. Double doors—even glass double interior doors—take away the typical cubicle look. Or, how about a rounded archway or pass-through area from one room into another.
- Check to see if existing windows can be enlarged. Or, consider installing a small boxed window for a mini-garden to grow herbs or start plant seedlings. This will greatly increase the amount of light coming into the basement and provide a view to the great outdoors.
- Built-in bookcases and entertainment units add a richness and depth to a room. Light them with either interior lights or from the top to cast light upwards.
- Disguise vertical support beams, and horizontal ceiling pipes or floor joists by boxing them in. Or, you might decide to actually use pipes and beams as interesting accents by painting them with bold colors or with subtle earth tones.
An unfinished basement is much like a diamond in the rough—unexplored and awaiting your discovery! If you have any questions about basement finishing, don’t hesitate to talk to one of our designers at our Synergy Builders showroom.
Category: Basement Finishing Tags: basement, builders, center, design, designer, doors, entertainment, exercise, finished, finishing, floor, ideas, plan, plumbing, remodel, remodeling, renovation, room, staircase, stairs, synergy, underground, unfinished, windows | Comments (1)
A backsplash is a covering placed over the wall behind a sink, a stove or cook top, or any other area of a kitchen where there is a potential for splashing of water or food on the wall. Backsplashes can be a simple piece of plastic attached to the wall to protect the paint or wallpaper. Backsplashes can also be highly decorative and create a focal point in a remodeled kitchen.
