http://thebusinessend.askaround.ca/
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Dave - 360renos
How to make your home stand out when selling
We can help your house sell quickly and at a good price -- even in a slow market.
It takes a lot more than sparkling windows, scented candles and chocolate-chip cookies to sell a home in today's market.
Improvements should be made so that the property shows well, is consistent with the neighborhood and does not involve capital investments.
Beyond any doubt, the best investment you can make is new paint. Painting can make a room or an exterior façade look brand-new, and totally transform the look and feel of a room or the entire residence. It is always wise to be somewhat restrained when choosing colors for a home-staging paint project. Avoid choosing colors that are too individual or flashy and favor neutral colors and schemes. This does not mean painting everything white, however.
Use subtle color schemes to accentuate the home's strengths and minimize weaknesses. Dark colors, for example, tend to make a room feel smaller, while lighter colors and pastels can make a room feel bigger.
There is another benefit to painting as well: the process of preparing the interior or exterior surfaces of a home for painting automatically allows us to go over the entire area receiving paint in great detail, and this can often expose items or areas requiring repair. It seems you always discover where the caulking has let go, where the wall is dinged.
It is always preferable that we discover and deal with these items before the real estate agent (or worse, the prospective buyer) points them out to you!
Dave - 360renos
It takes a lot more than sparkling windows, scented candles and chocolate-chip cookies to sell a home in today's market.
Improvements should be made so that the property shows well, is consistent with the neighborhood and does not involve capital investments.
Beyond any doubt, the best investment you can make is new paint. Painting can make a room or an exterior façade look brand-new, and totally transform the look and feel of a room or the entire residence. It is always wise to be somewhat restrained when choosing colors for a home-staging paint project. Avoid choosing colors that are too individual or flashy and favor neutral colors and schemes. This does not mean painting everything white, however.
Use subtle color schemes to accentuate the home's strengths and minimize weaknesses. Dark colors, for example, tend to make a room feel smaller, while lighter colors and pastels can make a room feel bigger.
There is another benefit to painting as well: the process of preparing the interior or exterior surfaces of a home for painting automatically allows us to go over the entire area receiving paint in great detail, and this can often expose items or areas requiring repair. It seems you always discover where the caulking has let go, where the wall is dinged.
It is always preferable that we discover and deal with these items before the real estate agent (or worse, the prospective buyer) points them out to you!
Dave - 360renos
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Kitchen - Mid Project Preview
Getting down to the end -
We've got the new cabinets and counter top in. Sink and faucet have been re-located and installed and now the home owner is not washing dishes in the laundry tub!
Under cabinet halogen lighting to go in
Now the back splash needs to be installed and the final color touches
Dave - 360renos
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Choosing non-toxic paints and finishes
Sift through the product hype and understand what you're buying when it comes to safer paints
You may be getting more than a splash of colour when you paint. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), our indoor air is often more polluted than outdoor air and one of the culprits is common household paint.
Dangerous fumes
Due to their complex chemicals, conventional paints and finishes off-gas Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) for months after being applied. Since these chemicals are neurotoxins, inhaling them over long periods can be a health hazard, particularly for younger children.
VOCs have been known to cause eye, nose and throat irritations as well as nausea, dizziness and headaches. That light-headed feeling you get after painting is actually a reaction to low-level toxins.
Industry-changing
Fortunately, new regulations from the federal government, first introduced in 2005 along with increased consumer awareness have created a demand for low-VOC paints and finishes.
Fortunately, new regulations from the federal government, first introduced in 2005 along with increased consumer awareness have created a demand for low-VOC paints and finishes.
“In the past, like many industries, the paint industry really wasn’t fully aware of the impact of all those solvents in the air and how they contribute to problem VOCs,” says Ed Linton, manager of environmental and safety compliance at Cloverdale Paint. “Now that we realize what those impacts are, we’re making changes.”
Cloverdale is just one of the many companies developing greener and cleaner paints. Its Horizon line of interior paints and primers currently has the lowest VOC on the market (less than one gram/litre).
Reducing pollution
Low VOC paints have a number of environmental benefits. The easy cleanup with soap and water means less contamination of groundwater and less waste heading for the landfill. Since there are so little fumes, you can occupy the painted room sooner. Their performance is equal to most other paints in terms of coverage and cleaning.
Finding the right paint
But with even more choices out there, finding a low-toxicity paint can get a bit confusing. Prices are the same as most mid-range conventional paint, but there are different types of low-VOC paints and finishes.
But with even more choices out there, finding a low-toxicity paint can get a bit confusing. Prices are the same as most mid-range conventional paint, but there are different types of low-VOC paints and finishes.
Low–VOC paints
Since low-VOC paints use water as a carrier, they often have low levels of heavy metals and other chemicals. They still off-gas, but it doesn’t stay around as long. Be careful with this label since there are currently no real guidelines in place yet. Environment Canada's standard is 250 grams per litre, but reputable dealers will only advertise their paint as low VOC when it has 50 g/L or less.
Try:
Since low-VOC paints use water as a carrier, they often have low levels of heavy metals and other chemicals. They still off-gas, but it doesn’t stay around as long. Be careful with this label since there are currently no real guidelines in place yet. Environment Canada's standard is 250 grams per litre, but reputable dealers will only advertise their paint as low VOC when it has 50 g/L or less.
Try:
- C2’s LoVo line, available in over 300 colours - 360renos favourite for quality and richness of colors
- Sherwin Williams, Duration Home Harmony, available in over 50 shades
- Sico’s Cashmere, Chamois and Shantung line, available in four shades
- Benjamin Moore Aura Interior Paint, available in 144 shades
Zero-VOC paints
Zero-VOC is a trickier label. Technically there is no such thing as zero-VOC paints since all paints have chemicals, colourants, biocides and fungicides—which all off-gas. Like Low-VOC paints, the off-gassing is shorter and less toxic. A paint is considered zero-VOC if it’s under five grams/litre. Check the label carefully on these products.
Try:
Benjamin Moore’s Natura line, available in four shades
Zero-VOC is a trickier label. Technically there is no such thing as zero-VOC paints since all paints have chemicals, colourants, biocides and fungicides—which all off-gas. Like Low-VOC paints, the off-gassing is shorter and less toxic. A paint is considered zero-VOC if it’s under five grams/litre. Check the label carefully on these products.
Try:
Benjamin Moore’s Natura line, available in four shades
Courtesy of - Canadian Home Workshop
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
In Time for Winter
This fall I've been installing numerous exterior storm doors for clients.
Many home owners wanting to save on energy costs have been installing new storm doors. Energy Audits Advisors are also recommending them to be replaced if they are not sealing properly due to age.
If you are seeing light around the frame and
door when closed then it is time to have the door and trim adjusted and re-caulked to keep out the cold winter drafts. Also the bottom door sweep if worn out will need replacing from normal wear and tear.
I recommend replacing the door if it not sealing properly and weather stripping has worn out or crushed.
Dave - 360renos
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