home additions ma | Colony Home Improvement

Five Critical Basement Renovation Mistakes You Want to Avoid

November 24, 20160

If you were to ask anyHingham home improvement contractor to name the top three hottest Massachusetts home improvement projects, most would probably include basement renovations on that list. When you think about it, it makes perfect sense to incorporate a basement renovation into your Hingham home addition. Most basements are dreary and unfinished, yet quite large. Skilled home addition contractors in MA can transform an unused space into a new living space. The caveat? Make sure you avoid the following common basement renovation mistakes.

Mistake 1: Creating Too Many Rooms

In many homes, the square footage of the basement is similar to the square footage of the living space above. Do not try to duplicate what you have above ground down below. The best way to make a basement inviting is to pursue an open concept. Chopping up the space with too many walls has the opposite effect. A couple of rooms is fine, but don’t go beyond that.

Mistake 2: Failing to Soundproof

Most of your home’s critical mechanical systems are located in the basement. Out of sight, out of mind, right? Make sure your contractor pays special attention to soundproofing. Otherwise, your new basement sanctuary may not be peaceful at all.

Finish your basement in place of a home addition.

Instead of a home addition, consider a basement finishing project.

Mistake 3: Failing to Plan for an Emergency

The fact basements exist partially or completely underground means if a fire breaks out down there, you need to have a clear and easy way to escape. All home additions in MA need to be conducted with a focus on safety. Make certain your basement remodel has an egress route. Typically, this involves adding one or more windows in the early stage of construction. It may be expensive, but it could save your life or the lives of your loved ones.

Mistake 4: Not Addressing Moisture Issues

One reason so many people don’t bother finishing their basement is because basements are damp spaces since they are underground. They don’t have to be. To keep moisture at bay, make sure any cracks and crevices are patched with a heavy-duty compound, concrete surfaces are sealed, a dehumidifier is in use at all times and waterproof paint is used. It is uncomfortable to hang out in a moist, humid environment. Humidity also causes rust, stains and degradation.

Mistake 5: Using the Wrong Type of Flooring

Yes, hardwood floors are beautiful. They are also prone to warping and buckling when exposed to moisture. Despite taking steps to remove moisture from your updated basement, you will never succeed 100 percent. Laminate, tile and stained concrete are the best flooring options. Even carpet can mold or mildew over time so avoid that flooring option too.

If you are interested in adding living space to your home, a basement remodel can be a smart way to achieve that. Due to the fact a basement is underground, it’s critical to choose a skilled contractor with the expertise to know the pitfalls to avoid. Colony Home Improvement has remodeled many local basements with beautiful results. We would love to prove to you why we should be your Hingham home improvement contractor. Contact us for a consultation!

Consider bedroom flooring for your home improvement.

home additions, home renovations, master bedroom remodeling

How to Choose the Best Flooring for Your Master Bedroom

November 17, 20160

There is nothing as inviting as a warm, cozy, beautiful master bedroom. After a long day, you deserve to retire to a room that is an oasis from the stresses of the outside world. Your boudoir not only is the place you sleep, but it is where you recharge your batteries, connect with your partner and go retire to enjoy peace and quiet. Remodeling your bedroom is gift to yourself. Find a home improvement contractor in Duxbury you trust to do justice to this important room, and pay attention to details. Case in point: do your research before you choose your flooring!

Is It Comfortable?

One of the main reasons people decide to invest in home improvement in Duxbury or any other city is to make their home more comfortable. Your home is your sanctuary. Your bedroom is your private refuge. If you have children or share your home with parents, in-laws or roommates, your bedroom is the one place you’ll feel comfortable closing the door and embracing privacy. Rule number one when choosing flooring for this space is to ensure it is comfortable. Our winters are cold. Carpeting ensures your feet won’t freeze as you step out of bed. Carpeting also provides cozy cushioning. However, so does a throw rug over tile or laminate, as well as an option like cork.

Talk to your home addition contractors about flooring options.

Home addition contractors can help you make the best decisions.

Is It Durable?

Carpet may reign supreme for comfort, but is it practical for your situation? Carpet is one of the hardest to clean flooring options. It is prone to staining and wear and tear. Many savvy home addition contractors in MA try to steer clients with large families away from carpeting. They know the more foot traffic carpeting receives, the more quickly it will become worn and need to be replaced. Tile, laminate, natural stone and even stained concrete flooring top the list for attractive, yet durable, flooring options. Carpet is comfortable, but one spilled glass of merlot or doggy disaster can be disastrous to this flooring option.

Is It Attractive?

Most people decide to pursue home additions in MA for one of two reasons: They want to add value to their home or they want to make their home more attractive for themselves and their families. Actually, many people pursue home additions in MA because they want to achieve both of these goals! If you plan to live in your home for a while, you want to love the way your bedroom looks. You want to choose flooring that makes you love to look at it. Taste is entirely subjective. What look do you love? It could be the plush look of carpet, the modern look of polished marble, the eco-friendly look of bamboo or cork or the color and shine of tile. What look do you gravitate toward?

There is no one-size-fits-all best master bedroom flooring solution. Consider your lifestyle and be honest. How likely are you to track in dirt on your shoes? How frequently do you clean? Do you have small kids who are likely to spill juice or milk on your bedroom floor? Do you have pets who sleep in your bedroom? What about your spouse? Does he or she have a messy streak? Are you a stark minimalist? Nature lover? Eclectic soul? Look within, be honest and then choose. Your bedroom: Your call!

You’re in the driver’s seat 100 percent when you decide to remodel. Advice and guidance from skilled pros never hurts, though. That’s our focus at Colony Home Improvement. We absolutely encourage our customers to call the shots, but we give them insight so they can make smart choices. Ready to renovate? Contact us!

Consider bathroom remodeling in the winter.

bathroom remodeling, home additions

You Don’t Have to Wait for Spring to Remodel Your Bathroom

November 3, 20160

Most bath remodeling contractors in Brookline, MA, and the surrounding areas will probably tell you spring is their busiest season. Homeowners who have been stuck indoors all winter are motivated to get going on their home improvement projects once the chill of winter has subsided. Here’s a secret, though. Most MA bath remodeling contractors will also tell you they’re able to devote more time and attention to jobs in winter because they have fewer of them.

Why the Bathroom Is the Ideal Room to Remodel in Winter

Once the leaves fall from the trees and cold fronts are the norm, it’s understandable you may not want to embark on a remodeling project that involves gaping holes in your home’s exterior. In most cases, remodeling a bathroom is a project that is contained to one small area of your home. Unlike a kitchen remodel that will require your family to eat out or bring home takeout until the project is complete, a bathroom remodel will be just a minor inconvenience (if, that is, your home has more than one bathroom). While you are remodeling one bathroom, you and your family members can simply use a different bathroom until the project is complete. Since bathrooms are small spaces, remodeling one shouldn’t take too long if you choose a reputable contractor.

Talk to bath remodeling contractors about your options.

Bath remodeling contractors can help you make the right decisions.

Remodeling Your Bathroom Will Enable You to Enjoy Winter More

Home additions in MA are especially appealing in wintertime because Massachusetts winters are so brutal. If you time your remodeling project right, such as scheduling it to take place before the height of wintertime, you can take advantage of contractors’ increased availability and also enhance your home’s warmth and coziness. Bathroom remodeling in MA before the February deep-freeze occurs will allow you to turn the one room in your house that is cold and uninviting into a warm, welcoming refuge. You will be drawn to linger in your cozy bathroom, instead of dreading bathtime and showertime in a sterile, insufficiently insulated freezing cold room.

Incorporate Warmth into Your Bathroom Remodel

Remodeling a bathroom is one of the home additions in MA that will deliver a huge return on investment when you sell your home. You can create a peaceful spa-like sanctuary without spending a huge amount of money. Future homebuyers will be wowed by your home’s incredible bathroom. More importantly, you and your family will be able to enjoy it on a daily basis. Here are some touches that will add warmth, both physical and aesthetic, to your bathroom remodel:

Heated towel racks
Heated floors
Heat-retaining wood or ceramic countertops
Chandeliers and pendant lights
Warm color schemes
Plush throw rugs

As the dead of winter approach, consider making good use of fall and winter to upgrade your home with a bathroom remodel. If you need inspiration, contact us at Colony Home Improvement or check out our website. Regardless of the size or style of your home, we can transform your bland bathroom into a warm and cozy oasis.

Consider sunrooms in your home additions.

home additions, sunroom addition

MA Home Addition Contractors Can Turn Your Sunroom into a Four Seasons Room

October 13, 20160

One of the most rewarding home additions in MA is transforming a three-season sunroom into a room that can be enjoyed year-round. There’s no denying in Massachusetts, most residents prefer to spend most of their winter days indoors. By making strategic improvements to a sunroom, home improvement contractors in Wellesley are able to give homeowners welcome extra square footage they can make use of when they are relegated to the warmth of their homes. Having more room to spread out is always a benefit!

Three-Season Rooms Versus Four-Season Rooms: What’s the Difference?

As the names indicate, three-season sunrooms aren’t designed to be used during winter. They’re built to allow a home’s residents to enjoy beautiful views of the outdoors without being bothered by insects or the elements. Four-season rooms are designed to be used year-round. Either setup adds valuable square footage to a home. Many homeowners use their sunrooms as “bonus rooms” that serve as lounging/reading areas, craft rooms, playrooms, homework rooms, workout rooms or extra dining space when they’re hosting guests. The beauty of a sunroom is you can make it whatever you wish to make it!

Four season sunrooms is a great option to discuss with your home improvement contractor.

Talk to your home improvement contractor about four season sunrooms.

How Home Addition Contractors in MA Can Retrofit Your Sunroom

In three words, the approach contractors will use to turn your sunroom into a four-seasons room is this: insulation, insulation, insulation. Insulation blocks cold and wind from infiltrating into the room and making it uncomfortably frigid. Additionally, if your sunroom’s windows are not energy-efficient, your Wellesley home improvement contractor will probably recommend upgrading your windows to thicker, double- or triple-paned energy-efficient models. Windows will also be sealed and gaps between windows and walls filled in with caulk. In some instances, contractors may recommend installing a heated floor or incorporating your home’s HVAC system into the sunroom if it is not already. Overall, upgrading a sunroom is one of the more affordable options for home additions in MA. The space already exists; it simply needs to be retrofitted with materials to help keep the cold out and the heat in.

What You Can Do to Add Warmth to Your Four-Season Room

Even after your contractor has worked his magic and weather-proofed your sunroom, you’ll still have the same struggles to keep that room warm as you do warming the rest of your home. To get through the winter comfortably, here are some simple steps you can take:

Cover tile or wood floors with rugs
Hang insulated curtains over windows
Equip the room with portable space heaters
Keep plenty of blankets easily accessible
Opt for “warm” colors, such as reds, browns and oranges, for your décor and paint. This can actually trick your mind into feeling a space is warmer than it is.
Burn candles or incense to create a cozy, warm feeling in the room

Winter is fast approaching! If you’d love to be able to comfortably use your sunroom in the frigid months to come, contact us at Colony Home Improvement for a consultation.

home additions

Planning on a Home Addition? Let the Light Shine In!

September 15, 20160

One of the most exciting things for homeowners planning home additions in MA is they’re able to embrace their creativity and work with a skilled Hingham home improvement contractor to bring their ideas to life. On the top of many homeowners’ wish lists? Brightening up a dark and sometimes depressing home. Here are some great ways to accomplish that.

Add Windows and Skylights

The most obvious way to brighten up your home is to incorporate more or larger windows and/or skylights into your Hingham home addition. Brightening up your home by letting the sun shine in not only will boost your mood, but it may also save you money by cutting down on the need to turn on the lights. Just be aware not all windows are created equally. There are many options from which to choose, including single- or double-pane windows, bay windows, awning windows, casement windows, double-hung windows and more. Home addition contractors in MA who have expertise in home additions will be able to recommend windows and skylights that will work best with the design of your home.

Walk to your home improvement contractor about adding windows.

A home improvement contractor can help you choose the right windows.

Incorporate a Sun Room into Your Home Addition

If adding windows will brighten up your home, just imagine what adding a room of windows will do! A sun room will add valuable lighting and square footage to your home. When the time comes to sell, every square foot equates to a higher asking price! You can use it as a sitting area, a kid’s room, a dining area, a music room; you’re limited only by your imagination. Your contractor will be able to provide guidance on where best to situate a sun room so you’ll be able to use it comfortably during all four seasons.

Carefully Consider Your Choice of Flooring

When you’re considering flooring for your home addition and your goal is to make your home feel brighter, consider skipping the carpet and choosing a light, shiny tile or even a warm wood or faux wood. These materials reflect light and will make your home feel cheerier. They’re also much easier to clean than carpeting. If you do insist on carpeting, choose a light color and the most durable, stain-resistant style you can find. There is nothing bright and cheerful about dingy, stained carpeting!

The Right Paint Colors Will Brighten Up a Space

One of the last phases of your home addition will be painting the walls and trim. You may be enamored by magazine photo shoots featuring navy blue or charcoal gray walls, but if your goal is to brighten up your space, opt for soft whites, yellows or grays. Lighter colors will also make a room appear larger, whereas dark colors make it feel smaller. You can always bring in your favorite bold colors through your artwork and accessories.

If you’re ready to remodel or add on to your home, make sure to partner with a skilled, reliable contractor who can bring your ideas to life. Contact us at Colony Home Improvement today! We would love to work with you to create your dream home!

Tag: home additions ma