Home Improvement Contractors Can Turn the Attic in Your Ranch Style Home into a Great Living Space

September 24, 20150

Renovate your attic space with the help of home improvement contractors.

Home improvement contractors can help you renovate your attic space.

Ranch style homes are known for being designed on one floor, which can be beneficial for many people. However, this doesn’t mean you are limited in the type of improvements you can make. In fact, home improvement contractors in Wellesley and the surrounding areas can help you create a ranch style home plan that maximizes the use of your space, including transforming your attic into a great living space you can use.

Improve the Entrance

If your home is like many other ranch styles, the entrance into the attic isn’t much more than a hole in the ceiling that may use a ladder to gain access. When your Massachusetts home improvement contractor creates a livable space in your attic, you need a better entrance. A staircase is often the preferred method, but space may be an issue. To maximize your space, your contractor may recommend installing a spiral staircase. This design takes up less space and achieves your goals of getting into the attic more easily.

Reinforce the Flooring

One of the biggest issues relating to the addition of livable space in your attic is the integrity of the floor. To ensure the best results, it’s critical to work with experienced home improvement contractors in Wellesley and the surrounding areas to ensure your safety. They also need to make sure any flooring changes are up to your city’s building codes.

Learn what to expect from your attic space by talking to a home improvement contractor.

Talk to your home improvement contractor about what you can expect from your attic space.

Brighten Up the Room

Once the floor is safe for walking and adding furniture, it’s essential to find ways to brighten up the room. Most ranch style home plans don’t originally include windows in the attic because there is no need. However, if your goal is to spend significant time there, regardless of its use, you need to consider lighting. A lack of windows can mean higher energy bills as you attempt to use lamps and other forms of unnatural light. A dormer can be a great way to bring in some natural light while maximizing space and keeping your costs down.

Uses of the Attic

There are many uses for your new attic addition. In fact, this can be a valuable use of your space without drastically changing the overall layout of your home. For instance, the attic can be the perfect place for an extra bedroom as your family grows. In addition, this area can also make an ideal office, playroom, media room, hobby room or anything else you can imagine. This area of the home is likely to be quiet and can give you a number of advantages.

A ranch style home can offer a number of benefits, including keeping everything on one floor. However, when you’re ready to expand, you can work with a Massachusetts home improvement contractor to create a ranch style home plan that makes use of your attic space.

If you need the help of home improvement contractors in Wellesley or the surrounding areas, contact us. Colony Home Improvement can help you transform your attic into a livable space.

Home Additions and Improvements that Make a Home Senior Friendly

May 26, 20150

Make your home more accessible with home additions.

Home additions can make a home more accessible.

Many seniors want to remain in their homes for as long as possible. However, the layout and features in their home may not always be the most senior friendly. This can make living in their homes more dangerous unless appropriate changes are made. The following home additions in Needham and the surrounding areas, with the help of a Massachusetts home improvement contractor, can make any home safer for the elderly.

Bathroom Renovations

One of the most important changes you should make to a senior’s home is in the bathroom. Contractors can make recommendations that make the bathroom safer and more accessible. For instance, installing rails in the shower, bath tub and toilet area will ensure seniors don’t slip and fall. Non-slip surfaces and raised toilet seats can also be an advantage for aging individuals who have difficulty getting around.

Make your bathroom safer with custom built home plans.

Custom built home plans can make a bathroom safer.

Pay Attention to Entryways and Hallways

These areas of the home are some of the most difficult areas for seniors to navigate. When creating your Needham custom built floor plans, hallways should be wider to allow for wheelchairs and other accessibility options seniors often use. Entryways are also a hazard for a number of reasons. The threshold is a tripping hazard, especially for seniors who have difficulty walking. When they are carrying bags in from the grocery store or even bringing in the mail, they are at an even greater risk of falling. Keeping thresholds as low as possible will help reduce this risk.

Add Staircase Lifts

Walking up and down the stairs can be dangerous for the elderly. A Massachusetts home improvement contractor can help you pick out the ideal staircase lift and then install it so your senior relatives can safely get up and down the stairs when no one is there to help them. This can give families peace of mind when they can’t be around.

Build a ramp with a home improvement contractor.

A home improvement contractor can build a ramp.

Install Ramps

Whether seniors get around in a wheelchair or scooter or they simply have difficulty with stairs, ramps can be an effective method of getting in and out of the home. These ramps can be included as part of home additions in Needham and the surrounding areas without too much impact on the rest of the home, keeping seniors safer.

When seniors want to stay in their current home, it’s up to their family to make sure the home is safe and accessible for the elderly. Making changes with contractors for home additions in Needham and the surrounding areas will ensure your aging relatives are safe in their homes so you don’t have to worry about an increased risk of falls, allowing seniors to stay in their homes for longer.

If you’re looking for experienced contractors to make an aging loved one’s home safer, contact us. Our Massachusetts contractors can help you find ways to keep your seniors safe.

How to Determine If Your Custom Siding Needs Replacing

May 14, 20150

Find out if your custom siding needs to be replaced.

Now that spring has finally arrived, it’s time to inspect the exterior of your home for any damages that may have occurred during the winter. The cold weather and massive amounts of snow may have caused damage to your custom siding in Hingham and the surrounding areas. Before you hire a Massachusetts home improvement contractor to help you replace your custom siding, look for evidence it indeed needs replacing.

The Siding Appears Warped

A visual inspection of your siding should indicate whether there is any warping, which may cause your siding to pull away from the house or develop a slight bend. If you notice any areas in which this has occurred, you will need to find contractors for home additions in Hingham who can help you order new siding and replace the areas that are damaged. Remember, warping won’t always happen throughout your home and may only be in certain areas.

Ask your contractors for home additions to check your siding.

Contractors for home additions can help you check your siding.

The Siding Is Cracked or Peeling

Another common type of damage that can occur to your custom siding is cracking and peeling. This is especially true if you have a type of siding that shouldn’t require painting. In these situations, you may be able to replace only the damaged pieces unless your custom siding is no longer available. If your contractor can’t match your siding, it will need to be fully replaced.

Mold Is Present on Your Siding

Custom siding in Hingham could be susceptible to developing mold, especially during the winter months when the weather is damp. As the weather warms up, the mold may become more evident. While you may be able to clean the mold off your home, a serious mold problem may require you to fully replace your siding. Experienced contractors for home additions will be able to help you make the right choice to prevent the spread of mold.

See your home improvement contractor about custom siding.

A home improvement contractor can replace your siding.

Signs of Water Damage Inside

Checking your siding alone isn’t enough to determine if there is a problem. Examining the interior walls of your home for peeling paint or peeling wallpaper could also indicate a serious issue with your siding. However, it could also exhibit trouble with your roof. Therefore, it’s important to contact a Massachusetts home improvement contractor to determine the precise cause so you don’t waste money fixing something that doesn’t require it.

Custom siding can create a beautiful home, but it can also be difficult to replace when it’s damaged. Now that the cold weather is over, it’s time to check out your home and fix any damages that may have occurred over the long winter. If you know what to look for in your siding, you will know when you need to hire contractors to help you replace your siding and restore the exterior of your home.

If you’re looking for contractors in Hingham, MA, or the surrounding areas, contact us. Our experienced contractors can help you repair or replace your damaged siding.

Redecorating and Repurposing Empty Bedrooms Once the Kids Are Gone

January 22, 20150

Repurpose a room with home improvement and remodeling.

Home improvement and remodeling can be a great way to repurpose a room.

Your kids are all grown and the last child to fly from the nest just moved out. What will you do with all that wonderful extra space? The possibilities are limitless. With a little home improvement and remodeling, you can have the room of your dreams. Maybe you just want to redecorate it and keep it as a guest room. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Endless Possibilities

What do you like to do in your leisure time? Maybe you’ve wanted a special room where you can just relax or maybe it’s a space dedicated to a particular hobby. Here are some possible ways you might consider repurposing your newly emptied bedroom.

Home office

Reading room or library

Sewing or craft room

Wood-working or other tooled hobbies

Game room

Artistic endeavors, such as painting pictures, sculpting or ceramics

Music room

Exercise room for weights or Yoga

Guest bedroom for the in-laws or friends

Making Design Plans

Once you decide what you’ll do with your space, you’ll want to make some plans. If you are doing some serious remodeling to accommodate the changes, you’ll want to meet with a reputable Massachusetts home improvement contractor to prepare for the work being done. Most likely you’ll be repainting so think about using colors that match the purpose of the room, while reflecting your own personal tastes. Will you need to remodel areas of the room or expand? You may even consider adding more windows or a skylight.

Talk to a Massachusetts home improvement contractor about making changes to your home.

A Massachusetts home improvement contractor can help you repurpose a room.

Preparing Your Family

During the process of making any home improvement and remodeling plans, it is always wise to make your family aware of your plans before moving forward. This is especially true of the child who’s just vacated. Your offspring may have sprung, but they may also have left behind a lot of personal items. Since you may not be sure if these are treasures or trash, it’s a good idea to offer them an opportunity to stop by and box up anything they’d like to keep. If they currently live too far away and cannot stop by before you begin your plans, box up and store away any questionable treasures for junior to look over later.

When Is the Right Time to Decorate?

Parents can sometimes find it therapeutic to get to work right away on redecorating the room their child left. It works as a diversion and takes their minds off that empty nest feeling. Other parents may want to wait a while, absorbing all those old memories just a bit longer by temporarily leaving the room as it is. Another consideration is if your child will be away for a long time but may return. In that case, you’ll want to plan a dual purpose room where you’ll be able to use it for its new function, yet they’ll have a place to sleep when they stay. Once you are ready to begin, get in touch with your Massachusetts home improvement contractor to get things rolling.

If you are looking for a dependable licensed general contractor in MA to remodel and repurpose a room, contact us. Colony Home Improvement is ready to help you make your dream room come true.

Benefits of Installing a Storm Door

December 25, 20140

Consider asking local home improvement contractors to add screen doors.

Talk to local home improvement contractors about screen doors.

Have you ever noticed not all homes have a screen door? Whether homeowners love their entry door so much they don’t want to hide it or they don’t see a need for one, these doors serve a specific purpose. Many local home improvement contractors emphasize the importance of considering one of these doors in order to provide your home with a long list of benefits.

Increased Energy Efficiency

Many homeowners are looking for ways to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. If you talk to any licensed general contractor, you would find out these types of projects are among the most often requested from home improvement companies. A storm door creates a pocket of air between the outside world and the interior door, which can provide the buffer necessary to keep warm or cool air inside your home. When you leave your interior door open on a warm winter day, the sun’s rays through the glass can help heat up your home without letting the cold air inside.

Convenience Features

Another reason your Massachusetts home improvement contractor may recommend installing a storm door is for the convenience features they often offer. Many homeowners like to open up their homes in the warmer months to let the fresh air inside. You wouldn’t open up your windows without screens to keep the bugs and debris out of your home, so why would you leave your entry door open without the same level of protection? A storm door can also add a level of security. Studies have proven burglars are more likely to skip a home that requires going through two doors to gain entrance because it slows them down and increases the risk of being caught.

Talk to your licensed general contractor about a storm door.

A licensed general contractor can recommend a good storm door.

An Aesthetic Addition

While there are functional benefits to installing a storm door, you may want to add one for aesthetic reasons. Some people simply don’t like the look of a home without a storm door. Others choose a beautiful door that adds to the character of their home. Local home improvement contractors typically offer a variety of styles from which you can choose, including etched glass, retractable screens, split windows and more. Your licensed general contractor can help you choose the best option that looks great on your home and offers the functionality you’re looking for.

A storm door may seem like an extra element you don’t need on your home, but it actually serves a number of purposes. These doors can increase the overall energy efficiency of your home and can provide a variety of other convenience features. It can also enhance the look of the exterior of your home to create the aesthetic you’ve always wanted. Your Massachusetts home improvement contractor can help you weigh your options and make the right decision.

If you are interested in adding a storm door to your home, contact us. Our experienced contractors can help you decide which one will enhance your home’s curb appeal.

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