Home Improvement

One of the easiest ways to change the look of your home is to paint the walls of different rooms different colors.  Color choices are very important to the overall feel of the room. There are certain colors that bring out certain emotions and feelings for people, and these can be combined to create the exact feeling that you wish your new room to convey.   

Yellow- yellow has long been associated with cheerfulness, high energy, and sunshine.  This is a great option for rooms with lots of windows in a bustling part of the home.  The kitchen or breakfast nook is a great choice, but it will work in a child’s room or playroom as well. Just a note, in practical applications many people have reported a great deal of trouble finding the exact shade of yellow to use.  Too light, it may feel sickly, too bright, it may feel like Ronald McDonald’s kitchen.  Get some extra opinions when picking out a yellow wall color, and take a particular look at “buttery, or “butterscotch” yellow. 

Blue- blue is associated with calmness, relaxation, water and sky.  This is best used in bedrooms as it creates a soothing environment in which to sleep.  It can be used well in bathrooms because of the water correlation, and some people like it in their reading rooms or home theatre rooms.  

Green- Green reminds us of plants, grass, and trees, and so also reminds us of the calmness and balance of nature.  Underneath that calm, however, plants are constantly growing, so green is a slightly more energetic calm color than blue.  Green can be used in nearly every room of the house effectively, but great care must be made in selecting the specific hue.  Darker forest greens can make a room seem smaller, so is best used as trim or in large rooms with windows.  The lighter shades afford more flexibility but also require some thought.  Pea green may not be the best color for a bathroom as one day you may be sick in that bathroom regretting your color choice! 

Red- Red is the color of passion, confidence, ambition, anger and fire.  Red is a strong color that can quickly overwhelm a room if not also used carefully.  Red is a great color for a game room or study, as it helps to ignite that passion and ambition to succeed.  You might want to consider more of a maroon red than candy red, however, to mute the loudness of the color a bit. The passionate element of red makes it an advantageous choice for the bedroom as well, though some prefer their sleeping space to be better suited for..ahem...sleeping, it’s up to you and what kind of a feel you’re going for.  

Orange- Orange is the color of change, friendship, energy, and creativity.  Orange is great for a living room because in most homes the living room is where the family gets together to watch TV or play games. It also works well for a hallway.  A rust color of orange is great if you want something a little more on the relaxing side that still retains its energy.  

Purple- Purple is the color of royalty and prosperity, but also a color of mystery and sophistication.  Purple is great for an entryway if you want to make a bold first impression.  It can also be used in a large bedroom or in a formal dining room.  The darker color of purple can make a room seem smaller, so it is best in large rooms or rooms with more architectural detail.  Lavender, a variant of purple, is a very soothing color that is often used for nurseries along with other pastel colors.  

   neutral walls with multicolored elements

Beige, Brown, White, and Black-  These are considered “neutrals,” and have many different shades between them.  Neutrals are the safest decorating choices, but also the most boring.  Decorating solely with neutral colors conveys a lack of imagination and personality.  This is not to say that you cannot have neutral elements, they are essential to the sophistication of a room.  Red on red does not have the same effect as red on black.  But no one wants to see room after room in a house decorated with nothing but neutrals.  One exception to this is a room where there are a lot of multicolored elements that modify the neutrality of the walls with paintings, posters, furniture, or lighting. 

 Now you can combine any color with another to create an even more specific feel.  Your young daughter wants to redecorate her room like a princess...how about royal purple and mint green for a fanciful, magical, feel? Or your wife has been feeling overwhelmed and is having a hard time sleeping.  Maybe redecorating your bedroom in turquoise, white and beige would give her that relaxing feeling of a bungalow on the beach. Whatever you do, don’t underestimate the decorating power of color.

 In order to estimate how many shingles you'll need, first you need to estimate  the total square footage of your roof's surface. Just measure the length and width of each plane on the roof, including dormers. Then, multiply length x width to get the square footage of each plane. Simply add the square footage of each of the planes together to derive the total square footage of your roof.

For example, this shed roof has one roof plane. Simply measure length (A) x width (B): 
A x B = 120' x 100' = 12,000 sq. ft. for the total square footage of the roof.

This gable roof has two planes. So, multiply length (A) x width (B) to get the square footage for each plane, then add the two planes together to derive the total square footage of the roof:

Plane 1: 120' x 100' = 12,000 sq. ft.
Plane 2: 120' x 100' = 12,000 sq. ft.
Plane 1 + Plane 2 = 24,000 sq. ft. for the total square footage of the roof.

If your home has a dry basement with a ceiling that is at least 7 feet high, the chances are good that you can convert the area to living space.  

Quiet and distinctly separate from a home's main living areas, basements are often ideal for recreation rooms, workout areas, home offices, and in-law living quarters.

Many basements have reasonably good access from the rooms above, and many are large enough to afford space for several rooms. 

Dryness is key to a successful basement room--the room must stay dry season after season, year after year.

If your basement doesn't, your first investment must be controlling the water that invades it.

Drains, foundation waterproofing systems, grading, and surface water diversion all are important tools for achieving a dry basement.

Though there are certain things a handy homeowner can do to remedy a damp basement, handling basement water problems is often best left in the hands of a professional waterproofing contractor.

Dealing with mechanical equipment such as heating ducts, electrical conduit, and pipes is also an issue. If headroom allows, equipment sometimes can be concealed above a false ceiling. Otherwise, it may need to be rerouted.

One other alternative is to leave ductwork and conduit exposed and paint these elements to blend into the decor.

Keep in mind that you'll need to heat--and perhaps cool--the area. And dehumidification may be a must. Work with a heating contractor to determine what will be involved in extending the existing system to serve the basement. This is often a relatively easy job if the system is large enough to handle the increased load.

Because natural light is often minimal in a basement, be sure to plan for ample artificial lighting. Some basements have one or more walls that sit high enough above ground level to allow for installing short windows to provide much-needed natural light.