Are You Running Out of Storage Space?

   Are you trying to figure out what you’re going to do with all your stuff? There are many things you can do to make more room. Here are some ideas:

1. Set up free standing bookshelves. This can be done by either buying some shelves that are already put together or by getting shelves that you “match the numbers” on and put the correct screw in the correct hole. Whatever you do when you are dealing with free standing shelves, you are going to want to attach the shelves to the walls so they don’t fall over in the event some sort of earth motion were to take place.
2. Put shelf strips on the walls that take “clip in” supports. These are pretty simple. You put these strips onto the walls (it is best to hit a stud) and then you can buy “arms” that hook onto the strips that stick out to support the shelf. The shelf is a pre-made laminated board that is made to match the “arms” and the strips. You just lay the shelves onto the arms and you are done. The best thing about these shelves is that you can adjust them in about 1 inch increments to suit whatever you are going to put on them.
3. Put shelf brackets on the wall that you set a shelf on. These are simple “L” shaped brackets that you attach to the wall and then attach a shelf to the top of. Once these shelves are in place they would not be moved as they are all screwed in place.
4. Put in built-in shelving or cabinets. This definitely takes more time and skill but it is where you take a space that you have that is not being utilized well enough and you build fixed cabinets however you want it to look and function. I won’t get any further into this one as it could be an article of it’s own.
5. Set up a storage shed in the yard. I’m talking about one of those sheds that you can get at Home Depot or such that you take home and put together in your yard. The most important thing about one of these things is to build a foundation of at least wood for it to sit on and it is a good idea in my opinion to make it from concrete.
6. Build a wood shed on a small concrete slab. In this case you are basically building a small building. Frame for concrete, put bolts into the concrete to bolt the bottom wood to, set bottom plates, build walls, build a roof, ply the outside, roof it, seal the outside and make it waterproof if need be. This is another pretty complicated one but one that with just a little study anyone could do.
7. Rent an outside storage space. Well I guess I don’t have to say any more than that.
8. Put an addition on your home. Add anything from a closet to another floor to your house. This could get pretty big also.
   Hope this helps.

Randy Mate 

Have a Deck in Good Condition?

Check and see if any boards are loose when you walk on them. Do they move, are any of them warped badly out of place and are they rotted? When you look at the wood of the deck, do you say "that wood is no good"? That is the easy-to-see problem and if the problem is that far you probably need to replace the whole deck.

There are harder to spot problems that you will be able to feel when you walk on the deck. If it feels at all spongy, if it gives at all when you walk on it, most likely the boards underneath that support are damaged in some way. You must realize that by the time that the dry rot gets so bad that you can see it on top, the whole deck will probably have to be replaced. You should get underneath and carefully look over all the underneath boards and see if you have any damage at all underneath. Take a screwdriver with you and poke it into the wood and see if it goes in easily anywhere.

Call me at (818) 548-8760 to get me to check out your deck and get you a free estimate on fixin' it for great outdoor entertaining. - Randy

EXPAND OR UTILIZE EXISTING SQUARE FOOTAGE

People have many reasons to make changes or additions to their house.  Expand your homes value.  Redesign to utilize existing sq ft for some other use.  I have been doing construction since 1977 and I can help you with anything you need or want.

* Need more room for in-laws or enlarging the family.
* Would like a Deck, Fountain, Pool, Sauna, Hot Tub, etc.
* Modernizing a Kitchen or Bath.
* Handicap Access.

If you want to do anything I can help you out from Start to Finish.

Here at New Castle Remodeling…”We can do it, you can watch”

Make sure you meet all of the city requirements or your project could easily be held up until you do.   This includes necessary permits, plan check and so forth.

When you want to plan a project, the basic sequence is…
DESIGN – – – Decide what you want it to do/look like.
ARCHITECTURAL – Figure out how to make that design.
ENGINEERING – – Figure out structural needs to make that design.
CITY PLAN CHECK – Get city approved as needed.
PULL PERMITS – – As needed.
BUILD – – – Put it all together.

YES I AM AT THE JOBS
I am the owner of New Castle Remodeling and I run the jobs.  If there are any questions, problems, production, promotion, payments, permits, confusions, corrections, collections, directions, decisions, revisions, awards, plans, etc, etc… “The Buck Stops Here”.

One very important point to remember is that there is no "silver bullet" for reducing the costs of new construction.  A house is made up of thousands of parts involving 20 to 30 different construction trades.

Keep it rectangular. Maintain a simple roofline. The construction industry is accustomed to 90-degree angles.

Stay away from highly advertised "decorator" items. You can buy a perfectly good dishwasher for under $400. It is easy to pay $1,500, but it won't get your dishes any cleaner.

Spend your money on the things you see and use every day.
Have everything worked out before you break ground. If you want to see your budget blown to bits, start making changes after construction has begun.

Don't be a trail-blazer. Forget the idea of a steel framed house or one made out of light weight concrete. There are a lot of products that are more suited to making the manufacturer wealthy than to giving you a good house for the money. The generic stuff that has been around a long time is usually best.

Make a list of "optional" items and how much they cost. This will be a great help in deciding which gives more value for a limited budget. Some examples of "optional" items: granite countertops, lawn sprinkler system, home theatre, upscale plumbing fixtures, brick siding, upscale cabinetry, upscale kitchen appliances, lighting fixtures.

Plan to add later those things that you can't afford today. There are lots of things that you can build into a house that facilitate its being added onto later.  There are things that can be done to allow the addition of "appliance" type items at a later date. Pre-wire for a security system, central vacuum system, home theatre, automatic lawn sprinkler system, intercom and finish them out when you can better afford it.