Not all of our clients need to completely gut remodel their homes. Sometimes simple upgrades can free up hours of your time or greatly improve the quality of your life. We have compiled a list of upgrades that we are commonly asked to incorporate into a remodeling project, or in parts of the home that we were not otherwise working on.
We recommend that all of our home remodeling clients add a whole home humidification system. During our Milwaukee winters, the lack of supplemental humidity can cause a variety of issues like nose bleeds, dry skin, static shocks and damage to millwork.
Adding humidity has also been shown to reduce the number of airborne viruses and make life easier for those with asthma. The most popular systems are made by Aprilaire.
Some humidification systems are standalone, while others attach to your furnace. There are two main technologies used in humidifiers: steam and evaporative.
Evaporative technology dispenses water across a panel while pushing air across it to form humidity. This technology produces one gallon of water vapor for every fourteen gallons of water put into the system.
A steam humidifier produces humidity in the form of steam by using two electrodes in a canister to boil the water. Steam humidification is more efficient than evaporative humidification. Steam humidification produces one gallon of steam for every gallon of water put into the system.
Even if you are not doing a full-scale kitchen remodel, add organizers to your kitchen cabinets. Doing this can make better use of your space, save time and prevent lost or damaged kitchen items. Big box stores and online retailers sell a variety of organizers such as spice racks, plate storage systems, lazy Susan systems, trashcan pullouts, shelf risers, pan racks and hooks.
If you are doing a kitchen remodel, your remodeling contractor will have access to options only available to the trade that will be of a higher quality.
Some new home builders use cheap hollow core doors. When renovating your home, upgrading to solid core doors can be a great option. Solid core doors are perfect for adding security and resistance to the wear kids can often cause. Since a solid core door lacks the hollow air pocket in the middle, it takes more force to damage the door.
Another advantage of solid core doors is they have a slightly better fire rating, taking longer to burn. The biggest benefits to a solid core door is sound suppression and a feeling of quality.
Most of our home remodeling clients in Southeastern Wisconsin have natural gas service to their homes. If you already have an ongoing remodeling project at your home, it is usually not much trouble or expense to stub out a natural gas line to the backyard for hooking up a grill.
By tapping into your home’s natural gas line, you have an unlimited, affordable gas source that does not require refilling a tank.
You don’t have to replace your doors to upgrade your locks. Adding a smart lock can give you enhanced security, as well as additional locking features that make your life easier. Smart locks have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, allowing you to lock and unlock the door from your smartphone.
If renting out your home on AirBNB, you can send e-keys for visitors, or remotely unlock the door if a child or elderly person is locked out.
If you have an old or cheap toilet installed by a new construction home builder, installing a new toilet can change your daily routine for the better. Chair height toilets are taller than a standard toilet and allow for a more comfortable seating position for adults and those with disabilities. Some new toilets are dual flush, allowing you to save water based on which button you press. Upgrading to an elongated bowl toilet is especially beneficial to men. This gives them a bigger target at night and allows them to avoid the tuck when sitting down.
Mounting your TV on the wall is a DIY project for some, but others may prefer to hire a handyman service. By mounting your TV, you can hang it at an optimum height and hide unsightly wires. You can also increase viewing area if you add an articulating wall mount.
Many bath fans are loud and connected to a switch you might forget to turn on. Upgrading your bath fan can be a great way to add function and prevent the accumulation of moisture on the walls. Additionally, you can select a quieter model that moves more air, is more efficient and has motion or moisture detection.
If you have unreliable power, live in a climate prone to natural disasters, or have a health condition that requires that you always have power, a generator is a must have. Standby generators can be sized to maintain power to part, or all of your home in the event of a power outage. We are lucky to have two major generator manufactures in Wisconsin, Generac and Kohler.
Our home remodeling clients often ask for specialty outlets. The most common outlets include USB charging ports so you do not have to use a wall wart. Additionally, clients request GFI outlets with built-in night light functionality for bathrooms.
Smart thermostats are not new, but they can be a great addition to your home. They allow you to track your energy usage and potentially lower your utility bill. Additionally, they allow you to control your thermostat remotely. This feature is popular for people with more than one home, those who travel for work and for those who keep an irregular schedule.
A home with green grass, healthy trees and colorful flowers can increase curb appeal. Most people manually water their plants and greenery. However, adding an automatic sprinkler system makes taking care of the plants and greens less of a hassle. Additionally, and perhaps surprisingly, an automatic sprinkler actually uses less water than watering by hand.
Automatic sprinkler systems can be time consuming and difficult to install. We recommend including this in a larger remodeling project.
Even if you are not remodeling your kitchen, you can add quiet close hardware to your cabinets to give them some of the functionality of new, premium cabinetry. There are many quiet close hardware products that can be retrofitted with a weekend and a screwdriver.
Slamming a toilet seat is noisy. It can wake up your family, make it difficult to fall back asleep and damage your toilet. Installing a premium soft close seat improves comfort, and stops the loud bangs from the seat and lid closing.
Shower rods are not always seen as luxury options. However, adding a curved shower rod during a bathroom remodel can give you more room in the shower, and help avoid the shower curtain sticking to you.
Adding any of these upgrades to your remodeling project can give your home more functionality and quality. Please contact us at LaBonte Construction to discuss adding any of these upgrades to your next home remodeling project.
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