Posts Tagged Home & Garden
Posted by Laura Nelson on August 1, 2010
By John Karmis
John Karmis (right), Karmis Carpets
Every wonder what happens to all those recycled pop and water bottles?
Americans recycle millions of plastic soft drink and water bottles every day. Environmentally-friendly companies are finding ways to recycle these disposable bottles to keep them out of landfills while engineering superior products for customer use.
The Mohawk Flooring Company has made a commitment to reduce, recycle, reuse, and renew. Mohawk makes over 200 products with recycled content.
Corn sugar is also a renewable resource that replaces ingredients normally derived from petroleum. Products made from corn sugar require less energy and emit less Greenhouse gas. The new SmartStrand carpet uses DuPont renewable resource technology to give an unbeatable combination of superior stain resistance, plush softness and better durability. Carpet fibers have permanently engineered-in stain protection that can’t wear off.
SmartStrand carpets feature lifetime stain resistance–even for pet urine, bleach, mustard and hot coffee. The color assortment is outstanding, and it resists fading.
See SmartStrand carpets in the showroom now. Karmis Carpets offers a huge assortment of flooring materials at 682A Roosevelt Rd., Pickwick Place Plaza, near Trader Joe’s, Glen Ellyn. (630) 790-4332
Posted by Laura Nelson on August 1, 2010
Yes, says Dennis Taylor, owner of the Kitchen Taylor, it’s possible to update cabinetry after you’ve installed a new granite countertop. The best option, according to Taylor, is to reface the cabinets.
“Refacing sometimes has a bad connotation it doesn’t deserve,” says Taylor. A quality job done by experienced professionals can result in a job that has a custom look. But the final outcome depends on the craftsmen doing the work.
A refacing job means changing the door and drawer fronts, while keeping the rest of the cabinets intact. Taylor says he can alter the size and finish of the fronts–making them complete overlays, which is a custom design feature.
“When we finish a job, you can only tell it’s not custom by opening the cabinets. Together John and I have more than 50 years experience and have 8,000 satisfied customers in Kitchen Taylor’s 34 years,” says Taylor.
Beware, says Taylor, of signing on for a remodel with a big box store. While they have a big name, they hire independent contractors to do the work. The job may be done by a pro–or a novice.
To learn more about updating your kitchen, call Dennis Taylor at (630) 653-5402. The Kitchen Taylor is a full service design and remodeling company specializing in custom and redi-made cabinetry, cabinet refinishing and refacing, recessed lighting, plumbing and electrical. www.thekitchentaylor.com
Posted by Laura Nelson on June 21, 2010
By Sherry Nelson
The front entryway to your home deserves some careful thought; it’s the first impression people have of your home.
You can increase the value of your property with skilled landscaping–and that begins with the front entrance to your home. George Kay, an award-winning designer in Geneva, says one mistake homeowners make is letting plants overpower an entrance. Selected plants should not grow above windows, over doors, and generally obscure the residence.
“Plants used in the front garden should maintain a low profile, growing to a maximum height of six inches to 30 inches,” he says. “As these plants mass together (as opposed to a series of individually trimmed geometric shapes) they provide a unified appearance that complements the home.”
Another advantage of using smaller scale plants that mass together is the reduction of pruning and maintenance, says Kay.
Avoid another common practice of plating visually strong plants such as those that are predominately yellow, red, variegated, or have contorted branches. These plants are visually distracting as opposed to complementary.
For other ideas on improving the look of your landscaping, call George Kay and Associates at (630) 232-6890 or visit www.georgekayandassociates.com.
Posted by Laura Nelson on June 21, 2010
Dennis Taylor, The Kitchen Taylor
Updating a kitchen is the most popular investment for a home remodeling project, according to the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, (NARI). Kitchen projects can be complicated and costly, so it’s critical to work with professionals who can work through the remodel from start to finish.
“Cabinetry is the most expensive element in kitchen re-dos,” says Dennis Taylor, owner of The Kitchen Taylor. Recessionary times call for recessionary measures, he maintains. While he’s a master craftsman and builds custom cabinetry for high-end projects, Taylor also recommends ways homeowners can save substantially in updating cabinetry.
Taylor, with more than 30 years in the remodeling business, says there’s an easy way to tell if your cabinets are worth refinishing. If the cabinets are built of wood, refinishing or refacing is a good option. (If, on the other hand, they’re pressed board with contact paper on the sides, new cabinets should be installed). In most homes 25 to 40 years old, the quality of standard cabinetry was designed to last a lifetime.
In refinishing, all cabinet doors and drawers are removed. The wood is stripped, sanded, hand-rubbed and refinished in the workshop to produce a durable new finish. It is possible to change the color of cabinets in most cases.
Refacing is done when cabinets are structurally sound, but built of a wood shade that is unattractive, or in a shade that cannot be altered satisfactorily by refinishing. In refacing, door and drawer fronts are replaced and all exterior surfaces of the cabinets are covered with new wood or laminate.
For more information, contact Dennis Taylor, of The Kitchen Taylor, (630) 653-5402. www.thekitchentaylor.com
Posted by Laura Nelson on June 21, 2010
Jeff Tideman of Jet Fan USA with the “world’s best attic fan”.
Homeowners are sleeping better, staying cooler and reducing the cost of air-conditioning by this single, most effective and easy step–you can too!
Did you every wonder why the summer temperature in your bedrooms is ten degrees warmer than the main floor? It’s the 150 degree attic heat backing up through the ceilings, says Jeff Tideman, of Villa Park’s Jet Fan. Tideman, with 27 years of fan installation experience, combines his expertise with the installation of the “world’s best attic fan”.
“Insulation isn’t enough,” says Tideman. “Air conditioners have to work harder and run longer to make it comfortable upstairs. At the same time, the basement is freezing.”
According to studies by the Home Ventilation Institute, homeowners can save up to 30% on air conditioning costs with a powered attic fan. An attic fan forces hot air right out of the attic. Hot, humid air is exhausted and physically forced out of the attic, while drawing in cooler, dryer air from the outside through whatever vents are already in place. The attic fans runs only when conditions require it.
Jet Fan attic fans are all metal and rust proof. All components are American made. The power used to operate the fan is 250 watts–much less power than an air conditioner uses to cool the effect of hot attic air.
Jet Fans are available in two different sizes, says Tideman. Professional installers can determine which model is most efficient for your home.
To learn more about saving energy, money and cooling your home, contact Jeff Tideman at Jet Fan (630) 834-9165.
www.JetFanUSA.com
Posted by Laura Nelson on June 21, 2010
What’s the deal with sealing granite counter tops? It should be done yearly, according to the experts at Marble Tech, Inc. Granite has a natural, porous finish, which can absorb stains. A sealer prevents stains, and doesn’t affect the finish in any way.
To keep your countertops beautiful and stain free, spray the sealer on, and leave for 5 to 10 minutes. Do not let the sealer dry on the surface. Next, wipe off the countertop with a clean paper towel. Wait 24 hours to clean any surfaces that have been treated to allow the sealer to fully penetrate the stone.
Cleaning and sealing products are available from Marble Tech, Inc., including a special 15-year sealer.
Marble Tech, Inc. has showrooms in Naperville, Wheaton, Geneva, Crystal Lake, Schaumburg, Algonquin, Chicago, Lincolnwood, Barrington and Highland Park. Call (800) 551-0885 to learn more, and visit www.marbletechinc.com.
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