Summer Home Improvement Ideas

Now that the weather is finally getting warmer, it’s time to think about what kind of summer home improvements you’d like to make. Not only can summer additions and improvements add to the value of your home, they can make your house much more desirable to potential buyers should you decide to sell in the next few years.

Let’s take a look at some cool summer home improvement ideas that are sure to make your home more enjoyable for years to come:

Pool

What could be better than a new pool for summer? It’s a fact that pools are extremely desirable home features for buyers. Be sure to figure out your budget as pool additions can get pricey, especially when it comes to pools that are below the ground.

New roof

The installation of a new roof should be done in warmer weather, and the summertime is perfect! The sun’s rays are warm enough to melt the tar paper so that it bonds. A new roof can give you peace of mind plus add great value to your home.

Sunroom

Enjoy the sun’s warm rays with the addition of a cool sunroom. Glass walls with screen options are a good idea when considering sunroom addition. The sunroom can even act as a family or reading room during the winter months.

Exercise room

Don’t pay for the gym anymore! Take that spare bedroom  and transform it into a calorie-busting gym. Your health will appreciate it, and so will potential buyers.

Backyard deck

A deck addition is most likely that biggest remodel that you can make for the summer. This is true whether you are remodeling an existing deck or building a new one from scratch. Keep in mind a deck addition takes a great deal of planning.

 

How to Fix Squeaky Floors

Squeaky floors can be quite irritating. Also, they will reduce the value of your home when it is time to sell. When the floor sheets rub against one another, they produce an irritating noise. This is the reason behind squeaky floors. If you can prevent the panels from moving, you can stop the noise. That is the only remedy.

If noisy floors have been destroying the peace and quiet at home, you should try these simple steps to restore peace instantly.

What causes noisy floors?

Noisy floors are a common problem. This is almost always caused by improper installation of the panels. If floors are not installed properly, they can buckle or squeak. Nails might even pop. Fortunately, preventing these problems is relatively easy. Here is a step-by-step guide to fixing noisy floors.

Choose the right materials

Any lumber that you use for flooring must be dry. Green lumber is not dimensionally stable. Its size may shrink when it dries. As green lumber dries, it may cause nail pops. This creates ugly bumps under the flooring and also causes squeaking. In addition it accelerates wear and tear.

Engineered wood dries up during just the production stage. When these wooden panels are properly installed, they will not cause nail pops. While selecting the panel for your floors, you should consider finish flooring, joist spacing, applied load, and floor system.

Allow proper panel spacing

Engineered wood is dry when it leaves the factory. However, these panels will eventually absorb moisture and expand. While installing them, ample space should be left between the panels to allow for expansion. If there is no room to expand, the panels may buckle and then you will hear the noise. According to APA, ¹/₈^th of an inch should be left at all end joints and sheathing.

Ideally, you should let the panels acclimatize before they are installed. This will further reduce the potential for buckling. You can acclimatize panels by letting them stand on their edge for a few days. This arrangement allows ample air circulation.

Choose the right adhesives

If you use glue to keep panels in their place, you should choose an adhesive that meets the APA Performance Specification ASTM D3498 or AFG-01. The adhesive can dry out faster, so you should spread only enough adhesive to lay 1 or 2 panels at a time.

Before applying the adhesive, you should wipe away dust, debris and water. This is necessary to ensure that the boards will be properly secured to their joists.

Use ample amount of glue. Glue should be applied in a serpentine fashion in wide areas. All tongue and groove joints should be glued together by spreading the adhesive in the groove.

Each panel should be nailed before the adhesive sets. Note that adhesives tend to set faster in warm weather.

Nail panels correctly

Choosing nails of the right size is essential. The correct spacing and nail size depend on the thickness of your panel and joist spacing. You should also take into account the unique nature of the panel product you use.

Noisy floors are a headache, but by taking some simple steps you can easily solve this problem.

The Pros and Cons of Being a Homeowner

We’ve seen that most people regard a home as the most important investment of a lifetime. In contrast, there are others who feel that buying a property is not really an investment, but something that’s required for a stress free existence.

Whatever the case, home purchase does involve spending a substantial amount of money that could be used elsewhere for possible better purposes. But yes, there are certainly some intangible benefits associated with buying a home. And you cannot easily set a price for these. We’ve listed some advantages for you:

There most likely won’t be a reason for you to get kicked out of your home

Even if you’re comfortably settled in a rented house and are utterly blissful, who knows how long it’ll last. All said and done, you’re not the owner of the house. Your landlord has the liberty to unceremoniously give you a notice of 30 days and there your blissful world comes crashing down.

You have to frantically search for another suitable rental and a moving company. Maybe you’ll never get the same lovely neighborhood again, the same conveniences and goodbye to many other things!

If you have your own home which has been properly selected to include everything you ever wanted, you’re in an eternal blissful state. No one tells you to move out and you can live there as long as you wish.

You can customize your home

When you’re staying in a rental, there’s almost zero desire to improve it. Why bother? You’ll spend money and maybe your landlord will have objections. You might even lose your deposit if you try.

In a place you own, you can make little customizations to make life cozier. For example, you could make your home more energy efficient, which would save money and benefit planet earth too. You could do things like splitting a room into a couple of smaller ones, plan a garden and do other interesting things.

Though it’s hard to measure, some improvements really improve happiness levels. On the flip side, homeownership has its own disadvantages.

What if the new neighbors are a nuisance?

Your lovely neighbors moved away and now you’re stuck with noisy, troublesome ones. They hate your dogs. Worse, they’re considering getting a vicious pitbull. Annoying neighbors can make life truly difficult.

Resolving the issue by selling your house is an expensive affair- definitely more expensive than changing a rental, even if it involves breaking a lease.

What if there’s a rotten homeowners association at your condo?

We’ve heard horror stories related to egoistical HOA presidents who have their own highly priced pet projects. Also expensive assessments that you’re forced to accept. Suffer in silence – it’s a way of life, no choice.

Homeownership costs money

While some people regard mortgage payments as a type of forced savings, isn’t living on rent forced frugality? Almost all renters are free of hassles related to weekly trips to the Home Depot. They don’t have to worry about what type of kitchen tiles to get when some break. Simply calling the landlord resolves most issues.