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5 Reasons to Do Your Home Improvement Project this Summer

kitchen with clean white details and tulips on the dining table

The grass is turning green, the trees are budding, birds are chirping – which means summertime is upon us. These are also signs that it’s time to take advantage of the warm weather and free time and get started on those home improvement projects that have been on your mind all year. Don’t rule out your home improvement project this summer because you think the summer season is too busy.  Summer is a great time to work on home renovations – especially for bathroom and kitchen renovation projects. Here are our top five reasons why we think summer might just be the perfect time to update your home!

1. Warm Weather

One of the most significant benefits of renovating during the summer is the warm weather. It makes work significantly easier for contractors and will likely mean fewer or no weather-related delays on your project. If you have a kitchen renovation project in mind, the warm weather gives you the option of cooking outside and BBQing while your kitchen is under construction.

2. Life Is Less Busy

For a lot of families, life slows down a little bit over the summer months. School is out, a lot of sports and activities take the summer off, and as a result, your family is likely a little less busy. Many families also travel for a week or so at a time – meaning they’ll be away from home during the renovation period. With your more relaxed summer schedule, you’ll likely have more time to consider and decide on the details of your home improvement project.

3. Save Money

As contractors typically charge based on the amount of time they are on the job – weather-related delays can cause project costs to increase. It is much easier and faster for contractors to work in better weather and your home remodelling and renovations are more likely to go on without delays.

4. Spend More Time Outdoors

When you have a crew working on a home improvement project at your house – you’re going to want to be out of your house as much as possible. During the summer, it’s a lot easier to find affordable and enjoyable ways to spend your time outside of the house while the project is completed. You can head to an outdoor pool, to a park or on a hike to enjoy the outdoors while your home improvement project is completed!

5. Longer Days

One of the best parts of Alberta summers is the long hours of daylight. Not only is this enjoyable for evening walks or family bike rides but the long days also give contractors more time to work. As the sun sets later and later, your home improvement crew has more time to put in on those days where things need to get done before the sun sets.

Summer is one of our favourite seasons here in Red Deer. We recommend that you take advantage of the warm weather, slower pace and long days and get started your home improvement project. You’ll love entering the next season with a new and improved home.

Check out some of our home improvement projects in our gallery.

Have a home improvement project in mind for this summer? Contact us!

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Elevate Your Bathroom with these Luxury Shower Ideas

Top home renovations Red Deer | Homestead Custom Carpentry

You’re shower doesn’t have to be something you hide behind a shower curtain. Imagine having a brand-new, remodeled bathroom shower, with bright, gleaming walls. You don’t always have time to talk a hot, soothing bath. But with the right bathroom renovation your can create a walk-in shower that is just as relaxing and luxurious. Here are Homestead’s top luxury shower tips to take your bathroom to the next level.

Maximize Natural Light

Showers can feel cramped and cave-like – you need to brighten it up to make your shower a bright and inviting place for your morning routine. The best way to do this is by combining a corner unit with frameless glass walls to get the most out of the natural light your bathroom gets. If possible, adding a skylight above the shower can bring in significantly more light and make it feel larger.

Round Out Your Shower for Small Spaces

When space is tight, the best way to make the most of a small area is by adding a corner shower. Rounded corner shower enclosures come with a fantastic feature: doors that slide on tracks, instead of swinging outward.

Open-Air Shower Ceilings

The more enclosed a shower is — the more prone the bathroom will be to mold and mildew. A great way to increase air circulation is by popping off the shower ceiling for more natural light and air flow.

Frameless Shower Door

A frameless shower enclosure uses sturdy tempered glass that does not require the support of metal around its exterior edges. One reason frameless shower doors are so popular is that they help showcase beautiful stonework, intricate tile designs and gleaming hardware.

Add a Shower Seat

What’s the best way to make a shower inviting and relaxing? Add a place to sit down and unwind! Like we said earlier – you need a bath to relax. Adding a bench to your shower gives you a spa seat, a place to prop your leg if your shaving and a shelf for additional bottles or soaps.

Multiple Shower Heads

Get maximum shower pressure and luxury by installing multiple shower heads like wall-mount, handheld and rain-style. One of our favourite shower additions is a rainfall showerhead that pours water from the ceiling and mimics rain in the most relaxing way.

Custom Tile

When renovating your bathroom, don’t overlook the tile. Tile enhances the style of a walk-in shower and is a great way to add colour and texture to what could otherwise be a bland room.

Steam Shower

Imagine it’s the end of a long day out in the cold. You get home, hop into your shower, push a button and sit in warm room of steam. By adding a hidden steam generator to your floor-to-ceiling walk-in shower you elevate your bathroom and create a spa-like experience in your own home.

Additional Shower Shelving

You know how quickly the limited shelf-space in your shower gets filled with soaps and shampoos — especially when multiple people share the same bathroom. When it comes in-shower shelving, there is no such thing as too much space.

Waterproofing

While not luxurious this tip is practical and important. Keeping water in the shower and away from subflooring, is a major issue with any shower remodel. But, you can significantly improve it by using a waterproofing membrane. No longer do you have to tile your shower with cement board, mortar and tile only.

Showers have a wide range of design options. You can go wet-room style, enclosure style, corner showers, tub-shower combos – the list goes on and on. When renovating your bathroom it can feel overwhelming but when you consider the space you have and your budget you can figure out what will work for you and design the shower of your dreams. We hope our list of luxury shower ideas have inspired you for your bathroom renovation!

Check out some of our bathroom renovation projects in our gallery.

Considering a home renovation project? Want to learn more about custom luxury showers? Contact us!

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What Could Go Wrong in a Home Renovation?

man measuring floors for home renovation project

Top Home Renovation Mistakes

(And Tips to Avoid Them)

There are so many things to keep in mind when renovating your home. You have to juggle budgets, materials, labour, time and more. It’s no wonder that it can be easy to fall into tricky, costly and time-consuming mistakes. As a custom home carpentry company on Red Deer, we have seen a lot of these mistakes made by DIYers and less experienced contractors. We’ve compiled a list of the top mistakes we see, how we at Homestead avoid them in our renovation projects and how you can too. Keep reading to learn what you can do to keep your home renovation on-time, on budget and safe.

The Top 3 Home Renovation Mistakes

home renovation project materials

1. Setting an unrealistic budget & timeline

This is one is by far the most common renovation mistake we see homeowners make. Home renovations invariably cost more than expected and often unforeseen circumstances lead to a longer build time than you predicted.

How You Can Avoid this Mistake

We recommend padding your budget and timeline from the start. About a 20% buffer for unexpected costs and 2 weeks to account for any issues that may delay the work slightly should give you enough wiggle room.

Homestead’s Solution

From the very beginning, we are up-front about all foreseeable costs involved and will present you with a detailed and easily understandable budget for your project. This helps prevent unexpected future frustrations and cost overruns. Further, to avoid cost overruns, we set aside a reserve budget to handle unplanned contingencies alongside the budget. Proper planning and accurate projections are important from the beginning to schedule scope and scheduled baselines.

2. Choosing the cheapest contractor and materials

When you decide to bring in professional help, one of the first things you should do is collect estimates from a handful of reputable contractors. It can be tempting to try to save money and go with the lowest quote you receive. However, you truly do get what you pay for. By selecting your cheapest option, you may be cutting corners or missing out on some important services that are worth the extra expense.

How You Can Avoid this Mistake

From the beginning, make sure your contractor understands what you want. Ask lots of questions about materials, layout and the construction process. Don’t select based on price alone but on references and the feeling that you could work well with them.

Homestead’s Solution

Homestead Custom Carpentry is a member of the Canadian Home Builder’s Association and RenoMark and subscribes to the highest standards of professionalism in the renovation industry. In fact, The Canadian Home Builders Association of Central Alberta (CHBA-CA) presented Homestead with the Home Builder of the Year in 2012 and The Safety Leadership Award for Renovations. We are proud of our reputation for quality workmanship and for the high-quality materials we use. Alongside the manufacturer’s warranty on the products we offer, we back our work with a guarantee against all product and installation defects for our own work and that of our sub-trades. We seek to avoid the necessity of call-backs wherever possible.

3. Underestimating the safety risks

Neglecting your own safety will not only impede your project, but it can also cause you serious physical harm. We see this a lot with DIY projects. Home renovations can be expensive  – it’s no surprise that many think that going DIY is the solution. However, it’s only the right choice if you have the proper skills and experience. If you’re going mainly on guesswork, you could end up causing major problems to the structure of your home and to your own safety.

How You Can Avoid this Mistake

Before deciding to make your home renovation a DIY project ask yourself: Have I done any large-scale home maintenance projects before? Do I have the specialized knowledge required to tackle tasks like electrical work and plumbing? If you answered no to any of those questions, you should probably bring in the professionals. If you feel confident in your DIY abilities – always wear protective clothing such as work boots, safety goggles, hearing protection and gloves when working.

Homestead’s Solution

Homestead follows a strict adherence to Red Deer home builder safety guidelines. We are fully insured, to protect our employees, sub-trades, and your home and family. Our employees attend safety certification courses and are committed to maintaining a safe and organized job-site.

A well-thought-out home renovation should give you the aesthetic and space you’re after. We hope this list of mistakes to avoid will help you achieve a safe and successful renovation – before you start swinging hammers and tearing out drywall.

Check out some of our projects in our gallery.
Considering a home renovation project? Contact us!

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4 Fresh Layouts for your Fall Kitchen Remodel

4 Fresh Layouts for your Fall Kitchen Remodel | Homestead Custom Carpentry

4 Fresh Layouts for Your Fall Kitchen Remodel When planning a kitchen renovation or home project it can be hard to know where to start. The kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s a place where you drink a cup of coffee in the quiet of the morning. Where you make meals for your […]

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