Bathroom Remodel: One Of The Best Decisions You Will Make – Part 1

Image of a bathroom  - Home Improvement In ChicagoWhen you think about it… no room gains attention in your Chicago IL home like the bathroom does. When you are looking to buy a home, what is one of the first rooms you look at? For the majority of potential homeowner it would be the bathroom. The bathroom’s appearance is one of those factors that can make or break the sale of a home. The bathroom can easily date the home and set the mood for the style for the rest of the home, as a result having a bathroom properly remodeled is an important decision. It is also one of the few home improvement projects that you can do that you will see up to a 75% to 85% return on your investment for the sale of your home.

When you are looking for remodeling projects to do within your Chicago IL area home, a bathroom remodel is dollar for dollar the best investment that you can make for your home. However, Just as important as the project itself is, making sure that you make appropriate considerations for your bathroom remodeling project; if you simply throw together a hodgepodge of fixtures and materials you can end up creating a dated and sightly appearance for your home. Samanco Construction would like to provide you with a few tips for making sure that your bathroom remodel comes out perfect every time.

Flooring you won’t Regret

One thing that many homeowners don’t take the time to consider is the area of flooring. Proper use of materials, colors and durability factors greatly affect the overall quality feel of the bathroom. Choosing materials based upon their functionality rather than just color will mean the difference of whether or not you say “I regret having this floor”. At Samanco Construction we understand how important having the perfect bathroom floor can be. When we come out to make the initial inspection and assessment we utilize the latest in technology to show you not only how your bathroom can look, but we also provide examples of flooring options. We will show you how different textures work best to blend with the countertop and walls as well along with how different textures will work to protect the floor and increase functionality. For example: large ceramic tiles can make the bathroom feel very open and spacious but they can also create a slippery environment. Natural stone and limestone tiles can give a very earthy feel to the bathroom but absorb drips and spills which can cause them to become stained over time.

Call Samanco Construction Today – (773) 298-0620

Consider the Electrical System

During a bathroom remodeling project it is common to replace the electrical fixtures to more updated, economical switches, outlets and fixtures. However, depending on the age of the home it may be wise to take this opportunity to update the wiring all the way to the breaker box. The breaker and wiring, if over 15 years old, may have dry and brittle coverings that should be updated during a bathroom remodeling project. This is usually just a few additional hours of labor, and can help extend the life of your home’s wiring and help prevent expensive electrical wiring shorts down the road. It will also allow your modernized bathroom to handle the increased electrical loads that the bathroom was not originally designed to handle 15+ years ago.

Add Some Functionality

Think outside the box when it comes to remodeling the bathroom in your Chicago IL home. For example: Why not build in some functionality such as: recessed compartments in the shower for shampoos, a fold-down seat in the shower, under sink compartments that holds some of the smaller doodads that seem to collect on the bathroom sink?  Little improvements like this that help bring functionality to your updated bathroom remodeling project can really help get the most out of your investment.

When Experience Counts

Samanco Construction in Chicago IL is your first and best choice for home improvement and home remodeling services. Whether you are expanding the footprint of your home with an attractive deck, a bathroom remodeling project or wiring upgrades; give us a call and discover how experience makes the difference.

Useful Links

Check out some of our Testimonials – Click Here

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Some Great Basement Remodeling Ideas

Image of a basement remodel   - Basement Remodeling In ChicagoThe basement is probably one of the most overlooked spaces in your Chicago IL home. If something is out of sight we tend to put it out of mind; and the basement is the dark, cold, and often creepy area of your house. It is known for its utility rather than its appeal. Samanco Construction has found that the basement is a great area to utilize for a simple and affordable expansion of the square footage and functionality of your home. The basement is ideal for an upgrade because it already has the wall structure, concrete flooring and overhead insulated beam structure in place making it a strong, sound foundation to build upon.

In this article we are going to take a look at a few great basement remodeling ideas as well as some considerations.

Have you ever dreamed of having a Man Cave?

Transforming your basement, or a portion of the basement, into a man cave will help move some of the clutter out of the living room and give it a nice place to go in the basement. You can easily accent your man cave to support your favorite sports team by utilizing neutral materials on the walls, floors and ceilings. One of the biggest advantages for putting the man cave in the basement of your Chicago IL home is the thick construction of the poured concrete walls, concrete floors and 8 to 10 inch thick ceilings make an amazing sound barrier; so you can crank up the volume on your surround sound and yell at the TV screen when your favorite team scores the winning touchdown, all without disturbing the rest of the household!

A perfect space for Additional Bedrooms

Often, when a homeowner asks us to come out and do a site survey on room extensions, they are  looking to expand the home out rather than down. However, the average basement size for a three-bedroom home is 900 ft.² making it an ideal space and size for 1-2 bedrooms, while still leaving room for a utility area complete with a washer, dryer and furnace! Depending on the access points to the basement it can even be turned into an apartment with an exterior access point.

Do you have Utility Functionality and Storage Space?

Because most basements in Chicago IL are very open, utilizing the space for utility purposes is ideal. When you design a sewing or craft room you often need a large open area to put tables and use for storage. This makes the basement the best option over any other room in the home. If you  organize a section of the basement for use as a primary storage area you could help decrease the clutter of the home, making the main areas more enjoyable.

Creating the Ultimate Game Room

Going along the same mindset as the man cave, the open space of your basement makes an amazing game room. The majority of standard homes in Chicago IL are 900 to 1600 ft.² for a 3 to 4 bedroom home and they simply don’t have the floor space to put a pool table, table top tennis or ice hockey machine. Just like with the man cave the concrete floor, thick concrete walls and ceilings make an amazing sound insulator for the loud nature that a game room can bring. Using  a little creativity and planning your ultimate game room can be designed to accommodate a themed approach and even a combination of themes Making it fun for the whole family.

Call Samanco Construction Today – (773) 298-0620

Some Considerations When Remodeling the Basement

Although creating additional square footage for your home by renovating the basement is a great use of space, there are some unique challenges that need to be met.

The HVAC system in your Chicago IL home is not usually designed to heat and cool the basement (after all there is no reason to condition the air of an unused space) therefore, the ductwork will have to be reworked from the main floor to help provide the proper airflow and air return for the heating and air-conditioning system. You will probably need to upgrade your HVAC system as well to help compensate for the increase in the amount of square footage it needs to maintain.

The materials you use in the construction of the basement remodel will need to be very specific so it resists moisture. Green board, traditionally used in bathrooms and kitchens, works great for this purpose. Wood that has been specially treated to resist moisture will also be required. After all there is nothing’s worse than to invest the money in having your basement remodeled only to never use it because of the musty smell.

A basement drying system, depending on the age and structure of the home, may need to be installed so that that moisture will be properly handled; treating the basement walls will be a must do. You don’t want your remodeling project to be destroyed because of water seepage.

Before you dive into a basement remodeling project make sure that you understand the very specific challenges that are entailed to make sure that you can enjoy your basement remodeling project in your Chicago IL home for many years to come.

When Experience Counts

Samanco Construction in Chicago IL is your first and best choice for home improvement and home remodeling services. Whether you are expanding the footprint of your home with an attractive deck, a bathroom remodeling project or wiring upgrades; give us a call and discover how experience makes the difference.

Useful Links

Check out some of our Testimonials – Click Here

To learn more – Click Here