Our company motto is “Making the world a better place, one home at a time.” We enjoy having a positive impact on our community and in our clients’ lives. We get an occasional “hot mess” to fix up, but more
Renovation Solutions: What a remodeling contractor says about architects
(before) This beautiful deck and pergola remodel was the result of a great collaborative effort between the architect, general contractor, and steel fabricator. (Kevin Bunnell, Renovation Design Group) Most people who don’t use an architect for a home remodeling project
Renovation Solutions: Common oversights when remodeling
Editor’s note: This is the third in a series about avoiding common remodeling mistakes. The first is “Avoiding common home remodeling mistakes” and the second is “5 tips to avoiding costly remodeling mistakes.” Both are on deseretnews.com in the Family
Renovation Solutions: Three renovation projects to make a home more energy-efficient
Before: To make their home more energy efficient and yet preserve some original charm, these clients sandwiched their original leaded-glass windows panes into new Pella Wiindows frames. A home remodeling project may have several goals. We want our finished project
Why upgrading your front door will help you save money on your energy bill
Energy-efficient updates are a good idea any time of the year. There is, however, a more measurable and meaningful reason to go green during the colder months. You can ease the pain of the winter heating bill by making a
Remodeling for seismic upgrades
Last time we introduced you to Bob and Char Nelson’s remodeled 1927 Tudor-style home in the Harvard-Yale area of Salt Lake City. The remodel stayed within the floor plan of the historic home and was initially focused on energy efficiency
Remodeling for energy efficiency
When Bob and Char Nelson relocated from Provo to the Harvard-Yale area in Salt Lake City, they knew it was only a matter of time before they would remodel their new, old house. Right after they moved in, they finished
Renovation Solutions: Adding insulation will combat high heating bills
The weather is getting colder and the energy bill is getting higher. If your heating bill is through the roof, then that may be exactly where your heat is escaping — through your roof and walls. There were three different
Bringing light inside the home with skylights
Studies show that when people live and work in a well-lit environment, they are happier, healthier and more productive. Natural lighting can also be another way to save on electricity, since it provides free light and warmth. This design technique
Renovation Solutions: Fireplaces add warmth and ambiance to homes
There is nothing that makes a home feel cozier in the winter than a fireplace. All year round a fireplace adds beauty, dimension and a focal point to the room. Most people, especially this time of year, understand the value
Updating your old furnace will pay you back in savings
If your furnace looks like this, it may be time to consider an upgrade. Annie V. Schwemmer Heating and cooling account for about 56 percent of the energy used in a typical U.S. home, making it the largest energy expense
Renovation Solutions: Sealing drafts can save a bundle on energy costs
With all the joys of a Utah winter, there is a lot to be happy about. A through-the-roof heating bill is not one of them. When contemplating any project, begin by analyzing your home in terms of what is not
Renovation Solutions: Capitalize on views by updating windows
Everyone knows that curb appeal, or what you experience as you look at a house from the outside, is an important aspect of a home’s architecture. (See the past few columns for ideas about enhancing exterior curb appeal.) These windows
Updating exterior doors saves money and energy
By Ann Robinson and Annie Schwemmer Energy efficient updates are a good idea any time of the year. However, as the season changes there is a more measurable and meaningful reason to go green. You can ease the pain of
Swamp cooler is an inexpensive way to beat the heat
By Ann Robinson and Annie Schwemmer Last week we discussed the basics of cooling system upgrades in regard to central air conditioning. However, in this dry, desert climate, central air isn’t the last word on effective cooling systems. Another natural
Time for cooling-system upgrade? Here are the basics
By Ann Robinson and Annie Schwemmer Well, summer finally came, and more hot days are in the forecast. While most Utahns have some sort of cooling system in their homes, some yearn for a system upgrade. Here is a basic
Solar water heaters add to home’s energy efficiency
By Ann Robinson and Annie Schwemmer Recently, we wrote about tankless water heaters. Following its publication, we were contacted by a nice gentleman named Larry Wilkins. Wilkins has been in the tankless water heater business for many years, and operates
7 steps to a net-zero home — start with conservation
By Ann Robinson and Annie Schwemmer One of our favorite home-improvement publications is Fine Homebuilding magazine, published by Taunton Press. It is the largest residential construction magazine with informative how-to articles written by the “guys who swing the hammers.” The
Tankless water heater nice for Earth and you
By Ann Robinson and Annie Schwemmer Having hot water available at our fingertips has to be one of the great inventions of the past few centuries. Credit goes to Edwin Ruud, a Norwegian mechanical engineer, as the inventor of the
Green building’ tips for remodeling
By Ann Robinson and Annie Schwemmer It is all the rage to talk about “green building” and “sustainable design,” but what do these buzz words really mean and what difference does it make to you? They essentially mean the same
Easy ways to lower your heating bill
By Ann Robinson and Annie Schwemmer The weather is starting to change, and winter chills and high energy bills are on their way. You are probably just turning the furnace on for the first time, but after the heating bills
Vanquish ‘energy vampires’
We’re afraid it isn’t going to be cheap heating our homes this year. With energy costs expected to soar this winter, it is more important than ever to do our part to make our homes as energy efficient as possible.
Want to do your part for conservation? Remodel
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon It seems only a few years ago that the only one who thought it was cool to be green was Kermit the Frog — and even then it wasn’t always easy. Today, everyone has
Green Design & Building: Remodeling offers plenty of ways to go green
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Global warming, green building, energy efficient. These buzzwords have people thinking green. And the green-building movement, which has picked up speed over the past 10 years, is at your doorstep in the form of
Consider ‘green’ building ideas
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon It is all the rage to talk about “green building” and “sustainable design,” but what do these buzz words really mean and what difference does it make to you? They essentially mean the same