Tag: palm beach county general contractor

Home Remodeling to Make Your Home Hurricane-Resistant

Hurricanes - Fortifying Your Home

Making Your Home Hurricane-Resistant

No home is hurricane-proof… but you can make changes to make it more hurricane-resistant.

Is your house ready for the winds? Contact Leading Edge Homes, Inc. for a home check-up.

What Should You Do?

Like My Safe Florida Home, Leading Edge Homes, Inc. recommends:
● Improving the strength of your roof deck attachment if needed by adding more nails and/or longer nails that attaches the plywood to your trusses to prevent the plywood from being blown off during a hurricane.
● Creating a secondary water barrier to prevent water intrusion. There are products that cover and seal the joints between the plywood sheets on your roof. This will reduce leakage if your shingles are blown off.
● Improving the survivability of your roof covering by upgrading to stronger and thicker hurricane-resistant roof shingles, attached with properly sized and applied roofing nails. This reduces the likelihood of a shingle failure.
● Bracing gable-ends of your roof framing to lessen the chances that your roof will collapse under hurricane wind loads.
● Reinforcing roof-to-wall connections. For example, installing metal tie-down straps that attach roof rafters to wall studs to decrease the chances that all or part of your roof will lift up from your house during a hurricane.
● Upgrading exterior wall-opening protections by installing hurricane-rated window shutters or impact glass windows.
● Upgrading exterior doors. For example, replacing a standard garage door with a hurricane-rated garage door.

 

Leading Edge Homes, Inc. is a Florida certified building contractor specializing in improving your lifestyle through room additions, bathroom renovations, kitchen updates, and hurricane-resistant screen enclosures. In business since 1991, the most important thing they demolish is your stress and build is your trust. Contact them at 561-795-2551 or visit their website to discover how they can help you with your next home remodeling project in Palm Beach County.

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Protect Yourself When Doing a Home Remodeling / Home Improvement Project

Hiring a Home Remodeling Professional, Home Improvement

Top Consumer Complaints of 2014

Stress free home remodeling.

Leading Edge Homes, Inc. makes your home remodeling experience stress free.

Unfortunately, the home improvement industry as a whole took two of the top five consumer complaints according to a report published by the Consumer Federation of America.  Although misrepresentations by car dealers took the top spot, shoddy home repair jobs was #2 and “services”, which definitely includes the home improvement industry, was #5.  Leading Edge Homes, Inc. wants your home remodeling experience to be stress free!

 

  1. Home Improvement & Construction:

The top complaint was “Shoddy work, failure to start or complete the job.” That is why we recently reminded you to do your due diligence when hiring a home remodeling contractor.

  1. Services

People who hired lawyers, real estate brokers and other service people had grievances about their help not having proper licenses, misrepresenting their service or doing shoddy work. Florida requires that a contractor be licensed for many home improvement contracts. Verify a contractor’s license and that they are licensed to do the type of project you want. Click here for a list of services that requires a Florida license.

How Do Palm Beach County Homeowners Protect Themselves?

Go to www.remodelingquestions.com for lots of free, helpful advice to keep you from being a victim.

 

Leading Edge Homes, Inc. is a Florida certified building contractor specializing in improving your lifestyle through room additions, bathroom renovations, kitchen updates, and hurricane-resistant screen enclosures. In business since 1991, the most important thing they demolish is your stress and build is your trust. Contact them at 561-795-2551 or visit their website to discover how they can help you with your next home remodeling project in Palm Beach County.

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A Room Addition May Mean Changes to Your Electric

Home Improvement

Safety standards when you do a home remodeling project can protect you from an arcing wire.  It may cost more, but your life is worth it!

For safety reasons, a special kind of circuit breaker is now required for most circuits in your home.  Arcing wiring is a leading cause of electrical fires in homes, and many of them happen in bedrooms.

What Is An AFCI Receptacle?

Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters (AFCIs) have been required for circuits in bedrooms under the National Electrical Code since 2002, but they are now required on most other circuits as well. The AFCI is designed to trip if it senses an arc. The updated code calls for AFCIs on most circuits, including some that also must be protected by a GFCI.

What Is A GFCI Receptacle?

Most people are familiar with the Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI), which is now widely installed in kitchens, baths and other areas with running water and is recognizable by the reset button on the face of the outlet.  The GFCI breaker trips when current flows unimpeded – the idea is to prevent people from being shocked.

Cost Implications

The increase in cost is potentially large.  Standard 15- and 20-amp breakers sell for under $10.  The AFCI breakers in those amperages start at $30 and up.  For a full 42-slot 200-amp panel, that can mean a cost increase of $1000 or more.  While the largest impact will be on new construction or complete rewires where panels are being assembled from scratch, the added costs can significantly boost the cost of remodels as well.

Summary

AFCIs can be temperamental. Check with your electrician if you’re having trouble with a tripping AFCI.  They may have suggestions about how to use your devices differently or may even try trading out the breaker for a new one.

The upside of the AFCI code is that it should reduce the risk of electrical fires in homes where the breakers are installed.  The downside is that it is likely to take many years before they become as ubiquitous as the GFIs we all know so well.

 

Leading Edge Homes, Inc. is a Florida certified building contractor specializing in improving your lifestyle through room additions, bathroom renovations, kitchen updates, and hurricane-resistant screen enclosures. In business since 1991, the most important thing they demolish is your stress and build is your trust. Contact them at 561-795-2551 or visit their website to discover how they can help you with your next home remodeling project in Palm Beach County.

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Ideas For The Ultimate Laundry Room

Home Improvement, Laundry Room Updates
laundry room

Adding cabinets to a small laundry room provides extra storage.

Laundry rooms are not an afterthought in today’s home.  They are multi-functional rooms used to keep households running smoothly, efficiently, and in an organized manner.  Here are some tips from your favorite, Palm Beach County , home improvement contractor.

How Laundry Rooms Are Used

Many tasks are performed in today’s laundry room:  clothing sorting, cleaning, drying, folding and ironing are the main ones.  However, if your laundry room is near an entrance, it can also be used to eliminate clutter by providing a locker (or lockers) for shoes, jackets, and bags and a bench to sit on.  It’s also handy for it to have a closet for mops, vacuums, and storage of laundry soap and dryer sheets.

Laundry Rooms Best Practices

Three welcomed elements of an ideal laundry room are a sink for washing delicate and soaking in, ample counter space for folding laundry, and a bar to hang clothing on that wrinkle if not hung immediately.  Other nice items to have are pull-out hampers for clothes sorting and in-wall ironing boards.

Don’t Forget Fido!

If you have a dog, some laundry rooms even have a dedicated pet-washing station.  They include hand-held shower heads with low-rise curbs for large dogs and elevated stations for small dogs to save your back.

An ultimate laundry room is only limited to your imagination, the amount of space you have with which to work, and your budget.

Leading Edge Homes, Inc. is a Florida state certified general contracting company specializing in room additions, bathroom renovations, kitchen updates, and hurricane-resistant screen enclosures. In business since 1991, the most important thing they build is your trust. Contact them at 561-795-2551 or visit their website for more information about how they can help you with your next Palm Beach County home remodeling project.

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2015’s Top 3 Home Improvement Projects With The Highest Return on Investment

Home Improvement

According to the 2015 Remodeling Magazine Cost VS Value Report for the entire South Atlantic region of the United States, replacing your front door, adding manufactured stone veneer to your house exterior, and replacing your garage door will give you the highest return on your investment in your home.

Leading Edge Homes, Inc. Kitchen Remodel

A kitchen renovations may help you sell your home quicker.

Although these home improvement investments give you the most return when you sell your home, other interior remodeling projects may be more beneficial. There are two projects that may stand between selling your house quickly and at a higher price, and having the house sit on the market unsold.  Those two projects are a kitchen remodel and a master bathroom remodel.

The kitchen is the heart of the home and the master bathroom is especially important to women as a sanctuary.  If either, or both, are tired looking, old, and unappealing, you have a problem on your hands.  Even though a major kitchen remodel will provide only a 67.4% and a bath remodel will provide only a 72.7% return on investment, they may need to be performed for a relatively prompt and profitable sale.  Seek the advice of a professional Realtor.

 A Look at the Top 3 Home Improvement Investments

1.  Replace Your Front Door

This might seem like a fairly minor home improvement, but, replacing your front door has been shown time and time again to bring an amazing return. A new steel door averaged a 112% return. When looking at cost versus value, a new door is the top of the list.

Why?

Put yourself in the shoes of a potential buyer. You pull up to a house you are interested in and you see the landscape, the trees, and the shrubs are not in the best of condition, but they’re fixable. Then you walk up to the front door and it is old looking, worn, and has splintered wood. You are about to literally walk through the door to your future… do you want it to look old and decrepit?

Now, picture a new, steel door with a fresh coat of paint. It looks strong and safe. This puts the buyer in a positive state of mind before they even step foot in your home.

A replacement steel door averages a 112% return on investment – by far the highest return.

2. Manufactured Stone Veneer

This is the first year projects involving manufactured stone veneer have been included in the report. The cost and value estimates are based on a project that calls for installing 300 square feet of manufactured stone veneer on the bottom third of a house.

The appeal of this project is in making a good first impression and giving the house an upscale look.  That’s why this project averaged a 93% return on investment.

3. Garage Door Replacement

Just like with the front door, replacement of the garage overhead door with an embossed, steel one offers a good return on investment at an average 91.6%.  This is for all the same reasons as the front door but on a larger scale due to its larger impact on curb appeal.  This is especially true for a front loading garage.

 

 

 

Leading Edge Homes, Inc. is a Florida state certified general contracting company specializing in room additions, bathroom renovation, kitchen updates, and hurricane-resistant screen enclosures. In business, since 1991, the most important thing they build is your trust. Contact them at 561-795-2551 or visit their website for more information about how they can help you with your next Palm Beach County home remodeling project.

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A Reminder: Do your Due Diligence BEFORE HIRING A HOME REMODELING CONTRACTOR

Hiring a Home Remodeling Professional, Home Improvement

 

house POSTCARD

 

In our last post, Questions to Ask before Selecting a Home Remodeling Contractor, I suggested key information to ask from you home improvement specialist before you hire one.

There is still more that you need to do, before you sign a contract for your bathroom remodel, room addition, kitchen renovation, building your hurricane-resistant screen enclosure, or any other home improvement project.

Verify A Contractor’s License

For a Florida state-licensed general contractor, visit the Florida Department of Regulation website. In Palm Beach County you can verify a contractor’s license here.  Make sure the contractor is licensed to do the type of work you want.

Check for Complaints

Use the internet wisely and search to see if there are any complaints about the contractor. There are many sites, including the Florida Department of Regulation and the Better Business Bureau that lists complaints against a company.

You don’t want to lose money on your investment into your home.

Don’t just take our word for it. View this newscast about Florida Screen Builders – http://www.wptv.com/money/consumer/florida-screen-builders-closes-doors-after-second-chance-to-fix-problem-permits

It will show you why it is important to do your due diligence before you hire a contractor.

 

Leading Edge Homes, Inc. is a Florida state certified general contracting company specializing in room additions, bathroom renovation, kitchen updates, and hurricane-resistant screen enclosures. The most important thing they build is your trust. Contact them at 561-795-2551 or visit their website for more information about how they can help you with your next Palm Beach County home remodeling project.

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Questions to Ask Before – SELECTING A PROFESSIONAL HOME REMODELING CONTRACTOR

Hiring a Home Remodeling Professional 


BEFORE You Select a Home Remodeling Contractor


question copy


 


Whether you plan to hire a professional remodeling contractor to build an addition, remodel your kitchen, update your bathroom, or any other home renovation project, it is important to do a “background check” on your home improvement specialist. Here are some of the questions that you should ask, before you choose a contractor.


 


COMPANY REPUTATION


1. Show me a copy of your up-to-date contracting license in Florida showing proper classification for the type of job I am considering.

2. Give me a list of all the businesses in which you have been an owner, shareholder, or partner that have been in the home improvement or home remodeling business within the last ten years.

3. Have you or any of the owners of your company ever filed for bankruptcy for this or any other company that you or they owned or were a shareholder or partner in?

4. Provide me with a certificate of insurance for your company.

5. What is your payment policy for your subcontractors and what type of proof will I have that they have been paid?


 


SERVICE, FOLLOW-UP AND WARRANTIES


1. What is your warranty and what does it cover?

2. Have you ever repaired a project after the warranty expired without charging for it?


EXPERIENCE


1. Who will be supervising my project on a day-to-day basis?

2. How many projects that are similar to mine have you completed?

3. What do you provide to help me understand what to expect during the remodeling process?

4. Do you have a written policy regarding tobacco, drug and alcohol use by your crews?


 


Review all the contractor’s answers. The quality contractor will stand out.


Whether your dream is to add a master bedroom suite, to complete a multi-room renovation project, or to makeover your bathroom or kitchen, Leading Edge Homes, Inc. has  the experience to construct your project in a professional manner that exceeds your expectations.


Call them at 561-795-2551 and discover how their expertise as a design-build contractor can help you remodel your home.

			

		

		
		
				
				
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Your Home Remodeling Contractor Should Be a Design Build Contractor

		
		
		
			
						
		
				
		
			
						
		
				
		
			
				Hiring a Home Remodeling Professional			
		
		

	
		

			
		
					

			
 


A design-build home remodeling contractor can seamlessly perform room additions, kitchen remodels, bathroom renovations and more.
A design-build home remodeling contractor can seamlessly perform room additions, kitchen remodels, bathroom renovations and more.




What is a Design Build Contractor?


A design-build contractor is responsible for designing your room addition or remodeling project using your direct input, creating the construction documents – including the plans, and building the project from those documents. Many, like Leading Edge Homes, Inc. draw the plans and give you a chance to “see” your project in 3-D, before the plans are finalized.


The Advantages of a Home Remodeling Contractor that is a Design Build Contractor


● A single point of responsibility and eliminates the “finger pointing” inherent in the classic design-bid-build system between the architect and contractor

● A higher likelihood that the project will be constructed within the homeowner’s budget because the work scope and finish materials that impact a project’s final cost is discussed up front

● Enhanced communication

● Working with a construction expert and design professional at the same time ensures that potential problems are discovered and discussed before the project starts

● Faster creation of the construction documents and, if needed, faster turnaround of revisions

● Better quality control by removing ambiguity that may arise in material and construction specifications because the designer, engineer and contractor are on the same team so the focus remains on protecting the client’s interest

● Quicker overall time frame from initial homeowner consultation to project completion


 


For more information contact Leading Edge Homes, Inc. by visiting their website or calling 561-795-2551.

			

		

		
		
				
				
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Renovate Your Bathroom – Your Lighting May Make Your Makeup Look Wrong

		
		
		
			
						
		
				
		
			
						
		
				
		
			
				Bathroom Renovations			
		
		

	
		

			
		
					

			
While kitchen and family room lighting is given plenty of forethought, bathroom lighting, in general, is not given nearly enough. I can’t begin to count how many bathrooms I have been in, pre-remodeling, that were illuminated by one surface-mounted light fixture in the middle of the room.


While having recessed light fixtures mounted directly over each sink, the toilet, the shower, and the tub is a big improvement, it is not optimal for applying makeup. Recessed lights over a mirror cast shadows over your face which not only makes it difficult to see, it also makes you look older. It’s also the reason why makeup can look differently when outside of the house than it did when applied. So what’s the solution?


Makeup lighting needs to come from the sides – think sconces. When lighting is at roughly eye level and at the sides it casts even lighting across the face. If this is not possible due to space, an alternate mounting location is directly on the mirror. Remember to use cool white light bulbs which render skin tone the most accurately.


If you are thinking of updating your bathroom, call us at 561-795-2551 or visit or website at www.leadingedgehomes.com.


For additional ideas and great pictures go to http://www.youbeauty.com/beauty/the-best-lighting-for-makeup/

			

		

		
		
				
				
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