Tag: home renovations

Choosing Floors for Basement Renovations

Posted on by Canadoo Admin

Choosing Floors for Basement Renovations

Basement renovations allow homeowners to expand their living space and increase the resale value of their home.  When it comes to renovating your basement, there are so many great options – create a new living room, add an entertainment room such as theatre or games room, or even build a fully equipped suite.  Whatever your basement renovation, there is a flooring option to match the function and style of the room as well as your budget.  For more information about choosing floors for basement renovations, keep reading!

Basement Flooring Need to Know

Your basement flooring should be durable, functional, and stylish.  For these reasons, one of the top flooring options for basement renovations is vinyl flooring.  Vinyl flooring is durable and holds up well to high traffic, moist environments, and will stand up well to even the harshest elements.  Whether you have pets, small children, or rowdy house guests, vinyl flooring stands the test of time.  Add to that the versatility of vinyl flooring and it’s no wonder that it’s a top choice for basement renovations.  There are many stylish vinyl flooring options and all of them will endure all that basements have to offer.

Indeed, basement renovations and flooring choices for the basement need special consideration.  Hot water tanks and laundry facilities are often found in basements, so flooring needs to survive potential floods.  Additionally, basements usually feature a concrete slab, so moisture from the outside environment and even drastic temperature changes can wreak havoc on basement floors – but not vinyl.  Carpet easily damages, tile can get too cold, and hard wood is not recommended for moist environments.  Vinyl flooring, on the other hand, can mimic the appearance of natural wood flooring, provide the comfort of carpet, and doesn’t get cold like tile.  Plus, vinyl is affordable.  It’s almost perfect for basement renovations.

Keeping up with the Joneses

Fortunately, vinyl flooring can also have a serious aesthetic impact.  Vinyl flooring is available in a wide variety of styles and finishes.  For example, for a more contemporary design, homeowners love the sleek aesthetic of faux wood finishes that vinyl flooring offers.  Indeed, vinyl flooring looks like real wood, and many manufacturers provide flooring with subtle nuances such as “distressing” to make vinyl floors appear to be reclaimed wood which is very popular these days.  Alternatively, herringbone designs on vinyl floors are also very trendy in 2021. 

So, when it comes to basement flooring, remember that you need to consider features such as durability as well as style.  You’ll find many different vinyl flooring options to match whatever basement renovation you’re planning and to suit your personal style.  As an added bonus, vinyl flooring tends to be very affordable so it’s easy on your budget too!

Kitchen Renovation Ideas

Posted on by Canadoo Admin
Kitchen renovation Vancouver

From the simplest paint job to a major kitchen renovation, there are many ways you can refresh your kitchen that can fit into almost any budget.  As the kitchen is a key room in the home, it is also one of the most frequently renovated; and yet, coming up with kitchen renovation ideas can be challenging – especially if you are on a tight budget.  Thankfully, the following kitchen renovation ideas feature updates that can be easily adapted for cost savings; alternatively, you can also adapt these renovations to the luxury end of the budget scale. 

Kitchen Cabinets

Kitchen cabinet renovations make a mark.  Indeed, of all our kitchen renovation ideas, new cabinets are likely to make the biggest difference by revitalizing the look of your kitchen but also by improving functionality.  Additionally, updated kitchen cabinets will have a huge impact on the resale value of your home.  Nevertheless, cabinets can be expensive, so if you’re looking to save money consider keeping or reusing old cabinets.  A little bit of elbow grease and a new coat of paint can brighten up your kitchen – and if you add new hardware, you’ll hardly recognize your old cabinets.  If you’re less concerned about budget, consider consulting with a kitchen design expert to reconfigure the layout of your cabinets to make your space more efficient.  There are even new cabinet designs that improve storage and functionality that make a great long term investment.

Countertops

Natural stone countertops are expensive but they are durable, sophisticated, and elegant.  If you can work granite or quartz countertops into your budget, you won’t be disappointed as they require little maintenance and resist heat, stains, water, and bacteria.  That being said, laminate countertops are great for the budget and they’re available in many different styles, colours, and patterns.

Appliances

The upfront costs of new appliances can be a deterrent for some home owners looking for low cost kitchen renovation ideas, but it’s also important to consider the long-term energy savings of high efficiency appliances.  A new energy efficient refrigerator and dishwasher can save you hundreds of dollars in electricity bills over the years which means they pay for themselves.  Plus, new appliances are offered in an impressive array of colours and finishes and they can make an impressive impact on the aesthetic of your new kitchen.

Lighting

Upgrading the lighting in your kitchen gives you flexibility over how and where light is focused.  Ultimately, layering lighting so that you have decent ambient lighting as well as task lighting allows you to illuminate your kitchen according to your needs.  If you’re already updating cabinets and countertops, consider installing task lighting under cabinets.  Also, consider decorative lighting to add aesthetic appeal – chandeliers and pendant lights are great choices for sophisticated designs, or for a contemporary look consider directional spot lights or pot lights.

Remember, your kitchen renovation should reflect not only your budget but your personal style as well as practical elements related to how you use your kitchen.  With careful planning and research, you can achieve an impressive upgrade to your kitchen on any budget.

How to Choose Flooring for your Home

Posted on by Canadoo Admin

How to Choose Flooring for your Home

When it comes to home renovations, there are so many options available that it can be a daunting task to find the right flooring for your home.  Depending on your material and style preferences as well as function and budget, selecting the best flooring is more complicated than simply finding a look that you like.  With that in mind, this guide will address many of the key considerations you need to make so you don’t have to guess about how to choose flooring for your home. 

Budget

Not all flooring is priced the same.  On the cheaper end of the flooring spectrum, laminate options are the go-to.  You can choose styles that look like hardwood at a fraction of the cost – you can even find bargains where you’ll pay less than $2 per square foot.  Engineered wood flooring gets a bit more expensive, particularly as you look at more exotic woods, but these options are still affordable and range between $2 and $5 per square foot.  High quality laminates and vinyl tiles will also land you closer to the $4 or $5 per square foot price.  The most expensive flooring options tend to be exotic hardwood floors made from mahogany or Brazilian cherry, as well as premium laminate or vinyl floorings.  Ultimately, if you know your budget, you can focus your search on systems that fall in your price range.

Function

Next, think about the room or rooms where the flooring will be installed.  Is it a high-moisture space?  Is it a high traffic area?  What about pets or children?  When flooring rooms such as the kitchen or bathroom or areas in the basement, you want to choose a flooring system that can stand up to moisture.  Concrete, ceramic, or porcelain or vinyl tile floorings are great options for high moisture areas.  If moisture isn’t a consideration, most types of flooring will be suitable – but there are still some questions to be answered.

If you want a floor that will stand up to high traffic, pet stains, or the whims of children, more durable flooring systems such as ceramic or porcelain tile are also great.  If you want durability as well as versatile style options, laminate and plank vinyl flooring are also great options.  Also, you may shy away from carpet because of potential stains, but if you’re less concerned about spills and accidents, carpet flooring is long lasting.

Maintenance

Finally, remember that all flooring systems require regular care and attention.  Vinyl flooring and laminate flooring tend to require the least maintenance – regular sweeping and occasional damp mopping will usually suffice.  On the other hand, hardwood floors are more susceptible to scratches and may need to be refinished from time-to-time.  Regardless of the type of flooring system you install, remember to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for cleaning and maintenance to ensure the longevity of your floors.

Now that you have a sense of some of the most common factors to consider when choosing flooring for your  home, you can easily focus your search to find the right style for any room.

Budgeting Patio Renovations

Posted on by Canadoo Admin
Budgeting Patio Renovations

Home improvement projects are exciting and sometimes stressful at the same time.  No matter the project or intentions, it is easy for renovations to get out of hand and over budget.  So, if you are planning a patio renovation and you have a budget in mind, how can you keep yourself focused and on budget?  The following tips will help you keep your patio renovations on track with respect to both schedules and finances.

Planning, Planning, and More Planning

Planning and prioritizing every aspect of your patio renovation is the cornerstone to keeping the project on track and on budget.  From the earliest planning stages including setting timelines, finding contractors, and getting your permits to the final touches of the decorative process, careful planning can make a huge difference when it comes to budget.  Your planning must include project schematics that will allow you to break down costs according to various project stages from demolition (if required) and construction to finishing and decoration.  The more detail that goes into planning your patio renovation, the more likely you will be to keep the project within your spending limits.  If you are new to outdoor renovations, consider working with a professional contractor who can help you understand all the nuances of your project and how to budget effectively.

Research Supports Planning

We really cannot overestimate the importance of planning at every stage of your renovation and this should include careful research into material and labour costs, local permitting requirements, design trends and more.  It is always helpful to check out similar patio renovation projects in your neighbourhood or even through online research.  You can even research creative ways to repurpose your current outdoor facilities.  For example, if you have a flower bed constructed from re-useable brick, can you transform it into a walk way?  Knowing what you have, what you need, and how to use your resources effectively will help you spend your money efficiently.

Allocating Funds

It can often be helpful to break down your patio renovation into smaller chunks or milestones and then allocate funds.  Say that you want to remove an old deck before building a new one – you can break down your project into two different stages and research funding requirements for each.  Then you can allocate your budget accordingly.  Likewise, your renovation project might be broken down into various categories such as

  • Labour,
  • Materials,
  • Furniture, and
  • Accessories

Each of these categories can receive their own budget.  If you go under or over budget in one area, you might find you have funds to move around.   Another trick is to purchase gift cards or project cards from home renovation depots and allocate these cards to different aspects of your project.  This will allow you to effectively monitor your spending.

Contingencies

Finally, it is always important to set aside at least 15% of your total budget for unexpected costs.  Taxes, cleaning materials, or unanticipated challenges can and likely will impact your budget.  Setting some money aside to cover the costs of these contingencies is always recommended for renovation projects, including patio renovations.