There is a funny scene in the movie “Sleepless in Seattle” where a construction supervisor (Rob Reiner) informs the architect (Tom Hanks) that the socialite client homeowner – well into a high-end kitchen building project – suddenly wants an enormously upsized refrigerator.

The change will take out a load-bearing wall causing weeks of delay but the double-wide monster fridge will be able to store party trays.

What some people see in that scene is a fussy homeowner. What I see is an inadequate design process that – from the start – should have been more attuned to the homeowner’s lifestyle and the kitchen’s intended function.

I know … it’s just a movie and I’m not criticizing Tom Hanks. But the value of working with a professional designer should be in always knowing what happens next.
Not knowing what happens next is called “winging it.”

People hesitate to spend money on design and instead “wing it.” I’ll grant you, winging it can be exciting but when it involves rebuilding part of one’s home it is a recipe for extra expense, time and frustrations, not to mention short term headaches and long term disappointment.

This makes no sense. Proper design allows accurate bids and the security of knowing that the money being invested isn’t a gamble. Design is insurance that a home improvement will function well, is on budget, fits your time frame and is what you want.

A homeowner in the movies may be able to say, “I’m not worried about the walls” or time or expense, but in real life, design and project planning set a realistic course for a happy home improvement experience.

Are you ready to take off on building a new kitchen or bathroom?

Make sure you know where a unique home improvement is going before launching the project. Winging it is no design for success.

Do-It-Yourself (DIY) remodel projects and even simple resident home repairs would be a lot easier if they never involved water.

Whether the job means keeping water inside a shower enclosure, outside of walls, down a drain or off the roof, mismanaged moisture is a leading cause of what I call the “DIYer Blues.”

A case in point recently walked into our showroom. The desperate homeowner asked if we “knew anything about grout.”

“Yes,” I assured. The seriousness of our visitor’s tone made me ask what needed to be accomplished. A new, self-installed shower, I learned, had a persistent, maddening, mystifying, hidden leak and they had no idea why. The DIYer blues!

Upon hearing the description of the leak, it didn’t sound like a grout problem. It sounded like the “curb,” the thing you step over to enter the shower, hadn’t been caulked before the shower door went in. Water could seep behind, over, under and through the shower trim, and leak out through tile not adjacent to the shower door.

It didn’t matter that the shower door had a perfectly applied line of caulk on all four sides. Water is tricky, and showers especially pose a challenge to direct all that running, falling and splashed water down the drain and nowhere else.

As for grout vs. caulk, knowing when and where to use which and what kind is critical in keeping water where you want it.

I suggested they remove the door, caulk the curb to the tile, and reinstall the door. Invited over to see the work in progress (with the door off), it looked like that was the right advice. I also recommended a new, more “downward” shower arm so water would hit more shower floor than wall tile.

Consulting a professional first would have saved these good people time, money, and, of course, that case of the DIYer blues.

Let’s talk about flooring basics, the bottom line in many rooms. It’s what you walk on and often sets the tone for the overall room feel or design.

We will be talking hard surface materials ranging from wood to porcelain tile, bamboo and cork, to exotic glass, terrazzo, rare woods, marble, stone and more.

Today we’ll review the old standards wood and tile, and a relative newcomer, cork.

Wood flooring has been around for hundreds of years and still provides a completely modern and classic look. It’s made a little differently today – wider slats, different cuts, trendier designs, endless varieties – but it’s rugged, handsome and durable. Great for entryways, living rooms, kitchens and hallways, be careful using it in bedrooms, where quiet is as desirable as barefoot comfort, and bathrooms, where water, warmth and humidity can stain, warp, expand and otherwise ruin wood flooring.

Porcelain tile is sturdier still, resistant to almost anything, and when accompanied by an epoxy grout is virtually maintenance free. The king in bathroom and kitchen flooring, some versions can be used almost anywhere although living and dining rooms may require a bit more “cozy” than tile affords. The most modern styles include larger formats, with bigger individual tiles and endless colors and textures.

Cork, the new kid on the block, is naturally soft (easy on the cook’s feet!), resilient, plentiful and surprisingly, water resistant. It works great in bathrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms, is easy to stand on for long periods, and lends itself to eye-popping mosaic designs.

And keeping with basics, avoid these common cleaning mistakes on a new floor. Don’t use the vacuum’s spinning “beater bar” which will scratch and dull hard surfaces. Learn about and use only manufacturer-approved cleaners. Avoid ammonia (dulls the shine) and know that a “damp” mop is almost always better than a “wet” mop.

Endless options mean that even down low, flooring should still be a highlight.

Here are three very common home improvement questions:

• What do I want?
• What can I afford?
• What is the added financial value to my home?

What we want and what we can afford are almost always solely personal matters.

The financial value that an improvement adds, however, is based on comparisons with other homes and appraisal factors such as the condition of the area’s economy, the overall condition of the home, the overall condition of surrounding homes, and the availability of homes in the area.

Several charts and online tools are available to help homeowners sort out the financial impact of home improvements in a very general way (Google: home improvement cost value). Local real estate and home improvement professionals however can offer much more specific information.

In my own experience, although estimates can be helpful, it’s very unusual to be able to trace specific dollar values from a unique home improvement to a home appraisal to a home sale. But it does happen.

For example, earlier this year we renovated a kitchen, master bath and half-bath (total cost $45,000) in a home just previously appraised at $300,000. The home was on the market, off the market after the renovation, then back on the market, and ultimately sold in a week for $380,000.

Truly, that’s unusual. Normally you can’t trace it that directly, and it’s even rarer for a renovation to return more than 100 percent of its cost. Typically, a major kitchen or bathroom project will return roughly 85 percent of its cost.

Money, of course, is just one component of value and often takes a back seat to livability. What you can do to enhance convenience, comfort and usage of your home that is of value to you and your family is priceless.

Hey David, we are looking into a remodel project that will affect our kitchen, one bathroom and a dining room. The problem is, we have three kids and are a little hesitant to commit such a large portion of our home to an unusable state for any length of time. Would it be better to break up a large project into phases so we’re not sacrificing our lifestyle? —Travis

At Affordable Kitchens and Bathrooms we put a lot of focus on value-based decisions, and this is certainly one of them since you should decide whats best for your family. So, in order to answer your question I’ll break down the three main factors that will help you decide: time, cost, and convenience.

Time | The timing factor is really pretty cut and dry. The more you have done at once, the faster it will get done. At AKB, we take care of everything, plumbing, tile, cabinets, drywall — everything. We’re good at coordinating the different processes and stages of a remodel. It’s what allows us to be efficient and deliver high quality and competitive pricing.

Cost | Like most things, there is a direct relationship between how long something takes to create and how much it costs. The more efficient we can be with our time, the less your project will cost.

Convenience | It really comes down to convenience. We strive to be as neat, clean, and unobtrusive as possible, but the presence of new people working in your home will have some kind of impact on your home and the way you use it. Breaking up a remodel project into smaller projects will take longer and therefore cost more. What you really need to consider is how much more and then equate that to the alternatives. For instance, if you decide the impact on your family will be too much—will the cost of your temporary lodging be less than the increase in cost of the project?

We understand the impact a remodel project has on a home. All of us at AKB have gone through the process in our own homes. That’s why we emphasize minimizing the impact and maximizing cleanliness during any project. Be sure to talk to your contractor about how the project will affect your family. I encourage you to give us a call [1 (317)575.9540]. I’d be happy to show you how AKB strives to make the remodel process as smooth and painless as possible.

Thanks Travis,

—David

Historic or period homes are always interesting to work on. Often, we encounter details that provide character and function, but these details can be a challenge to replace or restore. Heating registers are one of the features of historic homes, that over time, have lost their appeal and importance in the home building process. However, the durability and aesthetic value of older, molded and cast heating registers really add personality to a room. Getting those registers back into “showroom” condition takes a little doing.

If you need an additional register, there are a number of sources online. Re-finished originals will be the most expensive and hard to find, but there are a number of reproduction registers and grates available. Try these websites out if you’re looking to match or add to the existing registers in your home:

• WhiteRiverSalvage.com
• RusticConnection.com
• Antiques.lovetoknow.com
• Rejuvination.com
• MissionMetalworks.com
• Beaux-Artes.com

Another option is to refinish the ones you have. This can be dangerous, since most painted grates were probably originally finished with lead-based paint. If your grates are a finished metal surface, you can probably do them a lot of good with a simple soft wire brush, some elbow grease and a good wadding polish like Nevr Dull. The effort will be worth it.