Articles by Gary Nealon on ArticleSnatch.com

"Green" Construction Materials For Updating Your Home

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Being a part time news writer or in other words a reporter, I am the journalistic equivalent of a coupon clipper. I do not look for discounts; I look for stories of interest and tuck them away until a future time when they might be relevant. When I started noticing ads and media reports pertaining to the "green movement" I started gathering information about green start-up companies. From this I stored it away until this green thing took hold or passed like another fad. From that time I have steadily noticed a huge increase in the green awareness. For those who are not aware, Green Building, helping the environment, and anything that will save the environment or at the very least make an effort towards that end, can be considered green. (Note - some groups or companies have stretched their "green commitment" a little far, but in the end, any improvement and help with the environment is better than where we were thirty years ago.) Green is the wave of the future, everything being built can or will have some form of green involved with it. **End Summary** Topics: eco-friendly products]]> green construction products]]> home improvement]]> kitchen cabinets]]> kitchens]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Find out where the experts go to get all of their kitchen cabinets and accessories. Learn how to save thousands on kitchens cabinets by buying them where contractors and builders shop.

Home Improvement Resolutions for 2009

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400

As I looked at my kitchen I realized that it is now months into the New Year and my resolution of renovating the two most important rooms of my house (the kitchen and master bathroom), are now becoming unfinished resolutions. As with previous years, every year when I promise to do something myself and quickly fail, I remind myself that this time could be different. With home renovation projects, the excuses are always easy: not having enough time, having help (from friends), or having enough money... these things usually work fine as legitimate excuses. This year the excuses ran out. I had enough time, because of a lay off at work, I had some extra money (that was actually budgeted for a house project) and I had a friend who was also out of work and willing to help. So I took on the challenge of renovating the bathroom first and then thought if I had enough energy, I would go for the kitchen as well. As always, I go online and search for the best possible deals on any supplies I need. First, I was looking for paint and really did not come across any great deals. **End Summary** Topics: home improvement]]> kitchen cabinetry]]> home remodeling]]> kitchen cabinets]]> remodeling]]> home renovation]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Find out where the experts go to get all of their kitchen cabinets and accessories. Learn how to save thousands on kitchen cabinetry by buying them where contractors and builders shop.

Making the Most Out of a Small Kitchen

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400

I was renovating my house and started with the job of sanding floors. I shopped around and found the best deal to rent a floor sander at my local hardware store. The cost of renting the sander was about one hundred dollars ($100). I compared this price to the nearest big box retail store (In other words Home Depot) and found just about the same price. However, the customer service, attention to detail, and overall care given at the local hardware store was ten times greater than that of the big box super store. I obviously went with the local decision, spent a few extra dollars ($4.72 total in extra costs), but kept our local businesses going and in turn received much better customer service. The floors on the other hand did not go as easy as making a good decision on where to rent a sander. After the floors were finally finished, I moved onto painting. Again I shopped around and found the best quality at a local Sherwin Williams. **End Summary** Topics: kitchens cabinets]]> kitchen cabinetry]]> cabinets]]> kitchen cabinets]]> rta cabinets]]> rta kitchen cabinets]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Find out where the experts go to get all of their kitchen cabinetry and accessories. Learn how to save thousands on kitchens cabinets by buying them where contractors and builders shop.

How To Truly Get The Best Deals On Kitchen Cabinets

Fri, 26 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0500

You can save thousands of dollars on a kitchen renovation or even on a new kitchen. There are many ideas for cutting corners or saving money, but the most direct route is to find the best prices. I have looked in many big box retail stores, smaller home centers, local supply stores, and online. The absolute best prices and values were found on the internet. The overall pre-eminent cabinet type that provided value and quality was the RTA type of cabinet. (Ready to Assemble). First, a ready to assemble cabinet is as good as an assembled cabinet. I had the notion that this type of cabinet might be weaker or structurally unstable. Instead I have found that the RTA kitchen cabinets and actually the RTA bathroom vanities are as good as or better than the assembled cabinets that a consumer is paying top dollar for. Let's face it, in this troubled market, any angle we can get to stay ahead, we must take and buying an RTA kitchen cabinet or RTA bathroom vanity will provide savings without substituting quality. **End Summary** Topics: kitchen cabinets]]> kitchens cabinets]]> cabinets]]> rta cabinets]]> rta kitchen cabinets]]> kitchen cabinetry]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Find out where the experts go to get all of their kitchen cabinets and accessories. Learn how to save thousands on kitchens cabinets by buying them where contractors and builders shop.

Enhancing Your Kitchen With New Cabinets

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The first thing a potential home buyer or a visitor to you house notices in the kitchen is the kitchen cabinets. The problem is that up until now, kitchen cabinets have been very expensive. Cheap cabinets are just that, they look cheap and do not hold up. What was needed in the home improvement industry, specifically in the kitchen area, was an inexpensive kitchen cabinet at a higher quality. The answer finally came along and that product is the RTA kitchen cabinet. Money is a huge factor on any home improvement project. Getting a quality kitchen cabinet at an affordable price usually was not an option. As a contractor or a do it yourself person, one would want to cut corners where possible, but not sacrifice the look or the quality. That is why the ready to assemble (RTA) products are now such a valuable resource in the home improvement world. Many stores carry some form of RTA products. It might be stereo cabinets or book shelves, but everywhere you look RTA products are part of our life. It was a natural progression that at some point, kitchen cabinets would also become a ready to assemble product. **End Summary** Topics: kitchens cabinets]]> kitchen cabinets]]> new kitchen cabinets]]> rta kitchen cabinets]]> cabinets]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Find out where the experts go to get all of their kitchen cabinets and accessories. Learn how to save thousand on kitchen cabinet s by buying them where contractors and builders shop.

Making Your Bathroom Stand Out

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Every homeowner has a desire to make each room of their home stand out in its own unique way. This is usually done by choosing a piece of furniture, a piece of art to hang on the wall or even a paint color of which the interior design of the room is based upon. This is generally very easy to do in rooms such as the family room or bedroom, but what about in a bathroom or powder room? These are two rooms that are often over-looked when it comes to style and design, often due to the smaller scale of these rooms. Any easy and inexpensive way to add style and sophistication to your bathroom or powder room is with a unique bathroom vanity. The least expensive way to provide style to either of these two rooms is with a RTA (ready-to-assembles) vanity or Euro Vanity. The RTA vanities come in several different finishes and styles, and are simple to put together and install. You can even get matching mirrors to complete your bathroom transformation. Vanities such as these can be found online using simples search words such as: RTA vanities, RTA bathroom vanities, high-end vanities. **End Summary** Topics: bathroom vanity]]> bathroom furniture]]> bathroom vanities]]> vanity bathroom]]> vanity]]> euro vanity]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Find out where the experts go to get all of their bathroom vanities and accessories. Learn how to save hundreds on bathroom furniture by buying them where contractors and builders shop.

Making the Smart Kitchen Cabinet Choice

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

We are in a time of tough choices and important decisions. With an election coming up, some choices are more important that ever. Finding the best kitchen cabinet or bathroom vanity for your budget is an important decision as well. We are now in a real estate market that is very unsettling; to say the least. If you are renovating your house, rehabbing a bathroom, gutting a kitchen or any other type of home restoration you must make the right decision when buying a kitchen cabinet. If you are not careful, you can over spend on kitchen cabinets or bathroom vanities by up to fifty percent (50%)! Yes fifty percent is a huge disparity when shopping for anything but unfortunately if you shop for kitchen cabinets at a typical retail store, you will over spend for this product. Kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities are mostly an imported product. These cabinets are shipped to our country in un-assembled boxes. From this, you can either buy assembled cabinets or RTA type cabinets. Assembled cabinets are twenty five to fifty percent more than an RTA cabinet. If you are not familiar with the RTA term, it simply stands for "ready to assemble". **End Summary** Topics: kitchen cabinets]]> kitchens cabinets]]> cabinets]]> kitchen cabinetry]]> rta kitchen cabinets]]> rta cabinets]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Find out where the experts go to get all of their kitchens cabinets and accessories. Learn how to save thousand on kitchen cabinetry by buying them where contractors and builders shop.

Shopping for Bathroom Vanities & Accessories

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

I recently have been shopping for new bathroom vanity furniture. I have gone to the big chain stores and have also done the specialty bathroom shops. There are many choices ranging from RTA bathroom vanities (RTA= Ready to Assemble) to the highest end luxury bathroom fixtures that are found in these expensive bathroom design studios. I also found that the internet sold many types of bathroom vanity furniture, from EBay to Craigslist and one hundred bathroom and kitchen websites in-between sold all types of bathroom vanities. I have learned many new pros and cons about all aspects of bathroom vanity furniture, and here are a few of the highlights. The first thing was that I became familiar with RTA products. As stated previously RTA bathroom vanities are the do-it-yourself type products that everyone is probably accustomed to, even if you're not aware of it. I say this because if you look around your house, you will probably see something that was pre-assembled and that was eventually assembled by you, hence the name ready to assemble. These products are everywhere- from the internet (look just do a search for RTA bathroom vanities) to the super hardware chain stores. **End Summary** Topics: bathroom]]> bathroom vanity]]> bathroom vanities]]> bath vanity]]> bathroom cabinet]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Find out where the experts go to get all of their bathroom vanities and accessories. Learn how to save hundreds on a bathroom vanity by buying them where contractors and builders shop.

Renovating Your Kitchen In a Tough Economy

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Prices are rising on almost all goods and services. It is hard to believe that we might be heading into a depression, but still prices are increasing. It is a disastrous formula for an economic meltdown. However progress still has to be made, home improvements will still happen and no matter what the state of the economy is -- you still have to renovate that old kitchen; especially if you want to increase the value of your house. I was aware that prices on home improvement products were increasing, but unless you're involved with the industry you wouldn't know things like electrical wire have tripled in price. When I recently visited the home depot and noticed that nails have now tripled in price, the thought of that drove me right out of the store and onto the internet. It was not that rash of a decision. I had been researching internet prices versus retail prices and have seen a vast difference in price. Internet prices tend to be twenty to thirty percent less than a retail store. Of course there are the perceived problems with buying online, or at least I thought there were problems. **End Summary** Topics: ready to assemble cabinets]]> ready to assemble kitchen cabinets]]> rta cabinets]]> rta kitchen cabinets]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Find out where the experts go to get all of their Ready To Assemble kitchen cabinets and accessories. Learn how to save thousand on Ready To Assemble cabinets by buying them where contractors and builders shop.

European-Style Vanities- Why are They So Popular?

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0400

A great way to stylize your old looking bathroom is to try the new styles of bathroom vanities that are available. One of the most popular is the Euro Vanity. However, up until now the Euro Vanity has been out of reach to the average spender. It is an expensive looking piece of bathroom furniture for which most the expense could never be justified. If you go to the major retail home improvement stores you may still be spending a lot of money for this high-grade bathroom vanity. Most of these large retailers inflate prices and sell you vanities that are not made of wood. They may look like solid wood and might have a wood front, but the rest of the vanity is made of a cheap pressboard, which isn't much stronger than cardboard. This cheap construction means that you will be replacing your over-priced piece of furniture much sooner than if you had bought something made out of real wood. Recently some large importers have brought in real wood cabinets that are not only of great quality, but are less money than the retail vanities. **End Summary** Topics: euro vanity]]> bathroom vanity]]> vanity bathroom]]> bathroom furniture]]> ]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Find out where the experts go to get all of their bathroom vanities and accessories. Learn how to save hundreds on bathroom furniture by buying them where contractors and builders shop.

A Fun Way To Renovate Your Home

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0400

When my family decided we needed another update in our house I gave them the choice of the kitchen, the basement, or the third floor (which we call the "rec room"). We weighed our options, we recently renovated the bathrooms and get plenty of use from the new features and improved upgrades. We talked over each room and concluded this: the basement would be a great place to have a lounge or bar type set up, we could entertain guests, play cards or other games, watch football on Sunday and have a party place. Next the third floor could be converted from the attic into a quiet retreat where family members could get away to read or relax. Finally we talked about the kitchen and it made the most sense of the three options. We use the kitchen everyday- we meet there, cook there, dine there, and pass through it on the way to the outside world. It was the logical choice to renovate the kitchen. After traveling to the local home building supply store I realized that maybe we should have went with one of the other choices. **End Summary** Topics: home improvement]]> home renovation]]> remodeling]]> kitchen cabinet]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Find out where the experts go to get all of their kitchen cabinets and accessories. Learn how to save thousand on kitchens cabinets by buying them where contractors and builders shop.

Matching Your Bathroom With Your Personality

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Does the idea of having a bathroom as unique as your own personality appeal to you? If so, you are probably drawn to the high end vanities, mirrors and sinks you see featured in design and architectural magazines. The pieces featured in these magazines have been out of the average consumers reach for years. That is all changing now. Euro Vanities can now be found on websites that also sell RTA kitchen and bathroom cabinets. The Euro Vanities come in a variety of shapes, sizes and designs along with solid stone counters and sinks. Unlike RTA cabinets, these vanities come fully assembled, only leaving you to install the piece in your bathroom. Any novice do it yourselfer can install these vanities following the simple sheet of directions that comes with the vanity. Not only is the simple installation a bonus to these bathroom vanities, but their sheer style and design sells itself. Each piece is like a distinct piece of furniture that is made for a bathroom. Upon first glance the Euro Vanities don't even look like a bathroom vanity, but rather a piece of functional art that you can use everyday. **End Summary** Topics: interior design]]> bathroom design]]> bathroom cabinets]]> bathroom vanity]]> bathroom furniture]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Find out where the experts go to get all of their bathroom cabinets and accessories. Learn how to save hundreds on bathroom furniture by buying them where contractors and builders shop.

Renovating a Victorian House- True Life Story of One Couple

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

My wife and I bought an old Victorian house. It needed plenty of renovations and updating of the different systems. However, like most houses of this era, it had style and charm. The house contained two stairways, an extra long porch, cathedral ceilings, and very large rooms. And that is where this renovation story takes place- in one of the bathrooms. Having a large bathroom, at first seems like a blessing. Coming from an apartment, we thought this unique aspect of the house was one of the greatest features of the old house. In the end it is, but getting to that end was more difficult that we expected. First the bathroom needed to be completely gutted. We found that the drain system underneath the floor was slow moving and was nearing complete blockage. **End Summary** Topics: bathroom renovation]]> bathroom vanities]]> bathroom vanity]]> bathroom remodeling]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Find out where the experts go to get all of their kitchen cabinets and accessories. Learn how to save thousand on kitchen cabinet s by buying them where contractors and builders shop.

The Truth About RTA Cabinets

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Ready-to-assemble kitchen cabinets, commonly known as RTA cabinets are a superior alternative to high priced kitchen cabinets. RTA cabinets are solid wood cabinets, offered in several sizes, styles and finishes. These cabinets come unassembled, each in their own box. They can be assembled by using only a screwdriver, since they feature an easy to use cam lock assembly system. The assembly of these cabinets requires no nails, no glue, no power tools. This makes it an easy do it yourself project for even the novice DIYer. Another attractive attribute to RTA cabinets is their cost effectiveness. Since the cabinets come unassembled, directly from the factory, it can save you thousands of dollars. Some major retail stores offer RTA cabinets, but they are generally made of materials other than solid wood and are ten times more difficult to assemble and install. Since solid wood isn't used, this lessens the life expectancy of the cabinets, thus meaning you may have saved money on your initial purchase but will inevitably have to replace your purchase much sooner than if you had bought a higher quality product in the beginning. **End Summary** Topics: rta kitchen cabinets]]> kitchens cabinets]]> kitchen cabinets]]> kitchen cabinet]]> cabinets]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Find out where the experts go to get all of their kitchen cabinets and accessories. Learn how to save thousand on kitchen cabinet s by buying them where contractors and builders shop.

Finding An Affordable Bathroom Vanity

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The best way to find an affordable bathroom vanity is to shop online for your renovation needs. Finding anything from bathroom vanities to kitchen cabinets is not only easy, but it is far cheaper to buy online. You save gas money, time, and it's the convenience of shopping from home. Not to mention the delivery right to your door. Finding these items online is even easier when you expedite your search by using key words. One word or phrase that I found that completely saved me thousands of dollars (I literally saved $2355 on my kitchen and bathroom vanities) is the phrase RTA cabinet. Or more specifically "RTA bathroom vanity" was the phrase that really jump started my search. A few things I learned that ended up saving me money on my bathroom vanity. First, RTA bathroom vanities are the way to improve you house without spending the extra money for assembled products. I luckily new what RTA was, but for those who do not, RTA means "ready to assemble". Ready to assemble products are everywhere. You have them in your house and you might not even know it. **End Summary** Topics: bathroom vanities]]> bathroom vanity]]> bathroom furniture]]> rta bathroom vanity]]> rta bathroom vanities]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Find out where the experts go to get all of their bathroom vanities and accessories. Learn how to save hundreds on bathroom furniture by buying them where contractors and builders shop.

Kitchen Cabinet Tips From A Home Supply Store

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Recently I was involved in some major house renovations. We removed an old bathroom vanity, knocked out some walls, and completely gutted the kitchen. I was almost instinctively drawn to the hardware super stores to buy my supplies. My friend, who was helping me, was the same way. While at one of these mega stores, we received more help from a store attendant than we ever thought possible. We were complaining about the lack of quality, regarding the kitchen cabinets, and more importantly, the outrageous price. The discovery we made has changed my outlook on buying home renovation supplies and has inspired me to look into buying a rehab project. The hardwood super store attendant told us in simple terms, "go onto the internet to buy kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities". He demonstrated his theory while at the store. First he explained that the biggest savings was buying RTA (ready to assemble) kitchen cabinets. Ready to assemble or RTA products are everywhere. You may not realize it, he explained, but you have probably put together dozens of these products. Anything that needs to be assembled is pretty much an RTA product. So why not your kitchen cabinets or bathroom vanities; **End Summary** Topics: kitchen cabinets]]> kitchens cabinets]]> new kitchen cabinets]]> rta kitchen cabinets]]> kitchen]]> cabinets]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Find out where the experts go to get all of their kitchen cabinets and accessories. Learn how to save thousand on new kitchen cabinets by buying them where contractors and builders shop.

Do Any Of These Weight Loss E-Books Really Work?

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

By no means am I a professional body builder or even a motivated weight lifter, but over the past couple of years I have been motivated to get back in shape. I started researching workout programs, and weight loss books which brought me to several very different programs. One was written by Tom Venuto, another written by Mike Geary, and the last one written by Vince Delmonte. All three seemed to be credible professionals with very unique backgrounds. As I started researching them, I found very different reviews of their products and the results that they could produce. Mike Geary was taking more of a life changing perspective on working out. Since he is a certified dietary professional, his program offered both a workout program and a dietary program. As most doctors and health professionals will tell you, just working out or just dieting will help you achieve the weight loss that you are looking for. Mike's book does a great job of educating the readers on how to change their lifestyle, while trying to lose weight. Tom's book on the other hand, seems to benefit the people that are frequent weight lifters, or who currently have a workout routine. **End Summary** Topics: truth about abs]]> mike geary]]> tom venuto]]> lose weight]]> burn fat]]> build muscle]]> ab workouts]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> If you would like more information about Truth About Abs or Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle , click on one of the links.

Using Variable Intensity Training To Explosive Weight Loss

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The old approach to cardio and aerobic training had always been 30-60 minutes on the tread mill or bike every day (or atleast 3-5 times a week). While this may be great for building your endurance, this old way of thinking is not the best way to lose weight or burn fat according to new scientific research. Recent research is suggesting that physical variability is one of the most important aspects to incorporate into your daily routine. Most competitive sports (with the exception of endurance running or cycling) are also based on stop-and-go movement or short bursts of exertion followed by recovery. If you look at the body types of different athletes, you can see a pattern from athletes that perform is sports that require endurance versus athletes that utilize short bursts of speed or strength. Take a look at the body type of a cross country athlete versus the body of a basketball player. Cross country runners are thin and wiry, while basketball players are muscular and lean. While there are other factors involved in this comparison, it shows that shorter bursts of energy allow for leaner, more muscular bodies. **End Summary** Topics: cardio exercises]]> endurance exercises]]> workout programs]]> fitness]]> weight loss]]> lose weight]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Looking to lose weight ? Get unbiased reviews of the top selling, best ab programs that will help you get the slim waist you are looking for.

Modernizing Your Home With New Kitchen Cupboards

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Home buying involves many choices. People could make a decision on a house because of one option or choice, but more often than not, it is determined by several factors. Most choices come down to a house being well designed and fitting a families needs. From this an individual or family will expect the house or "investment" to grow in value over time. Some elements of the house are a bonus. Yes a well designed house makes the choice easier, but then with this choice will come other features that are nice additions. Smaller features of a house are not the deciding factor of home buying, but often help with the decision. One of these smaller features that could go along way is the kitchen cupboards or in other words the kitchen cabinets. Cabinets are not the first thing you think about when entering a house, but once you get to the kitchen, this feature becomes a noticeable and important attribute. A kitchen cupboard is an old term that has slowly transformed over the last half century. Many homes built before the nineteen fifties had the traditional kitchen cupboards. **End Summary** Topics: kitchen cupboards]]> kitchen cupboard]]> kitchen cabinets]]> cabinets]]> kitchen remodeling]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Find out where the experts go to get all of their kitchen cabinets and accessories. Learn how to save thousand on kitchen cabinet s by buying them where contractors and builders shop.

Pantry Kitchen Cabinets- Revamping A Kitchen Using Pantry Cabinets

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

I recently did a kitchen renovation job that we nicknamed the blues. The homeowners had a case of the blues, because their kitchen was stuck in the seventies. Furthermore, their kitchen was literally covered in blue. The tiles were blue, with white accent tiles sporadically placed, the cabinets were blue (yes you read that right) and the refrigerator was blue as well. The stove and dishwasher were white, but you get the idea of how blue things were. We decided a complete redesign would cure all of these blues. We completely gutted the kitchen. Appliances, the blue kitchen cabinets, two large pantry kitchen cabinets, and we stripped the walls of the ugly tiles. After this was done we realized that one of the walls could be knocked out as well. It would be nice to open this wall, but the homeowners also wanted an option to keep part of that wall closed. This is where we turned to the pantry kitchen cabinets. It you're not familiar with a pantry--a quick definition is as follows: a pantry kitchen cabinet or a kitchen pantry cabinet is a large closet type cupboard in your kitchen. **End Summary** Topics: wood cabinets]]> wood kitchen cabinets]]> pantry cabinets]]> pantry kitchen cabinets]]> kitchen cabinets]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Find out where the experts go to get all of their wood kitchen cabinets and accessories. Learn how to save thousand on wood cabinets by buying them where contractors and builders shop.

6 Tips for Improving a Small Bathroom

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

When dealing with a small bathroom and you have no room to expand, it is time to use some tricks to make the room look bigger. Almost all of the ideas or "tricks" below can be accomplished without having to do any major remodeling or demo. 1. Brighten Up the Walls When dealing with a small bathroom or any room for that matter, one of the easiest ways to make it look larger is by using light and bright colors. Darker colors can make even the largest rooms seem smaller. 2. Change up the Flooring Just like light colors on the walls, light colors on the flooring of the small bathroom will help make the bathroom appear roomier and more open. Lighter color floors will help reflect the light and give the impression of an open and airy space. 3. Change up the vanity The vanity is usually the biggest object in a bathroom, other than the shower or tub. Rather than keeping that big and bulky vanity, why not replace it with a small vanity or pedestal sink? By reducing the size of the vanity, you will free up additional wall space, giving the illusion of a larger room. **End Summary** Topics: bathroom vanity]]> bathroom vanities]]> bathroom remodeling]]> bathroom renovation]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Find out where the experts go to get all of their bathroom vanities and accessories. Learn how to get a high quality bathroom vanity at an affordable price by buying them where contractors and builders shop.

A Walk Through the History of Kitchen Cabinets

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Built-in kitchen cabinets are a relatively new element in the kitchen. Cabinets were never part of the kitchen construction in centuries past. They were most often freestanding structures like china cabinets or pie racks that could be moved from place to place. During the twentieth century cabinets became an integral part of the kitchen. Kitchen cabinets were no longer an afterthought or a secondary need. The introduction of small kitchen appliances made kitchen cabinets a necessity in the home. Cabinets emerged as a main feature of the contemporary home. They were often handmade from solid woods. Various types of joinery became an informal trademark for the cabinetry. Such fine details once indicated precisely where a set of cabinetry came from. It seemed that cabinet makers in nearly every region of the United States had their own style and decorative elements. As time passed, the "by-hand" creation of cabinets started to decline. Companies began mass producing cabinetry in mass quantities with cheaper materials and cheap labor. There came a division in the realm of cabinetmaking that separated the quality-made cabinetry from the lower grade products. The division exists today with kitchen cabinetmakers using particle board or MDF. **End Summary** Topics: kitchen cabinets]]> wood cabinets]]> solid wood cabinets]]> wood kitchen cabinets]]> cabinets]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Find out where the experts go to get all of their kitchen cabinets and accessories. Learn how to save thousand on wood kitchen cabinets by buying them where contractors and builders shop.

Renovating a Kitchen For Under $4,000

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

In order to renovate a kitchen with less than four thousand dollars, you must plan ahead, cut out over spending on frivolous items, and stick to a budget. Most kitchen projects run over budget because of poor planning or under estimations. Knowing what you need and where to get the supplies will help you stay within your budget and still have a modern kitchen. Proper renovation begins with good planning. How long is the tear out going to take, where am I going to dump the old materials, and do I need help getting the old stuff out are all good questions to ask yourself. Tearing out a kitchen usually does not take as long as you would think. Especially if you have extra help; one or even two people will cut your work time in half. Things like old appliances, large cabinets, or sink bases can take two or three people to remove. If your going at it alone, be prepared to add an extra hour to each time estimation. How you will dispose of these items might be a concern in your city or neighborhood. **End Summary** Topics: kitchen]]> kitchen cabinets]]> cabinets]]> rta kitchen cabinets]]> renovation]]> remodeling]]> home improvement]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Find out where the experts go to get all of their wood cabinets and accessories. Learn how to save thousand on kitchen cabinets by buying them where contractors and builders shop.

Factors to Consider When Shopping for Kitchen Cabinets

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The durability and life span of your kitchen cabinets is going to depend on several factors. While most cabinets are built to withstand average wear and tear, the question then becomes... what is considered normal wear and tear? In a household with children and pets, the cabinets are going to receive considerably more use and abuse than the same cabinets in the house of single homeowner. So what features are going to affect the life span of your cabinets? Here are the important features. 1) Cabinet Box Construction- There are a wide variety of materials use to build cabinets, with a significant difference in durability. Custom cabinets will most likely use solid wood, but the most commonly used materials are plywood and particleboard. Plywood in some cases will be stronger than real wood because it is multiple layers of wood with the grain laid in varying directions to add strength. Particleboard and Flakeboard will hold up as long as the hardware used to attach the cabinets does shift or move. Particleboard will have a tendency to sag or break because it is bonded flakes or chips of wood. **End Summary** Topics: kitchen cabinets]]> kitchen cabinet]]> cabinet]]> cabinets]]> kitchen]]> buying kitchen cabinets]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Find out where the experts go to get all of their kitchen cabinets and accessories. Learn how to save thousand on kitchen cabinet s by buying them where contractors and builders shop.

The Evolution of Kitchen Cabinets

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

As new technologies are developed, the Kitchen Cabinet Industry and the cabinet manufacturers have been forced to evolve and adapt. If you look at older homes that still have the original kitchen cabinets, is that they were hand-made by cabinet manufacturer or homeowner. The cabinets would have been made of sold wood with a variety of joinery methods (depending on the quality). At the time, materials were cheaper and labor was even cheaper. As time progressed, materials become more and more expensive, while labor was still relatively cheap. As new technologies started emerging, automation was introduced and it became possible to mass produce kitchen cabinets with perfect cuts every time. While there was still a demand for custom cabinets, and custom cabinetry was still a very good business, it was now more cost effective for homeowners to buy stock cabinets. As time went on, there were even new developments in the materials themselves. New materials such as Plywood, particleboard and OSB were being more widely used in the place of real wood. As time continued to pass, labor became more costly and it became more effective to have kitchen cabinets sourced and produced in other countries. **End Summary** Topics: kitchen cabinet]]> kitchen cabinets]]> cabinet]]> cabinets]]> rta cabinets]]> rta kitchen cabinets]]> rta]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Find out where the experts go to get all of their kitchen cabinets and accessories. Learn how to save thousand on kitchen cabinet s by buying them where contractors and builders shop.