Inspired Remodels, Author at Inspired Remodels

Orange County Flooring Contactor Sheds Light On Common DIY Flooring Mistakes

By Inspired Remodels / Home Improvement / No Comments

Are you thinking about installing new flooring in your home? It’s tempting to take the DIY route to save a few bucks. But before you dive in, consider this: DIY flooring projects often end up costing more in the long run. Why? Because without the proper know-how, you’re bound to make easily avoidable mistakes. Ask any seasoned Orange County flooring contractor about common DIY mistakes. You will hear about these common mistakes.

Not Understanding the Importance of Preparation

DIYers often underestimate the importance of preparation. Skipping crucial steps like proper subfloor preparation or moisture testing leads to flooring disasters. Without a level surface or proper moisture protection, failure waits in the wings. The flooring fails sooner rather than later.

For example, that fabulous wood flooring that’s all the rage now requires acclimation. Whether installed by a DIY’er or a pro, wood flooring material needs time to acclimate to the environment before installation. Pros know how to open and stack flooring planks and understand how long the acclimation process takes.

Many DIY enthusiasts overlook this critical step. Their floors warp or buckle over time and only then do they call in a pro.

Orange County flooring contractor uses wood-look tile to create spa feeling with white marble walls and white soaking tub

Wood-look tile offers a waterproof alternative to wood in the bathroom

Picking the Wrong Flooring

Selecting the right flooring material for your space is crucial for both aesthetics and functionality. However, many DIYers make the mistake of choosing based solely on appearance, without considering factors like durability, maintenance requirements, or suitability for the room’s purpose. They end up with great flooring in the wrong room or the wrong house. Environment and lifestyle matter.

When you work with an Orange County flooring contractor, they serve as advisors as well as installers. These pros won’t put wood floors in the bathroom, they’ll advise you to pick wood-look porcelain or ceramic.

Pros know what flooring stands up to high foot traffic from people and pets. DIYers lack this expertise.

Flooring contractor after picture: Hardwood flooring on stairs and landing

Stair flooring is not a DIY project

Poor Measuring and Installing Tools

Every flooring pro knows the maxim “Measure twice, cut once”. Unfortunately, many DIYers fail to heed this advice. This equals wasted materials, material shortages, and a patchy appearance to the final product.

Even a small measurement error can result in gaps, uneven seams, or misaligned tiles or planks. Even if they measure correctly, DIYers often lack the skills, precision, and attention to detail required for proper installation. Complex techniques like pattern matching, seam sealing, or proper adhesive application require practice.

Poorly measured and installed flooring looks amateurish and fails to stand up to wear and tear.

after bathroom remodel flooring contractor shows grey and white pattern tile flooring and blue vanity

This tile pattern is no problem for an Orange County flooring contractor

Go With a Seasoned Orange County Flooring Contractor

Sure, the allure of DIY seems appealing. But, tackling a flooring project without the necessary expertise leads to costly and unattractive mistakes. From improper preparation and measurement errors to poor installation techniques and material selection, the risks far outweigh the potential savings.

Avoid these risks. Work with a professional Orange County flooring contractor like Inspired Remodeling. These pros bring the knowledge, skills, and tools to get the job done right the first time.

Local Home Remodeling Contractors Make a Big Difference With Little Touches

Inspired Remodels, the local home remodeling contractors you love to follow on Instagram make a big difference in home remodeling with little touches. Because indeed, little things matter. Check out the latest and be sure to follow on Facebook and Instagram too!

Plumbing Fixtures and Cabinet Hardware

Your plumbing fixtures and cabinetry hardware act like fashion accessories for your room. Think of them as jewelry for bathrooms and kitchens.

The clean lines and finish coordinate perfectly with the cabinet hardware. Both choices bring together the contrasting countertops and cabinets harmoniously. The ensemble is complete from top to bottom.

You enjoy the same finished feel even if you pick completely different finishes.

In this kitchen, a black faucet with a brass spray nozzle brings together the cabinet hardware finish with the sink. The choice of cabinet hardware with warm tones picks up the subtle gold tones in the backsplash tile without giving that dreaded gauche appearance.

As you see, two similar kitchen set-ups where cabinetry hardware and plumbing fixture choices add the finishing touches to well-appointed kitchens.

Local Home Remodeling Contractors Eschew Matchy Matchy Looks

Eclectic never looked so good. In the hands of Inspired Remodels, instead of every detail matching, every detail comes together in a symphony. Who wants to listen to one-note music? No one, ever. So why does every inch of a room match?

These local home remodeling contractors know how to bring together complementing elements to harmonize without every inch matching.

In the kitchen, no rule says the island and other countertops must match. If there is a rule, Inspired Remodels breaks it.

Look at how these two quartz countertops work together to create a room where everything works together, even when they aren’t the same material.

You get all business with the kitchen countertops. But when it comes to the island, why not have a little fun? The veining adds visual interest to the island material while the more traditional quartz countertop works perfectly with the backsplash.

Kitchens and countertops aren’t the only places Inspired Remodels breaks the matchy matchy rule.

In the bathroom, three different tile designs add bold visual drama to the updated design. The six-sided tile on the floor with contrasting grout couldn’t be more different than the subway tile on the walls. The shower floor tile also uses a multi-sided round shape, but the shape and color are different.

Taken together, it’s a masterpiece! And how easy it would have been to select the same color and shape tile for the walls and floors. But Orange County homeowners deserve inspired remodels, not easy remodels. Inspired Remodels delivers!

Breaking Down Custom Kitchen Remodeling Projects

By Inspired Remodels / Home Improvement, Kitchen Remodel / Comments Off

What’s involved in a custom kitchen remodeling project? What elements are involved and how much can you expect to pay for a complete remodel? Of course, Inspired Remodels, like every other custom kitchen remodeler, tells everyone that costs vary based on your situation. But based on Forbes research, here’s what you can expect.

Cabinets

When it comes to budget, new cabinets consume a big chunk. Figure that your cabinets will take about 29% of the budget according to Forbes.

It might be tempting to shave a few dollars here, but cabinetry endures. Good cabinets may be refinished or painted over the years. So, when you figure cabinets last 20 years or more, it makes sense their cost is higher.

Labor

Those cabinets, floors, backsplashes, lighting, and appliances won’t install themselves. Expect to pay for installation labor in addition to the materials. That only makes sense.

When a licensed general contractor completes your custom kitchen remodeling project, those labor costs include the cost of the actual work plus the overhead associated with labor. This includes worker’s compensation insurance, Social Security, Medicare, etc. Don’t gripe – that’s all for your benefit.

Let an unlicensed contractor without worker’s compensation on your property and if something goes wrong, you are responsible for medical bills associated with any on-the-job injuries.

Forbes research shows labor is about 17% of the total cost.

Appliances

New appliances can run from several thousand to tens of thousands, depending on your taste. A cheap oven (who wants that?) can be as low as $400 but a Wolf all gas range can cost $4300 or more. Same applies to your refrigerator and dishwasher. A basic dishwasher clocks in at $300 but a Miele will cost $1,300 or more.

Appliances last, and the more you pay generally the higher quality you expect. Appliances don’t last as long as cabinets, so they consume less of the budget. Forbes research finds that all new appliances are about 14% of the budget.

Countertops

The remaining double-digit percentage of the budget comes from your countertop selection. Figure about 10% of the budget will be spent on the countertops.

On the low end, ceramic tile countertops can cost as little as $10 to $30 per square foot. On the other end of the spectrum, marble runs $60 to $200 per square foot. In between is your butcher block, composite, granite, and quartz.

All the Rest

The remainder of the budget will go to flooring, backsplashes, lighting, sheetrock, hardware, and faucets. If your custom kitchen remodel includes new windows and doors, expect to pay more than the average cost.

So, what do you recoup in value? The national average return on investment for a custom kitchen remodel is 52% to 71%. The greater the overhaul, the lower the ROI. That’s because the more you spend, the less you get back. In other words, a complete redo that changes the floor plan and moves doors and windows generates a lower ROI than an update that replaces cabinets, appliances, and countertops.

Custom Kitchen Remodeling Pros

Ready to talk turkey about a kitchen remodel? Make an appointment with the pros at Inspired Remodels. Orange County brings their remodeling inspiration to Jason and Joe Mueller and then watches as this brotherly duo brings them to life.

Schedule a consultation today.

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Author: Inspired Remodels