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All Vinyl Railings Are Not Created Equal

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We recently finished a vinyl railing installation on a home in Glen Allen.  The front porch railings had been replaced with the usual big box store railings and were falling apart and completely unsafe.  It took a little convincing and show and tell with some samples but I was able to convince the homeowner that we could provide them with a much better product.  Below is a comparison of the lower rail sections of the old and new.

On the left is the old railing. On the right is our new railing with the aluminum insert for strength.

We buy our railings factory direct.  They are made in the USA and come with a lifetime warranty.  They are fully code compliant, won’t rot and I have never met a termite that would eat vinyl.  They come in a variety of colors too so if white’s not your thing you do have options.

 

 

So if you’re thinking of replacing the railings on your Glen Allen home don’t dismiss vinyl based on cheap examples.  Let us show you what we have to offer and you will be surpised at the quality of our product.

Give us a call at 804-266-3776.

Herb Coulter, The Remodeling Company, llc

Great Start To 2012 Begining With This Kitchen Remodel

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First we’d like to say thanks to all our customers for a great 2011.  After a little slow down around the holidays we’ve been going strong in the first month of 2012.  We’re starting off with a kitchen remodel in Glen Allen.  It’s a simple L-shaped kitchen but with some upgraded cabinets with granite counter tops and a new floor this will be a major transformation when complete.

Here’s what we started with:

Late 70's L-Shaped KitchenLate 70's L-Shaped Kitchen Before

The old cabinets are from the late 70′s and were originally stained very dark.  At some point they were painted white and the laminate butcher block counters were added.  The drawers barely work and the sink cabinet has significant water damage.

 

After a day of demo we were at this point:

We took out all the cabinets and eventually pulled out the old vinyl.  There’s also some repair work done on the ceiling from some old water damage in the upstairs bathrooms.  We also had to repair some electrical issues to make the kitchen safe and bring it up to code.

 

 

I’ll post pictures of the final product after the new cabinets and counter tops are in and all the painting and finish work are complete.  After this we’ll be moving on to a small  bathroom remodel in Henrico that will include a new tiled shower stall and some space saving ideas for small bathrooms.  Stay tuned for updates.

Maintaining Your Deck

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Two Level Composite DeckIs your deck safe?  When was the last time you took a good look at your deck?  Has it been cleaned and sealed lately?  Are the railings still secure?  Is the decking cracked and worn?  Is the structure still solid?  Here’s a few things to look for to make sure your deck stays in good and more importantly safe condition.

1.  Structure:  Take a look under your deck if you can.  This is one area most people don’t pay attention to but with deck collapse stories becoming more common it’s best to keep an eye on this.  Look at how your deck is connected to your house.  Does it look solid or is the ledger board (first board bolted to the house) pulling away?  Check that the floor joists are still attached to the ledger, preferably with metal hangers.

Some decks are built separate from the house and will have posts and beams closer to the house to hold them up.  This way any movement in the deck or the house will not damage the other.  Look at the posts holding the deck up and make sure they aren’t leaning one way or the other.

2.  Decking:  Check that the decking boards themselves are not rotting through or cracked so bad that they could break.  Check to see if any nails have popped up to pose potential tripping hazards.

One way to tell if a wooden deck needs sealed is to drop some water on it.  If the water still beads up the sealer is still good.  If it soaks in the deck is probably due for a cleaning and sealing.  Clear sealers only last about a year while colored stains can last two to three years.  Just because it’s pressure treated lumber doesn’t mean it won’t need sealed.

Composite decking doesn’t need sealed but you still need to keep it clean.  When it was first introduced it was advertised as “no maintenance” but manufacturers have changed their tune on that and now admit that it does require some cleaning to keep it looking good.

For either type if you’re going to use a pressure washer to clean the deck make sure you use a gentle nozzle. A pressure washer with too much pressure will actually strip layers of soft wood away causing deep ridges that hold dirt and moisture and accelerate the decay of the wood.

3. Railings:  I cringe when I look at how most railings are built.  Posts are notched and nailed to the outside of the deck.  You can literally push them over.  The notching weakens the entire posts and gives the wood a path to split and break off.  Until recently the Codes didn’t really address this issue and many unsafe railings were built.  Railings should be bolted through and braced back to at least two floor joist by wood blocking or specialized metal brackets.  All railings will have some movement to them if you push on them but if you wouldn’t feel comfortable leaning against them they need to be replaced.

Nothing ruins a party faster than having your guests fall through the railing of your deck and getting hurt.  Well, maybe that crazy friend that likes to go streaking but that’s not really a deck issue.

If anything looks like it needs attention and you’re not comfortable with correcting it yourself give us a call at 804-266-3776 or use the contact us form on our website.

Five Quick Ways To Update Your Kitchen

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Dark pine kitchen circa 1985

1985 Called, They Want Their Kitchen Back.

If the style of your kitchen is a little outdated but the cabinets are still in good shape and the budget doesn’t have room for a full kitchen remodel there are some easy ways to do a kitchen makeover without breaking the bank.  Here are five quick ways to breath new life into a tired room.

1.  Change The Knobs & Pulls:  Sometimes something as simple as changing the knobs and pulls can make a dramatic change.  If yours are worn out or just outdated you can replace them all in an hour and all you need is a screwdriver.  If you have handles be sure to take one with you to match the distance between the screw holes.

2.  Paint The Cabinets:  This will be a bit more dramatic than the previous one but painting the cabinets can make an old dark room look new.  Be sure to clean off all of the grease and if needed sand any shiny surfaces and prime everything with a quality primer first.

3.  Replace The Sink and Faucet:  A new sink and faucet will clean up the look of the room and save you on your water bills.  With all the new styles you can get new faucet that looks good and works better than the old one.

4.  Replace The Counter Tops:  If you want to make a big change but can’t afford all new cabinets changing the counter tops could be the way to go.  Something as simple as new laminate counter tops can be a huge improvement over those old worn out ones but if the budget allows it stone or solid surface will really add a high end touch.

5.  Replace The Floors:  Adding new tile or hardwood floors will bring a whole new focal point to the room.  If you plan to replace the cabinets soon though be sure you like the layout.  You don’t want to have to patch in the floors down the road and risk a bad match.

BONUS:  OK it’s not much of a bonus but one pretty obvious way to brighten an old kitchen or any room in your home would be to paint the walls a new color.

If you have any questions or need help with any of your Glen Allen remodeling projects please contact The Remodeling Company llc @ 804-266-3776 or go to www.TheRemodelingCollc.com.