Archives

August 30, 2010

The Beauty of Hardwood Floors in the Kitchen

Are you at a loss for flooring ideas in your kitchen remodeling project?  Picking a commonly used material like tile or laminate is a good idea, but it won’t make your kitchen stand out.  Hardwood flooring is becoming an increasingly popular remodeling trend.  Various wood types provide a great selection of shades, colors and patterns to help enhance your kitchen for your family and friends.

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August 27, 2010

Quartz or Granite? Which Is Right For Your Kitchen?

You probably didn’t come to a decision to replace your kitchen countertops easily.  It is always a big project and will significantly change the appearance of your kitchen.  Now that you’ve decided to make a change, the pressing question is what type of material you should install?  There are several types to choose from, but currently two options are dominating the market – quartz and granite.  Which material is right for your kitchen?  The answer will vary depending on your preferences on appearance, pricing and maintenance.

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August 26, 2010

Two Different Seasons, Two Different Energy Bills

Most Maryland homeowners vividly remember the blizzards which kept them inside last winter.  They also remember the energy bills associated with record breaking snowfall.  Those costs carried over to one of the warmest summers on record.  Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) named July’s record breaking heat as the culprit behind higher than normal energy bills.  On the brighter side, researchers have predicted a far warmer winter this year.  What does this mean for energy use in your home?  Read more after the jump.

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August 23, 2010

The Road To An Easy Clean Kitchen

When remodeling a kitchen, it is easy to get excited with all of your ideas.  Don’t forget that after your new kitchen is finally done, someone is going to have to clean it regularly.  With a little bit of planning you can have a beautiful kitchen that is also low-maintenance.  So how do you accomplish this?  Below you will find some advice on how to plan an easy clean kitchen.

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August 20, 2010

Friday Twitter Round Up

There was a lot of news to cover this week in the world of remodeling and home improvement.  Everything from the return on investment of certain projects like replacement windows and replacement doors, to Vanilla Ice getting his own home improvement show – seriously.  Twitter is a great way to stay up to date with interesting subjects and people, locally and around the world.  You can find us here, tweeting away great information from the world of energy efficiency and home improvement.  Here are a few “tweets” that caught our interest.

AARP Maryland (@AARPMaryland)

How does your state compare when it comes to average price of electricity per kilowatt hour for residential customers (AARP)

Green Maryland (@GreenMaryland)

Maryland DNR’s 2010 Photo Contest ends Aug. 31. If you love outdoors & take photos, get your entries in & win prizes (Maryland DNR)

Long Fence and Home (@LFandHome)

Vanilla Ice gets a home improvement show…you read that right. #noreally (The Wrap)

Serious Materials (@GetSerious)

New study comparing energy-saving techniques shows windows give biggest bang for your buck. (Serious Materials)

Baltimore Charm (@BaltimoreCharm)

Maryland among cheapest states to close on a home.  (Baltimore Business Journal)